Methods for providing a generic database security application using virtual private database (VPD) functionality are provided. The methods may include inserting rows into a user security table in a database providing VPD functionality, each row comprising a user ID for which database access is to be controlled, the name of a database object to be secured, and a predicate; and defining a security policy function common to all secured database objects, said security policy function generating a second predicate to be appended by the database's VPD functionality to queries made on a queried secured database object by a querying user, said second predicate based on at least one predicate in at least one row in the user security table, the at least one row referencing the name of the queried secured database object and the user ID of the querying user. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

This disclosure relates to database security and, more particularly, to methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a database security application, and systems and/or computer program products that implement such methods.
One approach for implementing security policies for restricting data access to data stored in a relational database is to embed the security logic within the applications that actually perform the data access. While an application-based security policy may provide a sufficient level of granularity (i.e., data access restrictions at the level of an individual user), it may not offer a sufficient level of security, because users with access to database query or reporting tools may be able to bypass the access control mechanisms implemented by the application. Moreover, any changes to the security policies may involve modifications to the application itself, which may require the time-consuming and expensive design, testing, and deployment of a new version of the application.
Another approach used in conjunction with application-enforced security is the use of a database object known as a "view." A view can be a stored query that is accessible as a "virtual table" composed of the result set of the query. Views may be used to partition a database table into multiple "virtual tables," each containing only a subset of the rows and/or columns present in the actual underlying database table or tables. However, the use of views may not be a practical means to implement a security policy, particularly where a large number of views is necessary. For instance, using views to limit a customer's access to their own records may be feasible if there are only 10 customers and, thus, 10 views, but may be impractical if there are 10,000 customers, requiring the design, testing, implementation, and maintenance of 10,000 separate views. Additionally, users with sufficient database access to the underlying tables may be able to bypass views and the security policies implemented therein.
"Virtual private database" (VPD) functionality provided by some databases may allow server-enforced, fine-grained data access control through the use of dynamic query modification to enforce security policies on database objects. VPD is discussed in more detail in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,854 to Guthrie et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,627 to Guthrie et al., as well as in "Oracle Virtual Private Database: An Oracle Database 10 g Release 2 White Paper," June 2005.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a generic database security application using virtual private database functionality with a common security policy function


An engine starting device for an automatic idling stop system includes: a crank angle sensor for detecting a crank angle of an engine; a ring gear connected to a crankshaft of the engine, for transmitting rotation of the engine; ring gear rpm detecting section; a starter motor for starting the engine; a pinion gear for transmitting rotation of the starter motor to the ring gear; pinion-gear push-out section for pushing out the pinion gear into meshing engagement with the ring gear; and pinion gear push-out control section for driving the pinion-gear push-out section to bring the pinion gear and the ring gear into meshing engagement when the ring gear rpm detected by the ring gear rotational speed detection section becomes smaller than a threshold value which is determined by at least one of the crank angle, a gear range, and a restart condition.

Conventionally, for the purposes of improving fuel efficiency of an automobile, reducing an environmental load, and the like, an automatic idle-stop system, which automatically performs idle-stop when a predetermined condition is satisfied, has been developed. For example, with a method for bringing a starter pinion into meshing engagement with a ring gear and a starter controller described in Patent Literature 1 described below, when an rpm of the ring gear is within a predetermined range and a direction of rotation is forward, the pinion gear is brought into meshing engagement with the ring gear. A meshing state between the pinion gear and the ring gear in an early stage is realized.
In Patent Literature 2 described below, when a direction of rotation of a ring gear which rotates reversely changes to be forward again, the pinion gear is brought into meshing engagement.


A power amplifier circuit arrangement including a driver amplifier, a switch, an amplifier path having a band pass filter and a power amplifier, and a bypass path which bypasses the power amplifier when excess gain and output power are not needed. When an RF-analog signal from the driver amplifier is switched to the amplifier path, the signal is band-pass filtered and amplified. Then the signal is split into an in-phase and a quadrature signal. Either the in-phase or the quadrature signal is inverted and summed with the other of the in-phase or quadrature signal, and the summed signal is transmitted to an output port. When the RF-signal from the driver amplified is switched to the bypass path, the power amplifier is turned off and the bypass path directs the signal to the output of the power amplifier, which appears as a high impedance to the signal. The signal reflects off the power amplifier to the output port. This design preserves the benefits of bypassing the power amplifier by reducing the amount of switching loss introduced into the circuit.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to power gain control for a power amplifier circuit and particularly to a power application circuit having greater power conservation in wireless communication device, such as a CDMA wireless phone.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many electronic environments, such as most hand-held communication systems including code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) or any form of time-division-multiple access (TDMA) technology, RF power output from a mobile unit varies in large dynamic ranges. In a CDMA radiotelephone system, multiple signals are transmitted simultaneously at the same frequency. The signals are spread with different digital codes, thus allowing detection of the desired signal while the unintended signals appear as noise or interference to the receiver. Spread spectrum systems can tolerate some interference, and the interference added by each new mobile station increases the overall interference in each cell site. Each mobile station introduces a unique level of interference, which depends on its received power level at the cell site.
The CDMA system uses power control to minimize mutual interference. A precise power control is critical to avoid excessive transmitter signal power that is responsible for contributing to the overall interference of the system. Power of the individual mobile stations varies with the distance between the mobile station and the base station and the number of other subscriber mobile stations in that base station or sector.
In a typical hand-held wireless unit, the power amplifier is biased class AB to reduce power consumption during periods of low transmit power, but power continues to be consumed. Typically an isolator is used to isolate the power amplifier from the effects of load impedance in subsequent stages. One method to avoid continuous battery draw is to employ a means to bypass the amplifier with switches, and then remove DC power from the amplifier. Such a power amplifier circuit has a power amplifier and an isolator. An RF-input is connected to a pole of a first switch. When the amplifier is on, the switch connects the RF-input to an input of the power amplifier. The RF-signal is amplified and output to the isolator, and then transmitted through the second switch to the RF-output of the power amplifier circuit. To bypass the power amplifier, the first switch connects the RF-input to the bypass path and the second switch transmits the signal to the RF-output. The switching employed introduces loss as the signal is processed. The drawback of this design is that the amplifier must overcome the added switching loss during times that higher transmit power is required. This can tend to cancel the benefits of bypassing.

High efficiency switched gain power amplifier


The present disclosure provides a detachable surgery drainage tube capable of being sutured and fixed, relates to a technical field of surgery drainage tubes, including a tube body, a suture line, and a first limiting component. The tube body is hollow. The suture line has a length, and is configured to act on a part to be drained. The first limiting component is an annular structure, and a structure of the first limiting component is easy to be cut by scissors. The first limiting component is disposed in the tube body, and two ends of the first limiting component are fixed at two ends of the tube body. A fixing component is disposed on the tube body with respect to the first limiting component, a fixing groove is disposed on the fixing component, the fixing groove is perforated, and the first fixing component penetrates through the fixing groove.

Anastomotic stoma fistula is the most common serious complication after gastrointestinal surgery (e.g., gastric, colorectal, and rectal cancer surgery) and one of the main causes of patient death. Taking colorectal cancer surgery as an example, according to statistics, incidence of the anastomotic stoma fistula after colorectal cancer surgery is as high as 3-6%, and a number of deaths caused by anastomotic complications accounts for about ⅓ of a total number of deaths after colorectal cancer surgery each year. The anastomotic stoma fistulas after colorectal resection often occur within 4-9 days after surgery, and in a few patients they can suffer around 10 days after surgery. Causes of the anastomotic stoma fistula are generally classified as poor anastomotic blood flow, excessive anastomotic tension, and poor bowel preparation. Patients having chronic wasting diseases such as diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, or long-term hormone use are also high in risk of the anastomotic stoma fistula.
Once the anastomotic stoma fistula occurs, the most important treatment is drainage and irrigation, and most anastomotic stoma fistulas can be cured by conservative treatment as long as there is reliable and unobstructed drainage. A surgery drainage tube is mostly placed around an anastomotic stoma during the surgery, but due to facts that a body position of postoperative patients is changed, intestinal swelling gas and intestinal peristalsis are caused, the surgery drainage tube is frequently displaced, so that a drainage effect of the surgery drainage tube is lost, and a protection effect of the surgery drainage tube on the anastomotic stoma is lost.
Therefore, a technical problem of the prior art is that the surgery drainage tube is displaced with respect to the anastomotic stoma.


An enclosure assembly for use in an audio speaker includes a driver support, a plurality of cavity forming layers disposed rearward of the driver support, and an end piece disposed adjacent a rearward most cavity forming layer. The driver support includes a front and rear and is adapted to support a driver. Each cavity forming layer includes an outer peripheral edge and a void disposed inward of the outer peripheral edge. The void defines an inner circumferential edge. The cavity forming layers may be removably joined such that the voids and the end piece cooperate to form a cavity rearward of the driver support. The cavity forming layers cooperate to advantageously modify the sound performance of the speaker, while providing a high degree of adjustability to the speaker""s application environment. Methods of providing the enclosure assembly are also included.

The present invention relates generally to audio speaker enclosures. More specifically, the invention is directed to an improved audio speaker enclosure having cavity forming layers which cooperate to advantageously modify the sound performance of the speaker, while providing a high degree of adjustability to the speaker""s application environment.
The performance of an audio speaker may be measured in terms of fidelity, or the degree in which an electronic system reproduces sound without distortion. Resonance and vibrations within the audio speaker will effect the measured performance of the speaker. It is known in the art that the structure of the audio speaker itself can effect the resonance and vibrations within the audio speaker. Conventional speaker enclosures are designed with this principle in mind.
Conventional audio speakers typically include at least one driver mounted within an external face of the enclosure. As the driver projects sound into the application environment, e.g., a room in the case of a home stereo, rearward advancing sound waves travel within the speaker enclosure. Various solutions have been proposed for increasing sound absorption and reducing sound reflection at the walls of the enclosure. Several solutions involve the formation of a cavity within the speaker enclosure to reduce resonance and increase speaker fidelity.
One of these solutions is to form a speaker enclosure from a plurality of structural layers so as to create separate chambers for various drivers. The chambers are formed by the cooperation of internal openings within the structural layers. Vibration dampening layers are interspersed between the separate chambers to attenuate vibrations and prevent interactions between the drivers in separate chambers. This solution incorporates several tension rods to hold together the structural layers. This construction does not facilitate the quick addition and removal of layers to modify sound response without removing drivers. Individual layers can not be removed, modified and reinstalled without disassembling the enclosure.
Another solution proposes employing a series of structural layers to create two enclosure volumes within a speaker enclosure. A primary chamber defines a principal interior volume of the enclosure while a secondary chamber defines a minor interior volume. The minor interior volume is substantially smaller than the principal interior volume. This solution does not disclose a speaker assembly with a high degree of adjustability allowing for the advantageous modification of the frequency response produced by the speaker.
As a practical matter, a speaker installer is currently limited by the speaker in its factory issued condition. There remains a need in the art for an improved audio speaker enclosure assembly that can advantageously modify the sound performance of the speaker, while maintaining a high degree of flexibility and adjustability to adapt to a variety of application environments.
The present invention is directed to an improved audio speaker enclosure having cavity forming layers which cooperate to advantageously modify the sound performance of the speaker. The invention provides a high degree of adjustability to adapt to a variety of application environments.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an enclosure assembly includes a driver support, a plurality of cavity forming layers and an end piece. The driver support has a front and a rear and is adapted to support a driver. The plurality of cavity forming layers are disposed rearward of the driver support. The end piece is disposed adjacent a rearward most cavity forming layer.
Each cavity forming layer comprises an outer peripheral edge and a void disposed inward of the outer peripheral edge. The void is defined by an inner circumferential edge. A plurality of the cavity forming layers is removably joined such that the voids and the end piece cooperate to form a single cavity rearward of the driver support. The cavity has an inner circumferential surface defined by the inner circumferential edges of the cavity forming layers. The individual cavity forming layers can be added or removed to change a volume of the cavity.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an enclosure assembly includes a driver support having a front and a rear and adapted to support a driver, a plurality of cavity forming layers disposed rearward of the driver support, and an end piece disposed adjacent a rearward most cavity forming layer, wherein the end piece terminates the cavity.
Each cavity forming layer comprises an outer peripheral edge and a void disposed inward of the outer peripheral edge. The void is defined by an inner circumferential edge. The cavity forming layers and the end piece cooperate to form at least one cavity rearward of the driver support. The cavity has an inner circumferential surface defined by the inner circumferential edges of the cavity forming layers. At least one cavity forming layer has a void having an area that is different from an area of a void of at least one other cavity forming layer.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an enclosure assembly includes a driver support having a front and a rear and adapted to support a driver, a plurality of cavity forming layers disposed rearward of the driver support, and an end piece disposed adjacent a rearward most cavity forming layer, wherein the end piece terminates the cavity.
Each cavity forming layer comprises an outer peripheral edge and a void disposed inward of the outer peripheral edge, wherein the void is defined by an inner circumferential edge. The cavity forming layers and the end piece cooperate to form at least one cavity rearward of the driver support. The cavity has an inner circumferential surface defined by the inner circumferential edges of the cavity forming layers. At least one cavity forming layer has a void having a shape that is different from a shape of a void of at least one other cavity forming layer.
A method of the present invention is also included. The method comprises the first step of measuring a set of acoustical parameters. The set defines the application environment.
The method comprises the second step of assembling an enclosure assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A third step comprises modifying an actual sound response produced within the application environment by at least one of the following steps; adding at least one removably joined cavity forming layer, deleting at least one removably joined cavity forming layer, or modifying an inner circumferential edge of at least one cavity forming layer. The modified cavity forming layer cooperates to form an inner circumferential surface of the at least one cavity.
In one embodiment, the method steps are performed on-site within the application environment.
Other objects and advantages and a fuller understanding of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.


A thin film transistor capable of controlling the dispersion in its characteristic, which includes a glass base plate 2, an insulating foundation film 3 made of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and formed on the glass base plate 2, a semiconductor layer 4 made of silicon (Si) formed on the insulating foundation film 3, a source region 8 and a drain region 9 which are formed on the semiconductor layer 4 to be separately located on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the semiconductor layer, a channel region 10 existing between the source region 8 and drain region 9, a gate insulating film 6 made of SiO2 and formed on the channel region 10, and a gate electrode 7 formed on the gate insulating film 6, wherein the taper angle xcex8 of the end portion 5 located in the width direction WD of the channel region 10 covered by at least the gate electrode 7 is 60xc2x0 or more.

Priority is claimed to Japanese patent application No. 2002-094665, filed Mar. 29, 2002, which is incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor and, more particularly, to a thin film transistor for use in a liquid crystal display device and others.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view indicating a prior art thin film transistor while FIG. 7(b) is a sectional view taken on line A-Axe2x80x2 of FIG. 7(a).
In FIG. 7(a), a reference numeral 1 indicates a thin film transistor, 2 a glass base plate, 3 an insulating foundation film made of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and others, 4 a semiconductor layer made of silicon (Si) for instance, 5 end portions located in the channel width direction of the semiconductor layer 4, 6 a gate insulating film made of silicon dioxide and others, 7 a gate electrode, 8 a source region, 9 a drain region, 10 a channel region, L a channel length, W a channel width, and WD a width direction of the channel region. In FIG. 7(b), a reference sign xcex8 designates a taper angle (i.e. a tilt angle xcex8 made by the hypotenuse and the horizontal side of the approximately right-angled triangular end portion) of the end portion 5 of the semiconductor layer 4.
FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) show the thin film transistor in which the semiconductor layer 4 is formed on the insulating foundation film 3 lying on the glass base plate 2, and the gate electrode 7 is formed on the gate insulating film 6 as formed to cover the semiconductor layer 4.
The thin film transistor having the gate electrode 7 above the semiconductor layer 4 as mentioned above is called a thin film transistor of the top-gate type.
In case of the top-gate type thin film transistor 1 as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), if forming it for instance by using the semiconductor layer 4 made of silicon, due to the forming process of it, to put it concretely, the process of forming the semiconductor layer 4 in a predetermined pattern by etching it by means of the photolithographic method, both end portions 5 located in the channel width direction of the semiconductor layer 4 have a tapered shape, that is, a certain taper angle xcex8 as shown in FIG. 7(b).
This taper angle xcex8 sometime varies depending on the location of the end portion on the glass base plate, due to the forming process as mentioned above. However, it is true that this variation in the taper angle xcex8 is a very important factor causing variation in the characteristic of the thin film transistor 1.
As far as the channel width (or gate width) W is sufficiently wide, contribution of the end portion 5 (called gate edge portion) located in the channel region of the semiconductor layer 4 covered by the gate electrode 7 is relatively small, so that the variation of the taper angle xcex8 does not cause a significant problem.
However, if the channel width W becomes very small, for instance 1 xcexcm or less, the issue that the characteristic of the thin film transistor 1 is dispersed due to the variation in the taper angle xcex8 appears before us as a problem to be considered and solve. Especially, in case of a glass base plate 2 having a large dimension for a liquid crystal display device use, this problem becomes more serious and significant.
Now, let us assume the thin film transistor 1 as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) of which each part has a dimension as follows: the channel width W being 1 xcexcm; a channel length L being 4 xcexcm; the film thickness of the gate insulating film 6 being 40 nm; and the film thickness of the semiconductor layer being 60 nm.
A three-dimensional device simulation is executed with regard to the thin film transistor having the structure as mentioned above. FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are graphs showing results obtained by computing the data having been obtained from the three-dimensional device simulation. In the figures, FIG. 6(a) shows a relation of Normalized Drain Current vs Gate Voltage (ld-lg characteristic) at taper angles of 30xc2x0, 45xc2x0 and 60xc2x0 while FIG. 6(b) indicates the relation of Threshold Voltage vs Taper angle showing how the above taper angle xcex8 gives influence to the threshold voltage Vth. In FIG. 6(a), the drain voltage Vd is 5V.
As will be clearly seen from these results, the ld-Vg characteristic is remarkably changed by the taper angle xcex8 and the threshold voltage Vth is also changed by the taper angle xcex8. In short, this indicates that if the taper angle xcex8 is changed in the process of manufacturing the thin film transistor, the threshold voltage Vth is changed. As will be apparent from FIG. 6(b), the threshold voltage Vth comes to indicate a considerably big change if the taper angle xcex8 is in the range of 60xc2x0 or less while the change in the threshold voltage Vth becomes very small if the taper angle xcex8 is in the range of more than 60xc2x0. From this, it will be understood how important the control of the taper angle xcex8 is.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a thin film transistor capable of controlling the dispersion in its characteristic, which is caused by the variation in the taper angle xcex8 at the end portion located in the channel width direction of the semiconductor layer.
In order to solve the problems as described above, the invention takes constitutions as recited in the scope of claim for patent attached to this specification.
That is, a thin film transistor as recited in claim 1 includes a semiconductor layer formed on a base substrate, a source region and a drain region formed on the semiconductor layer to be separately located on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the semiconductor layer, a channel region located between the source region and the drain region, and a gate electrode formed on a gate insulating film lying on the channel region, wherein the taper angle xcex8 of each of end portions located in the channel width direction in the channel region covered by at least the gate electrode is 60xc2x0 or more.
Furthermore, a thin film transistor as recited in claim 2 includes a semiconductor layer formed on a base plate, a source region and a drain region formed on the semiconductor layer to be separately located on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the semiconductor layer, a channel region located between the source region and the drain region, and a gate electrode formed on a gate insulating film lying on the channel region, wherein each of end portions located in the channel width direction in the channel region covered by at least the gate electrode is insulated.
Still further, a thin film transistor as recited in claim 3 includes a semiconductor layer formed on a base plate, a source region and a drain region formed on the semiconductor layer to be separately located on both sides in the longitudinal direction of semiconductor layer, a channel region located between the source region and the drain region, and a gate electrode formed on a gate insulating film lying on the channel region, wherein an impurity having a conductive type opposite to that which is introduced into the source region and the drain region as well, is introduced into the end portion located in the channel width direction in the channel region at least covered by at least the gate electrode.
A thin film transistor according to the invention will now be described in detail by way of several embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which constituents of the invention having like function are designated by like reference numerals and signs, and repetitive description thereof will be omitted for simplification.

Kabushiki Kaisha Ekisho Sentan Gijutsu Kaihatsu Center


Individual information signals encoded with a common block error-correction code are assigned a unique scrambling mask, or signature sequence, taken from a set of scrambling masks having selected correlation properties. The set of scrambling masks is selected such that the correlation between the modulo-2 sum of two masks with any codeword in the block code is a constant magnitude, independent of the mask set and the individual masks being compared. In one embodiment, when any two masks are summed using modulo-2 arithmetic, the Walsh transformation of that sum results in a maximally flat Walsh spectrum. For cellular radio telephone systems using subtractive CDMA demodulation techniques, a two-tier ciphering system ensures security at the cellular system level by using a pseudorandomly generated code key to select one of the scrambling masks common to all of the mobile stations in a particular cell. Also, privacy at the individual mobile subscriber level is ensured by using a pseudorandomly generated ciphering key to encipher individual information signals before the scrambling operation.

The cellular telephone industry has made phenomenal strides in commercial operations in the United States as well as the rest of the world. Growth in major metropolitan areas has far exceeded expectations and is outstripping system capacity. If this trend continues, the effects of rapid growth will soon reach even the smallest markets. Innovative solutions are required to meet these increasing capacity needs as well as maintain high quality service and avoid rising prices.
Throughout the world, one important step in cellular systems is to change from analog to digital transmission. Equally important is the choice of an effective digital transmission scheme for implementing the next generation of cellular technology. Furthermore, it is widely believed that the first generation of Personal Communication Networks (PCNs) employing low cost, pocket-size, cordless telephones that can be carried comfortably and used to make or receive calls in the home, office, street, car, etc. would be provided by cellular carriers using the next generation of digital cellular system infrastructure and cellular frequencies. The key feature demanded of these new systems is increased traffic capacity.
Currently, channel access is achieved using Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) methods. As illustrated in FIG. 1(a), in FDMA, a communication channel is a single radio frequency band into which a signal's transmission power is concentrated. Interference with adjacent channels is limited by the use of bandpass filters that only pass signal energy within the filters' specified frequency bands. Thus, with each channel being assigned a different frequency, system capacity is limited by the available frequencies as well as by limitations imposed by channel reuse.
In TDMA systems, as shown in FIG. 1(b), a channel consists of a time slot in a periodic train of time intervals over the same frequency. Each period of time slots is called a frame. A given signal's energy is confined to one of these time slots. Adjacent channel interference is limited by the use of a time gate or other synchronization element that only passes signal energy received at the proper time. Thus, the problem of interference from different relative signal strength levels is reduced.
Capacity in a TDMA system is increased by compressing the transmission signal into a shorter time slot. As a result, the information must be transmitted at a correspondingly faster burst rate that increases the amount of occupied spectrum proportionally. The frequency bandwidths occupied are thus larger in FIG. 1(b) than in FIG. 1(a).
With FDMA or TDMA systems or hybrid FDMA/TDMA systems, the goal is to ensure that two potentially interfering signals do not occupy the same frequency at the same time. In contrast, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) allows signals to overlap in both time and frequency, as illustrated in FIG. 1(c). Thus, all CDMA signals share the same frequency spectrum. In both the frequency and the time domain, the multiple access signals overlap. Various aspects of CDMA communications are described in "On the Capacity of a Cellular CDMA System," by Gilhousen, Jacobs, Viterbi, Weaver and Wheatley, IEEE Trans, on Vehicular Technology, May 1991.
In a typical CDMA system, the informational datastream to be transmitted is impressed upon a much higher bit rate datastream generated by a pseudorandom code generator. The informational datastream and the high bit rate datastream are typically multiplied together. This combination of higher bit rate signal with the lower bit rate datastream is called coding or spreading the informational datastream signal. Each informational datastream or channel is allocated a unique spreading code. A plurality of coded information signals are transmitted on radio frequency carrier waves and jointly received as a composite signal at a receiver. Each of the coded signals overlaps all of the other coded signals, as well as noise-related signals, in both frequency and time. By correlating the composite signal with one of the unique spreading codes, the corresponding information signal is isolated and decoded.
There are a number of advantages associated with CDMA communication techniques. The capacity limits of CDMA-based cellular systems are projected to be up to twenty times that of existing analog technology as a result of the wideband CDMA system's properties such as improved coding gain/modulation density, voice activity gating, sectorization and reuse of the same spectrum in every cell. CDMA is virtually immune to multi-path interference, and eliminates fading and static to enhance performance in urban areas. CDMA transmission of voice by a high bit rate encoder ensures superior, realistic voice quality. CDMA also provides for variable data rates allowing many different grades of voice quality to be offered. The scrambled signal format of CDMA completely eliminates cross-talk and makes it very difficult and costly to eavesdrop or track calls, insuring greater privacy for callers and greater immunity from air time fraud.
Despite the numerous advantages afforded by CDMA systems, the capacity of conventional CDMA systems is limited by the decoding process. Because so many different user communications overlap in time and frequency, the task of correlating the correct information signal with the appropriate user is complex. In practical implementations of CDMA communications, capacity is limited by the signal-to-noise ratio, which is essentially a measure of the interference caused by other overlapping signals as well as background noise. The general problem to be solved, therefore, is how to increase system capacity and still maintain system integrity and a reasonable signal-to-noise ratio. A specific aspect of that problem is how to optimize the process of distinguishing each coded information signal from all of the other information signals and noise-related interference.
Another issue to be resolved in CDMA systems is system security and individual subscriber privacy. Since all of the coded subscriber signals overlap, CDMA decoding techniques typically require that the specific codes used to distinguish each information signal be generally known. This public knowledge of the actual codes used in a particular cell invites eavesdropping.

Multiple access coding for radio communications


An auxiliary burner provides supplemental thermal energy to a vehicle having a room and domestic water to be heated. The auxiliary burner operates efficiently at a rated thermal output when it is operated for at least the duration of a minimum operational cycle. A reservoir contains heat transfer liquid having a selected thermal energy storage capacity, measured by the amount of thermal energy required to heat the liquid from a minimum to a maximum operating temperature. The heat transfer liquid receives heat from the auxiliary burner. The thermal energy storage capacity is selected so that the auxiliary burner must operate at its rated thermal output for at least the duration of the minimum desired operational cycle to provide the selected thermal energy storage capacity to the reservoir. Methods of the present invention include heating the reservoir containing the heat transfer liquid having the selected thermal energy storage capacity by operating the auxiliary burner at the rated thermal output for at least the duration of the minimum desired operational cycle. With the heat transfer liquid in the thermal reservoir at the maximum operating temperature and the auxiliary burner off, heat is transferred from the thermal reservoir to meet thermal demands for heated room air and domestic hot water. These demands decrease the temperature of the heat transfer liquid to the minimum operating temperature, whereupon the auxiliary burner is operated for at least the duration of the minimum desired operational cycle to raise the temperature of the heat transfer liquid to the maximum operating temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to providing supplemental thermal energy to vehicles having living areas, and more particularly to providing supplemental heat to over-the-road and marine craft having rooms and domestic water to be heated.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Vehicles of many types have been used to provide temporary living or working quarters. These include self-propelled over-the-road vehicles, such as so-called recreational vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. Also, self-propelled vans have been used as mobile work spaces, such as for providing medical services at remote or movable locations in a city. Other self-propelled vehicles include boats in which internal combustion engines provide the primary power source. Other non-self-propelled vehicles, such as trailers, have been used to provide shelter for temporary living, such as for vacation or recreation. Also, trailers are used to provide space for performing work, such as at construction sites or performing atmospheric sensing at remote locations.
All of these vehicles are characterized by the need to provide heated space, in the form of at least one room. In general, many separate rooms or work areas are provided. Also, sanitary facilities are provided in such vehicles, and include plumbing fixtures such as sinks, showers, and toilets that use domestic water, especially heated water.
The term "vehicle" is used herein to refer to all of these types of vehicles, whether or not self-propelled and whether an over-the-road or water vehicle, so long as there is a space to be heated in the vehicle and/or a requirement that heated domestic water be available for use. The term "vehicle" may also include the above type of vehicle that is also provided with a main power source, such as an internal combustion engine, that has a primary function of propelling the vehicle on land or water. Customarily, those main power sources are heated when not in operation, so that they will start readily when the vehicle is to be moved.
The main power source of such vehicle is turned off when the vehicle arrives at the destination, and reliance is placed on a supplemental source of thermal energy. Such supplemental thermal energy sources include diesel-fired and gasoline-fired burners, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,726,042 and 3,877,639. These supplemental burners transfer heat to a small mass or volume of liquid in a thin jacket that surrounds the burner's combustion chamber. The thin jacket substantially limits the mass and volume of liquid that is in heat transfer relationship with the combustion chamber.
In applicant's experience with such burners, the liquid volume in the thin jackets is only about 0.26 gallons, and a typical system, including conduits and liquid-to-air heat exchangers, may only have a two and one-half gallon liquid volume, including the 0.26 gallons in the thin jackets. Further, such mass and volume of the liquid in the thin jackets are not selected according to the operating characteristics of the auxiliary burners.
Other systems used with such vehicles include relatively small domestic hot water tanks, such as those holding eleven gallons. The domestic water is heated by a heat exchanger that uses energy from the main engine. Alternatively, the domestic water is heated when the supplemental burner is operated for heating room air. The operation of the burner is not generally controlled in response to the demand for hot domestic water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 236,849 issued in 1881 discloses pipes that supply heat to both a domestic water tank and radiators for room air heating.

Supplemental vehicle heating apparatus with long heating cycle


An addition-curable type silicone rubber composition comprising (A) an organopolysiloxane having an alkenyl group such as vinyl in its molecule, (B) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having at least two SiH groups in its molecule, (C) a platinum catalyst such as platinum, chloroplatinic acid, etc., (D) an inorganic filler, (E) an organic titanium compound such as tetraethyl titanate, and (F) water. The composition exhibits good fluidity, and behaves like a Newtonian fluid, even where carbon black or a silica or alumina having an average particle diameter of 1 .mu.m or above is incorporated in the composition as an inorganic filler for improving such characteristics as heat resistance, thermal conductivity, etc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an addition-curable type silicone rubber composition, and more particularly to a silicone rubber composition with improved fluidity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Addition-curable type silicone rubber compositions are in extensive use for such applications as electrically insulating potting material , PPC roll material, etc. These compositions generally comprise an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane, an organohydrogen-polysiloxane containing an SiH group, a platinum catalyst and an inorganic filler. Specifically, for obtaining enhanced heat resistance, carbon black is used as an inorganic filler; for such purposes as improving thermal conductivity or preventing deformation of cured products due to thermal expansion, a silica or alumina having an average particle diameter of 1 .mu.m or above is used as an inorganic filler.
However, incorporation of carbon black into an addition-curable type silicone rubber composition markedly impairs the fluidity of the composition. In order to solve the problem, it has been proposed to use a carbon black of which particle surfaces have been treated with water and a hexaalkylsilazane (See Japanese Preexamination Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2-80461 (1990)). According to the proposed method, however, improvement of fluidity is not achievable, though the resulting silicone rubber compositions tend to show a lowered viscosity.
On the other hand, use of a silica or alumina having an average particle diameter of 1 .mu.m or above as an inorganic filler results in that the filler separates from silicone oil and sediments during storage of the silicone rubber composition. It is known that the separation and sedimentation can be prevented by addition to the composition of fumed silica having a specific surface area of 50 m.sup.2 /g or above. The addition of such fumed silica, however, involves the problem that fluidity of the composition is lowered. As a means for overcoming the above drawbacks and obtaining an addition-curable silicone rubber composition improved in thermal conductivity and other properties, Japanese Patent Publication (KOKOKU) No. 52-22965 (1977), for example, discloses a process which comprises using a filler such as alumina, magnesium oxide or the like and treating the filler-loaded curable composition with water and a silazane compound. However, such a treatment requires a heating step, and, in addition, another heating step is needed to remove excess portions of the water and silazane compound from the reaction system. Thus the process is disadvantageous from the viewpoint of productivity and cost.

Silicone rubber composition with improved fluidity


An embodiment in accordance with the present invention is directed to a spill-proof cup. The cup includes an innovative mechanisms to allow for a completely spill-proof and ergonomic cup. The cup functions in the same manner as a regular cup. In some embodiments the spill-proof feature of the cup is facilitated by a weight that will fall down when the cup is tilted. In other embodiments, chambers are filled with liquid to control flow and only allow the user a volume of one sip of liquid at a time. As a result of these specialized embodiments, the cup does not consume electricity, is safe to use, and costs little both to make and to purchase.

Persons with physical disabilities often find difficulty in daily tasks such as eating and drinking. Neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and other conditions can cause hand tremors or weak grasp and therefore make an affected person likely to spill food and beverages. Spill-proof cups are one way to make the daily task of drinking much easier.
Spill-proof cups, such as "sippy-cups" for young children or travel mugs for transporting hot beverages or other drinks in the car or on the go, are already available on the market. However, not all of these cups are suitable for use by persons with disabilities, for a number of reasons. Adding a lid to a cup does not automatically make it spill-proof, and supposedly "spill-proof" cups do spill or at least leak if the lid isn't screwed on tightly or the cover over the drinking area is not properly secured.
Accordingly, it would therefore be beneficial to provide a design for a cup that is completely spill-proof and easy to use.


A system and method are set forth for remotely controlling a presentation in a loop mode to allow the presentation to continue in the absence of a communication channel between the portable electronic device and remote presentation device. In particular, the portable electronic device can issue a command to the remote presentation device to present the presentation in loop mode so that a user of the portable electronic device can leave the vicinity of the remote presentation device (e.g. out of communication range) while the presentation plays in loop mode.

Electronic slide presentations are a common way to present information to one or more viewers. Slide presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint®) facilitates the creation of multimedia documents incorporating text, images, audio and/or visual clips for presentation in one or more slides. Often the documents are presented in a slideshow, displaying the slides sequentially. The slides may be displayed to a display screen of a computing device (e.g. personal computer) or remotely via a presentation device such as a projector for projecting the presentation to a remote screen.
More particularly, portable electronic devices such as wireless mobile devices (cellular phones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), etc.) among others, may include a viewer for displaying slide presentations in multiple display modes, such as a text mode for displaying text information distilled from the slides, a preview mode for displaying thumbnail slide images rendered from the slides and a mixed mode for displaying both text information and thumbnail slide images together. The slide presentation viewer may also include a slide show mode to display the slide images in full screen along with an interface (e.g. menu) for selecting among the multiple modes and for invoking and controlling the slide show. For handheld wireless communication devices in particular, a network server may process slide presentation documents to generate the text information and slide images for communicating to wireless devices equipped with appropriate slide presentation viewers. The network server may be an attachment server providing services for email attachments and the slide presentation viewers may be attachment viewers for email or dedicated viewers for presentations.
Handheld communication devices may also be capable of remotely controlling display of an electronic slide presentation. For example, a presentation mode of operation may be provided for wirelessly controlling display of a slide presentation on a remote presentation device. When controlling a presentation in this fashion, the slides being displayed on the handheld electronic device are the same as those displayed on the presentation device.
Therefore, a communication channel must be maintained between the handheld device and remote presentation device in order for the presentation to continue. If the handheld device moves out of range of the remote presentation device, or otherwise loses its ability to communicate with the remote presentation device, the communication channel is lost and the presentation will stop.

Method of remotely controlling a presentation in loop mode using a portable electronic device


A vertical plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a plurality of target objects together at a time includes an activation mechanism configured to turn a process gas into plasma. The activation mechanism includes a vertically elongated plasma generation box attached to a process container at a position corresponding to a process field and confining a plasma generation area airtightly communicating with the process field, an ICP electrode disposed outside the plasma generation box and extending in a longitudinal direction of the plasma generation box, and an RF power supply connected to the ICP electrode. The ICP electrode includes a separated portion separated from a wall surface of the plasma generation box by a predetermined distance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus for performing a process, such as a film formation process or etching process, by use of plasma on target objects, such as semiconductor wafers, and particularly to a technique utilized in the semiconductor process field. The term "semiconductor process" used herein includes various kinds of processes which are performed to manufacture a semiconductor device or a structure having wiring layers, electrodes, and the like to be connected to a semiconductor device, on a target object, such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate used for an FPD (Flat Panel Display), e.g., an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), by forming semiconductor layers, insulating layers, and conductive layers in predetermined patterns on the target object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In manufacturing semiconductor devices for constituting semiconductor integrated circuits, a target object, such as a semiconductor wafer, is subjected to various processes, such as film formation, etching, oxidation, diffusion, reformation, annealing, and natural oxide film removal. US 2006/0286817 A1 discloses a semiconductor processing method of this kind performed in a vertical heat-processing apparatus (of the so-called batch type). According to this method, semiconductor wafers are first transferred from a wafer cassette onto a vertical wafer boat and supported thereon at intervals in the vertical direction. The wafer cassette can store, e.g., 25 wafers, while the wafer boat can support 30 to 150 wafers. Then, the wafer boat is loaded into a process container from below, and the process container is airtightly closed. Then, a predetermined heat process is performed, while the process conditions, such as process gas flow rate, process pressure, and process temperature, are controlled.
In order to improve the characteristics of semiconductor integrated circuits, it is important to improve the properties of insulating films used for semiconductor devices. Conventionally, SiO2 films are mainly used as insulating films for semiconductor devices. However, in recent years, semiconductor integrated circuits are required to satisfy further improved integration and miniaturization levels. Under the circumstances, silicon nitride films (Si3N4 films) are used as insulating films for oxidation-resistant films, impurity-diffusion prevention films, and/or sidewall films of gate devices. Silicon nitride films are low in impurity diffusion coefficient and high in oxidation barrier property, and thus are extremely suitable for insulating films used in the applications described above.
Further, in recent years, semiconductor integrated circuits are required to have a higher operation speed. Owing to this demand, there is a proposal in which a silicon nitride film doped with an impurity, such as boron B, is formed to provide an insulating film having a far smaller dielectric constant that decreases the parasitic capacitance to a large extent (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-275608).
In addition to the demand described above, it is necessary to lower the temperature of processes. Owing to this demand, there has been proposed a plasma processing apparatus that performs a process by use of plasma to promote a reaction even at a lower wafer temperature (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publications No. 2006-270016 and No. 2007-42823).
FIG. 20 is a view schematically showing a vertical plasma processing apparatus, which is one of the conventional apparatuses described above. FIG. 21 is a sectional view showing part of a plasma box used in the apparatus shown in FIG. 20. As shown in FIG. 20, a cylindrical process container made of quartz and configured to vacuum-exhaust the internal atmosphere is disposed to accommodate semiconductor wafers (not shown) arrayed at intervals in the vertical direction.
A plasma generation box 4 having a rectangular shape in a cross section is attached to the sidewall of a process container 2 along the vertical direction. A gas nozzle 5 for supplying a gas to be activated by plasma is disposed inside the box 4. As shown also in FIG. 21, two distinct plasma electrodes 6 are disposed to extend in the vertical direction on opposite sides outside the wall that defines the plasma generation box 4. An RF (radio frequency) power with, e.g., 13.56 MHz for plasma generation is applied across the two plasma electrodes 6 from an RF power supply 8.
With the arrangement described above, the two plasma electrodes 6 render an electrode pair of the parallel-plate type, so that plasma is generated by capacitive coupling when an RF power is applied across the plasma electrodes 6. The plasma thus generated activates a gas supplied into the plasma box 4, thereby generating active species or radicals that promote the reaction and so forth. A plasma processing apparatus of this type is generally called a plasma processing apparatus of the CCP (Capacitively Coupled Plasma) type.
According to a plasma processing apparatus of the CCP type, a reaction for, e.g., film formation is promoted by assistance of plasma, and so a predetermined plasma process can be performed even at a relatively low wafer temperature. However, the present inventors have found that plasma processing apparatuses of this type entail problems concerning particle generation and radical generation amount.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A rod activated water valve includes a valve base that mates with a standard water faucet. One end of the valve base attaches to a cylindrical valve housing which has an inward protruding lip, at least two key holes at a bottom end and an outer groove. A rod activated valve mechanism is housed within the cylindrical valve housing. A cylindrical outer sleeve is rotatably held onto the cylindrical valve housing by a C-shaped spring member and substantially covers the cylindrical valve housing thereby preventing removal of the cylindrical outer sleeve from the cylindrical valve housing and allowing free rotation of the cylindrical outer sleeve with respect to the cylindrical valve housing. A tool is required to be inserted into the key holes for installation and removal of the rod activated water valve with tamper-resistant security feature to/from a faucet.

Although the earth's supply of fresh water is constantly refreshed by the evaporation/condensation process, clean water is a scarce commodity in certain places, especially during drought conditions. Many families waste water unnecessarily. Even those who try to conserve water may unintentionally waste water. For example, when brushing one's teeth, most people don't shut off the water while they brush. Instead, the water is turned on, the toothpaste applied to the brush, the teeth are brushed and then rinsed, and then the water is turned off.
To reduce the waste of water during processes such as this, several devices have been deployed. For example, in public restrooms, proximity sensors interface with a solenoid valve are used to allow water flow only when a person's hands are beneath the faucet. Unfortunately, such a system requires plumbing changes that are not economically viable for most homeowners.
Another device for reducing the waste of water is a wand activated dispensing valve as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,000 to Katz which is hereby incorporated by reference. In this, the standard aerator is removed from the faucet and replaced with an aerator/valve combination. The valve in this device is actuated by a wand or shaft. When the user needs water, the wand is displaced in a sideward direction, thereby opening a valve within the aerator/valve assembly. When the user is finished, the wand returns to its at-rest position and the flow of water ceases. Unfortunately, the aerator/valve described is not reliable and soon fails under normal use situations. Additionally, due to the design of the valve, a phenomena known as water hammer occurs when the valve closes. Water hammer often occurs when the flow of water is abruptly halted.
What is needed is a rod activated valve that is reliable and reduces water hammer.

Rod activated valve for saving water with tamper-resistant security feature


A memory device comprises a memory array including memory cells, a communication interface to a host device, and a memory control unit operatively coupled to the memory array and the communication interface. The memory control unit is configured to encrypt write data received via the communication interface to produce encrypted data, program a portion of the memory cells of the memory array with the encrypted data, read the encrypted data from the portion of the memory cells in response to a memory read request, decrypt the read encrypted data to produce read decrypted data only for portions of the read encrypted data not stored in purged regions of the memory array.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including volatile and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory can require power to maintain data and includes random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), and synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM), among others. Non-volatile memory can provide persistent data by retaining stored data when not powered and can include NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, read only memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), and resistance variable memory such as phase change random access memory (PCRAM), resistive random-access memory (RRAM), and magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), 3D XPoint™ memory, among others.
Memory cells are typically arranged in a matrix or an array. Multiple matrices or arrays can be combined into a memory device, and multiple devices can be combined to form a storage volume of a memory system, such as a solid-state drive (SSD), a Universal Flash Storage (UFS™) device, a MultiMediaCard (MMC) solid-state storage device, an embedded MMC device (eMMC™), etc., as discussed further later herein.
Some memory systems encrypt stored in the system to provide enhanced security of the data. Though there is room for improvement in the operation and/or interoperability of currently known systems.


Cartridge-actuated cutter (10), held in a single hand, generally includes frame (20) and barrel assembly (40). Frame (20) includes grip (26), trigger (30) firing pin (28), and pivot mount (35). Barrel assembly (40) generally includes barrel (41), piston (70), and extractor (80). Barrel (41) includes anvil (52), cable receiving recess (55), breech bore (61) for receiving a cartridge, and longitudinal bore (64). Piston front end (74) includes chisel (75) and stop (76). Detonation of the cartridge drives piston (70) forward from a cocked position to cut a cable in recess (55) against anvil (52). Extractor (80) slides rearward to simultaneously eject a cartridge and cock piston (70). Stop (76) impacts anvil (52) simultaneously with chisel (75). Anvil (52) is repositionable so as to present different surfaces to chisel (75). Barrel (41) includes second pivoting mount (45) for repositioning recess (55) relative to frame (20).

This invention relates in general to cutters, such as for cables, and more particularly to a cartridge-actuated cutter that is held in one hand.
A hand-held, cartridge-actuated cutter generally includes a frame and a barrel assembly. The frame includes a grip for gripping by a user""s hand, a trigger, firing pin, and a pivot mount. The barrel assembly generally includes a barrel, a piston, and an extractor. The barrel includes a first pivot mount for cooperating with the frame mount for mounting the barrel assembly on the frame, a front end including an anvil and a laterally opening cable receiving recess for holding a cable adjacent the anvil, a rear end including a breech bore for receiving a cartridge, and a longitudinal bore. The piston has a front end including a cutter, such as a chisel, and a stop surface. The piston is reciprocable in the longitudinal bore and moves forward from the cocked position responsive to detonation of a cartridge such that the chisel cuts a cable held in the recess against the anvil.
The extractor slides rearward to simultaneously eject a cartridge and cock the piston. The stop impacts the anvil simultaneously with the chisel so as to lessen damage to said anvil. The anvil is repositionable so as to present different surfaces to the chisel. The barrel includes a second pivoting mount for cooperating with the frame mount for selectively mounting the barrel assembly on the frame so as to reposition the cable recess.


A vehicle in a driverless transport system has a drive unit which includes an electric motor, a gearing and a drive wheel with a common axis of rotation, is supported on the underside of the vehicle for pivotal movement about a vertical axis of rotation by a ring bearing, and serves only the driving and steering, the vehicle traveling on separate support wheels. A substantially horizontal bracket projects from both sides of a housing of the motor or gearing parallel to a plane of rotation of the drive wheel, one end of the bracket being supported for pivotal movement about an axis directed parallel with respect to the common axis of rotation on an arm extending downwardly from a support plate supported by the ring bearing, the other end of the bracket being supported with respect to the ring bearing by a substantially vertically acting spring arrangement pivotally supported on the bracket and/or the support plate. The spring arrangement can include an arrangement for changing the spring tension.

A height adjustment relative to the undercarriage must be possible for the drive unit in vehicles of the mentioned type, in order to guarantee at a ground unevenness that the ground contact of the drive or steering wheel is maintained with a sufficient pressure. Drives have already been designed in which the drive or steering wheel is supported on a movable bracket and is spring-suspended to an extent corresponding with the necessary height adjustment. Three such known devices are illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3. All have the disadvantage that a vertical and position-neutral guiding is not guaranteed for the drive or steering wheel in the area of the height adjustment, which guiding, however, is absolutely necessary for good driving behavior. A further disadvantage of the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2 is the relatively great physical height, and furthermore the relationship Y:Y'>1 must be viewed as very unfavorable (Y identifying the distance of the bracket pivot point from the ground and Y' identifying the radius of the drive or steering wheel). With its shorter physical height and a relationship of Y:Y'=1, the embodiment according to FIG. 3 does not have these disadvantages, but that suspension system, which must also participate in the steering movement, is overregulated.
An object of the invention is to eliminate these disadvantages of known designs by providing a drive unit of the mentioned type which is constructed so that its guide makes possible in the range of the movement necessary for the height adjustment a most extensive vertical and position-neutral shifting, during which any kind of canting and thus wedging or clamping is impossible, and so that the entire unit has a relatively small physical height.

Drive unit for a vehicle in a driverless transport system


A malic acid and KMnO4-based combined and modified cow dung biogas residue hydrochar preparation method, comprising: mixing a cow dung biogas residue with malic acid, and performing ultrasonic treatment to obtain a malic acid modified cow dung biogas residue; performing a hydrothermal reaction with KMnO4 in a high-temperature high-pressure reactor to obtain a combined and modified cow dung biogas residue hydrochar material.

Biogas engineering is an effective way to treat animal dung in large-scale livestock farms, and is especially suitable for animal-breeding sewage treatment. In recent years, biogas engineering has grown rapidly in China, and almost become "standard facilities" for large-scale livestock farms. However, biogas engineering produces a large amount of fermentation residues (i.e. biogas slurry and biogas residue) while producing biogas, and the total yield of fermentation residues has exceeded 300 million tons per year. Harmless treatment and recycling of biogas residue is an important approach to make full use of resources and improve the benefits of biogas engineering. Cow dung biogas residue is an ideal raw material for preparing functional carbon materials, owing to its high yield and rich carbon resource therein. By preparing functional carbon materials from cow dung biogas residue, not only the biogas residue can be turned into a valuable resource, but also the industrial chain of biogas engineering can be extended and the additional value of fermentation products can be increased.
At present, bio-carbon with a lot of applications is obtained through pyrolysis and carbonization, in which the reaction temperature is usually 300° C. or higher, and the moisture content of the material is usually not higher than 10%; hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) uses water (usually in a sub-critical state) as the reaction medium, and converts the biomass into hydrothermal carbon in an enclosed high pressure reactor at certain temperature (usually 300° C. or lower) and certain pressure intensity. HTC is not limited by the moisture content of the raw material, the reaction conditions of HTC are mild and the operation is simple, dehydration and decarboxylation in the reaction process are accompanied by heat release, and thereby the energy consumption can be reduced. HTC is especially suitable for treating wastes with high moisture content (usually 85% or higher), such as biogas residue, and can greatly reduce the operation cost. Cow dung biogas residue is slightly alkaline (pH=7.3-7.7), has a moisture content of 80%˜90%, and is especially suitable for use as a raw material for HTC; in addition, the preparation conditions are similar to those of other hydrothermal carbon preparation methods. The hydrothermal carbon material prepared from biogas residue can be used in the fields of anaerobic fermentation, adsorption of harmful substances in wastewater, utilization after returning to field, and so on. The hydrothermal carbon material can improve the volumetric gas production rate of anaerobic fermentation system, increase the removal rate of heavy metals in water, and reduce greenhouse gas emission.
At present, there is no report on the research of utilizing cow dung biogas residue as a raw material for preparing hydrothermal carbon yet. However, viewed from the characteristics of bio-carbon prepared from cow dung as a raw material in existing researches, the specific surface area of the obtained bio-carbon is usually small (Ke Wu, Ying Gao, Guangkuo Zhu, Jinjiao Zhu, Qiaoxia Yuan, Yingquan Chen, Mingzhi Cai, Liang Feng, Characterization of Dairy Manure Hydrochar and Aqueous Phase Products Generated by Hydrothermal Carbonization at Different Temperatures, Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis). Consequently, the pollutant adsorption effect of the bio-carbon is degraded.
The Chinese Patent No. CN107352540A has disclosed a method and an apparatus for preparing manganite-bearing activated carbon, and the Chinese Patent No. CN106128782A has disclosed a nanometer Mn3O4/activated carbon composite material and a preparation method thereof, but in the two patent documents, the activated carbon is also not modified, and the problem of small surface area also exists. Therefore, it is an urgent task to develop a modified carbon material that has great specific surface area, highly developed pore structures, and stable properties on the basis of the existing method of preparing hydrothermal carbon from cow dung biogas residue, in order to widely apply the technique of preparing hydrothermal carbon from biogas residue.


An elongated biometric device provides a slim solution for capturing biometric data, and may be placed on a portion of an electronic device having limited space, such as a side of the electronic device. The elongated biometric device may include a force sensor, which may be positioned within a housing of the electronic device and actuated through posts extending from the elongated biometric device through the housing to transfer an applied force to the force sensor.

The security of computing devices has become a greater concern as such devices incorporate or store more and more personal information. Biometric devices provide a technique to capture user identifying information in a fast manner that maintains the security of the user's personal information.
Certain biometric devices may likewise have a greater application than just security. For example, a fingerprint may not only provide access to a device for a user, but also serve as a token or indicator for the user.
However, biometric sensors may be large and consume space on surfaces of an electronic device, which reduces the area available for user interactions, such as displaying information and receiving input from a user. The consumption of space by a biometric sensor in an undesirable location may increase the size of a device and/or decrease user experience.


A system for managing and controlling a subsea module is described herein. The system includes a deployment module configured to releasably receive and accommodate the subsea module and a load-bearing cable. One end of the load-bearing cable is connected to the subsea module and the other end is connected to a cable control device on the deployment module. The subsea module may be lowered out of and retracted into the deployment module. The subsea module may be configured to hold a subsea vehicle, such as a remotely operated vehicle or autonomous underwater vehicle. The subsea module may also be a remotely operated tool.

Unmanned vehicles are widely used in underwater (also referred to as subsea) operations. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are used for military operations, monitoring marine life, surveying seabed geology and archeology, salvage operations, as well as a multitude of tasks in connection with the extraction of hydrocarbons from subsea wells.
An AUV is generally a pre-programmed robot which is capable of operating under water without any real-time input from an operator.
An ROV is generally an unmanned, highly maneuverable, subsea mobile vehicle, having propulsion devices (e.g. thrusters) and equipment such as torque tools, manipulator arms (including cutters and grippers), cameras (video and stills), lights, sampling devices, etc. An ROV is normally connected to a device often referred to as a tether management system (TMS) via a neutrally buoyant tether. The tether containing electrical conductors and fiber optics for communicating electrical power, video signals, and data signals. The TMS typically comprises a cage holding a reel for storing and paying out tether, and may also comprise means for temporarily securing the ROV.
In use, the TMS is normally suspended (from e.g. a ship's crane) by a load-bearing umbilical cable which also contains power and communication means. The umbilical cable extends between the TMS and a control room aboard a surface ship, from where the ROV is controlled. The TMS is normally suspended in the water during ROV operations, below the splash zone.
Subsea operations in general also rely on extensive use of tools, units and equipment, many of which are remotely operated (e.g. by ROV's). Examples of such operations are BOP intervention, wellhead maintenance, and well intervention.
Such subsea operations, including the operation of the TMS and ROV, require considerable equipment and ancillary systems; for example a Power Distribution Unit (PDU), Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU), Instrumentation Power Assembly (IPA) and a Launch-and-Recovery System (LARS), a control room and various instruments and control interfaces. These systems and equipment are normally installed at the location of operation (e.g. on a vessel, a platform or a drilling rig), often in containers or on skids. This equipment, in addition to the ROV and the TMS, requires extensive logistics and often takes several days or weeks to mobilize to the intended location. It occupies a significant area and (in the case of a floating vessel) allowable variable deck load.
It is therefore a need for an improved system and method of performing these subsea operations.
The prior art includes WO 01/21476 A1, which discloses an AUV which is releasably connected to a flying latch vehicle. The vehicle is connected via a tether to a subsea tether management system (TMS). The TMS is connected via a load-bearing umbilical cable to a topside launch and recovery device.

System and method of operating a subsea module


An approach to intelligent additive manufacturing makes use of one or more of machine learning, feedback using machine vision, and determination of machine state. In some examples, a machine learning transformation receives data representing a partially fabricated object and a model of an additional part (e.g., layer) of the part, and produces a modified model that is provided to a printer. The machine learning predistorter can compensate for imperfections in the partially fabricated object as well as non-ideal characteristics of the printer, thereby achieving high accuracy.

This invention relates to an intelligent additive manufacturing approach, and more particularly an approach that makes use of one or more of machine learning, feedback using machine vision, and determination of machine state.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is a set of methods that allows objects to be fabricated via selective addition of material. A typical additive manufacturing process works by slicing a digital model (for example, represented using an STL file) into a series of layers. Then the layers are sent to a fabrication apparatus that deposits the layers one by one from the bottom to the top. Additive manufacturing is rapidly gaining popularity in a variety of markets including automotive, aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and industrial tooling.
The growth of additive manufacturing processes has led to various iterations of such processes being commercialized, including extrusion processes, such as Fused Deposition Modeling® (FDM®), light polymerization processes, such as stereolithography (SLA) and multijet/polyjet, powder bed fusion processes, such as selective laser sintering (SLS) or binder jetting, and lamination processes, such as laminated object manufacturing (LOM). Nevertheless, despite this growth and rapid progress, additive manufacturing has limitations, such as the materials that can be used in conjunction with such processes. There are limited types of materials, and the performance of the materials limits the efficiency and quality that results.
Inkjet 3D printing is a method of additive manufacturing where printheads deposit droplets of liquid ink. Printheads are typically mounted on a gantry system to allow deposition of ink in different locations within the build volume. The build platform may also move with respect to the printheads, which may be stationary. The liquid ink is solidified using UV or visible-light radiation.
Multiple printheads may be used in one system in order to build objects with multiple base materials. For example, materials that have different optical, mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic properties can be used. These materials can be combined to achieve composite materials with a wide range of material properties.
The UV curing unit is typically one of the subsystems used within an inkjet additive manufacturing apparatus. UV radiation provides the means of solidifying inks via photo-initiation of the polymerization reaction. UV radiation can be supplied by a variety of different mechanisms such as arrays of LEDs and Mercury or Xenon arc lamps. UV curing is typically applied after each layer is printed or after each material within a layer is deposited. The UV curing unit can be fixed with respect to the printer or it can move independently with respect to the object.
Alternatively, ink solidification can be achieved by changes in thermal conditions. For example, a liquid material solidifies as its temperature is lowered. A variety of different inks can be used in this category such as waxes. Both UV-phase change inks and thermal-phase change inks can be combined to manufacture an object.
Because of the slight variation of each drop and surface tension of inks, liquid layers deposited onto the platform are not perfectly flat, requiring a mechanical flattening device in order to eliminate the error and error accumulation caused by uneven layers. The flattening device may be a roller, script, or even mill, etc. Typically, about 20-30% of jetted material is removed during the flattening process, resulting in significant waste and increased material cost.
3D printed objects when manufactured using an inkjet process may need structural support. For example, most objects with overhangs need support structures. Typically, additional print data is generated for these support structures. In inkjet additive manufacturing, typically a separate ink is designated as a support material. This ink is deposited also using printheads and then it is solidified. It is desirable for the support material to be easily removed after the print is completed. There are many potential support materials including UV-curable materials that are soluble in water or other solvents or wax-based materials that can be removed by melting.
After the printing process is completed, parts are typically post-processed. For example, support material may need to be removed. The parts might also need to be post-processed to improve their mechanical or thermal properties. This may include thermal treatment and/or additional UV exposure.
Inks suitable for inkjet printing need to conform to certain specifications. The key requirements include: 1) viscosity typically needs to be within 3-15 cps at the operating conditions; 2) surface tension typically should be between 20-45 mN/m; 3) thermal stability—the ink should not solidify within the printhead, ink container, or feeding system; 4) formulation stability—different components of the ink should not separate for a reasonably long time. Inks are typically optimized in order to meet the specifications for printing.
Furthermore, the waveform for driving the printheads must be optimized and adapted for each ink. Moreover, many different parameters of the printing process need to be adapted for individual inks, such as printhead and ink pre-heating
In many cases inks may include additives. These additives include colorants in the form of dyes or pigments or the mixture of pigments and dyes that are dispersed or dissolved in the ink. Surfactants may also be used to adjust the surface tension of the ink for improved jetting or printing performance. In addition, other types of particles or additives may be used in order to enhance the mechanical, thermal or optical characteristics of the cured resin.


A method, performed by a first mobility management entity (MME) device in a network, includes receiving, from a second MME device, standby database information associated with user equipment (UE) registered with the second MME device; detecting that the second MME device has failed or lost connectivity; designating that the UEs registered with the second MME device will be registered with the first MME device, in response to detecting that the second MME device has failed or lost connectivity; detecting a request to activate a particular UE registered with the second MME device; and paging the particular UE to register with the first MME device, using the standby database information and in response to detecting the request to activate the particular UE.

Wireless communication networks continue to increase in popularity, leading to increasing numbers of users and to demands for additional services. The increasing numbers of users and implementation of new services result in increased network complexity and drive the development of new standards. The Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), aims to increase the capacity and speed of wireless communication networks. A main component of the network architecture specified by the LTE standard is the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network. An EPC network may include nodes and functions that provide Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity to user equipment (UE) for data, voice, and multimedia services. The design of an EPC network may attempt to minimize the number of nodes involved in the processing of user data traffic, and may separate handling of control signaling from user data traffic. As EPC networks increase in size and complexity, providing efficient and robust handling of control signaling can be quite challenging.


A method for mask-to-wafer correlation among multiple masking levels of a semiconductor manufacturing process. The method includes creating compact targets containing structure patterns suitable for pattern placement, critical dimension and overlay measurement at a set of common locations on two or more patterning layers, and creating at least two masks containing functional circuit structure patterns and the compact targets at locations between functional circuit structure patterns. The method then includes measuring the targets, determining overlay variation between the masks, exposing and creating with one mask a first lithographic processing layer on a wafer, and exposing and creating with another mask a second lithographic processing layer on the wafer, over the first layer. The method further includes measuring the targets on the wafer at one or more of the layers, and correlating the mask and wafer measurements to distinguish mask and lithography induced components of critical dimension and overlay variation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of integrated circuits by a lithographic process and, in particular, to a method and system for determining critical dimension or overlay variation of integrated circuit fields within and between chip levels and layers.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing requires the sequential patterning of process levels on a single semiconductor wafer. Exposure tools print multiple integrated circuit patterns or fields by lithographic methods on successive levels of the wafer. These tools typically pattern the different levels by applying step and repeat lithographic exposure or step and scan lithographic exposure in which the full area of the wafer is patterned by sequential exposure of the stepper fields containing one or more integrated circuits. Typically, 20-50 levels are required to create an integrated circuit. In some cases, multiple masks are required to pattern a single level.
Successful fabrication of integrated circuit devices requires the precise and accurate measurements of registration of the mask (reticle) set and overlay placement of mask level to subsequent mask level. Current manufacturing technology uses separate methods of measuring mask registration and wafer level overlay. The use of bar in bar (box in box) and grating targets only allows for the measurement of overlay on the wafer level with no information of mask registration information. Current technology has limited application due to size restriction for placement around the mask reticle field. These targets are also greatly affected by process induced variations given that they are not within the shape pattern densities found within the functioning chip. Hence, these targets are susceptible to chemical mechanical planarization, thermal processing, and lithography image processing.

Target and method for mask-to-wafer CD, pattern placement and overlay measurement and control

International Business Machines Corporation


A semiconductor memory device has an information storing circuit such as a fuse box as well as a memory cell array with redundant memory cells that can be used to replace defective memory cells. Address information indicating which memory cells have been replaced is stored in the information storing circuit, which also stores information identifying the semiconductor memory device. In one testing mode, the identifying information is output in response to input to a series of address signals that would normally select memory cells in the memory cell array. In another testing mode, roll call results are output indicating whether each input address matches an address stored in the information storing circuit. Use of address signals to elicit output of both identifying and roll call information saves space in the memory device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device that, besides storing data in memory cells, also stores and can output identifying information and repair information.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a variety of purposes, including testing purposes, semiconductor memory manufacturers find it useful to store identifying information in memory devices. In one conventional scheme, the identifying information is stored by blowing selected fuses in a so-called fuse box in the device, and is read out when a clock signal and an enable signal are supplied. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-121566 shows one example of this scheme, implemented using a counter. A different conventional example, also using a counter, will be given in the detailed description of the present invention.
To increase production yields, the memory cell arrays of large-scale memory devices include redundant memory cells that can be used to replace defective memory cells. Repair information identifying the memory cells that have been replaced, needed to direct access to the redundant memory cells that replace them, may also be stored in a fuse box. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 05-047196 shows one example of this scheme; another example will be given in the detailed description below.
External output of the information identifying replaced memory cells is useful during the testing of memory devices. In a roll call test, for example, a sequence of address signals is supplied to the memory device, which outputs a bit of information indicating whether each addressed memory cell, or group of memory cells, has been replaced. A roll call enable signal is used to enable the output of this information, instead of output of the data stored in the memory cells.
It would be desirable for a memory device to be capable of output of both identifying information and roll call information, but if the conventional schemes outlined above are combined in a straightforward way, the necessary circuitry takes up excessive space. In particular, the two fuse boxes take up considerable space. The counter used for output of identifying information also takes up space.

Semiconductor memory device outputting identifying and roll call information


In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a pixel circuit for a luminescent display, in which plural pixel circuits are formed in a plurality of pixels defined by a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scan lines. The pixel circuit includes: a luminescent element; a first capacitor; a first transistor having a gate electrode coupled to the first capacitor, and a first main electrode coupled to a power supply line; a first switch for diode-connecting the first transistor in response to a selection signal to charge the first capacitor with a voltage corresponding to a threshold voltage of the first transistor; a second transistor for transferring the data signal from the data lines in response to a selection signal; a second capacitor for storing a voltage corresponding to the data signal; and a second switch for isolating the second main electrode of the first transistor from the luminescent element during voltage-charging of the first capacitor in response to a control signal.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luminescent display, and a driving method and pixel circuit thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent (hereinafter referred to as "EL") display.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, an organic EL display is a display that emits light by electrical excitation of fluorescent organic compound and displays images by driving each of N×M organic luminescent cells with voltage or current. These organic luminescent cells have a structure that includes an anode (indium tin oxide: ITO) layer, an organic thin film, and a cathode (metal) layer. For a good electron-hole balance to enhance luminescent efficiency, the organic thin film is of a multi-layer structure that includes an emitting layer (EML), an electron transport layer (ETL), and a hole transport layer (HTL). The multi-layer structure can also include an electron injecting layer (EIL), and a hole injecting layer (HIL).
There are two driving methods for the organic luminescent cells: one is a passive matrix driving method and the other is an active matrix driving method using TFTs or MOSFETs. In the passive matrix driving method, anode and cathode stripes are arranged perpendicular to each other to selectively drive the lines. Contrarily, in the active matrix driving method, a TFT and a capacitor are coupled to each ITO pixel electrode to sustain a voltage by the capacity of the capacitor.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional pixel circuit for driving an organic EL element using TFTs. For simplicity reasons, only one of the N×M pixels is shown in FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a current-driven transistor M2 is coupled to the organic EL element (OLED) to supply a current for light emission. The amount of current of the current-driven transistor M2 is controlled by the data voltage applied through a switching transistor M1. Here, a capacitor Cst for sustaining the applied voltage for a predetermined time period is coupled between the source and gate of the transistor M2. The gate of the transistor M1 is coupled to a selection signal line Select, and the source is coupled to the data line Vdata.
In the operation of the pixel of the above structure, when the transistor M1 is turned ON in response to the selection signal Select applied to the gate of the switching transistor M1, the data voltage Vdata is applied to the gate of the driving transistor M2 through the data line. In response to the data voltage Vdata applied to the gate, a current flows to the organic EL element (OLED) through the transistor M2 to emit light.
The current flowing to the organic EL element (OLED) is given by the following equation:
                              I          OLED                =                                            β              2                                                                  (                                  Vgs                  -                  Vth                                )                            2                                =                                    β              2                                                                  (                                  Vdd                  -                  Vdata                  -                                                          Vth                                                                      )                            2                                                          [                  Equation                                                              1                ]            where IOLED is the current flowing to the organic EL element (OLED); Vgs is the voltage between the source and gate of the transistor M2; Vth is the threshold voltage of the transistor M2; Vdata is the data voltage; and β is a constant.
As can be seen from the equation 1, according to the pixel circuit of FIG. 1, the current corresponding to the applied data voltage Vdata is supplied to the organic EL element (OLED), which emits light by the supplied current.
Typically, the pixel driving voltage Vdd is constructed as a horizontal or vertical line for supplying the power to the driving transistor of each cell. When the pixel driving voltage Vdd is constructed as a horizontal line as illustrated in FIG. 2 and there are many turned-on driving transistors in the cell coupled to each branched Vdd line, a high current flows to the corresponding Vdd line, and the voltage difference between the right and left sides of the line increases.
This voltage drop in the voltage line Vdd is proportional to the amount of current, which is dependent upon the number of turned-on pixels among the pixels coupled to the corresponding line. So, the voltage drop is also changed depending on the number of turned-on pixels. In FIG. 2, the driving voltage Vdd applied to the right-handed pixel of the line is lower than the driving voltage Vdd applied to the left-handed pixel, and the voltage Vgs applied to the driving transistor located at the right-handed pixel is lower than the voltage Vgs applied to the driving transistor at the left-handed pixel, thereby causing a difference in the amount of current flowing to the transistors and hence a brightness difference.
Despite having the same voltage Vgs, the amount of current supplied to the organic EL element (OLED) changes causing a brightness difference, due to changes in the threshold voltage Vth of the TFT. Changes in the threshold voltage Vth of the TFT occurs due to the non-uniformity of the manufacturing process.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a pixel circuit derived to solve the above problem and to avoid the non-uniformity of brightness caused by the variation of the threshold voltage Vth of the driving transistor. FIG. 4 is a driving timing diagram for the circuit of FIG. 3.
In this circuit, however, the data voltage for the driving transistor M2 must be equal to the driving voltage Vdd while AZ signal is LOW. The source-gate voltage of the driving transistor is given by the following equation:
                    Vgs        =                  Vth          +                                    C1                              C1                +                C2                                                                (                              Vdd                +                Vdata                            )                                                          [                  Equation                                                              2                ]            where Vth is the threshold voltage of the transistor M2; Vdata is the data voltage; and Vdd is the driving voltage.
As can be seen from the equation 2, there is a problem because the swing width of the data voltage or the value of the capacitor C1 must be large enough because the data voltage is divided by the capacitors C1 and C2.

Luminescent display, and driving method and pixel circuit thereof, and display device