A method for automated gearbox design includes: instantiating the gearbox model having an initial parameter state in a modeling environment; analyzing and/or characterizing the gearbox model in the modeling environment to determine gearbox model performance; and determining whether the gearbox model performance satisfies a performance target. Upon a determination that the gearbox model performance does not satisfy the performance target: a reward is calculated based on the gearbox model performance; a reinforcement machine learning agent determines a parameter change action based on the reward and a current parameter state of the gearbox model; and an updated parameter state of the gearbox model is determined based on the parameter change action.

A gear reducer is a mechanical device (i.e., a gearbox) that reduces the rotational speed and increases the torque generated by an input power source. Gear reducers are generally used to reduce an input speed to match a desired speed of a down-stream device and/or to provide a higher torque to get more usable work from an input power source. In its simplest form, a gear reducer achieves its intended effect by having an input gear drive an output gear that has more teeth than the input gear, causing the output gear to rotate more slowly.
There are a variety of types of gear reducers, including single-speed, industrial gear reducers, off-set reducers, in-line reducers, worm gear reducer, and planetary gear reducers, among others. In most applications, the gear reducer will be between a prime mover (e.g., an electric motor) and the driven equipment (e.g., the conveyor, feeder, mill, etc.). Gear reducers are used in a variety of industries, including the food processing, mining, and agricultural industries, and come in a broad range of mechanical power ratings (e.g., from less than 0.25 horsepower to more than 2000 horsepower).
The appropriate gear reducer for a particular application may be supplied by selecting an existing gear reducer product that best meets that application's requirements, or by slightly modifying an existing gear reducer to better satisfy such requirements. When no existing gear reducer product exists that can satisfy the application's requirements, a new gear reducer may need to be designed. Indeed, a manufacturer may be tasked with submitting a bid for a new gear reducer design, but a reasonably accurate bid can only be submitted when a final conceptual design of the gear reducer is known.
For the design of a new gear reducer (or product line of gear reducers), a design team is typically tasked with determining the kinematic layout (i.e., arrangement of gears, shafts, bearings, etc.) and sizing of a gear reducer given a set of engineering requirements. The engineering requirements may include torque and power ratings, thermal ratings, and operational speeds, among others. In many cases, there are conflicts among the engineering requirements, and the exact operating conditions of the gear reducer in the field are unknown.
As part of the design process, the design team usually evaluates different kinematic concepts in order to identify the most likely candidate design to meet the engineering requirements. The design candidates may also be ranked in terms of performance versus costs. The goal of the design process is to ensure that a final design concept is reached that best meets the many (often conflicting) engineering requirements, while also being competitive in terms of cost and manufacturability (e.g., requires consideration of part count, part geometries, material usage, machining processes, and assembly and inspection operations).
This design process can be very time consuming, particularly when done using manual steps (as is typical). A significant driver of this time investment is that the design process requires sizing and analysis of individual components within each of the candidate designs. The significant time requirement is also often at odds with a short timeline to generate the conceptual design and submit a bit, which can lead to rushed, sub-par design concepts. Additionally, because the process relies heavily on the experience and skill of the particular designers involved, the design process is susceptible to human error and bias, which may result in a sub-optimal final concept of the gear reducer.

Method and system for automated gear reducer design


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a transmitter circuitry, a receiver circuitry, and a processing circuitry. The transmitter circuitry transmits a first data frame including first data to a destination apparatus. The receiver circuitry receives first acknowledgment information indicative of a reception state of the first data included in the first data frame. The receiver circuitry receives second acknowledgment information indicative of a reception state of the first data included in a second data frame. The second data frame is transmitted from another electronic apparatus to the destination apparatus. The processing circuitry determines whether the first data frame is retransmitted, based on at least one of the first and second acknowledgment information.

Wireless communication apparatuses employing route diversity and site diversity technologies that enhance reliability of wireless communication by transmitting the same data from multiple base stations are known. Wireless communication apparatuses and methods capable of reducing a redundant time for which wireless communication channels are occupied while enhancing the reliability of the wireless communication have been desired.


This invention relates to a method for the production of a halogen-containing phthalocyaline compound by the cyclization of phthalonitrile compounds either singly or in combination with a metal compound, characterized in effecting the cyclization in an organic compound having a hydroxyl group and/or a carboxylic acid in an amount in the range of 0.01-10 mass parts per one mass part of the phthalonitrile compounds while continuing the introduction of an inert gas. This method, by using a solvent capable of serving as a specific oxygen source destined to participate in the reaction of complexing a metal compound introduced into a phthalocyanine dye, permits the production of a phthalocyanine compound inexpensively in a high yield.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel method for the production of a halogen-containing phthalocyanine compound. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for the production of a halogen-containing phthalocyanine compound manifesting the absorption of heat ray and/or the absorption in a near infrared region, excelling in solubility in a solvent, and having excellent light-fastness.
The phthalocyanine compound which is obtained by the method contemplated by this invention excels in a heat ray-absorbing property and, therefore, is useful as a heat ray-absorbing dye. Since the phthalocyanine compound obtained by the method according to this invention absorbs light in a near infrared region having a wavelength in the range of 600-1000 nm, it can manifest excellent effects when it is used as a near infrared absorption dye and a near infrared sensitizer for writing or reading in an optical recording medium using a semiconductor laser, a liquid crystal display device, and an optical character reader, as a photothermal modifier for thermal transfer and a thermal paper, thermal stencil printing, as a near infrared absorption filter as for plasma display panel (PDP), as an asthenopia inhibitor, as a near infrared absorbing material for a photoconductive material, or as a color separation filter for an image pickup tube, as a color filter for liquid crystal display, as a selective absorption filter for a color braun tube, as a color toner, as a toner dye for flash fixing, as an ink jet ink, as an indelible bar code ink, also as a microorganism inactivating agent, as a photosensitive dye for oncotherapy, as a heat ray-shielding agent for automobiles and buildings, and as a discriminating agent for resin sorting.
2. Description of Related Art
The needs for a near infrared absorbent dye have been mounting in consequence of the expansion of the field of the applications thereof. As regards the near infrared absorption dye to be used as a near infrared absorption dye and a near infrared sensitizer for writing or reading in an optical recording medium using a semiconductor laser, a liquid crystal display device, and an optical character reader, as a photothermal modifier for thermal transfer and a thermal paper, thermal stencil printing, as a near infrared absorption filter as for plasma display panel (PDP), as an asthenopia inhibitor, as a near infrared absorbing material for a photoconductive material, or as a color separation filter for an image pickup tube, as a color filter for liquid crystal display, as a selective absorption filter for a color braun tube, as a color toner, as a toner dye for flash fixing, as an ink jet ink, as an indelible bar code ink, also as a microorganism inactivating agent, as a photosensitive dye for oncotherapy, as a heat ray-shielding agent for automobiles and buildings, and as a discriminating agent for resin sorting, methods for the production of materials which satisfy wholly such characteristics as light-fastness, heat-resistance, and solubility (or compatibility with a resin) have been studied hitherto. None of the methods developed to date, however, has proved advantageous for commercial applications.
The methods for producing such phthalocyanine compounds have been disclosed in JP-A-2000-63693, JP-A-2000-169743, JP-B HEI-07(1995)-103318, and U.S. 2003/0234995 A1, for example.
JP-A-2000-69693 discloses a method which comprises inducing the reaction of tetrafluorophthalonitrile with vanadium trichloride by using α-methyl naphthalene or benzonitrile solely while introducing an oxygen-containing gas such as a gas obtained by diluting air into the resultant reaction solution. Since the solvent, α-methyl naphthalene, to be used in this method is very expensive and since the reaction of this method necessitate the introduction of a hot oxygen-containing gas and, therefore, entails a possibility of the introduced gas entraining the expensive solvent and dispersing it outside the reaction system and threatening the danger of explosion, this method hardly deserves to be rated as favorable for commercialization. JP-A-2000-169743 discloses the reaction of tetrafluorophthalonitrile and vanadium trioxide in benzonitrile as a solvent in the presence of paratoluene sulfonic acid and calcium carbonate at 150° C. This official gazette recommends to use as an organic solvent in the reaction an inert substance having no reactivity with the starting materials and the reaction vessel and, for the purpose of preventing the reaction vessel from corrosion, to perform the reaction of a metal oxide and paratoluene sulfonic acid at relatively low temperature. The present inventors' review of this method, however, has revealed that this method is not appropriate because the phthalocyanine compound produced thereby as aimed at occasionally fails to manifest the performance as claimed.
JP-B-HEI 07(1995)-103318 discloses a novel phthalocyanine compound and a method for the production thereof and claims to produce a fluorine-containing phthalocyanine compound by reacting a corresponding phthalonitrile compound with vanadium chloride in an inert solvent or an aprotic solvent. Though only ethylene glycol cited as a reaction solvent is an example of an inert solvent, no other alcohols cannot be found anywhere. The working examples cited therein include the synthesis of phthalocyanine in a current of nitrogen. This synthesis is found to use benzonitrile exclusively as an inert solvent. U.S. 2003/0234995 A1 discloses the reaction of a substituted phthalonitrile compound with vanadium chloride using benzonitrile and octanol under reflux. Since the reaction is effected without using an inert gas such as nitrogen, the yield is as low as 63.2 mol %.

Method for production of halogen-containing phthalocyanine compound


A socket connector includes a pair of spaced locking blocks fixed to a circuit board. A plurality of contact elements is mounted to the circuit board between the locking blocks. A cover is fixed to the locking blocks and spaced from the circuit board for movably receiving a slide plate therebetween. The cover retains a central processing unit (CPU) module thereon and defines a plurality of holes corresponding to the contact elements through which pins of the CPU module extend. The slide plate defines slots corresponding to the contact elements and the holes of the cover for partially receiving the pins and the contact elements therein whereby when the slide plate is moved to a predetermined position, electrical connection is established between each contact element and the corresponding pin of the CPU module for connecting the CPU module to the circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a socket connector, and in particular to a simplified socket connector mounted to a circuit board which replaces a base thereof.
2. The Prior Art
A socket connector, such as Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) connector is often used to connect a central processing unit (CPU) module to a circuit board. As shown in FIG. 1 of the attached drawings, a known socket connector 7 comprises a base 74 fixed on a circuit board (not shown) and a cover 71 mounted to the base 74 with a slide plate 72 movably received therebetween. A manual driving member 73 is pivotally supported between the cover 71 and the base 74 and is drivingly coupled to the slide plate 72 for moving the slide plate 72. The manual driving member 73 partially extends beyond the cover 71 for facilitating manual operation thereof. The rotation of the manual driving member drives the slide plate 72 to move with respect to the base 74 and the cover 71.
Contact elements 75 are received in bores 741 defined in the base 74. The cover 71 defines a plurality of holes 711 corresponding to the contact elements 75 for receiving pins of a CPU module (not shown) therein. The pins are partially received in corresponding slots 721 defined in the slide plate 72 whereby the movement of the slide plate 72 causes conductive members (not shown) retained therein to simultaneously engage with the pins and the contact elements 75.
The contact elements 75 are soldered to the circuit board by a solder ball technique and during the soldering process, heat is simultaneously applied to the base 74 and the circuit board which both undergo thermal expansion. Since the base 74 and the circuit board are often made from different materials having different thermal expansion coefficients, a relative shift occurs between the base 74 and the circuit board causing the solder balls to be undesirably displaced or damaged.
Furthermore, the base 74 shields the engagement between the contact elements 75 and the circuit board whereby it is difficult for a user to inspect and ensure a proper soldering engagement between the contact elements 75 and the circuit board.
Thus, it is desired to have a socket connector that eliminates the problems discussed above.


A device for removing debris from a drive wheel rotatably mounted to a vehicle body includes an auxiliary wheel rotatably mounted on the body adjacent an outer peripheral surface of the drive wheel. The auxiliary drive wheel has a substantially circumferential surface for engaging the outer peripheral surface of the drive wheel and thereby being rotated by the drive wheel in a direction opposite the rotation of the drive wheel. The auxiliary wheel dislodges debris on the drive wheel and discharges it away from the track mechanism of the vehicle. A selector mechanism can be provided to selectively move the auxiliary wheel out of engagement with the drive wheel. The auxiliary wheel can be mounted radially adjacent to the drive wheel so that it contacts the upper section of the drive wheel. This device allows a method of removing debris from a rotating drive wheel by mounting a debris gathering wheel adjacent the drive wheel and bringing the rotatable debris gathering wheel into frictional contact with the drive wheel so as to remove debris from the drive wheel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of vehicles driven by continuous loop tracks. More particularly, this invention relates to a means and method for removing debris from the drive wheels of such track-driven vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
During recent years, the agricultural industry in the United States has seen an explosion in new technology aimed at reducing compaction in the fields. Track-driven tractors are rapidly gaining acceptance as alternatives to traditional wheeled tractors in order to reduce compaction. Although these track-driven tractors solved many of the problems of their wheeled counterparts, they present some disadvantages of their own.
One common obstacle to track efficiency is the buildup of cornstalks and other field debris in the power trains of the tractors. This impairs efficiency and produces premature wear on the power train and belt or track. Farmers currently remedy this situation by stopping the tractor and removing the chaff manually, which results in significant downtime. Manufacturers of track-driven tractors have been actively searching for a solution to this problem. One manufacturer has installed permanent, rigidly mounted shields to block the flow of chaff. However, these shields merely create a new area in which debris can be lodged. Other solutions have typically involved the use of a stationary blade which is mounted so as to engage the drive wheel. These stationary scraper blades or bars tend to clog, wear, require adjustment over time, and may present serious pinch hazards.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved means and method for removing debris from the drive wheel of a track-driven vehicle.

Means and method for removing debris from the drive wheel of a track-driven vehicle


A signal processing device, which processes a baseband signal for wireless communication, includes a plurality of temperature sensors arranged to sense internal temperatures of the signal processing device, respectively, a threshold storage storing a plurality of thresholds, and a controller that estimates a surface temperature based on the sensed internal temperatures and performs a thermal mitigation operation based on the surface temperature and a plurality of temperature ranges defined by the plurality of thresholds.

Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to wireless communication. For example, at least some example embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for thermal management in wireless communication.
Due to the high throughput of a wireless communication system and the high complexity of signal processing, high signal processing capability may be utilized for a wireless communication device. Continued use of high signal processing capability may result in high power consumption and heat generation in the wireless communication device, and may significantly increase the temperature of the wireless communication device, especially when massive data transmission is maintained. Heat generated by performing high complexity and speed signal processing may not only cause malfunction of the wireless communication device but also damage to components included in the wireless communication device. In addition, in a wireless communication device possessed by a user, such as a mobile phone, heat generation may cause the user discomfort and may be harmful to the user's body. Therefore, thermal management in the wireless communication device may be critical.

Method and apparatus for thermal management in wireless communication


A transmission for a working vehicle comprises a transmission case disposed between an engine and rear wheels, the transmission case housing, in a forward portion thereof, an input main shaft, a propelling transmission shaft and a PTO transmission shaft extending parallel to one another in the fore and aft direction. The two transmission shafts are arranged at laterally opposite sides of the input main shaft. A propelling change speed gearing is mounted on and between the input main shaft and propelling transmission shaft. A PTO change speed gearing is mounted on and between the input main shaft and PTO transmission shaft. These change speed gearings are operable by change speed levers extending upwardly from a clutch case interposed between the engine and transmission case.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission for a tractor having a transmission case supporting rear axles and directly coupled to an engine.
(2) Prior Art
A conventional transmission having a change speed gearing of a propelling system and a change speed gearing of a PTO system is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Kokai No. 63-26. In this known construction, transmission shafts forming part of the two change speed gearings, respectively, are juxtaposed vertically. Consequently, the transmission case has large vertical dimensions.
Where, as in the known construction, the transmission shafts forming part of the two change speed gearings are juxtaposed vertically, the transmission case has large vertical dimensions. Thus, in the case of a tractor with a transmission case acting also as a tractor frame, a step board placed on top of the transmission case has a center portion thereof bulging upward to a large extent. In this way the step board is clearly separated right and left, leaving narrow spaces for the driver's foot rests. When boarding or alighting from the tractor, the driver would find the bulging portion obstructive and could have his foot caught by that portion. In this sense, there is room for improvement from the point of view of comfort on the step board.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,128 discloses a transmission in which a change speed mechanism of a propelling system and a change speed mechanism of a PTO system are arranged at opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of the transmission. This construction has a disadvantage that the transmission still has a considerably large sectional area.


Systems and methods for providing a content proxy in a wireless network. A set of media is provided to an edge proxy server located at a wireless site using satellite communications and stored by the edge proxy server independent of a local mobile station request for media in the set of media. Mobile stations can access live streams of media selected from the set of media by wireless communications with a wireless node and as mobile station move from one wireless site to another, the live media stream can be provided uninterrupted to the mobile station.

Mobile stations, such as mobile telephones, smart phones, laptop computers, tablet computers and the like are increasingly being utilized to access large files and high bit rate streaming multimedia content such as computer files, video and audio. This content requires much more data than a traditional telephone voice call. Although the ability to handle this increased capacity demand continues to be met at the air interface side of the network (i.e., between a wireless site and a mobile station), the networks for delivering this information to the wireless sites will likely not be able to achieve the required capacity to meet these demands without substantial, and possibly cost-prohibitive, capital outlays.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional wireless system. In order to provide content to mobile stations, a plurality of content providers (CPs) 101a-101g provides media content to one or more content aggregators (CAGs) 103a, 103b. When mobile station 111 requests particular content, the request is sent to wireless site antenna 110a of wireless node 112a. The request is then passed through network gateway 115, terrestrial network 112 (e.g., a backhaul network) until it reaches the appropriate content aggregator that stores the requested content. The requested content is then retrieved and provided along the reverse path through the terrestrial network 112, network gateway 115, wireless node 112a and wireless antenna 110a until the content reaches mobile station 111.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, more than one wireless site will be coupled to CAGs 103a, 103b through terrestrial network 112. In practice, hundreds of thousands of wireless sites may be connected in this manner. Each wireless site can support a number of users, and accordingly at any given time there could be hundreds of thousands of streams of content passing through the terrestrial network. This is particularly problematic because terrestrial networks supporting wireless sites were originally dimensioned to support low-bit rate voice traffic. Increasing these terrestrial networks to accommodate the high capacity requirements to support the content requests of a large number of mobile stations may be prohibitively expensive.
A conventional technique to minimize the network capacity issues involved user request driven storage strategies, such as caching and predictive caching of data at the wireless nodes. Such techniques analyzed user requests to determine the data that should be cached. These methods are not capable of significantly reducing the network load in order to resolve the problems created by the demand for large files and high speed media distribution. Additionally, because these techniques cache data based on user requests, the first time a particular user requests data it would have to be obtained through the terrestrial network, thus incurring a delay before the data could be provided to the user.


Provided herein are novel base modified bicyclic nucleosides, oligomeric compounds prepared therefrom and methods of using the oligomeric compounds. More particularly, novel pyrimidine bicyclic nucleosides are provided wherein each pyrimidine base is substituted at the 5 position with an optionally substituted, aromatic or heteroaromatic ring system comprising from 5 to 7 ring atoms selected from C, N, O and S. In certain embodiments, the oligomeric compounds provided herein hybridize to a portion of a target RNA resulting in loss of normal function of the target RNA.

Targeting disease-causing gene sequences was first suggested more than thirty years ago (Belikova et al., Tet. Lett., 1967, 37, 3557-3562), and antisense activity was demonstrated in cell culture more than a decade later (Zamecnik et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1978, 75, 280-284). One advantage of antisense technology in the treatment of a disease or condition that stems from a disease-causing gene is that it is a direct genetic approach that has the ability to modulate (increase or decrease) the expression of specific disease-causing genes. Another advantage is that validation of a therapeutic target using antisense compounds results in direct and immediate discovery of the drug candidate; the antisense compound is the potential therapeutic agent.
Generally, the principle behind antisense technology is that an antisense compound hybridizes to a target nucleic acid and modulates gene expression activities or function, such as transcription or translation. The modulation of gene expression can be achieved by, for example, target degradation or occupancy-based inhibition. An example of modulation of RNA target function by degradation is RNase H-based degradation of the target RNA upon hybridization with a DNA-like antisense compound. Another example of modulation of gene expression by target degradation is RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi generally refers to antisense-mediated gene silencing involving the introduction of dsRNA leading to the sequence-specific reduction of targeted endogenous mRNA levels. Regardless of the specific mechanism, this sequence-specificity makes antisense compounds extremely attractive as tools for target validation and gene functionalization, as well as therapeutics to selectively modulate the expression of genes involved in the pathogenesis of malignancies and other diseases.
Antisense technology is an effective means for reducing the expression of one or more specific gene products and can therefore prove to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications. Chemically modified nucleosides are routinely used for incorporation into antisense compounds to enhance one or more properties, such as nuclease resistance, pharmacokinetics or affinity for a target RNA. In 1998, the antisense compound, Vitravene® (fomivirsen; developed by Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.) was the first antisense drug to achieve marketing clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is currently a treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-induced retinitis in AIDS patients.
New chemical modifications have improved the potency and efficacy of antisense compounds, uncovering the potential for oral delivery as well as enhancing subcutaneous administration, decreasing potential for side effects, and leading to improvements in patient convenience. Chemical modifications increasing potency of antisense compounds allow administration of lower doses, which reduces the potential for toxicity, as well as decreasing overall cost of therapy. Modifications increasing the resistance to degradation result in slower clearance from the body, allowing for less frequent dosing. Different types of chemical modifications can be combined in one compound to further optimize the compound's efficacy. One such group of chemical modifications includes bicyclic nucleosides wherein the furanose portion of the nucleoside includes a bridge connecting two atoms on the furanose ring thereby forming a bicyclic ring system. Such bicyclic nucleosides have various names including BNA's and LNA's for bicyclic nucleic acids or locked nucleic acids respectively.
Various bicyclic nucleosides have been prepared and reported in the patent literature as well as in scientific literature, see for example: Singh et al., Chem. Commun., 1998, 4, 455-456; Koshkin et al., Tetrahedron, 1998, 54, 3607-3630; Wahlestedt et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2000, 97, 5633-5638; Kumar et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 1998, 8(16), 2219-2222; Wengel et al., PCT International Application number PCT/DK98/00393 (published as WO 99/14226 on Mar. 25, 1999), filed Sep. 14, 1998; Singh et al., J. Org. Chem., 1998, 63, 10035-10039, the text of each is incorporated by reference herein, in their entirety. Examples of issued US patents and published applications include for example: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,770,748, 6,268,490 and 6,794,499 and published U.S. applications 20040219565, 20040014959, 20030207841, 20040192918, 20030224377, 20040143114, 20030087230 and 20030082807, the text of each is incorporated by reference herein, in their entirety.
The synthesis of 5-heteroaryl-2′-deoxyuridine analogs along with their incorporation into oligomeric compounds and the Tm evaluations have been reported (see for example: Nielsen, P. Chem Bio Chem 2007, 8, 2106-2116; and Froehler, B. C. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 5540-5544).
There remains a long-felt need for agents that specifically regulate gene expression via antisense mechanisms. Disclosed herein are bicyclic nucleosides having a modified pyrimidine base and antisense compounds prepared therefrom that are expected to be useful for modulating gene expression pathways, including those relying on mechanisms of action such as RNaseH, RNAi and dsRNA enzymes, as well as other antisense mechanisms based on target degradation or target occupancy. One having skill in the art, once armed with this disclosure will be able, without undue experimentation, to identify, prepare and exploit antisense compounds for these uses.

Base modified bicyclic nucleosides and oligomeric compounds prepared therefrom


Diamond-bonded constructions include a diamond-bonded body having a thermally stable region extending a distance below a diamond-bonded body surface. The thermally stable region comprises a matrix phase of bonded-together diamond crystals, and interstitial regions comprising a reaction product. The reaction product is formed by reaction between the diamond crystals and a reactive material. The reactant is a carbide former and the reaction product is a carbide. The diamond-bonded body includes a further diamond region extending from the thermally stable region that comprises the matrix phase and a Group VIII metal disposed within interstitial regions of the matrix phase. The thermally stable region is substantially free of a catalyst material used to initially form the diamond-bonded body. The diamond-bonded body may include a material layer formed from the reaction product that is disposed on a surface of the diamond-bonded body thermally stable region.

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) materials and PCD elements formed therefrom are well known in the art. Conventional PCD is formed subjecting diamond grains in the presence of a suitable solvent catalyst material to processing conditions of extremely high pressure/high temperature (HPHT), where the solvent catalyst material promotes desired intercrystalline diamond-to-diamond bonding between the grains, thereby forming a PCD structure. The resulting PCD structure produces enhanced properties of wear resistance and hardness, making such PCD materials extremely useful in aggressive wear and cutting applications where high levels of wear resistance and hardness are desired.
Solvent catalyst materials typically used for forming conventional PCD include metals from Group VIII of the Periodic table, with Cobalt (Co) being the most common. Conventional PCD can comprise from 85 to 95% by volume diamond and a remaining amount of the solvent catalyst material. The solvent catalyst material is present in the microstructure of the PCD material within interstitial regions that exist between the bonded-together diamond grains.
A problem known to exist with such conventional PCD is thermal degradation due to differential thermal expansion characteristics between the interstitial solvent catalyst material used to sinter the PCD and the intercrystalline bonded diamond. Such differential thermal expansion is known to occur at temperatures of about 400° C., causing ruptures to occur in the diamond-to-diamond bonding, and resulting in the formation of cracks and chips in the PCD structure.
Another problem known to exist with conventional PCD materials is also related to the presence of the solvent catalyst material used to sinter the PCD in the interstitial regions and the adherence of the solvent catalyst to the diamond crystals to cause another form of thermal degradation. Specifically, the solvent catalyst material is known to cause an undesired catalyzed phase transformation in diamond (converting it to carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or graphite) with increasing temperature, thereby limiting practical use of conventional PCD to about 750° C.
Attempts at addressing such unwanted forms of thermal degradation in PCD are known in the art. Generally, these attempts have involved forming a PCD body having an improved degree of thermal stability when compared to those conventional PCD materials discussed above. One known technique of producing a thermally stable PCD body involves at least a two-stage process of first forming a conventional sintered PCD body in the manner described above, and then removing the solvent catalyst material therefrom.
This method produces a diamond-bonded body that is substantially free of the solvent catalyst material, and is therefore promoted as providing a diamond-bonded body having improved thermal stability when compared to conventional PCD. However, the resulting thermally stable diamond-bonded body typically does not include a metallic substrate attached thereto, by solvent catalyst infiltration from such substrate due to the solvent catalyst removal process, as all of the solvent catalyst material has been removed therefrom.
Also, the resulting diamond body has a material microstructure comprising a matrix phase of bonded-together diamond grains, and a plurality of open interstitial regions, pores or voids distributed throughout the diamond body. The presence of such population of open voids throughout the diamond body adversely impacts desired mechanical properties of the diamond body, e.g., provides a diamond body having reduced properties of strength and toughness when compared to conventional PCD. It is theorized that the presence of the catalyst material within the voids in conventional PCD operates to place the surrounding diamond matrix in a state of compression that operates to provide improved mechanical strength, e.g., fracture toughness and/or impact strength, to the PCD. Removing the catalyst material from the diamond body is thus believed to remove the diamond from a compression state, thereby also reducing the above-noted related mechanical properties of the diamond body.
Thus, thermally stable diamond-bonded bodies made by removing the solvent catalyst material therefrom are known to be relatively brittle and have poor properties of strength and/or toughness, thereby limiting their use to less extreme or severe applications. This feature makes such conventional thermally stable diamond-bonded bodies generally unsuited for use in aggressive cutting and/or wear applications, such as use as a cutting element of a subterranean drilling and the like.
The resulting diamond-bonded body, rendered free of the solvent catalyst material, has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is sufficiently different from that of conventional substrate materials (such as WC—Co and the like) typically infiltrated or otherwise attached to conventional PCD bodies to provide a diamond-bonded compact to adopt the diamond-bonded body construction for use with desirable wear and/or cutting end use devices. This difference in thermal expansion between the now thermally stable diamond-bonded body and the substrate, combined with the poor wetability of the diamond-bonded body surface due to the removal of the solvent catalyst material, makes it very difficult to form an adequate attachment between the diamond-bonded body and conventionally used substrates, thereby requiring that the diamond-bonded body itself be attached or mounted directly to the wear and/or cutting device.
However, since such thermally stable diamond-bonded body is devoid of a metallic substrate, it cannot (e.g., when configured for use as a cutting element in a bit used for subterranean drilling) be attached to such drill bit by conventional brazing process. Thus, use of such thermally stable diamond-bonded body in this particular application necessitates that the diamond-bonded body itself be attached to the drill bit by mechanical or interference fit during manufacturing of the drill bit, which is labor intensive, time consuming, and which does not provide a most secure method of attachment.
Other attempts that have been made to improve the thermal stability of PCD materials include where the solvent metal catalyst material used to form the PCD is removed from only a region of the body, i.e., where the solvent metal catalyst is removed from a defined region of the diamond body that extends a depth from the body surface. Such diamond body constructions are formed by starting with conventional PCD, and then selectively removing the solvent metal catalyst from only a region of the body extending a depth from the body surface, wherein a remaining portion of the diamond body comprises conventional PCD. While this approach has demonstrated some improvement in thermal stability over conventional PCD, the resulting diamond body still suffers from the problems noted above. Namely, that the treated region rendered devoid of the catalyst material has reduced mechanical properties of strength and/or toughness when compared to conventional PCD, due to the absence of the catalyst material and the related presence of the plurality of empty pores or voids in the interstitial regions.
It is, therefore, desired that a diamond-bonded construction be developed having improved thermal characteristics and thermal stability when compared to conventional PCD materials. It is also desired that such diamond-bonded construction be engineered to include a suitable substrate to form a compact construction that can be attached to a desired wear and/or cutting device by conventional method such as welding or brazing and the like. It is further desired that such diamond-bonded construction display desired mechanical properties such as strength and toughness when compared to conventional thermally stable diamond-bonded bodies, i.e., characterized by having a plurality of empty interstitial regions fanned by removing the catalyst material therefrom.

Method of making diamond-bonded constructions with improved thermal and mechanical properties


Organosiloxane compositions comprising specified combinations of MQ resins and liquid polyorganosiloxanes can be applied as molten materials to form coatings that are non-flowable under ambient conditions and can initially be remelted by heating the coating above its flow transition temperature. In the presence of moisture, the flow transition temperature of the coating gradually increases due to the reaction of hydrolyzable groups on the polyorganosiloxane ingredient until the coating is converted to a non-flowable resin reinforced elastomer. Preferred coatings are non-transferable at 25.degree. C. within ten minutes following application.

1. Field of The Invention
This invention relates to a method for applying protective silicone coatings to substrates. More particularly, this invention involves heating a specified class of moisture reactive organosiloxane compositions to a flowable state and applying the compositions as coatings to a substrate, whereupon the compositions cool and become non-flowable. The initially applied coatings can be made flowable by heating but in the presence of atmospheric moisture gradually convert to a resin-reinforced elastomeric material that is not reflowable with heating to temperatures well above the application temperature. Many of the coatings can be handled at ambient temperature within minutes after being coated without damage to the coating or transfer of coating material.
The cured coatings provide long term protection for substrates against harsh environments at temperatures above the application temperature of the initial coating.
2. Background Information
Many combinations of resinous and liquid polymers are known. Some of these exhibit the properties characteristic of pressure sensitive adhesives, also referred to as PSA's.
PSA's based on organosilicon compounds typically contain 1) a silicone resin containing specified concentrations of monofunctional R.sub.3 SiO units, referred to as M units, and tetrafunctional SiO.sub.4/2 units, referred to as Q units, and 2) a high molecular weight polydiorganosiloxane having the consistency of a gum. These compositions are typically applied as a solution in a compatible organic liquid or a low viscosity, liquid nonreactive polyorganosiloxane. Following application of the solution to a desired substrate the liquid is evaporated to deposit the PSA.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,601, issued to Currie et al. describes curable silicone PSA's useful for bonding silicone rubber to metals such as aluminum, and which cure to a permanent adhesive at room temperature even in the absence of moisture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,920, which issued to R. Sweet, describes solventless silicone PSA's that can be applied as a heated melt, also referred to as a hot melt. The compositions differ from prior art PSA's by replacement of the gum type polydiorganosiloxane with a liquid polydiorganosiloxane and by addition of from 1 to 10 percent, based on the combined weight of the organosilicon compounds, of a liquid ester of a monocarboxylic acid containing from 2 to 32 carbon atoms. Replacing this ester with a phenyl-containing polysiloxane fluid to make the PSA more compatible with drugs and other organic materials is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,410, which issued to R. Sweet.
The hot melt PSA's described in both Sweet patents do not contain moisture activated reactive groups capable of forming a cured material, and therefore retain the flowability at elevated temperatures and the tackiness characteristic of PSA's.
A commonly assigned copending application, Ser. No. 07/748,848, filed on Aug. 22, 1991 describes silicone PSA's that cure in the presence of moisture to permanent adhesives. The compositions are particularly useful as structural adhesives for adhering glass panels to structural materials such as concrete, aluminum and steel. The two required ingredients of the PSA are an MQ resin and a high consistency polydiorganosiloxane gum wherein at least 50 percent and preferably at least 90 percent of the silicon-bonded hydrocarbon radicals are methyl.
One or both ingredients of the PSA compositions described in the aforementioned copending application contain moisture activated curing groups of the formula R.sub.b (OR').sub.3-b SiZ--, where R represents a monovalent hydrocarbon radical, R' represents an alkyl or aryl radical, Z is a divalent group that durably links the curing group to a silicon atom of one of the PSA ingredients and the value of h is 0 or 1. Typical linking groups that can be represented by Z include but are not limited to oxygen, one or more diorganosiloxane units, and hydrocarbylene radicals that optionally contains one or more hetero atoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur.
Due to the high viscosity of gum type polydiorganosiloxanes even at elevated temperatures, the moisture curable PSA compositions are not suitable for application as heated molten materials, but instead are applied to substrates as solutions in a miscible organic solvent such as xylene. The solvent is removed prior to curing of the composition or evaporates during the curing reaction.
Japanese laid open patent application (Kokai) No. 4(1992)-/81,487 describes curable pressure sensitive adhesive compositions comprising (1) 100 parts by weight of an organosiloxane copolymer consisting essentially of triorganosiloxy and SiO.sub.4/2 units and up to 0.7 weight percent of silanol groups, where the molar ratio of triorganosiloxy to SiO.sub.4/2 units is from 0.6 to 1.2, respectively, (2) a liquid polydiorganosiloxane containing as the terminal units alkoxy, alkenyloxy, iminoxy, acyloxy and/or aminoxy radicals, and (3) a condensation catalyst to promote curing of the composition in the presence of atmospheric moisture. The molar ratio of silanol groups in the resinous copolymer to terminal units in the liquid polydiorganosiloxane is from 1 to 10.
The characterizing feature of the moisture reacting compositions described in the Japanese patent application is their ability to retain the characteristics of pressure sensitive adhesives under both dry and wet conditions following reaction of the moisture reactive groups. This requires that the molar ratio of silanol units in the resinous copolymer to terminal units in the liquid polydiorganosiloxane be from 1 to 10, and preferably from 4 to 8.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,484, which issued to A. Colas on February 25, 1992 describes elastomer-forming compositions containing (1) a hydroxyl- or alkoxy-terminated polydiorganosiloxane (2) an alkoxy-functional MQ type silicone resin that is preferably liquid under ambient conditions and (3) a titanium-containing curing catalyst. These compositions are described as flowable under ambient conditions and cure in the presence of atmospheric moisture to yield elastomeric materials.
Moisture curable elastomer-forming compositions containing (1) a hydroxyl-terminated polydiorganosiloxane (2) an MQ type silicone resin containing from 0.5 to 6 weight percent of hydroxyl groups, (3) alkoxy-functional organosilicon compounds as the curing agent, and (4) a titanium-containing curing catalyst are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,088, which issued to G. Favre et al. on Mar. 6, 1979.
Organic polymer compositions that are solid under ambient conditions and sufficiently flowable when heated to be applied as coatings that can subsequently be cured by a free radical reaction are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,364, which issued to Bolte et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,121, which issued to Hinterwaldner et al., and Japanese Laid Open Application 89/251,837.
Moisture curable organic polymer compositions that form conventional or pressure sensitive adhesives and can be applied as heated melts are described in Published European Patent Application No. 0420864. The compositions comprise a silane-modified copolymer of ethylene and a polar monomer such as vinyl acetate, a catalyst and an optional plasticizer. The modified polymers contain silicon-bonded hydrolyzable groups.
Patent application WO 91/08420, filed under the provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, describes adhesive compositions containing a tackifier resin or tackifier wax that has been modified by reaction with a silane containing hydrolyzable groups that are present in the final resin or wax. The composition optionally contains an organic polymer with groups capable of reacting with the silicon-bonded hydrolyzable groups to form a crosslinked material.
When curable compositions applied in the molten state are used as protective coatings, the cooled uncured compositions should preferably exhibit sufficient adhesion and sufficiently low tackiness to allow the coated articles to be handled immediately or shortly following application of the coating composition without damage to the coating or transfer of coating material to objects that contact the articles.
When the substrate is a printed circuit board, to correct coating defects and make repairs to the electronic components mounted on the coated substrate it is desirable that at least the interior portion of the coating remain reflowable upon heating for a limited time period while curing under ambient conditions to ultimately form a crosslinked, non-reflowable elastomeric material exhibiting excellent adhesion to the substrate, as demonstrated by a resistance to corrosion of metal surfaces and articles on the substrate.
With the increasing emphasis on eliminating or at least reducing the amount of volatile materials released during the application and curing of coating compositions, there has been a growing demand for curable compositions that can be applied in the absence of solvents or diluents.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide moisture reactive coating compositions that are substantially free of unreactive liquid materials and can be heated for application as molten liquids that upon contacting a substrate at ambient temperature rapidly form solid coatings exhibiting strong adhesion to clean or contaminated substrates without requiring priming or other surface preparation. The initially applied coatings are reflowable upon heating and in the presence of moisture under ambient conditions are gradually converted to substantially tack-free resin-reinforced elastomeric materials that are not reflowable even at temperature substantially above their application temperature and maintain their initial adhesion to the substrate.

Method for coating using molten organosiloxane compositions


A conditioning apparatus and method for conditioning a polish pad. The conditioning apparatus has a movable conditioning arm with a disk mounting apparatus, a plurality of interchangeable conditioning disks, a disk housing or multiple disk stations capable of holding the plurality of interchangeable conditioning disks and a controller for directing and controlling the movement of said conditioning arm.

The present invention relates, in general, to a system and method for cleaning and conditioning polish pads used to polish silicon wafers and semiconductors and, more particularly, to pad cleaning during polishing and pad conditioning and cleaning after a wafer has been polished with a polishing composition.
Silicon wafers are commonly used as a base on which multilevel integrated circuits are fabricated. Integrated circuits on semiconductor wafers are manufactured with a layer of an insulating layer or semi-conductive or conductive metal substrate layer. This layer can be a dielectric, such as, silica including SiO2 and TEOS. It can also be a low K dielectric, poly-silicon or metal such as tungsten, aluminum, copper and platinum.
A series of deposition and etch steps are required to form a multi-level pattern on a semiconductor wafer. Silicon wafers for the semiconductor industry must possess a high degree of surface perfection before they can be useful in the device fabrication process. A non-planar silicon wafer surface during the manufacturing process causes a focusing problem for photolithography and results in lower yield and decreases performance of the semiconductor device.
A polishing system known as CMP, referred to as either or both, chemical-mechanical planarization and chemical-mechanical polishing of non-planar wafer is utilized in a conventional process. The CMP process is used to planarize the insulating layer on a silicon wafer. A CMP process can be used for an insulating layer whether it be a dielectric material, conductive metal or semi-conductive layer. The CMP process utilizes different polishing pads and polishing compositions or slurries. Further details of CMP polishing features and operation of a polishing apparatus for a CMP process may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,574, which is incorporated by reference.
In a CMP process, the wafer is pressed against a moving polishing pad. In a CMP process, the silicon wafer, is bathed or rinsed in a polishing slurry in conjunction with an elastomeric pad which is pressed against the substrate and rotated such that the slurry particles are pressed against the substrate under load. The lateral motion of the pad causes the slurry particles to move across the substrate surface, resulting in wear, or volumetric removal of the substrate surface. Ideally, this process results in the selective erosion of projecting surface features so that when the process is completed a plane surface is produced down to the finest level of detail.
However, the CMP process generates heat due to chemical reaction and mechanical friction, which degrades the surface topography of the pad. Also, by-product of the slurry from wafer-substrate reaction produces slurry waste, which accumulates on the pad or within the pad groove and prevents even distribution of fresh slurry and degrades pad asperities. The combination of the above reactions can produce glazing of the pad. Glazing is referred to a surface phenomenon which occurs when the pad temperature during CMP is at or exceeds the pad glass transition temperature and deforms the pad material and traps slurry by-products. These slurry by-products become partially or fully fused into the surface of the pad. Glazing decreases pad asperity and increases wafer non-uniformity and defects on the wafer.
The conventional CMP process uses a conditioning apparatus, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,429 or similar device using a diamond or abrasive material on a disk in contact with the polish pad to remove glaze material and by-product of CMP waste. On a buffing pad or softer pad, a brush is used instead of a diamond disk. Deionized (DI) water is normally used during pad conditioning to help lubricate the pad and to remove debris from the pad. A high-pressure DI sprayer is sometimes used to speed up the cleaning process. For metal CMP and especially for copper CMP, cleaning solution is used to speed up the cleaning and decontamination of slurry by-products from the surface of the pad.
It is known that to perform pad conditioning with a diamond disk and clean the pad groove with brushes at the same time, two separate conditioning arms or a conditioning arm with two different disks are necessary. For example, Tolles et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,574) discloses a conditioning apparatus with a conditioning arm with multiple disks and multiple polishing stations. However, having separate conditioning arms or multiple disks increases the cost of the polishing apparatus. Accordingly, it has been desired to develop a method and apparatus for polishing a semiconductor wafer that addresses the problems above and reduces glazing and the steps and costs of polishing semiconductor wafers.
The present invention provides a conditioning apparatus with interchangeable disks with different conditioning materials to condition a polishing pad. To condition the pad, conditioning disks with abrasive material, brushes, scrubbing material can be interchanged during polishing.
In one aspect the invention includes a conditioning apparatus for conditioning a polish pad. The conditioning apparatus includes a movable conditioning arm with a disk mounting apparatus, a plurality of interchangeable conditioning disks, a disk housing capable of holding the plurality of interchangeable conditioning disks, and a controller for directing and controlling the movement of the condition arm.
In a second aspect the invention includes a conditioning apparatus that includes a movable conditioning arm with a locking module for securely holding an interchangeable disk. The interchangeable disk has a mounting sprocket which mates with said locking module. The conditioning apparatus has a plurality of disk stations positioned so that the locking module of the conditioning arm can be positioned directly over any of the plurality of disk stations. A plurality of the interchangeable disks are located on the disk stations and a controller is used for directing and controlling the movement of the condition arm.
In a third aspect the invention includes an interchangeable conditioning disk for conditioning a polishing pad that has one or more conditioning materials on a surface of the disk and a mounting sprocket on a surface opposite the surface with the conditioning material. The mounting sprocket mates with a locking module of a conditioning arm.
In a fourth aspect the invention includes a method of conditioning a polishing pad which includes the steps of: a) providing a conditioning disk apparatus having a movable conditioning arm with a disk mounting apparatus and a plurality of interchangeable conditioning disks, wherein each of the interchangeable conditioning disks have one or more conditioning materials on a surface of the disks; b) placing a polishing pad on a top surface of a platen; c) mounting one of the conditioning disks on the conditioning arm; d) moving the conditioning arm and conditioning disk to a position over the polishing pad; e) conditioning the polishing pad by rotating the conditioning disk and providing a downward force on the disk and polishing pad; f) moving said conditioning arm to a position over an empty disk station; g) releasing said conditioning disk on said empty disk station; h) mounting another one of the plurality of interchangeable conditioning disks on the conditioning arm; and i) repeating steps d) through h) until said polishing pad has the desired properties.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, the invention being defined only by the claims following this detailed description.

Interchangeable conditioning disk apparatus

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.


An erasable programmable memory device has a number of data storage blocks. Each block has an endurance characteristic that at least roughly defines the number of times data may be erased from and written to the block before it wears out in that data cannot then be further erased from and written to the block. A redundant data storage block of memory capacity and endurance similar to that of each of the other data storage blocks is disposed in parallel with a selected one of the latter for which higher endurance is desired. This enables identical data to be written simultaneously to the two blocks and thus considerably increases the endurance of the selected block by virtue of the fact that identical memory cells in both blocks must fail before the endurance of the selected block will be depleted. After the selected block has been designated for high endurance and placed in parallel with the redundant block, a fuse may be set to prevent alteration of that designation.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) memory chips or devices, and more particularly to erasable programmable memory devices such as electrically erasable (alterable) programmable read only memories (EEPROMs).
EEPROM devices have the distinct advantage of allowing data to be written and rapidly erased electrically many times over, to permit a user to change the stored data at will while the device is in circuit. In contrast, the older PROM-type devices employ fusible links in which data is stored according to the condition of the fuses at intersections of the memory array, i.e., the condition of whether or not a fuse is blown. As such, a PROM device is, for all intents and purposes, programmable only once (that is, is non-erasable) since a blown fuse is not reparable.
Another type of erasable programmable memory, the EPROM device, requires exposure of the unhoused structure to ultraviolet (UV) light to change the electrical characteristics of a charged element in order to obtain erasure. Typically, the EPROM is housed in a windowed package (e.g., a ceramic package having a quartz window to expose the silicon), although a more recent version dubbed as "one time programmable" (OTP) is packaged in plastic without a window. As the name indicates, the windowless variety can be programmed only once. For the usual windowed EPROM that has been programmed, however, reprogramming is a major effort. If installed, the device must be removed from its in-system circuit, exposed to UV for a sufficient period of time (several hours) to assure complete erasure of the stored data, reprogrammed electrically, and then reinstalled in circuit.
The use of EEPROM devices avoids the need to subject the memory to long periods of outage for erasure. This, then, is the device of choice for applications where fast storage changes are required. In the EEPROM structure, a pair of polysilicon gates are separated by a silicon dioxide layer. The oxide also extends below the lower gate to separate it from underlying p-type silicon substrate in which a channel may be established between implanted heavily doped n-type source and drain regions. The oxide thickness between the lower gate and the silicon typically ranges up to about 100 angstroms, which is considerably less than the gate oxide thickness used for EPROM structures.
In operation of the EEPROM, a voltage of suitable magnitude applied across the very thin gate oxide layer induces tunneling of electrons from the substrate to the lower gate. A logical 1 is stored (written) when a write voltage is applied to the upper gate, thus inducing a charge on the lower gate that prevents a channel from forming during a read operation. A reversal of the write voltage causes erasure.
The endurance of an electrically erasable programmable memory refers to the number of times it may successfully be erased and rewritten (reprogrammed) during its lifetime. For all known devices, this is a finite number that depends on the processing and structural factors of the individual memory cell of the device as well as its operational environment. The typical EEPROM device marketed today "wears out", i.e., cannot be reprogrammed, after a few thousand erase/write cycles. This is a measure of its endurance.
In many current applications, it is desirable to provide greater endurance because of the number of times the memory or a particular portion or block of the memory array may be reprogrammed in normal use. Wearout of the EEPROM device used in such applications, such as for the "last number redial" feature of a standard electronic telephone set, essentially eliminates that feature from the telephone. In some instances, the eliminated feature is of such importance that the end product of which the EEPROM device is a component is rendered useless.
The use of high endurance memory to overcome this problem makes the EEPROM sufficiently more costly to be uneconomical and uncompetitive in today's global marketplace, where extremely high volume competitive applications lead to customer demands for component cost reduction.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide improvements in endurance of erasable programmable memory arrays without substantially increasing the cost of such arrays.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide an erasable programmable memory array having a capability for programmable high endurance for certain applications.

Programmable high endurance block for EEPROM device


When a browser is started up by a user, a packet call establishment request unit of a cellular phone requests the start of processing for establishing a packet call, and a communication control unit executes a packet all establishment processing. A mobile communication network sends a packet call establishment response message to the cellular phone, then sends packet data. A packet date storage unit of the cellular phone stores the packet data in a memory when packet data is received before the packet call establishment response message. If the packet call establishment response message is received thereafter, the packet data storage unit reads the packet data from the memory, and deletes the packet data from the memory. The packet processing execution unit displays a screen corresponding to the packet data on the display. Thereby, instances when packet data is discarded is decreased.

To start communication of packet data by using a mobile communication apparatus, represented by a cellular phone, a packet call, which is a call for packet communication, is established first, then transmission/reception of packet data is started. Specifically, the mobile communication apparatus transmits a PDP (Packet Data Protocol) establishment request message to a mobile communication network, for example, and receives a PDP establishment response message from the mobile communication network in response to this message. By this, the packet call is established. Then the mobile communication apparatus receives the packet data from the mobile communication network. This technology, related to PDP establishment messages, is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-174671

Mobile communication apparatus that stores packet data in a packet call establishment process


Shunt devices and a method for continuously decompressing elevated intraocular pressure in eyes affected by glaucoma by diverting excess aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye into Schlemm's canal where post-operative patency can be maintained with an indwelling shunt device which surgically connects the canal with the anterior chamber. The shunt devices provide uni- or bi-directional flow of aqueous humor into Schlemm's canal.

The present invention is generally directed to a surgical treatment for glaucoma, and relates more particularly to a device and method for continuously decompressing elevated intraocular pressure in eyes affected by glaucoma by diverting aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye into Schlemm's canal where post-operative patency can be maintained with an indwelling shunt which can be surgically placed to connect the canal with the anterior chamber.
Glaucoma is a significant public health problem, because glaucoma is a major cause of blindness. The blindness that results from glaucoma involves both central and peripheral vision and has a major impact on an individual's ability to lead an independent life.
Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy (a disorder of the optic nerve) that usually occurs in the setting of an elevated intraocular pressure. The pressure within the eye increases and this is associated with changes in the appearance ("cupping") and function ("blind spots" in the visual field) of the optic nerve. If the pressure remains high enough for a long enough period of time, total vision loss occurs. High pressure develops in an eye because of an internal fluid imbalance.
The eye is a hollow structure that contains a clear fluid called "aqueous humor." Aqueous humor is formed in the posterior chamber of the eye by the ciliary body at a rate of about 2.5 microliters per minute. The fluid, which is made at a fairly constant rate, then passes around the lens, through the pupillary opening in the iris and into the anterior chamber of the eye. Once in the anterior chamber, the fluid drains out of the eye through two different routes. In the "uveoscleral" route, the fluid percolates between muscle fibers of the ciliary body. This route accounts for approximately ten percent of the aqueous outflow in humans. The primary pathway for aqueous outflow in humans is through the "canalicular" route that involves the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal.
The trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal are located at the junction between the iris and the sclera. This junction or corner is called "the angle." The trabecular meshwork is a wedge-shaped structure that runs around the circumference of the eye. It is composed of collagen beams arranged in a three-dimensional sieve-like structure. The beams are lined with a monolayer of cells called trabecular cells. The spaces between the collagen beams are filled with an extracellular substance that is produced by the trabecular cells. These cells also produce enzymes that degrade the extracellular material. Schlemm's canal is adjacent to the trabecular meshwork. The outer wall of the trabecular meshwork coincides with the inner wall of Schlemm's canal. Schlemm's canal is a tube-like structure that runs around the circumference of the cornea. In human adults, Schlemm's Canal is believed to be divided by septa into a series of autonomous, dead-end canals.
The aqueous fluid travels through the spaces between the trabecular beams, across the inner wall of Schlemm's canal into the canal, through a series of about 25 collecting channels that drain from Schlemm's canal and into the episcleral venous system. In a normal situation, aqueous production is equal to aqueous outflow and intraocular pressure remains fairly constant in the 15 to 21 mmHg range. In glaucoma, the resistance through the canalicular outflow system is abnormally high.
In primary open angle glaucoma, which is the most common form of glaucoma, the abnormal resistance is believed to be along the outer aspect of trabecular meshwork and the inner wall of Schlemm's canal. It is believed that an abnormal metabolism of the trabecular cells leads to an excessive build up of extracellular materials or a build up of abnormally "stiff" materials in this area. Primary open angle glaucoma accounts for approximately eighty-five percent of all glaucoma. Other forms of glaucoma (such as angle closure glaucoma and secondary glaucomas) also involve decreased outflow through the canalicular pathway but the increased resistance is from other causes such as mechanical blockage, inflammatory debris, cellular blockage, etc.
With the increased resistance, the aqueous fluid builds up because it cannot exit fast enough. As the fluid builds up, the intraocular pressure (IOP) within the eye increases. The increased IOP compresses the axons in the optic nerve and also may compromise the vascular supply to the optic nerve. The optic nerve carries vision from the eye to the brain. Some optic nerves seem more susceptible to IOP than other eyes. While research is investigating ways to protect the nerve from an elevated pressure, the only therapeutic approach currently available in glaucoma is to reduce the intraocular pressure.
The clinical treatment of glaucoma is approached in a step-wise fashion. Medication often is the first treatment option. Administered either topically or orally, these medications work to either reduce aqueous production or they act to increase outflow. Currently available medications have many serious side effects including: congestive heart failure, respiratory distress, hypertension, depression, renal stones, aplastic anemia, sexual dysfunction and death. Compliance with medication is a major problem, with estimates that over half of glaucoma patients do not follow their correct dosing schedules.
When medication fails to adequately reduce the pressure, laser trabeculoplasty often is performed. In laser trabeculoplasty, thermal energy from a laser is applied to a number of noncontiguous spots in the trabecular meshwork. It is believed that the laser energy stimulates the metabolism of the trabecular cells in some way, and changes the extracellular material in the trabecular meshwork. In approximately eighty percent of patients, aqueous outflow is enhanced and IOP decreases. However, the effect often is not long lasting and fifty percent of patients develop an elevated pressure within five years. The laser surgery is not usually repeatable. In addition, laser trabeculoplasty is not an effective treatment for primary open angle glaucoma in patients less than fifty years of age, nor is it effective for angle closure glaucoma and many secondary glaucomas.
If laser trabeculoplasty does not reduce the pressure enough, then filtering surgery is performed. With filtering surgery, a hole is made in the sclera and angle region. This hole allows the aqueous fluid to leave the eye through an alternate route.
The most commonly performed filtering procedure is a trabeculectomy. In a trabeculectomy, a posterior incision is made in the conjunctiva, the transparent tissue that covers the sclera. The conjunctiva is rolled forward, exposing the sclera at the limbus. A partial thickness scleral flap is made and dissected half-thickness into the cornea. The anterior chamber is entered beneath the scleral flap and a section of deep sclera and trabecular meshwork is excised. The scleral flap is loosely sewn back into place. The conjunctival incision is tightly closed. Post-operatively, the aqueous fluid passes through the hole, beneath the scleral flap and collects in an elevated space beneath the conjunctiva. The fluid then is either absorbed through blood vessels in the conjunctiva or traverses across the conjunctiva into the tear film.
Trabeculectomy is associated with many problems. Fibroblasts that are present in the episclera proliferate and migrate and can scar down the scleral flap. Failure from scarring may occur, particularly in children and young adults. Of eyes that have an initially successful trabeculectomy, eighty percent will fail from scarring within three to five years after surgery. To minimize fibrosis, surgeons now are applying antifibrotic agents such as mitomycin C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) to the scleral flap at the time of surgery. The use of these agents has increased the success rate of trabeculectomy but also has increased the prevalence of hypotony. Hypotony is a problem that develops when aqueous flows out of the eye too fast. The eye pressure drops too low (usually less than 6.0 mmHg); the structure of the eye collapses and vision decreases.
Trabeculectomy creates a pathway for aqueous fluid to escape to the surface of the eye. At the same time, it creates a pathway for bacteria that normally live on the surface of the eye and eyelids to get into the eye. If this happens, an internal eye infection can occur called endophthalmitis. Endophthalmitis often leads to permanent and profound visual loss. Endophthalmitis can occur anytime after trabeculectomy. The risk increases with the thin blobs that develop after MMC and 5-FU. Another factor that contributes to infection is the placement of a bleb. Eyes that have trabeculectomy performed inferiorly have about five times the risk of eye infection than eyes that have a superior bleb. Therefore, initial trabeculectomy is performed superiorly under the eyelid, in either the nasal or temporal quadrant.
In addition to scarring, hypotony and infection, there are other complications of trabeculectomy. The bleb can tear and lead to profound hypotony. The bleb can be irritating and can disrupt the normal tear film, leading to blurred vision. Patients with blebs generally cannot wear contact lenses. All of the complications from trabeculectomy stem from the fact that fluid is being diverted from inside the eye to the external surface of the eye.
When trabeculectomy doesn't successfully lower the eye pressure, the next surgical step often is an aqueous shunt device. An aqueous diversion device of the prior art is a silicone tube that is attached at one end to a plastic (polypropylene or other synthetic) plate. With an aqueous shunt device, an incision is made in the conjunctiva, exposing the sclera. The plastic plate is sewn to the surface of the eye posteriorly, usually over the equator. A full thickness hole is made into the eye at the limbus, usually with a needle. The tube is inserted into the eye through this hole. The external portion of the tube is covered with either donor sclera or pericardium. The conjunctiva is replaced and the incision is closed tightly.
With prior art aqueous diversion devices, aqueous drains out of the eye through the silicone tube to the surface of the eye. Deeper orbital tissues then absorb the fluid. The outside end of the tube is protected from fibroblasts and scarring by the plastic plate. Many complications are associated with aqueous shunt devices. A thickened wall of scar tissue that develops around the plastic plate offers some resistance to outflow and in many eyes limits the reduction in eye pressure. In some eyes, hypotony develops because the flow through the tube is not restricted. Many physicians tie an absorbable suture around the tube and wait for the suture to dissolve post-operatively at which time enough scar tissue has hopefully formed around the plate. Some devices contain a pressure-sensitive valve within the tube, although these valves may not function properly. The surgery involves operating in the posterior orbit and many patients develop an eye muscle imbalance and double vision post-operatively. With prior art aqueous shunt devices, a pathway is created for bacteria to get into the eye and endophthalmitis can potentially occur.
The prior art includes a number of such aqueous shunt devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,825 (providing a tubular shunt from the anterior chamber to the corneal surface for the treatment of glaucoma), U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,901 (directed to a transscleral shunt from the anterior chamber to the subconjunctival space), U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,362 (teaching a helical steel implant that is placed to provide drainage from the anterior chamber to the subconjunctival space), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,701 (generally teaching shunting from the anterior chamber to the scleral or conjunctival spaces).
In addition to the prior art aqueous shunt devices described above, other prior art devices for glaucoma surgery have used setons, or other porous, wick-like components to divert and convey excess aqueous from the anterior chamber to the exterior ocular surface. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,634,418 and 4,787,885 (teaching the surgical treatment of glaucoma using an implant that consists of a triangular seton (wick)), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,436, (teaching the use of a porous device to shunt anterior chamber to subscleral space). These patents do not teach placement in Schlemm's canal.
Some prior art references for glaucoma management have been directed at Schlemm's canal, but these have not involved the placement of long-term, indwelling shunts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,399 teaches the temporary placement of a plastic or steel tube with preformed curvature in Schlemm's canal with injection of a viscous material through the tube to hydraulically expand and hydrodissect the trabecular meshwork. The tube is removed from the canal following injection. Because the tube is directed outwardly from the eye for injection access, the intersection of the outflow element with the preformed curved element within Schlemm's canal is at about a 90 degree angle relative to the plane of the curvature, and 180 degrees away from the anterior chamber. Therefore, at no time does any portion of the '399 device communicate with the anterior chamber. Furthermore, relative to that portion within Schlemm's canal, this tube has a larger diameter injection cuff element, which serves as an adapter for irrigation. Therefore, this device is not adapted for shunting aqueous between the anterior chamber and Schlemm's canal.
Most of the problems that have developed with current glaucoma treatment devices and procedures have occurred because aqueous fluid is drained from inside of the eye to the surface of the eye. A need exists, then, for a more physiologic system to enhance the drainage of aqueous fluid from the anterior chamber into Schlemm's canal. In the vast majority of glaucoma patients, the resistance problem lies between Schlemm's canal and the anterior chamber. The canal itself, the collecting channels and the episcleral venous system all are intact. Enhancing aqueous flow directly into Schlemm's canal would minimize the scarring that usually occurs with external filtration procedure since the internal angle region is populated with a single line of nonproliferating trabecular cells. Enhancing aqueous flow directly into Schlemm's canal would minimize hypotony since the canal is part of the normal outflow system and is biologically engineered to handle the normal volume of aqueous humor. Enhancing aqueous flow directly into Schlemm's canal would eliminate complications such as endophthalmitis and leaks.

Shunt device and method for treating ocular disorders


A fast send method may be selectively implemented for certain data packets received from an application for transmission through a network interface. When the fast send method is triggered for a data packet, the application requesting transmission of the data packet may be provided a completion notice nearly immediately after the data packet is received. The fast send method may be used for data packets similar to previously-transmitted data packets for which the information in the data packet is already vetted. For example, a data packet with a similar source address, destination address, source port, destination port, application identifier, and/or activity identifier may have already been vetted. A socket table may be maintained listing previously-transmitted data packets and an instruction for handling additional data packets similar to the data packet entered in the socket table.

Applications requesting to transmit data through a network interface communicate their requests to an operating system to handle the data transmission. That is, the applications do not handle the data transmissions. Instead, the operating system handles interacting with the computer hardware to perform the data transmission. After the application makes the request to transmit data, the application waits to receive a confirmation that the request to transmit data was received and processed.
A conventional method for processing requests to transmit data from applications is illustrated in the flow chart of FIG. 1. A method 100 includes an application requesting to transmit data using a network interface at block 102. The request may be sent to another application, such as a service, running on the computer system. The other application may handle communications with the network interface. At block 104, the interface queues the data transmission while the application waits for a completion notice. The network interface vets the data transmission request and at block 106, the network interface returns a completion code to the application after vetting the request. At block 108, the application resumes operation after receiving the completion code. The network interface may attempt to transmit the data at some time in the future.
Because the application does not interface with the network interface directly, the application pauses each time a request to transmit data is submitted to the other application. This delay can significantly interrupt the operation of the application. For example, the application may perform server functions on a network, such that the application is frequently transmitting data. In this case, a delay each time that a data transmission request is generated significantly reduces the application's throughput.

Socket tables for fast data packet transfer operations


An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle includes a curtain airbag inflatable from a stored condition adjacent a roof of the vehicle to a deployed condition in which the curtain airbag is positioned between a side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant. A tensioner is positioned adjacent to the vehicle roof and spaced inboard from the vehicle side structure. A tether has a first end portion connected to the tensioner and a second end portion connected to the curtain airbag. The tensioner is configured to pay-out and/or retract the tether. The tensioner is configured to control pay-out and/or retraction of the tether to control deployment of the curtain airbag and/or to control movement of the curtain airbag once deployed.

It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that is fixed to the roof of the vehicle and/or to a support structure adjacent to the roof of the vehicle. The inflatable curtain is configured to inflate from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment in the event of a side impact or a vehicle rollover. The inflatable curtain, when inflated, is positioned between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle and helps to protect the vehicle occupant from impacting the side structure and from being ejected from the vehicle.
Portions of certain inflatable curtains in certain vehicle models are at risk of deploying on and/or outboard of the vehicle. Having portions of the curtain airbag deploying on and/or outboard of the vehicle is undesirable because those portions might not be positioned between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle. Further, the at risk portions of the curtain airbag might deploy to a position that is outboard of the vehicle and provide little or no projection to the vehicle occupant. To prevent this undesirable deployment, certain inflatable curtains include tethers for controlling the deployment of the inflatable curtain.

Airbag with deployment or movement controlling tensioner


A user may utilize an existing digital identity to authorize the user's access to security-enabled device operations, where the security-enabled device comprises a cryptographic chip. The device can receive a user authentication token from the digital user identification service, which authenticates a user's identity. Further, the security-enabled device can validate the user authentication token, and provide the user access to device security operations on the security-enabled device if the user authentication token is successfully validated, allowing the user to reset their security access information for the device.

In the digital age, individuals and enterprises often find a need to secure information and/or hardware. For example, smart cards are often used by enterprises, and given to individuals, to provide access to secure environments (e.g., buildings, networks, financial accounts, etc.). Further, information can often be secured by utilizing computer-based hardware, comprise some form of cryptographic chip. A cryptographic chip typically provides a secure computing environment utilizing cryptographic services, including authentication primitives, to control access to data stored on a storage device. Access to a security-enabled device usually involves a shared secret (e.g., password) set up between the device and a user. Further, an administrator of the security-enabled device may also have a shared secret to access the device in case the user forgets their access information or the device needs to be managed in another way.


A grill support apparatus for mounting a grill to a recreational vehicle comprises: a pivot assembly comprising a first hinge and a second hinge; a support arm assembly comprising a first support arm attached to the first hinge, a second support arm attached to the second hinge, and a third support arm attached to and vertically separating the first support arm and the second support arm at first ends proximal to the first hinge and the second hinge; where the first support arm and the second support arm are attached to one another at a position distal to the first hinge and the second hinge; and a base grill support platform attached to the second support arm and extending outwardly from the recreational vehicle in a horizontal orientation.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to an apparatus for mounting a grill to a vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a modular grill mount for mounting a cooking grill to a recreational vehicle.
Description of the Related Art
Camping and outdoor recreation is a multi-billion dollar industry with sustained popularity. As part of experiencing the outdoors, a favorable means of transportation/lodging is the use of the recreational vehicle (RV). A recreational vehicle may come in many forms and include such well-known form factors as a motorhome (i.e., a self-propelled vehicle that includes a living space inside), a travel trailer, fifth wheel trailer, or toy hauler (i.e., a rigid trailer unit having a living/garage space therein and designed to be towed by a truck, sport utility vehicle (SUV), etc. using a bumper or frame hitch), or a camper (i.e., a living space unit designed to be temporarily mounted to the bed of a truck).
While many of the aforementioned RVs include living spaces having small kitchens or kitchenettes built in, often times those people recreating outdoors prefer to use portable grills to cook meals. Moreover, people tend to prefer using a familiar or favorite grill of their choosing, although bringing along this type of equipment in the RV may pose challenges due to inherent space restrictions associated therewith.

Modular grill mount for recreational vehicles