A holographic reconstruction system having spatial light modulators, an eye finder and a position control orients a propagating spatially modulated light wave field toward at least one eye position of an observer's eye, thereby reconstructing a scene in a three-dimensional manner and tracking the same during a position change of the eye position. Unobstructed lateral and axial movement of the observer head to arbitrary eye positions in a tracking region is enabled. The use of additional, planar optical components, which bring about optical aberrations during a position change of observer eyes, are prevented.

The applicant has already disclosed a number of holographic reconstruction systems which three-dimensionally reconstruct a scene with the help of a propagating modulated light wave field, which is directed by a wave tracking means at at least one eye of an observer.
This document describes the functional principle of such a reconstruction system with the example of a light wave field which reconstructs a scene to be visible for one eye of an observer. For the other eye, the system can generate a second wave field with holographic information which differs in parallax in a space- or time-division multiplex process. However, the system can generally also provide a wave field with a sufficiently large visibility region. The systems can also generate and direct separate wave fields for multiple observers in a space- or time-division multiplex process.
A basic principle for a reconstruction system is applied for the present invention, where spatial light modulator means represent a video hologram. FIG. 1 shows a general technical problem of a reconstruction system which uses light modulator means with discrete modulator cells. In this example, the light modulator means is a single light modulator SLM, which modulates a light wave field LW which is capable of generating interference with holographic information when light shines through it, i.e. in a transmissive grid mode, or as controllable, spatially arranged micro reflectors. The light modulator SLM is dynamically encoded with holographic information of the scene. In either case, a modulated wave field is created which reconstructs the object light points of the scene after a Fourier transformation with a focussing lens L in the space in front of the focal plane FL. The focussing lens L ensures that the light emitted by all regions of the video hologram passes through the visibility region in a non-defined manner.
As in conventional holography with photographic plates or photographic film, the light modulator SLM shown in FIG. 1 also comprises the entire holographic information of the scene in each modulator cell for a conventional video hologram. After dividing a video hologram, each hologram region could holographically reconstruct the entire scene for itself, depending on the observer angle—only the angular range in which the object can be watched decreases.
However, a problem occurs if the known system encodes the holographic information for each object light point on the entire modulator surface of a two-dimensional spatial light modulator with a pixelated modulator cell structure, e.g. a liquid crystal display. In addition to each desired reconstructed object light point, additional parasitic light points, which lie in a spatial frequency spectrum, inevitably occur in further diffraction orders. FIG. 1 illustrates, in a greatly simplified manner, the selected object light point OP0 in the diffraction order used by the system and, in addition, parasitic light points OP+1 and OP−1 in the diffraction orders +1 and −1. Further parasitic light points, which are not of much interest in the context of the present invention, occur in further diffraction orders. At the position of the reconstruction, the object light point lies in a diffraction interval aligned with all parasitic light points. After the reconstruction, light wave cones propagate with periodical distances from each light point to the focal plane, and their opening angles are defined by the wavelength of the light which illuminates the modulator cells and by the distance of the modulator cells in the cell structure.
The light wave cones of all reconstructed light points OP+1, OP0 and OP−1 propagate at a wide angle, such that in a visibility region VR, which is defined in the focal plane FL by the diffraction order used for reconstructing, also light from adjacent light wave cones of the parasitic light points OP+1 and OP−1 appears, so that those light points are visible. This disturbance cannot be compensated by way of filtering.
Such a holographic reconstruction system has been described the first time by the applicant of this invention in their international publication no. WO 2004/044659, titled "Video hologram and device for reconstructing video holograms". FIG. 2 shows a possibility, known from that publication, to overcome this drawback.
In order to avoid light waves of higher diffraction orders in the visibility region, small object elements of the scene, preferably discrete object light points, which are separately reconstructed by the reconstruction system, are used for encoding the light modulator means. In the example, a computer-aided hologram processor means (not shown) reduces the encoded surface of the light modulator SLM for each object light point to a hologram region H0 in correspondence to its spatial position in front of the visibility region VR and the size of the visibility region VR. As a consequence, only light from the object light point of the used diffraction order enters the visibility region VR. The visibility region thus only lies in one diffraction order. An observer who looks with at least one eye towards the video hologram and who watches the scene, cannot see the light wave which, in this example, is emitted by the parasitic light point OP+1.
A hologram processor (not shown) of the system controller computes the surface area of each hologram region depending on the axial position of the object light point OP0 in space. This means that both the axial distance d1 from the object light point OP0 and the distance d2 from the focal plane to the light modulator SLM define the surface area of the hologram region H0. The lateral deviation of the reconstructed object light point OP0 from the optical axis of the light modulator SLM defines the position of the hologram region H0 on the surface of the light modulator SLM. In other words, size and position of each hologram region H0 are defined by imaginary connecting planes from the visibility region VR through the respective point to the modulator surface of the light modulator.
This encoding method has also been disclosed by the applicant in the international publication no. WO 2006/119920, titled "Device for holographic reconstruction of three-dimensional scenes".
FIG. 3 only shows schematically for a three-dimensional scene 3DS only those light waves which are emitted by the reconstructed object light points in the used diffraction order. This example only shows few selected object light points OP1 . . . OP4 of a scene section. The hologram processor HP encodes for each individual object light point OP1 . . . OP4 a separate hologram region H1 . . . H4 in a number of adjacent modulator cells of the light modulator SLM. Each hologram region forms in conjunction with the focussing lens L an adjustable lens, which reconstructs its object light point OP in the space between the SLM and the focal plane FL, such that its light wave propagates into the visibility region VR without leaving the used diffraction order in the focal plane FL. This prevents a perception of parasitic light points of other diffraction orders in the visibility region VR. The hologram processor HP always assigns the holographic information of an individual object light point only to a limited hologram region H of the modulator surface. Considering the data of the current eye position, which is provided by the system controller with the help of an eye finder, the hologram processor computes the position and size of each hologram region.
The two prior art reconstruction systems have the disadvantage that the reconstruction is only visible without errors from the visibility region VR, which lies in the focal plane FL. Only there, all light waves of the reconstructed object light points coincide to form a light wave field which entirely represents the reconstruction of the scene. The visibility region is of virtual nature and thus difficult to be detected for the observer without any aids. Because the reconstruction system does not have a spatial frequency filter for suppressing adjacent diffraction orders, light from parasitic light points propagates beyond the focal plane FL on to the eye pupil. This is illustrated in FIG. 5a with the example of a reconstructed object light point OP0. If an observer eye was positioned in the indicated visibility region VR2, also light from the parasitic light points OP+1 would propagate into the eye pupil and the light point OP+1 would thus be visible as a disturbing spot.
Moreover, starting at a certain magnitude, distances in either direction from the eye position to the focal plane FL cause the light waves emitted by certain hologram regions, in particular those which lie at the margin of the light modulator SLM, to not propagate to the eye pupil of the observer eye, so that these object light points are not visible at that eye position. This disadvantage is illustrated in FIG. 6a. An observer eye which is positioned in the indicated visibility region VR2 cannot see the object light point OP3 of the reconstructed scene because its light wave does not fall on the eye pupil. This fact requires the propagating wave field with the reconstruction and the visibility region VR to be directed at the current eye position and to be tracked if an observer moves his head.
Prior art holographic reconstruction systems therefore comprise an eye finder and corresponding tracking means. If the observer moves, the tracking system tracks the corresponding modulated wave field to the changed current eye position, for example by changing the active light source position. The term 'current eye position' shall be understood hereinafter as the eye position at the end of a modulated wave field, which is directed at at least one such observer eye for which the currently encoded video hologram has modulated the wave field. Example: A holographic reconstruction system provides a separately modulated wave field for each eye of an observer in a time-division multiplex process. If the system controller receives the information that two observers watch the reconstruction, it must provide these modulated light fields, one after another, for four different eye positions, where the holographic contents for the right and the left eye differ. At the point of time when the video hologram sequence provides a single hologram for a right eye, the tracking system directs the modulated wave field with the single hologram only towards the right eye of the first observer and then towards the right eye of the second observer. Thereafter, when a single hologram for a left eye is encoded, the two remaining eye positions will be addressed.
Such tracking means are relatively complicated and exhibit optical elements which severely deform the propagating wave field prior to the reconstruction of the scene. The optical tracking means track the modulated wave field at an oblique angle of incidence, which depends on the current eye position, and which can differ considerably from the optical axis of the components. Consequently, aberrations and runtime errors with fluctuating portions occur.
Those cause a position-dependent deformation of the propagating wave field and must be compensated prior to the reconstruction. Changing observer eye positions cause aberrations, such as spherical aberration, coma, field curvature, astigmatism and distortion, which are difficult to compensate due to their fluctuating portions. These deformations cause the coincidence of the light waves in the visibility region to be disturbed and individual reconstructed object light points of the scene to be reconstructed at an incorrect position or in a blurred manner, so that the scene is represented in a distorted manner or, in extreme cases, individual objects of the scene in the visibility region are even missing.
Another holographic reconstruction system, which has the object to considerably reduce the computational load when encoding the light modulator SLM, is known from the international publication WO 01/095016, titled "Computation time reduction for three-dimensional displays".
Compared with the system described above, that system uses a very high-resolution light modulator SLM and always encodes the current hologram only into a variable eye-position-specific light modulator region with a limited number of modulator cells. An eye finder determines for the control means of the system both the eye position and the details of the scene which the observer is currently watching. The control means thus define in the data of the current video hologram the modulator cells which contribute to the reconstruction of these viewed details, and compute the code values for the light modulator region, depending on the viewing direction of the observer eyes towards the display screen. In order to reduce the computational load, the system controller computes the values for the defined modulator cells with the highest priority. The system then forms a corresponding system exit pupil which reconstructs the details. The remainder of the reconstructed object which is not currently watched by the observer or which cannot be seen from the eye position is computed and updated by the system controller with low priority and/or less frequency. In correspondence with the pupil position of the observer eye, the system controller simultaneously modifies the shape, size and position of the corresponding exit pupil. The simulated object appears in a relatively small three-dimensional polyhedron, which lies around the focal plane FL of the optical reconstruction system.
Besides a relatively small reconstruction space for a reconstruction close to the focal plane FL, that prior art reconstruction system has the disadvantage, compared to the former one, that it only uses a greatly limited number of all available modulator cells of the light modulator. This redundancy greatly reduces the visibility range on to the reconstruction and requires, compared to the former system, a light modulator with a much higher resolution and, as shown in the document, an optical reconstruction system with a dimension that is larger than the light modulator. Because a fix background is missing, the system is little suitable for the reconstruction of video scenes with objects in multiple spatial depths. In that system too, the modulated wave field must propagate at an oblique angle through the optical reconstruction system. This also form a source for aberrations, which depend on changing eye positions.

Holographic reconstruction system with a tracking device for the reconstruction


A network is crawled using a trained learning model to identify a set of secondary-source documents related to an event. A hub page from the set of secondary-source documents is identified that includes a link predicted to link to a new relevant secondary-source document. The new document is added to the set of secondary-source documents. Information is extracted from the set of secondary-source documents. Feedback is received indicative of a relevancy level for the extracted information as applied to the event. Each document is classified into one or more categories related to the event, based on the extracted information and the received feedback information. A learning model is trained based on the received feedback.

A humanitarian crisis (or humanitarian disaster) is defined as a singular event or a series of events that are threatening in terms of the health, safety or well-being of a community or a large group of people. Humanitarian crises may include armed conflicts, epidemics, famine, natural disasters, man-made emergencies, or any of various combinations thereof. These crises may involve or lead to a humanitarian disaster that extends beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency. Regardless of the type of disaster, survivors are left in urgent of need of life-saving assistance such as shelter, food, water and health care.
One broad objective in any humanitarian response, regardless of the type of disaster, is to save lives and reduce suffering through meeting humanitarian needs. How such needs are met depends on the specific emergency. For example, in armed conflicts more effort is taken to protect the lives of humanitarian workers. In floods and tsunamis, access to affected populations might sometimes be challenging. Each humanitarian disaster raises a unique set of challenges, thereby mandating a customized response. Phenomena such as unplanned urbanization, under-development, poverty and climate change are all factors that can make humanitarian emergencies more complex, frequent and/or severe.
During many recent humanitarian crises, observers have reached for their smart phones, tablets, or other portable electronic devices to report, provide commentary, and explore information surrounding the crisis. Data gathered by these applications constitutes a large repository of real-time, crisis-related information. However, using this data to analyze a humanitarian crisis is extremely difficult, due in part to the unstructured, informal, and personalized nature of the gathered data. Thus, there exists a need to overcome at least one of the preceding deficiencies and limitations of the related art.

Humanitarian crisis analysis using secondary information gathered by a focused web crawler

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and a device for introducing reinforcing strands into a vertical mold through the open upper end thereof. An array of strand material is positioned to extend across the open end of a mold and an insertion device is lowered into the mold. The insertion device engages the strand material during its downward motion and draws an appropriate amount of such material from a continuous supply thereof to give a strand reinforcement of elongate U-shape within the mold. A reciprocable carriage is provided whereby the leading end of the strand is presented to a clamp at a remote side of the mold opening, the carriage having a selectively operable clamp thereon for engagement with the strand during movement of the carriage toward the clamp.

In our prior British Pat. Nos. 1346767, 2045150 and 2067125, and in GB-A-2183200, we disclose methods for the production of such construction products as partition panels, roof decking and pipes from liquid setting particulate material, the methods involving the feeding of dry powders or powder/fiber mixes at a controlled rate into molds containing vertical core formers and the compacting of such powders or powder/fiber mixes by vibration or by a combination of vibration and pressure.
The requirement may exist for the reinforcement of the construction product throughout its vertical extent (in the mold) by a continuous elongate material, for example a glass fiber strand.
The introduction of the strand, or a plurality thereof, in spaced side-by-side disposition, throughout the considerable vertical extent of a mold for producing storey height partition panels gives rise to difficulty, particularly in view of the need to locate the individual reinforcing elements relative to the surface of the end product to very close tolerances and do this reliably under automated production conditions.

Apparatus and method for introducing reinforcement into a mold


A process for the coating of substrates comprising insertion of a substrate into a process oven, plasma cleaning of the substrate, rehydration of the substrate, dehydration of the substrate, withdrawal of a metered amount of one or more chemicals from one or more chemical reservoirs, vaporizing the withdrawn chemicals in one or more vapor chambers, and transfer of the vaporized chemicals into a process oven, thereby reacting with the substrate. An apparatus for the coating of substrates comprising a process oven, a gas plasma generator, a metered chemical withdrawal subsystem, and a vaporization subsystem.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the coating of substrates, and in particular to a process for the efficient coating of substrates using chemical vapor reaction and gas plasma cleaning.
2. Description of the Related Art
The application of coatings onto substrates and other workpieces is required as a process step in many industrial fields. An example of such a process is the coating of a silicon wafer with a layer of Hexamethyldisalizane (HMDS). This coating process is used to promote the adhesion of organic layers such as photoresist to the inorganic silicon wafer. The HMDS molecule has the ability to adhere to the silicon wafer and also to be adhered to by an organic additional layer. For example, silicon wafers would be baked for 30 minutes in a 150 C. oven for 30 minutes to dehydrate them. The silicon wafers would then be sprayed with HMDS. The excess HMDS would then be spun off of the silicon wafer. A typical process of this type would result in a HMDS monolayer on the surface of the silicon wafer.
A problem encountered with the above mentioned process was that if the silicon wafer was not sufficiently dry and not sufficiently clean prior to the application of HMDS, then residual moisture would interfere with the reaction of the HMDS to the silicon wafer. This would result in variations in the HMDS layer reaction and then could lead to voids in the subsequently applied next layer. Another problem with a process of this type is that HMDS would rapidly deteriorate when exposed to air and moisture, and thus such a process required a large amount of HMDS to provide a small amount of reaction.
The coating of substrates for biotech, semiconductor, and other applications may require sufficiently clean and dehydrated substrates and insertion into the process chamber of one or more deposition chemicals which have been preheated and/or vaporized prior to insertion. Biotech applications may require silane deposition onto glass and/or other substrates as a bridge to organic molecules. Among the silanes used are amino silanes, epoxy silanes, and mercapto silanes. These silanes are used in the adhesion layer between glass substrates and oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotides are a short DNA monomer. Substrates are coated with a monolayer of silane as a bridge between the inorganic substrate and the organic oligonucleotide. A silane coated substrate with an oligonucleotide layer is now a standard tool used in biotech test regimens. One area where this oligonucleotide layer is used is in the formation of DNA microarrays. A uniform and consistent silane layer leads to a more uniform and consistent top surface of the oligonucleotide layer, which in turn leads to more useful test results.
When silanes are used as boundary layers, and in other applications, a consistent defect free layer becomes very important. In order to minimize defects, the substrates may need to be cleaned very thoroughly. Also, residual moisture may need to be removed from the substrate prior to the reaction of a silane with the surface. However, it may be very desirable to have embedded hydroxyl ions in the surface in some processes to provide an anchor for a reacted compound.
What is called for is a process which cleans a substrate, allows for rehydration of the substrate to restore an anchor layer to the substrate, and also sufficiently dehydrates the substrate to remove residual moisture. What is also called for is an apparatus which is able to plasma clean substrates in the chamber into which the vaporized chemicals will be delivered, and an apparatus which can clean itself after such production runs using plasma.
Substrates coated with such a process have reduced contamination, have more consistent monolayers with better bonds to the substrate.

Method for efficient coating of substrates including plasma cleaning and dehydration


A method and apparatus for optimizing a lens of a virtual reality device and a computer readable storage medium. The method for optimizing a lens of a virtual reality device includes setting an optimization objective and optimization variables for imaging with a lens; and performing optimization processing on the imaging of an object point through the lens by the optimization variables, and obtaining a lens parameter value by which the imaging result is in accordance with the optimization objective, an image surface of the imaging of the object point through the lens being an image surface on which the astigmatism is less than a preset threshold.

With the continuous development of computer technology, virtual reality (VR for short) devices have become an important tool for people's entertainment life. The form and imaging effect of a lens in a VR device becomes one of main factors affecting the display effect of the VR device.
Lenses generally used in a related VR device include: three-piece, two-piece and one-piece lenses. Unfortunately, three-piece combined lenses are high in cost and are difficult to apply in practice because the weight and volume must be taken into account when it is worn on a human face in a practical application; although the weight and volume of a two-piece lens is improved as compared to the three-piece lens, the lens form is relatively special, processing and shaping the lens is difficult and the difficulty of assembly is increased. The one-piece lens is a mainstream design in current commercial applications, which may give consideration to advantages of low weight, small volume, low cost, etc. simultaneously. An objective of the design of a lens is to reduce an aberration in imaging as much as possible. The one-piece lens of the related VR device for example employs the design scheme of Fresnel lens. These lenses generally produce a low image quality and thus do not generally meet the needs of a user.
Thus, for lenses used in VR devices, a lens having high image quality, portability, yet low in cost is desired.

Method and apparatus for optimizing a lens of a virtual reality device, and computer readable storage medium

BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An imaging system includes a transfer roller having a surface to transfer a toner image onto a print medium during a printing operation of the imaging system, a conductive device to contact the surface of the transfer roller, a power source electrically connected to the conductive device, a resistance measurement device, and a controller. The transfer roller rotates according to a printing speed of the printing operation. The power source supplies a bias to the transfer roller through the conductive device during the printing operation. The resistance measurement device measures an electrical resistance of the print medium. The controller reduces the printing speed based on the electrical resistance measured by the resistance measurement device.

An imaging apparatus includes a transfer unit for transferring a toner image onto a print medium. The transfer unit includes a transfer belt carrying the toner image, a transfer roller being in contact with the transfer belt, a power feed roller for supplying a bias to be transferred to the transfer roller. The transfer roller is provided with a shaft functioning as a conductive shaft core. The transfer roller includes an ion conductive material of an epichlorohydrin rubber or the like. The transfer belt is connected to ground, and the power feed roller is connected to a power source. The bias to be transferred from the power source is supplied to the shaft of the transfer roller through the power feed roller is provided.

Imaging system with resistance measurement of print medium

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A laminated piezoelectric device comprising a device body 10 on which a number of piezoelectric layers 2 and internal electrodes 3, 4 are laminated, external electrodes 5, 6 electrically connected to the internal electrodes 3, 4 and formed on the surface of the device body 10, an insulation layer 7 and a resistance layer 8. The insulation layer 7 covers at least a portion wherein internal electrodes 3, 4 are exposed on the surface of the device body 10, where mechanical displacement is generated by applying voltage. The resistance layer 8 is formed to connect between external electrodes 5, 6 and has a lower electric resistance value than the insulation layer 7.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated piezoelectric device. More specifically, it relates to a laminated piezoelectric device which enables both prevention of migration and suppression of characteristic deterioration caused by pyroelectric effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
A piezoelectric device is a device mutually converting mechanical displacement and electric displacement by utilizing piezoelectric effect and inverse piezoelectric effect. Such piezoelectric device can be obtained by forming and firing piezoelectric ceramics to make a device body, and then forming electrodes thereon and applying direct electric fields to uniform a direction of spontaneous polarization.
The mechanical displacement obtained by the piezoelectric device is minute. Therefore, the piezoelectric device is used for various products as actuators for the purpose that accurate and precise controls are required, for instance. Specifically, it is used for lens drive, HDD head drive, ink-jet printer head drive, fuel injection valve drive and so on.
Further, when laminating piezoelectric layers to make a laminated piezoelectric device so that a larger displacement can be obtained, edge portions of internal electrodes sandwiching piezoelectric layers are exposed on the surface of the device body. In this case, depending on moisture in the air and the like, migration might cause between internal electrodes having different polarities.
Further, for instance, if such piezoelectric device is applied to portable electronic devices and the like, it will be exposed to temperature changes due to surrounding environmental changes.
If the piezoelectric device is exposed to such temperature changes, polarization caused by pyroelectric effect becomes a problem. Particularly, in the process of lowering of temperature, polarizability decreases since a polarization occurs, opposite to the spontaneous polarization, in the piezoelectric device due to pyroelectric effect. This decreased polarizability does not recover even if the temperature rises again. Therefore, there is a problem that the characteristics deteriorate since the polarizability gradually decreases and a desired displacement cannot be obtained, when the process of lowering of temperature is repeated.
In order to deal with the above problems, the following Reference 1 describes about "a piezoelectric device in which internal electrodes, which are exposed on the sides of laminated piezoelectric body, are covered with exterior materials that prevents migration, and conductive particles are dispersed in the exterior materials".
Furthermore, the following Reference 1 describes that "with this piezoelectric device, it enables to prevent migration by the exterior materials that prevents migration, and also to suppress the decrease of polarizability caused by pyroelectric effect".
[Reference 1] International Publication No. 2007/052599
However, for making a resistance value of the exterior material in the range that could prevent migration and suppress the decrease of polarizability, there is a problem that it is difficult to adjust the resistance value since fluctuation of resistance value of resin composing the exterior materials and the content of conductive particles and the like should be taken into consideration.
When the conductive particles aggregate in the exterior materials, there were problems that the resistance value of the aggregated portion locally decreases and then a short circuit might be caused through the portion. Particularly, this problem becomes prominent as the distance (thickness of piezoelectric layer) between internal electrodes gets smaller.
Further, there is a possibility that it might be unable to adequately prevent moisture permeation if providing several functions to the exterior materials. Furthermore, when a substrate of the piezoelectric devices is cut after firing to obtain individual piezoelectric devices, there were problems that fluctuation of resistance value might be generated since the broken internal electrodes extend along a penetration direction of cutting blades.


A device controls each antenna to transmit at least one first UL pilot signal and to receive, for each first UL pilot signals DL data encoded according to the respective first UL pilot signal. The receive properties of the DL data are combined and a second UL pilot signal is determined based on the combined receive properties. The second UL pilot signal is repeatedly transmitted. The techniques may be applied in a massive multi-input multi-output scenario.

Various examples relate to a device comprising a transceiver comprising a plurality of antennas and further comprising at least one processor configured to control each antenna to transmit at least one first uplink pilot signal. The at least one processor is further configured to receive, via the transceiver and for each first uplink pilot signal, downlink data. The downlink data is encoded according to the respective first uplink pilot signal. The at least one processor is further configured to combine the receive properties of the downlink data received for the first uplink pilot signals and to determine a second uplink pilot signal based on the combined received properties. The device is further configured to control at least one of the antennas to repeatedly transmit the second uplink pilot signal.


A bracket is formed from a front member and a back member. The front member includes a curvilinear portion flanked by first and second wing portions. The back member includes a central portion flanked by first and second end portions. The first and second wing portions of the curvilinear portion are secured by fasteners to the first and second wing portions, respectively, in a manner which forms a clamping area between the curvilinear portion and the central portion to frictionally attach the bracket to a received pipe/pole member. First and second upright members extend from the first and second wing portions, respectively. The first and second upright members support attachment of covering for boxing in of the received pipe/pole member and concealment of the bracket.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a bracket for making a wood to pipe connection for example in connecting a wood fence structural member (such as a fence rail) to a post, pipe or pole member.
2. Description of Related Art
Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate a perspective view of a prior art bracket and wood to pipe connection, respectively, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,890, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The bracket is used in making a wood to pipe connection for example in connecting a wood fence structural member (such as a fence rail) to a post, pipe or pole member.
The connection comprises: an elongated pipe (pole/post) member 2; a wood frame member 3 (such as a fence rail) disposed in close association to the elongated pipe member 2; a sheet metal connector 4 for attaching the wood frame member 3 and the elongated pipe member 2. The connector 4, forming the bracket, includes: a curvilinear portion 5 dimensioned for registering with and partially encircling the elongated pipe member 2 and having ends 6 and 7 spaced one from the other; first and second lug members 8 and 9, each integrally and respectively connected to the spaced ends 6 and 7 of the curvilinear member 5; foot members 10 and 11 respectively integrally connected to the first and second lug members 8 and 9 along bend lines 12 and 13; and cinching means 14 releasably attached to the first and second lug members 8 and 9 for drawing the lug members toward one another thereby decreasing the radius dimension of the curvilinear portion 5 and causing the curvilinear portion to frictionally engage the elongated pipe member 2; and fastener means 15 attaching the foot members 10 and 11 to the wood frame member 3.
The cinching means 14 is a bolt with a head 16 having a threaded distal end 17. The first lug member 8 is formed with an opening 20 dimensioned to receive the threaded bolt 14 therethrough and to prevent the head end 16 from passing therethrough. The second lug member 9 is formed with a threaded opening 21 dimensioned to threadably receive and engage the threaded distal end 17.
The foot members 10 and 11 are formed with openings 22 for receiving the fastener means 15 therethrough to engage the wood frame member 3.
The foot members 10 and 11 are prebent along bend lines 12 and 13 at angles 18 and 19 to the lug members 8 and 9; and the material at the bend lines 12 and 13 is selected to permit hand field bending of the foot members 10 and 11 with respect to the lug members 8 and 9. To facilitate hand field bending of foot members 10 and 11, bend lines 12 and 13 may be formed with a weakened cross section either by reducing the material at this point, scoring the bend lines or factory forming openings 23 along the bend lines 12 and 13.
In order to maintain first and second lug members 8 and 9 generally parallel while cinching means 14 is being tightened, indentations 24 may be formed in curvilinear portion 5 adjacent first and second lug members 8 and 9, and edge flanges 25 may be formed on both edges of the curvilinear portion 5 adjacent first and second lug members 8 and 9. Even more stiffening may be obtained by continuing edge flanges 25 into edge flanges 26 on both sides of first and second lug members 8 and 9.

Wood to pipe bracket and a connection utilizing such a bracket


A color-crayons and board games combination set, which comprises a case formed of two pivoted parts for receiving different chessboards and pieces. The two pivoted parts have each a track on its back side around its periphery so that different chessboards can be drawn out and then pushed back into place. The case defines therein a trough covered with a sliding cover board for receiving a variety of writing materials, and a plurality of raised grooves for receiving different pieces which are simultaneously used as color-crayons and chessmen.

The present invention is to provide a color-crayons and board games combination set, which combines color-crayons and several board games into a set.
Board games are games of skill played on a chessboard, which help people prompt mental development. A board game set is generally designed for a specific game of chess. Therefore, different board game sets are required for different games of chess.
Further, color-crayons and a variety of writing materials are commonly used by people and more particularly by school children for writing and drawing. A school child may have to prepare different containers for receiving a complete set of color-crayons and a variety of writing materials.
It is an idea of the present inventor to design a case for receiving a full set of color-crayons and a variety of writing materials as well as different board game sets so as to minimize space occupation and provide multiple functions.

Color-crayons and boardgames combination set


An exhaust pipe heats coolant with heat of exhaust gas. The structure of the exhaust pipe can increase heat exchange efficiency because a flow direction of the coolant is arranged to be opposite to a flow direction of the exhaust gas. The coolant can smoothly flow inside the housing, because density of the coolant decreases as the coolant is heated while flowing in a lower side of the housing and flowing out of an upper side of the housing. In addition, the heat transfer pipe of which one surface is in contact with the exhaust gas and the other side is in contact with the coolant has wrinkle portions which are formed on a surface of the heat transfer pipe, where heat exchange is performed, and thereby, a heat exchange area can be increased and the coolant can be more rapidly heated without increasing a size of the housing.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of an exhaust pipe for exhaust heat recovery, and more particularly to a structure of an exhaust pipe for exhaust heat recovery, which can more rapidly increase a temperature of coolant by increasing an area where heat exchange is performed between exhaust heat of exhaust gas and heat of a cold coolant, and arranging a flow direction of the coolant to be opposite to a flow direction of the exhaust gas.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to allow an engine of a vehicle exposed to a cold air temperature in a winter season to normally operate and to increase combustion efficiency of fuel, warming-up is required prior to driving or during an initial driving period.
An exhaust heat recovery apparatus is an apparatus which rapidly heats cold coolant with waste exhaust heat during an initial driving period in a winter season. The exhaust heat recovery apparatus has been developed to improve fuel efficiency by reducing friction loss inside the engine by shortening the warming-up time of the engine.
The exhaust heat recovery apparatus in the related art is shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, a housing 2 in a barrel shape having an enlarged diameter is mounted at a predetermined position of an exhaust pipe 1 through which exhaust gas generated in the engine flows.
In addition, an inlet and an outlet, through which the coolant (circulating in the engine and a radiator) flows in and flows out, are respectively formed in the housing 2, and heat transfer plates 3 are arranged inside the housing 2 to form channels through which the coolant flows. Further, a bypass valve 4 is coupled to the exhaust pipe positioned inside the housing 2 so as to open and close the exhaust pipe 1 (based on electrical signals), and a hole 4a is formed in a surface of the exhaust pipe inside the housing 2. Therefore, when the bypass valve 4 is closed, a path (depicted by an arrow) is formed so that the exhaust gas can flow into a space where the heat transfer plates 3 are positioned from the inside of the housing 2.
Therefore, when the engine is at a normal temperature, the bypass valve 4 is opened so that a large amount of the exhaust gas flows (toward the outlet) without being in contact with the heat transfer plates 3. Further, when the engine is at a low temperature, the bypass valve 4 is closed so that the coolant circulates inside the housing 2 so as to be heated.
However, in the related art, an area where the heat exchange is performed is limited because the heat transfer plate 3 has a simple pipe shape, and flow resistance is caused because flow paths of the exhaust gas are not simple.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Structure of exhaust pipe for exhaust heat recovery


To provide a pointer position control method and the like for manipulating a pointer more easily. The user moves the pointer P two-dimensionally and perform click and other operations by using only “voice”—by varying the volume and pitch of produced voice without uttering any specific command. The user moves the pointer P by varying the volume and switches the travel direction of the pointer P by changing the pitch. Also, by stopping to vary the volume, the user can automatically enter a fine adjustment mode in which the user can make fine adjustments. Furthermore, the user can perform a click by stopping to produce voice suddenly and return to normal speech recognition mode by keeping silent.

As is well known, the mouse is used widely as one of the user interfaces for operating a PC (Personal Computer). The mouse is moved on the desktop by the user to manipulate a pointer displayed on a monitor.
Recently, other user interfaces that use speech recognition have been attracting attention. These user interfaces, that recognize voice entered through a microphone and thereby allow sentences or the like to be entered, can be used instead of a keyboard. As an additional feature of speech recognition applications, something called a voice mouse or the like is available. The voice mouse allows the user to manipulate a pointer displayed on a monitor by uttering designated commands through a microphone without using a mouse.
However, prior art technologies for manipulating the pointer through speech recognition in the manner described above have the following problems.
First, to shift from normal speech recognition input mode to pointer manipulation mode, to move the pointer, to stop the pointer, to click or double-click, and so on, the user must utter appropriate commands. Therefore, the user must remember a large number of commands.
Also, the commands for moving the pointer include, for example, those that represent travel directions such as "Up," "Down," "Left," "Right," etc., distance of travel such as "5 cm," etc., and speed of travel such as "Fast," "Slow," etc. It is difficult to point to a desired position on a screen swiftly using these commands properly.
Furthermore, to shift to pointer manipulation mode from normal speech recognition input mode, move the pointer to a desired position, and click on that position, the user must utter a number of commands one after another and may find this troublesome.
In addition, the user must move the pointer subtly, for example, to position the pointer on a small icon, but it is difficult to perform such manipulations using commands such as those described above.
Such pointer manipulation through speech recognition as described above is intended especially for users for whom it is difficult to manipulate a mouse manually, and thus improvement of usability presents an important challenge.
The present invention has been made to solve the above technical challenge. Its object is to provide a pointer position control method and the like for manipulating a pointer more easily.

Computer, display control device, pointer position control method, and program


A bale wrapping apparatus having an infeed conveyor, a wrapping mechanism and an outfeed conveyor synchronized to convey bales through the apparatus while continuously wrapping a bale in the wrapping mechanism and forming a continuous protective cocoon around a row of bales. The wrapping mechanism includes a rotating cage and a pair of film dispensers that cooperatively wrap layers of film in successively overlapping helically wound paths around the bale. The apparatus is self-motivated when wrapping so as to discharge a continuous row of wrapped bales.

The present invention relates to devices for wrapping hay bales with plastic for protection of the hay in the bale from the elements and, more particularly, to a self-propelled vehicle for continuously wrapping and discharging relatively large and cylindrically shaped hay bales.
Large hay bales have become very popular in many regions of the country as one large bale can be handled quite efficiently with the heavy equipment available on most farms, as compared to the very labor intensive work required to handle the many small bales required to feed to livestock to provide the equivalent feed as one large bale.
Initially, the large bales were not protected from the elements, but were stored where they were made or at another outside site. With such outdoor storage, there is normally a spoilage of ten percent or more of the bale due to weathering and mostly due to water damage. To reduce or eliminate this spoilage, farmers have tried to cover or otherwise protect the bales from the weather. However, most of the previous methods used have used materials that are relatively expensive, the methods have been very labor intensive or the methods have been ineffective due to damage to the product or due to failure to adequately protect the bale.
In particular, some prior methods and apparati for covering cylindrical hay bales with plastic have included depositing a bale in a plastic bag or rotating a bale on a turntable and swathing the bale with a sheet of plastic. Both of these methods have disadvantages. Bales are rarely precisely the same shape. Therefore, a plastic bag must be large enough to handle larger bales. If a smaller bale is placed in such a bag, it will tend to catch on other objects, such as the bale handling device, and tear. Bagging individual bales or placing individual bales on a single rotating table are both time consuming processes, requiring the covering of each bale on all sides. In each of these methods, the wrapped bale must usually be moved to another location for storage, increasing the chance of tearing the plastic and exposing the bale to the elements.
It is noted that various methods and mechanisms for generally wrapping cylindrical loads have been utilized for many years. In one such method, a conveyor was used to transport a load to a wrapping mechanism that rotated about the load, covering the load with a plurality of layers of stretched film. A second conveyor then transported the wrapped load away from the wrapping mechanism to a storage location. Such a mechanism has numerous problems when applied to a large hay bale, including that it is difficult with such a device to hold the load during wrapping in such a way as to not interfere with the wrapping process nor damage the load or the wrapping material. Furthermore, such a mechanism does not take into account the special requirements for handling and storing hay bales in a field.
It is also desirable to have a bale wrapping apparatus that is mobile and easily transported to the bales and that is self-propelled during use to avoid the need of having other farm machinery motivate the apparatus while such other machinery may be needed for other purposes.


Provided is a liquid crystal display device that can reduce costs while preventing moving image blurring. The device includes a liquid crystal panel and a backlight device. The backlight device includes a rectangular light guide plate 10 in plan view, and a light source unit emitting light toward a light incident surface corresponding to a side surface of the light guide plate. The light source unit is configured by a plurality of light source blocks arranged in a Y direction. The light guide plate 10 includes a groove structure 32 for taking out light upward on its front surface opposed to a back surface of the liquid crystal panel, and a dot pattern 31 for scattering light on its back surface. The groove structure 32 has a plurality of stripe-like grooves extending in an X direction, wherein a ridge extending in the X direction is formed at a portion sandwiched between the two adjacent grooves.

With the progress of miniaturization and energy saving of a liquid crystal display device in recent years, its market continues to expand.
In the case of displaying a still image on a liquid crystal display device, any practical problem hardly occurs. However, in the case of displaying a moving image, the displayed image may leave traces (moving image blurring). For example, when a white ball moves on a black background screen, a grey shadow appears behind the white ball.
In Patent Document 1 listed below, a high-contrast display device in which no moving image blurring occurs is realized by dividing a light guide plate constituting backlight as a light source into a plurality of blocks, and repeatedly lighting on/off the divided blocks in synchronization with a video signal.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-210122
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-031445


An air impermeable sealing band of rubberized material is introduced between the patient's stump and the interior of a stump-receiving socket of an artificial limb, in one of two ways, depending on whether or not the patient wears a stump sock. If the patient wears a stump sock, the band of sealant material is impregnated into the stump sock. If the patient does not wear a stump sock, an impregnated sock is incorporated into the interior structure of the socket of the patient's prosthesis. The impregnated sock itself is fabricated by placing a conventional stump sock on a somewhat oversized form. An appropriate annular region on the sock is then masked off by means of tightly fitting plastic bags, and one of the plastic bags provides an enclosing outer sheath which encompasses the annular region and extends upwardly above the form. A rubberized material in liquid form is introduced through the top of the outer sheath and a vacuum is introduced below to draw the material into the annular region of the sock, so as top impregnate the same. The rubberized material penetrates the sock, is worked into an axially contoured shaped, and is then permitted to set. A stump-receiving socket for an artificial limb with an integral annular seal is fabricated by placing a stump sock with the seal on a cast of a patient's leg and then laminating the socket over the sock using conventional procedures for manufacturing stump-receiving sockets.

It has long been appreciated that differential air pressure may be utilized to retain a prosthetic limb on a patient's limb or stump. Gravitational and other forces tend to cause separation between the prosthetic limb and the patient's residual extremity during use. This happens, for example, during the swing phase of gait, when a prosthetic leg is additionally subjected to centrifugal forces. Patients have routinely worn a variety of belts, straps, cuffs and harnesses to retain their prosthetic limbs against separation from the residual limb. In addition, a variety of socket configurations have been utilized for the same purpose. However, none of these can provide the reliable, strong retentive force which is provided by differential air pressure in accordance with the present invention.
For many years differential air pressure or "suction" sockets have been utilized with reasonable success in prosthetic limbs for selected above-knee amputees. However, there has been a corresponding lack of success in using such sockets for other levels of amputation. The basic reason for this is that the relatively soft, fleshy characteristics of a residual above-knee stump, in conjunction with tightly fitting proximal socket walls serves as a seal to preserve a partial vacuum within the socket. In the case of other amputees whose belowknee, upper-limb and other above-knee residual limbs lack the prerequisite characteristics, it has been impossible to use suction successfully with any frequency, because of the tendency for gaps and channels to form between the stump and the socket walls with a resultant loss of suction or partial vacuum within the socket.
Most amputees wear woven "stump socks" as an interface between their skin and the prosthetic socket for increased comfort, perspiration absorption, and reduced friction. These socks vary from thin sheaths (about 0.010-0.015 inches thick) to rather thick socks (about 0.125 inches thick) which are used to accommodate substantial discrepancies between stump shapes and volumes in relation to the prosthetic socket. All of these socks, regardless of the material from which they are fabricated (nylon, orlon, cotton, wool, etc.) are porous. As such, air flows freely past the proximal borders of the socket, making it impossible to maintain a vacuum within. The same problem of uncontrolled air leakage can exist when no stump sock is worn.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of known artificial limbs utilizing differential air pressure, which shortcomings result in the inability to reliably and consistently retain the prosthesis on the patient's residual limb. It is a specific object of the present invention to create an air seal between the socket of the prosthesis and the residual limb, so that air leakage and the accompanying loss of vacuum may be avoided. As a result, a great many well-fitted prosthetic sockets may be used in the same manner as a suction socket, when the patient wears a prosthetic sock in accordance with the present invention.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a prosthetic sock, which may be worn by a patient over his stump, in order to provide consistent and reliable air sealing between the socket of the prosthesis and the patient's stump, thereby making it possible to retain a great many wellfitted artificial limbs by means of differential air pressure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved construction for the stump-receiving socket of an artificial limb which will provide a consistent and reliable air seal between the socket and the patient's stump, regardless of the characteristics or morphology of the stump.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating a prosthetic sock and a stumpreceiving socket for an artificial limb in accordance with the two immediately preceding objects.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a stump-receiving socket for an artificial limb, a prosthetic sock useful in retaining well-fitted artificial limbs, and a method for manufacturing the same, which are reliable and convenient in use, yet relatively inexpensive.
In accordance with the present invention, an air impermeable, elastic sealing band is introduced between the interior of the stump-receiving socket and the patient's stump in one of two ways, depending on whether or not the patient wears a stump sock. If the patient wears a stump sock, the sealing band is impregnated into the stump sock. If the patient does not wear a stump sock, the impregnated sock is incorporated into the structure of the socket of the patient's prosthesis.
The impregnated prosthetic sock itself is preferably fabricated by placing a conventional stump sock on a somewhat oversized cylindrical or conical form shaped generally like the stump. An appropriate annular region on the sock is then masked off by means of tightly fitting plastic bags, and one of the plastic bags provides a enclosing outer sheath which encompasses the annular region and extends upwardly above the form. A rubberized material in liquid form is introduced through the top of this outer sheath bag, and a vacuum is introduced below to draw the material into the annular region of the sock so as to impregnate the same. The rubberized material penetrates the sock, is worked into an axially contoured shaped, and is then permitted to set. After the sealant material is fully cured, the plastic bags may be discarded and the sock removed from the form.
A stump-receiving socket with an integral annular seal is preferably fabricated by placing a prosthetic sock with an impregnated seal on the cast of a patient's residual limb and then forming the stump-receiving socket, by lamination, over the sock using conventional procedures for manufacturing sockets.

Structure for enhanced retention of artificial limbs and method of fabrication


A modular stent assembly (20) is provided with stent sections (22-26) which are coupled together by a coupling arrangement formed of first (30) and second (32) coupling elements. The first and second coupling elements (30, 32) provide a strong coupling between adjacent stent sections (22-26) which behaves in a manner substantially identical to the conventional unitary tie bar. The modular nature of the stent assembly (20) reduces manufacturing costs, can provide for replacement of only a defective part of the assembly 20 and can facilitate the assembly of a stent having differing characteristics along its length optimised for a particular medical application.

Stents have been known and in use for several decades. Some early types of stent were formed from wire of stainless steel or, more recently, of Nitinol or other shape memory material. The wire is formed into a series of rings, in which typically the wire of each ring has a curved or substantially zigzag shape to enable this to be compressed onto an introducer and to give the ring an adjustable radial dimension for a good fit into the lumen into which the stent is in use positioned. The rings are connected together to form a unitary structure by sets of tie bars. In such early types of stents, the coupling of the tie bars to the wire rings has been by any suitable bonding such as welding.
While such a stent structure can perform satisfactorily, the stent has reduced compressibility and expansion characteristics which, moreover, cannot be finely predicted or adjusted. This can lead to their unsuitability in some more delicate applications, such as in smaller and more delicate vessels including, for instance, cerebral vessels.
More recently, there have been provided stents which are formed from a tube of raw material in which the stent structure is laser cut from the tube. The Applicant's Zilver® Stent is an example of such a laser cut stent. The advantage of such a stent structure is that it has greater uniformity in its characteristics, greater compressibility and much greater predictability in its performance. For instance, the individual stent rings can compress much tighter than an equivalent ring formed from wire, as adjacent struts of the stent ring are formed by cutting rather than bending of a wire. Moreover, the stent structure can be designed to have accurate and reproducible flexibility and also to have a varying flexibility as desired, for instance by cutting the stent rings or the struts forming these to different or varying widths or thicknesses.
Whilst laser cut stents can have significantly superior performance characteristics, they are expensive to manufacture particularly when produced from expensive materials such as Nitinol, in that the procedure is time consuming and there is a large wastage of material. Moreover, the laser cutting operation is complex particularly given that it generally needs to be adaptable so as to be able to produce different stents, with different dimensions and characteristics in dependence upon the specific medical application to which they are to be used. In addition to these difficulties, should there be any defects in the stent, such as a defect occurring during manufacture or during subsequent handling of the stent, the entire stent must be discarded.
There are known various types of modular stent assemblies, disclosed for example in WO-2004/110312, U.S.-2002/0111671, WO-00/15151 and U.S.-2006/0173529. Generally, these modular assemblies are intended to give the stent structure different characteristics in different operating conditions, such as to be radially flexible when compressed onto an introducer and then to become radially stiffer when expanded and in situ in a patient.


A mobility management method includes: receiving a first location update request sent by a Mobile Agent (MA); and determining, according to the first location update request and a binding relation between an MA context and a UE context, that a User Equipment (UE) moves together with the MA. A mobility management apparatus includes: a location update request receiving unit, configured to receive a first location update request sent by the MA; and a location moving determining unit, configured to determine, according to the first location update request and a binding relation between the MA context and the UE context, that the UE moves together with the MA.

In a mobile communication system, after a User Equipment (UE) gets attached to a network, the network side allocates a wireless coverage called "paging area" to the UE. When the UE releases the connection with the network, if the network needs to send signaling or user-plane data to the UE, the network sends a paging message to the UE within the paging area; when the UE moves out from the current paging area, the UE needs to send a location update request to the network, and the network side allocates a new paging area to the UE.
Obviously, the UE sends the location update request more frequently if the UE moves faster. The speed and the scope of moving of a person are limited. In order to move quickly in a wide scope, people uses means of transport, for example, bus, metro, train, and ship. On a means of transport, all UEs move at the same speed in the same direction.
On some occasions such as parade and demonstration, masses of walkers may move together.
In the process of implementing the present invention, the inventor finds that: If a large number of UEs in the same location move toward the same destination at the same speed, when the UEs send location update requests to the network separately in a short time, the network needs to determine the current location of the UEs according to the location update request. The network receives masses of location update requests in a very short time, which leads to sharp increase of the processing load of the network.

Mobility management method, relevant devices, and communication system


Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to performing an operation in a computing environment that is prohibited by a security application governing the computing environment. Exemplary embodiments can generate a security bypass environment in a computing environment governed by the security application to provide a bypass to the security application. In exemplary embodiments, a request to perform the operation can be received via the security bypass environment and the operation can be performed through the security bypass environment in response to satisfaction of access control criteria specified for the security bypass environment so that the performance of the operation bypasses the security application.

Enterprises often implement security programs to restrict or limit the permissions and/or access rights of the users of the enterprises' computers and/or networks. For example, conventional security programs can be programmed to prevent a user of the network from installing and/or executing unauthorized software applications unless the user is an administrator of the network having certain permissions granted by the security program.
Some conventional security programs implement "whitelisting" and/or "blacklisting" schemes to determine which software applications can be installed and/or executed by the users governed by the security program. Whitelisting-based security technologies work opposite traditional blacklisting-based technologies like anti-virus. Particularly, blacklisting schemes generate a "blacklist" of software application that cannot be installed and/or executed by a computer that is governed by the blacklisting scheme. In contrast to blacklisting schemes, whitelisting schemes prevent all new software applications from executing on a system unless it has first been added to a whitelist and/or identified as a "trusted" program. Software applications or changes, modifications, or updates thereto that are prohibited by the security program can be referred to as being "out-of-band."
Conventional computer and/or network security solutions often do not have the flexibility to allow users to install, update, modify, and/or execute out-of-band software on their systems, e.g., for troubleshooting or single-system installs. For example, conventional security solutions attempt to support out-of-band software by either fully allowing a user to perform whatever actions they wish or disabling the product altogether. These conventional approaches to out-of-band software can result in an enterprise being vulnerable to unauthorized access and attacks that can compromise their network and/or data.

Security bypass environment for circumventing a security application in a computing environment


Disclosed are systems and methods for managing computing resources for a remote session that has been established between a client and a remote server via a communication channel. Such a remote session is configured to automatically adapt image quality of the remote session based on a network status of the communication channel. The described technique includes detecting an inactive state of the remote session, and in turn, modifying at least one network setting of the client using a network shaping rule specified to artificially reduce a network quality of the communication channel used by the client for traffic of the remote session, so as to cause the client to reduce image quality of the remote session and reduce an amount of data exchanged between the remote server and the client.

Remote desktop technologies (also referred to as "remote access") allow a local user interacting with a local computing device to control and view a remote desktop session originating from a remote computer or host. A remote desktop client application running on the client computer and a remote desktop server application running on the server computer together facilitate "remoting" a desktop session. The remote desktop client application receives user input, such as keyboard and mouse input, and converts the input into a network-compatible representation to be transmitted to the server computer. The remote desktop server application running on the server computer receives the network-compatible representation of the user input, and converts this representation into actual input messages. The input messages are then sent to the server computer's message queue and processed as if the input was generated at the server computer. Therefore, applications running on the server computer respond to the input as if the input was generated at the server computer.
Remote access protocols often include optimizations that focus on providing smooth remote-session user experiences in different and potentially dynamic environments. Those optimizations include such approaches as the tuning of data exchange rates depending on a network connection speed and/or quality, the tuning of user experience settings to reduce load on a server, and so forth.
In some cases, a user may work in a mixed local and remote environment, wherein the user operates both local and remote applications (i.e., applications running in a remote session) simultaneously. For example, a user may access via remote session an instance of an enterprise docketing software that is only available on a central server, while also running on their local desktop a mail application and a word processing application. As part of their workflow, the user may regularly switch between using docketing software (i.e., the remote application) and using the locally-executing applications. In such use cases, there may be usage patterns in which the running remote applications and as such the remote session(s) are not frequently used, but nonetheless consume client- and server-side computing resources to draw and update the image of the remote session and application content, to consume network bandwidth to exchange data, and, if the client computer is running on a battery, to consume power and as such reduce the computer operating time.
Existing solutions for remote-session user experience optimization are limited to providing the best user experience for an active remote session. There are also means for client applications to optimize resource usage. For example, the client-side application can request updates for visible portions of the remote session screen only. However, such optimizations require the client-side application to explicitly use a particular remote protocol-specific API (if available), so such optimization must be taken into consideration during the client-side application development. Therefore, it is desirable to optimize resource usage of a remote session established between a client and a server.

Resource usage for a remote session using artificial network bandwidth shaping


Provided is a method for fabricating gate electrode structures each having at least one individual polysilicon layer and a metal layer. A polysilicon layer is provided and patterned prior to the application of the gate metal. Trenches between the resulting gate structures are filled, and the polysilicon is drawn back to below the top edge of the fillings. The relief formed from the fillings and the polysilicon which has been caused to recede forms a shape which is used to pattern the gate metal without a lithographic step. The provision of a gate sacrificial layer, which is patterned together with the polysilicon layer, makes it possible to form contact structures from a contact metal prior to the application of the gate metal.

One embodiment of the invention relates to a method for fabricating field-effect transistor structures with gate electrode structures each having a metal layer.
Integrated circuits include field-effect transistor structures each having an active area and a gate electrode. The active area comprises a source region, a drain region and a channel region between the source and drain regions. The source region and the drain region are formed in a semiconductor substrate as doped regions of a first conductivity type in each case below a process surface of the semiconductor substrate. The channel region is in the form of an undoped region or a doped region of a second conductivity type which is opposite to the first conductivity type. The gate electrodes of the field-effect transistor structures are in each case provided above the channel region on a gate dielectric resting on the process surface of the semiconductor substrate.
When the field-effect transistor structure is operating, the formation of a conductive channel in the channel region between the source region and the drain region is controlled by a potential at the gate electrode.
To form the gate electrodes of the field-effect transistors, first of all a sequence of layers of a gate electrode layer stack is deposited on the gate dielectric layer, and then the gate electrode layer stack is patterned by means of a photolithographic process.
In memory cell arrays, the gate electrodes of a plurality of select transistors of the memory cells form integral components of word lines for addressing the memory cells in the memory cell array. Since the access times of the memory cells depend on the conductivity of the word lines, it is aimed to use materials with a low resistivity to form the gate electrodes.
It is customary, for example, to provide tungsten for a metal layer in the gate electrode layer stack. Metal atoms which diffuse out of the respective metal layer act as impurities in adjacent structures which do not contain metal, having an adverse effect, for example, on the insulator properties of these structures. Therefore, at least in the direction of the gate dielectric, a barrier layer preventing metal atoms from diffusing into adjacent structures is provided as a sublayer, of the metal layer. For functional reasons, a polysilicon layer is used in the vicinity in the gate dielectric.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,144 has disclosed a gate electrode structure that includes an polysilicon layer resting on the gate dielectric, an electrically conductive barrier layer on the polysilicon layer and a metal layer on the barrier layer. The metal of the metal layer is tungsten. The barrier layer is formed from tungsten nitride. A silicon dioxide layer as an insulating cap layer rests on the metal layer. The vertical side walls of the gate electrode structures are each covered by a silicon nitride coating.
One significant aspect in the processing of gate electrode structures or gate stacks is the height of the gate electrode structure (stack height). The general aim is to reduce the stack height, since as the aspect ratio of the gate electrode structures and of the trenches between the gate electrode structures rises, various processes involved in forming field-effect transistors become more difficult. This is true in particular of the etching involved in opening a mask in order to pattern the gate electrode layer stack, the etching of the gate electrode layer stack itself, the filling of trenches between the gate electrode layer stacks, the etching of the fillings for contact-connection of the source or drain regions of the field-effect transistors, the deposition of a barrier layer for metallic contact structures in the trenches and the deposition of metal for forming the contact structures.
The source and drain regions are formed by implantation with masking by the gate stacks. To improve the functionality of the select transistors as memory cells, it is known to use an oblique implantation to form doped regions which are asymmetric and/or considerably undercut the gate stacks. As the height of the gate stacks increases, the possible range for an implantation angle at which the oblique implantation is carried out becomes narrower.
Reducing the thickness of the metal layer leads to an increase in the resistance of the word line. The proportion of the total height of the gate stack that is formed by the barrier layers is relatively small. For process engineering reasons, the thickness of the polysilicon layer is substantially dependent on the standard patterning of the gate electrode layer stack.
In general, the etching of the gate electrode layer stack is carried out in at least two etching steps, with the first etching step acting on the metal-containing layers and the second etching step acting on the polysilicon layer.
To ensure the complete removal of the metal-containing layers outside the gate stack structure, the metal-containing layers are overetched; a correspondingly high thickness of the polysilicon layer ensures that the etching step is guaranteed to end in the region of the polysilicon layer. Furthermore, the metal-containing layers are generally covered with a nitride liner prior to the etching of the polysilicon layer. Further overetching into the polysilicon layer, resulting in the need for an additional reserve in the layer thickness of the polysilicon layer, is required to reliably open up the nitride liner above the polysilicon.
Therefore, the polysilicon layer is generally provided in a significantly greater layer thickness than its electrical functionality in the finished field-effect transistor structure required. The etching processes required for patterning of the gate electrode layer stack are relatively complex and lead to the processing of structures with a high aspect ratio.

Method for fabricating field-effect transistor structures with gate electrodes with a metal layer


A substrate holding device is equipped with a substrate holder that adsorbs and holds a substrate, and a plurality of vertical movement pin units that each have, at one end, an adsorption section to adsorb a rear surface of the substrate, and are movable relative to the substrate holder in a state of adsorbing the rear surface of the substrate with the adsorption section. The plurality of vertical movement pin units each have at least part including the adsorption section that is displaced in at least one direction, by an action of a force received from the adsorbed substrate.

Conventionally, for example, in a lithography process for manufacturing semiconductor devices, projection exposure apparatuses of a sequential-movement-type, such as a reduction projection exposure apparatus of a step-and-repeat method (a so-called stepper) or a scanning-type projection exposure apparatus of a step-and-scan method (a so-called scanning stepper (which is also called a scanner)), are mainly used.
In the projection exposure apparatuses of this type, a wafer stage that is movable within a two-dimensional plane is provided, and a wafer is held by vacuum adsorption or electrostatic adsorption or the like, by a wafer holder fixed on the wafer stage.
While various types of the wafer holders are available, wafer holders by a pin chuck method are relatively frequently used. Further, on the wafer stage, three vertical movement pins (also referred to as center-ups or lift pins) for delivering a wafer onto the wafer holder are provided (e.g., see PTL 1). The vertical movement pins vertically move via an opening formed at the wafer holder, and receive a wafer from a carrier arm above the wafer holder and deliver the wafer onto the wafer holder by moving downward in a state of adsorbing and holding the wafer.
However, with increasing the integration degree of semiconductor devices and the size of wafers, it has come to be found that distortion that cannot be ignored occurs in the center portion of a wafer that is delivered from the vertical movement pins to the wafer holder.

Substrate holding device, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method


A planar waveguide system includes a planar waveguide having a planar surface for emitting light, a back panel opposite the planar surface, and edge sides between the planar surface and the back panel. To reduce light energy losses during delivery of light from the light source to the planar surface, the system uses a transparent dielectric sleeve for holding a light source that is positioned adjacent to an edge side of the planar waveguide to enable light from the light source through the sleeve and incident into the planar waveguide.

Signs, pictures, displays, and paintings are often illuminated to enhance the display of graphical or visual information to observers, especially in low light conditions. The image may be front lit where the light source is located in front of the image displayed or back lit where the light source is located behind the image that is embedded upon or within media capable of allowing pass-through light emissions. For example, large billboard advertisements often use light boxes with florescent bulbs positioned behind the billboard to illuminate the billboard's image. Some billboards, however, continue to use front lighting where lamps are positioned above or below the billboard and directed toward the billboard's face.
Recently, the evolution of electronic devices such as computers, laptops, cellular telephones, televisions, and the like have stimulated the need and demand for electronic graphical displays such as color liquid crystal displays (LCD). To enhance the observed image, these devices have displays that are typically back lit from a light source. These devices may use waveguides to distribute light uniformly throughout the plane of an image display. Certain devices may also use an edge-lit waveguide wherein a light source is placed in proximity to the edge of a waveguide plate or panel to illuminate the image on the device's display.
Other systems provide back lit illumination for pictures using edge lit waveguides in custom-molded frames.

Method and apparatus for image illumination using self-contained luminaire


The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same for simplifying a fabrication process of the semiconductor device and enhancing the performance and yield of the device. A first metal wiring on a semiconductor substrate serves as a first electrode of a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor. A dielectric film pattern is formed on the first metal wiring. A first via-contact plug on the dielectric film pattern contacts a side of the first metal wiring. An interlayer insulation film is formed having second via-contact plugs in a parallel array structure. The second via-contact plugs contact the dielectric film pattern and serve as a second electrode of the MIM capacitor. A second metal wiring is formed on the interlayer insulation film to contact the first via-contact plug and the second via-contact plugs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a capacitor in a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In typical semiconductor manufacturing processes, a capacitor within a semiconductor device is manufactured using polysilicon as an electrode material. In general, a Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) capacitor comprises a first polysilicon layer, a second polysilicon layer, and a number of metal wiring layers. However, MIM capacitors with a large capacitance require metal wiring layers having a large area.
FIGS. 1A through 1J are sectional views illustrating a conventional method of fabricating a MIM capacitor of a semiconductor device. As shown in FIG. 1A, a first interlayer insulation film 13 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 11. A first Ti/TiN layer 15 is formed on the first interlayer insulation film 13 at a thickness of 200 to 600 xc3x85. The Ti portion of the first Ti/TiN layer 15 is used as an adhesive layer, and the TiN portion is used as a diffusion preventing film. A first A1 layer 17 is formed on the first Ti/TiN layer 15 at a thickness of 4000 to 5000 xc3x85. A second Ti/TiN film 19 is then formed on the first A1 layer 17 at a thickness of 300 to 700 xc3x85. The Ti layer of the second Ti/TiN layer 19 is used as an adhesive layer, and the TiN layer is used as an anti-reflection film. A dielectric film 21 is formed on the second Ti/TiN layer 19 at a thickness of 500 to 1500 xc3x85. The dielectric film 21 is made of SiOxNy, Si3N4 or an oxide formed by a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (xe2x80x9cPECVDxe2x80x9d) method. An upper-electrode thin film 23 is formed on the dielectric film 21 at a thickness of 1000 to 3000 xc3x85. The upper-electrode thin film 23 is formed using an A1 layer, a Ti/TiN layer or a stacked structure of A1 and Ti/TiN layers.
Referring now to FIG. 1B, a first photosensitive film pattern 25 is formed on the upper-electrode thin film 23 to expose a predetermined portion for an upper electrode. Referring now to FIG. 1C, an upper electrode 24 and a dielectric film pattern 22 is formed by etching the upper-electrode thin film 23 and the dielectric film 21 using the first photosensitive film pattern 25 as an etching mask. The upper-electrode thin film 23 is etched in a dry-etching process using plasma activated by a mixture gas of Cl2/BCl3 as a primary etching gas and N2 gas as an additive gas. The dielectric film 21 is etched using a dry-etching process using plasma activated by a CxFy gas as a primary etching gas and CHF3, O2 or Ar as an additive gas. The first photosensitive film pattern 25 is then removed.
Referring now to FIG. 1D, a second photosensitive film pattern 27 which protects a predetermined portion for a lower metal wiring is formed on the entire surface. A lower metal wiring having a stacked structure of the second Ti/TiN layer pattern 20, the first A1 layer pattern 18 and the first Ti/TiN layer pattern 16 is formed by etching the second Ti/TiN layer 19, the first A1 layer 17 and the first Ti/TiN layer 15 using the second photosensitive film pattern 27 as an etching mask. The etching is carried out using a dry-etching process using plasma activated by a mixture gas of Cl2/BCl3 as a primary etching gas and N2 gas as an additive gas.
Referring now to FIG. 1E, the second photosensitive film pattern 27 is then removed. Referring now to FIG. 1F, a second interlayer insulation film 29 is formed on the entire surface. The second interlayer insulation film 29 is formed of SiO2, SiO2-xcex4, Spin-On-Glass (SOG) or Flowable Oxide (FOx). A Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is used to planarize and adjust the thickness of the second interlayer insulation film 29.
Referring now to FIG. 1G, a third photosensitive film pattern 31 is formed on the second interlayer insulation film 29 to expose predetermined portions for via-contacts. Referring now to FIG. 1H, via-contact holes 33a-33c are formed by etching the second interlayer insulation film 29 using the third photosensitive film pattern 31 as an etching mask. The etching is carried out using a dry-etching process using plasma activated by a CxFy gas. If the etching is excessive, the entire upper layer 24 may be etched. The third photosensitive film pattern 31 is then removed.
Referring now to FIG. 1I, a via-contact plug 35 is formed by depositing a tungsten layer on the entire surface and performing a CMP process or an etch-back process using plasma. The via-contact plug 35 is connected to the upper electrode 24.
Referring now to FIG. 1J, an upper metal wiring having a stacked structure comprising a fourth Ti/TiN layer pattern 41, a second A1 layer pattern 39 and a third Ti/TiN layer pattern 37 is formed by sequentially forming and then etching a third Ti/TiN layer (not shown), a second A1 layer (not shown) and a fourth Ti/TiN layer (not shown) on the entire surface using an upper metal wiring mask as an etching mask. Accordingly, a MIM capacitor 43 is formed as indicated by the area surrounded by the dotted line.
Unfortunately, the conventional method of fabricating the MIM capacitor and the semiconductor device has several disadvantages. The stepped structure due to the dielectric film pattern and the upper electrode makes it difficult to use a fine pattern when forming the photosensitive film pattern for the lower metal pattern. A separate mask process and etching process is required to form the upper electrode, which also complicates the manufacturing process. In addition, a considerable amount of the upper electrode is lost due to the depth difference between the via-contact holes formed on the upper electrode and the via-contact holes formed on the lower metal electrode, which deteriorates the operational characteristics and process yield of the device.
It is, therefore, desired to provide a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same that address the above and other shortcomings of the prior art.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a semiconductor device comprises: a first metal wiring on a semiconductor substrate serving as a first electrode of a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor; a dielectric film pattern on the first metal wiring; a first via-contact plug on the dielectric film pattern contacting a side of the first metal wiring; an interlayer insulation film having second via-contact plugs in a parallel array structure, the second via-contact plugs contacting the dielectric film pattern and serving as a second electrode of the MIM capacitor; and a second metal wiring formed on the interlayer insulation film to contact the first via-contact plug and the second via-contact plugs.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprises: forming a first metal wiring on a semiconductor substrate and a dielectric film pattern on the first metal wiring; forming a stacked structure comprising a first interlayer insulation film and a second interlayer insulation film; forming a photosensitive film pattern defining a first via-contact region and second via-contact regions on the stacked structure, wherein the photosensitive film pattern exposes the first via-contact region at first side of the first metal wiring, defines the second via-contact regions in a parallel array structure at a second side of the first metal wiring, and defines a width of each of the second via-contact regions smaller than a width of the first via-contact region; etching the first and second interlayer insulation films and the dielectric film pattern on the first metal wiring using the photosensitive film pattern as an etching mask to form a first via-contact hole exposing the first metal wiring and second via-contact holes exposing the dielectric film pattern; removing the photosensitive film pattern; filling the first and second via-contact holes to form a first contact-plug and second via-contact plugs, the second via-contact plugs serving as a second electrode of the MIM capacitor; and forming a second metal wiring contacting the first via-contact plug and the second via-contact plugs.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

Semiconductor device with via-contact plugs


P-polarized light beam passing through an fθ lens passes through a polarization beam splitter, is converted into S-polarized light beam by a quarter-wave plate and a reflecting mirror, re-enters the polarization beam splitter, and is reflected at the polarization beam splitter in the −Z direction. An optical path of a light beam between a polygon mirror and the fθ lens, between the fθ lens and the polarization beam splitter, between the polarization beam splitter and the quarter-wave plate, between the quarter-wave plate and a reflecting mirror, between the reflecting mirror and the quarter-wave plate, and between the quarter-wave plate and the polarization beam splitter are in the same plane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical scanning devices for use in image forming apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses that perform electrophotographic image recording by using lasers are widely used. Such an image forming apparatus generally includes an optical scanning device that outputs a laser beam and optically scans a surface of a rotating photosensitive drum in an axial direction with the laser beam so as to form a latent image on the photosensitive drum. The laser beam output from the optical scanning device is typically deflected by a deflector toward the photosensitive drum.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-3048 discloses an optical scanning device for use in a multi-color image forming apparatus. The optical scanning device includes a light emitting unit, a deflection scanning unit, an image forming unit, a polarization splitting unit, and a deflecting unit. The light emitting unit emits a superimposed laser beam in which two laser beams with polarization directions differing by 90 degrees are superimposed. The deflection scanning unit performs deflection scanning in which the superimposed laser beam emitted from the light emitting unit is deflected and scanned. The image forming unit focuses the superimposed laser beam that is subjected to the deflection scanning by the deflection scanning unit. The polarization splitting unit splits the superimposed laser beam into two laser beams by making the superimposed laser beam to be reflected and transmitted. One of the laser beams, i.e. the reflected laser beam, is directed to the surface of a first photosensitive drum, and the other one of the laser beams, i.e., the laser beam passing through the polarization splitting unit, is directed toward the surface of a second photosensitive drum.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-225680 discloses a scanning optical device and a color image forming apparatus that includes four photosensitive elements. The scanning optical device includes four semiconductor lasers, two rotating polygon mirrors, and four sets of scanning lenses.
Japanese Patent No. 3214944 discloses an optical scanning device. The optical scanning device is configured such that, a light beam emitted from a light source is deflected by a deflecting unit, passes through a half mirror that is inclined with respect to a plane of the deflected laser beam, and enters a reflective image forming element. The light beam reflected by the reflective image forming element is reflected by the half mirror and focused on a target surface as a light spot. In this manner, a reflective image forming element employed to perform image formation.
In recent years, there have been increasing demands for a thinner image forming apparatus. However, in the optical scanning device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-3048, a deflection surface at, the deflection scanning unit is not parallel to a surface including an irradiation position of each of the photosensitive drum, whereby the image forming apparatus including the optical scanning device becomes large.
In the color image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-225680, to obtain an optical path length corresponding to a length of the main-scanning direction, a certain distance needs to be secured between the rotating polygon mirror and the photosensitive drum, which causes a gap between the scanning optical device and the photosensitive drum to become large. The gap between the scanning optical device and the photosensitive drum could be narrowed by employing a plurality of reflecting mirrors; however, in that case the scanning optical device becomes large in the thickness direction in such a case.
In the optical scanning device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3214944, because the intensity of the laser beam irradiating the target surface decreases to ¼ when the laser beam passes through the half mirror or is reflected by the half mirror, a high-power light source is required, which increases manufacturing costs.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus