A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink of an ink sheet to a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium includes a conveying unit for conveying the ink sheet, a determining unit for determining a relative speed of the ink sheet with respect to the recording medium in correspondence with image information, and a control unit for controlling the conveying unit on the basis of the relative speed determined by the determining unit. A thermal transfer recording method is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording method and a recording apparatus using the same wherein an ink is transferred from an ink sheet to a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium.
Such thermal transfer recording apparatuses may include, e.g., a facsimile apparatus, an electronic typewriter, a copying machine, and a printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, conventional thermal transfer printers use ink sheets made by applying thermally meltable (or thermally sublimable) inks to base films. Such ink sheet are selectively heated by a thermal head in correspondence with image signals, and the melted or sublimed ink is transferred to the recording sheet, thereby performing image recording. In general, the ink is perfectly and completely transferred in each image recording cycle (e.g., a so-called one-time sheet). Upon completion of one-character or one-line recording, an ink sheet is conveyed by an amount corresponding to a recording length, and a nonused portion of the ink sheet must be located to the next recording position. For this reason, an amount of ink sheet used is increased to result in an increase in running cost of a thermal transfer printer as compared with a conventional thermal printer for recording on a heat-sensitive paper.
In order to solve the above problem, thermal transfer printers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,392, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-201686, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-58917 are proposed to differentiate a recording paper conveying speed from an ink sheet conveying speed. As described in these prior arts, an ink sheet capable of performing image recording a plurality of times (n times) is known as a so-called multi-print sheet. When this ink sheet is used and recording of a length L is repeated, the conveying length of the ink sheet conveyed upon each image recording cycle or during image recording can be smaller than the length L (i.e., L/n: n>1). Therefore, utilization efficiency of the ink sheet can be increased by n times, and a decrease in running cost of the thermal transfer printer can be expected. This recording scheme is called a multi-print scheme.
In this multi-print scheme, a conveying speed V.sub.P of the recording paper is given by the following equation: EQU V.sub.p =n.multidot.V.sub.I (n>1)
where V.sub.I is the conveying speed of the ink sheet. The value n is closely associated with image recording quality and may often be changed due to a recording speed. A change in value n is required to prevent formation of wrinkles of an ink sheet as in a case wherein equi-speed recording in a copy mode and intermittent recording in the image reception/recording mode are performed in a facsimile apparatus.
In addition, according to the multi-print scheme as described in the above references, the distance of conveyance of the ink sheet with respect to the recording paper is kept unchanged because the number of multi-prints is always fixed. For example, if an ink sheet whose number of multi-print cycles is five is used, a recording density is low if the number of multi-print cycles exceeds 5. Otherwise, the ink sheet is wasted. It is expected that the number of multi-print cycles of a future ink sheet is increased along with technological developments. Strong demand has arisen for developing a thermal transfer printer in which the number of multi-print cycles corresponds to the ink sheet.
There is also a user's need for saving the ink sheet when the recording density of an image can be relatively low. However, no conventional thermal transfer printer can satisfy this need.
Furthermore, in a conventional thermal transfer printer, a ratio of the feed amount of the ink sheet to the feed amount of the recording paper is kept at a given value. For this reason, when a multi-print sheet is used in a recording unit of, e.g., a facsimile apparatus, and the ink sheet almost runs out in the receiving mode, in the worst case, the last page cannot be printed to the end and facsimile reception is disabled. When the ink sheet runs out during reception, a transmission error occurs on the transmitting side. The transmitting side must resend the page subjected to an error, and the receiving side must change the ink sheet.
In the conventional multi-print scheme using the above conventional ink sheet, as described in the above references, the distance of conveyance of the ink sheet with respect to the recording paper is kept unchanged. This indicates that the multi-print count is kept unchanged. For example, if an ink sheet whose number of multi-print cycles is five is used, a recording density is low if the number of multi-print cycles exceeds 5. Otherwise, the ink sheet is wasted although the recording density is increased. It is expected that the number of multi-print cycles of a future ink sheet is increased along with technological developments. Strong demand has arisen for developing a facsimile apparatus using a thermal transfer printer in which the number of multi-print cycles corresponds to the ink sheet. Furthermore, in communication between facsimile apparatuses, the number of multi-print cycles of the receiving facsimile apparatus is often required to be specified by an operator at a transmitting facsimile apparatus in accordance with types of transmitting original.

Thermal transfer recording method in which an ink sheet is moved at a selected speed and apparatus for performing the same


A system and method for enabling the remittance of funds is provided. More particularly, the fund remittance process of the present invention enables a sending entity having a source account at a financial institution to schedule a payment transaction for withdrawal by a designated receiving entity. A plurality of security codes are automatically generated upon processing a request to schedule a payment, wherein a first security code is communicated directly to the sending entity and a second security code is communicated directly to the designated receiving entity. The designated receiving entity may submit a request to retrieve the scheduled payment at a qualifying self-service machine. In interacting with the self service machine, security measures are deployed to execute one of a plurality of security code combination schemes in association with the first and second security codes. Upon validation, allocated funds associated with the scheduled payment are made available to the designated receiving entity for withdrawal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fund transfer and payment mechanisms. More particularly, the invention described herein is directed to a system and method for enabling the remittance of funds from a source account to a designated recipient.
2. Description of Related Art
Financial institutions have invested, and continue to invest, significant time and resources in the area of electronic banking, providing individuals and organizations alike with enormous flexibility in managing finances. Much of the growth in this area can be attributed to various technological advancements made over the years, with the most noticeable area of growth and development concentrated on providing greater conveniences and accessibility to banking customers. Inarguably the most recognizable of these technological advancements is seen in the vast network and interconnectability of automated teller machines (ATMs) and, with the prevalent use of the Internet, online banking. The use of ATMs and online banking is ubiquitous and underlies the financial services industry today, providing customers with the desired ease and reliability they demand when engaged in a variety of financial transactions, particularly at times when financial institutions are not available to service those needs.
Despite the widespread accessibility of ATMs and the dominant use of online banking to conduct financial transactions, the ability to leverage these two mechanisms to provide customers with advanced banking services has yet to be fully realized. Online banking customers, for instance, have the ability to conduct a wide array of financial transactions associated with their accounts. However, one such transaction that is not easily accessible to online banking customers is the ability to allocate funds in their account for purposes of making the allocated funds available to a designated recipient for cash withdrawal at an ATM. Typically, financial services of this type require involvement of a third-party to mediate the transaction. These types of services, which are well known in the art, are inconvenient and error-prone due to the need for third-party involvement. In view of the technological advancements available to banking customers today there is an expectation that antiquated fund remittance methods, such as the mediation of fund remittance between interested parties, are next in the evolution cycle.
Accordingly, there exists a need to enable an independent and near real-time fund remittance transaction process between an originating sending entity and a designated receiving entity, wherein such fund remittance transactions may be completed, for instance, via cash withdrawal from existing ATM networks.

System and method for electronic remittance of funds


A display system includes: a work machine image generation unit that generates, on the basis of detection data of a position of a work machine including working equipment and detection data of attitude of the work machine, a work machine image representing a virtual viewpoint image of the work machine viewed from a virtual viewpoint outside the work machine; a transport vehicle image generation unit that generates, on the basis of detection data of a position of a transport vehicle and detection data of attitude of the transport vehicle, a transport vehicle image representing a virtual viewpoint image of the transport vehicle viewed from the virtual viewpoint; a combining unit that generates a combined image in which the work machine image and the transport vehicle image are superimposed; and a display control unit that causes the combined image to be displayed on a display apparatus present outside the work machine.

There are known techniques for remotely controlling a work machine. In performing remote control of a work machine, a work site is imaged by an imaging device. The image of the work site imaged by the imaging device is displayed on a display apparatus provided in a remote control facility. The operator operates a remote controller while watching the image of the work site displayed on the display apparatus.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique of imaging a work site with a camera provided in a work machine while imaging conditions of the work machine from the outside with a camera installed at the work site.

Display system, display method, and display apparatus


In one embodiment, a set-associative cache memory has a plurality of congruence classes each including multiple entries for storing cache lines of data. The cache memory includes a bank of counters, which includes a respective one of a plurality of counters for each cache line stored in the plurality of congruence classes. The cache memory selects victim cache lines for eviction from the cache memory by reference to counter values of counters within the bank of counters. A dynamic distribution of counter values of counters within the bank of counters is determined. In response, an amount counter values of counters within the bank of counters are adjusted on a cache miss is adjusted based on the dynamic distribution of the counter values.

The present invention relates in general to data processing and, in particular, to counter-based selection of a victim for replacement from a cache memory.
A conventional symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) computer system, such as a server computer system, includes multiple processing units all coupled to a system interconnect, which typically comprises one or more address, data and control buses. Coupled to the system interconnect is a system memory, which represents the lowest level of memory in the multiprocessor computer system and which generally is accessible for read and write access by all processing units. In order to reduce access latency to instructions and data residing in the system memory, each processing unit is typically further supported by a respective multi-level cache hierarchy, the lower level(s) of which may be private to or shared by one or more processor cores.
In such systems, the caches of the processing units are typically implemented as set-associative caches, which map cache lines of data to particular congruence classes within the caches based on a predetermined set of bits within the real memory addresses of the cache lines. Each caches typically selects which of the multiple data granules in each of congruence class to evict based on a selected eviction policy, such as most recently used (MRU), least recently used (LRU) or the like.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Counter-based victim selection in a cache memory

International Business Machines Corporation


A new New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘IMGZ0006’ particularly distinguished by the has very large, flat flowers of brilliant orange-red color with a large white to very light red central blotch and a distinct red-purple eye, deep green glossy foliage with deep red veining, and a taller plant habit.

The present invention comprises a new New Guinea Impatiens, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'IMGZ0006'.
'IMGZ0006' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has very large, flat flowers of brilliant orange-red color with a large white to very light red central blotch and a distinct red-purple eye, deep green glossy foliage with deep red veining, and a taller plant habit.
'IMGZ0006' originated from a hybridization made in the June 2005 in a controlled breeding environment in Hillscheid, Germany.
The female parent was the commercial, unpatented variety 'Paradise Amoya' with a more salmon and white color, a smaller size flower and is earlier to flower.
The male parent of 'IMGZ0006' was a proprietary, unpatented plant designated 'K05-5618-1' with light pink flower color, smaller flower size and lighter colored foliage.
The resultant seed was sown in November 2005 in a greenhouse in Moncarapacho, Portugal, and 'IMGZ0006' was selected there as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in the spring of 2006.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'IMGZ0006' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in June 2006 in a controlled environment in Moncarapacho, Portugal.


A capacitor a casing of first and second casing members, a feedthrough electrically insulated from the casing and extending there from, first and second anodes electrically connected to each other within the casing, a cathode, and an electrolyte is described. The first anode is electrically connected in parallel to the second anode by a first anode wire having opposite ends contacting the respective first and second anodes. A feedthrough wire extending outside the casing and electrically isolated there from is electrically connected to the first anode wire intermediate the first and second anodes. The cathode is disposed between the first and second anodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a capacitor and, more particularly, to a capacitor containing at least two anodes that are connected to a common terminal within the capacitor casing.
2. Description of Related Art
As more and more medical applications are investigated and implemented to aid and assist the human body, devices needed to deliver the desired therapy are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, both functionally and in terms of their structural makeup. Modern implantable devices require power sources that are smaller in size, but powerful enough to meet the therapy requirements. For example, a cardiac defibrillator has a battery powering circuits performing such functions as, for example, the heart sensing and pacing functions. This requires electrical current of about 1 microampere to about 100 milliamperes. From time-to-time, the cardiac defibrillator may require a generally high rate, pulse discharge load component that occurs, for example, during charging of a capacitor assembly in the defibrillator for the purpose of delivering an electrical shock to the heart to treat tachyarrhythmias, the irregular, rapid heartbeats that can be fatal if left uncorrected. This requires electrical current of about 1 ampere to about 4 amperes.
The current trend in medicine is to make cardiac defibrillators, and like implantable devices, as small and lightweight as possible without compromising their power. This, in turn, means that capacitors contained in these devices must be readily adaptable in how they are connected to each other as well as to the battery and the device circuitry. In that light, a number of patents and publications disclose electrical energy storage devices including capacitors having a dual anode structure.
One is U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,405 to Mileham et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. This patent relates to a design that provides two anodes and their associated feedthroughs incorporated into one capacitor. The feedthrough wires can be in their own glass-to-metal seal or, they can be combined into one glass-to-metal seal as long as they are electrically insulated from each other. One embodiment has the two anode feedthrough wires left unconnected outside the capacitor. In another, they are joined externally of the capacitor casing. Several interconnect designs are described, none of which include a connection of the anode leads within the capacitor casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,012,799 to Muffoletto et al., which is also assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference, describes an enclosure for a wet tantalum electrolytic capacitor or for an electrochemical cell such as a lithium/silver vanadium oxide cell. In one embodiment, the capacitor comprises a metallic enclosure of a first drawn portion, and a second stamped cover. The enclosure houses two anodes in a side-by-side relationship. Each anode includes an embedded anode wire weld contacted to an anode lead that is electrically insulated from the casing by a glass-to-metal seal. The anode wires are not connected within the capacitor casing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,926 to Kajiura et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a lithium secondary battery including a cathode of a porous sintered material made of a lithium-transition metal oxide in electrochemical association with several pairs of anodes made of a sintered material joined onto a rectangular anode current collector. The anode current collector has a strip-shaped anode lead that protrudes at one end thereof. In an electrode assembly, a plurality of extending anode leads is bundled into an anode-connecting conductor, which is welded onto an anode terminal via an insulation plate.
More specifically, Kajiura et al. relates to a battery having multiple rectangular or square anodes and cathodes that are stacked in a generally alternating arrangement. In the various battery embodiments, the multiple anodes are interconnected with a strip shaped anode current collector, and the multiple cathodes are also interconnected with a strip shaped cathode current collector. The sections of anode or cathode current collector that are provided between the planar rectangles of anode or cathode are flexible. This enables stacking sequences of cathodes in a serpentine manner or rolling the cathodes in a jellyroll configuration. The anodes are interspersed therebetween in both embodiments.
At numerous instances in the Kajiura et al. patent, the importance of precisely aligning the series of anodes and cathodes in a layered sequence to achieve a battery of high capacity is emphasized. For example, at column 2, lines 28 to 46, it is disclosed that, "[w]hen an electrode unit consisting of one sintered cathode and one sintered anode is to be assembled, for example, both electrodes can be easily aligned with each other simply by stacking the cathode and the anode to oppose each other while interposing a separator therebetween. However, when a battery having an electrode unit consisting of a number of pairs of cathode and anode is to be assembled for the purpose of achieving a large battery capacity, a plurality of cathodes and anodes must be accurately aligned to oppose each other via separators. This leads to a longer period of time for stacking the electrodes and the electrode unit, or requires it to use a high precision apparatus for alignment. Also there has been such a problem that, when moving a stacking electrode unit or housing the stacking electrode unit in a battery casing after the stacking process, the electrodes are shifted from the predetermined positions, thus leading to a decrease in the area over which the mating electrodes face each other, and resulting in a decrease in the battery capacity of the completed battery." One object of the Kajiura et al. invention is "to provide a lithium battery that comprises the electrode made of a plurality of sintered materials, where the cathodes and the anodes will not be shifted from the predetermined positions and high reliability is ensured." Kajiura et al. repeatedly teach cathode and anode structures wherein the current collectors are rectangular strips of material. For example, with reference to FIG. 1A in this patent, at column 10, lines 32 to 48, it is disclosed that, "[t]he cathode sheet 2 comprises a strip-shaped cathode current collector 4 and a plurality of cathodes 3 made of sintered material aligned on and joined to one side of thereof. The plurality of cathodes 3 are joined while being spaced from one another at a plurality of bending portions 5 that secure spaces required for bending and are defined by desirable intervals on the cathode current collector 4. The anode sheet 6 has a structure similar to that of the cathode 2, including a strip-shaped anode current collector 8 and a plurality of anodes 7 made of sintered material aligned on and joined to one side of thereof, the plurality of anodes 7 being joined while being spaced from one another at a plurality of bending portions 10 defined by desirable intervals on the anode current collector 8. In the anode sheet 6, one end of the strip-shaped anode current collector 8 is stretched in the longitudinal direction to form the anode lead 9."
With reference to FIG. 3D, at column 12, lines 9 to 21, it is disclosed that, "[f]or the anodes, for example, a pair of anodes 7 made of the sintered material joined onto a rectangular anode current collector 8′ may be used. The anode current collector 8′ has the strip-shaped anode lead 9 that protrudes at one end thereof. The plurality of anode leads 9 extending from the front end of the stacked electrode 15 is bundled into an anode-connecting conductor 12 (FIG. 3D). Then the anode connecting conductor 12 is welded onto the anode terminal 20 via an insulation plate 16, while the stacked electrode 15 is housed in the can 17 so that the rear end of the stacked electrode 15 and the cathode current collector on the outermost layer make contact with the bottom and the wall of the can 17 (FIG. 1E). The subsequent process to complete the battery is similar to the case of the first embodiment (FIG. 3F). An anode sheet that includes a plurality of anodes made of sintered material may be used instead of the cathode sheet, and sintered cathodes may be used instead of the sintered anodes. In the battery C, since the sintered electrode sheet is folded after covering the sintered electrodes, the electrodes can be aligned easily and displacement of the electrodes can be prevented."
It is apparent from the teachings of Kajiura et al. that the flexible regions of the anode and cathode current collectors not only provide electrical continuity between the rectangular anode and cathode plates, but these regions also serve a critical function in achieving and maintaining alignment of the cathode and anode plates in order to provide a battery of high capacity. The flexed regions, which are typically bent 180 degrees within the battery casing, have lines of contact along the upper and lower ends of the battery casing, and the outer edges that extend beyond the lateral boundaries of the anodes and cathodes are also in contact with, or in close proximity to the lateral walls of the battery casing. This compact geometrical configuration thus constrains the anodes and the cathodes within the battery casing. It prevents any significant motion of these electrodes relative to each other, which could misalign the electrodes and reduce the battery capacity. The only instance in which a wire conductor is connected to the anodes or cathodes is at an end point of the strip shaped current collector, where a termination is needed for connection to one of the battery terminals.
It is apparent that were Kajiura et al. to use individual wire connectors between the anode and/or cathode plates in lieu of the flexible strip shaped regions, the ability to easily align the anodes and cathodes in a stacked configuration during battery fabrication, and to maintain the critical alignment during battery use would be lost. Such a battery would thus be rendered unsuitable for its intended purpose.
Additionally, Kajiura et al. provide teachings regarding preparation of the anodes and cathodes by pressing and sintering active materials, or by coating active materials on the current collectors. For each of these fabrication methods, the use of intermittent current collector strips connected by wire bridges would result in additional challenges. Sintering requires uniform heat transfer, which is problematic with a discontinuous substrate. The coating of small substrate surfaces that are wire bonded either before or after coating is considerably more difficult than coating a continuous strip of material.
Thus, the Kajiura et al. patent does not show or suggest an electrical energy storage device in which the individual anode or cathode plates are connected by a wire or by a narrow strip of material having opposed planar surfaces that do not extend laterally beyond edges of the anode or cathode plates. To the contrary, Kajiura et al. teach away from such a device structure.
Additionally, none of the references cited above disclose an electrical energy storage device including at least two anodes that are connected to a common terminal within the capacitor casing.

Dual anode capacitor with internally connected anodes


The present invention provides an electrode headset grid adapted to fit on a head of a human subject, the grid comprising a plurality of conductive regions, electrically isolated from each other, wherein the conductive regions are configured to contact at least one electrode, and wherein the configuration of the conductive regions is configured to define an operating electrode unit. There is further provided an integrated system for brain electric stimulation and EEG monitoring, the system comprising the electrode headset grid and a plurality of electrodes. The invention further provides use of the electrode headset grid in an integrated non-invasive brain electrical stimulation and monitoring procedure.

The recent emergence of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques for inducing reversible changes in brain activity has allowed not only studying mechanisms underlying perceptual, motor, and cognitive functions, but also provided the ability to modulate these functions in the human brain. The non-invasive stimulation techniques used to modulate cortical activity include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES). The tES technique involves the application of weak electrical currents directly to the head of a subject for several minutes. These currents generate an electrical field that modulates neuronal activity according to the duration, intensity, and modality of the application, which can be direct (transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)), alternating (transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)), or random noise (transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)).
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive, painless brain stimulation treatment that uses direct electrical currents to stimulate specific parts of the brain. A constant, low intensity current is passed through two electrodes placed over the head which modulates neuronal activity. There are two types of stimulation with tDCS: anodal and cathodal stimulation. Anodal stimulation acts to excite neuronal activity while cathodal stimulation inhibits or reduces neuronal activity.
Transcranial direct current stimulation is actively investigated to treat a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, Parkinson's disease, and chronic pain, to facilitate stroke rehabilitation, and as a research tool to modify cognitive processes. The most common side effect of tDCS is a slight itching or tingling on the scalp.
The degree of sensation during tDCS is associated with electrode design, and is important for both tolerability, influence on cognitive tasks, and sham reliability. Typically, some form of sponge, saturated in saline or water (tap or distilled), is placed on the skin. The electrode may be either placed on the distal surface of the sponge (e.g. a metal grid), be inside a sponge 'pocket' (e.g. rubber electrodes), or even be alligator clips attached to a sponge edge. Use of gel to improve conductance or wetting of electrodes with conductive solution prior to stimulation procedure is also common during tDCS.
The combination of non-invasive stimulation with neuroimaging techniques has gained popularity in recent years, due to its potential to examine the state of targeted brain areas and the roles of these areas in specific functions. tES can be combined with functional magnetic resonance (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET) or electroencephalography (EEG), to provide several advantages including the opportunity to collect objective and direct measurements of brain activity. A significant advantage of functional neuroimaging is the ability to acquire simultaneous measurements of activity in the entire brain, thereby providing a broader picture of the cortical responses to any given condition.
US Patent Application No. 2013/0281759 is directed to a technology providing combination electroencephalography and non-invasive stimulation devices. Upon measuring an electrical anomaly in a region of a brain, various non-invasive stimulation techniques are utilized to correct neural activity, including transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial alternating current stimulation and transcranial random noise stimulation, low threshold transcranial magnetic stimulation and repetitive transcranial magnet stimulation.
The clear utility of tES-EEG lies in the fact that the observed signals are directly coupled to neuronal electrical activity. That is, the EEG recordings reflect the electric potential resulting from synaptic transmembrane currents in neurons that are (or are not) modified by tES. Moreover, this approach offers the potential to identify responses to tES within an area or across circuits, thereby helping to determine in vivo the brain areas that are directly or indirectly affected by tES.
Conventional EEG wet-electrode sensor assemblies include an Ag/AgCl disc (or a disc of some other conductive material). A wet conductive gel is used to establish an electrical connection through any hair between the subject area and the Ag/AgCl disc. Electrical potentials on the surface of the subject area are coupled through the gel to the Ag/AgCl disc and into an electronic amplifier. A standard wet electrode sensor assembly provides a secure, low-impedance electrical connection between the subject area and a recording instrument, and thereby ensures high quality signal sensing. However, the use of electrolytic gels in combination with the need for skin preparation is often time consuming for the user to set up, skin-irritating and inconvenient for the subject. Alternatively, dry electrodes, which are designed to push through the hair to directly contact the scalp and do not require conductive gels or scalp preparation, have been explored as alternatives to wet electrodes. Typically, dry EEG electrodes utilize straight, hard fingers that are designed to push through strands of hair to the scalp.
US Patent Application No. 2009/0105576 is directed to an apparatus and technique for sensing biopotential signals wherein a conductive element is formed from a non-adhesive hydrogel material and configured to provide a conductive path between an electrode and a subject's skin for transmitting EEG signals from the subject to the electrode.
Integrated tES-EEG techniques can be divided into two methodological approaches: the offline method, which evaluates the short- and long-term aftereffects induced by brain stimulation, and the interactive approach, which evaluates the immediate changes that occur during the stimulation. In the interactive approach, EEG is used to probe the state of the cortical area affected by tES, which could be the target area of the stimulation or an interconnected region, and to evaluate the changes in excitability and connectivity within a functional network.
The offline method requires changing of electrodes between the stimulation and EEG measurement, which complicates the overall procedure. Further, application of EEG electrodes following stimulation requires thorough wiping of the skull, making the combined tDCS-EEG procedure even more time-consuming.
Typically, for the interactive approach, stimulation electrodes and EEG electrodes are positioned at the predetermined sites on the subject's head, such that EEG is not measured directly at the area to which stimulation is applied. Additionally, function of an electrode (stimulation or EEG) or its position on the subject's head cannot be altered during the procedure.
The positioning and number of the stimulation and EEG electrodes are confined by several factors. While dry electrodes can be used for EEG, tDCS still requires application of a conductive fluid or gel to the subject's head at the electrode contact site. In the interactive tDCS-EEG procedure use of such fluid or gel limits a number of EEG electrodes that can be applied to a subject's head concurrently with the stimulation electrodes. EEG electrodes exposed to the same conductive aqueous media will bridge and function as one electrode, severely distorting or spatially smoothing an EEG topography, confounding conventional descriptions and inferences while invalidating source localization estimates [D. M. Alschuler et al. Clinical Neurophysiology 125 (2014) 484-490]. Thus, EEG electrodes should be positioned within a sufficient distance from each other in the presence of conductive gel or saline to prevent the low impedance bridging of the electrodes. Additionally, when using conventional sponge electrodes for tDCS-EEG, the total number of electrodes is limited by the stimulation electrode size, which is generally in the range of 25-35 cm2. Thus, use of multiple electrodes for combined stimulation and EGG is hindered by the application of electrolyte, as well as by the size of the stimulation electrodes, limiting the spatial resolution, effectiveness and flexibility of the integrated tES-EGG process.
Use of a same electrode for both electric stimulation and EEG is generally impossible, due to the different requirements of said electrodes and procedures. The only presently available commercial combined electrode, which can be used for both tCS and EEG, is a PISTIM Pi cm2 Electrode of Neuroelectrics, Barcelona, Spain with 3.14 cm2 area and Ag/AgCl gel-based stimulation electrode with rear-fill aperture for gel supply. This Ag/AgCl electrode can be used for both stimulation and EEG. However, this electrode must be used with a conductive gel [http://www.neuroelectrics.com/sites/neuroelectrics.com/files/enobio/Electrodes_User _Manual.pdf]. In a conventional integrated tES-EEG procedure said electrodes are operated by StarstimÒ—Neuroelectrics Instrument Controller, having eight channels, such that each electrode can be used for the EEG (six channels) and for tDCS (two channels for sponge-electrodes, the anode and the cathode). In some circumstances, more than two sites of stimulation can be used. In this case four sponge-electrodes will be required and consequently, only 4 channels will remain for EEG recordings [Schestatsky, P., Morales-Quezada, L., Fregni, F. Simultaneous EEG Monitoring During Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation. J. Vis. Exp. (76), e50426, doi:10.3791/50426 (2013)].
There, thus, remains an unmet need for an integrated tES and EEG device, which would allow using the same electrode for both electrical stimulation and EEG. Such device would facilitate concurrent use of multiple electrodes for both EEG monitoring and electrical stimulation, thus providing a highly modular, accurate and efficient integrated tES-EEG procedure.

Electrode headset grid and use thereof in the non-invasive brain stimulation and monitoring


A process for the production of high octane number gasoline from light refinery olefins and benzene-containing aromatic streams such as reformate. The process achieves good utilization of both the ethylene and the propylene present in the mixed olefin feed from the unsaturated gas plant while reducing gasoline benzene levels. The light olefins including ethylene and propylene are reacted with the light aromatic stream containing benzene and other single ring aromatic compounds to form a gasoline boiling range product containing akylaromatics. The reaction is carried out with a two-catalyst system which comprises a member of the MWW family of zeolites and an intermediate pore size zeolite such as ZSM-5 using a fixed catalyst bed in both stages. Use of the two catalyst system enables the conversion of the ethylene and propylene components of the olefin feed to be converted to alkylaromatics under favorable conditions.

In recent years, environmental laws and regulations the have limited the amount of benzene which is permissible in petroleum motor fuels. These regulations have produced substantial changes in refinery operation. To comply with these regulations, some refineries have excluded C6 compounds from reformer feed so as to avoid the production of benzene directly. An alternative approach is to remove the benzene from the reformate after it is formed by means of an aromatics extraction process such as the Sullfolane Process or UDEX Process. Well-integrated refineries with aromatics extraction units associated with petrochemical plants usually have the ability to accommodate the benzene limitations by diverting extracted benzene to petrochemicals uses but it is more difficult to meet the benzene specification for refineries without the petrochemical capability. While sale of the extracted benzene as product to petrochemicals purchasers is often an option, it has the disadvantage of losing product to producers who will add more value to it and, in some cases, transportation may present its own difficulties in dealing with bulk shipping of a chemical classed as a hazardous material.
The removal of benzene is, however, accompanied by a decrease in product octane quality since benzene and other single ring aromatics make a positive contribution to product octane. Certain processes have been proposed for converting the benzene in aromatics-containing refinery streams to the less toxic alkylaromatics such as toluene and ethyl benzene which themselves are desirable as high octane blend components. One process of this type was the Mobil Benzene Reduction (MBR) Process which, like the closely related MOG Process, used a fluidized zeolite catalyst in a riser reactor to alkylate benzene in reformate to from alkylaromatics such as toluene. The MBR and MOG processes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,827,069; 4,950,387; 4,992,607 and 4,746,762.
Another problem facing petroleum refineries without convenient outlets for petrochemical feedstocks is that of excess light olefins. Following the introduction of catalytic cracking processes in petroleum refining in the early 1930s, large amounts of olefins, particularly light olefins such as ethylene, propylene, butylene, became available in copious quantities from catalytic cracking plants in refineries. While these olefins are highly useful as petrochemical feedstocks, the refineries without petrochemical capability or economically attractive and convenient markets for these olefins may have to use the excess light olefins in fuel gas, at a significant economic loss or, alternatively, convert the olefins to marketable liquid products. A number of different polymerization processes for producing liquid motor fuels from cracking off-gases evolved following the advent of the catalytic cracking process but at the present, the solid phosphoric acid [SPA] polymerization process remains the most important refinery polymerization process for the production of motor gasoline. This process has however, its own drawbacks, firstly in the need to control the water content of the feed closely because although a limited water content is required for catalyst activity, the catalyst softens in the presence of excess water so that the reactor may plug with a solid, stone-like material which is difficult to remove without drilling or other arduous operations. Conversely, if the feed is too dry, coke tends to deposit on the catalyst, reducing its activity and increasing the pressure drop across the reactor. Environmental regulation has also affected the disposal of cracking olefins from these non-integrated refineries by restricting the permissible vapor pressure (usually measured as Reid Vapor Pressure, RVP) of motor gasolines especially in the summer driving season when fuel volatility problems are most noted, potentially creating a need for additional olefin utilization capacity.
Refineries without their own petrochemicals plants or ready markets for benzene or excess light olefins therefore encounter problems from two different directions and for these plants, processes which would enable the excess olefins and the benzene to be converted to marketable products would be desirable.
The fluid bed MBR Process uses a shape selective, metallosilicate catalyst, preferably ZSM-5, to convert benzene to alkylaromatics using olefins from sources such as FCC or coker fuel gas, excess LPG or light FCC naphtha. Normally, the MBR Process has relied upon light olefin as alkylating agent for benzene to produce alkylaromatics, principally in the C7-C8 range. Benzene is converted, and light olefin is also upgraded to gasoline concurrent with an increase in octane value. Conversion of light FCC naphtha olefins also leads to substantial reduction of gasoline olefin content and vapor pressure. The yield-octane uplift of MBR makes it one of the few gasoline reformulation processes that is actually economically beneficial in petroleum refining.
Like the MOG Process, however, the MBR Process required considerable capital expenditure, a factor which did not favor its widespread application in times of tight refining margins. The MBR process also used higher temperatures and C5+ yields and octane ratings could in certain cases be deleteriously affected another factor which did not favor widespread utilization. Other refinery processes have also been proposed to deal with the problems of excess refinery olefins and gasoline; processes of this kind have often functioned by the alkylation of benzene with olefins or other alkylating agents such as methanol to form less toxic alkylaromatic precursors. Exemplary processes of this kind are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,950,823; 4,975,179; 5,414,172; 5,545,788; 5,336,820; 5,491,270 and 5,865,986.
While these known processes are technically attractive they, like the MOG and MBR processes, have encountered the disadvantage of needing to a greater or lesser degree, some capital expenditure, a factor which militates strongly against them in present circumstances.
For these reasons, a refinery process capable of being installed at relatively low capital cost and having the capability to alkylate benzene (or other aromatics) with the olefins would be beneficial to meet gasoline benzene specifications, increase motor fuel volume with high-octane alkylaromatic compounds and be economically acceptable in the current plant investment climate. For some refineries, the reactive removal of C2/C3 olefins could alleviate fuel gas capacity limitations. Such process a should:                Upgrade C2 and C3 olefin from fuel gas to high octane blending gasoline        Increase flexibility in refinery operation to control benzene content in the gasoline blending pool        Allow refineries with benzene problems to feed the C6 components (low blending octane values) to the reformer, increasing both the hydrogen production from the reformer and the blend pool octane. Benzene produced in the reformer will be removed in order to comply with gasoline product specifications.        Have the potential, by the removal of olefins from the fuel gas, to increase capacity in the fuel system facility. For some refineries this benefit could allow an increase in severity in some key refinery process, FCC, hydrocracker, coker, etc.
The necessity of keeping capital cost low obviously favors fixed bed catalytic units over the fluid bed type operations such as MOG and MBR. Fixed bed aromatics alkylation processes have achieved commercial scale use in the petrochemical field. The Cumene Process offered for license first by Mobil Oil Corporation and now by ExxonMobil Chemical Company is a low-capital cost process using a fixed bed of a zeolite alkylation/transalkylation catalyst to react refinery propylene with benzene to produce petrochemical grade cumene. Processes for cumene manufacture using various molecular sieve catalysts have been described in the patent literature: for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,483 describes a process for making petrochemical cumene from refinery benzene and propylene using a fixed bed of ZSM-12 catalyst; U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,262 and U.S. also describe processes for making cumene from refinery benzene and propylene using ZSM-12 catalysts. The use of other molecular sieve catalysts for cumene manufacture has been described in other patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,458 describes use of a zeolite beta catalyst; U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,894 describes the use of a catalyst containing the sieve material SSZ-25; U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,310 describes the use of a catalyst containing the sieve material MCM-49 in the transalkylation of diisopropyl benzene with benzene; U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,565 describes the use of a catalyst containing the sieve material MCM-36 to produce petrochemical grade cumene containing less than 500 ppm xylenes.
The petrochemical alkylation processes such as those referred to above, do not lend themselves directly to use in petroleum refineries without petrochemical capacity since they require pure feeds and their products are far more pure than required in fuels production. In addition, other problems may be encountered in the context of devising a process for motor gasoline production which commends itself for use in non-integrated, small-to-medium sized refineries. One such problem is the olefins from the cracker contain ethylene and propylene in addition to the higher olefins and if any process is to be economically attractive, it is necessary for it to consume both of the lightest olefins. Propylene is more reactive than ethylene and will form cumene by reaction with benzene at lower temperatures than ethylene will react to form ethylbenzene or xylenes (by transalkylation or disporportionation). Because of this, it is not possible with existing process technologies, to obtain comparable utilization of ethylene and propylene in a process using a mixed olefin feed from the FCCU. While improved ethylene utilization could in principle, be achieved by higher temperature operation, the thermodynamic equilibrium for the propylene/benzene reaction shifts away from cumene at temperatures above about 260° C. (500° F.), with consequent loss of this product.

Vapor phase aromatics alkylation process

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company


An underreamer tool for use in a wellbore of an oil or gas well and a method of actuation. In an embodiment, the underreamer tool has body having a longitudinal axis and a fluid conduit, a tool element and an actuation device configured to urge the tool element relative to the body from a first configuration into a second configuration. In this embodiment, a portion of the tool has a curved actuation surface and as the tool element is urged across the curved actuation surface, the tool element is moved radially with respect to the body of the tool. Typically, the actuation device may include a piston driven by pressure of fluid circulated through the fluid flow conduit.

In wellbore operations, it is sometimes necessary or desirable to enlarge a diameter of a wellbore section for fitting different pieces of equipment in downhole locations. Traditionally, enlargement of a wellbore has been carried out by performing an underreaming operation (after a well has been drilled) using an underreamer tool provided with cutting devices typically provided on extendable and retractable arms. Such a tool is fitted to a string of tubulars or jointed pipe which is then rotated to turn the underreamer so that it cuts into a section of the inner wall of the wellbore. For example, an underreamer may be run in an 8 inch (0.2032 meters) open hole section of the wellbore to expand its diameter to around 10 inches (0.254 meters). The section of wellbore wall may be lined with a tubular or casing in which case the operation is referred to as a milling operation which can be conducted with similar tools to an underreamer with suitable modifications to the cutting elements, or may be an open hole (non-lined) section exposed to the geological formation.
More recently, underreamers have been incorporated in the same string as used for a drilling operation, i.e. a drill string, to mitigate costs which would otherwise be required to complete a separate reaming run into the wellbore. Such underreamers may be designed to be positioned closely behind the drill bit itself, providing a "near bit" underreamer as known in the art.
Typically, the cutting devices of the underreamers are actuated when required. In order to do so, a mechanical actuation device can be employed to force the cutting devices radially outwards. However, these can suffer from problematic frictional effects of the interaction of the actuation components, and as the cutting elements come into contact with the wellbore wall, the forces encountered may urge the cutting elements back toward their non-actuated positions.
Hydraulic actuation devices are also known in such tools, where for example the cutting elements are movable outward radially into the wellbore annulus by applying pressure inside the tool acting directly on axially arranged pistons that drive cams, racks or levers, against the pressure of fluid circulating in the wellbore annulus. Such tools work on the basis that the pressure required inside the tool typically needs to overcome the pressure of fluid in the wellbore annulus, which may vary so that it may be difficult to predict at what point the tool is opening because there is no definite threshold of pressure differential required to be applied inside the tool to move the cutting devices. Additionally, the piston areas are geometrically constrained due to the nature of the space available in the wellbore and the resultant radial forces which may be applied to the rock face may be insufficient for the purposes of rock removal.


A horizontal lathe for manufacturing a porous optical fiber preform, the horizontal lathe being configured to hold and fix two opposite ends of a target in such a manner that a longitudinal direction of the target is a substantially horizontal direction, and cause the target to be rotated around an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof as a rotation axis. The horizontal lathe includes a thermal expansion absorbing mechanism configured to absorb a change in dimension of the target, the change being due to thermal expansion of the target in a direction of the rotation axis.

The present disclosure relates to a horizontal lathe for manufacturing a porous optical fiber preform.
In recent years, a progress has been made in size enlargement of glass optical fiber preforms in order to improve productivity. Glass optical fiber preforms are manufactured, for example, by a well-known method such as a vapor phase axial deposition (VAD) method, a modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) method, or an outside vapor deposition (OVD) method.
Among these methods, the OVD method is a method for manufacturing a porous preform to be used for a glass optical fiber preform, including: introducing combustible gas, combustion supporting gas, and raw materials for glass into a burner, thereby causing a flame hydrolysis reaction to generate glass particles; and depositing the glass particles radially around a target (base material) that is rotating. Patent Literature 1 discloses a mechanism configured to use a vertical lathe, which rotates a target while holding it such that a longitudinal direction thereof is the direction of gravitational force (vertical direction), and, by the function of preventing holding force reduction caused by a thermal expansion difference, correct and control changes in direction of porous glass formed on the outer circumference of the target.
In contrast, a horizontal lathe, which rotates a target such that a longitudinal direction of the target is a substantially horizontal direction, may be used for manufacture of a porous preform.


The invention relates to a lock mechanism for a casement window having a keeper adapted to be attached to a sash, a lockbar adapted to be attached to a frame for engaging with the keeper to lock the casement window, and an actuator for actuating the lockbar to engage with the keeper. The actuator includes a fork having a V shaped groove, the V shaped groove includes a first leg and a second leg, and the actuator includes a switch having a channel for placement of a drive pin. The switch is rotatably mounted at a juncture of the first and second legs so that the channel generally aligns with either the first leg or the second leg for facilitating alignment of the drive pin within the V shaped groove.

A lock mechanism for locking a casement window, wherein a pivotable sash containing a pane of glass is to be closed against a window frame, typically includes one or more locking rods or lockbars that are laterally movable between a retracted and extended position for inserting and removing an outer end of the bar into and out of engagement with the sash.
Some lock mechanisms may include a laterally movable or rotatable handle or knob directly coupled to the inner end of the lockbar for moving the lockbar between the extended and retracted positions as the handle is slid or rotated. The direct coupling between the lockbar inner end and the knob or handle typically has the end of the lockbar rotatably pinned to the handle. In other direct coupling lock mechanisms, an intermediate link may be placed where one end is pinned to the lockbar and the other end is pinned to the handle or knob.
A possible disadvantage of the prior art lies in the direct mechanical linkage, which can often be difficult to extend and retract because of inherent friction or resistance in the mechanical linkages. Many of the mechanical linkages over time may change angular orientation with respect to the handle or knob as it is rotated, resulting in relatively large and varying rotational forces to be applied to the handle or knob to affect the extension or retraction. The magnitude and varying nature of the operational force sometimes result in jerky operation and perhaps a very high initial force. The combination of these effects can often lead to difficulty in operating the window lock and possibly failure of the window lock.
Other lock mechanisms may include lockbars along an edge of a window frame to lock a sash against the frame. The lockbars typically have a plurality of rollers mounted on the lockbar that engage ramped keepers spaced along the edge of the window sash. The rollers and keepers are usually spaced so that the rollers engage the keepers in a sequential manner, starting from the bottom of the sash and ending with the top of the sash. As a result, the bottom of the sash is normally locked first and the sequential interaction of the middle and top rollers with the middle and top keepers respectively results in the middle and top portions of the sash being pulled against the frame and locked shut.
However, these locking mechanisms may be difficult to install because the spacing between the handle or actuator from the tie bar can vary depending upon the manufacturer and window style. As a result, some locks are usable only with certain styles of windows and other window styles require that locks be specifically manufactured for that style. Therefore, manufacturing costs can be quite high and the wide variety of locks that are required requires builders to maintain undesirably large inventories of such locks.
What is desired, therefore, is a lock mechanism for a casement window that can easily be installed on a variety of window designs. Another desire is a lock mechanism that is easy to operate by a user without expending an inordinate amount of energy by the user.


In general, techniques are described for initializing a memory module in accordance with a programmable initialization sequence. A memory controller, for example, includes a programmable computer-readable medium that stores configuration data to control initialization of one or more memory modules. The memory controller includes an initialization control unit that outputs a sequence of commands to initialize the memory modules in accordance with the configuration data. The initialization control unit may select the sequence of commands from a set of predefined initialization sequences based on the configuration data.

A typical computing system includes one or more memory modules for storing software applications and program data, and a memory controller that controls access to the memory module under the direction of a microprocessor. Conventional memory modules, such as Single Inline Memory Modules (SIMMs) and Dual Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs), must be powered up and initialized with a predefined sequence of commands in order to operate properly. Failure to follow the required procedures for power up and initialization may result in undefined operation.
Most types of memory modules are designed to comply with one or more industry standards that specify a required initialization sequence for the particular memory type. Although most manufacturers of memory modules purport to conform to these industry standards, the exact initialization sequences required by the different manufacturers often have subtle variations. Two manufacturers of the same type of memory may, for example, require initialization sequences that include the same basic commands, but in a slightly different order. In addition, the manufactures may require different timings for applying the commands to the memory being initialized. For example, one manufacture may require that a command, such as a memory pre-charge command, be applied for a slightly longer or shorter duration than another manufacturer.
Conventional memory controllers are designed to apply a static initialization sequence in which the commands have of a fixed order and time duration. In other words, a memory controller may be designed to operate with a specific manufacturer. As a result, utilization of memory modules from other manufacturers may be difficult, and may require redesign of the memory controller or use of a different memory controller altogether.

Memory controller having programmable initialization sequence


Systems and methods for distribution analysis of a stacked-die integrated circuit (IC) are described. The stacked-die integrated circuit includes a primary die, and clock load information for the primary die of the IC is determined. Additionally, a clock load model may be created using the clock load information for the primary die. Clock load information for a second die that is coupled to the primary die may also be determined. The clock load information for the second die may be incorporated into the clock load model to create an enhanced clock load model of the stacked-die IC, which may then be analyzed as if a single-die IC.

One goal when designing integrated circuit ("IC") chips is to optimize the power distribution in order to minimize voltage drops within the IC and to ensure that each component or portion of the chip (e.g., transistors, functional circuit blocks, etc.) is supplied with the optimum supply voltage. Another goal is to ensure that various components of the IC operate at the desired time in accordance with clock signal pulses.
Power supply voltages and clock signal pulses are typically supplied to an IC from an external power supply source through interconnect or bond pads on the IC. The power supply for the various components of the IC and clock signals to the desired components are routed from the interconnect or bond pads through metal conductors or other suitable wiring, collectively referred to herein as "traces." Typically, a trace carries either a power supply or a clock signal, but not both.
Traces may be formed on or in one or more layers of the IC for both horizontal and vertical power or clock signal distribution in a variety of patterns that may be regular or irregular in shape. Additionally, the traces on or in the various levels of an IC may vary in material as well as in width, diameter, and even length depending on the pattern. Accordingly, the resistive load caused by a trace in one path to a particular component of the IC (such as transistors, functional circuit blocks, etc.) may be different than the resistive load caused by a trace(s) in another distribution path.
Typical digital ICs include a large number of clocked components such as flip-flops, registers, latches, and the like that change state in response to clock signal pulses. It is desirable to synchronize state changes for groups of such IC components by tying them to the same clock signal. To this end, the IC typically employs a clock tree or branching network of conductors and buffers to synchronize all components that are clocked to a particular clock signal.
Once the IC chip has been designed, and the locations of the clocked components are known in the IC layout, a clock tree synthesis tool (CTS tool) can be used to automatically generate a distributed clock network (referred to as a clock tree) for providing clock signals to the desired components. Generating the clock tree can include laying out the conductors or traces that distribute the clock signals to the desired components, typically in a manner which tries to ensure that the clock signals reach all desired components at the same time. Differences in arrival times of each clock signal pulse among the components that are clocked together is referred to as "skew."
After the clock tree has been generated and the traces laid out, skew between components that are clocked together can be minimized or "balanced." The CTS tool can typically be used to balance the clock tree by placing buffers in selected branches of the clock tree to adjust the delay of the clock signal along that clock tree branch or signal path. Buffers typically accomplish this by increasing or decreasing the rate at which the capacitance of clock tree conductors downstream from the buffer are charged, depending on the size and composition of the buffer used in a particular clock tree branch. Thus, the CTS tool can select the number, location, size, capacitive loading, composition, etc. of the buffers used to minimize skew to an acceptable level for the IC.
However, such clock tree generating and balancing difficulties are compounded in advanced IC design, such as the various "system on a chip" designs or application specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"), including stacked-die ICs. Designers have to generate and balance the clock tree, not just for clocked components on one chip for such advanced designs, but potentially across several chips, while at the same time meeting the clocking performance requirements of the stacked-die IC. This is a task for which most conventional CTS tools are not equipped.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method that can easily and effectively analyze clock distribution networks for stacked-die ICs using conventional single-die analysis tools.

System and method for distribution analysis of stacked-die integrated circuits

Avago Technologies Enterprise IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


The main sensor 15 measures the distance Lm to the surface of the pad 2a, and the sub-sensor 16 measures the distance Ls to the surface of the reference block 12. What is actually taken as the measured value is the value of (Lm+Ls). The reference block 12 is used in order to give a reference position for measuring the surface position of the pad 2a. Accordingly, correct measurements can be performed even if the position of the movable element 9 should fluctuate, for example, as a result of deformation of the guiding and holding plate 7 or guide 8. When the motor 11 is caused to rotate, the ball screw 10 rotates, so that the movable element 9 moves leftward and rightward, and the distance to the pad 2a is measured. From the measured data of this distance, the circular-conical vertical angle, groove depth, thickness, and the like of the pad 2a are determined.

As semiconductor integrated circuits have become finer and more highly integrated, the steps involved in semiconductor manufacturing processes have increased in number and become more complicated. As a result, the surface state of a semiconductor device is no longer necessarily flat. The presence of steps on such surfaces leads to the breakage of wiring by steps, an increase in local resistance values, and the like, thus resulting in loss of wire connections, a drop in current capacity, and the like. Furthermore, this also leads to a deterioration in the withstand voltage and the occurrence of leaks in insulating films.
Meanwhile, as semiconductor integrated circuits have become finer and more highly integrated, the light source wavelength used in photolithography has become shorter, and the numerical aperture, or so-called NA, has become larger. Consequently, the focal depth of semiconductor exposure apparatuses has become substantially shallower. In order to handle such an increased shallowness of the focal depth, a flattening of device surfaces to a degree exceeding that seen in the past is required.
A technique known as chemical mechanical polishing or chemical mechanical planarization (hereafter abbreviated to "CMP") has been widely used as a method for such flattening of the surfaces of semiconductor devices. Currently, this CMP technique is the only method capable of flattening the entire surface of a silicon wafer.
CMP was developed on the basis of a mirror surface polishing method for silicon wafers, and is performed using a CMP apparatus such as that shown in FIG. 18. 65 indicates a head part which applies rotation while holding a wafer 66 that constitutes the object of polishing. This head part 65 has a rotational driving mechanism 67. A rotating platen 69 to which a polishing pad 68 is bonded, and a rotational driving mechanism 70 for this rotating platen 69, are disposed facing this head part 65. The polishing pad 68, rotating platen 69 and rotational driving mechanism 70 are given a swinging motion by a rotating type swinging arm 71, and are driven upward and downward.
When polishing is performed using such a CMP polishing apparatus, the wafer 66 and polishing pad 68 are caused to rotate at a high speed, and the rotating type swinging arm 71 is lowered by a raising-and-lowering driving mechanism not shown in the figure, so that the wafer 66 is pressed by the polishing pad 68. Furthermore, a slurry constituting a polishing agent is supplied between the polishing pad 68 and wafer 66. Moreover, the rotating type swinging arm 71 is caused to swing as indicated by the broken line arrow by a swinging driving mechanism not shown in the figure. Consequently, as a result of the relative rotation and swinging of the polishing pad 68 and wafer 66, polishing of the wafer 66 is performed so that the surface of the wafer 66 is flattened. Specifically, favorable polishing is accomplished by a synergistic effect of mechanical polishing by the relative motion of the polishing pad 68 and wafer 66 and chemical polishing by the slurry.
In such a CMP polishing apparatus, the polishing pad 68 also becomes worn as the wafer 66 is polished. Accordingly, it is necessary to measure the surface shape and wear (reduction in thickness) of the polishing pad 68, and the reduction in the depth of the grooves formed in the polishing pad 68, and to perform polishing (dressing) of the polishing pad 68 itself, or to replace the polishing pad 68.
FIG. 19 shows the internal construction of the polishing chamber in a conventional CMP apparatus. A polishing station 42, a dressing station 43 and a pad replacement station 44 are disposed inside this polishing chamber 41.
The polishing pad 48 held on a rotating type swinging arm 46 is arranged so that this polishing pad 48 can be positioned on top of the polishing station 42, dressing station 43, pad replacement station 44, and the like by the rotation of the rotating type swinging arm 46.
When a specified number of wafer polishing passes has been completed, the rotating type swinging arm 46 shifts the polishing pad 48 from the polishing station 42 to the dressing station 43, and dressing of the polishing pad 48 is performed. After dressing is completed, the polishing pad 48 is removed, and the shape is measured by a measuring device not shown in the figure; then, the polishing pad 48 is again attached to the rotating platen, and if the measurement results are favorable, the polishing pad 48 is used "as is" in polishing. In cases where the shape is not favorable, dressing is performed again. Thus, conventionally, there has been no means for observing the surface of the polishing pad inside the CMP apparatus, so that the shape is measured after first temporarily removing the polishing pad from the polishing chamber.
However, removing the polishing pad from the rotating type swinging arm every time that the shape of the polishing pad is to be measured requires the expenditure of considerable effort; consequently, not only is the throughput lowered, but when he polishing pad is again mounted on the rotating platen, the mounted state differs from that prior to the removal of the polishing pad. As a result, distortion is newly generated, so that the flatness deteriorates, and there may be cases in which the desired polishing cannot be performed.

Polishing pad surface shape measuring instrument, method of using polishing pad surface shape measuring instrument, method of measuring apex angle of cone of polishing pad, method of measuring depth of groove of polishing pad, CMP polisher, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device


Disclosed are a method and a circuit for impedance matching. The method comprises: a peripheral impedance detection module detecting an impedance of a subscriber telephone and outputting information about the impedance of the subscriber telephone; an analog switch switching module providing an impedance matching path between the impedance of the subscriber telephone and an impedance matching module according to the information about the impedance of the subscriber telephone output by the peripheral impedance detection module; the impedance matching module providing a corresponding impedance through the impedance matching path provided by the analog switch switching module to match to said impedance of the subscriber telephone. By the present invention, the impedance matching is achieved when a wireless access box communicates with telephones with various impedance modes. The matching process is flexible, automatic, and does not need manual configuration, and the technology is simple, reliable, and of low cost.

The wireless access box is a wireless access terminal and is connected with the telephones through the interface provided by the subscriber interface circuit (such as the RJ11 interface), and it can use a variety of modes to implement wireless access services of different operators around the world, and achieve voice communications within the wireless network coverage.
In the existing router or the Ethernet switch, the transmission interfaces for the router or switch to interconnect and use can be implemented at the same time. In the interface of these existing equipments, generally the European standard E1 interface and the North American T1 interface are used, and these interfaces have different impedance types. Wherein, the E1 interfaces usually supports the peripherals with the impedances of 120 ohm and 75 ohm, and the T1 port supports the peripheral of 100 ohm. The telephones used by subscribers from different countries are different, and their internal impedances are also divided into three different types, thus the impedance matching of the wireless access box and the telephone becomes an issue.
At present, there is a solution for the three impedance standards of the E1 and T1 interfaces to change the parameter of the wireless access box interface circuit board and respectively select different impedance to match. Each interface mode corresponds to an interface circuit board respectively, thus a total of three interface circuit boards with different impedances should be designed in order to meet the demand for delivering the boards to a variety of regions. This solution has at least two disadvantages: an additional interface circuit board should be added, thus the design cost increases; there are such a great variety of interface circuit boards, thus the product configuration and management are not flexible enough.
Another solution is the manual configuration, that is, a DIP switch is designed in the motherboard of the wireless access box, and the DIP switch is dialed to select different impedance modes. This solution also has the following disadvantages:
(1) to achieve the matching of the three impedance modes, at least a 4-way DIP switch should be designed. Not only a position of the DIP switch should be designed in the appearance of the wireless access box, but also the cost of the DIP switch is high, extra PCB area of the motherboard of the wireless access box should be added, which doubly increases the cost;
(2) the actual operation is complicated, the subscriber's use needs additional instruction, otherwise, it is prone to manual errors;
(3) the metal reed contact is used within the DIP switch, and after a long time of many operations, the metal reed is likely to age, thus leading to poor contact and poor reliability.

Method and circuitry for matching impedance


A method, system, and apparatus provide for multiple custom fields associated with an application running at a computing device, where the multiple custom fields are received in a specified sort order. The method includes dynamically building multi-column indexes of the multiple custom fields corresponding to multiple intrinsic datatypes stored in multiple custom field columns of a shared table, where the multiple intrinsic datatypes are converted into a generic-indexable datatype to preserve the specified sort order. The method further includes building a sorted index in a specified order in a multi-column indexable table, where the multi-column indexable table includes a partial copy of data from multiple tenants that inhibit the shared table.

Databases are commonly used to store large amounts of data. As the amount of data increases, so too does complications in management of such data, such as in terms of complexities associated with database tables. For example, today's multitenant architecture employs custom indexes to perform fast queries against custom data of various types stored in the same database table columns. However, such structures are often subject to rapid increases, also referred to as "exponential explosion", in column combinations, where database columns are needed to support a custom index over M columns and N datatypes (N exp M or NM) because native indexes are created on all possible ordered datatype combinations of size M.
Such conventional techniques are not scalable or dynamic and thus do not offer custom indexes, linguistic compatibility, etc., and further, such techniques result in high storage overhead, impractical index management, and reduced memory efficiency.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches.
In conventional database systems, users access their data resources in one logical database. A user of such a conventional system typically retrieves data from and stores data on the system using the user's own systems. A user system might remotely access one of a plurality of server systems that might in turn access the database system. Data retrieval from the system might include the issuance of a query from the user system to the database system. The database system might process the request for information received in the query and send to the user system information relevant to the request. The secure and efficient retrieval of accurate information and subsequent delivery of this information to the user system has been and continues to be a goal of administrators of database systems. Unfortunately, conventional database approaches are associated with various limitations.

Dynamic creation and maintenance of multi-column custom indexes for efficient data management in an on-demand services environment


A semiconductor device includes a delay locked loop (DLL) configured to generate a DLL clock signal by delaying a reference clock signal in response to a second delay amount tracked using a first delay amount as an initial delay amount, and track the second delay amount again by adjusting the first delay amount in response to a reset signal, and a DLL controller configured to activate the reset signal when the second delay amount deviates from a given range.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor design technology, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device including a delay locked loop (DLL) and a method for driving the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the increase of integration degree, the semiconductor device has improved to increase the operation speed. To increase the operation speed, a synchronous memory device capable of operating in synchronization with an external clock signal, which is applied from outside, has emerged. The synchronous memory device includes a DLL to output data in synchronization with rising and falling edges of the external clock signal. The DLL compensates for a delay factor occurring in an internal circuit of the semiconductor memory device and generates an internal clock signal in response to the external clock signal. At this time, a state after when the internal dock signal is completely generated refers to locking.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional semiconductor device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the semiconductor device 100 includes an input buffer 110, a DLL 120, a transmission line 130, and an output buffer 140. The input buffer 110 is configured to buffer an external clock signal EXTCLK and generate a reference clock signal REFCLK. The DLL 120 is configured to generate a DLL clock signal DLLCLK corresponding to the reference clock signal REFCLK. The transmission line 130 is configured to transmit the DLL clock signal DLLCLK. The output buffer 140 is configured to receive input data INT_DATA to output data DQ_DATA to the outside in response to the DLL clock signal DLLCLK, which is transmitted through the transmission line 130.
FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the DLL 120 illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, the DLL 120 includes a variable delay unit 121, a replica delay unit 123, a phase comparison unit 125, and a delay control unit 127. The variable delay unit 121 is configured to generate the DLL clock signal DLLCLK by delaying the reference clock signal REFCLK by a first delay amount, which is required for locking in response to a delay control signal DLY_CTRL<0:n>. The replica delay unit 123 is configured to generate a feedback clock signal FDBCLK by delaying the DLL clock signal DLLCLK by a second delay amount occurring in an internal input or output path that includes the input buffer 110, the transmission line 130, and the output buffer 140. The phase comparison unit 125 is configured to compare a phase of the feedback clock signal FDBCLK to a phase of the reference clock signal REFCLK and generate a phase comparison signal PD based on the comparison result. The delay control unit 127 is configured to generate the delay control signal DLY_CTRL<0:n> in response to the phase comparison signal PD and an initial setting signal RESET.
Here, the variable delay unit 121 tracks the first delay amount based on a preset initial delay amount in response to the initial setting signal RESET and the delay control signal DLY_CTRL<0:n>.
The replica delay unit 123 reflects a delay amount obtained by modeling the internal input or output path into the DLL clock signal DLLCLK, and outputs the feedback clock signal FDBCLK.
The phase comparison unit 125 detects a phase difference between the feedback clock signal FDBCLK and the reference clock signal REFCLK, and outputs the phase comparison signal PD corresponding to the detection result.
The delay control unit 127 outputs the delay control signal DLY_CTRL<0:n> corresponding to a delay amount to be controlled in response to the phase comparison signal PD.
Hereafter, an operation of the semiconductor device 100 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 is a timing diagram for explaining the operation of the conventional semiconductor device 100.
Referring to FIG. 3, the input buffer 110 buffers the external clock signal EXTCLK and generates the reference clock signal REFCLK. Furthermore, the DLL 120 generates the DLL clock signal DLLCLK corresponding to the reference clock signal REFCLK. The detailed operation of the DLL 120 is performed as follows.
The variable delay unit 121 delays the reference clock signal REFCLK by the initial delay amount in response the initial setting signal RESET and outputs the DLL clock signal DLLCKL. The replica delay unit 123 delays the DLL clock signal DLLCLK by the second delay amount occurring in the internal input or output path and outputs the feedback clock signal FDBCLK. The phase comparison unit 125 compares the phase of the reference clock signal REFCLK to the phase of the feedback clock signal FDBCLK and outputs the phase comparison signal PD. After that, the delay control unit 127 outputs the delay control signal DLY_CTRL<0:n>, which corresponds to the phase comparison signal PD, to the variable delay unit 121. When such a loop is repeated so that the phase of the reference clock signal REFCLK coincides with the phase of the feedback clock signal FDBCLK, the DLL clock signal DLLCLK is finally locked. In other words, when the delay amount of the variable delay unit 121 is gradually tracked from the initial delay amount to the first delay amount through the repeated loops, the DLL clock signal DLLCLK is finally locked when the initial delay amount and the first delay amount become identical.
Accordingly, the output buffer 140 outputs the data DQ_DATA to the outside in response to the DLL clock signal DLLCLK.
According to the semiconductor device 100, the data DQ_DATA may be outputted to the outside in synchronization with the rising and falling edges of the external clock signal EXTCLK.
However, the semiconductor device 100 having the above-described configuration has the following concerns.
FIGS. 4A and 4B include timing diagrams illustrating a case in which the initial position of the feedback clock signal FDBCLK differs depending on variations of a process/voltage/temperature (PVT) condition and diagrams for explaining the process in which the first delay amount of the variable delay unit 121 is tracked according to the above-described case. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the concerns of the conventional semiconductor device in correspondence with FIGS. 4A and 4B.
When the initial position of the feedback clock signal FDBCLK is set as illustrated in FIG. 4A with respect to the reference clock signal REFCLK, the first delay amount of the variable delay unit 121 is decided through a sufficient number of loops. However, when the initial position of the feedback clock signal FDBCLK is set as illustrated in FIG. 4B with respect to the reference clock signal REFCLK, the first delay amount of the variable delay unit 121 is decided through an insufficient number of loops. In other words, in the case of FIG. 4A, a large delay amount is used to track the delay amount of the variable delay unit 121 to the first delay amount. In the case of FIG. 4B, however, a small delay amount is used to track the delay amount of the variable delay unit 121 to the first delay amount.
In this case, when the PVT condition varies, for example, the power supply voltage VDD decreases or the temperature increases after locking is completed, the first delay amount locked in the variable delay unit 121 and the second delay amount preset in the replica delay unit 123 may increase. Hereafter, for convenience of description, suppose that only the second delay amount preset in the replica delay unit 123 is affected by the variation of the PVT condition. When the second delay amount preset in the replica delay unit 123 increases, the position of the feedback clock signal FDBCLK is delayed by the increase of the second delay amount. In this case, the DLL 120 regenerates the DLL clock signal DLLCLK through a loop. More specifically, when the phase comparison unit 125 outputs the phase comparison signal PD for adjusting the distorted phase of the feedback clock DLLCLK to the phase of the reference clock signal REFCLK, and the delay control unit 127 generates the delay control signal DLY_CTRL<0:n> corresponding to the phase comparison signal PD, the variable delay unit 121 reduces the locked first delay amount. At this time, when a large delay amount is used to track the first delay amount as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the delay amount for reducing the first delay amount is sufficient as illustrated in FIG. 5A. However, when a small delay amount is used to track the first delay amount as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the delay amount for reducing the first delay amount is insufficient as illustrated in FIG. 5B. In other words, when the locked first delay amount is larger than the increase of the second delay amount based on the variation of the PVT condition, the delay amount for reducing the first delay amount becomes insufficient. Therefore, when the first delay amount required for locking was tracked by using a small delay amount, the first delay amount may not be sufficient, if the PVT condition varies after locking is completed. In this case, the delay amount required for locking may not be precisely tracked to the locking point.

Semiconductor device and method for driving the same


Described is an ultra-dense ferroelectric memory. The memory is fabricated using a patterning method by that applies atomic layer deposition with selective dry and/or wet etch to increase memory density at a given via opening. A ferroelectric capacitor in one example comprises: a first structure (e.g., first electrode) comprising metal; a second structure (e.g., a second electrode) comprising metal; and a third structure comprising ferroelectric material, wherein the third structure is between and adjacent to the first and second structures, wherein a portion of the third structure is interdigitated with the first and second structures to increase surface area of the third structure. The increased surface area allows for higher memory density.

Devices such as high charge capacity capacitors (e.g., metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors) for backend can be formed as passive circuit elements or transistors (e.g., metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors) for frontend as active circuit elements. Passive circuit elements can be used to provide charge storage and sharing, while active circuit elements can be used to enable low voltage and high current power supply. Traditional ferroelectric capacitors have low retention durations. New materials and method are desired to make capacitors with longer retentions, higher reliability, and high storage capacity.
The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated here, the material described in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Ultra-dense ferroelectric memory with self-aligned patterning


A flux ring for a motor of a power tool has an annular housing which fits inside the motor can of the motor. At least one magnet is on the ring. The at least one magnet includes a portion formed from an isotropic magnetic material and a portion formed from an anisotropic magnetic material. Preferably, the isotropic magnetic material is sandwiched by the anisotropic magnetic material. The magnets being molded onto the flux ring in a two shot process.

The present invention relates to AC and DC motors and, more particularly, to flux rings for the motors.
In order to improve motor performance, Rare Earth magnet such as Injection Bonded Neodymium-Iron-Boron (N.I.B.) magnet is used. However, the rated operating temperature of the Injection Bonded N.I.B. magnet is typically in the range of 120xc2x0 C. Thus, the power tool can be operated only up to this limited temperature. Also, the Injection Bonded N.I.B. magnet, particularly the isotropic N.I.B. magnet, is very hard to magnetize radially. The material costs increase dramatically when anisotropic material which enables radial magnetic field orientation is used.
The present invention provides the art with motor magnets which provide increased thermal performance. The magnets are also easier to magnetize such that the radial components of the magnets are directed to the center of the flux ring. Also, the magnets are cost-effective.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a flux ring for a motor comprises a ring which fits inside a motor can of the motor. At least one magnet is positioned on the ring. The at least one magnet includes a portion formed from an isotropic magnetic material and a portion formed from an anisotropic magnetic material. Generally, both magnets are formed from the isotropic and anisotropic materials. The isotropic as well as anisotropic materials are magnetic powders. Also, the isotropic and anisotropic magnetic materials are in a resin which enables the material to be injection molded onto the ring. The isotropic magnetic material portion is sandwiched between two anisotropic magnetic material portions such that the isotropic magnetic material portion is on an arc circle of between 40xc2x0 and 50xc2x0. The magnet itself is on an arc circle of about 140xc2x0 about the ring. The isotropic magnetic material portion is generally located on the poles of the motor.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a flux ring comprises providing a ring having an anchoring mechanism. Placing the ring in a die. Molding a first isotropic magnetic material onto the ring where the anchoring mechanism secures the first isotropic magnetic material to the ring. Molding a second anisotropic magnetic material onto the ring adjacent the first isotropic magnetic material. The anchoring mechanism secures the second anisotropic magnetic material to the ring. Further, the anisotropic magnetic material is molded on two sides of the first isotropic magnetic material. The first isotropic magnetic material is molded without a magnetic field present. The second anisotropic magnetic material is molded under a magnetic field of about 1400-1600 amp/meter. Also, the first isotropic magnetic material is molded along an arc circle of the ring along 40xc2x0 to 50xc2x0 of the circle. The second anisotropic magnetic material is molded along the circle such that the magnet covers about 140xc2x0 of the circle.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, a motor comprises a stator assembly with the stator assembly including a flux ring. The flux ring comprises an annular housing. At least one molded magnet is received on the housing. An anchor mechanism on the housing retains the at least one magnet on the annular housing. At least one magnet is positioned on the ring. The at least one magnet includes a portion formed from an isotropic magnetic material and a portion formed from an anisotropic magnetic material. Generally, both magnets are formed from the isotropic and anisotropic materials. The isotropic as well as anisotropic materials are magnetic powders. Also, the isotropic and anisotropic magnetic materials are in a resin which enables the material to be injection molded onto the ring. The isotropic magnetic material portion is sandwiched between two anisotropic magnetic material portions such that the isotropic magnetic material portion is on an arc circle of between 40xc2x0 and 50xc2x0. The magnet itself is on an arc circle of about 140xc2x0 about the ring. The isotropic magnetic material portion is generally located on the poles of the motor. Also, the motor comprises an armature rotatable within the stator assembly. A commutator is rotatable with the armature and connected to the armature via a shaft. A brush assembly is associated with the commutator.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, a power tool comprises a housing with a motor in the housing. The motor comprises a stator assembly with the stator assembly including a flux ring. The flux ring comprises an annular housing. At least one molded magnet is received on the housing. An anchor on the housing retains the at least one magnet on the annular housing. At least one magnet is positioned on the ring. The at least one magnet includes a portion formed from an isotropic magnetic material and a portion formed from an anisotropic magnetic material. Generally, both magnets are formed from the isotropic and anisotropic materials. The isotropic as well as anisotropic materials are magnetic powders. Also, the isotropic and anisotropic magnetic materials are in a resin which enables the material to be injection molded onto the ring. The isotropic magnetic material portion is sandwiched between two anisotropic magnetic material portions such that the isotropic magnetic material portion is on an arc circle of between 40xc2x0 and 50xc2x0. The magnet itself is on an arc circle of about 140xc2x0 about the ring. The isotropic magnetic material portion is generally located on the poles of the motor. Also, the motor comprises an armature rotatable within the stator assembly. A commutator is rotatable with the armature and connected to the armature via a shaft. A brush assembly is associated with the commutator. Also, the power tool includes an output member coupled with the motor shaft. An actuator member is electrically coupled between the motor and the power source to energize and de-energize the motor. In turn, when the motor is energized, the output member rotates.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, and the appended claims and accompanying drawings, or may be learned by practice of the invention.