A substrate of the type for receiving an integrated circuit and a mold cover. The mold cover covers a first portion of the substrate and leaves a second portion of the substrate exposed with a boundary edge between the first portion of the substrate and a second portion of the substrate. The substrate has electrically conductive traces and electrically conductive vias on an upper layer adjacent the mold cover. The electrically conductive traces do not cross the boundary edge on the upper layer of the substrate.

This invention relates to the field of integrated circuit fabrication. More particularly, this invention relates to integrated circuit design.
Typically, one of the greatest expenses in fabricating an integrated circuit is the cost of the labor required to manufacture and package the device. Thus, while costs are none-the-less impacted by the loss of an integrated circuit early on in processing, such losses represent more the loss of anticipated revenue alone. However, the loss of a device near or at the end of the processing represents not only the loss of anticipated revenue, but the loss of actual labor costs that were incurred to process the device to the point at which it failed. This is particularly compounded by the fact that after the integrated circuits are diced and separated one from another, the labor required to complete a packaged device tends to be more individually devoted to a single device, thereby amplifying the labor costs that were previously divided between all integrated circuits on a single substrate. Further, the packaging for a device tends to have a significant material cost associated with it. Therefore, failures of packaged devices tend to be the costliest of all.
Ensuring that devices survive the fabrication process and are functional and reliable is one of the primary goals of failure analysis. Failure analysis attempts to analyze a failed device, including both the integrated circuit and the package, to determine the cause of failure and then feed back the information to the appropriate source so that procedures can be instituted to prevent future failures of the same type. Unfortunately, accomplishing effective failure analysis is often a difficult thing to do.
For example, failures may be cause by a great variety of problems, and it often is not clear which factors are contributing to the failures. As a more specific example, it is often difficult to determine whether a failure is a design flaw, a processing flaw, an execution flaw, or a combination of these flaws. A design flaw is one in which the process produces the device as designed, and the process was executed correctly, but the design of the device itself is not reliable. A processing flaw is one in which the fundamental design of the device is sound, and the process was executed correctly, but the process is not capable to reliably produce the device. Finally, an execution flaw is one in which the design and the process are both sound, but the process was not executed properly.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine which of the problems is contributing to a given failure, especially when the failure may be sporadic, and more especially when different components of all three of the primary factors described above may be contributing to the failure. For example, it has been observed that the electrically conductive traces on a substrate, such as a circuit board to which circuits are mounted, tend to crack near the comers and edges of the substrate. A failure such as this could possibly have its roots in any one or more of design flaws, processing flaws, or execution flaws.
What is needed, therefore, is a solution to the problem of electrically conductive traces that crack in the comers of packaged devices.
The above and other needs are met by a substrate of the type for receiving an integrated circuit and a mold cover. The mold cover covers a first portion of the substrate and leaves a second portion of the substrate exposed with a boundary edge between the first portion of the substrate and a second portion of the substrate. The substrate has electrically conductive traces and electrically conductive vias on an upper layer adjacent the mold cover. The electrically conductive traces do not cross the boundary edge on the upper layer of the substrate.
Thus, it has been advantageously discovered that by having no electrically conductive traces that underlie the edges of the mold cover, the incidence of cracked electrically conductive traces in the comers and edges of the substrate is greatly reduced. In this manner the yield of packaged devices is improved.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the boundary edge, across which no electrically conductive traces extend, extends completely around the peripheral edges of the substrate. According to other aspects of the invention there are provided a packaged device that includes the substrate as described above, a method of fabricating a packaged device, and a method of designing a substrate.


Disclosed is a data call terminating service system and method for a dynamic IP of a mobile communication terminal. The method includes the steps of: a) transmitting, from a DNS to a call terminating server, access request information about a request of access to a URL designating a specific mobile communication terminal from an external host; b) acquiring, at the call terminating server having received the access request, a phone number of the mobile communication terminal corresponding to the URL contained in the received access request information by making reference to a database; c) requesting, at the call terminating server, data call establishment from the mobile communication terminal after acquiring location information of the mobile communication terminal corresponding to the phone number acquired in step b) through HLR; and d) notifying, at the call terminating server, the DNS and the external host of IP assignment information received from the mobile communication terminal having established the data call.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-104423, filed on Dec. 10, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data call terminating service system and method for a dynamic IP (Internet Protocol) of a mobile communication terminal and, more particularly, to a technology for providing a data call terminating service using a dynamically assigned IP address of a mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of Related Art
Korean Unexamined Patent Application No. 2004-0026891 (Apr. 1, 2004) discloses a call terminating service method for a dynamic IP in an asynchronous mobile communication network (3GPP).
According to this method, GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node) of the asynchronous mobile communication network (3GPP) includes an inbound call controller, an IP management unit, a session management unit, and a dynamic domain name service (DDNS) server (which may be provided separately from the GGSN). The DDNS server checks whether or not there exists an IP corresponding to a domain name contained in an IP request message transmitted from a host. If it does not exist, the DDNS server sends an IP assignment request message to the inbound call controller. The inbound call controller transmits an IP reservation request message to the IP management unit. Upon receiving the IP reservation request message, the IP management unit reserves an IP and sends the IP to the inbound call controller. The inbound call controller sends the reserved IP to the DDNS server and acquires through HLR (Home Location Register) an address of SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) to which a subscriber belongs. The DDNS server transmits a response message containing the reserved IP to the host. Upon receiving the response message, the host sets the reserved IP as a destination and transmits traffic data to the GGSN to provide a data call terminating service.
Meanwhile, Korean Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-0041105 (Jun. 1, 2002) discloses a call terminating service method for a dynamic IP in a synchronous mobile communication network (3GPP2).
According to this method, when an IP address of a mobile communication terminal is changed in a wireless communication system, HA (home agent) transmits a DNS update message to automatically register the changed IP address in place of the mobile communication terminal. As a result, a mobile IP terminal can use a call terminating service without updating the changed IP address to a DNS server or a website.
However, the method disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Application No. 2004-0026891 can be applied to an asynchronous mobile communication network (3GPP) but cannot be applied to a synchronous mobile communication network (3GPP2). Meanwhile, the method disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-0041105 can be applied to a synchronous mobile communication network (3GPP2) but cannot be applied to an asynchronous mobile communication network (3GPP).
Further, the above-mentioned two methods can provide the call terminating service to a mobile communication terminal in an active state or a dormant state, but cannot provide it to a mobile communication terminal in an idle state.
The active state implies a state in which a traffic channel and a PPP session are established. The dormant state implies a state in which a PPP session is established but a traffic channel is not established. In these two states, since a connection for data transfer can be established between a mobile communication terminal and a mobile communication system, the mobile communication system can transfer data to the mobile communication terminal. Accordingly, the conventional methods can be applied to a mobile communication terminal in the active state or the dormant state. However, in case of the idle state where a traffic channel and a PPP session are not established, since the mobile communication system cannot request a data call connection from the mobile communication terminal (that is because the data call connection is established by request of the mobile communication terminal), the above-mentioned conventional methods cannot be applied to a mobile communication terminal in the idle state.
In case of VoIP (Voice over IP) service, for example, when a mobile communication terminal attempts to make a VoIP call origination to a mobile communication system, the VoIP service cannot be provided to a mobile communication terminal in an idle state from an external host.

Data call terminating service system and method for dynamic IP of mobile communication terminal


An electric refrigerator comprising a cooling space in which a temperature sensor is arranged and which is closable by a heat-insulating door. The temperature sensor is connected to a device which regulates the cooling temperature and is adjustable by a temperature-setting device. The temperature sensor and the regulating device are disposed separately from the temperature-setting device inside or preferably outside the cooling space.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical cooling device, such as a refrigerator, having a cooling chamber which can be closed by a heat-insulating door and wherein a heat sensor is arranged for regulating the cooling temperature and is connected by a regulating device with a temperature-preselection arrangement.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A refrigerator is taught by German Patent Reference DE 35 03 552 A1, having a back with an evaporator arranged and connected with a compressor. A capillary tube sensor is attached to the rear cooling chamber wall as the temperature sensor.
It is known to use an electronic regulator connected with an electrical temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is arranged at an optimal measuring point at the inner rear wall of the cooling chamber and is connected by an electrical cable with the electronic regulator. The electronic regulator is contained at an inner lateral wall in a regulator housing, which at the same time has a manually operable setting wheel for setting the desired cooling temperature. A setting wheel is taught by German Patent Reference DE 94 20 648 U1, for example.
The temperature sensor, as well as the electronic regulating arrangement, must be placed into special housings which are waterproof and at the same time strain-resistant. For retaining a satisfactory regulating quality during its operation, the electronic regulating arrangement is cast in a watertight medium and dipped in a protective lacquer.
Such treatment of the electronic components is elaborate and thus cost-intensive. Furthermore, if the component housing becomes leaky, such an arrangement is also prone to malfunction.


The ink composition of the present invention contains a coloring agent, water, a water-soluble organic solvent which is a liquid at least at temperatures of 40xc2x0 C. or less, and which has a solubility of 1 wt % or greater with respect to water at a temperature of 20xc2x0 C., and a saturation vapor pressure of 1.7 Pa or less at a temperature of 20xc2x0 C. (with said organic solvent being contained in the ink composition at the rate of 10 to 35 wt %), and one or more amidine type compounds. As a result, the present invention provides an ink composition, a recording medium, recorded matter and an ink jet recording method that make it possible to obtain images with a high image quality which are superior in terms of the gas resistance of the recorded matter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink composition, an ink jet recording method and recorded matter, and more particularly to [i] an ink jet composition which is superior in terms of the storability of the recorded matter and superior in terms of discharge reliability, with no clogging of the nozzle when used as an ink jet recording ink, and which makes it possible to obtain high-quality images, [ii] an ink jet recording method, and [iii] recorded matter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink jet recording methods are printing methods in which recording is performed by causing small droplets of an ink composition to fly through the air, and causing these droplets to adhere to a recording medium such as paper or the like. Such methods are characterized by the fact that sharp images with a high resolution can be printed at a high speed while using a relatively inexpensive apparatus.
In such ink jet recording methods, recording is performed by discharging liquid droplets of ink from a fine nozzle; these liquid droplets must be continuously and stably discharged from the nozzle.
In recent years, furthermore, there has been an increased demand for the maintenance of high quality over a long period of time, without any deterioration in the recorded image. As a result, various means have been devised for improving the storability of recorded images.
For example, the addition of specified compounds to the recording liquid has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-170686 as a method of improving the light resistance of recorded images, and the addition of various other light resistance improving agents has also been proposed, along with novel coloring agents and the like.
Light resistance is improved by many of these methods, and storability is greatly improved in cases where images are stored in a configuration in which the images are cut off from the atmosphere and are exposed only to light, as when images are displayed in frames, albums or the like, so that the image quality can be favorably maintained over a long period of time.
On the other hand, there has been in increase in cases where recorded images are displayed xe2x80x9cas isxe2x80x9d indoors and outdoors in configurations other than the above-mentioned storage configuration, under conditions in which the images come into direct contact with the atmosphere, as in the case of posters, calendars and the like.
In such cases, however, the images are exposed not only to light but also to air; as a result, the problem of a deterioration in the image quality has been encountered. The causes of this deterioration in recorded images are not definitely known; however, it appears that such deterioration results from the effects of various types of oxidizing gases, as typified by ozone and the like, that are present in air.
In particular, in cases where recorded matter is exposed to air for long periods of time, the deterioration of cyan dyes is conspicuous, and the recorded images may show a reddish tinge. Such deterioration of cyan dyes is especially like to occur in cases where recorded matter is stored outdoors.
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-314882, a method in which the deterioration of recorded images is inhibited by adding compounds selected from a set consisting of thiocyanates and the like to the recording sheet has been proposed as a method for improving the resistance to air (or gases; i.e., [as a method for improving] the gas resistance). In the case of this method, deterioration caused by gases can initially be effectively prevented; however, in cases where the images continue to be exposed to air for a long period of time, the effectiveness of the gas resistance is eventually lost, and an abrupt deterioration begins at the point in time where the effectiveness is lost; as a result, the gas resistance cannot be maintained over a long period of time.
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-3497, a method in which the gas resistance is improved by adding thiosemicarbazide derivatives, thiocarbohydrazide derivatives or the like to the ink composition has also been proposed. However, there are problems in terms of safety in the case of such additives, so that sufficient verification [of safety] is necessary when these additives are used.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide [i] an ink jet composition which is superior in terms of the storability of the recorded matter and superior in terms of discharge reliability, with no clogging of the nozzle when used as an ink jet recording ink, and which makes it possible to obtain high-quality images, [ii] an ink jet recording method, and [iii] recorded matter.
As a result of diligent research, the present inventor discovered that the gas resistance of recorded images can be improved, and the ink discharge reliability can also be improved, by using a construction in which a coloring agent, water, a water-soluble organic solvent and a carbazide type compound and/or hydrazide type compound are included in the ink composition.
The present invention was devised on the basis of the abovementioned findings, and provides an ink composition which contains a coloring agent, water, a water-soluble organic solvent and one or more carbazide type compounds and/or hydrazide type compounds.
It is desirable that the abovementioned organic solvent be a liquid at least in the temperature range of 0 to 40xc2x0 C., that the solubility of this solvent with respect to water at a temperature of 20xc2x0 C. be 1 wt % or greater, and that the saturation vapor pressure of this solvent at a temperature of 20xc2x0 C. be 1.7 Pa or less; furthermore, it is also desirable that the abovementioned organic solvent be contained in the ink composition at the rate of 10 wt % to 35 wt %.
By using the abovementioned construction, it is possible to improve the gas resistance of the recorded images and the discharge reliability of the ink.
In the abovementioned composition, it is desirable that the composition contain one or more solvents selected from a set consisting of glycerol, 1,5-pentanediol and triethylene glycol as the abovementioned organic solvent.
By using the abovementioned construction, it is possible to improve the gas resistance of the recorded images and the discharge reliability of the ink.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned composition, it is desirable that the carbazide type compounds be compounds that are expressed by the general formula R1R2NCONHNR3R4, R1 through R4 each independently indicates a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or an aryl group which may be substituted or compounds that are expressed by the general formula R5R6NNHCONHNR7R8, wherein R5 through R8 each independently indicate a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or an aryl group which may be substituted. In particular, R3 through R8 are preferably methyl groups.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned composition, it is preferable that the carbazide type compounds be compounds that have two or more carbazide structures in the same molecule.
By using the abovementioned construction, it is possible to improve the gas resistance of the recorded images and the discharge reliability of the ink.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned composition it is desirable that the hydrazide type compounds be compounds that are expressed by the general formula R9CONHNR10R11, wherein R9 through R11 each independently indicate a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or an aryl group which may be substituted. In particular, R10 and R11 are preferably methyl groups.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned composition, it is preferable that the hydrazide type compounds be compounds that have two or more hydrazide structures in the same molecule.
Furthermore, from the standpoint of achieving a further improvement in the gas resistance, it is desirable that the abovementioned hydrazide type compounds be contained in the ink composition at the rate of 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %, and a content of 0.5 wt % to 5 wt % is even more desirable.
In cases where the composition contains both carbazide type compounds and hydrazide type compounds, there are no particular restrictions on the ratio of the two types of compounds; however, it is desirable that the total content of both types of compounds be in the range of 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %, and a total content in the range of 0.5 wt % to 5 wt % is even more desirable.
It is even more desirable that the weight ratio of the content of the abovementioned carbazide type compounds and/or hydrazide type compounds to the content of the above-mentioned organic solvent be in the range of 1:3 to 1:100. By using such a construction, it is possible to achieve a further improvement in the gas resistance of the recorded images and the discharge reliability of the ink.
In the ink composition of the present invention, the composition acts especially effectively in cases where dyes consisting of metal complexes are contained in the composition as the abovementioned coloring agent. If dyes consisting of metal complexes are included in the composition, recorded images that have a high image quality and a superior gas resistance can be obtained. Examples of dyes consisting of metal complexes include phthalocyanine dyes, metal complex azo dyes and the like.
In the abovementioned composition, an even more effective action is obtained in cases where dyes consisting of copper complexes are contained in the composition. In particular, recorded images that are even more superior in terms of gas resistance are obtained in cases where copper phthalocyanine dyes are used. Concrete examples of copper phthalocyanine dyes include C. I. Direct Blue 86, 199 and the like.
In the ink composition of the present invention, an especially effective action is also obtained in cases where the composition contains dyes expressed by the following general formula (B) as the abovementioned coloring agent.
In the above formula, X indicates an anilino group that is substituted by at least one SO3M, Y indicates OH, Cl or a morpholino group, and M indicates H, Li, Na, K, ammonium or an organic amine.
If such dyes are included in the ink composition, recorded images that have a high image quality and a superior gas resistance can be obtained.
Concrete examples of dyes expressed by general formula (B) include the following:
The abovementioned ink composition may also contain one or more acetylene glycol type compounds. By further including acetylene glycol type compounds in the ink composition, it is possible to increase the discharge stability of the ink without causing any deterioration in the gas resistance of the recorded images.
The abovementioned ink composition may also contain one or more glycol ether type compounds. By using glycol ether type compounds as solvents, it is possible to increase the discharge stability of the ink without causing any deterioration in the gas resistance of the recorded images.
The abovementioned ink composition may also contain one or more humectants consisting of tertiary amines.
Furthermore, the ink jet recording method of the present invention is a method in which recording is performed by discharging liquid droplets of an ink composition and causing the liquid droplets to adhere to a recording medium; this method is characterized in that the abovementioned ink composition is used as the ink composition that is discharged.
By using such a recording method, it is possible to obtain recorded matter that is superior in terms of gas resistance.
Furthermore, as a result of diligent research, the present inventor discovered that the gas resistance of the recorded images can be improved by using a construction in which one or more compounds having the following structure (A) are contained in the ink composition as the abovementioned carbazide type compounds and/or hydrazide type compounds.
In the above structure (A), R1 and R2 each independently indicate an alkyl group which may be substituted or an aryl group which may be substituted.
By using the abovementioned construction, it is possible to obtain recorded images that are superior in terms of gas resistance.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned composition, it is desirable that R1 and R2 in the compounds having the abovementioned structure (A) be methyl groups.
Furthermore, in the abovementioned composition, it is preferable that the compounds having the abovementioned structure (A) be compounds that have two or more such structures (A) in the same molecule.
By using the abovementioned construction, it is possible to obtain recorded images that are superior in terms of gas resistance.
From the standpoint of improving the gas resistance, it is desirable that the compounds having the above-mentioned structure (A) be contained in the ink composition at the rate of 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %.
A single compound having the abovementioned structure (A) may be added to the ink composition of the present invention, or a mixture of two or more such compounds may be added. In cases where a mixture of such compounds is added, it is desirable that the total content of these compounds in the ink composition be 0.1 wt % to 10 wt %.
In the abovementioned ink composition as well, it is desirable that the composition contain coloring agents of the type described above.
Furthermore, it is desirable that the abovementioned ink composition contain one or more water-soluble organic solvents which are liquids at least in the temperature range of 0 to 40xc2x0 C., and in which the solubility with respect to water at 20xc2x0 C. is 1 wt % or greater, and the saturation vapor pressure at a temperature of 20xc2x0 C. is 1.7 Pa or less. By including specified water-soluble solvents in the ink composition, it is possible to increase the discharge stability of the ink without causing any deterioration in the gas resistance of the recorded images.
In the abovementioned composition, it is desirable that the composition contain one or more solvents selected from a group consisting of glycerol, 1,5 -pentanediol and triethylene glycol as the abovementioned organic solvent.
By using the abovementioned construction, it is possible improve the gas resistance of the recorded images and the discharge reliability of the ink.
From the standpoint of achieving a further improvement in the discharge characteristics, it is desirable that the abovementioned organic solvent(s) be contained in the ink composition at the rate of 10 wt % to 35 wt %.
The abovementioned ink composition may also contain one or more acetylene glycol type compounds. By including acetylene glycol type compounds in the composition, it is possible to increase the discharge stability of the ink without causing any deterioration in the gas resistance of the recorded images.
The abovementioned ink composition may also contain one or more glycol ether type compounds. By using glycol ether type compounds as solvents, it is possible to increase the discharge stability of the ink without causing any deterioration in the gas resistance of the recorded images.
The abovementioned ink composition may also contain one or more humectants consisting of tertiary amines.
Furthermore, the ink jet recording method of the present invention is a method in which recording is performed by discharging liquid droplets of an ink composition and causing the liquid droplets to adhere to a recording medium; this method is characterized in that the abovementioned ink composition is used as the ink composition that is discharged.
By using such a recording method, it is possible to obtain recorded matter that is superior in terms of gas resistance.

Ink composition, ink jet recording method and recorded matter


An image forming apparatus includes an image forming mechanism and a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism fixes a visible image formed by the image forming mechanism onto a recording sheet. The fixing mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, a belt, a third roller, and an applicator. The second roller includes a first heater having a first heat capacity. The belt is looped over the first and second rollers. The third roller is arranged opposite to the first roller via the belt, includes a second heater having a heat capacity smaller than the first heat capacity of the first heater, applies a pressure to the belt and the first roller, and rotates in conjunction with a movement of the first roller via the belt. The applicator is arranged at a position in contact with the third roller and applies oil to a surface of the third roller.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus, a fixing apparatus, a toner, and a method of preparing a toner.
2. Description of the Background Art
Methods for forming an image by developing an electrostatic latent image in an image forming apparatus, for example, electrophotographic and electrostatic recording methods, are now used in various fields. In the electrophotographic method, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoconductor based on image data through charging and exposing processes. The electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer into a toner image and transferred onto a recording medium, for example, paper, through developing and transfer processes. The toner image is fixed through a fixing process so that an image is formed on the recording medium.
Background image forming apparatuses, for example, copiers, facsimiles, and printers, generally include a fixing unit for fixing the toner image transferred on the recording medium.
One example of a fixing unit includes a pair of rollers, e.g., a heating roller and a pressure roller opposing to each other. A recording medium having a toner image is conveyed through a nip formed between the heating roller and the pressure roller. Heat applied by the heating roller and pressure applied by the pressure roller melt and fix the toner image on the recording medium.
Another example of a fixing unit includes the pressure roller, a fixing belt replacing the heating roller of the above example, and a pair of rollers for rotating the fixing belt. The fixing belt is looped over the pair of rollers. One of the rollers opposes the pressure roller via the fixing belt. The other roller includes a heater for heating the fixing belt from its inner circumferential surface and the pressure roller includes another heater for heating the fixing belt from its outer circumferential surface. The fixing belt can be heated more quickly than the heating roller of the above example due to its smaller volume and heat capacity. Thus, this fixing unit can be heated to a desired temperature more quickly than the above fixing unit including the heating roller after the image forming apparatus is powered on. The two heaters respectively heat the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the fixing belt, resulting in quick increase in temperature of the fixing belt.
Yet another example of the fixing unit includes a fixing roller, a heating roller, a fixing belt formed in an endless belt shape and looped over the fixing roller and the heating roller, and a pressure roller opposing the fixing roller via the fixing belt. A heater for heating the fixing belt is placed inside any one or each of the pressure roller and the heating roller. A recording medium having a toner image is conveyed between the fixing belt and the pressure roller. The toner image on the recording medium is fixed while the recording medium passes a first fixing area where the pressure roller applies pressure to the fixing belt via the recording medium and does not apply pressure to the fixing roller via the recording medium and the fixing belt. In the first fixing area, the pressure roller applies a low pressure not creasing the recording medium. The toner image on the recording medium is also fixed while the recording medium passes a second fixing area where the pressure roller applies pressure to the fixing roller via the recording medium and the fixing belt. In the second fixing area, the pressure roller applies a level of pressure enabling a desired fixing. Thus, the recording medium is properly conveyed and the toner image is stably fixed on the recording medium even in a high speed or color image forming apparatus.
When the toner image is fixed by using the fixing belt and the pressure roller, the outer circumferential surface of the fixing belt may be charged and may attract toner particles from the recording medium. This is called an electrostatic offset.
When electrostatic offset occurs, the attracted toner particles may be transferred onto another recording medium after the fixing belt rotates for one cycle and may form an afterimage on the recording medium. To reduce or prevent this, a cleaning member (e.g., a cleaning roller) is disposed to contact the fixing belt to remove the attracted toner particles from the fixing belt. However, when a large amount of toner particles is adhered to the cleaning member, the toner particles may melt onto the fixing belt, resulting in staining and damaging the recording medium.
Image forming apparatuses using the electrophotographic and electrostatic recording methods should produce images having an improved transparency and saturation.
The developer used in the developing process in the electrophotographic method includes a one-component developer containing a magnetic toner or a non-magnetic toner and a two-component developer containing a toner and carriers.
A toner used as the developer is generally produced in a mixing-kneading-pulverizing method in which a thermoplastic resin and a pigment are dissolved, mixed, kneaded with a releasing agent for example, wax and/or a charging control agent, if necessary, and then pulverized and sized. To improve fluidity and cleaning property of the toner, inorganic or organic fine particles are added to surfaces of toner particles, if necessary.
The toner particles produced in the mixing-kneading-pulverizing method generally have no definite shape, and have a broad particle size distribution, a low fluidity and transferability, a high fixing energy, a charging amount varying depending on toner particles, and a low charging stability. An image formed with such toner particles may provide insufficient image quality.
A polymerization method is proposed to solve the above problems of the toner particles produced in the mixing-kneading-pulverizing method. The polymerization method does not include kneading and pulverizing processes, resulting in cost reduction caused by energy saving, shortened production hours, and an improved yield of products. A sharper particle size distribution can be easily obtained with toner particles produced in the polymerization method than with the toner particles produced in the mixing-kneading-pulverizing method. In the polymerization method, wax can be contained inside the toner particles to improve fluidity of the toner particles and the toner particles can be formed in a spherical shape.
However, the toner particles produced in the polymerization method have problems. A surface tension affecting the toner particles during a polymerization process produces toner particles having a sphericity higher than that of the toner particles produced in the mixing-kneading-pulverizing method. However, physical properties of the toner particles produced in the polymerization method are not sufficient. In the polymerization method, it is not easy to control (e.g., vary) a shape of the toner particles. However, the polymerization method can have an advantage in producing toner particles having an improved charging stability and transferability.
The polymerization method includes a suspension polymerization method generally used. Monomers for a binder (e.g., a binder resin) used in the suspension polymerization method may be limited to a styrene monomer and an acrylic monomer harmful to humans. Toner particles produced in the suspension polymerization method contain those monomers and may cause environmental problems. Since wax is contained inside the toner particles, a decreased amount of the toner particles are adhered to a photoconductor. However, the toner particles produced in the suspension polymerization method have a lower fixing performance than the toner particles produced in the mixing-kneading-pulverizing method. In the mixing-kneading-pulverizing method, wax is on an interface of the toner particle. In the suspension polymerization method, the wax contained inside the toner particles does not easily seep onto surfaces of the toner particles, resulting in a low fixing performance. Therefore, the toner particles produced in the suspension polymerization method (e.g., polymer toner particles) may have a disadvantage in reducing energy consumption. If an amount of the wax or a dispersed particle size of the wax is increased to improve the fixing performance of the polymer toner particles, transparency of a color image may deteriorate when the polymer toner particles are used for forming the color image. Thus, the polymer toner particles are not suitable for forming a color image on an OHP (overhead projector) transparency used for presentation.
The polymerization method further includes an emulsion polymerization method which can vary the shape of toner particles. A monomer used in the emulsion polymerization method is limited to the styrene monomer. It may be difficult to completely remove an unreacted monomer, an emulsifier, and a dispersing agent from the toner particles, causing environmental problems.
A dissolution-suspension method is also known as a toner production method. The dissolution-suspension method may have an advantage in using a polyester resin enabling fixing at a low temperature. A high-molecular-weight component is added in a process of dissolving or dispersing a resin enabling fixing at a low temperature and a colorant in a solvent. Therefore, a liquid viscosity may increase, causing problems relating to production performance. Toner particles produced in the dissolution-suspension method are formed to have a spherical shape and a patterned indented surface in order to improve cleaning performance for the toner particles. However, those toner particles having an amorphous shape without regularity may lack charging stability and may have problems in endurance and releasing, providing insufficient quality.
A dry toner particle is proposed to improve fluidity, fixability at a low temperature, and hot offset resistance. The dry toner particle includes an elongated reactant of urethane-modified polyester as a toner binder and has a practical sphericity ranging from 0.90 to 1.00. Another dry toner particle proposed may have an advantage in powder fluidity and transferability when formed as a toner particle having a small particle size as well as in heat-resistant preservation, fixability at a low temperature, and hot offset resistance. Methods for producing the above dry toner particles include a high-molecular-weight producing process of polyadding polyester prepolymer having an isocyanate group with amine in an aqueous medium.
In the polymer toner produced in any one of the above polymerization methods, however, a pigment is not properly dispersed but is unevenly dispersed in the toner. Thus, an image formed with the toner may have an inferior transparency and saturation (e.g., brightness). Particularly, when a color image is formed on an OHP transparency with the toner, the color image may become dark.

Image forming apparatus, fixing apparatus and toner


A method for programming a plurality of memory cells of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises the steps of: sequentially performing a plurality of divide-by-2 operations on the plurality of memory cells; generating a plurality of reduced groups from the memory cells after each of the divide-by-2 operations is performed; sequentially programming the memory cells of each reduced group; generating a final group after a final divide-by-2 operation is performed; programming the memory cells of the final group; and verifying whether the memory cells of the final group are completely programmed. The memory cells of the final group are composed of all the memory cells of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and the verifying step is only performed after the step of programming the memory cells of the final group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for programming a plurality of memory cells of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor memory devices are devices in which data can be stored and from which stored data can be retrieved. Semiconductor memory devices can be classified into volatile memory and nonvolatile memory. The volatile memory needs a power supply to retain data while the nonvolatile memory can retain data even when power is removed. Therefore, the nonvolatile memory devices have been widely used in applications in which power can be interrupted suddenly.
The nonvolatile memory devices comprise electrically erasable and programmable ROM cells, known as flash EEPROM cells. FIG. 1 shows a vertical cross-section of a flash EEPROM cell 10. Referring to FIG. 1, an N-type source region 13 and an N-type drain region 14 are formed on a P-type substrate or a bulk region 12. A p-type channel region is formed between the source region 13 and the drain region 14. A floating gate 16, which is insulated by an insulating layer 15, is formed on the P-type channel region. A control gate 18, which is insulated by another insulating layer 17, is formed on the floating gate 16.
FIG. 2 shows threshold voltages of the flash EEPROM cell 10 during program and erase operations. Referring to FIG. 2, the flash EEPROM cell 10 has a higher threshold voltage range (about 6 to 7V) during the program operation, and has a lower threshold voltage range (about 1 to 3V) during the erase operation.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, during the program operation, hot electrons need to be injected from the channel region adjacent to the drain region 14 to the floating gate electrode, so that the threshold voltage of the EEPROM cell increases. In contrast, during the erase operation, the hot electrons injected into the floating gate 16 during the program operation need to be removed, so that the threshold voltage of the EEPROM cell decreases. Therefore, the threshold voltages of the EEPROM cell are varied after the program and erase operation.
One prior art method for programming an EEPROM cell is to apply a high voltage to the drain of the EEPROM cell transistor. For example, if the number of EEPROM cell transistors to be programmed is eight, a high voltage will be applied to the drain of each EEPROM cell transistor at one time in sequence. Therefore, the high voltage will be applied to the entire EEPROM cell transistors eight times. After the program operation has been performed on all eight EEPROM cell transistors, a verify operation is performed to check whether all the EEPROM cells are completely programmed. If all the memory cells are completely programmed, the programming of the memory cells is finished and further program operation is not performed. In contrast, if any one of the memory cells fails to be programmed, a second programming of the memory cells is performed. In the second programming, the high voltage is applied to the drain of each EEPROM cell transistor at one time in sequence. After the high voltage is applied to the entire EEPROM cell transistors eight times, the verify operation is repeated. The program and verify operations will be repeated until all the threshold voltages of the EEPROM cell transistors to be programmed reach a preset value (for example, 6V).
As described above, in the conventional program operation, the time required for the entire program operation increases in proportion to the number of programming steps to be repeated. In addition, a verify operation is required after each program operation for checking whether the current threshold voltages of the memory cell transistors to be programmed have reached a preset value. Therefore, the duration of the entire program is further increased by inserting multiple verify operation steps. Also, the memory device requires more complex circuits to perform the verify operation. In order to solve the foregoing problems, there is a need to provide an improved programming method.

Programming method for nonvolatile semiconductor memory device

Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology Inc.


Click logs are automatically mined to assist in discovering candidate variations for named entities. The named entities may be obtained from one or more sources and include an initial list of named entities. A search may be performed within one or more search engines to determine common phrases that are used to identify the named entity in addition to the named entity initially included in the named entity list. Click logs associated with results of past searches are automatically mined to discover what phrases determined from the searches are candidate variations for the named entity. The candidate variations are scored to assist in determining the variations to include within an understanding model. The variations may also be used when delivering responses and displayed output in the SLU system. For example, instead of using the listed named entity, a popular and/or shortened name may be used by the system.

Spoken Language Understanding (SLU) systems may be used in a variety of different applications. A SLU system may be created to identify a particular entry in a list (e.g. person, movie, item, product, song, . . . ) based on a spoken utterance. For example, a particular list entry may be identified by its name. Training these SLU systems to use variations of a name can be very challenging. For example, determining the variations of an entry in the list can be very time consuming.

Named entity variations for multimodal understanding systems


A satellite telephone has a quadrifilar helix (QFH) antenna (1) having four inter-wound helical antenna elements (2). The antenna (1) can be rotated between a first extended position and a second folded position. A phase shifting arrangement (10) is coupled to the helical elements (2) for applying a first set of relative phase shifts (0,90,180,270 degrees) to signals applied to or received from the helical (2) elements when the antenna (1) is in said first position, and for applying a second set of relative phase shifts (0,270,180,90) when the antenna (1) is in the folded position. The antenna (1) is thus switched between end-fire and back-fire modes, optimising the spatial gain pattern of the antenna for both the extended and folded positions of the antenna (1).

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the ownership and use of mobile cellular telephones. However, a limitation of cellular telephones remains the restricted geographical coverage provided by cellular networks. For example, remote, sparsely populated areas may either suffer from very poor quality coverage or no coverage at all. This has led to the implementation of satellite telephone networks such as INMARSAT.TM. where a mobile telephone communicates directly with an overhead satellite, the satellite relaying signals to and from some fixed position earth station. It is likely that demand for satellite telephone services will increase providing that mobile terminals can be made small enough to be attractive to users.
The demands placed upon the radio transmitting and receiving components of a mobile telephone are extremely high in the case of satellite telephone systems. This applies especially to the antenna. It is envisaged that the antenna of choice for satellite telephones will be the quadrifilar helix (QFH) antenna (K. Fujimoto and J. K. James, "Mobile Antenna Systems Handbook", Norwood, 1994, Artech House, pp. 455, 457). A QFH antenna 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprises four inter-wound resonant helical antenna elements 2a to 2d. The elements are arranged around a common axis A with starting points 3a to 3d respectively, offset from one another by 90 degrees and short circuited together (by short circuit connector 4) at the top of the antenna 1. In a receiving mode, signals received by the helical elements 2b to 2d are phase shifted, relative to the signal applied to the first helical element 2a, by 90, 180, and 270 degrees prior to combining the signals. Phase shifting may be achieved, for example, using baluns as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,093. When the antenna is used in a transmitting mode, this process is reversed, with a signal to be transmitted being split into four identical components, which components are then phase shifted prior to application to respective helical elements 2a to 2d.
FIG. 2 shows in axial cross-section the spatial gain pattern of a typical QFH antenna, where the axis A coincides with the longitudinal axis of the QFH antenna 1 of FIG. 1. This pattern can be thought of either as the radiating strength of the antenna in the transmitting mode or the sensitivity of the antenna in the receiving mode. The gain pattern of FIG. 2 corresponds to right circularly polarised signals, given that the helical elements 2a to 2d are left handed helices. If the helical elements are right handed helices, then the gain pattern of FIG. 2 would apply to left circularly polarised signals.
It is apparent that the gain of the QFH antenna is concentrated in the upper axial direction (as viewed in FIG. 1) as a main frontal lobe 5 which is generally hemispherical in shape. Only a small backward lobe 6 is present. The spatial gain characteristic of the QFH antenna is ideal for satellite telephones which must communicate with satellites in or passing across a hemispherical (or dome-shaped) region above the earth.
One drawback of the QFH antenna is its relatively large size. A typical QFH antenna may be ten centimetres long and has a diameter of two centimetres, the same order as the dimensions of a typical satellite telephone. In practice, where the antenna projects from the top of the telephone, the antenna can double the total length of the phone. In order to improve the portability of satellite telephones having QFH antenna, it is therefore desirable to be able to fold away the antenna when the phone is not in use. A folding antenna of this type is disclosed in EP0694985 where the antenna is coupled to the phone by a rotatable joint.
A satellite telephone 7 having a foldable antenna 1 is illustrated in FIG. 3, where FIG. 3A shows the antenna 1 in its extended position and FIG. 3B shows the antenna 1 in its folded position. When extended, and as has been described above, the spatial gain pattern of the antenna is optimised for communicating with an overhead satellite. However, this is not the case when the antenna is folded away and where the frontal lobe 5 of the gain pattern is directed towards the ground (at least when the phone is in the upright position). Whilst it may not be necessary to transmit signals from the satellite telephone to a satellite with the antenna 1 in this position, it will generally be necessary for the telephone to receive paging signals from a satellite so that the telephone can be alerted to incoming calls. However, the gain afforded by the backward lobe of the QFH antenna is unlikely to be sufficient to allow for this purpose when the antenna is folded away, even if, as may be the case, paging signals are transmitted at a higher power level than other satellite originating signals.
It has been proposed to overcome this problem by providing a second paging antenna in addition to the main QFH antenna. This additional antenna would be smaller than the QFH antenna but would be arranged such that its gain is always optimised for satellite communication. Whilst the gain of the antenna would not necessarily be sufficient to allow transmissions from the telephone to a satellite, it would be sufficient to allow the telephone to receive paging signals. This solution is undesirable however because it both increases the cost and the size of the telephone.

Multi-filar helix antennae for mobile communication devices


A pulse signal generator using a magnetic device that can cause a large Barkhausen effect, comprises means having a number of pits and projections and generates pulses according to the behavior of these, the means being capable of moving the pits and projections in a first or second direction, the pits and projections being disposed in the moving direction with some of the projections missing or some of the pits filled. The value of the ratio between the time interval of pulses generated by portions other than a projection-missing portion and the time interval of pulses generated by the projection-missing portion or the value of the ratio between the time interval of pulses generated by portions other than a pit-filled portion and the time interval of pulses generated by the pit-filled portion differs between when the pits and projections move in the first or second direction.

(i) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pulse signal generator, for example, a pulse signal generator which generates different pulses according to the rotation direction of a disk-shaped rotator gear.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, such a pulse signal generator using a magnetic device that can cause a large Barkhausen jump or Barkhausen effect as described in Japanese Patent No. 3,617,604 and other literatures has been developed. However, a traveling direction detector using this type of pulse signal generator, e.g. a detector for detecting the rotation direction of a rotator gear, has still not been available.
An example of the rotation direction detector is a detector which detects the positive rotation or negative rotation of a rotator gear by use of a semiconductor magnetic sensor (hall element or magnetoresistive element) having two detection sections, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H9-32620. However, this device has problems that the output leading lines of the sensor are increased and that complicated rotation direction detecting means is required for control.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-62687 discloses a device which uses two electromagnetic pickup sensors for a crank angle sensor and a cylinder detecting sensor in order to detect the rotation direction of an engine. However, since this device detects the rotation direction of the engine by comparing two signals from these crank angle sensor and cylinder detecting sensor with each other, the device has a problem that it can be used only for detection of the rotation direction of the engine.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-213605 discloses a device which uses electromagnetic pickup sensors for detecting a vehicle speed and a traveling direction. This constitution requires two sensors and two rotors for detection.
Although the magnetic device that can cause a large Barkhausen jump (hereinafter may be simply referred to as "magnetic device") is already well known as described in the above Japanese Patent No. 3,617,604, it will be briefly described hereinafter just to make sure. First, the structure and behavior of a generally known wire-shaped compound magnetic device will be described as an example. A thin wire obtained by drawing a ferromagnetic material has a unique magnetic properties in addition to its alloy composition. When twist stress is imposed on this ferromagnetic wire, the peripheral portion of the wire is twisted more severely and its central portion is twisted less severely, so that its peripheral portion and central portion have different magnetic properties. When the wire is so processed as to keep this state, a ferromagnetic wire whose peripheral portion and central portion have different magnetic properties is obtained. The magnetization direction of the peripheral portion is changed by a relatively small magnetic field. Meanwhile, the magnetization direction of the central portion is changed by a larger magnetic field. That is, a compound magnetic material having two different magnetic properties, i.e. a peripheral portion having a magnetic property which is relatively easily magnetized and a central portion which is less easily magnetized, in one magnetic wire is formed. This compound magnetic wire is uniaxially anisotropic. Hereinafter, the peripheral portion will be referred to as "soft layer", the central portion will be referred to as "hard layer", and such a compound magnetic wire will be referred to as "wire-shaped compound magnetic device".
The hard layer and soft layer of this compound magnetic wire are initially not magnetized in a specific direction and are in a randomly magnetized state. When an external magnetic field which is strong enough to reverse the magnetization direction of the hard layer is applied parallel to the longitudinal direction or axial direction of this compound magnetic wire, the hard layer as well as the soft layer is magnetized in the same magnetization direction. Then, an external magnetic field capable of magnetizing only the soft layer is applied in the direction opposite to the previous direction. As a result, the compound magnetic wire is in a magnetized state in which the soft layer and the hard layer are magnetized in the opposite directions. Since the compound magnetic wire is uniaxially anisotropic, the magnetization direction of the soft layer is retained by the magnetization of the hard layer and the magnetized state is stable, even if the external magnetic field is removed in the above state. The above external magnetic field is referred to as "set magnetic field". Then, an external magnetic field whose direction is opposite to the set magnetic field is applied to enhance the magnetic field. When the intensity of the external magnetic field exceeds certain critical intensity, the magnetization direction of the soft layer is revered immediately. This magnetic field is referred to as "critical magnetic field". The above reverse phenomenon occurs such that the magnetic domain wall of the soft layer moves like an avalanche and a reaction occurs. As a result, the magnetization directions of the soft layer and hard layer becomes the same and the original state is reinstated. The applied external magnetic field is larger than the critical magnetic field. This magnetic field is referred to as "reset magnetic field (HR)". The above phenomenon that the domain wall moves like an avalanche is referred to as "large Barkhausen jump". The speed of the magnetic domain wall (change in magnetic flux density) is dependent only on this large Barkhausen jump and is not relevant to an external magnetic field.
Although the "magnetic device that can cause a large Barkhausen jump" has so far been described by use of the wire-shaped magnetic device as an example, it is not limited to such a wire-shaped compound magnetic device, and various other magnetic devices which show a similar behavior can also be used. Further, although the above compound magnetic device has the hard layer and the soft layer, the magnetic device that can cause a large Barkhausen jump may also be a magnetic device which does not have a compound layer of the hard layer and the soft layer. For example, it is possible to form a thin-film magnetic material by use of a thin-film formation technique as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H4-218950 and use the material as a thin-film magnetic device. Further, the magnetic device may be in the form of a thick film or a plate. Accordingly, the terms "magnetic device that can cause a large Barkhausen jump" as used herein include all of various magnetic devices that show the foregoing behavior.
Patent Literature 1
Japanese Patent No. 3,617,604
Patent Literature 2
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H9-32620
Patent Literature 3
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-62687
Patent Literature 4
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-213605
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel pulse signal generator which can be used to detect the traveling direction of an object to be detected by use of a magnetic device that can cause a large Barkhausen jump.


In a semiconductor device, a gate electrode, an impurity diffused region, a body potential fixing region, a first insulator, and a dummy gate electrode are provided on top of an SOI substrate consisting of an underlying silicon substrate, a buried insulator, and a semiconductor layer. The impurity diffused region is a region formed by implanting an impurity of a first conductivity type into the semiconductor layer around the gate electrode. The body potential fixing region is a region provided in the direction of an extension line of the length of the gate electrode and implanted with an impurity of a second conductivity type. The first insulator is formed at least in the portion between the body potential fixing region and the gate electrode. The dummy gate electrode is provided on the first insulator between the body potential fixing region and the gate electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and, in particular, to a semiconductor device having an SOI structure and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
The SOI (Silicon On Insulator) substrate of transistors having an SOI structure consists of a multilayered stack of an underlying silicon substrate, a buried insulator, and an SOI layer. A gate electrode is formed on top of a gate insulator on the SOI substrate. The SOI layer is separated into active areas by a partial isolation insulator. The partial isolation insulator is formed by filling a trench in the SOI layer with an insulator such as an oxide. The trench is formed down to a depth such that it does not completely penetrate through the SOI layer. The portion of SOI layer left under the partial isolation insulator acts as a well.
A portion of the SOI layer under the gate electrode is a channel region. Impurity diffused layers (extension and source/drain) are formed on both sides of the channel region. A body potential fixing region for fixing a body potential is provided on the opposite side of the partial isolation insulator from the channel region. The channel region and the body potential fixing regions are electrically interconnected through the well.
For forming the body potential fixing region and the impurity diffused regions on both sides of the gate electrode, ions of opposite types are implanted respectively. During the ion implantation of the source/drain, therefore, the body potential fixing region is masked with a resist; during the ion implantation of the body potential fixing region, the impurity diffused layer is masked with a resist.
The gate electrode is separated from the body potential fixing region by the partial isolation insulator. When ion implantation is performed, typically a resist mask is not provided on the partial isolation insulator. During such ion implantation, ions are also implanted into the partial isolation insulator.
In SOI semiconductor devices, the partial isolation insulator is very thin. Accordingly, when ions are implanted into the partial isolation insulator without a mask, some of the ions may penetrate through the partial isolation insulator into the well under it. If ions are implanted into the well, the resistance of the well, from the body potential fixing region to the channel region, may increase and thus isolation characteristics can degrade.
To prevent this problem, an approach has been proposed in which a resist mask used during source/drain implantation is provided so as to cover the partial isolation insulator between the gate electrode and the body potential fixing region as well as the body potential fixing region, and the ion implantation is performed with the resist mask to prevent undesired impurity from penetrating into the well (for example see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-208705).
Especially during ion implantation of the impurity diffused layers (extension and source/drain), ions must be precisely implanted in proper positions on both sides of the gate electrode. Therefore, when a resist mask is provided on the partial isolation insulator as stated above, the resist mask must be precisely aligned with the gate electrode. However, precise alignment of the resist is difficult to achieve. If the resist mask cannot precisely be formed and unnecessarily overlaps the gate electrode, sufficient ions cannot be implanted in proper positions.

Semiconductor device having SOI structure and method for manufacturing the same


An absolute encoder (100) includes a scale portion (41) movable along with the object and including first and second track (42, 43) having first and second slits (44, 45), a light source (1) that illuminates a light onto the first and second slits, a first detector (9) that detects a first signal obtained from a light from the first slit, a second detector (10) that detects a second signal obtained from a light from the second slit, and a calculator (25, 27) that calculates an absolute position of an object based on the first and second signals. The second slit is formed so that a reflected light intensity or a transmitted light intensity is different in accordance with a position in a moving direction of the scale portion. The calculator obtains an upper-level signal, a middle-level signal, and a lower-level signal to calculate the absolute position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an absolute encoder that detects an absolute position of an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previously, as an apparatus that measures a moving distance of an object, an absolute encoder capable of performing a length measurement of an absolute position in addition to an incremental encoder that measures a relative moving distance has been known.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-170788 discloses an absolute encoder having one track in which a length of an incremental pattern changes in accordance with a position in a scale portion, which is configured so that a reflected light intensity changes in accordance with a relative moving amount of the scale portion and a sensor unit. This absolute encoder is configured to be able to detect an absolute position of an object by the change of the light intensity in accordance with the relative moving amount of the scale portion and the sensor unit.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-002702 discloses an absolute encoder having a three-track configuration by providing a scale portion with an exclusive track for obtaining absolute information.
However, in the absolute encoder disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-170788, an error is accumulated when a variation of the light intensity of the light source is generated or an external noise is generated.
On the other hand, when the three-track configuration such as the absolute encoder disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-002702, the size of whole of the absolute encoder including the sensor unit and the scale portion is enlarged, and the cost is increased. Furthermore, in the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-002702, good detection accuracy in a vernier detection cannot be obtained because a signal cannot be obtained in an area where the signal amplitude is zero. In the method of the vernier detection, it is difficult to guarantee the synchronization of the absolute position in all strokes when a longitudinal direction of the scale portion is long in the scale portion having a two-track configuration. In order to avoid this accuracy deterioration, the size of the sensor unit needs to be enlarged in a moving direction of the scale portion, and it prevents the reductions of the size and the cost. Furthermore, it is difficult to uniformly illuminate a light in a wide range of the scale portion since the sizes of the scale portion and the sensor unit are enlarged, and it contributes to the accuracy deterioration.

Absolute encoder that detects an absolute position of an object


A singlet telescope is provided for reshaping the laser beam to a larger or smaller diameter while maintaining the inherent quality of the beam. Applications for the singlet telescope include intercavity expansion to accommodate the damage thresh-old of various components, expansion of beams to match the size of different wavelengths for final collimation, and shrinking of beams to provide high irradiance for nonlinear processes such as optical parametric oscillation and frequency doubling, with the above applications usually requiring low power magnification or demagnification. Problems involving the utilization of these telescopes over wide temperature ranges and ghost reflections in which a light is reflected back to a pumping laser are minimized with the singlet construction, with the ghost reflections potentially creating damage of components including self-damage or breakdown of air, as well as damage to a Q-switched resonator which causes pre-lasing.

Multiple-element telescopes have been utilized in the past to reshape the output of pump lasers so that the pump laser output can be more efficiently coupled, for instance, to an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The purpose of the telescope is to be able to magnify or demagnify the pump laser output so as to duplicate the waist of the beam which exists at the output mirror of the pumping laser and position it at a precise location within the nonlinear crystal utilized in the optical parametric oscillator. As a result, for a given diameter waist associated with an output beam, and with the waist existing at the planner output mirror of the pumping laser, it is important to be able to either magnify or demagnify the waist so as to provide a predetermined waist within the body of the nonlinear crystal.
In general, for optical parametric oscillators, it is important to be able to demagnify the beam produced by the pump laser so that the telescope is in essence a demagnifying telescope. Typically, for a 1.06 micron pump laser, in certain applications it is important to have a 0.5× telescope so that if the waist diameter, for instance, at the pump laser is 0.5 millimeters, then the waist diameter within the optical parametric oscillator crystal is to be 0.25 millimeters. To do this, the characteristics of the pumping laser output within the optical parametric oscillator must be carefully controlled.
More specifically, it is important to control aberrations caused by the telescope and most importantly third-order aberrations so as to limit the waist diameter. Typically, third order aberrations cause waists which are larger than desired and therefore materially affect the efficiency of the optical parametric oscillator. Oftentimes aberrations cause a 10% decrease in efficiency in the optical parametric oscillator or sometime as much as a 50% decrease. This is unacceptable and multi-element telescopes have to be carefully designed to minimize aberrations.
Moreover, the inability to control the waist within the optical parametric oscillator crystal can result in a waist which is considerably smaller than that for which the system is designed. When such third-order aberrations occur, pumping with a waist too small can in fact drill a hole completely through the nonlinear crystal in the OPO. Most usually for reduced-diameter waists, the concentration of energy within the nonlinear crystal can cause the nonlinear crystal to crack, thus causing the laser to malfunction or die.
There is also a considerable ghost problem when utilizing multi-element telescopes. The ghost occurs by back reflection into the laser cavity of the pumping laser, which typically produces nanosecond Q-switched pulses. Note that the retro-reflective ghost can damage the Q-switch or can cause pre-lasing in the pump laser.
Antireflective coatings are utilized in part to limit the amount of retro-reflective ghost that occurs. However, antireflective coatings can only reduce ghosts so far. As will be appreciated, the larger the number of lenses there are, the worse are the ghost retro-reflections. This is because back reflection into the laser cavity of the pumping laser occurs from the reflective surfaces the lenses used in the multi-element set. For instance, in a four-element telescope, there are eight reflective surfaces which must be taking into account. Some multi-element telescopes utilize six or seven lenses, resulting in 12 to 14 reflective surfaces.
Antireflective coatings on these surfaces are designated, for instance, to be 99.5% transmissive and 0.5% reflective. However, even with back reflection limited to 0.5%, deleterious ghosts occur. The problem of eliminating ghosts is complicated with multi-element sets due to the fact that while ghosts are less important when a convex lens surface points back to the pump laser which results in a diverging back reflection, lens surfaces which are concave when pointed at the pumping laser result in hot spots of back-reflected energy.
Of course, the utilization of multiple lenses in a telescope requires very accurate calibration procedures and ones which take into account the types of materials utilized in the lenses, their temperature coefficients of expansion, their refractive indices, and indeed the stability of the optical bench on which the lenses are mounted. Note that with temperature changes, the physical dimensions of the optical bench change, thus causing alignment errors. This is compounded in proportion to the number of optical elements mounted to the optical bench.
Thus, increasing the complexity of the telescope increases the retro-reflected ghosts that can cause pre-lasing as well as presenting alignment complexities that are hard to compensate for.
Moreover, for a typical three-element telescope, the cost may be on the order of $2,500.00, which is indeed a large cost factor in the overall cost of the laser system. When optical parametric oscillators are utilized for tunable mid-IR radiation generation for use, for instance, in countermeasures, laser target designators, or atmospheric pollution measurements, the cost of the telescope is sometimes cost-prohibitive.
Additionally, if third-order aberrations are caused by the multi-element set, then as mentioned before efficiencies of the overall laser system may be reduced by as much as 50%, especially when the waist provided within the nonlinear crystal is larger than desired.
Thus, there are a wide variety of problems associated with multi-element telescopes utilized to reshape the output beam of a pumping laser, including the lack of ability to control the waist in the optical parametric oscillator, the inability to control retro-reflecting ghosts, the inability to properly calibrate the multi-element set of lenses, and indeed the overall cost of the multi-element set.

Singlet telescopes with controllable ghosts for laser beam forming

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


A blower comprising: a centrifugal fan; a driving unit for rotating the centrifugal fan; a bracket including a base fixedly-coupled to one side of the driving unit and a protrusion protruded from the base in a shaft direction of the centrifugal fan; and a fan housing fixedly-coupled to the bracket so as to rotatably receive the centrifugal fan, and including a suction port formed at one side of the bracket in the shaft direction of the centrifugal fan so as to suck air by the rotation of the centrifugal fan, and a discharge port formed in a perpendicular direction of the suction port, for discharging the air sucked through the suction port, wherein one side of the discharge port is formed in ‘V’ shape by a first inclination surface formed in the protrusion of the bracket and a second inclination surface formed at the fan housing which is contact with one end of the protrusion, and at least one of the first and second inclination surfaces is formed in a curved line so as to increase a discharge area of the discharge port, whereby a flow rate discharged through the discharge port can uniformly be distributed so as to reduce noise and simultaneously increase a discharged air volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blower, and particularly, to a blower used in an over-the-range (OTR) microwave oven and the like and a design method of a discharge port thereof.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
In general, an OTR microwave oven is one of electric home appliances, which is installed on a wall surface of an upper space portion of a gas range which is installed in the kitchen, so as to be used for cooking using microwave in a cavity and for sucking/exhausting combustion gas and pollution air in the kitchen (i.e., performing a ventilation function) generated from the gas range installed under the OTR microwave oven using a blower installed therein.
FIG. 1 shows a typical type of the conventional OTR microwave oven, which will now briefly be explained as follows.
The conventional OTR microwave oven, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a main body 1 having a cavity (i.e., a cooking space) C for cooking by a microwave, an outer casing 3 receiving the main body 1 and having an exhaust passage 2 at both sides of the main body 1, and a blower 4 installed at a upper rear side of the main body 1.
A rotary tray 5 is rotatably installed inside the cavity C so as to rotate food taken in the cavity C. A magnetron 8 for generating microwave induced inwardly to the cavity C while cooking is installed at an outer side of the cavity C.
An air suction port 6 communicated with the exhaust passage 2 is positioned at a lower side of the outer casing 3, and an air discharge port 7 for discharging air to the exterior is formed on an upper surface of the outer casing 3. Here, according to a user's convenience, the air discharge port 7 may be connected to a ventilating duct of a building, and the like, through a connection duct (not shown), or be installed on the entire upper surface of the outer casing 3.
Such constructed conventional OTR microwave oven is installed above a gas range, and serves as a hood for ventilating smoke or smell generated when a user cooks using the gas range as well as performing the original function of the microwave oven.
The user opens a door (not shown) and puts food on a rotary tray 5 in the cavity C. The user then closes the door and presses an operating button of an adjustment plate (not shown). According to the this, the rotary tray 5 is rotated, which rotates the food thereon and simultaneously generates microwave from a magnetron 10. The microwave generated is induced inside the cavity C to cook food thereby, all of which is the original function of the microwave oven performed by the conventional OTR microwave oven.
Furthermore, in the conventional OTR microwave oven, when the user presses the hood operation button of the adjustment plate, the blower 4 installed in the microwave oven is driven so as to generate a suction force, by which combustion gas and pollution air generated when the user cooks using the gas range installed under the microwave oven, as indicated by a biased line in FIG. 1, are sucked through the air suction port 6 formed at a lower surface of the outer casing 3. The sucked air is discharged to the exterior through the air discharge port 7 formed at an upper surface of the outer casing 3, whereby the conventional OTR microwave oven serves as the hood for ventilating smoke or smell.
The blower 4 of the conventional OTR microwave oven, on the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, includes a bracket 22 respectively coupled to both sides of a motor 21 positioned in the center, a centrifugal fan 23 coupled to a rotary shaft (not shown) protruded outwardly from the center portion of each bracket 22, and a cylindrical fan housing 24 of which one side is fixed to the bracket 22 and covering the outside of the centrifugal fan 23.
The fan housing 24 is provided with a suction port 25 for sucking external air, and a discharge port 26 formed in a perpendicular direction of the suction port 25, for discharging air sucked through the suction port 25.
A cut-off portion 17 for guiding discharged air is protrudingly-formed at one side of the discharge port 26.
In the conventional blower 4 which has the configuration as aforementioned, when power is applied, the motor 21 is rotated and thus the centrifugal fan 23 axially coupled to the motor 21 is rotated as well. The suction force is generated by the rotation of the centrifugal fan 23 to suck external air inwardly through the suction port 25 formed at one side of each fan housing 24.
The air sucked into the fan housing 24 through the suction port 25 is discharged through the discharge port 26 formed in the perpendicular direction of the suction port 25 by the rotation force of the centrifugal fan 23.
However, in the conventional blower 4, an air flow formed by the rotation of the centrifugal fan 23 forms a large loss area due to growth of a boundary layer at an edge portion of the discharge port 26. The air flow loss in the discharge port 26 may impede air volume and also increase noise.
A scheme for forming the cut-off portion of the discharge port 26 in 'V'-shape has been proposed as a way to solve the problem which has been applied by this assignee and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,093.
However, in the type of forming the discharge port in the 'V'-shape as proposed by this assignee, a flow rate discharge through the discharge port has uniformly been distributed to thus reduce noise to some degree, but a discharged air volume has unfortunately been reduced.

Blower and design method of discharge port thereof


A system for providing a flight planning tool is disclosed. The system may include at least one memory device for storing flight information and one or more hardware processors. The one or more hardware processors may be configured to provide an Application Program Interface (API) for facilitating communication between the system and at least one of a client device and one or more third-party devices, receive, via the API, a request including first information related to a flight, collect, via the API and based on the first information, second information from one or more third-party devices, generate flight trip data based on the first and second information, wherein the flight trip data includes information and graphics associated with the flight, and provide, via the API, one or more user interfaces to the client device for communicating the flight trip data.

Modern flight planning has continued to evolve from early individual web-based applications that separately supplied a general aviation pilot with flight information, such as weather, aircraft performance information, airport directories, and fundamental route planning to more all-in-one-solutions. For example, mobile, in-cockpit Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) provide some information relevant to a flight, such as real-time weather and traffic information via wireless access to remote devices. But while current systems like EFBs may provide mobile access to some available information, there is a need for a single, customized source for all critical and pertinent information necessary for a pilot to plan and execute a flight, as well as to integrate the information across other available platforms.


A method for establishing a dedicated session for a member of a common frame buffer group includes the step of transmitting, by a server agent, via at least one frame buffer channel, a first frame buffer update to each generated by one of the plurality of associated clients. The method includes the step of detecting an event generated by one of the plurality of associated clients. The method includes the step of removing, by the server agent, the one of the plurality of associated clients, from the plurality of associated clients. The method includes the step of establishing, by the server agent, a second frame buffer channel between the removed one of the plurality of associated clients and the server agent. The method includes the step of transmitting a second frame buffer update, by the server agent, to the removed one of the plurality of associated clients via the second frame buffer channel.

In some environments, a plurality of client devices are associated with each other to form common frame buffer groups and to share a common session for the duration of an event, such as a presentation or one or more paging events. These client devices typically execute a frame buffer client application for displaying received frame buffer updates. Client devices that may join a common frame buffer group include, for example, remote terminals receiving presentations over the Internet from a server and Internet Protocol (IP) phones receiving a paging event over a hotel Local Area Network (LAN). A typical implementation includes a gateway or server agent transmitting frame buffer updates to the client devices over a network. The gateway or server agent also hosts, or is in communication with, an instance of the application associated with each client and responsible for performing application processing on behalf of the associated client. Each application instance typically has a dedicated frame buffer connection to the client, via the gateway or server agent, for transmitting updates to the client.
The disadvantages of such an implementation include that each frame buffer update—each presentation frame or phone page—requires the creation of separate application processes and the transmission of separate frame buffer updates to the application gateway or server agent. This typically results in significant computer processing usage and bandwidth overhead, as well as increased latency in displaying the frame buffer updates at each receiving client device. The above implementation may also lead to limitations in scalability and system performance issues above a threshold number of clients.

Method and system for establishing a dedicated session for a member of a common frame buffer group


A bias voltage for a VCO is generated by monitoring UP and DOWN control signals from a charge pump and generating first and second output signals upon detecting a predetermined number of consecutive UP pulses or DOWN pulses. The first output signal causes a shift register pre-loaded with a data pattern having one odd logic state to shift one bit location to left, while the second output signal moves the odd logic state one bit location to the right. The bias voltage to the VCO is selected based on the odd logic state bit location. Any variation in VCO output frequency due to intermittent ground bounce is eliminated by requiring a consecutive number of UP pulses or DOWN pulses before moving the VCO bias point.

The present invention relates in general to phase lock loops and, more particularly, to a bias generator for a voltage controlled oscillator in a phase lock loop.
A conventional phase lock loop (PLL) generally includes a phase detector for monitoring a phase difference between an input signal and an output signal of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The phase detector generates an UP control signal and a DOWN control signal for a charge pump to charge and discharge a loop filter at a loop node at the input of the V CO. The loop voltage developed across the loop filter determines the output frequency of the VCO. The UP and DOWN control Signals driving the charge pump set the proper loop filter voltage at the input of the VCO to maintain a predetermined phase relationship between the signals applied to the phase detector.
PLLs are widely used in data communications, local area networks in computer applications, microprocessors and data storage applications to control data transfers. PLLs are often implemented with Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology to provide low cost and low power operation allowing a system designer to extend the tracking range and frequency-aided acquisition.
A common problem related to VCO operation is ground bounce which causes undesirable UP and DOWN pulses from the phase detector and results in voltage fluctuations at the loop node. Ground bounce is typically caused by other activity on the integrated circuit such as digital bus switching. The ground bounce can induce a short duration swing, say 5 ns, in the power supply potential to the phase detector, charge pump and loop filter capacitor, which generates UP and DOWN pulses unrelated to the phase error between the input signals to the phase detector. The UP and DOWN pulses related to ground bounce cause movement in the loop node and undesired changes in VCO output frequency. The PLL must wait for the phase detector to correct for the improper VCO output frequency in its normal fashion. Unfortunately, ground bounce often results in erroneous VCO operation.
Hence, a need exists to maintain the VCO output at a frequency determined solely by the phase error to the phase detector independent of external influences like ground bounce.


A guide apparatus (1) slidably supports a shaft member (2) and a column (3) relative to each other. The column (3) has a through hole (3a) formed therein and the shaft member (2) penetrates the through hole (3a). In the column (3), there is provided a slide mechanism (5) formed of a plurality of cylindrical rolling elements (50) adapted to roll axially on an outer circumference (2a) of the shaft member (2). The column (3) is formed of a plurality of split members (31, 32, 33, 34) that are divided on sectional planes each perpendicular to the axial direction of the column (3). A plurality of positioning pins (9) are provided on each contact surface of the adjacent split members (31, 32, 33, 34). The adjacent split members are centered or positioned relative to one another by the positioning pins (9).

The present invention relates to a positioning device that can position or locate a member relative to the other member with higher accuracy. The invention also relates to a positioning device for a linear bearing or a guide apparatus for relatively slidably supporting an axially extending shaft member and a column receiving the shaft member.
In a machine tool, a conventional way to index one member relative to another member and position or locate it is to use a knock pin of which one end or particularly the distal end protrudes vertically from a contact surface of one of the two members, or to use triangular shaped teeth such as a serration or trapezoidal shaped teeth that are formed on both of the members.
In the case of a knock pin, especially a straight pin, when a distal end of the pin is fitted into a hole with a clearance fit, detachment of the pin from the hole becomes easy but positioning or locating of the two members with accuracy becomes difficult due to a clearance created between the pin and the hole. To the contrary, when a distal end of the pin is fitted into a hole with an interference fit, positioning or locating with accuracy becomes possible but attachment as well as detachment of the pin from the hole becomes difficult due to a tight fit of the distal end of the pin relative to the hole, thereby making coupling and decoupling of the two members difficult.
In the case of triangular or trapezoidal shaped teeth, positioning is achieved by contacting each tapered surface of a pair of opposed teeth between the two members. However, in this case, it is not easy to engage the tapered surfaces of the whole opposed teeth with each other with a uniform force, and thus, an index table may be made inclined. As a result, positioning with higher accuracy becomes difficult.
The present invention has been made under those circumstances and its first object is to provide a positioning device with higher accuracy. A second object of the present invention is to facilitate attachment and detachment of the members to be positioned in the positioning device.
On the other hand, a linear guide is conventionally used as a conveying device. A linear guide is generally comprised of a linearly extending rail, and a carriage that is translatable along the rail and that has a slide mechanism to slidably support the carriage on the rail.
In such a linear guide, a carriage needs boring or milling to form a through hole or a through groove for a rail to be inserted thereinto. However, when boring a hole or milling a groove in a carriage of one construction, in the case of a longer carriage, boring or milling cannot be finished in one process, thus necessitating each boring or milling process on opposite ends of the carriage separately. In this case, each center of the holes or the grooves on both ends of the carriage may be offset or shifted, and boring or milling accuracy cannot be secured.
On the other hand, when a longer carriage is formed of a plurality of shorter carriage members that are connected to each other by a through bolt, in the case of a through hole or a through groove of polygonal cross sectional shape, each polygonal cross sectional shape of the carriage members may not be precisely conformed to each other, and similarly, boring or milling accuracy of the carriage cannot be secured. Thus, there were limitations on boring or grooving accuracy and positioning accuracy in a prior art linear guide with a longer carriage.
The present invention has also been made under those circumstances and its third object is to provide a positioning device for a guide apparatus that can produce a longer carriage easily and accurately.
A positioning device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first member having a first, flat contact surface and a second member having a second, flat contact surface adapted to contact the first contact surface. The first contact surface has a plurality of first grooves formed thereon, each of which extends along the first contact surface and has U-shaped or circular cross section. The second contact surface has a plurality of second grooves formed thereon, each of which extends along the second contact surface, has U-shaped or circular cross section and is disposed at a position corresponding to each of the first grooves. Solid cylindrical positioning pins fitted into the corresponding first and second grooves are in contact with each opening edge of the first and second grooves and they position or locate the first and second members relative to each other.
In this case, since the first and second members are positioned relative to each other through the cylindrical positioning pins disposed along the first and second contact surfaces with the first and second contact members contacted with each other, each contact surface will not be inclined and highly accurate positioning becomes possible.
Also, in this case, each positioning pin fitted into each groove of the first and second member is in linear contact with the opening edge portion of the groove along its generating line, thereby facilitating attachment and detachment of the positioning pin relative to the groove, and thus, coupling and decoupling of the first and second members can become easy.
A positioning device according to another aspect of the present invention is provided for a guide apparatus adapted to slidably support a shaft member and a column or carriage relative to each other. The column has an axially extending through hole or through groove and the shaft member is inserted into the through hole or through groove. A slide mechanism with a plurality of rolling elements is provided between the column and the shaft member to slidably support the column relative to the shaft. The column is formed of a plurality of split members that are divided at sections orthogonal to the axial direction and that are connected to each other. A plurality of supporting grooves each having U-shaped or circular cross section are formed on each contact surface of each adjacent split member, and corresponding supporting grooves are oppositely disposed on the contact surfaces of the adjacent split members. Each split member is positioned or centered by cylindrical positioning pins inserted into the oppositely disposed supporting grooves.
In this case, since the column is composed of a plurality of split members connected to each other in the axial direction, by predetermining an axial length of each split member at an appropriate length that allows for boring or milling with higher accuracy, boring or milling process of each split member can be conducted accurately. Moreover, in this case, since each split member is centered by the positioning pins extending along the contact surfaces, each through hole or through groove of the split members can be centered or located accurately when having composed a column from split members by connecting them in the axial direction. In such a way, a column of a longer length can be manufactured with ease and accuracy.

Positioning device with a solid cylindrical pin