A method of determining time-to-breakdown of a gate dielectric in an NFET or a PFET transistor. For an NFET transistor, the method includes providing an N+ injector ring in the p-substrate and forward biasing the N+ injector ring with respect to the p-substrate. A first positive reference voltage level is applied to the source and the drain regions. A second positive reference voltage level is applied to the gate dielectric. The first and second positive reference voltage levels are maintained on the transistor until breakdown of the gate dielectric occurs. Another embodiment of the method may be used in a PFET transistor.

Ultra-thin gate dielectric breakdown is one of the main reliability concerns in Ultra Large Scale Integration (ULSI) semiconductor products. The step of determining dielectric breakdown requires a method of using accelerated life-time stress conditions. The time required to induce the breakdown is an important factor in the overall efficiency of the method. The method of stressing a gate dielectric and determining the time-to-breakdown is a cost- and time-intensive process. It is important to find methods to reduce the stress time required in determining dielectric life-time during the development phase of the semiconductor device.
The present state-of-the-art for determining dielectric reliability is based on using high temperature and high gate voltage to accelerate the mechanism of breakdown from many years, under normal operating conditions, to hours. The gate voltage has the strongest effect in accelerating the breakdown mechanism. The higher the gate voltage, the lower is time-to-breakdown. For ultra-thin gate dielectrics, below about 5 nm, the relationship between time-to-breakdown and applied voltage is linear (on a logarithmic time, linear voltage scale) up to an upper limit of gate voltage, beyond which the relationship is non-linear.
This relationship is shown in FIG. 1 for a 4.5 nm oxide. To make accurate projections of the time-to-breakdown it is highly desirable to keep the accelerated stress voltage in the range where the relationship between voltage and time-to-breakdown is linear on a logarithmic scale. In FIG. 1, the time-to-breakdown deviates from a linear relationship with the gate voltage at approximately 5.8 volts. This deviation puts an upper limit on the stress voltage and, therefore, a lower limit on the time required to reach breakdown.
The problem with this conventional procedure is that the only variable available in stressing the semiconductor device is the gate voltage. The gate voltage directly determines the magnitude of gate current and the gate current (or the injected charge) has a major effect on the process of dielectric degradation leading to breakdown. A higher gate current (or injected charge) requires a lower time-to-breakdown. The problem with this stress procedure is that the gate current is not controlled independently, but rather is dictated by the applied gate voltage. Thus, the required stress time cannot be decreased below a certain time limit without compromising the accuracy of the reliability projections.
An example of a conventional gate dielectric stress system having a voltage applied to its gate dielectric is shown in FIG. 2. As shown, an n-type field effect transistor or NFET 10 comprises a substrate 14 having a diffused source region 16, a diffused drain region 18, and a gate oxide region or dielectric 12. Overlying the gate oxide region is a gate electrode 20. The gate electrode 20 is connected to a +Vg potential reference; the drain region 18 is connected to a Vd potential reference; the source region 16 is connected to a Vs potential reference; and the substrate 14 is connected to a Vsub potential reference. V.sub.S, V.sub.D and V.sub.SUB are at ground potential. In this conventional system, only Vg controls the gate dielectric voltage and the amount of current injected into the gate (with the channel inverted and source and drain grounded). Because only Vg controls the gate electric field and the gate current, high values of Vg are required to reach dielectric breakdown in a reasonable time.
In a method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,229, issued May 3, 1983, Cottrell et al. teach that, when gate electrode 20 is biased above the threshold voltage of the NEET 10 and Vd is biased above the source voltage Vs, a channel is created between the source 16 and drain 18 and electrons flow through the channel from the source 16 to the drain 18. Electrons flowing from the source 16 to the drain 18 are "heated" by the high electric field near the drain 18, and a small fraction attain enough energy to surmount the energy barrier at the oxide-silicon interface and pass into the silicon oxide layer. The fraction of electrons which is emitted depends strongly on the electric field near the drain 18 and thus on the bias conditions and the device structure.
Cottrell et al. further teach that, by measuring the rate of change in gate current, the time required to achieve a predetermined change in source-to-drain current may be found. The problem with the Cottrell et al. method is that the emission current into the gate is small and applying the method to determine the time-to-breakdown of the dielectric is quite limited. Cottrell et al. teach a method for evaluating channel hot carriers in an FET, and do not address evaluation of dielectric breakdown in an FET.
In another disclosure, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,377 issued Mar. 25, 1997 to Shimizu et al., a method of simulating hot carrier deterioration of a p-type metal-oxide semiconductor (PMOS) FET is taught. Shimitzu et al. provide a method by which a PMOS FET is forward and reverse biased. By measuring the characteristics of the PMOS FET and applying them in a simulation, Shimizu et al. estimate the deterioration of the transistor. Their teachings are limited: the method applies only to a PMOS FET and does not teach how to measure the time-to-breakdown of a PMOS FET or an NMOS FET.
In yet another disclosure, U.K. Patent Application No. 2,296,778 A, published on Oct. 7, 1996, there is disclosed a method for testing the reliability of a dielectric film on a semiconductor substrate. The method applies a gate current which is increased in successive steps until the dielectric film breaks down. A disadvantage of this method is that, in order to increase the gate current, the gate voltage must also be increased. Gate current cannot be independently controlled from gate voltage.
The method also does not work in ultra-thin dielectrics, because a very high stress field must be applied until breakdown occurs. Applying a high electric field to the gate results in inaccuracies in determining the dielectric reliability. At high electric fields the relationship between applied gate voltage and the time-to-breakdown is non-linear on a logarithmic scale, thereby causing errors in extrapolating the results to determine the time- to-breakdown.
Another method is taught by H. Ning et al. in Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 48, page 286 (1977). A negative, or reverse bias is applied to Vsub and a positive, or forward bias, is applied to Vg with Vs and Vd both at a ground potential (refer to FIG. 2). A tungsten light bulb (not shown) supplies photons into the gate lectrode 20 and gate dielectric 12, which in turn generates electron-hole pairs in substrate 14. The electrons gain energy from the electric field, as they drift toward the interface between the substrate 14 (silicon) and the gate dieletric 12 (silicon dioxide) . The electrons arriving at the interface with sufficient energy are emitted into the gate dielectric 12. These emitted electrons are collected as the gate current. The method taught by H. Ning et al. requires two reference voltages, Vg and Vsub, as well as a light energy source. Vg and Vsub cannot supply enough electrons into the gate, however, because Vg and Vsub are kept at low reference potentials. Furthermore, this method is not feasible for integrated processing applications where the semiconductor is covered by back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectrics and metals.
The deficiencies of the conventional methods show that a need still exists for a method to measure the dielectric time-to-breakdown of an FET transistor that does not require a high gate voltage. To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional methods, a new method is provided of determining dielectric reliability of a semiconductor device by measuring its dielectric time-to-breakdown. An object of the present invention is to provide a method which allows independent control of the gate current from the gate voltage, so that the gate current may be increased without having to also increase the gate voltage. Another object is to provide a method which can accurately predict reliability without wasting a great amount of time to reach dielectric breakdown.

Method of determining dielectric time-to-breakdown

International Business Machines Corporation


A valve timing adjusting apparatus has a housing and a vane rotor to form multiple fluid chambers, and a relative position of the vane rotor to the housing is adjusted by the fluid pressure supplied into the fluid chambers. A check valve is provided in a branched passage portion, so that working fluid may not be pushed out from an advancing fluid chamber to a low pressure side, even when the working fluid in the advancing fluid chamber is temporally compressed to increase its fluid pressure due to a torque change applied from a cam shaft to the vane rotor.

A valve timing adjusting apparatus is known in the art, according to which a housing of the apparatus receives a driving power from a crankshaft of an engine, and a vane rotor is provided in the housing for transmitting the driving power of the crankshaft to a cam shaft. According to the valve timing adjusting apparatus, multiple fluid chambers are formed between multiple vanes of the vane rotor, so that the vane rotor is rotated relative to the housing depending on the fluid pressure in the fluid chambers. Thus, the relative rotational phase of the cam shaft to the engine crankshaft, namely, the valve timing for the intake and/or exhaust valves, is adjusted.
In the valve timing adjusting apparatus of the above kind, the torque change is generally transmitted to the vane rotor via the cam shaft, wherein the torque change may be generated when driving to open and close the intake and/or exhaust valves. When the torque change is applied to the vane rotor in a retarding direction during an advancing operation, the working fluid in the fluid chambers may be compressed so that the working fluid tends to flow out from the fluid chambers. On the other hand, when the torque change is applied to the vane rotor in an advancing direction during a retarding operation, the working fluid in the fluid chambers may be likewise compressed so that the working fluid tends to flow out from the fluid chambers. The push-out of the working fluid from the fluid chambers may adversely affect the advancing and/or retarding operation, according to which the vane rotor is moved to its target position relative to the cam shaft. As a result, it may take a longer time until the vane rotor reaches its target position. Namely, the response is decreased.
According to Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-106115, a check valve is provided in a fluid passage for supplying working fluid to fluid chambers, so that the push-out of the working fluid from the fluid chambers is prohibited when the torque change is applied to the cam shaft, in order to quickly achieve a target phase.
It is, however, a problem in the above valve timing adjusting apparatus, in that the vane rotor in the housing is not stably positioned due to the torque change applied to the vane rotor, when the fluid pressure in the fluid chambers is still low, shortly after the engine has been started. And a slapping sound may be generated.
According to another prior art, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-343218, a lock member is provided in a vane rotor, and the lock member is engaged with a housing, so that the vane rotor is locked with respect to the housing. According to the prior art, the locked condition of the vane rotor to the housing is released shortly after the start-up of the engine, wherein the fluid pressure in a certain fluid chamber is used to move the lock member from the housing in an un-locking direction.
A response for controlling the relative phase between the vane rotor and the housing to a target value is improved, when a check valve is provided in the vane rotor, and discharge (push-out) of the working fluid from the certain fluid chamber is restricted. However, the fluid pressure in the fluid chamber, for which the discharge of the working fluid is restricted by the check valve, is largely increased to a value higher than a fluid pressure of a fluid supply source, when the torque change is applied to the vane rotor.
In the case that the lock member is moved from the housing (in the un-locking direction) by the fluid pressure, which is supplied from the certain fluid chamber, the locked condition of the vane rotor to the housing may be erroneously released. If there is a small clearance between the lock member and the housing, the fluid pressure in the certain fluid chamber is rapidly increased to a higher value than that of the fluid supply source, when the torque change is applied to the vane rotor and the vane rotor is rotated relative to the housing by such a small clearance.


A first clutch link for a driving clutch is capable of engaging another clutch link through interaction of a receptacle chamber and a projection. The first clutch link includes a contact surface and a counter surface, which are located on parallel planes. A hole is implemented behind the counter surface and is connected via a gap to the receptacle chamber. This hole extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the driving clutch. A spring element is situated in the hole and has a contact area for contact on the other clutch link, which protrudes through the gap into the receptacle chamber. The hole has at least one opening, whose edge projects at least partially radially inward with respect to the hole in order to prevent the spring element from slipping through the opening of the hole.

Clutch links of this type for a driving clutch, which is also referred to as a claw clutch, are known in the prior art, which have a receptacle chamber for receiving another clutch link of the driving clutch, the receptacle chamber comprising a contact surface and a counter surface, which points toward the contact surface. In these known clutch links, the connection to the particular other clutch link is produced in that the other clutch link is entirely or partially placed in the receptacle chamber, for example, using a projection. The manufacturing tolerances of the other clutch link and/or projection and the receptacle chamber are selected as needed so they match with the particular desired type of fitting, i.e., play fitting, transition fitting, or excess fitting. Small tolerances may typically be achieved by machining reworking, which is connected with significant additional effort above all in the event of hard and/or brittle materials, such as ceramics, glasses, sintered metals, etc.


An apparatus for selectively opening and closing a body lumen within a patient's body is provided. The apparatus includes an elongate member and a shape memory element. The elongate member is configured to at least partially surround the body lumen and defines a lumen. The shape memory element is disposed of adjacent to the lumen defined by the elongate member. Further, the shape memory element is adapted to change its configuration based on a change in temperature. These changes in the configuration of the shape memory element causes the apparatus to selectively move between a first configuration and a second configuration.

1. Field
The present invention generally relates to the field of controlling flow of fluids and substances through vessels and openings in a human body, and specifically controlling such a flow using a shape memory apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Human body is composed of a number of vessels, openings, and tubes containing various body fluids and substances. Muscular structures called sphincters are known to surround such openings and orifices of body vessels and passages to maintain the flow of fluids and substances. Any damage or weakness in these sphincters or muscles may result into incontinence, i.e., involuntary discharge of fluids. Incontinence is an ailment affecting a number of men and women worldwide.
A number of methods, procedures, and devices, including rehabilitation and behavior modification, dietary changes, drugs, devices to capture involuntary discharges, and surgical treatments (implants such as artificial sphincters) among others, have been developed for treatment of this problem. The use of artificial sphincters has been widely acknowledged.
Conventional artificial sphincters and implants that occlude the body opening or duct in response to a fluid pressure in the implant are well known. However, use of such exterior fluid pressure may cause pain, skin alteration, thrombosis, and other similar conditions.
Similarly, implants utilizing a manual contraction of a fluid filled collar via a pump, piston, or similar other mechanisms may be physiologically and cosmetically undesirable. In addition, responding to rapid changes in the bladder pressure may be inconvenient for patients as high pressure transients may result in sphincter leakage and subsequently, damage body tissues.
In a similar manner, artificial sphincters constructed of shape memory alloys can also be opened by applying external power or energy, but may cause rupture of the tissues or loss of fluid or pressure and thereby, compromise the effectiveness of the implants over a period of time.
In accordance with the foregoing, there is a need for a method and system that may provide an effective way of controlling the flow of fluids and substances through the body openings such as anus and urethra and thereby, prove useful in conditions such as fecal or urinary incontinence. In addition, there is a need for a method and a system that may be relatively easier to implant, and safe and easy to use.


A conveyor system for transporting items from a receiving section to an outlet section, the conveyor system having plurality of first support members for transporting items and a weighing device. wherein a second support member is arranged at a first support member by way of a support assembly, allowing the second support member for being supported by the first support member in a first vertical position and for being moved relative to the first support member between the first vertical position and a second vertical position higher than the first vertical position. The conveyor system includes a lifting device for moving the second support member from the first vertical position towards the second vertical position. The weighing device is arranged for supporting the second support member when the second support member is in the second vertical position.

Conveyor systems for transporting items are known in the art. The conveyor systems are arranged to move support members capable of transporting items. The support members are connected to the driving system to be moved from a receiving section to an outlet section. When in movement, the support members are guided via the guiding system to follow for example an endless path in order to achieve a continuous operation of the conveyor system.
From the logistic point of view, the weight of the items being transported is desired, or even required, to be known to process said items. In the art, the weight is measured before said items are delivered to the support members, for example via a delivery conveyor. Measurement of the weight of the items is a discontinuous operation and, therefore restricts the capacity and/or output of the conveyor system.
It is an object of the invention to alleviate the above mentioned problem.

Conveyor system comprising a plurality of support members and a method thereof


A tears-shedding device for a doll includes a tank, an L-shaped opening extension disposed at the lower portion of the tank via a spherical inlet valve, for each eye of the doll a perspective convex-shaped eye extension disposed at one side of the tank via a similarly spherical outlet valve, a press pump mounted at another side of the tank, and a press mechanism for the press pump, the aforesaid opening extension being mounted in a mouth of the doll, each of the aforesaid eye extensions being mounted in a respective eye of the doll.

The present invention relates to a tears-shedding device for a doll in which water is fed to a tank through an opening and then flowed out through eyes of the doll by means of the operation of a press pump directly connected to the tank so as to display a tears-shedding state on the face of the doll.
In a conventional device for shedding tears in this technical field, a tank and a press pump are provided in a head portion of a doll, and an opening is connected to eyes through a fine tube. Water is first fed to the tank through the opening of the doll and then shed through the eyes by pressing the abdomen portion or back portion of the doll or rotating the arm of the doll.
However, in the tears-shedding portion of the eyes, no flow control means is provided and, therefore, the amount of water simulating the shedding of tears depends upon the degree of the pressing force against the abdomen portion or back portion of the doll. In particular, when it is pressed strongly, a large amount of water is shed, which wets the clothing of children playing with the doll and other nearby objects and which moreover is not realistic.


The present invention is a concrete mixer drum cleaner system. The system has a multi-axis spray head mounted to a lance. One of the spray head's axes of rotation is coaxial with the lance. An operator uses the lance to position the spray cleaner head within the interior of a concrete mixer drum.

The present invention relates generally to a redi-mix concrete mixer drum cleaner. More particularly, this invention relates to a rotating spray cleaner mounted to a telescoping lance.
Concrete trucks transport liquid concrete in rotatable mixer drums. Helical baffles line the interior of the mixer drum and move the liquid concrete fore and aft within the mixer drum when the mixer drum rotates. The direction of the liquid concrete depends on the rotational direction of the mixer drum. After removing a load of liquid concrete, residual concrete may remain in the mixer drum of the concrete truck, especially on or near the helical baffles.
The residual concrete eventually cures and hardens within the mixer drum. Over time, the build-up of hardened residual concrete increases the apparent weight of the mixer drum, and lowers the mixer drum's liquid concrete capacity. In addition, the hardened residual concrete, especially near the helical baffles, may interfere with unloading liquid concrete from the mixer drum. In some cases, removing the hardened concrete may require that an operator actually enters the interior of the mixer drum and physically chips the hardened residual concrete from the helical baffles. Typically, the operator uses a jack-hammer to remove the hardened residual concrete producing significant dust and other hazards. Accordingly, it is desirable to remove residual concrete from the mixer drum prior to the residual concrete hardening.
Many operators today rely on wand-mounted pressurized spray devices to remove residual concrete from the inside of the mixer drum. These devices are inflexible in their design and in their spray pattern, and they do not always effectively clean residual concrete from the concrete mixer drum. More specifically, the wand-mounted pressurized spray devices may not effectively clean all sides of the helical baffles inside the mixer drum. In addition, the limited spray pattern of existing devices may require the mixer drum to rotate while spraying the interior of the mixer drum to increase the coverage area.
It would be desirable to provide a pressurized spray to the interior of the mixer drum ensuring thorough liquid and solid residual concrete removal.
If would be further desirable to provide a pressurized spray to clean liquid and solid concrete from the interior of the rotating or stationary mixer drum.


Disclosed is an indoor location system that uses an electrical power line, power line signal injection devices, and portable position receivers (tags) to generate location data relating to positions of the tags in a structure such as a residence or business. The indoor location system fingerprinting of multiple signals transmitted along the power line to achieve sub-room-level localization of the positioning receivers. Details regarding power line positioning are described along with how it compares favorably to other fingerprinting techniques.

The present invention relates generally to indoor location systems, and more particularly, to indoor location systems that employ radio signals transduced via power lines.
Recent advances in indoor location systems leverage existing wireless communication infrastructure (e.g., 802.11 and GSM) to provide a value-added location service. The major advantage of these approaches is that a user does not have to purchase any specialized equipment and can still benefit from location-aware computing. Leveraging public infrastructure has many advantages, but one major drawback is that users have very little control of the infrastructure itself. Service providers adjust the operational parameters of WiFi access points and cellular towers with little or no warning. These changes require recalibration of the location system and may result in inaccurate location data until the changes are discovered. An alternative is to introduce new infrastructure in the home by distributing many low-cost, short-range beacons. The time required for installation and the possible impact to home aesthetics, however, may limit adoption.
Indoor positioning has been very active in the ubiquitous computing research community in the subsequent half decade. Several characteristics distinguish different solutions, such as the underlying signaling technology (e.g., IR, RF, load sensing, computer vision or audition), line-of-sight requirements, accuracy, and cost of scaling the solution over space and over number of items. Although we do not intend to provide a complete survey of this topic, we highlight those projects with characteristics most relevant to the motivation for power line positioning, namely the requirements for additional infrastructure and algorithmic approach.
The earliest indoor positioning solutions introduced new infrastructure to support localization. See, for example, "Active Bat." The BAT Ultrasonic Location System, 2006; O'Connell, T., Jensen, P., Dey, A. K., and Abowd, G. D., "Location in the Aware Home," Position paper for Workshop on Location Modeling for Ubiquitous Computing at Ubicomp 2001 Sep. 30, Atlanta, Ga., 2001; Priyantha, N. B., Chakraborty, A., and Balakrishnan, H., "The Cricket Location-Support System," Proceedings of The International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking (Mobicom 2000), Boston, Mass., August, 2000; and Want, R., Hopper, A., Falcao, V., and Gibbons, J., "The active badge location system," "ACM Transactions on Information Systems," Volume 10, pp. 91-102, January, 1992.
Despite some success, as indicated by some commercialized products, the cost and effort of installation are a major drawback to wide-scale deployment, particularly in domestic settings. Thus, many new projects in location-based systems research reuse existing infrastructure to ease the burden of deployment and lower the cost. The earliest demonstrations leveraged 802.11 access points (see, for example, Bahl, P. and Padmanabhan, "V. RADAR: An In-Building RF-Based User Location and Tracking System," Proceedings of IEEE Infocom, Los Alamitos, pp. 775-784, 2000; Castro, P., Chiu, et al., "A Probabilistic Room Location Service for Wireless Networked Environments," Proceedings of Ubicomp 2001, pp. 18-34, 2001; and LaMarca, A., et al., "Place Lab: Device Positioning Using Radio Beacons in the Wild," Proceedings of Pervasive 2005, Munich, Germany, pp. 116-133, 2005. More recent examples explore Bluetooth (see, for example, Madhavapeddy, A. and Tse, T., "Study of Bluetooth Propagation Using Accurate Indoor Location Mapping," The Seventh International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp 2005), Tokyo, Japan, pp 105-122, September 2005, and wireless telephony infrastructure, such as GSM (see, for example, V. Otsason et al., "Accurate GSM Indoor Localization," Proceedings of The Seventh International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp 2005), Tokyo, Japan, September, 2005), or FM transmission towers (see, for example, Krumm, J., Cermak, G., and Horvitz, E., "RightSPOT: A Novel Sense of Location for a Smart Personal Object," Proceedings of Ubicomp 2003, Seattle, Wash., pp. 36-43, 2003. Concerns about system resolution eliminate the FM solution for domestic use.
Another concern we highlighted in the introduction is that individuals and households may not be able to control the characteristics of this infrastructure, resulting in the need to recalibrate if parameters change. The desire to control the infrastructure and to scale inexpensively to track a large number of objects inspired the search for a solution like the power line system presented here.
Traditional wireless signal triangulation, such as 802.11 access point triangulation, uses Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) information to estimate distance and determine a location based on geometric calculations employing the RSSI data. Other techniques include the use of Time of Arrival, as in the case of ultrasound, or Angle of Arrival, such as with Ultra-wideband positioning (see the Ubisense website, for example). Ultrasonic solutions, such as Cricket (see Priyantha, N. B., et al., "The Cricket Location-Support System," Proceedings of The International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking (Mobicom 2000), Boston, Mass., August, 2000, and Active Bat, the BAT Ultrasonic Location System, provide precise centimeter resolution, but require line-of-sight operation indoors. Therefore, they require extensive sensor installations for full coverage. Some radio frequency technologies, such as 802.11 triangulation, employ overdetermination of transmitting sites (e.g., wireless access points) to avoid issues of occlusion induced by multipath propagation caused by reflections in the environment.
Fingerprinting of the received signals can help overcome the multipath problem. Fingerprinting improves on other means of estimation by taking into account the effects that buildings, solid objects, or people may have on a wireless or RF signal, such as reflection and attenuation. Fingerprinting works by recording the characteristics of wireless signals at a given position and later inferring that position when the same signature is seen again. A survey of signals over a surveyed space allow for the creation of a map that can be used to relate a signal fingerprint to a location.
Power lines are already in place in most buildings and the power network reaches more homes than either cable systems or telephone lines. Thus, for many years, people have been using power lines in buildings (especially homes) to deliver more than just electricity. Several home automation technologies leverage the power line for communications and control. The most popular example is the X10 control protocol for home automation, a standard that is more than 30 years old and is a very popular, low-cost alternative for homeowners. Over the past decade, there have been a number of efforts to produce power line communications capabilities, driven by industrial consortia such as the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, and efforts such as Broadband over Powerline (BPL). Because electricity used for power is sent over power lines at a lower frequency (e.g., 60 Hz) than Internet data signals modulated on high frequency carriers, power and data can coexist on the same power line without interference.
It would be desirable to have an indoor location system that takes advantage of existing infrastructure, such as electrical power lines, and the like, and which does not require additional infrastructure.

Sub-room-level indoor location system using power line positioning


A radio device including: a processor configured to execute a procedure including a difference calculating process which calculates, when a plurality of transmission symbols are one symbol with different assignment positions of one of a frequency area and a time area, a difference between an assignment position of one reference symbol and an assignment position of another symbol among the plurality of transmission symbols, and a shift process which generates a symbol by shift processing of one of the frequency area and the time area with respect to the reference symbol, which is assigned to the an assignment position and subjected to an orthogonal transform processing, according to the difference; and a transmitter configured to performs transmitting processing based on the reference symbol which is subjected to the orthogonal transform processing and the generated symbol by the shift processing.

In recent years, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) has been standardized by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as a communication specification for a radio device such as a mobile phone. For the E-UTRA, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) method is supposed to be performed as a specification of a MODEM transmitting unit. This specification is specified in TS36.211 in the 3GPP documents.
For the SC-FDMA method, there are three types of physical channel to be transmitted. One is Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), one is Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and the other one is Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). For the SC-FDMA method, there are two types of physical signal to be transmitted. One is Demodulation Reference Signal (DRS), and the other one is Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). For example, the SRS is used to check the quality of a transmission signal and to check how much the transmission signal is deteriorated on a propagation path between a radio device and a base station.
The radio device generates, for example, a Zadoff-Chu sequence to transmit the SRS, maps the generated Zadoff-Chu sequence in a frequency area, and converts the mapped frequency area into a signal of a time area by Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing. The radio device copies the end of the signal subjected to the IFFT processing as a specified CyclicPrefix (CP) for the number of samples and then inserts the CP into the head of the signal subjected to the IFFT processing. Further, the radio device performs shift processing of ½ sub carrier frequency (for example, equivalent to 7.5 KHz) by multiplying the signal of the time area, which is subjected to the CP processing, by a twiddle factor, and generates the SRS by removing a high frequency of the signal subjected to the shift processing.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-40841 is an example of related art.

Radio device, radio communication system, and radio control method


Techniques are described for selecting an optimal data center for instantiating a first cloud service. Embodiments of the invention receive a request specifying a topology of a first cloud service to be hosted by one of a plurality of data centers which provide computing resources to host a plurality of cloud services. A suitability value is then determined for each of the data centers which measures a fitness of the data center for instantiating the first cloud service. In one embodiment, the suitability value is determined by calculating a plurality of metric values for the data center, normalizing the metric values and calculating a weighted average of the normalized values. One of the data centers is then selected for instantiating the first cloud service, based at least in part on the determined suitability values.

Cloud computing has become a popular approach for obtaining access to (sometimes large-scale) computing resources. Cloud computing allows users to build virtualized data centers which include compute, networking, application, and storage resources without having to build or maintain a physical computing infrastructure. The virtualized data center may provide a user with a segmented virtual network located in the cloud, typically alongside virtualized data centers of other users. Such a virtualized data center may be rapidly scaled up (or down) according to the computing needs of a given user without the need to maintain excess computing capacity between peak demand periods. For example, an online retailer can scale a virtualized data center to meet increased demand during the holiday shopping season without having to maintain the underlying physical computing infrastructure used to provide the retailer's online presence.
Often times, a cloud computing environment is created using multiple data centers, with each data center providing various computing resources to the cloud. Such data centers are frequently located in different geographical locations. Furthermore, the resources that each data center provides to the cloud may differ. For example, a first data center may provide higher performance computing resources than a second data center, or may provide fast network access to particular computing resources that are not provided at all by the second data center. Additionally, the workloads of the computing resources provided by each of the data centers may differ as well. For instance, while the computing resources of the first data center may be operating at 90% capacity, the computing resources of the second data center may only be operating at 20% capacity.

Placement of a cloud service using network topology and infrastructure performance


Pneumatic radial tires for automotive use are constructed with a belt layer reinforced with a steel cord of a unique structure. The steel cord results from the preformation of a single steel wire into a spiral shape meeting specified spiral parameters as determined by specified spiral diameters, specified wire diameters and specified spiral pitches. Significant weight saving is attainable with sufficient driving performance.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to pneumatic radial tires of steel-belted type for automotive use. More particularly, the invention relates to such a tire having significant weight saving while providing sufficient driveability performance.
2. Prior Art
In harmony with increasing calls for conserving the global environment, moves have recently been growing in the automotive industry to save the per mileage consumption of fuel oils by motor vehicles. One goal is directed, to cope with that trend, toward reducing the weight of pneumatic radial tires. The fuel amount spent by a vehicle is closely associated with the tire weight.
Steel cords are in common use, for their notably higher tensile strength and elastic modulus properties than fiber cords of plastic materials, as reinforcements for belt layers in radial tires. Lightweight radial tires, however, are not easily available with such a steel cord as it is inherently large in specific gravity. No new class of fibrous cords has become known which, from standpoints of mechanical strength, could take the place of the existing steel cords. That leaves automotive tire manufacturers little alternative but to rely on those steel cords in constructing radial tires.
To produce a weight-saving steel-radial tire, a positive attempt is expected to be made with a focus on reducing the number of steel wires fabricated into a steel cord and hence on holding two certain gauges of rubber to an absolute minimum in the tire geometry. One such gauge is the distance or depth between the bottom of grooves defined in a tread and the surface of steel cords embedded in a double-plied belt in close proximity to the groove bottom, and another is the interlaminar spacing between the steel cords disposed in the upper and lower belts. In that instance, the steel cord may be formed by orienting a single straight steel wire, but not by twisting a plurality of steel wires together into an integral structure as commonly accepted in the art. The single-wired steel cord has a smaller cross-sectional area than the multiple-wired twisted counterpart and hence allows the above gauges to be set at as small a level as possible with consequential saving of the quantity of rubber used in a steel-radial tire. Also advantageously, the steel cord so obtained can be completely covered with a coat rubber and hence protected against corrosive fatigue and adhesive failure even in moist condition.
However, the single-wired steel cord is too rigid, due to the steel wire being straight without twist or warp, to be endurable relative to deformation on bending or compression under repeated load. This means that the steel cord tends to break more frequently than the multiple-wired twisted steel cord, resulting in a belt layer of marred durability.

Pneumatic radial tire reinforced with single wire steel cords of specific spiral shape


A light emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus boosts alternating current (AC) power output from a ballast, rectifies the boosted AC power to direct current (DC) power, blocks generation of an inrush current while the boosted AC power is rectified, and controls an operation of an LED by using the DC power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a light emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light emitting diode has been used as a low power light source, such as an indicator. As light efficiency of the LED has been improved, the LED becomes to have a wide range of applications. Also, unlike other light sources, the LED is an environmental friendly light source that does not include mercury, and has gained attentions as a next-generation light source used for a backlight of a mobile terminal, a backlight of a liquid crystal display (LCD) television (TV), lamps of cars, general lighting, or the like. Accordingly, an incandescent light having a low power efficiency characteristic and a fluorescent light generating an environmental waste, such as mercury, which have been used as main light sources for lighting for the last 100 years, are being replaced by LED lamps.
However, the LED lamp has shortcomings, such as a short life due to a short life span of a circuit device coupled to an LED in the LED lamp. This makes it difficult for the LED lamp to substitute for an incandescent light or a halogen lamp currently on the market.


Provided are a wireless communication terminal that can select a power-efficient wireless communication system while keeping a data rate at a fixed level, and a communication system selection method. A wireless communication terminal is designed to be able to operate selectively according to a plurality of communication systems, and is configured to include: a required data rate calculation section that calculates a required data rate as a data rate needed to be satisfied in accordance with a remaining level of power and a communication history; and a communication system selection section that selects which communication system to be used through a comparison between a data rate of each of the communication systems to be determined based on a measured quality of communication service, and the calculated required data rate. This accordingly enables to select a power-efficient communication system while keeping a data rate at a standard level determined by a remaining level of power and a communication history. For example, the communication system can be used adaptively depending on the remaining level of battery, i.e., when the remaining level of battery is high, selected will be a communication system with a high data rate, and when the remaining level of battery is low, selected will be a communication system with a low data rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication terminal capable of selecting an optimum communication system from a plurality of communication systems, and a communication system selection method for selecting an optimum communication system.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been known a multi-mode terminal that selectively adopts a plurality of wireless communication systems. With use of such a multi-mode terminal, the same terminal can be used for communication in areas different in wireless communication system. In any area where a plurality of wireless communication systems are available, the multi-mode terminal selects any optimum system for communication.
For example, a multi-mode wireless communication device disclosed in JP-A-2007-116672 refers to, in selection of the communication system, a switching power needed for switching communication systems, and a power consumption required for communication in each of the communication systems. Numerical values of such switching power and power consumption are stored in advance as coefficients in a separately-provided storage section. The numerical values of the power consumption are stored as the power consumption per unit time, and such values are multiplied by the communication time for use as evaluation values.
Also, a communication terminal device disclosed in JP-A-2008-11452 uses power consumption information that is managed in detail in a power value management table, in switching the communication systems. The power value management table manages various values of power, e.g., power on standby, power for a voice call, communication speed and power for packet communication, power of an RF section during control over power for transmission, power of the RF section and that of a baseband section during intermittent reception, and power associated with audio encoding. Such information helps to select the most power-efficient communication system according to the circumstances.
with use of the technologies disclosed in the above Patent Documents, the most power-efficient communication system can be selected at each stage. However, in such technologies, there is no provision of an evaluation value related to a data rate that can be implemented by each of the communication systems. In this sense, even if the selected communication system is power efficient, the communication system may not satisfy requirements in view of capabilities in some cases. Moreover, as not giving consideration to information about the remaining level of battery, the above technologies are not ready for a case of applying a high data rate even if the power supply is ample, and even if the power consumption is increased.
When the a multi-mode terminal selects any optimum wireless communication system, a data rate serves as a significant indicator in addition to the power consumption of each of wireless communication systems available for use. For example, reserving a wide range in a high frequency band enables higher-speed wireless communication, however, an extreme increase of the power consumption is not considered preferable. On the other hand, reducing the data rate can indeed reduce the power consumption, but this fails to ensure a required level of data rate, thereby possibly resulting in a failure of services or an increase of the eventual power consumption due to the communication forced to be very long.
The invention is proposed in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a wireless communication terminal that can select a power-efficient wireless communication system while keeping a data rate at a standard level determined by the remaining level of power and a communication history, and a communication system selection method.

Wireless communication terminal and communication system selection method


A geometry-shifting strap for a binding having a baseplate is disclosed. The geometry-shifting strap is shiftable between a closed position wherein the distal end of the geometry-shifting strap is biased or disposed over the baseplate, and an open position wherein the distal end of the strap is not over the baseplate. The strap includes at least one arcuate element that biases the strap to the closed position when the arcuate element is in a concave configuration, and biases the strap to the open position when the arcuate element is in a convex configuration.

In snowboarding a rider descends a snowy slope on a single gliding board that is attached to the rider's feet using special boots set onto bindings mounted on the snowboard. Modern snowboarding developed in the 1960s and the 1970s and became a Winter Olympic Sport in 1998. Although a relatively new sport, snowboarding now ranks second only to skiing among winter sports in the United States. The genesis of the sport has been attributed to Sherman Poppen, an engineer in Muskegon, Mich. who invented a toy for his daughter in 1965 by connecting two skis together side-by-side and attaching a rope to one end to provide control while gliding downhill. Dubbed the "snurfer," the toy proved so popular among his daughter's friends that Poppen licensed the idea to a manufacturer that sold about a million snurfers over the next decade. In 1968 Poppen received U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,274 for a "Surf-Type Snow Ski."
U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,204, to Weber and directed to a "Mono-Ski," issued on Aug. 19, 1975. The snowboard, or mono-ski, disclosed therein featured releasable boot bindings to secure the rider's boots to the snowboard.
Snowboarding's growing popularity is reflected in the fact that "In 1985 only seven percent of U.S. ski areas allowed snowboarding, a situation reflected in Europe . . . . Now, virtually all ski resorts in North America and Europe welcome snowboarders, and many have constructed special terrain parts with jumps and other features that encourage boarders to hone their skills and showcase their techniques." Snowboarding Wild Rides, Phyllis McIntosh, English Teaching Forum, No. 1, pages 35-42.
In modern snowboarding a rider stands with both feet fixed to a single board, and the gravity-propelled rider negotiates a path down a snow-covered slope. A particularly important aspect of controlling the snowboard is rotating the snowboard about its longitudinal axis, thereby selecting which lateral edge of the snowboard engages the snow, the angle of engagement, and the orientation of the snowboard with respect to the slope of the terrain.
In order to control the orientation of the snowboard, the rider wears boots that are firmly secured to the snowboard transverse to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard. In this stance, the rider can raise the toe-side edge of the snowboard by leaning backward and rotating his/her feet, for example, and can rotate the board in pitch, yaw, and roll by appropriate foot movement. To enable precise control of the snowboard, the rider's boots are firmly attached to the board with snowboard bindings. Many different binding mechanisms have been developed. Snowboard bindings are generally categorized as either strap bindings (also called conventional bindings) wherein a pair of frames having straps for releasably securing the rider's boots is attached to the board, and step-in bindings wherein typically a cleat mechanism is integrated into the sole of the boots and a complementary cleat-engagement mechanism is attached to the snowboard.
A strap binding typically includes a baseplate that receives the sole of the boot, a high back that extends upwardly from the baseplate, and strap assemblies for tightly and releasably securing the boots to the binding. The base portion attaches to the board, frequently in an adjustable manner such that the rider can select a particular angle between the boot axis and the board axis, and will generally include integral side walls that provide lateral support to the attached boot. The high back is important particularly when the rider is using soft boots, as it enables the rider to raise the toe-side edge of the board by leaning backwardly against the high back portion. Typically, two strap assemblies are attached to the baseplate side walls. The strap assemblies are configured to extend over the rider's boots to secure the snowboard boots to the snowboard. The first pair of straps extends generally around the ankle portion of the boot, and the second pair extends generally over the toe portion of the boot.
A common problem encountered with strap bindings is that as the rider mounts the snowboard by stepping onto the base portion of the frame, the straps tend to get in the way, sometimes becoming trapped behind or underneath the rider's boots, requiring the rider to adjust her feet and attempt to pull the straps out and over the boots. This task can be particularly difficult and frustrating when the rider is mounting a snowboard in the field, for example, after dismounting the snowboard to traverse a level portion of a run. In this case, the boots, straps, binding, and snowboard may be covered with snow, the rider is typically wearing gloves and bulky clothing, and the snowboard and rider may be situated on an inclined and/or slippery snowy field. Under these conditions, properly orienting and securing the binding straps can be particularly challenging.
In addition to the physical difficulties associated with properly mounting the snowboard, physical damage and undesirable wear and tear can be caused to the strap assembly. The straps, and particularly the clasping mechanism for securing the straps, can be damaged, for example, if the rider inadvertently steps on the straps or imposes sharp bends in the straps between the boot and the high back portion of the frame. Moreover, the process of pulling the straps (including a clasp mechanism) out from between the boot and the frame can result in unnecessary stresses and strains in the strap assembly.


A mowing machine provided with a frame and a plurality of mowing members provided with mowing knives. The mowing members are supported by the frame and are rotatable about upwardly extending axes of rotation. Supporting members are arranged under the mowing members are vertically adjustable relative to said mowing members, and are secured to upwardly extending carrier shafts. Above the mowing members a substantially horizontally extending driving shaft is journalled in the frame and coupled to each of the carrier shafts by means of a transmission mechanism in such a manner that the transmission mechanism a rotating movement of the driving shaft is converted into a movement of the carrier shafts parallel to the axes of rotation of the mowing means.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mowing machine provided with a frame, with a plurality of mowing means provided with mowing knives, said mowing means being supported by the frame and being rotatable about upwardly extending axes of rotation, and with supporting means arranged under said mowing means and being vertically adjustable relative to said mowing means, said supporting means being secured to upwardly extending carriers.
2. Discussion of the Background
With the usual mowing machines of this kind the various carriers can be adjusted individually in order to be able to arrange the cutting knives of the mowing means at the desired distance from the ground surface. Not only is this a time-consuming activity, but there is also a risk that not all supporting means will rest on the ground, as a result of which only a few of said supporting means will carry the weight of the machine and be loaded heavily thereby, which may also lead to tracks being formed in the ground surface and to different cutting heights for each mowing means, resulting in an unacceptable mowing pattern.

P. J. Zweegers en Zonen Landbouwmachinefabriek B.V.


A method includes, in response to a first write command corresponding to first data and a first context which is identifiable with a first identifier and to a second write command corresponding to second data and a second context identifiable with a second identifier, determining whether the first identifier of the first context matches the second identifier of the second context. The method also includes, if the first identifier of the first context is determined to match the second identifier of the second context, forming a compression group of data including the first data and the second data, and generating compressed data corresponding to the compression group of data.

Some host devices and data storage devices use data compression to efficiently utilize storage capacity of a memory. Data compression is performed by encoding data that includes a first set of bits to generate a second set of bits, where the second set of bits includes fewer bits than the first set of bits. Thus, compressed data is represented using fewer bits than were used to represent the original data. Accordingly, the compressed data can be stored in the memory using less of the memory's available storage capacity.
Generally, data compression removes redundant or unnecessary information from the data. Data compression tends to be more space-efficient when larger blocks of data are compressed together rather than when smaller blocks of data are compressed together. For example, when a large block of data is compressed, more of the bits may be considered redundant than would be the case if the large block of data were divided into a number of smaller blocks of data prior to compression. Thus, more bits may be removed by compressing the large block of data (as a unit) rather than by compressing the separate smaller blocks.
However, compression and decompression of data takes time and consumes power. Additionally, data that was compressed together generally must be decompressed as a whole, regardless of whether only a portion of the data is requested by the host device. Thus, while compressing a large block of unrelated data together may save space, when the host device requests a portion of the data, the entire large block (including unrelated portions) has to be decompressed to access the desired portion. Decompressing large blocks of data is time and power intensive. Also, delays associated with large block decompression operations may lead to a dissatisfactory user experience.


A titanium carbonitride powder for use as a starting material for a hard material satisfies a D50 of from 2.0 μm to 6.0 μm and a D10/D90 of from 0.20 to 0.50, wherein D50 is a particle size at a cumulative percentage of 50% of a particle size distribution by volume, D10 is a particle size at a cumulative percentage of 10% of the particle size distribution by volume, and D90 is a particle size at a cumulative percentage of 90% of the particle size distribution by volume.

PTL 1 discloses a titanium carbonitride powder as a starting material for a cutting tool (hard material). As a method for manufacturing this titanium carbonitride powder, PTL 1 discloses that titanium hydride and carbon powder are provided as starting materials, are mixed and pulverized in a ball mill, and are heat-treated at a temperature of 1,400° C. to 1,700° C. in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, followed by pulverization to an average particle size of 3 μm or less (in the test examples, 1.5 pin or less).

Titanium carbonitride powder and method for manufacturing titanium carbonitride powder


An optical disk system comprising a head positioning system for positioning a head at a desired one of the tracks of an optical disk, and a tracking servo system for maintaining the head at the track by detecting a tracking error signal indicating deflection of the head from the track. In order to accurately position the head to the desired track, a track crossing signal deriving circuit derives an alternating signal component having a frequency corresponding to track crossing of the head from the tracking error signal as a track crossing signal. The track crossing signal is converted to a pulse signal which is counted to produce a counted number as a track crossing number. The track crossing number is compared with a desired track number previously set and a position error signal is produced. A head driving motor is driven until the position error signal becomes zero so that the head is correctly positioned at the desired track. The track crossing signal is converted into a voltage signal as a velocity signal. A slew rate of the track crossing signal deriving circuit is controlled by the velocity signal so that the track crossing signal is reliably derived even if the track crossing velocity increases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information recording/reproducing devices, and in particular, to a system for detecting a position of a write/read head for use in information recording/reproducing devices such as optical disc systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An information recording disk, for example, an optical disk has a plurality of information recording tracks onto which information is read using an appropriate transducer or write/read head. The head comprises a light source such as a semiconductor laser for emitting a light beam and an optical system for focusing the light beam as a small beam spot onto a track so as to write or read information onto or from the track. In order to write or read information onto or from a desired one of the tracks, the head must be correctly positioned at the desired track.
In the prior art, a desired head travelling amount is set as a position difference between a current position of the head and a desired track position. An actual travelling amount is subtracted from the desired head travelling amount to produce a position error signal becomes zero so that the head is positioned at the desired track.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,023 by Inada et al., assigned to NEC Corporation, discloses a head position detector mounted on the head for detecting the current position of the head so as to detect the actual head travelling amount. However, measurement of the actual head travelling amount by the head position detector is not based on detection of the number of tracks crossed by the head so that high measuring accuracy is not expected.
In the prior art, a known optical disk system is further provided with a tracking error detecting device for detecting deflection of the small beam spot from the desired track as a tracking error signal. The optical system, in particular an objective lens in the optical system, is controlled until the tracking error signal becomes zero to position the small beam spot at a center of the track. The above-described U.S. Patent also discloses such a tracking error detecting device as a tracing position detector.
When the head moves so that the small beam spot crosses those tracks, the tracking error signal is an alternating (AC) signal having an alternating rate corresponding to the track crossing rate. Accordingly, it may theoretically be possible to count a track crossing time number by detecting zero-cross points of the tracking error signal.
However, the tracking error signal includes high frequency noise components caused by track position information previously recorded on the disk etc. Accordingly, it is difficult to reliably detect the zero cross points of the tracking error signal.

Head positioning system for use in information recording/reproducing device with means for deriving track crossing signal from tracking error signal


According to the present invention, as a current-driven light-emitting means is driven by a current-adding D/A converter driving means, it is possible to drive the light-emitting means with large driving power. Moreover, electric power consumption may be reduced by the generation of wasteful drive currents being suppressed. Therefore, obtained are images of high intensity in an efficient manner with low electric power consumption.

The present invention relates to the technical field of a display device comprising a light-emitting element per pixel and an electronic apparatus comprising such display device.
Conventionally, with display devices comprising a light-emitting element per pixel, after a digitized image signal is converted into an analog image signal, such analog image signal is applied to the light-emitting elements.
Here, in order to convert the digital image signal into an analog image signal, it is necessary to utilize a so-called digital/analog converter (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cD/A converterxe2x80x9d).
As such D/A converter, so-called capacitive D/A converters and so-called resistive D/A converters are known.
Among the above, as the resistive D/A converter, there is a D/A converter utilizing so-called ladder resistance wherein resistors are connected in a ladder shape. As D/A converters utilizing ladder resistance may be integrated easily, they are preferable for being incorporated into an active-matrix type display device.
Nevertheless, in order to realize large driving power upon using a D/A converter utilizing ladder resistance, it is necessary to lower the value of resistance of the respective resistors structuring the D/A converter. Thus, the overall electric power consumption will increase. Particularly in an active-matrix type display device, electric power consumption is severe since D/A converters are necessary per multitude of light-emitting elements.
Moreover, in order to realize large driving power upon using a capacitive D/A converter, it is necessary to increase the capacitance value within the D/A converter. Thus, integration becomes difficult.
The present invention realizes a display device capable of driving light-emitting elements utilizing drive currents having a large current value and lowering electric power consumption by suppressing current consumption, and an electronic apparatus employing such display device.
The display device of the present invention comprises:
a plurality of current-driven light-emitting means respectively contained in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix shape; and
driving means for converting, by adding a current having a current value corresponding to the digital value contained in the digital data signal, the digital data signal into an analog data signal, applying the analog data signal to the light-emitting means, and driving the light-emitting means.
The plurality of pixels is formed on a substrate, such as a transparent substrate. Thin-film current-driven light-emitting elements (light-emitting elements wherein the luminance degree changes in proportion to the current quantity to be flowed into the diode) may be used as the plurality of light-emitting means.
As the driving means generates an analog data signal by adding a current, the light-emitting means is driven with large driving power and electric power consumption is lowered by the generation of wasteful drive currents being suppressed.
Preferably, the D/A converter includes a current mirror circuit for generating a current having a current value corresponding to the digital value contained in the digital data signal.
More preferably, the current-adding D/A converter includes a current mirror circuit for generating a current having a current quantity corresponding to the digital value contained in the digital data signal. By including a current mirror circuit, the analog data signal may be supplied to the light-emitting means efficiently.
Preferably, the driving means comprises additional-basic-current application means for constantly applying a prescribed additional basic current to the light-emitting means while making the light-emitting means illuminate in correspondence with the digital data signal.
The additional basic current may be a current having a prescribed current quantity set in advance and lower than the minimum current quantity within the range of currents in which the luminance of the light-emitting polymer changes in proportion to the current-luminance property of the light-emitting means.
By constantly applying the additional basic current to the light-emitting means while the light-emitting means is illuminating, the luminance of the light-emitting means will be a luminance in proportion to the current quantity of the analog data signal. Thereby, obtained are images accurately corresponding to the supplied digital data signal.
A display device of the present invention comprises:
a plurality of current-driven light-emitting means respectively contained in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix shape;
data line driving means for converting, by adding a current having a current value corresponding to the digital value contained in the digital data signal, the digital data signal into an analog data signal, applying the analog data signal to the light-emitting means, and driving the light-emitting means;
a scanning line for supplying a scanning signal;
a data line connected to the data line driving means and for supplying the analog data signal; and
switching means connected to the scanning line, the data line, and the light-emitting means inside the pixel and for applying the analog data signal to the light-emitting means in correspondence with the scanning signal supplied from the scanning line and driving the light-emitting means.
As the data line driving means generates an analog data signal by adding a current, the light-emitting means is driven with a large driving power and electric power consumption is lowered by the generation of wasteful drive currents being suppressed.
By providing a switching means to each light-emitting means, realized is an active-matrix type display device capable of controlling the drive of the light-emitting means for each pixel. Thus, displayed are images of high resolution.
Preferably, the switching means is formed of a thin-film transistor (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cTFTxe2x80x9d); for example, a polysiliconthin-filmtransistor. By employing the polysilicon thin-film transistor, suppressed is the lowering of the driving power pursuant to a long-term flow of strong current.
Preferably, the data line driving means includes a current-adding D/A converter for converting, by adding a current having a current value corresponding to the digital value contained in the digital data signal, the digital data signal into an analog data signal.
More preferably, the D/A converter includes a current mirror circuit for generating a current having a current value corresponding to the digital value contained in the digital data signal. By including a current mirror circuit, the analog data signal may be supplied to the light-emitting means efficiently.
The additional basic current may be a current having a prescribed current quantity set in advance and lower than the minimum current quantity within the range of currents in which the luminance of the light-emitting polymer changes in proportion to the current-luminance property of the light-emitting means.
By constantly applying the additional basic current to the light-emitting means while the light-emitting means is illuminating, the luminance of the light-emitting means will be a luminance in proportion to the current quantity of the analog data signal. Thereby, obtained are images accurately corresponding to the supplied digital data signal.
The light-emitting means of the present invention is preferably formed of a light-emitting polymer. By employing a light-emitting polymer, obtained are images of high intensity.
An electronic apparatus of the present invention comprises the display device of the present invention. Thus, it is possible to display images on the electronic apparatus of the present invention efficiently and with low electric power consumption.


Solvents useful for removing, among other things, photoresists and poly(amic acid)/polyimide from display/semiconductor substrates or electronic processing equipment, consist essentially of:                (A) a first component consisting of a sulfoxide, e.g., DMSO;        (B) a second component consisting of a glycol ether, e.g., ethylene glycol monobutyl ether; and        (C) a third component consisting of at least one of N-formyl morpholine, N,N-dimethyl propionamide, 3-methoxy-N,N-dimethyl propanamide, triethyl phosphate, N,N-dimethyl acetamide; N,N-diethyl acetamide, N,N-diethyl propionamide, N-methyl acetamide, N-methyl propionamide, N-ethyl acetamide, and N-ethyl propionamide.

Some polar solvents, e.g., N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl acetamide (DMAc), dimethyl formamide (DMF), etc., have reproductive toxicity, which drive the ever increasing global safety and regulatory concerns related to these materials. For example, NMP is listed in the Substance of Very High Concerns (SVHC) registry of the European Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and REACH Annex XVII which lists the restrictions on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of certain dangerous substances, mixtures and articles.
NMP is used in the electronics industry for cleaning and stripping of various parts (e.g., components for display units, semiconductor substrates, etc.) and equipment, and considerable amounts of it are consumed annually. Developing an eco-solvent to achieve similar performance with a better environmental profile than NMP is an urgent request from electronic processing customers. This invention details solvent combinations that, in some embodiments, provide the same or better cleaning ability, and stripping ability for photoresist removal, than NMP.

Sulfoxide/glycol ether based solvents for use in the electronics industry


A method for manufacturing a part made of composite material includes injecting into a fibrous texture a slurry including at least one powder of refractory ceramic particles suspended in a liquid phase, filtering the liquid phase of the slurry and retaining the powder of refractory ceramic particles inside the texture so as to obtain a fibrous preform loaded with refractory ceramic particles, densifying the fibrous texture by treatment of the refractory ceramic particles present in the fibrous texture in order to form a refractory matrix in the texture. The method further includes, before injecting the slurry under pressure, pre-saturating the fibrous texture with a carrier fluid consisting in injecting into said texture a carrier fluid.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a part made of thermostructural composite material, in particular of the Oxide/Oxide or ceramic matrix composite (CMC) type, that is to say including a fibrous reinforcement formed from fibers made of refractory ceramic material densified by a matrix also made of refractory ceramic material. The invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of parts made of Oxide/Oxide or CMC composite material by liquid process comprising a step of impregnating a fibrous reinforcement with a slurry loaded, for example with alumina particles in the case of an Oxide/Oxide composite material or with silicon carbide particles (SiC) in the case of a CMC composite material.
The impregnation step is carried out by pressure injection of a loaded slurry (generally between 10% and 40% by volume) within a fibrous reinforcement (STM for "Slurry Transfer Molding" process). The slurries used for the injection are lightly loaded in order in particular to have a stable viscosity for the transport of fillers in the volume of the fibrous reinforcement. In such a case, it is necessary to drain or filter the liquid phase of the slurry in order to obtain an optimal filling of the residual porosities present in the fibrous reinforcement with the solid fillers. Such a method is in particular described in document WO 2016/102839.
In the case of a SiC/SiC material, the steps of injecting and filtering the loaded slurry are carried out on fibrous blanks obtained by three-dimensional (3D) weaving and consolidated or pre-densified by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The incompressible blank with a fixed porosity network has an inter-yarn overall residual porosity comprised between 25% and 45% by volume. However, the 3D fibrous blanks or blanks formed of a stack of fibrous plies have a complex porosity network which causes difficulties in the monitoring of the filling of the fibrous blank by the loaded slurry. Thus, the steps of injecting or filtering the loaded suspension into the fibrous texture are not well controlled, which results in the presence of porosities in the final part.
FIG. 4 shows two microscopic photographs of a cross-section of a part 300 made of SiC/SiC composite material according to the prior art, namely here a SiC fiber reinforcement 310 formed here by 3D weaving between layers of weft yarns and warp yarns in an interlock weave and densified by a SiC matrix 320. The part 300 was manufactured in the same manner as described above, that is to say by injection of a slurry loaded with SiC particles from the slice(s) or the face(s) of a SiC fibrous texture, the injection having been carried out in conditions similar to those of the well-known injection molding process called "RTM" ("Resin Transfer Moulding"). As can be seen in FIG. 4, the part 300 includes inter-yarn porosities 330 corresponding to porosities initially present in the fibrous reinforcement that have not been filled with the SiC matrix.
In the case of an Oxide/Oxide material, the injection of the loaded slurry is carried out in a fibrous texture with a double porosity network, namely an intra-yarn porosity network and an inter-yarn porosity network. Here again, due to a complicated access to the entire porosity network in the fibrous texture, injection and filtration difficulties have been observed leading to the presence of porosities or areas of absence of matrix in the resulting material.

Method for injecting a loaded slurry into a fibrous texture


A computer system includes a hardware synchronization component (HSC). Multiple concurrent threads of execution issue instructions to update the state of the HSC. Multiple threads may update the state in the same clock cycle and a thread does not need to receive control of the HSC prior to updating its states. Instructions referencing the state received during the same clock cycle are aggregated and the state is updated according to the number of the instructions. The state is evaluated with respect to a threshold condition. If it is met, then the HSC outputs an event to a processor. The processor then identifies a thread impacted by the event and takes a predetermined action based on the event (e.g. blocking, branching, unblocking of the thread).

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for coordinating actions among multiple concurrently executing threads.
Background of the Invention
In conventional computer systems, multiple threads of execution may be executed in order to take best advantage of processing resources. However, in many applications, coordination among separate threads of execution is needed. This is readily performed for small number of threads by generating events within threads that are shared with other threads, which then take appropriate action based on the events. This approach, however, results in delays and high processing overhead.
The systems and methods described herein provide an improved approach for coordinating between threads.

Hardware access counters and event generation for coordinating multithreaded processing


A bio-pin is provided. The bio-pin can be used for cell transfer and treatment, cell tracing, and targeting of specific tissues and cells using a peptide-based complex in which a cell-penetrating peptide or a cell-adhesive peptide is bound to one or both ends of a cell membrane protein, and used in a molecular imaging system, a medical appliance, and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bio-pin which is a peptide-based complex capable of being used for cell transfer, tracing, and treatment, and used in a molecular imaging system and a medical appliance such as a stent.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In recent years, there has been a need for development of bio-materials capable of regulating adhesive strength in the field of applications using stem cells, such as cell transplantation, tissue transplantation, nanotubes, nanowires, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanoparticles, biosensors, biochips, drug delivery, etc. (Nahar et al., 2006, Crit. Rev Ther Drug Carrier Syst, 23, 259-318). However, when endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) which can be used as transfer cells for treatment of myocardial infarction are transferred to cardiac muscular tissues, most of the transferred cells are washed off at the beginning of cell transfer, and only 3 to 5% of the transferred cells are attached to the target tissues, indicating poor efficiency of the stem cell transfer (Aicher et al., 2003, Circulation, 107, 2134-2139). Since most of the other transfer cells exhibit similar results, there has been various attempts conducted to overcome these problems, but no outstanding methods are found. In particular, there has been research conducted to improve a cell attachment effect by transferring a gene encoding an adhesion protein to cells (Sheyn et al., 2010, Adv Drug Deliv Rev., 62, 683-698). However, since the cells in which the gene is overexpressed may be highly regulated as genetically modified cells in clinical applications in the near future, it is difficult to commercialize technology using these cells.
There is research conducted so far to develop bioadhesives using a bio-friendly material in various fields. Typically, an adhesive extracted from a soybean, a urethane-based foam adhesive commercially available from Naturalock, a starch-based adhesive, a blue mussel (Mytilus Edulis)-derived adhesive, and a sea mussel-derived protein adhesive have been developed for industrial and medical uses (Ciannamea et al., 2010, Bioresour Technol, 101, 818-825; Luhrs and Geurtsen, 2009, Prog Mol Subcell Biol, 47, 359-380; Valenta, 2005, Adv Drug Deliv Rev, 57, 1692-1712; Silverman and Roberto, 2007, Mar Biotechnol, 9, 661-681). However, the bioadhesives are more environmentally friendly than other polymer-based adhesives such as epoxy or phenol resins, but their main aim is based on development of a much powerful type of material for use for surgical sutures or as industrial adhesives. Therefore, it is not suitable to directly apply an adhesive to cells to be transferred for cell treatment and transplantation.
Also, a molecular imaging system, which determines whether the cells to be transferred for cell treatment and transplantation are transferred in vivo or diagnoses diseases, has been used to yield an SPECT-CT image by separating monocytes at a level of an animal model and introducing 111indium oxine into the monocytes (Kircher et al., 2008, Circulation, 117, 388-395), or a study of imaging macrophages using an iodine or gold-nanoparticle contrast agent has been conducted (Hyafil et al., 2007, Nat Med, 13, 636-641). However, such nanoparticles have the serious limitation of diagnosis in that they exude from cells and spread throughout the body.

Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University


A comminution system for heterogeneous materials includes pumps, a source of liquid in fluid communication with the pumps, a source of heterogeneous material, a mixer to combine the heterogeneous material and the liquid, and nozzles in fluid communication with the pumps, respectively. The pumps are in straight-line alignment with the nozzles. The nozzles receiving the heterogeneous material combined with the liquid direct the combined slurry to an impact zone where the fractions of the heterogeneous material are disassociated.

The field of the present invention is hydraulic disassociation processes and equipment for heterogeneous materials.
Several systems exist to disassociate composite materials into discrete fractions using high energy impact of such materials in slurries directed through nozzles. Typically, a pump generates a high energy fluid stream. Composite material is added to the fluid before or after the pump to create the slurry. The output flow from the pump is divided into multiple streams that feed the nozzles in the system. The nozzles are oriented to direct the high energy slurry streams against a hard surface or against each other to create the disassociating impact. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,815,066, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. These systems have inherent design inefficiencies. As the pump discharge is split, the discharge from the pump is circuitously directed to the nozzles. The consequence of this redirection is to create regions within the fluid conduit system that carries the process slurry from the pump discharge to the nozzle where significant wear is experienced within the fluid conduit of the system. These regions of significant wear may make necessary wear resistant solutions, such as ceramic lined piping within the system.
Such systems also have a relatively low probability of disassociating collisions experienced by the material particles being processed. This is because, by dividing the flow int multiple flow streams, the energy in each flow stream and, therefore, the slurry carrying capacity in each flow stream is reduced. Consequently, the most efficient slurry density of such systems is approximately 20 percent by mass solids. This means that 80-percent of the cross-sectional area of the material exiting the system nozzles is water, and not the material being processed. As a result, a statistical particle has, at a 20-percent operating slurry density, a 4-percent probability of an ideal particle-to-particle collision. Increasing the slurry density at which the system can operate can significantly increase the probability of disassociating particle-to-particle collisions. Therefore, higher densities of mass solids are needed to increase particle-to-particle collisions and increase disassociation efficiency. The low slurry density of such systems also requires pumping greater volumes per solids mass, increasing pumping energy requirements.

High slurry density hydraulic disassociation system


A developer contains a toner having an external additive deposited thereon. The developer is used with an image-forming apparatus including an image carrier including a surface layer in which fluoropolymer resin particles are dispersed and a cleaning member disposed in contact with an outer surface of the image carrier. The external additive is a nonspherical external additive whose volume average particle size is smaller than the average particle size of exposed portions of the fluoropolymer resin particles in the surface layer of the image carrier.

(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to developers, image-forming apparatuses, and methods for forming images.
(ii) Related Art
Image-forming apparatuses, such as printers, copiers, and fax machines, that form an image with a developer may have the following intermediate transfer system.
Specifically, a type of image-forming apparatus is available that includes an intermediate transfer belt including a surface layer in which fluoropolymer resin particles are dispersed for improved toner releasability and a cleaning device including a blade-shaped member. The intermediate transfer belt is rotated so as to transport an image developed with a developer containing a toner coated with an external additive and transferred to the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt to a second transfer section that retransfers the toner image to a recording medium such as recording paper. The blade-shaped member is disposed in contact with the outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt that has passed through the second transfer section to remove residual toner therefrom.

Developer, image-forming apparatus, and method for forming image


Slow cooking over solid fuel in an enclosed barbeque pit is carried out by the use of an electronically controlled impeller which directs a flow of air toward the fuel. The duty cycle of the impeller is controlled by an electronic controller which is responsive to the internal temperature of the food and to the temperature of the pit atmosphere. As the internal temperature of the food increases, the temperature of the pit atmosphere gradually decreases.

Much outdoor cooking over charcoal is conventional grilling in which meat, such as ground beef patties, steaks, chicken parts, and pork chops, or fish are placed on a grill directly over hot, glowing charcoal. Satisfactory cooking of ground beef patties, relatively thin cuts of meat, and fish can be carried out in this manner, at relatively high temperatures, in a few minutes to about one-half an hour.
Larger cuts of meat, such as beef briskets, pork shoulders, as well as whole chickens and the like, require much longer cooking times, sometimes up to twelve hours or more, depending on a number of factors, including the kind of meat being cooked, the size and weight of the portion being cooked, and its collagen content. Slow cooking of these meats breaks down collagen, making the meat tender, and easy to cut and chew. Because of the long cooking times, cooking must be carried out at relative low temperatures in order to avoid charring and dehydration.
Smokers are used for outdoor cooking of these larger cuts of meat. Most smokers fall into either of two categories. One popular type of smoker is typically in the form of a cylindrical or egg-shaped enclosure symmetrical about a vertical axis. In this type of smoker a charcoal or wood fire is directly underneath the meat rack, but vertically spaced from the meat rack by a large distance, usually with a drip pan interposed between the fire and the meat rack. Hot gas from the fire passes around the edge of the pan and into contact with the meat on the meat rack, and then out through a vent or chimney at the top. Another type of smoker has a cylindrical drum-shaped cooking chamber generally symmetrical about a horizontal axis, and a separate fire box attached to one end of the drum. Smoke from the firebox is directed into the cooking chamber, and, from the cooking chamber through a stack located near the opposite end of the cooking chamber. In the operation of both types of smokers, the temperature within the cooking chamber is controlled by manual adjustment of air dampers.
Indirect heating of larger cuts of meat can also be carried out in a conventional kettle grill, or a drum-type grill, by arranging the charcoal so that it is not directly underneath the meat, and adjusting the air dampers, both below the charcoal and above the meat, in such a way as to avoid excessive temperature.
In smokers, and also in kettle grills, it is difficult to maintain a steady, moderate temperature. Depending on conditions, the temperature in the smoker or grill will gradually rise or fall. Controlling the temperature, therefore, requires frequent adjustment of the dampers. If the fire becomes too hot, the meat will be cooked too quickly on the outside and inadequately on the inside. Moreover, if the fire is excessively hot, it will burn too quickly, requiring frequent addition of fuel. Excessive temperature can be avoided by using only a small amount of fuel. However, when a smaller amount of fuel is used, more frequent addition of fuel is required. On the other hand, if the dampers are insufficiently open to maintain combustion, the fire will be extinguished, and must be reignited. In either case, whenever the smoker or grill is opened to add or reignite fuel, the atmosphere inside the cooking chamber cools, and the proper cooking temperature must be reestablished.
Another problem encountered in conventional slow cooking is the excessive consumption of fuel. In order to establish a good charcoal fire, the usual practice is to ignite a quantity of charcoal, using lighter fluid, an electric heater, or a propane torch, or to place the charcoal temporarily in a removable chimney, and ignite it by burning paper. When these methods are used, the entire quantity of charcoal is ignited, and before cooking is begun, the charcoal is brought to a condition in which the coals are glowing, with little or no visible flame. A large amount of heat, and consequently a large amount of fuel, is wasted in the process of establishing a fire. The fact that the entire mass of charcoal is ignited initially, also means that it will be necessary to replenish the fuel supply from time to time, if cooking is to take place over a long interval.
An object of this invention is to make it possible to cook slowly with a solid fuel fire over a long time interval, without the need for constant attention to the fire. Another object of the invention is to conserve solid fuel, and to minimize or avoid the need for replenishment of fuel in slow cooking.


A sealed rolling bearing including inner and outer races and a pair of sealing plates in which fixing grooves each for fixedly receiving a fixing edge portion of a corresponding sealing plate are formed in the edge portions of the peripheral surface of one of the inner and outer races, and slide grooves each for slidably receiving a slidable seal edge portion of a corresponding one of the sealing plates are formed in the edge portions of the peripheral surface of the other race. Each slide groove has a U-shaped cross-section including a bottom surface and a pair of axially outward and inward inclined surfaces. Each sealing plate comprises a core and a flexible seal member integrally fixed to the core, and first, second and third lips which extend axially outwardly, axially inwardly and substantially radially, respectively are formed on the slidable seal edge portion of each sealing plate. The first lip is slidably abutted against a peripheral surface contiguous to the axially outward inclinded surface of the corresponding slide groove, the second lip is slidably abutted against the axially inward inclined surface, and the third lip confronts the bottom surface with a slight clearance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capped or sealed rolling bearing, and more particularly, it relates to an improvement in sealed portions between sealing plates and a rotating race of a rolling bearing.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional capped rolling bearing for example as disclosed in the Utility Model application Laid-open No. 62-85723, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, sealing plate receiving grooves 72 having appropriate shapes are formed in both edge portions of an inner peripheral surface of an outer race 70, and sealing plate receiving grooves 76 each having a U-shaped cross-section for slidably receiving sealing plate 80 are also formed in both edge portions of an outer peripheral surface of an inner race 74. Each sealing plate 80 comprises a metallic core 82 and a rubber seal 84 integrally fixed to the metallic core, which rubber seal 84 is provided at its outer periphery with a thickened attachment portion 86 to be fixed to the outer race 74 and is also provided at its inner periphery with an outer and inner lips 88 and 90 which extend obliquely in different directions. Each sealing plate can be arranged between the inner and outer races in such a manner that the attachment of fixing portion 86 of the sealing plate is fixedly fitted into the fixing groove 72 of the outer race, and the outer lip 88 is slidably abutted against an outer peripheral surface 94 contiguous to the slide groove 76 of the inner race and at the same time the inner lip 90 is slidably abutted against a vertical surface 92 of the inner race.
With this arrangment, since the two lips 88 and 90 have a common thinned portion or neck portion 96, these lips can be deformed integrally around the neck portion, whereby even if one of the lips 88 or 90 is worn to decrease its contact pressure against the surface 94 or 92, the contact pressure of the other lip 90 or 88 increases to compensate the reduction in the sealing ability of the one lip.
However, since the inner lip 90 is thicker and has greater rigidity with the result that it is difficult for the inner lip to deform in response to the movement of the bearing, (relative axial movement between the inner race and the outer race), the contact pressure of the inner lip 90 against the vertical surface 92 will inevitably increase, thus increasing a torque required for relatively rotating the inner and outer races.