A resistive random-access memory structure and a method for fabricating a resistive random-access memory structure are described. A first dielectric layer is formed on a substrate. A plurality of bottom electrodes are independently embedded in the first dielectric layer. A transition metal oxide layer covers the plurality of bottom electrodes and extends onto a portion of the first dielectric layer. The minimum distance between the bottom electrode and a sidewall of the transition metal oxide layer is a first distance. The first distance is in a range of 10 nm to 200 μm. A top electrode is formed on the transition metal oxide layer.

Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a memory device, and in particular it relates to a resistive random-access memory structure and a method for fabricating the resistive random-access memory structure.
Description of the Related Art
Because stored data will not disappear while power being turned off, non-volatile memories are essential for various electronic products. Currently, resistive random access memory (RRAM) is a prosperous sort of non-volatile memory that has been developed for use in the industry. Resistive random access memory has great potential for use in personal computers and electronic devices because of its advantages such as low operating voltage, high writing/erasing speed, long memory-period, non-destructive read out, multi-state memorizing, simple structure, and small area.
However, in the production of resistive random access memory, along with the miniaturization of the device size, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome, such as uniformity of the resistive random access memory structure, and how to prevent damage to the bottom electrode caused by manufacturing processes. Therefore, a new resistive random access memory structure and an improved fabrication process are desirable.

Resistive random-access memory structure and method for fabricating the same


A silver halide photographic material which comprises a support having thereon at least one hydrophilic colloid layer, wherein the hydrophilic colloid layer comprises (a) a binder comprising a dextran having a molecular weight of at least 100,000 and (b) an ionic polymer.

Considerable interest has been shown in the manufacture of emulsions in the increase of sensitivity.
The use of various additives in silver halide photographic emulsions is known as a means of increasing the sensitivity.
Dextran is a typical example of a sugar which increases the sensitivity of a photographic emulsion layer and its use has been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,063,833 and 3,272,631. However, the following problem arises during development processing when amounts of these materials sufficient for achieving the intended purpose are used.
Specifically, the photographic emulsion layer peels away from the subbing layer, e.g., a layer which is established to ensure adhesion between the photographic emulsion layer and the support, during development processing. The product value of such a photographic material is considerably low.
The method of eliminating such peeling during development processing by simply arranging the proportion of dextran to a binder in the photographic emulsion layer, as disclosed in JP-A-61-69061 is known to be inadequate for maintaining product value (the term "JP-A" as used herein refers to a "published unexamined Japanese patent application"). The use of a dextran having a molecular weight of at least 100,000 as suggested in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-313637 is satisfactory as a means of preventing such peeling; however, when the dextran is added, it precipitates out of the coating liquid and the liquid cannot be used for coating over prolonged periods.


An interface mechanism is described for controlling the exchange of information between two devices, such as a direct memory access controller 12 and adapter 5 through bus 10. The exchange is initiated by the adapter which activates the request line 44 and read/write signal on line 62 indicating whether a memory read or write operation is requested. The controller sends back a grant signal on line 46 when the request may be serviced. Ready line 60 is monitored and checked by the adapter and valid line 52 is monitored and checked by the controller. Turn around signal on line 64 controls the direction of the transfer on bidirectional data lines 66. A write or read operation begins with the transmission by the adapter of control parameters (address and byte count). Then for a write operation, the data burst is sent from the adapter to the controller and for a read operation the data burst is sent from the controller to the adapter. The sampling clock always travels with the parameters and data. Controller 12 transmits data with a clock 28 used by the adapter to sample that data and adapter transmits data with a clock 36 used by the controller 12 to sample that data. Clock 36 is generated by inverting clock 28. Thus the bus presents the advantages of synchronous and asychronous modes of operation. The data exchanges are synchronous, so that no time is wasted in handshaking protocols. Because of its asynchronous nature between transfers, the bus is independent of the controller data handling scheme, memory type and memory access time.

Buses are widely used in information handling systems for exchanging information between parts of the systems. There exist two types of buses: synchronous buses and the asynchronous buses. The exchange of information through asynchronous buses is controlled by handshaking protocols which slows the thruput. In addition they require a relatively high number of wires.
The exchange of information through synchronous buses is controlled through specific data frame arrangements.
Direct memory access is a feature which is frequently used in information handling systems.
Now, for example, in an information handling system such as a communication controller the capability of connecting high speed lines through high speed line adapters such as described in European Patent Application No. 86430015.7 filed on Apr. 30,1987 is now offered. In such type of controllers, a direct memory access bus comprises the direct path which allows information to be read from and written into the memory by the line adapters in order to send or receive information from the high speed lines. For improving the operation of the communication controller, improving this path is highly desirable.

System with plural clocks for bidirectional information exchange between DMA controller and I/O devices via DMA bus

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to a radiation image capturing system and a method of adjusting the same. An image capturing condition setting unit sets a target, a filter, and a tube voltage as image capturing conditions depending on the sensitivity characteristics of a radiation conversion panel that is selected by a panel selector, in a radiation source and a radiation source control apparatus. Radiation image information of a subject is recorded in the radiation conversion panel according to the set image capturing conditions. An image processing condition setting unit sets image processing conditions corresponding to the sensitivity characteristics of the radiation conversion panel in an image processor. The image processor processes the radiation image information acquired from the radiation conversion panel according to the set image processing conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation image capturing system for capturing a radiation image of a subject using a radiation conversion panel, and a method of adjusting such a radiation image capturing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, there have widely been used radiation image capturing apparatus which apply a radiation to a subject and guide the radiation that has passed through the subject to an X-ray film or a radiation conversion panel, which captures a radiation image from the radiation.
According to an analog image capturing process which employs X-ray films, the dose and quality (X-ray energy spectrum) of X-rays to be applied to the subject have to be set according to the characteristics of the X-ray film used, in order to produce an image at an optimum density or quality (gradation). Therefore, it is currently difficult to take into account reduction of the level of radiation exposure which the subject undergoes.
There has been developed a radiation conversion panel which is capable of digitally capturing a radiation image. A stimulable phosphor panel (hereinafter referred to as "IP" (Imaging Plate)) is a radiation conversion panel which stores, in a phosphor, radiation energy representative of radiation image information of a subject and which subsequently emits stimulated light representative of the stored radiation image information when irradiated with stimulating light. The IP with the recorded radiation image information is supplied to a reading apparatus, which reads the recorded radiation image information from the IP to produce a visible radiation image from the read radiation image information.
In sites where medical procedures are performed, such as operating rooms or the like, it is necessary to read and display recorded radiation image information immediately from a radiation conversion panel, for the purpose of quickly and appropriately treating the patient. As a radiation conversion panel which meets such a requirement, there has been developed a radiation conversion panel (hereinafter referred to as "FPD" (Flat Panel Detector)) having a solid-state detector therein for converting radiation directly into electric signals, or for converting radiation into visible light with a scintillator, and then converting such visible light into electric signals in order to read the detected radiation image.
There is a radiation image capturing apparatus employing a solid-state imaging device (hereinafter referred to as "CCD" (Charge Coupled Device)) as a radiation conversion panel.
According to a digital image capturing process which employs such a radiation conversion panel, since acquired radiation image information represents digital information, any of various image processings such as density adjustment, gradation adjustment, etc. can be performed on the radiation image information. Therefore, it is possible to make radiation settings about a radiation dose and a radiation quality with a view to reducing the level of radiation exposure on the subject.
It is desirable to appropriately select any one of those different radiation conversion panels capable of digitally capturing radiation images depending on the state of the subject, the location where a radiation image is captured, the purpose for which a radiation image is captured, etc.
For example, the IP is suitable for imaging special regions of an emergency patient or a subject which cannot be moved easily because the IP can easily be carried around, can have a large choice of shapes, and can capture any desired areas of the subject. The FPD lends itself to capturing radiation images of a subject while an operation is being performed on the subject or the subject is undergoing a complete medical checkup because it is possible for the FPD to capture high-quality radiation images quickly. Though the CCD is lower in captured image quality than the IP and the FPD, it is suitable for use in treating the patient using a catheter, for example, while the doctor is confirming radiation images captured by the CCD or for combining a plurality of radiation images captured by the CCD in different directions into a three-dimensional image because the CCD is able to acquire real-time moving images and also to acquire radiation images independent on the direction in which the radiation is applied to the subject.
The radiation conversion panels capable of digitally capturing radiation images have respective inherent sensitivity characteristics. Therefore, appropriate image capturing conditions need to be set up for the respective radiation conversion panels in order for them to acquire suitable radiation image information. The image capturing conditions include, for example, the focal spot size of the radiation source, a filter for adjusting the spectrum of X-rays applied to the radiation conversion panel, a tube voltage, a tube current, an X-ray irradiation time, the type of a target for outputting an X-ray, etc.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-157524 discloses a technique for applying a radiation having a low dose through a subject to a radiation conversion panel to acquire a pre-exposure image of the subject and setting image capturing conditions including a focal track (if the image capturing apparatus has a dual focal track), a filter used, a tube voltage, information as to whether there is a grid or not, a focal spot size, and a value represented by the product of a tube current and an irradiation time, using the acquired pre-exposure image.
According to the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-157524, however, the radiation conversion panel used is predetermined, and image capturing conditions for acquiring appropriate radiation image information can be set with respect to only the radiation conversion panel. The disclosed technology is not directed to the setting of image capturing conditions suitable for a selected one of different radiation conversion panels.

Radiation image capturing system and method of adjusting same


An optical communications system is disclosed for correcting in real-time the wavefront distortions of a beam from a coherent optical transmitting source. The system includes a collimating lens and beam splitter for receiving a distorted wavefront signal beam and splitting the beam into a pump beam and a weaker intensity signal beam. The system includes a detector and computer for measuring the beam distortion and specifying a compensatory wavefront. The weaker intensity signal beam is modified in a 2-D spatial light modulator according to a compensatory wavefront. A photo-refractive material is used to couple energy from the pump beam to the compensated wavefront signal beam thereby producing a corrected and intensity-enhanced communications beam.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an optical communications system and more particularly to an optical communications system for modulating in real-time the wavefront of a beam from a coherent optical source.
Background Description
In optical communications, there are applications where the wavefront of a beam may change as a function of time. Laser diodes and laser diode arrays (LDA's), which are uniquely suited to satellite communications due to their low mass and compactness, are known to degrade with age, suffering changes in frequency and beamfront characteristics. Propagation through the atmosphere induces changes in the wavefront due to changes in the index of refraction as a function of time. In these cases and others, the optical solutions employed to correct and direct a given beam would suffer degradation in effectiveness over time. Active or adaptive optical systems employ real-time control over optical wavefronts to optimize overall system performance in the presence of time-dependent changes in the beamfront. For applications where maintaining wavefront fidelity throughout a given optical link is required to retain high signal-to-noise ratios, beamfront fidelity or good image reconstruction capability, incorporation of such techniques into the overall system design is highly desirable. Specifically, for the application to spacecraft laser communications, real-time, or dynamic, holography can provide a low mass, compact solution with potentially high resolution for real-time beamfront correction.
Wavefront Aberration Function: In detecting and analyzing changes in wavefronts, the commonly used figure of merit is the Strehl ratio. The Strehl ratio describes the ratio of peak intensity of an image to that of an unaberrated wavefront, and is defined as: ##EQU1## where I(P) refers to intensity at point P defined as: ##EQU2## I is the intensity of the unaberrated system which is assumed to be a perfect wavefront, i.e. a sphere of constant amplitude: ##EQU3## where A is the amplitude and R is the radius of the reference sphere, .lambda. is the wavelength and .phi. is the aberration function with respect to the spherical wavefronts. FIG. 1A illustrates the model of the imaging system. For small aberrations, the wavefront quality can be specified in terms of variance from this reference spherical wavefront. The wavefront aberration function at point Q is the difference in the aberrated wavefront with respect to the ideal spherical reference circle, S. The resulting disturbance at image point, P, is obtained by integrating all elements of d.phi. over ds as illustrated in FIG. 1B. It can be demonstrated that small rms errors will result in significant degradation in peak intensity from the ideal as disclosed in Prin. of Optics, 2nd Ed., Pergamon Press, 1965 (460-462) by M. Born and E. Wolf. Hence, the signal-to-noise ratios and more importantly, the bit error rate (BER), which is critical to an optical communications link, is strongly affected. Large aberrations result in degradation of the image structure. Hence, recovery of beam fidelity both to retain high signal-to-noise ratios, low bit error rates, and wavefront quality motivates the development of effective methods to compensate in real-time distortions which degrade overall system performance.
System Considerations: FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the basic components of a system to detect and compensate for beamfront distortion which may be induced from the transmitter and/or channel effects. The fundamental elements of an active or adaptive optical system which can correct the wavefront of the beam must include a means to detect and measure the changes in the beam wavefront 2, a means to analyze and specify a compensatory wavefront, and hardware 6 to modify the distorted wavefront in a specified way. These elements are common to both active optics, which has come to be used to describe open-loop control of wavefront correction, and adaptive optics, which has come to refer to more complex wavefront correction which usually operates in a closed-loop mode. A system detector 10 receives a corrected wavefront beam.
Laser diodes and diode arrays are uniquely suited to spacecraft communications due to their low mass and compact size. These types of optical transmitters, however, suffer beamfront aberrations characterized typically by astigmatism and ellipticity as well as wide divergence. A typical laser output is shown in FIG. 3. Configurations which use conventional optical components to correct and direct the beam are massive and bulky and provide approximate solutions for a specific communications beam. Holograms, due to their unique characteristic of incorporating the functions of multiple optical elements into a single interference pattern which can reconstruct both recorded amplitude and phase information, offer a compelling alternative as disclosed in an article in Applied Optics. 24, 2150(1985) by W. H. Carter and H. J. Caulfield. Ideally, one would illuminate a hologram made to correct and direct the output from a specific diode transmitter with the uncorrected beam and the corrected "communications" beam would be diffracted from the hologram at the Bragg angle. FIG. 4A compares the conventional optical solution with the holographic approach in FIG. 4B. In FIG. 4A, a laser 20 transmits an optical signal which passes through a collimating lens 22, through an anamorphic prism pair 24, and through correcting optics 26 to give the desired wavefront before reaching receiving optics 28. In FIG. 4B, the laser 20 transmits an optical signal 20 which passes through a partially collimating lens 22, and through a hologram 30 to give the desired resultant wavefront beam.
As previously discussed, changes in output beam propagation characteristics due either to transmitter degradation over time or distortions induced by disturbances in the optical path motivate a solution wherein modulation of the wavefront to compensate for these distortions is accomplished "in situ" in real-time.
In spacecraft communications, high resolution, device durability, erasability, low power consumption, compactness, relatively low mass and maximized diffraction efficiency are critical design criteria which are influenced by both the functional setting (i.e. the unique requirements of satellite-to-satellite communications) and by the characteristics of the optical transmitter selected.
The most straightforward approach to beam wavefront correction consists of a technique to directly modulate a distorted wavefront signal beam in a given medium by converting the digital signals resulting from analysis into a specific modulation using a two-dimensional spatial light modulator (2-D SLM). The modulated material must be able to respond to light radiating in the near-infrared with high efficiency. FIG. 5 illustrates this strategy. As shown, the coherent optical transmitter 40, characterized as a diode or diode array, illuminates a 2-D SLM 42 which can be modified in place in real-time by electrical distributions derived from a computer 46 analysis of the beamfront aberrations through an interface 44.
Detection of wavefront aberrations and feedback strategies are not addressed here. However, a number of designs ar under investigation, e.g. J. W. Hardy, in IEEE Proc., 66, 651, (1978, presents an excellent introductory review of techniques. Also, the interference phase loop (IPL) developed by Fisher and Warde in opt. Lett., 4, 131 (1979), is a comparatively direct approach which can be adapted to a number of system configurations which employ SLM's.
Assuming variations in a given phasefront have been detected and the information transmitted to a wavefront analyzer, wavefront analysis must be conducted to characterize the distortion and then predict the compensatory grating which must be induced in hardware. In order to reduce payload, should an onboard processing design be elected, and/or to meet response time constraints, it is clear that a reduced number of computational steps which can be accomplished through advanced signal and parallel processing techniques is desirable. The methodology to be employed, however, will be, in part, determined by the type of hardware implementation selected.
Techniques to directly induce phase modulation such as on a monolithic device using the electro-optic (E-O) or magneto-optic effect, are attractive technologies which enable translation of wavefront analysis into hardware implementation. However the lack of commercially available SLM's which can provide high resolution, dynamic range, fast response time, high diffraction efficiency and are robust, modular, and have low power consumption prevent implementation of the direct approach. It is desirable, then, to relax the operational parameters which would make available a wider class of SLM strategies and devices.

Efficient dynamic phasefront modulation system for free-space optical communications

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A structure is prepared by preparing a getter assembly by furnishing a single-piece getter base including a getter substrate and a getter-shield precursor, affixing a getter material to the getter substrate, and processing the getter-shield precursor to form a getter shield. The processing is preferably performed by folding at least a portion of the getter-shield precursor to overlie the getter material affixed to the getter substrate. There may be provided a vacuum housing and a device. The getter assembly and the device are inserted into the vacuum housing, and the vacuum housing is evacuated and sealed.

In one type of vacuum assembly, a device of interest is hermetically sealed into the interior of a vacuum housing. The interior of the vacuum housing is evacuated, either during the sealing operation or subsequently through a vacuum line that is then sealed. The interior of the vacuum housing is not further evacuated by a pump during storage or service. Such sealed vacuum units are often used when the volume, weight, and/or power requirements of a pump that is available during storage and service are not consistent with the application.
During the sealing operation, during storage, or during service, additional gases may be evolved from the device or from the interior walls of the vacuum housing, or slowly leaked into the interior of the vacuum housing. The additional gases may include inorganic gases such as oxygen or nitrogen, or organic evolved gases. If these additional gases are allowed to continue to accumulate, their concentration may eventually become so great that the device may no longer be operable at the increased gas pressure, or other problems such as increased convective heat flow may arise.
One technique for reducing the concentration of the additional gases is to place a getter material that is highly reactive with the additional gases into the interior of the vacuum housing. As the additional gases are produced in the interior of the vacuum housing, the getter material chemically reacts, as by forming a solid reaction product, or physically reacts, as by adsorbing, the additional gases. The concentration and partial pressure of the additional gases remains low. An example of a known getter material is titanium.
The getter material is usually deposited upon a getter substrate. Typical getter materials must be activated by heating to a moderate activation temperature such as in the range of 500-900° C., before they can function to getter the additional gases. To accomplish the activation, the usual practice is to pass an electrical current through the getter substrate, ohmically heating the getter substrate and thence the getter material to the required activation temperature. During the elevated-temperature activation and even subsequently during service, some of the getter material may sputter or otherwise leave the getter and deposit upon other components such as the interior of windows or the device itself, interfering with their subsequent operation. Also, the radiant energy produced during the getter activation may heat and damage sensitive internal devices. To prevent such deposition of the getter material onto the other components and to prevent excessive heating by radiant energy during activation of the getter material, a getter shield may be positioned between the getter material and the other components, so that the evaporated getter material and the radiant energy fall on the getter shield rather than on the other components.
Available getter shields are relatively large in size and weight, and difficult to assemble with the getter assembly and the other components in the interior of the vacuum housing. The problem is of particular concern for miniaturized structures. There is accordingly a need for a better approach for preventing undesirable deposition of getter material on other components and excessive heating of other components in evacuated structures. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Method for preparing a getter structure and getter structure


A nitride film manufacturing apparatus forms a nitride film on a substrate provided in a chamber by a plasma CVD technique. Specifically, the nitride film manufacturing apparatus includes a controller for calculating a first period for applying first high-frequency power having a relatively high frequency and a second period for applying second high-frequency power having a relatively low frequency in order to obtain desired compressive stress or tensile stress of the nitride film, based on distribution of a refractive index of the nitride film and/or distribution of a deposition rate of the nitride film, the distribution falling within a predetermined numerical range and being obtained using the first high-frequency power and/or the second high-frequency power applied independently for forming the nitride film.

Various semiconductor devices are still being developed and utilized intensively, and there is no doubt that it will continuously be in the important positions. Elemental techniques essential for the development of the semiconductor devices include forming so-called thin films such as oxide films, nitride films, and oxynitride films. While the semiconductor structure is being miniaturized rapidly, this elemental technique can never be developed without improvement in film quality and achievement of film forming of high controllability.
There have been disclosed many film forming techniques. Such already disclosed techniques include a technique for reducing or preventing charge-up damage to a formed insulating film, by simultaneously applying power having two different frequencies in a parallel-plate plasma CVD apparatus (Patent Document 1).

Apparatus, method and program for manufacturing nitride film


A method for managing memory in some embodiments comprises maintaining a memory pool, and specifying an amount of memory required for allocation. In some embodiments, the method also comprises requesting a process to release memory into the memory pool. In some embodiments, the method also comprises allocating an amount of the memory pool to a process. In some embodiments, the method comprises maintaining a memory pool, receiving status information from a plurality of processes, and managing memory among the plurality of processes using the status information.

Efficient memory management is important for efficient execution of computer programs. Some environments leave the memory management to the programs, allowing programs to request and release memory as needed. Such programs are error-prone since they typically dependent on the programmer to manually determine the request and release of memory. In some garbage-collected environments, garbage collectors automatically release memory occupied by objects that are no longer in use, thereby improving the reliability of the programs' memory management.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the memory allocation of processes operating in a garbage-collected environment. In this example, system 120 assigns memory to processes such as 100-106 when the processes are initialized. In the example shown, the memory assigned to process 100 includes a committed section 110 and headroom 112. The committed section provides memory required to run the process. The amount of memory assigned to the committed section is represented as x. To achieve efficient collection of dead objects, garbage collection algorithms generally require a significant quantity of memory ("headroom") beyond what is needed to contain the set of live objects. The headroom provides free memory to the process. Over time, some of the objects allocated in the headroom may be no longer used by the process. The garbage collector eventually frees these obsolete objects to make more free memory available. The headroom is typically assigned more memory than the committed section. In this example, the amount of memory assigned to the headroom is 5 times the amount of committed memory, denoted as 5×.
While the memory management method described above is useful for garbage-collected environments, several problems remain. Since the amount of headroom assigned to each process is typically determined before the process is launched, the process occupies the same amount of memory whether it is busy or idle. On a system with many running processes, there may be a few processes that utilize a significant portion of their headroom, while the majority of the processes stay idle and much of the free memory in their headroom remains unused. Thus, the memory in the system is not efficiently utilized. Also, systems implementing such a memory management scheme tend not to have good resiliency. If the memory demand of a process exceeds what is allocated (for example, due to unpredicted high peak demand or memory leaks), the process may crash. Additionally, such systems may have unpredictable behavior. For example, in some systems, other operations of the system are paused when the garbage collector is performing garbage collection. The pausing behavior is unpredictable and undesirable. In some systems, a concurrent garbage collector is used to ameliorate the pausing problem. However, when the rate of garbage generation is high, or when collection heuristics fail, the concurrent garbage collector still may be unable to prevent the system from pausing.
It would be desirable to implement memory management while avoiding pauses due to garbage collecting and offering better predictability. It would also be desirable to provide better resiliency and increase memory efficiency.


A LED driver integrated circuit has a voltage input pin, a voltage output pin, a capacitor pin, and a switching circuit connected to the capacitor pin and the voltage output pin. The capacitor pin and the voltage output pin are for a flying capacitor to be connected therebetween, and thus the switching circuit and the flying capacitor establish a charge pump to convert an input voltage received by the voltage input pin into an output voltage at the voltage output pin.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional LED driver IC 10 requires at least seven pins, including two capacitor pins CN and CP for a flying capacitor Cfly to be connected therebetween, a voltage input pin VIN to receive an input voltage Vi, a voltage output pin VOUT to connect to an output capacitor Cout to provide an output voltage Vo for driving an LED 12, a current output pin CS to connect to the LED 12 to provide a drive current Iout thereto, a dimming control pin EN to receive a dimming control signal GPIO to adjust the average value of the drive current Iout to thereby adjust the luminance of the LED 12, and a ground pin GND to connect to a ground terminal of the system. In order to reduce the pin count for cost reduction, U.S. Pat. No. 7,368,977 uses the capacitor pin CN to receive the dimming control signal GPIO and thus eliminates the dimming control pin EN. However, this art now can not satisfy the demands of users on LPC ICs.
Therefore, it is desired an LED driver IC with further reduced pin count.

Low pin count LED driver integrated circuit


A deep neural network (DNN) includes hidden layers arranged along a forward propagation path between an input layer and an output layer. The input layer accepts training data comprising quaternion values, outputs a quaternion-valued signal along the forward path to at least one of the hidden layers. At least some of the hidden layers include quaternion layers to execute consistent quaternion (QT) forward operations based on one or more variable parameters. A loss function engine produces a loss function representing an error between the DNN result and an expected result. QT backpropagation-based training operations include computing layer-wise QT partial derivatives, consistent with an orthogonal basis of quaternion space, of the loss function with respect to a QT conjugate of the one or more variable parameters and of respective inputs to the quaternion layers.

Machine learning, deep learning in particular, is receiving more attention by researchers and system developers due its successful application to automated perception, such as machine vision, speech recognition, motion understanding, and automated control (e.g., autonomous motor vehicles, drones, and robots). Modern multi-layered neural networks have become the framework of choice for deep learning. Conventional neural networks are mostly based on the computational operations of real-number calculus.
Quaternion algebras, based on a multi-dimensional complex number representation, has drawn attention across digital signal processing applications (motion-tracking, image processing, and control) due to the significant reduction in parameters and in operations and more accurate physics representation (singularity-free rotations) compared to one-dimensional real or two-dimensional complex algebras. Because quaternion (QT) operations necessitate reconciliation across geometry, calculus, interpolation, and algebra, to date, quaternions have not been well adapted to deep multi-layered neural networks. In particular, training neural networks requires the optimization of a cost (or loss) function via backpropagation—a process that computes the gradient (partial derivative) of the error with respect to parameters of a layer, and propagates the composite gradient to previous layers to signal a modification to the input parameters.
There have been attempts to incorporate quaternions in machine-learning applications to make use of their desirable properties. However, those approaches either perform coordinate-wise real-valued gradient-based learning, or entirely forgo training of hidden layers. Conventional coordinate-wise real-number calculus applied to quaternions fails to satisfy standard product or chain rules of calculus for quaternions, and tends to dissociate the relation between the non-scalar components of the quaternion. Consequently, pseudo-gradients are generated in place of quaternion differentials for encoding of error in the backpropagation algorithm.

Gradient-based training engine for quaternion-based machine-learning systems


A method for improving NOx conversion efficiency of a Nox-reducing catalyst by determining an accurate amount of reductant required is presented. The method includes calculating an initial reductant injection amount based on a steady state amount of NOx in the engine feedgas and adjusting the initial amount to compensate for transient NOx emissions. The compensation is initiated in response to an engine transient, such as impending acceleration or deceleration. This method further results in improved vehicle fuel economy.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for improving performance of a lean exhaust gas aftertreatment device and, more particularly, to controlling an amount of reductant injection to achieve optimum NOx conversion efficiency while minimizing the fuel economy penalty.
2. Background of the Invention
Current emission control regulations necessitate the use of catalysts in the exhaust systems of automotive vehicles in order to convert carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx.) produced during engine operation into harmless exhaust gasses. Vehicles equipped with diesel or lean gasoline engines offer the benefits of increased fuel economy. Such vehicles have to be equipped with lean exhaust aftertreatment devices, such as, for example, an Active Lean NOx Catalysts (ALNC) or Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalysts, which continuously reduce NOx emissions, even in an oxygen rich environment, through active injection of reductant, such as fuel (HC) or urea, into the exhaust gas entering these devices. Further, it is important to precisely control the amounts of reductant in order to achieve maximum NOx conversion efficiency.
The inventors herein have recognized that transient changes in engine operating conditions cause changes in engine feedgas NOx production. For example, NOx production usually increases during engine acceleration, and decreases during deceleration. Since the amount of reductant injection is typically calculated based on steady state engine operating conditions, these transient NOx variations result in over or under-injection of reductant and negatively impact fuel economy and emission standards.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Methods and structure for managing cache memory for a storage controller. One exemplary embodiment a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage controller. The storage controller includes an interface operable to receive Input/Output (I/O) requests from a host, a Direct Memory Access (DMA) module, a memory comprising cache data for a logical volume, and a control unit. The control unit is able to generate Scatter Gather Lists (SGLs) that indicate the location of cache data for incoming read requests. Each SGL is stored in the memory, and at least one SGL points to cache data that is no longer indexed by the cache. The control unit is also able to service an incoming read request based on the SGL, by directing the DMA module to transfer the cache data that is no longer indexed to the host.

In many computing systems, a Central Processing Unit (CPU) directs exchanges of data between various devices coupled to a system bus. A CPU is responsible for a large number of tasks, however, and can therefore become overburdened when coordinating a large number of transfers of data. Direct Memory Access (DMA) is a technology that enables a CPU to offload the processing burden caused by memory transfers. Using DMA techniques, a DMA module (independent from the CPU) is capable of exchanging data between memory devices that are coupled to the bus, without involving the CPU.

Storage controller cache memory operations that forego region locking

AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.


In an LNB 10, a power supply circuit 12 has pre-regulators PRa and PRb provided one for each of power supply paths respectively from ports 13a and 13b, a bypass portion BP that, when the potential difference between the output terminals of the pre-regulators PRa and PRb is greater than a predetermined threshold value, short-circuits together those output terminals, and main regulators REG1 and REG2 provided in the stage following the bypass portion BP to generate, from the output voltages Va′ and Vb′ of the pre-regulators PRa and PRb, drive voltages VA and VB for the internal circuits A and B. With this circuit configuration, simple though it is, even if there are instantaneous variations in the voltages fed from a plurality of receivers connected, no variations appear in the currents respectively extracted therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiver apparatus to which a plurality of receivers can be connected. More particularly, the present invention relates to an LNB (low noise block down converter) with which a satellite broadcast reception system is built.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional LNB. The LNB 100 shown in this figure includes: a reception circuit 101 that extracts a plurality of channel signals from a satellite signal received via an unillustrated reflector, that then amplifies the extracted signals on a low-noise basis, and that then selects from the amplified signals those requested by receivers 200a and 200b to feed the selected signals thereto; a power supply circuit 102 that generates a supply voltage from which the LNB 100 operates; and ports 103a and 103b to which the receivers 200a and 200b are respectively connected. The power supply circuit 102 includes: diodes Da and Db of which the anodes are respectively connected to the ports 103a and 103b and of which the cathodes are connected together; and regulators REG1 and REG2 whose input terminals are together connected to the cathodes of the diodes Da and Db.
In the LNB 100 configured as described above, the power supply circuit 102 receives, via the ports 103a and 103b, direct-current voltages Va and Vb from the receivers 200a and 200b. The regulators REG 1 and REG2 respectively generate predetermined direct-current voltages VA and VB (for example, 5 [V] and 6 [V]) from the direct-current voltages Va and Vb, and then feed the generated voltages to the relevant parts of the LNB 100.
The direct-current voltages Va and Vb are used not only as the input voltages to the regulators REG1 and REG2, but also as output select signals for the reception circuit 101, each of those signals being shifted among a plurality of voltage levels (for example, between two levels of 13 [V] and 18 [V]) according to the frequency band of the desired channel signal. If the direct-current voltage Va is higher than the direct-current voltage Vb, the diode Da alone is on, and thus the direct-current voltage Va is fed to the regulators REG1 and REG2 as the input voltage thereto; if the direct-current voltage Vb is higher than the direct-current voltage Va, the diode Db alone is on, and thus the direct-current voltage Vb is fed to the regulators REG1 and REG2 as the input voltage thereto.
With the LNB 100 configured as described above, when reception channels are switched, even if there is a difference between the direct-current voltages Va and Vb respectively fed to the ports 103a and 103b, the rectifying action of the diodes Da and Db prevents backflow current from the higher-potential port to the lower-potential port, and thus prevents a receiver breakdown.
However, with the LNB 100 configured as described above, in which the currents Ia and Ib fed from the receivers 200a and 200b, of which a plurality is connected to the LNB 100, are simply added together through diodes for consumption, when there is a difference between the direct-current voltages Va and Vb, all the current consumed by the LNB 100 is extracted solely from the receiver that feeds it with the higher voltage, with no current whatsoever extracted from the other receiver. As a result, with the LNB 100 configured as described above, when reception channels are switched, every time the magnitudes of the direct-current voltages Va and Vb are reversed, the currents Ia and Ib vary greatly, producing noise, and thus resulting in malfunctioning of the LNB 100 and disturbances in received images.
To overcome this problem, in one conventionally disclosed/proposed receiver apparatus, when a plurality of receivers are connected thereto, it extracts current preferentially from the receiver connected to a predetermined port irrespective of the magnitudes of the direct-current voltages fed from the individual receivers (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-218329, hereinafter Patent Publication 1). In another conventionally disclosed/proposed receiver apparatus, the total current it consumes is equally distributed among different ports so that equal currents are extracted from a plurality of receivers connected thereto (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-127661, hereinafter Patent Publication 2).
Indeed, with the receiver apparatuses disclosed in Patent Publications 1 and 2 mentioned above, when reception channels are switched, even if the magnitudes of the direct-current voltages fed from the a plurality of receivers connected thereto vary, the currents extracted from the individual receivers do not vary. Thus, no noise is produced that results from variations in those currents and that leads to malfunctioning of the receiver apparatus or disturbances in received images.
However, with the receiver apparatus disclosed Patent Publication 1, the current feeding capacity of the receiver connected to a port other than the predetermined one cannot be exploited at all. Thus, when a receiver with a low current feeding capacity is connected to the predetermined port, even if a receiver with a higher current feeding capacity is connected to another port, the receiver apparatus may fail to operate normally because of an insufficient supply of current.
On the other hand, with the receiver apparatus disclosed in Patent Publication 2 (see FIG. 4), the total current it consumes cannot always be distributed equally between the ports 103a and 103b due to variations in the characteristics of the components constituting the distribution circuit DIV (hereinafter referred to as component-to-component variations), producing differences between the values of the currents extracted from the receivers 200a and 200b. Furthermore, the distribution performance of the distribution circuit DIV depends not only on the above-mentioned component-to-component variations but also on variations in the voltages it receives. Thus, even if regulators are provided one for each port in the stage preceding the distribution circuit DIV, slight variations in the voltages the regulators output also produce differences in the values of the currents extracted from the receivers 200a and 200b. Moreover, employing the distribution circuit DIV, the receiver apparatus has a complicated circuit configuration, demanding higher cost and requiring an increased mounting footprint.
In still another conventionally proposed configuration that does not suffer from variations in the currents extracted from a plurality of receivers connected thereto even if the voltages fed from the individual receivers vary, transistor switches and a microcomputer are used to meticulously control how the total current consumed is extracted from each of the plurality of receivers (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-102016, Patent Publication 3). With this configuration, however, it takes some time for the transistor switches to perform on/off switching and for the microcomputer to perform signal processing. This makes it difficult to readily follow an instantaneous voltage change (e.g., one resulting form the turning on/off of a receiver). This may cause a failure (e.g., a momentary voltage drop) in the receiver apparatus.

Receiver apparatus and satellite broadcast reception system therewith


Vascular prostheses and methods of use are provided, wherein the vascular prosthesis includes a plurality of bistable unit cells configured to form a helical structure. A visualization catheter also is provided for use ensuring accurate measurement of a lesion and ensuring delivery and placement of the vascular prosthesis.

Vascular prostheses, commonly referred to as "stents," are now widely used in interventional procedures for treating lesions of the coronary arteries and other vessels. Such devices generally have a tubular shape and are deployed in a vessel to restore and maintain the patency of a segment of a vessel. More recently, such vascular prostheses have been used in combination with local drug delivery and/or radiation therapy to prevent restenosis of a vessel.
Previously-known vascular prostheses are generally either self-expanding or plastically deformable, and such stents have been used outside the cardiac vasculature with mixed success. Whereas stenting is most commonly performed to treat narrowing of the cardiac vessels, more recent efforts have focused on the use of such devices to treat occlusive diseases of the carotid arteries, renal arteries and superficial femoral arteries. Stents used for such applications frequently require a different set of structural characteristics than those typically used in cardiac stenting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,665 to Palmaz is typical of plastically deformable stents, which are delivered transvascularly via a balloon catheter. The stents described in that patent consist of a wire mesh tube or slotted metal tube. The stents are crimped around the balloon of a delivery catheter, and deployed by inflating the balloon at high pressure to plastically deform and expand the struts of the stent. Although such stents have proved adequate for treating occlusive disease of the cardiac vessels, they are subject to a number of well-documented drawbacks when used outside the cardiac vasculature.
For example, previously known plastically deformable stents generally are not appropriate for blood vessels that are subject to compressive or other forms of dynamic loading, such as the arteries in the extremities or the carotid arteries. While they generally provide adequate radial strength, they typically also have a high degree of axial rigidity. Thus, plastically deformable stents should not be employed in vessels that routinely experience longitudinal shape changes, because the stents lack flexibility to conform to the vessel, and may fracture, deform or cause dissection of the vessel.
Much effort has been expended in the last decade on designing flexible axial links that permit adjacent circumferential rings of a plastically deformable stent to bend and conform to the shape of a vessel during delivery, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,984 to Schatz. Such links, however, also comprise a plastically deformable material. Although the links are capable of undergoing a limited amount of bending strain during initial deployment, they will quickly work-harden and fracture when subjected to multiple bending cycles, e.g., in a peripheral vessel that is subject to bending.
Additionally, because plastically deformable stents have very little resilience, the stents of the foregoing patents are not suitable for use in vessels that are subject to high radially compressive forces, such as the carotid arteries. Because the carotid arteries lie relatively close to the surface of the neck, there is a substantial risk that the stent may be inadvertently crushed by a blow or other pressure to the neck. For this reason, self-expanding stents, such as the mesh-tube structures described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,771 to Wallsten, and tubes formed of superelastic shape memory materials have been the primary focus for vessels subject to dynamic loading.
Self-expanding stents generally are formed as wire mesh tubes, such as in the above-described patent to Wallsten, tubes comprising single or multiple circumferential rings, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,568 to Gianturco, coiled sheets, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,207 to Kreamer, or self-expanding helixes, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,918 to Garza et al.
Self-expanding wire mesh tubes of the type described in the above patent to Wallsten, and coiled sheet tubes as described in the above patent to Kreamer, provide a high degree of crush resistance, but only limited capability to flex longitudinally or sustain axial compressive loads. Self-expanding ring structures, such as described in the above patent to Gianturco, also provide good crush radial crush resistance, but do not provide high radial strength, and are subject to migration if subjected to cyclic compression.
Perhaps most promising for such applications, helical stents of the type described in the foregoing patent to Garza appear capable of withstanding longitudinal flexure and radial compressive loads. However, even self-expanding helical stents are not expected to perform adequately when subjected to cyclic axially compressive and/or torsional loading, such as encountered in the superficial femoral arteries ("SFA").
The femoral arteries extend from the iliac arteries in the groin region towards the lower extremities, with the SFAs supplying blood to the knees and feet. Patients suffering from diseases that occlude these vessels, such as arteriosclerosis and vascular complications of diabetes, often may suffer reduced mobility and in extreme cases, may require amputation.
During flexure of the thigh, the femoral artery is subjected to axial compression and/or torsion, which are expected to cause a self-expanding helical stent to undergo radial compression. When such compression is accompanied by shortening of the vessel, the stent is likely to migrate away from its delivery site once the compressive load is removed and the vessel radially re-expands. Although the elastic behavior of the stent is desirable and permits the stent to cope with radial compressive loads, this same feature exacerbates the potential for stent migration when radial compression is accompanied by changes in the vessel length. Consequently, previously known self-expanding helical stents are not expected to perform satisfactorily when deployed in the SFAs and other vessels that experience cyclic axial and/or torsional loading.
In addition to plastically deformable and self-expanding structures, a new type of expandable tubular structure based upon the concept of a "bistable cell" is described in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0193247 to Besselink, which is a publication of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/782,266, and which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As described in that published application, a bistable cell comprises a thick strut joined at its ends to a thin strut so that the thin strut snaps between a stable collapsed and a stable expanded position when subjected to a radially outwardly directed force, but is unstable at any intermediate position.
Although FIG. 10 of the foregoing Besselink application describes the use of flexible links to improve axial flexibility of the stent, as in the above patent to Schatz, that bistable tubular structure would be expected to suffer similar drawbacks to plastically deformable stents when subjected to dynamic axial bending or compressive loads.
In view of the foregoing drawbacks of previously known vascular prostheses, it would be desirable to provide a vascular prosthesis that may be used in blood vessels subject to axial and torsional loading, but which is not prone to migration.
It further would be desirable to provide a vascular prosthesis capable of withstanding high compressive loads without experiencing significant radial strains, thereby avoiding the potential for the axial migration when the compressive loads are accompanied by vessel length changes.
It also would be desirable to provide a vascular prosthesis having high radial strength, but which also is capable of bending along its length with a high degree of resistance to bending fatigue once deployed in a body vessel.
It still further would be desirable to provide a vascular prosthesis having high radial strength, so as to maintain contact with a vessel wall in the presence of compressive loads, but which also is resistant to failure due to cyclically applied axial compressive and tensile loads.
In addition to the lack of a suitable prosthesis design for stenting the SFAs and similar vessels, interventional procedures involving such arteries pose other difficulties, particularly with respect to sizing and placement of stents in those vessels. Generally, it is necessary to ascertain the size, shape, and location of a treatment site, prior to stent placement, to ensure the proper selection of the stent to be used in a particular patient. A number of technologies have been developed to obtain such information, including fluoroscopic visualization using contrast agents, magnetic resonance imaging and computer-assisted tomography. While the latter two methods provide excellent views of the vessel topography, this information typically is static, pre-procedure information, rather than real-time.
In previously known methods for real-time visualization of a target site, a contrast agent is injected into the vessel prior to stent placement to gain information about a treatment site. Often, the use of contrast agents provides less than ideal precision, for example, because the contrast agent tends to disperse once introduced into the bloodstream. This in turn may require the use of larger volumes of contrast agent. In addition, where the vessel is highly occluded, there may be very little flow and thus difficult to assess the size and severity of the occlusion.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for placing a vascular prosthesis within a vessel that reduces the volume of contrast agent required to obtain information about the treatment site.

Fracture-resistant helical stent incorporating bistable cells and methods of use


An air delivery unit for an ice maker is located in a freezer compartment having an outer wall spaced apart from an inner wall. The air delivery unit includes an air tunnel, an air deflector, and a restrictor plate. The air tunnel has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is positioned adjacent to an ice mold of the ice maker and the second end is positioned adjacent to the inner wall of the freezer. The air deflector extends from the second end of the air tunnel between the inner and outer walls of the freezer to redirect air through the air tunnel and onto the ice mold. Further, the restrictor plate is attached to the air tunnel for restricting air flow above the air tunnel. The air delivery system is designed to readily snap-lock to the inner wall.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of ice makers and, more particularly, to an air delivery assembly for an ice maker.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is now common practice in the art of refrigerators to provide an automatic ice maker within a freezer compartment of a refrigerator and further to provide a system for dispensing the ice into a recessed receiving area formed in a front panel of the refrigerator. In essence, these systems provide for the automatic filling of ice cube trays which are emptied into a bin following a freezing period. From the bin, the ice can be delivered to the receiving area by the selective activation of a drive unit, such as a rotatable auger located within the bin. Most often, such ice dispensing systems incorporate a mechanism whereby the ice can be selectively crushed prior to reaching the receiving area.
If a large quantity of ice is needed in a short period of time, it is possible for the ice stored within the bin to be depleted. Therefore, a user is required to wait for the ice maker to form more ice. The rate at which the ice is formed is dependent upon the temperature of the liquid supplied to the ice trays and the temperature of the air surrounding the ice trays.
Some attempts have been made to increase the rate of ice production. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,955 discloses a method for improving the rate of ice production by providing a fan selectively operable to direct cooled air across the ice making surfaces of the ice maker during the ice formation process. A potential drawback with the use of a fan to aid in ice formation is the increased costs associated with including and operating an additional component in the freezer.
Another example of a prior attempt to increase the rate of ice production is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,099. In the ""099 patent, an air flow deflection baffle is positioned within an ice making assembly to direct air, which would normally pass out of the ice forming chamber, over the water in the ice forming chamber. However, this arrangement only applies to ice makers having an ice forming chamber, rather than ice makers having a fill tube and an ice tray that are exposed within the freezer compartment.
Based on the above, there is a need in the art for an ice maker assembly that leads to an increase in the rate of ice formation in an ice tray, without adding substantial costs to the production of the overall assembly and without adding additional motorized parts.
The present invention is directed to an air delivery assembly for an ice maker located in a freezer having an outer wall spaced apart from an inner wall. The air delivery assembly includes an air tunnel, an air deflector, and a restrictor plate. The air tunnel has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is positioned adjacent to an ice mold cavity and the second end is positioned adjacent to the inner wall of the freezer. The air deflector is located adjacent to the second end of the air tunnel, substantially perpendicular to the inner wall of the freezer. By positioning the air deflector between the inner and outer walls of the freezer, the air deflector redirects air between the walls, through the air tunnel, and onto the ice mold. Further, the restrictor plate is attached to the air tunnel for restricting air flow above the air tunnel at a rate equal to the increase of air flow through the air tunnel based on the presence of the air deflector. Preferably, the air delivery system readily snap-locks to the inner wall of the freezer, which is preferably an evaporator coil cover.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.


A window apparatus that can either be retrofitted in an existing blind or have the dimensions to fit into a new blind to allow a hunter to hunt with either a firearm or a bow. The window apparatus is made up of a frame having at least two panels. One of the panels is substantially transparent to allow a hunter to look for game. The second panel has a slotted aperture that is made up of at least one elastomeric membrane. The slotted aperture allows a hunter to protrude a portion of a firearm through the membrane, creating a barrier to stop scent from egressing, heat from escaping in cold seasons, and precipitation and insects from coming into the hunting blind. The elastomeric membrane can conceal the firearm further by matching the color of the portion of the firearm.

In many hunting activities, an enclosure known as a hunting blind is commonly used. A hunting blind can be on an elevated platform, on a boat, in a tree, in the water, or on the ground. A hunting blind is sized to accommodate at least one to several hunters. Hunting blinds are used to conceal a hunter in search of game. To avoid being hunted, game possess defense mechanisms that allow them to be highly alert to movements, sounds, and scents. Any unfamiliar movements, sounds, and scents detected will deter game from coming within shooting range. Thus, there is a need for a hunting blind that allows a hunter to shoot game, such as with a firearm, a bow, a crossbow, or other weaponry, while minimizing the possibility of the hunter being seen, heard, or smelled.
The hunting season occurs in varying temperatures and weather depending on the desired game. Thus, there is an additional need for a hunting blind with an opening to use a firearm or other weaponry while minimizing the introduction of cold air, precipitation, and insects into the blind, depending on the season.
References describing attempts to address these needs can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,085, 5,813,160, 7,040,335 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 8,776,814 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,895,932 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 8,915,024, and U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0078988 A1.
The disclosed embodiments have the advantages of concealing a hunter from being seen and allowing the hunter to shoot game without sudden movement. The embodiments disclose a substantially transparent portion that a hunter can view game through. The embodiments also disclose a flexible membrane containing a slotted aperture to allow the hunter to position a portion of a firearm through the aperture. When the hunter spots game, the hunter can fire without creating any movement. In addition, the elastomeric membrane may be chosen to be the color of the firearm portion to reduce the game from detecting the firearm as the hunter waits. The flexible membrane also may act as a barrier depending on the hunting season. In colder hunting seasons, the flexible membrane can reduce heat or scent from egressing the hunting blind. In warmer hunting seasons, the flexible membrane can keep precipitation and insects out of the hunting blind.

Multi-use penetrable hunting blind apparatus


A method of controlling an invertebrate pest, comprising contacting the pest with a pest-controlling amount of an agent having substantial inhibitory activity toward a phenylethanolamine reuptake transporter as determined by radioactive octopamine reuptake inhibition assay is disclosed. Compositions comprising compounds capable of inhibiting the octopamine reuptake transporter include chloroethylphenylamines, aryl-1,4-dialkyl piperazines, tricyclic antidepressants, and cocaine derivatives. A process for inhibiting the feeding of an invertebrate pest comprising contacting said pest with a pest-controlling amount of an agent having substantial inhibitory activity toward a phenylethanolamine reuptake transporter as determined by radioactive octopamine reuptake inhibition assay, with the proviso that said agent is not cocaine. A process for delaying the maturation of a juvenile invertebrate by contacting it with an inhibitory amount of a phenylethanolamine reuptake transporter blocker is also disclosed. A radioactive phenylethanolamine reuptake inhibition assay for determining whether a given compound is an inhibitor of octopamine neuronal transport is also disclosed.

A. Octopamine and Octopamine Receptors
Octopamine (OA) was first discovered over 35 years ago in the posterior salivary gland of the octopus (V. Erspamer and G. Boretti, Arch. Int. Pharmaco. Ther. 88: 926-322 (1951)). Although similar to norepinephrine (NE) in structure, OA has very little activity as a sympathomimetic when injected into mammals (A. Lands and J. Grant, J. Pharm. Exptl. Therap. 106: 341-345 (1952)) and, compared with NE, is present in very low concentrations in vertebrate tissues (Y. Kakimoto and M;. Armstrong, J. Biol. Chem. 237: 422-427 (1962)). Relatively little attention was paid to OA until early 1970's, when Molinoff and Axelrod reported that OA was present in much higher concentrations in invertebrates, particularly in invertebrate nerve tissue (P. B. Molinoff and J. Axelrod, J. Neurochem. 19: 157-163 (1972)).
In 1973, the first identification of an OA receptor was reported (J. A. Nathanson "Cyclic AMP: A Possible Role in Insect Nervous System Function", (Ph.D. Thesis) (1973); J. A. Nathanson and P. Greengard, Science, 19: 308-310 (1973)). Because this receptor was present in highest concentrations in insect nerve cord, it was postulated that OA might function as a neurotransmitter. Furthermore, because these receptors were undetectable in mammalian tissues, it was also postulated that the neurotransmitter function of OA might be largely restricted to invertebrates (J. A. Nathanson "Cyclic AMP: A Possible Role in Insect Nervous System Function", (Ph.D. Thesis) (1973); J. A. Nathanson and P. Greengard, Science, 19: 308-310 (1973); J. A. Nathanson, Trace Amines and the Brain: Eds. Marcel Dekker, pp. 161-190 (1976)). At about the same time, Kravitz and coworkers (B. Wallace et al., Brain Res. 349-55 (1974)) independently reported the presence of OA-containing neurons in crustacea, and, somewhat later, Hoyle reported evidence suggesting the presence of large OA neurons in insect ganglia (G. Hoyle, J. Exp. Zool 193: 425-31 (1975)). Subsequent work by a number of investigators has established the role of OA, not only as a neurotransmitter, but also as a neuromodulator and circulating neurohormone in insects and acarines (for review see I. Orchard, Can. J. Zool, 60: 659-69 (1982); H. A. Robertson and A. V. Juorio, Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 19: 173-224 (1976)). Indeed, OA plays a pervasive role in regulating many areas of insect physiology, including carbohydrate metabolism, lipid mobilization, hematocyte function, heart rate, peripheral muscle tension and excitability, and behavior. The functions that OA carries out in insects appear analogous to those carried out by norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) in vertebrates. This has led to the suggestion that, during evolution, there may have been a divergence in the use of these amines between the two arms of the animal kingdom (H. A. Robertson and A. V. Juorio, Int. Rev. Neurobiol. 19: 173-224 (1976); A. V. Robertson and A. V. Juorio, J. Neurochem. 28: 573-79 (1977); J. A. Nathanson, Physiological Reviews 57: 158-256 (1977)).
Analogous to the action of NE and EPI in vertebrates, many of the effects of OA in invertebrates are mediated by cyclic AMP (J. A. Nathanson and P. Greengard, Science 19: 308-310 (1973); J. A. Nathanson, Physiological Reviews 57: 158-256 (1977); H. Robertson and J. Steele, J. Neurochem 19: 1603-06 (1972); A. Harmar and A. Horn, Mol. Pharmacol. 13: 512-20 (1976); C. Lingle et al., Handbook of Exptl. Pharmacology, (J. Kebabian & J. Nathanson, eds. ), pp. 787-846 (1982)). OA stimulates production of cyclic AMP through activation of OA-sensitive (G.sub.s protein-coupled) adenylate cyclase (J. A. Nathanson, J. Cyclic Nucleotide and Protein Phosphor. Res. 10: 157-66 (1985)). In 1979, it was found that the firefly light organ, in which OA mediates neural control of light emission (A. D. Carlson, Advances Insect Physiol. 6: 51-96 (1969); J. F. Case and L. G. Strause, Bioluminescence in Action (P. J. Herring, ed.), pp. 331-366 (1978)), has a virtually pure population of OA receptors present in enormous quantity, with no evidence of adenylate cyclases activated by other hormones (J. A. Nathanson, Science 203: 65-8 (1979); J. A. Nathanson and E. Hunnicutt, J. Exp. Zool. 208: 255-62 (1979a)). Thereafter, the first detailed pharmacological characterization of G.sub.s -linked OA receptors was carried out in the absence of other amine receptors (J. A. Nathanson, Science 203: 65-8 (1979); J. A. Nathanson and E. Hunnicutt, J. Exp. Zool. 208: 255-62 (1979a); J. A. Nathanson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82: 599-603 (1985b); Nathanson, J. A., in Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology, Borkovec, A., et al., eds., Humana: Clifton, N.J., pp. 263-266 (1986); Nathanson, J. A., et al., Neurosci. Abstr. 5:346 (1979)). More recently, a new chemical class of potent OA receptor agonists has been characterized, the phenyliminoimidazolidines (PIIs) (Nathanson, J. A., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82: 599-603 (1985); Nathanson, J. A., Mol. Pharmacol. 28: 254-268 (1985)). With the PIIs and other compounds, it has been possible to distinguish clearly the characteristics of OA receptors from those of mammalian adrenergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic receptors.
Overactivation of the OA system in insects and acarines leads to behavioral and physiological abnormalities that have pestistatic and pesticidal consequences. One way to cause OA overactivation, and thereby take advantage of this system for pesticide development, is to directly stimulate OA receptor proteins.
Analogous to the octopamine neurotransmitter system is the cholinergic system, where the plant alkaloid nicotine exerts natural pesticidal effects through excessive activation of acetylcholine (ACh) receptors. As is well known, for pesticide development it has turned out that, more effective than cholinergic agonists, are the reversible and irreversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter ACh to choline and acetate. If AChE is inhibited by a pesticide, normal inactivation of ACh is blocked, and ACh accumulates to abnormally high levels. This causes overactivation of ACh receptors, indirectly, through inhibition of neurotransmitter degradation. We have recently discovered that an analogous site of action exists for the OA system. Because of OA's selectivity for invertebrates, agents affecting this site will have reduced toxicity for vertebrates.

Invertebrate phenylethanolamine transporter and the use thereof


The present disclosure relates to methods and associated systems for maintaining energy storage devices positioned in a device-exchange station. The method includes, for example, (1) periodically sending, by the device-exchange station, a request to a battery management system (BMS) associated with an energy storage device positioned in the device-exchange station; (2) receiving, by the device-exchange station, maintenance information from the BMS; and (3) in response to the maintenance information, determine whether to perform a maintenance action.

There are many factors affecting the characteristics or performance of a battery. For example, operating or charging conditions can affect the life span of a battery. Therefore, for systems that manage a large number of batteries, it is difficult to determine when to maintain or replace the batteries. It is even more difficult for systems that manage multiple types of batteries (e.g., batteries made by different manufacturers or with different specifications). Traditionally, a system operator can arbitrarily determine time for maintenance (e.g., two years from putting a battery in use). However, the traditional approach can be inaccurate and inefficient. Therefore, it is advantageous to have an improved system and method that can effectively manage or maintain multiple batteries.
The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be expanded or reduced to help improve the understanding of various embodiments. Similarly, some components and/or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purposes of discussion of some of the embodiments. Moreover, although specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail below, one skilled in the art will recognize that modifications, equivalents, and alternatives will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Systems and methods for maintaining batteries based on usage


An arithmetic device calculates the surface potential of a silicon layer by performing computation based on a mathematical expression and device parameters stored in a storage device. Likewise, the arithmetic device calculates the surface potential of a bulk layer under a buried oxide film when the silicon layer is in a partially depleted state and when the silicon is in a fully depleted state. The arithmetic device then performs computation based on the calculated surface potential of the silicon layer, the calculated surface potential of the bulk layer, and mathematical expressions stored in the storage device, and obtains the surface potential of the bulk layer by iterative calculation. The arithmetic device performs computation based on the surface potential of the bulk layer obtained by iterative calculation and mathematical expressions stored in the storage device, and calculates the lower surface potential of the silicon layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a simulation method and simulation apparatus which are used for the execution of device design and circuit simulation for SOI-MOSFETs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with increases in portable devices, demands for high-speed, low-power-consumption devices have increased. As a technique which meets such demands and achieves an increase in the speed of CMOS LSIs and a reduction in power consumption of them, a so-called SOI-MOSFET, which has a MOSFET formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, has been used.
An SOI-MOSFET is obtained by forming a buried oxide film called a BOX [buried oxide] under a channel region of a bulk-MOSFET (general MOSFET) and forming a channel in a thin silicon layer on the buried oxide film.
In FIGS. 1(a) and (b) respectively show the cross-sectional arrangements of the above bulk-MOSFET and SOI-MOSFET. Referring to (a) and (b) in FIG. 1, reference number 11 denotes a semiconductor substrate (also called a bulk in the case of an SOI-MOSFET); 12, a buried oxide film (BOX); 13, a silicon layer (SOI layer); 14, a source region; 15, a drain region; 16, a channel region; 17, a gate oxide film (FOX: front oxide in the case of an SOI-MOSFET); and 18, a gate electrode.
The SOI-MOSFET is smaller in stray capacitance than the bulk-MOSFET because of the buried oxide film 12 provided under the channel region 16, and hence can reduce switching delay. This can also reduce leakage currents to the semiconductor substrate 11.
Such SOI-MOSFETs are classified into three types according to the thickness of the above silicon layer (SOI layer), namely the fully depleted type, partially depleted type, and non-fully depleted type. In a non-fully depleted SOI-MOSFET, the depletion layer in the SOI layer 13 does not reach the buried oxide film 12 under normal voltage conditions, and the MOSFET exhibits characteristics similar to those of a bulk-MOSFET. In a partially depleted SOI-MOSFET, only the depletion layer at the drain end of the SOI layer 13 reaches the buried oxide film 12 under normal voltage conditions. In a fully depleted SOI-MOSFET, the entire SOI layer 13 is depleted under normal voltage conditions, and the MOSFET exhibits characteristics most different from those of a bulk-MOSFET.
The above fully depleted SOI-MOSFET has the following merits.
(1) Since the silicon layer in which a channel is formed is thin, leakage currents at a deep portion below the gate electrode can be suppressed.
(2) When the SOI layer is in a depleted state, since the gate capacitance is small, the sub-threshold swing is small.
(3) Since the substrate-voltage dependence of the threshold voltage is small, the saturated current is large.
(4) Since an insulator is provided between the source and drain regions (diffusion layer) and the substrate, the junction capacitance is small.
As described above, a fully depleted SOI-MOSFET is a high-speed, low-power-consumption device and is expected to have a wide range of applications. In order to allow circuit design exploiting the merits of such a fully depleted SOI-MOSFET, several circuit simulation models have been developed. Known main models include, for example, the BSIM (Berkely short-channel IGFET model-SOI) described in non-patent document 1 and the University of Florida SOI (UFSIM) described in non-patent document 2. These models are provided with important characteristics unique to SOI-MOSFETs, e.g., a parasitic bipolar effect and a generation-recombination current. In addition, they are also made in consideration of smooth transition from a partially depleted state to a fully depleted state.
These models, however, have been developed as extensions of bulk-MOSFET models, and hence have not been able to solve the problem of non-convergence in circuit simulations. This problem associated with convergence seems to originate from a violation of the law of conservation of charge.
The Hiroshima University STARC IGFET Model (HiSIM) uses a method of calculating the surface charge by deriving the surface potential using a single expression (diffusion-drift expression) in the operation from weak inversion to strong inversion of a MOSFET, thereby obtaining a current (see, for example, non-patent document 3). The voltage-current characteristic of a MOSFET obtained in this technique allows to reproduce actual measurement values properly with relatively simple calculations. However, since HiSIM is also a bulk-MOSFET model, the application of this technique to an SOI-MOSFET will lead to deterioration in stability and accuracy.
As indicated by the potential chart of FIG. 2, in the SOI-MOSFET, potentials φs0.bulk, φb0.SOI, and φs0.SOI are respectively generated at an interface BB between the bulk and the BOX, an interface BS between the BOX and the SOI layer, and an interface SF between the SOI layer and the FOX. Referring to FIG. 2, reference symbol Qbulk denotes charge in the bulk per unit area; QSOI, charge in the SOI layer per unit area; φSOI, a potential change at the SOI layer; Vgs, a gate-source voltage; and Vfb, a flat-band voltage.
Potentials φs0.bulk, φb0.SOI, and φs0.SOI described above become factors that cause variation in surface potentials at the source and drain region ends which are used by a bulk-MOSFET model of HiSIM, leading to deterioration in stability and accuracy. Demands have arisen for a simulation method and simulation apparatus which can extend HiSIM into a model capable of covering an SOI-MOSFET structure and perform stable, accurate simulation.

Hiroshima University, a National University Corporation of Japan


A double-hung window having a uniform interior wood appearance is disclosed. The window has a head jamb and side jambs. The window has an upper and lower sash, each having a wood frame. The upper and lower sashes are held in the window by the side jambs. Lock-pins are extendable from each side of the lower sash. A concealed jamb liner cover for selective engagement with each upper side jamb is provided which has an exposed wood surface and a channel for receiving the lock-pin of the lower sash. An upper sash lock housing attached to an upper portion of the wood frame of the upper sash, is provided which holds an upper sash lock-pin for each side of the upper sash. A wooden interior upper parting stop connected to the head jamb conceals the upper sash lock housing when the window is closed.

This invention relates to improvements in the design of a window, and in particular to improvements in the design of a double-hung window to provide a uniform wood interior appearance to the double-hung window.
Traditionally, windows were constructed of wood because wood was readily available for construction. Wood windows are desirable in some applications for their aesthetic appearance. The exposed interior wood can be stained to expose the natural look of the grain of the wood or the interior wood can be painted repeatedly to match the interior of the building or home.
Constructing a window from wood is costly. First, the wood material is expensive. Second, because wood is a naturally occurring material with each piece having a unique structure, some of the wood has natural defects inherent with its structure making it unusable for construction. Additionally, during the manufacturing process the wood can be damaged rendering a piece unusable for construction, thereby increasing waste and costs.
Developments in material science have produced materials like plastic, vinyl, and wood composite materials, which have desirable properties for use in constructing windows. Therefore, although many portions of a window may still be made of wood, like the frame of the sash, there are other portion of the window that are more easily and inexpensively constructed of materials other than wood. Plastics, vinyl, and wood composite materials are desirable because of durability, low cost, and consistency during manufacture, fabrication, and installation. Materials other than wood can give the window better performance by improving window mechanics (i.e., movement) and increasing the structural integrity of the window.
The side jambs, which contain the extension slots and balance tubes for raising and lowering the sashes, and the housing for the sash locks, are more easily constructed from a vinyl extruded material than from wood. However, when the window is closed, this vinyl extruded material is exposed on the interior portion of the window and diminishes the traditional all-wood appearance of the window. Generally, materials like plastics, vinyl, and wood composites cannot be as effectively painted or cannot have their color as easily changed as wood.
It would be desirable to construct some parts of the window from materials other than wood to obtain the advantages that plastic, vinyl, and wood composite materials produce, while constructing the parts of the window exposed to the interior of the building or home from wood to achieve an aesthetically pleasing window. Therefore, there is a need for a side jamb liner cover, which covers the vinyl exposed at the side jamb of the window and gives the window a uniform all-wood appearance. In particular, there is a need for an upper jamb liner cover that gives the interior of the double-hung window a uniform and traditional wood appearance while the window is in the closed position but still allows for slidable movement of the lower sash of the window.
Weatherstripping is often provided in a window to improve the energy efficiency of the window. The top rail of the upper sash often lacks weatherstrip because the weather strip would be exposed to the interior, thereby diminishing the wood interior appearance of the window. Placing the weatherstrip directly into the sash presents expensive and cumbersome assembly concerns. Providing alternative, non-wood, structures for holding the weatherstrip improves the ease of manufacturing but does not allow for a uniform wood interior appearance of the window. A locking mechanism is provided at the top rail of the upper sash to hold the upper sash in the window frame but still allows for disengagement in order to tilt the upper sash towards the interior of the building or home for maintenance and cleaning. Often this locking mechanism, normally constructed of a non-wood material, is exposed to the interior of the window, thereby diminishing the wood interior appearance of the window. Therefore, there is a need for a top rail weatherstrip and lock holder, which contains a sash locking mechanism and weatherstripping, but still provides a uniform wood interior appearance while the window is closed.

Double-hung window with uniform wood interior


A reagent preparation and dispensing device includes a body having a reaction chamber for a reagent and a solution reservoir for a solution. The solution reservoir is isolated from the reaction chamber. A plunger is movably coupled with the body. Movement of the plunger from a starting position to a seated position pushes the solution into the reaction chamber. A dispensing path extends from the reaction chamber out of the body. The dispensing path is configured to dispense a reagent mixture formed from the solution and the reagent. A vent path extends from the reaction chamber, the vent path vents reaction chamber gas displaced by the addition of the solution to the reaction chamber throughout movement of the plunger from the starting position to the seated position.

Some examples of diagnostic, life science research and drug discovery reagents require preparation prior to use. For instance, reagents may require measuring a diluent (or solution) and using the diluent to rehydrate a dry reagent. In other examples, preparation of the reagent requires measuring and mixing of a sample solution (e.g., a patient biological sample; an environmental sample such as, water or soil; an agricultural sample such as food and the like) with a reagent in a dried or liquid form. In still other examples, preparation of the reagent requires mixing of two or more liquid components, such as a reagent and another solution.
Manufacturers of diagnostic, life science research and drug discovery reagents use precision and standardized procedures in order to produce high quality reagents. These reagents are often prepared at their point of use. The quality of the reagents (e.g., the precise amount of reagent solution, the purity of the reagent solution and the like) is easily compromised at the point of use because of errors in preparation procedures that are used by personnel responsible for preparing the reagent. For instance, the reagent is handled in an unclean environment having contaminants (e.g., a humid atmosphere; a biologically active environment contaminated with microorganisms, DNA, RNA, ATP and the like; a chemically active environment, and the like), the wrong amount of solution is used, the wrong solution is used, and the like. In other examples, the reagent and solution or diluent are not allowed to mix thoroughly. In still other examples, the reagent solution is dispensed from a device but fails to deliver substantially all of the full specified amount of reagent solution as a result of operator error or device performance (e.g., a significant portion of the solution is left within the device).
Where lyophilized reagents (e.g., dried or freeze-dried reagents) are used, unwanted exposure to contaminants including, but not limited to, moisture or moisture vapor during storage and prior to reconstitution may contaminate or compromise the stability of the lyophilized reagent. Compromising the reagent decreases its ability to rapidly rehydrate thereby creating difficulties in preparing a reagent at the proper concentration. Additionally, compromising the reagent from a dry state (where biological and chemical activities of the reagent are arrested) may reactivate the reagent and allow it to prematurely break down thereby decreasing the effectiveness of the reagent.
Even small errors in preparation leading to an improperly prepared reagent (e.g., mis-measuring of a solution, failure to fully reconstitute the reagent or diluting the reagent and the like) may have undesirable consequences, including, but not limited to, false positives, inaccurate diagnoses leading to inaccurate or inappropriate treatments, and false negatives (undetected diagnoses resulting in no treatment where treatment is needed).

Reagent preparation and dispensing device


A switch driving device includes a gate driver, a bootstrap circuit, a current limiting portion, and a current control portion. The gate driver drives an N-type semiconductor switch element. The bootstrap circuit includes a boot capacitor and a boot diode and applies a voltage to the gate driver. The current limiting portion limits a current to be supplied to the boot capacitor. The current control portion controls operations of the current limiting portion. The current limiting portion is provided on a path that electrically connects the boot capacitor and the boot diode to each other.

Conventionally, switch driving devices that are used as switching regulators or motor drivers are known. Such a driving device includes an output circuit (half bridge circuit) including two semiconductor switch elements (an upper switch element and a lower switch element) that are connected in series, for example, and the upper switch element is connected to a driving power source. In some conventional cases, a bootstrap circuit is combined with the half bridge circuit to obtain a sufficient drive voltage when such an upper switch element is turned ON (see Patent Document 1, for example). The bootstrap circuit includes a boot capacitor, and a voltage (gate voltage) between the gate and the source of the upper switch element is obtained using a charging voltage of the boot capacitor.


An optical transmission system includes a power splitter for dividing an RF input signal into a plurality of intermediate signals each assigned to a respective one of a plurality of parallel optic links. Each link optically transmits its respective intermediate RF signal over a respective fiber line before being detected at a receiver end. The detected signals are combined by an RF power combiner into an output signal having an enhanced signal to noise ratio that is better by 10 log n dB over that of a single link, where n is the number of parallel links. In order to permit operation at arbitrarily high frequencies, a pilot tone delay equalization circuit is coupled to each link at the receiver end for equalizing the delay variations between the various fiber paths.

The dynamic range of any analog fiber optic link is fundamentally limited by shot noise. For shot noise or quantum limited detection, it is well known that the signal to noise ratio, and hence the dynamic range, increases with the square root of the received optical power. For some applications, such as antenna-to-receiver Radio Frequency (RF) links, the dynamic range requirements are such that the required optical source power exceeds that available from a diode laser. Other noise sources present in practical optical links further degrade the signal to noise ratio.

Transmission system using parallel optic links to achieve enhanced dynamic range


In one embodiment, a method that comprises retrieving by a processing unit an application plan from memory, the application plan comprising coordinates for a buffer area associated with dispensing a product onto a field; receiving information from a weather station, the information corresponding to substantially current climatic conditions detected by the weather station in the field; responsive to receiving the information from the weather station, adjusting the application plan; and causing an agricultural machine to operate according to the adjusted application plan.

Agricultural field dispensing systems, such as sprayer systems in use today, need to manage drift. Drift is a term often used with crop protection, and generally refers to small droplets of solution containing chemicals mixed with water that do not attach to the target pest. Drift that leaves a target or target zone may have undesirable effects on non-target organisms, as well as air and water quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently placed more focus on drift, drift control, and the definition of sensitive areas.
Creation of buffer areas or zones in a target area or field is one way to manage drift. For instance, buffer zones may be defined in a chemical label or other documents that prescribe a setback (buffer) from any area determined to be sensitive.