Methods of forming a portion of an integrated circuit include forming a patterned mask having an opening and exposing a surface of a semiconductor material, forming a first doped region at a first level of the semiconductor material through the opening, and isotropically removing a portion of the patterned mask to increase a width of the opening. The methods further include forming a second doped region at a second level of the semiconductor region through the opening after isotropically removing the portion of the patterned mask, wherein the second level is closer to the surface of the semiconductor material than the first level.

Integrated circuit devices traverse a broad range of electronic devices. One particular type include memory devices, oftentimes referred to simply as memory. Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuit devices in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and flash memory.
Flash memory has developed into a popular source of non-volatile memory for a wide range of electronic applications. Flash memory typically use a one-transistor memory cell that allows for high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption. Changes in threshold voltage (Vt) of the memory cells, through programming (which is often referred to as writing) of charge storage structures (e.g., floating gates or charge traps) or other physical phenomena (e.g., phase change or polarization), determine the data state (e.g., data value) of each memory cell. Common uses for flash memory and other non-volatile memory include personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, digital media players, digital recorders, games, appliances, vehicles, wireless devices, mobile telephones, and removable memory modules, and the uses for non-volatile memory continue to expand.
A NAND flash memory is a common type of flash memory device, so called for the logical form in which the basic memory cell configuration is arranged. Typically, the array of memory cells for NAND flash memory is arranged such that the control gate of each memory cell of a row of the array is connected together to form an access line, such as a word line. Columns of the array include strings (often termed NAND strings) of memory cells connected together in series between a pair of select gates, e.g., a source select transistor and a drain select transistor. Each source select transistor may be connected to a source, while each drain select transistor may be connected to a data line, such as column bit line. Variations using more than one select gate between a string of memory cells and the source, and/or between the string of memory cells and the data line, are known.
In order for memory manufacturers to remain competitive, memory designers are constantly striving to increase the density of memory devices. Increasing the density of a memory device often involves reducing spacing between circuit elements. However, reduced spacing of circuit elements may hinder effective isolation of adjacent circuit elements.

Methods of forming integrated circuit well structures


A product handling system for stacking printed products. The system includes a plurality of product stacking bins, a conveyor, a gapper and a plurality of diverters. In a preferred embodiment, the stacking bin is a compensating stacking bin including a temporary holding device which drops products onto a platform after a predetermined number of products have accumulated therein, a compression device which compresses the product stack on the platform, a compensation device which rotates the product stack on the platform and a product pusher device which pushes the product stack off of the platform. The system also includes a control processor to control the system. The diverter of the present invention has a low profile and can be integrated with a stacker conveyor. The system is actuated by pneumatic power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stacking machines for printed products, and more particularly to a system and method for processing a stream of printed products arriving in an imbricated, or partially overlapping, stream into successive stacks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printed products (also referred to as "products"), such as books, newspapers, magazines and pamphlets are produced in a printing, binding or collating business. Printing presses provide printed product to delivery equipment, such as conveyers or continuous moving belts, in an imbricated, or partially overlapping stream where the delivery equipment is maintained at a constant speed of up to 70,000 copies per hour. The delivery equipment frequently leads to a stacking machine where a preset number of products forms a stack and becomes ready for further processing or transportation.
The stacking machine may include an assembly to collect the product, an assembly to then process the collected stack, such as rotation or compression, and finally an assembly to push the stack out for further disposal. These steps are repeated in rapid cycles as long as product is delivered to the stacking machine by the conveyor. With the stacking machines known today, a minimum of about one second is necessary to dispose of a finished stack. During this one second interval, given present maximum delivery speeds, 19 products pass a given point in the stream and must therefore be stacked.
The present stacking machines are sufficient if it is desired to only make stacks of more than or equal to a certain quantity, which is dependent on the conveyor speed, e.g., 19 at a speed of 70,000 copies per hour. Furthermore, current stackers can provide a stack less than this number, or a low quantity stack, so long as the next stack to be made is not also a low quantity stack. However, there is a problem when stacks of low quantity need to be made continuously because disposing of one full stack cannot be completed fast enough for a stacking machine to cycle for another disposal cycle. This problem is highlighted whenever two or more stacks of low quantity are necessary in succession, such as in the case of when a mail sorting line encounters consecutive, sparsely populated zip codes.
Books, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and so forth, having folded or stapled sheets, or a combination thereof, typically have one edge which is somewhat thicker than the other edges. When such products are stacked in the same orientation, the connected edges build up faster than the free edges to a point where the stack is unstable and difficult to handle. A compensating stacker, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,112, which includes a temporary product holding assembly, a revolving platform, a compression assembly, and a pusher assembly, is used to mitigate this height differential. The temporary product holding assembly collects a temporary stack of products from a continuous infeed supply while the pusher moves a completed stack from the platform or while a partial work stack is compensated. The compensation step compresses the connected edges to flatten the stack of products and offsets successive layers by rotating the platform.
In the compensating stacker disclosed in the '112 patent, the temporary product holding assembly is disposed directly above the platform and is formed by a plurality of tines connected with rotatable shafts. After a predetermined number of products has been collected on the temporary holding assembly, the products are dropped onto the platform and a set of retractable compression rods is extended over the platform. The temporary product holding assembly then returns to a collecting position for receiving further products. The platform is thereafter raised to press the products on the platform against the retractable compression rods extended over the platform resulting in a flattening of the relatively thicker, connected edge of the products. While the products are being pressed against the compression rods, the platform is rotated through up to 180.degree. from its initial position. This rotation results in the relatively thick edges of the products in one portion of the stack being offset from the relatively thick edges of products in another portion of the stack. When a stack on the platform has the desired number of products, the pusher is actuated to push the stack from the platform for further handling, e.g., tying, wrapping, boxing, labelling. Since the stacker can stack products of various widths, the stack pusher has an adjustable travel length in relation to the width of the stack to be pushed from the platform.
Groups of paper sheets may be delivered from a printing press or another suitable source to various processing or consuming machines via a transporting system, or delivery equipment. A system which intermittently delivers sheets to consuming machines is disclosed by Muller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,434). The system includes a group forming device that gaps a continuous, scalloped stream of paper sheets. In the event of a malfunction in a processing or consuming machine, the group of sheets advances along a main path of the transporting system to a surplus receiving unit or overflow. A set of diverter switches drop the sheets into magazines for one or more consuming machines, over separate conveyor belts, or to one or more surplus receiving units. Consuming machines can deliver sheets to or may constitute gathering machines, collating machines, or other types of processing machines. The diverter switches are moved by fluid operated devices. A signal generating sensor, upstream of the switches, is a conventional counter which controls the operation of the group forming device. The group forming device is said to divide the continuous stream of sheets into a single file of discrete groups or streams.
The Muller '434 system uses a group forming device and diverter switches to process multiple stacks. However, the bins for the consuming machines or surplus receiving units do not have any compression means and compensation or rotation means to efficiently process products having one edge thicker than other edges. Moreover, the discrete streams are of identical length and contain identical numbers of partially overlapping sheets. Furthermore, the accumulations of numerous fully or nearly fully overlapping sheets at the leading ends of the discrete streams can interfere with introduction of discrete streams into the magazines of various processing machines.
Frequently when dealing with printed sheets or copies such as newspapers, the number of newspapers to be delivered to a dealer is not always a multiple of the number, e.g., 25, constituting one bundle. A machine to provide bundles containing odd copies, i.e., copies of a number less than 25, is disclosed by Kawada (U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,198). The Kawada machine includes a counter stacker having a counter head for counting copies in a scalloped stream. A first dividing plate, located downstream from the counter, is inserted into the stream (using an air cylinder) to stop subsequent copies. When the disclosed machine is diverting the stream to a second path, a second dividing plate is lowered, the stream is gapped by the first plate, and then the second plate is raised. A first stacking bin, receiving products from a first path, includes a turntable and a pusher. The second stacking bin, receiving products from the second path, includes a pusher.
Kawada discloses using a second stacking bin to accommodate stacks of less than 25 copies. Kawada also indicates that the end structures of the first and second paths may be replaced with each other. However, Kawada does not address consecutively low quantity stacks. Moreover, the machine does not have true modularity in that the first stacking bin is different from the second stacking bin. Furthermore, due to the lack of modularity, the machine is not expandable to more than two stacking bins.
An assembly for selectively transporting a stream of partly overlapping paper sheets or the like from a first path into one of several additional paths is important in the printed paper business. One assembly to prevent the accumulations of fully overlapping sheets at the leading end of discrete streams is disclosed by Muller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,052). Muller '052 describes a machine that selectively routes a scalloped stream from a first path to either a second or third path. When the stream is routed from the first path to the second path, a switching device, operated by a double-acting pneumatic cylinder, is lowered over a gap. A blade-like member, controlled by a fluid operated unit, is lowered to form a gap in the stream. At the instant when a sheet has its trailing edge over the switching device, the switching device is raised. Meanwhile the intercepted sheet is allowed to travel down the third path to a magazine of a gathering machine.
The Muller '052 machine uses a switching device to prevent accumulations of fully overlapping sheets at the leading ends of discrete streams. However, Muller only describes one switching device and its interaction with the blade-like member used to form a gap so as to form two streams. Moreover the use of stackers is not described. The machine does not have the ability to do direct stacking of the scalloped stream into successive low quantity stacks.
In a newspaper stacking plant, stacks of less than 17 copies were made by hand. An assembly to enable machine stacking of small stacks (less than 17 copies), including a stack size of one or several copies, is disclosed by Backman (U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,513). The Backman assembly includes an interceptor device that is controlled by a sensor to interrupt a flow of overlapping newspapers. Another interceptor device provides a gap in the flow of newspapers. Pushers push their respective stacks from tables.
Backman discloses a way to create one low quantity (less than 17 copies in this invention) secondary stack. Backman also discusses use of rotation (compensation) on the primary stack. However, the assembly cannot consecutively process two or more, low quantity stacks (under 17 copies). Moreover, the Backman assembly cannot accommodate variablesized products. Additionally, the assembly does not use multiple, modular stacking bins that can compress a stack.
Thus, while the preceding patents discuss a transporting assembly (or delivery equipment) with a device to gap and divide the incoming product stream and a diverter device to send the diverted products down another path, and two of the patents disclose systems using a stackers with a pusher device, none of them address the use of multiple, modular compensating stacking bins and coplanar diverters to produce successive, low quantity stacks of various product sizes.
Consequently there is a need for a modular system having a plurality of compensating stacking bins, diverters, and a single gapper such that successive, low quantity stacks can be produced without slowing, and independent of, the delivery equipment or transporting assembly. There is also a need for such a system to accommodate a variety of product sizes.

Processing a stream of imbricated printed products into successive stacks


In some implementations, an applicator includes a container and an insert disposed in the container. The insert may include a flange extending radially outwardly from an elongate post, and a porous tip covering the flange. A passageway is provided to convey, via material comprising the porous tip, a substance contained in the container to an external surface of the porous tip for application.

Many compositions, e.g., liquids, gels, and the like, are provided in bulk, for subsequent use or application. For instance, cosmetics, ointments, oral care products, and adhesives are commonly provided in a container and applied using a separate applicator such as a swab or brush. Alternatively, some containers have integrated applicators, which may include brushes, nozzles, or swabs built into the packaging. Some such containers are single-use, whereas others are re-sealable and capable of repeated use, i.e., until the bulk is fully consumed.
Conventional containers with separate applicators may be unsatisfactory because one of the container and the applicator is frequently misplaced. Moreover, commercially available containers with integrated applicators are generally difficult to use.


An air filter for electric welding includes a box having an opening for connecting with a sucking tube, an dividing plate dividing the box into an upper chamber communicating with the opening and a lower chamber, a spark blocker inside the upper chamber, a movable filter device set under the spark blocker inside the upper chamber and provided with a cloth filter, a blower inside the lower chamber, and an extractable screening device installed outside it and communicating with the lower chamber. In using, when the blower is switched on, the air is sucked in from the sucking tube to the spark blocker, the movable filter device, the blower and the extractable screening device orderly, blocking sparks completely and achieving an effective filtration.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air filter for electric welding, particularly to one able to block sparks and carry out filtration considerably well.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Metallic welding is very common in factories involving zinc welding, electric welding and heat treatment. Volatile fume produced by welding may contain heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, manganese, nickel and chromium, and these metals may cause professional diseases such as fume fever, zinc fever, brass fever, asthma (poisoned by nickel), Parkinson disease (poisoned by manganese) and lung cancer (poisoned by chromium oxide), posing potential danger to human health. In order to protect persons exposed in such a contaminated environment, ventilation or wearing a proper respirator has been conventionally done so far. But, a lot of factories restricted by their structure cannot obtain good ventilation. Badly, a conventional ventilator with no additional screening function can merely expel the contaminated air elsewhere and make it dispersed in all direction, giving potential danger to people's life. Next, a respirator can only protect who wears it but not those who don't. Moreover, a worker wearing a respirator is prone to do only a lower quality job. Although, some factories use an industrial screen device while ventilating, but the screen is very easy to be clogged with oil and impurities produced during welding, having to replace with a new one very often, giving users much embarrassment indeed. Unfortunately, the screen used industrially does not have a function of extinguishing sparks that may cause a fire or an air explosion once it is sucked into the interior of the equipment.


A low profile armrest articulation mechanism for a passenger seat is disclosed. The passenger seat has a seatback reclinable from an upright configuration to a berthed or horizontal configuration (e.g., parallel to the seatpan). The mechanism includes moving stops connecting the armrests on either side to the seatback and linkages connecting the moving stops to the seat frame. As the seatback reclines, the moving stops maintain the armrests at an optimally ergonomic angle (e.g., substantially parallel to the seatpan) for as long as possible. When the seatback reaches the fully reclined or berthed configuration, the armrests may be pivoted upward into a berthed orientation flush with the seatback, adding bed space to the berthed configuration.

Reclining aircraft seats for business-class and other premium class passengers may be configured to recline either partially or fully, effectively converting the seatback and seatpan (and occasionally a leg rest) into a substantially coplanar surface capable of functioning as a bed for the occupying passenger. Such convertible seats may allow the passenger to remain in a partially reclined position, e.g., at one or more intermediate positions between the upright and fully reclined (e.g., berthed) configurations.
However, such passenger seats also include armrests on either side; as the seatback reclines, the armrests may not be in a position to provide suitable ergonomic support either in intermediate positions or in a berthed configuration. While the armrests can be made to conform or articulate, the associated mechanisms add substantial cost and weight while taking up significant amounts of passenger space.

Low-profile armrest articulation mechanism for aircraft passenger seat


A host computer is coupled to a source of item-level transaction data and a consumer computing device such as a Smartphone. A purchase program determines respective purchase intervals of respective items purchased by consumer from respective merchants using respective item-level electronic transaction data representing prior purchases of respective items by consumer. A shopping list program receives a location of consumer and/or data of an electronic calendar of consumer at host computer, identifies at least one merchant within a pre-determined distance of the received location and/or at which consumer has time to shop as determined from received calendar or schedule data, generates at least one electronic shopping list comprising at least one item previously purchased by consumer from the at least one merchant, and transmits the electronic shopping list from the host computer through a network to a computing apparatus of consumer.

Consumers purchase various items, goods and services such as groceries and other consumables such as cereal, meat, milk and baby formula, toiletries, personal hygiene supplies such as toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, etc. These items may be consumed and purchased weekly, every other week, once a month, and at other times depending on the quantity of items purchased each time and how quickly they are consumed. The rate at which items are consumed and how often they must be purchased again may be affected by various factors such as the number of people in a consumer's family, consumer preferences and circumstances. These factors may change over time as people join a family, preferences and consumption change, and new products become available.
Given the nature of consumable items, they are used or needed at different rates and at different times. Consumers may or may not know how much of a particular item remains and whether they need to purchase the item again. Consumers often purchase different items from different stores for various reasons including item availability and selection, merchant loyalty, location and convenience, and prices charged by different merchants.
For example, a consumer may purchase certain food items from a traditional grocery store such as SAFEWAY, certain food items from a specialty, bulk or farmers-market style grocery store such as WHOLE FOODS, certain items, such as bulk consumables, from a warehouse club store such as COSTCO, and other items from big box or superstore such as TARGET. Further, consumers may purchase certain items on-line from AMAZON or a merchant website.
In order to assess their needs, consumers may survey their needs by looking in their pantry, refrigerator, bathrooms, etc. to determine which items need to be purchased or replaced, and then make a shopping list in the form of a written note on a piece of paper or on a POST-IT note, which the consumer takes when shopping to remind the consumer which items to purchase. These types of shopping lists may not be updated with other items that are identified by the consumer at a later time.
Thus, consumers may forget their shopping lists or utilize an incomplete shopping list such that they do not know or forget which items are necessary, thereby resulting in the consumer forgoing such items until the next shopping trip, requiring the consumer to go out again to one or more stores to purchase forgotten items, purchase items from another merchant with less desirable item selection, failing to take advantage of opportunities to make purchases towards a rewards or points program offered by a particular merchant, and/or paying or travelling more as a result of purchasing an item from a different merchant rather than from the merchant at which the consumer normally shops. These inconveniences and financial and time losses are due, in part, to consumers relying on their memories and ad-hoc shopping lists.
Shopping for needed items is further complicated by the fact that consumers are at various places at various times, e.g., at home, school, work, etc., and consumer schedules may differ from day to day and from location to location. Consumers may, for example, have free time during a weekend, but utilize that time for other tasks or sometimes unproductive matters. As a result, it is not uncommon for consumers to underutilize their available time at a certain location or simply spend that time in an inefficient manner or on unproductive activities.

Generation of electronic shopping lists for recurring item purchases based on consumer location and schedule


Disclosed are a capacitor for a semiconductor device capable of increasing storage capacitance and preventing leakage current, and a method of manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, a lower electrode is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A surface of the lower electrode is surface-treated to prevent generation of a natural oxide layer. A TaON layer as a dielectric layer is deposited on the lower electrode. Impurities of the TaON layer are crystallized and out-diffused. And an upper electrode is deposited on the TaON layer. Herein, the TaON layer is formed by a chemical vapor reaction of Ta obtained from O2 gas and NH3 gas in an LPCVD chamber to which O2 gas and NH3 gas are supplied at a pressure of 0.1xcx9c10 Torr at a temperature of 300xcx9c600xc2x0 C., respectively.

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 99-24218, filed on Jun. 25, 1999, and Korean Patent Application No. 99-24219, filed on Jun. 25, 1999.
The present invention relates to a capacitor for a semiconductor memory device and a method of manufacturing the same.
With recent progress in semiconductor manufacturing technology, the demand for memory devices has increased dramatically. Generally, a memory device having high capacitance is desirable. Capacitance of the capacitor can be increased by using a dielectric layer having a high dielectric constant or by enlarging the surface area of a lower electrode. Those conventional capacitors are made with a Ta2O5 layer having a dielectric constant higher than that of nitride-oxide(NO), thereby forming the lower electrode of a 3-dimensional structure.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a capacitor in a conventional semiconductor memory device. Referring to FIG. 1, a field oxide layer 11 is formed at a predetermined portion of a substrate 10, a gate electrode 13 including a gate insulating layer 12 at a lower portion thereof is formed by a known technique at a predetermined portion of a semiconductor substrate 10. A junction region 14 is formed on semiconductor substrate 10 at each end of gate electrode 13, thereby forming a MOS transistor. A first interlevel insulating layer 16 and a second interlevel insulating layer 18 are formed on semiconductor substrate 10. A storage-node contact hole h is formed in the first and second interlevel insulating layers 16 and 18 so that the junction region 14 is exposed. A cylindrical type lower electrode 20 is formed by a known technology within the storage-node contact hole h to contact the exposed junction region 14. A hemispherical grain (HSG) layer 21 is formed on a surface of lower electrode 20 in order to increase the surface area of lower electrode 20. A Ta2O5 layer 23 is formed on the surface of HSG layer 21. At this time, Ta2O5 layer 23 is formed as follows. First, a surface of HSG layer 21 is cleaned before the Ta2O5 layer 23 is formed, and then the RTN (rapid thermal nitridation) process is performed externally thereby forming a silicon-nitride layer 22 on HSG layer 21. Next, a first Ta2O5 layer is formed at 30 temperature of approximately 400xcx9c450xc2x0 C. with a thickness of 53xcx9c57 xc3x85. Afterward, an annealing process is performed at low temperature, and then a second Ta2O5 layer is formed with the same thickness and by the same process as in the first Ta2O5 layer. Annealing processes at low and at high temperatures are continued in series thereby forming a single Ta2O5 layer 23. An upper electrode 24 is deposited on upper portions of the Ta2O5 layer and the second interlevel insulating layer 18, thereby completing the formation of a capacitor.
However, the conventional capacitor formed according to the above method using Ta2O5 as a dielectric layer has the following problems. First, a difference in the composition rate of Ta and 0 results since Ta2O5 generally has unstable stoichiometry. As a result, substitutional Ta atoms, i.e., vacancy atoms, are generated in the Ta2O5 layer. Since those vacancy atoms are oxygen deprived, leakage current results. The amount of vacancy atoms in the dielectric layer can be controlled depending on the contents and the bond strength of components in the Ta2O5 layer; however, it is difficult to eliminate them completely.
In order to stabilize the unstable stoichiometry of Ta2O5, the Ta2O5 layer is oxidized to remove the substitutional Ta atoms in the Ta2O5 layer. However, when the layer is oxidized, an oxide layer having a low dielectric constant is formed at an interface between the Ta2O5 layer and the lower electrode or between the Ta2O5 layer and the upper electrode since Ta2O5 easily oxidizes with the lower and upper electrodes made of polysilicon or TiN, thereby degrading the homogeneity of the interface.
Further, due to the reaction between an organic substance such as Ta(OC2H5)5 used as a precursor and O2(or N2O) gas as a reaction gas, impurities result, such as carbon atoms C, carbon compounds(CH4, C2H4) and H2O in the Ta2O5 layer. These impurities increase leakage current in the capacitor and degrade the dielectric characteristics of the Ta2O5 layer. Accordingly, a capacitor having a large capacitance is difficult to obtain.
Moreover, the use of the Ta2O5 layer as a dielectric layer generates extra ex situ steps; one before formation of Ta2O5 layer and one after the cleaning step. Also, two thermal processes, at low and high temperatures, preferably are performed after the Ta2O5 layer has been formed. Therefore, forming a dielectric layer with Ta2O5 using a conventional method is cumbersome.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a capacitor for a semiconductor device capable of obtaining a great capacitance by providing a dielectric layer having a high dielectric constant and which incurs little leakage current.
Furthermore, the other object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a capacitor for semiconductor device capable of simplifying its manufacturing process.
In order to accomplish the foregoing objects of the present invention, according to one embodiment, the present invention provides a capacitor for a semiconductor memory device having a lower electrode; a dielectric layer formed on the lower electrode; and an upper electrode formed on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is a TaON layer.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method includes the steps of: forming a lower electrode on the semiconductor substrate; depositing a TaON layer as a dielectric layer on the lowerelectrode; and forming an upper electrode on the TaON layer.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method includes the steps of: forming a lower electrode on the semiconductor substrate; surface-treating to prevent generation of a natural oxide layer on a surface of the lower electrode; depositing a TaON layer as a dielectric layer on the lower electrode; out-diffusing impurities remaining in the TaON layer and crystallizing the TaON layer; and forming an upper electrode on the TaON layer.
Also, according to the present invention, a method includes the steps of: forming a lower electrode on the semiconductor substrate; surface-treating to prevent generation of a natural oxide layer on a surface of the lower electrode; depositing a TaON layer as a dielectric layer on the lower electrode; out-diffusing impurities remaining in the TaON layer and crystallizing the TaON layer; and forming an upper electrode on the TaON layer, wherein in the step of depositing the TaON layer, the TaON layer is formed by a surface chemical vapor reaction of Ta obtained from a precursor, O2 gas and NH3 gas in at a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chamber to which O2 gas and NH3 gas are supplied a pressure of 0.1xcx9c10 Torr at a temperature of 300xcx9c600xc2x0 C. respectively.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method includes the steps of: forming a lower electrode on the semiconductor substrate; surface-treating to prevent generation of a natural oxide layer on a surface of the lower electrode; depositing a TaON layer as a dielectric layer on the lower electrode; out-diffusing impurities remaining in the TaON layer and crystallizing the TaON layer; and forming an upper electrode on the TaON layer, wherein in the step of depositing the TaON layer, the TaON layer is formed by a surface chemical vapor reaction of Ta obtained from a precursor, O2 gas and NH3 gas in an LPCVD chamber to which O2 gas and NH3 gas are supplied at a pressure of 0.1xcx9c10 Torr at a temperature of 300xcx9c600xc2x0 C. wherein the surface-treatment of the lower electrode is performed in the LPCVD chamber by using plasma in situ in an NH3 gas or N2/H2 gas atmosphere at a temperature of 300xcx9c600xc2x0 C. for 30 secondsxcx9c5 minutes, thereby nitrifying the surface of the lower electrode.

Capacitor for semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


Various embodiments of a system and method for in-band transaction verification are described. The system and method for in-band transaction verification may include a transaction verification component. The transaction verification component may be configured to provide a transaction confirmation request that includes one or more machine readable resistant security media objects to indicate one or more transaction details for a transaction as well as a confirmation code for confirming the transaction. The transaction verification component may also be configured to receive a response to the confirmation request, such as a response from the user that submitted the transaction request. If the response includes a response code that is the same as the confirmation code, the transaction verification component may complete the transaction. If the response includes a response code that is different than the confirmation code, the transaction verification component may abort the transaction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to computer systems. More particularly, it is directed to verifying the authenticity of transactions within computing environments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Online transactions, such as transactions performed via the Internet and the World Wide Web, have become frequent targets of attacks performed by fraudulent individuals. One such attack is commonly referred to as "phishing." Phishing is performed by "phishers" that attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information about a user including, but not limited to, username and password combinations, credit card numbers, addresses, names, personal identification numbers (PINs), and other information that may be used to defraud an individual. One common form of phishing is implemented through electronic mail messages ("emails") that appear to be sent from a credible source. In many cases, a fraudulent email informs a user of an artificial circumstance that requires the user to provide sensitive information, such as a username and password. For example, some emails sent by phishers may indicate that a user's online account has recently undergone upgrades and that the user must provide their username and password to regain access to the account. Such emails may include a hyperlink to a fraudulent webpage that appears to be a legitimate login page of an online account. If an unsuspecting user provides their username and password to the fraudulent webpage, the username and password may be compromised, and the phisher may use the username and password to impersonate the user. When a phisher obtains a username and password of a user's account, they may utilize the account's functionality to perform fraudulent transactions. For instance, a phisher may fraudulently log on to a user's online bank account and perform fraudulent transactions, such as transferring funds from the user's online account to an account controlled by the phisher.
Another type of attack is known as a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, in which case an attacker gains the ability to modify communications between a legitimate user's computer system and another computer in such a way that neither computer system gains knowledge of the compromised communications link. For instance, a legitimate user may log on to their online bank account to transfer funds from their checking account to their savings account. To perform such a transaction, various communications may be sent between the legitimate user's computer system and their bank's computer system. A MITM attack may intercept and modify such communications in order to perform fraudulent transactions. For instance, a MITM attack might modify parameters of the transaction, such as the transaction amount or the destination account for the transaction, in order to fraudulently siphon funds away from the transaction participants. In some cases, MITM attacks are performed by "malware," which may include, but is not limited to, computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits, backdoors, spyware, botnets, loggers, dialers, and other software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system. Malware may be used to perform MITM attacks designed to intercept and modify online transactions for the benefit of fraudulent individuals.
Many online accounts (e.g., online bank accounts, online investment accounts, online consumer accounts, etc.) enable users to perform various transactions (e.g., transferring funds between accounts, purchasing one or more items, and/or other transaction related activities). To login to an online account, a user of the account is typically required to provide a username and password or participate in some other type of authentication process. A successful logon typically marks the beginning of a session between the user's computer system and the computer system(s) hosting the online account. Such session is typically terminated when the user logs out of the account or, for security purposes, after a particular period of time has elapsed. To prevent a user from having to re-authenticate (e.g., by repeating the process of providing their user name and password) each time the user navigates to different web pages of their online account, online account websites may provide a session "cookie" (which may in some cases also be referred to as a magic cookie, security key, security token, and/or a session key) to the user's computer system. Typically, the computer systems that host the user account may have knowledge of a unique identifier within the cookie and associate the unique identifier with the user's computer system and/or the session. Since the user's computer system has possession of the cookie during the session, the user may perform various transactions using their account (e.g., transferring funds between accounts, purchasing one or more items, and/or other transaction related activities) without re-authenticating during the session.
The widespread use of cookies for maintaining and managing sessions has contributed to the advancement of a particular type of MITM attack that utilizes a technique called "session hijacking." Session hijacking occurs when malware installed on the user's computer (typically without consent of the user) gains access to a session cookie. This may be referred to as "stealing" the session cookie even though the malware may not necessarily preclude other applications (e.g., the browser that initiated the session) from continuing to use the cookie. By utilizing a stolen session cookie, malware can in some cases bypass the account authentication process required at the account login phases and gain access to the functionality of a user's online account. For instance, the malware may lay dormant until after a user has logged in to their online account and the user's computer system has been issued a session cookie. Accordingly, even in cases where it does not have knowledge of the account authentication information (e.g., a username and password), the malware may use the cookie to perform fraudulent transactions, such as performing a fund transfer to a fraudulent bank account or performing fraudulent purchases.


A dual conductor wristband utilizing a two-wire tether having a modified phono-type plug. The wristband includes a strap and a connector case, the case having a female jack for receiving the dual connector plug. The plug diameter is smaller than conventional plugs, and the diameter of the pilot hole for the plug tip is correspondingly smaller to prevent accidental connection to a non-grounding tether. Two alternative embodiments are presented for coupling the dual connector plug to two electrically isolated backplates on the connector case. Each backplate is connected to one of the two conductive pathways on the strap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for preventing electrostatic discharge, and more particularly to a wristband having two separate conductive paths therein, the wristband and conductive paths being connected to a conductive grounding tether having two wires.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrostatic discharge, as well as the mere presence of a static electric field, can be extremely detrimental to sensitive electronic parts. This is particularly true of modern semiconductors and integrated circuits which may be degraded or destroyed by the buildup of static electricity in the workplace. Especially sensitive components can be severely affected by an electrical potential as small as 50 volts, yet the simple act of walking has been known to triboelectrically generate a potential of 30,000 volts or more.
The most common tool heretofore used in the battle against electrostatic discharge is a conductive tether which is designed to drain away excess electrostatic charge. One of the earliest grounding tethers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,015,754 issued to W. Legge, which illustrates a grounding strap for a human leg, with a tether connecting the strap to a conductive tread to be attached to the bottom of a shoe. Later devices incorporated a wrist strap, and several variations of the wrist strap and/or grounding tether are disclosed in numerous patents.
The subject invention relates to a wrist strap having two separate conductive pathways and, accordingly, the closest prior art is probably U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,825. Such a dual conductor wristband is useful in conjunction with systems which monitor the resistance of the grounding tether, for example, the system shown in FIG. 11 of Breidegam. In order to interface a dual conductor wristband with such a monitor, however, a two-wire tether is also necessary. In fact, the subject invention deals not so much with the wristband itself, but rather with the connection means between the dual conductor wristband and the two-wire tether.
Examples of two-wire tethers appear in several patents, viz., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,605,984 (Fiedler), 4,638,399 (Maroney et al.), 4,639,825 (Breidegam), and 4,720,764 (Lucas). Unfortunately, each of the two-wire tethers disclosed in these patents suffers from serious drawbacks. For example, the tether disclosed in Fiedler is shorted at the distal end which is totally unacceptable for use with the type of monitor described in Breidegam. Maroney et al. depicts the use of a shielded cable whose conductors are similarly shunted at the distal end and hence likewise worthless for use with the present invention. The tether of Breidegam is essentially two separate tethers joined along the length of the wires with two snap connectors at the proximate end for connection to the wristband. The provision of two separate connectors, however, creates a problem for the wearer in that movements of the wrist, arm and hand may cause the two lines emanating from the snap connectors to become tangled up, possibly even causing one connector to become disconnected. Conversely, rotational interference between the two connectors may inhibit the dexterity of the wearer, which affects performance on the assembly line. Finally, the wires in the Lucas tether are shorted together at both ends, which is clearly unacceptable. It would, therefore, be desirable and advantageous to devise means for connecting a two-wire tether to a dual conductor wristband which would overcome the above-noted problems.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a dual conductor wristband for drainage of excess electrostatic charge.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a wristband having a single female jack for connection to a two-wire grounding tether.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a two-wire grounding tether which cooperates with the movements of the individual wearing the wristband.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a wristband which prevents accidental connection to a source of electrical potential.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


Exemplary metadata subscription methods and systems are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes a metadata subscription system receiving data representative of a subscription by a user to one or more metadata values, identifying at least one media content instance that has the one or more metadata values, and providing the user with access to the identified at least one media content instance. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Advances in electronic communications technologies have interconnected people and allowed for distribution of information perhaps better than ever before. To illustrate, personal computers, handheld devices, mobile phones, set-top box devices, and other electronic devices are increasingly being used to access, store, download, share, and/or otherwise process various types of media content (e.g., video, audio, photographs, and/or multimedia).
Users of such access devices often access media content by subscribing to media content services provided by service providers. A limitation associated with typical subscription services, however, is that they may be limited to individual media content files or predetermined packages of "channels" offered by content providers. As a result, service providers do not have the flexibility to tailor a media content subscription in accordance with the specific interests and desires of a user. The subscription may be further limited by a content provider's corresponding programming schedule.

Metadata subscription systems and methods


A multilayer structure having at least two different print materials pattern is formed on a receiver element using an elastomeric relief element having a relief pattern. Multiple different printable material compositions are sequentially applied only to the uppermost relief surface of the elastomeric relief element and at least at least 50 weight % of a carrier liquid is removed from each printable material composition. During contact of the multilayer structure on the uppermost relief surface and the receiver element, the elastomeric relief element is compressed by at least 10 μm of its original thickness. The elastomeric relief element is then separated from the receiver element to leave a pattern of the multilayer structure on the receiver element, wherein at least 70 weight % of the multiple print materials is transferred to the receiver element.

Relief images can be provided and used in various articles for many different purposes. For example, the electronics, display, and energy industries rely on the formation of coatings and patterns of conductive materials to form circuits on organic and inorganic substrates. Such coatings and patterns are often provided using relief imaging methods and relief image forming elements. There is also need for means to provide fine wiring in various articles.
Microelectronic devices have been prepared by photolithographic processes to form necessary patterns. Photolithography, however, is a complex, multi-step process that is too costly for the printing of electronic devices on plastic substances.
Contact printing is a flexible, non-lithographic method for forming patterned materials. Contact printing potentially provides a significant advance over conventional photolithographic techniques since contact printing can form relatively high resolution patterns for electronic parts assembly. Microcontact printing can be characterized as a high resolution technique that enables patterns of micrometer dimensions to be imparted onto a substrate surface. Contact printing is a possible replacement to photolithography in the fabrication of microelectronic devices, such as radio frequency tags (RFID), sensors, and memory and back panel displays. The capability of microcontact printing to transfer a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) forming molecular species to a substrate has also found application in patterned electroless deposition of metals. SAM printing is capable of creating high resolution patterns, but is generally limited to forming metal patterns of gold or silver for example using thiol chemistry. Although there are variations, in SAM printing a positive relief pattern provided on an element having a relief image is inked onto a substrate.
Flexography is a one method of printing or pattern formation that is commonly used for high-volume printing runs. It is usually employed for printing on a variety of soft or easily deformed materials including but not limited to, paper, paperboard stock, corrugated board, polymeric films, fabrics, metal foils, glass, glass-coated materials, flexible glass materials, and laminates of multiple materials. Coarse surfaces and stretchable polymeric films are economically printed using flexography.
Flexographic printing members are sometimes known as "relief" printing members (for example, relief-containing printing plates, printing sleeves, or printing cylinders) and are provided with raised relief images onto which ink is applied for application to a printable material. While the raised relief images are inked, the relief "floor" should remain free of ink. These flexographic printing precursors are generally supplied with one or more imageable layers that can be disposed over a backing layer or substrate. Flexographic printing also can be carried out using a flexographic printing cylinder or seamless sleeve having the desired relief image.
A method for printing with a conductive ink using a relief printing plate at high print speed is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/0003734 (Shively et al.).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,026,012 (Chen et al.) describes a method for transferring catalytic particles from a stamp to a substrate followed by plating the catalytic particles.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0233280 (Blanchet et al.) describes the use of an elastomeric stamp having a relief structure with a raised surface that is treated with heat or by other means to enhance its wettability, and then application and transfer of a functional material to form a pattern on a substrate.
While there are numerous methods described in the art to form patterns using relief images, there remains a need to find a way to consistently provide patterns with high resolution lines (for example, 10 μm or less) and feature uniformity using various printable material compositions (or what are sometimes known as "inks"). The industry has been pursuing these goals for many years with limited success and continued research is being done to achieve these goals using a wide variety of print materials. A number of problems must been addressed to achieve the desired high resolution lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,683 (Laksin et al.) describes a method for applying sequential the same flexographic printing ink by controlling the time between ink layer applications such that sufficient diluents evaporates from each applied layer to increase the viscosity of the first applied layer. A similar method is also described in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0289459 (Laksin et al.) in which sequentially applied ink layers are partially cured.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,026,012 (Chen et al.) describes multiple depositing the same composition of catalytic particles on a selected area of a stamp for eventual application to a substrate.
Transfer of silver-containing conductive "inks" using the noted flexographic printing processes relies upon a good release of the conductive ink from the elastomeric relief element in contact with a receiver element, good affinity of the conductive ink for the receiver element, and the compositional cohesiveness of the conductive ink. There are continued efforts to solve these problems and especially to improve the internal cohesiveness as well as the conductivity of the conductive materials in the transferred ink.
There are numerous structures that can, in theory, be printed. One difficulty with printing multilayer structures, especially to achieve fine features (such as fine lines), is accurate alignment of repeated printing steps. When printing metallic lines, there is also a problem that many conductive inks are highly reflective, and this reflectivity can be a concern in multilayer structures for certain uses, such as transparent conductive elements.
The present invention is one effort to address one or more of these problems and to provide an improved method for printing a conductive relief image particularly using electrically conductive compositions.

Forming printed patterns of multiple print materials


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a basketball backboard. The basketball backboard includes a display screen, a plurality of sensors configured to generate sensor data regarding a shot attempt of a user, imaging devices configured to generate image data of the shot attempt, a speaker, and a control unit. The control unit can receive (i) the sensor data from the plurality of sensors and (ii) the image data from the imaging devices. Based on the received sensor data, the control unit can determine whether the shot attempt was successful. Based on the received image data and whether the shot attempt was successful, the control unit can generate analytics that indicate characteristics of the user and the shot attempt and recommendations for improving the shot attempt for subsequent shot attempts. The control unit can provide output data representing the analytics.

The game of basketball is a sport that can include two teams, opposing one another on a basketball court. The two teams can compete against one another with an objective of shooting a basketball through a defender's basketball hoop while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own basketball hoop. Players with varying skill level can play basketball, and often, practice basketball skills to improve their chances of success during a game of basketball against opponents. Moreover, players may hire coaches, trainers, or others to assist with training their basketball skillset over time.


A hydraulically powered rotary actuator is described including: a hydraulic linear actuator which is moveable in both directions between a retracted position and an extended position; a clutch device which is operable between an engaged condition and a disengaged condition; and a rotary output member; wherein the linear actuator is coupled to the rotary output member by way of the clutch.

Adjustment mechanisms for sealing arrangements and side liners in centrifugal pumps in the past have mainly been directed to providing a manual means of adjustment (manual wrenches, hydraulic wrenches, impact wrenches, etc.).
The use of high reduction ratio gearboxes for automated adjustment has been attempted, but it was found that the large size requirement needed for such gearboxes, in order to provide adequate torque in large centrifugal pumps, made them unwieldy and impractical for this purpose.


The application provides a method and system for automatically recommending television program to a user. The application provides a method and system for recommending related television programs while viewing video on internet based, using context of the said video. Further, the application provides a method and system for extracting electronic program guide information for all the channels available on the television and correlating them for recommending related television programs.

Recent times have witnessed tremendous growth in internet and broadcasting arena. Television, being a conventional medium of audio visual broadcasting, has been widely accepted as an ample source of entertainment for the viewers. In similar line, internet technologies have been successfully fulfilling the growing demand of information dissemination along with the entertainment of an individual. Increasing network of internet has converted a significant percentage of television viewership into internet beneficiary as well.
A viewer in general uses television and internet separately for satisfying respective needs. Since, there is no such technological intersection where both the internet and television can be utilized in complementary manner for enhanced viewer experience. In particular, it is extremely difficult to find out television programs having significant relevancy with videos on internet. Hence it becomes inevitable to formulate a method which shall help the viewers to consume the confluence of internet and television.
In the current scenario, lots of efforts have been made to develop various approaches to address the problem of non-confluence of internet and television. Most of the generic approaches do not associate television programs directly with videos on internet, in particular. Thereby it reduces the seamless integration of internet and television. Most of the current research work concentrates on extracting context from broadcast programs first and accordingly fetching data from the internet. Prior arts also describe about a simple keyword based search approach to find out videos related to television program, wherein the program title and REST APIs are used. The reverse process of searching relevant television programs using videos is not trivial. However, such a searching approach has not been attempted, which requires correlation of keywords related to video and electronic program guide data and that may also utilize other online resources. Thus it becomes extremely necessary to provide a solution to associate television programs with videos on the internet, allowing the recommendation of television channels and programs to the viewer, while watching video on internet.
In order to recommend related television programs to a user while the user is viewing video on internet, a method and system is required which could utilize the video context and electronic programme guide to suggest the closely related television programs.
However, the existing methods and systems are not capable of providing a solution that utilizes the context of video on internet, using the metadata of such videos and electronic programme guide to suggest closely related television programs, while viewing video on the internet. Some of the known methods described by relevant prior art are as follows:
US2011066674A to Piepenbrink et al. teaches a method and system for recommending multimedia content which includes collecting consumption information of a plurality of consumers. The patent application does not teach about recommending television programs utilizing the internet video context by using the metadata of internet videos and electronic programme guide
US2008163307A to Coburn et al. teaches a system for accessing entertainment options including a graphic user interface generator that generates program listing display data that includes a listing of programs available for downloading to a user on an associated display device. The patent application does not teach about recommending television programs utilizing the internet video context by using the metadata of internet videos and electronic programme guide
US2007250863A to Ferguson teaches a method and system for the control, aggregation, and management of television programming and Internet content. The patent application does not teach about recommending television programs utilizing the internet video context by using the metadata of internet videos and electronic programme guide
US2006212906A to Cantalini teaches a system and method for receiving, navigating, selecting and viewing data on handheld wireless communication devices and/or internet browsers. The patent application does not teach about recommending television programs utilizing the internet video context by using the metadata of internet videos and electronic programme guide
US2006020973A to Hannum et al. teaches a novel electronic program guide (EPG) based method and system that provides viewer/user groups with an improved program recommendation feature for predicting programs that are likely to be of interest. The patent application does not teach about recommending television programs utilizing the internet video context by using the metadata of internet videos and electronic programme guide
US2003208755A to Zimmerman teaches a method and system for providing conversational recommendations while viewing television programs. The patent application does not teach about recommending television programs utilizing the internet video context by using the metadata of internet videos and electronic programme guide
Hessey et al. in "How can recommendations be presented to TV viewers?" teaches about testing the presentation of recommended items to viewers in a variety of ways to establish best and worst features, and to inform user interface design decisions of future IPTV recommendations services.
Cesar et al. in "Usages of the Secondary Screen in an Interactive Television Environment: Control, Enrich, Share, and Transfer Television Content" teaches about a number of techniques and services around a unifying concept, the secondary screen.
Jaaskelainen in "Strategic Questions in the Development of Interactive Television Programs" teaches about identifying strategy for developing interactive television programs.
Nathan et al. in "CollaboraTV: making television viewing social again" teach about a system called CollaboraTV which supports the communal viewing experience through a month-long field study.
Cesar in "Social Sharing of Television Content: An Architecture" teaches about an architecture that enhances this social link by supporting micro-personal recommendation messages of television content.
Hyoseop et al. in "Personalized digital TV content recommendation with integration of user behavior profiling and multimodal content rating" teaches about an embedded system that aims at digital TV content recommendation based on descriptive metadata collected from versatile sources.
Chang et al. in "Devising Video Distribution Strategies via the Internet: Focusing on Economic Properties of Video Products" teach about linking economic properties of video products to strategies that can be used by Internet-based video distributors.
Klippgen et al. in "The Use of Metadata for the Rendering of Personalized Video Delivery" teach about investigating techniques for personalizing information delivery based on metadata associated with diverse information units including video.
The above mentioned prior arts fail to disclose an efficient method and system for recommending related television programs while viewing video on internet using context of said video. The prior arts also fail to disclose about a method and system which could utilize the video context by using the metadata of video and electronic programme guide for facilitating seamless integration of internet and television.
Thus, in the light of the above mentioned background art, it is evident that, there is a long felt need for such a solution that can provide an effective method and system for recommending related television programs while viewing video on internet using context of said video. There is also a need for such a solution which could utilize the video context by using the metadata of video on internet and electronic programme guide to suggest the closely related television programs, while viewing video on internet.

Method and system for television program recommendation


A method of searching for and downloading a mobile telephone file is disclosed, and in the method, a server in a domain where a mobile terminal is located receives a keyword in a searching request, searches for resources in the mobile communication network, and returns a list of resources searched out to the mobile terminal; the mobile terminal receives data resource information selected by a user according to the list of the resources the mobile terminal sends a request for downloading resources to the server in the domain, and the server sends the resources to the mobile terminal. An apparatus of searching for and downloading a mobile telephone file is provided also, which includes a storage module, a receiving module, a sending module, a query module, and can also include a data base, a communication interface and a statistic module. A system of searching for and downloading a mobile telephone file is provided.

With the progress in mobile communication technologies and the rapid development of mobile data services, increasing service demands are based on a mobile UE. In terms of resource utilization, in addition to downloading files from a wireless network, a user prefers sharing file resources on other online mobile UE and being able to initiatively acquire and download the desired files by searching.
Presently, a mobile UE user may transmit resources in an end-to-end manner. That is, a sender and a receiver of the resources are known to each other and negotiate the transmission of the resources. Furthermore, a party requesting for resources receives the resources from the sender in a passive manner. Currently, various software may be used for providing a free resource sharing mechanism for static PC terminals, and resources may be searched for on line and downloaded transparently among users of online PC terminals, which facilitates providing the sharing of large resources such as video resources. The online resource searching by a mobile UE user is typically used for the downloading of small resources such as ring tones and pictures from the network, and the mobile UE user is not able to implement the searching and downloading of free resources of online mobile UE users similar to that implemented for the static PC terminals. That is, the mobile UE user is not able to share free resources on other online mobile UEs. Upon a demand for downloading resources, the mobile UE user is not able to initiatively search for resources on line and acquire the resources from multiple resource providers rapidly and effectively.

Method, apparatus and system of searching and downloading mobile telephone file


A heparinase derived from Flavobacterium heparinum which meets all requirements for a clinical reagent that can eliminate heparin interference of normal blood function has been developed. The heparinase, derived from Flavobacterium heparinum, is free of a component that inhibits coagulation wherein the anticoagulant component does not bind, and the heparinase does bind, to a polysulfated resin having a pH of 7.0 and a conductivity between 3 and 12 mmhos. It is stable under normal manufacturing, shipping and clinical storage conditions for at least one year. The heparinase in useful in vitro to eliminate the interference in hematological assays due to the presence of heparin. The heparinase is also useful for the in vivo neutralization of heparin during surgical procedures. Advantages of this enzyme are that it achieves neutralization faster and more completely than previously available enzymes and is stable for long periods of time.

This invention relates to a method for treating mammalian blood and plasma with a commercially viable bacterial heparinase preparation to eliminate the interference of normal blood function resulting from the presence of heparin.
Heparin is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan with a backbone comprised of alternating hexuronic, either L-iduronic or D-glucuronic and D-glycocyamine residues joined in alternating 1,4 linkages. The heterologous nature of heparin is due to the varying degree and location of sulfate substitution on these residues giving rise to at least ten different monosaccharide building blocks within the polymer, as reported by Lindahl, et al., Biosynthesis of heparin TIBS 11(5):221-225 (1986). The heterogeneity and high degree of sulfate substitution, greater than 2.6 sulfates per disaccharide unit, gives heparin a high protein binding capacity resulting in the inhibition or activation of several enzyme systems (Sakamoto and Sakamoto, "Heparin and bone metabolism: Effects of heparin on bone collagenase release and activity and an application of heparin-sepharose affinity chromatography for in vitro study of bone resorption" in Chemistry and Biology of Heparin (Elsevier/North Holland Press, Amsterdam 1981)). Protein-heparin associations are most frequently due to electrostatic interactions although associations due to tertiary and secondary structure interactions corresponding with specific oligosaccharide sequence regions have also been observed. The most thoroughly studied sequence specific interaction is the stabilization of the antithrombin 3 (AT III)--thrombin complex which results in the inhibition of coagulation, as discussed by Rosenberg and Damus, J. Biol. Chem. 248:6490-6505 (1973).
Heparin is widely used as an anticoagulant in conjunction with invasive surgical procedures and dialysis procedures, to prevent clotting in intravenous lines and in the treatment of thrombolytic disorders. 5-10% of all hospitalized patients have heparin in their blood. Recently, low molecular weight heparins, chemical derivatives of native heparin, have been investigated as potential anticoagulants where the primary mechanism of action is the inhibition of factor Xa, as reported by Choay, et al., Thrombosis Res. 11:240 (1980).
Patients receiving heparin therapy or who have been exposed to heparin through intravenous lines are frequently tested by a variety of means for the assessment of their hematological status or to monitor heparin therapy, itself. For example, activated clotting time assays are performed at 20 minute intervals during extracorporeal procedures to ensure adequate heparinization and the prevention of contact activated clotting. Heparin interferes with several routine hematological analyses. The presence of heparin in the bloodstream will prevent the identification of coagulopathies by standard coagulation assays which rely on clotting as the endpoint. These include activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, factor compliment assays and activated clotting time. Heparin's electrostatic interactions with essential components of other tests, such as the polylysine substrate in the fibrinolysis assay, causes similar interference problems.
Several approaches have been attempted to circumvent the heparin interference problem. Ion exchange resins have been used to adsorb heparin from the sample prior to testing, as described by Cumming, et al., Thrombosis Res, 41:43-56 (1986). This method is non-specific, removing coagulation factors and other blood proteins in addition to heparin, thereby influencing the test result. The technique is also time consuming and cannot be readily used as a STAT test during surgery where rapid data acquisition is necessary.
Protamine sulfate has been used to neutralize heparin by electrostatic interaction and precipitation, as also reported by Cumming, etal., (1986). The protamine-heparin reaction is stoichiometric and requires an accurate titration to prevent adverse effects resulting from incomplete neutralization or from protamine sulfate's own anticoagulant properties. This method is cumbersome, prone to error and requires large sample volumes for accurate titration measurements. Protamine sulfate is not able to neutralize the anticoagulant effect of low molecular weight heparins.
Another approach is to supplement inhibited thrombin with additional thrombin or a substitute enzyme, such as reptilase, capable of catalyzing a similar reaction, as described by Funk, et al., Brit. J. Haematol. 21:43-52 (1971). This method may be successful for assays intended to monitor events subsequent to fibrin formation but is unsuitable for detecting coagulopathies in the coagulation pathway prior to the thrombin catalyzed reaction. Furthermore, heparin's effects on other components such as platelets, cannot be circumvented by these replacement enzymes.
The most desirable resolution to the heparin interference problem would be a method that could expeditiously and specifically remove heparin from blood samples immediately before the onset of the test. The additive used to accomplish this must function over a broad range of conditions. Heparin should be neutralized, nearly instantaneously, while the reagent, itself, should not impart any effects on blood components over a lengthy exposure period. A reagent demonstrating these characteristics could be used in conjunction with ACT assays which are performed immediately after sample procurement and on samples examined in the hematology laboratory which are liable to sit on the bench for up to one hour before processing. The reagent must function over a broad temperature range, 2.degree. to 37.degree. C., to accomodate samples including: those stored on ice in the hematology laboratory, samples taken from patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery whose blood temperature is maintained at 30.degree. C. and samples from patients undergoing procedures such as dialysis which are carried out at normal body temperatures, 37.degree. C. The heparin neutralizing reagent should also be concentration independent such that a single does of the reagent will effectively neutralize a broad range of heparin concentrations exceeding clinically used quantities (up to 0.3 IU/ml for thrombolytic therapy, up to 1.5 IU/ml for dialysis therapy, and up to 6 IU/ml for cardiovascular surgery). Furthermore, the treated samples containing heparin should give a result identical to untreated samples that have not been exposed to heparin. A candidate reagent would be a degradative glucanase enzyme specific for heparin which had no other effect on the sample as measured by the intended test.
Hurt and Kingdon, J. Lab. Clin. Med. 79:1027 (1972), attempted to use a heparinase from Flavobacterium heparinum to treat plasma samples prior to performing PTT analysis. The authors noted the requirement for purifying the heparinase from crude extracts of F. heparinum to reduce an interference effect from the bacterial source. However, their data indicated their inability to completely remove the interfering moiety. A protein preparation containing 0,008 IU heparinase was insufficient in neutralizing 0.1 IU/ml heparin while a preparation containing 0.04 IU heparinase caused an extended PTT time. The success of this preparation relies on an accurate titration of the enzyme and would be limited in the amount of heparin that could be neutralized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,703 to Folkman, et al, describes using heparinase from F. heparinum to develop a method for making quantitative heparin determinations in whole human blood samples using an activated clotting time assay. They were similarly unable to completely remove an interfering moiety from their enzyme preparations. Heparinase treated samples originally containing heparin demonstrated ACT times 16% longer than untreated samples that had not been exposed to heparin. This effect was not detrimental to their process as quantitative heparin determinations relied on comparing test results to a standard curve which presumably took into account the influence of the enzyme preparation on the test result.
Neither group identified the F. heparinum moiety responsible for influencing the test results nor demonstrated its resolution from the active F. heparinum component responsible for heparin neutralization. The authors of these papers could not differentiate whether their preparations contained an additional molecule from F. heparinum that acted as an anticoagulant or whether heparinase, itself, has anticoagulant properties when used in excess or in combination with heparin. The recent characterization of myxalin, a glycoprotein from a Gram negative bacterial source, demonstrates that it possesses anticoagulant properties associated with its carbohydrate moiety, as reported by Akoum, et al., Thrombosis Res. 60:9-18 (1990). Evidence strongly indicates that heparinase is also a glycoprotein, thereby substantiating its potential to have similar characteristics.
Bohmer, et al., Thrombosis Res. 60: 331-335 (1990) have used heparinase III from an undetermined, unavailable bacterial source to neutralize heparin prior to aPTT and PT assays and examined its potential to neutralize heparin's inhibition of thrombin mediated fibrinogen degradation. Incubations of the enzyme with citrated plasma at 37.degree. C. for five minutes and with whole blood at 37.degree. C. for 15 minutes were used to achieve the desired heparin neutralization. The optimal activity profile of heparinase III, pH 7.6, [NaCl]=0.03 and T=45.degree. C. (16), may have necessitated the inclusion of an incubation period in the reported protocol.
Neither of these three groups presented evidence for the stability of their heparinase formulation, an essential component of a clinical product.
One of heparin's primary therapeutic uses is to prevent coagulation during cardiovascular surgery while the patient's blood is circulating through an extracorporeal circuit. Approximately ten times the normal thrombolytic dose of heparin is used in this application, requiring post-operative neutralization by the administration of protamine. Since protamine reversal is associated with several complications and requires titration, an alternative approach to the heparin/protamine control of hemostasis is desirable. One method may be to replace protamine reversal with heparinase, directly injected into the patient after bypass.
Langer and co-workers investigated the in vivo effects of heparinase in animal models, as reported by Klein, et al., J. Lab. Clin. Med. 102:828-837 (1982) and Langer, et al., Trans. Am. Soc. Artific. Intern. Organs 28:387-390 (1982). Heparinase with a specific activity of 0.58 IU/mg was injected into rabbits that had received heparin and aPTT assays were used to measure coagulation over time. An accelerated heparin clearance was noted as compared to rabbits which did not receive heparinase. However, coagulation times were still three times baseline, 15 minutes after the heparinase injection and returned to baseline only 1 h later, the same period of time for the control animal which did not receive a heparinase injection. Langer was able to achieve better reversal by pumping blood through an immobilized heparinase reactor. Following this result, the Langer group abandoned the idea of direct heparinase injection and focused on developing the extracorporeal use of heparinase to replace protamine.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a heparinase preparation which can be used to quickly and completely neutralize heparin in a wide range of concentrations, both in vitro and in vivo.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heparinase preparation which is free of any contaminants altering coagulation times.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a heparinase preparation which is stable for an extended period of time at room temperature.

Heparinase free of an anticoagulant component from flavobacterium Heparinum


A scan chain may be formed throughout an integrated circuit in which the scan chain is coupled to a set of pins via bi-directional input/output (I/O) buffers. A state machine may be provided to control the scan chain. Decoding logic may monitor states and transitions between states and generate pseudo static control signals in response to certain states and transition sequences in order to free up test pins for use as additional scan data I/O pins using a single JTAG IR. A test pattern may be received from an external tester using the set of I/O pins and buffers operating in parallel. The test pattern may then be provided to combinatorial logic circuitry coupled to the scan chain. A response pattern may be captured in the scan chain. The response pattern may then be provided to the external tester using the same set of I/O pins and buffers operating in parallel.

Scan architectures are commonly used to test digital circuitry in integrated circuits (IC). Typical scan architectures scan in a test pattern, perform an operation with the test pattern and capture the results, then scan out the results while scanning in the next test pattern in an overlapped fashion. In other configurations, scanning may be non-overlapped and share bi-directional data pins.
Testing and debugging of a new application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or of a new or modified application program running on an ASIC requires insight into the internal workings of busses and program execution. The IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG) standard has proven to be a very robust solution to a variety of test and debug systems, enabling a rich ecosystem of compliant products to evolve across virtually the entire electronics industry; however, increasing chip integration and rising focus on power management has created new challenges that were not considered when the standard was originally developed. The Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Test and Debug Working group has selected a new test and debug interface, called P1149.7, which builds upon the IEEE1149.1 standard. P1149.7 enables critical advancements in test and debug functionality while maintaining compatibility with IEEE 1149.1.
Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

Generating multiple pseudo static control signals using on-chip JTAG state machine


A controlling apparatus is provided to control an electric elevator in a more efficient manner. The controlling apparatus includes a motor controller for controlling the rotation of a driving motor of the elevator; a position detector for determining the current position of a cab and for generating a cab position signal; a load detector for determining the weight load of the cab and for generating a first weight load signal; cab calling means for generating a cab calling signal in response to the selection made on the cab calling means by a person or perople waiting to take the cab to arrive at a floor which they intend to go; cab status indicating means for indicating the current position, running direction and weight load of the cab; and system controlling means, coupled to the motor controller, the position detector, the load detector, the cab calling means and the cab status indicating means, for receiving the cab position signal from the position detector, the first weight load signal from the load detector, and the cab calling signal from the cab calling weight load generating one of a plurality of second weight load signals in accordance with the first weight load signal, for actuating the cab status indicating means to display the current position, running direction and weight load of the cab in accordance with the cab position signal and the one second weight load signal, and for enabling the motor controller to actuate the driving motor of the electric elevator in accordance with the cab calling signal.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for controlling a conveyor, and in particular to an apparatus for controlling an electirc elevator.
Electic elevators are generally mounted in buildings for the purpose of transferring people and/or goods from one floor of the building to another. A known type of electirc elevator has a cab for loading people and/or goods and a door provided on each of the floors of the building through which people get in or out of the cab. A displaying panel is usually provided above or beside the door to indicate the number of a floor on which the cab is at the current time and the direction in which the cab is running. The displaying panel of an electric elevator of a conventional type, however, cannot show the current weight load in the cab of the electric elevator. In most cases, people waiting to take the elevator cannot know whether or not the cab of the elevator which they are waiting for has reached its maximum load capacity until the cab arrives at the floor on which they are waiting. If the cab has reached its maximum load capacity, they must then decide another alternative, namely waiting for the next arrival of the cab, waiting for a different cab (if such alternative exists), or reaching the floor they intend to go by taking the stairs. A conventional elevator, designed and arranged to permit a full loaded cab to stop at a floor, to open and close its door although no one get in or out of the cab, is relatively inefficient and time consuming both for its passengers and for the people waiting to take the elevator. Additionally, an elevator operating in such a manner will also consume more electric power.

Apparatus for controlling an electric elevator


A method for simulating water-hammer waves in a borehole is used to estimate formation parameters such as porosity and permeability, and to design completion strings. The simulation method uses a model that has a plurality of layers, at least one of the layers includes radial layering. Determined formation properties from analysis of the waterhammer are used in development operations.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to methods for analyzing the effects of borehole, formation, fluid, and completion properties on the propagation of waves generated by water hammer. In another aspect, the present invention relates to methods and devices for mitigating the effect of water hammer in borehole completion equipment and in injectors. The invention can also be used to determine the properties and the changes in properties of completion and formation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water hammer (or, more generally, fluid hammer) is a pressure surge or wave generated by the kinetic energy of a fluid in motion when it is forced to stop or change direction suddenly. For example, if a valve is closed suddenly at an end of a pipeline system a water hammer wave propagates in the pipe. In a production well or in a well being drilled, a water hammer may be produced if a blowout preventer (BOP) is activated in response to a detected influx of gas or fluid into a borehole. A water hammer may also be generated during a standard shut-in of a well. See, for example, SPE 00064297. The transient pressure associated with a water hammer may cause borehole failure and/or failure of sensitive electronic, electrical and electromechanical equipment in a well. For the purposes of the present invention, we refer to a "borehole system" as including the borehole and all devices attached to the borehole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,504 to Holzhausen et al. discloses a method of determining formation properties such as permeability by setting up pressure oscillations in a borehole. The analysis is based on modeling of the earth as a homogenous medium (with possible fractures therein) surrounding a fluid filled borehole. The methodology is of little use in a real production borehole which may include production tubing, casings of different sizes, cement, perforations, packers and sand-packing. The present invention is directed towards analysis of real production boreholes that may have both radial and vertical variations.

Methods and devices for analyzing and controlling the propagation of waves in a borehole generated by water hammer


A suitable electrical system for a motor vehicle is provided, which system requires a voltage supply during a possible towing-away operation. A voltage-supply control device recognizes the provision of an external voltage supply, in particular by way of a towing vehicle for the motor vehicle, and controls the voltage supply in the motor vehicle in such a manner that only one or more subsystems of the entire electrical system of the motor vehicle are supplied with voltage.

The present invention relates to an electrical system of a motor vehicle.
Usually, only a tow bar or a tow rope is required for towing a vehicle. Likewise, an electrical connection between two vehicles in the form of a jumper cable is known, which serves to render a towing-away operation unnecessary. When a vehicle pulls a trailer, an electrical connection is also provided temporarily, in addition to a mechanical connection, for the voltage supply and control of a lighting system and direction indicator light mounted on the rear end of the trailer when the latter is being pulled.
It is the object of the invention to provide a suitable electrical system for a motor vehicle, which system requires a voltage supply during a possible towing operation.
According to the invention, an electrical system of a motor vehicle is provided, wherein a voltage-supply control device recognizes the provision of an external voltage supply, in particular by way of a towing vehicle for the motor vehicle, and controls the voltage supply in the motor vehicle such that only one or more subsystems of the entire electrical system of the motor vehicle (a subset of the subsystems) are supplied with voltage. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein.
An aspect of the invention involves supplementing the electrical system known from the prior art with a voltage-supply control device. The voltage supply control device recognizes the provision of an external voltage supply, in particular by way of a towing vehicle for the motor vehicle to be towed, and controls the voltage supply in the motor vehicle such that only one or more subsystems of the entire electrical system of the motor vehicle are supplied with voltage.
In this way, those components of the vehicle to be towed, the operation of which is necessary or meaningful during the towing-away operation of the vehicle, can be selectively supplied with voltage. The selective provision of an external voltage supply, instead of a mere electrical coupling of the electrical system of the towing vehicle with that of the vehicle to be towed, further reduces the risk of feeding electrical power into damaged vehicle components. This reduces the risk of short circuits and thus vehicle fires. Furthermore, the voltage supply of the towing vehicle is used only to the extent actually necessary for towing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Electrical system of a vehicle, provided for the towing away of the same

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


Provided is an image generation system and method, more particularly, an image generation system and method which can generate a high dynamic range image from a plurality of images acquired in a single short exposure. The image generation system To includes an image generation system having an image acquisition unit to acquire an image, an image generation unit to generate, from the acquired image, a plurality of images with different resolution and brightness, and an image synthesis unit to synthesize the generated images.

1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an image generation system, method and medium, and more particularly, to an image generation system, method and medium which can acquire a plurality of images with different luminance in a single photographing operation and generate a high dynamic range image from the acquired images.
2. Description of the Related Art
When image photographing apparatuses, such as digital cameras and camcorders, photograph a subject against background light, they generate images having different exposures in order to enhance image sensitivity. Then, the image photographing apparatuses synthesize the generated images and provide the synthesized image to a user.
Specifically, when an identical subject is photographed using different exposure times, the shorter the exposure time, the higher the contrast of the image and thus the clearer the edges of the image. In addition, the longer the exposure time, the clearer the color of the image. Therefore, if an image acquired using a long exposure time and an image acquired using a short exposure time are synthesized, a high dynamic range image can be obtained.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional image photographing apparatus generates a first image 11 acquired using a short exposure time, and a second image 12 acquired using a longer exposure time relative to the first image 11, synthesizes the first and second images 11 and 12, and generates a high dynamic range image 13.
In order to acquire images with different luminance through multiple exposures, a user has to maintain the same posture for a predetermined period of time, which is usually inconvenient to the user. Furthermore, if the user's hands tremble or shake while maintaining the same posture, image blurring occurs. Alternatively, even if the user can maintain the same posture for the predetermined period of time, if the position of a subject is changed while the user is taking photographs of the subject, the images acquired through the photographing operation are not identical. Consequently, it is difficult to generate a normal image.
A method of changing structures, such as modifying an array of color filters or varying sensitivity of the color filters, has been used so as to eliminate the inconvenience of users having to the maintain the same posture for a predetermined period of time. However, the method requires additional processing, such as demosaicing of the color filters and white balancing.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006-0066750 discloses an image sensor which can generate a wide dynamic range image by exposing odd-numbered columns of pixels in a pixel array for a short period of time, exposing even-numbered columns of pixels in the pixel array for a longer period of time than the odd-numbered columns of pixels, combining the odd-numbered columns of pixels and the even-numbered columns of pixels into respective pairs, and outputting the respective pairs of the odd-numbered columns of pixels and the even-numbered columns of pixels. However, the conventional art fails to suggest a method of eliminating the inconvenience to users of having to maintain the same posture for a long exposure time, or a technique for preventing image blurring due to the trembling hands of the users.
In this regard, a method of generating a high dynamic range image using images acquired in a single short exposure is required.

Image generation system, method, and medium, generating plurality of images with different resolution and brightness from single image


Disclosed is one example of a vehicle seat in which a dimension thereof in its width direction can be smaller. The vehicle seat includes: a side frame extending in seat front-rear directions; a belt anchor bracket at least part of which is positioned below the side frame; a belt stay at least part of which is positioned below the side frame; and a coupling bolt that couples the belt anchor bracket and the belt stay to each other at a position below the side frame, the coupling bolt passing through a first member, which is one of the belt anchor bracket and the belt stay, and reaching a second member, which is the other of the belt anchor bracket and the belt stay.

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat.
For example, in a vehicle seat disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-214329, a belt anchor bracket and a belt stay are coupled to each other via a coupling bolt. The belt anchor bracket is a seat belt bracket fixed directly or indirectly to a cushion frame or a vehicle. The belt stay is a member to which a buckle of a seat belt is coupled directly or indirectly.