A polish formulation containing as components at least one member selected from the group consisting of waxes, solvents, surfactants, thickening agents, abrasives, dyes, odorants, and other ingredients normally used in making polishes, and as an improvement incorporating a composition which is the reaction product of an acid anhydride and an aminofunctional siloxane. The resulting zwitterionic aminofunctional siloxane can, if desired, be further reacted with a strong acid to provide an equilibrium of the zwitterion and a conjugate acid base pair of the zwitterion and the acid. The invention also includes a method of sheeting water on a surface with the polish, a method of making an aminofunctional siloxane zwitterionomer, and an aminofunctional zwitterionomeric siloxane compound which is the reaction product.

This invention relates to a polish formulation including a zwitterionic aminofunctional siloxan which imparts to the surface containing the polish a film forming capacity which functions to sheet water coming into contact with the surface rather than to bead the water as has been the case with prior formulations.
Polishes are used to produce a glossy finish on a surface as well as to prolong the useful life of the surface. The gloss provided by the polish is the result of components in the polish which leave a coating and that function to smooth and clean the surface. Floor polish, furniture polish, and shoe polish, rely upon a deposited film. Car and boat polish formulations result in a glossy and protective film and contain abrasives for removing weathered paint and soil as well as old build-up polish. Metal polish contains ingredients for abrasive smoothing of the surface being treated and for surface cleaning, as well as components that function to remove and retard the build-up of tarnish.
Motor vehicle polish is formulated in order to remove road film and oxidized paint, and to provide a continuous glossy film which resists water and its removal by water and car wash detergents. Such vehicle polishes contain several major functional ingredients including an abrasive. The abrasive, however, must be mild enough to avoid scratching of the painted surface, and representative of such mild acting materials are, for example, fine grades of aluminum silicate, diatomaceous earth, and various silicas. Straight and branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbons are employed to facilitate the detergency of the polish against oil based traffic soils and debris, and provide the solvency characteristics necessary in the production of a stable formation. These hydrocarbons also control the drying rate of the formulation. Wax constitutes another polish ingredient and is one of the two film forming materials in the polish. The wax is spread and leveled and produces a high luster following buffing of the surface. Blends of soft and hard wax are often employed in order to facilitate ease of buffing and the durability of the polish against environmental antagonists. Exemplary waxes are paraffin wax, microcyrstalline petroleum wax, carnabua wax, candelilla vegetable wax, montan coal derived wax, and synthetic polymeric waxes such as oxidized polyethylene.
Silicon materials are included in polishes as the other film forming ingredient. Such silicon materials also function as lubricants for easing the application of the polish as well as its buffing, and act as release agents for dried abrasive. The silicon materials spread easily and provide a uniform high gloss and with it water repellency. Such materials typically are dimethylsilicones, however, aminofunctional silicon products are becoming more prevalent. The aminofunctional products result in films having increased resistance to removal from the surface by detergents and the environment believed to be the result of their ability to plate out on a painted surface and to crosslink and bond to that surface.
A car polish may also contain an emulsifier, a thickener, and a stabilizier, for the production of a homogeneous stable product of desired consistency. Such polishes may be solid in form, semisolid, presoftened, or liquid. The polish, for example, can be solvent based or an emulsion, and in either case is a liquid, semi-solid, or solid in constitution. Typically, liquid emulsions include ten to fifteen weight percent of an abrasive, ten to thirty weight percent of solvent, two to fifteen weight percent of a silicon material, and up to about four weight percent wax. In an emulsion paste formulation, the wax ingredient is increased in level from three to twenty-five weight percent.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,353, issued May 11, 1976, there is disclosed the reaction produce of an aminofunctional silane and a cyclic acid anhydride. These products are limited, however, to vinyl benzyl functional amines whereas the materials of the present invention differ in the amine group, and do not require such a substitution. Such products further are not disclosed to be useable in a polish formulation as such, but are aqueous or alcohol coupling agent compositions, in contrast to the polish compositions disclosed in the present invention. Polishes, it should be noted, require polymers with significant dimethyl character for solubility, as are the aminofunctional siloxane zwitterions of the present invention. The reaction products in U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,353, however, are low molecular weight monomer materials. Polish formulations containing silicon materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,508,933, issued Apr. 28, 1970, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,371, issued Sept. 17, 1974, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,271, issued June 17, 1975. While these silicon materials are characterized as being aminofunctional siloxanes, they are not zwitterionomers as are the compositions of the present invention, and it is not believed to be known to employ zwitterionomers in polish formulations. What appears to be a zwitterion in a polish in Japanese Publication 8209/80 is actually an amideo acid. Such acids are low molecular weight hard solids in contrast to the high molecular weight fluids of the present invention. Further, the function of such amido acids is to increase the luster of shine of a polish, rather than to cause water to sheet as in the present invention. Zwitterionomers are not new as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,567, issued June 25, 1985, to Campbell et al., however, the zwitterionomers of Campbell et al are characterized as being sultone based zwitterionomers whereas the zwitterionomers of the present invention are sulfur free amine cyclic-anhydride based zwitterionomers in contrast thereto. Further, the zwitterionomers of the present invention are lactone free in contrast to Campbell et al. A further distinction exists between the instant invention and that of Campbell et al., in that in Campbell et al., there is disclosed a low cost process of making the zwitterions by combining OH endblocked polydimethylsiloxane, a functional silane, and an acid catalyst. In the present invention, however, the zwitterionomers can be prepared from fully-premade aminofunctional siloxane polymers which are not silicon functional. As such, the compositions of the present invention provide new and unique advantages over typical prior art polish formulations which will become apparent hereinafter.

Water sheeting zwitterionomeric aminofunctional siloxanes


A rolling stand includes a roller-carrier substantially in the form of a ring-shaped body having the rollers journalled on its interior; the roller-carrier is slidable along a longitudinal rolling axis L between an operative position occupied during the rolling process, where it is locked inside an outer structure of the rolling stand, and a non-operative position where it is removed from the structure. Provided within the rolling stand are guide means for guiding the roller-carrier movement along the axis L and means of locking the roller-carrier in the operative position.

In general, in conventional seamless tube rolling mills, the rolling stands are structurally independent one from another and can be individually moved off the mill in order to allow their replacement. In a preferred embodiment, the rollers of such stands have coplanar axes of rotation which lie on a plane orthogonal to the rolling axis; such a rolling mill is commonly referred to as a continuous rolling mill.
In general, in the seamless tube making industry, it is recognized that proper performance of the rolling process is closely dependent on the action being applied by the roller grooves at each rolling stand.
More particularly, it is recognized that the geometric tolerance and the surface finish of a tube depend on the difference between the tube rate of advancement along the rolling axis and the peripheral speeds of the rollers as measured at several locations of the grooves, in contact with the tube.
The commercial production of seamless tubes is currently carried out mainly on mandrel-type continuous rolling mills having a set of successive stands each provided with two driven rollers; such rollers are supported by an external structure, opposite one another and have parallel axes of rotation. In this specific case, the contact of the tube to be processed with the groove of one such roller occurs approximately over one half the external circumference of the tube.
In recent years, on a purely experimental basis and alternatively to the above-mentioned approach, the feasibility of continuous rolling mills provided with rolling stands having more than two rollers was investigated.
In general, in the last-mentioned embodiment of the rolling mill, contact between the profile of the roller grooves and the tube to be processed occurs over an arc of said external circumference whose length is inversely proportional to the number of the rollers in each stand.
Thus, in the particular instance of a three-roller stand, the profiles of the roller grooves will be active over an arc being approximately one third the external circumference of the tube.
The development of rolling mills equipped with stands having more than two rollers is of great interest because it has been verified, both theoretically and experimentally, that the shorter the length of the tube arc being worked upon by a single roller, the better the resultant tube surface finish and thickness tolerances.
This explains the efforts being currently made in the art in order to provide rolling mills which embody this novel technological concept.
It should be considered, however, that while having more than two rollers enhances mill performance, as the number of the rollers in each rolling stand is increased, the technical difficulties encountered in engineering the rolling mill also increase significantly. As an example, the construction of three-roller stands already involves technical difficulties which have yet to be fully overcome; among these difficulties are the problems posed by simultaneously driving three rollers and adjusting their distances from the rolling axis.
In fact, three-roller stand mills tried or known heretofore fail to provide such adjustment feature to an adequate degree to make the rolling mills suitable for industrial applications; that is, the mills are too rigid, and unsuitable for coping with the different operating conditions required by the tubes, or pipes of industrial production.

Rolling stand, having three or more driven and adjustable rollers


A method is provided for forming plural kinds of wells on a single semiconductor substrate with an improved alignment accuracy and obviating the generation of step height between the wells. The method includes forming a selective etching film on the semiconductor substrate, forming openings on the selective etching film overlying a first well forming region and an alignment mark forming region using a first resist film as a mask for defining the first well forming region and the alignment mark forming region, implanting the first well forming region with a dopant of a first conductivity type and removing the first resist film, forming a second resist film to mask at least the first well forming region, having an opening overlying the alignment mark forming region larger than the opening of the selective etching film overlying the same region, and forming the alignment mark by performing an etching process using the second resist film and selective etching film as a mask.

As the density of integrated circuits increases with decreasing size of component devices such as transistors, it becomes necessary to achieve precise arrangement of the devices on a semiconductor substrate with improved alignment accuracy simultaneously with obviating the generation of undue step height between plural wells in the devices during formation process.
Among previous methods for forming plural kinds of wells on a single semiconductor substrate, a couple of methods are here mentioned, one utilizing self-alignment techniques and the other using an alignment well.
The former method utilizing self-alignment techniques for forming plural kinds of wells on a single semiconductor substrate will be described herein below in reference to FIGS. 5A through 5F, which are cross-sectional views illustrating a twin-well semiconductor device during various stages in the manufacturing process according to the previous method utilizing self-alignment techniques.
In these drawings there are broadly divided into two regions from right to left an N well forming region 46 and P well forming region 48. In addition, the sentence blocks (a) through (f) in the following description will be referred to FIGS. 5A through 5F, respectively.
(a) A silicon oxide film 50 is formed on a silicon substrate 42 by the known thermal oxidation process;                a silicon nitride film 52 is subsequently formed on the silicon oxide film 50 by low pressure CVD (chemical vapor deposition);        a resist film 54 is formed on the silicon nitride film 52 having openings overlying the regions 46, 46, in which N wells are to be formed; and        the portions of the silicon nitride film 52 overlying the N well forming regions 46, 46 are removed.
(b) With the use of thus patterned resist film 54 as a mask, phosphorus ions are implanted into the N well forming regions 46, 46 (as shown with "x" marks in FIG. 5B).
(c) Following the removal of the resist film 54, the surface of the structure is subjected to a thermal oxidation process using the silicon nitride film 52 as a mask for masking the P well forming region 48, whereby LOCOS (local oxidation of silicon) films 50a, 50a are formed on N well forming regions 46, 46. Thereafter, the structure is subjected to a thermal diffusion process to form N wells 56, 56.
(d) After removing the silicon nitride film 52 overlying the P well forming region 48, boron ions (as shown with "Δ" marks in FIG. 5D) are implanted into the P well forming region 48 using the LOCOS films 50a, 50a as masks.
(e) By subjecting the structure to a thermal diffusion process and subsequently removing the LOCOS oxide films 50a, 50a from the surface of silicon substrate 42, a twin-well structure is completed.
Another LOCOS oxide film 50b is formed on a predetermined region, and a gate oxide film 51 is formed on the surface of silicon substrate 42 covering the structure.
As described above, the implantation of impurities into the P well forming region 48 is performed in this alignment method after first forming N wells 56, 56, and then LOCOS oxide films 50a, 50a on the N well forming regions 46, 46 using the LOCOS oxide films 50a, 50a as masks, so that the impurities are prevented from the implantation into the P well forming region 48. As a result, this method is able to offer the advantage of reducing alignment mismatches (errors) between the N well 56 and P well 58.
In this method, however, a difference in the surface height may result between the N well 56 and P well 58 after the formation (FIG. 5E), which gives rise to a step height after the removal of the silicon oxide film 50 including LOCOS oxide film 50a. This step height in turn may cause the difficulty in focusing on a mask during aligning observation for forming gate electrodes and concomitant errors in finished measures.
In order to obviate the generation of such step height between the N well 56 and P well, another method has been disclosed to form the wells using an alignment mark (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-45534).
The method for forming twin wells using an alignment mark will be described herein below referring to FIGS. 6A through 6E.
In these drawings there broadly divided into three regions from right to left are an alignment mark forming region 60, an N well forming region 62, and P well forming region 64. And, the sentence blocks (a) through (f) in the following description will be referred to FIGS. 6A through 6F, respectively.
(a) A silicon oxide film 66 is formed on a silicon substrate 42. Thereafter, a resist film 68 is formed with an opening overlying the alignment mark forming region 60 on the silicon oxide film 22.
By performing an anisotropic etching process on the alignment mark forming region 60 using the resist film 68 as a mask, an alignment mark 70 is formed.
(b) After removing the resist film 68, another resist film is formed having an opening overlying the N well forming region 62 on the silicon oxide film 66. Using this resist film as a mask, phosphorus ions are implanted into the N well forming region 62.
Subsequent to the removal of the resist film on the silicon oxide film 66, the structure is subjected to a thermal diffusion process to thereby form the N well 72.
(c) Still another resist film is formed having an opening overlying the P well forming region 64 on the silicon oxide film 66. Using this resist film as a mask, boron ions are implanted into the P well forming region 64.
Thereafter, the resist film is removed from the silicon oxide film 66, the structure is subjected to a thermal diffusion process, and the P well 74 is formed.
(d) After removing the silicon oxide film 66, another silicon oxide film 76 is formed on the entire surface of the structure on the silicon substrate 42, and a silicon nitride film 78 is formed on the silicon oxide film 76.
Thereafter, another resist film is formed on the silicon nitride film 78, having an opening overlying a LOCOS forming region 64.
An opening is then formed by selectively removing the portion of the silicon nitride film 78 overlying the LOCOS forming region using the resist film as a mask. The resist film is subsequently removed from the silicon nitride film 78.
(e) The surface of the structure is subjected to a thermal oxidation process using the silicon nitride film 7 as a mask, whereby a LOCOS oxide 80 is formed in the LOCOS forming region. Subsequent to the removal of the silicon nitride film 78, the semiconductor device with the twin-well structure is completed.
In the abovementioned method of forming twin wells using an alignment mark, the alignment mark 70 is first formed. And, with respect to thus formed alignment mark 70, the positioning of the N well 72, P well 74, and LOCOS oxide 80 is carried out.
In contrast to the method mentioned earlier utilizing self-alignment techniques in reference to FIGS. 6A through 6F, the present method using the alignment mark can be performed without forming the LOCOS film 50a on the N well forming region. Therefore, the difference in surface height (i.e., step height) is not generated between the N well 72 and P well 74, and no focusing error on the mask arises during the formation of gate electrodes.
In this method, however, photolithographic processes with respect to the alignment mark 70 are required each for implanting impurities into the N and P well forming regions. As a result, the number of times of aligning (positioning) increases and more alignment mismatches may arise accordingly.
As described above, the known methods for forming plural kinds of wells utilizing either self-alignment techniques or alignment mark each have encountered the difficulties in improving alignment accuracy simultaneously with obviating the generation of step height between the wells.
There is a need for an improved method for forming semiconductor devices which does not have the aforementioned disadvantages.

Method for forming plural kinds of wells on a single semiconductor substrate


A fractional-N phase locked loop (PLL) and a sliced charge pump (CP) control method thereof are provided. The fractional-N PLL includes a first current source, a first phase frequency detector (PFD), a second current source, a second PFD, and a divided clock controller. The first current source provides a first current. The first PFD generates a first detection signal according to a first divided clock, for controlling the first current source, wherein the first divided clock is generated according to an oscillation clock having an oscillation period. The second current source provides a second current. The second PFD generates a second detection signal according to a second divided clock, for controlling the second current source. The divided clock controller controls the second divided clock based on a variable delay relative to the first divided clock, wherein the variable delay is an integer times the oscillation period.

The present invention is related to phase-locked loops (PLLs), and more particularly, to a fractional-N PLL (e.g. an analog fractional-N PLL) and a sliced charge pump control method thereof.
In a general PLL, a frequency divider may be utilized to divide a frequency of an oscillation clock by a target divisor to generate a feedback clock, which is configure to be compared with a reference clock, where the target divisor depends on the frequency to be synthesized based on the reference clock. In practice, the frequency divider can divide the frequency by an integer divider only. Thus, if the divisor of the frequency divider is fixed, the PLL can synthesize an integer times the frequency of the reference clock only.
For a purpose of synthesizing a non-integer times the frequency of the reference clock, the divisor of the frequency divider may be varying in a random-like manner. By a long-term operation, the frequency divider may bring the effect of a non-integer divisor in average, and thereby implement a fractional-N PLL. The aforementioned random-like manner directly or indirectly introduces phase noise (e.g. in-band phase noise and/or out-band phase noise), however. Although related arts indeed propose some phase noise reduction methods, these methods are demanding on timing accuracy, and therefore require calibration mechanisms or scrambling mechanism such as Pseudo Random Permutation Scrambling (PRPS) to avoid spur or folding noise issues, where the required calibration circuit may greatly increase overall circuit area power consumption.
Thus, there is a need for a novel architecture of the fractional-N phase locked loop, to reduce the phase noise without introducing any side effect or in a way that is less likely to introduce side effects.

Fractional-N phase-locked loop and sliced charge pump control method thereof


A filling car for filling coal in oven chambers of a coke oven battery comprises a telescopable filling pipe having an upper part and a lower part and a lower end to be lowerable to a filling frame of a filling opening of a coke oven battery, a supporting ring in which the lower part of the filling pipe is supported for turning about a horizontal axis, a liftable and lowerable supporting bracket in which the supporting ring is held, a mechanism for suspending the lower part of the filling pipe in the supporting ring and including two oppositely located hinge arms, and a mechanism for holding the supporting ring on the supporting bracket and including two oppositely located pivot pins arranged so that the supporting ring is turnable about a horizontal axis relative to the supporting bracket, the hinge arms and the pivot pins being offset relative to one another by 90.degree..

The present invention relates to a filling car for filling coal in oven chambers of a coke oven battery. More particularly, it relates to such a filling car which has a telescopable filling pipe lowerable with its lower end on a filling frame of a filling opening of the coke oven battery, and in which the lower part of the filling pipe is suspended in a supporting ring turnable about a horizontal axis, which is in turn is held on a lowerable and liftable supporting bracket.
During operation of a filling car, it is necessary in view of the modern requirements for labor and environmental protection, to catch dust and tar containing gases produced during filling of the oven chambers and to convey them to the receiver of the coke oven battery. These gases are subjected to different conditions during the filling process and can escape due to negative pressure or insufficient draw to the receiver through the filling openings. For preventing this disadvantage, a reliable sealing between the lower end of the filling pipe and the filling frame on which the filling pipe is placed during the filling process, is required. In the practice, however, especially in old coke oven batteries with uneven coke oven tops, this led frequently to position inaccuracies of the filling cars. As a result, the vertical central axis of the fixed filling pipe of the coal container did not coincide with the vertical central axis of the filling opening or the filling frame and a greater or smaller offset produced between the central axes. This offset could amount to several centimeters. For providing a reliable sealing between the filling frame and the upper part of the filling pipe it was required to incline the lower part of the filling pipe in correspondence with the above mentioned offset. In many constructions this, however, was not possible.
German document DE-PS No. 2,922,571 describes a filling car in which the lower part of the filling pipe is suspended in a supporting ring which is turned about a horizontal axis. The supporting ring is held in turn in a liftable and lowerable supporting bracket. In this construction however the lower part of the filling pipe is turnable only in one direction, and a swinging movement of the filling pipe in this construction must be avoided. As a result, in this construction during lowering of the filling pipe to the filling frame, crescent-shaped untightness dependent on the offset can be produced. The filling gases can escape through such an untightness without any obstacle. If attempts are made to forcedly eliminate this untightness, irreversible damages can be done to the whole filling system.

Harting, Kuhn & Co. Naschinenfabrik GmbH


A direct injection internal combustion engine includes catalysts for purifying exhaust gases, the catalysts being disposed in an exhaust passage of the engine. A control device controls the engine so as to warm up or activate the catalysts. The control device includes a first control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, an ignition timing being set at a point after a top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke, and a second control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, with an ignition timing being set before a top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke after the first control part controls the engine. The controlling operation performed by the first control part enables stable after-burning and raises the exhaust temperature. The following controlling operation of the second control part enables CO and O2 to coexist in the exhaust gases and react on the catalysts

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a direct injection internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a method of warming up catalysts when the direct injection internal combustion engine is started cold.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, a direct injection internal combustion engine, which injects fuel directly into a combustion chamber, has been developed so as to improve both engine output and fuel economy. In such an internal combustion engine, it is desirable to quickly activate catalysts disposed in an exhaust passage and reduce the amount of harmful substances such as unburned HC that is emitted into the air.
For example, an intake port injection internal combustion engine ordinarily retards the ignition timing to a point after a top dead center in order to accelerate the warm-up of the catalysts. For this reason, it can be considered that this method is applied to the direct injection internal combustion engine. In this case, the ignition timing is set at a point after the top dead center in an intake stroke injection because the intake port injection internal combustion engine ordinarily performs a uniform pre-mixed combustion.
The above internal combustion engine, however, is greatly affected by the residual gases due to the decrease in the intake air when the load on the engine is high e.g. while idling. Thus, a combustion reaction cannot be satisfactorily carried out in the pre-mixed combustion caused by the intake stroke injection, and the retardation of the ignition timing as shown in FIG. 10(c) results in unstable combustion. Consequently, as shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the combustion variation ratio is increased to make the heat release amount uneven and further, the engine may misfire. The misfire of the engine causes generation of the unburned HC and deterioration of the exhaust gas performance.
To meet the above-mentioned requirement, there has been developed a method (hereinafter referred to as a two-stage combustion) in which a main injection and an additional fuel injection (hereinafter referred to as an additional injection) are performed by making use of such a characteristic that the direct injection internal combustion engine is capable of freely setting a fuel injection timing. In this method, the additional fuel is burned so as to raise the temperature of exhaust gases by the operation of a reaction product resulting from a main combustion caused by the main injection. This contributes to the quick activation of the catalysts.
Since the combustion reaction of the additional fuel is a low-temperature oxidizing reaction that proceeds slowly, however, a part of the fuel injected in the additional injection is exhausted into an exhaust pipe before burning up in the combustion chamber. This necessitates continuing the combustion reaction of the residual fuel in the exhaust pipe in order to reduce the generation of the unburned HC.
To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 11-294157 discloses a direct injection internal combustion engine that has exhaust manifolds having a capacity space for holding exhaust gases and burns the residual fuel in the capacity space of the exhaust manifolds in order to reduce the generation of unburned HC and raise the temperature of the exhaust gases. Although the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 11-294157 enables the quick activation of the catalysts and the reduction in the unburned HC emission, an output from the engine is lowered because it is interfered in the capacity space by the exhaust gases between cylinders. This method is therefore unsuitable for an engine that is required to output high power.
Another method has been proposed which integrates a proximity catalyst with exhaust manifolds so that the proximity catalyst can be provided at a low cost. In this case, it is difficult to ensure a sufficient capacity space in front of a proximity catalyst. For this reason, the use of the exhaust manifolds integrated with the proximity catalyst greatly makes it difficult to adopt the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 11-294157.
Further, in the two-stage combustion, almost all of the fuel injected in the additional injection transforms into heat and thus hardly contributes to the engine output. Accordingly, the fuel injected in the main injection must be increased and the fuel injected in the additional injection must be decreased accordingly as shown in FIG. 11(a) under such a condition that the load on the engine is high (e.g. while the engine is idling with a shift position of an automatic transmission being set in a D range, or while the engine is running an accessory such as an alternator and an air compressor). The decrease in the fuel injected in the additional injection makes it impossible to satisfactorily increase the temperature of the exhaust gases and accelerate the activation of the catalysts as shown in FIG. 11(b), and also deteriorates the exhaust gas performance as shown in FIG. 11(c). This imposes a restriction on the driving conditions that enable the additional injection to accelerate the warm-up of the catalysts.
As stated above, the method in which the catalysts are warmed up and activated by performing the additional injection as well as the main injection is greatly affected by the shape of the exhaust manifolds, the driving conditions and the like. Therefore, the satisfactory effects may not be achieved due to the shape of the exhaust manifolds, the driving conditions and the like.
The present invention to provide a direct injection internal combustion engine that is able to rapidly warm up and quickly activate catalysts in a more efficient manner. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a direct injection internal combustion engine comprising: catalysts for purifying exhaust gases, the catalysts being disposed in an exhaust passage of the engine; a control device for controlling the engine so as to warm up or activate the catalysts when the catalysts are required to be warmed up or activated; wherein the control device includes a first control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, an ignition timing being set after a top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke; and a second control part for controlling the engine with an air-fuel ratio of the engine being set at a value in proximity to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, with an ignition timing being set at a point before the top dead center and a fuel injection timing being set within a compression stroke after the first control part controls the engine.

Direct injection internal combustion engine and controlling method therefor

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


Provided are an automatic analyzer and an optical measurement method for correcting a variation in the multiplication factor of a photoelectric element with high accuracy. The automatic analyzer comprises: a photoelectric element which generates electrons by light and outputs a current signal; a voltage application unit which applies a voltage to the photoelectric element; and a processing unit which corrects a variation in the multiplication factor of the photoelectric element, wherein the photoelectric element outputs a pulse signal as the current signal, and the processing unit corrects the variation in the multiplication factor on the basis of the pulse area of the pulse signal.

A photoelectric element, such as a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and a photodiode, can extract weak light in a form of a current signal and is thus used as a photodetector in various fields. The photoelectric element is used in, for example, an automatic analyzer, which detects light from a luminescent reagent that emits light in the presence of a specimen such as blood and measures components of the specimen.
In PMT, an electron multiplication factor or a gain is known to fluctuate with time. There has been disclosed a technique to correct fluctuation in the multiplication factor (see patent literature 1).

Automatic analyzer and optical measurement method


Various methods and systems are provided for a current trap. In one example, the current trap has a spiral core made of a nonconductive material, a coiled wire having a plurality of turns wound around the spiral core, and one or more tuning capacitors physically attached to the spiral core and electrically connected to the coiled wire to form a resonance circuitry with the coiled wire.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging modality that can create images of the inside of a human body without using x-rays or other ionizing radiation. MM systems include a superconducting magnet to create a strong, uniform, static magnetic field B0. Exposure of a human body, or part of a human body, to the magnetic field B0, induces polarization of hydrogen nuclear spin in tissue water. The nuclei are excited by a radio frequency signal and upon relaxation to a rest energy state, energy is released as an RF signal which may be transformed into an image.
An MM system utilizes RF coils to transmit RF excitations and/or receive MR signals. Shielded coil-interfacing cables may be used to transmit signals between the RF coils and other aspects of a processing system of the MRI system. For example, the coil-interfacing cables may transmit signals to control the RF coils and/or to receive signals from the RF coils. The coil-interfacing cables may be subjected to electro-magnetic fields and as a result, transmitter-driven common mode currents may adversely affect coil tuning, coil-to-coil coupling in phased array coils, inhomogeneity in generated images, and/or unpredictable heating of components.
Common mode traps, or baluns, providing high common mode impedances, may be used to mitigate the effect of transmitter-driven currents. Conventionally, grounded baluns may be coupled to the coil-interfacing cables to block the induced currents. However, coupling of the baluns to the coil-interfacing cables may demand a complex soldering process. The soldering process may expose conductors in the coil-interfacing cables to high temperatures, leading to degradation of the conductors.

Methods and systems for a floating cable trap


A method of fabricating a packaged semiconductor device includes integrating a plurality of singulated semiconductor die in a die carrier, and forming one or more interconnect layers on the die carrier. The interconnect layers include at least one of conductive intra-layer structures and inter-layer structures coupled to contact pads on the plurality of singulated semiconductor die. A set of landing pads is formed coupled to a first subset of the contact pads via a first set of the conductive intra-layer structures and inter-layer structures. A set of probe pads is formed coupled to a second subset of the contact pads via a second set of the conductive intra-layer structures and inter-layer structures. The die carrier is singulated to form a plurality of packaged semiconductor devices. The set of probe pads is removed during the singulating the die carrier.

1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to semiconductor processing, and more specifically, to a method for forming a packaged semiconductor device.
2. Related Art
Packaged semiconductor devices contain a number of pins in order to for the semiconductor device to communicate with a printed circuit board. These packages may include "test only" pins which are intended for debug and other internal-use monitoring only. These test only pins may include, for example, Process Optimization Structure (POSt) pins, Dual Data Rate (DDR) test point pins, and analog test point pins. Typically, upon connecting these packaged semiconductor devices to printed circuit boards, these test only pins are grounded. However, even though they may be grounded, in order to ensure proper operation of the semiconductor device, these test only pins must still achieve the same qualification standards as other pins on the device, such as electro-static discharge robustness. Furthermore, these test only pins add to the pin count and require additional die area, which is undesirable, especially as semiconductor devices continue to decrease in size.

Method for forming a packaged semiconductor device


A system and method to allow users to purchase software applications for point of sale (POS) terminals from an application server via a network (e.g., the Internet) utilizing the POS terminal itself. One or more menus providing portals to available applications and their respective demonstration applications are provided to users on POS terminals. The demonstration applications may be directly downloaded from the application server onto the POS terminals. In addition, the user is able to purchase the application via the POS terminal either before or after the user has viewed/downloaded the demonstration application. After purchase, the application may be downloaded directly from the application server onto the POS terminal. Further, information associated with the demonstration applications downloaded to each POS terminal may be reported to a manufacturer of each demonstration application.

A point of sale (POS) terminal is generally used to facilitate commercial transactions between a merchant and its customers. Typically, customers present a transaction instrument (e.g., credit card, debit card, charge card, smart card, and the like) to the merchant as payment at the time of purchase. The transaction instrument is inserted into the POS terminal and the POS terminal transmits a request for payment authorization to the financial institution associated with the particular transaction instrument. The POS terminal receives payment authorization or non-authorization for the request and the transaction is completed.
Typically, when the merchant purchases the POS terminal, a POS terminal includes software applications for use by the POS terminal. Over time, these software applications become outdated and/or new software applications become available, which the merchant may be interested in demonstrating and/or purchasing provided the merchant becomes aware of them. Current POS terminals, however, do not provide the ability for the merchant to demonstrate and/or purchase software applications via the POS terminal itself. Thus, merchants are usually unaware of updated versions of software and/or that there are new software applications available terminals until a salesperson notifies the merchant of such. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system and method that allows merchants to demonstrate and/or purchase software applications for their POS terminal utilizing the POS terminal itself.

System and method to purchase applications by a point of sale terminal


A system and method for detecting the connectivity of an absence of voltage detector to the source of power to be detected has a first terminal wire connected to a first terminal and a second terminal wire also connected to the first terminal. An RF signal is placed on the first terminal and then its presence is detected on the second signal wire. This method and system can also be placed on each phase of a three phase system.

The present invention describes a novel system and method of providing a reliable indication and verification of the presence and absence of voltage in electrical equipment using a permanently installed voltage tester that will indicate whether the equipment is in an electrically safe state without direct access to the equipment. Accomplishing reliable verification of the absence of voltage before accessing electrical equipment greatly enhances safety in several ways. It prevents the person interacting with the equipment from inadvertently contacting an unintended part of the circuit or shorting conductors if the equipment is in fact energized. It also increases the distance between the person and the potentially energized conductive parts as well as possibly containing any resulting effects should an arc flash occur.


To form the housing of a double-screw extrude, the housing body or a segment thereof is provided with auxiliary bores along a segment of the housing at which the hardening material is to be thicker or a hardening material is to be provided. The screw-receiving bores are then formed and overlap each other and the auxiliary bores and the hardening material is provided at least in the auxiliary bores by a division process, preferably a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process.

Double-screw extruders and their housing are well known in the extruder art and are used to prepare and advance materials to be extruded through a die by rotation of the extruder screws in respective screw-receiving bores which can extend substantially over the length of the housing or a housing segment.
The term "housing segment" is here used to refer to an axially-extending portion of an extruder housing which can be joined to other such portions in axial alignment to form the entire housing. In other words the housing may be a one-piece housing whose bores extend over substantially the entire length of the extruder or a housing assembled from a plurality of such housing segments which can be joined together with screws. For this purpose, each segment can have a flange at an end thereof which is secured to the flange of another such segment or some other housing part by means of screws connecting the adjoining flanges together.
It is common to harden the wall of the screw-receiving bore in such housing or housing segment at least over high-wear segments of such walls. The hardening may be achieved by case hardening, nitriding, heat treatment or the like to an appropriate depth, i.e. radially outwardly of the bore.
When reference is made to the "housing" here, it is intended to thereby refer to the entire housing, e.g. a one-piece housing, or to a housing segment capable of being joined to other such segments to form the housing, unless the context indicates otherwise.
The housing of a double-screw extruder can be composed for example of heat-treatable nitride steel. Following the machining of the housing to form the screw-receiving bores to their final dimensions, the housing is usually subjected to heat treatment to the desired hardening level and thus to provide the requisite wear-resistant property.
With such double-screw extruder housings, this method has been found to be disadvantageous since, even with wear to a depth of only about 0.1 mm, the nitride hardening layer is consumed and the wear of the softer material therebelow can proceed significantly more rapidly. Such a housing or housing segment can no longer be regenerated and must be replaced.
One technique for overcoming this problem is to make the extruder housing with larger screw-receiving bores than is necessary to accommodate the screw. Then lining sleeves with a thickness of say 10 mm can then be inserted into the bores and can be composed of a wear-resistant material. When these sleeves are worn, they can be replaced. However, problems are then encountered with heat transfer since there is a resistance to thermal conduction between the lining sleeve and the housing since the sleeves are only pressed into the housing.
Different hardening methods have been described in the literature. For example, DE 10 048 870 C2 describes the introduction into the screw-receiving bores of a solid or hollow core and the filling of the space between the core and the housing with a metal/carbide powder mixture and the bonding of the particles of this mixture together and to the housing by a HIP process (Hot-Isostatic Pressing). In the HIP process, the HIP material in pulverulent form is compacted at a pressure in excess of 1000 bar and at a temperature upwards of about 1250° C. The hot isostatic pressing technique requires a metal housing which is welded to a hermetic seal which can be sustained even at such high temperatures. The metal capsule is filled and highly evacuated. The materials used can be metal alloys employed in powder metallurgy and whose alloy content will not support the loss of solubility and the phase diagrams. The material which is produced has the hardened or hardening layer and is free from segregations and has a fine-grained isotropic microcrystalline structure.
Metal/carbide powder mixtures and similar materials are relatively expensive and with this earlier process, it can be a drawback that the entire surface of each screw-receiving bore must be covered with the relatively expensive material.
A housing of the type described at the outset for a double-screw extruder has been described also in DE 29 913 216 U1 (see especially FIG. 5 thereof). This reference describes the concept of providing the wear-resistant materials only over a certain angular sector of each bore, i.e. in the region at which greatest wear can be expected. In a standard double-screw extruder, these regions can be the regions from 10 to 12 o'clock for the left screw-receiving bore as seen in cross section and the region from the 12 o'clock to 2 o'clock positions for the right-hand screw.
The wear-resistant material is in that case in the form of an insert which is set into the wall of the bore.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,770 describes the joining of a wear-resistant layer over part of the periphery of a bore with the remaining bore at a shoulder or junction.
With these earlier systems, there can be difficulties in fabricating the housing. For example, in DE 299 13 316 U1, the insert pieces are fabricated separately and are fastened in grooves of the housing by clamping screws. The fabrication of grooves over the length of the extruder-housing is also a problem as is the fastening of the inserts where they will be exposed to high forces. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,770, welding has been proposed and even that cannot be used with assurance since relatively thin and long bores for the extruder screws frequently will not permit welding to be used.

Method of making a double-screw extruder

Theysohn Extrusionstechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H.


A method and arrangement in a first device present in a first local network enables the transfer of media from a media server in a second local network to a media renderer in the first local network. A connection is established between the first device and a gateway in the second local network, and the first device creates a port mapping in the gateway for the media server. The first device creates a URL including the created port mapping and a reference to media content stored in the media server and sends the created URL to the media renderer. The media renderer is able to pull the media content from the media server using that URL.

Techniques have been developed for multimedia communication involving devices in a limited local network using internal addressing and transport means, also referred to as a private or home network, a LAN (Local Area Network), a residential or office network. In this description, the term "local network" is used to represent any such networks, and the term "device" represents any entity capable of media communication in a local network. The devices in a local network may include any types of entities such as fixed and wireless telephones, computers, media players or "renderers", media servers and television boxes, the latter also called "STB" (Set Top Box).
UPnP (Universal Plug-and-Play) is a technology for establishing standardised device protocols for communication in a local network between different devices that may use different access technologies, operating systems, programming languages, format standards and communication protocols. Further, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a technology for acquiring, storing and accessing digital media content in devices of a local network. The UPnP protocol is utilised by DLNA as an underlying protocol for communication between DLNA-enabled devices within local networks. Such DLNA devices are generally capable of using HTTP (Hyper Text Transport Protocol) as a basic transport mechanism for transfer of media in a local network. In addition, RTP (Real Time Protocol) can also be used for media transport in the local network.
UPnP supports a process called "discovery" in which a device can join a local network, obtain a local IP address, announce its name and IP address, and exchange capabilities and services with other devices in the network. In this description, any functions and protocols installed in devices for the transport, communication, encoding/decoding, storing and playout of media will be referred to as "capabilities" for short.
A network architecture called IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) has been developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as a platform for handling and controlling multimedia services and sessions. In order to provide IMS-based services for devices in a limited local network and to enable multimedia communication with entities outside the local network, a gateway called "HIGA" (Home IMS Gateway) has been devised as a solution where the IMS network is used for establishing sessions with external entities.
UPnP also defines a Remote Access Architecture RAA, enabling a remote UPnP device located outside the local network to communicate with UPnP devices located within the local network. In particular, the RAA specifies how to provision and configure parameters required for enabling remote access connections between entities having a Remote Access Server RAS and a Remote Access Client RAC, respectively, generally referred to as a UPnP RA procedure.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical logic structure in a remote device 100 and in a local gateway 102 of a local network, respectively, for enabling remote access to local devices in the network (not shown) according to the UPnP RA procedure. The local gateway 102 may be an RGW (Residential Gateway) and/or a HIGA. A Remote Access Client"RAC" 100a has been configured in the remote device 100 and a corresponding Remote Access Server "RAS" 102a has been configured in the local gateway 102, which can be done when both are present in the local network since RAC 100a and RAS 102a should be configured and synchronized with matching profiles.
The RAC 100a comprises a Remote Access Discovery Agent"RADA" 100b, and the RAS 102a comprises a corresponding Remote Access Discovery Agent "RADA" 102b, both being configured to exchange discovery or "pairing" messages between the two entities 100 and 102. The RAC 100a further comprises a Remote Access Transport Agent "RATA" 100c and the RAS 102a comprises a corresponding Remote Access Transport Agent "RATA" 102c, both being configured to establish a transport channel for media between the two entities 100 and 102. Effectively, the RATAs 100c, 102c will act as opposite end points for signalling and media communication of the remote access.
Solutions have also been developed to enable a first device to control the transfer of media from a second device to a third device within a local network, often referred to as the "3-box scenario". For example, a small handheld wireless phone with limited playout capacity may be used as a control device to direct a laptop computer or a media server to stream video media to a large flat screen TV used as media renderer, in order to view the content on a larger screen and with greater quality as compared to both the wireless phone and the laptop computer.
WO 2008/108699 discloses a solution for media transport across two local networks and according to the 3-box scenario above. In this solution, media can be communicated in a session between a device in a first local network and another device in a second local network by means of gateways in each local network, as initiated by means of control messaging over an IMS network using a remote control device present in the first local network. Although the remote control device is present in one of the two local networks, it does not participate in the media communication itself. This solution requires that the remote control device has an IMS client and a valid IMS subscription and that a HIGA is installed at least in the second local network.
Depicting the basics of this solution, FIG. 2 illustrates first and second local networks 200, 202 and an IMS network 204. Networks 200 and 202 comprise residential gateways RGW 200a and 202a, respectively, and at least the second network 202 further comprises a HIGA 202b for communication with IMS network 204.
A remote control device 200b is visiting the first local network 200 which also includes a TV set 200c, while the second local network 202 includes a media server 202c. The user of device 200b has knowledge of media content being stored in server 202c in network 202 which could be his/her home network. As schematically indicated in the figure, IMS signalling between device 200b and HIGA 202b over IMS network 204 is required for realising and controlling the media transfer from media server 202c to TV set 200c. It is thus required that the device 200b is an IMS client having a valid IMS identity, and that the HIGA 202b is likewise an IMS client installed at least in the second local network. It is thus a limitation that no such media transfer across two local networks according to the 3-box scenario is possible unless the above IMS clients are available.
Another limitation with the prior art is that the current UPnP RA (Remote Access) specification itself does not provide for media transfer across different local networks, e.g. for rendering content from a remote location according to the 3-box scenario, but only for media transfer between a remote device and a local network.

Media transfer to a renderer in a local network from a server in a second local network


Provided is a semiconductor memory device calibrating a termination resistance, the semiconductor memory device comprising self-adjustment logic configured to determine whether a value of an upper bit string of a calibration code generated in response to a calibration start signal is equal to or greater than an upper critical value of the calibration code, or is equal to or less than a lower critical value of the calibration code, and to generate an adjustment signal for adjusting a value of a termination resistance of a data output driver based on the determination result; and resistance calibration logic configured to provide the upper bit string to the self-adjustment logic, and to generate an updated calibration code by performing a calibration calculation based on the calibration code and a comparison signal generated according to a result of comparing a reference voltage and a voltage of a comparison target node.

The present disclosure described herein relates to a semiconductor memory system, and more particularly, relates to a termination resistance calibration method of a semiconductor memory device including a termination resistance.
A memory system may include a controller and a semiconductor memory device connected to a transmission line. A data signal transmitted along the transmission line may be reflected at an end of the transmission line. The reflected data signal may become noise and may affect an original data signal, thus, quality of the data signal may be lowered. A termination resistance may be connected to the end of the transmission line to prevent the data signal from being reflected. The termination resistance is a component used to reduce reflection of the data signal and to prevent lowering of quality of the data signal, by matching between an internal impedance and an external impedance of a semiconductor memory device. The termination resistance is typically used for a DRAM having a high operation speed. Recently, to prevent signal interference between DRAMs, an ODT (On Die Termination) technique is used for connecting the termination resistance to the interior of the DRAM.
Since the DRAM may have an operation speed higher than 1000 MHz under, for example, DDR3 SDRAM (Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous DRAM) standards, higher quality and stability of the data signal may be required. If impedance is not matched due to a variation in a value of the termination resistance according to a variation in a fabrication process, a power supply voltage, and an operation temperature, it may be difficult to transmit a data signal at high speed, and data is often distorted. The DDR3 SDRAM may use ZQ calibration logic to secure high signal quality and stability. The internal impedance and the external impedance of the semiconductor memory device may be matched by calibrating the termination resistance according to a calibration code generated by the ZQ calibration logic. Examples of ZQ calibration are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,859,296 to Kim et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 8,111,085 to Ibaraki et al., both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
However, time for calibrating the termination resistance is limited. According to typical ZQ calibration logic, calibration intervals for each of pull-up and pull-down resistances are partially overlapped due to time limitation, thus, reliability of calibration may be lowered. If the number of bits of the calibration code is reduced to overcome the time limitation, accuracy of encoding is decreased, thus, a characteristic of a data output driver is negatively influenced. In addition, if a value of the termination resistance is largely changed according to a PVT (Process, Voltage, and Temperature) variation, an accurate impedance matching may be impossible.
According to a typical technique, impedance matching is performed by using fuses to manually adjusting the value of the termination resistance. However, this calibration method may be limited in that calibration time for impedance matching is increased and automatic calibration may be impossible.

Semiconductor memory device calibrating termination resistance and termination resistance calibration method thereof


Method and apparatus for providing a controlled voltage to an integrated circuit is described. A first frequency value indicative of a first voltage is compared to a second frequency value indicative of a second voltage. The second frequency value is adjusted by the second voltage until the second frequency value is within a range of the first frequency value. Additionally, the second voltage may be adjusted to maintain the second frequency value within the range.

One or more aspects of the present invention relate generally to voltage control, and more particularly to controlling internal voltage supply levels provided to integrated circuits.
Programmable logic devices (PLDS) exist as a well-known type of integrated circuit (IC) that may be programmed by a user to perform specified logic functions. There are different types of programmable logic devices, such as programmable logic arrays (PLAS) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs). One type of programmable logic devices, called a field programmable gate array (FPGA), is very popular because of a superior combination of capacity, flexibility, time-to-market, and cost. An FPGA typically includes an array of configurable logic blocks (CLBs) surrounded by a ring of programmable input/output blocks (IOBs). The CLBs and IOBs are interconnected by a programmable interconnect structure. The CLBS, IOBs, and interconnect structure are typically programmed by loading a stream of configuration data (bitstream) into internal configuration memory cells that define how the CLBS, IOBs, and interconnect structure are configured. The configuration bitstream may be read from an external memory, conventionally an external integrated circuit memory EEPROM, EPROM, PROM, and the like, though other types of memory may be used. The collective states of the individual memory cells then determine the function of the FPGA.
Conventionally, external voltage signals are provided to internal die interconnections of integrated circuits such as PLDs, application specific integrated circuits (ASICS), and others, to provide local input power to internal circuitry and integrated circuits. Unfortunately, due to variations in integrated circuit power consumption, IR drops between integrated circuits and external voltage sources can negatively affect local integrated circuit input voltage levels and therefore affect integrated circuit performance. For example, with regard to PLDs, as timing oscillator circuits may be affected by changes to input voltage levels, variations in such input voltage levels to such a timing oscillator circuit may introduce fluctuations in timing clock signal frequency that may lead to incorrect PLD operation.
Others have attempted to resolve IR drop issues by providing a global reference voltage and on-chip global power regulation at some if not all of various integrated circuits localities. However, power regulation often relies on expensive voltage regulators that consume valuable die space. Others have relied on increasing the size and number of power and ground interconnections, and in some cases providing separate power and ground planes. Unfortunately, while increasing the amount and size of the power interconnections or even adding a power and ground plane, may help reduce IR drops, it also requires the use of valuable die space and increases the complexity of the die, especially as die sizes shrink to accommodate the demand for smaller integrated circuits.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and useful to provide power regulation apparatus and method for providing a low cost stable local internal voltage. Moreover, it would be desirable and useful to provide an on-chip local voltage for one or more integrated circuits that also compensates for thermal changes of such integrated circuits during operation.
An aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling voltage provided to an integrated circuit. The method includes generating a first frequency value responsive to a first voltage, and generating a second frequency value responsive to a second voltage. The second voltage is adjusted until the second frequency value is within range of the first frequency value.
An aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling voltage provided to an integrated circuit. The method includes generating a first frequency count indicative of a first voltage, storing the first frequency count, and generating a second frequency count responsive to a second voltage. The second frequency count is compared to the first frequency count stored, and the second frequency count is adjusted using the second voltage to maintain the second frequency count within range of the first frequency count stored.
An aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling a voltage supply configured to power at least a portion of at least one integrated circuit. A first voltage is converted to a first frequency value. An output voltage of the voltage supply is converted to a second frequency value, where the second frequency value varies as a function of the output voltage. The first frequency value is compared to the second frequency value, and the output voltage is adjusted until the first frequency value and second frequency value are within a range of each other. The second frequency value is maintained within the range.
An aspect of the present invention is an apparatus to control voltage. A voltage controlled oscillator is selectively coupled to a first voltage supply having a first voltage output and second voltage supply having a second voltage output. The first voltage output and second voltage output are selectively coupled to the voltage controlled oscillator so that the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator is responsive to a selected one of the first voltage output and second voltage output. A voltage control loop circuit is coupled to the voltage controlled oscillator. The voltage control loop circuit is configured to compare a first frequency value of the voltage controlled oscillator associated with the first voltage output with a second frequency value associated with a second voltage output. The voltage control loop circuit adjusts the second voltage output until the second frequency value is within a range of the first frequency value.

Method and apparatus for controlling supply voltage levels for integrated circuits


A simple molded packaging device for a circular saw blade where the packaging securely retains the circular saw blade where a full inspection, both visual and tactile, may be made by a consumer prior to purchase of the circular saw blade while preventing the consumer from removing the circular saw blade from the packaging and securely replacing the circular saw blade relative to the packaging. Means provide for simple one time release of the circular saw blade from the packaging. Means provide for securement of a security tag relative to the packaging where ready undetectable tampering by the consumer with the security tag is prevented. Sonic welding is disclosed as the preferred method of both securing the circular saw blade relative to the packaging and securing a closure of a security tag compartment with a security tag contained therein.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the invention relates to holders for circular saw blades. More specifically, the invention relates to such holders which retain the circular saw blade for display at a point of sale wherein substantially the entire face of the circular saw blade is exposed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous methods exist to display circular saw blades at a commercial sales outlet where the circular saw blades may be examined by a consumer prior to a sales transaction taking place.
It is known to position the circular saw blades for inspection without any packaging about the circular saw blades. A plurality of identical circular saw blades will often be positioned on a shaft slightly offset from vertical with the central mounting aperture of the circular saw blades engaging the shaft where each circular saw blade may freely rotate about the shaft. Similarly a plurality of identical circular saw blades will often rest on two spaced parallel shafts which extend from a back member. The circular saw blades engage the shafts at the working edge of each respective circular saw blade while the circular saw blades lean against the back member or the preceding circular saw blade. When the circular saw blades are displayed without any packaging it is difficult, if not impossible, to provide for anti theft security devices against potential theft.
The circular saw blade or circular saw blades may be displayed with a packaging thereabout for various useful reasons. These reasons include providing for inclusion of anti theft security devices, providing for a proper rotational orientation of the circular saw blade where printed material on the face of the circular saw blade may readily be examined and presenting the circular saw blade in a more appealing manner.
When a packaging is provided a single circular saw blade may be contained within the packaging, a plurality of identical circular saw blades may be contained within the packaging or a plurality of circular saw blades having unique characteristics may be contained within the packaging. Many types of packaging are known in the art. Examples of applicable packaging include those: of a type which permits the circular saw blade to be removed from the packaging for inspection and replaced in the packaging, of a type which permits touching of the working edge of the circular saw blade without removing the circular saw blade from the packaging, of a type which restricts removal of the circular saw blade from the packaging while permitting visual inspection of the circular saw blade without permitting touching of the working edge of the circular saw blade or of a type which restricts removal of the circular saw blade from the packaging and which does not permit either visual inspection of the circular saw blade nor touching of the working edge of the circular saw blade.
An example of the type which permits the circular saw blade to be removed from the packaging for inspection and replaced in the packaging involves a simple paper sleeve or envelope of paper which may have a transparent window therein where the sleeve or envelope is not sealed.
An example of the type which permits touching of the working edge of the circular saw blade without removing the circular saw blade from the packaging involves a sealed envelope of cardboard which partially surrounds the circular saw blade while leaving at least a portion of the working edge exposed.
An example of the type which restricts removal of the circular saw blade from the packaging while permitting visual inspection of the circular saw blade without permitting touching of the working edge of the circular saw blade involves a cardboard backing panel with the panel and the circular saw blade contained in a transparent wrapping.
An example of the type which restricts removal of the circular saw blade from the packaging and which does not permit either visual inspection of the circular saw blade nor touching of the working edge of the circular saw blade involves a sealed paper sleeve or envelope.
Some packaging methods fall within more than one of the above identified types of packaging. One example of this involves the closest prior art relevant to the present invention and depicted in the drawings and labeled as xe2x80x98prior artxe2x80x99. This packaging permits full visual inspection of the circular saw blade while attached to the packaging, permits touching of the working edge of the circular saw blade while attached to the packaging and permits removal of the circular saw blade from the packaging and replacement of the circular saw blade relative to the packaging.
Various deficiencies exist with each of the above identified methods of display of circular saw blades and each of the above identified types of packaging for circular saw blades. Additionally, each of the above identified methods of display of circular saw blades and each of the above identified types of packaging for circular saw blades present problems with inclusion of security tags to prevent theft. In the case of individually displayed circular saw blades without any packaging the only option available is to adhesively attach the security tag directly to the circular saw blade where consumers can readily identify the security tag and can easily remove the security tag from the circular saw blade. Due to the thickness of commonly used security tags such attachment renders a plurality of circular saw blades awkward to stack whether stacked vertically or generally horizontally utilizing a shaft or shafts. In the case of circular saw blades in packaging where the circular saw blade may be readily removed from the packaging the security tag may either be adhesively attached to the circular saw blade or to the packaging. In either instance theft of the circular saw blade may readily occur by separating the circular saw blade from the security tag. Depending upon the attachment location of the security tags a similar stacking problem may arise due to the thickness of commonly used security tags. In the case of sealed packaging the security tag may be positioned inside of the packaging to prevent separation of the circular saw blade from the security tag but such packaging also prevents inspection of the circular saw blade by the consumer.
As can be seen various attempts have been made to provide for presentation of circular saw blades and/or packaging of circular saw blades for sale to the public. These attempts have been less efficient than desired. As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a circular saw blade holder capable of adequate display of a circular saw blade for inspection, both visual and tactile, by a consumer while the blade is securely attached relative to the circular saw blade holder where the circular saw blade may not be readily removed from the circular saw blade holder or otherwise tampered with and which provides for a secure placement of a security device to reduce the likelihood of theft of the circular saw blade. The present invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known methods of displaying circular saw blades, your applicant has devised a method of retaining a displayed circular saw blade utilizing a circular saw blade holder. Applicable circular saw blades have a face, a back, a central mounting aperture and a working edge circumferentially disposed about the central mounting aperture. The circular saw blade holder provides for point of sale display of the displayed circular saw blade wherein substantially the entire face of the displayed circular saw blade is exposed for viewing when the displayed circular saw blade is retained by the circular saw blade holder. The circular saw blade holder has a blade contact surface and means to secure the displayed circular saw blade relative to the blade contact surface. The blade contact surface provides for a contact with at least a portion of the back of the displayed circular saw blade when the displayed circular saw blade is retained by the circular saw blade holder. The securing means utilizes the central mounting aperture of the displayed circular saw blade. The securing means also has release means to provide for a single release of the displayed circular saw blade from the circular saw blade holder. The release means prevents a secured replacement of the displayed circular saw blade relative to the circular saw blade holder subsequent to the single release of the displayed circular saw blade from the circular saw blade holder by a consumer.
My invention resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in the particular combinations of them herein disclosed and it is distinguished from the prior art in these particular combinations of these structures for the functions specified.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide for means to secure a circular saw blade within a circular saw blade holder wherein substantially the entire face of the circular saw blade is exposed for viewing.
Other objects include;
a) to provide for the means to secure to prevent a secured replacement of the circular saw blade relative to the circular saw blade holder by a consumer subsequent to release of the circular saw blade from the circular saw blade holder.
b) to provide for the means to secure to utilize a bonding of a portion of the circular saw blade holder relative to another portion of the circular saw blade holder utilizing a sonic welding procedure where the circular saw blade is retained between the two portions.
c) to provide for a pull release of the securement of the circular saw blade from the circular saw blade holder.
d) to provide for circular saw blade holder to have a radial perimeter where the circular saw blade holder has a circular shape.
e) to provide for a radially disposed surrounding lip to provide for restricting incidental contact with at least a portion of the working edge of the circular saw blade when retained by the circular saw blade holder.
f) to provide for a hanging portion having an aperture therethrough to extend from the radial perimeter of the circular saw blade holder for positioning the circular saw blade holder in a hanging manner on a retail display hook.
g) to provide for means to contain a security tag on the circular saw blade holder where ready access to a security tag by a consumer is prevented.
h) to provide for the means to contain the security tag to utilize a containment housing sealed utilizing a sonic welding procedure.


A method and apparatus comprising a bus system and a plurality of control units connected to the bus system. The plurality of control units are each configured to control a same number of hardware systems in a vehicle, store a number of parameters used to control the number of hardware systems, and synchronize the number of parameter stored using the bus system in response to a change in the number of parameters at a selected control unit in the plurality of control units.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and, in particular, to controlling operation of systems in aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for controlling multiple systems in aircraft.
2. Background
Aircraft commonly use dedicated control panels along with display devices for interacting with different systems in the aircraft. These systems may include, for example, without limitation, a voice radio system, a navigation system, a weather radar transponder, a ground proximity warning system, a satellite communications system, a cabin intercom system, a flight management computer, and/or other types of systems.
Typically, a dedicated control panel in an aircraft comprises a number of control buttons, knobs, switches, dials, and/or other mechanisms for interacting with a particular system on the aircraft. In other words, a dedicated control panel is configured to interact with a particular system and not other systems. For example, a control panel dedicated to a navigation system is typically configured to provide interaction with the navigation system and not other systems in the aircraft.
These dedicated control panels may be used with display devices, such as monitors, display screens, and/or other suitable display devices for interacting with the different systems in the aircraft.
With this type of setup, the number of different control panels and/or display devices used for interacting with the different systems increases the weight and complexity of the aircraft. For example, in addition to needing additional control panels and display devices, an increase in the number of wiring bundles used in the aircraft also increases.
Additionally, these dedicated control panels and display devices take up space or real estate within the cockpit and other control areas of the aircraft. The space used for these dedicated control panels and display devices may affect the size of the cockpit or other areas in an aircraft. Further, the placement of these dedicated control panels and display devices may not provide a desired level of ergonomics for the different operators of the aircraft.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.


The present invention relates to novel low dielectric constant nanoporous dielectric films having improved mechanical strength, and to improved processes for producing the same on substrates suitable for use in the production of integrated circuits. The nanoporous dielectric films are prepared by a process of preparing a mixture of a spin-on-glass material with a suitable thermally degradable polymer that is soluble in polar solvents. The resulting mixture is then applied onto a substrate suitable for use in the production of an integrated circuit, to produce a coated substrate that is heated for a time and at one or more temperatures effective to degrade the polymer, so as to produce the desired low dielectric nanoporous dielectric film.

As feature sizes in integrated circuits approach 0.25 .mu.m and below, problems with interconnect RC delay, power consumption and signal cross-talk have become increasingly difficult to resolve. It is believed that the integration of low dielectric constant materials for interlevel dielectric (ILD) and intermetal dielectric (IMD) applications will help to solve these problems. While there have been previous efforts to apply low dielectric constant materials to integrated circuits, there remains a longstanding need in the art for further improvements in processing methods and in the optimization of both the dielectric and mechanical properties of such materials used in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
Nanoporous Films
One type of material with a low dielectric constant are nanoporous films prepared from silica, i.e., silicon-based materials. Air has a dielectric constant of 1, and when air is introduced into a suitable silica material having a nanometer-scale pore structure, such films can be prepared with relatively low dielectric constants ("k"). Nanoporous silica materials are attractive because similar precursors, including organic-substituted silanes, e.g., tetraethoxysilane ("TEOS"), are used for the currently employed spin-on-glasses ("S.O.G.") and chemical vapor disposition ("CVD") of silica SiO.sub.2. Nanoporous silica materials are also attractive because it is possible to control the pore size, and hence the density, material strength and dielectric constant of the resulting film material. In addition to a low k, nanoporous films offer other advantages including: 1) thermal stability to 900.degree. C., 2) substantially small pore size, i e at least an order of magnitude smaller in scale than the microelectronic features of the integrated circuit), 3) as noted above, preparation from materials such as silica and TEOS that are widely used in semiconductors, 4) the ability to "tune" the dielectric constant of nanoporous silica over a wide range, and 5) deposition of a nanoporous film can be achieved using tools similar to those employed for conventional S.O.G. processing.
Thus, high porosity in silica materials leads to a lower dielectric constant than would otherwise be available from the same materials in nonporous form. An additional advantage, is that additional compositions and processes may be employed to produce nanoporous films while varying the relative density of the material. Other materials requirements include the need to have all pores substantially smaller than circuit feature sizes, the need to manage the strength decrease associated with porosity, and the role of surface chemistry on dielectric constant and environmental stability.
Density (or the inverse, porosity) is the key parameter of nanoporous films that controls the dielectric constant of the material, and this property is readily varied over a continuous spectrum from the extremes of an air gap at a porosity of 100% to a dense silica with a porosity of 0%. As density increases, dielectric constant and mechanical strength increase but the degree of porosity decreases, and vice versa. This suggests that the density range of nanoporous films must be optimally balanced to achieve the desired range of low dielectric constant, and the mechanical properties acceptable for the desired application.
Nanoporous silica films have previously been fabricated by a number of methods. For example, nanoporous films have been prepared using a mixture of a solvent and a silica precursor, which is deposited on a substrate suitable for the purpose.
When forming such nanoporous films, em., by spin-coating, the film coating is typically catalyzed with an acid or base catalyst and additional water to cause polymerization/gelation ("aging") and to yield sufficient strength so that the film does not shrink significantly during drying.
Another previously proposed method for providing nanoporous silica films was based on the observation that film thickness and density/dielectric constant can be independently controlled by using a mixture of two solvents with dramatically different volatility. The more volatile solvent evaporates during and immediately after precursor deposition. The silica precursor, typically partially hydrolyzed and condensed oligomers of TEOS, is applied to a suitable substrate and polymerized by chemical and/or thermal means until it forms a gel. The second solvent, called the Pore Control Solvent (PCS) is usually then removed by increasing the temperature until the film is dry. Assuming that no shrinkage occurs after gelation, the density/dielectric constant of the final film is fixed by the volume ratio of low volatility solvent to silica, as described by EP patent application EP 0 775 669 A2. EP 0 775 669 A2 shows a method for producing a nanoporous silica film by solvent evaporation of one or more polyol solvents, e.g., glycerol, from a metal-based aerogel precursor, but nevertheless fails to provide a nanoporous silica film having sufficiently optimized mechanical and dielectric properties, together with a relatively even distribution of material density throughout the thickness of the film.
Yet another method for producing nanoporous dielectrics is through the use of sol-gel techniques whereby a sol, which is a colloidal suspension of solid particles in a liquid, transforms into a gel due to growth and interconnection of the solid particles. One theory that has been advanced is that through continued reactions within the sol, one or more molecules within the sol may eventually reach macroscopic dimensions so that they form a solid network which extends substantially throughout the sol. At this point, called the gel point, the substance is said to be a gel. By this definition, a gel is a substance that contains a continuous solid skeleton enclosing a continuous liquid phase. As the skeleton is porous, the term "gel" as used herein means an open-pored solid structure enclosing a pore fluid. Removal of the pore fluid leaves behind empty pores.
Protecting the Surfaces of Nanometer Scale Pores
As the artisan will appreciate, a useful nanoporous film must meet a number of criteria, including having a dielectric constant ("k") falling within the required value range, having a suitable thickness ("t") (e.g., measured in .ANG.ngstroms), having an ability to effectively fill gaps, such as, e.g., interconductor and/or intercomponent spaces, on patterned wafers, and having an effective degree of hydrophobicity. If the film is not strong enough, despite achieving the other requirements, the pore structure may collapse, resulting in high material density and therefore an undesirably high dielectric constant. In addition, the surfaces of the resulting nano-scale pores carry silanol functional groups or moieties. Silanols, and the water that can be adsorbed onto the silanols from the environment, are highly polarizable and will raise the dielectric constant of the film. Thus, the requirement for hydrophobicity arises from the requirement for a reduced range of dielectric constant relative to previously employed materials. For this reason, preparation of nanoporous dielectric films can also include optional additional processing steps to silylate free silanols on nanopore surfaces of the film, with a capping reagent, e.g., trimethylsilyl [TMS, (CH.sub.3).sub.3 SiO--] or other suitable, art-known hydrophobic reagents.
Therefore, despite the availability of previous methods for preparing nanoporous silica films, the art recognizes a need for further, ongoing improvements in both nanoporous silica films and methods for preparing the same. In particular, there remains a continuing need in the art for new processes which eliminate some or all of the aforementioned problems, such as providing methods for making silica nanoporous films of sufficient mechanical strength that are also optimized to have a desirably low and stable dielectric constant, without the need for further processing to make the film hydrophobic.


A slip clutch includes an axis of rotation, an input side, an output side, and a pressable friction package for transmitting a predetermined maximum torque between the input side and the output side. The pressable friction package includes a lubricated friction lining with a predetermined coefficient of friction, and an overload spring for applying an axial clamping force to the pressable friction package.

Slip clutches are known from the prior art, in particular slip clutches having a plate damper, which are employed, for example, in a belt drive of a motor vehicle. It is intended by means of the function of the slip clutch to ensure that an overload torque applied to the belt, and especially peak torques resulting from torque fluctuations, are not passed on to the units which are driven by the belt operation or which drive the latter. When such an overload is present on a belt pulley which has such a slip clutch, the slip clutch disengages automatically, so that torque transfer is interrupted or is limited to a maximum torque, also called slip torque. This maximum torque is defined by means of the one friction lining or plurality of friction linings used, which is pressed together with a corresponding frictional partner having an appropriate opposing friction surface by means of an overload spring. With the frictional partner, for example a support plate, the friction lining forms a friction pair. The (partial) maximum torque results from the particular coefficient of friction of the friction pair (approximately) multiplied by the particular mean diameter (of the effective area) of the friction lining and multiplied by the clamping force present on the particular friction pair. When there are a plurality of such friction pairs, these respective partial maximum torques are added together cumulatively. If the (total) maximum torque is exceeded, an overload thus being present, then the clamping force is overcome and the frictional partners separate from one another by an axial movement. The transmission of torque is thus limited to a maximum torque.
In hybrid applications, for example, having an internal combustion engine and having a regenerative motor, for example, which are able to propel or support each other in various operating situations, high constancy of friction coefficient is demanded, so as to guarantee that torque can be reliably transmitted up to a maximum torque defined as exactly as possible. At present, a high constancy of friction coefficient is achieved by balancing tolerances of the friction coefficient by selection of the friction linings, and furthermore by adjusting the overload spring which produces the clamping force. This is normally accompanied by a 100% measurement in the assembly sequence.

Slip clutch comprising an axis of rotation


Method and apparatus are illustrated for enhancing the air flow characteristics in an air jet loom reed having a tunnel wherein the reed is removed from the loom and positioned in a frame for utilizing a rolling contact by a carriage which conveys measuring apparatus and buffing devices along a predetermined path at a desired sequence and speed of operation.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,152 illustrates a method and apparatus for grinding or buffing a metal reed of an air jet loom by manually moving a buffer along the tunnel while the reed is positioned on the loom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,316 illustrates another apparatus for treating an air jet loom reed while on the loom wherein air measuring apparatus is manually moved in sliding motion along the top of the loom reed.
Heretofore there was no method or apparatus available which would uniformly and consistently permit measurements of air flow and at the same time provide a means to make indicated adjustments to the loom reed to meet requirements as to air flow performance. Accordingly, objects of this invention include analysis and regulation of air flow for different types of filling with reduction in air consumption of the loom.
Another object of the invention is to permit the correction of problems associated with filling insertion and to assist in speeding up the loom while providing higher quality of cloth with fewer loom stops.

Southern-Loom Reed Manufacturing Co., Inc.


A shingle includes a body having an upper end, a lower end, a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side and a second side. The body has a width defined as the distance between the two opposing sides, a length defined by the distance between the upper end and the lower end. In a preferred embodiment, the shingle also includes a side wall that extends downward from the body adjacent one of the sides and extends the length of the shingle. The side wall preferably includes an angular projection disposed toward the upper end.

Shingles are typically small pieces of building material that are used in overlapping rows to protect the interior of a house from inclement weather. Historically, shingles have been constructed from a number of compositions, including natural slate, metal, fibrous cement, ceramics, clay and asphalt compounds.
Prior art shingles are typically rectangular shaped and have substantially flat top and bottom surfaces. These types of shingles are customarily installed by securing a first horizontal row of shingles along the bottom of the roof in a line parallel to the eave of the roof. Subsequent horizontal rows of shingles are then layered in partially overlapping fashion up the inclined surface of the roof. In this way, the exposed portion of the top surface of one shingle covers the upper portion of a lower, underlying shingle.
Although widely accepted, this method of applying shingles to a roof suffers a number of drawbacks. For example, it is very difficult to maintain consistent alignment of the horizontal rows of shingles across the entire roof surface. The improper positioning of a single shingle can produce an exaggerated misalignment of subsequent shingles that are positioned next to any previously laid shingle that is out-of-alignment. Furthermore, as illustrated in the prior art drawing in FIG. 7, a small wedge-shaped recess, or "gap" 200 is formed between two overlapping, flat-bottomed shingles 202 and the starter shingle 204. These gaps 200 permit the shingle 202 to bend when pressure is applied to the top of the shingle. For example, when a roofing contractor walks across a roof 206 during installation or subsequent maintenance, the shingle 202 bends under the weight of the worker. As the shingle 202 bends, cracks may develop in the shingle 202 that compromise the ability of the shingle to provide a watertight seal on the roof 206.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved shingle that overcomes these and other deficiencies in the prior art.