An exemplary hard disk drive mount includes a casing and a fixing plate. The casing defines a receiving space configured for receiving hard disk drives therein. The casing defines through holes at one side thereof. The fixing plate includes bulges corresponding to the through holes. The fixing plate is attached to the side of the casing with the bulges respectively traversing through the through holes into the receiving space of the casing. The bulges are elastically deformable such that when a given one of the hard disk drives is received in the receiving space, corresponding ones of the bulges resiliently abut a side of the hard disk drive and exert a compressing force on the hard disk drive whereby the hard disk drive is fixed in the casing.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to device mounting, and more particularly to a hard disk drive mount seating a hard disk drive (HDD) in an enclosure of an electronic device, and a hard disk drive assembly using the hard disk drive mount.
2. Description of Related Art
In a computer, one or more hard disk drives are often used for storing information. The hard disk drives are mounted in the electronic device by hard disk drive mounts. However, in general, clearances exist between sides of the hard disk drive and the corresponding hard disk drive mount. Thus, during operation, vibration can be generated, which may cause the hard disk drives to impact the hard disk drive mounts and produce unwanted noise.
What is desired, therefore, is a hard disk drive mount which can overcome the limitations described.

Hard disk drive mount and hard disk drive assembly using same


A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named ‘Indy Red’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; intense red purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium, botanically known as Geranium cinereum, and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Indy Red'.
The new Geranium originated from an open-pollination of an unnamed selection of Geranium cinereum, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Geranium cinereum, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Geranium was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Shropshire, United Kingdom in 2002.
Asexual reproduction of the new Geranium by softwood terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Shropshire, United Kingdom since 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


The present invention provides a water-curable resin composition for use in an orthopedic cast composed of a water-reactive liquid organometallic compound having at least one hydrolyzable group per molecule and a viscosity of no greater than about 100,000 centipoise under ambient conditions; and an organic polymer, having a number average molecular weight of at least about 400, mixed with the water-reactive liquid organometallic compound. Preferably, the water-reactive liquid organometallic compound is a compound of the formula (R.sup.1 O).sub.x MR.sup.2.sub.(y-x) wherein: each R.sup.1 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.100 hydrocarbon group, optionally interrupted in the backbone by 1-50 nonperoxide --O--, --S--, --C(O)--, or --N-- groups; each R.sup.2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 -C.sub.100 hydrocarbon group, optionally interrupted in the backbone by 1-50 nonperoxide --O--, --S--, --C(O)--, or --N-- groups; x is an integer between 1 and y, inclusive; y is the valence of M; and M is boron, aluminum, silicon, or titanium.

While the methods, compositions, and materials presented herein can be used in a variety of applications, they are well adapted for use with respect to orthopedic support materials, such as casting tapes. Therefore, as background, characterizations of technology relating to orthopedic casting tapes and problems overcome by the present invention are provided.
Orthopedic casting tapes have been produced using curable resins coated or impregnated onto a substrate. Typically, the casting tape is stored as a roll in a water-impermeable storage pouch until needed for use. When needed, the roll of tape is removed from the pouch and contacted with water. Generally, the tape includes a resin therein that is water-curable. Thus, shortly after the tape is dipped in water, the resin will begin to cure and the tape harden. A medical practitioner applies the casting tape to a patient immediately after it has been immersed in water. Generally, resin materials are chosen that begin to cure immediately after being dipped in water, and that will harden sufficiently to resist passive motion in a joint, i.e., a wrist or ankle, in 3-5 minutes, and to be weight bearing within about 30 minutes.
Typical resin coatings utilized in conventional orthopedic casting systems include isocyanate-functional polyurethane prepolymers. Generally the resin coatings also include lubricants to facilitate unrolling, application, and molding without the resin interfering. Furthermore, they often include defoaming agents to maintain porosity while carbon dioxide is evolved during the curing process. When exposed to water, the isocyanate functional polyurethane prepolymers cure to form polyureas. In certain situations, it may be desirable to avoid or reduce the level of such reactive groups and products.
Typical substrates upon which the above resin coatings are applied to produce an orthopedic casting tape are knit fabrics prepared from glass and/or synthetic fibers. Fiberglass or other high modulus fibers contribute significant strength to the cured resin/substrate composite as well as provide a reservoir for the resin during storage and end-use application of the casting tape. Nonglass and low modulus substrates generally provide for a lower weight and more radiolucent cast. Here the strength is limited by the amount of resin that can be held by the substrate. High resin loading with materials known to date must generally be avoided, however, to prevent excessive heat build-up in the cast while it is in its early stages of cure, i.e., during hardening, as a result of the exotherm produced in the above resins. Furthermore, high resin loads with conventional resins must generally be avoided to prevent undesirable pooling of the resin. "Pooling" is the uneven distribution of the resin on the substrate as a result of the flow of resin due to gravity.
Orthopedic casting tapes of this type are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,661 and 4,774,937 (Scholz et al.), which are owned by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minn., the assignee of the present invention. Such tapes are also commercially available from 3M Company under the tradenames Scotchcast.RTM. Plus casting tape and Scotchcast.RTM. 3 casting tape. Construction materials of this type are also described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,411,262 and 4,570,622 (von Bonin et al.). These materials are one-component systems containing isocyanate or alkoxysilane groups, i.e., silyl-substituted urea, biuret, and urethane derivatives.
A need exists for a water-curable resin composition that can be used in a wide variety of orthopedic support materials, whether used in combination with a fiberglass substrate or a nonglass low modulus substrate. That is, a need exists for a resin composition that can be used in large amounts, i.e., at high resin loads, without excessive heat build-up, resin pooling, and/or perceived health hazards, as well as in smaller amounts.


A method of packing and, for purposes of extending its shelf-life, heat treating a food product in a packaging container of paper or paperboard. The packaging container is first filled wholly or at least partly with foam containing a non-oxidizing gas, such as nitrogen, whereafter the wholly or partly filled packaging container is filled with the pertinent food product. After this filling, the packaging container is, where necessary, filled with additional foam to ensure the headspace above the product level in the packaging container is entirely filled with foam when the packaging container is closed and sealed by thermosealing. The closed packaging container filled with product and foam is thereafter subjected to the heat treatment for purposes of extending its shelf-life at a treatment temperature of at least 115° C.

Packaging containers of paper or paperboard which are intended to be filled with a food product which, with a view to extending its shelf-life, is to be subjected to a thermal treatment in the closed packaging container are generally filled only partly with the relevant product in order to permit a pressure-equalising expansion of the product during the heat treatment. Such an expansion possibility is particularly important in those cases when the food product consists wholly of or at least partly includes a liquid fraction which may readily be vaporized and thereby rapidly raise the vapour or steam pressure inside the packaging container to a level where the packaging container may be ruptured in its sealing joints, or even explode. A further reason for only partly filling the packaging container is that the free space above the level of the product can be efficiently utilised for accommodating such volume variations in the product flow as readily occur in the event of defects in a filling machine.
An unfilled space (so-called headspace) above the level of the product in a packaging container filled with a food product may, however, be associated with serious risks for the packed product, since ambient air in contact with the product flow before and during the filling operation proper may readily be entrained by and accompany the product flow into the packaging container and there accumulate and be entrapped in this space. Contact between such an entrapped volume of air and a packed food product inevitably leads to a harmful oxidative action on the product with the result that the product, by oxidation with the oxygen gas of the air, can be changed or deteriorate in both flavour and aroma as well as in appearance, and thereby become unattractive and even unfit for consumption. Such an oxidative process of destruction takes place over time and is different for different types of food products. For particularly oxygen gas-sensitive products, such as potatoes, asparagus, tubers, maize, fruits, meat and pet food, such a degradation process takes place very rapidly, while other less oxygen gas-sensitive products can, on the other hand, survive for a longer time without any appreciable negative effect.
Regardless of whether the food product which is to be packed and, by means of a subsequent heat treatment, be given extended shelf-life in the packaging container is of the one or other type, it is desirable to carry out the filling operation under such conditions that the entrapped volume of air in the packaging container will be as slight as possible and most preferably totally eliminated.
According to one prior art method, the product filling is carried out under the supply of a non-oxidising gas, such as, for example, nitrogen which, via one or more nozzles, is injected into the packaging container before and/or during the entire product filling operation in order to drive out air from the packaging container and fill the headspace above the level of the product with this gas. One example of such a prior art method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,192. A filling, during simultaneous supply of non-oxidising gas, requires immediate closure of the packaging container after filling in order to prevent the renewed entry of air into the packaging container. In practice however, product filling most generally takes place at a different site than subsequent closure of the packaging container filled with product, which thus implies that the filled, and as yet open packaging container, must first be conveyed a certain distance with the filled product in contact with the ambient air before the packaging container is closed. Even if the time for such a transport between filling and closure can be made very short, there is nevertheless always a risk that at least a part of the injected non-oxidising gas will have time to be forced out and replaced by air which has time to flow into the packaging container during this brief transport. Such inflowing air will hence be enclosed in and accompany the packaging container in direct contact with the product during the further storage of the product in the unopened packaging container.
According to a prior art method which is described in EP 0008886 A1, the risk of accompanying air in a closed packaging container may effectively be prevented or at least considerably reduced if the packaging container, before and/or in association with the product filling operation, is filled with a foam containing a non-oxidising gas, e.g. nitrogen. According to EP 0008886 A1, the open packaging container may thus first be filled the gas-containing foam in order to force out air present within the packaging container, and thereafter be filled with product to the desired level. After this filling, the headspace above the level of the product is more or less completely filled with foam which remains inside, and thus accompanies the packaging container after closure. The thus foam- and product-filled packaging container may thereafter be subjected to a heat treatment with a view to extending its shelf-life (pasteurization), i.e. a heat treatment during which the product is briefly heated to and held at a temperature of at most approx. 100° C., normally 72-78° C. According to EP 0008886 A1, it is also possible first to fill the open packaging container with the pertinent product to the desired level and thereafter, or in immediate association with this product filling, fill the remaining headspace above the product level with the gas-containing foam for forcing out any residual air. The thus foam- and product-filled packaging container is thereafter closed and sealed and can, as above, be subjected to a pasteurization for extending its shelf-life.
Examples of products which may be packed and heat treated in the method according to EP 0008886 A1 are liquids such as fermented beverages such as beer and non-carbonated drinks such as still drinks. However, EP 0008886 A1 is silent as to whether foods of a solid or semi-solid nature, such as for example potatoes, asparagus, tubers, maize, fruit, vegetables, meat and pet food can be used in the prior art method. Nor is it apparent from EP 0008886 A1 whether such solid or semi-solid foods can be packed and heat treated in combination with liquids, such as sauces, cooking juice, stock etc.
One drawback inherent in the prior art method according to EP 0008886 A1 is, however, that the foam entrapped in the product filling has a tendency to remain in and accompany the packaging container more or less intact, even after the subsequent heat treatment (the pasteurization) and the further storage of the product until it is time to open the packaging container. The remaining foam which is exposed on opening of the packaging container may thus give the packed product an excessively frothy appearance which can be associated with a deterioration in product quality caused by defective storage of the product during its storage time in the packaging container. The problem inherent in excessive froth or foam in the opened packaging container will naturally be more or less manifest in those cases where it is not at all expected that the packed product should froth, or even be remotely associated with froth, such as, for example, non-carbonated still drinks.
Hence, there is still a need to be able to pack and heat treat a food product with a view to extending its shelf-life in packaging containers of paper or paperboard without the risk of entrapping air or oxygen in the packaging container during the product filling and without the risk of consequential negative effects on the appearance of the filled product which is exposed on opening of the packaging container. In particular, there is still a need in the art to be able to pack a food of solid or semi-solid nature together with liquid foods, such as, for example, sauces, cooking juice, stock etc. without the risk of such harmful enclosure of air or oxygen and without the risk of such negative effects on the product which has been packed and heat treated for purposes of extending its shelf-life.

Method of packing a food product with extended shelf-life


To stabilize an emitted electron beam, a thermoelectric field emission electron source includes: an electron source having a needle shape; a metal wire to which the electron source is fixed and configured to heat the electron source; a stem fixed to an insulator and configured to energize the metal wire; a first electrode having a first opening portion and arranged such that a tip of the electron source protrudes from the first opening portion; a second electrode having a second opening portion; and an insulating body configured to position the first electrode and the second electrode such that a central axis of the first opening portion and a central axis of the second opening portion coincide with each other, and to provide electrical insulation between the first and second electrodes, so as to provide a structure that reduces an amount of gas released when the first electrode is heated.

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is widely used for visualization of fine structures. The SEM is used not only for observation of a morphology of a material such as a metal and observation of a fine shape and morphology of a biological sample, but also for dimensional inspection and defect inspection of a semiconductor fine pattern. In SEM, a scanning image (SEM image) is obtained by scanning while irradiating a measurement sample with an electron beam and detecting signal electrons (secondary electrons or backscattered electrons) emitted from the measurement sample.
An important point in obtaining the SEM image is to keep the electron beam emitted from the electron source constant. This is because when an amount of emitted electrons decreases, a current with which the sample is irradiated also decreases, and a brightness of an obtained SEM image decreases. The decrease in the brightness of the SEM image means that an amount of the signal electrons decreases, and a decrease in a signal noise ratio not only decreases the brightness but also increases a roughness of the image. When the roughness increases, visibility of the SEM image decreases. In addition, when an inspection is performed using the obtained SEM image, there is a risk of causing a problem that inspection accuracy is lowered.
In order to keep an amount of current emitted from the electron source stable, a vacuum degree has been improved. As a method for obtaining an electron beam, there are a method in which an electron emission source is heated to obtain a thermionic electron, and a method in which a high voltage is applied to an electron emission source to obtain a field emission electron. In both cases, the electron source is installed in a vacuum. Regarding a thermionic electron source, a residual gas in the vacuum reacts with the heated electron source to change a surface structure thereof, thereby changing an amount of emitted current. Meanwhile, regarding a field emission electron source, the ease of electron emission (work function) from a surface changes due to a residual gas molecule in the vacuum adsorbed on the surface, thereby changing an amount of emitted current.
In order to improve the vacuum degree, a method for reducing a gas released from a surface in contact with the vacuum is well known. For example, PTL 1 discloses that a vacuum chamber side surface having a wide area in contact with a vacuum is coated with a material having a small gas release. In addition, PTL 2 discloses that an extraction electrode or an acceleration electrode to be irradiated with an electron beam is coated with a material having a small gas release in order to reduce a gas generated by electron irradiation. In addition, as disclosed in NPL 1 and PLT 3, a method called baking, in which degassing is promoted by raising a temperature of components constituting an electron gun so as to increase a vacuum degree at room temperature cooling, is generally performed. In order to perform the baking, generally, a heat-resistant metal and a ceramic are often used for components that constitute an ultra-high vacuum.

Thermoelectric field emission electron source and electron beam application device


There is provided an information providing apparatus that can be connected to a broadcast receiving terminal that displays electronic contents guide (ECG) information including attribute information expressing contents of a program, including an ECG information storage part that stores ECG information, a viewer EID processing part that processes viewer emotional identification (EID) information as emotional information expressing a program preference of a viewer, a program EID processing part that creates a program EID as emotional information corresponding to contents of the program; an ECG unit constitution part that constitutes an ECG unit by correlating the ECG information with the program based on the attribute information and correlates the program EID with the ECG unit, an EID conformity determination part that determines the ECG unit provided to the broadcast receiving terminal and an ECG unit providing part that provides the determined ECG unit to the broadcast receiving terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus, a broadcast receiving terminal, an information providing system, an information providing method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, by an increase of the number of channels accompanied by spread of a digital broadcast and a cable television, program information is provided utilizing Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information. Based on the EPG information, a viewer can find a desired program out of a plurality of programs. By registering preference information such as a favorite category and character, the viewer can also reduce a load of searching a program. However, a program supposed to be desired by the viewer is sometimes broadcasted by a channel other than the channel determined based on the registered preference information.
Therefore, various kinds of techniques are provided, to reduce the load of the viewer in selecting the program and prevent a case such as missing the desired program by the viewer. For example, in order to improve convenience, there is proposed a method of judging a program preference of the viewer based on a viewing history of the program and an acquisition history of program information, and recommending contents to the viewer by utilizing such a judgment result.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-155764 discloses a technique of specifying a viewer's preference tendency to any one of a plurality of preference patterns based on a program selection history of the viewer, and searching the program matched with the preference of the viewer. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-201303 discloses a technique of reducing the load of the user in selecting the program by judging the preference of a user based on a history of acquiring the past each kind of information, and selecting the program information based on this judgment result.

Information providing apparatus, broadcast receiving terminal, information providing system, information providing method, and program


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus and a system for handling node failure. The method for handling node failure includes: sending, by an intermediate node, a context processing request message to a remote node when detecting that a first node occurs a failure, where the context processing request message is used to instruct the remote node to delete context information associated with the first node and the intermediate node; and deleting the context information associated with the first node and the intermediate node, by the remote node, according to the request message. The technical solution can enable the remote node to process the context information associated with the first node in time.

In a network such as a General Packet Radio Service (General Packet Radio Service, GPRS) network, an Internet Protocol (Internet Protocol, IP) network or an Evolved Packet Core (Evolved Packet Core, EPC) network, in the case that a first node and a second node are neighboring nodes, if the second node detects that the first node occurs a failure, the second node needs to process context information associated with the first node, for example, the second node deletes the context information associated with the first node or sets the context information associated with the first node be invalid. The case that the second node detects that the first node occurs a failure may be that the second node detects that the first node is reset, or the second node detects the path to the first node is faulty, or the second node detects that the first node is unreachable.
During the implementation of the present invention, the inventors find that, in the case that the first node and the second node are not neighboring nodes, if the first node occurs a failure, the second node cannot perceive the failure of the first node, so that the second node does not process the context information associated with the first node. The context information in the second node wastes network resources, and also may cause a potential risk of exception to the network.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method, apparatus and system for handling node failure


A system for disinfecting contaminated water having, in one embodiment, a vessel for contaminated water having an inlet and an outlet. An elongate housing is disposed generally vertically in the vessel, the housing having a housing inlet and a housing outlet, the housing outlet being in open communication with the interior of the vessel. An elongate UV light assembly is disposed in the housing and divides at least a portion of the housing into first and second flow pathways, the second flow pathway being in open communication with the housing outlet. There is a flow inducer aiding flow of at least some of the contaminated water from the vessel, through the housing and out the housing outlet.

Many homes and small businesses, particularly in rural and outlying areas which are not connected to rural treatment systems rely on septic tank systems, aerobic treatment systems, small package plants or other types of local treatment apparatus (collectively "packaged plants") for wastewater treatment. These packaged plants generally use one or more tanks containing the treatment apparatus connected to a field drip system or drain field for ultimate disposal of the treated waters. Treatment entails degradation of waste in the water by the biological processes of bacteria and microorganisms. This "treated wastewater" generally contains bacteria and other microorganisms.
The fluid quality produced by packaged plants is usually regulated by one or more governmental agencies, most of which require that the discharged wastewater be disinfected to reduce the potential hazards caused by the bacteria/microbes in the treated effluent. One common type of disinfection treatment is chemical treatment with a chlorine type compound. Another common treatment is radiation with ultraviolet light (UV). What is known in the radiation of water with UV within the range from about 150 nm through about 300 nm is effective in destroying microorganisms. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,019,256; 5,256,299; 5,422,487; or 5,624,573. Prior art UV treatment systems are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,296,775, 7,250,610, 7,279,092, as well as U.S. Publication 2006/0163168, all of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
In addition to treated wastewater there also exists a problem in disinfecting contaminated water from other sources. In many areas of the world infrastructure which provides potable water for human use, e.g., consumption, baths, etc. is inadequate. For example, in many parts of the world while municipal water may be delivered to residential or commercial sites, the pumping systems do not produce sufficient water pressure to service all of the household needs of the numerous residences attached or connected to the municipal system. This may also be true of a single, large well serving multiple dwellings. In many instances, it is common to place a holding tank on the elevated portion of the residence, e.g., the roof, pump the water into the holding tank, and then use the head pressure of the water at the elevated location to accommodate normal household needs such as showers, faucets, etc. Still another problem with municipal water in these somewhat underdeveloped locations is that the water may become contaminated due to inadequate chlorination, leaking pipes, etc. Accordingly, even though the water is from a municipal system, it is still contaminated and can cause serious illness. Lastly, since the water in these environments is in the holding tanks as described above and may be quiescent for undesirable periods of time, at elevated temperatures there is a chance for the growth of microorganisms, bacteria and the like which would again contaminate the water prior to use.

Flow through apparatus for UV disinfection of water


A steering mechanism 1 is configured as a steering mechanism which allows an arbitrary relationship to be set between a steering mechanism unit 2 through which steering of a driver is input and a turning mechanism unit 3 for turning wheels 5, 5 to be turned, those units being controlled by an ECU 30 on a steer-by-wire basis. When alarm control to wake up the driver is performed according to a determination indicating a reduction of the wakefulness of the driver, the ECU 30 suspends the steer-by-wire control to control the turning mechanism unit 3 independently of the steering mechanism unit 2. As a result, even when an improper steering input is provided by the driver who is at a low level of wakefulness, it is possible to prevent such mis-steering from being reflected in driving.

The present invention relates to a vehicle driving aid apparatus which determines the wakefulness of a driver and issues an alarm to wake up the driver or to concentrate the driver on driving.
For the purpose of maintaining safety of driving, many proposals have been made on vehicle driving aid apparatus which determine the wakefulness of a driver using signals representing behaviors of a vehicle such as a steering angle, signals representing physiological changes in a driver, and so on and which issues an alarm using sounds or light to wake up a driver when it determines a reduction of the wakefulness of the driver.
For example, JP-A-10-315799 discloses a technique in which the wakefulness of a driver is determined based on the state of opening of the driver's eyes and in which, when a reduction of the wakefulness of the driver is determined, an alarm sound having a moving acoustic image is output to wake up the driver who has been at a low level of wakefulness, the wake-up sound lasting for a long time.
However, it is sometimes difficult to maintain the safety of driving sufficiently only by issuing an alarm to wake up the driver as in the technique disclosed in JP-A-10-315799.
Specifically, mis-steering is likely to occur due to a mis-judgment or operational delay of a driver during the time required for the driver to recover from a state at a low level of wakefulness to a wakeful state, and such mis-steering can cause a significant deviation of the vehicle from the driving lane. In particular, when the acoustic image of an alarm sound is moved as described above, the driver's consciousness may concentrate on the moving direction of the acoustic image at the instant when the driver recovers from the state at a low level of wakefulness, and the alarm sound can induce mis-steering rather than prevent mis-steering of the driver. It is therefore necessary to take sufficient countermeasures to a deviation from a driving lane and so on.


Substrates and methods of forming a pattern on a substrate. The pattern includes a repeating pattern region and a pattern-interrupting region adjacent to the repeating pattern region. A mask is formed on the substrate, with the mask including the repeating pattern region and the pattern-interrupting region and which are formed using two separate masking steps. The mask is used in forming the pattern into underlying substrate material on which the mask is received. Substrates comprising masks are also disclosed.

Integrated circuits are often formed on a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer or other semiconductive material. In general, layers of various materials which are semiconductive, conductive, or dielectric are used to form the integrated circuits. By way of examples, the various materials are doped, ion implanted, deposited, etched, grown, etc. using various processes. A continuing goal in semiconductor processing is to strive to reduce the size of individual electronic components, thereby enabling smaller and denser integrated circuitry.
One type of integrated circuitry comprises memory. Individual memory cells of such circuitry are densely packed within a memory array area, and have conductive lines extending outwardly there-from to connect with control circuitry outside of the memory array area. One type of layout comprises a memory array area having word lines extending there-across. One example type of memory which may use such layout is a non-volatile memory known as flash. Flash memory is a type of EEPROM (Electrically-Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) that may be erased and reprogrammed in blocks. Most personal computers have BIOS stored on a flash memory chip. Further, flash continues to find increasing use in consumer devices such as MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.
There is a continuing goal in the fabrication of memory and other integrated circuitry to reduce feature sizes, such as the widths of word lines, to create smaller and denser integrated circuitry. Reduced feature sizes for integrated circuits are related to the techniques used to form those features. For example, photolithography is one technique used to pattern features of integrated circuits. A concept commonly referred to as "pitch" is used to describe the sizes of the features in conjunction with spaces immediately adjacent thereto. Pitch may be defined as the distance between an identical point in two neighboring features of a repeating pattern, thereby including the maximum width of the feature and the space to the next immediately adjacent feature. Due to factors such as optics and light or radiation wave length, photolithography techniques tend to have a minimum pitch below which a particular photolithographic technique cannot reliably form features. Thus, minimum pitch of a photolithographic technique is an obstacle to continued feature size reduction using photolithography.
Pitch multiplication is one proposed method for extending the capabilities of photolithographic techniques beyond their minimum pitch. This method forms features narrower than minimum photolithography resolution by, for example, depositing spacer-forming layers that have a lateral thickness that is less than that of the minimum capable photolithographic feature size. The spacer-forming layer is anisotropically etched to form sub-lithographic features, and then the features which were formed at the minimum photolithographic feature size may be etched from the substrate. Using such techniques where pitch is actually halved, the reduction is commonly referred to as pitch "doubling". More generally, pitch "multiplication" encompasses change in pitch by two or more times, and also of fractional values other than integers. Thus, conventionally, "multiplication" of pitch by a certain factor actually involves reduction of the pitch by that factor.
Photolithographic and other techniques used to pattern an array of repeating features may not form those features at the edges of the array the same as those formed within a more central region away from the array edges. This is due to optical or other effects that result in the edge features patterning differently than the more central features. Existing manners for overcoming these drawbacks are to form the edge features to be larger and/or have greater pitch than the more central region features. Alternately or additionally, dummy features may be formed at the edge(s) of arrays which either do not resolve into underlying substrate material or result in the formation of underlying structures having no circuit function. Regardless, these example prior art techniques for overcoming this problem undesirably consume horizontal substrate area which might otherwise be used in the fabrication of operable circuit components.


The inside-outside positional relationship between a field core of an electromagnet and an armature provided on a piston in an electromagnetic pump is reversed as compared with the prior art pump, that is, an annular armature is placed outside and a field core is placed inside the armature. The annular armature attached to the piston reciprocates in the axial direction thereof and the inside surface of the armature is opposed to the outside circumference of the field core of an electromagnet having formed thereon a plurality of outwardly and radially projecting magnetic poles, and being fixed to a part of a casing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an electromagnetic pump, and particularly to an electromagnetic pump of the type in which a fluid is sucked and discharged by reciprocating a piston using the attracting action of an electromagnet and the repulsive action of a spring means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Publicly known is an electromagnetic pump of the type in which a piston head placed for sliding in a cylinder and having a piston is biased in one direction by a spring and the piston is periodically attracted in the direction opposite to the above direction using an electromagnet to repetitively such and discharge a fluid.
Attached to the piston is an armature which is formed by laminating a plurality of doughnut-like plates of a magnetic material. The piston is cast after the armature is fitted into the mold of the piston.
The electromagnet for attracting the armature constitutes of a pair of magnetic poles placed outside the armature, a field core of a hollow, rectangular material placed around the armature, and coils wound around the magnetic poles.
In the conventional electromagnetic pump described above, the electromagnet for attracting the armature has a large size and heavy weight, and as a result, the electromagnetic pump is also large-sized and heavy. The reason for this is as follows:
(1) The spring means and shaft for biasing the piston in one direction are disposed so that the end portions of them are adjacent to the armature, the end portions are positioned close to or within the magnetic gaps between the armature and the magnetic poles of the field core, and the magnetic path is long. Thus, the magnetic fluxes generated in the electromagnet are susceptible to leakage.
The spring means may be remotely positioned to prevent the magnetic leakage, but it may cause a large-size and heavy weight of the moving portion. In addition, the spring means may be formed of non-magnetic materials such as stainless wire, but these materials are not preferred because they have unstable mechanical properties and a small stress of shear strength. Accordingly, the spring means should be formed using a magnetic material which has unstable mechanical properties and a large allowable stress or shear strength (e.g. steel for spring), but in this case, the magnetic leakage becomes large and it is required to increase the magnetomotive force (ampereturns) of the coils to be wound around the magnetic poles or field core.
(2) In the conventional electromagnetic pump as discussed above, a field core having magnetic poles is a hollow, rectangular material and it is placed outside an armature so as to surround the armature, and thus the field core is large-sized. Consequently, the amount of the magnetic material constituting the field core and armature will increase.
Since the rectangular field core results in a relatively long magnetic path and also a large magnetic leakage, it is required to increase the magnetomotive force of the coils to be wound around the field core.


A leaky waveguide antenna array that receives and/or transmits electromagnetic signals includes a plurality of radiation waveguides disposed in parallel to each other on a surface plane to form the antenna array. A feed waveguide is located below the surface plane and provides an electromagnetic signal to the plurality of radiation waveguides and/or receives a plurality of electromagnetic signals from the plurality of radiation waveguides and provides a composite electromagnetic signal at an output of the feed waveguide. Each of the plurality of radiation waveguides has a waveguide axis and includes a plurality of apertures arranged in a direction of the waveguide axis. The feed waveguide includes a first section of waveguide having a first end connected to an input/output port. The first section of waveguide has a height substantially the same as the height of each of the plurality of radiation waveguides and the first section of waveguide has a second end coupled to a first junction point. The first junction point transitions from the first section of waveguide to a second section of waveguide and a third section of waveguide that each have a height that is substantially half of the height of the first section of waveguide. The second section of waveguide transitions with an upward sloping ramp to the substantially half height of the first section of waveguide. The third section of waveguide transitions with a downward sloping ramp to the substantially half height of the first section of waveguide.

The present invention relates to a video entertainment system for passenger vehicles and, more particularly, to a low-height, low-cost, high-gain, leaky wave antenna system disposed in a low-drag radome and a system for providing satellite broadcasted video directly to passengers on mobile platforms such as, for example, airplanes, boats and automobiles.
Various embodiments of antennas for reception of satellite broadcasted signals designed for mounting on vehicles have been studied and proposed. Since such an antenna is to be mounted, for example, on a roof or the like of an automotive vehicle running on a road where the height of the cars are legally restricted or, for example, on an aircraft where height is also an issue with respect to, for example, any drag associated with such an antenna that may result in decreased fuel efficiency, an important feature of such an antenna is to minimize a height of the antenna and an antenna mounting area. In addition, where the antenna is to receive at all possible times the satellite broadcasted signal and thus where the antenna at all times must be pointed in a direction of the satellite which will vary with time as the vehicle moves, it is important to have a tracking mechanism for controlling an azimuth and elevation angle of the antenna. However, the tracking mechanism can constitute a considerable part of the whole antenna manufacturing costs, complexity and height or mounting area of the antenna. Thus, it is important to minimize the space, complexity and requirements of the tracking mechanism and the antenna.
Disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,019 (hereinafter the xe2x80x9c""019 patentxe2x80x9d) is a slotted leaky waveguide array antenna for reception of satellite broadcast electromagnetic waves that may be mounted on a roof of an automobile. In particular, the ""019 patent discloses a slotted leaky waveguide array antenna that enables reception of a direct broadcast satellite signal even with movement of the automobile, by providing an elevation beam width of about xc2x1/xe2x88x925xc2x0 in the elevation direction which is disclosed to be wide enough so that no tracking system need be used to move the antenna in the elevation direction. Thus the tracking mechanism and antenna of the ""019 patent has an economy of scale in that the antenna need only be rotated throughout 360xc2x0 of the azimuth angle. The antenna of the ""019 patent includes a plurality of waveguides disposed in parallel, wherein each waveguide has a plurality of slots disposed along the waveguide axis and having varying offset, length, and intersection angle values determined by a methodology. In addition, the reference discloses that the waveguide antenna array includes a feed waveguide for distributing electromagnetic waves to each of the plurality of waveguides which is disposed in a same plane as the array antenna and includes a first section extending along an end of each of the plurality of waveguides and a second section extending from a center of the antenna to a center of the first section which is perpendicular to the first section to thereby form a T-junction feed waveguide. The feed waveguide allows the antenna to be rotated in the horizontal or azimuth plane at a rotary center of the antenna without subjecting a converter that is coupled to an output of the antenna to any rotation. An asserted advantage of the ""019 patent is that the converter can be kept in a stationary position thereby reducing the stress on the converter and prolonging the life of the converter.
Another issue with the various slotted waveguide antennas that have been proposed are the costs, the ease of manufacture, and the weight of the various waveguide antennas. For example, a conventional slotted waveguide antenna may be manufactured combining metal plates with a proper precision suitable for a desired frequency range to form a plurality of waveguides, and then securing the waveguides to each other in a transverse direction in an array-like manner. Subsequently, or in conjunction, depending upon the position of a feed waveguide, the feed waveguide may then be secured to the waveguide array. However, such a manufacturing process may not be suitable for mass production and therefore such a slotted waveguide antenna array may not be provided inexpensively using such a method. Moreover, such an embodiment of the slotted waveguide antenna may require reinforcement to avoid movement of the waveguides within the waveguide array. Further, such an embodiment of a waveguide may be typically made out of a metallic material with a high specific gravity which is, for example, for aluminum approximately 2.7 and yields a heavy slotted waveguide antenna array. Thus, conventional slotted waveguide antenna arrays are typically bulky, heavy and not suitable for efficient and cost effective mass production.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,458 discloses an embodiment of a slotted waveguide antenna that is intended to be manufactured easily, inexpensively and that includes a plurality of radiating waveguides each having at least one radiating slot. The antenna also includes a feed waveguide disposed at one end of each of the plurality of waveguides for feeding the plurality of radiating waveguides and a plurality of apertures between the feed waveguide and the radiating waveguides. The plurality of waveguides and the feed waveguide are formed in a single plane by a dielectric plate that is sandwiched between conductive layers to form broad walls of the plurality of waveguides and the feed waveguide. In addition, either plated through-holes having a gap between each of the plated through-holes that is smaller than a wavelength of a signal propagating in the waveguides, or conductive pins having a similar gap therebetween and that are metalized on both sides, are inserted between the conductive layers and used to form the walls of the plurality of waveguides and the walls of the feed waveguide. In addition, the ""458 patent discloses that outer peripheral walls of the plurality of waveguides and the feed waveguide can be provided by covering the dielectric plate material with a conductive material to form the outer peripheral walls. The slotted waveguide antenna of the ""458 patent is asserted to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture and produce.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved leaky waveguide array antenna.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a leaky waveguide antenna array that receives and/or transmits electromagnetic signals, includes a plurality of radiation waveguides disposed in parallel to each other to form the antenna array. A feed waveguide provides an electromagnetic signal to the plurality of radiation waveguides and/or receives a plurality of electromagnetic signals from the plurality of radiation waveguides and provides a composite electromagnetic signal at an output of the feed waveguide. Each of the plurality of radiation waveguides has a waveguide axis and includes a plurality of apertures arranged in a direction of the waveguide axis. The feed waveguide includes a first section of waveguide having a first end connected to an input/output port. The first section of waveguide has a height substantially the same as the height of each of the plurality of radiation waveguides and the first section of waveguide has a second end coupled to a first junction point. The first junction point transitions from the first section of waveguide to a second section of waveguide and a third section of waveguide that each have a height that is substantially half of the height of the first section of waveguide. The second section of waveguide transitions with an upward ramp to the substantially half height of the first section of waveguide. The third section of waveguide transitions with a downward sloping ramp to the substantially half height of the first section of waveguide. The third section of waveguide is substantially a mirror image of the second section of waveguide. The feed waveguide also includes a septum connected to vertical walls of the first, second and third sections of waveguide which aids in the transition from the height of the first section of the waveguide to the height of the second section and the third section of waveguide. Each of the second section of waveguide and the third section of waveguide are coupled to a corresponding first signal port and second signal port of the feed waveguide. Each of the first signal port and the second signal port are coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of radiation waveguides.
With this arrangement, an antenna of reduced height and length can be constructed and mounted on a moving platform such as, for example, an automobile and that is part of a system to transmit and/or receive any of live video programming, images, interactive services, two-way communications and other data signals. In addition, the leaky waveguide antenna array and feed waveguide can be construed or molded from a composite material. With this arrangement, the antenna and feed waveguide can be manufactured more easily, reduced in weight as compared to, for example, an antenna assembled out of a metal such as aluminum, and can be provided at a lower cost.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the leaky waveguide antenna and the feed waveguide can be mounted on an antenna positioning apparatus and disposed within a low-drag radome on a moving vehicle. With this arrangement, the antenna can be moved in both azimuth and elevation angles to keep the antenna pointed at, for example, a transmitting satellite providing broadcast video signal as the vehicle is moving. This embodiment can also be provided with at least one pair of steering arrays also mounted on the antenna positioning apparatus and disposed within the low-drag radome.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of providing a signal to passengers within a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is in an area where reception of the signal is not available. The method includes receiving the signal, with a first receiver in an area where the signal is available, and retransmitting the signal, received by the first receiver, to a second receiver that is located on a vehicle that is not within the area where the signal is available. The method further includes the steps of retransmitting the signal received by the second receiver to a third receiver located on a vehicle that is within the area where the signal is not available. The method further comprising the step of repeating the step of retransmitting the received signal to any vehicle which is in the area where the coverage is not available so that each of the vehicles can receive the signal and present it to passengers within each of the vehicles.
With this arrangement, any of live video programming, images, interactive services such as the internet, two-way communications such as telephone communication and other data signals can be provided to passengers within vehicles even though the vehicles are not within an area where the signal can be received due to, for example, a lack of satellite coverage, or non-continuous satellite coverage, or a lack of ground to air communications facilities, or a poor signal quality. This is particularly advantageous for aircraft flight paths such as, for example, transoceanic flights where a plurality of airplanes are lined up in a path traversing an ocean and where satellite coverage is not yet available above the ocean.

Low-height, low-cost, high-gain antenna and system for mobile platforms


Black powder flowing with hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon pipeline is converted into a magnetorheological slurry by implementing wet scrubbing in the hydrocarbon pipeline. A flow of the magnetorheological slurry through the hydrocarbon pipeline is controlled.

"Black powder" is a term used to describe the appearance of a material that is found in hydrocarbon pipelines (for example, natural gas pipelines) and other pipelines. The material is sometimes wet either from water or liquid hydrocarbons. The solids include a mechanical mixture or chemical combinations of iron sulfides, iron oxides, dirt, sand, salts, chlorides, water, glycols, hydrocarbons, compressor oils, mill scale, or other materials. Black powder can be caused by bacterial and chemical corrosion of a carbon steel pipeline wall. Moisture can act as a catalyst that creates the corrosion resulting in production of iron sulfides and iron oxides in different forms. Black powder sometimes consists of magnetite (iron oxide) and can also include components such as manganese (Mn) and magnesium (Mg).
Black powder is a common problem affecting hydrocarbon pipelines world-wide. Black powder is an extremely hard abrasive material, which can cause erosion of the pipeline wall, seize valves, and damage meters. Black powder can also damage compressors and turbine components. In liquid transmission pipelines, black powder can sometimes cause pump failure.

Controlling flow of black powder in hydrocarbon pipelines


A system and method for targeting content to users of a device or network of user-operated devices. In an embodiment, profile information is determined about a user's media consumption activities. One or more inputs are received from an external source to specify what content to target to the user. One or more content items are selected to target to the user based on the profile information and the one or more inputs. The selection of content items is performed without communicating the profile information outside of the user's device or network of user-operated devices.

Delivering targeted content to computer systems and interconnected devices has many applications. Many content delivery applications have an objective of determining whether the user is likely to be interested in the content before delivering the content to the user. To this end, an effort is made to learn information about the user. Traditional approaches have sought the placement of cookies and other data structures in order to learn some information about the user. More unscrupulous approaches have involved the use of "spy-ware", with the particular goal of delivering very targeted advertisements to users.
Privacy concerns have always limited the ability of content providers in acquiring information about the user. In the realm of network advertisement delivery, privacy concerns limit the ability of websites and services to target specific advertisements that are more likely to receive a positive response from the user. While targeted advertisement are known to draw more favorable responses from users (and thus are more lucrative), the ability to target advertisements in relation to computer and network activity has been limited by what information advertisement providers may lawfully or ethically obtain.

System and method for delivering content to users on a network


A sugar beet harvestor having a grab roller assembly is equipped with a cleaner for removing mud and debris from the rollers of the grab roller assembly. The cleaner has a pair of rails that movably support a traveler. Downwardly directed blades attached to the traveler have lower ends located in close proximity to the rollers of the grab roller assembly. A reversible power driven drive operates to reciprocate the traveler along the rails thereby moving the blades relative to the outer surfaces of the rollers so that mud and debris on the rollers are removed therefrom.

Root crop harvestors are used to lift, clean and load sugar beets onto transport vehicles. The harvestors have beet lifting wheels that lift the beets from the soil along with a considerable amount of soil which must be separated from the beets. Under wet soil conditions, the soil will stick and build up on the grab roller assembly causing considerable strain on the parts of the harvestor as well as substantially increasing the power requirements to operate the harvestor. The harvestor must be periodically shut down to clean the mud and soil from the grab roller assembly to provide for an efficient and effective operation of the harvestor. Examples of sugar beet harvestors having grab roller assemblies are shown by E. C. Rollins in U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,766 and F. W. Eisenhardt in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,058.

Grab roller cleaner for sugar beet harvestor and conveyor systems


A method for managing the power consumption of an information handling system including a processor and an associated cooling system. The method may include providing power to the cooling system based on a performance/power balance setting, accepting a user input to adjust the performance/power balance setting, and adjusting the power provided to the cooling system based on the adjusted performance/power balance setting. The performance/power balance setting may define a balance between performance of the processor and power consumption of the associated cooling system.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option for processing and storing information is an information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, educational, governmental, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information.
Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users and/or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
One type of information handling system is commonly referred to as a server or server system. As suggested by its name, a server system might be described as an information handling system that provides a service to one or more other information handling systems. Server systems include, as examples, application servers dedicated to running specified software applications, database servers that provide database services, file servers that provide file services, web servers that communicate with HTTP (Hypertext transfer protocol) clients to receive and respond to HTTP requests, and numerous other types of servers.
Another type of information handling system is commonly referred to as a personal computer, such as a laptop or desktop computer. FIG. 1 shows one example of a prior art information handling system 1 that may be referred to as a desktop computer. Information handling system 1 includes a host 10, a monitor 20, a keyboard 30, and a mouse 32. Information handling system 1 may include any components, devices, and/or peripherals configured to facilitate or support the operation of information handling system 1.
Host 10 may be a server, a laptop, and/or any other type of information handling system. Host 10 includes processing resources, e.g., one or more central processing units (CPUs) and storage resources that are accessible to the processing resources. Storage resources may include volatile storage or memory and/or persistent storage, e.g., disk storage, flash memory or other type of erasable read only memory (ROM), and the like. Host 10 may also include various other peripheral or I/O devices known in the field of data processing system design.
CPUs and/or other electronic components generate heat as a byproduct of operation. Electronics designers and users may find that using one or more cooling systems associated with an electronics component increases operating speeds and/or efficiency of the components so cooled. Some benefits of increased operating speeds may include, for example, an increase in how quickly and/or efficiently information may be processed, stored, and/or communicated.
FIG. 2 depicts a prior art cooling system 2 configured for use with a CPU or processor 40. Cooling system 2 includes a heat sink 50, a fan 60, and a controller 70. Cooling system 2 as shown is a common design used to facilitate heat transfer away from processor 40.
In the example shown, heat sink 50 includes a mass with a large heat capacity in comparison to that of processor 40. The large heat capacity facilitates rapid heat transfer from processor 40 into heat sink 50. Heat sink 50 also includes one or more fins 52. Fins 52 create a large surface area which increases the heat transfer from heat sink 50 to the surrounding air.
In addition, fan 60 is configured to increase the flow of air across heat sink 50 and fins 52. Increased flow of air, or some other coolant, results in increased heat convection away from heat sink 50 and fins 52. Persons having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that heat sink performance may be improved with a variety of methods, such as increasing the thermal conductivity of heat sink 50, increasing the surface area of heat sink 50 and/or fins 52, and/or by increasing the flow rate of the coolant across heat sink 50 and fins 52.
Controller 70 is a component or device configured to control the operation of fan 60 based on the actual temperature of processor 40. In the example shown, controller 70 receives a signal correlating to the temperature of processor 40 as measured by a temperature probe 42. Temperature probe 42 may be a thermocouple or another sensor configured to measure the temperature of processor 40 and communicate the measurement to controller 70.
Fan 60 includes a motor 62 configured to rotate fan 60. Controller 70 is configured to provide power to motor 62 (e.g., by controlling a power supply coupled to motor 62). Controller 70 may also be configured to control the speed of rotation of fan 60. In this example, controller 70 may increase the speed of fan 60 in response to an increased temperature measurement provided by temperature probe 42. Increasing the speed of fan 60 increases the flow rate of air forced across heat sink 50 and fins 52. In this manner, controller 70 is configured to increase the heat transfer away from processor 40 if the temperature of processor 40 increases.
Typically, processor temperatures are controlled with respect to a specified thermal profile promulgated by the designer of the processor. A thermal profile defines the operating thermal limits of a processor. The purpose of a thermal profile is to ensure optimal operating conditions as well as the long-term reliability of a processor. For example, INTEL propounds up to two different thermal specifications for its processors, including one profile identified as minimizing the chances of processor throttling and one allowing an increased chance of processor throttling in exchange for decreased cooling requirements. Both specifications meet the requirements to support Intel reliability requirements. Typical information handling systems are configured during fabrication to operate their processors within temperatures defined by these or similar thermal profiles.
"Processor throttling" refers to a phenomenon sometimes observed when processors operate at increased temperature. Specifically, transistor performance may be slowed at certain raised temperatures because the speed of switch operation is reduced. In addition, prolonged exposure to increased temperature may result in an increased failure rate. Many information handling systems include governors configured to measure throttling effects based on feedback from the processors. The thermal profiles discussed above may include an upper temperature limit calculated to reduce and/or eliminate the chance that a processor will suffer processor throttling.
FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of two thermal profiles related to processors such as processor 40 described in relation to FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a graph of the temperature at the center of a processor (TCASE) versus the power dissipation requirement (Power). The power dissipation requirement defines the amount of power that must be removed from a processor to operate within a given thermal profile. Along the y-axis (TCASE), FIG. 3 depicts a dotted line labeled TControl. As long as ICASE remains at or below TControl, the required power dissipation from the processor is not specified with respect to a thermal profile. When ICASE exceeds TControl, processor 40 is operating within a thermal profile regime.
Line A represents a high-reliability temperature profile (Profile A) in which the required power dissipation increases rapidly as ICASE increases. Line B represents a more aggressive thermal profile (Profile B), in which ICASE is allowed to increase more dramatically than the profile represented by Line A. As shown on the y-axis (TCASE), the maximum temperature allowed under Profile A is lower than the maximum temperature allowed under Profile B. Under either profile, the thermal design power (TDP) is a target maximum power dissipation value or requirement for processor 40. Current information handling systems are designed to control any cooling systems, and therefore processor temperature, based on a thermal profile selected at the time the information handling system is fabricated.
In exchange for reliability and/or high performance, operation of a cooling system presents its own costs in power consumption, noise, manufacturing complexity, failure modes and/or additional negative consequences. Designers, manufacturers, purchasers and users of information handling systems, CPUs, integrated circuits, microprocessors, and/or any other electronics components may be well served by techniques and apparatus that provide increased performance without the typically attendant negative consequences. Under the current regime, restricting the processor temperature to TCASE,Max instead of a true temperature maximum may reduce the power consumption and cost resulting from a cooling system, but sacrifices some potential performance increase.
Power consumption has become an increasingly important aspect or feature of a server system and other information handling system platforms. In any information handling system, cooling systems consume power. It is anticipated that this power consumption will increase as the speed and efficiency of electronics components increases. While the purchase price and installation cost of a system including a cooling system may be a one time financial impact, the total cost of ownership may be greatly affected by the ongoing cost of energy consumed by the system. Any system or method for reducing the power consumption of cooling systems may offer an improvement in the overall performance of information handling systems.

Method and system for managing the power consumption of an information handling system


A telecommunication receiver provided according to the present invention is implemented to receive a first signal containing information and noise on a first set of sensors and a second signal containing only noise on a second set of sensors. Receiver then decodes the information using first signal and second signal. In one embodiment, a bonded DSL receiver with k signals sensors is implemented with additional s number of noise only sensors to receive only noise. Accordingly, joint demodulation is performed using signals received on k signals sensors and s noise only sensors. The noise sensor is implemented in common mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunication receivers and particularly to reducing the effect of noise in a multi-channel communication receiver.
2. Related Art
In telecommunication system channel in general refers to a band of frequencies used for transferring desired information in digital system. For the purposes of this disclosure data and information are used interchangeably. Often such channels are implemented on various communication medium, for example, copper wire, air, or optical cable. Information transfer capacity of each communication medium is measured in terms of bandwidth/data rate (frequency range).
In order to achieve an increased data rate, also called information transfer capacity, multiple channels are combined to form a single logical channel between a transmitter and a receiver. Accordingly transmitter is implemented to suitably encode the data for transmission on multiple channels. The encoded data is then transmitted on multiple channels, such that the signal/carrier on each channel carries a portion of information.
Similarly, the receiver is implemented to receive encoded data from multiple channels and decode collectively to extract the desired information. Multi-channel system is often referred to as multi-carrier system since multiple carriers are used for transmitting on corresponding multi-channels.
Multiple channels may be implemented using a single communication medium. For example, the total frequency range supported by a medium is divided into multiple sub bands. The information is then collectively transmitted on each sub band. Discrete multitone (DMT) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system represents an example of such a multi-channel communication system.
Alternatively, multiple communication medium, each having a fixed bandwidth, may be combined to form multiple channels between a transmitter and a receiver. The information is then transmitted collectively on each medium. For example, a number of individual copper wires, each having a fixed bandwidth, may be bundled to form a channel, collectively having larger bandwidth. A bonded DSL system represents an example of such communication system.
Signal on each channel is often affected from noise. One source of noise may be interference from the co-channels that are part of the multi-channel system, forming a single logical channel. Similarly, other channels that are not part of the logical channel but are in the vicinity may also cause interference as another source of noise.
Such noise often reduces the quality of the received signal thereby reducing the rate of data transfer (data rate) on a single channel and multiple channel system. Hence it is desirable to reduce the effect noise at the receiver.

Reducing the effect of noise in a multi-channel telecommunication receiver


The space-based solar power generating system is comprised of a flexible thin film photovoltaic sheet supported as a sail in the solar wind. The solar wind provides pointing support, deployment support, and structure stiffness without a heavy backup structure. A high Isp electric propulsion system is used to counteract the force exerted on the sail by the solar wind.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of solar power generation for spacecraft, and in particular relates a photovoltaic blanket of flexible thin film photovoltaics supported in a sail configuration that is stiffened and oriented by the solar wind.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern spacecraft are starved for power. For example, a global positioning spacecraft typically requires less power to operate than a standard household hairdryer (about 1.2 kW). Standard solar array designs, which have worked extremely well for decades, are reaching the limit of their capacity to increase the available power to the spacecraft. At the same time, spacecraft are demanding more and more power. For many spacecraft systems, a spacecraft's capability is directly proportional to the amount of power available.
While photovoltaics technology has changed dramatically, standard solar array design has not. Rigid photovoltaics technology has increased in efficiency from less than 10% to, in the near future, greater than 34%. The use of solar concentrators has recently been demonstrated in conjunction with this technology and, possibly, thermal to electric conversion. Probably of most importance, thin film flexible photovoltaics have been developed in workable efficiencies leading to the ability to produce power generation "blankets".
These technical advances place us in a unique position to revisit power generation, storage, and management from a wholly new perspective. The power needs of the future are well understood, but what systems will provide that power are completely unknown. All that is known about these systems is that they will not look anything like current-day systems. There is a tremendous potential to take these revolutionary technical advances in the power area and use them to redefine how spacecraft generate and use power.
The maximum power capacity of current state-of-the-art spacecraft power generation systems is approximately 15 kW. The best performing of these systems typically have a specific energy of 80 W/kg and a cost in the range of $1000/W. The goal of this invention is to develop a new structural concept that, using advances in thin film flexible photovoltaics technology, achieves an order of magnitude improvement in these metrics. The present invention has the potential for generating 100 kW of power, with a specific energy of over 1000 W/kg at a cost of less than $100/W. This is accomplished through a large solar power "sail" that uses the solar wind to provide structure stiffness and pointing.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A method and an apparatus for over-driving a liquid crystal display (LCD) are provided, which are suitable for compensating a gray level brightness of the LCD. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, a data buffer unit outputs a current frame data. Then, the current frame data is stored into a frame memory unit, and the frame memory unit outputs a previous frame data. Next, several look-up tables (LUTs) are searched for a driving voltage in a corresponding LUT according to the current frame data and the previous frame data. Afterward, a position scanning unit receives the current frame data to determine a current position. Finally, a multiplexer outputs the corresponding driving voltage at the current position. Thus, a display panel has the same gray level brightness in upper, middle, and lower portions thereof, thereby avoiding ghosting.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for driving a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for driving an LCD by using different over-driving look-up tables (LUTs) to determine different display positions.
2. Related Art
In a stereoscopic viewing method of a display apparatus, different contents are displayed to the left eye and the right eye of a person. In particular, the stereoscopic viewing method requires for presenting different images to the left eye and the right eye of the person. In a special stereoscopic viewing method, that is, a time-sequential stereoscopic viewing method, images for the left eye and the right eye are presented alternately.
In order to ensure full stereoscopic viewing, alternating shutter glasses are typically used. After wearing the alternating shutter glasses, a user is enabled to view images on the left with his/her left eye at appropriate time, and view images on the right with his/her right eye at appropriate time.
FIG. 1 is a timing diagram of a conventional alternating shutter glasses in use. When a display apparatus collocating with the alternating shutter glasses is an LCD, a frame rate of the display apparatus must be increased from conventional 60 Hz to 120 Hz, and a vertical blanking interval VBI must be increased. Right-eye frame data R is written to a right-eye portion RE of the alternating shutter glasses S, left-eye frame data L is written to a left-eye portion LE of the alternating shutter glasses S, and the left-eye portion LE is turned on during a vertical blanking interval VBI. The operations are sequentially performed, such that images are transmitted to the brain through the human eyes (left and right eyes), and then combined into a stereoscopic image.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing a relation between a driving voltage and a gray level brightness and a display position in a conventional over-driving method. FIG. 3A is a graphical diagram of a picture presented on a display panel of an LCD. FIG. 3B is a corresponding timing diagram illustrating the timing for writing data to the left eye and the right eye. In a common conventional over-driving method used to accelerate the liquid crystal reaction, for upper data P1 of a display panel P of an LCD, reaction time RT1 taken for respectively writing current frame data F(n) and next frame data F(n+1) to the left-eye portion and the right-eye portion of the alternating shutter glasses S (see FIG. 1) is long (see FIG. 3B), thus resulting in over-shooting, in which the driving voltage is D, and the gray level brightness (curve) is G1. For lower data P3 of the panel, reaction time RT2 taken for respectively writing the current frame data F(n) and the next frame data F(n+1) to the left-eye portion and the right-eye portion of the alternating shutter glasses S (see FIG. 1) is short (see FIG. 3B), thus resulting in under-shooting, in which the driving voltage is also D, and the gray level brightness (curve) is G3. For middle data P2 of the panel, a normal liquid crystal reaction takes place, in which the driving voltage is also D, and the gray level brightness (curve) is G2. When the left-eye portion (or the right-eye portion) of the alternating shutter glasses S is turned on, the driving voltage is D, and G1>G3>G2 (see FIG. 2). Due to the difference between the gray level brightness G1, G2, and G3, poor image quality occurs, that is, ghosting and blurring occur when the display panel P undergoes an optical reaction (see FIG. 3A).

Method and apparatus for over-driving liquid crystal display


A method is described for fabricating a novel double trench memory structure including a shallow trench access transistor adjacent to a deep trench storage capacitor. The described three-dimensional DRAM cell structure consists of shallow trench access transistors and deep trench storage capacitors in a n-well disposed on a semiconductor substrate. In the fabrication method, the vertical access transistors are built adjacent to the one side of one deep substrate-plate trench storage capacitor. Arrangement of the access transistors and trench storage capacitor are different from that of standard single trench cells. The layout of the double trench cell not only provides the advantages of small size, high packing density, lower soft error rate, and higher noise immunity for storage capacitor, but also leads to better performance and an efficient sensing scheme. The structure may be fabricated for p-channel or n-channel embodiments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dynamic random access memory (DRAM) structures having individual memory cells including access transistors and storage capacitors, and more particularly to a structure and fabrication method for a three dimensional, double trench memory cell including a shallow trench access transistor and a deep trench storage capacitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,954 issued Nov. 22, 1988 to Morie et al, entitled DYNAMIC RAM CELL WITH TRENCH SURROUNDED SWITCHING ELEMENT, a semiconductor memory device is described which has a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type in which a plurality of memory cells are formed, each of the plurality of memory cells including at least one capacitor and having a trench which is formed from one major surface of the semiconductor substrate so as to surround at least one memory cell, wherein a first insulating film having element isolation properties is formed on a bottom and most areas of side wall surfaces of the trench, a first conductive film serving as one electrode of the capacitor is formed on the side wall of the first insulating film and an exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate which is not covered with the first insulating film, a second insulating film is formed on the first conductive film, and a second conductive film serving as the other electrode of the capacitor is formed on the second insulating film.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,463 issued Dec. 13, 1988 to Malhi, entitled STRUCTURE FOR CONTACTING DEVICES IN THREE DIMENSIONAL CIRCUITRY, discloses the fabrication of a dRAM cell which is an important application of the present invention. The described cell provides a one-transistor/one-capacitor dRAM cell structure and array in which the cell transistor is formed on the side walls of a substrate trench containing the cell capacitor; the word and bit lines cross over this trench. This stacking of the transistor on top of the capacitor yields a cell with minimal area on the substrate and solves a problem of dense packing of cells. One capacitor plate and the transistor channel and source region are formed in the bulk side wall of the trench and the transistor gate and the other plate of the capacitor are both formed in polysilicon in the trench but separated from each other by an oxide layer inside the trench. The signal charge is stored on the polysilicon capacitor plate by an electrical connection of the source region with the polysilicon capacitor plate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,373 issued Jan. 10, 1989 to Malhi et al, entitled METHOD OF MAKING DRAM CELL WITH TRENCH CAPACITOR, a DRAM cell and array of cells, together with a method of fabrication, are disclosed wherein the cell includes one field effect transistor and one storage capacitor with both the transistor and the capacitor formed in a trench in a substrate. The transistor source, channel and drain and one capacitor plate are formed essentially vertically in the bulk substrate side walls of the trench, and the gate and other capacitor plate are formed in two regions of material inserted into the trench and isolated from the bulk by an insulating layer. Signal charge is stored on the capacitor material inserted into the trench by an electrical connection of the bulk substrate source to the capacitor material through the insulating layer. Word lines on the substrate surface connect to the upper of the inserted regions which forms the gate, and bit lines on the substrate surface form the drains. The trenches and cells are formed at the crossings of bit lines and word lines; the bit lines and the word lines form perpendicular sets of parallel lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,988 issued Jan. 31, 1989 to Kenney, entitled SEMICONDUCTOR TRENCH CAPACITOR CELL WITH MERGED ISOLATION AND NODE TRENCH CONSTRUCTION, discloses a semiconductor trench capacitor construction having a self-aligned isolation structure formed within the trench. The trench isolation structure consists of a thick isolating layer formed along the upper portion of the trench side walls. The trench isolation structure facilitates larger capacitor constructions and allows the capacitors to abut adjacent capacitors and other devices.
Japanese Patent No. 63-17553 issued Jan. 25, 1980 to Ikhijima, entitled SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY STORAGE AND ITS MANUFACTURE, describes a memory cell having fine structure by forming not only a capacitor for the memory cell but also a memory transistor on the side surface of a columnar region in a semiconductor substrate.
Japanese Patent No. 61-22665 issued Jan. 31, 1986 to Murata, entitled SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE, discloses a technique to reduce the occupying area of a switching element and a capacitance element by a method wherein a small hole which is formed in the inner direction from the main surface on the main surface part of a semiconductor base plate, and a switching element and a capacitance element are buried in the small hole.
Japanese Patent No. 63-110770 dated May 16, 1988, entitled SEMICONDUCTOR DYNAMIC RAM, discloses a structure that includes a unit memory cell in a shallow trench formed in a deep trench.
European Patent Application No. 86301758.8 filed Mar. 11, 1968, entitled SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE, shows a MOS capacitor buried in a groove in a substrate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,625 issued Mar. 17, 1987 to Lu, entitled DYNAMIC MEMORY DEVICE HAVING A SINGLE-CRYSTAL TRANSISTOR ON A TRENCH CAPACITOR STRUCTURE AND A FABRICATION METHOD THEREFOR, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices are taught wherein individual cells, including an access transistor and a storage capacitor are formed on a single-crystal semiconductor chip, and more particularly, a three-dimensional dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device structure is described having a single-crystal access transistor stacked on top of a trench capacitor and a fabrication method therefor wherein crystallization seeds are provided by the single-crystal semiconductor area surrounding the cell and/or from the vertical side walls of the trench and wherein the access transistor is isolated by insulator.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,410 issued June 9, 1987 to Miura et al, entitled SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE WITH TRENCH SURROUNDING EACH MEMORY CELL, a semiconductor device is described that has memory cells respectively located at intersections of bit and word lines arranged in a matrix form, each of the memory cells being constituted by a single insulated gate transistor and a single capacitor. One memory cell is formed in an element formation region defined by each of trenches arranged in a matrix form. The capacitor has an insulating film formed along part of a side wall surface of a trench formed in at least a direction of thickness of a semiconductor substrate and a conductive layer formed along the insulating film. The transistor has a gate insulating film adjacent to the capacitor and formed along a remaining portion of the side wall surface of the trench, a gate electrode formed along the gate insulating film, and a diffusion region formed in a major surface of the semiconductor substrate which is adjacent to the gate insulating film.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,678 issued Dec. 15, 1987 to Womack et al, entitled DRAM CELL AND METHOD, a DRAM cell and array of cells, together with a method of fabrication, are disclosed wherein the cell includes one field effect transistor and one storage capacitor with the capacitor formed in a trench in a substrate and the transistor channel formed by epitaxial growth on the substrate. The transistor source and drain are insulated from the substrate, and the transistor may be adjacent the trench or on the upper portion of the trench side walls. Signal charge is stored on the capacitor plate insulated from the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,623 issued Mar. 1, 1988 to Lu et al, entitled FABRICATION METHOD FOR FORMING A SELF-ALIGNED CONTACT WINDOW AND CONNECTION IN AN EPITAXIAL LAYER AND DEVICE STRUCTURES EMPLOYING THE METHOD, discloses a fabrication process for providing an epitaxial layer on a silicon substrate and over predefined insulator-capped islands which forms a self-aligned contact window in the epitaxial layer. Application of the method to a three-dimensional dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device structure is shown, with an access transistor formed in monocrystalline silicon stacked on top of a trench capacitor. A fabrication method therefor is shown wherein the contact window for the source-to-trench connection is formed by self-aligned lateral epitaxial growth, followed by a contact-connection formation step using either a second epitaxial growth or a CVD refill and strapping process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,557 issued June 14, 1988 to Sunami et al, entitled DRAM WITH FET STACKED OVER CAPACITOR, describes a semiconductor memory wherein a part of each capacitor is formed on side walls of an island region surrounded with a recess formed in a semiconductor substrate, and the island region and other regions are electrically isolated by the recess.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,786 issued Sep. 6, 1988 to Garnache et al, entitled TWO SQUARE MEMORY CELLS, a memory is provided which includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface and a trench disposed therein having a longitudinal axis, storage means disposed on a given side wall of the trench, switching means having a control element and a current carrying element disposed on the given side wall of the trench between the storage means and the major surface of the substrate and coupled to the storage means, a first electrically conductive line disposed on the given side wall in contact with the control element of the switching means and having a longitudinal axis arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trench, and a second electrically conductive line disposed on the major surface of the semiconductor substrate in contact with the current carrying electrode of the switching means and having a longitudinal axis arranged orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the trench.

Structure and fabrication method for a double trench memory cell device

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