The object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an improved semiconductor device in which overlay-accuracy can be enhanced even when a halftone mask is used. An oxide film is formed on an antireflection film. Resist films are selectively irradiated with light using a halftone phase shift mask. Subsequently, it is developed to form resist patterns for a connecting hole and an overlay mark. According to the, present invention, the provision of an antireflection film under an oxide film prevents formation of a ghost pattern in an overlay mark portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to a semiconductor device having a connecting hole not larger than 0.4 .mu.m.quadrature. in size and an overlay mark. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the manufacture of a semiconductor device, the higher integration and accompanying scaling down of the semiconductor device are making the width of a pattern line as well as the space between pattern lines smaller. In addition, strict overlay-accuracy for high density integration is required due to complication of the longitudinal structure of a device.
FIG. 11 is an illustration showing a conventional overlay technique. Overlapping is accomplished when a pattern on a photomask 20 is transferred to a wafer 21. More specifically, in the overlaying, the position of a wafer overlay mark 23 in diffraction grating form formed on the wafer is measured using alignment light 24 through photomask 20. The displacement between the position thus measured and a stage is corrected by moving the stage, and a chip pattern 25 on photomask 20 is transferred onto wafer 21 as a chip pattern 26a. It is noted that the wafer alignment pattern to be used for overlapping the next layer is also transferred at the same time.
There are at least two types of such overlay marks 22, one for the alignment in the X direction and the other in the Y direction.
For the high density integration and accompanying scaling down of a semiconductor device, a technique for forming a fine pattern using a halftone phase shift mask (hereinafter referred to as a halftone mask) as photomask 20 has been proposed.
With reference to FIG. 12, photomasks in general includes a usual mask and a phase shift mask. A halftone mask is known as an example of the phase shift mask. The usual mask is a glass plate on which a pattern formed of metal such as Cr or MoSi is formed. The halftone mask is a glass plate on which a metal pattern of MoSiON, CrON or the like is formed.
The halftone mask is provided with a material which inverts the phase of light passing through non-shading portions in the location corresponding to shading portions formed on the usual mask. The halftone mask enhances the light contrast of the pattern and forms a fine pattern as compared with the usual mask.
FIGS. 13A and 13B show the differences between the usual mask and the halftone mask. As for the halftone mask, the phase of light is inverted in the non-shading portion. The use of the halftone mask allows a pattern 26 and a peak 27 of light intensity to be clearly distinguished, thereby increasing resolution. A peak 28 of light intensity is however formed that can cause a ghost pattern as will be later described.
The problem associated with the manufacture of a semiconductor device by means of lithography technique using a conventional halftone mask will now be described.
With reference to FIG. 14, a connecting hole portion 29 and an overlay mark portion 30 are formed on a semiconductor substrate 9. A first oxide film 10, a barrier metal 11, an aluminum film 12, a titanium nitride film 13 and a second oxide film 14 are formed on semiconductor substrate 9 in connecting hole portion 29. First and second oxide films 10 and 14 are formed on semiconductor substrate 9 in overlay mark portion 30. Resist 15 for forming a connecting hole is provided in connecting hole portion 29. Resist 15b for forming an overlay mark is provided in overlay mark portion 30. A halftone mask 31 having non-shading portions in the positions to have a connecting hole and an overlay mark, respectively, is prepared. Halftone mask 31 has shading and non-shading portions 32 and 33 in overlay mark portion 30. Resist 15 is irradiated with light 34 using halftone mask 31. At this time, portions 35 and 36 to have a connecting hole and an overlay mark, respectively, are also exposed to the light. Further, a ghost pattern 37 is produced in the non-shading portion at the time. Ghost pattern 37 is formed by the phase-inverted light (corresponding to peak 28 in the light intensity) reflected by the surface of substrate 9 and directed upon resist 15b.
The formation of ghost pattern 37 will now be described in further detail. FIG. 22 shows changes in the reflectivity of the surface of an oxide film relative to changes in thickness when the oxide film is provided on a highly reflective substrate such as a silicon substrate. As is apparent from FIG. 22, the amplitude of the reflectivity caused by the change in the thickness of the oxide film is large. The change in the diameter of the opening portion of resist is accordingly large as shown in FIG. 23. The amplitude period of reflectivity corresponds to about 1240 .ANG. for a wavelength of 365 nm, and therefore the maximum and minimum values of reflectivity are within the range of the amplitude if the thickness of the oxide film changes by 620 .ANG.. Thus, the diameter of the opening portion of the resist largely changes. When an oxide film having a thickness around 10000 .ANG. is provided, the resist is inevitably exposed to light reflected from the silicon substrate due to the above mentioned change in the diameter if the thickness of the oxide film has a variation of 10% in its surface.
FIG. 24 is a graph showing the optimum exposure amount relative to the size of a connecting hole to be formed on the highly reflective substrate. The exposure amount allowing formation of a ghost pattern is also shown in FIG. 24. Herein, the abscissa represents the size of the connecting hole, and the optimum exposure amount given in FIG. 24 also applies to an overlay mark having a diameter of at least 1 .mu.m, which can be regarded as the same in terms of size to the connecting hole having a diameter of 1 .mu.m.
Assuming that the optimum exposure amount in the case of a connecting hole of 1 .mu.m.quadrature. is normalized as 1, 1.5 times of the optimum exposure amount is required for a connecting hole of 0.4 .mu.m.quadrature.. Then, the optimum exposure amount allowing formation of a ghost pattern is sufficiently between the normalized 1.5 and 1. With reference to FIG. 14, ghost pattern 37 is consequently formed in the overlay mark portion in forming connecting hole 35.
It is noted that the overlay mark can be well or poorly formed because of the variation in reflectivity as is apparent from FIGS. 22 and 23. This variation is the problem.
Returning to FIGS. 14, 15 and 16, development of resist 15 to form resist patterns 15a and 15b actually results in resist patterns 15a and 15b having an undesired void portion 38 caused by the light for forming a ghost pattern peculiar to a halftone mask as shown in FIG. 16 rather than those free from a void in a resist as shown in FIG. 15.
It is noted that the overlay mark is in a striped pattern having a width of 1 .mu.m and the size of the connecting hole is 0.4 .mu.m.quadrature..
With reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, etching oxide film 14 using resist patterns 15a and 15b as masks forms oxide films 16a and 16b having a connecting hole 39 and a pattern 40 of an oxide film to be an overlay mark, respectively. A poorly shaped resist pattern causes a void 141 to be formed in pattern 40 of the oxide film, that is, in the overlay mark.
With reference to FIG. 18, a second interconnection layer 41 is formed to contact with a titanium nitride film 13 though connecting hole 39. At the time, the component of the second interconnection layer is formed also in overlay mark portion 30. Resist 42 is applied to cover second interconnection 41.
Then, resist 42 is selectively exposed to light through a halftone mask using an overlay mark 40 as a reference for alignment to form a resist pattern 43. Although resist pattern 43 is a portion for patterning second interconnection layer 41, it is formed offset due to the poorly shaped overlay mark 40 as shown in FIG. 18.
With reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, resist 42 is developed to form resist pattern 43.
With reference to FIGS. 19 and 20, patterning of second interconnection layer 41 using resist pattern 43 as a mask forms second interconnection layer 41 disconnected from aluminum film 12, the first interconnection layer. It is is noted that FIG. 21 is a cross section of a semiconductor device where the steps have ideally proceeded without having the above mentioned offset. In this case, second interconnection layer 41 is tightly connected to aluminum film 12 having titanium nitride film 13 interposed.
The above mentioned disconnection causes yield to decrease in the manufacture of a semiconductor device.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method therefor


Electrical energy is conveyed via an implanted tissue stimulation system into tissue of the patient over a period of time. Electrical parameter data (e.g., impedance data and/or field potential data) is measured based on the electrical energy conveyed into the tissue of the patient, whereby the electrical parameter data is modulated in response to the physical activity of the patient to generate a time-varying signal (e.g., an oscillating signal). The time-varying signal is analyzed, and the physical activity of the patient (e.g., the physical activity level of the patient or the physical events performed by the patient) is tracking during the time period based on the analyzed time-varying signal.

Implantable neurostimulation systems have proven therapeutic in a wide variety of diseases and disorders. Pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs) have proven highly effective in the treatment of a number of cardiac conditions (e.g., arrhythmias). Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) systems have long been accepted as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes, and the application of tissue stimulation has begun to expand to additional applications such as angina pectoralis and incontinence. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has also been applied therapeutically for well over a decade for the treatment of refractory chronic pain syndromes, and DBS has also recently been applied in additional areas such as movement disorders and epilepsy. Further, in recent investigations Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) systems have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of chronic pain syndromes and incontinence, and a number of additional applications are currently under investigation. Furthermore, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) systems such as the Freehand system by NeuroControl (Cleveland, Ohio) have been applied to restore some functionality to paralyzed extremities in spinal cord injury patients.
Each of these implantable neurostimulation systems typically includes an electrode lead implanted at the desired stimulation site and an implantable pulse generator (IPG) implanted remotely from the stimulation site, but coupled either directly to the electrode lead or indirectly to the electrode lead via a lead extension. Thus, electrical pulses can be delivered from the IPG to the electrode lead to stimulate the tissue and provide the desired efficacious therapy to the patient.
In certain scenarios, it may be desirable to track the physical activity (e.g., activity level or body manipulations) of the patient that has received the implantable neurostimulation system, which provides an indication of the efficacy of the therapy provided by the stimulation system; that is, the more efficacious the therapy, the more diurnally active the patient will be. Thus, knowledge of the physical activity of the patient over a period of time in which therapeutic stimulation is applied to the patient may be used by a physician or clinician to prescribe drugs, reprogram or upgrade the IPG, or implement or modify other therapeutic regimens (such as physical or occupational therapy). Knowledge of the physical activity of the patient may also be used to adapt the therapy provided by the stimulation system in real time, so that the stimulation is consistently provided to the patient at an efficacious and/or comfortable level.
There, thus, remains a need for an improved method and system for determining the physical activity of a patient in which a neurostimulation system has been implanted.

Neurostimulation system and method for measuring patient activity

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation


A Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) controller. The DRAM controller includes receiving a plurality of access requests from a plurality of user interfaces to access one or more DRAM devices. Further, the DRAM controller includes storing the plurality of access requests in a Content Addressable Memory (CAM). Furthermore, the DRAM controller includes updating at least one access request of the plurality of access requests to a Next Access Table. In addition, the DRAM controller includes determining at least one paramount access request of the plurality of access requests by a CAM based decision controller for employing a bypass operation in the CAM based decision controller, based on a plurality of pre-defined conditions. Further, the DRAM controller includes issuing the plurality of access requests to the one or more DRAM devices.

In modern electronic systems, high-speed Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices are key components in just about every design. The DRAM devices are simple in structure but require a more complicated interface than other memory technologies like Static Random Access Memories (SRAM's). Currently, the DRAM devices require several advanced features that are required to achieve the performance levels required by modern processing devices. This requires additional circuitry on the Memory Controller and makes it more difficult for a designer to create a controller from scratch.
Often, Memory Controller implementations have attempted to improve DRAM access efficiency by taking a stream of access requests and optimizing these requests to make sure that no access requests to memory are wasted. Currently, the memory controller implements only a few optimizations due to limited length of the access stream. This limitation is due to the use of a traditional state machine to make access priority decisions since a traditional state machine becomes unmanageably complex as multiple accesses are added to the decision mechanism. If a larger section of the access stream could be used for optimization then access efficiency would go up substantially and the system bandwidth would increase, cost would go down and power consumption would be reduced.
Additionally, previous implementation of memory controller has required most operations to go through the scheduling and re-ordering paths inside the controller. This results in a higher minimum latency through the memory controller.
In light of the foregoing discussion there is a need for an efficient Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) controller.


The present invention is an improved electrical cylindrical circuit collector ring assembly. The assembly includes an axial stack of multiple torodial-shaped spacer members and at least one electrical conductor ring member. The spacer members each include one insulating face and one electrically conductive face. The ring assembly also includes a general adhesive for mounting the insulator face to the ring members and an electrically conductive adhesive for mounting the conductive face to the ring members and for mounting ring members to ring members where applicable. The ring assembly also includes a radial extension on each of the conductive faces of the spacer members beyond the ring member diameter providing for an electrical connecting point. Finally, radial tabs provide lead wire channels and means of improved electrical shielding.

This invention relates generally to design, construction, manufacturing cost and performance improvements for multi-circuit cylindrical signal and power electrical connector components used in both sliding and rolling interface transfer mechanisms. More particularly, the invention relates to improved current transfer devices for conducting currents between stator and rotor members of mechanisms where the interface between the two is by means of conventional rolling couplers or by sliding brushes.
Slip rings have a long history of applications for the transfer of electrical energy between two mutually rotating members. This transfer is affected by conducting the electrical signals and power from one member to the other through a sliding interface. One or both of these members is cylindrical with the circuit components configured into the cylinder, or cylinders. More recently rolling elements have been introduced at each circuit interface for the same function with rolling instead of sliding conductive components. Recent examples of rolling interface configurations are disclosed in several U.S. Patents. These describe rolling electrical interface configurations for both low level signals and for power transfer. Even the advantages provided by these roll ring transfer units cannot always be realized for some applications because of manufacturing costs and lead times related to the construction process.
The large variety of electrical transfer requirements, specified by the broad field of users introduces another problem for both sliding and rolling transfer, which has both design and cost ramifications. Each new design of the transfer mechanism requires new tooling, fixtures, and molds. This results in long delivery schedules from definition to unit delivery as well as increased manufacturing costs. Since envelope parameters of diameter, length and shape as well as performance requirements of voltage, current, waveform, frequency and electrical resistance noise (or signal quality) establish the design requirements of the transfer unit, each application configuration and design is unique. This situation identifies why new non-recurring design and tooling costs accrue with each new set of specifications.
An existing means of fabricating slip ring sets is to position or mold the rings in place. As the number of circuits increases, and if the rings require machining and plating prior to molding, the total manufacturing costs increase. In an attempt to reduce this cost, the rings are sometimes machined as a molded assembly. This often results in a problem related to loosening of the rings from the molding bond during fabrication with attendant scrap costs. Lead wires connected to the conductive rings are sometimes integrated into the molded assembly. If a wire breaks or looses connection with the ring, or shorts to other wires during the manufacturing process, the entire component must usually be scrapped with obvious cost implications. These considerations result in increased manufacturing costs and force long order-to-delivery time.
One prior art patented configuration consists of stacked sets of rings and spacers to form an axial series of single non-shielded circuits. This design provides annulus channels for rolling interconnection balls between the inner and the outer circuit rings. Although this configuration provides for repeated use of common contact rings and spacers and the elimination of a molding process, which can effect cost reductions, the leads must be attached, and the rings machined and plated, individually. This drives the cost up because of the fact that the majority of plating cost is associated with the labor required to handle individual components. Additionally, the cost of the configuration is adversely affected by the labor required to feed the lead wires through the individual rings and spacers during the assembly process. This configuration does not lend itself to electrical shielding. The assembly complexity and associated high manufacturing cost of the described configuration is easily visualized for transfer units which require  greater than 100 circuits.
Another problem associated with the molded assembly technique is the method of attaching the lead wires to the individual circuit rings by molding the wires into the ring support matrix and casting the wire ends into the rings as they are formed by plating. This process does not allow corrections to be made if the lead connection is faulty, or, as is sometimes the case, when the component connection becomes intermittent when the unit is exposed to a cyclic temperature environment.
High voltage insulative resistance requirements are difficult to meet in adjacent circuits when the axial pitch is small. This latter requirement is forced by specifications, which require a large number of circuits in a small axial space. A radially extending barrier between adjacent circuits is required to provide adequate high voltage insulation qualities. This is necessary to increase the path length, which a given contaminant must bridge between adjacent circuits before electrical shorting can occur. Additionally the greater wear debris of slip rings exacerbates the electrical insulative break down problem of adjacent circuits when adequate barriers are not provided. When a rotary transfer mechanism is used in severe environmental conditions, even wiper seals built into the housings are not able to prevent a measure of moisture and contaminants from entering the unit. This often results in electrical bridging between adjacent circuits and electrical insulative failure of the unit if adequate barriers are not provided. Circuit barriers are difficult to mold or machine into the module without breakage because of the small axial thickness which is available in the design. In addition, the barrier must be formed from the same insulating plastic material the rings are set in which results in a brittle, and easily damaged, protective wall. This condition can exist for both slip rings and roll rings.
The inner ring assembly of present rotary electrical transfer mechanisms is characteristically manufactured as a single assembly. Since many transfer unit designs require  greater than 100 circuits the probability is high that one or more circuits will be damaged during the manufacturing process. Example sources of this damage are irreversible machining errors, internal shorting in the molded wiring, miswires in the ring connections, broken internal lead/ring connections and ring damage caused by inadvertent contact with a tool or measuring device. Even though the damage may involve only one of many circuits, it will result in scrapping of the entire ring assembly if it cannot be repaired properly and the unit salvaged. The level of expense, both schedule and fiscal, is great enough as to sometimes warrant a reassignment of lead ring connections in the related system to establish a work-around. This is obviously not a desirable solution.
When a high frequency transfer requirement has been defined it is important that proper shielding of the leads to the ring be established. This requires the continuation of the shield on a given lead to a position as close as possible to the ring the lead is attached to. It is usually not possible to use shielded or sleeved wire within a molded assembly since the structural integrity of the lead-to-mold is reduced. This situation reduces the effectiveness of the shielding of the circuits within the assembly. It is also important that the number of connections of each lead from contact ring to the external connector be minimized. When the contact ring is molded into place along with the leads it is often necessary to use solid wire within the molded region of the assembly and to terminate the lead at the perimeter of the molding. This not only necessitates an undesirable additional connection point but a potential failure mechanism since mechanical stress imposed by forces imposed by the external leads, or cables, can fatigue the terminal embedded in the molding.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements of manufacturing cost of both slip ring and roll ring cylindrical electrical transfer sub assemblies associated with tooling and parts cost. This improvement is accomplished by the use of geometrically simple torodial shaped conducting rings, insulators and circuit connection members.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide improvements of subassembly geometry such that the subassembly radial runout errors are less than those of the components from which the subassembly has been made. This situation allows lower cost components to be used for a given set of assembly geometry requirements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide decreased design time of new electrical transfer mechanisms by the use of common components, which may be arranged in a variety of configurations to achieve the desired circuit configurations.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to decrease manufacturing lead-time of transfer units. This objective can be realized by the modularization of the current transfer components and the use of circuit contact rings and insulating spacers, which have a wide variety of applications.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide extended operational lifetime of electrical transfer mechanisms associated with reduced sensitivity to wear product and general debris contaminants. This objective is achieved by the construction technique, which allows the use of structurally sound barriers between circuits.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide reduced environmental sensitivity associated with a greater resistance to circuit to circuit electrical shorting resulting from water, salt spray, oil films or other environmental borne debris by the use of high barriers between circuits.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide multi-functions of the geometrically simple components such as connecting tabs, which also provide lead wire channels and geometry control.


A fuel injector with a direct control needle valve has a closing hydraulic surface exposed to a control fluid, and an opening hydraulic surface exposed to fuel. The control fluid is different from the fuel. A vented annulus is positioned around the needle valve member between the control fluid chamber and the fuel chamber. An o-ring is positioned in a lower pressure region between the annulus and the control fluid chamber.

This invention relates generally to fuel injector systems utilizing a direct control needle valve, and more particularly a fluid sealing strategy to prevent mixing between fuel fluid and control fluid.
A common type of fuel injector system utilizes a direct control needle valve to open and close the nozzle outlets of the fuel injector. One end of the needle valve member is exposed to medium or low pressure control fluid in a needle control chamber, while a different portion is exposed to high or low fuel pressure in a nozzle chamber in a cyclic manner for each injection cycle. The nature of a needle valve is that extreme pressure differences are present between the needle control chamber and the nozzle chamber, where the needle valve member is positioned. These extreme pressure differences facilitate the lifting and closing of the needle valve and the resulting injection event. While the fuel acts as the pressurized fluid in the nozzle chamber, one class of fuel injectors use engine lubricating oil, or a similar fluid that is different from fuel, as the pressurized fluid in the needle control chamber.
A reoccurring issue with such an arrangement is the possibility of mixture between the oil in the needle control chamber and the fuel in the nozzle chamber. Because of the slight diametrical clearance between the needle valve member and its guide bore(s), migration of the fluids can occur in either direction as a result of the repetitive motion of the needle valve and the extreme difference in pressures between the oil and the fuel during different portions of the injection event. Depending on the timing in the injection cycle, the high-pressure location could be in the nozzle chamber or the needle control chamber. The migration of oil into the nozzle chamber can cause undesirable emissions when the fuel/oil mixture is injected into the combustion space. On the other hand, fuel migration into the needle control chamber can undermine the lubricating properties of the oil throughout the engine. Therefore, maintaining separation of the fluids is important to engine operation, performance and emissions.
Prior art has taught the use of an o-ring as an effective sealant against oil or fuel leakage. While an o-ring alone can provide a sufficient seal between the two fluids, research has shown that improperly applied o-rings typically fail long before the other parts of the fuel injector. The fuel injector""s extreme pressure, temperature requirements and high frequency of movements can prove to be fatal to the o-ring structure to the point that the o-ring becomes functionally useless. Furthermore, a degraded o-ring can provide a collection point for the oil or the fuel during the migration process, resulting in the potential to hasten the mixture problem.
One example of a fuel injector sealing strategy using an o-ring is taught by Stockner et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,686, entitled Fluid Seal For Cyclic High Pressures Within a Fuel Injector. While Stockner et al. teaches an effective sealing strategy in the plunger region, their strategy leaves room for improvement in the nozzle assembly portion of a directly controlled fuel injector.
The present invention is directed at overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
A fuel injection system includes of a source of control fluid, a source of fuel fluid and a fuel injector. The fuel injector is connected to the source of fuel fluid and control fluid, and has a direct control needle valve. The direct control needle valve has a needle valve member having a closing hydraulic surface exposed to the fluid pressure in a control chamber, and an opening hydraulic surface exposed to a fluid pressure in a fuel chamber. The direct control needle valve includes at least one guide region, at least one o-ring and at least one annulus positioned between the control fluid chamber and fuel chamber. A vent passage is disposed within the fuel injector and is connected to one of the at least one annulus.
In another aspect, a fuel injector includes an injector body that defines a control chamber, a fuel chamber, a control fluid vent passage and a fuel vent passage. Also, the fuel injector includes a direct control needle valve with a needle valve member having a closing hydraulic surface exposed to the fluid pressure in the control chamber, and an opening hydraulic surface exposed to a fluid pressure in the fuel chamber. At least one of the injector body and needle valve member define a first annulus fluidly connected to the control fluid vent passage, and a second annulus fluidly connected to the fuel vent passage.
In another aspect, a method of separating fluids in a fuel injector with a direct control needle valve includes a step of fluidly connecting a first annulus surrounding a needle valve member to a control fluid vent passage. A first guide region is positioned between a control chamber and the first annulus. A second annulus surrounding the needle valve member is fluidly connected to a fuel vent passage. A second guide region is positioned between a fuel chamber and the second annulus.

Directly controlled fuel injector with sealing against fluid mixing


Systems and methods for dynamic parallel looping in process runtime environment are described herein. A currently processed process-flow instance of a business process reaches a dynamic loop activity including a repetitive task to be executed with each loop cycle. A predefined expression is evaluated on top of the current data context of the process-flow instance to discover a number of loop cycles for execution within the dynamic loop activity. A number of parallel activities corresponding to the repetitive task recurrences are instantiated and executed in parallel. The results of the parallel activities are coordinated to confirm that the dynamic loop activity is completed.

The business process management is an important activity, especially for big organizations, including enterprises, government administrations, non-profit organizations, etc. The development, implementation and control of simpler and more cost efficient business processes is a major success factor for any organization. The introduction of more advanced software and hardware solutions continuously expands the possibilities for improvements in the business processes adopted by an organization. In software engineering, various stakeholders, e.g., managers, business analysts, process designers, software developers, etc., are involved in business process modeling and business process automation. Some of their main goals are to create, implement and support business process models with improved quality and efficiency within an organization.
Different vendors provide various software tools to facilitate the work of the stakeholders in business process modeling. There is a mutual interest among the parties involved in process modeling to use common and concise description of the business processes which are lucid, inside and outside an organization. There are a number of workflow pattern definitions developed by different vendors or organizations to set semantics for business process modeling. Business process modeling notation (BPMN) maintained by Object Management Group organization is broadly recognized as a standard workflow pattern for business process modeling. The standardized and comprehensive descriptions of business process models increase the efficiency of the business processes lifecycle across the different stakeholders. Furthermore, the business process models compliant with a standard workflow pattern may be easily, and even automatically, translated to executable instructions in a runtime computer system environment. For example, a standard business process description that is, for e.g., BPMN compliant, could be compiled to a set of trigger network instructions, executable by a rule based engine of a runtime computer system environment.
Business processes of an organization frequently include execution of repetitive tasks. Often, it is desirable for such tasks to be performed in parallel for reasons such as good throughput, small overall process turnaround times, and improved resource utilization. For example, a business process-flow execution may involve processing of data batches in a computer system running a number of concurrent processors. Thus, a number of repetitive task recurrences could be routed to different processors at the same time. However, the number of repetitive task recurrences, and hence the number of parallel execution threads, can be determined only during runtime, based on the process-flow data context. For example, the precise number of tasks to be executed may correspond to the cardinality of a dynamically evaluated list-valued expression. Therefore, it is hard to automatically translate a multi-instance activity of a business process model to a series of instructions executed in parallel.

System for dynamic parallel looping of repetitive tasks during execution of process-flows in process runtime


An image forming apparatus comprises a photosensitive drum, a charged wire which extends in a shaft direction of the photosensitive drum and charges the photosensitive drum by electric discharge, a frame disposed so as to surround the charged wire, the frame in which a cover side opening is formed in the side opposite to the photosensitive drum with respect to the charged wire, and a cover member disposed so as to cover the cover side opening while forming a blow path in communication with the cover side opening between the frame and the cover member. The cover member moves along the charged wire and is constructed detachably from a side surface of the frame and also a cleaning member for cleaning the charged wire is disposed.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming unit.
Generally, as an image forming apparatus of an electrophotography method, an apparatus in which a unit having a charged wire for charging a photosensitive body by electric discharge is detachably attached to an apparatus body is known. A configuration in which a blow hole along a charged wire is formed in a frame body surrounding the charged wire in a unit and an opening and closing lid part for covering the blow hole while forming blow space in communication with the blow hole between the frame body and the lid part is disposed is known in the related art.
Also, this unit has a wire cleaner for cleaning a charged wire by making sliding contact with the charged wire, and an operation part capable of operating along the blow hole is formed in this wire cleaner.
According to such a configuration, air can efficiently be blown into the charged wire, so that adhesion of a foreign substance to the charged wire can be suppressed.

Image forming apparatus and image forming unit


A hybrid drive module including: a torque converter with a cover, an impeller and a turbine; a rotor for an electric motor; a hub non-rotatably connected to the rotor and the cover and including a circumferential surface and a plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the circumferential surface; and an end plate disposed between the plurality of protrusions and the rotor and engaged with the end plate and the rotor. The plurality of protrusions is formed of a material forming the hub and restrains the end plate and the rotor, with respect to the hub, in an axial direction.

It is known to use a hybrid combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor to power a vehicle. For electric motor rotors designed such that an inner diameter of the rotor is a "clearance fit" (also known as a "sliding fit" or "slip fit") about an outer diameter of a hub, a means of axially retaining the rotor on the hub is required. Typically, one side of the hub will have a formed-in flange providing axial retention for that side of the hub. However, the other side of the hub needs a means, which does not interfere with assembling the rotor and the hub, of axially retaining the rotor after the assembly of the rotor and the hub.
It is known to secure the rotor to the hub via a formed-in flange on the hub and a nut threaded onto the hub after installation of the rotor. The threading operation and use of a nut increases the cost, complexity, and parts count of the resulting assembly. It also is known to secure the rotor to the hub via a formed-in flange on the hub and, after installing the rotor on the hub, bending a portion of the hub to form one or more tab to axially retain the rotor. The tabs do not provide adequate axial retention for rotors having larger masses. It also is known to fix a resolver rotor to the hub using the above methods.

Hybrid drive module having a rotor secured to a hub via staking


The present disclosure relates to communication methods and communications apparatus. In one example communication method, a first terminal determines a start time unit of a resource period, and transmits communication data in the resource period, where communication data is transmitted in the start time unit and the communication data is retransmitted in another time unit of the resource period. Then the first terminal sends transmission sequence number indication information and time domain transmission resource indication information to a second terminal that performs direct communication with the first terminal.

With development of communications technologies, direct communication such as Device to Device (D2D) communication or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication can be performed between devices.
In a device-to-device communications technology, a network-side device (for example, a base station) may perform a resource configuration, scheduling, coordination, and the like to assist terminals in performing device-to-device communication. Generally, the network-side device allocates a transmission resource pool to a device-to-device communications terminal, so that the terminal performs device-to-device communication data transmission. The resource pool may be understood as a time domain resource set, and includes a resource pool used for transmission and a resource pool used for reception. The network-side device configures different resource pools in a broadcast mode, for example, a scheduling assignment (SA) resource pool and a data resource pool, and each resource pool has a fixed period. The device-to-device communications terminal may use, in two modes, a time domain resource in a resource pool allocated by the network-side device. In one mode, the device-to-device communications terminal uses a time domain resource that is allocated and determined in the resource pool by the network-side device for every device-to-device communications terminal. In the other mode, the device-to-device communications terminal randomly selects a time domain resource from the resource pool autonomously. The device-to-device communications terminal selects a time domain resource from the resource pool in one of the two modes, and then performs device-to-device communication data transmission according to a fixed period of the resource pool.
When the device-to-device communications terminal performs device-to-device communication data transmission in the foregoing mode, randomness of a data packet generation time is relatively high. When a quantity of terminals is relatively large, the conventional resource pool allocation mode cannot adapt to service features properly, and a case of poor transmission performance occurs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Communication method and communications apparatus


A process and a system are disclosed for controlling the focusing of a beam of monopolar charged particles which is used, for example, to vaporize substances in vacuum coating systems. The beam (S) has a cross-sectional area (Q) in a plane (E.sub.1) transverse to the axis of the beam. Perpendicular to plane (E.sub.1) there is a plane (E.sub.2), the surface normal (R) to which indicates the direction in which the change in the cross-sectional area (Q) is to occur. According to the invention, flux density fields (B.sub.1, B.sub.2) are applied, which are parallel on opposite sides to plane (E.sub.2) but have opposing directions. As a result, the change in the focusing of the beam has essentially no effect on any deflection of the beam; that is, it is possible to control the focusing without exerting any significant effect on the deflection.

It is known that the focusing of a beam of monopolar charged particles can be controlled by means of the action of a magnetic flux density field. Beams of this type, especially electron beams, are used, for example, to vaporize substances in vacuum coating systems. It is important in this case to be able to change, in a controlled manner, the cross-sectional area of the beam striking the material to be vaporized as well as its shape or extent and position; that is, it is important to be able not only to focus the beam in a controlled manner but also to deflect it in a controlled manner. The goal of controlled focusing, that is, of controlling the shape or size of the cross-sectional area striking the material to be vaporized, is, for example, to bring about the uniform removal of the material to be vaporized and/or to make allowances for the many different thermal characteristics of the various materials being vaporized.
When focusing is controlled by means of magnetic flux density fields, advantage is taken of the fact that moving charged particles such as electrons or ions are subjected in such a field to a force which is proportional to the charge of the particle being considered but also proportional to the cross-product of the particle velocity v times the magnetic flux density B.
A process of this type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,352.
According to that document, pole shoes extend along both sides of the electron beam, between which a largely homogeneous magnetic field is generated by means of a magnet.
The field is nonhomogeneous in the narrow air gaps between the inward-projecting magnetic cores.
In addition, W. German Patent No. 2,719,725 discloses an electromagnetic beam focusing technique for an essentially flat beam in which, based largely on a quadrupole system, an encompassing rectangular frame core is provided in a plane perpendicular to the direction of beam propagation; winding arrays are provided on the shanks of this core. The fields controlling the focusing, which are antiparallel, extend for a certain distance in a way which corresponds to the extension of the flat beam. No provision is made for shifting the beam, as in the case of an adjustable beam deflecting system.
The present invention has the goal of creating a process and a system of the type indicated above by means of which the focusing can be adjusted in one direction within certain limits, independently of the position of the beam in the direction transverse thereto or in which the adjusted focusing remains unaffected when the beam is shifted in the transverse direction indicated.
In connection with the present invention, additional windings are of particular interest.
It can be seen in particular from this that the components of the field vectors directed toward the opposing magnetic cores exert a deflecting effect on the electron beam in the direction transverse thereto and that, even temporarily without consideration of the electromagnets, the transverse components of the magnetic field vectors in question, of the fields between the opposing pairs of cores, act in opposition to each other.
If now, by means of the system of electromagnets, the field in the air gap between one pair of cores is intensified and the one in the air gap between the other pair is weakened to the same extent, the deflecting field component in the direction from one core to the other remains constant precisely on one coordinate, such as on a plane of symmetry between the two air gaps of the pairs of cores, and then, in spite of the change in the field intensities, the electron beam remains unaffected by the deflecting field components in the direction from core to core, that is, by the pairs of cores, when, which is true only in the ideal case, the transverse extent of the electron beam is negligible. Otherwise, the deflecting forces acting on the electrons are different on the left from those on the right, and thus the point of greatest electron density shifts across the beam, which is equivalent to a change in beam deflection in the transverse direction and to a change in the way it is focused in this direction.
This effect is ignored in the document mentioned. It is assumed that, when the field change mentioned occurs, the change in the components in the direction of the pairs of cores does not affect the beam. Advantage is taken of the change in the field vector components in the transverse direction. If, as explained by way of example, the field is intensified in the air gap of one of the pairs of cores but weakened in the other air gap of the other pair, the transverse vector components in the first air gap will now be dominant.
This results in vector components in the transverse direction on both sides of the electron beam; these vector components are by definition parallel to each other and have opposing directions. This is how the focusing of the electron beam is influenced in the core pair direction.
By means of the system just described, it is impossible to adjust the focusing of the beam without simultaneously changing how it is deflected. Nor is it possible to change the position of the beam transversely to the focusing effect without readjusting the focusing control fields.

Process and system for the control of the focusing of a beam of monopolar charged particles


A tilt compensating device and method of performing normal tilt compensation in the event of a servo emergency which may occur during reproduction of data from an optical recording medium are provided. The tilt compensating device includes: an optical pickup; a tilt adjusting unit that adjusts a tilt angle of the optical pickup; a jitter detecting unit that detects an amount of jitter in a reproduction signal output from the optical pickup; and a controlling unit that monitors speed at which the optical recording medium operates using a phase-locked loop (PLL) signal generated from the reproduction signal and the degree of focus of the optical pickup, performs an operation to return to a normal state if any abnormality occurs, and controls operation of the tilt adjusting unit by comparing an amount of jitter detected at regular intervals against a reference. The present invention provides more stable tilt compensation compared to a conventional approach controlling a tilt driver in real time while monitoring jitter, thus improving disk reproduction capability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method of reproducing data on an optical recording medium, and more particularly, to a tilt compensating device and method of performing normal tilt compensation in the event of a servo emergency which may occur during reproduction of data from an optical recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to effectively read a signal from an optical recording medium, the recording surface of the optical recording medium must be maintained perpendicular to the optical axis of an optical pickup. A certain amount of tilting occurs during the process of manufacturing or using an optical recording medium, which makes it difficult to keep the recording surface of the optical recording medium perpendicular to a pickup. To compensate for this tilting, a tilt compensation device is used.
A tilt compensation device drives a tilt motor rotating the pickup in a forward or backward direction in response to a tilted state of a recording surface in a forward or backward direction so that an optical axis of the pickup is adjusted to be precisely vertical to the recording surface.
When a tilted optical recording medium is loaded into a reproducing apparatus, the optical recording medium forms a dish shape. In addition, when an emergency such as focus servo drop or spindle servo off occurs in a focus servo or a spindle servo, which are operated to compensate tilting by detecting jitter in real time, tilting during such an event adversely affects tilt compensation to make normal disk reproduction difficult.

Device and method for compensating for tilt in an optical disk apparatus


A display device where a memory circuit is installed into each pixel without generating flicker, including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, wherein each pixel has a light-transmissive element controlling the amount of transmissive light in response to a voltage difference between a first electrode and a second electrode, a memory circuit storing the voltage level of the first electrode, and a controller. In the case where the first electrode has a positive voltage level with respect to the second electrode at a refreshing timing, the controller makes the memory circuit store the voltage level of the first electrode, applies a first predetermined voltage to the second electrode to increase the voltage level of the first electrode by the first predetermined voltage, and discharges the first electrode so that the first electrode has a negative voltage level with respect to the second electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device wherein a memory circuit is installed in each pixel, and an electronic device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a conventional display device having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix formed by rows and columns, when an image is displayed, data is written to the pixels by a driver under an image display mode or dynamic image display mode. Especially, when a static image is displayed, the same data is continuously written to the pixels. Therefore, a technique is provided, wherein a memory is installed in each pixel so that when a static image is displayed, the data stored in the memory is written to the pixel. In this regard, driving of the driver can be stopped to reduce power consumption. This technique is usually called an MIP (Memory in Pixel) technique.
Generally, in the MIP technique, a memory circuit for storing data is adopted with a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The SRAM is constituted by a transistor sequential circuit. On the other hand, the DRAM is constituted by a transistor and a capacitor. Therefore, in view of minification of the circuit area and narrowing of the pixel gap, the DRAM is preferred. However, a DRAM needs a refresh operation to hold tiny electric charges stored in the capacitor. An example for a pixel circuit using DRAM is described in International publication no. 2004/090854(A1) pamphlet (Patent document 2).    Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication no. 2007-328351    Patent document 2: International publication no. 2004/090854(A1) pamphlet
However, in a normally black type liquid crystal display device, which displays black color when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal cell, if a DRAM is used to construct the MIP circuit, flicker would occur while white color is displayed.
The invention provides a display device wherein a memory circuit is installed in each pixel but flicker does not occur, and an electronic device using the same.

Display device using pixel memory circuit to reduce flicker with reduced power consumption


A device for sorting particles. The device may include a channel structure that defines a channel having an inlet and first and second outlets. The device also may include first and second transport mechanisms. The first transport mechanism may be configured to create a particle stream of first particles and one or more second particles. Each particle may move along the channel from the inlet toward the first outlet and may be disposed in a fluid supported by the channel structure. The second transport mechanism may be configured to be pulse-activated to selectively move at least one of the second particles from the particle stream and toward the second outlet.

Cells and other particles are often obtained as mixtures of two or more different types. For example, blood or tissue samples from patients may include a mixture of many different cell types that mask the presence or properties of a particular type of cell that is of interest. Accordingly, the cells of such samples may need to be sorted with a cell sorting device, such as a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, to identify, purify, and/or characterize cells of interest in the samples. However, cell sorters can be expensive and complex to operate and maintain.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A fertilizer applicator employs a rotating, trash-cutting coulter and a knife located immediately behind the coulter with the leading arcuate edge of the knife and the rearward arcuate periphery of the coulter in intimately spaced relation to one another. As the coulter wears, the knife may be adjusted upwardly and forwardly along a slightly arcuate path of travel while simultaneously rocked slightly forwardly so as to maximize the length of the front knife edge that is close to the coulter while maintaining a substantially constant depth relationship between the knife and the coulter.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a coulter and knife assembly advantageously designed for the knife to be accurately and precisely adjusted to maintain a critical, close-coupled trailing relationship with the coulter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of applicator assemblies incorporating coulters and knives for attachment to agricultural implements is well known. The coulter is used to slice through surface trash and grass, as well as the soil itself, and the knife follows closely behind, usually carrying a conduit for liquid or dry fertilizer or the like.
One basic problem with such assemblies is that as the coulter blade is diametrically worn down by normal use the front edge of the knife becomes more distantly spaced from the rear peripheral edge of the coulter, thus increasing the size of the gap between the coulter and the knife and making it easier for stemmy crop residue and other tough materials to enter and accumulate within the gap. This trash buildup inhibits proper action of the applicator as it moves through the soil.
Furthermore, as the coulter wears down, the depth of the knife relative to the coulter typically changes since the knife is normally constructed in such a way that it wears more slowly than the coulter. Unless the knife can be adjustably raised as the coulter wears, the knife may eventually project down below the coulter and snag debris pressed into the slice by the coulter.
A number of devices concerning coulter blades with adjustable knives have been proposed in the past. In general, however, these units have not been totally satisfactory.

Subsoil fertilizer applicator having arcuately adjustable knife

Great Plains Manufacturing, Incorporated