Methods of determining the endpoint of cleaning residues from the internal surfaces of a chemical vapor deposition chamber are described. The methods are especially useful for determining when organic-based residues deposited from an ultra low-k film precursor deposition are removed from the chamber. The methods involve cleaning the chamber with a plasma comprising fluorine and oxygen while monitoring the intensity of the optical emission lines of one or more atomic or molecular species that correlate to the removal of the organic-based residues. Techniques and apparatuses for monitoring different appropriate emission lines are described. Methods of the invention can be used to prevent particle contamination during CVD operations following ultra low-k film precursor depositions and improve wafer throughput in manufacturing environments.

This invention relates to methods for cleaning residues from the internal surfaces of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers. The methods described are especially useful in integrated circuit manufacturing. Methods of the invention focus on determining the endpoint of cleaning a CVD chamber, especially when cleaning residues from the internal surfaces of the chamber following the deposition of ultra low dielectric constant films deposited using a silicon-based dielectric precursor and an organic-based porogen. The methods involve cleaning the chamber with a plasma while monitoring the intensity of one or more of the optical emission lines corresponding to removal of organic-based residue.
The use of low dielectric constant (low-k) materials is widespread in the integrated circuit manufacturing industry. Low-k films are commonly used as inter-metal and/or interlayer dielectrics because these films reduce delay in signal propagation due to capacitive effects. The lower the dielectric constant of the dielectric film, the lower the capacitance of the dielectric film and the lower the RC delay of the integrated circuit.
Low k dielectrics are conventionally defined as those materials that have a dielectric constant lower than that of silicon dioxide, that is k<4. However, with ever increasing technology demands, present efforts are focused on developing low-k dielectric materials with k less than 2.5, commonly referred to as ultra low-k (ULK) materials. One method of obtaining ULK materials involves forming porous carbon-doped oxide (CDO) films. These methods typically involve forming a composite film (referred to herein as a "precursor film") containing two components: a porogen (typically an organic material) and a structure former or dielectric material (e.g., a silicon oxide containing material). Once the precursor film is formed on the substrate, the porogen component is removed, leaving a structurally intact porous dielectric matrix on the substrate. The introduction of air voids, combined with the carbon doping of the silicon oxide network, substantially lowers the overall dielectric constant of the film to produce the ULK film.
Common techniques for forming the precursor film include chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods, including plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) methods, wherein porogen precursor and structure former precursor compounds are co-deposited on a substrate. During this deposition process, residues will tend to adhere to the internal walls and surfaces of the reaction chamber. These residues, generally composed of silicon-based species and organic-based species, can build up on the inside of the chamber and can dissolve, detach or otherwise disperse through the chamber during subsequent processing, resulting in substrate contamination and yield loss. Consequently the residues that accumulate on the interior surfaces of the CVD chamber must be periodically removed. This accumulated deposition residue is typically removed from the interior surfaces of the CVD chamber using two types of cleaning procedures, plasma cleaning procedures and wet cleaning procedures.
Plasma cleaning procedures can be done using either in situ chamber cleans or remote chamber cleans. In in situ chamber cleans, the chamber clean chemicals are introduced into the CVD chamber in a gaseous state and plasma excitation within the CVD chamber is used to dissociate the chamber clean chemicals into reactive radicals and ions. In remote cleans, an independent plasma source is used to dissociate the gaseous chamber clean chemicals into reactive radicals and ions outside the CVD chamber, and the dissociated chamber clean chemicals are then introduced into the CVD chamber. In both in situ and remote chamber cleans, the reactive species in the CVD chamber react with the accumulated deposition residue to form gaseous products that are evacuated from the chamber.
After a number of plasma cleaning cycles, the performance of the CVD process degrades and a wet clean is required. In wet cleaning procedures the CVD chamber is vented to atmosphere and the interior surfaces of the reactor are physically scrubbed using appropriate cleaning solutions and/or abrasives. This type of cleaning procedure is time consuming, labor intensive, and requires reconditioning of the chamber once completed. Consequently improvements in the plasma cleaning procedure that extends the intervals between required wet cleans are critical to maintaining the highest possible CVD chamber throughput. Improvements in the plasma cleaning procedure can also result in a decrease in the degradation of the interior reactor surfaces and consequently, extended hardware lifetimes.
Oxidative in situ plasma methods have commonly been used for cleaning CVD chambers. These methods involve introducing an oxidizing agent such a fluorine-containing gas into the chamber and implementing a plasma to create strongly reactive ions and radicals. These strong reactive agents breakdown the residues that have built up on the internal surfaces of a chamber to form volatile species that are pumped away by vacuum. During the plasma cleaning process, it is important to determine when all of the residues have been removed. If the plasma process is not applied for a long enough period of time, residues will persist within the chamber. The accumulation of unremoved deposition residue can result in particle contamination issues and more frequent wet cleans. If the plasma process is applied for a longer period of time than necessary, overcleaning of the CVD chamber will result. Overcleaning the CVD chamber will result in premature degradation of the interior CVD chamber surfaces, particle contamination issues resulting from overexposure of the interior chamber surfaces to the cleaning plasma, and more frequent wet cleans. In addition to impacting wafer throughput, overcleaning the CVD chamber will also waste costly chemicals. Consequently one of the most critical steps in improving the plasma cleaning procedure is identifying a method that allows the endpoint of the plasma cleaning process to be correctly determined.
Some currently available techniques to determine the endpoint of a plasma cleaning process are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,534,007 and 5,846,373. One method involves monitoring the ratio of the intensity of emission lines of a fluorine radical and a background gas (e.g., argon or nitrogen) during the plasma cleaning process. The other method involves monitoring the emission intensity of NO. These methods, however, while they may be effective for determining the endpoint of removing silicon-based residues, are completely ineffective for determining the endpoint of cleaning of both the silicon-based and the organic-based residues that result from the deposition of ULK precursor films. In particular, it has been found that using techniques appropriate for determining the endpoint for removing silicon-based resides, when applied to determining the endpoint for cleaning chambers after a ULK precursor deposition process, results in significant undercleaning of the CVD chamber and the accumulation of unremoved deposition residue inside the chamber.
What is needed therefore are improved methods for determining the endpoint for cleaning CVD chambers after a ULK precursor film deposition process.

Method for endpointing CVD chamber cleans following ultra low-k film treatments


An integrated circuit is disclosed that includes a receiver circuit to receive duobinary data symbols from a first signaling lane. The receiver circuit includes sampling circuitry to determine symbol state, and a duobinary decoder. The duobinary decoder is coupled to the sampling circuitry and converts the detected states to a PAM2 coded symbol stream. A decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) is provided that has inputs coupled to the sampling circuitry in parallel with the duobinary decoder. The DFE cooperates with the sampling circuitry to form a feedback path, such that the duobinary decoder is external to the feedback path.

Duobinary coding is a signaling scheme often employed in optical networks due to its data rate capabilities with a reduced spectrum. Generally, the coding involves summing each current bit with the most recent previously transmitted bit, and providing three possible signal levels corresponding to three states. One of the interesting characteristics of duobinary signaling is that inter-symbol interference (ISI) is introduced in a controlled manner, where two adjacent bits are correlated to introduce the ISI.
For electrical networks that often employ decision-feedback equalizers (DFE) to address ISI, avoiding large 1st post-cursor DFE subtraction is of interest. One reason is the amount of power consumed by each equalizer tap. However, conventional duobinary signaling techniques often introduce unacceptable delays into the DFE critical feedback path. Thus, the need exists for improved equalization techniques for duobinary signaling that provide improved effectiveness in reducing ISI while maintaining power and space efficiencies.

Receiver with duobinary mode of operation


A tool for placing a gold tee into the ground such as to maintain a golf ball at a predetermined height above the ground. A pair of disks are interconnected by a cylindrical body, an upper portion of which is of a hollow nature. A slot passes through a solid bottom portion of the body and the bottom disk. The upper hollow portion is semicircular in cross section and, in combination with the slot, adapts the tool for receiving a golf tee therein. With the tee so received, it can be placed into the ground such that the tee extends above the ground a distance fixed by the separation between the two disks.

The game of golf is a popular one, not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Golfers readily accept the fact that no two "lies" along the fairway or on a putting green are the same. It is also well established that, when playing according to the sanctioned rules of golf, one may not improve his "lie," but must play the ball as he finds it. However, every hole allows the golfer to establish his "lie" on at least the tee shot. In that shot, the golfer may position the ball upon a tee anywhere within a given area. Most preferably, golfers find that a specific tee height is desirable for a specific club. For example, a golfer may find that, when using his driver, he prefers that the golf be teed to a height of 13/8", but when using his 3 wood, may desire only 1". Similarly, if an iron is to be used as the club off of the tee, the golfer may desire still a different height for the ball.
Typically, golfers often hold the wooden or plastic tee between the index and middle finger, allowing the cup to protrude toward the palm. A ball is then maintained in the palm of the golfers hand and upon the cup. The golfer then urges the pointed end of the tee into the ground, with the ball seated in the cup, until the two fingers securing the tee sense that it has been placed to the appropriate depth. As one might imagine, such is a most inaccurate means of placing the golf ball height, particularly in a "game of inches" such as golf.
Accordingly, it is most desirable that there be provided a device which allows for routine accurate placement of the golf ball on each tee shot. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,408,079; 3,203,700; and 3,114,557 all teach the placement of a disk of some type about the shaft of the tee for the purpose of limiting the depth of penetration of the tee. In somewhat similar manner, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,516,780; 3,467,390; 3,690,676; and 2,693,358 all teach a mechanism for teeing a golf ball at adjustable heights. In accordance with the concept of the invention, it is also presented that U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,344 is of general interest.
The structures of the prior art all teach a specifically designed golf tee, or a tee which has been significantly altered. None of the prior art references teach or suggest a tool which may be used in conjunction with a standard golf tee, adapted to receive such a tee, and to assist in placing it at a specific height.


The subject invention presides novel devices and methods for the measurement of nitric oxide in biological samples, including wound fluid samples. These advantageous devices and methods can be used for clinicians to monitor the wound's nitric oxide metabolism and/or response to treatment.

The rapid and accurate detection of target molecules is critical for many areas of research and medical diagnosis. Important features for a diagnostic technique to be used for the detection of analytes are specificity, speed, and sensitivity. Time constraints and ease of on-site analysis can be major limitations.
Since its discovery in 1987 (Palmer, R. M. J. et al., 1987, Nature, 327:524-527), nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in disparate pathologies including: metastasis of cancerous cells (Anbar, M. and Gran, B. M. 1997, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 14:225-254), inflammation in the airway of an asthmatic (Batra, J. al., 2007, Thorax, 62:16-22.), onset of hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and hypertension diseases (Gibaldi, M. 1993, J. Clin. Pharmacol., 33:488-496; Star, R. A. 1993, Am. J. Med. Sci., 306:348-358; Tanner et al., 1993, Sem. Thrombosis Hemostasis, 19:167-175), massive infection and septic shock, and regulation of wound healing.
Generation of nitric oxide by naturally occurring, endogenous, processes has been demonstrated by several studies to correlate with wound healing (Schäffer, M. R. et al., 1996, Journal of Surgical Research, 63:237-240; Witte, M. B. and Barbul, A. 2002, The American Journal of Surgery, 183:406-412). Briefly, wound collagen accumulation can be stimulated by arginine and, during wound healing, nitric oxide is produced from oxidation of L-arginine by a family of enzymes known as nitric oxide synthases. Conversely, low levels of nitric oxide generation indicate a delayed or inhibited healing response, which is often associated with chronic, non-healing wounds.
Unfortunately, direct measurement of nitric oxide is difficult due to its half-life in vivo of only a few seconds or less. Therefore, stable nitric oxide metabolites, nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−), are widely used as surrogates for indirect determination of nitric oxide in biological fluids. Nitric oxide metabolites are currently measured using time and labor intensive techniques (e.g., the Griess reaction) that also require expensive equipment (e.g., spectrophotometer, fluorometer, and/or plate reader). Thus, rapid, point-of-care diagnostic methods and devices for nitric oxide are needed.

Materials and methods for measuring nitric oxide levels in biological fluids

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


A charge pump circuit for a substrate voltage bias generator. The charge pump circuit generates a negative substrate bias voltage to a semiconductor substrate by performing a charge pumping operation twice during a clock cycle. Additional pumping capacitors are provided to prevent discharging of the substrate bias voltage to ground during transistor switching operations. The transistor switching provides the necessary charge pumping operations within the charge pumping circuit. This circuit provides increased charge pump efficiency and lower stand-by current than conventional charge pump circuits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate voltage generator in a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly to a charge pump circuit of the substrate voltage generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
All MOS memory architectures on occasion use on-chip voltage generation. While any voltage between ground and the power supply is available on a memory chip, it is also possible to generate on the chip voltages that are below ground and above the power supply value.
The most common on-chip voltage generation in MOS memories is back-bias voltage generation. Early MOS RAMs used a power supply which provided a negative voltage bias to the substrate. On-chip back-bias generation has replaced one of these power supplies in many cases.
The most important advantage of the on-chip substrate voltage generator was the reduced probability of localized forward biasing of junctions. Such forward biasing injects electrons into the substrate leading to dynamic circuit problems and, in memory devices, for example, reduced refresh times due to a collection of electrons beneath the memory storage capacitor plate for stored `ones`.
Speed and power characteristics also improve when an on-chip substrate voltage generator is used because transistors operate in a flatter part of the body-effect curve and so lose less drive capability as their sources rise and because the lower junction capacitance reduces the load.
Thus, the variation of a threshold voltage caused by the body effect of a transistor is minimized and the punch-through voltage is increased.
Another advantage is that the specific bit-line capacitance (Cb/Cs ratio) improves because junction capacitances contribute more to bit line capacitance (Cb) than to the total storage capacitance (Cs) so that a differential signal to sense amplifiers will increase.
Therefore, if a constant negative voltage is supplied to the substrate by the use of the substrate voltage generator, the performance of the memory chip is improved.
A conventional substrate voltage generator is illustrated in FIG. 1. The substrate voltage generator of FIG.1 includes an oscillator 1, a driver 2, a charge pump circuit 3 and a detector 4.
Because an output signal .PHI.en from detector 4 is applied to oscillator 1 by way of a feedback loop (as shown), oscillator 1 is only operational when a detected substrate voltage V.sub.BB from terminal V.sub.BB, which is coupled to a semiconductor substrate (not shown), does not maintain a constant negative voltage.
Driver 2 supplies rectangular wave signal 9 to charge pump capacitor 5 in charge pump circuit 3 derived from an alternating current (ac) signal 8 generated from oscillator 1.
Charge pump circuit 3 is connected to substrate voltage V.sub.BB and includes one charge pump capacitor 5, and two diodes 6, and 7. The voltage level to which charge pump capacitor 5 is charged is determined by the amplitude of the rectangular wave signal 9 supplied thereto.
When rectangular wave signal 9 (shown as clock signal CLK) is at logic "high", diode D.sub.GND is turned on and charges thereto are discharged to ground.
Conversely, when rectangular wave signal 9 (clock CLK) is at logic "low", diode D.sub.SUB is turned on and charges thereto are transferred away from the substrate voltage terminal. As a result, the substrate bias voltage V.sub.BB goes to a negative voltage level.
A more complex conventional circuit diagram for a charge pump circuit, operated on by CLK1 to CLK4, is shown in FIG. 2A and consists of P-channel MOS transistors. Charge pump circuit 3' shown in FIG. 2A can be substituted for the simpler charge pump circuit 3 of FIG. 1.
Charge pump circuit 3' is coupled to a driver circuit 2' (see FIG. 2B), which driver circuit 2' generates additional clock signals CLK1-CLK4 (derived from clock signal (CLK)) to be received by charge pump circuit 3'.
Driver circuit 2' may receive clock signal CLK from a driver 2, which driver 2 generates a rectangular wave (clock) signal in response to an oscillator (ac) signal substantially as provided in block form in FIG. 1. It should be readily apparent, however, that any and all equivalent clocking schemes may be equally appropriate and substituted for the one indicated. FIG. 3 shows a timing chart for the conventional charge pump circuit shown in FIG. 2A.
The operation of charge pump circuit 3' will now be described with reference to FIG. 2A and FIG. 3. For descriptive convenience, it is assumed that the MOS transistors in FIG. 2A are ideal transistors, and therefore, the threshold voltages of these MOS transistors will not be considered.
Clocks CLK1 and CLK2 are transmitted from driver circuit 2' so as to be in-phase but so as to have different pulse widths from one another.
Similarly, clocks CLK3 and CLK4 are also provided from driver circuit 2' and have the same phase but different pulse widths from one another.
In addition, the phase of clocks CLK1 and CLK2 is such that the phase is opposite from the phase of clocks CLK3 and CLK4. As a result, charge pump circuit 3' of FIG. 2A is capable of performing pump operations twice during a complete clock cycle.
When clocks CLK1 and CLK2 become logic "high" corresponding to high power voltage V.sub.CC level, then clocks CLK3 and CLK4 become logic "low" with ground voltage V.sub.SS level--after the lapse of a predetermined time.
At such time, voltages at nodes c and d are set to a negative power voltage -V.sub.CC level by third and fourth pump capacitors 13 and 14. In turn, third and fifth transistors 23 and 25 turn on.
Charges which flowed to node b from substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB during a previous half period are grounded through third transistor 23.
Similarly, at node c, because charges flow from substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB through fifth transistor 25, which is turned on, the voltage level at substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB drops to a more negative voltage level.
Because the voltage at node b exceeds ground voltage V.sub.BB level, sixth transistor 26 turns off so as to electrically isolate substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB from ground.
When clocks CLK3 and CLK4 become logic "high", clocks CLK1 and CLK2 go logic "low" because nodes a and b are lowered to negative power voltage -V.sub.CC level by first and second pump capacitors 11 and 12. In turn, second and sixth transistors 22 and 26 turn on.
Charges which flowed to node c from substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB during a previous half clock cycle are grounded through sixth transistor 26.
Similarly, as charges flow to node b through second transistor 22 which is turned on, substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB drops to a negative voltage.
At this point in time, because the voltage at node c exceeds ground voltage V.sub.SS level, third transistor 23 turns off to electrically isolate substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB from ground.
In this circuit configuration, it is important that neither second and third transistors 22, 23 nor fifth and sixth transistors 25, 26 be simultaneously turned on.
When both second and third transistors 22, 23 or fifth and sixth transistors 25, 26 are simultaneously turned on, because substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB is connected to ground, substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB cannot be made to drop to a negative voltage level.
Consequently, the fact that second and third transistors 22, 23 (or, fifth and sixth transistors 25, 26) are such that they can be simultaneously switched on, is a serious drawback.
More specifically, as power voltage V.sub.CC level drops in response to a powering-up, the power of the memory chip is turned on to raise the power voltage V.sub.CC level. At this point, the voltage at nodes a to d drops to a negative power voltage -V.sub.CC level in response to first to fourth pump capacitors 11 to 14.
In turn, because the voltage level at substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB has not been set to a negative voltage level, first and fourth transistors 21 and 24, having their respective gates connected to substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB, are necessarily turned off.
In addition, second and sixth transistors 22 and 26 are turned on by voltage levels at nodes a and b. Similarly, third and fifth transistors 23 and 25 are turned on by voltage levels at nodes c and d.
Because second and third transistors 22 and 23, and fifth and sixth transistors 25 and 26, are simultaneously turned on, substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB becomes grounded; and, the voltage thereto cannot be made negative, as intended.
To overcome this initial drawback, a power voltage V.sub.CC level of considerable magnitude must necessarily be applied.
However, when substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB is eventually set to a negative voltage level using a high magnitude power voltage V.sub.CC level, an oscillator 1 connected thereto must necessarily also operate at this high power voltage level. As a result, standby current is abruptly increased.
FIG. 6 shows a set up characteristic curve for the substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB using the charge pump circuit of FIG. 2A where power voltage V.sub.CC level is successively raised and then dropped.
During the first cycle, where power voltage V.sub.CC level is raised, substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB goes to a negative voltage level at an input power voltage V.sub.CC level of about 2 volts.
However, in a subsequent cycle, as power voltage V.sub.CC level is raised from 0 volts, substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB goes to a negative voltage level at an input power voltage V.sub.CC level of 4 volts or greater. As such, it is clear that because substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB goes negative for high voltage levels of V.sub.CC, stand-by current increases.
Furthermore, in connection with charge pump circuit 3' of FIG. 2A, because the potential at nodes b and c connected to third and sixth transistors 23 and 26 is not constant, charge pumping efficiency is significantly lowered.
Stated differently, as charges are passed to ground from substrate voltage terminal V.sub.BB, because the potential at nodes b and c cannot be maintained at a negative power voltage -V.sub.CC level, but instead, the respective node potential go to levels which exceed the negative power voltage level of -V.sub.CC, sufficient and rapid discharge is not possible and charge pumping efficiency is degraded.

Charge pump circuit for a substrate voltage generator of a semiconductor memory device


The present invention is directed to a stable meat product and method of making such a product by mixing a raw communicated meat with a salt mix and a carotenoid stabilizing composition to form a complex that after thermal processing allows the meat product to retain its interior and exterior color, flavor, and/or texture during storage in a food composition.

Meat products are prepared for consumption in a variety of ways. For example, the muscle of an animal may be seasoned, jerked, kippered, mixed with other ingredients, as well as cased, such as in sausages. These meat products may be pre-cooked or par-cooked for storage and latter consumption. Meat products are most often consumed on their own, or as part of dish, such as a stew, a soup, or as a supplement to pasta or other food dishes, including omelets, and the like.
When a meat product, and especially a cured meat such as ham, is stored in a food environment, such as a soup or a liquid egg product, for a period of time (e.g., on the shelf of a supermarket) the meat product Loses its freshly cooked or cured meat characteristics. A food product may be generally defined as a solid, liquid, and/or semi-moist environment that alters or degrades the interior and exterior color, flavor, and/or texture of a meat product during storage in the solid, liquid, and/or semi-moist environment and during and after heating and/or cooking after storage in a solid, liquid, and/or semi-moist environment, such as an oxidative food product. For example, a food composition may be predicted as oxidative by measuring the electrochemical potential of the food composition.
Consumers are informed of freshness and desirability by a food's interior and exterior color, flavor, texture, and odor. For instance, a ham product is typically given a cured color by the interaction of nitrites and myoglobin, but a food product, such as a liquid egg product, will interact with the characteristic cured red color of the ham product and cause the ham product to turn an undesirable color, such as gray, black, or green. Moreover, this interaction affects the flavor and texture of the meat product. Unexpected colors are negatively perceived by consumers (see for example, Suess, D., Green Eggs, and Ham).
Food processors spend great effort in working a lengthy temporal period of stability into their products. This effort is expended for both economic and safety reasons. It is apparent that retaining palatability is desirable to consumers, vendors, and processors alike, as it allows finished products to retain their value for a greater period of time. Further, pre-expectation spoilage may make the product undesirable during subsequent purchasing opportunities. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a meat product that does not appreciably change interior and exterior color, flavor, and/or texture as an ingredient in a food product.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Stable meat product for a food product environment and a method for making such a product


Described herein is a method including acquiring a set of transimpedance coupling voltages, between different antenna components of different axes of a transmitting station transmitting into a formation and different antenna components of different axes of a receiving station receiving from the formation, using an induction tool undergoing random movement during the acquisition. Fourier coefficients for the set of transimpedance coupling voltages are determined using a least square process. A mean tool eccentering azimuthal angle and an apparent formation azimuthal angle are estimated as a function of the Fourier coefficients. Compensated measurements are computed as a function of the Fourier coefficients. An inversion loop receives as input the compensated measurements, the estimated mean tool eccentering azimuthal angle, and the estimated apparent formation azimuth, and outputs final parameters as a function thereof.

A commonly used technique for evaluating formations surrounding an earth borehole is resistivity logging. A porous formation having a high resistivity generally indicates the presence of hydrocarbons, while a porous formation with low resistivity generally indicates water saturation, for example.
Modern induction resistivity logging tools operate by transmitting a signal from a transmitter station and measuring the voltage of the received signal at a receiver station. These voltages are referred to as transimpedance coupling voltages and are sensitive to the formation properties, such as horizontal and vertical conductivities, relative dip angle, and the dip azimuthal direction, rendering such induction logging tools capable of delivering a data from which a variety of useful information about the formation can be extracted and estimated.
These transimpedance coupling voltages, however, are also sensitive to borehole and tool properties, such as mud conductivity, hole diameter, tool eccentering distance, and tool eccentering azimuthal angle. Thus, the transimpedance coupling voltages are corrected for the borehole and tool properties. Mud conductivity and hole diameter can easily be measured, and in many cases are already known, so compensation for these borehole properties is relatively straightforward. Measuring tool eccentering distance and tool eccentering azimuthal angle is difficult as those parameters are in constant flux during drilling. For modern single-axis induction resistivity logging tools, the sensitivity to tool eccentering distance and tool eccentering azimuthal angle is minimal enough such that it can effectively be ignored and an inversion can be performed to achieve accurate results.
In the case where a multi-axial induction resistivity logging tool is used, the sensitivity to tool eccentering distance and tool eccentering azimuthal angle for some axes is large. Since the tool eccentering distance and tool eccentering azimuthal angle is constantly changing, compensating for such constantly changing conditions is difficult. However, the result of not compensating is that the results for some axes are unacceptable inaccurate.
Consequently, a method of estimating borehole and formation properties that overcomes this difficult is commercially desirable.

Methods of estimating borehole and formation properties using an electromagnetic induction logging tool having random tool decenter positions during data acquisition


A real-time stream-based clustering algorithm is disclosed for correlating network impact according to time and space. The clustering algorithm operates at discrete time steps and produces a partitioning of a network graph such that each partition is a cluster. Clusters are tracked at each time step and the partitions can change by disappearing, splitting or merging with others. To track an incident over many clustering time steps, an ID is assigned to and related to previous clusters such that the same ID can propagate between multiple cluster time steps. Thus, a same incident can be tracked over time as its effect traverses the network. Anchor nodes can be assigned to the clusters to establish a relationship between clusters at different time steps.

Cluster analysis relates to grouping of objects, such as network devices, that have similar attributes. In one example, network devices that generate alarm conditions can be grouped together. Cluster algorithms can be used to generate independent clusters. Typical cluster models include connectivity models, centroid models, density models, neural models, etc. In the case of computer network devices, incidents from the network devices can result in network devices associated with different groups. However, relationships between the groups are not well-defined and tracked.


A method and system are provided for determining a length quantity of a power transmission line, which connects a first location with a second location. A first signal having a first carrier frequency is provided at the first location. The first signal is transmitted from the first location to the second location via the power transmission line. A second signal having a second frequency is provided at the second location. A first phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is measured at the second location, and the length quantity is calculated from the measured phase difference. In the system, a second receiver at the second location is configured to receive the first signal having the first carrier frequency from the first location. A frequency generator creates the second signal having the second frequency at the second location. The receiver includes a phase detection device configured to detect a first phase difference between the second frequency and the first carrier frequency at the second location.

Power transmission lines expand their length due to thermal loading. A resulting sag of overhead lines is undesirable. As a result, the length or a length change of the power transmission lines may be monitored. An increase in length of overhead power transmission lines may lead to sag. Line sag of high voltage lines is important, as it may lead to line faults due to flashovers to close objects such as trees.
In Wide Area Monitoring (WAM) systems for AC power transmission grids, Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) perform measurement of voltage and current phasors. U.S. 2007/0038396 discloses a method in which voltage and current phasors measured at two ends of a power transmission line are used to determine a line impedance, and specifically a line resistance. The resistance is a function of line temperature, so that the method provides a measurement of the average line temperature, which in turn affects the line length and its sag. The method requires synchronization of the PMUs.
Further, there are direct powerline sag measurement methods based on various principles, such as optical cameras, mechanical tension or inclination measurement (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,861, U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,424, U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,867), thermal measurements using fibres (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,522) or infrared cameras. These methods, however, only perform local measurements.

Method and system for powerline length measurement


A method for inspecting a substrate having intrinsic heterogeneous patterns for the presence of cracks comprises the steps of providing an optical device and front-side lighting on a first side of the substrate and providing near-infrared lighting on a second side of the substrate opposite to the first side. The near-infrared lighting is operable to penetrate the substrate so as to be detectable by the optical device through the substrate. One or more images are obtained by illuminating the substrate with the front-side lighting and/or the near-infrared lighting from the second side. The one or more images are thereafter processed to distinguish between the heterogeneous patterns on the substrate and any cracks present on the substrate.

For high-throughput and low-cost production, the thickness of solar wafers consisting of photovoltaic elements has been reduced to 200 μm or below. Thinner substrates give rise to lower wafer stability and a higher risk of wafer breakage. An effective method to detect cracks and even micro-cracks is therefore important in order to reject those wafers that have a higher potential to fail.
Some approaches to detecting the presence of micro-cracks which rely on non-visual inspection include the use of ultrasonic energy, thermal energy or heating, thermosonic energy and mechanical flexing. Furthermore, there are visual approaches such as Electroluminescence (EL) inspection and Photoluminescence (PL) inspection, which are two popular visual methods. Electroluminescence inspection requires electrical contact and then can only be used in a finished solar cell. Photoluminescence requires a uniform illumination source with appropriate non-uniformity correction, and the shot-to-shot reproducibility is usually poor.
US Patent Publication number 2005/0252545 A1 entitled "Infrared Detection of Solar Cell Defects under Forward Bias" discloses a cell inspection system which applies a forward-bias current to cause heating. The resulting thermal image of applies a forward-bias current to cause heating. The resulting thermal image of each cell is then analyzed with an infrared camera to inspect the cell for cracks. However, this approach is relatively expensive and slow.
Apart from the above approaches, a purely visual approach has also been adopted in the prior art, although it is generally less accurate. Since silicon is semitransparent in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, NIR backlight inspection is widely used for incoming raw solar wafer but suffers from various disadvantages. For instance, a polycrystalline material on the substrate typically displays intrinsic heterogeneous features, and some features have patterns that are similar to a micro-crack pattern. Hence, it is difficult to distinguish a micro-crack from the general surface texture. Moreover, the camera resolution needs to be very high in order to distinguish a micro-crack. Even if a camera that is capable of achieving up to 8,000×8,000 pixels-per-substrate is used, the pixel resolution is still only 20 μm. This is far below the resolution required for detecting micro-cracks.
To illustrate the above shortcoming, FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional inspection system 100 using near-infrared ("NIR") backlighting 106 to detect cracks on a substrate 102. Homogeneous NIR backlighting 106 from a single light source is projected from underneath a substrate 102 such as a photovoltaic element. The light from the NIR backlighting 106 penetrates the substrate 102 where a micro-crack 104 is present, towards an imaging optical device 108. The imaging optical device 108 then transmits the light to an image grabbing sensor 110.
FIG. 2 is a photograph showing an image of a substrate 102 that has been illuminated with NIR backlighting 106 using the conventional inspection system 100. The substrate 102 has multiple heterogeneous features due to its polycrystalline grain textures. Some of these features have patterns that are similar to a micro-crack pattern, and it is difficult for the conventional inspection system 100 to discern the presence of a micro-crack 102. It would be advantageous to develop a method and system for identifying micro-cracks on substrates having such intrinsic heterogeneous features more effectively and accurately.

Method for inspecting a photovoltaic substrate


An electronic system may be configured to determine if a first-type device ID and a second-type device ID both identify a same device. To do so, the electronic system may preliminarily group a particular first-type ID with a particular second-type ID based on matching time slots and network addresses. Individual scores for each of the preliminary groups may be determined based on cardinalities associated with the time slots. Combined scores may then be determined for groups having the same first-type device ID and second-type device ID. A final analysis may be performed to confirm, with a sufficient level of confidence, whether first-type device IDs and second-type device IDs included in the preliminary groups identify the same device.

Technological advancements in mobile computing devices have changed the way people use computers and access the Internet. It is no longer commonplace for a typical user to have only a primary home computer and possibly a work computer. Instead, the typical user uses multiple computing devices, one of which is often a mobile or handheld device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. With respect to Internet-based advertising, the use of multiple devices by a single user means that Internet-based advertisers cannot maximize personalized advertising performance by simply using a single browser cookie as a reasonable proxy for a user. Rather, in order to build comprehensive and rich user profiles, Internet-based advertisers need to look at user activity across several devices. In addition, there are increasingly fewer opportunities to identify users and track user activity through logins since a user's need to constantly login to a personal account in order to access information has decreased, especially for mobile devices and mobile applications running on mobile devices.
Since computing devices are increasingly used by a single user and not shared among several users, identifying a particular physical device for purposes of Internet-based advertising may be desirable. The task then becomes how to identify a physical device. Identifying physical devices through a network address, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) address, may not be desirable since multiple devices used by different users may be connected to the same network or otherwise have the same IP address.
One way to identify users is through device identifiers (IDs) that are integrated with web browsers and applications (e.g., mobile applications). However, currently, web browsers and applications use different device ID types or formats. As a result, a web browser and an application running on the same physical device provide different device IDs when accessing the Internet. Consequently, tracking systems that track device IDs in order to monitor user activity do not know if device IDs of different types belong to the same physical device or different physical devices. In turn, profile builders that build user profiles may create multiple, unassociated user profiles instead of one combined profile for a single device. Additionally, Internet-based advertisers or other users of the user profiles may miss opportunities to leverage already-learned information about a user because different device IDs for the same device were not linked together. As such, ways to assess or identify whether different-type device IDs belong to the same physical device may be desirable.

Device identification for multiple device IDs


A method for collaborative work of applications can include reading a rule for defining a data transmission among collaborative working applications; initiating applications related to the rule; acquiring progress identifiers of the applications; and registering the progress identifiers of the applications.

The disclosure relates to the field of computers, and in particular, to collaborative work of applications.
As the range of computer applications widens, requirements of desktop applications by people becomes more and more varied. In order to satisfy the various requirements of desktop applications, increasingly, the functions of applications produced by desktop application providers continues to grow larger, the volume thereof becomes larger and larger, and the cost thereof becomes higher and higher. However, many users may only need part of the functions of an application. As desktop applications can be complicated, another problem is increased consumption of system resources by the desktop applications.
Among existing desktop applications, there are many light weight applications which are specific to a certain, or some general, function and occupy relatively fewer system resources. However, since the functions of these light weight applications are specific, many light weight applications may be needed to perform a complicated process; thus one must switch among different applications, input and convert respective data into the format as needed by other applications and the like, thereby reducing production efficiency.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An illumination optical system for illuminating an object with light from a light source device comprises a plurality of optical surfaces. At least one of the optical surfaces is formed as a roughened surface and is arranged in a position other than closest to the object. Assuming that a total quantity of light emitted to the object by the illumination optical system is L, and a total quantity of light is L0 emitted by a reference optical system in which all the roughened surfaces of the illumination optical system are replaced with polished surfaces, the illumination optical system satisfies the following condition:0.70≦X≦0.95,where X=L/L0.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an illumination optical system, particularly to an illumination optical system for use in an endoscope having a wide view field angle or a small diameter.
2. Description of the Related Art
An illumination optical system for an endoscope has been required to be capable of sufficiently brightly illuminating an observation object over a wide view field angle such as about 120° to 140° and to have no significant illumination unevenness. Moreover, in recent years, there has been a demand for observation in a wide range of a view field angle exceeding 140° so as to find more quickly a lesioned portion (in a case where a human body is observed) or a breakdown site (in a case where the inside of a machine is observed). On the other hand, there has been a demand for further reduction of the diameter of the insertion section of an endoscope in order to reduce the pain of a medical examinee and to observe a site having a smaller inner diameter in the body.
Here, illumination unevenness will be described in the illumination optical system for an endoscope. Illumination unevenness includes light distribution unevenness and color unevenness. The light distribution unevenness is generated because a light guide fiber bundle for transmitting illumination light from a light source to a tip end of an endoscope has a dot matrix form on its end surface. The color unevenness is caused by color dispersion of glass material of an illumination lens.
First, light distribution unevenness will be described. Usually, the light guide fiber bundle is made of a plurality of fine optical fibers each having a core C and a cladding CL that surrounds the core, and only the core part C transmits the light. Therefore, an emission end surface of the light guide fiber bundle emits the light in a dot matrix form as shown in FIG. 13A. As shown in FIG. 13B, light emitted from the emission end surface of the light guide fiber bundle 1 and passed through the illumination optical system ILO is projected onto an object surface 4. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13C, the illumination light projected onto the object surface 4 causes the dot-matrix light distribution unevenness. Especially in an illumination optical system having a positive power, a conjugate surface with respect to the emission end surface of the light guide fiber bundle 1 comes closer to the object surface as compared with an illumination optical system having a negative power, and therefore the light distribution unevenness occurs more easily.
This dot-matrix light distribution unevenness can be blurred and made inconspicuous to a certain degree by adjusting the arrangement of the illumination optical system, the object to be illuminated, and the light guide fiber bundle 1. However, even in this case, radial light distribution unevenness still remains as shown in FIG. 14. In FIG. 14, a central part whose luminance is saturated is shielded so that a peripheral part is easily seen in which the light distribution unevenness occurs.
Next, color unevenness will be described. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a generated color unevenness in a case where the illumination optical system is composed of a positive lens. As shown in FIG. 15, since a light ray RY emitted from the light guide fiber bundle (not shown) is separated into colors by a prism function of the positive lens PL, a colored ring CR appears in the periphery of the illuminated area ILF. This is the color unevenness.
In view of the problem of illumination unevenness, an illumination optical system for an endoscope described in Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application No. 6-148519 has been devised.
FIGS. 16A and 16B show the illumination optical system described in Application No. 6-148519. The illumination optical system 6 shown in FIG. 16B includes three positive lenses. Two of them are composed of single fibers 5, 5 having large diameters, and claddings are formed on side surfaces of the lenses so that light is totally reflected by boundary surfaces between the lenses and the claddings. In this construction, the above-described light distribution unevenness is reduced, and a certain degree of wide illumination angle can be obtained.
The illumination optical system 6 shown in FIG. 16A comprises a plano-convex lens 2 whose surface on a light guide fiber bundle 1 side is formed into an aspherical surface, and a single fiber 5. In this illumination optical system, the number of optical components is reduced, the dot-matrix light distribution unevenness is prevented via the single fiber 5, the diameter is prevented from being thickened by the use of a lens having a positive power, and the colored ring is put outside the observation region via the aspherical surface to thereby prevent the color unevenness in an observation view field.
In the illumination optical system for the endoscope of Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-193894, as shown in FIG. 17, the system comprises a plano-convex lens 11 only, and a surface 11a on the light guide fiber bundle 1 side is formed into an aspherical and roughened surface having a light diffusion action. In this illumination optical system, the light distribution unevenness (dot-matrix and radial unevenness) and the color unevenness are prevented by the light diffusion action of the roughened surface. Since the illumination optical system comprises no single fiber, the total length thereof is shortened. Furthermore, by the use of the light diffusion action of the roughened surface, a wider illumination angle is achieved.
The illumination optical system for an endoscope is required to meet the following requirements: (1) total quantity of light for illuminating an object; (2) light distribution unevenness; and (3) light distribution profile. Among them, (1) the total quantity of light and (2) the light distribution unevenness are influenced by the state of the roughened surface which is a light diffusion surface.
Application No. 2000-193894 discloses that the roughened surface has a transmittance of 30% to 65%. The above (2) light distribution unevenness can be suppressed by the use of the roughened surface. However, 65% is insufficient as to (1) the total quantity of light. There has been a demand for an illumination optical system in which the elimination of the light distribution unevenness is compatible with the securing of the total quantity of light.
Another illumination optical system for the endoscope has been described in Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-292956.
FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a constitution of the illumination optical system for the endoscope described in Application No. 2001-292956, FIG. 18B is a front view, and FIG. 18A is a transverse sectional view. The illumination optical system ILO comprises a plano-concave lens L having a function of broadening the light distribution (illumination angle) and a square rod member IL. Patent Document 3 teaches that it is preferable to use the illumination optical system (L, IL) whose front surface is formed into a non-circular, elongated, and substantially rectangular shape or semicylindrical shape having an aspect ratio other than 1. Moreover, in this case, by the use of the roughened surface, the light distribution unevenness that tends to be caused in the short-side direction Y of the front surface is prevented. An objective optical system OBS that includes lenses OL1 and OL2 is arranged side by side with the illumination optical system in a hard tip end portion of the endoscope. CCD denotes a charge coupled device as an image sensor, LG denotes an image guide fiber bundle and CG denotes a cover glass arranged on the exit end surface of the image guide fiber bundle LG.
In the illumination optical system for the endoscope described in Application No. 2001-292956, the roughened surface is defined only by mesh size (#300 to #2000) of abrasive grains for use in a grinding step at the time of working of the roughened surface.


A mobile phone that is an electronic device includes a bottom housing including a first bottom subhousing. On the first bottom subhousing a rib is provided so as to surround a position where an earphone jack is to be provided and be in with a substrate on which the earphone jack is to be provided. This rib prevents liquid from infiltrating into the bottom housing. Connection terminals of the earphone jack are each connected with other components of the mobile phone such as a CPU via an inner layer of the substrate.

Since an electronic device such as a mobile phone is provided with an interface unit such as an earphone jack and a USB terminal for connection to an external device, and accordingly has an opening from which a connection terminal is exposed is provided in its housing. The provision of the opening means possible infiltration of a material such as liquid and dust via the opening, which is harmful to components inside the housing of the electronic device.
For example, liquid infiltration via the opening might cause some troubles in circuits inside the electronic device.
In response, a conventional art discloses a method of covering such an opening with a rubber cover or the like, so as to prevent liquid and dust from infiltrating via the opening while an earphone or a USB cable is not connected.
Also, another conventional art discloses a method of attaching a waterproof sheet around an earphone jack so as to prevent a material, which has infiltrated via an opening such as liquid and dust, from further infiltrating into other components provided on a substrate. According to this conventional art, attachment of a sheet covering the earphone jack prevents inflow of such a material via the earphone jack.


The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of a network of components in a computer system. The system includes a bandwidth-allocation apparatus that provides a write transaction limit for a component on the network. The system also includes a transaction-management apparatus that compares the write transaction limit to a set of outstanding write transactions for the component upon detecting a write transaction from the component to the network. If the write transaction causes the set of outstanding write transactions to exceed the write transaction limit, the transaction-management apparatus restricts transmission of the write transaction over the network.

1. Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to networks of components in computer systems. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to techniques for limiting bandwidth for write transactions transmitted by the components across the networks.
2. Related Art
A modern computer system typically includes a motherboard containing a processor and memory, along with a set of peripheral components connected to the motherboard via a variety of interfaces. For example, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface may facilitate data transfer between a storage device (e.g., hard disk drive, optical drive, solid-state drive, hybrid hard drive, etc.) and the motherboard, while a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus may enable communication between the motherboard and a number of integrated and/or add-on peripheral components.
In addition, the throughputs and/or latencies of the interfaces may affect the rates at which data is transferred between components in computer systems. For example, a PCIe interface may correspond to a network that connects a set of components in the computer system using a set of switches. The switches may merge transactions from peripheral components to the root complex, or chipset, of the computer system. As a result, transactions from an aggressive peripheral component to the root complex may consume available bandwidth on switches between the peripheral component and the root complex, causing other peripheral components connected to the same switches to experience increased latency on the network and, in turn, reduced performance.
Hence, what is needed is a mechanism for limiting bandwidth and/or performing load balancing for transactions transmitted across networks of components in computer systems.

Limiting bandwidth for write transactions across networks of components in computer systems


A device, computer program product, and method for managing resources for performing operations in a computer system are presented. The device may include a resource reservation unit to reserve resources for performing an operation specified by a user. A query unit may query the user whether to reserve additional resources in the event the operation cannot be completed within a reserved time in the reserved resources. A resumption instruction unit may cause the resource reservation unit to reserve the additional resources and cause a continuation of the operation in the additional resources upon receiving a resumption instruction in response to the query.

Cloud computing has garnered much attention in recent years. This type of computing provides various kinds of services and computer environments by combining hardware resources (such as CPU, memory, and storage) and software resources (such as applications) in response to user requests received over a network.
Indeed, cloud computing generally involves various hardware resources and software resources combined and provided to a user. Thus, it is relatively difficult for the user to determine an appropriate usage amount of such resources. A typical cloud-computing model charges users for resources as they are used. Some techniques enable a user to reserve extra resources for an additional fee. If such resources are not used, however, resources may be unnecessarily idle. On the other hand, if resources are insufficient, it may not be possible to complete a particular service within a reserved service period. In this case, the service may be suspended and an extra fee charged.

International Business Machines Corporation


A superwide-angle lens system includes a positive front lens group and a negative rear lens group, in that order from the object side, wherein the negative rear lens group serves as a focusing lens group that is moved in the optical axis direction when focusing on an object at infinity to an object at a finite distance. The following condition (1) is satisfied:1.1<mR<2.0  (1),wherein mR designates the lateral magnification of the negative rear lens group when focusing on an object at infinity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a superwide-angle lens system, and in particular relates to a rear focusing large-aperture superwide-angle lens system that is suitable for use in an electronic still camera, in which a small solid-state image sensor is installed.
2. Description of Related Art
In the related art, a rear focusing superwide-angle lens system has been proposed in which the lens group that is provided closest to the image side is moved in the optical axis direction when focusing on an object at infinity to an object at a finite distance. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2004-226740 and 2008-151949 each disclose a superwide-angle lens system which focuses on an object at infinity to an object at a finite distance by moving a positive lens group that is provided at the rear end of the optical system in the optical axis direction. A rear focusing lens system enables a rapid focusing operation due to the focusing lens group (movable lens group) having a small effective diameter and being light-weight.
On the other hand, miniature electronic still cameras, in which an image sensor that is sufficiently smaller than a conventional 35 mm or APS frame size, have been developed. In recent years, higher specifications, especially in regard to a larger aperture diameter, have been in demand in optical systems used in such miniature electronic still cameras. Increasing the aperture diameter of an optical system is equivalent to increasing the effective aperture diameter of the lens groups, through which the axial light bundle passes. However, if the diameter and the weight of the focusing lens group increase, the burden on the autofocus drive mechanism increases. Furthermore, it also becomes difficult to attain a high imaging quality.
Such a superwide-angle lens system used in a miniature electronic still camera can be achieved by scaling down the optical system of the superwide-angle lens system that is suitable for a conventional large-sized image sensor such as those disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2004-226740 and 2008-151949. However, these optical systems both use four or more lens elements in the focusing lens group, so that the weight of the focusing lens group is large. Furthermore, the effective diameter of the focusing lens group is too large to serve as a lens group for use in the above-described miniature camera. Whereas, if attempts are made to reduce the number of lens elements of the focusing lens group in order to reduce the burden on the autofocus drive mechanism and achieve further miniaturization of the lens system, the amount of movement of the focusing lens group during focusing increases, and it becomes difficult to achieve a high imaging quality.


A device for the removable attachment of a battery of a motor vehicle includes a top portion including an attachment to a motor vehicle, a bottom portion including a connection with the battery, and a latch and a screw including a threaded portion so as to allow locking and unlocking, then the mutual tightening and loosening of the top portion and the bottom portion.

The present invention relates to a device for the removable attachment of a container of energy for powering a motor for driving a motor vehicle, and to a method for mounting/removing such an energy container. It also relates to a motor vehicle as such incorporating such a device for attaching a powering energy container.
Certain motor vehicles, such as electric or hybrid vehicles, comprise a container of energy for powering a drive motor, such as an electric battery for powering an electric motor. When the energy level of this battery is low, it is necessary to recharge it or to replace it with another charged battery. An exchange can for example be carried out in a station similar to a service station in which it is possible to fill a gasoline tank of a motor vehicle.

Device for removably attaching a battery of a motor vehicle


A decompression and restoration unit, when differential data between a new execution program and a specific program is input, decompresses and restores the compressed specific program and rewrites the execution program as the specific program. A differential restoration unit differentially restores the new execution program from the differential data and the specific program and rewrites the specific program as the new execution program. A differential restoration unit that, when differential data between a new execution program and a specific program is input, differentially restores the new execution program from the differential data and the execution program in a memory unit and rewrites the execution program in the memory unit as the new execution program. The decompression and restoration unit decompresses and restores the compressed specific program and rewrites the new execution program as the specific program.

Reprogramming of an in-vehicle control device is performed by connecting a personal computer (PC) or in-vehicle writing device as a writing tool via a low-speed controller area network (CAN) to an in-vehicle control device (electric control unit (ECU)), and writing the whole binary data (new program) to the flash memory of the ECU while dividing and transferring it.
Therefore, even when the update part of the new program to the old program is small, the whole new program is transferred via CAN, and the whole new program is written.
Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time for writing. On the other hand, the concept of reprogramming based on difference has conventionally been proposed (for example, refer to PTL 1). That is, PTL 1 describes in paragraph [0019] "means for creating differential data between new and old programs in units of blocks" as one of rewriting methods. Further, PTL 1 states in paragraph [0064] that the old program of the update target block is transferred to an SDRAM, the new program is restored to the SDRAM using the differential data and the old program, the update target block is erased, and then the new program is written.
PTL 2 describes in paragraph [0006] a method for implementing differential update with a small amount of RAM usage. According to this method, the old program of the update target block is transferred not to the RAM but to another block of a flash memory. After the transfer, the update target block is erased, the new program is restored using the differential data and the transferred old program, and the new program is written to the update target block. The new program can be written to the flash memory by repeatedly performing this process on all update target blocks. However, if there is a new program to be written to another block, the old program has already been erased, so the conventional update using full-text data is performed.
As described above, there have been developed techniques for differential reprogramming.

Car onboard control device and program updating software


A mobile computing device is configured to allow a user to launch native SaaS applications from different vendors using a single-sign-on without having to modify or hook the native SaaS applications. A VPN application operates as man-in-the-middle (MITM) for identity provider requests from SaaS services. The VPN application is initially authenticated with the identity provider, and receives an IDP authentication token which is stored. The IDP authentication token is used for authentication requests from SaaS services.

End-users typically access multiple SaaS services from their mobile computing devices using native mobile applications instead of a browser. This requires the end user to enter the same credentials to launch each native mobile application on a mobile computing device. Since different independent software providers provide the native mobile applications, the native mobile applications are not able to share assets required to authenticate to an identity provider.

Single-sign-on for third party mobile applications


A sealing gland (20) suitable for use in a hazardous environment is adapted to prevent fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between the gland and the penetrant portions of insulated electrical wires passing therethrough, and within and along such penetrant portions. The improved sealing gland includes a tubular body (21), a first insulator (22), a sealant (23), a second insulator (24), a follower (25), and a cap (26). The sealing gland is so dimensioned and proportioned that when the cap is tightened on the body, the sealant will be deformed into fluid-tight pressure-sealed engagement with the body and wire to prevent fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between the gland and wires, and within and along the penetrant portions of the wires.

In some hazardous environments, it is necessary to prevent fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between a sealing gland and the penetrant portion of one or more insulated wires passing through the gland. The need for this was recently documented in a report by the Canadian Transportation Safety Board. This report (hereinafter the "Report") is available at http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/reports/pipe/2000/p00h0061/p00h0061.pdf. The Synopsis of this report reads as follows:                "At approximately 1724 on 28 Dec. 2000, a release of natural gas resulted in an explosion that destroyed the electrical and services building, highly damaged the compressor building, and damaged the remaining buildings at the East Hereford compressor station (Kilometre Post 217, 094) on line 300 of Gazoduc TQM Inc. Before the occurrence, the station had been shut down since approximately 1004 due an unintentional manual initiation of the station's emergency shutdown system. Following the emergency shutdown of the compressor station, a maintenance person was sent to the station to reinitiate the electric motor-driven compressor unit. During the day, after repeatedly trying to get the station into the ready state mode to return the station to normal pipeline operations, an explosion occurred. The onsite maintenance person was seriously injured." (Report at i).
The report concluded that the cause of the explosion was at least partially attributable to the propagation of natural gas along the electrical wires between the electrical conductors and the surrounding insulation. More particularly, that report attributed failure to:                "The failure to properly install sealing compounds and the failure to skin off the innerjacket of the cables to expose the conductors inside the sealing chamber in two electrical fittings affixed to the electrical TJB for the compressor unit provided an open channel for the free flow of natural gas through two electrical Teck cables between the explosion proof-rated compressor building and the non-explosion proof-rated electrical and services building (ESB); that was not in conformity with requirements of Canadian Electrical Code (CEC 22.1)." (Id. at 29)
Thus, this report heralds the need to provide sealing glands that will prevent fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between and along the gland and the penetrant portion of an insulated wire passing therethrough, and between and along the conductor and surrounding insulation of the penetrant portion of the wire.
Other types of sealing glands have contemplated the use of compound sealants, such as epoxies and potting compounds. However, these are subject to cracking and incorrect installation. Moreover, these types of compound sealants may, under certain circumstances, allow the migration of explosive gases through and along stranded conductors.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved sealing gland that is suitable for use in a hazardous environment for preventing fluid flow, pressure transmission and flame propagation between and along the gland and the penetrant portion of one or more insulated wires passes therethrough, and between and along the conductor and surrounding insulation of the penetrant portion of the wire.


A heat-insulating container having a first fiber layer (111) with a prescribed density and a second fiber layer (112) which is formed inside the first fiber layer (111) and has a lower density than the first fiber layer (111). The first fiber layer (111) is 0.2 to 1 mm thick, and the second fiber layer (112) is 0.4 to 3 mm thick, with the total thickness of the first fiber layer (111) and the second fiber layer (112) being 0.6 to 4 mm.

Known techniques pertinent to pulp moldings having a layered structure and containing a blowing agent or a softening agent include the technique disclosed in JP-A-10-77600. This technique features use of a blowing agent or a softening agent to make a layer containing the same soft. Contemplated predominantly for use as a cushioning material, the product obtained is too weak as a packaging material, and the technique is unfit for application to thin-walled and highly heat-insulating containers. On the other hand, the technique described in JP-A-5-263400 is known for providing a foamable cellulose material by using a blowing agent. This technique is also contemplated for application as a cushioning material so that the product is too weak for use as a packaging material and unfit for application to thin-walled and highly heat-insulating containers. Further, the products obtained by these techniques have a coarse surface which, when provided with a coating, only results in uneven coating. Furthermore, the resulting pulp moldings have so poor dimensional accuracy that they are unapplicable to packaging materials involving screwing, fitting, and the like. In addition, they easily produce paper dust due to low surface layer strength.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a thin-walled and highly heat-insulating container and a method of producing the same.
JP-A-10-96200 is also known as a conventional technique relating to pulp molded articles having a layered structure containing a blowing agent, in which a wet pulp molded article containing a blowing agent is placed in a drying mold having a prescribed clearance, and the blowing agent is expanded to fill the clearance. The resulting molded article has improved surface smoothness. Nevertheless, because it is a cushioning material made from a pulp slurry containing a heat expandable micro-encapsulated blowing agent, the surface is not printable, has small surface strength (scratch resistance), easily produces paper dust, and is not smooth enough to be laminated with a resin film layer. Therefore, it is unfit for application to food and drink containers, particularly those in which hot water is poured, such as cups for instant noodles.
The container of Japanese Utility Model 3065471 is also known as a conventional technique relevant to paper-made heat-insulating containers. The container is composed of an inner container sheathed with an outer container having ribs which provide a gap between the inner container and the outer container to thereby achieve heat insulation.
Although the container exhibits heat insulation owing to the gap, the inner container and the outer container are not sufficiently integral with each other due to the limited joint area therebetween, which makes the whole container poor in shape retention. Particularly when it is used as a container in which hot water is poured, the paper-made inner container itself is easily deformed by the heat and the weight of hot water. For such application, the inner container must have a thick and strong wall, which, of necessity, results in an increased weight. Therefore, the container is unfit for such application.
Additionally, it has been desired for a heat-insulating container to have necessary heat insulating properties and strength in necessary portions according to its shape, etc.
Accordingly, a second object of the present invention is to provide a heat-insulating container having heat-insulating properties and strength in desired portions according to its shape, etc. and a method of producing the same.
Further, known techniques relating to a heat-insulating pulp molded container having an inner layer, an outer layer, and a heat-insulating layer between the inner layer and the outer layer include the heat-insulating container disclosed in JP-A-11-301753. The disclosed, pulp-molded heat-insulating container has a gap serving as a heat-insulating layer between pulp-molded inner and outer layers. Since the heat-insulating layer is an air gap, the container cannot assure desired mechanical strength without increasing the strength of the inner and the outer layers by increasing the basis weight, the density, etc. of the inner and the outer layers, which necessarily results in an increase of weight of the whole container.
JP-A-2000-109123 teaches a container comprising an inner material and an outer material both comprising a paper-made base material and an intermediate layer comprising a pulp-containing foamed layer interposed therebetween via an adhesive.
However, because the pulp-containing blowing agent achieves only a low expansion ratio, it should be used in a large quantity for obtaining desired heat insulating properties, which leads to a high cost. Besides, if the thickness of the base materials is reduced in an attempt to reduce the weight of the container, the adhesive would percolate in the base materials to cause color change or swelling of the base materials. Hence, it is not allowed to apply the adhesive in amounts enough to secure sufficient adhesion between the base materials and the intermediate layer. As a result, the base materials and the intermediate layer tend to separate easily.
Accordingly, a third object of the present invention is to provide a thin and lightweight heat-insulating container which has high buckling strength as well as heat insulating properties.
Known apparatus for producing pulp molded articles include the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,445. The apparatus is of rotary type in which molded articles are continuously manufactured through three steps in rotation of papermaking, compression of a pulp layer, and removal of the pulp layer.
In general, a papermaking step for producing pulp molded articles is carried out by use of a papermaking screen (a silk screen is used in the disclosed apparatus), and a papermaking screen is damaged easily through repeated use. Therefore, the above-described apparatus must be suspended each time the papermaking screen is repaired or renewed, which is unfavorable as an apparatus for manufacturing heat-insulating containers at reduced cost by increasing production efficiency.
Accordingly, a forth object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for producing a heat-insulating container which is capable of providing heat-insulating containers at high production efficiency.


A method for preventing the loss of information within a speech frame is described. A first speech frame to be encoded is selected. A determination is made as to whether or not a second speech frame is a critical speech frame based on the information within the second speech frame and one or more adjacent speech frames. At least a part of an encoded version of the second speech frame is created according to a selected forward error correction (FEC) mode if the second speech frame is a critical speech frame. The first speech frame and the at least a part of the encoded version of the second speech frame are transmitted.

Digital voice communications have been performed over circuit-switched networks. A circuit-switched network is a network in which a physical path is established between two terminals for the duration of a call. In circuit-switched applications, a transmitting terminal sends a sequence of packets containing voice information over the physical path to the receiving terminal. The receiving terminal uses the voice information contained in the packets to synthesize speech.
Digital voice communications have started to be performed over packet-switched networks. A packet-switch network is a network in which the packets are routed through the network based on a destination address. With packet-switched communications, routers determine a path for each packet individually, sending it down any available path to reach its destination. As a result, the packets do not arrive at the receiving terminal at the same time or in the same order. A de-jitter buffer may be used in the receiving terminal to put the packets back in order and play them out in a continuous sequential fashion.
On some occasions, a packet is lost in transit from the transmitting terminal to the receiving terminal. A lost packet may degrade the quality of the synthesized speech. As such, benefits may be realized by providing systems and method for preventing the loss of information within a speech frame.

Systems and methods for preventing the loss of information within a speech frame


A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for migrating a persistent cache. A priming request is received at an intermediary to prime the persistent cache of a first partition. Data is moved from a disk to the persistent cache and, responsive to the data being moved to the persistent cache, an unmounting command is issued to unmount a first file system in the first partition from the persistent cache. A mounting command is then issued to mount a second file system in a second partition to the persistent cache, wherein the second partition may now use the data contained in the persistent cache.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular, to a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code for data transfer between hosts on a partitioned system. Still more, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code for migration of persistent disk cache from one host to another in a partitioned system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Increasingly large symmetric multi-processor data processing systems, such as IBM eServer™ P690, available from International Business Machines Corporation, DHP9000 Superdome Enterprise Server, available from Hewlett-Packard Company, and the Sunfire 15K server, available from Sun Microsystems, Inc. are not being used as single large data processing systems. Instead, these types of data processing systems are being partitioned and used as smaller systems. These systems are also referred to as logical partitioned (LPAR) data processing systems. A logical partitioned functionality within a data processing system allows multiple copies of a single operating system or multiple heterogeneous operating systems to be simultaneously run on a single data processing system platform. A partition, within which an operating system image runs, is assigned a non-overlapping subset of the platforms resources. These platform allocatable resources include a set of one or more architecturally distinct processors with their interrupt management area, regions of system memory, and input/output (I/O) adapter bus slots. The partition's resources are represented by the platform's firmware to the operating system image.
Each distinct operation system or image of an operating system running within a platform is protected from each other such that software errors on one logical partition cannot affect the correct operations of any of the other partitions. This protection is provided by allocating a disjointed set of platform resources to be directly managed by each operating system image and by providing mechanisms for insuring that the various images cannot control any resources that have not been allocated to that image. Furthermore, software errors in the control of an operating system's allocated resources are prevented from affecting the resources of any other image. Thus, each image of the operating system or each different operating system directly controls a distinct set of allocatable resources within the platform.
With respect to hardware resources in a logical partitioned data processing system, these resources are often disjointly shared among various partitions. These resources may include, for example, input/output (I/O) adapters, memory DIMMs, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), and hard disk drives. Each partition within an LPAR data processing system may be booted and shut down over and over without having to power-cycle the entire data processing system.
Failover is the capability to switch over automatically to a redundant or standby computer server, system, or network upon the failure or abnormal termination of the previously active server, system, or network. Failover usually happens without human intervention and generally without warning, unlike switchover.
Systems designers usually provide failover capability in servers, systems or networks requiring continuous availability and a high degree of reliability. In some cases, computer system failover is not desired to be automatic, but is required to allow human intervention to affect the failover. This is called "automated with manual approval", as the activity is automatic once approval is given. Current failover systems do not provide efficient mechanism to move data from one system to another system.

Migration of partitioned persistent disk cache from one host to another


A method for activating a direct oxidation fuel cell including an anode, a cathode, and a proton-conductive electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode is provided. The anode and the cathode each have a catalyst layer on a face in contact with the proton-conductive electrolyte membrane. This method activates the fuel cell by passing a current through the fuel cell from an external power source, with the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the external power source connected to the anode and the cathode of the fuel cell, respectively, while supplying an organic fuel and an inert gas to the anode and the cathode, respectively.

The present invention relates to a method for activating fuel cells, particularly direct oxidation fuel cells, which directly utilize organic fuel.
Fuel cells are classified into phosphoric acid type, alkaline type, molten carbonate type, solid oxide type, solid polymer type, etc., according to the kind of the electrolyte they use. Among them, solid polymer fuel cells, which are characterized by low-temperature operation and high output density, are becoming commercially practical in such applications as automobile power sources and domestic cogeneration systems.
Meanwhile, the functions of portable devices, such as notebook personal computers, cellular phones, and personal digital assistants, are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, and the electric power consumed by such devices tend to increase commensurately. Under such circumstances, it is feared that improvements in energy density of lithium ion secondary batteries and nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries, which are currently the power sources for portable devices, are unable to keep up with the increase in power consumption, thereby shortly causing a problem of capacity shortage of such power sources.
As the power source to solve this problem, solid polymer fuel cells (hereinafter referred to as "PEFCs") have been receiving attention. Among them, most expected are direct oxidation fuel cells, which can generate electric energy by directly oxidizing a liquid fuel at ordinary temperature at the electrode without the need to reform it to hydrogen, because they require no reformer and can be readily miniaturized.
Low-molecular-weight alcohols and ethers have been examined as the fuel for direct oxidation fuel cells. Among them, most promising is methanol, which offers high energy density and high output. Fuel cells that use methanol as the fuel are called direct methanol fuel cells (hereinafter "DMFCs").
The anode reaction and the cathode reaction of a DMFC are represented by the following equations (1) and (2), respectively. Oxygen serving as the oxidant at the cathode is commonly taken from air.CH3OH+H2O→CO2+6H++6e−  (1)3/2O2+6H++6e−→3H2O  (2)
The ion-conductive electrolyte membrane, which transfers protons produced at the anode to the cathode, is often a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane, such as Nafion (registered trademark), in the same manner as in PEFCs utilizing hydrogen as the fuel. Also, such an electrolyte membrane usually has, on each side, a catalyst layer including a catalytic substance. This catalyst layer is generally prepared, with the aim of ensuring proton conductivity, by applying a mixture of a catalytic substance and a solution containing a perfluorosulfonic acid, which is the same component as that of the electrolyte membrane, and drying the mixture.
Solid polymer type electrolyte membranes that are currently used exhibit sufficient ionic conductivity only when they are hydrated. It is thus necessary to hydrate the electrolyte membrane in a process of fabricating a fuel cell. However, a polymer electrolyte membrane absorbs or desorbs water relatively promptly, depending on the ambient temperature and humidity environment, and undergoes dimensional changes accordingly. Hence, it is extremely difficult to fabricate a fuel cell, with its polymer electrolyte membrane hydrated.
For this reason, a fuel cell is often subjected to a hydration treatment, called an activation treatment, after it has been fabricated, with its electrolyte membrane being in a dry state, to the extent that dimensional changes of the electrolyte membrane would cause no special problem.
When a fuel cell is left unused for a long period of time, with the gas communication with the outer environment blocked off, or without any humidification measures such as the supply of moisture to the electrolyte membrane, the proton conductivity of the electrolyte membrane lowers remarkably. In this case, the manipulation of re-supplying moisture to the electrolyte membrane, i.e., activation may become necessary as well.
Such an activation method is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 6-196187. According to this proposal, while humidified hydrogen gas and humidified oxygen gas are supplied to the anode and the cathode, respectively, a voltage of 1.3 V or more is applied between the two electrodes. The resultant electrolysis of water in the electrolyte membrane produces hydrogen and oxygen to cause a large increase in the concentration gradient of water, thereby increasing the diffusion speed of water. As a result, the electrolyte membrane is promptly hydrated according to this method.
Also, another method is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,422. First, humidified hydrogen gas and air are supplied to the anode and the cathode, respectively, for power generation, and then, methanol fuel and air are supplied to the anode and the cathode, respectively, for operation.
As described above, various proposals have been made to hydrate the electrolyte membrane, but to perform an operation requiring humidified hydrogen, hydrogen supply equipment and hydrogen-humidifying equipment are necessary. Generally, hydrogen gas is highly flammable and has a wide explosion limit concentration range, so that it must be handled with great attention. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate sufficient safeguard equipment into a manufacturing process that may possibly use large amounts of hydrogen.
The manufacturing process of PEFCs using hydrogen as the fuel inherently has such equipment. However, in the manufacturing process of DMFCs, which are expected to be mass-produced as the power sources for portable devices, the manufacturing facilities need to be simplified as much as possible, and hence such equipment requiring hydrogen is undesirable.
The method of electrolyzing water in an electrolyte membrane requires application of a voltage of 1.3 V or more per unit cell. Thus, a problem of this method is that if the number of cells of a fuel cell stack is increased, the voltage applied to the fuel cell stack becomes high.
Further, the present inventors believe that the following problems should also be resolved.
The catalyst used in direct oxidation fuel cells is typically platinum, a compound thereof, or a mixture thereof. While platinum is a substance that is inherently resistant to oxidation, it is known that its surface is easily oxidized if baked at high temperatures in an atmosphere containing oxygen. It is therefore considered that such oxidation of platinum decreases the number of effective active sites for reaction.
Such oxidation is unlikely to occur in the manufacturing process of a catalyst for fuel cells, since the catalyst is baked at high temperatures in an inert atmosphere or a reducing atmosphere, but the decrease in the number of active sites due to the oxidation of platinum surface occurs in the manufacturing process of fuel cells, for example, for the following reason.
As described above, a catalyst layer is composed of a catalytic substance and an electrolyte substance, but a mere application of a mixture of these two substances does not facilitate the proton transfer at the interface between the electrolytes in the catalyst layer or the interface between the electrolyte in the catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane. To improve such proton transfer, it is common to perform a hot pressing process in which the mixture is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition point of the electrolyte and pressed, in order to enhance the joint between the electrolytes. While such a process is usually performed for a short period of time of several minutes, it may be performed for a relatively long period of time at high temperatures. This process can possibly promote the oxidation of platinum surface by the oxygen in air.
Further, platinum surface can be oxidized not only in the fabrication process of a fuel cell but also during the use or storage of a fuel cell, because a cathode catalyst in particular is exposed to a relatively high potential in the presence of oxygen for an extended period of time, or hydrogen peroxide, which is a strong oxidant, is produced as an intermediate product of a side reaction at the cathode.
Regarding the above-mentioned problems, there have been no activation methods that perform a regeneration treatment specifically and effectively.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, enable initial activation of a fuel cell upon its fabrication and reactivation after a long-time suspension of its operation, and provide a fuel cell with sufficient activity at low costs.