A method and apparatus is disclosed for remotely and selectively controlling fluid flow through tubular string disposed within a wellbore and further control fluid flow between the tubular string inner flow passage and the annular flow passage. The present invention further discloses a method of selectively and remotely receiving and interpreting a form of command or information at a desired apparatus within the wellbore caused by the operator on earth surface.

1. Technical Field
This invention is related to tools and methods that are used, for example, in oil and gas drilling and completion. The present invention is related, for example, to a device or apparatus for controlling fluid flow within a tubular string. In a particular example, the device or apparatus is used in the control of fluid flow between a tubular string inner flow passage and its annular flow passage in the wellbore by selectively and remotely sending a command to the apparatus disposed within wellbore.
2. Discussion of Background
U.S. Patent Application Publication US20120255741A1 published on Oct. 11, 2012 for ANNULAR CIRCULATION VALVE AND METHODS OF USING THE SAME, by A. Stewart, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US20110088914A1 published on Apr. 21, 2011 for METHOD OF ACTIVATING A DOWNHOLE TOOL ASSEMBLY, by M. Howell, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US20110048723A1 published on Mar. 3, 2011 for MULTI-ACTING CIRCULATING VALVE by J. Edwards, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US20110088906A1 published on Apr. 21, 2011 for PRESSURE EQUALIZING A BALL VALVE THROUGH AN UPPER SEAL BYPASS, by T. Myerley, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,327,954B2 issued on Dec. 11, 2012 for OPTIMIZED REAMING SYSTEM BASED UPON WEIGHT ON TOOL, by P. Desai, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,905,292B2 issued on Mar. 15, 2011 for PRESSURE EQUALIZATION DEVICE FOR DOWNHOLE TOOLS, by C. Beall, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,533,728B2 issued on May 19, 2009 for BALL OPERATED BACK PRESSURE VALVE, by D. Winslow, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,520,336B2, issued on Apr. 21, 2009 for MULTIPLE DART DROP CIRCULATING TOOL, by M. Modelli, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,289B2 issued on Mar. 25, 2008 for DART-OPERATED BIG BORE BY-PASS VALVE, by P. Lee, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,288B2 issued on Mar. 25, 2008 for BALL OPERATED BY-PASS TOOL FOR USE IN DRILLSTRING, by P. Lee, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,650B2 issued on Feb. 26, 2008 for APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DRILLING A WELLBORE USING CASING, by R. Giroux, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,255B2 issued on Aug. 2, 2005 for ACTIVATING BALL ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH A BY-PASS TOOL IN A DRILL TRING, by P. Lee, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,109B1 issued on Dec. 11, 2001 for DOWNHOLE VALVE, by R. Pringle, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,999B1 issued on Sep. 18, 2001 for FLUID FLOW CONTROL DEVICES AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVE ACTUATION OF VALVES AND HYDRAULIC DRILLING TOOLS, by C. Dewey, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,664A issued on Nov. 21, 2000 for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHUTTING IN A WELL WHILE LEAVING DRILL STEM IN THE BOREHOLE, by J. Baird, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,687A issued on Mar. 19, 1996 for DOWNHOLE VALVE FOR OIL/GAS WELL, by P. Lee, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,308A issued on Aug. 1, 1995 for DEVICE FOR REMOTELY ACTUATING EQUIPMENT COMPRISING A BEAN-NEEDLE SYSTEM, by P. Morin, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,138 issued on Jun. 7, 1994 for ADJUSTABLE STABILIZER, by C. Dewey, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,611 issued on Sep. 17, 1991 for PRESSURE OPERATED CIRCULATING VALVE, by C. Cochran, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,199 issued on Dec. 26, 1999 for DOWNHOLE VALVE FOR USE WHEN DRILLING AN OIL AND GAS WELL, by P. Lee, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,289 issued on Apr. 7, 1987 for REMOTE CONTROL SELECTOR VALVE, by W. Schoeffler, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,894 issued on Mar. 11, 1986 for BALL ACTUATED DUMP VALVE, by R. Jadwin, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,233 issued on Mar. 18, 1986 for DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE ACTUATED VENT ASSEMBLY, by F. George, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,313 issued on Jun. 5, 1984 for CIRCULATION VALVE, by M. McMahan, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,571 issued on May 1, 1984 for CIRCULATION VALVE, by D. Hushbeck, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,166 issued on Feb. 7, 1978 for VALVE APPARATUS FOR DEEP DRILLING, by W. Tiraspolsky, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,412 issued on Jan. 5, 1971 for DRILL STRING DUMP VALVE, by D. Hagar, et al. and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,165 issued on Aug. 30, 1938 for TESTING CIRCULATING VALVE, by J. Holden, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,128,352, issued on Oct. 20, 1936 for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RELEASING FLUID FROM DRILL PIPE, by T. Creighton, and is herein incorporated by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 163,161 issued on May 11, 1875 for IMPROVEMENT IN MAINSPRINGS FOR WATCHES, by JOHN A. DAWSON, and is herein incorporated by reference.
One example of the current invention is to introduce a method and apparatus for selectively and remotely controlling fluid flow through a tubular string and its surrounding wellbore annulus and, thus, changing the fluid flow profile within wellbore. In one example, a fraction or all of the fluid is diverted from within the inner fluid flow passage of the tubular string and the apparatus to the wellbore annulus. In one example, the current invention makes it possible to control the fluid flow profile in the wellbore and tubular string and, accordingly, significantly reduce risks and operating cost associated with cutting beds. Risks associated with fluid-losses are caused by various reasons, some of which were explained by way of examples: risks associated with accumulation of suspended cuttings, among other operating risks, where change of fluid flow profile within the wellbore is desired. In another example of the current invention, a method is introduced for remotely operating a downhole apparatus selectively into a desired state without limiting other operations, such as flow rate or flow pressure, during periods when it is not desired to change fluid flow pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,199 to Lee discloses a plastic, i.e., deformable ball used to block a flow opening in the sleeve for positioning the sleeve and aligning flow ports. This form of flow control apparatus is operated using what is called drop ball. A ball is inserted into the string at the surface and pumped down the inner flow passage of the tubular string to engage the sleeve profile. Such drop ball-operated apparatus often introduces limitations to the drilling practices, causing increase in operating cost. For example, the drop ball introduces restrictions within the inner flow passage and imposes limitations on running services using wireline to access, for example, to run free point services or interact with logging while drilling equipment located beneath the drop ball operated apparatus.
Another form of flow control apparatus, sometimes called bypass tool or called circulation apparatus, defines ports in the apparatus body which are initially closed by an axially movable sleeve.
Other downhole remotely-operated apparatus, such as those in sited references, induce limitation in the operating practice since fluid flow properties such as flow rate or pressure must to be kept within certain levels to maintain the apparatus in the corresponding state. This limitation causes the drilling operation efficiency to suffer as it may be desirable to operate the drilling fluid, for example, with a different flow profile, such as at a different flow rate or pressure that my undesirably cause the apparatus to change mode.
What is needed is a way to selectively turn on or off the flow control device, locking it in a particular desired fluid flow profile (or "state") when in an "off" or disabled mode along with a way to selectively turn "on" the flow control device (into an "enabled" mode) and thereby be enabled to change to another desired fluid flow profile (change to another "state"). To further satisfy this need, what is needed is a way to communicate the desired mode and desired state to the flow control device using deliberate changes to the environment surrounding the flow control device, such as altering the pressure of the fluid in the tubular or wellbore in a predetermined sequence, or using a combination of sensors to discern the communicated command. What is further needed is a way to power the actuation of the flow control device between the various fluid flow states and power to set the enabled or disabled mode.

Apparatus and method to remotely control fluid flow in tubular strings and wellbore annulus


Provided is a technique capable of achieving both throughput and robustness for a function of adjusting brightness (B) and contrast (C) of a captured image in a charged particle beam device. The charged particle beam device includes a computer system having a function (ABCC function) of adjusting the B and the C of an image obtained by imaging a sample. The computer system determines whether adjustment is necessary based on a result obtained by evaluating a first image obtained by imaging an imaging target of the sample (step S2), executes, when the adjustment is necessary based on a result of the determination, the adjustment on a second image of the imaging target to set an adjusted B value and an adjusted C value (step S4), and captures a third image of the imaging target based on the adjusted setting values to generate an image for observation (step S5).

Examples of a charged particle beam device include a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM is a device having a function of irradiating and scanning a fine object which is a sample with an electron beam, detecting signal electrons emitted from the sample with a detector, and performing observation, inspection, dimension measurement, and the like on the sample based on a detection signal. The sample is, for example, a wafer to be imaged. On a surface of the sample, there is a pattern such as unevenness due to a difference in a height. On the surface of the sample, there are a plurality of imaging targets (in other words, imaging regions) corresponding to a visual field and a position of imaging. In the SEM, for example, a defective portion is observed and detected from a captured image.
In the charged particle beam device, one of adjustments when the image is generated based on the detection signal includes an adjustment of a contrast and a brightness of the image. Further, an example of a function of automatically adjusting the brightness and the contrast of the image includes an auto brightness contrast control (ABCC) function.
An example of the related art according to the above includes JP-A-2007-329081 (PTL 1). PTL 1 discloses that a device which flexibly supports imaging targets having various pattern densities and has a brightness and contrast adjusting function capable of always capturing an image having an optimum brightness and contrast is provided as the charged particle beam device.


A copper interconnect line formed on a passivation layer is protected by a copper-containing material layer including a group III element, a group IV element, a group V element or combinations thereof.

Modern integrated circuits are made up of literally millions of active devices such as transistors and capacitors. These devices are initially isolated from each other, but are later interconnected together to form functional circuits. Typical interconnect structures include lateral interconnections, such as metal lines (wirings), and vertical interconnections, such as vias and contacts. Interconnections are increasingly determining the limits of performance and the density of modern integrated circuits. A passivation layer is also included for protecting underlying layers from moisture, contamination, or other conditions that can potentially degrade or damage the integrated circuit. Wafer level chip scale packaging (WLCSP) is currently widely used for its low cost and relatively simple processes. In a typical WLCSP, interconnect structures are formed on metallization layers, followed by the formation of under-bump metallurgy (UBM), and the mounting of solder balls. In a post passivation interconnect ("PPI") process, contact pads and other conductors are fabricated on top of the passivation layer and connected to the contact regions of the integrated circuit. The PPI scheme can be used to re-route the connections to integrated circuit to facilitate contact to the package. Conventionally, silicon nitride or polyimide is provided for preventing the PPI made of Cu from oxidation, but an additional patterning step (e.g., an etching process for pattering silicon nitride layer or an exposure step for pattering the polyimide layer) is necessary to allow subsequent bump processes. The Q-time between the Cu plating to the polyimide coating process is a concern since there is no deoxidizing step in the polyimide process.

Post passivation interconnect with oxidation prevention layer

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Employees gain access to a payroll and work management system by authentication at a multi-purpose terminal with a bankcard encoded with a unique account number and a personal identification number (PIN). The terminal may then be used to check-in and checkout of work, to receive new work instructions or assignments, to review payroll details, to print a payroll stub, to execute financial transactions, to print a receipt of financial transactions or to review or to upload the results of work quality audits. The invention also includes systems and methods that utilize such multi-purpose terminals to calculate the payroll and deductions for each employee and to issue electronic fund transfers from the employer""s bank account to deposit the net pay in a bank account associated with each employee""s bankcard so that the pay is immediately accessible by each employee, such as by withdrawal of cash at an ATM or by purchases at a point of sale. Electronic payrolls may be processed and employee""s accounts credited with pay on a daily basis, or on any preset period of time, including hourly.

This invention relates in general to a multi-purpose terminal, payroll and work management system and related methods, and more particularly, to a multi-purpose terminal that employees may use after authentication with a bank card and personal identification number (PIN) to check-in and check-out of work, to receive new work instructions or assignments, to review payroll details, to print a payroll stub, to execute financial transactions, to print a receipt of a financial transaction or to receive the results of work quality audits. The invention also relates to systems and methods that utilize such multi-purpose terminals, including deposit of net pay in a bank account associated with each employee""s bankcard so that the pay is immediately accessible by each employee.
Automated teller machines (ATMs) are typically owned by banks or banking networks. They are widely available and are frequently used to dispense cash. A customer inserts or slides a bankcard in the ATM so that a coded account number can be read from the bankcard. Through a financial network, such as Visa(trademark)/Plus(trademark) or Mastercard(trademark)/Cirrus(trademark), the ATM then communicates with the bank that issued the bank card (the issuing bank) to see if the desired cash withdrawal exceeds the current balance in a bank account that is related to the account number. If not, the cash is dispensed and the card owner""s account is debited in the amount of the withdrawal plus any service charge for use of the ATM.
The user of the bankcard is also provided with a personal identification number (PIN) or password that is associated with the account number. The PIN is entered at the request of the ATM prior to authenticating both the account number and the PIN. In the event that the bankcard is lost, the finder will not be able to withdraw funds since he/she lacks the PIN necessary to complete any ATM transaction.
ATMs provide a variety of account transactions. The user may withdraw cash from user""s checking account, savings account or as an advance from a line of credit, such as a credit card account. The user may also transfer funds between accounts, such as from a checking account to a savings account. In some instances, the user may ascertain the balances in accounts associated with the account number. However, the principal use of ATMs continues to be cash withdrawal.
Local currency exchanges compete with banks and the ATMs by providing financial services for their profiled customers. Profiled customers have previously signed a signature card or have otherwise previously confirmed their identity with a local currency exchange, or with a network of such currency exchanges. Currency exchanges tend to operate locally, instead of in nationwide like the banking networks. The currency exchanges compete with banks and ATMs by cashing checks, particularly payroll checks, for its profiled customers. A typical fee for such a transaction is about 1.6 percent of the amount of the payroll check. For higher volume transactions, the income from check cashing can be quite substantial.
The customers of currency exchanges are typically lower-wage local residents who do not have checking or savings accounts at a local bank, and therefore rely on a currency exchange to convert their paychecks into cash. Since they do not have a bank account, they do not have a bankcard and cannot use an ATM. There is therefore a business opportunity for banks to acquire new customers by providing the functions performed by currency exchanges in cashing payroll checks and money orders.
Wire transfer of funds is another function typically performed by one bank to another bank. This function is not normally available at currency exchanges. As a result, those individuals who use currency exchanges for their financial affairs often use a company that specializes in wire transfers, such as Western Union or American Express Company. The fees for providing wire transfer service at these companies are generally around 4 to 6.5 percent, depending upon the amount transferred. For example, a typical current fee for wire transferring a minimum of $200.00 is about $13.00. These fees are graduated upwardly for larger wire transfers; such as to about $200.00 in fees to wire transfer $5,000.00.
Many of the afore-mentioned lower-wage earners send money to their relatives in the United States or abroad. Among the other more significant users of wire transfers are travelers and the parents of college students because immediate access to funds is often desired or needed. Thus, if wire transfers could be accomplished relatively inexpensively, additional customers could be obtained who are likely to also use the other available financial services. This presents yet another business opportunity.
Larger employers usually develop or purchase a payroll system. Often, the payroll system is part of a larger computer system that records many different types of business transactions. These payroll systems are quite complex since they must deal not only with time and attendance, but also with a plethora of potential deductions. Deductions generally include federal income tax, FICA, state income tax, in some instances county, township or city tax, health insurance, dental insurance, contributions to retirement plans, contributions to profitability or stock purchase plans, union dues, alimony and the like. For businesses with employees in more than one state, the complexity is usually compounded by differences in the state and local tax laws.
However, the real inefficiency in payroll systems is in keeping track of the time of hourly employees. Customarily, timesheets are collected, the payroll is processed and payroll checks are cut and distributed to the employees. Payroll is often centralized for employers with more than one location. This means that timesheets are express mailed to where the payroll is processed, such as at the corporate headquarters. The payroll checks must then be issued and express mailed back to all of the employee locations. This process is expensive, cumbersome and time consuming. Thus, payroll cannot practically or economically be done on a daily basis is such systems. Most employers therefore pay their employees once every two weeks, or once a month.
Employee turnover is another significant expense. The payroll database must frequently be updated to add new employees and to delete former employees, including all pertinent employee information. The hiring process to attract and bring in new employees to replace departing employees is particularly expensive.
On the other hand, employers can increase employee loyalty and reduce such payroll and hiring expenses by paying wages more frequently, such as on a weekly basis, or even on a daily basis. Research indicates that lower-wage employees will frequently change jobs for as little as $0.25 per hour increase in wages. This is particularly a problem for employers in labor-intensive industries, such as janitorial services, fast food franchises and the like.
Research also indicates that many employees will actually work for somewhat less compensation than is available in the competitive marketplace if they are paid more frequently. This is because many employees operate from paycheck to paycheck, and some employees have difficulty surviving financially until the next paycheck. A more frequent paycheck is therefore of considerable value to such employees since it reduces the pay cycle. More frequent wage payment also operates as a disincentive for many employees to change employment to a different employer with longer wage payment intervals.
Another problem with prior art payroll systems is fraud resulting from buddy punching. This is where an employee who may be late, leaves early, or will be absent on a particular day has a buddy or friend punch his/her timecard in and/or out. Such fraud remains a significant problem in many labor-intensive industries where large numbers of employees check-in and checkout each workday. Various biometric systems that verify the identity of the person by his or her physical characteristics, such as the retina of the eye or a fingerprint, have been proposed and implemented. However, such biometric systems remain expensive, and some employees are opposed to placing one of their eyes close to a piece of equipment. Furthermore, due to differences in height of different employees and the number of employees checking in or out at any particular time, more than one such biometric system will often be required at each employment location. Lower-wage employees are generally less educated about technology, including biometric devices. Such employees may be paranoid or otherwise uncomfortable about checking in and checking out through biometric devices. The forced use of biometric devices therefore results in many employees voluntarily terminating their employment. Thus, there exists a need to effectively and economically minimize the buddy-punching problem without the expense and intimidation associated with biometric devices.
Many lower-wage employees, such as those that clean commercial buildings and/or private property, perform their work after normal business hours. Thus, if an owner or manager of the property wants to change the work to be performed, he/she has to stay late, leave written instructions, or call the manager of the cleaning services. Even if the employee receives the work changes, the employee may not be able to perform the work because of union rules, the scope of the work services contract or the like. In addition, the desired work change may involve a different type of work that is compensated at a different pay rate. The property manager may have to contact the supervisor of the employee to renegotiate the contract, and then try to contact and inform the employee. These cumbersome and time consuming approaches could be avoided if the employee""s supervisor and/or the property manager had a better way to communicate the new work instructions or assignment to the employee, such as by the employee receiving the instructions or assignment upon checking in to work.
Quality inspectors routinely do inspection of the work performed at the property site. These audits are typically reported by paper or electronically, as by computer or hand-held device. Thus, the inspector usually sends the quality report to a remote location by faxing a paper report or by using a modem to link to a database. The process of sending the report could be made more efficient if the inspector could use the same electronic terminal to send the quality report that the employee uses to check into or out of work.
Even if the employees are paid electronically by deposit to a known bank account number, laws in most jurisdictions require that the employer provide a copy of the payroll stub to the employee that lists the gross pay, the deductions and the net pay. Supervisors, payroll administrators and human relations personnel frequently receive inquiries about the payroll stub, particularly where different job assignments have different pay rates. The ability to print out a detailed payroll stub, such as at the same electronic terminal that the employee uses to check into or out of work, including the different pay rates for the different types of work could highly effective in reducing these time-consuming inquiries.
The present invention includes a multi-purpose terminal, a payroll and work management system and related methods. The terminal and system provide ATM, payroll and work management (APW) functions. Such functions include recording employee attendance and work hours, providing work instructions and assignments to the employees, periodically calculating the payroll and depositing payroll funds into each employee""s account for immediate access by the employees, permitting each employee to review his/her payroll including gross pay, deductions and net pay, printing an employee""s payroll stub, enabling employees to review and execute financial transactions and receiving and displaying the results of work quality audits. Access to the system is permitted after authenticating a bankcard and personal identification number (PIN). Each bankcard is related to a separate bank account and the employer deposits each employee""s net pay in the respective accounts. The employee can then use the bankcard to withdraw cash from any supported ATM station or to pay for transactions at any point of sale (POS) device.
Each employee is provided with a bankcard encoded with a unique identifying account number and a personal identification number (PIN). The bankcard may be either the magnetic stripe type or the smartcard type. One or more APW terminals are located at the employer""s work site to read the account number and to request entry of the user""s PIN. Together, the bankcard and PIN are used as work attendance devices in place of a conventional time card and/or timesheet. The account number and PIN are communicated from the APW terminal to a computer, which may be an array of servers. The servers have the employee names, pay rates, the unique identifying account number for each employee and the PIN for each employee stored in memory. The servers then compare the received account number and PIN with account numbers and PINs previously stored in memory to authenticate the account number and to use the current time as a payroll check-in or checkout time for that employee.
The APW system periodically uses the check-in and checkout times to calculate the payroll, to authorize the transfer of funds sufficient to cover the total amount of the payroll to the bank that issued the bankcards, and directs the bank to credit the bankcards for each employee in the amount of the calculated pay for each employee. The employees may then withdraw the deposited funds from an ATM, use the bank card to pay for purchases or to transfer available funds to another account. The employee may also view his/her payroll information, and print out a payroll stub.
Authorized users may enter work assignments or instructions into the APW system, such as through a dedicated call center or by secured access to the system. Upon authentication of the employee at the APW terminal, the employee is presented with a greeting. If the employee""s work is subject to change, the terminal may display a set of new work assignments or instructions. To the extent that the rate of pay differs for different assignments, a breakdown of the pay for each work assignment may also be displayed. Appropriate incentives may be provided such as increased pay for certain assignments or for overtime work to motivate the employee to accept the assignments. The employee may obtain a print out of the work assignments from the terminal.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a system that offers hourly workers a turnkey financial, payroll and work management solution that is economically beneficial for them as well as for their employers.
Another object of the present invention to provide an electronic payroll system and methods therefor wherein an electronic terminal reads an encoded unique employee account number from a bank card and requests entry of a PIN, both of which are then communicated to a computer for authentication.
Another object or the present invention is to minimize the payroll fraud resulting from buddy punching through the use of bankcards and PINs as authentication devices.
Another object of the present invention is to use the bankcard and PIN as work attendance devices by using the times of authentication as work check-in and work checkout times.
A further object of the present invention is to eliminate the inefficiencies in issuing and distributing payroll checks, to employees by, periodically crediting net pay to a bank account associated with the bank card that is also used to check-in and check-out of work and by enabling the employees to print their paycheck stub at the electronic terminal, or at any supported ATM terminal.
Yet another object of the invention is to enable printing of work assignments at the electronic terminal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a convenient means of uploading work quality audits into the system from the electronic terminal.

Multi-purpose terminal, payroll and work management system and related methods


A method of removing fluid from a well using a downhole pump includes deploying the downhole pump to a vertical position within a production tubing disposed in the well, securing the downhole pump to the production tubing at the vertical position, powering a motor of the downhole pump with an electrical line of the downhole pump that extends from a surface of the well and that terminates at a profile of the downhole pump, and activating the motor to pump fluid out of the well.

Electronic submersible pumps (ESPs) are used in the oil and gas industry as aids for fluid production from wells. A design of a well is typically based on an expected use of an ESP over an entire life of the well. An ESP is placed in a well at a pre-determined depth, depending on an expected grade of oil and presence of water within the well. If the ESP is deployed and/or retrieved on a deployment cable without using a rig, a receptacle that is specifically designed for the ESP is permanently installed within the well at a pre-determined, fixed location during construction of the well, which accordingly determines a single, fixed location of the ESP within the well. The ESP can be attached to the receptacle for installation within the well and detached from the receptacle for replacement once the ESP fails. The receptacle includes control and electrical lines that run to the surface of the well and that are used to control and power the ESP. The receptacle is a costly piece of equipment such that the well, ESP, and receptacle are designed for long-term deployment of an ESP. Such receptacles are prone to failure and typically have a narrow inner diameter that can limit well intervention activities during the life of a well.
In other examples, an artificial nitrogen lifting process is used to aid fluid production from a well. If a well does not flow naturally during a well cleanup operation, a coiled tubing unit can be rigged up and ran into the well for nitrogen lifting of the well. For example, nitrogen can displace fluid in the well to reduce the hydrostatic head, thereby assisting fluid flow out of the well. Coiled tubing is run deep inside of the production tubing (for example, without exiting the production tubing), and nitrogen is pumped into the well to displace fluid from the well. Once the well is flowing, the coiled tubing is pulled out of the well to allow the cleanup operation to resume. The cleanup operation ends once all of the fluid flowing from the well is oil. Deploying nitrogen to the well via the coiled tubing is costly, requires a large equipment footprint, and adds time to the well cleanup operation. Handling the coiled tubing and pressurized nitrogen also introduces safety risks at the well.

Electronic submersible pumps for oil and gas applications


A slave device that complies with Bluetooth communication protocol includes a communication module, a memory and a RF output module. The communication module can be operated to generate a driving signal. The memory stores an access code that complies with Bluetooth communication protocol and is electrically connected to the communication module. The memory is configured to determine whether or not to output the access code according to the driving signal output by the communication module. The RF output module is electrically connected to the memory so as to receive and output the access code.

1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a device that complies with Bluetooth communication protocol, and more specifically to a slave device complying Bluetooth communication protocol with a simple architecture and to the related method for establishing a Bluetooth communication connection.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid development of electronic technology, wireless connection technology has been more and more widely used in people's lives and work. For example, a computer is connected with a mouse with wireless connection technology so that the mouse can be an input device for the computer and used to operate the computer. Currently Bluetooth technology is a wireless connection technology that is advancing quickly and being widely used.
Normally a method for establishing a Bluetooth communication connection between Bluetooth devices is the following. A Bluetooth device (hereafter referred to as the first Bluetooth device) transmits an inquiry signal and at the same time performs inquiry scanning so as to determine if there is another Bluetooth device (hereafter referred to as the second Bluetooth device) nearby. When the first Bluetooth device discovers the second Bluetooth device (and in the meanwhile the second Bluetooth device discovers the first Bluetooth device), the two Bluetooth devices determine which one (for example, the second Bluetooth device) functions as a master device and establish a Bluetooth communication connection. The other Bluetooth devices functions as a slave device. Next the second Bluetooth device, as the master device, transmits a paging signal and asks the first Bluetooth device (the slave device) whether the first Bluetooth device needs to establish a Bluetooth communication connection. Now, the first Bluetooth device as the slave device performs paging scanning and transmits a paging response to answer whether to establish a Bluetooth communication connection. Last, the second Bluetooth device as the master device establishes a Bluetooth communication connection with the first Bluetooth device according to the paging response signal transmitted from the first Bluetooth device as the slave device, and receives the signals from the first Bluetooth device (the slave device) by the established Bluetooth communication connection.
Hence, current Bluetooth devices normally have inquiry function, and can be determined to be a master device or a slave device according to the inquiry signal. In other words, current Bluetooth devices must be capable of operating as a master device and as a slave device at the same time.
However, some Bluetooth devices, such as a mouse as an input device for a computer, which only needs to transmit a signal to the computer to change the position of a cursor, do not need to refer to or know the status or information of other Bluetooth devices. In other words, although such Bluetooth devices are never required to operate as master devices, limited by the circuit architectures of the Bluetooth communication chips and the above-mentioned Bluetooth communication connection establishing method, these Bluetooth devices still need to be equipped with the functionalities of both master devices and slave devices so as to establish a Bluetooth communication connection. Hence, it is a waste of hardware resources to use current circuit architectures of the Bluetooth communication chips and current Bluetooth communication connection establishing method on devices that do not need to have the functionalities of Bluetooth master devices. In addition, because of the complexity of the circuit design and the corresponding software design, the cost required is relatively high.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Slave device complying with bluetooth communication protocol and related method for establishing bluetooth communication connection


A multi-stage process for forming a liquid crystalline polymer is provided. More particularly, the process includes acetylating one or more precursor monomers and melt-polymerizing the acetylated monomers to form a prepolymer in the form of a solid particulate material. Thereafter, the prepolymer is solid-state polymerized in a fluidized bed reactor that contains a porous surface (e.g., bed, plate, grate, etc.) on which the prepolymer is supported. While supported by this porous surface, the prepolymer can become “fluidized” with a heated stream of a gas (e.g., nitrogen). In this manner, a sufficient degree of turbulence is created to distribute heat evenly around the prepolymer and cause it to rapidly reach the target reaction temperature.

Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers are generally wholly aromatic condensation polymers that have relatively rigid and linear polymer chains so that they melt to form a liquid crystalline phase. Such polymers are commercially generated using bulk polymerization methodologies, such as melt acidolysis, which generally require the use of temperatures above the polymer melting point (260° C. to 380° C.) for extended periods of time. While wholly-aromatic polyesters display exceedingly high thermal stability, long-term heating at these high temperatures tends to lead to some degree of decomposition, which results in poorer color, increased volatiles, reduced product yield, and in extreme cases, compromised performance. Therefore, methods for reducing the temperature and overall time of exposure of these species are desired in the art.
One successful route for lowering the heat history of liquid crystal polymers (LCP's) involves generating a low molecular weight "prepolymer" species by standard routes, which is then subsequently heated at temperatures below the melting point of the polymer. This is referred to as "solid-state polymerization" and is typically used to provide higher molecular weight polymers suitable for injection molding, fiber spinning, and other end-use applications. Though the exact reasons are unknown, liquid crystalline polymers produced via solid-state polymerization tend to display enhanced thermal properties, such as higher heat distortion temperatures (HDT) and improved blister/off-gassing performance—both features being beneficial to commercial end-use applications. While advantageous from a property standpoint, standard solid-state polymerization methods are problematic. For instance, one such method involves heating the prepolymer in a tumble blended reactor. Unfortunately, however, this process requires long times to achieve high molecular weights owing to poor heat distribution/transfer from the reactor walls to the pellets. Thus, producing even medium molecular weight polymers in such systems can require solid-state cycle times higher than melt-polymerization production rates. This bottleneck can reduce the capacity of a plant to generate polymers with maximum thermal properties. Stated alternatively, the long cycle times required do not generally keep pace with the melt-polymerization production of the prepolymer. Additionally, solid-state polymerization times—despite the lower temperatures—add to the overall heat history of the materials, which is undesirable.
As such, a need currently exists for a method of improving the rate of the solid-state polymerization of a liquid crystalline polymer.

Solid-stage polymerization system for a liquid crystalline polymer


A DC magnetron sputter reactor for sputtering deposition materials such as tantalum and tantalum nitride, for example, and its method of use, in which self-ionized plasma (SIP) sputtering and capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) sputtering are promoted, either together or alternately, in the same chamber. Also, bottom coverage may be thinned or eliminated by inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) resputtering. SIP is promoted by a small magnetron having poles of unequal magnetic strength and a high power applied to the target during sputtering. CCP is provided by a pedestal electrode which capacitively couples RF energy into a plasma. The CCP plasma is preferably enhanced by a magnetic field generated by electromagnetic coils surrounding the pedestal which act to confine the CCP plasma and increase its density.

Semiconductor integrated circuits typically include multiple levels of metallization to provide electrical connections between large numbers of active semiconductor devices. Advanced integrated circuits, particularly those for microprocessors, may include five or more metallization levels. In the past, aluminum has been the favored metallization, but copper has been developed as a metallization for advanced integrated circuits.
A typical metallization level is illustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. A lower-level layer 110 includes a conductive feature 112. If the lower-level layer 110 is a lower-level dielectric layer, such as silica or other insulating material, the conductive feature 112 may be a lower-level copper metallization, and the vertical portion of the upper-level metallization formed in a hole is referred to as a via since it interconnects two levels of metallization. If the lower-level layer 110 is a silicon layer, the conductive feature 112 may be a doped silicon region, and the vertical portion of the upper-level metallization is referred to as a contact because it electrically contacts silicon. An upper-level dielectric layer 114 is deposited over the lower-level dielectric layer 110 and the lower-level metallization 112. There are yet other shapes for the holes including lines and trenches. Also, in dual damascene and similar interconnect structures, as described below, the holes have a complex shape. In some applications, the hole may not extend through the dielectric layer. The following discussion will refer only to via holes, but in most circumstances the discussion applies equally well to other types of holes with only a few modifications well known in the art.
Conventionally, the dielectric layer is silicon oxide formed by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as the precursor. However, low-k materials of other compositions and deposition techniques are being considered. Some of the low-k dielectrics being developed can be characterized as silicates, such as fluorinated silicate glasses. Hereafter, only silicate (oxide) dielectrics will be directly described, but it is contemplated that other dielectric compositions may be used.
A via hole is etched into the upper-level dielectric layer 114 typically using, in the case of silicate dielectrics, a fluorine-based plasma etching process. In advanced integrated circuits, the via holes may have widths as low as 0.18 μm or even less. The thickness of the dielectric layer 114 is usually at least 0.7 μm, and sometimes twice this, so that the aspect ratio of the hole may be 4:1 or greater. Aspect ratios of 6:1 and greater are being proposed. Furthermore, in most circumstances, the via hole should have a vertical profile.
A liner layer 116 may be deposited onto the bottom and sides of the hole and above the dielectric layer 114. The liner 116 can perform several functions. It can act as an adhesion layer between the dielectric and the metal since metal films tend to peel from oxides. It can also act as a barrier against inter-diffusion between the oxide-based dielectric and the metal. It may also act as a seed and nucleation layer to promote the uniform adhesion and growth and possibly low-temperature reflow for the deposition of metal filling the hole and to nucleate the even growth of a separate seed layer. One or more liner layers may be deposited, in which one layer may function primarily as a barrier layer and others may function primarily as adhesion, seed or nucleation layers.
An interconnect layer 118 of a conductive metal such as copper, for example, is then deposited over the liner layer 116 to fill the hole and to cover the top of the dielectric layer 114. Conventional aluminum metallizations are patterned into horizontal interconnects by selective etching of the planar portion of the metal layer 118. However, a preferred technique for copper metallization, called dual damascene, forms the hole in the dielectric layer 114 into two connected portions, the first being narrow vias through the bottom portion of the dielectric and the second being wider trenches in the surface portion which interconnect the vias. After the metal deposition, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is performed which removes the relatively soft copper exposed above the dielectric oxide but which stops on the harder oxide. As a result, multiple copper-filled trenches of the upper level, similar to the conductive feature 112 of the next lower level, are isolated from each other. The copper-filled trenches act as horizontal interconnects between the copper-filled vias. The combination of dual damascene and CMP eliminates the need to etch copper. Several layer structures and etching sequences have been developed for dual damascene, and other metallization structures have similar fabrication requirements.
Lining and filling via holes and similar high aspect-ratio structures, such as occur in dual damascene, have presented a continuing challenge as their aspect ratios continue to increase. Aspect ratios of 4:1 are common and the value will further increase. An aspect ratio as used herein is defined as the ratio of the depth of the hole to narrowest width of the hole, usually near its top surface. Via widths of 0.18 μm are also common and the value will further decrease. For advanced copper interconnects formed in oxide dielectrics, the formation of the barrier layer tends to be distinctly separate from the nucleation and seed layer. The diffusion barrier may be formed from a bilayer of Ta/TaN, W/WN, or Ti/TiN, or of other structures. Barrier thicknesses of 10 to 50 nm are typical. For copper interconnects, it has been found useful to deposit one or more copper layers to fulfill the nucleation and seed functions.
The deposition of the liner layer or the metallization by conventional physical vapor deposition (PVD), also called sputtering, is relatively fast. A DC magnetron sputtering reactor has a target which is composed of the metal to be sputter deposited and which is powered by a DC electrical source. The magnetron is scanned about the back of the target and projects its magnetic field into the portion of the reactor adjacent the target to increase the plasma density there to thereby increase the sputtering rate. However, conventional DC sputtering (which will be referred to as PVD in contrast to other types of sputtering to be introduced) predominantly sputters neutral atoms. The typical ion densities in PVD are often less than 109 cm−3. PVD also tends to sputter atoms into a wide angular distribution, typically having a cosine dependence about the target normal. Such a wide distribution can be disadvantageous for filling a deep and narrow via hole 122 such as that illustrated in FIG. 2, in which a barrier layer 124 has already been deposited. The large number of off-angle sputter particles can cause a layer 126 to preferentially deposit around the upper corners of the hole 122 and form overhangs 128. Large overhangs can further restrict entry into the hole 122 and cause inadequate coverage of the sidewalls 130 and bottom 132 of the hole 122. Also, the overhangs 128 can bridge the hole 122 before it is filled and create a void 134 in the metallization within the hole 122. Once a void 134 has formed, it is often difficult to reflow it out by heating the metallization to near its melting point. Even a small void can introduce reliability problems. If a second metallization deposition step is planned, such as by electroplating, the bridged overhangs make subsequent deposition more difficult.
One approach to ameliorate the overhang problem is long-throw sputtering in which the sputtering target is spaced relatively far from the wafer or other substrate being sputter coated. For example, the target-to-wafer spacing can be at least 50% of wafer diameter, preferably more than 90%, and more preferably more than 140%. As a result, the off-angle portion of the sputtering distribution is preferentially directed to the chamber walls, but the central-angle portion remains directed substantially to the wafer. The truncated angular distribution can cause a higher fraction of the sputter particles to be directed deeply into the hole 122 and reduce the extent of the overhangs 128. A similar effect can be accomplished by positioning a collimator between the target and wafer. Because the collimator has a large number of holes of high aspect ratio, the off-angle sputter particles tend to strike the sidewalls of the collimator, and the central-angle particles tend to pass through. Both long-throw targets and collimators typically reduce the flux of sputter particles reaching the wafer and thus tend to reduce the sputter deposition rate. The reduction can become more pronounced as throws are lengthened or as collimation is tightened to accommodate via holes of increasing aspect ratios.
The efficiency of long-throw sputtering typically decreases as target-to-wafer spacing increases. At the few milliTorr of argon pressure often used in PVD sputtering, there is a greater possibility of the argon scattering the sputtered particles as the target-to-wafer spacing increases. Hence, the geometric selection of the forward particles may be decreased. A yet further problem with both long throw and collimation is that the reduced metal flux can result in a longer deposition period which can not only reduce throughput, but also tends to increase the maximum temperature the wafer experiences during sputtering. Still further, long-throw sputtering can reduce overhangs and provide good coverage in the middle and upper portions of the sidewalls, but the lower sidewall and bottom coverage can be less than satisfactory.
Another technique for deep hole lining and filling is sputtering using a high-density plasma (HDP) in a sputtering process called ionized metal plating (IMP). A typical high-density plasma is one having an average plasma density across the plasma, exclusive of the plasma sheaths, of at least 1011 cm−3, and preferably at least 1012 cm−3. In IMP deposition, a separate plasma source region is formed in a region away from the wafer, for example, by inductively coupling RF power into a plasma from an electrical coil wrapped around a plasma source region between the target and the wafer. The plasma generated in this fashion is referred to as an inductively coupled plasma (ICP). An HDP chamber having this configuration is commercially available from Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif. as the HDP PVD Reactor. Other HDP sputter reactors are available. The higher power ionizes not only the argon working gas, but also significantly increases the ionization fraction of the sputtered atoms, that is, metal ions. The wafer either self-charges to a negative potential or is RF biased to control its DC potential. The metal ions are accelerated across the plasma sheath as they approach the negatively biased wafer. As a result, their angular distribution becomes strongly peaked in the forward direction so that they are drawn deeply into the via hole. Overhangs become much less of a problem in IMP sputtering, and bottom coverage and bottom sidewall coverage are relatively high.
IMP sputtering using a remote plasma source is usually performed at a higher pressure such as 30 milliTorr or higher. The higher pressures and a high-density plasma can produce a very large number of argon ions, which are also accelerated across the plasma sheath to the surface being sputter deposited. The argon ion energy is often dissipated as heat directly into the film being formed. Copper can dewet from tantalum nitride and other barrier materials at the elevated temperatures experienced in IMP, even at temperatures as low at 50 to 75 C. Further, the argon tends to become embedded in the developing film. IMP can deposit a copper film as illustrated at 136 in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, having a rough or discontinuous surface morphology. Such a film may not promote hole filling, particularly when the liner is being used as the electrode for electroplating.
Plasmas may also be generated by capacitive coupling. In such chambers, RF energy may be capacitively coupled into the chamber through parallel electrodes such as the wafer pedestal and the target. However, capacitively coupled plasmas (CCP) tend to have a density substantially less than that often achieved by ICP plasmas. Hence, the ionization rate of CCP plasmas is often less than that of ICP plasmas.
Another technique for depositing metals is sustained self-sputtering (SSS), as described by Fu et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,617 issued Feb. 17, 2004 and by Fu in U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,614 B1 issued Feb. 6, 2001. For example, at a sufficiently high plasma density adjacent a copper target, a sufficiently high density of copper ions develops that the copper ions will resputter the copper target with yield over unity. The supply of argon working gas can then be eliminated or at least reduced to a very low pressure while the copper plasma persists. Aluminum is believed to be not readily susceptible to SSS. Some other materials, such as Pd, Pt, Ag, and Au can also undergo SSS.
Depositing copper or other metals by sustained self-sputtering of copper has a number of advantages. The sputtering rate in SSS tends to be high. There is a high fraction of copper ions which can be accelerated across the plasma sheath and toward a biased wafer, thus increasing the directionality of the sputter flux. Chamber pressures may be made very low, often limited by leakage of backside cooling gas, thereby reducing wafer heating from the argon ions and decreasing scattering of metal particles by the argon.
Techniques and reactor structures have been developed to promote sustained self-sputtering. It has been observed that some sputter materials not subject to SSS because of sub-unity resputter yields nonetheless benefit from these same techniques and structures, presumably because of partial self-sputtering, which results in a partial self-ionized plasma (SIP). Furthermore, it is often advantageous to sputter copper with a low but finite argon pressure even though SSS without any argon working gas is achievable. Hence, SIP sputtering is the preferred terminology for the more generic sputtering process involving a reduced or zero pressure of working gas so that SSS is a type of SIP.
Metal may also be deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using metallo-organic precursors, such as Cu-HFAC-VTMS, commercially available from Schumacher in a proprietary blend with additional additives under the trade name CupraSelect. A thermal CVD process may be used with this precursor, as is very well known in the art, but plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) is also possible. The CVD process is capable of depositing a generally uniform film even in high-aspect-ratio holes. A film may be deposited by CVD as a thin seed layer, and then PVD or other techniques may be used for final hole filling. However, CVD copper seed layers have often been observed to be rough. The roughness can detract from its use as a seed layer and more particularly as a reflow layer promoting the low temperature reflow of after deposited copper deep into the hole. Also, the roughness indicates that a relatively thick CVD copper layer of the order of 50 nm may be needed to reliably coat a continuous seed layer. For the narrower via holes now being considered, a CVD copper seed layer of a certain thickness may nearly fill the hole. Moreover, complete fills performed by CVD can exhibit center seams, which may affect device reliability.
Another combination technique uses IMP sputtering to deposit a thin copper nucleation layer, sometimes referred to as a flash deposition, and a thicker CVD copper seed layer is deposited on the IMP layer. However, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the IMP layer 136 can be rough, and the CVD layer tends to conform to the roughened substrate. Hence, the CVD layer over an IMP layer will also tend to be rough.
Electrochemical plating (ECP) is yet another copper deposition technique that is being developed. In this method, the wafer is immersed in a copper electrolytic bath. The wafer is electrically biased with respect to the bath, and copper electrochemically deposits on the wafer in a generally uniform film. Electroless plating techniques are also available. Electroplating and its related processes are advantageous because they can be performed with simple equipment at atmospheric pressure, the deposition rates are high, and the liquid processing is compatible with the subsequent chemical mechanical polishing. Also, the electroplating electrode primarily operates on the entire hole sidewalls so that high sidewall coverage is achieved.
Electroplating, however, imposes its own requirements. A seed and adhesion layer is usually provided on top of the barrier layer, such as of Ta/TaN, to nucleate the electroplated copper and adhere it to the barrier material. Furthermore, the generally insulating structure surrounding the via hole 122 requires that an electroplating electrode be formed between the dielectric layer 114 and the via hole 122. Tantalum and other barrier materials are typically relatively poor electrical conductors, and the usual nitride sublayer of the barrier layer 124 which faces the via hole 122 (containing the copper electrolyte) is even less conductive for the long transverse current paths needed in electroplating. Hence, a good conductive seed and adhesion layer are often deposited to facilitate the electroplating effectively filling the bottom of the via hole.
A copper seed layer deposited over the barrier layer 124 is typically used as the electroplating electrode. However, a continuous, smooth, and uniform film is preferred. Otherwise, the electroplating current will be directed only to the areas covered with copper or be preferentially directed to areas covered with ticker copper. Depositing the copper seed layer presents its own difficulties. An IMP deposited seed layer provides good bottom coverage in high aspect-ratio holes, but its sidewall coverage can be small such that the resulting thin films can be rough or discontinuous. A thin CVD seed layer can also be too rough. A thicker CVD seed layer, or CVD copper over IMP copper, may require an excessively thick seed layer to achieve the required continuity.

Self-ionized and capacitively-coupled plasma for sputtering and resputtering


A measurement assembly for determining an electrical resistance of a fluid in a wellbore is provided. The measurement assembly can include a non-conductive frame, comprising an excitation electrode and a monitoring electrode coupled to the non-conductive frame. The measurement assembly can also include a central electrode in a flow path for the fluid, wherein the flow path is defined by the non-conductive frame. The central electrode can be positioned for conductively coupling the excitation electrode and the monitoring electrode through a conductive path defined by the fluid. Further, the measurement assembly can include a power source for transmitting power to the excitation electrode for determining the electrical resistance of the fluid. The electrical resistance of the fluid can be used to determine whether the fluid includes oil, water, or gas.

A well system (e.g., an oil or gas well) includes a wellbore that is typically drilled for extracting hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation. But not every well system contains enough hydrocarbons to make it commercially viable to continue operating the well. Operators of the well system can determine whether the well system has a commercially productive level of hydrocarbons by analyzing fluid in the wellbore. The characteristics of the fluid (e.g., the multi-phase composition, water-cut, gas/oil ratio, velocity, or flow regime of the fluid) in the wellbore can provide useful information about the viability of the well system.
Fluid in the wellbore, however, can exhibit complex fluid characteristics, for example, a multiphase flow pattern. A multi-phase flow pattern can include at least two fluids with different states (e.g., solids, liquids, or gasses), otherwise referred to as "phases," simultaneously flowing through a medium, for example, the wellbore. Multi-phase flow patterns can include two-phase flow patterns, for example, water-gas or oil-gas flow patterns. Other multi-phase flow patterns can include three-phase (e.g., gas, liquid, and solid), emulsion, turbulent, bubbly, slug, churn, and annular flow patterns. These complex flow patterns and other fluid characteristics can make it challenging to analyze fluid in the wellbore.

Downhole tool for determining electrical resistance of a fluid in a wellbore


A method, an arrangement and computer program product for manufacturing micro-optic surface design with complex, variable three-dimensional forms. A step embossing, step imprinting, a chip bonding or a corresponding device capable of patterning the surface of a target substrate is obtained. The target substrate whereto the micro-optic structures shall be patterned is obtained. A plurality of different stamping tools operable with the device is obtained. Each stamping tool includes one or more surface relief forms defining one or more micro-optic structures. A stamping tool is selected from the plurality of stamping tools by the device. The target substrate is embossed with the selected stamping tool as controlled by the device. The selected stamping tool is optionally heated or assisted by at least one ultraviolet light so as to cure the target substrate during or after the embossing. The selecting and embossing steps are repeated until the micro-optic surface design has been completed on the substrate.

There is an ever-increasing demand for improving light management and luminous efficiency in many illumination applications. This hypothesis is especially applicable to LED (Light-Emitting Diode) illumination. It is necessary to utilize efficient optics with point-like light sources such as LEDs in order to achieve the required lighting performance. Solutions exploiting diffractive optics or other sophisticated micro-optic structures provide a range of new possibilities for advanced illumination including dimensional benefits and cost-effective integrations.
Generally, the fabrication of diffractive (DO) or other micro-optic structures is completed by means of lithographic processes such as mask lithography, direct laser beam, or e-beam writing. These methods have certain disadvantages, which critically limit the fabrication of preferred structures. The most critical issues relate to fabrication of complex three-dimensional shapes (like blazed gratings), flexible orientations/modulation capability, as well as large surface patterning. Lithographic methods do not perform well with blazed/slanted or hybrid profiles. On the other hand, wafers are generally provided in very limited sizes (e.g. 6 or 8 inch sizes), which sets additional burden for manufacturing of large surfaces with microstructures.
Conventional lithographic methods also primarily utilize resist layers, which requires adoption of several process steps such as etching, developing, etc. Thus the total process speed is limited and optical measurement can't be done simultaneously. In imprinting, the patterning is typically completed on the soft resist layers, by means of thermal or UV (Ultraviolet) curing. Consequently, the vertical positioning cannot be controlled in a clever manner, and a longer process time is thus required for the depth control. Most thermoplastic resists are softer requiring etching.
Recently, micro-machining has become more precise, allowing micro-optic structures to be cut with high quality diamond tools. However, there are still critical limitations, such as flexibility of structural orientations/modulation, difficulties in fabricating larger structures, large machining tolerances, etc. relating to the feasibility of such solutions.
Considering the replication of various microstructures in general and after manufacturing a master mold containing those, the used methods may include UV or thermal casting, hot embossing and injection molding, for example.
In UV and thermal casting a UV or thermally curable polymer resin is spread onto a base material, for example, PMMA. The master, e.g. a PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) silicone stamper, is then placed in contact with the adhesive and immediately cured with an UV-lamp, or in an oven, respectively. After curing, the shim and the replica can be separated.
Hot embossing lithography, e.g. flatbed and roll-to-roll embossing, is an imprinting method wherein microstructures are formed on a substrate also using a master mold. The replication material can either be in the form of a sheet of plastic foil or a thin film, spin-coated onto a substrate. During embossing, the master, e.g. a Ni-shim, is placed in contact with the plastic film, and pressure is applied on the film being heated above its glass transition temperature Tg. After removal of the pressure, the film is cooled down and the Ni shim is removed, leaving a high quality replica of the micro-structure behind.
Injection molding is an established technology for high-speed mass production of plastic components, e.g. compact discs. A master such as a Ni-shim containing the microstructure to be replicated is mounted on one side of the mold, and preheated plastic is injected into the mold. A pressure of several MPa is then applied. After rapid cooling, the molded part is extracted.
Also screenprinting (silkscreening) techniques wherein white reflective spots are printed on a carrier surface have been presented for implementing microstructures. The generated spots generally provide rather limited optical performance.
Despite of various existing methods for manufacturing different microstructures on a carrier surface the aforesaid problems have remain at least partially unsolved in the context of high-precision micro-optic products.

Method and arrangement for manufacturing optical products with complex three-dimensional forms


An embodiment of this disclosure relates to a fluidic interface for a fluid cartridge comprising a single cast comprising a fluidic needle.

A fluidic interface is arranged to connect to a fluid cartridge. The interface and the cartridge have corresponding inter-engaging parts designed to facilitate interconnection. The fluidic interface is arranged to connect the fluid cartridge to a further fluid channel. When the fluid cartridge is connected to the fluidic interface, the fluidic interface guides the fluid from the cartridge to a corresponding further fluid channel.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An embodiment of the present invention provides a jig for detaching a display assembly. The display assembly comprises: a fixing module configured to fix a backlight module in the display assembly; and an absorbing module configured to absorb a display panel in the display assembly such that the display panel and the backlight module are separated from each other by an external force.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to the field of a display technique, in particular, relates to a jig for detaching a display assembly.
Description of the Related Art
A display assembly includes a backlight module and a display panel. The backlight module and the display panel are stuck to each other by a sealant at four sides thereof. At present, the backlight module and the display panel in the display assembly are typically recycled to reduce the manufacturing cost.
A major problem for recycling the backlight module and the display panel in the display assembly is how to detach the display assembly successfully to achieve the separation of the backlight module from the display panel. In the prior art, the backlight module and the display panel are separated from each other mainly by hands directly. However, during such separation, the display panel will be subject to non-uniform forces and thus it is easy to cause issues such as breakdown or crack. At the same time, issues of the backlight module such as deformation, film displacement tend to occur, causing a low success chance of detaching the display assembly.

HEFEI BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An information reproducing method and an information reproducing device in which the key renewal block (KRB) of the latest version is selectively used to encrypt the content to store the encrypted contents in a recording medium. A plural number of KRBs of different generations and versions are stored in a recording medium. If the latest KRB is detected, it is stored in a memory unit within the recording and/or reproducing device. A plural number of KRBs having plural different generations or versions are stored on the recording medium. With the present method and device, in storing the content in the recording medium, the latest usable one of the KRB in the memory unit of the reproducing device and plural KRBs on the recording medium is detected to acquire an encrypting key, such as a media key, to execute the content encryption. In this manner, the encrypted content based on a KRB of a newer version can at all times be stored on the recording medium.

In keeping up with progress and development of digital signal processing techniques, recording devices or recording media for digitally recording the information, are finding widespread use. With the digital recording device or recording medium, since copying can be repeatedly made without degrading the sound or picture quality, recording media obtained on unauthorized duplication may be circulated on the market, thus impairing the benefit of the copyright owners or authorized distributers of various content items, such as music or motion pictures. Nowadays, various techniques or systems for preventing unauthorized duplication have been introduced in the digital recording devices or digital recording media in order to prohibit such unauthorized duplication of digital data.
For example, in a MD (mini-disc), MD being a trademark, an SCMS (Serial Copy Management System) is used as a method of prohibiting unauthorized duplication. The SCMS is such a system in which, on the data reproducing side, an SCMS signal is output along with audio data from a digital interface (DIF) and, on the receiving side, the recording of audio data from the reproducing side is controlled based on the SCMS signal from the reproducing side to prohibit the unauthorized duplication.
Specifically, the SCMS signal is such a signal indicating whether given audio data is copy-free data, for which copying can be made any number of times, copy-once-allowed data, for which copying is allowed only once, or copy-prohibited data, for which copying is prohibited. On receipt of audio data from the DIF, the data recording side detects the SCMS signal, sent along with the audio data. If the SCMS signal is copy-free, the audio data is recorded, along with the SCMS signals, on a mini-disc. If the SCMS signal is copy-once-allowed, the SCMS signal is changed to copy-prohibited and is recorded along with the audio data on the mini-disc. If the SCMS signal is copy-prohibited, audio data is not recorded. By this control employing the SCMS, unauthorized duplication of audio data, protected by copyright, may be prevented from occurring.
With the SCMS, it is prerequisite that the data recording equipment itself owns the structure of controlling the recording of the audio data from the reproducing side, based on the SCMS signals, as described above. Thus, if the mini-disc not having the structure of executing the SCMS control is produced, it is difficult to cope with the illicit copying. So, the DVD player, for example, is configured for prohibiting illicit copying of copyright-protected data by exploiting a content scramble system.
In the content scramble system, video or audio data are recorded encrypted in a DVD-ROM(Read Only Memory), and a key used for decoding the encrypted data (decrypting key) is given a licenced DVD player. It is a DVD player, designed to comply with preset operational regulations, such as not undertaking illicit copying, that is licensed. So, the licenced DVD player is able to reproduce the pictures or speech from the DVD-ROM by decoding the encrypted data, recorded on the DVD-ROM, by exploiting the accorded key.
On the other hand, an unlicenced DVD player, not having a key for decoding the encrypted data, is unable to decode the encrypted data recorded on the DVD-ROM. Thus, with the content scramble system configuration, a DVD player not meeting required conditions at the licencing time cannot reproduce the DVD-ROM having digital data recorded thereon, thus prohibiting unauthorized duplication.
However, the content scramble system, used in the DVD-ROM, is designed for a recording medium on which data writing by the user is impossible (this sort of the recording medium is incidentally referred to below as ROM media), while account is not taken of application thereof to a recording medium on which data writing by the user is possible (this sort of the recording medium is incidentally referred to below as RAM media).
That is, if the data recorded on the ROM media is encrypted, but the encrypted data is copied in its entirety on the RAM media, the result is a so-called pirate edition reproducible on a licenced authorized device.
The present Assignee proposed in our senior patent application (Japanese Laying-Open Patent Publication H-11-224461; JP Patent Application 10-25310) a configuration in which the information for identification of individual recording media, referred to below as medium identification information, is recorded along with other data on a recording medium in question to permit only the licenced authentic device to access the medium identification information of the recording medium.
With this method, data on the recording medium is encrypted by the media identification information and a secret key (master key), obtained on licencing, such that, if an unlicenced device or equipment reads out the encrypted data, no meaningful data can be produced. It is noted that the device has its operation regulated at the time of licencing so that illicit duplication (unauthorized copying) is prohibited.
An unlicenced device cannot access the media identification information, while the medium identification information is of a value specific to each medium, so that, even if such unlicenced device duplicates the totality of the encrypted data, recorded on the recording medium, on a new recording medium, the data recorded on the so produced recording medium cannot be decrypted correctly on a licenced device, to say nothing of the unlicenced device, thus effectively prohibiting the unauthorized duplication.
Meanwhile, in the above configuration, a master key stored in a licenced device or equipment is usually common to all devices or equipment. The reason the master key common to the plural equipment is stored is that this represents an essential condition in order to make the media recorded on a given equipment reproducible on other equipment, that is to assure interoperability.
If, in such system, a hacker has succeeded in aggressing an equipment and has taken out the master key, the data recorded encrypted can be decrypted in the entire system, thus leading to breakdown of the entire system. In order to prevent this from occurring, it is essential that, if it is revealed that a given equipment is attacked and a master key has become explicit, the master key be changed to a new one, which then is given the totality of the equipment except the equipment which has succumbed to the attack. As the simplest system to realize this configuration, a key unique to each equipment (device key) may be given each equipment and a value obtained on encrypting the new master key with the individual device key may then be formed and transmitted to each equipment through a recording medium. However, in this case, the volume of the entire messages to be transmitted is undesirably increased in proportion to the number of the equipment.
As the configuration, intended to overcome such problem, the present Assignee has already proposed in our co-pending patent application (JP Patent Application 2000-105328) a configuration employing a key distribution method having respective information reproducing devices arranged at respective leaves of an n-branched tree, in which a key necessary for recording the content data on a recording medium or reproduction from the recording medium (master key or media key) is distributed through a recording medium or over a communication network, each equipment then undertaking the recording or reproduction of the content data using the so distributed master key or media key to enable the key to be distributed to authorized equipment (equipment in which secrecy is not disclosed) with a lesser message volume. Specifically, a key required in generating a key required for recording on a recording medium or reproduction from the recording medium, for example, a node key allocated to each leaf or node of an n-branched tree, is set as a renewal node key. The renewal node key is encrypted such that decryption is possible with a leaf key or a node key owned solely by the authorized equipment, and the resulting encrypted information is included in a key renewal block (KRB) which is then distributed to each information recording and/or reproducing equipment. On receipt of the key renewal block (KRB), each recording and/or reproducing equipment executes KRB decrypting processing to acquire the key necessary in recording or reproduction on or from the recording medium.
The aforementioned structure has a feature that, if it is revealed that a given device in a specified system (group or set of recording and/or reproducing devices) is attacked by a hacker and a device key as the secrecy of the device has become disclosed, the recording and/or reproducing device, the secrecy of which as become disclosed, is excluded from the system, that is the recording and/or reproducing interoperability between the device thus excluded from the system and the devices not excluded from the system is disabled, insofar as recording media manufactured since that time is concerned.
In this system, there is presented a problem that an equipment the secrecy of which has become disclosed can be excluded from the system only insofar as recording media manufactured since that time is concerned, whereas data recorded on a recording medium manufactured prior to the time of such disclosure can be decrypted using the so disclosed key even although the actual data recording time is posterior to the time of such disclosure, that is, there may be occasions where the device to be excluded cannot actually be excluded.
In view of the above-described status of the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a information recording devices, an information reproducing device, an information recording method, an information reproducing method, a cipher key renewal method, an information recording medium and a computer program, in which, after it is revealed that secrecy has become disclosed, recording media produced prior to such disclosure cannot be decrypted using the disclosed key to enable more effective encryption of content.

Information recording and/or reproducing method and information recording and/or reproducing device


A valve assembly is provided, the valve assembly includes a shaft, the shaft comprising a sight through-hole; and a flow through-hole. The valve assembly further comprises a shaft position mechanism, the shaft position mechanism comprising a driving means configured to provide movement to the shaft, and at least one diode and at least one corresponding sensor. The valve assembly further includes at least one flow path from at least one fluid inlet to at least one fluid outlet, wherein the shaft is configured to move across the at least one flow path so as to allow flow therethrough in a first position, and to block the at least one flow path in a second position.

Motorised valves can indicate position of a valve shaft via the use of microswitches. These can give information about a position of a valve shaft even if the valve is not being sourced with power, as they provide a physical position input. However, other sensors cannot provide such functionality, and rather require constant power to feedback the position of the valve. Therefore, if it is necessary that the position of the valve is still to be measured in the event of a power failure, it is not possible to use other sensors such as optical sensors.
For example, such motorised valves may be provided within aircraft.

Motorised valve with vertical shaft and super capacitor backup power


Disclosed herein is a digitizer, including: an input unit in which a magnet is embedded; a driving coil in which source supplies to induce a line of magnetic force; a sensing coil in which voltage or current is induced by the line of magnetic force; and a controlling unit supplying the source to the driving coil and measuring the voltage or the current induced in the sensing coil, wherein the controlling unit senses a change amount in the voltage or the current induced in the sensing coil to calculate a coordinate, when the voltage or the current induced in the sensing coil is changed by the magnet.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a digitizer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In accordance with the growth of computers using a digital technology, devices assisting computers have also been developed, and personal computers, portable transmitters and other personal information processors execute processing of text and graphics using a variety of input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse.
While the rapid advancement of an information-oriented society has widened the use of computers more and more, it is difficult to efficiently operate products using only a keyboard and a mouse currently serving as an input device. Therefore, the necessity for a device that is simple, has minimum malfunction, and is capable of easily inputting information has increased.
In addition, current techniques for the input devices have progressed toward techniques related to high reliability, durability, innovation, designing and processing beyond a level of satisfying general functions. To this end, an electromagnetic induction type digitizer has been developed as an input device capable of inputting information such as text, graphics, or the like.
There is a capacitive touch screen as an input device capable of performing a function similar to that of the electromagnetic induction type digitizer. However, the capacitive touch screen may neither sense an accurate coordinate nor recognize writing pressure, as compared to the electromagnetic induction type digitizer. Therefore, the electromagnetic induction type digitizer is more advantageous in view of precision or accuracy than the capacitive touch screen.
However, as disclosed in the following Prior Art Document, a digitizer according to the prior art requires a pen for the digitizer, which should include a coil receiving a magnetic field to generate current and regenerate a magnetic field using the current and a capacitor charged and discharged with the current generated in the coil. Therefore, in the digitizer according to the prior art, the pen for the digitizer is heavy and thick, such that it is inconvenient to use the digitizer and it is difficult to embed the digitizer in a mobile device.


An improvement in quality is achieved by improving a contrast ratio. Therefore, in a projector device including a light source device using a solid-state light source (AR) includes a temperature adjustment device (190) capable of setting a state in which a temperature of at least the solid-state light source is caused to increase. Then, a determination unit (12) determines a luminance state of an image and a control unit (16) controls a heat state of the solid-state light source (AR) by controlling the temperature adjustment device (190) on the basis of a determination result. In particular, by increasing the temperature of the solid-state light source (AR) in accordance with an image, light emission efficiency is lowered to decrease luminance.

In recent years, solid-state light sources such as laser diodes (LDs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used as light sources in projector devices. Patent Literature 1 discloses a projector device in which a solid-state light source is used.
In addition, some solid-state light sources of which light emission efficiency varies depending on temperature states are known.


A self-contained branch circuit monitor 2 is has a small form factor configured to fit in the limited space available in a load center 1, in association with a branch circuit breaker 10A occupying a branch location slot 45 in the load center 1. A flexible printed circuit board 4 is wrapped around an outside circumference of a toroidal sensor coil 6 of a current transformer. A current monitoring circuit 15 is formed on the flexible printed circuit board. The monitoring circuit is electrically connected to leads 7, 9 from the sensor coil and is powered by current 17 induced in the sensor coil from current 5 in the branch circuit wire. A branch circuit wire 3A is threaded through the current transformer's center. A transmitter 22 is part of the flexible printed circuit board, to transfer the monitored current data to other locations.

In order to create a Smart Grid infrastructure to better manage energy resources, it will be necessary to monitor and measure energy demand at the individual points of consumption, in homes, at places of business, and at industrial sites. The focal point for electrical power distribution in homes, businesses, and factories is the load center, where the branch circuits are organized with branch circuit breakers occupying branch location slots in the load center, and connected through the circuit breakers to an incoming main power bus. The load center is one location for installing the capability to monitor and measure energy demand.
The universal installation of energy monitoring equipment in homes, businesses, and factories must be simple, practical, and not expensive. In the prior art, branch circuit monitoring systems required the installation of current sensing circuits on each individual branch circuit line and wiring a power source to each sensing circuit. Such a solution is neither simple, practical, nor inexpensive.


A gathering conveyor for a row unit of an agricultural harvesting machine, including an elongate flexible conveyor element configured for encircling spaced apart first and second rotatable elements, for rotation thereabout so as to move along a stalkway of a row unit adapted for receiving a stalk of a plant to be harvested by the row unit, the conveyor element including gathering elements for conveying harvested crops along the stalkway, including elements that project into the stalkway and elements that project in the opposite direction, each of the gathering elements having a stepped profile shape when viewed from a longitudinal direction wherein either the upper or lower terminal end portions thereof are shorter, so that the gathering elements of conveyors of adjacent row units having oppositely shortened end portions can overlap, to enable positioning of the row units in closer proximity.

Corn or maize headers for harvesting machines comprise row units, each of which typically includes two gathering conveyors, two snapping rolls and a pair of associated stripper plates. The gathering conveyors extend along opposite sides of a stalkway, which is a fore and aft extending slot that is open on the front end. The snapping rolls also extend along the opposite sides of the stalkway, typically below the gathering conveyors, as do the stripper plates. The gathering conveyors typically comprise endless chains each of which encircles a drive sprocket adjacent to the aft end of the stalkway, and a front sprocket adjacent to the forward end. The chain includes sidewardly projecting gathering elements, which are also sometimes referred to as gatherers or lugs.
In operation, during forward movement of the harvester over a field, each row unit will be aligned with and driven along a row of corn. The corn stalks will be received through the front open end into the stalkway, and the snapping rolls rotate to pull the corn stalk downward and past the stripper plates. As the stalk is pulled downward, the ears of corn which are attached to the stalk are stripped from the stalk by the stripper plates. The stripped ears are then conveyed rearwardly to an auger of the header by the gathering conveyors. This operation is performed simultaneously by each of the row units.
The adjacent row units of a corn header are spaced apart at spacings corresponding to the spacings between the adjacent rows of corn, such that the stalk ways can be aligned with the individual rows. Because of the width of the apparatus on each side of the stalk way of a row unit, there is typically a minimum row spacing of twice this width, that is, a spacing that accommodates the apparatus on adjacent sides of two side by side row units. Mainly, this width is a function of the width of the gathering conveyor.
Numerous attempts to reduce the width of the gathering conveyors, have been made. Reference in this regard, Becker U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,415, entitled Corn Gathering and Conveying System, issued Oct. 27, 1998; and Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,560, entitled Narrow Row Corn Head With Tilted Gatherers, issued Mar. 9, 1999, both of which involve tilting of the gathering conveyors. Reference also, Gunn U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,561, entitled Row Crop Harvester, also issued Mar. 9, 1999; and Clarke U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,599, entitled Corn Harvester With Improved Ear Picking Mechanism, issued Feb. 11, 2003, both of which involve staggering adjacent conveyors vertically.
A shortcoming of tilting the gathering conveyors is that the adjacent conveyors must still be spaced apart sufficiently such that the gathering elements or lugs of the two conveyors do not contact. Stacking adjacent conveyors allows the gathering elements and even the conveyors themselves to overlap. However, this can be a shortcoming as it requires the adjacent conveyors to be mounted at different heights. And, as a result, the conveyors on the opposite sides of the respective stalk ways will be at different heights, which can cause conveying problems.
What is sought therefore, is a gathering conveyor construction that can be incorporated into a row unit, which allows further reducing the spacing between adjacent row units, but which overcomes at least one of the shortcomings and limitations of the known constructions.

Crop gathering conveyor with overlappable gathering elements for a header of an agricultural harvesting machine


A method of establishing a desired flow of haul trucks with respect to a jobsite can include receiving, from a paver locating device, a paver location signal indicative of a location of a paver. A central computer can establish a desired location range of the first haul truck based on the paver location signal and a first haul truck location signal.

Pavers or paving machines can be used in a paving process to create a new road surface. When performing paving operations, paving machines, haul trucks, and remixing transfer vehicles can be used to perform a variety of tasks, and in doing so, can move about a job site. Haul trucks may be required to move between a job site and a plant. The operation of these machines can be coordinated to perform a paving operation in an efficient manner. Coordination of haul trucks and pavers is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,481,964 by Marsolek, issued Nov. 1, 2016, which discusses systems for communication between a plant and machines or equipment, such as haul trucks and pavers.
Haul trucks can be coordinated to help the paver perform paving operations in an efficient manner. Maintaining a steady and efficiently spaced flow of haul trucks between the plant and the paving jobsite is important to provide adequate material to the paver, material quality (as asphalt within a truck cools it impacts the final product), and efficiency of haul trucks and personnel by reducing operational costs. Accordingly, a poor flow of haul trucks (inconsistent flow or poor spacing) can negatively impact the quality of the completed roadway and can increase operating costs due to inefficient use of equipment and personnel.
The paving industry often relies on knowledge, experience, and attentiveness of the plant and haul truck operators to recognize when there is a potential problem and to communicate and organize to optimize truck flow. However, human error, interruptions in communication, and miscommunication can cause sub-optimal haul truck grouping during paving operations.


In order to provide a temperature and humidity sensor with improved reliability, the temperature and humidity sensor in which all or part of a case of the temperature and humidity sensor is inserted into a main duct for causing gas to pass through and which detects humidity of the gas, includes: a first sub-passage configured as a part of the case, a part of the gas passing through the main duct flowing in substantially the same direction as a flow in the main duct; a throttle section provided between an inlet and an outlet of the first sub-passage and on an inner surface of the first sub-passage, the throttle section having a throttle whose cross-sectional area is smaller than an average cross-sectional area of the entire first sub-passage; and a second sub-passage which connects an upstream side and a downstream side of the throttle section and is different from the first sub-passage. The first sub-passage and an inlet and an outlet of the second sub-passage are connected via respective connection ports, and the connection port between the inlet of the second sub-passage and the first sub-passage or the connection port between the outlet of the second sub-passage and the first sub-passage is provided on a side where a throttle is not provided when viewed from an axis in an upstream and downstream direction of the flow in the first sub-passage.

In recent years, a temperature and humidity sensor has been utilized in a vehicle. Also, there are techniques described in PTL 1 and PTL 2 as a background art of this technical field. PTL 1 describes "provision of "Air Conditioning Device for Automobile" formed by integrally incorporating a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor in a control device without a lead wire or a dedicated casing". Further, PTL 2 describes "a device which is capable of accurately detecting temperature and humidity and is also made compact". In other words, it is important that the temperature and humidity sensor is miniaturized and integrated in this way.