This application provides a communication method, an apparatus, and a system, to improve communication efficiency. One method includes: sending, by an access network node to a terminal device, indication information indicating to transmit a quality of service (QoS) flow by using a bearer, wherein a protocol stack corresponding to the bearer supports transmission of the QoS flow through a first path, wherein the first path passes through one of (1) a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer of a master node and a protocol layer below an SDAP layer of a secondary node, or (2) an SDAP layer of the secondary node and a protocol layer below an SDAP layer of the master node; and transmitting, by the access network node, the QoS flow by using the first bearer.

In a long term evolution system (long term evolution, LTE) dual connectivity scenario, there are a plurality of types of bearers, for example, a master cell group (master cell group, MCG) bearer, an MCG split (split) bearer, a secondary cell group (secondary cell group, SCG) bearer, and an SCG split bearer. Transmission paths supported by protocol stacks corresponding to different bearers are different. For example, a data packet mapped to an MCG bearer is transmitted through a path of a primary base station. A data packet mapped to an MCG split bearer, configured by a base station, may be transmitted through a path of a primary base station, or transmitted through a path of a secondary base station, or transmitted through both a path of a primary base station and a path of a secondary base station. An existing solution supports a bearer granularity-based path selection mechanism.
With comprehensive development and gradual deepening of researches on a next generation communications system, 5G defines a quality of service (quality of service, QoS) flow (flow)-based framework. Therefore, how to manage data transmission in a dual connectivity scenario based on a QoS flow framework and improve data transmission quality is an urgent problem to be resolved in the industry.

Communication methods, apparatuses, and systems for managing quality of service flows


A water heater having improved operating characteristics and lower costs of manufacturing is described. The water heater has an unified combustion chamber and burner construction with a ceramic fiber matrix burner.

Water heaters are commonly employed in homes and small businesses to heat water for domestic use. Water heaters are produced in large numbers and sold to consumers in a very competitive market. A large portion of these devices use gaseous fuel, such as natural gas or bottled gas, as an energy source.
Conventional gas fired water heaters often include a tank adapted to contain a body of water, a water inlet, a water outlet, a combustion chamber disposed below or within the tank, a gas regulator and a burner disposed within the combustion chamber. The entire structure is thermally insulated. Conventionally, the gas regulator senses the temperature of water within the tank. When the water temperature drops below a certain minimum, gas is allowed to flow to the burner within the combustion chamber where it is ignited, heating the combustion chamber and the body of water above or around the combustion chamber. The products of combustion are vented through a flue connected to the combustion chamber and passing through the water containing tank. This general construction has been common for many years. Numerous variations upon this construction have been created in attempts to increase efficiency and otherwise improve operating characteristics.
Over the last several years, the efficiency of water heaters, especially fuel efficiency, has become an important characteristic. This is the result of government regulation and also heightened consumer awareness concerning consumption of natural resources. Over recent years, insulation technology has improved insulation characteristics of water heaters. However, production line burner technology has remained comparatively stagnant and, therefore, inefficient. Additionally, concern for the environment has made the elimination of potentially polluting substances from the products of combustion more important. While gas fired water heaters are very low polluters when compared to other fuel consuming products, there are many water heaters. Government bodies and consumers have therefore sought to further reduce the contribution of pollutants emanating from water heaters.
In addition to all of the above very important design criteria, cost is a very important factor in producing water heaters. Water heaters are purchased by builders and home owners in a very competitive environment. The products are mass produced and sold throughout a large marketplace. In the United States, national companies compete very aggressively for sales. Water heaters must therefore be very economically manufactured or they will not sell and consumers will not gain the benefits of design improvements.
In conventional water heaters, the above objects are not optimally achieved. Additionally, the cost of manufacturing remains high. A number of different components including a tank, a combustion chamber, a burner, a reflecting pan under the burner to protect the bottom of the water heater from burner heat and numerous other elements and insulation are manufactured and assembled. Often, changing a design to address one of the above identified problems compromises another of the problems or increases cost significantly.
An object of the invention is to provide a water heater of improved operating characteristics which is inexpensive to manufacture on a production basis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water heater which has reduced emissions of oxides of nitrogen.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a water heater of improved fuel efficiency and having low standby heat loss.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a water heater which consumes less materials in production and is less expensive to manufacture.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a water heater having cooler external surfaces around the combustion chamber whereby special insulation techniques are not required and which economically extracts the maximum amount of heat from flue gasses.
Further objects and advantages to the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and from the accompanying drawings.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved water heater construction which overcomes the above referred to problems and others and provides a water heater of simpler construction which is economical to manufacture, economical to operate, burns fuel cleanly and answers governmental regulations.
Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a water heater is provided having a tank adapted to contain a body of water and an integrated combustion chamber and ceramic burner assembly below the tank.
Still further in accordance with the invention, a skirt generally matching the cross section of the tank is positioned below the tank and gas tightly fixed to the tank. A burner shelf is positioned within this skirt and gas tightly fixed to the skirt around its entire periphery. A ceramic burner is positioned on the burner shelf separating the volume within the skirt into a combustion chamber above the burner shelf and a burner volume below the burner shelf. A bottom pan is gas tightly sealed to the skirt around its bottom forming a gas tight burner chamber below the burner shelf. An air and gas proportioner communicates through the skirt and into the burner chamber in a gas tight manner.

Water heater with low NOx fiber matrix burner


An image correction apparatus calculates a feature value indicative of an average brightness of an input image from the pixel values of the input image and determines a pixel value at a boundary for correcting each pixel of the input image to make it brighter or darker by using the calculated feature value of the input image. The image correction apparatus calculates, with respect to the pixel value of each pixel of the input image, an area for determining a contrast correction amount for a pixel value smaller than the pixel value at the determined boundary such that a pixel is to be made darker and calculates an area for determining a contrast correction amount for a pixel value larger than the pixel value at the determined boundary such that a pixel is to be made brighter, thereby correcting the contrast of the input image by using the calculated areas.

Conventional contrast correction is performed as a color correction for an original image with high quality regardless of whether the images are moving images or still images. Contrast correction is correction performed to make dark areas of an image darker and bright areas thereof brighter so as to emphasize image contrast, whereby a sharper image is obtained.
For such contrast correction, correction is typically performed by focusing on the maximum point and the minimum point of pixel values of the image (black and white areas), and in recent years, correction has been performed by using an S-curve in order to correct the image by emphasizing contrast and improving sharpness. With the correction using an S-curve, an area of the image to be made darker and an area thereof to be made brighter can be determined by adjusting the inflection point of the S-curve. For contrast correction using the S-curve, various technologies are disclosed for determining the inflection point in order to correct an image by emphasizing contrast and improving sharpness.
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-13863 discloses an image correction apparatus that detects the maximum value and the minimum value from each line constituting an input image and determines the inflection point of an S correction curve by using the intermediate value of these values, or determines the inflection point by determining the average intermediate value from the average of the maximum values of respective lines in a block and the average of the minimum values of the respective lines.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 08-009197 discloses an image correction apparatus that uses a histogram of luminance signals of an input image corresponding to one screen and, if a white/black level range in the histogram is small, determines the inflection point of an S correction curve using the difference between the lowest frequency in the white/black level range and the reference frequency.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 07-38779 discloses an image correction apparatus for which a plurality of gamma correction curves is prepared, a correction curve is selected in accordance with the peak luminance of an input image, and the input image is then corrected using the selected correction curve.
The above-described conventional technologies have a problem in that an inflection point is not accurately determined because of the significant effect of noise and, as a result, the accuracy of the contrast correction can be reduced.
Specifically, in conventional technology, because the maximum value and the minimum value in an image or a line are detected so that an inflection point is determined by using the intermediate value of the maximum value and the minimum value, there is an effect of the maximum value or the minimum value (it can be noise) that is present on a small portion of the image or line; therefore, there is likely to be an effect of noise. Further, if there is a deviation of pixel values of an image (if the mode is different from the median), in correction according to the above-described technologies, a pixel for which the correction is not originally needed is corrected too much and an unnatural output image can be produced.
For example, although original images illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 14B are substantially the same, a local area of the original image illustrated in FIG. 14B is darker than the original image illustrated in FIG. 14A. If contrast correction is performed using a conventional method in the above case, because the inflection point of a correction curve is calculated from the feature value of the local point, the corrected images are considerably different from each other even though the original images are almost the same, and at least either one of them has low image quality and the contrast correction performance is not sufficient.

Image correction apparatus and image correction method


An IC chip bonding sheet having adhesive resin layers formed on both faces of a porous polytetrafluoroethylene layer comprising a porous polytetrafluoroethylene sheet, the porous polytetrafluoroethylene layer retaining porous voids, and the adhesive resin layers comprising a bromine-free flame retardant resin composition.

As electronic component mounting densities have increased, mounting techniques known as "chip scale package" and "chip size package" in which the dimensions of the semiconductor mounting substrate are about the same as the semiconductor chip dimensions, have attracted interest. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a semiconductor chip 1 is bonded by adhesive 3 to a mounting substrate 2 having the same dimensions, solder balls (interconnect pads) 4 are formed on the back face of mounting substrate 2, and the semiconductor chip 1 and solder balls 4 are interconnected by wire bonding 5 using an opening made in the center of the mounting substrate 2, for example. As shown in FIG. 2, the wire bonding 5 is sometimes formed using the outside of the semiconductor chip 1. In FIG. 2, there is a copper foil pattern 6 on the surface of substrate 2, interconnecting the wire bonding 5 and solder balls 4. Or, as shown in FIG. 3, an opening in the interior of the semiconductor chip 1 can be used for formation. In this case an extension 7 of the copper foil pattern is used for interconnection of the semiconductor chip 1 and solder balls 4.
Bonding of the semiconductor chip and mounting substrate in this kind of semiconductor chip package can be accomplished with liquid adhesive, but adhesive sheets are used due to ease of control in fabrication processes. The adhesive sheet may be an adhesive of sheet form, but typically one having adhesive layers formed on both sides of a heat resistant base material or core material is used. Heat resistant base materials and core materials used include polyimide resin, polycarbonate, polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene etc.; in addition to solid sheets, the use of porous sheets is also known. Epoxy resin is a typical adhesives although maleimide, cyanate or other resins are also used (Unexamined Patent Application 10-340968, Unexamined Patent Application 2000-154356, Unexamined Patent Application 10-22325 etc.).
Adhesives for use in conventional IC chip bonding sheets consist exclusively of materials containing bromine to impart flame retardance. However, in recent years improvements in global consciousness with regard to environmental problems has led to strong demand from the market for products that do not contain bromine or other substances that can emit toxic gases when burning.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an IC chip bonding sheet that while employing bromine-free adhesive resin nevertheless offers high flame retardance, as well as reliable performance in terms of heat resistance, humidity resistance, resistance to thermal expansion etc., and an IC package employing same.

Integrated circuit chip bonding sheet and integrated circuit package


The invention includes methods of etching substrates, methods of forming features on substrates, and methods of depositing a layer comprising silicon, carbon and fluorine onto a semiconductor substrate. In one implementation, a method of etching includes forming a masking feature projecting from a substrate. The feature has a top, opposing sidewalls, and a base. A layer comprising SixCyFz is deposited over the feature, where “x” is from 0 to 0.2, “y” is from 0.3 to 0.9, and “z” is from 0.1 to 0.6. The SixCyFz-comprising layer and upper portions of the feature opposing sidewalls are etched effective to laterally recess such upper portions proximate the feature top relative to lower portions of the feature opposing sidewalls proximate the feature base. After such etching of the SixCyFz-comprising layer and such etching of upper portions of the feature sidewalls, the substrate is etched using the masking feature as a mask.

Photolithographic patterning and etch is a common technique by which integrated circuit components are fabricated on a substrate. A desired pattern is created in a masking material, such as photoresist, over an underlying substrate material to be etched. The patterned masking material thereby has a series of spaced projections atop underlying material. The underlying material is then etched typically using a chemistry that is selective to etch the material underlying the masking material at a greater rate than the masking material itself, thereby transferring the pattern of the masking material/projections into the substrate material therebeneath. Typically, the masking material is then etched away in a manner that is selective to remove it relative to the underlying substrate material in which the pattern was formed.
Ideally, it is desired that the sidewalls of the projections of the masking material be substantially vertical and very smooth. Unfortunately, and especially as device dimensions and, accordingly, mask features get smaller, the sidewalls of the masking projections can become intolerably rough. Further, masking features can have varied roughness at different locations on the sidewalls or different roughness in one projecting masking feature relative to another projecting masking feature. Accordingly, a subsequent etch of the material underlying the mask can produce less than desired results.
One prior art manner of smoothing rough sidewalls of a photoresist masking feature comprises a short isotropic etch using a halogen-containing gas after mask formation. However, such does not significantly improve sidewall roughness, reduces the thickness of the photoresist masking blocks, and in certain instances can form breaks in long-running masking features, such as in parallel lines.
While the invention was motivated in addressing the above identified issues, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretative or other limiting reference to the specification, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.

Method of etching a substrate; method of forming a feature on a substrate; and method of depositing a layer comprising silicon, carbon, and fluorine onto a semiconductor substrate


A method includes receiving an upload request to retrieve a master image. The method further includes retrieving the master image in response to the upload request. The method also includes storing the retrieved master image. The method further includes generating a composite image file using the retrieved master image. The composite image file can be used to create a plurality of images derived from the master image.

The present disclosure relates to the field of Internet content management, and more specifically to a system and method for managing and distributing composite image content. The use of images in marketing and advertising on the Internet has become central to companies' online strategies. For example, a clothing retailer may want to make available in an online catalog their products and images so that potential buyers may browse selections without coming into a physical store. Some businesses may not have a physical storefront and rely solely on their online presence, in which case displaying their inventory online is crucial. Some vendors literally have thousands of products whose images need to be managed. Image creation, preparation, and deployment for multiple distribution channels requires intensive manual labor, high fixed costs, and additional network infrastructure. Often this results in slower product time-to-market and under-utilization of images.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An improved sportsbook room is disclosed. The sportsbook room allows an individual to place wagers on the sports competitions shown in the sportsbook room from a gaming terminal in his/her carrel and to also play other casino games on the same gaming terminal.

A sportsbook is a place where a gambler may bet on various sports competitions like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, horse racing, dog racing, boxing, golf, and mixed martial arts. The method of betting depends upon the sport and the type of game.
A Nevada casino sportsbook is typically a large room with numerous big screen televisions on the walls. The sportsbook room will often have carrels where an individual may sit and watch a sports competition of his/her choice on a smaller television. Whenever an individual wishes to place a wager, he/she will get up from his/her seat in the sportsbook room and will go to a nearby betting window to place the wager.
The present invention is directed to sportsbook room that allows an individual to place wagers from a gaming terminal in his/her carrel and to also play other casino games on the same gaming terminal.


A power operated trimming tool including a head assembly affixed to a handle assembly. The head assembly includes a frame body supporting a feed roll, a blade, a blade support and a blade retainer plate. The frame body includes an interface portion affixed to the handle assembly and a support portion extending from the interface portion. The blade support includes a cross member defining a blade support plate receiving the blade. The blade retainer plate is pivotally coupled to the frame body, in a first position, the blade retainer plate overlies the blade and, in a second position, the blade retainer plate is spaced from the blade. An in-line, clutch engagement assembly provides a pair of clutch engagement plates coupled between a flexible shaft drive transmission and a driver assembly insertable into the handle assembly of the tool to provide one-handed actuation and de-actuation of the feed roll.

Power operated skinning devices are used to remove skin from animal carcasses. Such devices are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,461 to Leining, U.S. Pub. No. US 2016/0174581 A1 to Van Der Leest et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 9,516,887 to Ewers. Such devices typically include a driven tooth roll or feed roll which engages and advances an outer layer of tissue or skin of the animal carcass toward a fixed or stationary cutting blade which severs the outer layer of tissue from the remaining tissue of the animal carcass. The feed roll may be driven by a motor, such as a pneumatic or electric motor, disposed in a handle of the device.

Power operated trimming tool with clutch drive


A wound treatment apparatus is disclosed to provide vacuum therapy to a wound associated with a patient. The wound treatment apparatus comprises a control unit comprising an alarm and a display displaying an alarm log providing information associated with each activation of the alarm. The display also displays information to instruct a user how to operate the wound treatment apparatus. A method of calibrating the control unit is disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to wound treatment apparatus for use with vacuum bandages of the type that dispenses fluid to a wound and draws fluid away from the wound.
Medical professionals, such as nurses and doctors, routinely treat patients having surface wounds of varying size, shape, and severity. It is known that controlling the topical atmosphere adjacent a wound can enhance the healing process. For example, by applying medicinal agents or even water over a wound, dirt and bacteria are either killed or washed away, thereby promoting healing. In addition, applying a negative pressure or vacuum to a wound draws out exudate, which might contain dirt and bacteria, from the wound to further promote healing.
Conventional treatment of a surface wound involves placement of a packing or dressing material, such as cotton, gauze, or other bandage-like material directly in contact with the patient""s wound. Often there is a need to change the dressing material frequently because it becomes saturated with exudate discharged from the wound. Some dressings include an apparatus attached thereto for applying a vacuum through the bandage to the wound to draw exudate and promote healing.
According to the present disclosure, a method for calibrating a control unit adapted to provide a negative pressure through a vacuum wound bandage associated with a wound of a patient comprises positioning a first pressure sensor in communication with the control unit. The method comprises correlating a first output of a second pressure sensor of the control unit to a first calibration pressure when the first pressure sensor senses the first calibration pressure and correlating a second output of the second pressure sensor to a second calibration pressure when the second pressure sensor senses the second calibration pressure.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the control unit comprises an alarm and a display. The display displays an alarm log providing information associated with each activation of the alarm.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, a wound treatment apparatus is adapted for use with the vacuum wound bandage associated with the wound of the patient to provide negative pressure through the vacuum wound bandage to the wound. The wound treatment apparatus comprises a user input control and an electronic display displaying information comprising a graphical representation of the user input control and text associated with the graphical representation to instruct a user when to operate the user input control. In some embodiments, the electronic display displays information that instructs the user how to operate the wound treatment apparatus during normal operation of the wound treatment apparatus and the information is executable to operate the wound treatment apparatus when the display is displaying the information.
Additional features and advantages of the apparatus will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed descriptions exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the apparatus as presently perceived.


A two-handed scissor-action grasping implement has a pair of clasping paddles connected to the distal ends of a pair of arms, which are pivotally connected to each other through a central pivot. The proximal ends of the arms are pressed together in order to press the clasping paddles together in a scissoring action in order to gather debris between the clasping paddles. A plurality of protrusions connected to the clasping paddles aid in capturing debris between them. The clasping paddles are oriented at inward angles relative to the arms so that the clasping paddles are flush with each other when pressed together. A forward angle of the clasping paddles may be selected by the user through a pair of fastening mechanisms through which the clasping paddles are connected to the arms. The clasping paddles may include a specified angle at one or more corners to conform to street curbs.

Presently, tongs are known to the art, as are debris associated tongs. However, there is no tong presently available that is conducive to the recesses and corners that a curb, fence post corner, or similar propagate. Further, the present convention of tongs does not facilitate a readily collapsible state where further the handles may be telescoped to leverage more mechanical advantage and counterweight thereof. It is therefore the objective of the present invention to introduce a plurality of arms that support a handle thereon that may be clasped by the user, where further a plurality of clasping paddles is disposed on the opposing distal ends of the plurality of arms. Wherein the individual arms of the plurality of arms are secured about the center pivot and rotate thereon between a central axle and a plurality of bearings. Further, the plurality of clasping paddles introduces a plurality of slots and cleats that permits debris to further entrain with the plurality of clasping paddles. Further still, the plurality of arms introduces an optional hinge on the individual arm that permits the arm to fold upon itself, reducing the collapsible state of the present invention. Further, the plurality of clasping paddles comprises a preferably rectilinear profile that is conducive to exacting debris from corners and confined angular spaces. Thus, the present invention addresses a tongs-styled apparatus that facilitates gathering and removal of debris from constrained areas alongside facilitating a collapsible state through the optional hinge while accommodating a telescoping handle that permits the present invention to be wielded with a higher mechanical advantage.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the detailed description of the invention section. Further benefits and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Two-handed scissor-action grasping implement


A backlight module includes a light-emitting element, which can emit a first light with a wavelength in a first wavelength range, a quantum dot diaphragm, which is formed by combining a plurality of sub-diaphragms each with a small area together and can emit a second light with a wavelength in a second wavelength range and a third light with a wavelength in a third wavelength range, and a diffusing plate used for light homogenization. The defects of low qualified rate of quantum dot diaphragm with large area manufactured currently and a poor homogeneity thereof can be avoided.

With the rapid development of the Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology, the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is facing multiple challenges. Compared with OLED, LCD has certain disadvantages in many aspects, such as thinning, curving, as well as color saturation. More and more attentions are paid to the technological research on these aspects, so that LCD can be comparable to OLED in the aforementioned performances.
With respect to the color saturation, for example, a high color saturation of LCD can be realized through adjusting the Color Filter (CF) of the liquid crystal cell, or using a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) with high color saturation, such as LED element containing red and green phosphor, or LED element containing multicolor wafer, and even LED element using quantum dots as phosphor, as the light source thereof.
The present disclosure provides a backlight module with an improved structure, so that the LCD with high color saturation, for example, the color saturation thereof is higher than 90 percent of the standard of National Television System Committee (NTSC), can be obtained.

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Polynucleotides which are novel causative genes for cancer are elucidated, and a detection method of the polynucleotides or polypeptides encoded by the polynucleotides, and a kit and a primer set for detection are provided, based on the knowledge gained by the elucidation. In the detection method, a fusion gene comprising part of an SDC4, CD74, EZR, SLC34A2, LRIG3, or TPM3 gene and part of a ROS1 gene, or a fusion protein encoded by the fusion gene is detected. The primer set or the detection kit comprises a sense primer designed based on a portion encoding SDC4, CD74, EZR, SLC34A2, LRIG3, or TPM3 and an antisense primer designed based on a portion encoding ROS1.

Nowadays the relationship of molecular diagnosis and therapeutic effects on cancer is being shown clinically by the appearance of tyrosine kinase inhibitors Iressa and Tarceva. As a result, the concept of drug administration to eligible patients stratified by molecular diagnosis is spreading.
A ROS1 kinase was identified as a human ortholog of e-ros, which is an oncogene of avian sarcoma virus UR2 (University of Rochester 2) (non-patent literature 1). ROS1 gene translocation was first found in glioblastoma, and its fusion partner was FIG (Fused in glioblastoma) (non-patent literature 2). The expression of full-length wild-type ROS1 has been observed in epithelial cells of a wide range of tissues, and a relationship with cancer has also been suggested. It is known that the ROS1 kinase activity becomes constitutive by the fusion of ROS1 with FIG, and that malignant transformation of cells which express the fusion occurs, and cancer occurs in a transgenic mouse with the fusion (non-patent literature 3).
It was reported that fusion genes of CD74 or SLC34A2 with ROS1 were present in non-small cell lung cancer (non-patent literature 4; the term "ROS" is used in non-patent literature 4 instead of "ROS1"). Because CD74-ROS1 was identified in 1 case from 150 patient specimens, and SLC34A2-ROS1 was identified in 1 case from 41 cell lines, the actual frequency in patients and the clinical characteristics of patients are unknown. The fusion site in the CD74-ROS1 gene which was reported in non-patent literature 4 was within exon 6 of the CD74 gene and exon 34 of the ROS1 gene, and no fusions were found in the other exons, and oncogenic potential was not shown. The fusion site of CD74ex6-ROS1ex32 which was found in the present invention is within exon 6 of the CD74 gene and exon 32 of the ROS1 gene. Further, the fusion sites in the SLC34A2-ROS1 gene which was reported in non-patent literature 4 were within exon 4 of the SLC34A2 gene and exon 32 or 34 of the ROS1 gene, and no fusions were found in the other exons. The fusion site of SLC34A2ex13-ROS1ex32 which was found in the present invention is within exon 13 of the SLC34A2 gene and exon 32 of the ROS1 gene.

Educational Foundation Jichi Medical University


An optical connector comprising a housing (11) including a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls each of which stands from the bottom wall, and an opening defined by the side walls; a metal lead (21) mounted on the bottom wall; a photoelectric conversion element (23) mounted on the metal lead (21); a resin case (26) covering the photoelectric conversion element (23); a lens (25) corresponding to the photoelectric conversion element (23) and provided on the resin case (26); and an electromagnetic shield (12) provided on the resin case (26) and including a first through hole (12e) from which the lens (25) is exposed.

In the field of optical communication, optical information which is obtained by photo-electrically converting large volumes of digital information is transmitted by optical cables at high speed. In this technology field, it is possible to hook up a plurality of electrical apparatuses with optical cables by connecting a male optical connector to a female optical connector. The male optical connector has a plug housing to which a optical cable is attached, and the female optical connector has a receptacle housing inside of which at least one photoelectric conversion element of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element.
In the case where the light-emitting element is mounted in the photoelectric conversion element module inside the female optical connector, optical information emergent from the light-emitting element is transmitted to the optical cable side through the male optical connector. Meanwhile, in the case where the light-receiving element is mounted in the photoelectric conversion element module inside the female optical connector, optical information transmitted from the optical cable side is received by the light-receiving element through the male optical connector. In the case where the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are mounted in the photoelectric conversion element module inside the female optical connector, optical information is transmitted and received.
As a female optical connector into which a male optical connector with an optical cable attached thereto is detachably inserted, there is an optical connector with improvements with respect to both electromagnetic noise shielding performance and radiation performance. (e.g., see JP-A-2002-303766).
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a related optical connector, and FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the related optical connector.
A related optical connector 100 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is disclosed in the aforementioned JP-A-2002-303766, and a brief description will be given with reference to JP-A-2002-303766.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the related optical connector 100 includes a photoelectric conversion element module 101, a metal shield case 110, a connector housing 120, and a metal shield cover 130.
Here, a description will be given for the aforementioned members 101, 110, 120, and 130 in this order. The photoelectric conversion element module 101 has a photoelectric conversion element 103 mounted in front of an element body portion 102 and a plurality of lead terminals 104 extending below the element body portion 102.
The metal shield case 110 is formed into a rectangular shape by using a metal plate for shielding electromagnetic noise by covering the photoelectric conversion element module 101. Further, the metal shield case 110 has a pin-like soldering portion 110a extending downward from the underside thereof.
The connector housing 120 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape by using an insulative resin material, and has on its front side an opening 120a into which a mating connector (not shown) is detachably inserted. A ferrule guiding portion 120b, into which a ferrule fitted to a leading end of an optical cable in the mating connector (not shown) is guided, is formed in the rear of the interior of this opening 120a (shown only in FIG. 11) in an annular shape in conformity with the photoelectric conversion element 103 of the photoelectric conversion element module 101. Further, a recess 120c for accommodating the metal shield case 110 which covers the photoelectric conversion element module 101 is formed in the rear of this ferrule guiding portion 120b, and a positioning fixing portion 120d extends downward from the underside of the connector housing 120.
In addition, the metal shield cover 130 is formed into a box shape with its front and lower sides open by using a metal plate, and has a plurality of pin-like soldering portions 130a extending downward from the underside of the metal shield cover 130. The metal shield cover 130 is in contact with the rear side portion of the metal shield case 110 which is exposed to outside the connector housing 120, and the metal shield cover 130 shields electromagnetic noise by covering the outer sides of the connector housing 120, and radiates heat generated in the photoelectric conversion element 103 to the outside through the metal shield case 110.
Further, after the photoelectric conversion element module 101 is covered by the metal shield case 110, this metal shield case 110 is accommodated into the recess 120c from the rear side of the connector housing 120. After the connector housing 120 is covered by the metal shield cover 130, the optical connector 100 is mounted on a mounting board P, the soldering portion 110a of the metal shield case 110 and the soldering portions 130a of the metal shield cover 130 are soldered on the back side of the mounting board P.
It is described in the JP-A-2002-303766 that, according to the above-described related optical connector 100 of above configuration, the photoelectric conversion element module 101 is shielded from electromagnetic noise doubly by both the metal shield case 110 and the metal shield cover 130, and the heat generated in the photoelectric conversion element 103 is radiated to the outside through the metal shield case 110.
Citation List
Patent Literature                PLT1: JP-A-2002-303766Summary Of InventionTechnical Problem
With the above-described related optical connector 100, the photoelectric conversion element module 101, the metal shield case 110, the connector housing 120, and the metal shield cover 130 are respectively fabricated separately, and these component members 101, 110, 120, and 130 are assembled, so that the assembling man-hours disadvantageously increases. Hence, the related optical connector 100 has been expensive.
In addition, with the above-described related optical connector 100, although the photoelectric conversion element module 101 can be reliably shielded from electromagnetic noise by both the metal shield case 110 and the metal shield cover 130, the both members 110 and 130 require sheet metal bending in conformity with the outer configurations of the photoelectric conversion element module 101 and the connector housing 120. Hence, a problem also arises in that the manufacturing cost of the both members 110 and 130 disadvantageously becomes high.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a female optical connector and a method of manufacturing a female optical connector which are capable of shielding the photoelectric conversion element module from electromagnetic noise by a simple structure and of improving production efficiency by reducing the assembling manhour.
Solution to Problem
According to one or more illustrative aspects of the present invention, there is provided an optical connector comprising a housing including a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls each of which stands from the bottom wall, and an opening defined by the side walls; a metal lead provided on the bottom wall; a photoelectric conversion element mounted on the metal lead; a resin case covering the photoelectric conversion element; a lens corresponding to the photoelectric conversion element and provided on the resin case; and an electromagnetic shield provided on the resin case and including a first through hole from which the lens is exposed.
Preferably, the housing includes a partition wall which is parallel to the bottom wall and has a second through hole corresponding to the first through hole.
Preferably, the electromagnetic shield is sandwiched by the resin case and the partition wall.
Preferably, the lens and resin case are integrally formed from a translucent resin.
Preferably, the photoelectric conversion element is at least one of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element.
Preferably, an optical axis of the photoelectric conversion element and an optical axis of the lens are identical.
Preferably, the first through hole and the second through hole have a same shape.
In addition, according to one or more illustrative aspects of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an optical connector comprising steps of: mounting a photoelectric conversion element on a metal lead frame; obtaining a photoelectric conversion module by molding a resin case for covering the photoelectric conversion element and a lens having an optical axis which is identical to an optical axis of the photoelectric conversion element from a translucent resin; mounting an electromagnetic shield on the resin case; forming a resin housing so as to bury the photoelectric conversion module therein.
Preferably, the photoelectric conversion element is at least one of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element.

Optical connector and manufacturing method thereof


The present invention provides novel polymerizable lipids and mixtures thof with non-polymerizable lipids and methods for the controlled release of encapsulated materials using stabilized or polymerized vesicles. Release is induced by pH, ions, temperature, light or other changes in the environment. Time release mechanisms are also employed. Applications of the present invention especially include encapsulation of enzymes and their subsequent sustained release for degradation of environmental pollutants, encapsulation of fluorescent markers for use in sensor systems, and encapsulation and release of fragrant molecules in detergents.

Research over the past 40 years has been focused on the potential for using microstructures or vesicles derived from natural and synthetic lipids for applications in areas such as encapsulation, controlled release, biosensors, enzyme immobilization, functional protein reincorporation, etc. Upon coming in contact with water, both natural and synthetic lipids self-organize such that polar hydrophilic regions (headgroups) face the aqueous medium while lipophilic portions of the assembly remain away from the aqueous medium. This process instantaneously produces closed, concentric, spherical lipid membranes called vesicles or liposomes, as well as other morphologies.
Lipid vesicles are generally made of materials having a high amphophilic lipid content, for example, surfactants or phospholipids. There are three general types of vesicles: (1) multilamellar vesicles (MLVs), which are onion-like structures having a series of substantially spherical shells formed of lipid bilayers interspersed with aqueous layers and ranging in diameter from about 0.1-4 .mu.m, (2) large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) which have a lipid bilayer surrounding a large, unstructured aqueous phase and have a diameter of greater than 1 .mu.m, and (3) small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) which are similar in structure to the LUVs except that their diameters are less than 0.2 .mu.m. MLVs are ideal for sustained release of reactive materials, while SUVs or LUVs are required for producing stimuli responsive carriers. LUVs are most desirable for the encapsulation of large molecules such as enzymes.
A major drawback of conventional vesicles is that they are relatively unstable toward mechanical, chemical and physical perturbations and, therefore, are unsuitable for a large number of potentially important applications. Strategies for improved stability have included the incorporation of proteins, sugars, and cholesterol following the technique used for vesicle or liposome formation; i.e., well dried thin films of lipids and other material, except protein, are hydrated by addition of water or buffer and vortex mixing the mixture; protein is then added to the lipid films in hydrating buffer. However, these incorporation strategies have had only limited success.
Polymerized vesicles appear to offer a superior alternative to conventional vesicles due to the fact that it is possible to: (1) synthesize tailored molecular assemblies, (2) utilize more cost effective materials, (3) establish synthetic routes, and (4) produce bio-compatible and bio-degradable polymers. Polymerized vesicles represent a class of organic polymers that, like cell wall membranes, are capable of accommodating a wide variety of materials on the surface, in the lipophilic region, and in the central cavity. For example, the hollow cavity of a vesicle can be filled with molecules which are useful in release applications. Similarly, the membrane wall interior of a vesicle can be used for accommodating hydrophobic molecules, while the wall exterior can be used for developing strategies for target recognition and enzyme catalysis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,556 to Wheatley et al. discloses preparation of vesicles (liposomes) by mixing phospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol, and cholesterol. Cholesterol is added to increase fluidity and enhance solute entrapment. The patent describes various release mechanisms such as triggering by complexation of lipids with synthetic poly(carboxylic acid) and also poly(alphaethylacrylic acid). 1,2 diretinoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine, 1-palmitoyl, 2-retinoyl phosphatidylcholine and azobenzene lipid are also used in triggering liposome disruption by 360 nm light. Ion and temperature induced controlled release mechanisms are also disclosed. However, like other prior art methods, the Wheatley et al. patent release mechanisms are inefficient because the lipids utilized in the preparation of vesicles tend to be unstable and are not alone capable of forming vesicles on polymerizing.

Polymerizable lipids for preparing vesicles that controllably release an encapsulant

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


Provided is a flight vehicle operating method including: mooring a flight vehicle to a mooring unit by a cable; reducing a weight of the flight vehicle, increasing the flotage of the flight vehicle, or increasing the flotage of the flight vehicle while reducing the weight of the flight vehicle, by using a first flotation adjuster; floating the flight vehicle at a suitable altitude in the air; increasing the weight of the flight vehicle, reducing the flotage of the flight vehicle, or reducing the flotage of the flight vehicle while increasing the weight of the flight vehicle, by using a second flotation adjuster or a propelling unit of the flight vehicle; and releasing the connection between the flight vehicle and the mooring unit and withdrawing the cable.

In general, an aerostat is a flight vehicle that performs missions such as surveillance, observation, and communication relay at high altitudes by using video equipment, radars, and other aviation sensors. The aerostat may require a variety of equipment related to mooring as well as a wide space for mooring in the process of performing missions while flying at high altitudes for a long time. In addition, it may be quite difficult to install the aerostat on the ground or the like, and moving the installed aerostat to other places may take much time and have a high cost.
Meanwhile, an airship is a flight vehicle that may fly to desired positions by having a propelling device while floating in the air mainly through the use of flotage. The airship may have good mobility and may be deployed in a timely manner but may have difficulty in performing a long-term mission due to its limited flight duration.

Flight vehicle operating method and operating system using same


A contact structure for semiconductor devices which are integrated on a semiconductor layer is provided. The structure comprises at least one MOS device and at least one capacitor element where the contact is provided at an opening formed in an insulating layer which overlies at least in part the semiconductor layer. Further, the opening has its surface edges, walls and bottom coated with a metal layer and filled with an insulating layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to contacts for semiconductor devices, and specifically to contact structures for integrated semiconductor devices that include at least an MOS device and a capacitor element, and a corresponding manufacturing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, ferroelectric devices, such as ferroelectric non-volatile memories, are acquiring growing importance in the field of integrated circuits on account of their low consumption and high operational and switching speed compared to conventional non-volatile memories. In particular, special attention is being devoted to forming these ferroelectric devices in combination with CMOS devices integrated on a semiconductor substrate.
A first prior technical solution for forming such ferroelectric devices and their contacts is described in an article xe2x80x9cAdvanced 0.5 um FRAM Device Technology with Full Compatibility of Half-Micron CMOS Logic Devicexe2x80x9d by Yamazachi et al., published in the proceedings of IEDM ""97 Conference, Washington D.C., U.S.A., Dec. 7-10, 1997.
This prior solution for forming ferroelectric devices provides for following the integration of MOS devices such as MOS transistor, etc., on a semiconductor substrate with an insulating layer over the entire chip surface. The ferroelectric device, e.g., a ferroelectric memory is then formed above this insulating layer. Such device comprises conventionally a bottom electrode of metal laid onto the insulating layer.
A layer of a ferroelectric material covers the bottom electrode, and a top electrode of metal is provided on the ferroelectric layer.
After insulating the ferroelectric device by means of another insulating layer, the electric connection between the top electrode and the conduction terminals of the MOS device is established. Great care must be exerted in forming these contacts for electric connection between the ferroelectric devices and the underlying CMOS structures.
In this first prior solution, contact regions are provided for the device formed with CMOS technology by filling with tungsten (W-plug) openings in the insulating layer which overlies the control terminal.
The W-plug technique enables contacts to be defined with high aspect ratio, i.e. a high ratio of the contact depth to width, but is not easy to employ where the W-plugs are to be subjected to thermal treatments in an oxidizing environment during subsequent steps of the fabrication process. Such is the case with ferroelectric devices: the processing of the main ferroelectric materials indeed provides, following definition of the ferroelectric material, for the application of treatments at temperatures in the range of 500xc2x0 to 850xc2x0 C., in the presence of oxygen.
In that case, tungsten contacts should be sealed in by barrier layers, formed of non-standard materials, during the integrated circuit fabrication process to prevent the tungsten from giving rise to such volatile materials as W2O5 in the temperature range of 500xc2x0 to 800xc2x0 C. These temperatures are in fact temperatures used for the annealing and crystallization processes required to complete the ferroelectric devices.
Similar considerations apply to the instance of the contact regions being filled with polysilicon (polySi plugging) which will oxidize and become insulative once subjected to the thermal treatments involved in the crystallization of ferroelectric materials.
However, the introduction of such process steps for making these nonstandard barrier layers adds substantially to the complexity of the fabrication process.
It should be noted that according to the above reference, the interconnection of the CMOS technology device and the ferroelectric device is provided by a layer of titanium nitride (TiN) being indicated there as a local interconnection.
Embodiments of this invention provide contacts which can be readily integrated to integrated circuits comprising electronic devices formed by MOS or CMOS processes, and having such structural and functional features as to afford improved integratability to these integrated electronic devices, thereby overcoming the limitations and/or the problems which beset prior art contacts for ferroelectric devices.
While its application to ferroelectric devices is specially advantageous, embodiments of the invention have a broad range of uses, it being possible to apply them to any devices wherein a contact of an oxidation-resistant material is to be substituted for a contact formed of a conductive material (W or PolySi plug). In particular, the invention can be applied to circuit structures including at least one component of the MOS or CMOS types and at least one capacitor element.
One of the concepts behind embodiments of this invention provides contacts for semiconductor devices comprising a coating with a barrier of a conductive material filled with an insulating material, this conductive coating is used to establish an electric connection between the bottom and top parts of the contact.
The features and advantages of a device according to the invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, to be read by way of non-limitative example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Contact structure for semiconductor devices and corresponding manufacturing process


A light emitting element drive device includes: a light emitting section having a light emitting element; output capacitance capable of storing power supplied to the light emitting section; a driver connected between the light emitting section and a reference potential and including a switch section whose conductive state is controlled by a pulse-like lighting signal depending on magnitude of a load current and a constant current source section connected in series to the switch section; and a power supply controller being a power supply that provides drive power to the light emitting section and including a function to adjust an output current supplied to the output capacitance. The power supply controller changes the supply amount of the output current for the light emitting section from the power supply controller based on load current information that is necessary peak power of the light emitting section.

The present technique relates to a drive device of a light emitting element that emits light with luminance depending on a flowing current, such as a light emitting diode (LED), a light emitting element drive method, and a display apparatus that uses the drive device and the drive method and has e.g. a non-luminous, transmissive display section.
For the backlight of a liquid crystal panel, a light emitting diode (LED) is used as the light source to replace the cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) type using a fluorescent tube.
In particular, a method of individually using the respective primary colors of red LED, green LED, and blue LED and optically performing synthetic additive color mixing to obtain white is used for television use because it easily provides favorable balance of the colors. In recent years, improvement in the color rendition of the white LED is advanced and it is coming to be frequently used for television use.
The LED has a characteristic that the luminance changes depending on the current basically, and the forward voltage varies depending on variation in the individual difference and the temperature.
Therefore, when the LED is used as the backlight of a liquid crystal panel (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD)), a drive device therefor is required to have the constant current characteristic to obtain certain uniform luminance.
The following drive device is known. Specifically, this drive device employs a pulse width modulation (PWM) control system in which the current flowing to an LED is turned on/off at certain timing and the luminance is adjusted based on the ratio of its on/off-period in order to stably adjust the luminance in a wide dynamic range.
As one of methods to realize this system, a method in which a switch element is inserted in series to the LED and is turned on/off at certain set timing is employed (refer to e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-272938).
A system is also known in which a switch element connected in series to an LED is turned on/off by a lighting signal and PWM control of a switching transistor in a switching power supply section of e.g. a boost chopper type is carried out.
In a LCD monitor, normally control like that shown in FIG. 1 is carried out in order to suppress the influence of image lag (crosstalk) that occurs because of the low response speed of the liquid crystal at the time of image switching.
Specifically, in the LCD monitor, the on/off-timing of the backlight is controlled in association with the image switching to thereby keep display of clear images.
The on/off-timing of the backlight in this control is as follows. In a crosstalk period, the backlight is turned off as black insertion. Only in a period when crosstalk occurs as hardly as possible, the backlight is turned on to display images.
However, in this case, there is an adverse effect that the luminance of the whole backlight decreases. In order to prevent this, surging the amount of drive current (peak current amount increase) is performed to keep the brightness of images.

Light emitting element drive device, light emitting element drive method, and display apparatus


A system and method are provided for automatically detecting intrusion in an off-limits zone. The system includes a transmitter transmitting a signal along a path likely to encounter an intruder to the off-limits zone and a modulating reflector for receiving the transmitted signal. The modulating reflector includes a modulator receiving the received signal and generating a modulated signal having a characteristic. The modulating reflector transmits the modulated signal to be received by a receiver located to receive the modulated signal. The system further includes a processor coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver, the processor being configured to process the received modulated signal and to initiate an action as a function of the characteristic in the received modulated signal.

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical prior art railroad grade crossing 100 with a single railroad track 102. A first gate 104A and 104B is closed when a train approaches on track 102 thereby restricting the flow of traffic from the corresponding side of track 102. A second gate 106A and 106B is closed on the opposite side of track 102 from gates 104A and 104B to restrict the flow of traffic from the opposite side.
In FIG. 2, a similar prior art railroad grade crossing 200 is shown but with two tracks 202 and 204 shown as the grade crossing 200. Similar to shown above for the single track configuration 100, a first gate 206A and 206B is closed when a train approaches on track 202 or 204 thereby restricting the flow of traffic from that side of track 102. A second gate 208A and 208B is closed on the opposite side of tracks 202 and 204 from gates 206A and 206B to restrict the flow of traffic from the opposite side.
In these prior art systems, the gates close when an approaching train is detected. In order to detect obstacles located between closed gates in the proximity of the tracks, some prior art systems rely on a transmitter/receiving system that is responsive to reflections of the transmitted signals by the obstacles themselves and do not utilize a reflector or detect the presence of a signal from the reflector. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,139 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,340.
Other prior art systems rely on reflectors that reflect frequency-modulated radar which utilize the frequency and amplitude differences between the transmitted and reflected signal to determine the presence of an object in the surveillance zone. These prior art systems detect differences in signal amplitude and the signal phase. The latter results from a phase shift determined by the signal transit time as defined by a transit time component at the reflector. However, in this known implementation, the system includes a receiver, circulator, transit time element, a directional separating filter, and an amplifier, each of which incrementally adds to the complexity and cost of the system. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,045.
Several systems have been developed which utilize microwave detection systems. However, prior art systems currently encounter problems such as false detection of obstacles, inaccurate detection of obstacles, failure to detect obstacles, detection of echoes, inadequate surveillance, and high cost associated with the initial installation and with ongoing operations.
Corresponding reference characters and designations generally indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

Microwave detection system and method for detecting intrusion to an off-limits zone


An optical cantilever for an SNOM has a base portion, a cantilever portion extending from the base portion and having a hole formed proximate a distal end thereof, a dielectric member extending through the hole and having a sharpened tip at a first end projecting outward of a first surface of the cantilever portion, and a light shielding film covering the first surface of the cantilever portion and the first end of the dielectric member except for a portion of the sharpened tip so as to form a very small aperture at the sharpened tip which is not covered by the light shielding film.

The present invention relates to an optical cantilever for observing the shape of a sample by utilizing an atomic force occurring between substances and measuring optical characteristics in a very small area, and to a method of fabricating such an optical cantilever.
At present, using a scanning type near-field microscope (hereinafter, abbreviated as an SNOM), optical characteristics or the shape of a sample are measured by placing a probe comprising an optical medium and having a front end that is sharpened, proximate to the sample to be measured by a distance the size of the wavelength of light or smaller. There has been proposed an apparatus in which a front end of an optical fiber probe having a linear shape is held vertically relative to a sample and is vibrated horizontally relative to a surface of the sample, so that detection of a change in an amplitude of vibration caused by shear force between the surface of the sample and the front end of the probe, is carried out by irradiating a laser beam to the front end of the probe and detecting a change in a shadow thereof and an interval between the front end of the probe and the surface of the sample is maintained constant by moving the sample by a fine movement mechanism such that the amplitude becomes constant to thereby detect a shape of the surface from an intensity of a signal inputted to the fine movement mechanism and measure optical characteristics of the sample.
Further, there has been proposed a scanning type near-field atomic force microscope using an optical fiber probe formed in a shape of a hook as a cantilever of an atomic force microscope (hereinafter, abbreviated as AFM) to thereby carry out AFM operation and, at the same time, irradiating laser beam from a front end of the optical fiber probe to a sample to thereby detect a shape of a surface of the sample and measure optical characteristics thereof (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.174542/1995). FIG. 11 is a constitution view showing an optical fiber probe of a conventional example.
According to the optical fiber probe, there is used an optical fiber 501 and a surrounding of the optical fiber 501 is covered with a metal film coating 502. Further, a stylus portion 503 is sharpened and a front end of the stylus portion 503 is provided with an aperture 504.
Meanwhile, according to AFM which is utilized as means for observing a shape of a very small area, there is widely utilized a micro cantilever of silicon or silicon nitride fabricated by a silicon process. The micro cantilever used in AFM is provided with high resonance frequency, excellent mass production performance and small dispersion of shape and therefore, the micro cantilever is characterized in that mechanical properties such as spring constant, resonance frequency and the like are uniform.
In observation by SNOM and AFM, in order to carry out scanning control at high speed, the resonance frequency of the optical fiber probe needs to be high, meanwhile, in order to measure a soft sample such as a sample of an organism which is one of observation objects of SNOM without damaging the sample, spring constant of the optical fiber probe must be reduced. However, according to the optical fiber probe, the optical fiber per se is used as a spring material of the cantilever and therefore, it is difficult to simultaneously realize to increase the resonance frequency and reduce the spring constant and there poses a problem that it is difficult to observe a soft sample at high speed without damaging the sample.
Further, the optical fiber probe is fabricated by manual operation in many steps with the optical fiber as a material and there poses a problem that the mass production performance is low and it is difficult to make uniform a shape thereof such as a diameter of the front end or an angle of the front end.
Hence, the invention has been carried out in view of the above-described and it is an object thereof to provide an optical cantilever which is an optical cantilever for SNOM irradiating and/or detecting light to and from a very small aperture, excellent in mass production performance and uniformity and capable of observing even a soft sample at high speed without damaging the sample and a method of fabricating thereof.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an optical cantilever comprising a base portion, a cantilever portion extending from the base portion, a dielectric member formed to penetrate the cantilever portion and project above the cantilever on a side opposed to the base portion and having a sharpened front end, a light shielding film for covering a surrounding of the sharpened dielectric member, and a very small aperture formed at the sharpened front end of the dielectric member.
Therefore, according to the optical cantilever of this aspect of the invention, light can be emitted from the very small aperture to the sample by making light incident from the side opposed to the sharpened front end of the dielectric member. Further, light can be detected by the very small aperture. Further, according to the optical cantilever of this aspect of the invention, resonance frequency and spring constant thereof can be adjusted by dimensions of the cantilever portion and accordingly, high resonance frequency and small spring constant can be provided and a soft sample can be observed at high speed without damaging the sample. Further, the optical cantilever according to this aspect of the invention is provided with a shape similar to that of a cantilever of an AFM having a base portion and a cantilever portion extending from the base portion and accordingly, accumulated technology of the AFM can effectively be applied and it is simple to deal therewith.
Further, according to another aspect of invention, there is provided a method of fabricating an optical cantilever characterized in including a step of forming a hole to penetrate a cantilever portion, a step of depositing a dielectric member in the hole, a step of sharpening the dielectric member, and a step of depositing a light shielding film on the sharpened dielectric member and forming a very small aperture.
Therefore, the optical cantilever of the invention can be fabricated by a silicon process, the conventional semiconductor fabricating technology and the technology of fabricating the cantilever of AFM can effectively be applied, which is excellent in mass production performance and uniformity.
Further, according to the optical cantilever of the invention, by providing a step of removing the dielectric member in the method of fabricating thereof, the dielectric portion is constituted by a cavity.
Therefore, absorption of light in the atmosphere or in vacuum at the dielectric member can be disregarded and therefore, there can be widely selected a wavelength range which can be used by incident light.
Further, according to the optical cantilever of the invention, the face on the side opposed to the sharpened front end of the dielectric member is constituted by a projected shape. Thereby, light can be focused to the very small aperture portion and accordingly, the intensity of emitted light can be increased.
Further, according to the optical cantilever of the invention, the face on the side opposed to the sharpened front end of the dielectric member is formed at a position not projected from the surface of the cantilever portion on the side the same as the side of the base portion. Thereby, introduced light reflected by the dielectric member on the side opposed to the sharpened front end of the dielectric member is not leaked and the S/N ratio in measurement by SNOM can be increased.
Further, according to the optical cantilever of the invention, in a method of fabricating the optical cantilever, there is provided a step of adjusting a thickness of the cantilever by thinning the cantilever portion from a direction of depositing dielectric member, thereby, the height of the dielectric member having the sharpened front end can be increased and observation of a sample having a large stepped difference and observation in a solution can easily be carried out.
Further, the optical cantilever of the invention is constituted by an optical cantilever characterized in having a cantilever for an optical lever integral with the cantilever portion on the side opposed to the sharpened dielectric member relative to a fulcrum of the cantilever portion. Therefore, by irradiating laser beam of optical lever to the cantilever for an optical lever, light for observing the optical characteristics of the sample and light for measuring displacement of the cantilever can be separated from each other and accordingly, the S/N ratio in observation by SNOM can be increased. Further, by making the length of the cantilever for optical lever larger than the length of the cantilever portion, the sensitivity in measuring displacement of the cantilever can be increased.

Optical cantilever having light shielding film and method of fabricating the same


The ion measuring device comprises an ion detector including a charge collector electrode disposed in an air passage with an air passing member provided therein and capable of collecting ions in air in the air passage and repelling electrodes disposed to face the charge collector electrode, a measurement computation device for executing computation processing on related to the charge on the charge collector electrode to obtain data representing the numbers of measured positive and negative ions per unit time and unit volume, a charging circuit including a switch for switching the positive and negative polarities of the charge applied to the repelling electrodes such that the repelling electrodes are charged to the same polarity as the polarity of measurement subject ions, and a discharging circuit for discharging the charge collector electrode at time intervals corresponding to the timings of switching by the switch.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ion measuring devices for measuring positive and negative ions as charged gas molecules or fine particles present in air.
2. Prior Art
Up to date, negative ions which are capable of giving good influence to the living body, such as healthy effect of preventing oxidization of the human body, effect of holding freshness of foodstuff and deodorizing effect, and also positive ions which provide converse action to negative ions, are attracting attention, and various types of ion measuring devices for measuring negative and/or positive ions are present.
In the prior art ion measuring devices, however, a positive ion measuring unit for measuring positive ions and a negative ion measuring unit for measuring negative ions are present independently, or a single ion measuring unit has independent negative and positive ion measuring parts. Therefore, the prior art ion measuring devices are inevitably large in scale and expensive. Besides, although air ions require fine and sophisticated measuring conditions, it has been very doubtful that negative and positive ion measurement values obtained by different measuring systems are in right correlation to one another. In the prior art, an ion measuring device is also present, in which the negative and positive ion measurements are made in a single system by switching one over to the other. In this case, however, the switching of the xe2x80x9cnegativexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpositivexe2x80x9d measurements is done manually, and it is necessary to manually discharge a charge collector in a measuring part whenever the switching is done. Therefore, the operation is cumbersome, and the measurement requires great labor and time.
The invention has an object of providing an ion measuring device, which can accurately and readily measure both positive and negative ion data and be realized as a reduced size and thickness structure. To attain this object, an ion measuring device is provided, which comprises an ion detecting means including a charge collector electrode disposed in an air passage with an air passing member disposed therein and capable of collecting ions in air and repelling electrodes disposed to face the charge collector electrode, a measurement computation means for measuring charge on the charge collector electrode and executing computation processing on the measured charge to obtain data representing the number of measured positive and negative ions per unit time and unit volume, a charging means including a switching means for switching the positive and negative polarities of charging the repelling electrodes such that the repelling electrodes are charged to the same polarity of measurement subject ions, and a discharging means for discharging the charge collector electrode at time intervals corresponding to the timings of switching by the switching means.


A driving method for local dimming of a LCD device includes dividing a frame into a plurality of blocks corresponding to a plurality of dimming blocks of a backlight unit, calculating an average value of each color in a block by analyzing image data of the block and determining, for the block, a local dimming value of each color corresponding to the average value of the color, detecting a maximum value among the average values of respective colors in the block determining a luminance local dimming value corresponding to the maximum value in the block, driving a plurality of LEDs corresponding to the block in the backlight unit on a color basis according to the local dimming value of each color in the block, or a color basis using the same luminance local dimming value according to whether the block is a chromatic color area or an achromatic color area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, and more particularly, to a driving method for local dimming of an LCD device to prevent color mixing in each block and reduce power consumption, when color backlights are driven by local dimming, and an apparatus using the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, flat panel displays have been popular as video displays, such as LCDs, Plasma Display Panels (PDPs), Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), etc.
An LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel for displaying an image on a pixel matrix relying on the electrical and optical characteristics of liquid crystals that exhibit anisotropy in dielectric constant and refractive index, a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel, and a backlight unit for irradiating light onto the liquid crystal panel. The gray scale of each pixel is adjusted by controlling the transmittance of light that passes from the backlight unit through the liquid crystal panel and polarizers through changing the orientation of liquid crystals according to a data signal.
In the LCD device, the luminance of each pixel is determined by the product between the luminance of the backlight unit and the light transmittance of liquid crystals that depends on data. The LCD device employs backlight dimming method for the purposes of increasing a contrast ratio and reducing power consumption. Backlight dimming is a technique that controls backlight luminance and compensates data by analyzing an input image and adjusting a dimming value based on the analysis. For example, a backlight dimming method intended for reducing power consumption reduces the backlight luminance by decreasing the dimming value and increases the luminance through data compensation. Thus the power consumption of the backlight unit is reduced.
Light Emitting Diode (LED) backlight unit using LEDs as a light source have recently been used for a backlight unit. The LEDs boast of high luminance and low power consumption, compared to conventional lamps. Because the LED backlight unit allows for location-based control, they may be driven by local dimming. According to the local dimming technology, the LED backlight unit is divided into a plurality of light emitting blocks and luminance is controlled on a bock-by-block basis. Local dimming may further increase the contrast ratio and decrease the power consumption since the backlight unit and the liquid crystal panel are divided into a plurality of blocks, local dimming values are decided by analyzing data on a block basis, and data is compensated based on the local dimming values.
Although white (W) LEDs that emit white light are typically used as the LED backlight unit, color backlight unit using at least 2-primary color LEDs, that is, color LED backlights with Red (R)/Green (G)/Blue (B) LEDs may be adopted to increase color reproducibility. An LCD device with color LED backlight unit uses a driving method for color local dimming, in which R/G/B LEDs are individually controlled in each block by individually analyzing R/G/B image data on a block basis.
However, since color local dimming is applied to a limited number of blocks, color mixing may occur in a block in which an achromatic color coexists with a pure color with a high chroma, thus degrading the color purity of an input image.

Driving method for local dimming of liquid crystal display device and apparatus using the same


A method and system for wireless access provider management of digital rights. A wireless carrier receives a content request transmitted from a given wireless client station. The carrier determines by reference to digital rights management data that the requested content is premium content and then determines if the requesting party has the right to obtain the content. If the party does not have the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier may engage in a payment collection process, to collect the party's payment for the content. Upon determination that the requesting party has the right to obtain the content, the wireless carrier inserts an access-token into the content request and sends the content request, with the access-token, to the content provider. The content provider can then rely on the access-token as proof that the requesting party has the right to obtain the requested content.

Generally speaking, it is known for a wireless carrier to provide an access channel through which wireless client stations (such as cell phones, wirelessly-equipped PDAs, and other wireless equipped devices) can access content from servers on the public Internet. In a typical arrangement, for instance, the wireless carrier may provide a radio access network (RAN) that interfaces between the wireless client stations and the carrier's core packet-switched network. In turn, the carrier's core network may then be connected through a firewall with the public Internet. With this arrangement, a wireless client station can send a request for web content (e.g., an HTTP request), via the RAN and the carrier's core network, to a content server on the Internet, and the content server can respond by providing the requested content to the client station.
While much of the content on the Internet is freely available upon request, other content is considered "premium" and is available only for a fee. Typically, when a user sends a request for premium content to a content server, the content server will responsively prompt the user to pay for the requested content and, upon receipt of payment from the user, will then send the requested content to the user. Alternatively, upon receipt of the premium content request, the content server may refer to a "digital rights management" (DRM) database to determine whether the user has already acquired the right to access the content (e.g., paid for the content) and, upon thereby determining that the user has already acquired the right to access the content, may send the requested content to the user.

Wireless-access-provider intermediation to facilliate digital rights management for third party hosted content


We describe and claim a film mode judder elimination circuit and method. A film mode detector detects a film mode in a video signal. A judder eliminator eliminates judder by dynamically transitioning from one field rate, e.g., 60 Hz, to another field rate, e.g., 48 Hz or 72 Hz, responsive to the detection. The transition between the one and another field rate may occur during the vertical blanking period to avoid flicker.

Film mode judder or flicker is an unwanted video effect caused when two fields that combine to make the frame are not identically matched, thus creating two different time-alternating pictures. A process termed telecine or 3:2 pulldown may introduce film mode judder when it converts film shot at 24 Hz (or frames per second) to an interlaced 60 Hz video signal.
The inverse process, aptly named inverse-telecine or inverse 3:2 pulldown, converts the interlaced video signal to a progressive scan video signal when a progressive scan television or other device identifies the interlaced signal as having originated as film. This later process is often termed film mode detection. If the television cannot identify the interlaced video signal's origin as film, other processes including motion adaptive deinterlacing (MAD) convert the interlaced video signal to a progressive scan signal.
The inverse-telecine process does not completely remove or eliminate the judder introduced during the telecine process.
Accordingly, a need remains for a film mode judder elimination circuit and method.

Film mode judder elimination circuit and method


In an embodiment, a fluid ejection device includes a die including a fluid feed slot that extends from a back side to a front side of the die, a firing chamber formed on the front side to receive fluid from the feed slot, a fluid distribution manifold adhered to the back side to provide fluid to the feed slot, and a corrosion-resistant layer coating the back side of the die so as not to extend into the feed slot.

Printheads are examples of fluid ejection devices used in printing systems to selectively deposit fluid, such as ink, onto print media. Over time, ink used in a printhead fluid ejection device can cause degradation of the device and reduce print quality from the printing system. The inks used in fluid ejection devices are typically pigment-based inks or dye-based inks. While dye inks have a wider color gamut than pigment inks, pigment inks are generally preferred because they are more color-fast (i.e., more permanent) than dye inks. However, continuing efforts to enhance the performance of pigment inks (e.g., through chemical manipulation) have increased pH levels within the inks and made them more corrosive. Thus, as the performance of pigment inks improves, so too does the aggressiveness with which they corrode fluid ejection devices and cause reduced print quality in printing systems.

Fluid ejection device and methods of fabrication

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An axle end arrangement includes a stator unit and a rotor unit, wherein the stator unit is configured to be fixed in a secured manner against rotation about a stub axle relative to an axle stub, wherein the rotor unit is configured to be fixed indirectly or directly on a hub, wherein the stator unit includes a coil arrangement in which, upon rotation of the rotor unit, a voltage is generated, wherein the rotor unit includes a maximum outer radius measured perpendicular to the stub axle, which outer radius is smaller than the smallest distance of a fastening region for a vehicle wheel on the hub from the stub axle.

The present invention relates to an axle end arrangement for use in utility vehicles.
In particular, the term axle end arrangement relates to a system which is installed in the region of the rotatable bearing of a vehicle wheel at the end of the axle or the axle stub of the vehicle, preferably of the utility vehicle. Such axle arrangements were already used in the prior art. It is thus, for example, known to arrange a hydrostatic additional motor on the vehicle wheel and connected to the axle stub. The arrangement of an electric motor in the axle end region was also already suggested in this case. It has, however, been shown to be problematic in the case of the axle end arrangements known from the prior art that their construction is very complex. Mounting and in particular also dismounting the axle end arrangements are furthermore always problematic in the prior art, wherein the axle end arrangement itself must often be disassembled in order to be able to be dismounted, wherein dirt and foreign bodies can penetrate into the inner region of the axle end arrangement. Moreover, in order to mount and dismount axle end arrangement in the prior art, it is often necessary to also uninstall the vehicle wheel, as a result of which increased mounting outlay arises.
The object of the present invention is to provide an axle end arrangement which ensures high operational reliability and simultaneously can be installed on a vehicle and removed from it again easily and with a small number of operating steps.


A cutting insert assembly having an insert pocket having a pocket bore, a cutting insert and a fastening member coupling the cutting insert in the insert pocket. The cutting insert having a cutting insert bore, a first surface, a second surface and a peripheral surface extending therebetween. The first and second surfaces meeting the peripheral surface at first and second peripheral edges, respectively, at least a portion of at least one of the first and second peripheral edges forming a cutting edge. The cutting insert bore having at least two portions, the smallest of which, has an oval cross section allowing a for quick replacing or indexing of the cutting insert, without having to completely remove the fastening member from the pocket bore.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,754 relates to a fastening arrangement in a cutting tool, having a standard cutting insert and a special locking screw, the screw head having two opposite, vertical chamfers. In this arrangement, the cutting insert can be removed without completely unscrewing the locking screw from a threaded hole in the cutting insert seat.
A drawback with this arrangement is that the screw head is not symmetrical and consequently the screw thread and the bore thread have to be designed accurately enough to ensure that after the screw is fastened, the screw head abutment surfaces are correctly oriented in order to abut and secure the cutting insert in its seat.
Another drawback is the weakening of the screw head as a result of the removal of material due to the chamfering. Consequently, less torque can be applied to the screw head than in comparison with a non-chamfered screw head. This may lead to unpredicted, unwanted effects such as inaccuracies in locating the cutting insert, or a sudden release of the insert.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,592 describes a fastening arrangement for cutting inserts having a standard cutting insert and a locking pin, asymmetrically clamping the cutting insert. This arrangement allows indexing of the cutting insert by only loosening the locking pin, lifting it until its cylindrical portion is out of its corresponding portion in the receiving hole and tilting the locking pin until it is possible to slide the cutting insert coaxially over the clamping head.
A certain drawback of this arrangement is the small and asymmetric abutment area between the locking pin clamping head and the locking face of the insert aperture. This asymmetry leads to asymmetric force distribution in the cutting insert, in comparison to the symmetric abutment. This may lead to locating inaccuracies, shortened life of the cutting insert or breaks in the cutting edges.

Cutting insert and cutting insert assembly


A single-packaged central processing unit (CPU) is formed on a substrate for a particular application in a variable word length computer system that includes a program memory. A first semiconductor chip in the CPU is of a general purpose type and includes a plurality of elements interconnected, such as an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a program counter, and a register. A second semiconductor chip in the CPU is mounted on the first semiconductor chip with their active surfaces facing each other. The second semiconductor chip is configured for the particular application in accordance with a particular program instruction set stored in the program memory. The second semiconductor chip includes a command register for receiving fetched commands from the program memory, a command decoder for decoding the fetched commands and for generating corresponding control signals, and a timing generator for generating system clock signals. In one embodiment, the command register has a particular bit length for adapting to the particular application. In another embodiment, the command decoder has a particular bit length and the timing generator is configured to generate particular corresponding control signals for adapting to the particular application.

The present invention relates to integrated circuit packaging of computer systems and more particularly to structures that allow some flexibility in computer architectures so that program and command word-lengths can be easily adjusted.
Central processing units (CPUs) are conventionally comprised of a basic control unit, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and several general/special purpose registers. All of which elements are now routinely integrated on a single monolithic semiconductor substrate as a direct result of advancements in semiconductor processing technology. The control unit, ALU, and registers are usually interconnected by various proprietary kinds of intra-chip buses (sometimes called micro-buses). Program commands and I/O data flow over these buses. The internal connections between the elements dramatically reduce the number of external connections that would otherwise be necessary. Quality and reliability experts have a rule-of-thumb that says a reduction in the number of external pins and their PC board connections will be directly reflected in an improvement in a system's reliability. Individual device reliability is often computed on the basis of how many pins the IC's in a system have. But high levels of integration reduce the flexibility a system designer has with customizing the architecture for particular applications. Since the interconnects are on-chip, they are not accessible to board and systems designers. So these engineers are stuck with whatever the chip designer decided to offer as a general compromise between conflicting applications that were envisioned at the time the chip was specified.
Each section and interconnect of a monolithic semiconductor CPU, quite naturally, has a fixed composition. Each CPU must therefore have a standardized fixed command (instruction) set. But non-monolithic implementations, even though they allow relatively mixing and matching each of the elements of a central processing unit, have serious disadvantages. For example, the required complex interconnections invite high failure rates. Being able to select a system optimal to its application is very compelling and can tip the scales in that direction.
A major advantage of semiconductor integrated circuit technology is that many electronic elements are microminiaturized at the same time in a single array. However, central processing units rarely have flat, non-hierarchical structures. For example, a command register receives program commands from program memory and then sends these commands to a command decoder. The command decoder deciphers the program commands and sends out micro-commands (also called microcode). More complex and larger instructions can make use of wider microcodes, and do more in parallel. Fewer instructions are needed to implement each step in a program. A reduction in power consumption is possible if the number of elements in a command that must be fetched can be reduced. Conversely, if the length of a command word is made shorter, the processing of the command can be reduced, because the decoding is less complicated, and timing generators can be simplified. High-speed processing is possible because faster clocks can be used.
Therefore, the present invention allows a chip having a command register, a command decoder, and a timing generator to be swapped in to and out from the rest of a CPU. This makes it easy to change command and instruction sets.

Integrated circuit package for flexible computer system alternative architectures