A circuit board including a desired number of electrically insulating layers and wiring layers laminated alternately, and an inner via hole for securing an electrical connection between the wiring layers by compressing and hardening a conductive paste including a conductive particle and a resin. In the electrically insulating layer, a porous sheet is provided a resin sheet at least one surface, and the porous sheet is not impregnated with a resin at least at a central portion. A through hole penetrating the electrically insulating layer in the direction of the thickness of the electrically insulating layer is filled with a conductive paste including a conductive particle and a resin, and pores that are present inside the porous sheet are filled with laminated resin. The average hole diameter of the pores inside the porous sheet may be smaller than the average particle size of the conductive particle. Thereby, it is possible to make the insulating layer of the circuit board securing the interlayer electrically connection by an inner via hole including a conductive paste to be homogenized and ultra-thin and improve the reliability of the connection of the inner via hole.

The present invention relates to a circuit board used for electronic equipment, more specifically, it relates to a circuit board having an interstitial inner via hole structure, a method for manufacturing the same, and a circuit board electrically insulating material used therefor.
In recent years, as miniaturization, light weight and high performance of electronic equipment have been required, there has been a strong demand not only for a small size and light weight of a circuit board but also for higher speed for processing signals and high density mounting, and the like. In order to meet such demands, in the field of a circuit board technology, a technology for increasing the number of layers in a laminate structure, a technology of making the diameter of an inner via hole smaller, a technology for making circuit patterns finer, and the like have been developed rapidly, and circuit boards having various structures have been proposed or put into practice. As one example, the present assignee has developed a circuit board having an all-layer IVH (interstitial inner via hole) structure, in which the interlayer electric connection is secured with an inner via hole filled with a conductive paste in place of a through hole structure that has been a usual method in conventional circuit boards (see, for example, JP7 (1995)-14746 4 A). This circuit board has features that no through hole is needed and inner via holes can be arranged at arbitrary positions, and therefore, this circuit board has a high capacity of wiring, a high degree of freedom in design, shortening of wiring, etc. Thus, this circuit board is suitable for signal processing at high speed and high density mounting. In this circuit board, the conductive paste filled in the through hole is compressed and hardened simultaneously with molding of the laminate, thereby providing an inner via hole for securing an interlayer electrical connection. Therefore, this circuit board needs an electrically insulating material having such a compressive performance that permits sufficient compression of a conductive paste and is capable of maintaining the shape of the inner via hole. In general, as a conductive paste, a prepreg obtained by impregnating an aramid non-woven fabric with a thermosetting resin is used. The compressive performance of the aramid prepreg can be achieved by the melt flow of the thermosetting resin and the effect of defoaming of any remaining air foam. The maintenance of the shape of the inner via hole can be achieved by rigid property of the aramid non-woven fabric.
In the future, in a view that a circuit board will increasingly be required to have a finer circuit pattern, a smaller diameter of an inner via hole and an increase in number of the layers of the laminate structure and the like, it is extremely important to make the electrically insulating layer to be homogenized and ultra-thin. However, a non-woven fabric made of an aramid staple fiber having a diameter of 10-20 xcexcm may cause a non-negligible non-uniformity of the physical property in a micro area depending on the direction of the fiber. Furthermore, a satisfactory thin layer cannot be obtained because there is a limitation to the number of fibers in the thickness direction.
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit board electrically insulating material and a circuit board, in which an electrically insulating layer is made to be homogenized and ultra-thin and the connection reliability of the inner via hole including a conductive paste is improved so as to achieve higher density mounting, and also provide a method for manufacturing the same.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the circuit board electrically insulating material of the present invention is a circuit board electrically insulating material in sheet form, insulating sheet, including a porous sheet; and a resin layer laminated to a surface of the porous sheet, wherein at least a central portion of the porous sheet is not impregnated with resin and the circuit board insulating material has a thickness sufficiently small for use in a circuit board. In other words, the circuit board electrically insulating material of the present invention includes a porous sheet provided with a semi-hardened resin layer on both surfaces or one surface. In the circuit board electrically insulating material, the pores of the porous sheet are hollow. Furthermore, the pores of the porous sheet of the present invention may be formed by continuous holes. Hereinafter, xe2x80x9cat least a center of the porous sheet is not impregnated with resinxe2x80x9d also is referred to as xe2x80x9cpores of the porous sheet are hollow.xe2x80x9d
Next, the circuit board of the present invention includes a desired number of electrically insulating layers and wiring layers laminated alternately, and an inner via hole for securing an electrical connection between the wiring layers by compressing and hardening a conductive paste including a conductive particle and a resin; wherein the electrically insulating layer includes a porous sheet in which a resin layer is laminated to at least one surface, and at least a central portion of the porous sheet is not impregnated with a resin; a through hole penetrating the electrically insulating layer in the thickness direction of the electrically insulating layer is filled with a conductive paste including a conductive particle and a resin, and pores that are present inside the porous sheet are filled with the laminated resin; and the average hole diameter of the pores that are present inside the porous sheet is smaller than the average particle size of the conductive particle.
Next, a first method for manufacturing a double-sided circuit board of the present invention includes: providing a through hole at a desired position of a laminate in which mold release films are formed on both surfaces of the above-mentioned circuit board electrically insulating material; filling the through hole with a conductive paste; peeling off the mold release film from the laminate in which the through hole is filled with the conductive paste; superimposing metal foils on both surfaces of the circuit board electrically insulating material from which the mold release films have been peeled off to form a laminate; heating and pressing the laminate to allow hollow pores of the porous sheet to be filled with a resin and allow the metal foils to be adhered to the porous sheet while compressing and hardening the conductive paste filled in the through hole, thereby providing an inner via hole; and forming desired circuit patterns on the metal foil.
Next, a second method for manufacturing a double-sided circuit board of the present invention includes forming a laminate either by superimposing resin sheets on both surfaces of a porous sheet that is not completely impregnated with a resin, further superimposing the mold release films on both surfaces of the laminated resin sheet, and pressing thereof; or by forming a resin layer on one surface of a mold release film, further sandwiching a porous sheet that is not impregnated with a resin by the sides of the resin layer of the mold release films provided with the resin layers; and pressing thereof; providing a through hole in a desired position of the laminate provided with the mold release films; filling the through hole with a conductive paste; peeling off the mold release films from the laminate in which the through hole has been filled with the conductive paste; superimposing the metal foils on both surfaces of the laminate from which the mold release films have been peeled off; heating and pressing the laminate to allow hollow pores of the porous sheet to be filled with a resin and allow the metal foil to be adhered to the porous sheet, and compressing and hardening the conductive paste filled in the through hole, thereby providing an inner via hole; and forming desired circuit patterns on the metal foil.
Next, a third method for manufacturing a double-sided circuit board of the present invention includes providing a through hole at a desired position of a laminate in which mold release films are formed on both surfaces of a porous sheet that is not completely impregnated with a resin; filling the through hole with a conductive paste, and peeling off the mold release films from the laminate in which the through hole has been filled with the conductive paste; sandwiching the laminate from which the mold release films have been peeled off by transfer media, the transfer media being formed on a supporting base material by filling a resin in an exposed portion of the supporting base material at the side of the wiring layer provided on the supporting base material; and heating and pressing the laminate to allow hollow pores of the porous sheet to be filled with a resin and allow the wiring layer to be adhered to the porous sheet, and compressing and hardening the conductive paste filled in the through hole, thereby providing an inner via hole; and removing the supporting base material of the transfer medium from the heated and pressed laminate.
Next, a fourth method for manufacturing a double-sided circuit board of the present invention includes forming a resin layer at the side of a wiring layer of a transfer medium in which a wiring layer is provided on a supporting base material; sandwiching both surfaces of a porous sheet that is not completely impregnated with a resin between the transfer medium on which the resin layer is formed and a mold release film provided with a resin layer to form a laminate; forming a non-through hole at a desired position of the laminate from the side of the mold release film; filling the non-thorough hole with a conductive paste; peeling off the mold release film from the laminate in which the non-through hole has been filled with the conductive paste; superimposing a metal foil on the surface of the laminate from which the mold release film has been peeled off; heating and pressing the laminate to which the metal foil is superimposed to allow hollow pores of the porous sheet to be filled with a resin and allow the metal foils and the wiring layer of the transfer medium to be attached to the porous sheet, and compressing and hardening the conductive paste filled in the non-through hole, thereby providing an inner via hole; forming desired circuit patterns on the metal foil; and removing the supporting base material from the laminate in which the circuit patterns have been formed on the metal foil.
Next, a first method for manufacturing a multilayer circuit board of the present invention repeats the following steps once or more: providing a through hole at a desired position of the laminate in which mold release films are formed on both surfaces of the above-mentioned circuit board electrically insulating materials; and filling the through hole with a conductive paste; peeling off the mold release films from the laminate in which the through hole has been filled with the conductive paste; superimposing a desired number of the circuit board electrically insulating material from which the mold release films have been peeled off and the circuit board provided with two or more of wiring layers alternately so that the circuit board electrically insulating material becomes the outermost layer, and furthermore superimposing metal foils on the surface thereof to form a laminate; heating and pressing the laminate to allow hollow pores of the porous sheet to be filled with a resin and allow the metal foil and the circuit board to be adhered to the porous sheet, and compressing and hardening the conductive paste filled in the through hole, thereby providing an inner via hole; and forming desired circuit patterns on the metal foil.
Next, a second method for manufacturing a multilayer circuit board of the present invention repeats the following steps once or more: forming a laminate either by superimposing resin sheets on both surfaces of a porous sheet that is not completely impregnated with a resin, further superimposing the mold release films on both surfaces of the laminated resin sheet, and pressing thereof; or by forming a resin layer on one surface of the mold release film, sandwiching a porous sheet that is not completely impregnated with the resin between the sides of the resin layer of the mold release film provided with the resin layer, and pressing thereof; providing a through hole at a desired position of the laminate provided with the mold release films, filling the through hole with the conductive paste, and peeling off the mold release films from the laminate in which the through hole has been filled with the conductive paste; superimposing a desired number of the laminate from which the mold release films have been peeled off and the circuit board electrically insulating material provided with two or more of the wiring layers alternately so that the circuit board electrically insulating material becomes the outermost layer, and furthermore superimposing a metal foil; heating and pressing the laminate to allow hollow pores of the porous sheet to be filled with a resin and allow the metal foil and the circuit board to be adhered to the porous sheet, and compressing and hardening the conductive paste filled in the through hole, thereby providing an inner via hole; and forming desired circuit patterns on the metal foil.
Next, a third method for manufacturing a multilayer circuit board of the present invention repeats the following steps once or more: forming a resin layer on at least one surface of the circuit board provided with two or more wiring layers; superimposing a porous sheet that is not completely impregnated with a resin at the side of the resin layer of the circuit board; and furthermore superimposing the mold release film provided with the resin layer on one surface onto the porous sheet; forming a non-through hole at a desired position of the laminate from the side of the mold release film; filling the non-through hole with the conductive paste; and peeling off the mold release film from the laminate in which the non-through hole has been filled with the conductive paste; superimposing metal foils on the surfaces of the laminate from which the mold release films have been peeled off; heating and pressing the laminate to allow hollow pores of the porous sheet to be filled with a resin and allow the metal foil and the circuit board to be adhered to the porous sheet, and compressing and hardening the conductive paste filled in the through hole, thereby providing an inner via hole; and forming desired circuit patterns on the metal foil.
As mentioned above, with the circuit board electrically insulating material, circuit boards or the methods for manufacturing a circuit board of the present invention, it is possible to make the electrically insulating layer of the circuit board which secures the electrically connection with the inner via hole including a conductive paste to be homogenized and ultra thin and the reliability of the via connection to be higher. Therefore, the present invention can provide a circuit board that is extremely suitable for high density mounting.

Circuit board having an interstitial inner via hole structure

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An image processing apparatus obtains a plurality of images obtained by shooting the same subject at different positions, at each of a plurality of timings. Then, a first phase difference between images obtained at the same time, and a second phase difference between images obtained by shooting at the same position but at different timings, are detected. The image processing apparatus then selects at least some of the obtained images as images to be used in synthesis in accordance with a set generation condition, synthesizes the images so as to eliminate at least one of the first and second phase differences, and outputs the resulting image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image capturing apparatus, a control method, and a recording medium, and particularly relates to techniques for generating images that are focused at a desired depth based on output data obtained through shooting.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image capturing apparatuses such as digital cameras that, when capturing an image, record information indicating a two-dimensional intensity distribution of light and an angle of incidence of light rays in a subject space (that is, light field information) as data (light field data, or "LF data") have appeared. By performing predetermined processing on the LF data obtained in this manner, an image that is focused at a desired depth (a "reconstructed image") can be generated (Ren. Ng et al., "Light Field Photography with a Hand-Held Plenoptic Camera", Stanford University Computer Science Tech Report CTSR, 2005-02; Todor Georgiev and Andrew Lumsdaine, "Superresolution with Plenoptic 2.0 Camera", Signal Recovery and Synthesis, Optical Society of America, 2009).
Meanwhile, there are techniques that apply different types of image processing to image signals output when shooting using an image capturing apparatus, depending on the scene that was shot, the purpose of the shooting, and so on. For example, one technique employed when using a charge-accumulation type photoelectric conversion element as the image sensor involves reading out a charge accumulated during exposure when the charge has saturated and executing the exposure again in order to obtain image signals corresponding to multiple charge readouts, and the image signals are then combined to enhance the dynamic range (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-34772).
However, a method for usefully processing multiple pieces of LF data obtained through multiple exposures based on the scene that was shot, the purpose of the shooting, or the like when generating a reconstructed image using LF data as described in the aforementioned Non-patent Documents 1 and 2 has not yet been proposed.

Image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, control method, and recording medium


A method and system for rendering and filling non-complex polygon outlines using vertical span architecture. Three control planes are used to control the rendering and filling of pixels. These control planes include a fill control plane, which is filled with bits at locations corresponding to the first and last points of each vertical span of a polygon outline; an edge plane, which is filled with bits at locations corresponding to pixels having a center lying on an oblique edge of the polygon outline or having a center lying on a beginning or ending of each edge; and a Y direction plane, which is filled with bits indicating whether the edge is directed in a positive or negative Y direction at locations corresponding to the filled locations in the edge plane. The polygon is filled by proceeding along successive vertical spans, processing each span in accordance with the contents of the three control planes and the rendering orientation of the polygon outline.

In graphics processing, the ability to render and fill polygons or images which are not blurred in an easy and efficient manner is important. Previously, various techniques for rendering and filling polygons have been implemented. These techniques include, for example, an Ordered Edge List algorithm and a Bresenham procedure, both of which are described in J. D. Foley et al., Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics (1982). Many of the techniques known today render and fill polygons using a horizontal scan strategy. Others, use a vertical scan strategy.
One example of a filling technique using a horizontal scan technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,119, entitled "Image Processing System for Area Filling of Graphics," issued on Aug. 9, 1988 and assigned to International Business Machines, Corporation. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,119, an area fill technique for graphic images is disclosed, wherein the contour lines constituting an image are given in a series of line segments and horizontal line segments are ignored. The pixels of each line segment are stored in a work memory such that each line segment is represented by one pixel per horizontal line. An even number of contour line pixels exist in each horizontal line in the work memory and, area fill can be realized by scanning each horizontal line in the work memory and turning on pixel memory cells from an odd numbered contour line pixel to an even numbered contour line pixel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,838, entitled "Filled Shaped Generating Apparatus," issued on Dec. 2, 1986 and assigned to Hitachi, Ltd., an apparatus for filling an interior of a shape to be displayed on a raster scan CRT is disclosed. The apparatus includes a memory for storing information of starting points and ending points for filling. The write of a filling color code into the refresh memory is initiated and terminates in response to the filling starting point and ending point, respectively, but inhibited at its memory locations on the contour of the shape. The direction of the filling is perpendicular to the horizontal raster scanning of the CRT.
Many of the known rendering and filling techniques, especially those which are mostly hardware implemented, are not capable, however, of satisfying all of the known X Window EvenOdd fill rules, which are described in X Protocol Reference Manual for X Version 11, Volume 0 by O'Reilly and Associates, Inc. (May 1990), which is hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, some of the rendering techniques are mostly software implemented and require complex data structures which are difficult to use and reduce the processing speed. Since, in graphic processing, it is advantageous to satisfy the X EvenOdd Rules and it is imperative to render and fill the polygons in an expedient manner, there exists a need for a rendering and filling technique which uses vertical span architecture to render and fill polygon outlines.
In addition, a need exists for a polygon rendering and filling technique which is capable of using vertical spans and is faster and less complex than previously implemented methods. Further, there exists a need for a rendering and filling technique which is capable of using vertical spans and still conform to the X EvenOdd fill rules. Still further, a need exists for a method and system that uses vertical span strategy for rendering and filling polygons in which a pixel on the edge of a polygon is drawn if, and only if, the interior of the polygon is to the right of the pixel or below the pixel. A yet further need exists for a polygon rendering and filling technique which does not need complex data structures and is capable of being implemented mostly in hardware using vertical span architecture.

Method and system for filling non-complex polygons using vertical spans

International Business Machines Corporation


A surgical stapler that may have a head assembly, a stapling assembly, a shield, a base head, a handle assembly, and a shaft assembly. A head assembly may have an anvil and anvil shaft, as well as a stapling assembly. A stapling assembly may have a trocar that can be removeably detachable with the anvil, a cannula extension, and a plurality of staples. A shield may be configured to retract from a first extended position where the shield generally covers the stapling assembly or the head assembly, to a second retracted position where the shield generally exposes the stapling assembly or the head assembly. The shield may be integral with the stapler, or provided after-market as an add-on. A surgical stapler may additionally or alternatively include an air or gas pump assembly that can be used to insufflate the rectum and intestinal tract during insertion and advancement of the stapler.

The use of surgical staples to construct intestinal anastomosis is known. In an anastomotic stapling surgery, usually two pieces of tubular tissue are attached together by a ring of staples. Various anastomotic techniques are known including attaching the two pieces of tubular tissue end to end, end to side, and side to side. During construction of stapled end to end, or end to side anastomosis, a circular stapling device is often used. Circular stapling devices are most often used for colon and rectal surgery, whereby a diseased portion of the bowel is removed and the proximal and distal intestinal segments are joined together by means of a circular stapler to reestablish intestinal continuity. A circular stapling device may generally include a head assembly, a stapling assembly, a shaft assembly, a handle assembly, and a head base. In performing an anastomosis with such a stapling instrument, the two pieces of tubular tissue are clamped together between an anvil that has a circular array of staple-forming grooves and a staple holder that has a plurality of staple-receiving slots arranged in a circular array in which the staples are received. A staple pusher is advanced to drive the staples into the tissue and form the staples against the anvil. Present circular anastomosis stapling instruments include, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,459 to Brinkerhoff et. al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,167 and 4,646,745 to Noiles, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Sometimes, a circular anastomosis stapling instrument may be provided with a flexible shaft that allows the head assembly to assume various positions relative to the actuator assembly. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,077 to Noiles et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,909 to Barker et. al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,523 to Shichman, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, disclose circular stapling instruments with flexible shafts.
One method of constructing an anastomosis includes a double purse string suture technique. In preparation for the anastomosis, purse string sutures are placed in both the proximal and distal ends of the lumen to be connected. Typically, the anvil is secured in the proximal bowel, and the circular stapler with the anvil detached is inserted into the anal opening of the patient and up through the appropriate length of rectum. During passage of a circular stapler without the anvil portion attached, the attendant bowel may be traumatized and or irritated by blunt, sharp, cornered, etc. surfaces of the stapling assembly. At other times, the circular stapler with the anvil detached may not be able to negotiate the bowel with relative ease because of strictures in the walls of the bowel and naturally occurring intestinal valves and curves.
In another version of the double purse string suture technique, a circular stapler, with the anvil attached, is passed through the anus to the distal end of the lumen, which has been secured by a purse string suture. The purse string suture must then be opened wide enough to allow the entire anvil to be extended through the distal end of the lumen and into the proximal end of the lumen. The distal purse string suture is then pulled tight, gathering the tissue about the extended trocar, and the proximal purse string suture is pulled tight, gathering the tissue about the anvil shaft. The actuator is then engaged, which brings the anvil and the stapling assembly together, resulting in a ring of staples about the perimeter of the now connected lumen. When the circular stapler is passed through the intestinal tract as one unit, as in this technique, the need to open the distal purse string suture wide enough to allow the anvil to pass through the end of the distal lumen may result in intestinal content spillage, which may lead to increased rates of postoperative infection. Even with the anvil attached to the stapler, the shape of the anvil may not be streamlined, and trauma to the intestine may occur when the stapler is passed through the intestinal tract.
Another technique of constructing an anastomosis includes using a purse string suture at the proximal end of the lumen and staples at the distal end of the lumen. This type of anastomosis is often referred to as a double staple technique. This method can be advantageous because it does not require the placement of a purse string suture about the end of the distal lumen, which can be difficult to apply and, as stated above, may result in intestinal content spillage. Otherwise, this technique is performed in generally the same manner as the first method described above for the double purse string technique, whereby the stapler with the anvil detached is inserted through the anus to the distal end of the lumen, and the anvil is inserted in the proximal end of the lumen. The same limitations as the earlier described technique are attendant in this technique, namely that the passage of the circular stapler without the anvil, may cause bowel irritation and or trauma. Further, the stapler, without the anvil may be difficult to negotiate through the intestinal tract due to strictures, and or naturally occurring curves, twists, and valves.
As more colon and rectal procedures are performed laparoscopically, a need in the art exists for a circular stapler that can be more easily passed through the bowel when the anvil is not attached. There exists a need in the art for a retractable cover or shield to facilitate passage of a surgical stapler through the intestinal tract, allowing the surgeon to minimize or avoid trauma to the intestinal tract during insertion of the stapler, and to negotiate and dilate intestinal strictures. There also exists a need in the art for a surgical stapler including an air or gas pump assembly that can be used to insufflate the rectum and intestinal tract during insertion and advancement of the stapler.

Shield for surgical stapler and method of use


A CRT bulb is constructed from a front panel having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the funnel section to which it is rigidly attached, thereby favorably stressing the bulb in the funnel-to-panel seal area resulting in a bulb with adequate evacuated strength while utilizing a thinner front panel than otherwise possible.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cathode ray tube (CRT) bulbs. More specifically, the present invention relates to CRT bulbs having flat front panels, or faceplates, suitable for use with flat tensioned shadow masks.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As is known the art of CRT construction, a CRT "bulb" is formed from a screen-bearing front glass panel affixed at high temperatures to a glass funnel section with cementitious material, normally a devitrifiable solder glass, or "frit". A CRT "envelope" is then formed by sealing an electron gun into a neck section of the bulb opposite the screen. The CRT envelope is then evacuated and sealed to become an operational, or finished, CRT.
Because the CRT is evacuated, atmospheric pressure produces stress on the CRT envelope. Thus the CRT must be designed so that the weakest portion of its envelope is able to withstand this atmospheric loading. This ability to withstand atmospheric loading is referred to as the "pressure strength" of the bulb. Pressure strength is determined by a defacto industry standard test. Even though the external pressure after evacuation is approximately 14.7 psi; new bulbs are required to have a pressure strength greater than 14.7 psi in order to insure that they can survive a lifetime of environmentally induced damage The funnel-to-panel seal area, hereinafter "seal area", encompassing the funnel walls, frit, and panel areas adjacent each other, is a highly stressed area and therefore more likely to be an origin of failure; largely because large bending moments are typically generated in this area due to panel deflection.
In the common CRT spherical faceplate, the faceplate, being analogous to an arch, has a shape which inherently resists the atmospheric load on the CRT. However, in the case of a tensioned foil shadow mask CRT, which most commonly uses a flat front panel, the flat front panel shape does not inherently resist the atmospheric loading as well as a spherical panel.
As seen in FIG. 1, a known type of flat tension mask (FTM) CRT has a flat, skirtless, glass front panel 11 sealed to a glass funnel 13. The glass front panel 11 has a mask support structure 14 affixed on its interior surface 16. The mask support structure 14 surrounds a luminescent screen 18. Affixed under tension to the mask support structure 14 is a foil shadow mask 20.
As seen in FIG. 2, a flat skirtless glass front panel 11 is bonded to a glass funnel 13 by means of a devitrifying frit 15. The devitrifying frit 15 is applied to either the funnel 13 or front panel 11 at room temperature in the form of a paste. The front panel and funnel are then suitably fixtured together and traversed through a lehr, or oven, gradually bringing the temperature of the funnel and panel, i.e. the inchoate bulb, up to approximately 440.degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to devitrify the frit. See FIG. 3 for a frit sealing cycle utilized for a common devitrifying frit denominated CV-685 and made by O-I/NEG Co. During sealing, the frit becomes rigid and crystalline at its "setting temperature", here 440.degree. C., and remains so thereafter unless much higher temperatures are applied to it, thus sealing the funnel to the panel and forming a CRT bulb. The temperature of the bulb is then gradually reduced from the setting temperature back down to room temperature, 25.degree. C., in order for further processing to take place.
As noted above, in conventional tube processing the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) are deliberately matched. In this case, as seen in FIG. 1, the CTE of the funnel 13 is represented in FIG. 1 by arrow 17 and the CTE of the faceplate or front panel 11 is represented by arrow 19.
Upon cooling of the bulb of FIG. 2, the residual stress in the bulb results in a neutral N, or minimally stressed, seal area 12. As seen in FIG. 4, upon evacuation, atmospheric pressure strains the seal area 12, which results in the funnel 13 being placed in tension, T, on the outside of the CRT and in compression, C, on the inside of the CRT. The area of the CRT placed in tension, i.e. the outside of the funnel 13 near the funnel-to-panel frit seal, is subject to environmental damage, e.g., scratches, bumps, etc. The flaws associated with this damage, because they are under tension and exposed to atmospheric moisture, will propagate over time. This is a well known phenomenon known as stress corrosion. The rate of flaw propagation is a function of the tensile stress at the flaw. If the stress level is high enough, the bulb may fail prematurely.
As graphically represented in FIGS. 2, 4 & 5 the vulnerable funnel area starts at neutral residual stress in the unevacuated envelope and upon evacuation due to panel-inflection-induced strain undergoes a stress change to place the vulnerable funnel area in tension.
In standard construction of the aforementioned flat front panel CRT, the flat front panel is connected by frit to a funnel to form a rigid bulb. Common practice in the art dictates that the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of the funnel and panel be closely matched so as to not create residual stresses caused by CTE mismatch in the bulb when it is cooled to room temperature. But, upon evacuation of the envelope, as the front panel deflects, large bending stresses will be placed on the frontal seal land area creating tension on the funnel and a potential source of CRT failure. In order to minimize the panel deflection and deflection-induced seal area stress, standard flat front panel CRT construction utilizes a thick glass for a stiffer front panel and a thick funnel seal land. The thick front panel will reduce deflection induced strains in the seal area and the thickened front seal land is incorporated into the funnel to further resist the remaining strain. However, in this arrangement, the thick front panel, being designed primarily for stiffness, is stressed well below its allowable limits and therefore represents wasted material in terms of envelope strength. The thickened bulb members add weight and attendant material, and increased panel and/or funnel manufacturing and CRT processing time and shipping costs to the CRT.
The problem of increasing panel weight/thickness has led the inventor to re-think the emphasis on residual stresses formed in the bulb as a result of funnel-to-panel sealing. Per the above discussion, in some cases it would be desirable to redistribute stress in the seal area of an evacuated CRT bulb to favor a thinner paneled bulb With strength equal to a bulb with a thicker panel.

CRT bulb having a front panel with a higher CTE than its funnel


A printing system enables the printing of enhanced documents using a semantic classification scheme. A printing system receives an image to be printed. The system classifies the image according to the semantic classification scheme and, based on this classification, performs enhancement processing on the image. Depending on the desired application, the printing system may recognize and classify any number of image types and may then perform various enhancement processing functions on the image, where the type of enhancement processing performed is based on the classification of the image.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to printing, and in particular to printing systems that have functionality for classifying an image and performing enhancement processing thereon based on its classification to improve the printed result.
2. Background of the Invention
As digital cameras become more ubiquitous—especially those integrated into cellular phones—they play an increasingly important role in the capture and sharing of visual information in the workplace. In a meeting, for example, an attendee may use a digital camera to capture an image of the contents of a whiteboard, information on a set of slides, a business card, or a scene with other people. Workplace studies have shown that people would use a digital camera in the office to capture these kinds of images if a camera were available. See, e.g., Brown et al., "A diary study of information capture in working life," Proceedings of ACM CHI 2000 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, vol. 1, p. 438-45 (2000). Accordingly, cameras and other image capture devices present a unique opportunity to increase workplace productivity.
But while many people in the workplace are apt to find uses for capturing images, fundamental limitations remain. For example, office workers generally have little time for classifying and organizing the images they capture. In addition, although capturing images in the workplace is relatively easy, improving those images for printing is not. The average office worker lacks the technical knowledge to apply the appropriate post-processing to an image before printing it to achieve a high quality printout. Moreover, the types of enhancements that should be applied to an image tend to vary depending on the semantic type of the image. For example, a digital picture of a whiteboard would have different enhancement needs than a digital picture of someone's business card. Accordingly, the task of enhancing an image varies by the image type, further complicating the enhancement process.
Some existing systems detect low-level features in images (e.g., contrast, darkness, or color) and automatically apply some type of image processing to improve the images before printing. However, these systems lack the ability to apply more meaningful post-processing to the images that is tailored for the particular semantic class of the image—rather than just on the low-level properties of the image. Because existing systems can at best detect only low-level features of an image, the types of post-processing they can perform is correspondingly limited to basic image processing, which may not be adequate to improve the quality of the image.

Semantic classification and enhancement processing of images for printing applications


The present invention relates to a method for treating inflammatory symptoms associated with plantar fasciitis in a foot. The method involves stretching gastrocnemius and soleus muscles associated with the foot by placing the sole of the foot on an inclined ramp surface and cooling at least one portion of the sole of the foot. The method may further involve providing localized pressure to at least one portion of the plantar fascia, and to a portion of the foot below the toes, to cause dorsiflexion thereof.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for treating inflammatory symptoms associated with plantar fasciitis in a foot, as well as an apparatus for carrying out such method. More particularly, the method involves stretching gastrocnemius and soleus muscles associated with the foot and simultaneously cooling at least one portion of the sole of the foot.
Description of Related Art
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition involving the connective tissue of the sole of a human foot. Overstressing this connective tissue can lead to inflammation and an afflicted individual will commonly suffer from mild to severe heel pain. If left untreated, plantar fasciitis can severely impact an individual's walking and other daily activities.
Plantar fasciitis is a very prevalent inflammatory condition. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, approximately 2 million Americans are treated for plantar fasciitis each year; the costs associated with treating plantar fasciitis run into the hundreds of millions of dollars on an annual basis (see, for e.g.: Singh et al BMJ 315(7101): 172-175). Despite the significant prevalence of this inflammatory condition, there are limited options available for successfully treating plantar fasciitis and the inflammatory symptoms related thereto.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,241,232, which issued to Sanders, describes a foot pain relief device that contains a toe strap. The toe strap is fastened around the ankle and the toes to attempt to flex the toes upward. A second strap, referred to in the '232 Patent as a ball strap, can be coupled with the toe strap and a ball, threaded to such ball strap, can be used to provide directed pressure on a component of the plantar fascia.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,078, which issued to Dyer, describes a passive stretching device consisting primarily of two hinged plates with a variably tensioning mechanism. Applied to the foot and lower leg, the device purports to provide a progressive stretch of the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon and related muscles.
Other known treatments for plantar fasciitis include the use of steroid-containing compositions (see, for e.g., WO2010131038, which was applied for by Hulley et al.). Additionally, other known treatments for these plantar fasciitis-related symptoms include the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the use of modified footwear, for example by using custom foot orthotics, and, in some instances, invasive surgery.
Accordingly, there remains a need for devices and methods that can efficiently and effectively treat plantar fasciitis, and the inflammatory symptoms related thereto.

Apparatus for treating inflammatory symptoms associated with plantar fasciitis


A data transfer controller for transferring display data to N individual (where N is an integer, N≧2) display devices is disclosed. The data transfer controller includes a clock signal generating means, and a timing control means. The clock signal generating means generates clock signals. The timing control means adjusts the timing of the vertical synchronization signals included in the display data based on the clock signal for N individual display devices. The timing control means adjusts the timing of the vertical synchronization signals such that no vertical blanking period overlaps any other vertical blanking period, or adjusts the timing of the vertical synchronization signals such that no vertical display period overlaps a vertical display period of another display device among the display data transferred to each display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data transfer controller for controlling the timing for transferring display data to a plurality of display devices.
2. Background Information
In recent years there has been an increase in electronic devices provided with a display device, such as portable telephones and on-board AV devices and the like. These electronic devices are provided with a data transmission controller for controlling the timing for transmitting display data, and a data transmission device for transmitting the display data in order to display the display data such as images and the like on a display device.
FIG. 11 shows an example of a system for transferring display data to a single display device. The system of FIG. 11 is configured by a data transfer controller 501, memory 502, data transfer device 503, and a single display device 504. The data transfer controller 501 outputs the vertical synchronization signal of the display data. The data transfer device 503 transfers display data to the display device 504 based on the vertical synchronization signals from the data transfer controller 501. The transferred display data are received by a data receiver 541 provided in the display device 504, and are displayed on the display device 504.
Electronic devices have become diversified in recent years, and electronic devices provided with a plurality of display devices 601a˜c have especially proliferated, as shown in FIG. 12.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-292200 discloses a data transfer device corresponding to each of a plurality of display devices in order to transfer display data to a plurality of display devices. FIG. 13 shows an example of the system of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-292200. Specifically, data transfer devices 703a˜c are provided in correspondence with the display devices 704a˜c. The data transfer controller 701 outputs the vertical synchronization signals of the display data to the data transfer devices 703a˜c. The data transfer devices 703a˜c transfer display data to the display devices 704a˜c in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signals A, B, and C. This time the data transfer controller 701 transfers the same vertical synchronization signal to the respective data transfer devices 703a˜c. Therefore, the timing for transferring display data to the display devices 704a˜c is identical for all of the data transfer devices 703a˜c.
In the method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-292200, all data transfer devices 703a˜c simultaneously transfer display data to the respective display devices 704a˜c, and simultaneously stop transferring display data. The power consumed by each data transfer device 703a˜c during the transfer of display data (hereinafter referred to simply as "power consumption") is designated [P]. As shown in FIG. 14, in the period during which all data transfer devices 703a˜c are simultaneously transferring display data, the total power consumption of the data transfer devices 703a˜c is designated [3×P]. In the period during which all data transfer devices 703a˜c simultaneously stop transferring display data, the total power consumption of the data transfer devices 703a˜c is designated [0]. In this way the total power consumption fluctuation range can be described as 3×P−0=3×P.
Although the method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-292200 is suitable when displaying still images on a display device, it is unsuitable when displaying video images. When displaying video images, display data are updated with greater frequency than when displaying still images. Therefore, when displaying video images, the period during which display data are transferred must be shorter than when displaying still images. When shortening the period during which display data are transferred, the clock frequency for displaying the display data may be increased. Then, the pitch in the fluctuation of the power consumption of the data transfer devices 703a˜c also increases due to the high speed of switching between the period during which display data are transferred and the period during which the display data transfer is stopped.
The fluctuation in power consumption of the data transfer devices 703a˜c becomes power source noise of the power source used by the data transfer devices 703a˜c. The power source noise also becomes noise in the transfer display data. Noise readily appears in display data particularly when the clock frequency is high as in the case of video images. This phenomenon must be considered particularly when display data are transferred by an AV device installed in an automobile because there is a possibility that the display data noise may adversely affect other automobile components such as the engine and brake systems and cause errors in operation.
The present invention controls the timing for transferring display data so as to reduce the power consumption of the data transfer device and suppress the previously mentioned fluctuation which causes noise in the display data.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a data transfer controller which overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Control device for a plurality of display devices


The invention provides an apparatus for developing a photographic material having an emulsion surface thereon. The apparatus includes a processing tank for storing processing solution therein; a conveying rack, disposed in said processing tank, for conveying a photographic material downwardly so that a photographic material is introduced in the processing solution and for conveying a photogrpahic material upwardly so that a photographic material is delivered from the processing solution, wherein an emulsion surface of a photographic material being conveyed downwardly is arranged to face an emulsion surface of a photographic material being conveyed upwardly; and an agitator, disposed between the downwardly conveyed photographic material and the upwardly conveyed photographic material, for agitating the processing solution.

The present invention relates to an automatic developer used for processing of silver halide photographic material, such as color film, and also relates to a small-sized, simple automatic developer, which is most suitable, for example, to the so-called news reporting, where it is carried to the photographing site, the photographed news reporting film is processed, and the image of such film is promptly sent to the newspaper head office, etc. by telephotography, or to the use as a hobby in the home.
Further, more particularly, it relates to a small-sized automatic developer, in which installation of circulation pump, etc. for agitating the processing liquid is not intended.
With respect to news reporting photographs where speediness is required, the undeveloped film itself is promptly sent from the site to the head office, etc. and is processed there, in case the photographing site is relatively close to the newspaper head office or branch office, etc.
However, in case the photographing site is at a distant location, the photographed film is developed and its image is sent by telephotography, as a common practice.
In developing such photographic film for news reporting, it is possible to use a developing service facilities, such as the so-called mini laboratory nearby. However, such facilities may not always accept urgent request for processing, and no services are available there at night. Therefore, it is common that developing is done by manual work, such as the so-called manual developing or disk developing.
Alternately, some use an automatic developer, which is on the market for news reporting, or a small-sized developer of manual developing type for hobby.
Up to this time, in the automatic film developer of the so-called cinema type, techniques of circulating the processing liquid in the tank by use of a circulating pump or spraying the processing liquid onto emulsion surface of the film are employed, so as to make the processor temperature uniform or to improve the processing performance by realizing a good mixing quality with the replenishing liquid.
For example, in the conventional automatic developers, jet agitation (E-Jet Agitation), opposed roller agitation, etc., as employed in Fuji Minilabo Champion 23S, are known. Further, jet agitation by jet type branching pipe and rotating roller agitation, as stated in specifications of Patent Disclosure (Japanese Patent O.P.I Publication) No. 183461/1987 and Patent Disclosure No. 183462/1987, are known. However, most of them were the type which were installed on the tank wall of the automatic developer.
Conventional automatic developers for news reporting available on the market are of relatively large size, requiring an automobile, etc. of truck or ban type, which are inconvenient for carrying to photographing site, yet there are still many parts which require manual operation, and long processing time is required. Because of the above reasons, they are far from popular use. Further, small-sized developers for hobby are almost all manually operated, requiring processing skills, equivalent to those in manual developing, using the so-called disk developing method. Therefore, they are not yet used.
Such being the situation, among people in news reporting there have been wishes of having a small-sized, simple automatic developer which meets the following requirements:
(1) Small-sized, light weight and convenient for carrying, and desirably to be portable with one person, without use of a car, etc.
(2) Film conveying, processing liquid handling, processing temperature adjusting, drying and other processes are carried out under automatic control, thereby not requiring skilled techniques in operation.
(3) Good and stable processing performance
(4) Short processing time
(5) Little malfunction, and little maintenance expenses.
The present invention has been completed as part of the studies concerning a small-sized automatic developer most suitable for news reporting or for hobby, in meeting the above requirements. Specially, a subject of the invention is to clarify the technical construction which will meet both the requirements for small-size and light weight and the requirements for preventing the lowering of processing performance due to uneven temperature and uneven liquid, in keeping a good balance between them.
That is to say, in the conventional, the so-called cinema type automatic film developer of liquid circulation or jetting type, motor, pump, piping, nozzle, etc. are required. Specially, the driving source and driving transmitting mechanism of film conveying system and the pump driving system for liquid circulation and jetting are separated, regardless of the belt system or the roller system, thereby constituting a large negative factor with respect to the requirements for small size and light weight.
The principal object of the present invention is disclosed a small-sized, automatic developer for news reporting or for hobby, which has solved the above problems, and other object of or benefit from the present invention will become clear from the statement hereinafter or drawings attached.

Small-sized automatic developer of photographic material


A heated conduit system is disclosed for preventing the freezing of a fluid flowing therethrough, and includes an elongate flexible hose including an inner wall for containing the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose and an outer wall for encasing the inner wall of the elongate flexible hose. The system also includes a flexible heating element for raising a temperature of the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose. The flexible heating element is fixedly positioned between the inner and outer walls of the elongate flexible hose for transferring heat through the inner wall to the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose. The system also includes a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of the fluid, and the temperature control system is integrally mounted on the flexible hose for movement with the hose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heated conduits and more particularly pertains to a new heated conduit for controlling the temperature of a fluid inside the conduit such that the fluid is prevented from freezing when the outside temperature falls below freezing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conduits carrying water may be employed in locations that are relatively cold and often exposed to the environment. For example, a conduit such as a hose is often used to connect the water supply system of a recreational vehicle to a source of potable water, such as a faucet mounted on a structure. The conduit is connected at the time that the recreational vehicle is moved to a new site, and then disconnected once the recreational vehicle is to be moved from the site. Thus, in this application, the conduit is subjected to repeated connections and disconnections during its lifetime. Further, during the time period that the conduit is connected, the conduit is typically exposed to the elements and may be subjected to some rough conditions, especially toward the end portion that is connected to the recreational vehicle where the conduit may extend outwardly from the side wall of the vehicle.
Further, the use of heated conduits is known in the prior art. Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,574 to Avansino; U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,227 to Schave, U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,511 to Bahar et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,867 to Martindale et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,377 to Larochelle; U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,785 to Noland; U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,748 to Boxum; U.S. Pat. No. 3,275,803 to True; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 314,042 to Berg.
While the devices and system disclosed in these patents may fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the systems of the aforementioned patents are not believed to be suited to use in conditions where the conduits may be exposed to the environment for long periods of time, repeatedly connected and disconnected, and periodically exposed to rough handling or treatment.
For example, the Avansino patent teaches a heated fluid conduit that has no means for controlling the temperature of the fluid or the power supplied to the heating elements, and only has an alarm assembly that is activated only upon a complete loss of power to the conduit. The alarm system is mounted on the power cord, away from the conduit, and thus may be subject to damage when whipped or flopped around with the power cord. This may especially be a problem when the Avansino conduit is repeatedly connected and disconnected and transported between locations.
Also, the Schave patent teaches a heated hose in which a temperature controller is located on a kettle housing far removed from the hose, making it difficult, if not impossible, to move with the hose for repeated connections and disconnections.
In these respects, the heated conduit according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of controlling the temperature of a fluid inside the conduit such that the fluid is prevented from freezing when the outside temperature falls below freezing.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of heated conduits now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new heated conduit construction wherein the same can be utilized for controlling the temperature of a fluid inside the conduit such that the fluid is prevented from freezing when the outside temperature falls below freezing.
To attain this, the present invention comprises a heated conduit system for preventing the freezing of a fluid flowing therethrough, and includes an elongate flexible hose including an inner wall for containing the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose and an outer wall for encasing the inner wall of the elongate flexible hose. The system also includes a flexible heating element for raising a temperature of the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose. The flexible heating element is fixedly positioned between the inner and outer walls of the elongate flexible hose for transferring heat through the inner wall to the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose. The system also includes a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of the fluid, and the temperature control system is integrally mounted on the flexible hose for movement with the hose.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new heated conduit apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the heated conduits mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new heated conduit which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art heated conduits, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new heated conduit which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new heated conduit which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new heated conduit which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such heated conduit economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new heated conduit which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new heated conduit for controlling the temperature of a fluid inside the conduit such that the fluid is prevented from freezing when the outside temperature falls below freezing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new heated conduit which includes an elongate flexible hose including an inner wall for containing the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose and an outer wall for encasing the inner wall of the elongate flexible hose. The system also includes a flexible heating element for raising a temperature of the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose. The flexible heating element is fixedly positioned between the inner and outer walls of the elongate flexible hose for transferring heat through the inner wall to the fluid flowing through the elongate flexible hose. The system also includes a temperature control system for maintaining the temperature of the fluid, and the temperature control system is integrally mounted on the flexible hose for movement with the hose.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new heated conduit that monitors and maintains the temperature of the fluid without being on constantly, thereby conserving energy.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new heated conduit that is simple to install and utilize.


Disclosed is a compression tester which is designed to simulate as closely as possible the low temperature conditions a cable is subjected to in an outdoor environment. Axially aligned composite sample members are compressed longitudinally while fitted in a cylindrically enclosed space in a specially designed sample die assembly. Testing may take place in an environmental chamber.

In dielectric fiber optic cables, strength elements made of continuous strands of fibers, such as fiberglass, which are held together by a polymer matrix are commonly used. These fiberglass reinforced plastic elements are used to provide compressional support to protect the optical fibers from axial shrinkage of the plastic in the cable at low temperatures. Critical to the effectiveness of the fiberglass reinforced plastic is the polymer matrix's ability to bond the fiberglass strands together in an aligned state; otherwise, the fiberglass strands will act individually and will not provide the necessary compressional resistance. Therefore, a test method was needed to simulate an actual cable environment by measuring the axial compressive strength of fiberglass reinforced plastic strength elements. The method could then be used in an aging study to determine the effectiveness of the element in maintaining its original compressive strength.


The present disclosure provides a power module and a method for manufacturing the power module. The power module includes a chip, a passive element and connection pins. The connection pins are provided on a pin-out surface of the power module, and are electrically connected to at least one of a chip terminal of the chip and the passive element; a projection of the chip on the pin-out surface of the power module does not overlap with a projection of the passive element on the pin-out surface of the power module, and an angle between the terminal-out surface of the chip and the pin-out surface of the power module is greater than 45° and less than 135°.

As the demand for power and current increases, various intelligent integrated circuit chips have increasingly more functions, more power consumption, and more devices on the motherboard. It is required that power modules have higher power density or a single module has higher capability for outputting current. In order to improve efficiency, dynamic performance and integration, the intelligent integrated circuit chips for clouds or terminals have increasingly higher requirements on the power modules, and it is desired that the module have good performance in bidirectional heat dissipation. In addition, the space constraint in data centers and intelligent terminals such as mobile phones also requires the power module to have a smaller height.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of one unit in the data center, in which a heat dissipator 72, a load chip 73, a data center motherboard 74, and a module case 75 are shown. It is illustrated that when a power module 100 is placed over the data center motherboard 74, considering that the heat dissipator 72 is shared with the intelligent integrated circuit chip, especially the load chip 73 such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a display processing unit, etc., the power module is often required to have a small height h1, for example less than 4 mm. When the power module 100 is attached to a lower surface of the data center motherboard 74, the height h2 is required to be less than 2.5 mm so as to adapt to most application scenarios. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an internal space arrangement of a smart terminal such as a mobile phone, in which a mobile phone case 78, a power module 100, a display screen 76, a battery 77 and a mobile phone motherboard 79 are shown. Compared with the data center, the space requirements in the smart terminal such as the mobile phone are more stringent. For example, FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-section view of a mobile phone in which a height h3 above the upper surface of the mobile phone motherboard 79 or a height h4 below the lower surface of the mobile phone motherboard 79 is often only 1.2 mm.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show two structures of stacked-type power module in the prior art, that is, a chip 1 and a passive element 2 are stacked one on top of the other to form a power module. Here, the passive element 2 refers to a passive device such as an inductor, a capacitor, a transformer, or the like. The chip 1 and the passive element 2 are stacked to form the power module. Although this structure is advantageous in reducing a footprint, it is difficult to reduce the height because the height of two devices stacked together will always be greater than that of a single device. In addition, it is difficult to realize a symmetry of heat dissipation performance on the upper and lower surfaces of a single device. As shown in FIG. 3, downward thermal resistance of the chip 1 is easy to be small, but upward thermal resistance of the chip 1 is larger due to blocking of the passive element 2, and thus the heat dissipation performance of the chip 1 downwards is better than that upwards. As such, the heat dissipation performance on one side is worse than that on the other side, and in the actual application, it is required to be matched with the heat dissipation path of the application environment, otherwise, the actual power and current outputting capability will be affected due to the limitation of the heat dissipation path in the application environment. For example, when the chip faces the system board, and the passive element is stacked on the chip, if the thermal resistance of the heat dissipation path of the system board is relatively large, even if the thermal resistance of the heat dissipation of the power module towards the system board is very small, the heat of the power module cannot be effectively dissipated due to the excessive thermal resistance of the heat dissipation of the system board, thereby affecting the power output capability of the power module.
To provide the power supply for the intelligent integrated circuit chip, in addition to the stacked-type power module, traditional discrete devices can also be used to assemble the power module on the motherboard. For example, the discrete devices such as power devices, inductors and the like are tiled on the motherboard (i.e., projections of the power devices and inductors on the motherboard do not overlap), and are electrically connected to each other through traces on the motherboard, so as to provide power to the loads such as the intelligent integrated circuit chip and the like. In such approach, a terminal side of the chip often faces the system motherboard and the chip is surface mounted and welded to the system motherboard, and a terminal-out side of the chip is usually a side of a larger surface area. Although this can achieve a lower height, since the chip is generally thin, and the height of the passive element is generally higher than that of the chip, the space above the chip is wasted, and the footprint of the chip is relatively large, resulting in a large overall footprint of the power module. In addition, since the terminals of the chip face the circuit board (the system board) instead of the passive element, a current transmission distance from the chip to the passive element will also be long. Therefore, in the approach of assembling the power module with discrete devices, problems of yield, constraints on the footprint, and increasing demand for development resources with increasing power demand should be considered in view of a large number of devices on the motherboard.

Power module and method for manufacturing the same


A fluid pressure system comprises first and second members each movable in response to fluid pressure to individually exert a force. A linkage arrangement couples the first member with the second member for moving the second member in response to movement of the first member, and vice versa. Fluid pressure is conveyed to the first and second members at a pressure that varies according to the work load encountered by the first and second members in response to a control mechanism. The contro mechanism includes a first sensor that senses the variable fluid pressure and a first valve associated with the first sensor. The first valve is operative, when the sensed fluid pressure is less than a predetermined threshold value, for opening the conveyance of fluid pressure to the first member while closing the conveyance of fluid pressure to the second member so that, as the first and second members move together, only the first member exerts a force. The first valve is further operative, when the sensed fluid pressure equals or exceeds the threshold value, for opening the conveyance of fluid pressure to both the first and second members so that, as the first and second members move together, both the first and second members individually exert a force. An apparatus for loading materials from a hopper into a storage container employing the above-described fluid pressure delivery system is also provided.

In many environments, there is a need to repeatedly load relatively large volumes of materials into a storage compartment. The collection of waste or refuse materials is a good example of one such environment, where the ability to efficiently load large volumes of materials in relatively short periods of time is often a sought-after objective.
In one common type of waste collection system, waste materials are loaded into the rear hopper of a large waste collection container carried by a truck. Rear loading assemblies are provided to periodically transfer the waste materials collected in the hopper into the main body of the container.
Such rear loader assemblies have traditionally been designed for hand loading operation. In this arrangement, waste materials are accumulated by households in individual bags. A refuse crew picks up these bags and places them into the rear hopper of the collection vehicle. The rear loading mechanism is then cycled to dump or pack the bags into the body of the collection container.
Because they are designed for conventional hand loading operation, these traditional rear loader assemblies typically are situated relatively low to the ground to be more readily accessible to the hand loading refuse crew. The volume capacity of the hopper is often sacrificed to accommodate the relatively low loading height of these traditional assemblies.
Furthermore, because these assemblies are designed for hand loading operations by a refuse crew, the cycle time required to pack the bags of waste materials in the hopper into the collection container is not an overly important design criteria, as long as the packing mechanism can keep ahead of the normal refuse crew.
Hand loading is a labor intensive and often uneconomical method of collecting waste materials, particularly in areas of large population density. Accordingly, the use of waste collection containers for curbside pickup is becoming more and more widespread. In this system, waste material is accumulated by a household in specially designed plastic or metal containers. The refuse crew empties the contents of these containers into the hopper of the collection vehicle using specially designed lift assemblies. By using these containers, larger volumes of waste materials can be collected by a refuse crew in a given period of time, compared to conventional hand loading operation.
Specially designed lift assemblies have been designed to facilitate the collection of waste materials in these containers. An example of one such lift assembly is the Zoller Rear Loader Lift. This lift assembly is generally shown in FIG. 9 of the drawings accompanying this specification.
These specially designed lift assemblies require a relatively high dumping height, when compared to the conventional loading height of hand loading systems. The loading height of conventional rear packing assemblies must therefore be raised to accommodate these specially designed lift assemblies. Yet, even then, the relatively slow packing cycle of the assemblies designed for hand loading is not fast enough to keep up with the increased volume demands of the collection container system.
One objective of this invention is to provide an efficient fluid pressure delivery system that employs a minimum of moving parts and is capable of smooth and maintenance-free operation in a rugged working environment.
Yet another objective of this invention is to provide an efficient fluid pressure delivery system having an expedited work cycle time.
Still another objective of this invention is to provide an efficient fluid pressure delivery system having a work cycle time that will adjust to the prevailing work load.

Apparatus for loading materials into a storage compartment and associated fluid pressure delivery system


The stack-gate flash memory cell structure of the present invention comprises a floating-gate structure with a thinner floating-gate layer being formed in a central portion by using a spacer-formation technique; an implanted region being formed in the central portion of a channel for adjusting threshold-voltage and forming a punch-through stop; and a highly conductive control-gate structure spaced with an intergate-dielectric layer being formed over the floating-gate structure. The contactless NOR-type array of the present invention comprises a plurality of common-source conductive bus lines and a plurality of planarized common-drain conductive islands being integrated with a plurality of metal bit-lines. The contactless parallel common-source/drain bit-line array comprises a plurality of common-source/drain conductive bit-lines and a plurality of metal word-lines being integrated with a plurality of planarized control-gate conductive islands.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a non-volatile semiconductor memory device and its semiconductor memory arrays and, more particularly, to a stack-gate flash memory cell structure and its contactless flash memory arrays.
2. Description of Related Art
The stack-gate flash memory cell is known to be a one-transistor cell, in which the gate length of a cell can be defined by using a minimum-feature-size (F) of technology used. Therefore, the stack-gate flash memory cell is often used in existing high-density memory system.
FIG. 1A shows a typical schematic structure of a stack-gate flash memory cell, in which a gate-stack including a control-gate layer (CG) 104a, an intergate-dielectric layer 103a, a floating-gate layer (FG) 102a, and a tunneling-dielectric layer 101a is patterned and formed on a semiconductor substrate 100; a double-diffused source structure including a shallow heavily-doped source diffusion region 106a being formed within a deeper lightly-doped source diffusion region 105a is formed in the source side of the gate-stack; and a shallow heavily-doped drain diffusion region 106a is formed in the drain side of the gate-stack. The double-diffused source structure is mainly used to eliminate the band-to-band tunneling effect during the erasing operation and may offer a larger overlapping area for the source-side erase. The shallow heavily-doped drain diffusion region 106a is mainly used to tailor a drain electric field for hot-electron generation during the programming operation. The asymmetric source/drain diffusion structure shown in FIG. 1A can be used to implement a NOR-type flash memory array.
FIG. 1B shows another typical schematic structure of a stack-gate flash memory cell, in which a gate-stack is also patterned and formed in a semiconductor substrate 100, and a symmetrical source/drain diffusion structure having a heavily-doped source/drain diffusion region 105a/105b is formed in both sides of the gate-stack. The symmetrical source/drain diffusion structure is mainly used to implement a NAND-type flash memory array.
It is clearly seen from FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B that as the gate length of the gate-stack is scaled, the punch-through voltage of a stack-gate flash memory cell which is proportional to the square of the gate length is reduced drastically. The reduction of the punch-through voltage becomes a major concern for FIG. 1A because a moderately high drain voltage is in general needed for programming using hot-electron injection. Similarly, the junction depth of the source/drain diffusion regions must also be scaled accordingly, the erasing area using either the source-side erase or the substrate erase becomes smaller and the erasing speed becomes slower. Moreover, the read speed of a NAND-type array will be drastically reduced due to a higher parasitic source/drain series resistance of a shallow common source/drain diffusion region.
It is, therefore, a major objective of the present invention to offer an efficient punch-through stop structure for a stack-gate flash memory cell.
It is another objective of the present invention to offer a highly conductive bus line or island for shallow source/drain diffusion regions to improve the contact resistance and the contact integrity of a flash memory array.
It is further objective of the present invention to offer a contactless structure for different flash memory arrays.
A stack-gate flash memory cell structure and its contactless flash memory arrays are disclosed by the present invention. The stack-gate flash memory cell structure of the present invention comprises a source diffusion region and a drain diffusion region being separately or simultaneously formed in each side portion of a gate-stack region; a floating-gate structure with a thinner floating-gate layer being formed in a central portion by using a pair of second sidewall dielectric spacers being formed over inner sidewalls of a gate-stack; an implanted region comprising a shallow implant region for threshold-voltage adjustment and a deeper implant region for forming a punch-through stop being formed in a central portion of a channel between the pair of second sidewall dielectric spacers; a highly conductive control-gate structure spaced with an intergate-dielectric layer being formed over the floating-gate structure. The stack-gate flash memory cell structure of the present invention is used to implement two different types of contactless flash memory array: a contactless NOR-type flash memory array and a contactless parallel common-source/drain bit-line flash memory array.
The contactless NOR-type flash memory array of the present invention comprises a plurality of gate-stacks being formed over a shallow-trench-isolation (STI) structure having a plurality of parallel shallow-trench-isolation regions and a plurality of active regions formed alternately in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type, wherein each of the plurality of gate-stacks comprises: a plurality of floating-gate structures being alternately formed in the plurality of active regions with an elongated control-gate conductive layer spaced by an intergate-dielectric layer being formed over the plurality of floating-gate structures and a plurality of first raised field-oxide layers to act as a word line, a plurality of implanted regions of said first conductivity type being formed in central portions of the plurality of active regions for threshold-voltage adjustment and forming punch-through stops; a plurality of common-source conductive bus lines being formed over a plurality of first flat beds between first sidewall dielectric spacers with each of the plurality of first flat beds being alternately formed by a common-source diffusion region of a second conductivity type and a third raised field-oxide layer; a plurality of planarized common-drain conductive islands being formed on a plurality of common-drain diffusion regions of the second conductivity type between another first sidewall dielectric spacers formed over a portion of a plurality of second flat beds with each of the plurality of second flat beds being alternately formed a common-drain diffusion region of the second conductivity type and a third raised field-oxide layer; and a plurality of metal bit-lines integrated with the plurality of planarized common-drain conductive islands being formed transversely to the plurality of gate-stacks.
The contactless parallel common-source/drain bit-line flash memory array of the present invention comprises a plurality of gate-stacks being formed over a shallow-trench-isolation structure having a plurality of parallel STI regions and a plurality of active regions formed alternately on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, wherein each of the plurality of gate-stacks comprises: a plurality of floating-gate structures being alternately formed in the plurality of active regions with a plurality of planarized control-gate conductive islands spaced by an intergate-dielectric layer being formed over the plurality of floating-gate structures, a plurality of implanted regions of the first conductivity type being formed in central portions of the plurality of active regions for threshold-voltage adjustment and forming punch-through stops; a plurality of common-source/drain conductive bit-lines being formed over a plurality of first/second flat beds between first sidewall dielectric spacers with each of the plurality of first/second flat beds being alternately formed by a common-source/drain diffusion region of a second conductivity type and a third raised field-oxide layer; and a plurality of metal word-lines integrated with the plurality of planarized control-gate conductive islands being formed transversely to the plurality of common-source/drain conductive bit-lines.

Stack-gate flash memory cell structure and its contactless flash memory arrays


A wheel hub and bearing assembly for mounting on a vehicle axle. The assembly includes a wheel hub having a longitudinal axis, a pair of bearings within the wheel hub, the bearings in spaced axial relation along the longitudinal axis of the wheel hub, a lubricant cavity within the wheel hub between the axially spaced bearings adapted to be filled with a lubricant prior to the wheel hub being mounted on an axle, and a vane disposed within the lubricant cavity and extending radially outwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wheel hub. The vane includes first and second passages. The first passage has a transverse port for receiving lubricant into the vane upon rotation of the wheel hub on the axle, a radial passageway for directing lubricant flow from the transverse port in a radially inward direction towards the longitudinal axis of the wheel hub, and an axial nozzle for directing lubricant flow from the radial passageway in an axial direction, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wheel hub, out of the vane and within the lubricant cavity towards one of the axially spaced bearings. The second passage has a transverse port for receiving lubricant into the vane upon opposite rotation of the wheel hub on the axle, a radial passageway for directing lubricant flow from the transverse port of the second passage in a radially inward direction towards the longitudinal axis of the wheel hub, and an axial nozzle for directing lubricant flow from the radial passageway of the second passage in an axial direction, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wheel hub, out of the vane and within the lubricant cavity towards one of the axially spaced bearings.

This invention relates to improved lubricant distributing vanes for use as part of a unitized wheel hub and bearing assembly. The unitized wheel hub and bearing assembly is for being secured on the end of vehicle axle such that a wheel can be mounted on the assembly and rotate with respect to the axle. The improved vanes are provided in a lubricant cavity of the hub assembly to redirect lubricant distribution to axially-spaced bearings within the cavity to insure adequate lubrication and cooling of the bearings.
In wheeled vehicles of all types, it is necessary to provide bearings for axles so that associated wheel hubs may rotate freely on the end of a relatively stationary axle. Such bearings must be lubricated and seals are required to retain the lubricating medium whether it be grease or oil. Frequently, wear sleeves are employed to prevent undue wear of the axle by the seals. Sometimes, such wear sleeves have been separate elements and sometimes they have been an integral part of a unitized seal.
Until quite recently, such bearing, seal and wheel hub means have been assembled piece by piece. The bearing races have been fitted to designated axle portions and corresponding portions of the associated wheel hub. The bearing elements are usually spaced as far apart axially as possible with a tapered axle portion between these elements. The assembly also includes one or two seals, depending upon the particular design. These wheel hub assemblies have typically provided long lasting performance when assembled properly. However, such an assembly process requires skilled personnel and proper equipment to achieve proper installation and operation. If repair or replacement of any part becomes necessary, correct positioning and adjustment of all elements becomes even more of a challenge and damaged parts are a quite likely result.
A non-unitized wheel hub assembly requires the components to be assembled and installed on site by a mechanic working on an axle spindle. The nature of the assembling process, and the generally horizontal orientation of the spindle during assembly, makes it difficult to fill the assembly with a liquid such as oil and the non-unitized wheel hub assembly must be lubricated with packing grease or oil filled after installation. Therefore, there was a need for a unitized wheel hub assembly which allows the assembly to be pre-filled with oil to achieve superior lubrication characteristics in contrast to the non-unitized assemblies.
More recently, some efforts have been made to develop assemblies which permit more of the various elements to be pre-assembled and adjusted, thus resulting in less dependence on the skills of the field mechanic. One such attempt has been the SAF Euro-axle developed by the Otto Sauer Achsenfabric of Keilber, Germany. These units accomplish much in terms of allowing factory assembly and adjustments of sealed bearing units and avoidance of so much dependence on the skills of the field mechanic. However, these units are not constructed to allow prefilling with oil which is a preferred bearing lubricant as compared to grease. More significantly, a special axle is included in the assembly and the pre-assembled units cannot be adapted to the millions of existing axles presently in service.
Another recent effort at development of pre-assembled and pre-adjusted sealing bearing units has been made by SKF Sweden. However, as with SAF units described previously, the SKF units are not adapted to prefilling with oil lubrication and they are not adaptable to the millions of existing axles. Furthermore, since the bearing units are more closely located relative to one another, there can be a tendency toward lessened wheel stability in operation.
Another effort at development of pre-assembled and pre-adjusted sealing bearing units which are prefilled with oil lubrication is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,275 assigned to Stemco Inc., the assignee of the present disclosure. These units also provide the advantage of being adaptable to the millions of existing axles. In addition, they include lubricant distributing vanes for redirecting lubricant to the bearings. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,427, also assigned to Stemco, Inc., there is shown a unitized wheel hub and bearing assembly including lubricant distributing vanes for redirecting lubricant to bearings within the assembly.
The present disclosure is directed to improved lubricant directing vanes for use in a unitized wheel hub and bearing assembly.

Lubricant distributing vanes for unitized wheel hub and bearing assembly


An optical demodulator includes a nonlinear element which responds to both light and a microwave-submillimeter wave (far infrared radiation). An optical signal modulated by a modulating wave in which a subcarrier consisting of the microwave-submillimeter wave is modulated by a signal wave, and a local oscillated signal consisting of a microwave-submillimeter wave the same in frequency as the subcarrier are added to the nonlinear element, to fetch the signal wave by a heterodyne system.

The present invention relates to an optical demodulator used in a multi-channel optical communication system.
Conventionally, an optical demodulator for optical communication generally uses an avalanche photodiode which is capable of high-speed response. The maximum operation frequency of the avalanche photodiode in the response is several tens of GHz.
However, optical communication has the potential for demodulation up to several tens of THz. If the multi-channel capability is not utilized up to the demodulation of several tens of THz, then the advantages of optical communication in which light is used as a carrier are not sufficiently exhibited.
In this connection, the prior art has not sufficiently utilized the advantages of the optical communication, and development of an optical demodulator which operates at a frequency exceeding several tens of GHz has been desired.

Research Development Corporation of Japan


Provided is one embodiment which is a method for growing a β-Ga2O3-based single crystal which uses the EFG method and includes raising a Ga2O3 melt inside a crucible up to a die opening via a die slit such that a seed crystal is contacted with the Ga2O3-based melt in the opening of the die with a horizontal position of the seed crystal shifted in a width direction (W) from a center in the width direction (W) of the die, and pulling up the seed crystal contacting the Ga2O3-based melt so as to grown a β-Ga2O3 single crystal.

Use of EFG technique to grow a Ga2O3 single crystal is known as a conventional method (see, e.g., PTL 1). In the method described in PTL 1, a Ga2O3 single crystal is grown while gradually widening a width thereof from a contact portion with a seed crystal toward the bottom, i.e., while widening the shoulder, thereby allowing a plate-shaped crystal having a larger width than the seed crystal to be obtained.


A pulse modulator generates a first pulse signal having a duty ratio which is adjusted such that a detection voltage which indicates the electrical state of an LED string to be driven matches a predetermined reference voltage. A first pulse signal is applied to a primary coil of a pulse transformer. A DC/DC converter includes a switching element the ON/OFF operation of which is controlled according to a signal that originates at a secondary coil of the pulse transformer. The DC/DC converter stabilizes an input voltage Vdc, and supplies the input voltage Vdc thus stabilized to the anode of the LED string.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving technique for a light emitting diode.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a backlight for a liquid crystal panel, white light emitting diodes (which will be simply referred to as "LEDs" hereafter) having improved properties from the perspective of a long operating life, low power consumption, and a wide color range are employed instead of conventional CCFLs (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps) or EEFLs (External Electrode Fluorescent Lamps).

Driving circuit for light emitting diode