A semiconductor integrated circuit device having a test clock generating circuit enabling a high performance test operation and a method of designing a semiconductor integrated circuit device enabling setting of high precision timing margins is disclosed. A test clock generating circuit having a register sequential circuit and a clock output control circuit is provided between a pulse generating circuit and a logic circuit. When a test operation is active, transfer of a clock pulse generated in the pulse generating circuit to the logic circuit is stopped and a test clock pulse operating the logic circuit is outputted using a pulse signal generated in the pulse generating circuit by controlling a clock transfer control circuit with the sequential circuit depending on setting information of a register. The test clock generating circuit is comprised using a logic design tool utilizing a computer in order to test logic circuit functions and timing margins.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device and a method of designing the same semiconductor integrated circuit device and particularly to a technique which can be effectively applied to the operation test technique of an internal logic circuit.
Supply of clock from an external circuit cannot be controlled for a digital integrated circuit device comprising a built-in pulse generating circuit such as a PLL circuit. Therefore, in the AC (Alternate Current) operation test of an internal logic circuit, it is considered to provide a combination circuit as illustrated in FIG. 17 in order to control the clock pulse to be supplied to the internal logic circuit. Namely, here is introduced the sequence that a test pattern is set to a flip-flop FF of the logic circuit using a scanning circuit, a combination circuit is controlled to output the first clock pulse to transfer an input signal to the logic stage and generate the second clock pulse, and an output signal of the logic stage is fetched by the flip-flop FF and a test result is collected using the scanning circuit. The Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 1999(11)-142478 discloses an example of a semiconductor integrated circuit which comprises a clock multiplying circuit within a chip thereof in order to execute the test during the actual operation.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device and method of design of semiconductor integrated circuit device


A fastening system configured to attach railroad crossties to one or more support structures such as the girder of a bridge. The fastening system includes a plate mounted on a crosstie and a clip attached to the plate that is configured to provide a force between the support structure and the crosstie and secure the crosstie in place.

In conventional railroad systems, rails are supported on crossties using rail support assemblies. One such assembly is shown and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,589 to Hixson. As shown in FIG. 1, a rail seat assembly 10 supports a rail 12 on a wooden crosstie 14. The rail 10 includes a web 16 and flanges 18. The rail seat assembly 10 includes a tie plate 20 that is seated on the crosstie 14 and supports two clips 22 that each engages one of the flanges 18 of rail 12.
Commonly, the crossties 14 are disposed on railroad beds. However, when railroad tracks run over bridges or other steel structures, special supports are needed to attach the crossties to these structures. One such support structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,091 to Burwell, which discloses a railway fastening system that includes a resilient clip that is designed to engage and secure a crosstie to a steel girder. The clip is fastened to the crosstie with a bolt passing vertically through the wooden crosstie. The support must be mounted below the crosstie and, therefore, is difficult and time consuming to install. Moreover, over time, the vertical bolt weakens the crosstie, increases wear and tear of the crosstie and the head of the clip poses a tripping hazard. Additionally, because the clip is disposed under the tie, it is difficult to determine when the clip is properly positioned during installation, or whether the clip has been corroded by extensive wear and tear and exposure to extreme weather conditions and, as a result, needs to be replaced. There are similar problems with U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,649 to Burnwell.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,512,573 to Austin, et al. shows a support system that includes a horizontal bar mounted by vertical spikes on top of two adjacent crossties. A spring loaded bolt extends from the horizontal bar downwardly between the crossties and terminates with a hook engaging the top of a girder. Again, the spikes weaken the crossties and the horizontal bar and bolt extend above the crossties and as a result, present a tripping hazard. Moreover the system is difficult to install correctly.


Described herein are methods and systems for detecting DNA or RNA using single molecules array or other techniques. DNA or RNA from the sample may be fragmented and exposed to a first type of binding ligand and a second type of binding ligand that comprise nucleic acid sequences complimentary at least a portion of a sequence contained in the target DNA or RNA. At least a portion of the fragmented DNA or RNA associates with at least one of the first type of binding ligand and/or the second type of binding ligand, wherein the first type of binding ligand and second type of binding ligand comprises nucleic acid sequences complimentary to a different portions of a sequence contained in the DNA or RNA. A portion of the sample exposed to the binding ligands is analyzed to determine the number of fragmented DNA or RNA sequences.

The sensitive measurement of nucleic acids (NAs) is important in a number of fields such as clinical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, detection of biological threats, and food safety. The detection and quantification of NAs at low concentrations from viruses and bacteria is especially important for the early diagnosis of infectious diseases and testing of blood supplies.
The gold standard method for detecting DNA is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR is now capable of routinely detecting <100 copies of NA per sample (volume ˜5 μL), and real time PCR assays for HIV, for example, are capable of detecting down to 20 copies of viral RNA per mL. PCR is based on the exponential amplification of target molecules by repeated cycles of molecular replication. PCR has proven to be robust as well as sensitive, and has found widespread use in clinical diagnostics and research. PCR does, however, have drawbacks—primarily from the reliance on polymerases—that limit its usefulness in some applications. First, polymerases are susceptible to inhibition from sample components that can result in false negative results in clinical, environmental, food, and forensic samples. As a result, PCR requires careful sample preparation to purify DNA in order for the amplification reaction to be performed. DNA purification makes automation of PCR more complex, with each type of sample often requiring a different preparation method. Second, PCR can be prone to false positive results from erroneous amplification of non-target sequences. Third, PCR is relatively expensive compared to other sensitive analytical techniques, such as immunoassays. Methods that do not rely on the replication of DNA, i.e., that directly detect the target molecules without polymerases, are promising alternatives to PCR.
Accordingly, improved methods are needed.

Detection of DNA or RNA using single molecule arrays and other techniques


An electronic device includes an array of daisy chained image sensors, with each image sensor including a pixel array. A host is coupled to an image sensor at an end of the array and is configured to insert identification codes. The identification codes include embedded data values to thereby indicate specific parts of the image data, and a set of identification codes comprising a first identification code to identify a start of a data stream and a second identification code to identify an end of the data stream.

Digital image sensing based upon solid state technology is well known, the two most common types of image sensors currently being charge coupled devices (CCD's) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors. Digital image sensors are incorporated within a wide variety of devices throughout the consumer, industrial and defense sectors among others.
An image sensor is a device comprising one or more radiation sensitive elements having an electrical property that changes when radiation is incident upon them, together with circuitry for converting the changed electrical property into a signal. As an example, an image sensor may comprise a photodetector that generates a charge when radiation is incident upon it. The photodetector may be designed to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation in the range of (human) visible wavelengths, or other neighboring wavelength ranges, such as infra red or ultra violet for example. Circuitry is provided that collects and carries the charge from the radiation sensitive element for conversion to a value representing the intensity of incident radiation.
Typically, more than one radiation sensitive element may be provided in an array. The term pixel is used as a shorthand for picture element. In the context of a digital image sensor, a pixel refers to that portion of the image sensor that contributes one value representative of the radiation intensity at that point on the array. These pixel values are combined to reproduce a scene that is to be imaged by the sensor. A plurality of pixel values can be referred to collectively as image data. Pixels may be formed on and/or within a semiconductor substrate. In fact, the radiation sensitive element comprises a part of the pixel, and part of the pixel's surface area (the proportion of the pixel area that the radiation sensitive element takes up is known as the fill factor). Other parts of the pixel are taken up by metallization such as transistor gates and so on. Other image sensor components, such as readout electronics, analog to digital conversion circuitry and so on may be provided at least partially as part of each pixel, depending on the pixel architecture.
Various applications use a number of image sensors to produce a composite image. In these applications the interconnection of data between the image sensors is a significant issue, particularly in the case of pixel arrays having many thousand or many million pixels, as are increasingly commonplace.

Electronic device with an array of daisy chained image sensors and associated methods

STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited


A method is disclosed for diagnosing a slave computer which communicates with a master computer, the computers being on board a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a fault code from the slave computer, determining whether the fault code received is associated with a vehicle function, and saving the fault code only if the fault code is associated with a vehicle function.

Modern vehicles have a number of computers, each providing one or more functions, such as, for example, managing driving assistance, traction control, electronic brake distribution, or even the control of actuators to ensure optimum operation of internal combustion engine. These computers are also called ECUs ("Electronic Control Units").
Certain electrical architectures integrating these computers comprise slave computers that are remote from a master computer. A computer referred to as "master computer" is configured to control at least one on-board computer referred to as "slave computer." To do this, the master computer communicates with the slave computer via a local communication network, referred to as "multiplexed network," for example a CAN-type network, meaning "Controller Area Network", and comprising a single communication channel connected in series to a plurality of communication units.
It is understood that the increasing complexity of on-board electronic functions leads to a proliferation of electronic units (or computers) mounted on motor vehicles. In order to limit the resulting diversity, it was decided to use so-called generic slave computers. These generic slave computers are identical (in terms of both hardware and software) regardless of the number of functions for which they are responsible.
To facilitate vehicle maintenance and diagnosis, each of these computers generally comprises a self-diagnosis ability (an ability of the system to monitor and detect its own failures).
To do this, each computer saves a fault code when an anomaly is detected.
In response to a diagnosis request, the computer returns a response indicating the saved fault code(s).
A problem arises during the diagnosis of so-called generic slave computers.
Such generic computers systematically diagnose the state of all of their drive output. These generic computers are not specialized for a function. Thus, to activate a given output, these slave computers process, through a communication network, information related to a specific request ordering the control of a given electrical signal.
The generic slave computers do not know the functional configuration of the vehicle on which they are deployed. The slave computer systematically returns the diagnosed state of its outputs to the master computer, including if these outputs are not connected to any vehicle function.
Therefore, if a function is not connected to a slave unit on a given vehicle, the slave unit still transmits faults, which causes the generation of false fault codes.
Thus, the absence of a function on a given vehicle leads to the performance of a fault diagnosis by the generic slave computer. This diagnosis generates the creation of a fault code known as a "false fault" because the given vehicle does not have any fault; it is simply not equipped with certain functions.
JP09018392 discloses a system in which a master computer receives fault codes from slave computers (anomalies detected by the slave ECUs and coded) and stores these fault codes in a time-stamped manner. However, nothing is provided to manage false faults originating from the slave computer.

Method for diagnosing a slave computer communicating with a master computer


A mail delivery system includes a housing having a bottom wall, an upper wall, and a peripheral wall. An elongate tubular member has a first end attached to an opening in the peripheral wall. The second end extends into a dwelling. The elongate tubular member has a central section, which includes tubular components that are removably coupled together. Each of a plurality of handles is attached to one of the components. A suction assembly is fluidly coupled to the elongate tubular member. A control device is for selectively turning the suction assembly on in a forward direction or reverse direction. A container for holding articles is positioned in the elongate tubular member. The container is movable through the elongate tubular member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pneumatic transport systems and more particularly pertains to a new pneumatic transport system for providing a user with a system that would eliminate the need to walk to retrieve mail delivered by the carrier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of pneumatic transport systems is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,412 describes a pneumatic transport system particularly useful as a mail transport system. Another type of pneumatic transport system is U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,868 describing a pneumatic transmission system having a customer terminal and a teller terminal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,644 describes a pneumatic tube system and blower assembly. Other related patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,711,038, U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,684, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 278,638.
The object of the present invention is to provide a new pneumatic transport system that would allow persons that are elderly or handicapped to easily check their mail without battling inclement weather.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new pneumatic transport system that would save the user time, energy, and needless trips to their mailboxes only to find that their mail had not been delivered.
To this end, the present invention generally comprises a housing that has a bottom wall, an upper wall, and a peripheral wall that extend between the upper and bottom walls. The peripheral wall includes a front wall and a back wall. An elongate tubular member has a first end and a second end. The first end is attached to the front wall. The front wall has an opening therein extending into the first end of the tubular member. The second end extends into the dwelling. The elongate tubular member has a central section positioned between the first and second end. The central section includes a plurality tubular components are removably coupled together. Each of a plurality of handles is attached to one of the components. The components may be positioned in soil such that the handles are adjacent to an outer surface of the soil. A suction assembly is fluidly coupled to the elongate tubular member. A control device is for selectively turning the suction assembly on in a forward direction or reverse direction. A container is for holding articles positioned in the elongate tubular member. The container is movable through the elongate tubular member.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.


Disclosed are a device and a method for calibrating a reference voltage. The reference voltage calibrating device includes a data signal communication unit that transmits/receives a data signal, a data strobe signal receiving unit that receives a first data strobe signal and a second data strobe signal, a voltage level of the second data strobe signal being opposite to a voltage level of the first data strobe signal, and a reference voltage generating unit that sets a reference voltage for determining a data value of the data signal, based on the first data strobe signal and the second data strobe signal, and the reference voltage generating unit adjusts the reference voltage based on the first data strobe signal and the second data strobe signal.

Embodiments of the inventive concept described herein relate to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, relate to a device and a method for calibrating a reference voltage in a memory controller based on a background.
As a mobile device is supplied, various kinds of memories such as a double data rate (DDR) memory, a graphics double data rate (GDDR) memory, a low power double data rate (LPDDR) memory, and a high bandwidth memory (HBM) are being used in various electronic devices, depending on the purpose of use and a characteristic thereof. A memory is a kind of storage device capable of storing data and again reading data stored therein if necessary. Nowadays, a memory performing a high-speed operation is being actively developed to transmit a large amount of data within a short time. The memory that performs a high-speed operation needs to determine a data value within a shorter time with regard to transmitting data. However, because a reference voltage that is used as a reference for determining a data value varies depending on an external environment, the memory that performs the high-speed operation needs to calibrate the reference voltage more quickly depending on a change of the external environment for the purpose of processing data stably.
Most memory controllers are designed to calibrate a reference voltage when a memory chip operates for the first time and to again calibrate the reference voltage periodically or to again calibrate the reference voltage when that a temperature of the memory chip is changed as much as a given range or greater is sensed through an embedded temperature sensor. However, in a memory controller thus designed, a black-out time when the transmission of data is impossible while the reference voltage is calibrated may exist, thereby causing a decrease in the efficiency of transmission of data. Also, ideally, the reference voltage may be set to a middle value of a maximum voltage value and a minimum voltage value of a data signal. However, a value of a data signal that is actually transmitted may be randomly set to "1" or "0", and the data signal may be distorted due to a channel loss. For this reason, it is impossible to use an ideal reference voltage.

Device and method for calibrating reference voltage

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


An apparatus includes a satellite in the form of a plate having a thickness being smaller than a width of the satellite. The apparatus also includes a plurality of contact points distributed on a face of the satellite, allowing for one or more additional satellites to be stacked upon the satellite.

The Cube Sat concept was developed to encourage direct student involvement in space systems by creating a standard that allowed satellites to be launched at an affordable price. The standard was specifically driven by a need to simplify and standardize the interface with launch vehicles, making it both possible and economically feasible for launch providers to carry secondary (rideshare) payloads while minimizing risk to the launch vehicle and primary payload. The initial concept envisioned a satellite in the shape of a 10-cm cube that was designed to be ejected by spring force from a standard box when the lid was opened. The 10-cm cubic shape came to be known as a one-unit (1 U) CubeSat. Deployers were often designed to carry three 1 U CubeSats, and it quickly became the norm to build single satellites that filled these deployers: these became known as 3 U CubeSats, with a volume essentially equal to three stacked 1 U CubeSats. Larger satellites have been designed (and flown) based on various combinations of stacked 1 U CubeSats (or fractions thereof). The CubeSat standard has been very successful in encouraging student projects and a significant number of student satellites have flown in the twenty years since the standard was developed. Not anticipated at the time the CubeSat concept was developed was the potential commercial value of a low-cost standard ride to space. Since then, however, several commercial ventures have been successful in developing and deploying constellations of satellites designed according to the CubeSat standard.
To date, nearly all CubeSats, which typically have a mass between 1 and 10 kg, have been launched as rideshare payloads on launch vehicles designed for much larger payloads. For example, most US domestic space launches take place on Atlas, Delta, Antares, or Falcon launch vehicles, all of which have launch capacities to low Earth orbit (LEO) in excess of 5000 kg. With that payload capacity, there is no practical mission application that would fill an entire launch vehicle with CubeSats or CubeSat-class spacecraft. However, it is often the case that a primary payload does not require the full payload capacity of the launch vehicle, so there is often room for rideshare payloads.
There are a number of satellite constellations either proposed or currently under development that involve thousands of satellites, enough to fill the payload capacity of any existing launch vehicle even if the satellites can be reduced in mass to a few kg each. However, all of these constellations require that the satellites be deployed across various orbital planes. Since it is challenging for multiple satellites launched on a single launch vehicle to be deployed in more than one orbital plane, the number of launches required to deploy a constellation typically will not be substantially fewer than the number of orbital planes in the constellation. Although multiple planes are often involved, space system architectures based on distributed swarms, clusters, or constellations may also require multiple satellites delivered to the same orbit (specifically a single orbital plane). In general, the overall architecture of a typical satellite constellation will involve multiple orbital planes with multiple satellites in each plane. In contrast to the challenge of deploying satellites over multiple planes from a single launch vehicle, however, it is relatively easy to distribute multiple satellites around a single orbital plane when all are launched together on a single launch vehicle. If the number of satellites that can be used in a single orbital plane is large enough to fill the payload capacity of an entire launch vehicle, then it may make sense for a satellite operator to purchase entire launch vehicles instead of going as rideshare payloads. As such, the key metric in determining the compatibility of a launch vehicle and constellation design is the comparison of the payload capacity and the combined mass of all satellites in a single orbital plane. For example, a constellation that uses 25 satellites per plane, with each satellite having a mass of 200 kg, will require 5000 kg delivered to each orbital plane. Such a constellation could make efficient use of a launch vehicle with 5000 kg capacity. On the other hand, a constellation that uses 50 satellites per plane, where each satellite is only 5 kg, would require only 250 kg per plane, and would not be able to justify using a typical large launch vehicle.
To support the growing importance of smaller satellites, recent trends in the space-launch industry have included development of a number of smaller launch vehicles designed (and appropriately priced) to carry payloads between 200 and 1000 kg to LEO. The Rocket Lab Electron, for example, which recently entered service and has completed several successful launches, is designed for a nominal payload to LEO of 225 kg. Thus, a satellite constellation that requires delivery of payloads of this magnitude to each orbital plane can make economical use of this new small launch vehicle without requiring rideshare. For at least one Electron launch, in December 2018, the payload consisted entirely of 13 CubeSats. Assuming 3-unit (3 U) CubeSats, which are typically limited to 5 kg, the Electron would be mass limited to carry about 45 satellites. In practice, however, the CubeSat deployer adds a mass penalty of up to a few kg per satellite, and the volume constraints of the payload fairing make it difficult to carry more than about 20 3 U deployers. As such, it is not clear that satellites conforming to the CubeSat standard can take advantage of the full payload mass capacity of the Electron.
If rideshare is not a primary driver of satellite architecture, and satellites conforming to the CubeSat standard are not able to take full advantage of the new smaller launch vehicles, then the benefit of conforming with the CubeSat standard becomes less clear. Alternative satellite configurations can be considered, limited only by the mass and volume capacity of the launch vehicle.
Satellites designed to the CubeSat standard are strictly volume limited; they must fit within the available CubeSat deployers. Most CubeSat launch services are priced on a per-unit basis (with one unit being a CubeSat unit with approximately one liter of volume) meaning that there is an incentive to squeeze as much capacity as possible into a small volume. While there are also mass limitations, these tend to be less restrictive both because they are relatively high to begin with (typically at least 1.3 kg per unit) and are often negotiable to higher values. If the structural mass of the CubeSat is not excessive, it can be challenging to fill a CubeSat with useful components at a density as high as 1.3 kg per unit.
In contrast to the volume limitation of the CubeSat standard, launch vehicles are typically classed according to how much mass they can deliver to orbit. While there are volume limitations (defined by the payload fairing), they are typically far less restrictive than the mass limitations. Considering again the Rocket Lab Electron for illustration: The nominal payload to LEO is 225 kg. The volume within the payload fairing comprises a cylindrical section just over 1 m in diameter and 56 cm high, and a tapered section that brings the total height to just under 2 m. The total usable payload volume is about 1.2 cubic meters. If a spacecraft were to take full advantage of this volume while remaining within the mass limit of the Electron, it would have an average density under 200 kg/m3, or, in CubeSat terminology, 200 g per unit, which is only about 15% of the mass limit imposed by the CubeSat standard.
In missions aimed at radio-frequency (RF) systems, either the transmit or receive functions (or both) may benefit by having large aperture areas for deployment of phased arrays or other antennas. However, large apertures can be challenging in satellites conforming to the CubeSat standard. For example, a typical 3 U CubeSat will have as its largest face a rectangle of about 10 by 34 cm. A 6 U CubeSat can stretch this to about 22 by 34 cm. Regardless of CubeSat size, of course, the maximum face size can be extended with deployable surfaces. However, this adds a degree of complexity, particularly if the deployable surface requires multiple panels and there are associated flatness or orientation requirements.
Similarly, many RF missions that involve transmissions to the Earth's surface can require more power than is available from body-mounted solar cells, leading to a requirement for deployable solar collectors.
Accordingly, an improved combination of satellite and deployer designs to support combined launches of multiple small satellites may be beneficial.

Stackable satellite structure and deployment method


The present invention provides a novel liquid composition suitable for in-situ formation of a depot system to deliver a bioactive substance in a controlled manner. The composition of the present invention comprises: (a) a hydrophobic non-polymeric carrier material; (b) a water miscible biocompatible organic solvent that dissolves the hydrophobic non-polymeric material; (c) an ionic complex that is formed between an amphiphilic molecule and a bioactive substance having a net charge at neutral pH in water. The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing and use of the composition thereof.

Hydrophobic, non-polymeric materials, particularly, highly viscous, non-polymeric liquid materials have been described as biodegradable systems for controlled release delivery of bioactive compounds (Smith and Tipton, Pharmaceutical Research, 13(9), S300, 1996). The hydrophobic non-polymeric material is generally substantially insoluble in water. The hydrophobic non-polymeric material can be a highly viscous liquid that has a viscosity of at least 5,000 cP at 37° C. and does not crystallize neat under ambient or physiological conditions. When such material is mixed with a small amount of plasticizing solvent, the mixture has much lower viscosity than that of the non-polymeric liquid material alone. This low viscosity solution can be easily formulated with a bioactive compound and the resulting low viscosity liquid formulation can be readily administered to a subject to form a highly viscous depot in-situ.
Representative examples of such in-situ forming depot systems containing the hydrophobic, non-polymeric liquid carrier materials are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,747,058; 5,968,542; 6,051,558; and 6,992,065. The compositions described in these patents comprise a hydrophobic, highly viscous, non-polymeric liquid material such as sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB), a water soluble or miscible organic solvent, and a bioactive substance. Such a composition can be easily prepared and administered to a subject in the form of a low viscosity solution. Once in the body, the solvent dissipates or diffuses into the surrounding tissues, which leads to the precipitation or coagulation of the non-polymeric materials to form a highly viscous gel, semi-solid, or solid depot that encapsulates the bioactive substances. Then the bioactive substance is released via dissolution, diffusion, and/or degradation of the depot.
The non-polymeric carrier materials are typically degraded through the hydrolysis of the ester or ester-like bond. The cleavage of esters is facilitated nucleophilic groups, such as amine groups, within an enzyme or other bioactive substances. This facile degradability is advantageous for medical use, but the susceptibility of the formulation to degradation also presents a major problem for preparing stable formulations. Whenever a bioactive substance is combined with the non-polymeric liquid carrier materials, that same degradation can occur through the interaction between the bioactive substances and the non-polymeric carrier material. Such an interaction can adversely affect the physical and chemical characteristics of the composition resulting in undesired degradation of non-polymeric material and generation of impurities of the bioactive substance. The instability of the carrier material and the bioactive substance in the formulation will prevent the preparation of a suitable composition for storage with a reasonable shelf-life and for use of the formulation to form a consistent depot upon administration with desired release characteristics.
In addition, due to the hydrophobic nature of the non-polymeric carrier material, many bioactive agents, especially hydrophilic peptides and proteins with their charged and polar characteristics, may not be compatible with the non-polymeric carrier material, resulting in an unstable liquid formulation. Phase separation has been commonly observed when hydrophobic non-polymeric carrier materials are combined with an uncomplexed bioactive substance or its simple salt, such as acetate or hydrochloride salt. The phase separation during formulation, storage and in situ depot formation results in a non-homogeneous formulation or depot that leads to uncontrolled release characteristics. In addition, an initial burst release is the typical characteristic of this type of liquid formulations as evidenced in the prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,747,058 and 5,968,542. The uncontrollable initial burst may not be desirable, especially for bioactive substances with a narrow therapeutic index.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a controlled release composition that will prevent or minimize undesirable interactions between the non-polymeric carrier materials and bioactive substances. There is also a need to develop a controlled release composition that can be formulated and stored as a single-phase homogeneous composition of non-polymeric carrier material and bioactive substance. There is a further need to develop such a single-phase homogeneous composition that will provide a depot with a low initial burst release.

Non-polymeric compositions for controlled drug delivery


Devices and techniques for an adjustable watchdog in a memory device are disclosed herein. A memory operation command is received at a first time with a memory device from a host. A reset signal is received, with the memory device from the host, at a second time following the first time. A time interval between the first time and the second time is measured. A delay interval for a timer in the memory device to reset the memory device independently of receiving a further reset signal from the host is established based on the measured time interval.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory, including volatile and non-volatile memory. Flash memory is utilized as non-volatile memory for a wide range of electronic applications. Flash memory devices typically include one or more groups of floating gate, or charge trap memory cells that allow for high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption.
Two common types of flash memory array architectures include NAND and NOR architectures, named after the logic form in which the basic memory cell configuration of each is arranged. The memory cells of the memory array are typically arranged in a matrix. In an example, the gates of each floating gate memory cell in a row of the array are coupled to an access line (e.g., a word line). In a NOR architecture, the drains of each memory cell in a column of the array are coupled to a data line (e.g., a bit line). In a NAND architecture, the drains of each memory cell in a string of the array are coupled together in series, source to drain, between a source line and a bit line. Word lines coupled to the gates of the unselected memory cells of each group are driven at a specified pass voltage (e.g., Vpass) to operate the unselected memory cells of each group as pass transistors (e.g., to pass current in a manner that is unrestricted by their stored data values).
Memory arrays or devices can be combined together to form a storage volume of a memory system, such as a solid-state drive (SSD), a Universal Flash Storage (UFS™) device, a MultiMediaCard (MMC) solid-state storage device, an embedded MMC device (eMMC™), and the like. An SSD can be used as, among other things, the main storage device of a computer or mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), having advantages over traditional hard drives with moving parts with respect to, for example, performance, size, weight, ruggedness, operating temperature range, and power consumption. For example, SSDs can have reduced seek time, latency, or other delay associated with magnetic disk drives (e.g., electromechanical, etc.). SSDs use non-volatile memory cells, such as flash memory cells, to obviate internal battery supply requirements, thus allowing the drive to be more versatile and compact.
Many conventional memory devices typically include a watchdog timer that resets the memory device after a preset fixed period of time to avoid deadlock or crash conditions, and to thereby improve reliability of the memory devices. A host associated with the memory devices may, in some cases, reset the memory devices when a given command issued by the host times out or exceeds a host timeout value. Such conventional memory watchdog timers typically operate based on fixed intervals, which may offer less than ideal performance in the contexts of different systems into which the memory devices are incorporated.


A queue flushing method includes scanning, by a queue flushing processor, a flushing status of a valid queue from a queue information table to determine a target queue whose flushing status is “to be flushed” in the queue information table, where the queue information table records the flushing status of the valid queue; modifying, by the queue flushing processor, the flushing status of the target queue to “start flushing”; and flushing, by the queue flushing processor, the target queue, where the flushing status of the target queue is modified to “flushing complete” after the target queue is flushed.

A modern communications device needs to provide a large-capacity data packet cache to absorb a burst data packet. A data packet cached in the communications device constitutes a queue according to a packet descriptor of the data packet, so as to be managed, and is scheduled and sent according to a priority of the queue. To ensure that a data packet of a user is not mistakenly sent to another user, when a user goes off line, a queue including a packet descriptor corresponding to a data packet of the user needs to be flushed before the queue is reallocated to another user. An existing queue flushing manner is as follows. A queue flushing command for a queue that needs to be flushed is issued to a traffic management chip. After receiving the queue flushing command, the traffic management chip waits until the queue that needs to be flushed is scheduled and dequeued. When the queue that needs to be flushed is dequeued, all packet descriptors in the queue that needs to be flushed are removed.
When there are a relatively large quantity of queues that need to be flushed, a queue with a relatively low priority waits a relatively long time to be scheduled and dequeued. As a result, for a long time, the queue with the relatively low priority cannot be scheduled and dequeued, and a flushing completion time of the queue with the relatively low priority cannot be ensured.

Queue flushing method and related device


A first timing control unit controls an active timing of a first control signal to output a first driving control signal. A first data input/output unit transmits write data from a data input/output buffer to a global input/output line or transmits read data from the global input/output line to the data input/output buffer, in response to the first driving control signal. A second timing control unit controls an active timing of a second control signal to output a second driving control signal. A second data input/output unit transmits the write data from the global input/output line to a local input/output line or transmits the read data from the local input/output line to the global input/output line, in response to the second driving control signal.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to data input/output circuits and methods of a semiconductor memory apparatus, in particular, to a data input/output circuit and method of a semiconductor memory apparatus that is capable of decreasing the number of global input/output lines.
2. Related Art
As semiconductor memory apparatuses migrate from SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) into a DDR (Double Data Rate)/DDR (Double Data Rate) 2, an operation method that reads or writes data corresponding to a minimum burst length at one time for every data input/output buffer according to one read or write command in order to cope with the high frequency operation is used, which is referred to as N bit prefetch (in this case, N is the same as the minimum burst length).
For example, in the case of the DDR, the minimum burst length is 2, and 2 bit prefetch that reads or writes 2 bit data at one time for every data input buffer DQ is used. In the case of the DDR2, the minimum burst length is 4, and 4 bit prefetch that reads or writes 4 bit data at one time for every data input buffer is used.
Hereinafter, a circuit and method of inputting and outputting data of a semiconductor memory apparatus according to the related art will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data input/output circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus according to the related art.
The data input/output circuit of the semiconductor memory apparatus according to the related art includes a data input/output buffer 100, a first data input/output unit 200, a first control unit 300, a second data input/output unit 400 and a second control unit 500.
The data input/output buffer 100 outputs read data to outside of the semiconductor memory apparatus or inputs write data from outside to the inside of the semiconductor memory apparatus. The first data input/output unit 200 transmits the data to be written (hereinafter write data) from the data input/output buffer 100 to a global input/output line GIO, or transmits the data to be read (hereinafter read data) from the global input/output line GIO to the data input/output buffer 100, in response to a first control signal CTRL1. The first control unit 300 outputs the first control signal CTRL1. The second data input/output unit 400 transmits the write data from the global input/output line GIO to a local input/output line LIO, or transmits the read data from the local input/output line LIO to the global input/output line GIO, in response to a second control signal CTRL2. The second control unit 500 outputs the second control signal CTRL2.
The read data refers to data read from a memory cell during a read operation, and the write data refers to data input from the data input/output buffer during a write operation.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the data input/output buffer 100, the first data input/output unit 200, and the first control unit 300.
The first data input/output unit 200 includes a plurality of latch units 210-0 to 210-7, a plurality of input drivers 230-0 to 230-7, a pipe latch unit 250, and an output driver 270. The plurality of latch units 210-0 to 210-7 latch the write data input in series from the data input/output buffer 100 to output in parallel, in response to input control signals IN_CTRLO to IN_CTRL7 and an output control signal OUT_CTRL. The plurality of input drivers 230-0 to 230-7 output output signals from the plurality of latch unit 210-0 to 210-7 to the global input/output lines GIO0 to GIO7 in response to an input driver control signal IN_DRV_CTRL. The pipe latch unit 250 receives the read data input in series from the global input/output lines GIO0 to GIO7. The output driver 270 outputs the read data output in parallel from the pipe latch unit 250 to the data input/output buffer 100.
The latch unit 210-i includes an input unit 211-i and an output unit 213-i. The input unit 211-i receives the write data in response to the input control signal IN_CTRLi. The output unit 213-i latches the write data input in the input unit 211-i to output to the input driver 230-i in response to the output control signal OUT_CTRL. In this case, i is an integer between 0 and 7.
The first control unit 300 outputs the input control signals IN_CTRL0 to IN_CTRL7, the output control signal OUT_CTRL and the input driver control signal IN_DRV_CTRL. The input control signals IN_CTRL0 to IN_CTRL7 control the input units 211-0 to 211-7 so that the input units 211-0 to 211-7 operate at different timings. The output control signal OUT_CTRL controls the output units 213-0 to 213-7 so that the output units 213-0 to 213-7 operate simultaneously. The input driver control signal IN_DRV_CTRL controls the input drivers 230-0 to 230-7 so that the input drivers 230-0 to 230-7 operate simultaneously.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the second input/output unit 400 and the second control unit 500 of the data input/output circuits shown in FIG. 1.
The second data input/output unit 400 includes a plurality of write drivers 410-0 to 410-7, a plurality of input/output sense amplifiers 430-0 to 430-7 and a plurality of read drivers 450-0 to 450-7. The plurality of write drivers 410-0 to 410-7 output the write data of the global input/output lines GIO0 to GIO7 to the local input/output lines LIO0 to LIO7 and LIOb0 to LIOb7 in response to a write driver control signal WT_DRV_CTRL. The plurality of input/output sense amplifiers 430-0 to 430-7 compare and amplify potentials of the read data of the local input/output lines LIO0 to LIO7 and LIOb0 to LIOb7 to output the results. The plurality of read drivers 450-0 to 450-7 output read data from the input/output sense amplifiers 430-0 to 430-7 to the global input/output lines GIO0 to GIO7 in response to a read driver control signal RD_DRV_CTRL.
The second control unit 500 outputs the read driver control signal RD_DRV_CTRL and the write driver control signal WT_DRV_CTRL. The read driver control signal RD_DRV_CTRL control the read drivers 450-0 to 450-7 so that the read drivers 450-0 to 450-7 are simultaneously operated. The write driver control signal WT_DRV_CTRL control the write drivers 410-0 to 410-7 so that the write drivers 410-0 to 410-7 are simultaneously operated.
The data input/output circuit is an example that is implemented in a semiconductor memory apparatus using an 8 bit prefetch.
FIG. 4 is a timing chart of a write operation of the input/output circuit shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
When a write command WRITE0 or WRITE1 is input to the semiconductor memory apparatus, the input units 211-0 to 211-7 receive the write data from the data input/output buffer 100 in response to the input control signal IN_CTRL. The output units 213-0 to 213-7 simultaneously output the write data to the input driver 230-0 to 230-7 in response to the output control signal OUT_CTRL at a timing when the last data (for example, eighth data in the case of 8 bit prefetch) is input to the input unit 211-7. The input drivers 230-0 to 230-7 simultaneously output the write data to the global input/output lines GIO-0 to GIO-7 connected to the input drivers 230-0 to 230-7 at a rising timing of the clock signal CLOCK in response to the input driver control signal IN_DRV_CTRL. In this case, the write data changes the potential of the bit line through the write drivers 410-0 to 410-7 that operate in response to the write driver control signal WT_DRV_CTRL and the local input/output lines LIO0 to LIO7, and LIOb0 to LIOb7. The bit line sense amplifier finally stores the write data in memory cells.
FIG. 5 is a timing chart of a read operation of the data input/output circuit shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
As shown in FIG. 5, after a read command READ0 or READ1 is input to the semiconductor memory apparatus, the input/output sense amplifiers (IOSA) 430-0 to 430-7 simultaneously operate to receive the read data from the local input/output lines LIO0 to LIO7, and LIOb0 to LIOb7, and the read drivers 450-0 to 450-7 simultaneously operate to transmit data the pipe latch unit 250 though the global input/output lines GIO-0 to GIO-7. The pipe latch unit 250 stores eight data and is synchronized with the clock signal CLOCK at a predetermined output timing to sequentially output the read data, and the output driver 270 outputs the read data to the data input/output buffer 100.
However, as described above, since the number of data that is simultaneously input to one data input/output buffer (DQ) 100 is eight, the same number of input drivers 230-0 to 230-7, write drivers 410-0 to 410-7, input/output sense amplifiers 430-0 to 430-7, read drivers 450-0 to 450-7, and global input/output lines GIO-0 to GIO-7 is required. Further, as the bit number of used prefetches is increased, the number of global input/output lines to the data input/output buffers (DQ) 100 is accordingly increased. For example, in the case of a semiconductor memory apparatus in which data is input/output to and from 16 data input/output buffers DQ from the outside of the DRAM, a total of 128 global input/output lines GIO with respect to the 8 bit prefetches and the 16 data input/output buffers DQ should be used. Further, considering development trends in semiconductor memory apparatuses, the semiconductor memory apparatus will use a larger number of prefetches needs 256 global input/output lines, which causes an increase in the total area of chips.

Data input/output circuit and method of semiconductor memory apparatus


The present disclosure relates to a component structure, a power module and a power module assembly structure having the component structure. The component structure comprises: a first bus bar, having one end extending to a first plane to form a first connecting terminal; a second bus bar, comprising a front portion of the second bus bar and a rear portion of the second bus bar, wherein the front portion of the second bus bar is laminated in parallel with the first bus bar, and the rear portion of the second bus bar is extended to a second plane to form a second connecting terminal; and an external circuit comprising a third bus bar, wherein the third bus bar is settled in parallel with the rear portion of the second bus bar, to reduce a parasitic inductance between the first connecting terminal and the second connecting terminal.

Modern power electronic devices, as an important part of power conversions, are widely used in the electric power, electronics, motor drivers, and energy industries. It is always an important pursuing goal for those skilled in the art to ensure long-term stable operation of the power electronic devices and improve the power conversion efficiency of the power electronic devices.
It should be noted that, information disclosed in the above background portion is provided only for better understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and thus it may contain information that does not form the prior art known by those ordinary skilled in the art.

Component structure, power module and power module assembly structure


An expandable balloon wrapped media display system including: a transparent balloon; an accordion pleated paper-like sheet having formed thereon a message, picture, graphic display, graphic design, or combination thereof; a first attachment member fixedly secured to a first edge of the sheet; the sheet being folded up on itself at its midpoint so as to present the left and right halves of a second edge thereof in generally face-to-face relation; a second attachment member having a tubular portion and an axially extending flange fixedly secured to a second edge of the sheet; the folded accordion pleated sheet being inserted into a balloon with the first attachment member engaging the polar extremity of the balloon most remote from the balloon's inflation aperture and the second attachment member having its tubular portion disposed within the constricted neck portion of the balloon; first attachment means securing the first polar extremity of the balloon to the first attachment member; and, second attachment means securing the constricted neck portion of the balloon to the tubular member, whereupon inflation of the balloon causes its sidewall to stretch and enlarge, thus causing the first and second attachment members to move away from one another so as to unfold the accordion pleated sheet and thus expose the media formed thereon to observers through the balloon's transparent sidewall.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to novelty items; and, more particularly, to an expandable greeting card or similar media display device adapted to be fixedly positioned within a relatively clear transparent inflatable balloon so that upon inflation of the balloon the card is gradually expanded to render messages and/or pictorial or graphic displays printed thereon visible to an observer through the sidewall of the inflated balloon. More specifically, the present invention relates to a balloon encased expandable greeting card and/or pictorial display device Which may be gradually expanded by coaction with the sidewall of the balloon as the latter is inflated so as to render the printed media contained thereon--whether in the form of a printed message, a picture, a graphic design or display, or a combination of the foregoing--visible to individuals through the wall of the balloon, together with a novel method for displaying such printed media.
2. Background Art
There are many occasions When persons desire to convey messages to one or more other persons in some unusual format such, for example, as a greeting card which may or may not contain text material and/or graphic displays of the type commonly exchanged upon such occasions as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations and a wide range of similar festive occasions. Moreover, it is common that inflatable balloons are also widely used at such festivities. Indeed, special purpose balloons bearing printed messages and/or graphic displays printed on the balloon sidewall are well known for use in conveying birthday greetings, Valentine Day greetings, etc.
Additionally, a wide range of devices and/or systems have been devised in recent years to enable toys, gifts, flowers, trinkets and similar favors to be stuffed into an inflated balloon with the balloon serving as an attractive, and oft-times unique, package for the particular favor. Thus, in those instances where the balloon sidewall is clear or transparent, the recipient and others are able to view the favor contained therein; whereas, in other instances where the balloon sidewall is opaque, the favor remains hidden until the balloon is burst by the recipient, thus promoting surprise.
However, apart from the long-standing widespread use of balloons as conventional party favors and the like, and the more limited use in recent years of balloons as containers and/or gift packages for toys, flowers, small gifts and similar party favors, to the best of the present inventor's knowledge, prior to the advent of the present invention there has been no use of, nor suggestion of the utility of, balloons as envelopes for greeting cards and/or similar media presentation devices for delivering greetings and/or displaying pictures and/or graphic media.

Expandable balloon wrapped media display system


Join operations may be selectively assigned from local data processing to remote data processing. Aggregation queries directed to distributed data sets may have query plans generated that include join operations. Some join operations may be executed locally while others may be assigned for remote execution at a remote data processing engine. Join operations may be identified and evaluated for remote execution according to a processing constraint for the remote data processing engine. For those join operations that satisfy the remote data processing engine, the query plan may be modified to assign the join operation for remote execution. A result for the aggregation query may be generated according to the modified query plan and the result sent in response to the aggregation query.

Processing large amounts of data is an integral part of many types of systems, services, and applications. In order to provide quick and efficient operations with respect to data, computing resources may need to be managed to optimally distribute the work that is performed by different data processing components. For example, the performance location of different data manipulation operations may offer opportunities for performance improvements. Determining the location for performing data processing operations can be done in several ways. For example, data processing may be co-located with data storage that stores the data to be processed. However, not all data processing locations may have equal processing capacity. Some locations, for instance, may have limited communication bandwidth, processing capacity, or storage for data processing operations. Accounting for different data processing limitations at different data processing locations when determining data processing workload distributions may optimize the performance of data processing operations at the different locations.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.

Selectively assigning join operations for remote data processing


An article transport facility includes a traveling rail hung from a ceiling portion and configured for guiding an article transport carriage, an article loading unit disposed laterally and downwardly of the traveling rail and configured for loading and supporting an article to be transferred to/from the article transport carriage, and a supporting mechanism for supporting the article loading unit hung from the ceiling portion in such a manner that the article loading unit is rendered position-adjustable between a transferring position for transferring the article to/from the article transport carriage and a retracted position retracted upwards from the transferring position. The supporting mechanism is capable of causing the article loading unit loading an article thereon to be position-changeable between the transferring position and the retracted position.

The article transport facility described above is installed in e.g. a cleanroom for transporting a storage container storing therein a substrate such as a silicone substrate as an article.
More particularly, the traveling rail is disposed through/across carry in/out sections of a plurality of substrate processing devices for carrying out a plurality of kinds of processing on a substrate and the article transport carriage transports the article to/from the plurality of substrate processing devices. And, the article loading unit is used for temporarily storing the article in the course of its processing.
Namely, as the article loading unit, a plurality of them can be provided respectively at a plurality of positions of the traveling rail along the length thereof through utilization of space available laterally of the traveling rail. Thus, the arrangement of temporarily storing a mid-processing article, that is, an article in the middle of its processing, in an article loading unit present nearby a substrate processing device to which this article is to be transported next, will be advantageous for improvement of article transporting efficiency. Further, in case no such article loading unit (units) is (are) provided, if a storage unit for storing mid-processing articles is to be provided on a floor surface, this storage unit needs to be large. On the other hand, with provision of the article loading units, omission or down-sizing of such storage unit becomes possible.
Further, in an article transport facility, when the substrate processing devices are to be carried in/out of e.g. a cleanroom for change of layout thereof, the presence of the article loading units can be obstructing, e.g. an article loading unit disposed on the side of the ceiling portion but downwardly of the traveling rail obstructing the transporting of the substrate processing devices. In such case, since the article loading unit can be changed in its position from the transferring position to the retracted position retracted upwards from the transferring position, the obstruction by the article loading unit can be avoided.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-169005 (Patent Document 1) discloses an example of such article transport facility as described above. The article loading unit provided in this article transport facility is supported to be position-changeable under its no-article loading state, between a transferring position and a retracted position.
Namely, in this Patent Document 1, the article loading unit is hung and supported by a ceiling portion via a link mechanism comprised of a plurality of links connected to be flexible to each other. When the article loading unit is to be positioned at the transferring position, the link mechanism is caused to assume a linearly extended posture. Whereas, when the article loading unit is to be positioned at the retracted position, the link mechanism is caused to assume a flexed posture overlapping the article loading unit from above. Therefore, when the article loading unit is changed in its position from the transferring position to the retracted position, no space for allowing presence of the article is secured upwardly of the article loading unit. As a result, no article can be loaded on the article loading unit when this unit is positioned at the retracted position.
Moreover, in the article transport facility disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the article loading unit is positioned at the retracted position, the spacing between this article loading unit and the ceiling portion becomes smaller than the spacing required for allowing presence of article. In this respect too, when the article loading unit is changed in its position from the transferring position to the retracted position, no space for allowing presence of the article is secured upwardly. As a result, no article can be loaded on the article loading unit when this unit is positioned at the retracted position.
Incidentally, in Patent Document 1, there is described as a further embodiment using a slide mechanism vertically slidable for position-changing the article loading unit between the transferring position and the retracted position. However, even with use of such slide mechanism, when the article loading unit is positioned at the retracted position, the spacing between this article loading unit and the ceiling portion becomes smaller than the spacing required for allowing presence of article. Thus, no article can be loaded on the article loading unit when this unit is positioned at the retracted position.
When there arises a need to retract an article loading unit from the transferring position to the retracted position, it may be that this article loading unit is currently loading an article thereon. In such case, in the case of the conventional article transport facility, it is necessary to first remove manually the article from the article loading unit and then to change the position of the article loading unit to the retracted position. Therefore, the operation for position-changing the article loading unit between the transferring position and the retracted position is troublesome.
Furthermore, after the article loading unit has been returned from the retracted position to the transferring position, it is necessary to manually return the once-removed article back to the same previous state. Hence, in this respect too, the operation for position-changing the article loading unit between the transferring position and the retracted position is troublesome.
Meanwhile, the positions of articles to be transported are managed by a managing means for managing the article transport facility. Therefore, when a once-removed article is manually retuned to the article loading unit, it is necessary to return it accurately to the same position as the position thereof prior to the removal.
However, in such a situation when a plurality of article loading units are simultaneously retracted to the retracted positions, there can occur an error that the position to which the removed article is to be returned differs from the previous one, so that appropriate position management of the transported articles becomes impossible.

Article transport facility with position-changeable loading unit


There is disclosed a family of alkali-free, lead silicate glasses having properties that make them particularly suitable for use in producing perforated plates for such applications as multichannel plates. In addition to lead oxide and silica, the glasses contain ZnO, BaO, CaO and, under certain circumstances, MgO.

Microchannel plates (MCPs) are thin wafers of electrically conducting glass which contain thousands of open channels or tubes. Each channel diameter is on the order of 10 to 15 microns. The plates are used for the amplification of X-rays, ions, or electrons. They are an essential component of a variety of electronic devices, including night vision goggles.
The principles of microchannel plate fabrication and operation are described in detail in the literature. For example, see an article by Michael Lampton in Scientific American, 245, 62-71 (1981). A fabrication procedure in current use is described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,629,486 (Uchiyama et al.) and 4,112,170 (Rauscher). The former is particularly concerned with alkali lead silicate cladding glasses; the latter with barium borosilicate core glasses.
Briefly, the method, as there described, involves fusing solid rods of a leachable core material, preferably glass, within tubular pieces of relatively non-leachable skin glass. A bundle of such composite bodies is formed and fusion sealed. The bundle is then drawn down, cut into lengths, rebundled and further drawn. Ultimately, a composite article is obtained in which an interconnected glass matrix of the skin glass encases an array of leachable core elements. The composite is then exposed to a leachant, for example, hydrochloric or nitric acid, to remove the cores. This leaves the skin glass matrix with an array of channels corresponding to the array of core elements. The channels may be on the order of ten microns in diameter. The perforated plate, thus formed, is then heated in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere to produce a surface layer of reduced metal on the channel walls. As used throughout, the term "perforated plate," or face plate, means a plate containing an array of channels, as just described.
A cladding glass, suitable for MCP production, must possess a particular combination of physical and electrical properties. Initially, the glass must have a liquidus viscosity suitable for drawing tubing. A viscosity in excess of 30,000 poises at the internal liquidus is acceptable. However, a viscosity over 100,000 poises is preferred.
Another requirement is compatibility with soluble core glasses. During microchannel plate fabrication, a soluble core glass is inserted inside the cladding glass tubing to maintain dimensional stability through redraw. The core glass is ultimately leached from the channels. As a consequence, any cladding glass requires lower softening point and thermal coefficient of expansion (CTE) than the soluble core glass, and about 10.sup.4 lower etch rate. Fortunately, a wide range of soluble core glasses is available, for example, those disclosed in the Rauscher patent mentioned earlier.
The glass must also have a suitable surface resistivity, a value of about 10.sup.13 ohms/sq. normally being desired. However, some variation can usually be tolerated, and surface resistivities between 10.sup.11 and 10.sup.14 ohms/square are considered acceptable. Typically, a lead silicate glass is employed, and fired in hydrogen at 400-500.degree. C. to obtain an appropriate surface resistivity.
A key consideration, of course, is a high secondary electron emission constant. As a practical matter, the stability of the secondary emission is of even greater significance. That determines the useful life of an MCP device.
In the past, alkali lead silicate glasses have been widely used in MCPs. Stability of secondary electron emission was a problem, however, leading to shortened life. Studies at Mullard Research Laboratories in England have shown that ion migration may affect stability. Accordingly, efforts have been made to substitute larger alkali ions, such as cesium or rubidium, for smaller ions, such as potassium and sodium, in the lead silicate glass composition. While this appears to have helped, the problem still persists.
Outgassing of both H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 during MCP usage is a primary cause of reduced signal/noise. This is primarily because the products of outgassing are accelerated inside individual MCP channels due to the electric field. This results in spurious electronic emission.
To eliminate outgassing, MCPs are generally heated at relatively high temperatures prior to installation in a device. A possible solution, then, is to provide a harder MCP glass, that is, a glass that softens at higher temperatures. Such a glass would permit higher heat treating temperatures. This should increase gas diffusion from the glass, and, consequently, reduce outgassing in use.

Alkali-free multichannel plate and glass


A method and apparatus for determining a water chilling unit for cooling a data center are provided. The method includes: acquiring a current water output parameter, a current water input parameter, a current water flow parameter and a current outdoor temperature parameter of each water chilling unit of the data center; pre-processing the water output parameter, the water input parameter, the water flow parameter and the outdoor temperature parameter to obtain a characteristic parameter of each water chilling unit; importing the characteristic parameters of each water chilling unit into a pre-established machine learning model to obtain the current electric power of each water chilling unit; and determining a water chilling unit for cooling the data center on the basis of a preset cooling load, a rated cooling capacity of the water chilling unit and the current electric power of each water chilling unit.

With the development of the Internet, the number of data centers providing services to the Internet is also increasing year by year. The resulting energy consumption problems of the data centers are also becoming increasingly prominent. In the traditional data center, the energy consumption of water chilling units accounts for about 40% of the total energy consumption of the data center. Therefore, how to reduce the energy consumption of water chilling units has become the key to energy conservation and emission reduction of data center infrastructure.
At present, according to a cooling load demand of a machine room, operation and maintenance staffs of the data centers may turn off water chilling units in an order of turning on the water chilling units to reduce the energy consumption.
However, in this type of regulation and control mode, since the staffs of the data center cannot acquire efficiency data of the water chilling units, whether to shut down/start each water chilling unit can be determined only according to the running time of the water chilling units. This will lead to continuous running of a water chilling unit with high power consumption, thus resulting in energy waste.

Method and apparatus for determining water chilling unit for cooling data center

BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Multiple processes and apparatuses for improving the prior system of making gas generant pellets or tablets made of sodium azide, molybdenum disulfide and sulfur wherein powdered ingredients thereof are slurried in water, subjected to wet grinding, spray dried to a powdered material which is molded into pellets or tablets which find use in vehicle crash bags or inflators.. The first improvement to the old process and apparatus involves adjusting the basicity of the water to a pH of greater than 8.0 up to about 12.5 via the addition of sodium hydroxide, followed by the addition of sulfur and molybdenum disulfide and finally the sodium azide whereby azide addition is made to a basic mixture of the other ingredients thereby keeping hydrazoic acid concentration levels below about 3.times.10EXP(-3) moles per liter.. The second improvement to the old process and apparatus involves (1) softening the water before its use in slurrying the powdered ingredients to remove undesirable Ca and Mg ions and/or (2) adding sodium sulfide and/or tri-sodium phosphate to the slurry to precipitate any remaining undesirable Ca, Mg, Pb, Fe, Mn and Cu ions as non-hazardous compounds. Each of these metal ions is reduced to no more about 25 ppm or less.. Also these two improvements are joined together to form a system wherein even better safety results occur.. The improvements not only extend to the final product produced, but to the intermediates at the slurry stage as well as at the spray dried state, which products differ due to significant elimination or minimization of hydrazoic acid and other contaminant metal ion species above mentioned.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to gas generating pellets or tablets capable of generating nitrogen gas at relatively low temperatures on the order of 200.degree. to 1000.degree. F. upon ignition to provide inflation for air bag passive restraint systems. More particularly this invention relates to an improved wet process and apparatus for processing the various make-up ingredients and fabricating pellets or tablets therefrom, along with the resulting improved products.
Though the propellant of this invention is especially designed and suited for creating nitrogen for inflating passive restraint vehicle crash bags, it would function equally in other less severe inflation applications, such as aircraft slides, and inflatable boats, and, more generally, find utility for any use where a low temperature, non-toxic gas is needed, such as for a variety of pressurization and purging applications, as in fuel and oxidizer tanks in rocket motors, for various portable and military equipment and operations where a storable source of nitrogen is desirable, for many laser applications and in outer space stations and outer space vehicle atmospheres where a source of nitrogen is needed, for example, to dilute oxygen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of protective gas-inflated bags to cushion vehicle occupants in crash situations is now widely known and well documented. In early systems of this type, a quantity of compressed, stored gas was employed to inflate a crash bag which, when inflated, was positioned between the occupant and the windshield, steering wheel and dashboard of the vehicle. The compressed gas was released by the action of actuators or sensors which sense a rapid change in velocity of the vehicle during a rapid impact, as would normally occur during an accident.
Because of the bulk and weight of the compressed gas apparatus, its generally slow reaction time and attendant maintenance difficulties, stored gas systems have largely been superseded by systems utilizing a gas generated by chemical gas-generating compositions. These systems involve the use of an ignitable propellant for inflating the air cushion, wherein the inflating gas is generated by the exothermic reaction of the reactants which form the propellant.
The bags used in a restraint system of this type must be substantially inflated within a very limited time span, generally on the order of tens of milliseconds, to accomplish their purpose. In addition, the gas thus produced should meet several rather stringent requirements. As for example, the temperature of the gas as generated should be low enough so as not to burn the bag, undermine its mechanical strength, or burn, or injure the affected passenger in the vehicle in the event the bag ruptures. Also the composition of the gas used in air bag systems should also be non-toxic, non-noxious, non-corrosive, containing very minute amounts of CO, CO.sub.2, NO and NO.sub.2 and less than about 8% H.sub.2 O, and one which is easily filterable to remove solid or liquid particles thus precluding injury to the vehicle occupants and bag damage.
In air bag systems such as those described above, which utilize an ignitable propellant, the stability and reliability of the propellant composition over the life of the vehicle are also very important. Generally, the propellant composition must possess sufficient stability to temperature, humidity and shock so that it is stable and virtually incapable of being ignited except upon deliberate initiation by activating sensors employed for this purpose.
It follows then that the most desirable atmosphere inside an inflated crash bag would correspond in composition to the air outside it. This has thus far proven impractical to attain. The next best solution is inflation with a physiologically inert or at least innocuous gas. The one gas which possesses the required characteristics and which has proven to be the most practical is nitrogen.
The most successful to date of the prior art solid gas generants of nitrogen that are capable of sustained combustion have been based upon the decomposition of compounds of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal and aluminum derivatives of hydrazoic acid, especially sodium azide.
Typical of such prior art which include sodium azide as one of the reactants compositions capable of generating pure nitrogen for airbag applications are the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,741,585; 3,775,199; 3,883,373; 3,895,098; 3,920,575; 3,931 040; 3,996,079; 4,062,708; 4,092,190; 4,203,787; 4,369,079; 4,376,002; 4,533,416; 4,547,235; 4,604,151; 4,734,141; 4,758,287 and 4,836,255.
The disclosures in these documents, particularly as it relates to the wide range of azides possible as well as the complimentary ingredients useable in concert therewith and the various mixture formulations thereof, are incorporated herein by reference.
As indicated in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,079 there are problems and disadvantages, however, in the use of these azides, particularly as it relates to the airbag system's utility. Sodium azide, a Class B poison, is a highly toxic material. It is easily hydrolyzed, forming hydrazoic acid which is not only a highly toxic and explosive gas, but it also readily reacts with metal ions such as Ca, Mg, Pb, Fe, Mn and Cu to form extremely sensitive azide compounds that are subject to unexpected ignition or detonation. Special handling in the manufacture, storage and eventual disposal is therefore required to safely handle such materials.
In the past the powdered ingredients making up the various nitrogen producing gas generant compositions were simply dry mixed or blended together with a conventional dry powder blender/mixer until a homogenous mixture was formed, and the resulting mixture then compacted, molded or pelletized into tablets, pellets or granules by conventional techniques using standard equipment, as indicated in aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,741,585; 4,203,787 and 4,547,235. And for safety considerations as with most, if not all, pyrotechnic substances, remote controlled tableting presses are convenient devices which maybe employed for compression to tablets. Wet blending and granulation techniques for mixing the azide and oxidant components prior to being compressed into tablets or pellets in the usual manner have also been suggested, as indicated in aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,920,575; 3,996,079; 4,376,002; 4,533,416; 4,734,141 and 4,758,287, especially for safety reasons. Of particular note is the '575, '416 and '287 patents wherein at least two solid gas generant reactants, including an azide, are blended with a liquid dispersant (e.g. H.sub.2 O) to form a paste or slurry, which is dried and molded into some predetermined shape.
The instant assignee, Morton International, Inc., has earlier developed a completely automated, (remote controlled) continuous wet process and system (as generally depicted in FIG. 1) for making gas generant tablets or pellets wherein known solid ingredients of a generant azide (e.g. sodium azide) and reactants therefor (e.g. molybdenum disulfide and sulfur) are added to and slurried in water, subjected to wet grinding, spray dried to a powder material, and further processed (e.g. compaction molded) to produce pellets or tablets in the usual fashion.

Process for making an enhanced thermal and ignition stability azide gas generant


An electrical storage device terminal film which is arranged covering part of an outer peripheral surface of a metal terminal that is electrically connected to an electrical storage device body forming an electrical storage device. The terminal film includes a first outermost layer including a first insulating layer, a second outermost layer including a second insulating layer, and an amorphous insulating filler which is added to at least one of the first and second insulating layers. The amorphous insulating filler is arranged with a part thereof being protruded from an outer surface of the insulating layer.

In recent years, there is an increasing need of downsizing mobile machines and of effective usage of electrical energy generated from natural resources. Therefore, research and development is underway to achieve lithium ion secondary batteries (as a type of electrical storage devices) that can provide higher voltage and have high energy density.
As packaging materials for such lithium ion secondary batteries as described above, metal cans have typically been used. However, metal cans are being replaced by pouched laminates, as packaging materials, which are composed of a lamination of a metal layer (e.g., aluminum foil) and a resin film. This is because such pouched laminates can cope with the needs for thinner and diversified products to which the lithium ion secondary batteries are applied, and can be manufactured at low cost.
A lithium ion secondary battery includes a battery body, a packaging material wrapping the battery body, metal terminals (tab leads) each connected to a negative or positive electrode of the battery body and extended to the outside of the packaging, and a terminal film (may often be called tab sealant) for the electrical storage device, partially covering an outer peripheral surface of each of the metal terminals.
A part of the electrical storage device terminal film is covered with a packaging material while the rest of the film is exposed from the packaging material. The electrical storage device terminal film is subjected to a thermal adhesion process for adhesion to the metal terminal.
The electrical storage device terminal film is used for insulating a metal layer composing the packaging material from the metal terminals. Therefore, the electrical storage device terminal film is desired not only to achieve adhesion between the terminal film and the packaging material and between the terminal film and the metal terminals, but also to have sufficient insulating properties after the heat sealing process (in other words, to have a thickness that can ensure sufficient insulating properties).
If the electrical storage device terminal film is transparent and the interposition of the terminal film between the packaging material and each of the metal terminals is going to be checked, it is difficult to determine the presence of the terminal film.
Further, if the electrical storage device terminal film is transparent and the position of the terminal film relative to the metal terminals is going to be checked, it is difficult to accurately determine the position of the terminal film.
As a structure for such an electrical storage device terminal film, a single layer structure or a lamination structure (e.g., see PTL 1) is known.
PTL 1 discloses an electrical storage device terminal film (film for lead wires) including a lamination of three layers each made of polypropylene graft-modified by unsaturated carboxylic acid, or polyethylene graft-modified by unsaturated carboxylic acid.
Known methods of fabricating the above-mentioned terminal film for electrical storage device include, for example, extrusion, such as inflation molding, using a round die, or die pressing using a T-die, and the like. The above-mentioned terminal film for electrical storage device is fabricated using a film-extrusion fabrication apparatus having a die, such as a round die or a T-die.
An electrical storage device terminal film fabricated by means of such an apparatus (specifically, a film-extrusion fabrication apparatus or the like) is taken up by a take-up roller configuring the apparatus, conveyed and stored.
When using (processing) the electrical storage device terminal film taken up by the roller, one end of the terminal film in a roll is drawn out.
PTL 1 also discloses that the electrical storage device terminal film (film for lead wires) is colored using a pigment or a dye to accurately check whether the terminal film is interposed between the packaging material and the metal terminals.
PTL 1 also discloses that pigments for coloring the electrical storage device terminal film include extender pigments as inorganic pigments, such as calcium carbonate, silicic anhydride, alumina and cobalt blue, white pigments, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, and black pigments, such as iron black and black lead. PTL 1 further discloses use of insoluble azo pigments as organic pigments, or azo pigments such as azo lake pigments, phthalocyanine pigments such as copper phthalocyanines and metal-free phthalocyanine lakes, anthraquinone pigments, condensed polycyclic pigments such as thioindigo pigments, as well as nitroso pigments, daylight fluorescent pigments, and the like.

Electrical storage device terminal film, and electrical storage device


Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may determine that a serving base station of the UE has obtained access to a wireless channel of a shared radio frequency spectrum band during a transmission opportunity that is separate from a scheduled uplink transmission by the UE. The UE may perform, based at least in part on the determination, a clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure on the wireless channel during a designated quiet portion of the transmission opportunity. The UE may transmit an unsolicited CCA status report to the serving base station during the transmission opportunity based at least in part on the CCA procedure.

The following relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to measurement report on user equipment (UE) clear channel assessment (CCA) status.
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform-spread-OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations or network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as UE.
Wireless communication systems may operate in millimeter wave (mmW) frequency ranges, e.g., 28 GHz, 40 GHz, 60 GHz, etc. Wireless communications at these frequencies may be associated with increased signal attenuation (e.g., path loss), which may be influenced by various factors, such as temperature, barometric pressure, diffraction, etc. As a result, signal processing techniques, such as beamforming, may be used to coherently combine energy and overcome the path losses at these frequencies. Due to the increased amount of path loss in mmW communication systems, transmissions from the base station and/or the UE may be beamformed. Moreover, a receiving device may use beamforming techniques to configure antenna(s) and/or antenna array(s) such that transmissions are received in a directional manner.
Certain wireless communication systems may operate in a shared or unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band. For example, the base station and/or UE may perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure, clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure, and the like, on channel(s) in order to capture the medium for a transmission. When the CCA procedure is unsuccessful, e.g., the channel(s) is/are busy, energy is detected on the channel, and the like, the base station and/or UE may perform a backoff procedure where the device waits before attempting to capture the medium again to perform the transmission. When the CCA procedure is successful, e.g., the channel(s) is/are not busy, little or no energy is detected on the channel, and like, the base station and/or UE may be considered to have capture the channel to perform wireless communications.
Conventional techniques, however, do not provide an adequate mechanism for a base station to track channel conditions at a UE for periods during which the UE is not scheduled to communicate with the base station. For example, conventional techniques are typically limited to the UE performing a CCA procedure or reporting channel measurements to a base station only when the UE needs to capture the channel for a scheduled wireless communication. In some aspects, this may provide an incomplete picture for the base station, a UE, and/or the network, to consider when monitoring the performance of the channel, when making decisions with respect to a handover that the UE to a new cell, and the like. Generally, the handover can be particularly problematic when the devices are operating in the shared or unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band. Aspects of the described techniques provide a mechanism to leverage the results of the CCA procedure performed by a UE operating in such a shared or unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band.

Measurement report on user equipment clear channel assessment status


A cone piece is tightened into a compatibly shaped hole in the end of a shaft. As the cone piece is tightened, it forces the shaft to expand outwards. As the shaft expands, it creates or increases pressure against a hub, wheel, crank or other mating piece that is positioned on the shaft, locking it into place.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,381 to Schafer discloses a coaxial, double-cone, frictional hub-to-shaft connector. The connector includes two clamping rings. The inner surface of the outer ring and the outer surface of the inner ring are conical surfaces, which engage with each other. Tightening screws to the side of the shaft tighten the connector by drawing the rings together in axial direction. As the rings are drawn together, the inner ring clamps against the shaft and the outer ring against an inner surface of the hub.
Splines are ridges or teeth on a shaft that mesh with grooves in a hub or gear wheel, for example, that is located on the shaft. Spline connections allow torque to be transferred between the shaft and the mating piece. Some spline connections are prone to backlash. An alternative to splines is a keyway and key, which, however, may not be as durable.
Cranks having a split-ring connecting portion can be tightened around a shaft. The connection may or may not have splines. The connection can be tightened using a screw located to the side of the shaft.
A tight press fit can be used to connect a solid shaft to a mating piece. This requires tight control of tolerances and typically a large force to press the two components together.
Other methods of joining a shaft to a mating piece include the use of thermal expansion and contraction. For example, a shaft is cryogenically cooled to slip-fit into an interference hole in a wheel hub. As the shaft warms, it expands and forms a strong friction joint with the hub. These joints are difficult to separate.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.


Embodiments of methods and systems for operating a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling are described. In an embodiment, a method for operating a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling involves obtaining at least one system or environmental parameter related to the communications device and adjusting a communications configuration of the communications device in response to the at least one system or environmental parameter. Other embodiments are also described.

Communications devices can communicate with each other via inductive coupling. For example, near field communications (NFC) is a wireless technology based on radio frequency identification (RFID). NFC defines a wireless connection between two devices in close proximity to each other such that data can be exchanged between the two devices. For example, the data communications between a reader and a transponder typically are bi-directional and initialed by the reader, which generates a continuous magnetic field. RFID devices that utilize NFC typically can be configured for either passive load modulation (PLM) or active load modulation (ALM).
In a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling, performance may degrade in corner cases (e.g., when the communications device is too close to a corresponding communications device or is too far away from a corresponding communications device). For example, a detuning condition can affect power transfer, shift characteristics (e.g., resonant frequency and Q-factor) of a matching network of the communications device, and the load of the transmitter.

Method and system for operating a communications device that communicates via inductive coupling


A floor stand with an angled arm is provided for use with a microscope. The angled arm allows the floor stand and microscope to fit within a small or crowded examination room while also allowing a physician and his assistant space to maneuver around the floor stand and examine a patient.

The background art in floor stands for surgical microscopes provides little space for physicians and their assistants to maneuver around the stand or the medical device. This invention supplies a need for a surgical microscope floor stand that can unobtrusively fit within a small or crowded room while simultaneously providing the physician or other personnel additional space around the microscope and patient for ease of positioning or maneuvering.

Floor stand with angled arm for microscope