A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate, first and second internal electrodes provided on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; a first through electrode which penetrates through the semiconductor substrate in a thickness direction and is electrically connected to the first internal electrode; and a second through electrode connected to the second internal electrode, and the second internal electrode is thinner than the first internal electrode. The second through electrode may penetrate through the second internal electrode.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method of the same.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent electronic devices, a number of semiconductor devices using a wafer level chip size package (CSP) method that is an assembly process performed during a wafer state have been used in order to achieve further reduction in size, thickness, and weight as well as higher-density packaging of an electronic device.
For example, a solid-state imaging device that is a representative optical device is used as a light-receiving sensor in a digital imaging device such as a digital still camera, a cell phone camera, and a digital video camera. To realize further reduction in size, thickness, and weight as well as higher-density packaging of imaging devices in recent years, a wafer level CSP method has been adopted that is a method for securing electrical connection inside and outside a device by forming a through electrode and rewiring during assembly at a wafer level before singulation, instead of the forming and rewiring during ceramic-type or plastic-type packaging in which the electrical connection inside and outside the device is secured by die bonding or wire bonding (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2004-207461 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2007-123909).
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a solid-state imaging device having a conventional wafer level CSP configuration.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional solid-state imaging device 100A includes: an imaging area 102 formed on a semiconductor substrate 101 and having a main surface which is a light-receiving surface of the semiconductor substrate 101 and on which a plurality of microlenses 103 are provided; a peripheral circuit area 104A formed in a perimeter region of the imaging area 102 on the main surface; and a solid-state imaging element 100 including a plurality of electrode portions 104B connected to the peripheral circuit area 104A.
In addition, on a main-surface side of the semiconductor substrate 101, a transparent substrate 106 formed of, for example, optical glass is formed via an adhesive material 105 made primarily of resin. Furthermore, inside the semiconductor substrate 101, a through electrode 107 penetrating through the semiconductor substrate 101 in a thickness direction is formed.
In the back surface opposite to the main surface of the semiconductor substrate 101, metal wiring 108 connected to the plurality of electrode portions 104B that are connected to the peripheral circuit area 104A is formed via the through electrode 107, and an insulating resin layer 109 is formed to have an aperture 110 which covers a portion of the metal wiring 108 and exposes the other portion of the metal wiring 108. In the aperture 110, an external electrode 111 made of, for example, a solder material is formed.
Note that the solid-state imaging element 100 is electrically insulated from the through electrode 107 and the metal wiring 108 by an insulation layer not shown in the figure.
As described above, in the conventional solid-state imaging device 100A, the plurality of electrode portions 104B are electrically connected to the metal wiring 108 via the through electrode 107, and furthermore are electrically connected to an external electrode 111 via the metal wiring 108, thus allowing extraction of the light reception signal.
The conventional solid-state imaging device 100A described above is manufactured by the following processing, for example.
(Process 1) First, a plurality of the solid-state imaging elements 100 having the configuration described above are formed on the wafer according to a well-known method. To the wafer on which the plurality of solid-state imaging elements 100 are formed, the transparent substrate 106 having the same shape as the wafer and made of, for example, optical glass and so on is attached via the adhesive material 105 made primarily of a resin layer.
(Process 2) Next, a through hole, which penetrates through the semiconductor substrate from a back side and exposes the plurality of electrode portions 104B connected to the peripheral circuit area 104A, is formed using dry etching, wet etching, or the like. Subsequently, by embedding a conductive material in the through hole, the through electrode 107 to be connected to the plurality of electrode portions 104B which extracts light reception signal is formed.
(Process 3) Next, by electrolytic plating, the metal wiring 108 to be electrically connected to the through electrode 107 is formed on the back surface of the solid-state imaging element 100.
(Process 4) Next, on the back surface of the solid-state imaging element 100, the insulating resin layer 109 is formed to cover the metal wiring 108. Generally, the insulating resin layer 109 is formed using a photosensitive resin, by spin coating or attaching dry film.
(Process 5) Subsequently, by selectively removing the insulating resin layer 109, using a photolithography technique (exposure and development), the aperture 110 exposing a portion of the metal wiring 108 is formed.
(Process 6) Subsequently, in the aperture 110, by solder ball placement or solder paste printing using flux, an external electrode 111 is formed of, for example, a solder material, and is to be electrically connected to the metal wiring 108.
(Process 7) Lastly, the wafer is singulated into a plurality of solid-state imaging devices 100A as shown in FIG. 1, by cutting the solid-state imaging element 100, the adhesive material 105, the transparent substrate 106, and the insulating resin layer 109 all at once, using a cutting tool, for example, a dicing saw.

Semiconductor device and electronic device


The disclosure presents a system, method, and computer readable medium for execution on a computer processor, for authenticating and enhancing an insurance eligibility transaction, such as a 270/271 healthcare system transaction. In a particular embodiment, an insurance eligibility transaction request, such as a 270 transaction, is received/intercepted by the system prior to being received by the payor and data from one or more sources, such as a credit bureau database containing credit file data, is used to enhance, verify and correct the accuracy of data fields particular to the insurance eligibility transaction. The payor's database(s) can also be enhanced accordingly. The system also has capability to, among other things, identify fraud-related issues, charity qualification, and patient payment estimation as part of the transaction.

When medical insurance eligibility claims are submitted, it is typically performed through computer based systems using electronic insurance eligibility transactions. Common industry terminology of one form of these transactions is a 270/271 transaction. Electronic insurance eligibility transactions, such as the 270 insurance eligibility transaction requests and the 271 insurance eligibility transaction responses, typically take place between a hospital/physician (healthcare provider) and a payor (insurance provider) to determine whether a patient has healthcare insurance coverage and benefits, such as co-pay, co-insurance, and/or deductibles. Quite often, insurance eligibility transaction responses return "member not found" (no information found for the person for which the insurance eligibility transaction request was made), or inaccurate data likely due to the wrong patient being identified for insurance coverage.
Despite the advances in the field, the industry is in need of more efficient systems and methods for enhancing and authenticating insurance eligibility transactions.

System and method for enhancing and authenticating an insurance eligibility transaction


A wafer surface observing apparatus for inspecting a peripheral portion of an object has (A) a lens system and a CCD camera for taking images of the peripheral portion of the object, (B) storage for storing image data about the taken images, and (C) display for displaying the image data stored in the storage device. In particular, the present apparatus can have functions of rotating the object placed on a prealignment portion, recording images of one full outer periphery of an end portion of the object by the lens system and CCD camera into the location where the orientation flat portions or notched portions of the object are placed in position, accepting the images into the storage device, and displaying the images on a CRT.

The present invention relates to a wafer surface observing apparatus for optically inspecting foreign materials, flaws, defects, contamination, and so on (hereinafter collectively referred to as foreign matter) present on the surface of an object to be inspected and, more particularly, to a technique for observing and inspecting end portions of parts formed like flat plates such as silicon wafers, semiconductor wafers, glass substrates, or the like.
A surface observing apparatus or surface inspection apparatus for inspecting the surfaces of semiconductor wafers is shown, for example, in JP-A-2005-156537.
A wafer surface observing apparatus detects foreign matter present on the surface of a semiconductor wafer by illuminating the surface of the semiconductor wafer with an optical beam such as laser light and detecting reflected light or scattering light produced on the surface of the wafer by a photodetector.
The area on a wafer surface that can be inspected is a region excluding end portions of the wafer, irrespective of whether a pattern is formed on the surface. The end portions of the wafer indicate edges having angles produced by sawing a silicon wafer into a flat plate as well as marginal regions where a chip is not completely formed.
Since edge portions of wafer end portions have angles to the surface, reflected light or scattering light produced from the light hitting the edge portions is not incident on the photodetector. Furthermore, in marginal portions where a chip is not completely formed, film residues, delamination, and so on often occur. Reflected light or scattering light produced from the illuminating light is diffusively reflected greatly. This deteriorates the detection sensitivity of the surface observing apparatus.
Therefore, the inspected region set heretofore has excluded wafer end regions. As wafers having increased diameters are manufactured, chips are often fabricated almost up to marginal regions. It is highly likely that film residues, delamination, and so on at end portions of wafer constitute foreign matter on the surfaces of the wafers. This has greatly affected the yield.
In the past, an optical microscope has been used as a means for checking whether foreign matter on the surface of a defective wafer detected by a surface observing apparatus has been affected by roughening at ends of the wafer. With the optical microscope, observation and comparison have been made to clear up the cause (cause-effect relationship).
Therefore, an exorbitantly long time has been taken to find the cause. This has resulted in a delay in applying feedback to the process. The delay in applying feedback to the process retards yield improvement.

Wafer surface observing method and apparatus


Disclosed embodiments apply electron beams to substrates for microelectronic workpieces to improve plasma etch and deposition processes. The electron beams are generated and directed to substrate surfaces using DC (direct current) biasing, RF (radio frequency) plasma sources, and/or other electron beam generation and control techniques. For certain embodiments, DC-biased RF plasma sources, such as DC superposition (DCS) or hybrid DC-RF sources, are used to provide controllable electron beams on surfaces opposite a DC-biased electrode. For certain further embodiments, the DC-biased electrode is pulsed. Further, electron beams can also be generated through electron beam extraction from external and/or non-ambipolar sources. The disclosed techniques can also be used with additional electron beam sources and/or additional etch or deposition processes.

The present disclosure relates to methods for the manufacture of microelectronic workpieces, and in particular, methods to etch material layers on microelectronic workpieces.
Device formation within microelectronic workpieces typically involves a series of manufacturing techniques related to the formation, patterning, and removal of a number of layers of material on a substrate. To meet the physical and electrical specifications of current and next generation semiconductor devices, processing flows are being requested to reduce feature size while maintaining structure integrity for various patterning processes.
Atomic layer etch (ALE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) require chemistry control at surfaces of substrates for microelectronic workpieces during plasma processing. Even with plasma generated radicals present, surface processes are thermal in nature and spatial control is problematic, whether performed microscopically (e.g., within features, over die, etc.) or macroscopically (e.g., across a wafer, at a wafer edge, etc.). For example, these problems arise during polymer growth for self-aligned contact (SAC) processes using quasi-ALE processing as well as during chlorination of sidewalls in ALE processing of silicon structures. These problems arise in other ALE and ALD processes as well as other etch/deposition processes for the manufacture of microelectronic workpieces.

Apparatus and process for electron beam mediated plasma etch and deposition processes


A marine fuel system and method includes receiving a fuel level signal from a fuel level sensor for a marine fuel tank on a marine vessel and discriminating between condition A comprising an increase in the true amount of fuel in the fuel tank above a given level, and condition B comprising a transient increase in the level of fuel in the fuel tank above the given level due to vessel movement, which may include movement due to waves, rough water, people moving on the vessel, and so on, while the vessel is stationary at a dock or filling station and being re-fueled. An alert signal is output in response to condition A and not to condition B.

The disclosure relates to marine fuel systems.
Marine fuel systems are known for a marine internal combustion engine for a vessel in a body of water and subject to movement, including due to waves, rough water, people moving on the vessel, etc. The system includes a fuel tank containing fuel subject to sloshing action due to the vessel movement, and including a fuel filler inlet for adding fuel to the fuel tank, and a fuel level sensor in the fuel tank and outputting a fuel level signal to a fuel gauge, e.g. at the helm. Marine fuel tanks are typically directly vented to atmosphere using a vent tube that typically runs through the hull of the vessel. When an operator, including a dock attendant, fills the fuel tank, it can overfill before the fuel pump shut-off shuts off the flow. This overfilling causes raw liquid fuel to spew out of the fuel tank vent.
Typically, the fuel level is determined by the user looking at the fuel gauge. However, the fuel gauge is typically at the helm of the vessel and not near the fuel filler inlet. This in turn requires two people to fill the vessel fuel tank to a given fuel level, one to watch the gauge, and the other for operating the fuel pump on the dock or filling station.
To avoid overfilling, where a second person may not be readily available, some boaters prefer to not fill their fuel tank completely or to a given preferred level, but rather only fill the tank to a lower predetermined level, to allow them to carry enough fuel for a day's usage, and any emergencies if possible. In another alternative, the fuel tank is provided with a fuel gauge and/or shut-off at the filler inlet, but this may be objectionable as to cost because such integrated gauges/shut-offs can be expensive.
The present disclosure arose during continuing development efforts in the above technology. In one aspect, the disclosure uses existing hardware, without expensive add-ons, to allow a single user to fill his marine fuel tank without overfilling.


A recovery system for a computer operating system and applications is described which uses selectable and configurable snapshots. In one example, a start-up sequence of the computer system is initiated, a plurality of snapshots in a hidden section of a mass storage device are identified before loading an operating system for the computer system, each snapshot containing an operating system, applications, and computer system configuration settings. One of the plurality of snapshots is booted including loading the operating system and applications of the one snapshot, and the start-up sequence is completed.

Field
The present invention relates to the field of computer system recovery and, in particular, to recovering a computer system to a previous state using interception in a master boot record or boot sectors.
Computer systems are subject to a variety of different malware, such as viruses, spyware, rootkits, and Internet bots, that can interfere with the normal intended operation of the system. Additional problems may be caused by user installed software or configuration settings. In the Microsoft Windows® operating systems and similar operating systems, the registry can become corrupted causing programs to load improperly or sometimes fail.
Solutions to these problems include scanning software, repair software and completely erasing and reloading the system memory. All of these solutions are time consuming and may require special expertise beyond that of a typical computer system user.
In a time critical application, the delays required to repair an infected or corrupted computer system may be very expensive.

Recovery system using selectable and configurable snapshots


A sidelobe canceller system utilizing directional auxiliary antennas and e delays allows the spacing between the auxiliary antennas and a main radar antenna to be increased. This improves cancellation of multiple interference signals from the sidelobes of the main antenna.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sidelobe canceller system for cancelling multiple interference signals from the sidelobes of the main antenna of a communications receiver. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of directional auxiliary antennas and time delays to allow the spacing between the auxiliary antennas and the main antenna to be increased.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A communications receiver has a main antenna and may have a sidelobe canceller system for cancelling interference from the sidelobes of the main antenna. Prior art side lobe canceller systems normally contain multiple auxiliary antennas which may be either directional (U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,489) or omnidirectional and are spaced close to the main radar antenna. The spacing is critical because the signals from the main radar antenna and from the auxiliary antenna must be received in the adaptive-loop canceller at the same time for autocorrelation and cancelling to take place. The spacing is dependent on the radar pulse-width and is of the order of 1/100 of the distance light will travel in the time-equivalent of the pulse-length, normally several meters (i.e., 3 meters for a 1 .mu.sec. pulsewidth). Such systems have trouble cancelling multiple interference signals which have only a small difference in angle of arrival. It would be desirable to have a system in which the main and auxiliary antennas could be widely spaced (e.g., 150 meters) to obtain good angular resolution of interference signals but still have the main and auxiliary antenna signals received simultaneously at the adaptive loop canceller system so that autocorrelation and cancelling would take place.

High-resolution sidelobe-canceller auxiliary antennas

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


A cable mount for securing a bundle of wires against a mounting surface including a spaced apart pair of legs having retention barbs, and a corresponding harness fixture, which allows for easy application of a single, centered cable tie by an automatic cable tie application tool.

There are a wide variety of fasteners and mounts that have been proposed to secure a bundle of wires to a mounting surface. Many of these utilized today, have general features similar to one of the types disclosed in the following commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,919,373, 4,805,856, 3,632,071 and 3,632,069. While each of these types of cable tie mounts possess certain desirable characteristics, they also fail to possess certain desirable characteristics. One major desirable feature that is lacking in all of these types of cable mounts is their inaccessibility to automatic cable tie application systems and tools. It is often desirable to have the ability to use automatic cable tie application tools when using cable mounts, particularly when utilizing a harness board set up. In order for the cable tie mount to be useful, the automatic cable tie application tool must be able to tighten the cable tie around both the bundle of wires and have the tie also be secured to the mount. Furthermore, the mount must be strong enough to secure the bundle to the mounting surface as well as to not collapse under the stresses applied by the automatic cable tie application tool. It is also important to have the bundle balanced on the mount in order to ensure that the mount will be properly secured to the structure.


A hand-held device can communicate with at least one electronic device via a communicating platform. The hand-held device includes a location database, at least one orientation device, a computing module, a comparing module, a control unit, and a transmitting module. The at least one orientation device detects a direction information related to the pointed-to electronic device relative to the hand-held device. The location database stores a location information related to the position of each electronic device relative to the hand-held device. The computing module can calculate a pointed-to location information related to the position of the pointed-to electronic device relative to the hand-held device based on the direction information. The comparing module can distinguish the pointed-to electronic device by comparing the pointed-to location information with the location information in the location database.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling electronic devices and a hand-held device using the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic apparatuses connected to the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) are selected and controlled by a built-in system device menu installed within the architecture of the DLNA according to the prior art. However, in the device menu displayed by the DLNA architecture, the names of some of the electronic apparatuses are displayed in English. Despite the given serial numbers of the electronic apparatuses, it is rather difficult for users unfamiliar with the electronic apparatuses to identify the electronic apparatus corresponding to each of the electronic apparatus names displayed in the device menu. On the other hand, a remote control is well known by ordinary persons and is a convenient hand-held device. However, a remote control usually controls electronic devices by an infrared ray, and a remote control is seldom designed to be connected to the Internet or the DLNA and thus cannot control the electronic apparatuses connected to the DLNA.
Accordingly, users would find it convenient to operate a hand-held device whereby the users can control electronic apparatuses operating within the architecture of the DLNA or the Internet in a way similar to how a remote control operates, so as to dispense with the hassle of identifying a displayed name and operate, in an intuitive way, the electronic apparatuses connected to the Internet or the DLNA.

Method for controlling electronic devices and a hand-held device using the same


The disclosed invention relates to polymers with heterocyclic-containing groups, and to concentrates and lubricating oil compositions containing the polymers.

For decades zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDPs) have been used as extreme pressure (EP) and antiwear additives in engine oils. A problem with the use of these compounds, however, is that phosphorus contaminates catalysts used in exhaust gas after treatment devices and thereby reduces their effectiveness. In response to this problem, the phosphorus concentration has been reduced for some Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) passenger car engine oil classifications. With the introduction of ILSAC GF-1, phosphorus levels were limited to no more than 1200 parts per million (ppm) and with GF-3 to 1000 ppm. Even at these levels of phosphorus, however, catalyst contamination is still an issue. The problem therefore is to provide adequate engine lubrication and at the same time reduce catalyst contamination. The disclosed invention, in at least one embodiment, provides a solution to this problem.

Polymers with pendant heterocyclic-containing groups and lubricating oil compositions containing same


Systems and methods described herein concern integrating a hub motor with a vehicle. One embodiment establishes a communication link between the hub motor and an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle; transmits, from the hub motor to the ECU via the communication link, an identity of the hub motor; transmits, from the ECU to the hub motor via the communication link, an identity of the ECU and information regarding functionality supported by the ECU; reports, from the hub motor to the ECU via the communication link based at least in part on the identity of the ECU and the information regarding the functionality supported by the ECU, calibration data for the hub motor and information regarding the functionality supported by the hub motor; and adjusts, at the ECU, one or more characteristics of the vehicle in accordance with the calibration data and the functionality supported by the hub motor.

To propel a vehicle, an alternative to a traditional drivetrain and differential is installing hub motors directly on the wheels. In some cases, the hub motors are designed to be removable and re-installable so that the vehicle can be configured in different ways according to the owner's needs. For example, during the week a vehicle owner might operate a hybrid or electric vehicle in a standard two-wheel-drive configuration for daily commutes to and from work. On the weekend, the owner might reconfigure the vehicle as an all-wheel-drive vehicle by adding two modular hub motors to one of the axles. Such vehicle reconfigurations can require the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU) to store calibration information for a variety of different hub motors, increasing the development burden for a vehicle OEM.

Methods and systems for integrating a hub motor with a vehicle

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


The invention comprises an adjustable box wrench that can provide a more accurate grasp and/or sufficient grip/contact with the faces of the head of a bolt, nut, and/or similarly related objects. The invention comprises a series of pins and links which form a loop within a hollow body and are folded onto each other to form a tight gripping surface at the wrench's box ends. The invention may also contain slide-switches and/or scroll knobs to help actuate link closure or guide links within the chamber of the body until the desired set of links is within a box end.

People have long relied on hand tools to make daily life more efficient and comfortable. A key example of a modern tool is the wrench, and these come in many varieties including the class of box wrenches. Box wrenches are often useful for being able to enclose around or firmly gripping around the heads of a bolt, nut, or other similarly related object. However, most box wrenches are not adjustable; meaning, most box wrenches can not be used on multiple different sizes and/or shapes of bolts or nuts. There are some adjustable box wrenches available but these often do not provide sufficient contact or grip around all side faces of the head of the bolt or nut, as they utilize a sliding member to change the inner diameter or area of the gripping box end.
An objective of the invention is to provide users with an improved adjustable box wrench. The invention intends to provide users with an adjustable box wrench that can provide a more accurate grasp and/or sufficient grip/contact with all faces of the head of a bolt, nut, and/or similarly related objects. The invention intends to provide users with a device that can be made adjustable to fit with a wide variety of standard and non-standard sizes of nuts or bolts in order to minimize the guesswork involved to acquire the correct tightness needed to use said device on a head of a bolt or nut.


A device localization system for a vehicle and a mobile device configured as a Phone-as-a-Key (PaaK) is described. The system includes a fob-free mode for performing remote control vehicle features using a selective mobile device localization technique that reduces motive functionality of the vehicle, based location of a user performing the vehicle control during the remote-control operation. The system determines a geographic position of a user using a single Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) antenna, and establishes establish a high-fidelity zone based on a change in mobile device position. The system reduces a motive functionality of the vehicle, based on the selective mobile device localization, from a first motive mode having a full motive functionality to a second motive mode responsive to determining that the mobile device is not present in the high-fidelity zone.

Remote Park Assist (RePA) systems utilize a combination of a user device (such as a smartphone) and remote cloud server technologies to deliver user commands to a RePA-enabled vehicle, and a key fob to localize the user with respect to vehicle skin. In some consumer markets, the user is required to be within 6 meters of the vehicle skin when delivering vehicle control commands from a remote location for performing remote operations, such as vehicle parking, for example. RePA systems are sometimes used in vehicles having Level-2 autonomous vehicle driving features configured with a limited perception system, whereby the user is expected be ready to take over motive control if necessary. In the case of remote motive control of Level-2 autonomous vehicles, this means the user should be both at a line of sight vantage point and within an appropriate distance to make an informed decision each time an undetected obstacle (such as small animal) enters the vehicle's path.
It may be convenient for the user to omit the fob and carry only a mobile device. However, Bluetooth® localization may, at times, lack the precision necessary to determine user location relative to the vehicle in certain scenarios. In other aspects, moving the localization task from the fob system to the mobile device may carry a significant computational load for the Smartphone CPU and the Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) module of the mobile device and/or the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,244,476 B2 (hereafter "the '476 publication"), assigned to Ford Global Technologies LLC, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method for reducing power consumption in a Phone-as-a-Key (PaaK) vehicle system. The vehicle disclosed in the '476 publication includes a main BLE Module (BLEM) antenna and several BLE Antenna Modules (BLEAMs). The BLEAMs disclosed in the '476 publication may allow for localization, signal strength detection and monitoring, and/or other functions that can be used by PaaK systems. To reduce power consumption, the BLEAMs are switched off when the smart phone is not within range of the car (i.e., a user is away from the car). When the user approaches the car and makes a connection with a main BLE module, the BLEAMs are powered on.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,172,145 B2 (hereafter "the '145 publication") assigned to Ford Global Technologies LLC, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a PaaK localization system that includes several wireless nodes positioned around and inside the vehicle for detecting mobile device Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) values. RSSI values reflect the strength of communication signals between the mobile device and the vehicle. The RSSI values are used to determine the mobile device's radial distance from the vehicle. The system includes multiple RSSI thresholds that trigger certain actions. As disclosed in the '145 publication, once it is determined that the mobile device is within the first threshold, welcome lights of the vehicle will turn on.
Prior systems such as those disclosed in the '145 publication and the '476 publication may reduce power consumption in various ways, such as switching on and off BLEAMs. It may be advantageous to provide initial high-fidelity starting points that may be used to transition to low-fidelity PaaK tracking to increase convenience for users by using a PaaK without the fob, while maintaining or increasing vehicle security.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.

Remote vehicle motive control with optimized mobile device localization


Printer systems, self-dispersed black pigment ink formulations, and methods of printing, are disclosed. One exemplary printer system, among others, includes a dispensing system including a printhead. The printhead includes a self-dispersed black pigment in a first compartment fluidically communicating with an orifice plate and a first nozzle. In addition, the printhead includes a color ink in a second compartment fluidically communicating with the orifice plate and a second nozzle. The first nozzle and the second nozzle are adjacent one another on the same orifice plate.

The use of inkjet printing systems in offices and homes has grown dramatically in recent years. The growth can be attributed to drastic reductions in cost of inkjet printers and substantial improvements in print resolution and overall print quality. While the print quality has drastically improved, research and development efforts continue toward improving the permanence of inkjet images because this property still falls short of the permanence produced by other printing and photographic techniques. A continued demand in inkjet printing has resulted in the need to produce images of high quality, high permanence, and high durability, while maintaining a reasonable cost.
In inkjet printing, the inkjet image is formed on a print medium when a precise pattern of dots is ejected from a drop-generating device known as a printhead. The typical inkjet printhead has an array of precisely formed nozzles located on a nozzle plate and attached to an inkjet printhead array. The nozzles are typically 30 to 40 micrometers in diameter. The inkjet printhead array incorporates an array of firing chambers that receive liquid ink, which includes pigment-based inks and/or dye-based inks dissolved or dispersed in a liquid vehicle, through fluid communication with one or more ink reservoirs. Each chamber has a thin-film resistor, known as a firing resistor, located opposite the nozzle so ink can collect between the firing resistor and the nozzle. The printhead is held and protected by an outer packaging referred to as a print cartridge or an inkjet pen.
Upon energizing of a particular firing resistor, a droplet of ink is expelled through the nozzle toward the print medium to produce the image. The color inks and the black inks are usually expelled out of different printheads because the black and color inks react and clog or otherwise impede the ejection of the ink from one printhead.

Self-dispersed inks for same orifice plate systems

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The remote-controlled fishing boat having fishing lines with lures extended there from includes a remote controlled air-driven boat to drive at least one baited hook or lure around within a body of water. The remote-controlled fishing boat includes at least one clothespin that grabs onto a fishing line, and pulls the fishing line and lure behind said boat while a fishing rod and reel is located outside of a body of water and adjacent to an end user. Once a fish is hooked, the corresponding clothespin shall release the fishing line, and said end user shall reel in the hooked fish. The remote-controlled fishing boat includes two fans rotatable engaged atop of poles, and which rotate to steer and propel said boat. The remote control may include a bracket that supports the remote control on the fishing rod.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of remote-controlled boats, more specifically, a remote controlled boat that is specifically adapted for towing fishing lines with lures extended there from.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art discloses a remote controlled boat that is propelled via wind generated by two fans, and which includes clothespins on opposing sides for attachment of fishing lines therefrom; wherein the fans are mounted atop of poles located near a rear end of the boat, and which swivel thereon via servo motors in order to steer and propel said boat; wherein the fans and the servo motors shall collectively receive power from a powering communicates with the fans and servo motors wirelessly; wherein the fishing lines each include a lure or baited hook, which is dragged behind the remote-controlled boat; wherein the fishing lines may further extend to a fishing rod and reel held by an end user on dry ground adjacent to the body of water of use; whereupon a fish bites onto and is hooked via said lure, the corresponding clothespin shall release said fishing line, which is then reeled in via the fishing rod and reel located adjacent the end user; wherein the remote control may include a bracket that secures the remote control to the fishing rod.
The Easterby Patent Application Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0271357) discloses a method of fishing in which a radio controlled boat carries a fishing line to a remote area. However, the gripper is not a clothespin that releases a fishing line once the lure has hooked a fish, and from which the end user reels in said fish via a fishing rod and reel.
The Shen et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,280) discloses a fishing bait delivery system in which a remotely controlled vehicle delivers a baited hook to a desired location. However, the fishing bait delivery system does not hold onto the fishing line until a lure is hooked to a fish at which point the fishing line becomes free, and is relied in via a fishing pole located on dry land.
The Daniel Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,732) discloses a radio controlled device in which a radio controlled vehicle carries a baited hook to a desirable fishing location. However, the baited hook is not able to become disengaged with the vehicle upon hooking a lure to a fish via a clothespin.
The Kimura Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,611) discloses a radio controlled fishing float that carries a baited hook to a desirable fishing location. Again, the baited hook or lure does not disconnect from the fishing float via a clothespin.
The Kashani et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,530) discloses a remote controlled fishing line carrier. Again, the fishing line carrier is permanently affixed to the fishing line, and does not become disengaged upon hooking a fish onto a baited hook or lure.
The Wilson Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,651) discloses a floating fishing apparatus having a flashing light to indicate a fish strike. However, the apparatus is not a remote controlled boat that drives the lure around a body of water and disconnects from said lure upon hooking a fish, and at which point a fishing rod and reel is used to reel in the hooked fish.
The Fedora et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,016) discloses a remote controlled angling device that includes a light. However, the angling device does not rely on a clothespin to disconnect a radio controlled boat from a fishing line, fishing lure, and hooked fish.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe a remote controlled boat that is propelled via wind generated by two fans, and which includes clothespins on opposing sides for attachment of fishing lines therefrom; wherein the fans are mounted atop of poles located near a rear end of the boat, and which swivel thereon via servo motors in order to steer and propel said boat; wherein the fans and the servo motors shall collectively receive power from a powering means located elsewhere on said boat; wherein a remote control communicates with the fans and servo motors wirelessly; wherein the fishing lines each include a lure or baited hook, which is dragged behind the remote-controlled boat; wherein the fishing lines may further extend to a fishing rod and reel held by an end user on dry ground adjacent to the body of water of use; whereupon a fish bites onto and is hooked via said lure, the corresponding clothespin shall release said fishing line, which is then reeled in via the fishing rod and reel located adjacent the end user; wherein the remote control may include a bracket that secures the remote control to the fishing rod. In this regard, the remote-controlled fishing boat having fishing lines with lures extended there from departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.

Remote-controlled fishing boat having fishing lines with lures extended there from


A series of staggered baffles defines a serpentine flow path consisting of a number of segments through the oxidation chamber. Within each segment, a group of high intensity ultraviolet lamps is mounted, and a reagent inlet is provided at the upstream end of each segment, thereby permitting the processing of a liquid containing a hazardous compound through a sequence of chemical reactions carried out in the presence of intense ultraviolet radiation within the various segments of the flow path. Within each segment a different reagent may be used along with a different intensity of ultraviolet radiation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of hazardous liquid waste disposal, and more specifically relates to the structure of an oxidation chamber through which the liquid is conducted and in which the liquid is subjected to the combined action of hydrogen peroxide and intense ultraviolet radiation for the purpose of breaking down the hazardous molecules into simpler and safer compounds.
2. The Prior Art
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/405,206, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,376 filed Sept. 11, 1989, titled Oxidation Chamber and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, there was described an oxidation chamber intended for the same general purpose, but differing in certain significant ways. In this earlier chamber the baffles used to define the flow path through the chamber were perpendicular to the ultraviolet lamps. The lamps extended the length of the chamber through oversize holes in the baffles. Unfortunately, when the chamber was operated at high pressure and high flow rates, some of the liquid flowed through the oversize holes, taking a shortcut to the outlet and thereby avoiding the full measure of treatment intended.
A second limitation of the earlier chamber was that the serpentine flow path of the liquid passed back and forth over the banks (A, B, C) of lamps in the sequence A B C B A B C making it impossible to provide a graded or progressively increasing intensity of ultraviolet radiation as seen by the liquid.
In the earlier chamber, particularly in some embodiments, it was necessary to use headers to conduct the liquid to a particular region within the chamber and/or to introduce the liquid uniformly across the flow path. The headers added to the cost and complexity of the chamber, but more importantly, they took up valuable space within the chamber. As will be seen below, the elimination of the headers in the present invention permits an additional bank of lamps to be installed in the chamber.
Further, at least for chambers having the same general proportions as the chamber actually used, the baffling arrangement results in increased flow path length compared to the earlier chamber configuration. Assuming the same volumetric flow rate in each chamber, the liquid in the chamber of the present invention flows considerably faster. The greater velocity results in more turbulence and better mixing, which promote the treatment process.
As will be described more fully below, the foregoing are the main ways in which the present invention improves on the earlier chamber.


A biocompatible tissue graft is provided. The tissue graft includes an extracellular matrix patch and a means for reinforcing the patch.

Current treatment for rotator-cuff tears is to suture the torn tendon back to the bone of the humeral head. The sutures hold the tendon in contact with the bone, preferably long enough for the tendon to heal to the bone and form a bridge that will re-establish the tendon-bone connection and restore normal function. The sutures that are used possess sufficient tensile strength to retain the tendon and bone together during the healing process. However, the tendon is a fibrous tissue that can be torn by the sutures. The sutures can align with the fascicular structure of the tendon and tear through it under sufficient tensile force undoing the surgical repair before tendon-to-bone healing is complete. The sutures can also tear through the bone under sufficient force, particularly in older subjects who form the bulk of rotator-cuff-tear patients and whose bones tend to be more osteoporotic.


Mechanisms have been developed for providing great flexibility in processor instruction handling, sequencing and execution. In particular, it has been discovered that a programmable pre-decode mechanism can be employed to alter the behavior of a processor. For example, pre-decode hints for sequencing, synchronization or speculation control may altered or mappings of ISA instructions to native instructions or operation sequences may be altered. Such techniques may be employed to adapt a processor implementation (in the field) to varying memory models, implementations or interfaces or to varying memory latencies or timing characteristics. Similarly, such techniques may be employed to adapt a processor implementation to correspond to an extended/adapted instruction set architecture. In some realizations, instruction pre-decode functionality may be adapted at processor run-time to handle or mitigate a timing, concurrency or speculation issue. In some realizations, operation of pre-decode may be reprogrammed post-manufacture, at (or about) initialization, or at run-time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computational systems and, more particularly, to architectural techniques for instruction set processors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Processor architects have long sought to implement instruction set architectures using techniques that need not directly support some instructions in hardware. Indeed, modem processors often provide facilities whereby at least some instructions, when presented in an instruction sequence, are not directly executed but are instead presented to processor logic as operations (or operation sequences) that correspond to instructions defined by an instruction set architecture (ISA). In some cases, such lower-level operations are referred to as microinstructions, μops, helper instructions or simply, microcode.
Indeed, microcoding techniques were commonly used in early IBM mainframe processors to provide a range of implementations of a given instruction set architecture in which functionality corresponding to certain instructions might be supported in lower-end implementations using microcode, whereas higher-end implementations might directly implement the corresponding instructions in hardware. Microprogramming techniques have also been commonly employed in an effort to maintain instruction set compatibility with legacy instruction sets while incorporating advances in computer architecture in the underlying hardware. Superscalar implementations of x86 (or IA-32) instruction set architectures are a prime example of this design technique. In some cases, few (if any) individual instructions (or operations) implemented by the underlying hardware may precisely correspond to actual instruction set instructions. Classic examples include those processor architectures that employ an underlying RISC-style core to implement a CISC-style instruction set. Many commercially-available processors, including those available from Sun Microsystems, Inc., Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, IBM, Motorola, etc. may employ techniques such as described above.
Unfortunately, while microcoding techniques allow a degree of decoupling between underlying hardware mechanisms and the functionality defined by an instruction set that (unlike the underlying hardware) tends to remain vital for multiple generations, many basics aspects of microcoding techniques have remained relatively unchanged for years. Typically, a fixed set of instruction set instructions (including, in some processors, the set of all instruction set instructions) is handled using a microcode store and sequencer. Typically, in those processor implementations in which less than all ISA instructions are microcoded, a given instruction is either directly supported or microcoded and typically either or both the underlying microcode and any mapping of instruction set instructions to microcode is (are) static.
As underlying hardware itself becomes increasingly complex and as concurrent and speculative execution techniques add to this complexity, additional flexibility may be desirable at the interface between instruction set and implementation.

Patchable and/or programmable pre-decode


The subject disclosure relates to dynamic composition including the ability to create interoperable combinations of content by the publisher, e.g., determined to be an optimal combination, and offer such combinations to client devices in an interoperable way to allow simple selection by devices without complex programming, web pages, etc. specific to each device. Compositions are dynamic in that new audio, video, subtitle, etc. tracks can be added to a given composition without changing any of the other tracks, e.g., by updating the composition's extensible markup language (XML), and new compositions can be created or removed at any time without changing any audio or video files. Interoperable and scalable “discovery” is also enabled whereby random devices can contact a Web server, find and play a composition matched to the given devices and users, e.g., optimal composition for a given device and user. Using the content identification and description format of compositions, devices can search, sort, browse, display, etc. content that is available, determine if it is compatible at the device, decode, and determine digital rights management (DRM) level, and content level.

Existing solutions for composing media and streaming to devices either do not allow for independent combination of media files at all because they require single files containing a permanently fixed set of tracks, or require non-standardized and proprietary methods to combine independent tracks available on the server, which limit widespread industry implementation and adoption due to the closed nature of such systems.
For instance, with respect to digital versatile disks (DVD) and Blu-ray track formats, the tracks are provided as a single file containing many tracks, thus limiting flexibility and usability since in order to decode any portion of the data included in the DVD or Blu-ray, the entire file typically must be present. A single monolithic file for content, while acceptable in terms of delivery by way of physical discs, is not very efficient in terms of streaming, and thus severely limits content streaming solutions.
For another example, media presentation description (MPD) and other adaptive streaming solutions that switch entire files cannot independently switch tracks, so are, in practicality, limited to switching only video bitrates, or a few other attributes. This is so because of a "combinatorial complexity problem." For instance, a content provider who desires to make a feature length film available via adaptive streaming generally must previously encode a different file for all the combinations that will be utilized for the set of clients. However, a typical movie may require multiple video resolutions, camera angles, video bitrates, audio channels, supported languages, descriptive audio tracks and closed captioning languages. Every combination represents a separate muxed version of the movie, leading to the aforementioned combinatorial complexity problem.
For example, a movie with eight audio tracks to cover different language and codecs, two caption streams, and two video angles, would result in 8×2×2×8=256 separate, multiplexed or "muxed" versions of the movie (e.g., 256 different representations of the same content), each of which is be stored on content servers to allow subsequent streaming. Moreover, this problem becomes greater when the content is to be HTTP Live adaptive streaming with six quality levels broken up into ten-second segments. A two hour movie becomes 256×720=138,240 files (e.g., 120 minutes and 6 chunks per minute=720 chunks per movie). Further still, the illustrated example provides only a few options for a client to choose, in particular, a client can choose between eight languages, two caption streams, and two video angles. In order to give the client more options and/or to adapt to a wider set of client devices, network conditions, and user preferences, the number of fixed muxed representations of the content grows exponentially.
The above-described deficiencies of today's techniques are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional systems and corresponding benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.


An agricultural sprayer includes at least one nozzle configure to receive a fluid and direct atomized fluid to an agricultural surface in a dispersal area. A radio-frequency (RF) transmitter is disposed to generate an RF signal that passes through the dispersal area. The RF signal is detectably changed when interacting with droplets of the atomized fluid. A first RF receiver is disposed to receive the RF signal after the RF signal passes through the dispersal area and provides an output indicative of the RF signal. A controller is coupled to the first RF receiver and is configured to detect plugging of the at least one nozzle based on the output of the first RF receiver.

Agricultural spraying systems are known. Such systems typically include a fluid line or conduit mounted on a foldable, hinged, or retractable and extendible boom. The fluid line is coupled to one or more spray nozzles mounted along the boom. Each spray nozzle is configured to receive the fluid and direct atomized fluid to a crop or field during application.
Spraying operations are generally intended to distribute a product (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, etc.) evenly over an agricultural surface, such as a field or crop. Properly functioning spray nozzles ensure that dispersal of the product occurs evenly and is important to ensure crop yields.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Plugged spray nozzle detection using radio-frequency transmissions


Techniques are provided for predicting talent flow to and/or from a geographical region. In one technique, multiple entity profiles are stored and analyzed to generate training data that is labeled indicating whether a corresponding entity has moved to or moved from a region. A machine-learned prediction model is generated or trained based on the training data. Using the machine-learned prediction model, a prediction is made whether, for each entity corresponding to another entity profile, that entity will move to or move from a particular geographic region. Based on multiple predictions, a number of entities that are predicted to move to or move from the particular geographic region is determined. Talent flow data that is based on the number of entities is presented on a computer display.

The large scale movement of people from one place to another has been a phenomenon from time immemorial. Reasons for such movement include escaping war, poverty, and political oppression, and seeking freedom and economic opportunity. Such movement not only has a large impact on the people who are moving, but also on the people and governments of the destination and the people and governments of the place of departure. For example, government and civic organizations of the destination may be ill equipped to address the challenges that come with an influx of people, such as food, housing, education, and transportation services. On the other hand, an area that loses a significant number of people will see a negative impact on local industry and civic institutions, especially if the departing people have valuable skills that are not generally found among the remaining population.
In the modern, global economy, especially in industrialized nations, the movement of people within a country and between countries is even more common place. While the movement of such people may be subtle (especially if only general population statistics are considered), the movement has a significant impact, particularly at the local level, including states, provinces, counties, cities, and towns. Local governments and civic institutions are often slow to act to the effects of migrations because they are unaware of such migrations until problems arise from such migrations. Local governments and civic institutions tend to react to problems instead of preparing for them.
One approach for determining a flow of people from one region to another relies on a relatively small volume of data from surveys or reports. However, conducting surveys not only requires significant human effort and time, but is also error prone and the responses are often untrustworthy.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Machine learning techniques to predict geographic talent flow


A natural gas purification system which can produce both fuel and high purity hydrocarbon product such as high purity methane or high purity natural gas wherein high temperature carbon dioxide removal is followed by cryogenic rectification to produce fuel and high purity hydrocarbon product.

In the production of natural gas it is sometimes necessary to subject the raw natural gas stream to a purification process in order to produce natural gas with a sufficient combustibles content so that it may be efficiently used within a natural gas distribution network such as a pipeline system. A number of such natural gas purification systems are known and practiced commercially.
Methane, the main component of natural gas, is widely used as a chemical synthesis feedstock. As such, the methane must be of a high purity to ensure effective downstream synthesis. It would be highly desirable to produce high purity methane, suitable for use in subsequent chemical synthesis reactions, in conjunction with natural gas purification.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a system which can process a raw natural gas feed stream and produce both fuel and high purity methane.
Conventional natural gas purification systems which process a nitrogen-containing raw natural gas stream typically produce pipeline quality natural gas having a significant nitrogen content such as up to five mole percent or more. While this is acceptable for most uses of the natural gas, such a nitrogen content cannot be tolerated in some applications, such as in certain metallurgical processes where nitrogen can cause detriment to the metal. Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to provide a system which can process a raw natural gas feed stream and produce both fuel and high purity natural gas.

Cryogenic rectification system for producing fuel and high purity methane


To simplify a commissioning and parameter change in a 3D bending process of wires, a 3D bending device and a 3D bending method for bending a wire are provided. The wire is held by a first leg and a second leg and the legs are moved, via a first to third relative movement device, in a first to third relative movement with a first to third movement axis in order to change, in an adjustable manner independently of one another, torsion angles of the first and second legs and a distance between the central axes of the legs.

Such a 3D bending device and such a 3D bending method are known from US 2014/0223727A1 and DE 10 2018 108 656 A1, which will be addressed in more detail below.
Electric machines are understood to be, in particular, machines for converting electric energy into kinetic energy and machines for converting kinetic energy into electric energy. In particular, this term is to be understood to mean electric motors and generators.
In order to manufacture machine elements of such electric machines, such as stators and rotors, for example, it is necessary in many cases to form electrically conductive wires, connect them with each other, to cut them or otherwise process them. In this case, the wire may, in particular, also have a rectangular cross section, be configured as a flat, rectangular or profile wire.
Most frequently, production methods permitting a particularly economical manufacture of high-performance components for electric motors are used in the production of electric motors. This includes, in particular, the hairpin method. Here, coil windings, particularly of the stator, are formed from a plurality of wire pieces whose ends are connected together. In this connection, EP 2684283B1, EP 1554794B1 and EP 1041696B1, for instance, describe devices and methods for connecting wire ends of hairpins in order to form stator windings of electric machines, in which the wire ends are welded together. The wire pieces are each provided with a first leg, a second leg and an angled portion between the legs. For example, the wire pieces, hereinafter also referred to as pins, may have a U-shaped configuration with a roof-shaped bent portion as an angled portion; a straight shape, a so-called I-pin, is also possible.
The production process of the electric motors is preceded by the production process of the individual wires, i.e., of hairpins or I-pins, in particular. The individual electrically conductive wires or wire pieces are then packed as densely as possible and welded together to form a continuous electrically conductive winding.
In the production process of the individual wires, they are pre-bent into the desired shape. This is most frequently done by several bending processes, in order to generate a roof-shaped bent portion or other desired shape of the angled portion, for example. The angled portion is often also provided with an offset bent portion whose shape, function and realization is described and shown in more detail in DE 10 2018 106 978 A1. Moreover, the roof shape or an angled section—in particular a cranked section—is formed between the legs of an I-pin. Examples of devices and methods for bending a roof shape are described and shown in DE 10 2018 106 980 A1.
Due to the fact that the components of electric machines are most frequently formed around a rotation axis of the electric machine, and a coil winding, accordingly, is to be configured in a crown-shaped or ring-shaped manner, the wires are moreover to be shaped so as to be adapted to the curvature of the respective component. So-called free-form bending or 3D bending serves this purpose, for which the devices and methods known from the above-mentioned documents US 2014/0223727A1 and DE 10 2018 108 656 A1 can be used.
The device and method according to US 2014/0223727 A1 use a forming die for this purpose. When it is bent by the forming die, the wire is shaped by means of contouring tools. As is apparent from the above consideration, the contour is adapted to the respective component. Stators of different sizes with different coil windings require differently shaped angled portions between the legs, and thus different contours for these angled portions. During the bending process using a forming die, an individual corresponding contouring tool has to be manufactured and used for each different contour to be formed.
In contrast thereto, DE 10 2018 108 656 A1 shows an improved device and an improved method in which 3D bending is carried out using a stationary and a pivotable gripper.

Device and method for bending wire for a machine element of an electric machine


A nitrocarburized crankshaft member made of a steel that includes C in an amount by weight of 0.25 to 0.32% as a required element and an optional element that may be included, and Fe and inevitable impurities in a remaining portion. The steel-made crankshaft member mainly includes ferrite and perlite, wherein at least a portion of the steel surface thereof having a ferrite surface area of 50% or greater is imparted with a nitrocarburized hard layer. The nitrocarburized hard layer includes a surface compound layer suppressed to a thickness of 10 to 35 μm, and a nitrogen diffusion zone below the surface compound layer having a diffusion depth of 700 μm or greater. The steel includes C, Si, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Cr as the required elements and Mo, N, s-Al, and Ti as the optional elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nitrocarburized crankshaft member wherein at least a portion of the surface is nitrocarburized by a nitrocarburizing process, and a steel for nitrocarburized crankshafts that can be used therefor.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a reciprocating engine of an automobile or the like, a crankshaft is used to extract an output of rotating motion from a piston that linearly reciprocates. This crankshaft, as shown in the drawings of JP2007-197812A, for example, comprises a journal portion located around a shaft that is the same as the rotating shaft of an output shaft, a pin portion located around a shaft that moves the rotating shaft in parallel by a predetermined distance, and an arm portion provided in a plurality at a predetermined interval along the rotating shaft, connecting the journal portion and pin portion.
In the manufacturing method of this bent shape crankshaft, for example, a steel rod is hot-forged into the required shape, and this roughly formed shape is then machined into an integrated crankshaft member. Subsequently, as required, a normalizing process is carried out to remove residual stress, and a surface hardening process such as nitrocarburizing or nitriding is carried out to improve fatigue strength. During the forging or the surface hardening process, the crankshaft member is likely to bend or warp. Therefore, subsequently, a bending correction is carried out to correct bending, warping, and the like.
Any bends or warps of the crankshaft member is corrected by a bending correction bending the crankshaft member in the direction opposite the direction of the bend. At this time, cracks readily occur on the hard surface layer formed by a surface hardening process, such as nitrocarburizing or nitriding, and these cracks may cause damage to the crankshaft. Given this factor, a crankshaft member made of a steel that is superior in bending correctability, which makes it possible to perform a bending correction process without imparting excessive strain, has been in demand.
In response to such a demand, there have been developed steels for crankshafts that are made of a medium-carbon steel wherein the carbon content is suppressed to about 0.3 wt % to achieve a reduction in average hardness. For example, JP2002-226939A discloses a steel for nitrocarburized crankshafts that includes C in the amount of 0.2 to 0.6 wt %, Si in the amount of 0.05 to 1.0 wt %, Mn in the amount of 0.25 to 1.0 wt %, S in the amount of 0.03 to 0.2 wt %, Cr in the amount of 0.2 wt % or less, s-M in the amount of 0.045 wt % or less, Ti in the amount of 0.002 to 0.010 wt %, N in the amount of 0.005 to 0.025 wt %, and O in the amount of 0.001 to 0.005 wt %, and satisfies the condition 0.12×Ti wt %<0 wt %<2.5×Ti wt % and 0.04×N wt %<O wt %<0.7×N wt %.
Now, from the viewpoints of cost and ease of manufacture, a solution strategy for the demand described above that proactively uses Cu, which may exist as a trapped element in scraps of raw material, is highly preferred. For example, the technical journal "DENKI-SEIKOU", Volume 77, No. 1 (February 2006), discloses that adding Cu to medium-carbon steel can increase ferrite hardness, improving yield strength, and form a harder yet thinner compound layer, which is formed by nitrocarburizing. That is, by adding Cu to a medium-carbon steel, the achievement of a nitrocarburized crankshaft member that is superior in bending correctability and superior in fatigue strength is expected.
Steels for nitrocarburized crankshafts made of a medium-carbon steel that include Cu are disclosed in JP2002-226939A, for example. This steel for nitrocarburized crankshafts includes C in an amount greater than or equal to 0.30 wt % and less than or equal to 0.50 wt %, Si in an amount greater than or equal to 0.05 wt % and less than or equal to 0.30 wt %, Mn in an amount greater than or equal to 0.50 wt % and less than or equal to 1.00 wt %, S in an amount greater than or equal to 0.03 wt % and less than or equal to 0.20 wt %, Cu in an amount greater than or equal to 0.05 wt % and less than or equal to 0.60 wt %, Ni in an amount greater than or equal to 0.02 wt % and less than or equal to 1.00 wt %, and Cr in an amount greater than or equal to 0.05 wt % and less than or equal to 0.30 wt %, and satisfies the condition that composition parameter F1>20 and F2>0 given F1=185 WCr+50 WCu, and F2=8+4 WNi+1.5 WCu−44 WCr, where WCu, WNi, and WCr are the content percentages (unit: wt %) of Cu, Ni, and Cr, respectively.
It is now expected that a crankshaft member that increases the performance requirements of crankshafts, excels in cost and ease of manufacture, and achieves both high fatigue strength and superior bending correctability will be developed.
The present invention was made in view of such circumstances, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to obtain a nitrocarburized crankshaft member having at least a portion of its surface subjected to nitrocarburizing, excels in cost and ease of manufacture, and achieves both high fatigue strength and superior bending correctability compared to prior art crankshaft members, and a steel for nitrocarburized crankshafts that can be used therefor.

Nitrocarburized crankshaft member and steel for nitrocarburized crankshafts


The present invention is dedicated to a process for improving the adhesion properties between a first coating obtained from a curable composition and a second coating, through the incorporation of a cleavable surfactant in said curable composition and subsequent cleavage thereof. Said process comprises: depositing onto the substrate of an optical article a first layer of a first curable composition comprising at least one cleavable surfactant, curing at least partially said first curable composition, thereby forming a first coating, forming a second coating onto said first coating, wherein, after said first curable composition has been deposited onto the substrate, and before deposition of the second coating, said optical article is subjected to a treatment step resulting in a cleavage of at least a portion of the cleavable surfactant. Curable compositions containing cleavable surfactants and optical articles having deposited thereon stacks of coatings formed by the above process are also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for improving the adhesion properties between a first coating obtained from a curable composition and a second coating, through the incorporation of a cleavable surfactant in said curable composition and subsequent cleavage thereof. Curable compositions containing cleavable surfactants and optical articles having deposited thereon stacks of coatings formed by the above process are also described.
2. Description of Related Art
It is a common practice in the art to coat at least one main surface of a lens substrate, such as an ophthalmic lens or lens blank, with several coatings for imparting to the finished lens additional or improved optical or mechanical properties. These coatings are designated in general as functional coatings.
Thus, it is usual practice to coat at least one main surface of a lens substrate, typically made of an organic glass material, with successively, starting from the surface of the lens substrate, an impact-resistant coating (impact resistant primer), an abrasion- and/or scratch-resistant coating (hard coat), an antireflection coating and, optionally, an anti-smudge top coat. Other coatings such as a polarized coating, a photochromic coating or a dyeing coating may also be applied onto one or both surfaces of the lens substrate.
The typical formulation of a coating composition to be deposited by a wet route includes a surfactant that enhances the wettability of the surface to be coated and acts as a leveling agent. Actually, a coating composition may wet a surface unevenly and sag, which would result in thickness variations on the substrate. This is particularly true for aqueous sol-gel compositions. Including a surfactant in the composition provides a more evenly deposited coating.
However, when such surfactant-containing composition is spread and cured, the surfactant remains or migrates at the surface of the coating, resulting in a first coating which presents a low surface energy. When a second coating is applied onto said first coating, the applied coating composition does not spread correctly and/or, after curing, does not lead to adhesion between the two coatings.
This problem is traditionally solved by carrying out a preparation of the surface of the first coating before deposition of the second coating. A surface preparation is a treatment resulting in an increase of surface energy by surface physical attack and/or chemical modification. It consists in a chemical or physico-chemical attack by highly reactive species such as strong bases from alkaline solution or energetic species such as ions or radicals.
Such treatments usually activate the surface of the outermost layer of the optical article by altering the chemistry of a few outermost molecular layers. Good adhesion between two coatings generally requires strong interfacial forces via chemical compatibility and/or chemical bonding.
A surface preparation assists in creating chemically active functional groups (polar groups) at the surface of the coating, such as amine, carbonyl, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, to improve interfacial adhesion. For instance, using an oxygen gas plasma may create hydroxyl functionality, thus increasing the wettability of the surface to be coated.
As a surface pre-treatment step, a high-frequency discharge plasma method, a glow discharge plasma method, a corona treatment, an electron beam method, an ion beam method, an acid or base treatment by using a concentrated solution and/or an immersion in such a solution can be employed.
However, a chemical or physico-chemical attack is difficult to control and to limit at the surfactant layer. It presents the risk of attacking more than the surface of the treated coating. For example, in the case of polysiloxane coatings, an alkaline attack is often used and it is well known that the chemical consequence of such treatment is a decrease of the subsurface cross-linking. In addition, surface preparation treatments raise safety problems (heated alkaline solution, corona . . . ) and increase the cost of the process (cost for surface preparation, operation and equipment) and its complexity, when a stack of several layers is needed.
Another solution to avoid obtaining a low surface energy coating is to employ a first coating composition devoid of surfactant. A careful choice of solvents is then needed to allow wettability and good spreading, because the wettability of a surface depends on the chemical nature of the surface material and the solvent choice strongly depends on the substrate and coating surface energy. In addition, this alternative solution is too restricting, since water based coating compositions can be hardly used.

Curable coating composition modified with a cleavable surfactant for improving adhesion in multilayered coating stacks

Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)


The present invention is in the field of recombinant biotechnology, in particular in the field of protein expression. The invention generally relates to a method of expressing a protein of interest (POI) from a host cell. The invention relates particularly to improving a host cell's capacity to express and/or secrete a protein of interest and use of the host cell for protein expression. The invention also relates to cell culture technology, and more specifically to culturing cells to produce desired molecules for medical purposes or food products.

Successful production of proteins of interest (POI) has been accomplished both with prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts. The most prominent examples are bacteria like Escherichia coli, yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris or Hansenula polymorpha, filamentous fungi like Aspergillus awamori or Trichoderma reesei, or mammalian cells like CHO cells. While the yield of some proteins is readily achieved at high rates, many other proteins are only produced at comparatively low levels.
Generally, heterologous protein synthesis may be limited at different levels. Potential limits are transcription and translation, protein folding and, if applicable, secretion, disulfide bridge formation and glycosylation, as well as aggregation and degradation of the target proteins. Transcription can be enhanced by utilizing strong promoters or increasing the copy number of the heterologous gene. However, these measures clearly reach a plateau, indication that other bottlenecks downstream of transcription limit expression.
High level of protein yield in host cells may also be limited at one or more different steps, like folding, disulfide bond formation, glycosylation, transport within the cell, or release from the cell. Many of the mechanisms involved are still not fully understood and cannot be predicted on the basis of the current knowledge of the state-of-the-art, even when the DNA sequence of the entire genome of a host organism is available. Moreover, the phenotype of cells producing recombinant proteins in high yields can be decreased growth rate, decreased biomass formation and overall decreased cell fitness.
Various attempts were made in the art for improving production of a protein of interest, such as overexpressing chaperones which should facilitate protein folding, external supplementation of amino acids, and the like.
However, there is still a need for methods to improve a host cell's capacity to produce and/or secrete proteins of interest. The technical problem underlying the present invention is to comply with this need.
The solution of the technical problem is the provision of means, such as engineered host cells, methods and uses applying said means for increasing the yield of a non-membrane protein of interest in a eukaryotic host cell by over- or underexpressing in said host cell at least one polynucleotide encoding a protein which is involved in lipid metabolism. These means, methods and uses are described in detail herein, set out in the claims, exemplified in the Examples and illustrated in the Figures.
Accordingly, the present invention provides new methods and uses to increase the yield of recombinant proteins in host cells which are simple and efficient and suitable for use in industrial methods. The present invention also provides host cells to achieve this purpose.
It must be noted that as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural references and vice versa unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to "a host cell" or "a method" includes one or more of such host cells or methods, respectively, and a reference to "the method" includes equivalent steps and methods that could be modified or substituted known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Similarly, for example, a reference to "methods" or "host cells" includes "a host cell" or "a method", respectively.
Unless otherwise indicated, the term "at least" preceding a series of elements is to be understood to refer to every element in the series. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. Such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
The term "and/or" wherever used herein includes the meaning of "and", "or" and "all or any other combination of the elements connected by said term". For example, A, B and/or C means A, B, C, A+B, A+C, B+C and A+B+C.
The term "about" or "approximately" as used herein means within 20%, preferably within 10%, and more preferably within 5% of a given value or range. It includes also the concrete number, e.g., about 20 includes 20.
The term "less than", "more than" or "larger than" includes the concrete number. For example, less than 20 means ≤20 and more than 20 means ≥20.
Throughout this specification and the claims or items, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer (or step) or group of integers (or steps). It does not exclude any other integer (or step) or group of integers (or steps). When used herein, the term "comprising" can be substituted with "containing", "composed of", "including", "having" or "carrying" and vice versa, by way of example the term "having" can be substituted with the term "comprising". When used herein, "consisting of" excludes any integer or step not specified in the claim/item. When used herein, "consisting essentially of" does not exclude integers or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claim/item. In each instance herein any of the terms "comprising", "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of" may be replaced with either of the other two terms.
Further, in describing representative embodiments of the present invention, the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, material, reagents, and substances, etc., described herein. The terminologies used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined solely by the claims/items.
All publications and patents cited throughout the text of this specification (including all patents, patent applications, scientific publications, manufacturer's specifications, instructions, etc.), whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. To the extent the material incorporated by reference contradicts or is inconsistent with this specification, the specification will supersede any such material.

Recombinant host cell with altered membrane lipid composition


A motor includes a base portion including a plurality of base through holes passing there through and a stator arranged on an upper side of the base portion. A plurality of coils of the stator include three coil groups including one or more of the coils defined by a single conducting wire. A joint portion where at least two of three common wires are joined together to define a single common wire is provided on the upper side of the base portion. Each common wire is one end portion of the conducting wire defining a separate one of the three coil groups. Each of the common wire elements and lead wire elements passes through a separate one of the base through holes. Each base through hole includes a circular sealing portion between an inner circumference and an entire circumferential extent of a corresponding one of the wire elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spindle motor for use in a disk drive apparatus, the disk drive apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a stator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disk drive apparatuses, such as hard disk drives, typically have spindle motors (hereinafter referred to simply as "motors") installed therein. In a disk drive apparatus disclosed in JP-A 2012-74114, a base portion extending radially around a central axis includes a plurality of through holes. A U-phase common wire, a V-phase common wire, and a W-phase common wire are drawn out from a U-phase coil, a V-phase coil, and a W-phase coil, respectively, of a motor. The common wire of each phase is individually passed through a separate one of the through holes to reach a lower side of the base portion, and is electrically connected to a circuit board. Each through hole is sealed with a sealant, whereby entry and exit of a gas through the through hole is prevented.
In order to improve airtightness of the disk drive apparatus, it is desirable that the number of through holes defined in the base portion should be small. In the disk drive apparatus described in JP-A 2012-74114, however, three through holes are required for the three common wires. Meanwhile, in the case where the three common wires are joined together to define a stranded wire and the stranded wire is passed through only one common through hole, minute gaps are inevitably defined between the wires in the stranded wire. It is difficult to fill each of these gaps with the sealant, and the airtightness of the disk drive apparatus is reduced. Moreover, in the case where the stranded wire is passed through the through hole, it is necessary to increase the diameter of the through hole. A disk drive apparatus in which a through hole having a large diameter is defined tends to be reduced in airtightness.

Spindle motor for use in disk drive apparatus, disk drive apparatus, and method of manufacturing stator


An optical memory device comprising a first light-permeable substrate, a second light-permeable substrate and a plurality of strip-shaped optical recording layers that are disposed with a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the optical path length from the outer surface of the first substrate to the recording layers is approximately equal to the optical path length from the outer surface of the second surface to the recording layers.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to an optical memory device that conducts a recording operation, a reading operation, or an erasing operation of information by means of light beams, and to an optical memory apparatus with the said optical memory device.
2. Description of the prior art
In recent years, optical memory devices have come to public notice as a high density and high capacity memory device, which conducts a recording operation, a reading operation, or an erasing operation of information by means of light beams from semiconductor lasers or the like. An optical element (i.e., an optical pickup) that is composed of the above-mentioned semiconductor lasers, optical lenses for converging light beams from the semiconductor lasers so as to illuminate the optical memory device, photodetectors for detecting light reflected by the optical memory device, and so on must be moved at a high speed in a two-dimensional manner with regard to the said optical memory device, which causes difficulties in the positioning of the said optical element with high accuracy.
To overcome this problem, the above-mentioned optical memory device is generally formed into a disk, which is moved in one-dimensional manner in the radial direction thereof while the disk is turning around its axis, thereby attaining a recording operation, a reading operation, or an erasing operation of information on the disk.
Such a disk-shaped optical memory device comprises, as shown in FIG. 5, a disk-shaped substrate 13 that has a plurality of guide grooves 12 on one surface thereof, and a recording layer 14 that is disposed on the groove-side substrate 12. The other surface of the substrate 13 is irradiated with light beams 15 from a semiconductor laser (not shown) so as to achieve a recording operation, a reading operation, or an erasing operation of information. The optical memory device with the above-mentioned structure is advantageous in that the optical element can be arranged only on one side of the optical memory disk, which results in a miniaturized and lightweight optical element and which makes easy the movement of the optical element in the radial direction of the optical memory disk.
FIG. 6 shows another conventional diskshaped optical memory device, which is produced by sandwiching an adhesive layer 16 between a pair of optical memory disks of FIG. 5 in such a manner that the recording film 14-side surface of one disk faces that of the other disk through the adhesive layer 16. This optical memory device is advantageous in that both outer surfaces of the disks are irradiated with light beams 15, and accordingly the amount of information to be recorded is doubled. However, it is difficult for operators to recognize which is the front surface or the back surface of the optical memory disk at the time of the application of the disk to an optical memory apparatus. If the front surface (or the back surface of the disk is wrongly recognized to be the back surface (or the front surface) thereof, the disk will have to be removed from the optical memory apparatus and again installed into the apparatus so that the correct surface of the disk can face the optical element. The same problem arises in the optical memory device shown in FIG. 5 because the front surface of the disk is indistinguishable from the back surface of the disk.
To overcome this problem, optical pickups are disposed on both the front surface and the back surface of the disk, respectively. These optical pickups are very expensive, and moreover they make the optical memory apparatus large.


Human-machine interface for required time of arrival (RTA) constraint negotiation. Embodiments present critical RTA information and results of associated data calculations to the pilot in a concise and informative manner using a dialogue box with intuitive graphical displays. Embodiments present critical RTA information to assist a pilot in negotiating the RTA constraint with air traffic controllers, accepting the clearance, and having confidence in the system that it will achieve the defined RTA constraint.

A function on many available flight management systems (FMS) on an aircraft provides the crew with the ability to enter a Required Time of Arrival (RTA) at a waypoint that is part of a given flight plan. The FMS adjusts the speed profile for the climb flight phase, cruise flight phase, and descent flight phase, as appropriate, in order to arrive at the waypoint within the prescribed RTA, thus improving the predictability of the aircraft. This function is also sometimes called TOAC (Time Of Arrival Control), as part of the arrival management.
The combination of the RTA and the waypoint may be referred to as an RTA constraint. A technical problem is presented in that many available FMS on an aircraft are insufficient to meet new requirements that the pilot negotiate with Air Traffic Control (ATC) to define an RTA constraint that can be met with a 95% reliable confidence. To meet this confidence level, a pilot may need much more readily and intuitively available information than the available FMS functions can provide.
Accordingly, improved methods and systems supporting RTA constraints are desirable. Specifically, improved methods and systems for graphical representation of required time of arrival (RTA) constraint information on a display of an aircraft are desirable. Other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Methods and systems for graphical representation of required time of arrival (RTA) constraint information


This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named ‘DrisStrawThree’. The new cultivar is primarily characterized by its large fruit size, heavy fruit production, and resistance to powdery mildew.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct strawberry cultivar designated 'DrisStrawThree' and botanically known as Fragaria×ananassa. This new strawberry cultivar was discovered in October, 2002 and originated from a cross between the female parent '5F205', a proprietary strawberry plant (unpatented) and the male parent 'San Juan' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,899). The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated at a nursery in Shasta County, Calif. 'DrisStrawThree' was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing at a nursery in Ventura County, Calif. for four years. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.