An ultrasonic bonding head includes a vibrator unit, a holder, and a pressurizing shaft. The vibrator unit includes a press part formed at a tip of the vibrator unit in a longitudinal axis thereof and configured to press a bonding scheduled part to be bonded. The holder holds a base of the vibrator unit in a cantilever manner so that the tip is a free end. The pressurizing shaft is connected with the holder and transmits a force of pressing the press part against the bonding scheduled part so that the vibrator unit moves substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis. The holder is provided with a restraint portion. The restraint portion contacts with the vibrator unit at a counterforce dispersion position located between a main hold position for holding the vibrator unit by the holder and the free end.

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic bonding head, an ultrasonic bonding device, and an ultrasonic bonding method.
For example, the ultrasonic bonding device shown in Patent Document 1 is known. This ultrasonic bonding device carries out an ultrasonic bonding in such a manner that a press part provided at a central part of an ultrasonic horn and holding both sides of the horn in its longitudinal direction is pressed against a bonding scheduled part.
In such a conventional ultrasonic bonding device, the ultrasonic horn needs to have a large length for increasing the ultrasonic vibration of the press part, and the entire device becomes large, which is a problem. Moreover, holders of the ultrasonic horn are on both sides and may thereby disturb the ultrasonic vibration.
A wiring of a glass board to be a display screen board is considered to be ultrasonically bonded with a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or so, but conventional ultrasonic bonding devices are not practical because they hold both sides of the ultrasonic horn and thereby become too large.
Patent Document 1: JP2002222834 (A)

Ultrasonic bonding head, ultrasonic bonding device, and ultrasonic bonding method


A power supply for a radio-frequency power amplifier includes: first and second linear circuits, configured to linearly amplify a low-power signal and a high-power signal in a first envelope signal respectively and provide first and second voltages to the radio-frequency power amplifier respectively, wherein the low-power signal is a signal with a power ratio less than or equal to 30% in the envelope signal, and the high-power signal other than the low-power signal is a signal with a power ratio greater than or equal to 70% in the envelope signal; and a third circuit, configured to detect the linearly-amplified high-power signal and work in a constant on time control mode having a constant on time or a constant off time control mode having a constant off time so as to provide a third electric current to the radio-frequency power amplifier according to the detected linearly-amplified high-power signal.

In the field of mobile communication, a hybrid power supply in which a linear amplification unit is combined with a switching power supply may be used to improve the efficiency of a radio-frequency power amplifier. Such hybrid power supplies usually adopt hysteresis control technology. Although the technology enables a system to work stably by effectively combining linear amplification technology with switching power supply technology, switching-frequency in the technology is affected by an envelope signal bandwidth: along with increase of the envelope signal bandwidth, the switching frequency will be accelerated, thereby imposing challenge to the on/off control. In addition, an on-time point of the technology is highly sensitive to an output noise, and the on-time often lags behind an optimal on/off time point. Further, when the envelope signal with a wide bandwidth and a high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) is processed based on the technology, output power losses of the switching power supply and a linear-amplification-related circuit will be increased simultaneously, thereby resulting in that the efficiency of an entire power system is reduced along with the increase of the bandwidth.
In a case of the continuously increasing bandwidth, how to further improve the power supply efficiency of the radio-frequency power amplifier always remains a technical problem to be considered in this field.

Power supply for radio-frequency power amplifier


A haptic feedback input device includes an operating member having an annular circumferential surface, capable of rotating in a circumferential direction and moving radially, a motor that applies a torque to the operating member, a detecting unit that detects radial movement of the operating member, and housings that have an opening through which a part of the circumferential surface of the operating member is exposed. The operating member and the motor are connected via meshing gears that reduces a rotational speed of a rotating shaft of the motor to transmit an increased torque to the operating member. A common bracket supports the operating member and the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device used for operating an electrical apparatus, for example, an air conditioner mounted on a vehicle, and particularly to a haptic feedback input device giving a predetermined haptic force feedback to an operator which operates manually a knob in response to the rotational direction and rotational angle of the knob.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional haptic feedback input device includes, for example, a haptic feedback input device having a manually rotated and moved knob, an encoder which detects the rotational angle of the knob, a push button switch which detects movement, a motor which applies a torque to the knob, and a controller which controls the motor in response to a rotational angle detected by the encoder and outputs an operating signal in response to the rotational angle to a separate apparatus as an object to be operated by the knob.
In the haptic feedback input device constructed as above, the knob is manually rotated, for example, to output an operating signal that operates an onboard electrical apparatus. Here, the air volume adjustment and outlet switching of an onboard air conditioner, the adjustment of sound volume of a radio or a tuner of the an audio system, or the adjustment of sound volume or sound quality of an audio system are objects to be operated.
In this case, first, after the knob is rotated to select an onboard air conditioner, etc. as an object to be operated, the knob is depressed to fix an apparatus as the object to be operated. Next, in a case in which the air volume of the onboard air conditioner is adjusted, for example, when the knob is rotated in a direction that the air volume increases, a torque is applied to the knob from the motor in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the knob. At this time, with an increase in the rotational angle of the knob in the direction that the air volume increases, the torque in the direction opposite to the rotating direction of the knob is set to increase. In other words, an operator can grasp that the operating member 12 has been rotated to some extent in a direction that the air volume increases, from the haptic force feedback accompanied with an increase in a resistance force applied from the knob.
In addition, as above-mentioned, besides obtaining the resistance feeling as the haptic force feedback, the haptic feedback input device includes, for example, a haptic feedback input device in which an accelerating feeling can be obtained as the haptic force feedback by applying a torque to the knob in the same direction as the rotating direction of the knob, or a haptic feedback input device in which a click feeling can be obtained by reversing the torque applied to the knob when the rotational angle of the knob exceeds a predetermined rotational angle.
As such conventional haptic feedback input devices, an input device of type in which a motor and a knob are directly connected to each other, and the knob and the motor are simultaneously moved is known. This type of directly connected haptic feedback input device has a disadvantage that a torque as the feedback force is not sufficient because the transmission ratio of the motor to the knob becomes 1 to 1.
Therefore, nowadays, in order to make up for the insufficient torque, an input device has already been developed in which the only knob fixing the motor is movably supported, a pulley and a belt are provided for reducing the rotational speed of a rotating shaft of the motor to transmit an increased torque to the knob, and the motor and the knob are connected to each other via the pulley and belt (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,006).
The conventional input device will now be described with reference to FIG. 7. The input device has a housing 126, an actuator (a motor) 112 supported by the housing 126, a sensor (an encoder) 110, a knob 66 which is rotatably and swingably connected to a rotating shaft 140 of the actuator 112 via a pulley 132 and a belt 138, and a push button switch 150 which detects the movement of the knob 66 during its swing.
Next, the operation of the input device will be described. When the knob 66 is rotatably operated, the rotating shaft 140 of the actuator 112 is rotated via the pulley 132 firmly fixed to a shaft 134 and the belt 138, and thereby the rotational angle of the knob is detected by the sensor 110 connected to the actuator 112. Then, a controller (not shown) controls the actuator 112 in response to the rotational angle detected by the sensor 110, and then outputs an operating signal in response to the rotational angle of the knob 66 to a specific apparatus as an object to be operated by the knob 66.
At that time, the actuator 112 is controlled in response to a signal from the controller. In this case, the actuator 112 and the knob 66 are connected to each other with the belt 138 via the pulleys 136 and the 132, and the diameters of the pulleys 136 and 132 are varied to alter the transmission ratio of the actuator 112 and the knob 66. Therefore, the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 140 of the actuator 112 can be reduced to transmit an increased torque to the knob, thereby transmitting a sufficient torque from the actuator 12 to the knob 66.
Further, by depressing the knob 66 after the knob 66 has been rotated to select an apparatus, as an object to be operated, among various kinds of apparatuses, the knob 66 and the shaft 134 are swung, and thereby the shaft 134 depresses the push button switch 150 via a drive member 148 which is disposed in a lower portion of the shaft. Then, a signal detected by the depression of the push button switch 150 is sent to the controller to determine an apparatus as an object to be operated.
However, in the structure of the above-mentioned conventional haptic feedback input device, when the knob 66 is depressed to move the shaft 134, the relative positional relationship between the rotating shaft 140 of the actuator (motor) 112 and the shaft 134 of the knob 66 is altered. Therefore, there is a problem in that the torque of the actuator (motor) 112 cannot be transmitted to the knob 66 via a flexible power transmission member 66, such as the belt 138, however, a direct haptic force feedback cannot be given as compared to the directly connected haptic feedback input device.


Circuitry and a method provide self-referenced sensing of a resistive memory cell by using its characteristic of resistance variation with applied voltage in one state versus a relatively constant resistance regardless of the applied voltage in its opposite state. Based on an initial bias state with equalized resistances, a current comparison at a second bias state between a mock bit line and a bit line is used to determine the state of the memory cell, since a significant difference in current implies that the memory cell state has a significant voltage coefficient of resistance. An offset current applied to the mock bit line optionally may be used to provide symmetry and greater sensing margin.

Magnetoelectronic devices, spin electronic devices, and spintronic devices are synonymous terms for devices that make use of effects predominantly caused by electron spin. Magnetoelectronics are used in numerous information devices to provide non-volatile, reliable, radiation resistant, and high-density data storage and retrieval. The numerous magnetoelectronics information devices include, but are not limited to, Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM), magnetic sensors, and read/write heads for disk drives.
Typically an MRAM includes an array of magnetoresistive memory elements. Each magnetoresistive memory element typically has a structure that includes multiple magnetic layers separated by various non-magnetic layers, such as a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), and exhibits an electrical resistance that depends on the magnetic state of the device. Information is stored as directions of magnetization vectors in the magnetic layers. Magnetization vectors in one magnetic layer are magnetically fixed or pinned, while the magnetization direction of another magnetic layer may be free to switch between the same and opposite directions that are called "parallel" and "antiparallel" states, respectively. Corresponding to the parallel and antiparallel magnetic states, the magnetic memory element has low (logic "0" state) and high (logic "1" state) electrical resistance states, respectively. Accordingly, a detection of the resistance allows a magnetoresistive memory element, such as an MTJ device, to provide information stored in the magnetic memory element. There are two completely different methods used to program the free layer: field switching and spin-torque switching. In field-switched MRAM, current carrying lines adjacent to the MTJ bit are used to generate magnetic fields that act on the free layer. In spin-torque MRAM, switching is accomplished with a current pulse through the MTJ itself. The angular momentum carried by the spin-polarized tunneling current causes reversal of the free layer, with the final state (parallel or antiparallel) determined by the polarity of the current pulse. A reset current pulse will cause the final state to be parallel or logic "0". A set current pulse, in the opposite polarity of the reset current pulse, will cause the final state to be antiparallel or logic "1". Spin-torque transfer is known to occur in MTJ devices and giant magnetoresistance devices that are patterned or otherwise arranged so that the current flows substantially perpendicular to the interfaces, and in simple wire-like structures when the current flows substantially perpendicular to a domain wall. Any such structure that exhibits magnetoresistance may be configured to be a spin-torque magnetoresistive memory element.
Spin-torque MRAM (ST-MRAM), also known as spin-torque-transfer RAM (STT-RAM), is an emerging memory technology with the potential for non-volatility with unlimited endurance and fast write speeds at much higher density than field-switched MRAM. Since ST-MRAM switching current requirements reduce with decreasing MTJ dimensions, ST-MRAM has the potential to scale nicely at even the most advanced technology nodes. However, increasing variability in MTJ resistance and sustaining relatively high switching currents through bitcell select devices in both current directions can limit the scalability of ST-MRAM.
Referring to FIG. 1, a high ST-MRAM MTJ resistance variation and low magnetoresistance (MR) results in an overlapping distribution of resistances for high state bits 102 and low state bits 104. Known referenced read/sensing schemes using reference bits cannot distinguish high and low states successfully for 100% of the bits. Even if the number of bits in the overlapped region 101 is very low (or even zero), due to low MR and high resistance variation of the high and low state bits, a mid-point reference distribution can overlap with low or high state distributions causing read failure. Self-referenced read that references the bit being read/sensed to itself is known in the prior art to address the aforementioned sensing problem. Self-referenced sensing is typically done by sampling the resistance, resetting the bit to a known state, and evaluating the resistance difference to sense the original bit state. To avoid this destructive sensing, an alternate self-referenced sensing scheme called 'slope sensing' detects the presence or relative absence of a negative voltage coefficient of the bit resistance to determine the bit state (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,373). Practical implementation of this 'slope sensing' is difficult because it involves the comparison of currents from two different control variable bias conditions and that has required assumptions about the expected slope of resistance versus applied voltage in the high and low bit states in the prior art. These constraints make this type of sensing approach too restrictive to be useful or applicable over a wide range of bit resistance distributions.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a ST-MRAM self-referencing sense amplifier circuit and a method for self-referenced reading of bits by a slope sensing scheme that does not require resetting the bit, provides greater security of the stored data by remaining non-volatile, less power consumption, and improved bit lifetime. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the exemplary embodiments will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Self referencing sense amplifier for spin torque MRAM


A toner including: a pigment; polyester resin A that is insoluble in tetrahydrofuran (THF); and polyester resin B that is soluble in THF, wherein the toner satisfies requirements (1) to (3) below:    (1) the polyester resin A includes one or more aliphatic diols including from 3 through 10 carbon atoms, as a component constituting the polyester resin A;    (2) the polyester resin B includes at least an alkylene glycol in an amount of 40 mol % or more, as a component constituting the polyester resin B; and    (3) a glass transition temperature (Tg1st) of the toner at first heating in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of the toner is from 20° C. through 50° C.

In recent years, toners have been required to have the following properties: i.e., a smaller particle diameter and hot offset resistance for giving higher quality to output images; low-temperature fixing ability for energy saving; and heat-resistant storage stability for enduring a high-temperature, high-humidity environment during storage or transportation after production. In particular, improvement in low-temperature fixing ability is very important because power consumption for fixing occupies a large part of power consumption for the entire image forming process.
Hitherto, toners produced by a kneading and pulverizing method have been used. However, the toners produced by the kneading and pulverizing method have the following problems: their particle diameter is difficult to reduce; their amorphous shape and broad particle diameter distribution result in unsatisfactory quality of output images; and a large quantity of energy is required for fixing. When a wax (i.e., a release agent) is added to the toner in the kneading and pulverizing method for the purpose of improving a fixing ability, a large amount of the wax is present on toner surfaces because the kneaded product is cracked at an interface with the wax during pulverization. As a result, although a release effect is exhibited, the toner tends to deposit on a carrier, a photoconductor, and a blade (i.e., filming). Therefore, there is a problem that the toner is unsatisfactory from the viewpoint of performances as a whole.
In order to overcome the above-described problems associated with the kneading and pulverizing method, there has been proposed a method for producing a toner by a polymerization method. The toner produced by the polymerization method can be easily made to have a smaller particle diameter, can have a sharper particle size distribution than the toner produced by the kneading and pulverizing method, and can encapsulate a release agent. As the method for producing a toner by the polymerization method, there has been disclosed a method for producing a toner using an elongation reaction product of urethane-modified polyester as a toner binder, for the purpose of improving the low-temperature fixing ability and the hot offset resistance (see, for example, Patent document 1).
Moreover, there has been disclosed a method for producing a toner which is excellent in all of the heat-resistant storage stability, the low-temperature fixing ability, and the hot offset resistance, as well as excellent in powder flowability and transfer ability when the toner has a small particle diameter (see, for example, Patent documents 2 and 3). Furthermore, there has been disclosed a method for producing a toner, the method including an aging step for the purposes of producing a toner binder having a stable molecular weight distribution and achieving both of the low-temperature fixing ability and the hot offset resistance (see, for example, Patent documents 4 and 5).
However, the above-described techniques are unsatisfactory from the viewpoint of achieving a high-level, low-temperature fixing ability which has been required in recent years.
For the purpose of achieving the low-temperature fixing ability at a high level, there has been proposed a toner which includes a release agent and a resin including a crystalline polyester resin and has a sea-island, phase-separated structure due to incompatibility between the resin and the wax (see, for example, Patent document 6). Moreover, there has been proposed a toner including a crystalline polyester resin, a release agent, and a graft polymer (see, for example, Patent document 7).

Toner, developer, and image formation device


A machine for cleaning textile fibres including a casing, a horizontal opening roller rotatably mounted in the casing, the roller being fitted with beater elements and at least one group of grate bars arranged below the underside and approximately parallel to the opening roller. Textile fibres in the form of flocks are fed to the opening roller in a current of delivery air through an inlet located above and at one end of the opening roller. An outlet for removing the delivery air is arranged above and at the other end of the opening roller. A clearance between the grate bars and the opening roller is adjustable. Therewith, the machine can be optimally suited to the type of textile fibre material to be cleaned. The grate bars can also be further adjustable on a axis parallel to their own longitudinal axis, so that the setting angle of the grate bars, with reference to the current of delivery air, can also be adapted to the type of the textile fibre material.

A cleaning machine of the above type is known and obtainable on the market and it is also known that the grate bars, as a rule profile rods, with the object of altering their setting angle, are made capable of swiveling on their longitudinal parallel axes in order to make the adjustment to different fiber materials possible. This known adjustment possibility, however, only permits the same adjustment for all grate bars, that is, in a relatively limited range.

Cleaning machine for textile fibres having improved grate bar arrangement


Provided are a positive electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, the positive electrode including a positive electrode active material layer, the positive electrode active material layer including insulating polyolefin particles and an electroconductive material; an electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, the electrode including an electrode active material layer, the electrode active material layer including polyolefin particles and a resin including a structural unit derived from a nitrile group-containing monomer; and a lithium ion secondary battery using the same.

Lithium ion secondary batteries are broadly used as energy devices with a high energy density as power sources for portable information terminals such as notebook computers, cell phones, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant). For typical lithium ion secondary batteries, a group of wound electrodes obtained by layering a positive electrode, an insulation layer, a negative electrode, and an insulation layer in this order and coiling the same, or a group of laminated electrodes obtained by layering a positive electrode, an insulation layer, and a negative electrode, has been used. As an active material for a negative electrode, a carbon material having a multilayer structure capable of intercalating a lithium ion between layers (i.e., forming a lithium intercalation compound) and releasing the same is mainly used. As an active material for a positive electrode, a lithium-containing metal complex oxide is mainly used. As an insulation layer, a polyolefin porous film is mainly used. Such lithium ion secondary batteries have high battery capacities and output powers as well as superior charge and discharge cycle performances.
Although lithium ion secondary batteries are at a high level in terms of safety, further improvement of safety has been demanded in view of their high capacities and high power. For example, when lithium ion secondary batteries are overcharged, there is possibility of heat generation. Further, heat may also be generated by occurrence of an internal short-circuit. Moreover, since lithium ion secondary batteries contain a nonaqueous electrolyte containing an organic solvent, there is the possibility that the generated heat will cause chemical degradation of the organic solvent to generate a gas, leading to a trouble such as an increase in an internal pressure of a battery or the like.
Currently, further improvement of the safety of lithium ion secondary batteries is intended by cutting off a current inside the batteries to suppress heat generation, when the lithium ion secondary batteries are overcharged or the like. Examples of means for improving safety include: (1) a method of utilizing a mechanism, such as a safety valve provided in a sealing plate, which detects an internal pressure of a battery and cuts off the current; (2) a method in which a sealing plate is provided with a component composed of a PTC (Positive temperature coefficient) element whose electrical resistance increases in response to the heat generation in the battery, and the current is cut off when the PTC element becomes a nonconductor; and (3) a method in which an insulation layer that is melted in response to heat generation in the battery is used, and when the insulation layer melts, movement of a lithium ion between a positive electrode and a negative electrode is inhibited so that the current is cut off.
Meanwhile, as another method for cutting off a current to suppress heat generation, an electrode provided with a PTC layer has been proposed (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2009-176599). A PTC layer indicates, similar to a PTC element, a layer having a function to increase the electrical resistance (direct current resistance) in response to heat generation of a battery. The electrode (at least one of a positive electrode or a negative electrode) according to JP-A No. 2009-176599 is a layered body in which a positive electrode active material layer or a negative electrode active material layer, a PTC layer, and a current collector are layered in this order.
Further, a method in which a PTC conductive material whose electrical resistance (direct current resistance) increases in response to heat generation in the battery is used in an electrode active material has been proposed in JP-A No. H10-241665.

Positive electrode for lithium ion secondary battery, electrode for lithium ion secondary battery, electrode active material layer including polyolefin particles, and lithium ion secondary battery


A structure and method of fabricating a semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) such as a strained Si n-MOSFET where dislocation or crystal defects spanning from source to drain is partially occupied by heavy p-type dopants. Preferably, the strained-layer n-MOSFET includes a Si, SiGe or SiGeC multi-layer structure having, in the region between source and drain, impurity atoms that preferentially occupy the dislocation sites so as to prevent shorting of source and drain via dopant diffusion along the dislocation. Advantageously, devices formed as a result of the invention are immune to dislocation-related failures, and therefore are more robust to processing and material variations. The invention thus relaxes the requirement for reducing the threading dislocation density in SiGe buffers, since the devices will be operable despite the presence of a finite number of dislocations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductors and transistors and more particularly to Si/SiGe strained-layer field-effect transistors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor Si/SiGe strained-layer MOSFETs fabricated using strained Si have potential for improved performance due to higher carrier mobility in the strained Si layer. The strain in the Si is typically achieved by first forming a relaxed SiGe layer, and then epitaxially growing the Si layer on top. Since the SiGe has a larger lattice constant than Si, the Si will be under tensile strain. The underlying relaxed SiGe layer can be formed in numerous ways, but is typically formed by growing a graded-Ge-content SiGe layer on a Si substrate, followed by a thick constant-composition SiGe layer. The SiGe relaxes by misfit dislocation formation near the original growth interface, with a fairly high density (on the order of about 106 cm−2-108 cm−2) of threading dislocations that extend to the sample surface. These threading dislocations continue to extend to the sample surface after growth of the strained Si cap layer. During high-temperature processing, additional misfit dislocations can form if the threading dislocations glide along the interface of the relaxed SiGe layer and the strained Si layer. The threading and misfit dislocations can lead to device failure in a short-channel MOSFET fabricated on these layers particularly if the dislocation extends continuously from the source implant region to the drain implant region. In this case, the dopants from the source and drain can segregate along the dislocation, causing a direct "pipe" from source to drain, resulting in device leakage. This is especially true for n-MOSFETs since the n-type dopant atoms in the source and drain (usually P and As) are larger than the p-type dopant atoms in the well region (usually B). Since larger atoms can preferentially occupy dislocation sites, n-MOSFETs are more likely to suffer from dislocation-related failures of the type described above.
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) depict schematic diagrams of the dislocation-induced leakage mechanism. Specifically, FIG. 1(a) illustrates a strained Si-on-relaxed-SiGe n-MOSFET device 10 formed between two dielectric isolation regions 12a, 12b. Manufactured by techniques known in the art, the n-MOSFET includes a relaxed SiGe substrate layer 15 doped p-type and including a strained Si channel layer 18 formed on top of the relaxed SiGe layer to form a Si/SiGe interface 22 between respective n-type drain and source regions 20a, 20b. On top of the grown strained Si layer is formed a gate dielectric layer 28 (e.g., an oxide such as SiO2) and a gate 30 formed thereon. As shown in FIG. 1, the n-MOSFET may form a threading dislocation 25 protruding up from the substrate 15 that glides along the Si/SiGe interface 22 and then terminates at the surface. As mentioned, the SiGe relaxes by misfit dislocation formation near the original growth interface 22, with a fairly high density of threading dislocations that extend to the sample surface. These threading dislocations continue to extend to the sample surface after growth of the strained Si cap layer. During high-temperature processing, additional misfit dislocations can form if the threading dislocations glide along the interface 22 of the relaxed SiGe layer 25 and the strained Si layer 18.
After an annealing process, the n-type dopants from the source and drain 20a, 20b may segregate along the dislocation, and if the gate length is sufficiently short, join together to form a leakage path 40 between source and drain, as shown in FIG. 1(b). FIG. 2 illustrates a plot 50 of the drain current, Id, versus the gate voltage, Vg, for a strained Si n-MOSFET with dislocation-induced leakage. The data shows that the leakage is seen to occur directly from source to drain (and not from source to body or drain to body, Ib), resulting in poor turn off behavior and high leakage 55 in the subthreshold region (Vgs<0).
To date the main methods of trying to overcome the problem of dislocation-induced leakage have been to reduce the density of initial dislocations in the relaxed SiGe material, and to ensure that the strained Si layer thickness is less than the critical thickness for thermodynamic stability. Both of these methods have been successful in reducing dislocation-induced leakage, but it is very difficult to completely eliminate the threading dislocations and process-induced misfit dislocations. As the Ge content is increased, the defect-related problems are exacerbated, since relaxed SiGe layers with higher Ge content tend to have higher densities of threading dislocations, and require thinner Si caps to prevent misfit formation. So even though improving the substrate material may reduce the number of dislocation-induced failures, these improvements may not be sufficient for applications requiring very high levels of integration, where even a very small number of devices with dislocation-induced leakage may be intolerable.
The interaction of dopant atoms with dislocations has been widely studied. It has been previously shown that heavy dopant atoms, such as In, can segregate to end-of-range dislocations in Si such as described in Noda et al., J. Appl. Phys. 88, 4980 (2000). The effect of implanting heavy neutral impurities such Sn into Si has been studied in C. Claeys et al., J. Electrochem. Soc. 148, G738 (2001), for example, and it was found that Sn acts as a vacancy getter. These results therefore suggest that Sn may also acts as a getter for dislocations. Kaplan et al. in the reference Kaplan et al., Phys. Rev. B 58, 12865 (1998) also noted that Ga impurities segregated to dislocations in Si could form quantum wire conducting paths. However, neither a structure nor a method by which dopant and/or neutral impurity atoms could be used to intentionally occupy the region in the vicinity of dislocations for the purpose of preventing dislocation-induced leakage in strained-layer MOSFETs have been proposed.
It would thus be highly desirable to provide a method and structure for reducing the leakage in strained-layer MOSFETs without the need for eliminating the defects themselves.

Method of reducing dislocation-induced leakage in a strained-layer field-effect transistor by implanting blocking impurity into the strained-layer

International Business Machines Corporation


A plug connector assembly for fiber optic cables. The connector assembly provides for maintaining an optimal orientation of the fiber optic cables to be connected. In a preferred embodiment, each plug to be used in the connector assembly includes a sleeve having a longitudinal ridge which fits into a groove provided in a ring nut affixed to a plug housing. The invention also provides structure for limiting the torque applied when securing the plug, thus preventing over-tightening and preserving the rotational orientation of the plugs.

Fiber optic cables are often joined to one another, or connected to receiving devices, using connectors wherein the end of the light waveguide fiber is fixed in a capillary of a plug pin. The front end of each such pin is coplanar with the end of the optical fiber, and a protective fastening sleeve is provided that is connectable with for example, a rack wall, a slide-in module wall, or a coupler for another cable. The sleeve acts as a guide bush for the acceptance of the plug pins, and its outside circumference is threaded for fastening the plugs, which are provided with union nuts.
A fiber optic plug connector of this type is disclosed in EPA 0 164 531. In this interchangeable plug connector, a hard metal sleeve is provided as guide bush. The sleeve has precisely machined inside surfaces that correspond in size to the outside diameters of the plugs, which are insertable into the sleeve from both sides.
Previously known connectors, however, make no provision for misalignment of the fibers, or optical centers, of the cables to be connected. Such misalignment occurs when the optical center of the cable end is eccentric with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cable. Such eccentricity may be due, for example, to variations in cable manufacturing tolerances. If the optical center of a cable is misaligned with the apparatus with which it is connected, light passing through the connection is attenuated, and transmission quality may be degraded.


A stuffer pin for a rotatable, two part fluid quick connector carries the seal elements and a retainer housing carrying a retainer for mounting the seal elements in the bore of a first component of the fluid quick connector and positioning the retainer housing for locking and rotatable engagement with the first component. A flange on the stuffer pin prevents premature movement of the retainer in the retainer housing to the fully latched position until the stuffer pin is removed from the assembled two part fluid quick connector. The flange does not interfere with the ability of the stuffer pin to carry an axially displaceable retainer in the retainer housing.

The present invention relates, in general, to fluid quick connector assemblies which couple fluid carrying components and, more specifically, to fluid quick connector stuffer pins which pre-mount seal elements in one of the components.
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial application. In a typical quick connector with an axially displaceable retainer, the retainer is fixedly mounted within a bore in a housing of a female connector component or element. The retainer has a plurality of radially and angularly extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or male fitting to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer legs. Seal and spacer members as well as a bearing or top hat are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer to form a seal between the housing and the male fitting when the male fitting is lockingly engaged with the retainer legs.
Radially displaceable retainers in which the retainer is radially displaceable through aligned bores or apertures formed transversely to the main through bore in the female component or housing are also known. The radially displaceable retainer is typically provided with a pair of depending legs which are sized and positioned to slip behind the radially upset portion or flange on the male conduit only when the male connector or conduit is fully seated in the bore in the female connector. This ensures a positive locking engagement of the conduit with the female connector as well as providing an indication that the conduit is fully seated since the radially displaceable retainer can be fully inserted into the female connector only when the conduit has been fully inserted into the bore in the female connector.
Regardless of the type of retainer, the female housing or component portion of a fluid connector typically includes an elongated stem having one or more annular barbs spaced from a first end. The barbs provide secure engagement with a hose or conduit which is forced over the barbs to connect the female housing with one end of the conduit.
Due to the secure engagement between the conduit and the female component, the open end of the axial through bore in the female connector portion of a fluid connector designed with an axially displaceable retainer or the transverse bores in a female connector designed to receive a radially displaceable retainer are fixed in one circumferential position depending upon the position of the tubing and the female connector when the tubing and female connector are joined together. In certain applications, this could limit accessibility to and make it difficult to insert the retainer into the female component, particularly in the case of a radial retainer. Interference with surrounding components frequently makes access to the quick connector for both locking or unlocking operations difficult, if not impossible.
Thus, two part fluid quick connectors which are easily rotatable over 360xc2x0 to facilitate insertion or removal of the retainer into or out of the quick connector have been devised. In such quick connectors, the quick connector housing, typically of one piece construction, is replaced with two engagable portions, one attachable to or mountable on a fluid component, such as a tube or conduit, and the other receiving a second conduit or endform as well as receiving the retainer for locking the first component and the second endform together.
While stuffer pins for fluid connectors having a one piece housing have been used for assembling the multiple seal elements or O-rings, a spacer, a top hat and the retainer in the connector housing, such stuffer pins designed for one piece connector housings are not usable with two part housings, particularly two part housings wherein the retainer carrying component is devised for a non-axial or radially displaceable retainer.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a rotatable two piece quick connector stuffer pin which provides the known advantages of stuffer pins in preassembling components in a fluid connector while at the same time being usable with two part fluid quick connector housings carrying either radial or axial type retainers.
The present invention is a rotatable quick connector stuffer pin which uniquely enables the seal elements and a retainer housing to be mounted to first component or housing of the fluid quick connector.
In one aspect, the stuffer pin includes a first housing having a bore extending between first and second ends and receiving at least one seal element, and a retainer housing having a bore extending between first and second ends, the retainer housing rotatably joinable to the first housing, a retainer carried in the retainer housing for locking a tubular member in the joined first housing and the retainer housing, the stuffer pin comprising a shaft with first and second ends, the shaft configured for carrying at least one seal member, a retainer housing and a retainer in the retainer housing, between the first and second ends for mounting to the first housing.
In another aspect, a flange is carried on the shaft between the first and second ends of the shaft. The flange is positioned to prevent radial movement of the retainer from a first, partially inserted, shipping position to a second, fully inserted, latching position prior to removal of the stuffer pin from the retainer housing. At the same time, the flange does not interfere with pre-mounting of an axially displaceable retainer carried in the retainer housing to the first housing component.
The stuffer pin of the present invention uniquely enables the seal elements as well as a retainer carrying retainer housing to be mounted to a first housing component of the quick connector in a simple plug-in insertion step. At the same time, the stuffer pin is configured to prevent movement of a radially displaceable retainer in the retainer housing from moving from the partially inserted, shipping position to the fully inserted latching position before the stuffer pin is removed from the joined first and second connector components. This insures that the retainer is in the first position allowing easy insertion of an endform into the aligned bores in the first and second housing components to fluidically connect the conduit or endform to the joined first and second housing components. At the same time, the stuffer pin, and the flange which prevents premature movement of the retainer, does not interfere with the use of the stuffer pin to carry a retainer housing with an axially displaceable retainer.


The present invention relates to a digital transmission system provided with a transmitter 11 and a receiver 12, wherein the transmitter 11 comprises a first clock extracting device 13, 14 for detecting a synchronizing signal contained in a first digital audio interface (DAI) format signal from the receiver 12 and generating a first clock signal of a predetermined frequency in being phase-locked with the synchronizing signal, a data read-out device 4 for reading out data from a recording medium on the basis of the first clock signal, and a first encoder 5 for encoding the data from the data read-out device 4 in a second digital audio interface (DAI) format signal on the basis of the first clock signal, while the receiver 12 comprises second clock extracting device 6, 7 for detecting a synchronizing signal contained in the second DAI format signal and generating a second clock signal of a predetermined frequency in being phase-locked with the synchronizing signal, a decoder 8 for decoding data from the second DAI format signal on the basis of the second clock signal, an oscillator 3 for generating a master clock, D/A a converter 9 for digital-to-analog converting the decoded data on the basis of the master clock, and a second encoder 15 for encoding the master clock to derive the first DAI format signal, whereby the system is synchronously operated by the master clock in a manner that digital-to-analog conversion can be effected with a timing clock signal which is not mixed with jitter.

A digital audio interface (DAI) transmission system as shown in FIG. 1 is known as one of digital transmission systems. Since the DAI transmits L-channel and R-channel data through a single digital cable, it employs a time-division-multiplexing transmission system which permits the L-channel and R-channel data to be alternately transmitted and received, as shown in FIG. 6A. If the sampling frequency is chosen to be, for example, 44.1 kHz as in the case of the compact disc, 44100 samples of the respective R-channel and L-channel data, that is, totally 88200 samples of data of both the channels are transmitted per second. One channel data period (word) is 11.34 sec. One word is formed of 32 bits which are divided, for example, as shown in FIG. 6B. Specifically, in the same figure, the first four bits are assigned to be a SYNC portion for synchronization in which a preamble, later referred to, is inserted. The subsequent portion, for storing audio data, has a capacity of 24 bits. However, in many cases audio data is formed of 16 bits as the compact disc, so that only 16 bits from the end are presently used. The last four bits are assigned to be a control portion for storing information added to the data such as ON/OFF of emphasis, sub-code and so on.
The data thus arranged is subjected to a so-called biphase mark modulation in which data "0" corresponds to one transition and data "1" corresponds to two transitions as shown in FIG. 6C. However, the SYNC portion is an exception and written with a particular pattern called "preamble". In the preamble, the correspondent relationship between the transition and the data values is ignored so that this portion has a high-level period longer than any other portion.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a transmitter such as a compact disc player, and 2 a receiver such as a D/A converter system. The transmitter 1 comprises an oscillator 3 for generating a master clock of a predetermined frequency, a data read-out circuit 4 for reading out data from a recording medium (not shown), for example a compact disc or the like, on the basis of the master clock, and an encoder 5 for encoding the data read out on the basis of the master clock in accordance with a DAI format signal.
The receiver 2 comprises a detecting circuit 6 for detecting a synchronizing signal having a frequency, for example, double the frequency of the audio data sampling frequency fs from the above-mentioned DAI format signal, a PLL circuit 7 for generating a clock signal having a frequency, for example, 256 times the sampling frequency fs and phase-locked with the detected synchronizing signal, a decoder 8 for decoding the input signal on the basis of the clock signal, and a D/A converter 9 for converting the digital decoded signal to an analog signal.
The encoder 5 of the transmitter 1 supplies the receiver 2 with a DAI format signal Rx as shown in FIG. 5A. The upper portion of FIG. 5A shows in detail the waveform of the DAI format signal Rx, and the lower portion of FIG. 5A typically shows the same DAI format signal Rx. Such the DAI format signal Rx is supplied to the detecting circuit 6. In the detecting circuit 6, a synchronizing signal 2FSR having one edge (a rising edge) per one SYNC as shown in FIG. 5B is detected. The synchronizing signal 2FSR has the frequency double the sampling frequency fs, as described above.
The synchronizing signal 2FSR from the detecting circuit 2 is supplied to a phase comparator circuit (not shown) of the PLL circuit 7, wherein it is phase-compared with a fed-back signal 2FSV (FIG. 5F) from a frequency divider (not shown). Then, a phase comparison error signal is converted to a direct current voltage by a loop filter (not shown), and the oscillating frequency of an oscillator (not shown) is controlled on the basis of this direct current voltage, whereby a clock signal for decoding the DAI format signal Rx is derived at the output side of the PLL circuit 7, that is, at the output side of the oscillator.
The clock signal thus derived from the PLL circuit 7 is supplied to the decoder 8 together with the DAI format signal Rx, wherein the DAI format signal Rx is decoded on the basis of the clock signal. Consequently, 16-bit serial digital data DATA, a clock BCK for shifting the same, and LRCK for identifying the L-channel and the R-channel, as shown in FIG. 5C, are derived at the output side of the decoder 8.
These outputs are supplied to an S/P converting circuit (not shown), whereby parallel data PDATA having 16 bits per channel, as shown in FIG. 5D, is derived at the rising edge of the clock LRCK, that is, at the end point of the R-channel at the output side of the S/P converting circuit. The parallel data PDATA is supplied to the D/A converter 9 together with the clock signal from the PLL circuit 7, and consequently an output current I.sub.OUT corresponding to the parallel data PDATA as shown in FIG. 5E is taken out at the output side thereof as an analog signal.
In the case of a conventional system constructed as shown in FIG. 1, however, the synchronizing signal is generated from the oscillator 3 of the transmitter 1 on the basis of the master clock as mentioned above, and the PLL circuit 7 of the receiver 2 generates a variety of clock signals on the basis of this synchronizing signal to operate in synchronism with the transmitter 1, wherein one of the clock signals is supplied to the D/A converter 9 to be used as the timing for the D/A converter so that if there occur minute vibrations or jitter in the clock signal, the quality of sound is badly affected. Particularly, in the conventional system which generates the clocks from the DAI format signal Rx it is inevitable that jitter is mixed in the clock signal from the PLL circuit 7 of the receiver 2 in comparison with the master clock from the oscillator 3 of the transmitter 1.


Disclosed herein are neural probes comprising an L1 polypeptide functional fragment thereof on the exterior surface of the probe, devices including such electrodes, and methods of their use. The disclosed embodiments are useful, for example, for in methods of recording and/or stimulating neural signals in a subject.

Chronic neural implants, such as drug delivery devices, diagnostic sensors or neural probes, ideally minimize detrimental tissue responses and impairment of neural function throughout the entire implantation life of the implant. This challenge is particularly critical for neural probes, which are implanted in neural tissue and include electrodes that interface with biological host neurons. The recording and stimulation performance of currently available neural probes and devices including them decreases over time when chronically implanted for long-term clinical applications. Thus, a need exists for improved neural probes and devices incorporating such probes for chronic implantation and long-term clinical application to facilitate recording and stimulation performance that is more reliably maintained for prolonged periods of time.

University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education


A sacrificial film-forming composition is provided comprising (A) a silicone resin which is a co-hydrolytic condensate of hydrolyzable silanes having formulae (1) and (2):X—Y—SiZ3  (1)RnSiZ4-n  (2)wherein Z is a hydrolyzable group, X is a crosslinkable organofunctional group such as an unsubstituted hydroxyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted epoxy, acyloxy or acryloxy group, Y is a single bond or a divalent hydrocarbon group, R is hydrogen or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, and n is an integer of 0 to 3, the silicone resin being capable of crosslinking reaction by the crosslinkable organofunctional group in formula (1), (B) a crosslinking agent, (C) an acid generator, and (D) an organic solvent. The composition has improved storage stability, filling properties, adhesion and coating uniformity sufficient to form a sacrificial film which is effectively dissolvable in a stripping solution.

To comply with the progress of semiconductor integrated circuits toward higher degrees of integration, a technology of processing to smaller feature sizes is needed. In the microfabrication technology of semiconductor devices of the next generation based on ULK/copper interconnection, a material-friendly processing technique is needed in order to make effective use of materials having insufficient chemical and physical strengths. In particular, the technique of processing porous silicon base low-dielectric materials having a relative permittivity of up to 2.7 requires engineers to review and tailor the steps in the overall process including cleaning, etching and CMP and to look for novel materials suited therefor.
For example, in connection with the dual-damascene manufacture by via-first process, Richard Spear et al. proposed spin-on-glass materials as the anti-reflective coating/filling material in JP-A 2003-502449, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,268,457 and 6,506,497. Also a spin-on-glass material having no anti-reflective effect was proposed as the low-dielectric constant film-forming filling material. The spin-on-glass materials have a high structural similarity to the silica base low-dielectric constant film and raise no problem in pattern shape during fluorocarbon gas dry etching, but fail to establish a selectivity during wet etching and are difficult to control the shape after stripping. On the other hand, when organic materials are used as the filling material, they tend to generate shape abnormalities in proximity to the interface between the organic film and the low-dielectric constant film during fluorocarbon gas dry etching for low-dielectric constant material processing after the oxygen gas dry etching step.

Sacrificial film-forming composition, patterning process, sacrificial film and removal method


A chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmutumglow’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with orange ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flowering date September 12 (week 37); blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium Ramat., commercially known as a garden mum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar denomination 'Zanmutumglow'. 'Zanmutumglow' is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new cultivars with a double type inflorescence, a natural season flowering date around September 12 (week 37), blooming for a period of 5 weeks. 'Zanmutumglow' is a seedling resulting from a cross of the female parent id 24631 with the male parent id 24601. Plants of the new cultivar 'Zanmutumglow' differ from plants of the female parent in the color of the ray-florets; the ray-florets of the seedling are more intensively orange colored than those of the female parent. Plants of the new cultivar 'Zanmutumglow' differ from plants of the male parent in the following characteristics. (1) Plant shape. And (2) Inflorescence type. (1) Plants of the seedling are more ball shaped, while those of the male parent are more erect. (2). The inflorescence type of the seedling is double, while that of the male parent is semi-double.
The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant by Wilhelmus Bernardus Blom on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in September 2007. The first act of asexual production of 'Zanmutumglow' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings from the initial selection in 2007 were propagated further in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmutumglow’

Chrysanthemum Breeders Association Research B.V.


An apparatus for melting paraffin wax is provided. It includes an integral plastic inner tub attached to an integral aluminum plate holder, each of which has a flat bottom and a sloped wall. A positive temperature coefficient heating element is attached to the flat bottom of the aluminum plate holder for self regulating to a preset temperature by autonomously varying the positive temperature coefficient heating element electrical resistance in response to the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element thereby varying a power dissipation of the positive temperature coefficient heating element in order to maintain the positive temperature coefficient heating element at the preset temperature. Heat from the positive temperature coefficient heating element is transferred from the integral aluminum plate holder to the integral plastic inner tub via the flat bottoms and the sloped walls thereby melting any wax inside the integral plastic inner tub. The electrical resistance of the positive temperature coefficient heating element decreases in response to the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element decreasing thereby increasing the power dissipation and the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element. The electrical resistance of the positive temperature coefficient heating element also increases in response to the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element increasing thereby decreasing the power dissipation and the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to paraffin wax baths used for theraphy, particularly paraffin wax baths used for dermatological theraphy and arthritic treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the treatment of arthritis and for moisturizing their skin, people may use paraffin wax baths. Solid paraffin wax is melted in the paraffin wax bath and then a person places his or her hand or foot into the melted wax inside the paraffin wax bath. When the person removes the hand or foot from the paraffin wax bath, a coating of paraffin wax is left applied to the skin. This procedure can relieve arthritic pain and can also be used for moisturizing the skin on a person""s hand or foot.
An example of the related art can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,500 issued to Glucksman. The paraffin wax bath described therein is quite functional but is an expensive design. In particular Gluckman teaches side and base resistive heating elements 44 and 46 around and under the inner tub 14. This need for multiple resistive heating elements increases the cost of the article. Also, a resistive heating element requires a relatively expensive temperature control device to obtain consistent temperature control and to prevent the heating element from overheating. A resistive wire heating element does not provide for fast heating, is bulky and heavy. Additional circuitry is required to allow a resistive wire heating element to operate at more than one AC voltage level.
Accordingly, for these and other disadvantages of the prior art designs, there is a need in the art for a less expensive, functional paraffin wax bath.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a paraffin wax bath that provides all the functionality required while providing an economic alternative to resistance wire implementations. An object is to provide fast heating, self regulation with reliable consistent control, improved safety, and long life.
The present invention includes an integral plastic inner tub attached to an integral aluminum plate holder, each of which has a flat bottom and a sloped wall. A positive temperature coefficient heating element is attached to the flat bottom of the aluminum plate holder for self regulating to a preset temperature by automatically varying a wattage of the positive temperature coefficient heating element in order to maintain the positive temperature coefficient heating element at the preset temperature. Heat from the positive temperature coefficient heating element is transferred from the integral aluminum plate holder to the integral plastic inner tub via the flat bottoms and the sloped walls thereby melting any wax inside the integral plastic inner tub. An electrical resistance of the positive temperature coefficient heating element decreases as the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element decreases as heat is drawn away from the positive temperature coefficient heating element thereby increasing the wattage of the positive temperature coefficient heating element. The electrical resistance of the positive temperature coefficient heating element increases as the temperature of the positive temperature coefficient heating element increases thereby decreasing the wattage of the positive temperature coefficient heating element. This temperature self regulation keeps the positive temperature coefficient heating element at the preset temperature.


Multiple instances of an incoming call in a unified communication system capable of communicating through multiple networks are provided to devices and/or applications associated with the called party. Upon acceptance or a global rejection of the incoming call through one of the end devices/applications, the remainder are provided a cancellation notice for the forked call request that includes information associated with which end device took the action, what type of action was taken, whether the action was based on automatic policy implementation.

As an alternative to Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) systems, cellular phone networks have proliferated over the last decade where users with cellular phones have access to one or more networks at almost any location. Also a recent development is the wide spread use of Voice over IP (VOIP) telephony, which uses internet protocol over wired and wireless networks. With the availability of such diverse types of communication networks and devices capable of taking advantage of various features of these networks, a new technology is bringing different communication networks together providing until now unavailable functionality such as combining various modes of communication (e.g. instant messaging, voice calls, video communications, etc.). This technology is referred to as unified communications (UC). A network of servers manages end devices capable of handling a wide range of functionality and communication while facilitating communications between the more modern unified communication network devices and other networks (e.g. PSTN, cellular, etc.).
In addition to accommodating various modes of communication, modern real time communication systems such as UC systems can facilitate presence and routing capabilities, which basically enable a user to place and receive calls (in any communication form) through a number of end devices regardless of physical location. For example, a user may define a destination number (identifier), where he/she can be reached at different times or depending on the context of the call, and the system is capable of routing the call based on the user provided rules.
When a call is made ringing multiple user end devices or applications (i.e. forking) and one of the endpoints answer, the ringing is stopped at all other stations. This is an example of a situation where a request is forked, then answered in a station, which results in a cancellation of the forked requests at all other stations. Another example of request cancellation is when one of the endpoints declines the request globally resulting in all the other forked requests getting cancelled. In conventional systems, the endpoints where the call request is cancelled may not know why the cancellation occurred.

Communicating information pertaining to cancelling of forked call requests


The present invention provides a golf ball having soft and good shot feel, high rebound characteristics and excellent abrasion resistance when hit by an iron club. The present invention related to a golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer of cover covering the core, wherein the outmost layer of the cover is formed from a base resin mainly containing the mixture of

The present invention relates to a golf ball. More particularly, it relates to a golf ball having soft and good shot feel, high rebound characteristics and excellent abrasion resistance when hit by an iron club.
Recently, ionomer resin has been widely used for cover material of golf balls. Particularly, it has been almost used for a base resin of the cover of solid golf balls, such as two-piece golf ball and three-piece golf ball. This is because the ionomer resin is superior in durability, cut resistance, rebound characteristics, etc. and it is easily processed.
However, since the ionomer resin has high hardness and rigidity, the resulting golf ball is poor in shot feel and controllability in comparison with balata (transpolyisoprene)-covered thread wound golf ball. In order to improve shot feel and controllability of the ionomer-covered golf balls, it is attempted to soften the ionomer resin by various means.
For example, Japanese Patent Kokai Publications Nos. 308577/1989, 314463/1992, 3931/1993, 327793/1994, 249/1998 and the like propose that the ionomer resin having high rigidity is mixed with ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with sodium ion, zinc ion or magnesium ion to soften it in order to improve the shot feel and controllability.
However, when the mixture of the soft ionomer resin is used, the hardness of the cover is low, and the flexural modulus of the cover is low. Thereby the rebound characteristics and flight distance of the resulting golf ball. In addition, since the cover is soft, the spin amount is high, which improves the controllability when hit by an iron club. However, since the contact area of a face surface of the golf club with golf ball is large, it is problem that the surface of the golf ball easily suffers an abrasion.
In order to solve the problem, it has been proposed to select the combination of neutralizing metal ions of the ionomer resins in the mixture of the hard ionomer resin and soft ionomer resin (for example, Japanese Patent No. 2897697, Japanese Patent Kokai Publications No. 248/1998 and the like).
In Japanese Patent No. 2897697, a golf ball, which a blend of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with zinc ion or sodium ion and ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion is used as a cover material, is described. In Japanese Patent Kokai Publications No. 248/1998, a golf ball, which a blend of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion and ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion is used as a cover material, is described. In the golf balls described in the both patent documents, the technical effects of improving the abrasion resistance and rebound characteristics, while maintaining good shot feel and controllability, by using the blend of the hard ionomer resin and the soft ionomer resin for the cover material, is obtained.
However, a golf ball, which is sufficient to improve the abrasion resistance and rebound characteristics, has been not obtained by the method of using the blend of the hard ionomer resin and the soft ionomer resin. It has been required to provide the golf ball, which the abrasion resistance and rebound characteristics are improved still more, while maintaining good shot feel and controllability.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having soft and good shot feel, high rebound characteristics, and excellent abrasion resistance when hit by an iron club.
According to the present invention, the object described above has been accomplished, in a golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer of cover covering the core, by employing the outmost layer of the cover which is formed from specified ionomer resins obtained by neutralizing with specified metal ions, and adjusting a Shore D hardness of the outmost layer of the cover to a specified range, thereby providing a golf ball having soft and good shot feel, high rebound characteristics, and excellent abrasion resistance when hit by an iron club.
The present invention provides a golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer of cover covering the core, wherein the outmost layer of the cover is formed from a base resin mainly containing the mixture of
(i) ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion,
(ii) ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with sodium ion and/or ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with zinc ion, and
(iii) ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion, and
the outmost layer of the cover has a Shore D hardness of 45 to 60.
In order to practice the present invention suitably, it is preferable that the ionomer resins (i) and (ii) have a flexural modulus of 10 to 100 MPa and a Shore D hardness of 30 to 50, the ionomer resin (iii) have a flexural modulus of 200 to 500 MPa and a Shore D hardness of 55 to 70, and a weight ratio [(i+ii)/(iii)] of the total (i+ii) of the ionomer resins (i) and (ii) to the ionomer resin (iii) be within the range of 20/80 to 80/20.
The present inventors studied the type of ionomer resin used for a cover material of golf ball and the type of neutralizing metal ion of the ionomer resin in order to improve the abrasion resistance and rebound characteristics of the golf ball, which is the object of the present invention. As a result, they found that the golf ball using the ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with sodium ion, magnesium ion or zinc ion in order is superior in rebound characteristics (sodium ion greater than magnesium ion greater than zinc ion), and the golf ball using the ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion or zinc ion has good abrasion resistance, but the golf ball using the ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with sodium ion has poor abrasion resistance, in addition to the selection of a combination of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with metal ion and ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with metal ion.
Therefore, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 2897697 described above, from the performance of the golf ball using the ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion, the rebound characteristics are degraded by blending the ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with zinc ion, and the abrasion resistance is degraded by blending the ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with sodium ion. In Japanese Patent Kokai Publications No. 248/1998 described above, the resulting golf ball has good abrasion resistance, but sufficient rebound characteristics are not obtained, because of blending two ionomer resins obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion.
On the other hand, the mixture of
(i) ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion,
(ii) ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with sodium ion and/or ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with zinc ion, and
(iii) ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion is used for the cover material of the present invention. In the present invention, from the performance of the golf ball using the soft ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion (i), it is possible to optimize the abrasion resistance and rebound characteristics with good balance by blending the hard ionomer resins obtained by neutralizing with magnesium ion (ii) and the soft ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with sodium ion and/or the soft ionomer resin obtained by neutralizing with zinc ion (iii), while maintaining excellent shot feel.


A capacitor includes a capacitor element, a collector plate joined to an electrode of the capacitor element, and a case accommodating the capacitor element and the collector plate. An inner surface of a bottom plate of the case has a contacting portion contacting the collector plate and a junction portion facing the collector plate. The junction portion of the inner surface of the bottom plate has a joining point joined to the collector plate and a separation part facing the collector plate around the joining point by a gap between the junction portion and the collector plate. The collector plate is located away from the contacting portion.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional capacitor disclosed in JP2004-134632A. Capacitor element 20 has hollow 20A provided therein. A positive electrode and a negative electrode are taken out from both ends of capacitor element 20. Metal case 21 made of aluminum accommodates capacitor element 20 and an electrolyte solution therein. Negative electrode 21A is provided at an outer bottom surface of metal case 21. An end surface of the negative electrode of capacitor element 20 is connected mechanically and electrically to an inner bottom surface of metal case 21 by laser welding while protrusion 21B provided on the inner bottom surface of metal case 21 is put into hollow 20A of capacitor element 20. Sealing plate 22 is made of aluminum. Positive electrode terminal 22A is placed at an outer surface of sealing plate 22. Protrusion 22B is provided on an inner surface of sealing plate 22. Sealing plate 22 has hole 22C for putting the electrolyte solution in the case. The end surface of the positive electrode of capacitor element 20 is connected mechanically and electrically to an inner surface of sealing plate 22 by laser welding. An opening of metal case 21 and sealing plate 22 are sealed with a curling process of curling the opening of metal case 21 with a fringe of sealing plate 22. Pressure regulation valve 23 is attached on an outer surface of sealing plate 22
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of pressure regulation valve 23. Pressure regulation valve 23 includes gas-permeable element 24 closing hole 22C, closing element 25 placed on gas-permeable element 24, and metal cap 26 which covers gas-permeable element 24 and closing element 25 and which is fixed to sealing plate 22. Metal cap 26 has hole 26A for communicating gas-permeable element 24 and closing element 25 with outside. Metal cap 26 urges closing element 25 toward hole 22C so that closing element 25 pushes gas-permeable element 24 to cause gas-permeable element 24 to close hole 22C. Sealing plate 22 has protrusion 22D having an annular shape surrounding hole 22C. Protrusion 22D is deformed by a caulking process to be pressed onto metal cap 26, thereby fixing metal cap 26 to sealing plate 22.
When the pressure of gas in metal case 21 exceeds a predetermined level, pressure regulation valve 23 releases the gas to an outside through hole 22C and 26A, and closes hole 22C again when the pressure falls below the predetermined level, namely the regulation valve is a self-restoring type. Thus, even when gas produced in metal case 21 raises the pressure, no abnormality is caused with an appearance of capacitor 501, and performance of the capacitor remains unchanged.
Gas-permeable element 24 closing hole 22C and intimately pressed onto sealing plate 22 does not permeate the electrolyte solution but permeates the gas produced in metal case 21. Consequently, the electrolyte solution is not attached to closing element 25, thus not damaging pressure regulation valve 23. The electrolyte solution is prevented from leaking through pressure regulation valve 23 to an outside of the capacitor, thus providing capacitor 501 with high reliability.
The end surface of capacitor element 20 of conventional capacitor 501 is welded to the inner surface of sealing plate 22 and the inner bottom surface of metal case 21 with laser radiated from an outside of metal case 21. Consequently, it is difficult to check the welding status and an unnecessary resistance may be increased due to variation in welding condition. A pin hole causing the electrolyte solution to leak may be formed in gas-permeable element 24 or in closing element 25 by sputtering of welding process. In addition, the laser radiated to small areas for welding, accordingly deteriorating reliability in connecting capacitor element 20 to metal case 21 or to sealing plate 22.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Capacitor and method of manufacturing the same


A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first epitaxial layer, a first sinker, a first buried layer, a second epitaxial layer, a second sinker and a second buried layer. The first and second epitaxial layers are disposed sequentially on the substrate. The first sinker and the first buried layer define a first area from the first and the second epitaxial layers. The second sinker and the second buried layer define a second area from the second epitaxial layer in the first area. An active device is disposed in the second area. The first buried layer is disposed between the first area and the substrate, and is connected to the first sinker. The second buried layer is disposed between the second area and the first epitaxial layer, and is connected to the second sinker.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device for avoiding latch-up problem.
2. Description of Related Art
Designation of semiconductor devices is currently driven to advance in accordance with higher degree of integration and more complicated requirements of the semiconductor devices. For example, high-voltage devices must be designed for being operated under a high voltage without interfering with other elements. FIG. 1 is exemplified herebelow to illustrate problems and limitations of a conventional high-voltage device.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional high-voltage device, for example, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistor composed of two lateral double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) transistors.
Referring to FIG. 1, the high-voltage device includes P-type substrate 100, gates 102, 104, gate dielectric layers 106, 108, P-well 112p, a P-tub 114P, doped regions 116p, 118p, 120p, N-tubs 122n, 124n, doped regions 126n, 128n, 130n, isolation structure 134, dielectric layer 136, interconnect 138 and dielectric layer 140. The P-type substrate 100 includes a high-voltage N-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (HVNMOS) transistor in an area marked as HVNMOS, and a high-voltage P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (HVPMOS) transistor in an area marked as HVPMOS. The doped regions 126n, 128n and the gate 102 serve as source, drain and gate of the HVNMOS transistor respectively, and the doped regions 120p, 118p and gate 104 serve as source, drain, and gate of the HVPMOS transistor respectively. The doped regions 116p, 118p and 120p are of p+ conductive type, and the doped regions 126n, 128n and 130n are of n+ conductive type.
The conventional high-voltage device shown in FIG. 1 has following disadvantages:
1. Such a high-voltage device is likely have a latch-up problem. The doped region 120p, the N-tub 124n and the P-type substrate 100 serve respectively as an emitter, a base and a collector that constitute a parasitic bipolar transistor, and doped regions 126n, P-type substrate 100 and N-tub 124n serve respectively as an emitter, a base and a collector that constitute another parasitic bipolar transistor. As such, when a product of current gains of these two double carrier transistors is greater than 1, the high-voltage device is incapable of operating normally.
2. The aforementioned HVPMOS transistor and HVNMOS transistor are disposed on a P-type substrate 100. Therefore, input voltage applied on the doped region 120p is directly applied on the P-type substrate 100. Accordingly, input voltage of the device is very much restricted, thus limiting operation range of such high-voltage devices.
3. Generally, there are often some other semiconductor elements disposed on the P-type substrate 100. However, the conventional high-voltage device provides no isolation structure for isolating those other elements from the high-voltage device in order to avoid interference therebetween.
Accordingly, operation of one semiconductor element affects the others on the substrate, and therefore must be improved.

Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor for avoiding a latch-up problem


A stabilizer system for a utility vehicle that includes a stabilizer unit having a hydraulically-actuated piston cylinder, a leg connected to an end of the piston and carried within a protective sleeve, a ground engaging pad, and a hydraulic actuating and control means by which the leg and pad may be extended and retracted within the dimensional profile of the vehicle. In the retracted position, the leg and pad are carried above the undercarriage clearance space of the vehicle. Advantageously, a utility vehicle equipped with the system may be moved into and operated stably in terrain providing limited sidewall and undercarriage clearance space and having highly hetereogeneous and non-supportive soil conditions.

The present invention generally relates to a stabilizer system. More particularly, the invention relates to a hydraulically-actuated stabilizing system which may be carried on a vehicle without increasing the amount of clearance space required to operate the vehicle. Advantageously, a vehicle equipped with the new stabilizer system may function stably in terrain having highly hetereogeneous and non-supportive soil conditions and limited space.
Utility vehicles, such as wheeled or tracked tractors, earth movers, skid steers, back hoes, and mechanical diggers utilize a variety of tools such as buckets, shovels, and trenchers to perform a variety of tasks at a work site such as shoveling, pushing, trenching, pounding, dumping, breaking, tunneling, and lifting. Under ideal site conditions, these vehicles generally accomplish these tasks with efficiency. However, not all work sites present ideal working conditions. Utility vehicles often must be taken "off-the-road" and maneuvered through and into terrain offering limited sidewall and undercarriage clearance space. The work site itself may present additional factors which would limit the ability of the vehicle to accomplish the given task effectively. Such additional factors include uneven topography and highly hetereogeneous ground conditions including unexpectedly wet or unconsolidated non-supportive surface soils. Under such conditions, the utility vehicle may not be operated stably and, accordingly, to the vehicle's maximum efficiency.
In order to maintain the efficiency at which an utility vehicle may operate at a work site, an apparatus is required which can provide added support for and stabilize the vehicle even under highly varying localized conditions. Yet, the apparatus cannot encumber the vehicle with added weight and clearance problems.
Various mechanisms to support and stabilize utility vehicles are conventionally known. For example, some of such mechanisms consist of arms carried horizontally outward from one or both of the longitudinal or lateral vertical walls of the vehicle. To operate these out-rigger-like stabilizers, their arms must be extended further horizontally outward and vertically downward. Other stabilizing mechanisms include those that are fixed to the undercarriage of the vehicle. These, and other such mechanisms may be manually operated. Those which are hydraulically operable, however, may not include support elements which can be individually actuated.
Conventional stabilizers suffer from a variety of disadvantages. To understand certain of the disadvantages associated with conventional stabilizers, the dimensional profile and undercarriage clearance space of the vehicle must be defined. The dimensional profile of the vehicle is defined as that space around the vehicle which is no farther from the vehicle than the farthest point of the vehicle. To illustrate, the outer limits of the longitudinal portion of the dimensional profile of a wheeled tractor--having wheels, a front hydraulic bucket, and a rear mounted engine--would be defined by the outer portions of the wheels of the vehicle because these portions are generally the farthest points away from the main body of such a vehicle. In this example, the outer limits of the longitudinal portions of the dimensional profile of this vehicle may be defined to be vertical planes which run parallel to, and through the outer portions of the wheels of the vehicle. The front lateral portion of the dimensional profile of the same vehicle would be defined as that space inward from the farthest point of the vehicle extending laterally from the front of the vehicle body. In this example, since this farthest point is the outer portion of the vehicle's front bucket, the front portion of the dimensional profile may be defined to comprise a vertical plane which runs parallel to, and through this point. Similarly, the outer limits of the rear lateral portion of the dimensional profile of the vehicle would be defined, for example, by the rear engine cover of the tractor. From this, it will be appreciated that the dimensional profile of such a vehicle typically is generally rectangular. The undercarriage clearance space is simply that space between the bottom wall of the vehicle, the surface of the ground, and the inner portion, for example, of the wheels of a wheeled tractor.
One of the serious disadvantages of conventional stabilizers and associated with the dimensional profile of the vehicle is that certain known stabilizers function by projecting beyond the profile of the vehicle as unequipped. To illustrate, outrigger-like stabilizers can function only by extending in a horizontal direction outwardly from the walls of the vehicle and beyond the outer portion of the wheels of the vehicle; that is, beyond the dimensional profile of the vehicle. However, the extra space needed to allow such stabilizers to extend outwardly is often limited or non-existent at a work site. This extra space requirement of known stabilizers prevents conventional stabilizers and, thereby, the equipped utility vehicle from being used in areas providing little sidewall clearance.
Other stabilizers, while they may not project beyond the dimensional profile of the vehicle, still may prevent the vehicle from being operated at its optimum effectiveness and efficiency. Such stabilizers are carried vertically beneath the utility vehicle so that they project wholly or in large part, and even when non-operational, into the undercarriage clearance space of the vehicle. Accordingly, a vehicle equipped with these stabilizers has a reduced amount of undercarriage clearance space above the surface of the ground. While the vehicle is being maneuvered into and around a terrain having dense vegetation or highly varied surface conditions, such as one strewn with glacial erratics, the stabilizers may be damaged or completely torn out from under the vehicle's body.
Conventional stabilizer systems suffer from many other more specific disadvantages. For example, most conventional stabilizers are prohibitively heavy, thereby increasing the likelihood that a vehicle equipped with such stabilizers would sink when maneuvered through or operated on non-supportive wet or unconsolidated surface soils. Also, while many conventional stabilizers are permanently affixed to the vehicle, others can be removed only with a great deal of work and by the use of tools that may not be readily available in the field. The efficiency of some stabilizers is also reduced by the fact that they are exclusively actuated by hand and require the vehicle's operator, or a person already outside the cab to engage the mechanism. Other stabilizers that are hydraulically-actuated have, for example, support elements such as legs which cannot be individually controlled. As a result, both legs of the stabilizer system must be actuated even though the stabilizing effect of both legs is not needed. This over-responsiveness to what may be a very localized condition may lead, in fact, to the destabilization of the vehicle. Finally, some stabilizers are designed so that they can only fit outward from the cover to the vehicle's engine. Such stabilizers block access to the engine and require them to be dismantled partially or wholly in order to perform regular maintenance of the vehicle's engine. The amount of cooling air flowing to the engine is also greatly reduced by such placement. Overall, conventional stabilizers decrease the efficiency of, and generally place added weight and/or space limitations on an utility vehicle.
The present invention solves the many problems associated with conventional stabilizers. A vehicle equipped with this new stabilizer system requires no more sidewall or undercarriage clearance space when maneuvering than a vehicle without the stabilizer. Yet, the vehicle is far more useful. A vehicle equipped with this system is able to work in environments inimical to unequipped vehicles.
The present invention provides a stabilizing system that, when retracted, does not add to the amount of horizontal or vertical clearance space required by a vehicle equipped with the system. The present invention includes at least one hydraulically-operated stabilizer unit. In one embodiment, a set of stabilizer units are carried vertically on, and in close conformity to the longitudinal side walls of the utility vehicle. The stabilizer units include legs that, when the system is not in use, may be retracted to a retracted non-ground engaging position and into protective sleeves thereby allowing a vehicle equipped with the system to be maneuvered into and around a work site without the danger that the system may be damaged or torn from the vehicle. When it is necessary to stabilize the vehicle, an operator from within the cab of the vehicle may actuate the system's hydraulic means to lower individually the legs of the system's stabilizer units to an extended ground engaging position. In this position, pads affixed to the ends of the legs rest securely on the ground. Because the stabilizer units may be individually actuated and from within the cab of the vehicle, a vehicle equipped with the present invention may be quickly stabilized in response to very localized soil conditions and topography and without the need for exterior hand labor. Even when fully operational and in the extended position, however, the stabilizer units of the present system do not project beyond the dimensional profile of the vehicle. Accordingly, even when the present system is fully operational, a vehicle equipped with it may be operated in areas offering limited clearance space.
Further advantages of the present invention include the reinforcing elements of the system which prevent deflection, swaying, or other unwanted movement of the system's stabilizer unit. The reinforcing elements, as are the other elements of the present invention, are of relatively light weight construction so that the maneuverability and efficiency of a vehicle equipped with the present invention is not comprised. Furthermore, the present invention includes attachment means which allow the system to be attached or removed from a vehicle quickly and with tools readily available in the field.
An object of the present invention is to provide an unique stabilizer system for a utility vehicle, thereby increasing the vehicle's versatility.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a stabilizer system which includes at least one stabilizer unit that may be individually actuated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle stabilizer system which may be easily attached and removed from a vehicle.
A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle stabilizer system which may be rigidly secured to a utility vehicle, and reinforced so that the system may withstand the stresses placed on it during operation.
Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a stabilizing system for a utility vehicle which is light in weight so that the maneuverability and efficiency of a vehicle equipped with the system is not comprised.


A data processor implemented method for gamification of activity tracking to determine a reward is provided. The method includes obtaining activity tracking information from one or more activity tracking sensors, and comparing one or more associated activity tracking target with the obtained activity tracking information to generate an activity tracking level. The method also includes assessing the activity tracking level for determination of the reward, and interfacing with a payment gateway to make payment to an entity associated with the reward, wherein an amount of the payment is dependent on the reward.

The present disclosure relates to a method, apparatus and server for gamification of activity tracking to determine a reward.
Currently, an increasing number of individuals are becoming more health-conscious, and they use apps on their mobile phones and/or wearable activity-tracking devices to keep track of the activities/exercises which they have participated in. Typically, a record of the activities/exercises which they have participated in is stored on the individuals' mobile phone/remote storage account. At the moment, the stored records belonging to the individuals are not processed for purposes pertaining to the individuals' financial benefit.
In addition, the increasing number of health-conscious individuals are a highly coveted demographic which insurance companies would like to reach out to, as their healthy lifestyles typically lead to more healthy individuals which may lead to a lower incidence of medical claims. Current practices by the insurance companies to attract the health-conscious demographic include partnering third party merchants to offer special promotions at the third party merchants, but such practices have questionable effectiveness as the third party merchants may not be appealing to the health-conscious demographic. It is noted that other organisations other than insurance companies are also keen to engage with the health-conscious demographic.
Thus, it is desirable if organisations could leverage off the habits of the health-conscious demographic, for example, the regular use of wearable activity-tracking devices, and be able to engage the health-conscious demographic in an effective manner.

Method, apparatus and server for gamification of activity tracking to determine a reward