The bags are produced on a form-fill seal machine operating horizontally or vertically. Zipper strips (16) are initially attached to a continuous web (12) which is subsequently formed into a continuous run of bags having end seals (20) and a back seal (18). The continuous run is separated into individual bags and the zipper strips finally attached to the bag walls by application of heat and/or pressure by a belt sealer (26) operating in a direction perpendicular to that of movement of the continuous web.

This invention relates to the production of reclosable bags which have a reclosable seal formed by releasable and engagable zipper strips attached to opposed walls of the bag.
The reclosable seal is often provided adjacent a nonreclosable seal, for example a heat seal, and allows the bag to be reclosed with the non-reclosable seal has been opened. Such bags are often formed by use of a horizontal or a vertical form-fill-seal machine.
In preparing continuous web material for supply to a form-fill-seal machine, or other apparatus for forming bags having reclosable seals, a continuous length of web material from which the bags are to be formed is advanced in a longitudinal direction and separate lengths of zipper strip are applied to the web so that they are at spaced intervals longitudinally of the web and extend transversely (usually perpendicularly) to the longitudinal direction. Each zipper strip length comprises first and second interengagable profiles which are pre-assembled into at least partial engagement with each other. This is known as "cross-web technology": see our published UK patent application GB-A-2349603 which describes a form-fill-seal machine using that technology and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIG. 5 of GB-A-2349603 shows the use of a pair of spring-loaded zipper sealing jaws which operate to seal the zipper strips to the walls of the bag simultaneously with formation of the non-reclosable end seal of the bag. This operation requires a certain time as it is necessary for the zipper sealing jaws to supply heat to the zipper strips to seal them to the bag walls. The steptherefore slows down the entire form-fill-seal operation.


The invention features a system wherein a recognition environment utilizes comparative advantages of automated feature signature analysis and human perception to form a synergistic data and information processing system for scene structure modeling and testing, object extraction, object linking, and event/activity detection using multi-source sensor data and imagery in both static and time-varying formats. The scene structure and modeling and testing utilizes quantifiable and implementable human language key words. The invention implements real-time terrain categorization and situational awareness plus a dynamic ground control point selection and evaluation system in a Virtual Transverse Mercator (VTM) geogridded Equi-Distance system (ES) environment. The system can be applied to video imagery to define and detect objects/features, events and activity. By adapting the video imagery analysis technology to multi-source data, the invention performs multi-source data fusion without registering them using geospatial ground control points.

The fundamental goal of image analysis is to convert image/sensor data into useful information. To facilitate this data-to-information conversion process, researchers have developed sensors that exploit the properties of various sections of the electromagnetic energy spectrum as a means to detect and measure objects in images. "Electromagnetic energy refers to all energy that moves with the velocity of light in a harmonic wave pattern" (Sabin, 1987). Electromagnetic energy (EE) sensors are classified into two broad categories: (1) passive sensors, which use reflected background and emitted energy from objects to generate images, and (2) active sensors, which themselves generate and project energy and then detect the returned signal to image objects. For example, electro-optical (EO) sensors, such as a digital aerial camera and Landsat's multispectral scanner (MSS), are passive sensors; whereas, real aperture radar (RAR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) are active sensors. An example of fusing passive and active sensor data has been demonstrated by one of the present inventors.
To effectively convert image/sensor data to useful information for object extraction and recognition, researchers have attempted to improve the system from two major directions: (a) improve the capability of the sensor through (i) improving the resolution or ground sampling distance (GSD) of the sensor data/imagery, and (ii) improving sensor dynamic range by increasing the number of detected spectral bands, aspect angles and polarizations; and (b) improve the data analysis algorithms used to process the image/sensor data. Comparing sensing systems, the resolution of Landsat's Thematic Mapper (TM) is approximately 30 meters, whereas, the resolution of Space Imaging's IKONOS is 4 meters for its MSI, and 1 meter for its panchromatic imagery. However, since Landsat TM has seven spectral bands, and IKONOS has only four bands, the LANDSAT TM sensor is superior based on number of spectral bands. Alternatively, since the resolution of the IKONOS system is 4 meters, compared to 30 meters for Landsat TM, the IKONOS sensor is superior based on image resolution. Although the SAR images typically only have one band, this can be increased by using multiple polarization modes of this active sensor. Recent improvement in LIDAR technology permits researcher to exploit using object height information for object discrimination.
While texture analysis algorithms have been used since 1970s, few have studied human subject texture perception compared to machine analyses. In 1978 the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) awarded a contract to Susquehanna Resources and Environment, Inc. to investigate the relationship between micro-texture and global structure in human visual perception of object recognition. Related experiments were published in 1980. In 2006, P. J. Petite and E. L. van den Broek conducted human versus machine analysis using 450 human objects. Both studies found a high degree of individual difference in performing image object recognition. For example, the SRE/AFOSR study found individual difference ranged to the high end of 25 percent. The Petite and Broek study determined the contribution of texture in human perception agreement ranged from 78% in a color-shapeless condition, to 60% in a gray, six shape condition.
While it is possible to increase the number of sensor bands or improve optics to improve the object recognition capability of passive sensors, these sensors (visible and near infra red) are largely limited to daytime and good weather conditions. SAR on the other hand is capable of night-time and near-all-weather sensing; however, it is usually limited to one single band. To improve its capability, researchers have developed a spot light mode SAR capable of imaging the same object and its surrounding field from various aspect angles. For example, if the aspect angle interval is 2 degrees, there will be 180 images for one particular sensing field. The drawback of this increased sampling for object classification is the problem of requiring an unmanageable number of matching libraries to model all possible varying SAR-object interaction conditions.
In contrast to the "unmanageable number of matching libraries," the human visual system is capable of performing object recognition using much fewer dimensions, particularly when the task is "defined." For example, in a Hsu and Burright study, the dominant perceptual dimensions were three—Brightness, Texture and Structure—which accounted for 75% to 80% of the human visual system based decision making process.
When sensor data is processed to optimally define the object recognition task for the human visual system, it can mitigate individual perceptual differences. This creates a synergy between a sensor and a perceptual system in object/feature recognition. The current invention is centered precisely on this topic with the innovative system implementation.
For visual processing, an example of a discrete task is "finding a small-size, circular and bright object." The object descriptors (small, circular, bright) have been called "photo-interpretation keys." These keys are largely spatial, whereas the primary capability from image sensors is largely spectral. The proposed invention integrates the image sensor spectral capability with human perception spatial analysis capability, in a system that exploits fundamental human visual "figure-ground" recognition capability in a multi-tone image space as the figure-ground mapping propagates over the entire image surface. The invention creates an image surface composed of spectral and spatial figure-ground structures for object/feature recognition.
The current invention is a real-time system of software/hardware, which integrates sensor data with information analysis and fuses the imagery/sensor data/geospatial registration to improve the perception of a human analyst by focusing the analyst's attention on a fundamental figure/ground structure. Since the desired object of interest (OOI) could range from a single object to a complex group of both features and objects, the real-time data analysis and information visualization system needs to be flexible enough to cover both single-feature and multi-feature extraction tasks. Since the task may require many dominant signatures to generate the multi-tone figure-ground structures for object/feature extraction, the human analyst needs to have the best visualization means to make the final decision. To this end, a set of dominant feature/object signatures are generated, and a system implementation for it has been completed.
There is no generally agreed upon mathematical solution to the problem of determining when to stop a scene segmentation process. In the current invention, it is proposed that an extracted object signature be allowed to feed back and combine with the original image data set to define a new signature search space. By the same principle, an independent source is also allowed to influence or enhance the feature space and reduce the object-search space.
The current invention provides a means to visualize how well an observed pixel is matched against a feature signature in a feature signature library with a quantitative measure. Using multiple feature signatures, the analyst has the means to visualize how well a given pixel, and/or a group of pixels match against a set of single and/or group-based feature signatures simultaneously. This real-time processing creates an optimal visualization environment where a figure ground structure is simply a two-tone image made by a simple and yet perceptually meaningful ranking analysis, such as the upper quartile for "figure" and the rest as "ground" from a feature scene.
Using multiple dominant feature signatures, there is the possibility of overlap between two figure ground mappings. To create non-overlapping figure ground mappings, the current invention provides a means to determine or eliminate the overlapped feature pixels and then create a non-overlapping figure ground structure, if necessary.
For the current invention, a feature signature is represented by a set of generic input bands (artificial or real-sensor-generated). If the analyst determines that the signature is not adequate, the number of bands can be increased through appropriate mathematical means. The number of bands may also be decreased, for example to reduce computation time. Therefore, both the feature signature, and the figure-ground structure is tunable, loadable and can be updated in real time.
Remote sensing geospatial accuracy has been limited by data generated with inaccurate and inconsistent ground control points (GCP). Using image rectification methods of pixel resampling or interpolation to register images usually alters the pixels' original digital number (DN) value. By definition, this contaminates/alters the sensor spectral data, rendering it practically unusable for object/feature extraction. As a result, remote sensing researchers have not been able to fully take advantage of multi-sensor imagery and multi-source data to perform object extraction because the data sources are not well geospatially registered. The current invention overcomes this fundamental data fusion problem by allowing users to perform data fusion without requiring a priori registration of the input data. This object oriented methodology is adaptable to multi-source data fusion, since successive video frames are generally not geospatially registered.
As noted earlier, the GCP from dissimilar sensors or same sensor from different acquisitions rarely match, rendering two mismatched coordinate or geo-coordinate systems. In addition, since warping can achieve a fit between two images, the match between a camera model and the reality is rarely tested. The current invention mitigates such coordinate-mismatch and inadequate modeling condition by providing the users with means to deploy a real-time dynamic GCP/image matching and evaluation system to unify two coordinate systems into one field-mapping system with a geogrid centered on a user-selected projection center, such as one of the GCP, yielding a Virtual Equi-Distance system (VEDS) built on the Virtual Transverse Mercator Projection (VTM) described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,051 awarded to the lead inventor of the current application.
For the past 20 years, scene content analyses have been approached from the paradigm of scene indexing, content-based object extraction, archiving and retrieval. Few have been oriented toward scene content modeling and testing for system implementation. To fill this gap, this invention uses a set of quantifiable and implementable human language key words in a simultaneous equation like configuration to model and test scene content until an optimal model is determined for a specific object extraction/linking application.
Similarly, for the past 40 years, Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) has been approached from a paradigm of still imagery with few real world applications to show for it.
Therefore, it is more advantageous to develop a feature cueing and recognition system that uses sensing and data processing means to generate multi-faceted figure ground structures for object recognition.
It is also advantageous to generate both "figure" and "ground" as a means for perceptually-based object cueing and recognition. Since the vast majority of past research has been centered on how to create "feature," rather than "ground," the current invention represents a significant departure from conventional approaches.
It is advantageous that "figure" versus "ground" decision be tunable by the analyst.
It is also advantageous that a figure ground structure be definable by a feature signature and multiple feature signatures to generate a multi-tone figure ground structure mosaic system over an image.
It is advantageous to be able to either increase or decrease the dimensions of the feature space.
It is equally advantageous to know which area contains known objects, and which area does not contain objects of interest.
It is advantageous to visualize quantitatively the spectral and spatial relationships between a known object/feature and an observed pixel in real time.
It is also advantageous to use one object signature extracted from an image to generate object based images for object recognition from other images of dissimilar resolution and dissimilar sensor type.
It is also advantageous to use an independent object signature to influence the object search space for object recognition.
Similarly, it is advantageous to classify a pixel as "other" to absorb pixels that are dissimilar to a set of labeled feature signatures.
It is also advantageous to use all "others" to create generic labeled feature signatures to generate an overall figure/ground structure that includes "unknowns" for object cueing and recognition.
It is advantageous to permit generation of a feature signature for each of the "unknowns" as a new set into the feature signature space.
It is also important and advantageous to post-process feature-signature scenes using spectral and spatial analysis means for object cueing and recognition.
Similarly, it is also important and advantageous to visualize how well a pixel is matched to each of the input feature signatures.
Similarly, it is also important and advantageous to allow the analyst to modify a feature signature in real time.
Similarly, it is important and advantageous to visualize how well a group of pixels is matched to a group of feature signatures.
It is also important and advantageous to generate a color composite to visualize the multi-tone figure ground structures for object cueing and recognition.
It is critical and advantageous that the above figure ground visualization system be either an automated system, a user-based interactive system, or a firmware based system.
Similarly, it is advantageous to accept video images as input rather than limit a system to process only still images.
Using video images as input, it is advantageous to accept subset-partitioned images as input. Accepting a moving object versus non-moving object partitioned image as input is a case in point.
Similarly, it is important and advantageous to generalize from a two-feature partitioned image to a generic multi-subset partitioned image as input to the inventive system.
With a generic subset-partitioned image as input, it is advantageous to generate the scene content for each subset region with the above-discussed dominant features plus their "ground" sets as either "other features" or "unknowns."
It is critical and advantageous to allow users to perform multi-source data fusion without a priori registration. Geospatially registered inputs would also be accepted to serve as a base to register any unregistered inputs as well.
Similarly, it is advantageous to disseminate the results of data analysis, pixel-matching, enhanced pixels for object perception, visualized sub-scene and full-scene and associated databases to users who may provide independent sources as feedback to the current invention system.
Similar to a visualization environment, it is advantageous to provide a computational environment to use multiple pixels from an individual object as a spectral signature complex to perform pixel discrimination.
It is also advantageous to visualize a spectral complex for pixel discrimination and object recognition using a moving window having a size selected by the user.
It is equally advantageous to define a spectral signature complex by both spectral and spatial criteria.
It is also advantageous to use an independent source as an additional factor to define a spectral signature complex.
It is advantageous to allow both a feature signature library and a rule set library to be an open system, tunable, modifiable, and updatable on the fly for real-time applications, and/or editable for non-real-time batch processing applications.
It is advantageous to use human language key words that are quantifiable and implementable for scene content/structure modeling and testing.
It is definitely advantageous to test competing implementations of a core data analysis routine, feature-signature model, and its corresponding visualization means.
It is also advantageous to use a dynamic GCP/image matching module to implement a real-time field-based situation awareness system in which a GCP is selectable and fine-tunable with interactive/automated plus evaluation and visualization means.
It is equally advantageous to generate a geogrid using a user-selected equi-distance projection center, such as one of the GCP, yielding a geogridded virtual Universal Transverse Mercator Equi-Distance system (VTM-ED) for a rapid field geospatial awareness application.
It is also advantageous to test the goodness-of-fit between a "camera" model and the ground truth, and devise a method to achieve a match within a predetermined level of confidence between the model and the actual reality, and also the base image versus the aligned image dynamically in the context of the control points and the control area.
Lastly, it is advantageous to perform automatic target recognition in the paradigm of time-varying image analysis, yielding an innovative system called Event-based Automatic Target Recognition (E-ATR).
Having said these advantageous aspects of this new invention, the current embodiment of this invention is now described as follows.

Multi-figure system for object feature extraction tracking and recognition


A simulation device for generating an answer to a question inputted thereto. A communication unit is configured to input a selected question associated with a first criterion and a second criterion. A generating unit is configured to generate a copy of a continuously updated environment model. A generating unit is configured to generate a simulation scenario, depending upon the first criterion. A modifying unit is configured to modify the generated simulation scenario. An applying unit is configured to apply the modified generated simulation scenario to the generated copy of the continuously updated environment model. A simulating unit is configured to perform a simulation process in accordance with the second criterion. An answering unit is configured to answer information, depending upon a result of the simulation process.

The present invention relates to situation analysis and choice of tactics onboard a platform, for example a flying platform, such as an airplane, manned or unmanned.
A driver of a platform, e.g. a pilot of an airplane, has to make many decisions in real time to drive in a safe and correct way. Different means for assisting a pilot is typically provided in platforms of today.
The term "situation analysis" relates to the analysis the driver performs in different situations while driving the platform. One situation may be an air plane-to-plane combat situation. Such a situation is generally very stressful and complicated for each involved pilot, seeing that the required analysis of the situation is mentally trying. This especially holds true when the situation is of a jumbly sort, e.g. involving a plurality of hostile airplanes. The driver of the platform must more or less continuously process provided information to perform a mental analysis so as to try to answer relevant questions. Examples of questions may be:                which of the different airplanes are hostile?        how threatened is my own airplane by a particular hostile airplane?        if a hostile target tracking/radar measurement is supposed to be more than one hostile airplane, is the own platform/own group of platforms threatened?
The term "choice of tactics" relates to considerations and choices performed by the driver regarding actions of airplanes within the own group or even only regarding future actions of the own airplane. The driver of the platform must also here, more or less continuously, process provided data so as to perform a mental analysis so as to try to answer relevant questions. Examples of questions may be:                should a weapon be fired now, later, or not at all?        should present mission be aborted?
In a civilian application: If own platform and an approaching airplane continue on course, will there later be a make way situation?
Thus, complex situation analysis and choice of tactics are today duties of the driver. The driver is today performing the situation analysis and the choice of tactics based on information provided by different indicators. It therefore exist a need to provide means arranged to facilitate the analysis process within a platform, such as an airplane.
It should be noted that the platform may alternatively be an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), wherein an autonomous decision maker needs to be provided with adequate basic data, answers to questions exemplified above, among others.


A new cultivar of Calathea plant named ‘HGV07’ that is characterized by broad lance shaped leaves that are variegated and have white main veins.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calathea plant botanically known as Calathea and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'HGV07'.
The new cultivar was discovered by the inventor in a cultivated area of Roosendaal, The Netherlands in October of 2004. 'HGV07' was discovered as a naturally occurring branch mutation within a population of unnamed Calathea plants.
Asexual reproduction by division of the new cultivar 'HGV07' was first performed in February of 2005 in Roosendaal, The Netherlands. Since that time, under careful observation, the unique characteristics of the new cultivar have been uniform, stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.


A fiber optic treatment probe (10) delivers laser light from a laser light source (11) through a diffuser (26). An input end face (30) of the fiber is angled with respect to a plane (36) normal to an optical axis (18) of the fiber. The end face angle is selected to excite desired modes of the fiber without exceeding the critical angle of the fiber, thereby producing a desired light output from the diffuser.

Photodynamic Therapy involves the use of photo-activated chemicals for the treatment of a variety of serious diseases such as cancer. In practice, a photo-activated chemical, e.g. Photofrin by Quadra Logic Technologies, Inc., is injected into the patient, and accumulates in the cancer cells. A period of time later, normally 2 days, laser light is delivered to the cancer site through a diffusing tip of a fiber optic treatment probe to activate the chemical, and treat the cancer.
Typically, laser light is supplied by a medical laser, e.g., a high power argon laser pumping a dye laser head, to the treatment probe through a focusing lens and a coupling fiber (jumper). The light generated by these lasers is in the form of a guassian beam having a small launch angle (output angle), typically 10.degree., and having a wavelength of approximately 630 nanometers (nm).
The treatment probe consists of a length of fiber optic cable with a connector at one end for coupling the light from the laser, or a jumper, to the fiber, and a diffusing tip at the other end through which laser light is diffused and delivered to the patient. There are three types of diffusing tips: cylinder diffusers, sphere diffusers, and microlenses. Each type of diffuser requires a different light power level and time duration for treatment based on calculations by the clinician. The type of diffuser used for treatment is selected following a given protocol based on the type of treatment and the location of the treatment area.
Normally, it is desirable to have a uniform power distribution of laser light leaving the diffuser. The uniform power distribution provides maximum treatment efficiency without damaging (burning) healthy tissue due to areas of high power density. However, because the output angle of the light beam leaving the laser is small, mostly forward projecting lower order modes of the treatment probe fiber are excited during light transmission, and the resulting high density of lower order modes in the diffuser cause an uneven power distribution of the light leaving the diffuser. Another problem caused by the high number of lower order modes is that most of the light projects to the tip of a cylinder diffuser or is focused in a small area of a sphere diffuser or microlens, thereby causing the area of high power density. Hot spots developed in the areas of high power density in the diffuser can cause burning and shorten the useful life of the treatment probe.
The addition of a coupling fiber (jumper) between the laser and the treatment probe tends to mode mix the laser light to some extent so that when the light exits the jumper it has expanded into higher order modes, e.g., 28.degree. full angle. However, treatment fibers normally have more higher order modes available, e.g., 42.degree. full angle, than are filled by the addition of the jumper. In addition, The jumper increases light losses, resulting in reduced power delivered to the diffuser.
There are a number of other known methods for exciting higher order modes of light delivered to a diffuser. A first method is to force a bend in the fiber, thereby causing mode mixing and the resultant filling of higher order modes. However, there is no way to predict which higher order modes are filled, and the stess on the fiber can cause breaks, shortening the life of the fiber.
A second method is to form the treatment probe by butting a diffuser of sapphire against a flat and polished end of a fiber. The light mixes modes as it enters the diffuser resulting in a more uniform power distribution leaving the diffuser. However, there are a number of problems associated with this method. Hot spots are formed at the junction between the diffuser and the fiber. The junction tends to be weaker than the remainder of the probe, and the length of a sapphire cylinder diffuser is limited because of the potential for breakage.
A third method is to taper an end of the fiber into a conical shape and insert that end into a diffuser having a cylindrical shaped aperture. The angle at the end of the fiber induces light loss in a controlled manner, filling higher order modes and resulting in a more even power distribution of light diffused. However, the tip of the fiber still retains low order modes causing high power density and local hot spots. In addition, the length of the probe is limited.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber structure to control the light modes excited in an optical fiber of a fiber optic treatment probe, thereby eliminating areas of high power density in a light diffuser of the treatment probe, and allowing control of the output light power distribution from the diffuser.
It is another object of the invention to provide a fiber optic probe for direct coupling to a laser light source to eliminate the need for a coupling fiber (jumper) and the associated light losses from the treatment fiber, thereby increasing the light power delivered to the diffuser.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fiber optic treatment probe capable of providing a uniform light power distribution from the diffuser.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved fiber optic probe that is economical to manufacture and facile in its use.
Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in more detail hereinafter
A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relations of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description which sets forth illustrative embodiments indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention are employed.

Angled optical fiber input end face and method for delivering energy


By forming thermocouples in a contact structure of a semiconductor device, respective extension lines of the thermocouples may be routed to any desired location within the die, without consuming valuable semiconductor area in the device layer. Thus, an appropriate network of measurement points of interest may be provided, while at the same time allowing the application of well-established process techniques and materials. Hence, temperature-dependent signals may be obtained from hot spots substantially without being affected by design constraints in the device layer.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present disclosure relates to the formation of integrated circuits, and, more particularly, to enhanced thermal sensing techniques in semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
The fabrication of integrated circuits requires a large number of circuit elements, such as transistors and the like, to be formed on a given chip area according to a specified circuit layout. Generally, a plurality of process technologies are currently practiced, wherein, for complex circuitry, such as microprocessors, storage chips, ASICs (application specific ICs) and the like, CMOS technology is currently one of the most promising approaches due to the superior characteristics in view of operating speed and/or power consumption and/or cost efficiency. During the fabrication of complex integrated circuits using CMOS technology, millions of complementary transistors, i.e., N-channel transistors and P-channel transistors, are formed on a substrate including a crystalline semiconductor layer. A MOS transistor, irrespective of whether an N-channel transistor or a P-channel transistor is considered, comprises so-called PN junctions that are formed by an interface of highly doped drain and source regions with an inversely or weakly doped channel region disposed between the drain region and the source region.
The conductivity of the channel region, i.e., the drive current capability of the conductive channel, is controlled by a gate electrode formed above the channel region and separated therefrom by a thin insulating layer. The conductivity of the channel region, upon formation of a conductive channel due to the application of an appropriate control voltage to the gate electrode, depends on the dopant concentration, the mobility of the majority charge carriers and, for a given extension of the channel region in the transistor width direction, on the distance between the source and drain regions, which is also referred to as channel length. Hence, in combination with the capability of rapidly creating a conductive channel below the insulating layer upon application of the control voltage to the gate electrode, the conductivity of the channel region substantially determines the performance of the MOS transistors.
The increased packing density of integrated circuits resulting from the reduced device dimensions has given rise to the incorporation of more and more functions into a single semiconductor die. Furthermore, the reduced feature sizes may also be accompanied by reduced switching speeds of the individual transistors, thereby contributing to increased power consumption in MOS circuits, since the reduced switching speeds allow the operation of the transistors at higher switching frequencies, which in turn increases the power consumption of the entire device. In sophisticated applications using densely packed integrated circuits, the heat generation may reach extremely high values due to the dynamic losses caused by the high operating frequency, in combination with a significant static power consumption of highly scaled transistor devices owing to increased leakage currents that may stem from extremely thin gate dielectrics, short channel effects and the like. Therefore, great efforts are being made in order to reduce overall power consumption by restricting the usage of high performance transistors, which usually cause higher heat generation, to performance-critical signal paths in the circuit design, while using less critical devices in other circuit areas. Moreover, appropriate mechanisms may be implemented to operate certain circuit portions "on demand" and control local or global operating conditions, depending on the thermal situation in the semiconductor die. Since external heat management systems may not enable reliable estimation of the die-internal temperature distribution, due to the delayed thermal response of the package of the semiconductor device and the possibly insufficient spatial temperature resolution, respective external concepts may have to be designed to take into consideration these restrictions and provide sufficient operational margins with respect to heat control, or risk overheating and thus possibly destruction of specific critical circuit portions.
Manufacturers of semiconductor products, therefore, increasingly prefer accurate internal temperature measurements that do not substantially depend on external device conditions and dedicated thermal hardware components that may be subject to external tampering, while also avoiding the slow thermal response via the device package. For this purpose, sophisticated heat monitoring regimes may typically be incorporated into the overall design of the integrated circuit, which may enable a device-internal heat management, irrespective of external conditions. Thus, die-internal temperature measurements are typically performed in complex devices, such as CPUs, ASICs and the like, so as to provide device-internal data for controlling the overall operation by reducing operating frequency, switching off respective circuit portions and the like. A respective die-internal heat management system, therefore, relies on accurate temperature measurement. In many approaches, techniques for measuring the die-internal temperature or temperature gradients are accomplished by positioning temperature-sensitive circuits around the die in order to locally determine the temperature. The various temperature measurements may then be combined to provide a global measure of the die temperature, while also allowing a local assessment of the thermal conditions across the die, depending on the distribution of the temperature-sensitive circuits. Hence, the higher a spatial resolution of the measured temperature profile is desired, the more temperature-sensing locations and hence respective sensor circuits are required. The incorporation of a plurality of temperature-sensitive circuits, however, may result in a significant "consumption" of valuable real estate of the semiconductor die, which may typically cause a "competitive" situation during circuit design between actual circuit portions and temperature-sensitive areas. Therefore, frequently, the temperature-sensitive circuit portions are treated with reduced priority compared to the "actual" circuit portions, which may finally result in a circuit design in which the temperature-sensitive circuits are positioned in less than ideal temperature sensing locations. For instance, the design of performance-critical circuit portions of the device that may be operated at higher speed or frequencies may not be compatible with the provisions of sensor elements in these critical areas, for example, due to undesired lengthening of the signal routing and reduction of speed. Hence, although these performance-critical areas usually generate a significantly higher amount of heat, the temperature of such "hot spots" may not be reliably measured, since the temperature-sensitive circuits are positioned by the design constraints at distant locations. Therefore, in this case, damage of the performance-critical areas may occur or respective heat management strategies may be required to take into account the discrepancy of the measurement data and the actual thermal conditions in the performance-critical areas. Similarly, the thermal response of the temperature-sensitive circuits may be affected by the shielding effect of materials and structures that may be provided in the vicinity of the temperature-sensitive circuits. For example, due to the reduced heat dissipation capability of SOI (silicon-on-insulator) devices caused by the buried insulating layer, on which the actual "active" device layer is formed, the corresponding sensing of the momentary temperature in SOI devices is of particular importance, wherein, additionally, the design-dependent positioning of the temperature-sensitive circuits may further contribute to a less efficient overall temperature management in sophisticated SOI devices.
Frequently, for thermal sensing applications, an appropriate diode structure may be used wherein the corresponding characteristic of the diode may permit information to be obtained on the thermal conditions in the vicinity of the diode structure. The sensitivity and the accuracy of the respective measurement data obtained on the basis of the diode structure may significantly depend on the diode characteristic, i.e., on the diode's current/voltage characteristic, which may depend on temperature and other parameters. For thermal sensing applications, it may, therefore, typically be desirable to provide a substantially "ideal" diode characteristic in order to provide the potential for precisely estimating the temperature conditions within the semiconductor device. In SOI devices, a corresponding diode structure, i.e., the respective PN junction, is typically formed in the substrate material located below the buried insulating layer, above which is formed the "active" semiconductor layer used for forming therein the transistor elements. Thus, in addition to the shielding effect of the buried insulating layer, at least some additional process steps may be required, for instance, for etching through the semiconductor layer or a corresponding trench isolation area and through the buried insulating layer in order to expose the crystalline substrate material, thereby contributing to the overall process complexity. Furthermore, the temperature-sensing diodes, in combination with an appropriate evaluation circuit, may also be subject to similar design constraints as described above, irrespective of whether a bulk architecture or an SOI architecture is considered. Hence, currently employed die-internal temperature monitoring mechanisms, although providing significant advantages over external temperature management systems, may suffer from increased die area consumption, reduced proximity to hot spots and thermal isolation of the temperature-sensitive circuits, as will be briefly discussed with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor device 100, which may be provided in the form of a semiconductor die including one or more complex circuits, such as CPU's, memory devices, input/output circuitry and the like. As previously explained, the semiconductor device 100 may have, depending on the overall design criteria, circuit portions of different performance characteristics, such as speed-critical signal paths and the like. Moreover, highly dense circuit areas may be provided, for instance, in the form of memory areas, such as static RAM areas, dynamic RAM areas and the like. For example, a device region 110 may represent an area including a plurality of high performance circuit elements, such as transistor elements having a reduced channel length in combination with a thin gate insulation layer, which may contribute to increased leakage currents, as previously explained. Consequently, upon operation of the device 100, significant heat may be generated in the region 110. Furthermore, an area 111 may represent a device area, in which the overall circuit design may impose tight restrictions with respect to the incorporation of temperature monitoring circuitry and sensors, thereby requiring a certain distance with respect to the high performance region 110. Furthermore, at certain device areas, which are compatible with the overall circuit design, a plurality of temperature-sensitive circuits 120 are typically provided, which include temperature-sensitive elements, such as diodes and the like, in combination with respective support circuitry to receive and evaluate or process temperature-dependent signals. It should be appreciated that the overall structure of the semiconductor device 100 may comprise any appropriate substrate material, such as silicon, and the like, above which is typically formed an appropriate semiconductor layer, such as a silicon-based material in and above which respective circuit elements, such as transistors, capacitors, diodes and the like, are formed in accordance with the technology standard under consideration.
The electrical connection of the individual circuit elements usually may not be accomplished on the same level in which the circuit elements are manufactured, but may require a plurality of additional wiring layers, also referred to as metallization layers, in which highly conductive metal lines which may comprise appropriate metals, such as aluminum, copper and the like, may be routed according to the specified circuit layout. The plurality of metallization layers are interconnected with each other by respective vias, that is, vertical metal-filled contact elements connecting metal lines and metal regions of adjacent stacked metallization layers. Furthermore, a so-called contact structure is provided on the basis of an appropriate dielectric material which encloses the circuit elements, such as the transistors and capacitors and the like, and which acts as an interface to the very first metallization layer. Within the contact structure, respective contact elements or contact plugs are positioned, which connect to respective contact areas of the circuit elements, such as gate electrodes, drain and source regions of transistors and the like. For example, frequently, a combination of silicon nitride, which might act as an etch stop material, followed by silicon dioxide, are common interlayer dielectric materials for the contact structure.
Thus, as previously explained, during operation of the semiconductor device 100, heat is generated in a spatially varying manner, depending on the position of performance-driven circuit portions, such as the device region 110 and the overall configuration of the semiconductor device 100. For instance, in moderately complex systems, in addition to highly complex digital circuits including extremely fast switching transistor elements, in other cases, circuit portions of different power levels may be integrated into the same semiconductor die, thereby also creating a different amount of heat during operation. Since the overall circuit design may not allow positioning of the temperature-sensitive circuits 120 at desired device areas, such as in the vicinity of the performance-driven circuit region 110, without requiring significant design modification, which may be accompanied by performance loss and the like, a reliable detection of the actual temperature in critical device areas may be difficult. Furthermore, coverage of the entire die area, except for less sensitive areas, such as the area 111, may require a plurality of temperature-sensitive circuits 120, which may conventionally consume valuable area in the device layer, i.e., in the semiconductor layer, which also accommodates the actual circuit elements. Hence, in conventional devices, the spatial resolution, as well as the accuracy of temperature-related information, may be lower than is desirable.
The present disclosure is directed to various methods and devices that may avoid, or at least reduce, the effects of one or more of the problems identified above.

Temperature monitoring in a semiconductor device by thermocouples distributed in the contact structure


The present disclosure is directed to a combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine. The combustor assembly includes a liner defining a combustion chamber therewithin and a pressure plenum surrounding the liner. The liner defines an opening and includes a walled chute disposed at least partially through the opening. A plurality of flow openings is defined through the walled chute.

Combustion assemblies for gas turbine engines generally include orifices in the combustion liners to dilute the combustion gases within the combustion chamber with air from the diffuser cavity. The air may be employed to mix with an over rich combustion gas mixture to complete the combustion process; to stabilize combustion flames within the recirculation zone of the combustion chamber; to minimize oxides of nitrogen emissions; or to decrease combustion gas temperature before egressing to the turbine section.
Although dilution orifices provide known benefits, there is a need for structures that may provide and improve upon these benefits via egressing the air into the combustion chamber in increasingly detailed or specific modes.

Dilution structure for gas turbine engine combustor


An extension positioning structure for a portable memory device comprises a main body in a shell. A first end of the main body is disposed a drive element, and a spring is mounted outside a second end of the main body. A positioning element is pivotally disposed between the shell and the drive element. The positioning element includes a pivot shaft and an engaging portion. The engaging portion is helically formed with multiple cutting surfaces, and the positioning block is formed with a positioning block and a limiting block. By pushing the drive element, the cutting surface of the engaging portion of the positioning element cooperates with the positioning block and the limiting block to make the connecting terminal extend out of and retract into the shell, facilitating the operation and storage of the memory device while reducing both the production cost and increasing the yield rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory device, and more particularly to an extension positioning structure for a portable memory device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Memory devices which are generally referred to as traveling disks become more and more popular due to large storage capacity and small volume. A common traveling disk normally comprises a memory unit with a connecting terminal and a shell for protecting the memory unit. The connecting terminal of many of the current traveling disks is extensible or retractable with respect to the shell.
Conventionally, the connecting terminal of the traveling disk is linearly pushed to slide in the shell to perform the extending and retracting operation. Since there is no buffer structure in the traveling disk, the linear pushing force applied to the connecting terminal will cause wear of the push rod or the cooperating rail, consequently resulting in loss of the extending and retracting function of the connecting terminal and causing damage to the internal structure.
In addition, some of the conventional traveling disks don't have any positioning structure to keep the connecting terminal in the extended and retracted positions, and for these conventional traveling disks without positioning structures, when inserting the connecting terminal into the transmission port, the user has to apply force to the push rod in order to prevent the connecting terminal from retracting in the shell. To solve the above problem, the traveling disk is formed with a positioning structure on an inner surface thereof by injection molding. However, such a positioning structure which employs a concave structure cooperating with a convex structure to fix the connecting terminal to the shell won't have a good positioning effect since the shell is made of plastic and deformable.
Two conventional memory devices are provided herein for reference. As for a first conventional memory device, since the traveling disk has a small volume and a much smaller internal structure, when the user applies an improper force, a damage beyond repair will be caused to the internal structure. Therefore, a second conventional memory device disclosed an extending and retracting traveling structure which consists of many elements, it is a complicated structure and inconvenient to assemble. In addition, its complicated structure will further cause a relatively low yield rate.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Extension positioning structure for a portable memory device


The disclosure provides for structured illumination microscopy (SIM) imaging systems. In one set of implementations, a SIM imaging system may be implemented as a multi-arm SIM imaging system, whereby each arm of the system includes a light emitter and a beam splitter (e.g., a transmissive diffraction grating) having a specific, fixed orientation with respect to the system's optical axis. In a second set of implementations, a SIM imaging system may be implemented as a multiple beam splitter slide SIM imaging system, where one linear motion stage is mounted with multiple beam splitters having a corresponding, fixed orientation with respect to the system's optical axis. In a third set of implementations, a SIM imaging system may be implemented as a pattern angle spatial selection SIM imaging system, whereby a fixed two-dimensional diffraction grating is used in combination with a spatial filter wheel to project one-dimensional fringe patterns on a sample.

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) describes a technique by which spatially structured (i.e., patterned) light may be used to image a sample to increase the lateral resolution of the microscope by a factor of two or more. In some instances, during imaging of the sample, three images of fringe patterns of the sample are acquired at various pattern phases (e.g., 0°, 120°, and 240°), so that each location on the sample is exposed to a range of illumination intensities, with the procedure repeated by rotating the pattern orientation about the optical axis to 3 separate angles (e.g. 0°, 60° and 120°). The captured images (e.g., nine images) may be assembled into a single image having an extended spatial frequency bandwidth, which may be retransformed into real space to generate an image having a higher resolution than one captured by a conventional microscope.
In some implementations of current SIM systems, a linearly polarized light beam is directed through an optical beam splitter that splits the beam into two or more separate orders that may be combined and projected on the imaged sample as an interference fringe pattern with a sinusoidal intensity variation. Diffraction gratings are examples of beam splitters that can generate beams with a high degree of coherence and stable propagation angles. When two such beams are combined, the interference between them can create a uniform, regularly-repeating fringe pattern where the spacing is determined by factors including the angle between the interfering beams. If more than two beams are combined, the resulting pattern typically contains a mixture of fringe spacings, with the result that the difference between the maximum and minimum intensities (also known as the "modulation depth") is reduced, making it less suitable for SIM purposes.
In some implementations of current SIM systems, the orientation of the projected pattern is controlled by rotating the beam splitting element about the optic axis, and the phase of the pattern is adjusted by moving the element laterally across the axis. In such systems, a diffraction grating is typically mounted on a translation stage, which in turn is mounted on a rotation stage. Additionally, such systems often utilize a linear polarizer to polarize the light emitted by the light source before it is received at the grating.

Dual optical grating slide structured illumination imaging


A system including a metrics server and a messaging server is provided. The metrics server receives traffic data describing instant messages sent via the messaging server, and from the traffic data generates and updates suspicion indices corresponding to the computing devices that sent the messages. The suspicion indices are passed to the messaging server, which can modify its handling of subsequent messages based on the suspicion indices of the senders.

The use of instant messaging, particularly in connection with mobile computing devices such as smart phones, has risen in popularity recently. Unsolicited messages, also referred to as messaging spam or "spim", have also become commonplace, being generated and sent automatically by malicious messaging clients on servers or compromised home computers or smart phones (e.g. botnets). Such messages lead to undesirable wasting of computational resources of instant messaging providers as well as their client devices.
Some established spam-detection methodologies are difficult to apply to instant messaging spam, particularly in instant messaging networks that provide end-to-end encryption which prevents the inspection of message content and the application of techniques such as Bayesian filtering. As a result, current approaches to messaging spam detection may be ineffective, make inefficient use of computational resources, or both.

Method, system and apparatus for detecting instant message spam


An apparatus for delivering aerosolized fibrin endoscopically to a wound is disclosed. The apparatus has a pair of syringes for holding fibrin precursors, a mixing chamber for mixing the fibrin precursors separately with pressurized gas to form individual aerosol solutions, and a delivery tube for delivery of the aerosol solutions to a remote surgical site for formation of an aerosolized fibrin seal.

1. Field of the Invention
Applicant""s invention relates to an apparatus for delivering a biocompatible adhesive, more particularly aerosolized fibrin, endoscopically to a wound.
2. Background Information
Endoscopy is a surgical technique that involves the use of an endoscope, a special viewing instrument that allows a surgeon to see images of the body""s internal structure through very small incisions. The endoscope itself consists of two basic parts. The first is a tubular probe fitted with a tiny camera and a bright light which is inserted through the small incision and the second is a viewing screen which magnifies the transmitted images of the body""s internal structures from the camera. During surgery, the surgeon watches the screen while moving the tube of the endoscope through the surgical area. The endoscope functions as a viewing device only. To perform the surgery, a separate surgical instrument, such as a scalpel, scissors, or forceps, must be inserted through a different point of entry and manipulated within the tissue.
In a typical endoscopic procedure only a few small incisions, each preferably less than one inch long, are needed to insert the endoscope tube and other instruments. Since the incisions are shorter with endoscopy, the risk of sensory loss from nerve damage is decreased. Also, bleeding, bruising and swelling may be significantly reduced.
However, with these advantages it is still necessary, as with traditional long incision surgery, that a fibrin glue be used at the surgical site to hold the tissue together for healing promoting hemostasis and sealing of air leaks. Fibrin in the human body is the product of an activated coagulation system. It is an insoluble protein formed in the extravascular space from fibrinogen by the proteolytic action of thrombin during the normal clotting of blood.
Fibrin glue delivery systems that mimic this natural body process exist for traditional long incision surgery. Typically in these systems, the thrombin and fibrinogen are kept in separate containers. When the fibrin glue seal is needed to seal a surgical site, preferably equally amounts of the fibrinogen and thrombin are combined and the enzymatic action of the thrombin on the fibrinogen forms the fibrin. The reaction is nearly instantaneous. Due to the reaction kinetics, both the delivery and mixing of the precursor fibrin components to the wound or surgical site must occur rapidly and accurately before the reaction occurs to form the fibrin.
This rapid rate of reactivity to form the fibrin does not typically present difficulties when applied to traditional long incision surgery, but does present a problem in endoscopic surgeries. Sealing a surgical site with a fibrin glue after endoscopic surgery requires delivering the fibrin endoscopically through a small surgical incision, over an enclosed distance underneath the skin, for ultimate delivery to a remote surgical site. Unfortunately, none of the existing fibrin delivery systems appear to be able to accommodate delivery of aerosolized fibrin endoscopically to a remote surgical site. Aerosolized fibrin mixes the two components (thrombin and fibrinogen) more effectively than existing endoscopic delivery systems. The more effective the mixing, the more effective the glue (sealing action). The present invention was designed to satisfy this long felt need of a more effective (fibrin) biologic sealant in endoscopic surgery.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for delivering aerosolized fibrin endoscopically to a wound.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for delivering aerosolized fibrin endoscopically to a wound having a novel mixing chamber.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for delivering fibrin endoscopically to a wound that incorporates a carrier gas (CO2 or nitrogen, etc.) to convert the fibrin precursor solutions into aerosolized solutions which are mixed more efficiently and create a more effective sealant.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for delivering fibrin endoscopically to a wound that incorporates a specialized mixing chamber for the carrier gas with the separate fibrin precursors.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for delivering fibrin endoscopically to a wound that permits a surgeon to introduce an aerosolized fibrin seal into a remote endoscopic surgical site.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for delivering fibrin endoscopically to a wound that alleviates the risk of the aerosolized fibrin precursors reacting prematurely to form fibrin while still within the delivery tube which would clog the tube.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for delivering aerosolized fibrin endoscopically to a wound that carries the fibrin precursor solutions through the delivery tube before they react to form fibrin.
In satisfaction of these and related objectives, Applicant""s present invention provides for an apparatus for delivering aerosolized fibrin endoscopically to a wound. Applicant""s invention permits its practitioner to introduce an aerosolized fibrin seal into a remote endoscopic surgical site without the risk of the fibrin precursors combining prematurely within the the delivery tube. Aerosolization provides for better mixing of the fibrin precursors (thrombin and fibrinogen) which creates more effective fibrin for sealing air leaks and hemostatis.

Apparatus for delivering aerosolized fibrin endoscopically to a wound


The present invention relates to methods for preventing and/or reducing the occurrence of corrosion in a variety of articles including, but not limited to, tanks (e.g., storage tanks, septic tanks, fuel tanks, etc.); containers (e.g., shipping containers, storage containers, etc.); semi-closed systems (e.g., fuel systems, septic systems, reservoirs, etc.); and/or closed systems (e.g., waste disposal systems, waste disposal drums or containers, etc.). In another embodiment, the methods of the present invention may be utilized to reduce and/or prevent corrosion in a variety of pipelines (e.g., gas/oil pipelines, water pipelines, sewage lines, etc.). More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for preventing and/or reducing the occurrence of corrosion in a variety of articles including, but not limited to, metallic tanks; metallic containers; pipelines; semi-closed systems; and/or closed systems which are constructed partially or totally from metal. (e.g., steel, iron, copper, brass, aluminum, etc.).

In commerce and industry today, the useful life of corrodible items may be extended and/or preserved by providing corrosion inhibitors which protect the corrodible item from the adverse effects of its ambient environment. Among the common indications of corrosion manifested in useful metallic articles are oxidation, pitting, tarnishing, mottling or discoloration of the surfaces of these items. These manifestations occur in metallic articles, particularly when exposed to oxygen, water or other corrosive environments, in either gaseous or liquid phase. Additionally, sulfides and/or chlorides (or chlorine) may cause corrosion or tarnishing problems as well. In as much as both oxygen and water, including water vapor, occur normally and are available in nature, it is normally necessary to take precautions against corrosion in a variety of metallic based containers, shippers, storage tanks, tanker ships, gas tanks, septic systems (including the tank), etc. Metals which are frequently found to be susceptible to corrosion under normal atmospheric and ambient conditions include, but are not limited to, iron, copper, brass, aluminum, silver, and alloys of these metals.
In view of the widespread need for protecting various metallic based tanks, containers, semi-closed systems, and/or closed systems from corrosion, a variety of systems have been utilized. Such anti-corrosion systems often employ one or more of the following as components or sub-components thereof: (1) a cathodic protection system; (2) a liner system which coats the inside of the tank, container and/or closed system and/or (3) an inert atmosphere.
Such methods, although effective, are not suitable for all tanks, containers, pipelines and/or closed systems which may need to be protected. Additionally, such methods have service lives which are not suitable for applications in which a long service life is necessary, for example, the use of cathodic systems to protect the cargo tanks of ocean liners which carry petroleum products. Furthermore, the replenishment of certain currently used systems, such as cathodic systems, is both expensive and difficult.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for preventing and/or reducing corrosion in various types of tanks containers and closed systems

Northern Technologies International Corporation


Occurrence of a void is suppressed when mounting semiconductor chips over a wiring substrate via a paste-like adhesive material. A die bonding step is provided which mounts semiconductor chips over a chip-mounting region of the wiring substrate via the adhesive material. The wiring substrate includes a plurality of wirings (first wirings) and dummy wirings (second wirings) formed on an upper surface of a core layer. The chip-mounting region is provided over the first wirings and the second wirings. In addition, the die bonding step includes a step of applying the adhesive material over an adhesive material application region over the chip-mounting region. Each of the second wirings is extended along a direction in which the adhesive material spreads in the die bonding step.

The present invention relates to a technology of manufacturing semiconductor devices, and particularly to a technology which can be effectively applied to a step of mounting a semiconductor chip over a wiring substrate.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-190488 (Patent Document 1) describes a semiconductor device which mounts a semiconductor chip over a wiring substrate, and in which a wiring conductor pattern and a dummy conductor pattern laid in a region other than the region having the wiring conductor pattern laid therein are provided.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-218848 (Patent Document 2) describes a semiconductor device which mounts a semiconductor chip over a wiring substrate via an adhesive film, and in which a real wiring pattern and a dummy pattern are provided in a chip-mounting region of the wiring substrate.
There is a mounting technology that uses a paste-like adhesive material (die bonding material), as a manufacturing technology of a semiconductor device having a semiconductor chip mounted over a wiring substrate. Inventors of the present invention have examined the technology of mounting a semiconductor chip over a wiring substrate via the paste-like adhesive material and found the following problems.
As a semiconductor device becomes thinner, semiconductor chips to be mounted on a wiring substrate also tend to be thinner. If an excessive amount of the paste-like adhesive material is used when mounting such a thin semiconductor chip over a wiring substrate, a part of the adhesive material running over the circumference of the semiconductor chip may crawl up to the surface of the semiconductor chip (the opposite side of the surface facing the wiring substrate). As a countermeasure thereof, reducing the amount of the adhesive material used may be considered. However, a plurality of wirings is formed on the upper surface of the wiring substrate (the surface on which the semiconductor chip is mounted), the flatness of the upper surface is low because there exist regions where the pitch between adjacent wirings is uneven. Accordingly, it has become clear that a void (gap) occurs between the semiconductor chip and the wiring substrate because wettability (filling property) of the adhesive material between the semiconductor chip and the wiring substrate is low (poor).
Next, inventors of the present application have examined enhancement of the flatness of the wiring substrate by forming a dummy pattern in the upper surface of the wiring substrate, as described in the patent documents 1 and 2. As a result, it has been confirmed that the flatness of the upper surface of the wiring substrate can be improved by providing a dummy pattern in contrast to the case where no dummy pattern is provided. However, as described above, recent semiconductor chips are much thinner than those at the time when the above patent documents were filed, and accordingly the amount of the adhesive material used is further reduced. Consequently, with the manufacturing method of semiconductor device as described above, it has become clear that occurrence of a void cannot be completely suppressed by simply forming a dummy pattern over the wiring substrate.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides a technology that can suppress occurrence of a void when mounting a semiconductor chip over a wiring substrate via a paste-like adhesive material.
The above and other objects and new features of the present invention will become clear from the description of the specification and accompanying drawings.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A double return panel system utilizing a perimeter extrusion having an arm terminating in an end portion configured to contact and twice bend a panel. The panel fits into a slot formed adjacent the arm. The perimeter extrusion is held to a facade by a base member.

The present application relates to a novel and useful double return panel system employed to clad or cover a facade.
In the past, many systems have been proposed to attach panels to a facade. For example, the systems found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,777,486 and 9,903,123 represent significant advances in the field of panel mounting systems.
In the construction arts, it is imperative that panel mounting systems allow for efficient installation and reduction in costs associated with materials and labor. It is also important that panel mounting systems be compatible with existing panel mounting apparatuses, while maintaining the advantages of moisture control, thermal contraction and expansion, and aesthetic appearance.
A panel mounting device or system which minimizes component parts and reduces the intensity of the labor required for installation would be a notable advance in the construction field.


A food machine, in particular a machine for processing and producing sausage, with a step, and a corresponding method, wherein the food machine includes a safety device for detecting whether a person is standing on the step when the step is in a projecting step-on position.

In the food industry, corresponding steps are attached to the production apparatuses and machines or integrated into the production machines for monitoring and control purposes. The machine and the step must be coordinated such that the respectively applicable safety and ergonomic provisions are complied with. The step is part of the safety concept of the machine and firmly connected to the latter.
The step is often designed such that it can be transferred from a compact rest position (e. g. a folded-in state) to a projecting working position (folded-out state), e. g. by manually folding out the step. The step is here designed to be coupled in accordance with the safety concept. This means that the machine is unlocked when the step is folded up, while the machine is locked in a folded down step position. After the step has been folded up, this must be first confirmed at the input unit so that the machine can then be operated again without restrictions.
Loose steps, i.e. steps that are freely movable in the production plant, e. g. in the form of platforms, ladders, steps, etc., are not accepted for safety reasons. This is because these movable steps can be easily brought, e. g. by the operators, to the immediate proximity of sources of danger without using tools. Since these steps are not coupled to the machine's safety concept, the machine will still be running even when someone steps on the movable step, even if it has been brought perilously close to a danger point. Thus, the compliance with the required safety dimensions (distance to the source of danger) cannot be reliably ensured. This represents a high potential for danger, e. g. for the operator or the cleaning staff.
By a coupled step being part of the machine's safety concept and the machine only being operative when the step is folded up, the step must be more or less often manually transferred to the various positions every day, depending on the application. Since the operators are often carrying heavy loads and thus their hands are not free, it is particularly disadvantageous to have to operate the step manually.

Food machine, in particular machine for processing and producing sausage, and method of operating the same

Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG


Noninvasive pain treatment of skeletal cancer metastases in cancer patients utilizing planar or focused ultrasound. The ultrasound energy preferably targets at the Periosteum or immediate soft-bone-tissue interface, where local sensory pain receptors are directly affected by the growing tumor, to generate heat to destroy local sensory pain receptors so as to interrupt or block the pain feedback pathway to the central nervous system.

Bone metastasis is one of the most common causes of pain in cancer patients. In the United States, it is estimated that of 1.4 million patients who will be diagnosed with cancer, 30% to 70% will develop skeletal metastases. In one study, the prevalence of pain was shown to be 55% of ambulatory patients, and 46% of those patients reporting pain received inadequate analgesics. Each year there is estimated 150,000 painful bone metastases cases from advanced lung, breast, and prostate cancer in the United States.
Bone cancer is a growth found in any part of the bone. Most bone cancers develop predominantly from bone, cartilage, muscle, fibrous tissue, fatty tissue or nerve tissue. Primary bone cancer originates in the bone itself. The most common primary malignancies that metastasize to the bone are breast, kidney, lung, and prostate. The most common sites of metastasis are the vertebrae, pelvis, and long bones. Secondary bone cancers, which are more common than primary cancers, spread from other cancerous cells in the body. Primary and Secondary types of bone cancer are described below.
Primary Bone Cancer:    A. Osteosarcome: the most common type of primary bone cancer, develops in new tissues of growing bones, particularly the knees, upper legs, upper arms. Patients often children and young people between 10 and 25 years old.    B. Ewing's Sarcoma: this sarcoma begins in immature nerve tissue in the bone marrow of the body's large bones, i.e. pelvis, upper legs, ribs and arms. Ewing's sarcoma affects children and young adults.    C. Chondrosarcoma: this usually arises in the cartilage, soft connective tissue of the pelvis, upper legs and shoulders. This type of malignancy most frequently affects adults over 50 years old.
Secondary Bone Caner:    It is more common than primary bone cancer and usually occurs later in life. Cancers that tend to spread rapid to bone are breast, lung, prostate, thyroid, and kidney. Pain usually results when a tumor pushes on bones, nerves, or other organs in the body.
Current pain control treatments include:    A. Surgery to remove all or part of the affected bone.    B. Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs that target the given tumor cells. Significant side effects are problematic.    C. Radiation Therapy utilizes X-ray or other radioactive source to destroy the development of abnormal cells. Similar to chemotherapy, radiation may impact normal tissues.    D. Hormone Therapy is used to stem secondary bone cancers of the prostate and breast.    E. Analgesic Drugs: radiopharmaceuticals, bisphosphonates, calcitonin and others to treat pain via blocking pain pathways or inhibit local growth factors.    F. Radiofreqency ablation on benign lesion of bone (osteoid osteoma) targeting at nidus, where composed of a variably calcified meshwork of bony trabeculae on a background of fibrous, vascular, and nerve tissue. Percutaneous RF ablation treats the margin of the lesion at the soft-tissue-bone interface for pain reduction.
The above therapies may have serious side effects and limitations can include:    A. Poor therapeutic response or toxicity from chemotherapy.    B. Intolerable analgesic related side effects may develop with increasing analgesic doses.    C. Limited patients are suitable for radiation therapy because of radiation insensitivity of the neoplasm or limitations of radiation dose that can cause damage to normal structure and healthy cells.
Although terminal patients undergo combinational treatment plan, the current treatments are ineffective to relieve pain.
Tumor metastasis to bone is associated with bone destruction and new bone formation. Bone pain often results from the tumor impinging on nerve tissue, disrupting normal bone remodeling process, and displacing bone. The pain is usually described as a deep, aching over the site of the involved bone.
The sensory receptors within the human body are sensitive to tissue damaging or stimuli that are prevalent in skin, muscle, joint, bone and other connective tissues. Those nociceptors (sensory receptors) are sensitive to response to mechanical, thermal, and chemical cutaneous stimuli. It is believed that nociceptor sensitization is a physiologic mechanism of persistent pain. Once nociceptors activated locally, it transduces chemical, mechanical, or thermal stimuli into afferent impulses that enter the nervous system to the brain for pain perception. Particularly, A-δ mechanoreceptors and C-nociceptors appear to be localized to connective tissue between muscle fibers and in blood vessel walls or tendons, and in the joint capsule and periosteum.
Particularly, numerous studies have shown that the periosteum, which is comprised of fibrous connective tissue sheath that covers the external surface of all bones, is densely innervated by both sensory and sympathetic fibers. Nerves are distributed to the Periosteum and accompany the nutrient arteries into the interior of the bone. Fine nerve endings are found in bone marrow, periosteum, cortex, and associated muscles and ligaments. The prevailing opinion is that bone pain arises predominantly from the densely innervated periosteum, where is the area of interest for ablating local pain receptors utilizing ultrasound to reduce bone pain.

Bone cancer pain management utilizing ultrasound


A vehicle mechanical transmission includes a conventional shift lever which enables the vehicle driver to manually select lower gear ratios, and an automatic shifting mechanism which provides automatic shifting between selected higher ratios once the driver has moved the shift lever to an "automatic" position. The transmission includes a plurality of shift rails which are individually and selectively moveable from a neutral position to two different gear positions. In accordance with the present invention, the shift lever is only coupled to mechanically shift a portion of the shift rails, typically those shift rails corresponding to the lower gear ratios. Once all the lower ratios have been selected, the driver can move the shift lever to an "automatic" position. When in this position, the shift lever actuates an electronic control, which in turn automatically controls the shifting of at least one shift rail in accordance with the status of various monitored vehicle operating parameters. In addition to a conventional interlock between each of the shift rails, an auxiliary interlock system is provided to prevent the shift lever from being moved to the automatic position simultaneously with the shifting of a manually actuated shift rail. Further, the transmission includes a driver actuated manual override valve to cause the automatically shifted rail to return to its neutral position in the event of failure of the automatic shifting mechanism.

The present invention relates generally to a vehicle transmission of the mechanical type which includes an automatic shifting mechanism and, in particular, to a mechanical transmission wherein the lower gear ratios are manually selected by the vehicle driver, and wherein at least one of the upper gear ratios is automatically selected.
The majority of vehicle transmissions can generally be divided into two groups, "mechanical" transmissions and "automatic" transmissions. In its most common usage, an automatic transmission typically refers to a transmission which uses a torque converter and one or more planetary gear sets to achieve various predetermined output gear ratios. The automatic transmission is shifted by means of a plurality of hydraulically actuated clutch packs which are selectively engaged to lock components of the planetary gear sets relative to one another or to the transmission housing in order to achieve the desired gear ratio. On the other hand, a mechanical transmission, also referred to as a manual transmission, typically includes a gear train providing a plurality of various gear ratios which are manually selected by the vehicle driver, typically by disengaging an associated clutch, and then moving a gear shift lever to the desired gear position to cause the transmission to shift to the desired gear ratio.
While automatic transmissions offer advantages over mechanical transmissions in terms of convenience and less driver fatigue due to shifting, mechanical transmissions typically provide advantages over automatics with regard to cost, torque capacity, and fuel economy. As a result, the majority of medium and heavy duty truck transmissions are of the mechanical type. Mechanical transmissions can be further classified as either a single stage transmission, wherein all of the gear ratios available from the transmission are located within a single housing and are accessible by the driver via a single gear shift lever, or a compound transmission, wherein a single stage transmission functions as the main section of the transmission, and an auxiliary section is connected thereto to provide a plurality of additional ratios which, when combined with the ratios provided by the main section, enables the transmission to provide a larger number of gear ratios.
In order to improve the convenience of mechanical transmissions, various approaches have been proposed for automating or semi-automating the shifting of a conventional mechanical transmission. In these automated mechanical transmissions, the conventional driver operated shift tower is typically replaced by a hydraulically or pneumatically controlled automatic shifting mechanism, and an actuator is provided to automatically control the operation of the clutch.
It is also been proposed to provide a mechanical transmission wherein only a portion of the gear ratios are automatically selected. For example, the lower gear ratios can be manually selected by the vehicle driver, and the higher gear ratios can be automatically selected. Such an approach is advantageous in that the transmission is lower in cost than a fully automated mechanical transmission, yet offers automatic shifting in the upper highway range where the majority of shifting normally occurs. Thus, fuel economy is improved and driver fatigue is reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,248 discloses a compound transmission wherein only a portion of the gear ratios are automatically selected. In particular, in this patent, all of the gears of the main section of the transmission must be manually selected by the vehicle driver but, once the driver has manually shifted the main section into its highest ratio, sequentially related higher gear ratios provided by an auxiliary section are automatically shifted.

Vehicle transmission with manually shifted lower gears and automatically shifted upper gears


A multi-motion programmable micromirror control method is provided with the multiple supports in a stepper plate to upholding the micromirror structure. The control system has advantages such that multiple motion can be applied to a micromirror and that the micromirror can be controlled in a low driving voltage and that simple motion control is applied by digital controlling and that the degrees of freedom in motion of the micromirror can be chosen by the number of the stepper plate and that only single voltage is needed for driving the micromirror motion. With many advantages, the multi-motion programmable micromirror control system provides a solution to overcome the difficulties in controlling micromirror motion.

Micromirrors may be used in various optical applications instead of, or in addition to, conventional optoelectronic devices. It is desirable to be able to move the micromirrors by rotation and translation with very fine control.
Since the micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) were developed, many applications in MEMS have been developed and used. Micromirror device is the one of the major development in MEMS field. Devices and application using micromirrors are developed and used in various fields such as optical communication and display. As the applications of micromirrors grow rapidly, the demand on controlling micromirror device becomes increases. It is desirable to have the motion control of the micromirror with many degrees of freedom and simple driving method.
A phase-only piston-style micromirror has been used for phase adaptive optics applications and a rotational micromirror has been used to deflect light. Most of these micromirrors have been controlled to have continuous displacements, which are determined at the equilibrium between electrostatic force and elastic force. The analog control is more complex than the digital or discrete control, and is not compatible with known semiconductor electronics technologies such as MOS, CMOS, etc. In addition, the micromirrors with continuous displacement actuated by electrostatic force undergo the classical snap-down phenomenon when the electric force exceeds the elastic force of mechanical structure. The snap-down phenomenon limits the translational and rotational ranges of a micromirror.
The high driving voltage is another disadvantage in controlling the micromirror motion with continuous displacement actuated by electrostatic force. To be compatible with IC components, it is desired that micromirrors are operated at a low voltage which is compatible with the circuit operation or control voltage.
In a prior art micromirror array, such as, for example, the digital micromirror device (DMD) in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,566,939, 5,083,857, and 6,232,936, each micromirror is actuated by digital control of a voltage. It has large rotation, low driving voltage, and is compatible with known semiconductor electronics technologies. However, it has only one degree of freedom, that is, rotation about a single axis, and it only has two level positions.
Therefore, the demand on the simple control of the micromirror with more degrees of freedom has been increased to use the micromirror. The present invention is intended to provide a method with multiple motions, a plurality of degrees of freedom, low driving voltage, and simple activation. This control system can have one degree of freedom rotational motion, one degree of freedom translational motion, one degree of freedom and one degree of freedom translational motion, two degrees of freedom rotational motion, and two degrees of freedom rotational motion and one degree of freedom translational motion.

Programmable micromirror motion control system


A method comprising: during a first time period, obtaining one or more first content ratings of a particular content item from one or more first users, each first content rating defining a first user measure of a belief state of the particular content item; and generating a first content score for the particular content item, the first content score defining a crowd-sourced measure of the belief state of the particular content item; during a second time period, obtaining one or more second content ratings from one or more second users for the particular content item, each second content rating defining a second user measure of the belief state of the particular content item; and generating a second content score for the particular content item, the second content score defining a second crowd-sourced measure of the belief state of the particular content item; comparing the second crowd-sourced measure of the belief state of the particular content item against each of the one or more first content ratings of the particular content item to determine an expertise value for each of the one or more first users; and issuing the expertise value to each of the one or more first users.

The news is broken and getting worse. First, the rise of the Internet and now social media has opened Pandora's box for an almost infinite number of content producers that has made it impossible for the average consumer to adequately evaluate the veracity of information they are consuming. Fact checkers cannot keep up, and the financial incentive to keep consumers viewing and clicking only portends for the situation to get worse. Simply put, the speed of information verification cannot keep up with pace of modern information distribution and consumption. Even worse, nefarious actors have taken advantage of this situation to produce "fake news" for a variety of motivations. Fake news is defined as partially or completely inaccurate content that is designed to emulate factual news without the knowledge of the consumer.
The Internet has enabled the distribution of vast amounts of information to an incredibly large population virtually instantaneously and for comparatively low cost. While the development of this capability has resulted in enormous economic development and provided the great benefit of information exchange to the world, it has also exposed the same population to increased risk, not the least of which emanates from fake news. The rapid distribution of fake news can cause contagion, can manipulate markets, can spark conflict, and can fracture strategic relations. Most catastrophically, fake news has the potential to undermine self-government and fracture democratic institutions around the world.
The current fact checking enterprise consists of independent reviewing agencies, which are only able to select a small portion of the overall content produced. The primary method for fact checking involves a group of researchers associated with a particular agency (e.g., Snopes.com, FactCheck.org, etc.) reviewing an article and conducting research to verify the underlying assertions. Inherently, this process takes substantial time and, therefore, a fact check review is typically released after the majority of consumers have already interacted with the content. Thus, only a very small portion of content actually receives external fact checking prior to consumption. Even more problematic is that popularity often drives the content fact checkers target. Thus, by definition, a large group of consumers must have already viewed the content before the fact check even begins. Additionally, the number of fact checkers associated with each agency is limited and potentially biases the selection process for the agency.
Systems and methods are needed to avoid the potential calamity resulting from the "end of truth."

Systems and methods for using crowd sourcing to score online content as it relates to a belief state


A process for etching a thick aluminum contact layer of a semiconductor wafer comprises the formation of a wet etch photoresist mask and the opening of a window in the mask, followed by a wet etch of a first portion of the thickness of the contact layer exposed by the window and the inherent under cutting of the contact layer under the mask window. A dry etch is next carried out, using the same window as a mask, to cut the remaining web of the contact layer under the window. An etch stop layer of Ti or TiN can be formed within the body of the contact layer to define the depth of the initial wet etch into the contact layer.

Semiconductor devices, such as discrete power MOSFETs typically use thick metal films (eg. 8μ of Aluminum or other suitable metal) in order to carry the large currents which may be associated with these devices. In order to etch such thick films it is normal to use wet etch, as dry etching has many problems. Thus:
a) Dry etching requires an extremely thick resist. That is, aluminum to resist selectivity is normally low except for the latest generation, and extremely expensive etchers. Further, a very thick resist has an unrealistically long exposure time on steppers and has poor resolution.
b) The use of dry etching is very costly due to the very low throughput as dry metal etch rates are not very high.
c) Any silicon nodules in an aluminum layer will etch more slowly than the aluminum. With thick aluminum films, this can cause pillars of unetched Al remaining after the etch process.
A serious disadvantage of wet etching is that, unlike dry etching, it is isotropic (ie. it etches laterally as well as vertically). (See FIGS. 1 to 3.) This means that the Aluminum has to be formed with a very large overlap of the contacts, to ensure that the Aluminum is not etched away from over the contacts which would be a reliability concern. Due to the large overetch normally used, an overlap of say, 16 μm is common with an 8 μm thick film for aluminum on a silicon wafer. This large overlap wastes a lot of silicon area. As silicon performance is increasing and die are shrinking, this wasted silicon area is becoming a larger percentage of the ultimate die singulated from the wafer.

Reduced metal design rules for power devices


A gas circuit breaker comprises: a first arc contactor 21; a cylindrical second arc contactor 41; a rod-shaped trigger electrode 31 that is disposed to be movable between the first arc contactor 21 and the second arc contactor 41, and moves inside the cylindrical second arc contactor 41 to ignite an arc at the second arc contactor 41 in the latter half of the current break interval; and a guide portion 41b that has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the trigger electrode 31, has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of a portion of the second arc contactor 41 which is close to the trigger electrode 31, and is disposed in the cylinder of the second arc contactor 41 so as to go around the trigger electrode 31 when the trigger electrode 31 is in a closed state with the first arc contactor 21.

Circuit breaker is used to break current flowing through power supply lines in power system. The gas circuit breaker is arranged in the power supply lines to break current that flows when separating a system in which accident has occurred at the time of system accident.
As the gas circuit breaker described above, a puffer-type gas circuit breaker widely used. The puffer-type gas circuit breaker has a pair of electrodes arranged oppositely in a sealed container filled with arc-extinguishing gas. This pair of electrodes is driven by a driving device arranged outside the gas circuit breaker to open and close.
When the gas circuit breaker is opened to an open-state, this pair of electrodes is driven by the driving device arranged outside the gas circuit breaker, and is mechanically separated. However, since a high voltage is applied in the power system, an arc current continues flowing even after the pair of electrodes is mechanically separated. The puffer-type gas circuit breaker sprays arc-extinguishing gas in the sealed container to an arc, and extinguishes the arc, to break this arc current.

TOSHIBA ENERGY SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION