A semiconductor device is disclosed wherein a peripheral region with a high breakdown voltage and high robustness against induced surface charge is manufactured using a process with high mass productivity. The device has n-type drift region and p-type partition region of layer-shape deposited in a vertical direction to one main surface of n-type semiconductor substrate with high impurity concentration form as drift layer, alternately adjacent parallel pn layers in a direction along one main surface. Active region through which current flows and peripheral region enclosing the active region include parallel pn layers. P-type partition region has impurity concentration distribution where concentration decreases from surface toward substrate side, n-type surface region disposed on parallel pn layers in peripheral region, p-type guard rings disposed separately from each other on n-type surface region, and field plate disposed on inner and outer circumferential sides of p-type guard rings, and electrically connected.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a superjunction semiconductor device with a high breakdown voltage and high current capacity applicable to a MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor), IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor), bipolar transistor, or the like, and to a manufacturing method of the device. In the following description, the superjunction semiconductor device refers to a semiconductor device wherein a drift layer, in which a p-type region and n-type region of a column-shape or layer-shape deposited in a vertical direction to a main surface of a semiconductor substrate form alternately adjacent parallel pn layers in a direction along the main surface, has a function to flow a current in an "on" state and to hold a breakdown voltage in an "off" state.
B. Description of the Related Art
In general, semiconductor devices are classified into a lateral semiconductor device that has an electrode on only one surface of a semiconductor substrate where a current flows along a main surface, and a vertical semiconductor device that has electrodes on both surfaces of a semiconductor substrate where a current flows between electrodes on main surfaces. In the vertical semiconductor device, the direction in which a drift current flows in the "on" state of the device is the same as the direction in which a depletion layer extends due to a reverse bias voltage in the "off" state of the device. In the case of a conventional planar n-channel vertical MOSFET, a high resistivity n-drift layer works for flowing a drift current in a vertical direction in the "on" state of the MOSFET, and is depleted in the "off" state to hold a breakdown voltage. Shortening the current path of the high resistivity n-drift layer, that is, making the high resistivity n-drift layer thinner, leads to an effect of lowering the on-resistance of the MOSFET due to the decreased resistance in the n-drift layer. However, as the width of a depletion layer spreading from a pn junction between a p-type base region and the n-drift layer decreases, the electric field strength quickly reaches the critical electric field of silicon and the breakdown voltage decreases. On the other hand, an n-channel vertical MOSFET with a high breakdown voltage has a thick n-drift layer and the thick n-drift layer leads to a high on-resistance, and the conduction loss of the MOSFET increases. This relationship between the on-resistance and the breakdown voltage is called a trade-off relationship. It is known that this trade-off relationship exists in semiconductor devices such as an IGBT, bipolar transistor, or diode as well.
Meanwhile, in order to realize a high breakdown voltage in a vertical semiconductor device, the device needs a peripheral region in a ring shape surrounding an active region through which a current flows. Without this peripheral region, it is difficult to realize the high breakdown voltage, because an electric field strength becomes high in the outer region of the drift layer, which leads to the breakdown voltage decrease. Also, even though the breakdown voltage is initially maintained, the device with low robustness against surface charge is difficult to guarantee the reliability of the breakdown voltage. The surface charge on the peripheral region affects the extension of the depletion layer, which results in the breakdown voltage decrease with the passage of time. Hereafter, a semiconductor device with high robustness against surface charge refers to the semiconductor device in which the initial breakdown voltage is maintained even with the passage of time, that is, the semiconductor device with high reliability. In order to solve the problem of the breakdown voltage decrease in reliability, a semiconductor device with a guard ring connected to a forward and reverse direction Poly-Si field plate in peripheral region is generally known. Regarding the semiconductor device having this type of peripheral region, the influence on the extension of the depletion layer near the surface is weakened, even when a positive charge or a negative charge exists on the surface in the peripheral region. As a result, the breakdown voltage degradation is suppressed and the robustness against surface charge is improved.
Furthermore, it is desirable that a peripheral region is as narrow as possible in light of the efficiency of semiconductor material use because the peripheral region is an inactive region. Relating to this point, there is disclosed a semiconductor device in which the width of a peripheral region in a straight section is decreased and the area of the active region is increased commensurately by adopting the configuration with a p-type guard ring, a first field plate and a second field plate at the same electric potential in a corner section of the peripheral region (JP-A-2008-193043).
Furthermore, a semiconductor device has been disclosed in which it is possible to narrow the intervals between the plurality of field plates by adopting the configuration with a plurality of guard rings formed in a peripheral region, a polysilicon field plate placed on an insulating film in the inner and outer circumferential side of each guard ring, and an aluminum electrode connecting the guard rings and field plates (JP-A-2009-117715 (abstract and FIG. 1)).
However, with the MOSFET described in JP-A-2009-117715 (abstract and FIG. 1), although high relaxation of electric field and high robustness against induced surface charges with a narrow width in a peripheral region, it is necessary to form the p-type guard rings before forming the polysilicon field plates. In this case, in the process of forming a p-type base region and the p-type guard rings after forming a polysilicon gate and the polysilicon field plate, photolithography and ion implantation steps for forming the p-type guard rings need to be added. As these additional steps not only increase the manufacturing cost but also, as a misalignment of the p-type guard rings and polysilicon field plates is liable to occur, become a cause of a fluctuation or deterioration of the electric field relaxation capability and the low robustness against induced surface charge, it is desirable, as far as possible, that there is no additional step of this kind.
Also, with the MOSFET described in JP-A-2003-115589, when an n-type surface region with a low impurity concentration is formed on parallel pn layers with a high impurity concentration, autodoping from a substrate to the n-type surface region is unavoidable, meaning that it is difficult to control the impurity concentration of the n-type surface region. As a substrate doped with As is particularly liable to outdiffuse, there is a large effect on the impurity concentration of the n-type surface region, which is one factor in fluctuation of the impurity concentration of the n-type surface region. When the impurity concentration of the n-type surface region is not controlled, not only the maintenance of reliability on breakdown voltage, but also the maintenance of initial breakdown voltage becomes difficult.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or at least reducing the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above.


A preference-information gathering system is capable of gathering information on every commodity and/or every service, which are each of interest to a user, as user's preference information. The preference-information gathering system includes a user portable terminal (102) capable of storing a user identifier uniquely identifying the user, an information searching apparatus (104) and a preference-information management apparatus (114) for managing the information on preferences with the user. The information searching apparatus (104) has a search-information inputting unit (108) for requesting a user to enter search information to be used in a process to search for information desired by the user and a user-identifier acquisition unit (110) for acquiring a user identifier. The information searching apparatus (104) transmits information found in a search process requested by the user as the desired information on a commodity and/or a service and the user identifier to the preference-information management apparatus by associating the information and the identifier with each other.

In the past, generally, enterprises or other institutions producing commodities and/or services provide customers with information on the commodities and/or the services by using typically leaflets, direct mails, electronic mails, and/or web advertisements. The information on commodities, and/or services includes discount coupons, information on new commodities, and information on discounted sales in order to promote the purchasing will of the customers. In order to promote the purchasing will of the customers, however, distribution of information tailored to preferences with specific customers to the specific customers is more effective than distribution of the same information to all the customers. In order to distribute information tailored to preferences with specific customers to the customers, it is necessary to provide a system for inferring the preferences with the customers from purchasing records of the customers and provide the customers with information tailored to the preferences. For more information on such a system, the reader is suggested to refer to references such as Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-248774 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-308267.
This system provides customers with information on commodities, to which a coupon is applicable, in accordance with purchasing records of the customers and electronic coupons each showing a discount rate. Thus, a customer can obtain a coupon showing a higher discount rate for a commodity purchased by the customer frequently.
In the system described above, however, the only criterion used for determining a preference with a customer in a process to issue a coupon to the customer is the purchasing records of the customer. That is to say, a preference with a customer is determined on the basis of commodities purchased before by the customer. Thus, the criterion used for determining a preference with a customer does not include consideration of a commodity not purchased by the customer before even though the commodity may be of interest to the customer.
It is thus an object of the present invention, which addresses the problem described above, to provide a preference-information gathering system, an information searching apparatus, a user portable terminal, a passed-place-information sender apparatus, a preference-information gathering method, and a computer program capable of gathering information on every commodity and/or every service, which are each of interest to the customer, as information on customer's preferences.

Preference information collecting system, device, method, and program


Provided is a noise filter that can enhance noise removal performance with a simple configuration. A noise filter (10) includes a connector (20) that houses a terminal fitting (22) connected to an input/output wire (WH) in a state in which the input/output wire (WH) is lead out from the connector (20). The noise filter (10) includes a coil (40) that is connected to the input/output wire (WH), a capacitor (30) that is electrically connected to the coil (40), and a magnetic member (50). The noise filter (10) includes a case (60) that houses the capacitor (30), the coil (40), and the magnetic member (50), and a holding member (70) that holds the magnetic member (50) in a state in which the magnetic member (50) is positioned with respect to the coil (40).

A noise filter described in Patent Document 1 is configured to be interposed between two conduction paths. This noise filter includes a housing, a grounding conductor, a first conductor, and a second conductor. The housing houses the grounding conductor, the first conductor, and the second conductor. The grounding conductor includes a contact portion for electrical contact with a conductive member such as a vehicle body. The first conductor is connected to a conduction path that is lead into the housing via an insertion hole formed in a surface of the housing. The second conductor is connected to a conduction path that is lead into the housing via another insertion hole formed in the surface of the housing. The grounding conductor is connected to the first conductor and the second conductor via a capacitor. Also, the first conductor is connected to the second conductor via an inductor layer that is arranged on the outside of the housing. The inductor layer includes an axial core and a coil wound around the axial core.


A pallet (100) comprises a platform section (101) and foot sections (103-107) protruding downwards from the platform section. The pallet comprises at least one elongated support element (108) between opposite edge areas of the pallet and going via a lower portion of a foot section (107) that is between and distances away from the opposite edge areas of the pallet. The elongated support element is connected to the opposite edge areas of the pallet with connections (109, 110) for receiving tensile stress acting on the elongated support element. The tensile stress of the elongated support element is increased in response to downwards arching bending of the platform section. Thus, the elongated support element tends to prevent the bending of the platform section.

A pallet is a substantially flat transport structure which supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, a pallet jack, a front loader, a jacking device, or an erect crane. A pallet can be used as a foundation of a unit load, which allows effective handling and storage of goods. Goods placed on a pallet are often secured with strapping, stretch wrap, or shrink wrap. While most pallets are wooden, pallets can also be made of plastic, metal, paper, and recycled materials. It is also possible that a pallet is made of many different materials. Typically, a pallet comprises a platform section having an upper side for carrying load and foot sections protruding downwards from the platform section. A pallet may comprise for example nine foot sections which are arranged into a 3×3 pattern. Furthermore, a pallet may comprise lower chords between lower portions of the foot sections and parallel with the platform section.
In many cases, a pallet is on a floor or another flat surface which provides mechanical support for all foot sections of the pallet. It is however also possible that e.g. a shelving system of a storehouse comprises rails for supporting pallets so that foot sections of two opposite edges of the pallet are supported whereas other foot sections that are between the first mentioned foot sections are not mechanically supported. In this case, a load on the pallet may tend to bend the platform section of the pallet in a downwards arching way. A similar situation may take place when a pallet is on an uneven surface which does not provide mechanical support for all foot sections of the pallet. Therefore, a pallet needs to be stiff enough against forces tending to bend the platform section. As mentioned above, a pallet can be made of many different materials. Many materials that would be economical for pallets can be sufficiently strong against compression stress but strength against tensile stress can be significantly lower. It may be challenging to achieve enough stiffness and mechanical strength if material of a pallet is weak against tensile stress.


A toothbrush alarm consists of an alarm box located in the bedroom. It has an alarm such as a noisemaker, radio, light and/or voice chip saying “please brush your teeth.” In intermittent periods it is controlled ON and OFF by a battery powered alarm clock circuit built into a toothbrush. A wireless transmitter in the toothbrush sends the ON or OFF command to the alarm box.

The closest known art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,959 (1993) to Oryhon et al. The air circuitry of this patent is incorporated herein by reference. An alarm clock serves as a stand for a toothbrush. When the alarm goes off the user must remove the toothbrush to turn off the alarm. Thus, the child is motivated to brush his/her teeth because he/she is awake and holding a toothbrush.
The problem with this invention is that the child could still be in bed and merely set the toothbrush back into the stand.
What is needed is a system to make the child walk to the bathroom and hold the toothbrush while in the bathroom, thus increasing the likelihood the child will use the toothbrush.
The present invention meets that need by placing an alarm voice box in the bedroom. An electric toothbrush contains the clock and alarm circuitry and a transmitter to turn the alarm voice box ON or OFF. The toothbrush is left in the bathroom. Thus, when the alarm voice box sounds, the child must travel to the bathroom, pick up the toothbrush and shut off the alarm. With the child standing at the sink holding a toothbrush, the chances increase he/she will actually brush their teeth.

Abstract: The alarm box will repeatedly remind the child to brush their teeth until it is turned off from the toothbrush. Thus, a child sets his alarm time on his toothbrush in the bathroom and leaves the toothbrush there. At wakeup time (or brushing time) the child must go to the bathroom, pick up the toothbrush, turn off the alarm, and (hopefully) brush his/her teeth.


A scheduling system and method operable with a burst switching element wherein control information is provided to the switching element via a separate Burst Header that precedes data bursts on ingress data channels. In one embodiment, a series of scheduling determinations are made in a select order such that packet treatment (i.e., processing for transmission, buffering, or packet dropping) is optimized with respect to packet loss and available buffer space. In another embodiment, control information received in the Burst Headers is utilized to reserve output data channel bandwidth to future incoming data packets in a forward-looking scheduling mechanism.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to scheduling techniques. More particularly, and not by way of any limitation, the present invention is directed to a scheduling system and method for a switching element operable with data bursts.
2. Description of Related Art
Scheduling is well-known as a resolution mechanism among a plurality of units contending for a common resource. For example, servers associated with input and output ports of a network element must first compete in order to establish appropriate traffic paths across a switching fabric before data can be transported between a selected input port and an output port. Since arbitration times can take a significant portion of a scheduling process, it is desirable to implement an efficient scheme where high throughput rates are required. Further, where available buffer space is limited or none at all, packet loss due to port congestion should be minimized as much as possible, especially where high quality services are to be provisioned. These concerns assume particular significance where data is aggregated at the input side of a switching system as a plurality of data bursts, or where scheduling functionality is distributed in disjoint entities (i.e., multi-level scheduling).

Scheduling system and method for a burst switch


According to one aspect, vehicle power door operation is described herein. A first accelerometer may be mounted to a first portion of a vehicle and a second accelerometer may be mounted to a second portion of the vehicle. A motor controller may control a power operation of a door of the vehicle. An electronic control unit (ECU) may receive a first measurement from the first accelerometer, receive a second measurement from the second accelerometer, determine an orientation of the vehicle relative to a reference plane based on the first measurement and the second measurement, determine any movement of the vehicle relative to the reference plane based on the first measurement and the second measurement, and adjust the power operation of the power door by the motor controller based on the determined orientation and the determined movement.

Vehicle closure systems may use a Hall Effect sensor mounted to a vehicle and associated outputs of the Hall Effect sensor to control a drive motor closing a door of the vehicle. In this regard, the Hall Effect sensor may be utilized to determine a speed or position of the door relative to a position of a body of the vehicle. However, Hall Effect sensors may be associated with drift and thus, require compensation. Further, if power is lost during the door closing operation, recalibration of the Hall Effect sensor may be required.


Apparatus for radiographic imaging including a multistage avalanche chamber receiving radiation from a multiplicity of radiation point sources on a sample and providing a multiple photon output indicative of the path of the emitted radiation through the avalanche chamber, image intensification apparatus receiving the photon output of the avalanche chamber, a camera receiving an output from the image intensification apparatus; image processing apparatus for receiving the camera output and carrying out a vector analysis on the information contained in the camera output in order to determine the location of the radiation emitting point source on the sample.

There exist various chemical and biological analysis techniques which employ radiation emitter tagging. One such technique is gel electrophoresis which produces a radiation tagged image having a multiplicity of lines on a gel, each line representing a molecular component of given characteristics.
Increasingly, for the purpose of research and large scale diagnostics it is desired to quantify the results obtained, such that computer analyses and operations can be applied thereto.
One existing technique is to contact print from the gel onto radiation sensitive film. This technique is extremely slow, due to the relatively low radiation intensity involved and can require days in order to obtain a useful result, which must then be digitized by the use of a densitometer.
There are also known apparatus and techniques for automated blot analysis, such as that exemplified in the Betascope 603 Blot Analyzer which is available from Betagen Corporation of 100 Beaver Street, Waltham Mass. 02154, U.S.A. The resolution of the blot analyzer described above is relatively low, about 1-2 mm.
There is also known a radioanalytical imaging system which operates by scanning a sample with an ionization gas detector and provides resolution to at least 0.8 mm. Approximately eight hours are required to produce an image by such a technique. Such a system is commercially available from AMBIS Systems of San Diego, Calif. 92123, U.S.A.
Automatic techniques for analysis of non-radioactive electrophoretic gels are also known. Apparatus and software employing such ,a technique is available from Pharmacia LKB Biotechnology AB, of Uppsala, Sweden under the trademarks UltroScan XL and GelScan XL.
Various types of radiation detectors are known in the detection art. Examples of papers in this area are the following:
A Highly Efficient Low-Pressure UV-Rich Detector with Optical Avalanche Recording by A. Breskin, R. Chechik et al, presented at the London Conference on Position Sensitive Detectors 7-11 September, 1987 Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A273 (1988) 798-804 (to be published in Nucl. Instrum. Methods);
A systematic study of the emission of light from electron avalanches in low pressure TEA and TMAE gas mixtures by D. Sauvage, A. Breskin and R. Chechik Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research;
On the Optical Readout of Gas Avalanche Chambers and its Applications, by M. Suzuki, A. Breskin et al., Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A263 (1988) 237-242;
Some Applications of the Imaging Proportional Chamber by G. Charpak, A. Breskin, R. Chechik et al, presented at the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, San Francisco, 21-23 October 1987, IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, NS-35, 483 (1988);
The Multistep Avalanche Chamber for Beta Radiochromatography by Ariella Cattai, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research 215 (1983) page 489.
The Multistep Avalanche Chamber as a Detector in Radiochromatograpy Imaging, by G. Petersen et al, Nuclear Instruments and Methods 176 (1980) 239-244;
An Improved Multistep Avalanche Detector System for Digital Autoradiography, by J. E. Bateman, et al, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A264 (1988) 430-435;
A Beta Ray Imaging Device for Radiochromatography,by Hoan Nguyen Ngoc et al, Nuclear Instruments and Methods 173 (1980) 605-607; and
Localization and Direct Quantitation of .sup.3 H-Labeled Proteins and RNAs in Slab Gels by a New Detection System, by Joachim Kruppa, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Vol. 113, No. 2, 1983, June 15, 1983, pp 703-709.


A free standing versatile baby barrier system comprising individual modules each having a flat stiff mat-like horizontal component and a flat vertical component of similar width attached at one end near a mid-section of the horizontal component such that the width of the vertical component spans the width of the horizontal component. The vertical component is of sufficient height to prevent the baby from climbing over the barrier to the protected side, and the horizontal component is of sufficient length to require the baby to stand or crawl on the horizontal component thus securing the horizontal component to the floor by the baby's own weight. Individual modules may be detachably linked together with hinge members attached to the lateral edges of the vertical components of the modules, allowing for rotation of the modules relative to one another to conveniently adjust the barrier system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device which will aid in the care of infants and small toddlers by providing a barrier to the movement of the child. More specifically, the present invention would act as a child barrier device in a highly versatile manner.
2. Prior Art
To those who care for infants and toddlers it is well known that they frequently roam and explore their environment. Although it is important for them to have ample room to roam and explore, they can get themselves into situations that may be a danger to themselves or be destructive to property on the premises without constant supervision by a responsible adult. Because adults often need help in restricting children from getting into such situations so that the adult can tend to other chores as well, a number of devices to aid them have been invented.
The most well known devices for restricting a small child's movements are known as playpens. Many variations in design of the playpen and crib have been described in the past including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,680,155; 4,692,953; 4,750,223; 4,765,004; 4,819,285; 3,080,573; 3,430,271; and 5,076,546. All of these devices however, enclose the child and restrict them to a very small area to play in. Children find this degree of restriction frustrating and learn early to protest being placed in such a device.
Other devices for limiting a child's area of movement include a variety of child gates and barriers that are supported at both ends by a wall, baluster, door frame or combination therof, either by wedging, clamping, the use of screws or other mechanical means of fixation. These devices are limited in application to areas where they can span between the two points of fixation such as a hallway or stairway. One more novel approach in this area is the free standing gate described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,619 which does not need the mechanical support of a wall or baluster. The application of this device is limited to use at the top of a stairway only.
Another attempt at providing a barrier to a child's movement is the modular barrier described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,546. This device is more versatile than a playpen in that it is more portable and can make use of existing walls. The device has a limited number of combinations of corners and sides that can be used which will limit the situations in which it may be used. Also, it depends on friction between the device and the floor generated by its own weight to prevent a baby or toddler of sufficient strength from moving the device.
There are often only a few areas of a room or household in which it is undesirable to have the child. The shape of a barrier needed to protect those areas and the availability of walls or other objects on to which a barrier can be fixed is highly variable from one application to the next. What is is needed then, is a device versatile in its ability to protect these areas while leaving the rest of the area free for the child to play in. This device also needs to have a means of preventing an infant or toddler from being able to push or slide the device in a way that may enable them to get around it.


A throttle control apparatus comprises a throttle valve placed in an intake passage, a motor for driving the throttle valve, an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling the motor, and a throttle sensor for detecting an actual opening degree of the throttle valve. The ECU determines that the throttle valve is frozen when the actual opening degree does not reach a target opening degree even after a driving time for driving the motor has exceeded a predetermined time, and then stores the actual opening degree at the time as an icing opening degree. The ECU supplies a driving duty to cause the motor to produce required driving torque for removal of icing and reverses the driving duty by open control, and controls the motor to bring an accumulated value of a deviation between the target opening degree and the icing opening degree to zero, thereby repeatedly swinging the throttle valve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a throttle control apparatus for an internal combustion engine adapted to drive a throttle valve placed in an intake passage of the internal combustion engine by using a driving device to cope with icing of the throttle valve.
2. Description of Related Art
As this type of apparatus, there is conventionally known for example a throttle control apparatus disclosed in Japanese examined patent publication No. 4(1992)-4452. This throttle control apparatus is arranged to control a throttle valve for preventing icing or freezing thereof in a cold environment. The icing of the throttle valve indicates the phenomenon in which vapor and fuel contained in intake air freeze to form ice on or around the throttle valve when the intake air is low in temperature and high in humidity during engine warm-up condition, thus causing blockage of an intake passage. In some cases, further, the icing may cause the engine to stop. For avoiding such troubles, the above throttle control apparatus comprises operating condition detection means for detecting an engine operating condition, icing detection means for detecting whether the throttle valve is in a frozen or iced state, throttle valve opening/closing means for electrically opening and closing the throttle valve, and a control circuit for controlling the throttle valve opening/closing means. In this apparatus, an accelerator opening sensor is used as the operating condition detection means and a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor are used as the icing detection means. The throttle valve opening/closing means includes a DC servomotor and its drive circuit. The control circuit is arranged to execute "icing elimination control" which comprises driving the DC servomotor and others according to an engine operating condition based on a signal from the accelerator opening sensor, detecting whether the throttle valve is frozen based on a signal from the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, and others, and, when detects the icing (the frozen state), controlling the DC servomotor and other components to swing the throttle valve at a predetermined cycle in such a small opening range as to be around the opening degree suitable for the current operating condition without causing no variation in an engine rotational speed.
However, in the throttle control apparatus disclosed in the '452 publication, the control circuit neither detects whether the throttle valve is frozen nor executes the icing elimination control unless a specific environmental condition depending on the accelerator opening degree, temperature, and humidity is satisfied. This apparatus therefore could not cope with icing if occurred under any environmental conditions other than the specific environmental condition. Further, the specific environmental condition depending on the accelerator opening degree, temperature, and humidity is merely determined by estimating a condition that icing is likely to occur and also anticipating the occurrence of icing. Accordingly, even when the control circuit determines whether icing has occurred based on the specific environmental condition, there is a possibility that no icing has occurred actually. In other words, it appears that this throttle control apparatus prospectively detects (estimates) whether the icing has occurred based on the specific environmental condition. Thus, this apparatus would be low in accuracy of icing detection. Further, this throttle control apparatus is arranged to merely swing the throttle valve around a certain target opening degree in order to eliminate icing, which could not produce sufficient torque to the throttle valve. It is consequently concerned that this operation of the throttle valve could not generate sufficient icing elimination power to remove solid or hard frozen ice.

Throttle control apparatus for internal combustion engine


The present invention is directed to novel avian pneumovirus strain Colorado (APV/CO) genes and intergenic sequences. Also disclosed are methods of making recombinant avian pneumovirus and live-attenuated APV/CO. Further disclosed are methods of diagnosing avian pneumovirus.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the fields of immunology and molecular biology.
2. Related Art
Avian pneumovirus (APV), also known as turkey rhinotracheitis virus, was first reported in South Africa in 1978 (Buys & Du Preez, Turkeys 28:36 (1980)) and, subsequently, was isolated in Europe, Israel and Asia (Alexander, in Barnes et al., eds., Diseases of Poultry, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa (1997), pp. 541-569; Cavanagh and Barett, Virus Res. 11:241-256 (1988); Jones et al., Vet. Rec. 119:599-600 (1986); McDougall and Cook, Vet. Rec. 118:206-207 (1986); Wilding et al., Vet. Rec. 118:735 (1986)). The United States was considered free of APV until 1996, when it was isolated for the first time in Colorado from an outbreak of upper respiratory tract disease in turkeys (Cook et al., Avian Pathol. 28:607-617 (1999); Kleven, in Proceedings of the U.S. Animal Health Association 101st Annual Meeting, U.S. Animal Health Association, Washington, D.C. Report of the Committee: transmissible diseases of poultry and other avian species (1997), pp. 486-491). This first isolate was called APV/Colorado (APV/CO). Subsequently, APV infection was reported in turkeys in Minnesota, from which the virus has spread to the neighboring states of North and South Dakota (Goyal et al., North Central Avian Disease Conference, Minneapolis, Minn. (October, 1999); Panigrahy et al., Avian Dis. 44:17-22 (2000)). APV has emerged as a major problem for turkey industries in Minnesota. In 1999, 37% of the turkey flocks in Minnesota were positive for APV antibodies, causing economic losses of approximately $15 million per year (Gulati et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:4010-4014 (2000)).
APV belongs to the genus Metapneumovirus within the subfamily Pneumovirinae of the family Paramyxoviridae (Pringle, Arch. Virol. 143:1449-1459 (1998)). The genome of Metapneumovirus is a non-segmented, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA with a gene order of 3′-Leader-N-P-M-F-M2-SH-G-L-Trailer-5′. APV was assigned to a new genus because its genome contains eight genes arranged in a different order from the ten genes of members of genus Pneumovirus, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (Collins et al., "Parainfluenza viruses," in Fields Virology, Fields et al., eds., Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, Pa. (1996), pp. 1205-1241; Ling et al., J. Gen. Virol. 73:1709-1715 (1992); Randhawa et al., J. Virol. 71:9849-9854 (1997)). The newly discovered human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is the only mammalian virus that has been included tentatively in the genus Metapneumovirus (Van den Hoogen et al., Nat. Med. 7:719-724 (2001); Van den Hoogen, et al., Virology 295:119-132 (2002); Njenga et al., Virus Res. 91:163-169 (2003)).
On the basis of level of genetic variation in the attachment (G) protein, European APV isolates have been divided into two subgroups, designated A and B (Juhasz and Easton, J. Gen Virol. 75:2873-2880 (1994)). These two subgroups were also shown to be antigenically distinct (Bayon-Auboyer et al., Arch. Virol. 144:1091-1109 (1999)). Until late 1996, all known APV isolates belonged to either the A or the B subgroup. Surprisingly, the APV isolates from the U.S. were shown to cross-neutralize poorly with European subgroup A and B viruses, suggesting that they belong to a different subgroup. A new subgroup, C, has been proposed for the U.S. isolates of APV (Cook et al., Avian Pathol. 28:607-617 (1998); Kleven, in Proceedings of the U.S. Animal Health Association 101st Annual Meeting, U.S. Animal Health Association, Washington, D.C. Report of the Committee: transmissible diseases of poultry and other avian species (1997), pp. 486-491; Seal, Virus Res. 58:45-52 (1998); Seal, Health Res. Rev. 1:67-72 (2000); Shin et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 40:1687-1693 (2002)). Recently, a subgroup D strain of APV has been reported (Bayon-Auboyer et al., J. Gen. Virol. 81:2723-2733 (2000)). The U.S. isolates have been shown to be different from Subgroup D strains (Toquin et al., Avian Dis. 44:977-982 (2000)).
The nucleotide sequences of all the eight mRNAs of APV subgroup A have been reported (Randhawa et al., J. Virol. 71:9849-9854 (1997) and references therein). However, the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of only N, P, M, F and M2 genes of APV/CO have been reported (Dar et al., Virus Res. 79 (1-2):15-25 (2001); Seal, Virus Res. 58:45-52 (1998); Seal et al., Virus Res. 66:139-147 (2000); Genbank accession—AF176592).
At present, there is no satisfactory vaccine available for APV and also no method available to genetically manipulate the genome of APV.

Avian pneumovirus genes, recombinant avian pneumoviruses and methods of making


A layer system including a substrate and a layer is provided. The layer system has a hole at least in the layer, and wherein at least one recess is present in a surface of the layer in a vicinity around the hole or directly adjoining a boundary line of the hole.

Layer systems are used in particular for components operated at high temperatures. These are in particular turbine blades or vanes with a metallic substrate, metallic bonding layer and ceramic thermal barrier layer.
In addition, gas turbine components in particular are cooled by a cooling medium flowing out of a cooling hole in order to cool the component on the inside or else in order to protect the component on the outside against excessively hot gases.
Holes of this type are often made after complete coating of the substrate, in which case the opening can then be a flaw or starting point for crack growth on its inner face.


A system and method for providing a watchdog timer to enable collection of crash data is provided. Upon execution of certain operations, a source thread of an application initiates a watchdog thread that periodically sample state of data relating to the application. Should the operation not complete within a watchdog timeout period, the watchdog thread invokes a crash function to collect additional state data. At least a portion of the state data is stored for later analysis and debugging.

Certain mobile operating systems, such as iOS available from Apple, Inc. include operating system imposed timeout periods for applications executing on the mobile device. Typically, these operating system timeout periods are designed to ensure that if an application encounters an error condition that does not cause a crash, but instead results in the application entering a hung state for a predefined period of time, the mobile operating system terminates the application. Typically, these timeout periods are associated with certain predefined operations of an application, e.g., the initial launching of an application, the act of moving the application to the background and/or returning the application to the foreground. For example, it has been noted that iOS will typically terminate an application if the application has not completed its initial launching procedure within approximately 20 seconds.
While the termination of applications that have exceeded the mobile operating system's timeout period may work to ensure stability of the mobile device by preventing applications from hanging, the abrupt termination of the application by the mobile operating system provides a challenge for application developers to obtain debugging information that may be utilized to determine the cause of the application hanging. For example, application developers may include debugging software that detects when a conventional error condition (i.e., crash) occurs and records certain state information that may be used later for debugging purposes. However, the mobile operating system's abrupt termination of an application that exceeds the timeout period does not enable the debugging software to collect state information associated with the application. In these cases, the application developer receives no information relating to the crash.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for providing a watchdog timer to enable collection of crash data


A monolithic semiconductor power device. The device is designed to produce high energy density and high power level RF/Millimeter wave radiation using the quasi-optical spatial power of an array (100) of small amplifiers (200) on a solid state wafer (300). Each cell (200) of the array (100) contains a reflection amplifier (206) that receives radiation and retransmits the signal back into the approximate same direction from which it was received. The radiation exiting from the array (100) is physically like a reflection that has been modified by the individual amplifier""s characteristics. The exiting amplified radiation leaves the array (100) as a coherent wave front (110). The individual amplifier elements are fabricated on a monolithic solid state wafer (300). Rather than being diced into individual amplifiers, the elements are electrically connected together with proper biases and ground levels on the actual solid state wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to power devices. Specifically, the present invention relates to semiconductor power devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Techniques have been developed for producing W-band semiconductor power devices (e.g. 50 Ghz to 120 Ghz). For example Gunn and Impatt diode sources have been developed which produce xc2xc watt of power. However, these sources are very expensive. Indium Phosphide High Electron Mobility Transistor (InP HEMT) amplifiers have been developed which produce {fraction (1/10)} watt of power. However these devices range from $10,000 to $20,000 in cost. Lastly, technologies are being developed which produce heat with high-frequency microwave beams. These technologies require power in the 100 KW to 1 MV range. However, devices implemented with these technologies (tubes) may cost millions of dollars each.
In general, devices implemented with conventional technologies do not generate affordable power in the W-band. In addition, the flexibility of conventional power systems, such as Gunn and Impatt diodes and InP HEMT amplifiers, is limited.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a cost effective high power W-band power system. That is, there is a need in the art for a W-band power system that can be inexpensively configured, to provide variable output power levels. Lastly, there is a need for a W-band power system that takes advantage of current semiconductor manufacturing technology to minimize costs.
The need in the art is addressed by the reflector of the present invention. Generally, the inventive reflector includes a monolithic semiconductor substrate and a mechanism disposed on the substrate for coherently reflecting electromagnetic energy.
In the illustrative embodiment, the mechanism is a monolithic array of cells with each cell including transmit and receive antenna and an amplifier therebetween. In the best mode, the antenna is a dual polarization antenna. That is, the receive antenna receives incident electromagnetic energy with a first polarization. This energy is amplified and provided to the second antenna, which retransmits the energy at an orthogonal polarization. The combined output of the cells is a coherent electromagnetic wavefront.

Monolithic millimeter wave reflect array system


A tuning circuit for tuning an active filter includes a resistor-capacitor circuit comprising a variable capacitor and a resistor equivalent to a first resistor and a second resistor serially connected to the first resistor, a voltage generator for providing a constant reference voltage to the first resistor, a current replicating unit for replicating a current based on the constant reference voltage, a comparator for comparing a charging voltage as the current is charging a variable capacitor with the constant reference voltage, a counter for counting a number of cycles of a clock signal until the charging voltage reaches the constant reference voltage, a adjustment unit for calibrating a capacitance of the variable capacitor based on the number of cycles of a clock signal and a target count value associated with a predetermined RC time constant.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for tuning an active filter, more particularly to a method and apparatus for tuning the 3-dB corner frequency of filters to approach a constant characteristic.
2. Description of the Related Art
As development of integrated circuitry technology is accelerated, necessary functions are integrated within a single chip. In particular, analog filter circuits implemented by capacitors and resistors are widely used in electronics or communication products. In the design and manufacture of active continuous-time filter, the frequency response is directly proportional to variation of the values of resistors and capacitors. As is well known in the art, the use of capacitors and resistors generates RC-product shifts on account of variations in temperature, supply voltage, and manufacturing process. Unavoidably, variation in manufacturing process and variations during operation cause resistance of a resistor with approximately ±21% deviation, and capacitance of capacitor with approximately ±10% deviation. In other words, active filters result in RC time constant deviations from their design value up to ±32%. As a result, tuning circuits may conventionally be used with analog filter circuits in order to fine tune or adjust the filter to compensate for variation in the analog components of the filter.
The employment of integrated active filter circuits in combination with external high precision resistors and capacitors to compensate for the above-mentioned variations is a solution to such problem. However, this solution conflicts with the advantages offered by integrated circuits, such as low cost and small form-factor (few or none external components) of the filter circuit. Therefore, it has become increasingly common to embed an automatic tuning circuit as a part of a chip to calibrate the RC time constant deviation.
Traditionally, calibration of RC time constant is based on two invariant identities to temperature and processing, bandgap voltage and a clock frequency. One way to achieve a tunable RC time constant is to provide active resistors, i.e. resistors fabricated as MOSFETs instead of passive resistor elements, and control the MOSFET to provide a desired resistance. In such an arrangement, a feedback circuit measures the actual RC time constant of the filter with reference to a clock frequency, and provides a corresponding signal to the MOSFET to continuously adjust their resistance to attain the required time constant. This solution, however, needs a continuous input signal for the MOSFET and thus causes an increase of power consumption of the filter circuit. Moreover, this approach is disadvantageous when a low supply voltage is used (e.g. as low as 1 V); since the MOSFET, in general, requires a large sub-1V threshold voltage to be conductive, such that the MOSFET cannot provide a sufficient variable control range to compensate for the large variations of the active filter.
As a result, in order to solve such problem, the need for an improvement on the method and apparatus for tuning an active filter is required.

Method and apparatus for tuning an active filter


The invention relates to a method for adjusting focus in an automated microscope. The method may comprise the steps of: providing an optical detector for image acquisition, wherein the optical detector comprises an array of sensor pixels; designating a region of interest in the array of sensor pixels to emulate a confocal aperture; directing a light beam to illuminate an object according to a predefined pattern, thereby forming an image of the illuminated pattern at the optical detector, wherein the image of the illuminated pattern substantially overlaps the designated region of interest; detecting a light intensity from sensor pixels located within the designated region of interest; and adjusting a relative focal position of an objective lens based on the detected light intensity.

Automated microscopes such as confocal laser scanning microscopes and wide-field fluorescence microscopes are powerful imaging tools that are especially valuable for inspection of biological samples. One important component in a typical automated microscope is an autofocusing system. Ideally, the autofocusing system should be able to adjust focus for the microscope's optical system to obtain high-contrast images and should do so in a fast, accurate and reliable manner. However, very few existing autofocusing systems, if any, can meet such requirements in a cost-efficient way. Most known autofocusing systems fall into two categories: image-based or confocal-based, both of which have notable shortcomings.
An image-based autofocusing system may rely on an image-processing algorithm to find a best focus for a microscope. Such an image-based autofocusing system may cause a main optical detector in the microscope to acquire a number of images while an objective lens is moved within its focus range, so that each image corresponds to a different focal position. The contrast of each image is then analyzed and evaluated by applying the image-processing algorithm to the image data. The best focal position is identified as one that corresponds to the strongest contrast in the acquired images. Although such a image-based autofocusing system is usually simple, reliable and inexpensive, it is relatively slow since multiple images have to be acquired and then processed with the complex contrast-evaluation algorithm. In addition, this type of image-based autofocusing cannot be performed during image acquisition (i.e., operate in a "tracking mode") because the main optical detector would not be available for autofocusing operations.
An image-based autofocusing system may also rely on a separate set of hardware (e.g., a separate optical detector and separate optical components) that operates somewhat independently from the microscope's main image acquisition system. This type of autofocusing system is also referred to as a hardware-based system.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art microscope 100 equipped with a hardware-based autofocusing system 120. A main image acquisition system in the microscope 100 comprises a main charge coupled device (CCD) detector 102, a main optical path 104 that comprises an objective lens 110 and other optical elements, a main illumination light source 106, and an object stage 108. The main illumination light source 106 generates a light beam 10 (typically a laser) that is directed, via the main optical path 104, to the object stage 108 to illuminate a sample thereon. An image of the sample is then detected by the main CCD detector 102.
In addition to and independent from the main image acquisition system, the hardware-based autofocusing system 120 provides a secondary image acquisition system that includes a secondary CCD detector 122, a secondary optical path 124 and an autofocus light source 126. The autofocus light source 126 typically generates an autofocus light beam 20 having a different wavelength from the light beam 10 generated by the main illumination light source 106. The autofocus light beam 20 is coupled into the main optical path 104 to illuminate the object stage 108. A resulting image is then detected by the secondary CCD detector 122. A microcontroller (or microprocessor) 128 is available to analyze the autofocus images acquired by the secondary CCD detector 122. The microcontroller 128 is also coupled to a motion control unit 112 that adjusts a relative position of the object stage 108 with respect to the objective lens 110. By coordinating the movement of the object stage 108 and the acquisition and analysis of autofocus images, the microcontroller 128 may quickly identify an optimal focal position that produces the strongest contrast in the autofocus image. It should be noted that a hardware-based autofocusing system, such as the system 120, may also be adapted for confocal-based autofocusing, wherein a physical confocal aperture (not shown) is used and, instead of analyzing entire images, light intensity through the confocal aperture may be analyzed for focus adjustments.
With a secondary image acquisition system dedicated to autofocusing, a hardware-based autofocusing system can zero in on the best focus fairly fast and may also be able to perform focus adjustment when the microscope's main image acquisition system is busy acquiring sample images. However, the dedicated autofocusing hardware also substantially increases the overall complexity and cost of the microscope. Furthermore, a hardware-based autofocusing system is typically incapable of flexible adaptation to different imaging modes the microscope operates in.
Apart from confocal-based autofocusing, there is another type of non-image-based autofocusing approach known as position-sensitive autofocusing. Position-sensitive autofocusing can be used for tracking-mode focus adjustments, and is widely used in optical drives such as compact disk (CD) drives and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives. However, it is very difficult to implement position-sensitive autofocusing in an imaging system with multiple objective lenses.

System and method for utilizing an autofocus feature in an automated microscope


A controller of a power converter is described that after switching-on a primary switch of a power converter, detects a voltage that is indicative of a primary current through the primary switch and responsive to determining that the voltage exceeds a direct-current (DC) voltage threshold, switches-off the primary switch. The controller stores a peak value of the voltage while switching-off the primary switch, and responsive to determining that the peak value is higher or lower than a range of target values associated with the peak value of the voltage, the controller adjusts at least one of the DC voltage threshold or the range of target values for a subsequent switching cycle of the primary switch.

Switch mode voltage converters, regulators, or power supplies may be used to provide a regulated DC output voltage from an unregulated AC or DC input voltage. A flyback type switch mode power supply (SMPS) (also referred to herein as simply a "flyback") may regulate an output voltage based on the primary current flowing through a primary switch connected in series with a primary winding of a transformer. A drive circuit of the flyback may generate a pulse to switch-on the power switch to build up energy in the primary winding that is to be transferred to a secondary winding of the transformer. While the primary switch is switched-on, the inductance of the primary winding of the transformer may cause the level of the primary current flowing through the primary switch to increase substantially linearly. When the drive circuit determines the primary current level has reached a specific threshold, the drive circuit may cause the primary switch to switch-off and cease conducting the primary current.
During operation, so as to prevent damage to the primary switch and/or to prevent damage to a load connected to the secondary winding, a flyback may limit the primary current through the primary switch to a maximum permissible current level. The maximum permissible current level may depend on the input voltage to the flyback and the amount of load that is connected to a secondary side of the transformer. As operating conditions (e.g., input voltage and amount of primary inductance) of a flyback change, the acceptable maximum primary current level for the flyback may also change thereby causing a previously acceptable maximum primary current level to no longer be acceptable for a particular application and at a particular time.


Methods and systems for monitoring and determining antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial treatment using genomic subtype information. Various embodiments utilize molecular epidemiology and next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS) to monitor multi-drug resistant pathogens and provide early insight into emergent microbial threats.

Infectious diseases (IDs) cause widespread morbidity and mortality. A review of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 1998-2006 estimated 40 million hospitalizations with ID as the primary condition. Recent studies estimate that up to 51% of ICU patients are suffering from an infectious disease with 71% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving antimicrobials. The mortality of patients with infections is twice that of those who are infection-free.
Moreover, nosocomial infections (i.e., infections acquired by a patient in the hospital) are estimated to occur in 5% of all acute care hospitalizations. This equates to more than 2 million cases per year, associated with added expenditures in excess of $4.5 billion. Nosocomial infections can cause severe pneumonia and infections of the urinary tract, bloodstream and other parts of the body.
Many types of nosocomial infections are difficult to attack with antimicrobials. Antimicrobials have been used extensively over the last 70 years to reduce the number of deaths due to infectious diseases. However, the drugs have been used so widely and for so long that the infectious organisms the antimicrobials are designed to kill have instead adapted to the antimicrobials, making the drugs less effective.
The American Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 30-50% of the antimicrobials prescribed in hospitals are unnecessary or inappropriate. Overprescribing and misprescribing antimicrobials is contributing to the growing challenges posed by the antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The CDC also reports that improving prescription practices in hospitals can not only help reduce rates of hospital acquired infection and antimicrobial resistance, but can also improve individual patient outcomes, all while reducing healthcare costs.

Methods of displaying the antimicrobial sensitivity of biological isolates


Methods and systems for training and implementing metrology recipes based on performance metrics employed to quantitatively characterize the measurement performance of a metrology system in a particular measurement application. Performance metrics are employed to regularize the optimization process employed during measurement model training, model-based regression, or both. For example, the known distributions associated with important measurement performance metrics such as measurement precision, wafer mean, etc., are specifically employed to regularize the optimization that drives measurement model training. In a further aspect, a trained measurement model is employed to estimate values of parameters of interest based on measurements of structures having unknown values of one or more parameters of interest. In a further aspect, trained measurement model performance is validated with test data using error budget analysis. In another aspect, a model-based regression on a measurement model is physically regularized by on one or more measurement performance metrics.

Semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices are typically fabricated by a sequence of processing steps applied to a specimen. The various features and multiple structural levels of the semiconductor devices are formed by these processing steps. For example, lithography among others is one semiconductor fabrication process that involves generating a pattern on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing, etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated on a single semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Metrology processes are used at various steps during a semiconductor manufacturing process to detect defects on wafers to promote higher yield. Optical and X-ray based metrology techniques offer the potential for high throughput without the risk of sample destruction. A number of metrology based techniques including scatterometry, reflectometry, and ellipsometry implementations and associated analysis algorithms are commonly used to characterize critical dimensions, film thicknesses, composition, overlay and other parameters of nanoscale structures.
Many metrology techniques are indirect methods of measuring physical properties of a specimen under measurement. In most cases, the raw measurement signals cannot be used to directly determine the physical properties of the specimen. Instead, a measurement model is employed to estimate the values of one or more parameters of interest based on the raw measurement signals. For example, ellipsometry is an indirect method of measuring physical properties of the specimen under measurement. In general, a physics-based measurement model or a machine learning based measurement model is required to determine the physical properties of the specimen based on the raw measurement signals (e.g., (αmeas and βmeas).
In some examples, a physics-based measurement model is created that attempts to predict the raw measurement signals (e.g., (αmeas and βmeas) based on assumed values of one or more model parameters. As illustrated in equations (1) and (2), the measurement model includes parameters associated with the metrology tool itself, e.g., machine parameters (Pmachine), and parameters associated with the specimen under measurement. When solving for parameters of interest, some specimen parameters are treated as fixed valued (Pspec-fixed) and other specimen parameters of interest are floated (Pspec-float), i.e., resolved based on the raw measurement signals.αmodel=f(Pmachine,Pspec-fixed,Pspec-float)  (1)βmodel=g(Pmachine,Pspec-fixed,Pspec-float)  (2)
Machine parameters are parameters used to characterize the metrology tool (e.g., ellipsometer 101). Exemplary machine parameters include angle of incidence (AOI), analyzer angle (A0), polarizer angle (P0), illumination wavelength, numerical aperture (NA), compensator or waveplate (if present), etc. Specimen parameters are parameters used to characterize the specimen (e.g., material and geometric parameters characterizing the structure(s) under measurement). For a thin film specimen, exemplary specimen parameters include refractive index, dielectric function tensor, nominal layer thickness of all layers, layer sequence, etc. For a CD specimen, exemplary specimen parameters include geometric parameter values associated with different layers, refractive indices associated with different layers, etc. For measurement purposes, the machine parameters and many of the specimen parameters are treated as known, fixed valued parameters. However, the values of one or more of the specimen parameters are treated as unknown, floating parameters of interest.
In some examples, the values of the floating parameters of interest are resolved by an iterative process (e.g., regression) that produces the best fit between theoretical predictions and experimental data. The values of the unknown, floating parameters of interest are varied and the model output values (e.g., αmodel and βmodel) are calculated and compared to the raw measurement data in an iterative manner until a set of specimen parameter values are determined that results in a sufficiently close match between the model output values and the experimentally measured values (e.g., αmeas and βmeas). In some other examples, the floating parameters are resolved by a search through a library of pre-computed solutions to find the closest match.
In some other examples, a trained machine learning based measurement model is employed to directly estimate values of parameters of interest based on raw measurement data. In these examples, a machine learning based measurement model takes raw measurement signals as model input and generates values of the parameters of interest as model output.
Both physics based measurement models and machine learning based measurement models must be trained to generate useful estimates of parameters of interest for a particular measurement application. Generally, model training is based on raw measurement signals collected from specimen having known values of the parameters of interest (i.e., Design of Experiments (DOE) data).
A machine learning based measurement model is parameterized by a number of weight parameters. Traditionally, the machine learning based measurement model is trained by a regression process (e.g., ordinary least squares regression). The values of the weight parameters are iteratively adjusted to minimize the differences between the known, reference values of the parameters of interest and values of the parameters of interest estimated by the machine learning based measurement model based on the measured raw measurement signals.
As described hereinbefore, a physics based measurement model is parameterized by a number of machine parameters and specimen parameters. Traditionally, a physics based measurement model is also trained by a regression process (e.g., ordinary least squares regression). One or more of the machine parameters and specimen parameters are iteratively adjusted to minimize the differences between the raw measurement data and the modelled measurement data. For each iteration, the values of the specimen parameters of interest are maintained at the known DOE values.
Traditionally, the training of both machine learning based measurement models and physics based measurement models (a.k.a., measurement recipe generation) is achieved by minimizing total output error; typically expressed as a least squares minimization. Total output error is an expression of total measurement uncertainty; an aggregation of all of the errors arising from the measurement, including precision errors, tool-to-tool matching errors, parameter tracking errors, within wafer variations, etc. Unfortunately, model training based on total measurement uncertainty without control over the components of the total measurement uncertainty leads to suboptimal measurement performance. In many examples, large modeling errors arise, particularly when training is performed based on simulated data due to discrepancies between simulated and real data.
Furthermore, domain knowledge acquired from experience, measurement data, and physics is not directly expressed in the objective function driving the optimization of the measurement model. As a result, domain knowledge is not fully exploited in the measurement recipe development process. Again, this leads to suboptimal measurement performance.
Future metrology applications present challenges for metrology due to increasingly small resolution requirements, multi-parameter correlation, increasingly complex geometric structures, and increasing use of opaque materials. Thus, methods and systems for improved measurement recipe generation are desired.

Measurement recipe optimization based on probabilistic domain knowledge and physical realization


A first horizontal hollow cylinder open at both ends has a first narrow elongated slot. A second horizontal hollow cylinder open at both ends is disposed concentrically within the firtst cylinder and has a second narrow elongated slot that extends between its ends. A vertically elongated element is secured at its upper end to the first cylinder and has an opening intermediate its ends. A flexible elongated connector secured at one end to the lower end of the element with its other end being detachable with the element opening. A rotatable member is secured to one end of the second cylinder and is spaced from the first cylinder so that the member can rotate the second cylinder about its axis without rotating the first cylinder.

Sinker-slider are devices used by fishermen that comprise a hollow sliding device open at both ends through which a fishing line extends, a sinker, typically of lead, and an elongated connector engaged at one end to the device and tied by a knot at the other end to the sinker.
Conventionally, a fisherman wishing to install such device must first cut the line to provide a free end for insertion into the device. Similarly, once installed, the line carrying the device must be cut before the device can be removed.
Moreover, once a sinker has been installed, it can only be removed by untying the knot.
The present invention overcomes both of these problems by providing a new type of sliding device which can be installed on a line or removed from the line without cutting it and moreover utilizes a new type of connector which enables a sinker to be connected or disconnected from the connector without the use of knots or other securing arrangements.
In accordance with the principles of the invention, a plastic sinker-slider structure employs a first horizontal hollow cylinder open at both ends. The first cylinder has a first narrow elongated slot that extends between its ends that exposes the first cylinder interior.
A second horizontal hollow cylinder also open at both ends is disposed concentrically within and spaced from the first cylinder. The second cylinder has a second narrow elongated slot extending between its ends that exposes the second cylinder interior. The two cylinders can be locked together.
The sinker slider structure also employs an elongated flexible connector having first and second opposite ends and a vertical element having upper and lower ends. The element is secured at its upper end to the first cylinder and extends therebelow. The element is secured at its lower end to the first end of the connector. The element has an opening intermediate its ends. The second end of the connector is detachably securable in said member opening.
A rotatable member is secured to one end of the second cylinder and is spaced from the first cylinder so that the member can rotate the second cylinder about its axis without rotating the first cylinder that remains in fixed non-rotatable position. The member can be placed in first position of rotation at which the two slots are aligned and can be placed in a second position of rotation at which said slots are out of alignment. The cylinders can be locked together in either position of rotation.
In order to secure the sinker-slider to a fishing line, the member is placed in its first position so that the fishing line can be inserted through the aligned slots. The member is then placed in its second position so that the line is held in position within the second cylinder. As long as the slots are out of alignment, the sinker-slider remains secured to the line. The sinker-slider can be removed by placing the member in its first position and removing the line through the aligned slots.
Each sinker for use in this sinker-slider structure has a hole. In order to connect the sinker detachably to the structure, the second end of the connector is first is disconnected from the member opening. The free second end is then pulled through the hole in the sinker and then is detachably connected to the member opening.
If a fisherman finds that the sinker is caught in rocks or the like, the second end of the connector is released from the member opening and can be pulled through the hole in the sinker. The sinker remains caught and is discarded without any damage to the sinker-slider structure.


Methods and apparatus are described herein for fluorescent imaging of a retina using a head-mountable device. The retina is illuminated by a head-mountable device (HMD) with light at an excitation wavelength of a fluorophore in the retina and imaged by the HMD at an emission wavelength of the fluorophore. The direction of gaze of a user of the HMD could be determined from the retinal image. The pattern of vasculature in the retinal image could be used to identify the user of the HMD. Information in the retinal image could be used to determine the medical state of the user and diagnose disease states. Fluorescent agents can be introduced into the vasculature of the wearer of the HMD to facilitate these or other applications of fluorescent imaging of the retina using the HMD.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Wearable systems can integrate various elements, such as miniaturized computers, input devices, sensors, detectors, image displays, wireless communication devices as well as image and audio processors, into a device that can be worn by a user. Such devices provide a mobile and lightweight solution to communicating, computing and interacting with one's environment. With the advance of technologies associated with wearable systems and miniaturized optical elements, it has become possible to consider wearable compact optical displays that augment the wearer's experience of the real world.
By placing an image display element close to the wearer's eye(s), an artificial image can be made to overlay the wearer's view of the real world. Such image display elements are incorporated into systems also referred to as "near-eye displays", "head-mounted displays" or "heads-up displays" (HUDs). Depending upon the size of the display element and the distance to the wearer's eye, the artificial image may fill or nearly fill the wearer's field of view.

Fluorescent imaging on a head-mountable device


There is disclosed an optical deflector comprising an oscillating member including a movable plate allowed to oscillate, the movable plate including a coil extending along its periphery, and a magnetic field generation portion, such that the movable plate oscillates in accordance with a force generated by an interaction of a current flowing through the coil with the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generation portion, wherein the movable plate has first and second surfaces extending in substantially parallel with each other, an imaginary plane including the first surface of the movable plate in a neutral position defines two spaces, one including the second surface of the movable plate and the other not including the second surface, and the magnetic field generation portion is positioned in the space including the second surface of the movable plate.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-253360, filed Aug. 23, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical deflector with an oscillating member prepared by the semiconductor manufacturing technique, and in particularly, to an optical deflector of the electromagnetic driving type.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an optical deflector prepared by the semiconductor manufacturing technique, there has heretofore been a planar electromagnetic actuator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,608. The planar electromagnetic actuator comprises: a structure member integrally formed by a frame-shaped outer movable portion, an inner movable portion positioned inside the outer movable portion, a first torsion bar for supporting the outer movable portion so as to allow the outer movable portion to oscillate, and a second torsion bar for supporting the inner movable portion with respect to the outer movable portion so as to allow the inner movable portion to oscillate; and two permanent magnets disposed on opposite sides of the structure member.
The first torsion bar crosses at right angles to the second torsion bar, and the inner movable portion is, therefore, allowed to oscillate about two axes crossing at right angles to each other. The outer and inner movable portions include electromagnetic coils. Two permanent magnets are arranged on a diagonal line of the movable portion, in other words, on a line obliquely intersecting with any one of two oscillation axes.
In the actuator or optical deflector of the electromagnetic driving type, a current flowing through the electromagnetic coil disposed in the movable portion receives Lorentz force by an interaction with a magnetic field crossing at right angles to the oscillation axis of the movable portion. Thereby, the movable portion is oscillated. Therefore, each permanent magnet is usually disposed in the vicinity of each side of the movable portion, that is, four permanent magnets are arranged in total for a two-dimensional driving.
In the electromagnetic actuator described in the above-described patent, the magnetic field obliquely crossing two oscillation axes of the movable portion is generated by only the two permanent magnets generate. The magnetic field can be split into two components crossing at right angles to two oscillation axes. By the Lorentz force generated by the interaction of two magnetic field components with the current flowing through the electromagnetic coil of the inner or outer movable portion, the inner movable portion is allowed to oscillate about two axes crossing at right angles to each other.
Not only in the above-described planar electromagnetic actuator (optical deflector) but also in the electromagnetic driving type of actuator (optical deflector) that has heretofore been known, the permanent magnets are disposed beside the movable portion. Therefore, in an optical deflector of the electromagnetic driving type of optical deflector constituted by mounting a mirror on the movable portion of the actuator, the permanent magnet projects forwards from at least the mirror. Therefore, a beam of light incident upon the mirror at a small angle, in other words, a beam of light incident with a large incidence angle is diverted by the permanent magnet, and a situation in which the deflector cannot accurately function possibly occurs.
Moreover, since the permanent magnet is disposed beside the movable portion, an area occupied by the electromagnetic driving type of actuator is very large in a projection onto a surface parallel to the surface of the movable portion in a neutral position. Here, the movable portion in the neutral position is a movable portion which is not oscillated/dislocated. Such an actuator or optical deflector of the electromagnetic driving type is not suitable for an endoscope. That is, it is difficult to dispose an actuator or optical deflector of the electromagnetic driving type, which includes the permanent magnet disposed beside the movable portion, in a narrow space of an endoscope tip end having a small diameter.
An optical deflector according to the present invention comprises: an oscillating member including at least one movable plate allowed to oscillate in at least one dimension, the movable plate including a coil extending along the periphery of the movable plate; and a magnetic field generation portion, which generates a magnetic field, such that the movable plate oscillates in accordance with a force generated by an interaction of a current flowing through the coil with the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generation portion, wherein the movable plate has first and second surfaces forming front and back surfaces, respectively, and extending in substantially parallel with each other, an imaginary plane including the first surface of the movable plate in a neutral position defines two spaces, one including the second surface of the movable plate and the other not including the second surface, and the magnetic field generation portion is positioned in the space including the second surface of the movable plate.
More preferably, an imaginary plane including the second surface of the movable plate in a neutral position defines two spaces, one including the first surface of the movable plate and the other not including the first surface, and the magnetic field generation portion is positioned in the space not including the first surface of the movable plate. Furthermore, in a projection onto an imaginary plane parallel to the first surface of the movable plate in the neutral position, preferably, the magnetic field generation portion and oscillating member at least partially overlap with each other, and more preferably, the magnetic field generation portion is positioned inside a contour of the oscillating member.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electromagnetic driving type optical deflector in which a beam of light incident upon a movable plate is not diverted by permanent magnets. Since the optical deflector according to the present invention has a small occupying area in a projection onto a plane parallel to the surface of the movable plate in the neutral position, the optical deflector is suitable for incorporation into an endoscope tip end.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.


The present invention guides a talker into a narrow sensitivity region by providing a light that is only visible when the talker's eyes are just above the sensitivity region of a microphone. When the talker keeps the light within his sight while speaking, there is no wavering problem. If the talker cannot see the light, then he is outside the sensitivity region and is alerted to a potential wavering problem by not seeing the light. In this way, the present invention takes advantage of the fact that the talker's eyes are located in close proximity to his mouth. In addition, high frequencies emanating from the mouth are highly directional and applications with speech input, such as speech recognition, function better when these high frequencies are available for analysis.

Some speech capturing systems require a close-talking microphone located a few inches to the side of a talker's mouth, when the talker is in a noisy environment. However, these microphones are too cumbersome for many applications requiring speech input. There is a need for a speech capturing system that does not require a close-talking microphone.
Other microphones, such as microphone arrays, include signal-processing methods that reduce reverberation and noise. These signal-processing methods need a narrow sensitivity region. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example microphone array oriented in three-dimensional space. A sensitivity region (a/k/a pick-up pattern or sensitivity pattern) is an area near the system where speech is picked-up; thus, speech outside the sensitivity region is not adequately captured. FIG. 2 is a graph in polar coordinates showing the sensitivity region of the example microphone array of FIG. 1 of a 1-kHz tone presented to the microphone array at various locations along the x-axis. FIG. 3 is another graph in polar coordinates showing the sensitivity region of the example microphone of FIG. 1 of a 1-kHz tone presented to the microphone array at various locations along the y-axis.
The narrow sensitivity regions required by the signal processing methods are invisible to the eye and often narrower than a talker's normal head movement. One example is a microphone array along the top of a computer monitor with a ±30 degree azimuth sensitivity region. Another example is a microphone in an automobile with a ±15 degree azimuth sensitivity region. Given these narrow sensitivity regions, it is too easy for the talker to unknowingly move their mouth in and out of this region, resulting in captured speech that wavers between audible and inaudible. Yet, if this region is broadened to account for normal head movement, the system's ability to reject noise and reverberation is diminished. There is a need for a speech capturing system that avoids the wavering problem, without broadening the sensitivity region.
Some speech capturing systems attempt to electronically steer a narrow beam to the source of speech based on direction of arrival and tracking schemes. These methods do not work well because they cannot track fast enough and cannot predict movement when the talker pauses without large signal delays. Steering always lags the speech and cannot predict where speech will resume after a silent period. Furthermore, steering done with directional beam formations causes high frequency fluctuations in captured speech. There is a need for a new approach, one that brings the talker to the narrow sensitivity region, rather than reaching out to the talker. There is a need for a way to guide the talker to the narrow sensitivity region and to assure the talker remains in the region, without resorting to steering.


An ophthalmic photographing apparatus capable of photographing a fundus and a slit-sectioned anterior segment of an eye in non-mydriatic conditions. The apparatus is provided with a light source unit including an infrared light source optical system for observation and a visible light source optical system for photographing, a hand-held photographing unit including a first illumination optical system with an illumination lens, and an observation/photographing optical system with an objective lens, and being separated from the light source unit, a slit light illumination unit including a second illumination optical system with a slit plate and an illumination lens, and being removably attached to the photographing unit, and a photoconductive tube connecting the light source unit to the photographing or illumination unit and transmitting infrared light for observation and visible light for photographing from the light source unit to the first or second illumination optical system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmic photographing apparatus for photographing a fundus and photographing a slit-sectioned anterior segment of an eye to be examined.
2. Description of Related Art
As hand-held fundus cameras, those of mydriasis photographing type and non-mydriasis photographing type are known. In the former, a fundus may be observed under visible illumination light for observation to be photographed in color with a mydriatic administered to an eye. In the latter, a fundus is observed under infrared illumination light for observation to be photographed in color without a mydriatic administered to an eye. Administering a mydriatic places a burden on an eye to be examined, for example, by making the eye so sensitive to light that it is almost blinded in bright light for a while.
It should be noted that, in an ophthalmic examination, it is sometimes necessary to photograph not only a fundus but also a slit-sectioned anterior segment of an eye. However, this requires an examiner to prepare and use a photographing apparatus other than a fundus camera, which is inconvenient for the examiner. In addition, it will be convenient if other parts of an eye than its fundus may be photographed under non-mydriatic conditions.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide an ophthalmic photographing apparatus capable of photographing a fundus and a slit-sectioned anterior segment of an eye under non-mydriatic conditions.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an ophthalmic photographing apparatus is provided with a light source unit, a hand-held photographing unit, a slit light illumination unit, and a photoconductive tube. Placed in the light source unit are an infrared illumination light source optical system for observation and a visible illumination light source optical system for photographing. Placed in the photographing unit are a first illumination optical system with an illumination lens and an observation/photographing optical system with an objective lens. The photographing unit is separated from the light source unit. Placed in the illumination unit is a second illumination optical system with a slit plate and an illumination lens. The illumination unit is removably attached to the photographing unit. The photoconductive tube connects the light source unit selectively to the photographing unit and the illumination unit, and transmits infrared illumination light for observation and visible illumination light for photographing from the light source unit selectively to the first illumination optical system and the second illumination optical system. The observation/photographing optical system is used to observe and photograph a fundus of an eye to be examined which is illuminated by the infrared illumination light for observation and the visible illumination light for photographing via the first illumination optical system, and to observe and photograph an anterior segment of the eye illuminated by the infrared illumination light for observation and the visible illumination light for photographing via the second illumination optical system.
In another aspect of the present invention, an ophthalmic photographing apparatus is provided with a light source unit, a hand-held photographing unit, a slit light illumination unit, and a photoconductive tube. Placed in the light source unit is a visible illumination light source optical system for photographing. Placed in the photographing unit are an infrared illumination light source optical system for observation, a first illumination optical system with an illumination lens, and an observation/photographing optical system with an objective lens. The photographing unit is separated from the light source unit. Placed in the illumination unit is a second illumination optical system with a slit plate and an illumination lens. The illumination unit is removably attached to the photographing unit. The photoconductive tube connects the light source unit selectively to the photographing unit and the illumination unit, and transmits visible illumination light for photographing from the light source unit selectively to the first illumination optical system and the second illumination optical system. The observation/photographing optical system is used to observe and photograph a fundus of an eye to be examined, which is illuminated by the infrared illumination light for observation and the visible illumination light for photographing via the first illumination optical system. The observation/photographing optical system is also used to observe an anterior segment of the eye illuminated by the infrared illumination light for observation via the first illumination optical system, and to photograph the anterior segment illuminated by the visible illumination light for photographing via the second illumination optical system.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.