In order to enable hierarchized resource-managing functions to mutually request processing and maintain the uniqueness of processing performed by each of the resource-managing functions, a process is performed as follows. When a first action request is inputted, an action-handler search unit analyzes the request condition indicated in the first action request, and searches an action-handler table for an action handler corresponding to the request condition. An action execution unit starts the action handler detected by the action-handler search unit and performs processing defined in the started action handler. In the case where all or part of the processing requested by the first action request is not performed by the action execution unit, the action execution unit produces and transmits a second action request indicating a request condition of all or the part of the processing in a common data form.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resource management program, resource management process, and resource management apparatus for managing IT (Information Technology) resources including hardware resources and software resources, and in particular, to a resource management program, resource management process, and resource management apparatus which can operate in liaison with other management systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, the software called the resource manager is widely used for managing IT resources including hardware resources and software resources in data centers and the like in order to reduce manual operations. In many cases, the resource manager can manage more than one resource in an integrated manner. However, the manner of managing resources is different in each type of resources. Therefore, the type of resources which can be managed by each resource manager is limited. Consequently, in the systems containing various types of resources, the resources in the entire systems are managed by a plurality of resource managers.
Further, as the functions of the respective resources are advanced, it becomes more common to manage each resource by using a dedicated resource manager. For example, a resource manager is provided for each of hardware elements such as servers, storages, and networks, or a unique resource manager is provided for each of product manufacturers. From the viewpoint of optimum use of the unique functions of resources, it is natural that the trend to provide the resource managers as above is accelerated.
In the case where a plurality of resource managers operate in a system, and various operations such as changes in the configuration of resources affect a wide area of the system, the resource managers are required to operate in cooperation.
However, the interface through which messages are transferred to and from the outside of the system is generally different for each resource manager. Therefore, it is difficult to make a plurality of resource managers operate in liaison with each other. For example, even if a server and a storage are newly introduced into the system, it is impossible to interconnect the resource manager for the server and the resource manager for the storage, so that the administrator is required to manually and independently make environment settings of the resource manager for the server and the resource manager for the storage. Consequently, a trouble is likely to occur and impede the service operation. For example, the trouble is that an erroneous setting impedes correct connection of the resource manager for the server and the resource manager for the storage.
Therefore, system operation by use of a plurality of resource managers produced on the basis of different architectures is necessary in a heterogeneous environment in which such resource managers coexist. In other words, a communication technique for interconnecting a plurality of dedicated resource managers is necessary, where each of the resource managers is designed to communicate with a resource to be managed by the resource manager by using an unique protocol.
For example, according to a known technique, a difference between interfaces is absorbed by using an agent arranged between a manager and a resource manager. According to this technique, a standard protocol is used in communication between the manager and the agent, and the agent receives a request for an operation, and converts the request into an unique command for use in the resource manager, in order to reduce development burden and improve maintainability. (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-11347.)
However, the technique of converting the command by using an agent cannot be used in a system in which a plurality of resource managers coexist, and each of the resource managers performs communication in accordance with an unique protocol. In such a case, an agent corresponding to each resource manager is required to cope with all the protocols corresponding to the other resource managers. Nevertheless, from the viewpoint of the efficiency in system administration, it is difficult to update the agents corresponding to all the existing resource managers every time a new resource manager which performs communication in accordance with an unique protocol is added.
In particular, it is expected that the integrated management and operation extend over a plurality of sites in a company, a plurality of companies, or the entire world through a grid or the like in the future. Therefore, resource management of a large-scale system is required to be performed by hierarchizing resource managers. In the above circumstances, it is desired that mutual connectivity between resources be ensured in a hierarchized heterogeneous environment.

Resource management program, resource management process, and resource management apparatus


A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, includes the steps of forming a triple well including a first conductive type well in a semiconductor substrate, wherein a cell transistor is to be formed on the first conductive type well, sequentially forming a gate oxide layer and a gate electrode on a triple well, forming a source/drain region in the first conductive type well by implanting second conductive type dopant and forming a threshold voltage ion implantation region beneath the gate electrode by implanting first conductive type dopant to the first conductive type well with a ion implantation energy enough to pass through the gate electrode, wherein the threshold voltage ion implantation region surrounds the source/drain region.

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device; and, more particularly, to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device having an improved refresh characteristic with a triple well structure.
Generally, semiconductor products are manufactured by a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (CMOSFET) technology, that is two kinds of field effect transistor, i.e., NMOSFET and PMOSFET, are configured on one wafer. In order to manufacture the NMOSFET and PMOSFET on one wafer at the same time, a well formation technology is required to divide the NMOSFET and PMOSFET.
A typical well formation technology requires a thermal treatment process of a high temperature for a long time after an ion-implantation process is carried out with a low energy. Since the well formation technology requires a thermal treatment for a long time, there is a disadvantage for an aspect of a semiconductor device fabrication cost and, since a doping concentration of the ion is uniformly decreased in a vertically downward direction from a surface of a wafer. Thus, a control of the semiconductor device is limited.
A profiled well formation technology is recently tried to solve the above problems. In accordance with the profiled well formation technology, a ions are implanted with high-energy to a desired depth, and then a simple thermal treatment process is carried out in order to prevent punchthrough, latch-up and the like.
The well formation technology is classified with a twin-well and a triple well according to the number of kinds of wells formed on one wafer. The triple well is composed of two p-wells and one deep n-well surrounding one of the p-wells. The triple well has advantages that a property of an NMOSFET formed on the p-well can be differently controlled and the NMOSFET has a good property against an external noise. Accordingly, the well formation technology is recently changed from a diffusion twin-well process to the profiled triple well process.
Generally, the NMOSFET formed on the p-well, which is surrounded by the n-well of the triple well, is used as a cell transistor. As a gate length of the cell transistor is decreased, threshold voltage thereof is also decreased, so that a threshold voltage roll-off is caused. Namely, a threshold voltage distribution is broadened with a lack of uniformity. The threshold voltage distribution is broadened, since gate length variation is increased as a size of the transistor becomes smaller and a threshold voltage roll-off of a small transistor is increased. Therefore, in order to secure a uniform characteristic of a cell transistor, it is preferable to have uniform threshold voltage distribution and to solve the threshold voltage roll-off.
FIGS. 1A to 1E are cross sectional views illustrating a fabrication process of a semiconductor device having a triple well according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1A, after a field oxide layer 12 is formed through a, shallow trench isolation (STI) on a semiconductor substrate 11, a photosensitive layer is coated and a first mask 13 with the photosensitive layer is formed through a patterning process including exposing and developing processes.
Subsequently, the first mask 13 is used as an ion implantation mask, and n-type impurities are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 11 by using a high energy ion implanter. Thus, a first region 14 of a profiled n-well is formed in the semiconductor substrate 11.
Referring to FIG. 1B, a second mask 15 is formed by patterning a photosensitive layer coated on the semiconductor substrate 11 through exposing and developing processes, the second mask 15 is employed as an ion implantation mask and n-type impurities are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 11 by using a high energy ion implanter, so that second and third regions 16 and 17 of a profiled n-well are formed.
The second region 16 of the profiled n-well is a middle n-well ion implantation region and the third region 17 is a p channel field stop ion implantation region. A numeral reference xe2x80x9818xe2x80x99 in FIG. 1B shows a doping profile of the profiled n-well.
Referring to FIG. 1C, after stripping the first and second masks 13 and 15, a third mask 19 is formed by patterning a photosensitive layer coated on the semiconductor substrate 11 through exposing and developing processes. The third mask 19 is employed as an ion implantation mask and p-type impurities are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 11 by using a high energy ion implanter, so that first and second regions 20, 21 are formed. The first and second regions 20, 21 represent a p-well ion implantation region and an n-channel field stop ion implantation region, respectively. A numeral reference 22 shows a doping profile of the profiled p-well.
Referring to FIG. 1D, the profiled n-well and p-well are activated through a furnace annealing process, so that a triple well formation process is completed. The triple well is composed of a first p-well 23, a deep n-well 24 adjacent to the first p-well 23, a second p-well 25 surrounded by the deep n-well 24 and positioned at a predetermined distance from the first p-well 23.
A transistor to be formed on the second p-well 25 is independent of a transistor to be formed on the first p-well 23. The second p-well 25 has an advantage that can be protected from an external voltage or noise suddenly applied, because the second p-well 25 is surrounded by the deep n-well 24. For this reason, a cell transistor is formed on the second p-well 25.
A photosensitive layer is coated on the semiconductor substrate 11, in which the triple well is completely formed, and a fourth mask 26, exposing a portion of the semiconductor substrate 11 to form a cell transistor, is formed through a patterning process with exposing and developing the photosensitive layer. Thereafter, p-type impurities are implanted into the overall second p-well 25 to adjust a threshold voltage of the cell transistor by using the fourth mask 26 as an ion implantation mask, so that a threshold voltage ion implantation region 27 is formed.
Referring to FIG. 1E, after removing the fourth mask 26, a gate oxide layer 28 and a gate electrode 29A are formed on a predetermined region of the semiconductor substrate 11, and a spacer 29B is formed on sidewalls of the gate electrode 29A. Thereafter, impurities of n and p types are implanted to form an n+ source/drain region 30A of an NMOSFET and a p+ pocket ion implantation region (source/drain region) 30B for a PMOSFET in a peripheral circuit.
FIG. 2 is a detailed cross sectional view along with line xe2x80x98Xxe2x80x99 in FIG. 1E.
Referring to FIG. 2, even though the p-type impurities are implanted to adjust the threshold voltage of the cell transistor according to the prior art as mentioned above, junction loss occurs due to a counter doping effect, since the threshold voltage ion implantation region 27 and the n+ source/drain region of cell junction are mostly overlapped. Thus, resistance and electric field are increased and a refresh time is reduced. Accordingly, reliability of a device is deteriorated.
In order to adjust the threshold voltage necessary to an operation of the cell transistor, pre-determined p-type impurities are required to be implanted in a channel region. If the dose range from the p-type impurities is increased, the threshold voltage is increased as much as required. However, the counter doping effect is considerably increased and a refresh characteristic is became worse. Therefore, there is a problem of selecting one appropriate ion implantation condition between to conditions, for forming the source/drain and adjusting the threshold voltage of the cell transistor, which have a trade-off relation.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing dopant profiles analyzed with secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) after carrying out a thermal treatment process for the threshold voltage ion implantation region and the source/drain region.
Referring to FIG. 3, in order to adjust a threshold voltage necessary for an operation of the cell transistor, as B or BF2 is implanted with a dose range from 1.5E13 and an ion implantation energy of 30 KeV denoted as xe2x80x98Bxe2x80x99 instead of a dose range from 1.0E13 and an ion implantation energy of 20 KeV denoted as xe2x80x98Axe2x80x99, the cell threshold voltage is increased as desired. However, a counting doping effect is severely increased at a Xj portion of a cell junction, so that a doping concentration in the source/drain region is remarkably decreased denoted as xe2x80x98Cxe2x80x99. Therefore, a electric loss is generated and a refresh characteristic of the cell junction is degraded.
In order to solve the above problem, an improved ion implantation process is introduced to reduce resistance and electric field to thereby improve a refresh characteristic. However, in this case, a punch problem of a cell junction is generated.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a current path.
As shown, a deep punch path exist at a depth of about 1000 xc3x85.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, improving a refresh characteristic with a triple well structure.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming a triple well including a first conductive type well in a semiconductor substrate, wherein a cell transistor is to be formed on the first conductive type well; sequentially forming a gate oxide layer and a gate electrode on a triple well; forming a source/drain region in the first conductive type well by implanting second conductive type dopant; and forming a threshold voltage ion implantation region beneath the gate electrode by implanting first conductive type dopant to the first conductive type well with a ion implantation energy enough to pass through the gate electrode, wherein the threshold voltage ion implantation region surrounds the source/drain region.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming a triple well including a first conductive type well in a semiconductor substrate, wherein a cell transistor is to be formed on the first conductive type well; sequentially forming a gate oxide layer and a gate electrode on the triple well; forming a threshold voltage ion implantation region by implanting a first conductive type dopant into the first conductive type well with an ion implantation energy enough to pass through the gate electrode; and forming a source/drain region by implanting a second conductive type dopant into the triple well, wherein the threshold voltage ion implantation region surrounds the source drain region.

Method for fabricating semiconductor device with triple well structure


The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of Lenvatinib of formula (I) from 4-amino-3-chloro-phenol and 4-chloro-7-methoxyquinoline-6-carboxamide.

Lenvatinib of formula (I), disclosed for the first time in WO0232872, is used as mesylate salt to treat differentiated thyroid carcinoma not responding to treatment with radioactive iodine. Lenvatinib (I) is also active against advanced renal cell carcinoma.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,683,172 discloses a process for the preparation of Lenvatinib (I) from 4-amino-3-chloro-phenol and 4-chloro-7-methoxyquinoline-6-carboxamide which comprises:
1) conversion of 4-amino-3-chloro-phenol (II) into the corresponding phenyl carbamate derivative (III);

2) reaction of derivative (III) obtained in step (1) with cyclopropylamine to provide a compound of formula (V);

3) coupling reaction between compound (V) obtained in step (2) with 4-chloro-7-methoxyquinoline-6-carboxamide of formula (VI) to provide Lenvatinib (I);

4) crystallization of Lenvatinib (I).
The main drawback of this process lies in step (3) that is performed by mixing 1 eq. of 4-chloro-7-methoxyquinoline-6-carboxamide (VI), 1.2 eq. of the urea derivative (V) obtained in step 2), 2 eq. of cesium carbonate or in alternative 1.2 eq. of sodium tert-butoxide in dimethylsulfoxide at 65-70° C. for 23 h. At the end of the reaction, the product is isolated by crystallization. In these conditions, the precipitate turned out to be contaminated by 1.8% of impurity (VII), 0.5% of impurity (VIII) and 1.7% of impurity (IX). Impurities (VIII) and (IX) are described in CN 107266363. The high amounts of said impurities require an impracticable number of crystallizations with a detrimental effect to the process yield. Therefore, there is still the need for an improved process for the preparation of Lenvatinib (I) which overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks.

Process for the preparation of Lenvatinib


A connector for a coaxial cable having an conductive inner cable surrounded by a conductive outer cable with an insulator between the inner and outer cables. The conductor includes a conductive first base member having a first opening therethrough adapted to received the inner and outer cables therein, an insulating member secured to the first base member and having a second opening therethrough substantially in alignment with the first base member first opening, and a conductive second base member secured to the insulating member and conductively insulated from the first base member. The insulating member second opening is restricted relative to the first base member first opening whereby the second opening is adapted to receive the inner cable and the insulator and to block the outer cable from entry into the second opening. The second base member has a pocket substantially in alignment with the first and second openings and adapted to receive the inner cable and the insulator therein. A first clamping member is adapted to secure the outer cable when in the first base member opening, and a second clamping member is adapted to secure the inner cable when in the second base member pocket. The base members are adapted to connect to opposite sides of a power circuit. A transverse opening in the second base member provides a visual opening into the pocket. In another aspect, a hanging light is provided including a light fixture secured on one end of the coaxial cable and the connector secured to the other end of the coaxial cable, with the connector adapted to connect to two sides of a power circuit for operation of the light fixture.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed toward coaxial cable connectors, and more particularly toward connectors for coaxial cable-hung light fixtures.
2. Background Art
Lighting is an important part of the aesthetics of an interior area, not only with respect to the light provided but respecting the appearance of the light fixtures themselves. Many different types of light fixtures are provided to suit many different types of styles and tastes.
One such type of lighting which is often used has light fixtures which hang from coaxial cables. These fixtures are very flexible in installations, as the hanging length may be cut to suit the particular room or area in which the installation is to occur. Further, such lights may be readily installed to either hang from individual ceiling mounted bases, or from a track (thereby allowing multiple light fixtures to be spaced along the track as desired both for appearance and lighting purposes).
One type of such lighting system which has been used is known as the FreeJack.TM. System. With these systems, the light fixture is connected to one end of a coaxial cable and a connector is secured to the other end of the coaxial cable, which connector may be quickly and easily connected to a mating ceiling mounted fixture to not only support the light fixture but also connect it to the power circuit. A connector used with such lighting systems typically includes a pair of base members with an insulating member therebetween and a central opening for the coaxial cable. During installation, the coaxial cable is cut to the desired overall length, a specified amount of the outer cable (typically forming a sheath around the cable) is trimmed from the end, and a specified amount of the insulation around the projecting portion of the inner cable is shaved off, at which point the cable end is inserted into the connector central opening with the exposed inner cable clamped in one base member to form an electrically conductive connection and the uncut end portion of the outer cable clamped in the other base member to form an electrically conductive connection to that other base member. While such light fixtures provide good operation and flexibility, the above described installation can encounter some problems. For example, stripping off the outer cable and insulation can be time consuming, and any error in doing so can result in an improper connection to the power circuit so that the light may not work properly. Further, it is possible when stripping off the outer cable and the insulation to also inadvertently cut off the end portion of the inner cable. If that occurs, the entire cable might be discarded and work in connecting it between the connector and light fixture be then repeated. Alternatively, the installer could repeat the process on the end of the remaining portion of the coaxial cable, in which case the light fixture will not hang down as far as desired. Either case is undesirable as both involve waste of time and materials, and in the later case might seriously damage the aesthetic appearance (particularly when the lighting involves multiple fixtures where even small variations in hanging distances can be very obvious and unattractive).
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


A manually operable sensor for providing control signals to an electronic device. A fabric has a length substantially longer than its width with insulating yarns and electrically conductive yarns included therein, such that the conductive yarns define three conductive tracks running the length of the fabric. The conductive tracks are configured to interface with an electronic device at a first end and, at a second end, an active region of the fabric forms part of a sensor assembly that is receptive to a manually applied pressure. The sensor comprises first and second conductive regions to which a first and a second conductive track are connected respectively, to apply an electric potential to each conductive region. A conductive path is formed between a connected conductive track and the third conductive track of said active region when manual pressure is applied to one of the conductive regions.

The present invention relates to a manually operable sensor for providing signals to an electronic device.
A manually operable position sensor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,452,479, assigned to the present applicant. It is known for sensors of this type to communicate with electronic devices. In order to provide electrical communication between a sensor assembly and the electronic device, it is necessary to define tracks for electrical conduction. In known assemblies, these tracks are provided using electrically conductive tape surrounded by an insulating material. The tape itself is relatively expensive and, furthermore, costs are involved in terms of creating the assembly itself.


A stent for a vessel inserted in use into the vessel of a living body including a tubular member constituting a passageway from one end to its opposite end. The tubular member includes a main mid portion and low tenacity portions formed integrally with both ends of the main mid portion. The low tenacity portions are lower in tenacity than the main mid portion. These low tenacity portions are formed so as to have the Young's modulus approximate to that of the vessel of the living body in which is inserted the stent, so that, when the stent is inserted into the vessel, it is possible to prevent stress concentrated portions from being produced in the vessel.

Heretofore, if a constricted portion is produced in the blood vessel, such as artery, a balloon forming portion annexed to near the distal end of a catheter is introduced into the constricted portion in the blood vessel to from a balloon to expand the constricted portion to improve the blood stream, by way of performing a percutaneous blood vessel forming technique (PTA).
Meanwhile, it is known that, if the PTA is applied, the portion which once suffered from constriction tends to undergo re-constriction with a high probability.
For preventing this re-constriction, it is practiced to apply a tubular stent in the portion of the vessel treated with PTA. This stent is buried in an expanded state in a blood vessel 2 as shown in FIG. 11 to support the blood vessel 2 from its inside to prevent occurrence of re-constriction in the blood vessel 2.
In clinical cases in which a stent prepared by weaving a linear material of stainless steel in a mesh is introduced in the portion of the vessel treated with PTA, re-constriction occurred in a probability of approximately 15%.
For prohibiting this re-constriction, there is proposed in Japanese Laying-open publication Hei-5-502179 (WO91/01097) a stent prepared by polymer fibers containing a pharmaceutical capable of preventing the constriction from occurring.
Meanwhile, blood re-constriction after loading the stent occurs in a majority of cases at a stent end or beginning from the stent end.
The stent used in the inserted state in the blood vessel holds the blood vessel in the expanded state, so that it is designed to have tenacity sufficiently higher than that of the blood vessel. For example, the blood vessel has a Young's modulus equal to approximately 3.times.10.sup.7 pascal, whereas the stainless steel as a main material of the stent used for holding the blood vessel in the expanded state is approximately 3.times.10.sup.11 pascal.
At this time, the blood vessel 2 is reduced in diameter at the portions in register with ends 1a, 1b of the stent 1 where the blood vessel 2 ceases to be supported by the stent 1. The portions of the blood vessel 2 supported by the ends 1a, 1b of the stent 1 represent stress-concentrated portions.
The blood vessel 2, especially the artery, perpetually performs pulsations to cause the blood to flow. The result is that the load due to the pulsations are repeatedly applied to the stress-concentrated portions of the blood vessel 2 supported by the ends 1a, 1b of the stent 1, so that the inner wall of the blood vessel 2 tends to be damaged by the ends 1a, 1b of the stent 1. Since the load is applied to the stress-concentrated portions of the blood vessel 2 supported by the ends 1a, 1b of the stent 1, there are produced injuries in the inner film or beginning from the inner film to the outer film of the blood vessel 2. If damaged, the blood vessel 2 recuperates the damaged portion as a reaction proper to a living body. In recuperating the damaged portion, the blood vessel 2 has its inner film multiplied excessively to cause the re-constriction.


The invention relates to a heating circuit for induction heating coils of an induction cooking hob and to an induction cooking hob including such a heating circuit. In the heating circuit, there are in each case two auxiliary half bridges interconnected to excite a respective resonant circuit for an induction heating coil such that the resonant circuit is excited by a full bridge. Thereby, lost heat is considerably reduced. Via a connecting device the auxiliary half bridges can be controlled to excite induction heating coils, which are partly or fully covered by a cooking vessel.

Power control of an induction cooking zone in an induction heating system, which typically has a plurality of induction cooking zones as an induction hob, is usually performed by controlling a provided series resonant circuit by means of variable frequency, or variable voltage, or a combination of variable frequency and variable voltage. With implementations well-known in the prior art, exclusively half-bridge topology is employed for reasons of cost efficiency.
Typically therein, each resonant circuit is controlled respectively by one converter in half-bridge topology. This allows an individual and continuous adjusting of the output power per cooking zone, wherein the cooking zones are also referred to simply as "zones". Such zones may be, for example, in a circular, rectangular, trapezoidal or octagonal shape.
With so-called flat cooking systems zones are designed and arranged such that the user is no longer compelled to assign the cooking vessel to a single zone, but the vessel is detected discretely by the system according to the position of placement, and in case of covering or overlapping of a plurality of zones, there is an automatic interconnecti4881on of zones to one a common cooking zone effected. Thereby, for example, two initially individual zones can be operated like one single zone, wherein each zone typically has its own converter and resonant circuit.
An important drawback of solution approach is the cost, since in this case for each zone, i.e., for any smallest controllable unit, a distinct converter is provided. Each converter has essentially two power semiconductors in half-bridge topology, typically IBGT-Transistors, and a bridge driver or any other control IC. Such components are expensive and increase system cost considerably.
Furthermore, it was found that with implementations according to the prior art, high power losses do occur. As a result, there is increased power demand and need for using particularly temperature-resistant components and/or providing of cooling devices, which will likewise increase system cost.

Heating circuit and induction cooking hob


A wind energy installation, monitoring device, and method. An exemplary wind energy installation includes a rotor including at least one blade and a generator configured to be driven by the rotor to produce electrical energy. The installation also includes a pitch device configured to vary the at least one blade of the rotor. The pitch device includes a power supply unit with a battery, an actuating drive, a monitoring unit, and a load module configured to switch the actuating drive between an operating mode and a test mode. In the test mode, the actuating drive forms a preselectable defined load for the battery. Accordingly, a high and reproducible load not dependent upon environmental conditions may be applied to conduct a stress test, even during ongoing operation.

Wind energy installations of the type mentioned initially have variable-pitch rotor blades whose pitch angle with respect to the incident wind can be varied. Pitch systems such as these allow two different functionalities, specifically on the one hand variable rotation-speed operation, and on the other hand allow the wind energy installation to be shut down. The latter is done by moving the rotor blades to a feathered position in which they are no longer caused to rotate by the wind. The latter function is actually particularly important since it acts as a braking function. This is a particularly safety-critical aspect for the wind energy installation. In order to make it possible to ensure that the wind energy installation can be shut down via the pitch control, even if the electrical power supply to the wind energy installation fails, dedicated rechargeable-battery systems are generally provided for the pitch device. These ensure that electrical power is supplied to the pitch device even in the event of power supply system failure. Conventional rechargeable batteries or else capacitors with a particularly high capacitance (for example ultra caps) are used as energy stores. Absolutely independently of the precise design used for the rechargeable batteries, they are nevertheless subject to the same disadvantage that these are parts which are subject to wear. In order to safely prevent the failure of the pitch device because of a possibly defective rechargeable battery, because of the safety-critical functionality, the rechargeable batteries are checked at regular time intervals. Various methods have become known in the prior art for this purpose.
DE 10 2005 030 709 discloses the life of the rechargeable batteries being lengthened by optimizing the load and charging processes, by using current-limiting measures, monitoring the temperature of the rechargeable batteries, and measuring the terminal voltage of the individual rechargeable batteries.

Monitoring device for pitch systems of wind energy systems


Emission of nitrogen oxides from a mineral-burning process, for example a cement-manufacturing process, is reduced by passing the exhaust gas from the rotary kiln in which the mineral raw materials are burnt to a combustion zone in which solid fuel elements, for example waste tyres, are maintained for a sufficient period and at a sufficient temperature for at least 30% by weight of the volatile combustible content of the solid fuel elements to be combusted, the combustion zone comprising at least one region in which the combustion of the solid fuel elements occurs under sub-stoichiometric conditions. The solid fuel elements may be introduced into the hot gas stream at at least one point between the mineral-inlet end of the rotary kiln and the lowermost cyclone of an associated preheater system, e.g. into the gas stream within a precalciner vessel or riser duct. Preferably, tertiary air from a clinker cooling apparatus is supplied downstream of the combustion zone (relative to the flow of kiln exhaust gas). As an alternative, the solid fuel elements may be introduced into a Lepol grate preheater.

Kilns in which mineral matter is subjected to burning are commonly fired by means of a so-called fossil fuel, such as pulverised coal, natural gas or fuel oil, or a fuel derived therefrom, such as coal gas. However, the combustion of such a fuel in the presence of a combustion-supporting gas, usually air, may give rise to the generation of nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x), the emission of which into the atmosphere is undesirable for environmental reasons. Such nitrogen oxides are generated from nitrogen compounds that are present in the fuel; also, if the combustion temperature is sufficiently high, in particular above 1200.degree. C., nitrogen oxides would also be generated by the reaction of nitrogen and oxygen that are present in the combustion-supporting air. The patent literature contains a number of proposals for ways in which the emission of NO.sub.x from mineral-burning processes may be reduced, for example as disclosed in the following documents.
DE-A-3 426 296 discloses a process for reducing the content of NO.sub.x in the exhaust gas of a rotary kiln in the manufacture of cement, in which air that has been heated during the cooling of the cement clinker is passed, a combustion air, through the kiln, a calciner and a cyclone preheater in counter-current to the cement raw material. The firing in the calciner is reducing in a first zone but, on account of supply of heated combustion air, is oxidising in a subsequent zone. Part of the gas leaving the kiln is passed through the reducing zone in the calciner, in which nitrogen oxide is reduced to nitrogen and fresh formation of nitrogen oxide is very largely obviated. Thereafter, this part of the gas is mixed with the other part of the gas leaving the kiln and the mixture is passed through the oxidising zone of the calciner. The said other part of the gas, on account of its content of oxygen, will enable the carbon monoxide, which is formed in the reducing zone, to be completely burnt. A similar method is disclosed for processes in which the air is passed through the kiln and then through a grid preheater.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,108 discloses a method of heat-treating fine-grained material, in which the material is preheated in a preheating zone using the hot exhaust gases from a precalcination zone, the preheated material is then further heated in the precalcination zone by the combustion of additional fuel, and the material subsequently undergoes burning in a combustion zone, in particular a rotary kiln, and the exhaust gases from the combustion zone are passed into the precalcination zone. The fuel that is combusted in the precalcination zone is delivered at two locations that are spaced one from the other. The burnt material that issues from the combustion zone may be cooled in a cooler by means of air and the air which is exhausted from the cooler may then be passed into the precalcination zone at two spaced locations, each adjacent a respective location at which the fuel enters the precalcination zone. The portion of the fuel that is added to the precalcination zone at the point nearer to the rotary kiln and the content of oxygen in the gases in this region are controlled so as to achieve a sub-stoichiometric combustion resulting in the establishment of a carbon monoxide content between 0.05 and 1 per cent. Under these reducing conditions, the nitrogen oxides contained in the exhaust gases from the rotary kiln, which are passed into the precalcination zone, are largely decomposed to nitrogen, with the formation of carbon dioxide. The material introduced into the precalcination zone from the preheating zone has a catalytic effect on the removal of the nitrogen oxides and also serves to regulate the temperature since the deacidification thereof takes up the heat produced by the combustion. In the other region where fuel is introduced into the precalcination zone, the combustion of the fuel also gives rise to the combustion of the carbon monoxide emerging from the region of the precalcination zone adjacent the kiln.
EP-A-0 391 463 discloses a method for the reduction of NO.sub.x emission from apparatus for burning mineral raw materials, especially cement raw materials, by means of a nitrogen-containing solid fuel such as coal. The apparatus comprises a burning zone, in particular a rotary kiln, a precalcining zone for calcining the raw materials prior to their entry into the burning zone, and a multi-string, multi-stage preheater system for preheating the raw materials by heat exchange with the exhaust gases from the burning zone and/or from the precalcining zone. One preheater string, the kiln string, is in direct connection with a kiln riser pipe and another preheater string, the calciner string, is connected to the precalcining zone. Material from the burning zone is cooled in a cooling zone, at least some of the exhaust air from which is passed to the precalcining zone as combustion air. Preheated raw material from the kiln string and the calciner string is subjected to precalcination in the precalcining zone and thereafter the bulk of the precalcined raw materials is fed to the burning zone. A nitrogen-containing solid fuel such as coal is fed into the kiln riser pipe in an amount as to constitute from 20 to 50 per cent of the total amount of solid fuel supplied to the apparatus. The nitrogen introduced into the kiln riser pipe by means of the fuel reacts with the nitrogen oxide (NO.sub.x generated in the burning zone and present in the exhaust gas therefrom, thereby forming harmless nitrogen (N.sub.2). The non-combusted fuel, which now contains less nitrogen, is separated from the gases in the lowermost preheater stage of the kiln string and is conveyed to and combusted in the calcining zone.
WO-A-97/30003 discloses a method for reducing the NO.sub.x emission from a kiln plant for the heat treatment of raw materials, in which plant nitrogen-containing fuel can be fired in at least three different zones. In a first such zone, in particular a kiln, an amount c of fuel is burned and to this zone there is fed an oxygen-containing gas. In a second such zone, especially a calciner, an amount b of fuel is burned and to this zone there is fed NO-containing exhaust gas from the other two zones, the exhaust gases from the said second zone being removed from the kiln plant. In the third such zone, in particular a burning compartment, an amount a of fuel is burned and to this zone there is fed at least a portion of the raw materials and also an oxygen-containing gas. The oxygen-containing gas fed to the said second and third zones may be exhaust air from a cooler in which the burned material from the kiln is cooled. The amount of fuel b+a is determined by the requirements of the raw-material treatment; also, the amounts of fuel b and a are adjusted until a minimum NO content is achieved in the exhaust gases from the said second zone. The temperatures in the second and third zones should be as high as the process permits but below 1200.degree. C. In certain embodiments the temperature in the second zone is from 900 to 1150.degree. C. and the temperature in the third zone is from 1000 to 1200.degree. C.
There have also been proposals for the disposal of waste materials, for example used tyres, in kilns and/or associated plant for the heat treatment of mineral matter, in particular kilns and/or associated plant for the production of cement.
Every year large numbers of pneumatic tyres, in particular automobile tyres, are discarded. For example, it was reported in Rock Products, October 1980, that over 200 million automobile tyres were being discarded every year in the United States, and that some 300,000 tons of old tyres were being generated annually in what was then West Germany. A large proportion of waste tyres are simply buried in land-fill sites and there have been various proposals for using comminuted waste tyres, e.g. in road-building asphalts; nonetheless, the environmentally acceptable disposal of waste tyres still presents a considerable challenge.
It has been recognised that the calorific value of waste tyres, at 27,000 kJ/kg, is comparable to that of coal and it is known to use chipped or otherwise comminuted tyres as an auxiliary fuel in cement kilns. However, when account is taken of the capital investment needed for machines for chipping the tyres and the energy costs in operating such machines, the cost benefits obtained by replacing coal or other fossil fuel with tyre chips are often not substantial. Furthermore, if the tyre chips are to be fed into a precalciner or preheater system, it is necessary carefully to control the velocity of the gas in that system to ensure adequate combustion of the chips before they are swept into the next stage of the preheater.
There have been proposals for feeding whole tyres directly into a rotary cement kiln. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,051 discloses apparatus by means of which whole tyres may be delivered through the mineral-inlet end of a rotary cement kiln to a selected region of the kiln. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,594 an apparatus is described for charging whole tyres through a port in the wall of a rotating cement kiln into a heated-zone of the kiln.
However, the delivery of whole tyres directly into a rotary cement kiln requires careful control to ensure that the tyres are fully burnt within the kiln, that there is no localised reduction, which can lead to the build-up of solids and blockages in the lower stages of the preheater system, and that the solid residue is uniformly incorporated into the cement clinker.
DE-A-3,326,375 discloses a method for the production of cement clinker in a rotary kiln, in which the raw material is preheated in a multi-stage cyclone preheater and is then calcined using different fuel components in at least two different places in the preheater before entry into the rotary kiln. This method is characterised in that the raw material is preheated and calcined in two separate streams in separate strings of the preheater, in that a coarse particulate solid fuel component (for example used tyres or lump coal) is supplied to the first preheater string at a point located close to the rotary kiln such that this fuel component arrives in the rotary kiln before complete combustion; and in that a liquid, gaseous of fine particulate solid fuel component is introduced into the second string of the preheater such that this fuel component is thoroughly mixed with the material to be calcined before complete combustion. It is suggested in this German patent application that this method permits the use of quite different types of fuel without the formation of coatings or other operational problems in the preheater; it is suggested that this is due to the fact that the coarse particulate fuel component is practically completely gasified in the rotary kiln (page 5, lines 1-6, and page 5, line 25 to page 6, line 1). In the detailed description of an illustrated embodiment, the point at which the coarse particulate solid fuel component is supplied to the first preheater string is selected such that the coarse particulate fuel will fall more or less freely through the inlet housing associated with the rotary kiln and thence into the rotary kiln itself, where it is gasified (page 11, lines 1-9). There is no disclosure or suggestion that the coarse particulate fuel is maintained in contact with the hot gas stream in the preheater.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,823 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,877 describe, and respectively claim, an apparatus and a method for continuously producing a cement clinker in which a combustible waste material is employed as a heat source. According to the disclosure in these U.S. patents, a cement raw material is fed into a preheating or calcining chamber, from which the resultant preheated or calcined material is forwarded into a heating region within a rotary kiln in order to convert the material into a cement clinker. The cement clinker is then moved into a cooling chamber in which its temperature is decreased by means of cooling air. Exhaust gas from the heating region in the rotary kiln is passed into the preheating or calcining chamber. The combustible waste material is fed into a heat-decomposition chamber into which exhaust gas from the heating region of the rotary kiln is also introduced and in which the combustible waste material is thermally decomposed in order to generate a combustible gas. This combustible gas is then conveyed to, and burnt within, the preheating or calcining chamber to preheat or calcine the cement material. Accordingly, the said waste material undergoes a pyrolysis and gasification process rather than combustion as such. Any solid residue from the thermal decomposition of the combustible waste material is allowed to pass into the heating region within the rotary kiln. Various combustible waste materials are mentioned, including tyre wastes, rubber wastes, oil wastes, oil-containing sludges, asphalt wastes, pitch wastes, and organic compound wastes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,795 discloses a preheater or precalciner cement kiln including a rotary vessel, a riser duct for counterflow preheating of cement raw materials, and a shelf-transition portion between the riser duct and the rotary vessel for receiving preheated mineral material from the riser duct and delivering it into the rotary vessel. The riser duct is modified in order to permit the burning in the kiln gas stream of solid fuel, in particular combustible waste material. A solid fuel delivery port is formed in the riser duct at a point downstream of the self-transition portion (relative to the kiln gas flow). A fuel delivery tube extends through the fuel delivery port and includes a fuel inlet end that is outside the riser duct and a fuel outlet end that is inside the riser duct. A grate is positioned in order to receive and suspend solid fuel emerging from the output end of the fuel delivery tube in the riser duct. A feed mechanism, for example a reciprocating ram, is used to feed the fuel through the delivery tube and onto the grate. The fuel delivery tube may comprise an intermediate staging portion between the inlet and outlet ends, which staging portion and the outlet end are preferably insulated. In certain embodiments insulation is provided by an annular passageway for the delivery of oxygen-containing gas such that the gas contacts the solid fuel suspended on the grate in the kiln gas stream. A combustion control agent, for example cement raw material or cement kiln dust, may be metered into the intermediate staging portion so as to contact the fuel therein which is awaiting delivery onto the grate.
There remains a need for an improved method whereby the content of NO.sub.x in the effluent gas issuing from a mineral-burning kiln can be substantially reduced. There also remains a need for an improved method whereby whole tyres can be disposed of in a mineral-burning, e.g. cement-manufacturing, process.


Provided is a transmission circuit which allows smooth switching of the operation mode when switching the operation mode of the transmission circuit. A power amplifier 14 includes: a first input terminal to which a direct-current voltage or a voltage in accordance with an amplitude signal M is supplied; a second input terminal to which an output signal from a first variable gain amplifier 171 or an output signal from a second variable gain amplifier 172 is inputted; and a third input terminal to which an output signal from a first bias circuit 15 or an output signal from a second bias circuit 16 is inputted. A control section 11 switches the operation mode of the transmission circuit so that at least one of the first input terminal, the second input terminal, and the third input terminal of the power amplifier is prevented from being in a no input state.

In the advanced information society in recent years, communication devices such as mobile phones, wireless LAN devices, and the like are required to ensure the linearity of a transmission signal over a wide range of power amplification and also operate with low power consumption. In such a communication device, a transmission circuit which outputs a high-precision transmission signal regardless of the bandwidth and operates at high efficiency is employed. A conventional transmission circuit will be described below.
Examples of the conventional transmission circuit include transmission circuits (hereinafter, referred to as a quadrature modulation circuit) which use modulation schemes such as quadrature modulation or the like to generate transmission signals. The quadrature modulation circuit has been widely known, thus the description thereof is omitted. Also, an example of a conventional transmission circuit which operates at higher efficiency than a quadrature modulation circuit is a transmission circuit 500 shown in FIG. 18 (for example, see Non-Patent Literature 1). FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the conventional transmission circuit 500 disclosed in Non-Patent Literature 1. In FIG. 18, the conventional transmission circuit 500 includes a signal generation section 501, a phase modulation section 502, a regulator 503, a power amplifier (PA) 504, and a power supply terminal 505. The power amplifier 504 includes an amplifying transistor.
In the conventional transmission circuit 500, the signal generation section 501 generates an amplitude signal and a phase signal. The amplitude signal is inputted to the regulator 503. The regulator 503 is supplied with a direct-current voltage by the power supply terminal 505. The regulator 503 supplies a voltage in accordance with an inputted amplitude signal to the power amplifier 504. It should be noted that, typically, the regulator 503 supplies a voltage in proportion to the magnitude of the inputted amplitude signal to the power amplifier 504.
On the other hand, the phase signal is inputted to the phase modulation section 502. The phase modulation section 502 phase-modulates the phase signal and outputs a phase-modulated signal. The phase-modulated signal is inputted to the power amplifier 504. The power amplifier 504 amplitude-modulates the phase-modulated signal using the voltage supplied by the regulator 503, and outputs the resultant signal as a modulation signal that is phase-modulated and amplitude-modulated. The modulation signal is outputted as a transmission signal from an output terminal. It should be noted that such the transmission circuit 500 is referred to as a polar modulation circuit.
However, the conventional quadrature modulation circuit has a characteristic that, when the output power is low, the linearity is high but the power efficiency is poor. In addition, the conventional polar modulation circuit has a characteristic that the polar modulation circuit operates at high precision and high efficiency when the magnitude of the output power is greater than a certain magnitude, whereas, when the output power is low, the linearity deteriorates and the power efficiency declines. This is because, when the output power is low, it is difficult to linearly control the power amplifier 504 and also the power amplifier 504 operates outside the saturation region.
Therefore, a transmission circuit which switches the operation mode in accordance with an output power is previously disclosed (for example, see Patent Literature 1). FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a conventional transmission circuit 600 disclosed in Patent Literature 1. In FIG. 19, the conventional transmission circuit 600 uses the quadrature modulation scheme when the output power is low, and uses the polar modulation scheme when the output power is high.
Specifically, the conventional transmission circuit 600 previously has a first threshold value and a second threshold value, provided that the first threshold value > the second threshold value. When the output power is greater than the first threshold value, the conventional transmission circuit 600 connects an output of an AGC amplifier 610 to a base terminal of a power amplifier 611, connects an output of an amplitude modulation circuit 613 to a collector terminal of the power amplifier 611, and uses the polar modulation scheme to amplify an output signal. On the other hand, when the output power is smaller than the first threshold value and equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the conventional transmission circuit 600 connects the output of the AGC amplifier 610 to the base terminal of the power amplifier 611 but the output level is adjusted using the AGC amplifier 610, thereby the output signal is amplified using the linear region of the power amplifier 611. Furthermore, when the output power is smaller than the second threshold value, because, via the power amplifier 611, the quality of the signal may deteriorate due to the effect of distortion in the power amplifier 611, the conventional transmission circuit 600 connects an output of the AGC amplifier 610 to a buffer 612, and outputs the output signal without passing it through the power amplifier 611.
In this manner, the conventional transmission circuit 600 is operable at high precision and high efficiency. When the conventional transmission circuit 600 is used as a mobile wireless device, however, further reduction of the power consumption is required. In particular, most power is consumed by the power amplifier 611 which is a power amplification stage, and thus the reduction of the power consumption in the power amplifier 611 is further required.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a high frequency amplifier which switches a bias voltage by a bias switch along with operation conditions for a power amplifier. In general, for amplification of an analog FM modulation wave, transmission of only a phase change may be necessary, and therefore the use of a class C power amplifier which has high power conversion efficiency is preferred. On the other hand, in the case of a modulation scheme for a digitally modulated wave, for example, a π/4 shift QPSK-modulated wave, which should allow the transmission of both amplitude change and phase change, the use of a class A power amplifier which has excellent linearity is required. Patent Literature 2 discloses a configuration in that a bias voltage to be applied to an amplifying transistor is switched in accordance with a modulation signal, and thereby the operation region of the power amplifier is controlled.
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a conventional transmission circuit 700 disclosed in Patent Literature 2. In FIG. 20, a modulation wave inputted from an RF input terminal 711 is amplified by a power amplifier 712, and outputted from an antenna 713. The power amplifier 712 includes a grounded-emitter amplifying transistor 718, an input-side match section 717 connected to a base terminal of an amplifying transistor 718, and an output-side match section 719 connected to a collector terminal of the amplifying transistor 718.
A changeover control circuit 715 is connected by a bias switch 720 to the base terminal of the amplifying transistor 718 included in the power amplifier 712. In accordance with a control signal for selecting a modulation wave which is inputted from a control signal input terminal 714, the bias switch 720 connects the base terminal of the amplifying transistor 718 to a first bias circuit 722 or a second bias circuit 723. Specifically, in the case of causing the power amplifier 712 to act as a class C power amplifier, the bias switch 720 connects the base terminal of the amplifying transistor 718 to the first bias circuit 722.
On the other hand, in the case of causing the power amplifier 712 to act as a class A power amplifier, the bias switch 720 connects the base terminal of the amplifying transistor 718 to the second bias circuit 723. In this manner, in the conventional transmission circuit 700, bias circuits 722 and 723 are switched therebetween, depending on a type of modulation wave to be amplified by the power amplifier 712, and thereby the operation region of the power amplifier 712 is converted and the power conversion efficiency is improved.

Transmission circuit and communication device


A switching power source apparatus has a switching element being connected with a DC power source through a primary winding of a transformer in which parasitic capacitance exists between terminals of the switching element. A voltage V4 of free oscillation appears at a gate of the switching element after a flyback period due to the parasitic capacitance. Based on the free oscillation voltage, the switching power source apparatus detects timing synchronized with a period of the free oscillation, outputs a trigger signal V10 based on the detected timing, uses the trigger signal to estimate bottom timing when the free oscillation reaches a bottom level the second time, outputs an ON start signal V9 synchronized with the bottom timing, uses the ON start signal to output an ON control signal to turn on the switching element, and drives the switching element in response to the ON control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching power source apparatus based on a quasi-resonance control method, and particularly, to a switching power source apparatus capable of improving power conversion efficiency and reducing switching noise.
2. Description of the Related Art
The quasi-resonance control method is one of methods for controlling a switching power source apparatus having a switching element. During an OFF period of the switching element, a voltage of free oscillation occurring at a drain of the switching element drops. When the voltage drop reaches a bottom level, the quasi-resonance control method detects it and turns on the switching element so as to reduce a switching loss and noise. The method is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 08-289543.
A switching power source apparatus proposed in the above-mentioned patent publication has a primary circuit connected to a primary winding of a transformer, a secondary circuit connected to a secondary winding of the transformer, and a controller connected to a tertiary winding of the transformer. The controller detects a bottom voltage of free oscillation after a flyback period and controls a switching element accordingly.


A cooler comprising a first compartment defining an interior region and a portion of the first compartment extending into an interior region of a second compartment. The interior region of the second compartment carries a cooling material that cools the interior region thereof. Heat flow from the interior region of the first compartment into the interior region of the second compartment cools the interior region of the first compartment.

Portable enclosures for cold-temperature storage of ice, drinks and food items are well known. Referred to as "coolers", they are available in various shapes and sizes, most commonly circular or rectangular in cross section with capacities ranging from one gallon to 75 gallons. Certain embodiments further comprise wheels and/or handles for portability and transportability. Ice (e.g., "dry" ice, ice packs) in the cooler maintains the food and drinks at a sufficiently low temperature to preserve freshness and retard spoilage.
Certain coolers referred to as "water jugs" filled with a water and ice mixture maintain the drinking water at a refreshingly cool temperature. Generally cylindrical in shape, the water jug comprises insulated upstanding sidewalls and a base that cooperate to define an open interior region. An openable or removable lid provides access to the interior region. The ice and water within the open region are insulated from ambient temperature and thus maintained at a lower temperature. Drinking water is withdrawn from the water jug by opening a manually operated valve disposed proximate the base.
The water jug also protects its ice and water contents from environmental contaminants, as access to the interior region is not required to dispense the water. The potable water remains clean and cold. Therefore it is generally not advisable to store containered drinks (cans and bottles) or food items in the water jug cooler, as contaminants on a container surface may contaminate the potable water. The act of placing an item in or removing an item from the water jug by reaching one's hand into the water jug may also contaminate the water. Water jugs are therefore best suited for a single function of storing only water.
Ice chest type coolers also have a single function. Generally rectangular in cross section, the ice chest comprises insulated upstanding sidewalls and a base that cooperate to define an open interior region. Ice, food (e.g., packaged food items) and/or containered drink items to be maintained at a low temperature are stored within the interior region. The beverage containers and packaged food items are typically placed above and in contact with exposed ice. A hinged or removable cooler door permits access to the stored items. Because dirt and contaminants may be present on the beverage containers and food packages, the water formed by ice melting within the container is generally not considered potable. Although an ice chest may include a valved nozzle or a drain, such is intended for draining water from the ice chest, not for providing access to clean drinking water.


Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, an apparatus, a device and a computer-readable storage medium for storage management. The method for storage management includes: obtaining an available channel mode of a plurality of channels in a memory of a data processing system, the available channel mode indicating availabilities of the plurality of channels, and each of the plurality of channels being associated with a set of addresses in the memory; obtaining a channel data-granularity of the plurality of channels, the channel data-granularity indicating a size of a data block that can be carried on each channel; obtaining a target address of data to be transmitted in the memory; and determining a translated address corresponding to the target address based on the available channel mode and the channel data-granularity.

Currently, data processing, system (e.g., chips) has been increasingly more common. However, as the size of the data processing system becomes smaller and smaller with the development of the manufacturing process, the yield of the data processing system decreases rapidly. For example, the yield of a data processing system manufactured by a 7 nm manufacturing process is typically 60-70%. In addition, with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, processing capability of the data processing system (for example, a graphics processing unit (GPU) or an AI chip) is constantly improving. Consequently, the above factors lead to an ever-increasing scale of the data processing system, and increasing requirements of bandwidth for access to the memory associated with the data processing system. For example, a common area of AI chips is usually 500 mm2, and can even be as high as 800 mm2. However, the larger the area of the data processing system is, the lower the yield becomes.

Method, apparatus, device and computer-readable storage medium for storage management

BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Embodiments of the invention relate to process identifier (PID) based cache information transfer. An aspect of the invention includes sending, by a first core of a processor, a PID associated with a cache miss in a first local cache of the first core to a second cache of the processor. Another aspect of the invention includes determining that the PID associated with the cache miss is listed in a PID table of the second cache. Yet another aspect of the invention includes based on the PID being listed in the PID table of the second cache, determining a plurality of entries in a cache directory of the second cache that are associated with the PID. Yet another aspect of the invention includes pushing cache information associated with each of the determined plurality of entries in the cache directory from the second cache to the first local cache.

The present invention relates generally to computing systems, and more specifically, to process identifier (PID) based transferring of cache information between caches in a multiprocessor computer processor.
A processor subsystem in a computing system may include multiple processor chips. There may be multiple processor cores on a single processor chip. Such multicore chips are used for many types of computing systems, including but not limited to desktops, servers, smartphones, and tablets. Caching is used in a processor subsystem to allow frequently-used data (for example, instruction data or operand data), to be easily accessed by a processor core without needing to search in a main memory of the computing system, thereby increasing the speed of processor operations. The cores in a processor subsystem may each have respective local caches, and cores on the same chip may additionally share a common higher-level cache. The local caches may be private, or may be shared with other processor cores in the subsystem in various topologies, for example, ring, bus or mesh.
When a core makes an access to its local cache, the core may find that the data it needs is not in the core's local cache (i.e., there is a local cache miss). The data may instead be located in another shared or local cache on the same chip or on another chip. The core that experienced the local cache miss may make a cache line transfer request to the cache subsystem to fetch the desired data to its local cache. Fetching of data from one cache to another may be a master/slave relationship. The core that needs the data is the master and makes the request to the cache subsystem, which is the slave. The cache subsystem may then locate the data in a particular local cache and returns it to the requestor. The most recent value of a particular storage location may be determined by the cache subsystem, and then be sent to the requester. The location process may involve determining whether the desired data already exists within the subsystem; if the data does not already exist within the cache subsystem the data may need to be retrieved from the main memory of the computing system. Intra-cache data transfers may be maintained on a per cache line basis and may be governed by cache protocols that are adapted by the particular processor to fit its architecture and design requirements.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process identifier-based cache information transfer

International Business Machines Corporation


A sub-centimeter structure includes a first structural component, a second structural component arranged proximate the first structural component, and a joint connecting the first and second structural components. The joint includes a material that has a first phase that is substantially rigid to hold the first and second structural components in a substantially rigid configuration while the material is in the first phase. The material of the joint has a second phase such that the joint is at least partially fluid to allow the first and second structural components to move relative to each other while the material is in the second phase. The joint interacts with the first and second structural components while the material is in the second phase to cause the first and second structural components to move relative to each other. And, the first and second structural components include a polymer.

1. Field of Invention
The field of the currently claimed embodiments of this invention relates to self-folding structures, and more particularly to self-folding structures that are smaller than 1 cm in a folded configuration.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Over the last several years, self-folding methods for transforming lithographically patterned 2D templates into hollow microcontainers have been developed (B. Gimi, et al., Biomed. Microdev. 2005, 7, 341-345 (2005); T. G. Leong, et al., Langmuir 23:8747-8751 (2007)). These containers also feature precise patterning of pores in all three dimensions. Containers known in the art, however, have a primarily metallic composition to facilitate photolithographic patterning and wet etching. Although the metallic containers interact with electromagnetic fields to enable remote heating (H. Ye, et al., Angew. Chem. 46:4991-4994 (2007)) and imaging (B. Gimi, et al., Cell Trans. 16:403-408 (2007)), and containers coated with gold have been shown to be nontoxic to cells, such containers lack other important features, such as biodegradability and optical transparency. Polymers, however, remain the material of choice in constructing devices for cell encapsulation therapy, tissue engineering and drug delivery (S. Prakash, H. Soe-Lin, Trends Biomat. Artif. Organs, 18:24-35 (2004)).
Therefore, there remains a need for improved self-folding structures and methods of producing the self-folding structures.


There is provided an information processing apparatus to achieve both the stabilization of estimation of the distance to a target physical body and the suppression of power consumption. The information processing apparatus includes: a first estimation unit configured to estimate a distance between a prescribed visual point and a physical body in a real space on the basis of result of detection of light that is sent from a prescribed light sending unit toward the physical body and is reflected at the physical body; a second estimation unit configured to estimate at least either one of a position or an attitude in the real space of the prescribed visual point on the basis of result of estimation of the distance; and a control unit configured to control the light sent from the light sending unit in accordance with a situation regarding estimation of at least either one of the position or the attitude.

In computer vision fields, technologies of the estimation of the self-position of a device, such as "simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)", "iterative closest point (ICP)", and "visual odometry", and technologies of the 3D modeling of a surrounding environment structure, such as "multi-view stereo" and "structure from motion", are drawing attention. To embody these technologies, the ability to stably estimate the distance (depth information) from a prescribed apparatus to a target point in the surrounding environment of the apparatus is an important elemental technology. In particular, these days, inexpensive depth sensors employing active irradiation systems such as "structured light", "patterned light", and "time of flight" are becoming widespread as devices for acquiring depth information. Note that Patent Document 1 discloses, as a relevant technology, an example of technology in which light is sent from a light sending means to a detection area and the light is received by a light receiving means, and thereby a body to be detected that is located in the detection area is detected.
Further, improvements in the processing precision and the robustness of self-position estimation and 3D modeling are becoming possible by using various sensing devices such as an image sensor, a gyro sensor, and an acceleration sensor, and calculation devices such as a CPU and a GPU. Thus, the practical application areas of the self-position estimation technology mentioned above and the 3D modeling technology mentioned above are becoming wider, and particularly these days also applications to mobile body devices, mobile devices, and the like are investigated.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program


Polyhydroxybenzenes, e.g., the dihydroxybenzenes, are prepared by directly hydroxylating a phenol with nitrous oxide, preferably in vapor phase, on a substrate of acidified zeolite particulates, advantageously ZSM-5 zeolite particulates, and such acidified zeolite particulates advantageously having a molar ratio SiO.sub.2 /Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 of greater than about 90, preferably up to 500.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to the preparation of dihydroxybenzenes and, more especially, to the preparation of dihydroxybenzenes by the hydroxylation of phenols.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
The hydroxylation of phenol or of substituted phenols using hydrogen peroxide to prepare diphenols has long been known to this art.
French Patent FR No. 2,071,464 describes a process in which such reaction is catalyzed by a strong acid, such as, for example, perchloric acid or sulfuric acid.
German Patent No. 2,410,742 describes a process similar to that of the '464 patent, in which the hydrogen peroxide is employed in the form of a virtually anhydrous organic solution.
The above two processes have attracted considerable interest and the former is used industrially.
However, for a considerable period of time, this art has sought to catalyze the hydroxylation reaction by means of solids which are undissolved in the reaction medium, in order to simplify their separation therefrom, to permit the optional recycling thereof, and to avoid saline byproducts which are principally formed during removal of the dissolved acid catalysts.
Thus, French Patent FR No. 2,489,816 recommends the use of titanium silicalite as a heterogeneous catalyst for the hydroxylation of aromatic compounds by means of hydrogen peroxide.
However, such catalysis presents extreme problems of reproducibility. Moreover, the fine size of these catalyst particles makes their separation from the reaction medium very difficult and their recycling problematical, while in an industrial process, it is essential to be able to recycle an expensive catalyst.
In order to remedy this problem of separation of the catalyst, it has been proposed, in the European Patent Application published under No. 200,260, to employ agglomerates of these fine particles of titanium silicalite.
The difficulty in controlling the reliability of plant installations when using hydrogen peroxide for hydroxylation and the mediocrity of the prior art yields have long prompted those skilled in this art to seek, essentially unsuccessfully, to introduce a hydroxyl group directly onto the phenolic ring in the absence of any peroxide derivative.
The only publication describing the direct introduction of a hydroxyl group onto a benzene nucleus is believed to be the article by Iwamoto, published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry, 87, 6 (1983).
Such benzene hydroxylation reaction is carried out by means of nitrous oxide (N.sub.2 O) in the presence of a catalyst based on an oxide of a metal of Groups V or VI of the Periodic Table.
Vanadium oxide is the preferred oxide among the oxides of the metals of Groups V and VI of the Periodic Table. It is more preferred to employ such oxide distributed on a substrate based on silica, in an amount by weight ranging from 1% to 10% relative to the substrate. The substrate preferably is constituted of silica, since alumina in most cases causes the formation of a mixture of the oxides of carbon.
This particular process was of interest, but the requirement for special catalysts made it relatively unattractive to industry.
Thus, serious need continues to exist in this art for a process for the direct hydroxylation of the benzene nucleus on a simple and readily available substrate.

Preparation of polyhydroxybenzenes by direct hydroxylation of phenols


The present invention provides a culture method for culturing, in recesses (10), a population including two or more cells including a cell derived from a stem cell and a mesenchymal cell. The cell derived from a stem cell is a cell obtained by differentiating a stem cell in vitro. The cell is a cell of one or more types selected from the group consisting of an endodermal cell, an ectodermal cell, and a mesodermal cell. The population is cultured in the recesses (10) together with a vascular cell or a secretor factor. Each recess (10) includes a space in which cells are movable. When a volume of the space is represented by V mm3 and the number of mesenchymal cells seeded in the space is represented by N, V is 400 or less and N/V is in a range from 35 to 3000.

In recent years, attempts have been made to use artificially differentiated pluripotent stem cells for drug discovery screening and regenerative medicine (e.g., Non Patent Literature 1). The pluripotent stem cells described herein refer to cells which have an ability to differentiate into various functional cells. The pluripotent stem cells are caused to differentiate into cells having functions specific to a certain organ or cell type depending on what is the purpose of drug discovery screening or regenerative medicine. For example, iPS cells are used as the pluripotent stem cells. However, in many cases, the artificially differentiated pluripotent stem cells are capable of reproducing only a part of vital functions in vivo. Accordingly, the functions of the artificially differentiated pluripotent stem cells are much lower than the functions of cells in vivo.
In drug discovery screening tests using cells, the cells show drug susceptibility and toxic reaction. It is required to show drug susceptibility and toxic reaction that are similar to those obtained in a test performed in a living body, that is, a so-called in vivo test. The above-mentioned prior art is insufficient for using pluripotent stem cells artificially differentiated for such an application. Therefore, there is a demand for differentiating pluripotent stem cells to more mature cells. The more mature cells described herein refer to cells having functions whose expression level is equivalent to that of functions of cells in vivo.
In the field of conventional medicine, organ transplantation and artificial organ transplantation are carried out. However, there are problems with the transplantations such as shortage of donors and transplant rejection. For example, in clinical practice, organ transplantation and replacement with artificial organs are carried out to treat severe organ failures. However, the organ transplantation and artificial organ transplantation have some fundamental problems that have not been solved. There are problems with organ transplantations such as rejections and critical shortage of donors, and artificial organs are only capable of replacing some of the functions of an organ for a limited period of time (e.g., Patent Literature 1 and 2).
On the other hand, in the field of regenerative medicine, artificial creation of human tissues is carried out. A method is known in which terminally differentiated cells are seeded on a support or scaffolding for this creation. Further, in recent years, a method for preparing a tissue and an organ (Patent Literature 3) and a method for preparing islet cells by inducing undifferentiated cells (Patent Literature 4) have been disclosed.
Patent Literature 3 discloses a method for co-culturing a mesenchymal cell, an organ cell, and a vascular endothelial cell, thereby producing a cell cluster which is called an organ bud. The organ bud grows into an organ and can be transplanted in a living body. An organ bud produced by this method is an extremely favorable implant. On the other hand, there is a risk that when the organ bud is transplanted, a cell in the organ bud may differentiate into a cell of an organ other than the transplantation target (Non Patent Literature 2). A cell of an organ other than the transplantation target refers to a cell other than a cell of the organ into which the organ bud grows. Examples of this cell include a fibrous cell and a bone cell. Accordingly, there is a demand for minimizing the risk that a cell in an organ bud differentiates into a cell of an organ other than the transplantation target.

Public University Corporation Yokohama City University


An automated fueling facility allows untrained persons to safely dispense homogenous phase liquid methane from a cryogenic storage tank into a motor vehicle. The fueling facility automatically maintains pressure on the liquid methane within a predetermined safe operating range using methane gas trapped in the cryogenic storage tank. The pressure on the liquid methane is at least set equal to a set pressure equal to the sum of the saturation pressure of the liquid methane plus an additional amount to help to ensure that it remains in a fully saturated condition after absorbing any heat during pumping from the storage tank. A pump is cooled by placing it in the storage tank and circulating liquid methane through the pump and back into the storage tank. A dispenser, including nozzle for connecting to a motor vehicle, is cooled by circulating liquid through the nozzle and back to the storage tank through a receptacle on the dispenser to which the nozzle is connected. No dispensing of liquid methane into a motor vehicle tank is allowed to begin without the pressure of the liquid methane being within the operating range and the pump and nozzle pre-cooled. No additional pressure is built in the storage tank than is necessary to bring the pressure of the liquid methane to the set pressure.

Interest in the use of liquid methane, frequently referred to as liquified natural gas (LNG), as a motor vehicle fuel has increased dramatically in recent years. Entire fleets of government and industry vehicles have successfully been convened to natural gas, and some privately-owned vehicles have been converted as well. Congress recently passed an energy bill which would require further increased use of alternative fuels in government and private fleets.
Several factors have influenced this increasing interest in natural gas as a motor vehicle fuel. LNG is relatively inexpensive. It also bums very cleanly, making it much easier for fleets to meet more restrictive pollution emission standards. However, handling LNG remains a significant problem.
An LNG fueling facility typically includes a massive LNG storage tank and a dispensing system. The dispensing system usually relies on a pump to deliver LNG from the massive storage tank to the vehicle. Refrigeration is very expensive. Therefore, insulation around the massive LNG storage tank is relied on exclusively in most installations to maintain methane in a liquid state. Storing and dispensing LNG from an insulated tank poses several problems.
LNG is preferably kept in a saturated state in the massive storage tank and as it is pumped through the dispensing system. Otherwise, heterogeneous phase methane is dispensed into a vehicle, which is undesirable. First, a vehicle's tank is only partially filled with usable fuel, reducing the range of the vehicle. The time between vehicle refuelings falls and this places an increased burden on the limited capacity of an LNG fueling facility to service a fleet. And second, obtaining an accurate measure of the amount of LNG actually dispensed into a vehicle's tank is not possible using conventional mass flow meters. The LNG fueling facility therefore cannot accurately charge for the LNG dispensed, which is especially important for facilities intended to service multiple fleets or individual consumers.
Pressure within the massive storage tank must also be kept below a maximum allowed pressure for safety. It is physically impossible to insulate a tank for no heat transfer. Therefore, heat from the environment continually warms the liquid methane. Once the temperature of the liquid methane rises above its saturation temperature the pressure under which the liquid is placed, the liquid methane boils, trapping the vapor in the tank. The liquid methane continues to boil off vapor, raising the pressure in the tank until of the pressure on the liquid methane reaches saturation pressure for the temperature of the liquid. Additional volume made available from to dispensing of LNG relieves some pressure. However, if the pressure within the tank meets or exceeds a maximum safe pressure, it must be vented in a procedure colloquially referred to as "blowing down the tank".
Blowing down a tank is undesirable. Releasing methane into the atmosphere can create a potential for explosion and is an environmental hazard. Although conditions which surround venting can be carefully controlled to minimize risks, releasing methane into the atmosphere is preferably avoided.
More importantly, taking the pressure off the liquid may lower its saturation temperature below its actual temperature, causing the liquid to boil. Blowing down the tank thus results in boiling, with the methane coming out of a homogenous liquid phase and assuming a heterogeneous phase. Blowing down the tank, however, dispels heat from the tank and results in lowering the liquid temperature. Less pressure is thus required to maintain the methane in a saturated liquid phase after blow down. Nevertheless, it is still desirable to slightly "sub-cool" the liquid methane by passing some liquid through a heat exchanger to vaporize it and returning the vapor back to the tank to pressurize and compress the liquid to raise its saturation temperature. Thus, some heat is returned to the gas occupying the void in the tank above the liquid level.
Specially trained operators are usually required to maintain the facility and to dispense the LNG. Having to employ specially trained operators to handle the LNG and cryogenic fluids not only makes LNG fueling stations more costly, it also makes them generally less appealing to fleet operators and particularly unappealing to average drivers who service their own automobiles. However, even specially trained operators are sometimes unable to properly condition the tank.


A replacement gunstock for shortening the overall length of a firearm with a barrel and breech mechanism and a separately attached trigger assembly. The replacement gunstock has a forehand portion with an elongated, hollowed-out depression through which a firing rod passes interconnecting the trigger in the trigger assembly with a sear mechanism in the breech.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a replacement gunstock for use in shortening the overall length of a rifle having a trigger assembly separate from the barrel and breech mechanism.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are occasions when the overall length of a rifle makes it too long for a particular application, for example when hunting. One solution is to remove part of the length of the rifle barrel to increase the maneuverability of the rifle and decrease the overall weight but there are federal and local laws that make short-barreled rifles illegal. Additionally reducing the length of the barrel also affects the power and accuracy of the weapon.
There are gunstocks for shortening the length of a rifle, commonly called "bull-pups." These devices typically involve a secondary trigger mounted in front of the original trigger with a mechanical link therebetween. Bull-pups require extensive disassembly of the rifle for insertion into the bull-pup module and an exact linkage of the two triggers. Adjustments tend to be difficult or impossible and "slop" in the linkage can lead to poor trigger action or misfire. Auxiliary equipment such as scopes, lasers and the like must be removed from the rifle and reattached to the bull-pup module after the other parts have been reassembled in the module thus requiring an additional step which may also affect accuracy.
In some rifles the barrel and breech mechanism and the trigger assembly are attached to the gunstock with separate fasteners. Such rifles are sold by Marlin and are available in a number of variations such as Model 60, Model 795 and Model 70P. Since all the aforementioned models are variations on the Model 60 and have similar separate trigger mechanisms and other features in common, the conversion disclosed herein is equally applicable to any of these models, as well as other makes of guns having similar trigger mechanisms.


An audio jack connector includes an insulating housing which has a base body defining a holding cavity in a bottom thereof and an inserting body defining an inserting chamber, a plurality of electrical terminals disposed in the base body, a fixing member fastened in the holding cavity of the insulating housing to cover and hold the electrical terminals in the base body, and a sealing tape covering under the fixing member and adhered outside the insulating housing and the fixing member to seal up splicing gaps between sidewalls of the holding cavity and peripheral edges of the fixing member. So the audio jack connector can effectively prevent the water vapor and dust passing through the inserting chamber onto a printed circuit board of an electronic product where the audio jack connector is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to an audio jack connector.
2. the Related Art
Along with the development of modern information technology, audio jack connectors are more and more widely used in various electronic products for connecting with matching plug connectors to transmit audio signals. In recent years, along with the appearance of a variety of compact electronic products such as mobile phones, PDA, MP3 players and laptops, the audio jack connectors become particularly important for the electronic products.
A known audio jack connector includes an insulating housing and a plurality of electrical terminals which are installed in the insulating housing. The insulating housing defines an inserting chamber longitudinally running through the insulating housing, and a plurality of terminal grooves arranged alongside the inserting chamber and communicated with the inserting chamber. The electrical terminals are disposed in the terminal grooves, wherein each electrical terminal has one end project into the inserting chamber for electrically connecting with the matching plug connector, and the other end be exposed outside the insulating housing for electrically connecting with a printed circuit board of the electronic product, so as to realize an electrical connection between the electronic product and the matching plug connector.
However, in use, water vapor and dust easily pass through the inserting chamber and the terminal grooves onto the printed circuit board of the electronic product. As a result, the service life of the electronic product is greatly reduced.