A delay limit detect circuit can determine the delay of a current steering delay cell, like those utilized in a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), by monitoring a current (ISENSE) that tracks a delay cell current (I2). When the monitored current (ISENSE) outside of a limit, a signal LIMIT can be activated. A monitored current (ISENSE) can be generated by a control replica circuit having the same circuit component types as a control circuit within a delay cell. Such limit detection can provide a way to prevent a ring VCO from entering a runaway state, particularly in cases where a maximum frequency can be reached before a maximum control voltage is reached.

Controllable delay circuits can enjoy wide application in timing circuits. One very particular application can be to arrange delay cells into a ring to form a ring oscillator. Such a ring oscillator can be used, as but one example, as a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit, or the like.
To better understand various aspects of the embodiments, a number of conventional circuits will now be described.
FIG. 8 shows a ring oscillator 800 formed by a number of delay cells 802-0 to 802-n arranged into a ring to generate an oscillating signal OSC. Each delay cell (802-0 to 802-n) can be essentially identical. A delay introduced by each delay cell (802-0 to 802-n) can be controlled according to a control voltage Vctrl. As but one example, as Vctrl increases, the oscillating frequency for circuit 800 can increase. A ring oscillator 800 used for voltage controlled oscillation can be employed in a phase locked loop (PLL). A PLL includes a control loop circuit that manipulates a VCO control voltage (Vctrl) in order to match an output signal phase to an input reference signal phase.
One type of conventional PLL is shown in FIG. 9 and designated by the general reference character 900. A conventional PLL 900 can include a phase and/or frequency (PFD) detector 902 that can determine the phase and/or frequency difference between an input signal φIN and an output signal φOUT. Each such signal can be frequency divided before such a comparison. In the example of FIG. 9, input signal φIN can be frequency divided by a divider 904, while output signal φOUT can be frequency divided by a divider 906. PFD 902 can output a phase (or frequency) difference value Δφ to a charge pump 908, which can charge a node 910 in response, to thereby generate a control voltage Vctrl. Such a control voltage (Vctrl) can be filtered by a loop filter 912. According to control voltage (Vctrl), a VCO 914 can generate output signal φOUT. Feedback path 916 can provide output signal φOUT back to PFD 902.
Referring still to FIG. 9, due to any number of circuit failures in the PLL feedback path 916, a PLL 900 can sometimes inadvertently fall into an unrecoverable state where the PLL 900 can no longer achieve phase lock. One such state can be a "runaway" condition, in which the PLL feedback path fails above a particular operating frequency, removing the PLL feedback from the PFD 902. Such a missing feedback signal will be detected as having a phase (and/or frequency) below that of the input signal φOUT, causing PFD 902 to show a positive phase difference. This can result in an increase in control voltage (Vctrl) and with it, an increase in PLL output phase and frequency.
Thus, because a PLL feedback path 916 is inoperative above a certain frequency, and the failure causes the PLL output frequency to increase, a PLL 900 can ultimately drive a control voltage (Vctrl) to a maximum (and with it the VCO maximum frequency) with the PLL 902 having no ability to correct the state and return to normal operation.
In order to correct a runaway condition, conventional approaches have attempted to detect when a maximum VCO frequency is reached according to an applied control voltage (Vctrl). Two conventional maximum frequency-detect circuits are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 shows a conventional arrangement in which a control voltage (Vctrl), utilized to establish the VCO frequency, can be compared with a reference voltage (Vref) by a comparator having hysteresis. In this way, a limit signal LIMIT can be activated when control voltage Vctrl exceeds a voltage Vref (or a Vref plus some predetermined amount). Conversely, an active limit signal LIMIT can be de-activated when control voltage Vctrl falls below voltage Vref (or is less than Vref by a predetermined amount). FIG. 11 shows a conventional arrangement utilizing a simple CMOS inverter to activate/de-activate a LIMIT signal based on a control voltage level. Thus, a limit is established according to the inverter threshold voltage.
In both conventional arrangements of FIGS. 10 and 11, a LIMIT signal can be utilized to signal a circuit or state machine to correct the runaway condition by forcing the reduction of a control voltage (Vctrl) such that a VCO frequency returns to below the runaway condition frequency threshold.
To better understand aspects of the embodiments, a conventional delay cell will be described. A conventional delay cell is shown in FIG. 12, and designated by the general reference character 1200. FIG. 12 shows one example of a current steering type delay cell that includes a first current source 1202, a second current source 1204, a differential pair of transistors 1206, a cross-coupled pair of transistors 1208, a first load 1210, and a second load 1212. A delay introduced by a delay cell 1200 can vary according to a current I1 provided to differential pair 1206 and a current I2 provided to cross coupled pair 1208. In addition, conventional delay cell 1200 can include control section 1214.
A control section 1214 can control current values I1 and I2 according to a control voltage (Vctrl) and reference voltage (Vref), and thus control a delay of delay cell 1200. In particular, a control section 1214 can draw a control current (ICTRL) according to a control voltage (Vctrl) and a reference current (IREF) according to a reference voltage (Vref). As a control voltage (Vctrl) increases, a control current (ICTRL) can be shunted through transistor M121 and R121, thus decreasing the magnitude of current I2, and thus decreasing a delay of delay cell 1200. Conversely, as a control voltage (Vctrl) decreases, less control current (ICTRL) can be shunted through transistor M121 and R121, thus increasing a magnitude of current I2. This can increase a delay of delay cell 1200.
Further, due to current source I120, as a control current (ICTRL) increases, a reference current (IREF) can decrease. Looked at in another way, current I2 is the difference between current I (1204) and IREF Likewise, current I1 is the difference between current 2I (1202) and ICTRL. In this way, the sum of currents I1 and I2 is constant.
Another conventional delay cell is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,911,857 B1, issued to Jonathon C. Stiff, on Jun. 28, 2005, titled CURRENT CONTROLLED DELAY CIRCUIT.
A drawback to conventional approaches to detecting a maximum VCO frequency, like those described above in FIGS. 10 and 11, is that such approaches can be too inaccurate for some delay cells and/or some applications. In particular, for some delay cells, a control voltage may not be representative of a full range of delay. Even more particularly, in a delay cell like that shown in FIG. 12, a steered current (I2) may reach a maximum value before a control voltage (Vctrl) reaches a maximum value. Thus, a maximum frequency (and hence the possibility of runaway) can be reached prior to a maximum control voltage level.
One representation of such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a graph showing a steered current (12) (or a reference current (IREF)) versus an applied control voltage (Vctrl). A current level IRUN can correspond to a steered (or reference) current value at which VCO runaway can take place. A control voltage value VMAX can be a maximum control voltage level. As shown, a runaway condition can be reached prior to a maximum control voltage level.
It is understood that the graph of FIG. 13 is provided for illustrative purposes. An actual circuit response can vary (i.e., be non-linear).
In other cases, variations in manufacturing process, operating temperature and/or operating voltage may cause variations in delay cell response that are not adequately reflected by a comparator circuit and/or inverter, like those of FIGS. 10 and 11.

Delay circuit limit detection circuit and method


A method including determining whether a digital signal processor needs a service program stored in a juke box overlay memory, and delivering the service program to the digital signal processor from the juke box overlay memory over a host port interface bus is disclosed.

In multiservice call processing applications (e.g., voice, fax, modem, and video communications), a matrix of processors are typically required to process a number of channels to provide multiple services on one hardware platform. Ideally, a service provider using such equipment would want to be able to service any type of incoming call with the same hardware box on a mixed, random, and dynamic basis. Different firmware images thus need to be loaded and executed by the processors to accommodate the various processing requirements associated with these different services.
A typical solution is to store all of the possible algorithms that may be needed in the memory of each processor. However, this solution is not economically practical, because of the large memory requirements for this solution.

Delivery of a service program to a digital signal processor within a multiservice processing system


A wireless broadcast system that collects content for distribution over a wireless communication network. The content stream is encapsulated into a stream of transport packets for broadcast over the wireless communication link. The stream of transport packets are simultaneously broadcast as part of an identical signal from a plurality of synchronized transmitters in a single frequency network. A receiver acquires the broadcast signal and synchronizes to the signal. Once the receiver is synchronized to one of the transmitters in the single frequency network, the receiver can receive signals from any, or multiple, of the transmitters in the network without re-synchronizing.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to a wireless communication system, and in particular to a wireless broadcast communication system.
2. Background
Wireless communication networks typically have a plurality of servicing base stations which receive and transmit signals to users' devices within the service area of the respective base stations. Communication between a user and their respective base station is maintained as a user moves about the network service area by handing off the user from one base station to another.
Many new services are being offered to customers of wireless communication carriers. One such service is providing customers with multimedia content via the wireless communication network. For example, it is desired to provide audio/video content to customers as they move about the network.
Providing multimedia content via wireless communication networks presents several challenges. For example, maintaining bi-directional communication with a large group of customers that want to receive the content can utilize large amounts of network resources. In addition, keeping track of the customers as they move about the network and enter and leave the service areas of different base stations, and are "handed-off" to different base stations within the wireless network can consume large amounts of network resources.
Therefore, there is a need for improved systems, apparatus, and techniques for providing content, such as multimedia content, to customers via a wireless communication network.

Multidiversity handoff in a wireless broadcast system


The invention provides an embedded multilayer chip capacitor, and a printed circuit board having the same. The embedded multilayer chip capacitor has a capacitor body having a plurality of dielectric layers stacked one on another; a plurality of first and second internal electrodes formed inside the capacitor body, separated by the dielectric layers; and first and second vias extended vertically inside the capacitor body. The first via is connected to the first internal electrodes and the second via is connected to the second internal electrodes. The first via is led to a bottom of the capacitor body and the second via is led to a top of the capacitor body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer chip capacitor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a highly-reliable embedded multilayer chip capacitor, and a printed circuit board having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With higher density and integration of electronic circuits, printed circuit boards lack a space for mounting a passive device. To overcome this, efforts have been under way to implement embedded devices or parts embedded in the board. Especially, various suggestions have been made regarding a method for embedding a capacitor, used as capacitive parts, in the board. In a method to embed the capacitor in the board, the board itself is utilized as dielectric material for the capacitor, and copper wiring is used as an electrode therefore. In another method, polymer sheets with high dielectric constant or thin dielectric films are formed inside a board to provide an embedded capacitor. Other methods include embedding a multilayer chip capacitor in a board.
Generally, a multilayer chip capacitor includes a plurality of dielectric layers made of ceramic material, and internal electrodes interleaved between the dielectric layers. The multilayer chip capacitor arranged inside the board can have high capacitance. For example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 2002-100875 discloses a technology for embedding a two-terminal multilayer chip capacitor in a core substrate. The embedded multilayer chip capacitor disclosed in the aforesaid document includes 2 external electrodes formed on both sides of the capacitor. According to the conventional technology, typically a thin-film multilayer chip capacitor is used to embed the capacitor in the board.
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show a conventional two-terminal multilayer chip capacitor used as an embedded capacitor. Referring to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the embedded chip capacitor 10 includes 2 external electrodes 11, 13 formed on both sides of the capacitor and a capacitor body 15 made of dielectrics. As shown in FIG. 1(b), first internal electrodes 23 and second internal electrodes 23 are arranged on opposed faces inside the capacitor body 15. First internal electrodes 21 are connected to first external electrode 11 and second internal electrodes 23 are connected to second external electrode 13, thus exhibiting opposite polarity.
To be embedded in the board, the multilayer chip capacitor 10 should be made thin. The thin multilayer chip capacitor 10 may tend to suffer from chipping 5 or cracking 6 in handling during or after fabrication thereof. The chipping or cracking undermines reliability of the capacitor and possibly causes malfunction thereof.
FIG. 2(a) is a sectional view illustrating a conventional printed circuit board 20 embedded with the multilayer chip capacitor 10. Referring to FIG. 2(a), the printed circuit board 20 includes a top multilayer plate 30, a bottom multilayer plate 35, and a core substrate 40 interleaved there between. The multilayer chip capacitor 10 is arranged in a groove formed in the core substrate. External electrodes 11, 13 of the capacitor are coupled to pads 61, 63 through conductive vias 51, 53, respectively.
To manufacture the printed circuit board 20, the capacitor 10 is inserted inside the core substrate 40. Then via holes should be perforated in the top multilayer plate 30 and the bottom multilayer plate 35 by laser to couple substrate wiring to the external electrodes 11, 13 of the capacitor. This laser process increases manufacturing costs of the printed circuit board significantly. Also, smaller size in the multilayer chip capacitor 10 reduces precision of the laser process, rendering it difficult to align via holes adequately. Further, if the board 20 is warped in the process of manufacturing the printed circuit board 20 embedded with the conventional capacitor 10 or handling the printed circuit board 20 manufactured, the capacitor inside the board may sustain mechanical damage. That is, as shown in FIG. 2(b), in case where the board 20 is warped, the thin-film capacitor 10 may undergo cracks 70 easily, thus possibly breaking off the capacitor 10.

Embedded multilayer chip capacitor and printed circuit board having the same


A controller for a MEMS gyroscope includes a first portion for generating a drive signal in response to an output from drive capacitors of the MEMS gyroscope, wherein the output signal has a resonant frequency and a phase, a second portion for determining a sampling signal in response to the output, wherein the sampling signal has a frequency that is a multiple of the resonant frequency, and has the phase, a multiplexer for outputting a multiplexed data comprising first data signals from first capacitors and second capacitors of the MEMS gyroscope multiplexed in response to the sampling signal, and a processing portion for reducing the resonant frequency from the multiplexed data.

The present invention relates to motion detection. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus having low power consumption for motion detection.
The inventors of the present invention have utilized micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices to help determine how a hand-held or wearable device is moved in space. One such MEMS device includes a MEMS gyroscope, that provides accurate x, y and z rotation (panning direction) data. The inventors, however, have determined that MEMS gyroscopes have drawbacks, including that they consume a relatively high amount of power. This high-power consumption greatly limits use of MEMS gyroscopes in low power applications and devices, such as in handheld devices, wearable devices, and the like.
In light of the above, what is desired are improved methods and apparatus motion direction detection with reduced drawbacks.

Low power inertial sensor architecture and methods


Systems and methods for operating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during ramping are provided. One method includes reducing pressure in a cryogen vessel of an MRI system during magnet ramping. The method also includes returning pressure in the cryogen vessel to a normal operating pressure level after magnet ramping is complete.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, and more particularly to ramping MRI systems.
In conventional MRI systems having superconducting magnets, the windings of superconducting wire forming the superconducting magnets are cryogenically cooled using a helium vessel to maintain the magnets below a critical temperature. For example, the windings of the superconducting magnet are immersed in a bath or vessel of liquid helium to maintain a temperature below the critical temperature for superconducting operation.
When the MRI system is energized, and in particular when the superconducting magnet is energized, commonly referred to as ramping, the Lorentz force on the conductors increases, causing small movements of the wire that can lead to localized frictional heating. The generated heat can overheat a localized area of the coil and create a normal zone, where the conductors (or wires) of the windings lose superconducting property and transfer to a normal resistive state. The normal zone will spread through the winding due to the Joule heat and the thermal conduction, which results in a quench event. The quench is accompanied by the rapid boil-off of helium escaping from the cryogen bath in which the magnet windings are immersed.
Each quench, followed by the re-fill and re-ramp of the magnet, is an expensive and time consuming event. The conductors of the superconducting magnet are specified to provide enough stability margin to avoid normal zone propagation from the point of localized heating. The stability margin for the windings during ramping can be increased, for example, by increasing the critical current of the wires forming the windings, adding high conductivity stabilizer material or improving the cooling of the wires. However, these methods add cost and complexity to the MRI system.

System and method for operating a magnetic resonance imaging system during ramping


A compound for an organic thin film transistor having a structure of the following formula (1):

A thin film transistor (TFT) has been used widely as a switching device for a display of a liquid crystal display apparatus or the like. A representative TFT comprises a gate electrode, an insulating layer and an organic semiconductor layer sequentially on a substrate, and a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the organic semiconductor layer with a predetermined interval. The organic semiconductor layer constitutes a channel region, and a TFT performs an on-off operation by adjusting current flowing between the source electrode and the drain electrode by a voltage applied to the gate electrode.
Conventionally, a TFT was fabricated by using amorphous or polycrystalline silicon. However, a CVD apparatus which is used for fabricating a TFT using silicon is very expensive. Therefore, there was a problem that an increase in size of a display apparatus or the like using a TFT resulted in a significant increase in production cost. Further, since forming an amorphous or polycrystalline silicon into a film is conducted at a significantly high temperature, kind of materials which can be used as a substrate is limited, which makes the use of a light-weight resin substrate or the like impossible.
In order to solve such problem, a TFT which uses an organic substance instead of amorphous or polycrystalline silicon (hereinafter often abbreviated as an organic TFT) has been proposed. As the film-formation method when a TFT is fabricated by using an organic substance, a vacuum vapor deposition method, a coating method or the like are known. According to these film-formation methods, a device can be increased in size while suppressing an Increase in production cost, and the process temperature necessary for film formation can be suppressed to a relatively low temperature. Therefore, an organic TFT has advantages that less restriction is imposed on the selection of materials used in a substrate. As a result, practical application of an organic TFT is expected, and intensive studies have been made thereon.
As for the organic semiconductor used in an organic TFT, as the material for a p-type FET (field effect transistor), a polymer such as a conjugated polymer and thiophene, a metal phthalocyanine compound, a fused aromatic hydrocarbon such as pentacene or the like are used singly or in the form of a mixture with other compounds. As the material for an n-type FET, 1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA), 11,11,12,12-tetracyanonaphtho-2,6-quinodimethane (TCNNQD), 1,4,5,8-naphthalene tetracarbodiimide (NTCDI) or fluorinated phthalocyanine are known, for example.
On the other hand, as the device which similarly utilizes electric conductance, an organic electroluminescence (EL), device is known. In an organic EL device, generally, electric charge is flown forcibly by applying a strong electric field of 105 V/cm or more in the film thickness direction of an ultrathin film of 100 nm or less. In the case of an organic TFT, electric charge is required to be flown at a high speed in an electric field of 105 V/cm or less for a distance of several μm or more. Therefore, an organic substance itself used in an organic TFT is required to be further conductive. However, the above-mentioned compounds used in conventional organic TFTs have a small field effect mobility and a slow response speed, and hence, the high-speed responsiveness thereof as a transistor is not satisfactory. In addition, it has a small on-off ratio.
The "on-off ratio" as referred to herein means a value obtained by dividing current flowing between a source and a drain when applying a gate voltage (ON state) by current flowing between a source and a drain when applying no gate voltage (OFF state). The ON current normally means a current value (saturation current) at the time when current flowing between a source and a drain is saturated when the gate voltage is increased.
As the representative example of the material for this organic TFT, pentacene can be given. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, an organic TFT using pentacene in an organic semiconductor layer is fabricated. This organic TFT has a defect that, though it exhibits a significantly high mobility immediately after the fabrication of a device, pentacene has a low stability in an atmosphere. Non-Patent Document 1 reports an organic TFT which utilizes, not a fused aromatic ring of which the benzene rings are fused linearly like pentacene, but a fused aromatic ring of which the benzene rings are fused in a bent manner, such as picene. Non-Patent Document 1 states that, since picene has a lower ionization potential than pentacene, it has superior oxidation stability in the air.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-H05-55568
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2001-94107
Non-Patent Document 1: H. Okamoto et al. "Air-assisted High-performance Field-effect Transistor with Thin Films of Picene" (Title of the magazine: Journal of American Chemical Society), [online], Jul. 16, 2008, Web Release, American Chemical Society, [searched on Aug. 6, 2008], Internet <URL: http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jacsat/asap/abs/ja803291a.html>

Compound for organic thin film transistor and organic thin film transistor using the same

Abstract: wherein R1 to R6 are independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a haloalkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a haloalkoxy group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an alkylthio group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a haloalkylthio group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an alkylamino group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having 2 to 60 carbon atoms (the alkyl groups may be combined with each other to form a ring structure containing the nitrogen atom), an alkylsulfonyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a haloalkylsulfonyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 60 carbon atoms, an aromatic heterocyclic group having 3 to 60 carbon atoms, an alkylsilyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkylsilylacetylene group having 5 to 60 carbon atoms or a cyano group, which each may have a substituent, provided that the compound in which all of R1 to R6 are a hydrogen atom is excluded.


A packaging dispenser, for dispensing stacks of nested trays to a packing device, has a frame, a first conveyor for conveying and supporting a first plurality of stacks of nested trays in a first level, and a second conveyor downstream of the first conveyor for receiving stacks of nested trays from the first conveyor. The packaging dispenser also includes a vertical chute underneath the second conveyor for dispensing stacks of nested trays to a packing device. The second conveyor has a pair of laterally spaced conveyor elements for supporting only lateral edge regions of a stack of nested trays. The laterally spaced conveyor elements are retractable to allow a stack of nested trays, supported thereon, to be released into the chute. The packaging dispenser can further be provided with a tray separator upstream of the chute for loosening individual trays of a stack, while keeping the trays in a stacked and nested arrangement.

The invention relates to a packaging dispensing device and method for dispensing stacks of nested trays to a packing apparatus for packing eggs, fruits, or like delicate articles. In the packing of eggs and fruits it is common to use stackable trays or boxes of moulded paper pulp, or plastic material having formed therein rows of pockets. In the case of eggs, such trays for example come in sizes of 5 rows of 6 pockets (also known as flats), and optionally in sizes of 2 or 3 rows of 6 pockets (also known as boxes or cartons). Occasionally other sizes have been used as well.
Packing has been generally done by apparatuses such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,354, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,041, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,717. When such machines are combined with handling, grading, sorting, and/or processing systems, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,184, U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,998, U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,613, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,444, or U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,424, the throughput of packing trays is required at such an elevated rate that feeding individual trays to multiple packing apparatuses has also been automated. Egg trays are supplied to the egg grading and packing industry in nested stacks. During packing the egg trays, flats or boxes, are dispensed individually from the nested stacks and are fed to a conveyor for transport through a packing line to be filled with eggs. Usually the packing line can be converted to packing into different sized trays. To feed individual trays, each packing apparatus along a distribution conveyor of a grading system is usually provided with a denesting unit that can feed individual trays from a stack of nested trays. Such nested stacks can have a height of up to 140 trays to allow economical transport between the manufacturing plant of the trays and the packing plant. The material of the trays, whether it is paper pulp or plastic has a tendency to cling together and resist denesting. This tendency of sticking and clinging together can cause frequent malfunctions in the existing denesting units, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,072, U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,924, U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,908, or U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,239. Another drawback associated with high speed grading and packing systems is that the denesting units need to be under constant surveillance of operating personal to ensure a sufficient supply of trays to avoid interruption of the entire system. Such denester units are manually supplied with stacks of nested trays containing between 80 and 120 individual trays, or other appropriate numbers resulting in manageable sizes of stacks, which somewhat limits their capacity. Moreover the possibility of varying the stack height between rather large boundaries has also resulted in malfunction of the denester units or packing systems. This has been a particular problem when adherence between the individual trays becomes too great as a result of accumulated weight in a particularly high stack of trays.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to propose a tray stack dispenser and method for dispensing stacks of nested trays to a denester of a packing unit, which increases the presently limited capacity. In a more general sense it is thus an object of the invention to overcome or reduce at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, such as unforeseen interruptions of production. It is also an object of the present invention to provide alternative solutions which are less cumbersome in assembly and operation and which moreover can be made relatively inexpensively. Alternatively it is an object of the invention to at least provide a useful alternative.


Described is a disposable valve that includes an actuation layer operationally linked to a flexible diaphragm; a valving layer operationally linked to the flexible diaphragm; and a connection layer operationally connected to the valving layer; wherein the valving layer and the connection layer have a corresponding plurality of channels passing therethrough, and the channels define at least one fluid flow path, and the flexible diaphragm is movable between a first open position wherein fluid can flow through the fluid flow path, and a second closed position wherein fluid cannot flow through the fluid flow path. Chromatographic systems incorporating a plurality of such valves, optionally integrated into a unitary valve block, are also described.

Liquid chromatography is very widely used for producing biopharmaceuticals, particularly for purifying a product molecule following its expression by fermentation, in cell culture, via transgenic plants or animals, or other means. A range of different modes of chromatographic separation are used, including ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, size exclusion, affinity, metal chelate, reversed-phase chromatography, etc., often with more than one mode used in a sequence of stages in a given process. In each stage, a cycle of steps is run on a column filled with a particular chromatographic packing. These steps include loading of the feed solution, followed by a sequence of various solutions of different pH, ionic strength and/or concentrations of solvents, chaotropic agents, detergents, or specific eluent or cleaning agents. These steps are typically run in a semi-batch manner, usually including one or more feed, wash, elute, clean, and equilibrate steps. The cycle of steps is usually repeated multiple times with the same column and packing until the entire batch of product has been processed. At the completion of a batch the entire system is carefully cleaned and the column is either stored for reuse in another batch or the packing is discarded.
The use of chromatography for biopharmaceutical purification and production has a number of important challenges. One is that the separation system must be very extensively cleaned and the cleaning protocol must be capable of being validated. Cleaning before use is necessary to remove any residual contaminants from the assembly of the system and the packing of the column. During the batch, cleaning is needed to insure that the column and system are in an equivalent state at the beginning of each cycle. Cleaning before storage between batches is particularly critical to preserve batch-to-batch equivalence and to prevent the growth of microorganisms that could destroy the packing and contaminate later batches. If the equipment is to be reused for a different product, it must be completely cleaned of all traces of prior product to prevent cross-contamination. Sometimes the costs of cleaning procedures, the materials involved (such as very expensive high purity water) and the associated testing and documentation required for validation can exceed the costs associated with the process itself. This is particularly problematic for early-stage clinical production, where only a few relatively small batches may be made.
In recent years there has been a growing demand not only for larger annual amounts of some biopharmaceutical products but also for available production facilities to make an ever-greater number of products. As a result of these pressures a great deal of effort has been put into increasing the expression levels of the various recombinant production systems used to manufacture biopharmaceutical proteins, peptides and other products. The outcome has been a continuing and dramatic improvement in the productivity of bioreactors and other production facilities. The increased output has been a major benefit, both for the industry and for the consumers.
However, the increased quantities of product to be processed in each batch have created a major challenge for the chromatography systems used for downstream purification. With conventional technology, the systems must be made larger to handle the increased amount of product in the same time span. However, if the total annual production of product has not increased, the number of cycles over which the expensive chromatography packings are used is decreased, thereby driving up production costs significantly. That is, the same amount of total product is made in far few batches. As a result, the capital investment made in the chromatography equipment is not utilized efficiently because the equipment itself is not utilized to its full capacity. In addition, in some cases the size of the column is already at or near the practical limits, especially for systems that must be designed for validated cleaning. Simply enlarging the present chromatography systems is not a practical option.
One increasing trend in the biopharmaceutical industry is to use disposable process systems and components. Disposable systems eliminate the need for much of the cleaning process and the validation and testing associated with it because the systems can be produced pre-cleaned and pre-sterilized and are then discarded once the batch is completed. Plastic bags and tubing sets are now widely used in a variety of applications for solution and media preparation and storage, and increasingly sophisticated disposable units are being developed for use as bioreactors, mixers, fill/finish systems, etc.
The adoption of disposable systems for chromatography has been hampered by a number of factors. One is that the columns themselves must provide a number of key functions, including packing, flow distribution across the bed, pressure containment and aseptic operation. Although small, pre-packed columns, such as those widely used in laboratory applications, might be made inexpensively enough to be disposable, this approach would not be cost-effective for the large-volume columns (sometimes several hundred liters) used for production-scale purification. In addition to the columns, however, the rest of the chromatography system (including the significant number of valves, pumps and detectors) must also be made fully disposable (at least for the parts contacted by the process stream) in order for the benefits of disposability to be realized fully.
In the chemical industry, the challenge of very large scale chromatographic separation has been met through the use of multiple-column systems (including so-called simulated moving bed or SMB systems), in which a number of identical columns are connected together through a set of valves and pumps. Often these systems are configured so that some of the columns are engaged in loading the feedstream, while others are engaged in other parts of the process. At certain points in the process the valve positions and the consequent steps in which each of the columns are engaged are changed. These systems can be set up to run in a semi-continuous cycle, with all steps of the separation cycle taking part simultaneously on different columns in the system.
In addition to the use of smaller, more practical columns and continuous operation, multiple column systems have additional benefits. The effective capacity of the chromatographic packing can be higher because the elution process is only performed on a column that is completely loaded with product. In addition, proper design of the process can result in significantly reduced consumption of reagents per unit of product produced.
Multiple column systems have not been used significantly in biopharmaceutical production for several reasons. One reason is that some of valves used in these systems make it difficult or impossible to maintain the internal aseptic conditions required for biopharmaceutical production. More importantly, the large number of valves, pumps and other components presents a major challenge for cleaning and validation, both of which are critical and legally required steps in biopharmaceutical production.

Disposable chromatography valves and system


Gate to contact shorts are reduced by forming dielectric caps in replaced gate structures. Embodiments include forming a replaced gate structure on a substrate, the replaced gate structure including an ILD having a cavity, a first metal on a top surface of the ILD and lining the cavity, and a second metal on the first metal and filling the cavity, planarizing the first and second metals, forming an oxide on the second metal, removing the oxide, recessing the first and second metals in the cavity, forming a recess, and filling the recess with a dielectric material. Embodiments further include dielectric caps having vertical sidewalls, a trapezoidal shape, a T-shape, or a Y-shape.

Metal gate electrodes have evolved for improving the drive current by reducing polysilicon depletion. However, simply replacing polysilicon gate electrodes with metal gate electrodes may engender issues in forming the metal gate electrode prior to high temperature annealing to activate the source/drain implants, as at a temperature in excess of 900° C. This fabrication technique may degrade the metal gate electrode or cause interaction with the gate dielectric, thereby adversely impacting transistor performance. Replacement gate techniques have been developed to address problems attendant upon substituting metal gate electrodes for polysilicon gate electrodes. For example, a polysilicon gate is used during initial processing until high temperature annealing to activate source/drain implants has been implemented. Subsequently, the polysilicon is removed and replaced with a metal gate.
As transistor pitch scales down to 64 nanometers (nm) and below, borderless, or self-aligned (SAC), contacts are essentially required to avoid massive gate to source/drain contact shorts, to reduce source/drain resistance by enabling an increase in the width of contact plugs, and to increase the lithography/etching process window for stringent critical dimension and T2T requirements. An SAC contact compatible flow is critically important for 14 nm technologies and below. Formation of a dielectric cap layer on top of the replacement metal gate (RMG) structure is a key process to enable the SAC contact for the gate last CMOS flow.
Prior attempts to form a dielectric cap layer for an RMG gate structure entail oxidizing, nitridizing, or fluorinating the top metal surface. However, those attempts necessitate a single type of metal for the top metal layer, while the top metal composition actually is complex. Further, for subsequent processes, a cap layer having a thickness of at least 15 nm is required, which is impractical with conventional oxidation, nitridation, and fluorination processes, particularly for 14 nm CMOS transistors. In addition, for high-k/metal gate stacks, there are stringent temperature and oxygen control requirements after the RMG is formed, which conflict with direct oxidation, nitridation, and fluorination processes.
A need therefore exists for methodology enabling formation of a thick dielectric cap layer for an RMG structure with no thermal budget or oxygen concerns, and the resulting structure.

Formation of the dielectric cap layer for a replacement gate structure


Using a mechanical shaker test the shear wavespeed in a plate is estimated by applying a cyclical point force to the plate, measuring normal velocity of waves caused by the force, transforming temporal domain measurements with a Fourier transform into a frequency domain, transforming spatial domain measurements into a {kx,ky} wavevector domain spectra using Fourier transforms, determining propagation wavenumbers for given Lamb waves from peaks within the {kx,ky} spectra, and determining shear wavespeed by applying a Newton-Raphson gradient method using the propagation wavenumbers to Raleigh-Lamb dispersion curve equations.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed towards a method to measure the shear wavespeed in an isotropic plate. More specifically, the invention is directed towards a method to estimate the shear wavespeed of a plate shaped test specimen using a mechanical shaker test.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The shear wave, S-wave or secondary wave, is one of the two main types of elastic body waves, a type of seismic wave, that moves through the body of an object, unlike surface waves. The shear wave moves as a shear or transverse wave, so motion is perpendicular or normal to the direction of wave propagation. The shear wave moves through elastic media, and the main restoring force comes from shear effects. These waves are divergenceless.
Measurement of material properties of elastic systems has been and continues to be an active area of investigation. Resonant techniques have been used that usually involve measuring the natural resonant frequencies of slender structures. Once measured, these frequencies are equated to the corresponding analytical natural frequencies, which are typically functions of Young's modulus, shear modulus, length and/or mass. The resultant expression can be solved, which produces an estimate of Young's or shear modulus at each natural frequency. Non-resonant methods have also been used. Although slightly more complicated than resonant techniques, these methods have the ability to estimate material properties at frequencies other than the natural frequency of the system. Typically, non-resonant techniques involve equating measured data with a simplified analytical model of the system. The analytical model is rewritten so that the material properties that are to be estimated are rendered as functions of the data.
Both resonant and non-resonant methods are usually performed at low frequencies, where simple (though limited) analytical models and corresponding dynamic behavior exists. Ideally, the structure under testing will have only a single mode of energy propagation, so that the effects of other wave motion will not corrupt the estimation process.
Few wavespeed estimation techniques have been developed for general plates and beams. Most of the research has assumed thin plate (or beam) behavior where the theory is that of a single flexural wave propagating in the structure. The estimation of Young's modulus and shear modulus have been accomplished by matching the theoretical eigen-frequencies of a Timoshenko beam model to measured data and then deducing the material parameters. Some techniques at ultrasonic frequencies have been derived, in order to support the medical imaging or the aviation industry. The measurement of elastic constants of thin immersed anisotropic plates has been undertaken using the identification of transmission zeros and poles based on various incident angles of an incoming ultrasonic wave. The estimation of stiffness and damping properties of viscoelastic materials by numerically inverting the transmitted ultrasonic field of an immersed thin plate at different incident angles has been accomplished.
A method has been devised to identify Lamé constants, thickness, density, longitudinal and shear attenuation and interfacial properties of a solid layer placed between two other layers. This method uses normal and angular ultrasonic reflectivity from the middle layer. The last three references involve modeling and measurement in the MHz region. Many indentation material testing methods exist. These usually consist of loading a location of the material and measuring the resultant force and depth. Using these measurements, one can determine Young's modulus and shear modulus. These methods are usually quasi-static and frequency independent.
The elastic plate theory has been extensively developed, though thick plates have traditionally not been used to measure material properties because they support multiple wave types, and any measurement technique has to have the ability to discern between each wave type and its contribution to the measurement. Transfer function methods that measure one output (at a single location) versus a fixed input do not have the capability to separate various wave types and their associated response levels.

Method for measuring shear wavespeed in an isotropic plate

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A terminal fitting (1) is provided with a rectangular tube (2), a wire barrel (3) and an insulation barrel (4), wherein a pressure portion (16) is arranged between the wire barrel (3) and the insulation barrel (4). The pressure portion (16) includes a pair of coating fixing portions (20) to be arranged at the opposite sides of a coating portion (10) exposed between an exposed core (11) of a wire (W) and a rubber plug (12), and the coating portion (10) is fastened by both coating fixing portions (20). Since the coating fixing portions (20) are provided to cause a fastening force to directly act on the coating portion (10) of the wire (W) without via a rubber plug fixing portion (13) of the rubber plug (12) in this way, a wire fastening force can be increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting, a method of crimping it and a positioning jig.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-203636 discloses a terminal fitting used with a wire and a rubber plug in a watertight connector. A wire insertion hole penetrates the rubber plug longitudinally for receiving the wire, and a fixing portion is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rubber plug near one longitudinal end. The terminal fitting has a wire barrel to be crimped into connection with a core of a wire and an insulation barrel to be crimped into connection with both an insulation coating of the wire and the fixing portion of the rubber plug.
A fastening force of the insulation barrel of the terminal fitting acts indirectly via the rubber plug. Thus, the fastening force may not be transmitted sufficiently to the wire and a connecting force may be insufficient. Tensile stress concentrates on the core fixed by the wire barrel if the wire is pulled in this state. The strength of core is reduced as the wire becomes thinner and the core may fracture. The fastening force of the insulation barrel may be increased as a countermeasure. However, this may crack the rubber plug.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to improve a fastening force.

Terminal fitting, a method of crimping it and a positioning jig


A display device, a backlight module and a manufacturing method of a backlight module are provided. The backlight module may include a substrate, a backlight source arranged on the substrate, and a silicone film coated on a light emitting surface of the backlight source. A cross-section of the silicone film along a direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate is an arc to diffuse light emitted by the backlight source. By coating the surface of the backlight source with an arc silicone film, the light angle of the backlight source could be increased, so as to achieve the goal of mixing light with a smaller mixing light distance, which could reduce the thickness of backlight module.

With the gradual rise of wearable applications such as smart glasses and smart watches, the demand for flexible display devices in the display industry is also increasing. Organic Light Emitting Display device (OLED) has the characteristics of no backlight, thin thickness, wide Angle of view and fast reaction speed, etc., so it has the natural advantage of flexible Display. Facing the competition of flexible OLED, the traditional liquid crystal display technology also gradually uses flexible substrate to break through in flexibility, curved surface, etc., thus it can be seen that the era of flexible and curved surface display is coming.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the plane structure of the display device in a related art. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the display device in FIG. 1. Combining FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the related art, display device 10 includes a display area 12 and a lower border 11. A drive component 111, a backlight 112 and a mixed light area 113 are arranged on the lower border 11. The width of lower border 11 is L1, and the width of mixed light area 113 is L2. At present, the upper, left and right border of display device 10 are compressed to be small so as to meet the current demand of the full screen. However, further compressing the lower border 111 has become an urgent technical problem to be solved due to the existence of the drive component 111, backlight 112 and mixed light area 113. Display device 10 adopts side-entry light, since the back light 112, as a point source, has certain thickness itself, it is necessary to spread the light evenly through the astigmatism of the light guide plate to avoid the low beam hotspot phenomenon (ie, the yin and yang stripes appear on the display screen), and a certain mixing light distance L2 is needed. When the width of bottom border 111, L1, is decreased, the compression of mixing light distance L2 is usually accompanied by a sharp decrease in backlight efficiency, which makes the lower border of the backlight of the existing center size liquid crystal module have a certain limit (about 2 mm).
In other words, in related art, the mix light distance limits the width of the lower border and limits the development of the full screen.

Display device, backlight module and manufacturing method thereof

WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Flame resistant graft polymer-modified polycarbonate molding compositions are described. The polycarbonate molding compositions comprise phosphorous compounds, and a coagulated mixture of flourinated polyolefins or precompound fluorinated polyolefins. Polycarbonate molding compositions according the present invention are flame retardant, and have desirable mechanical properties, e.g., notched impact strength and elongation at break.

The present invention relates to flame resistant graft polymer-modified polycarbonate moulding compositions containing phosphorus compounds and specially prepared fluorinated polyolefins, which compositions exhibit excellent flame retardancy and very good mechanical properties such as notched impact strength, elongation at break and very good stress cracking behaviour.
Diphosphates are known as flame retardant additives. JP 59 202 240 describes the production of such a product from phosphorus oxychloride, diphenols such as hydroquinone or bisphenol A and monophenols such as phenol or cresol. These diphosphates may be used as flame retardants in polyamide or polycarbonate. However, this document makes no reference to improved stress cracking resistance due to the addition of the oligomeric phosphate to polycarbonate moulding compositions.
EP-A 363 608 describes flame resistant polymer blends prepared from aromatic polycarbonate, copolymer or graft copolymer containing styrene together with oligomeric phosphates as flame retardant. It is mentioned in general terms that tetrafluoroethylene polymers may be added.
EP-A 0 767 204 describes flame resistant polyphenylene oxide (PPO) or polycarbonate mixtures which contain a mixture of oligophosphates (of the bisphenol A (BPA) oligophosphate type) and monophosphates as the flame retardant. Elevated flame retardant contents give rise to disadvantageous mechanical properties (notched impact strength, stress cracking behaviour) and reduced heat resistance.
EP-A 0 611 798 and WO 96/27600 describe moulding compositions which, in addition to polycarbonate, contain oligomeric, terminally alkylated phosphoric acid esters of the BPA type. Due to the alkylation, elevated contents are required in order to achieve effective flame retardancy, which is highly disadvantageous for many applicational properties (mechanical properties, heat resistance).
EP-A 0 754 531 describes reinforced PC/ABS moulding compositions which are suitable for precision components. Flame retardants which are used also include inter alia BPA type oligophosphates. The elevated filler contents have a highly disadvantageous effect on mechanical properties, such as elongation at break or notched impact strength.
EP-A 771 851 describes moulding compositions which contain aromatic polycarbonate; graft polymer based on diene rubber, SAN copolymer, a phosphate and tetrafluoroethylene polymers, wherein the polycarbonate has differing molecular weights. Resistance to loss of impact strength, to heat and moisture is stated as the advantage.
EP-A 755 977 describes polymer blends prepared from aromatic polycarbonate, graft copolymer having a rubber content of  less than 25% as well as oligomeric phosphates having an added content of  less than 8% and an N value of N=1-35 as flame retardant additives. Serious disadvantages with regard to flame retardancy may be expected due to the limitation of the content of phosphates as the flame retardant.
EP-A 747 424 describes thermoplastic resins which contain phosphate compounds having a molecular weight of approx. 500 to 2000 and of phosphate compounds having a molecular weight of approx. 2300 to 11000 as the flame retardant, wherein numerous thermoplastic resins are listed. The elevated molecular weights of the flame retardants may cause disadvantages relating to flame retardancy in this case too.
The object of the present invention is to provide flame retardant, graft polymer-modified PC moulding compositions which are distinguished by very good mechanical properties, elevated flame retardancy and very good stress cracking behaviour combined with elevated heat resistance. These moulding compositions are thus in particular suitable for those applications in which contact with special media, such as for example solvents, lubricants, cleaning agents, may occur.
It has now been found that graft polymer-modified polycarbonate moulding compositions which contain phosphorus compounds and special preparations of fluorinated polyolefins exhibit the desired range of properties.
The present invention accordingly provides graft polymer-modified polycarbonate moulding compositions containing phosphorus compounds of the formula (I)
in which
R1, R2, R3 and R4 are mutually independently C1-C8 alkyl, optionally substituted by halogen, C5-C6 cycloalkyl, C6-C10 aryl or C7-C12 aralkyl, each optionally substituted by halogen and/or alkyl,
n are mutually independently 0 or 1,
q are mutually independently 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4,
N is 0.9 to 10, preferably 0.95 to 5, in particular 1 to 3,
R5 and R6 mutually independently mean C1-C4 alkyl, preferably methyl, or halogen, preferably chlorine and/or bromine,
Y means C1-C7 alkylidene, C1-C7 alkylene, C5-C12 cycloalkylene, C5-C12 cycloalkylidene, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94SO, xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94,
and fluorinated polyolefins in the form of a coagulated mixture or as a precompound.

Flame-resistant polycarbonate moulding materials modified with graft polymers


The invention relates to a process for removing water traces from a liquid phosgene stream in chemical processes which employ a phosgenation step. Water traces are removed from a liquid phosgene stream containing at least 60 weight percent phosgene by contacting the stream with a strongly basic macroreticular anion exchange resin which catalyzes the reaction between phosgene and the water traces.

Many of the organic polyisocyanates currently commercialized are manufactured in a phosgenation process. For example, TDI may be manufactured by contacting in a reaction zone toluene diamine (TDA) with an excess of phosgene (COCl.sub.2) in the presence of a solvent. The products of the reaction between TDA and COCl.sub.2 are TDI and hydrogen chloride. Most of the hydrogen chloride is a vapor removed at the overhead of the reaction column for collection and eventual sale as aqueous hydrochloric acid. Excess phosgene is also removed from the reaction column. The bottoms in the reaction column, comprised of solvent, TDI, remaining COCl.sub.2, and small amounts of HCl and byproducts flow through one or several distillation towers in which the majority of COCl.sub.2 is removed, condensed, and eventually recycled back to the reaction zone. In the distillation of COCl.sub.2, other impurities are also vaporized and caught in the COCl.sub.2 stream, such as solvent, byproducts, water, and HCl, which are desirably removed prior to recycling COCl.sub.2 to the reaction zone.
In one process, phosgene-containing vent gases, along with other impurities such as HCl, are collected from the various sources and fed into an absorption tower. This phosgene stream is washed down in the absorption tower with toluene allowing HCl and other gases to vent off at the overhead of the tower, thus removing the vast majority of HCl. The phosgene-loaded toluene stream then may enter a phosgene stripper tower where phosgene is stripped by heat from the toluene. The stripped phosgene stream is fractioned at a sidedraw or the overhead of the tower as a liquid flowing through coolers to drums for re-use back in the reaction zone. The liquid phosgene stream drawn from the stripping tower, or for that matter from any source, is termed herein as a "liquid phosgene stream" and comprises at least 60 weight percent phosgene, preferably at least 80 weight percent, more preferably at least 84 weight percent. The remainder of the liquid phosgene stream comprises one or more solvents, such as monochlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, toluene, benzene, xylene, methylchloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, ethyl chloride, dichloroethane, trichloroethane, dichloropropane, esters and diesters of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic and dicarboxylic acids having less than 20 carbon atoms, aliphatic ethers having less than 10 carbons, and trace amounts of water and HCl.
The water traces unavoidably enter the process through their presence in the toluene used for washing, through raw materials such as the solvent for phosgenation or the toluenediamine (TDA), and/or through non-airtight joints which can develop at various locations in the process, for example, in vacuum parts of the plant. It is the presence of these trace amounts of water in a recycle phosgene stream which presents various problems. Applicants have found that the traces of water in the process present at least three distinct and interrelated problems. Traces of water in the reaction zone react with TDI to form urea byproducts, thus lowering the TDI yield. Similar losses occur in other phosgenation processes. Second, the urea byproducts must be disposed of which increases chemical wastes. Third, the presence of water will render the otherwise dry HCl in various plant sections corrosive, thereby degrading the metal walls of equipment like the phosgenation reactor, heat exchangers, separation columns, which come in contact with the HCl. These trace amounts of water translate into several pounds of water per hour based on a liquid phosgene recycle rate of a few to several hundred tons per hour. Therefore, it is highly desirable to reduce the amount of water in a liquid phosgene stream prior to entry into the reaction zone.
Typically, water reacts spontaneously with phosgene forming HCl and carbon dioxide products at high water concentrations. However, the amount of water in a typical liquid phosgene recycle stream is so low-on the order of 200 ppm to 1,500 ppm--that the reaction proceeds only very slowly, if at all. It has been proposed in DE 3333720 C2 to employ a special anionic exchanger whose structural properties and manufacture are also claimed in the patent to remove water traces from a solvent recycle stream containing a predominant amount of solvent and low levels of phosgene. This reference, however, does not address the problem of water contamination in a phosgene recycle stream, predominantly comprised of phosgene, but rather identifies the solvent stream as the source of water contamination.

Removal of water from a phosgene recycle stream


According to one embodiment, there is provided a maintenance apparatus for removing ink from a nozzle surface of an inkjet head including a first region where a first nozzle is provided, a second region where a second nozzle is provided, and a third region located between the first region and the second region. The maintenance apparatus includes a first positioning section, a first wiping blade, and a second wiping blade. The first positioning section comes into contact with the third region and removes the ink present in the third region. When the first positioning section comes into contact with the third region, the first and second wiping blades come into contact with the first and second regions and remove the kinds of ink present in the first and second regions.

An inkjet head includes an actuator and a pressure chamber in which ink is filled. The actuator is deformed when a driving signal (voltage) is applied thereto and pressurizes the ink filled in the pressure chamber. The pressurized ink is ejected from a nozzle opened in the pressure chamber and forms an image on a printing medium such as recording paper.
The ink sometimes adheres to a nozzle surface on which the nozzle is provided. In order to prevent the ink from staining the printing medium, for example, a wiping blade removes the ink adhering to the nozzle surface.
On the other hand, there is known an inkjet head that ejects two kinds (or two colors) of ink. In the inkjet head, for example, a groove is provided between two nozzles, which eject different kinds of ink, to suppress the kinds of ink wiped by the wiping blades from being mixed between the two nozzles.
When the groove is provided between the two nozzles, it is likely that the ink wiped by the wiping blade remains in the groove. It is likely that, for example, the ink remaining in the groove stains the printing medium and affects printing quality.

Maintenance apparatus and inkjet recording apparatus


Certain embodiments of the present disclosure support techniques for interference cancellation in a multi-mode wireless modem that supports coexistence of different radio technologies.

A Multi-mode modem can support two or more modem functions. For example, Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) radio technologies [e.g., technologies like Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)], Bluetooth/Wireless Local Area Network (BT/WLAN) radio technology, technology based on Frequency Modulation (FM), and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology can all coexist and operate independently on the same multi-mode modem. In such scenario, a signal transmitted according to a first radio technology (i.e., Mode 1 operation) may cause interference into a signal received according to a second radio technology (i.e., Mode 2 operation) that may be different from the first radio technology. For example, the Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) transmission signal can cause a broadband interference in the GPS receiver operation and desensitize the receiving GPS signal.
The interference may be often generated due to the presence of spur frequency components in outputs of local oscillators (LOs) that perform up and down translations between baseband and radio frequency (RF) signals. This interference may need to be cancelled in order to maintain peak performance in all operation modes.
The typical cause of interference in, for example, multi-mode WAN/GPS modems is the presence of spur frequency components either in the GPS down-converter LO output or in the WAN up-converter LO output. Sources of the spur frequency components can be also: a clock of analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a clock of Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator (TCXO) and a clock of frequency modulator (FM) at a transmitter. For example, the ADC clock sourced from RF circuitry can create strong spur frequency components since it requires a higher power clock driver.
One possible solution for canceling the interference in multi-mode modems is to carefully design all hardware components to prevent coupling and improve isolation. However, this is often hard to simulate and test before actual implementation, and sufficient interference cancellation is not guaranteed due to various design uncertainties.
Another possible solution for cancelling the interference in multi-mode modems can be to change the frequency of transmission signal that causes the interference (i.e., changing the aggressor frequency). However, this approach may not always be practical as mobile terminals are often required to transmit in assigned frequency bands.
Yet another solution for cancelling the interference can be to change frequencies of the spur sources so that the interference caused by the spur frequencies fall outside the received signal band. However, there can be unavoidable spur frequencies and interference components generated as the system grows, for example when the standard GPS receiver is extended to operate in a Wideband GPS (WBGPS) mode. In general, if a higher level of system integration is achieved, then more sources of spur frequencies can be present, and therefore it is impractical to change frequencies of a portion of spur sources.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and systems for interference cancellation in multi-mode coexistence modems


A load board adapter which is removably attachable to a load board and provides removable and replaceable sockets for individual integrated circuit packages to provide an electrical connection between the integrated circuits and the circuit tester to facilitate testing of relatively small quantities of electronic devices on high volume testers. The chip sockets can be configured to hold a variety of devices such as a DIP, an SOJ, a TSOP, a ZIF, a PLCC, etc. A first set of contacts are clamped to a main adapter base which is removably securable to a load board or similar test fixture. Each contact within the first set of contacts includes a load board engagement portion which is configured to frictionally engage pad sites on the test fixture. A second portion of each contact within the first set of contacts is configured to engage an individual contact within a second set of contacts. The second contacts are electrically connected to pin receptacles on a substrate such as a printed circuit board. The pin receptacles are arranged for removable reception of a socket.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to systems for testing electronic circuits by applying and/or measuring electrical signals. More particularly, this invention relates to electronic circuit test systems for applying electrical signals to a packaged device or integrated circuit being tested and measuring the response of the device or integrated circuit to the applied electrical signals. Specifically, one embodiment of the invention provides a replaceable socket for effecting an electrical connection in an electronic circuit tester between an electronic circuit, such as a packaged device or integrated circuit, and a fixture board of the tester so that electrical signals can be transmitted to and/or received from the electronic circuit for characterizing the performance of the electronic circuit.
2. Background Art
Programmable electronic circuit testers are used during the manufacture of integrated circuits to test the performance of the device. Tests are conducted to assure that the device satisfies performance specifications and to classify the devices by performance characteristics. In order to test the device or integrated circuit, the electronic circuit tester is programmed to apply one or more electrical signals to various pins or contacts on the device and to measure the response(s).
A conventional programmable electronic circuit tester, generally indicated by the numeral 10, is shown in FIG. 1. The electronic circuit tester 10 comprises a test head 12 electrically connected by cables routed through to electronic test and measurement instruments, such as advanced computerized signal processing equipment, for applying electrical signals and measuring the response(s) to those applied electrical signals. The test head 12 can include circuitry which performs distribution of electrical signals, signal separation, frequency translation, amplification, attenuation, switching, or other conditioning or modification of electrical signals prior to being routed to a device being tested.
As shown in FIG. 1, test head 12 interfaces to a device or integrated circuit through a load board 14 mounted to the test head. The configuration of the load board 14 depends on the type or family of device or integrated circuit being tested, such as an analog or digital electronic circuit.
A socket 20 through which an integrated circuit 22 is electrically connected to the electronic circuit tester 10 is subjected to many connections and disconnections during actual testing with the tester. However, the useful life of the electronic circuit tester 10 has heretofore far exceeded the useful life of socket 22. Also, the repeatability and accuracy of the connections that are effected by socket 20 with integrated circuit 22 decreases over time as the socket degrades due to wear. Additionally, because of the specialized nature of most limited run parts, a new interface or adapter must be installed for each part type to be tested.
A single load board for a particular testing application can cost as much as ten to twenty thousand dollars. Obviously, this expense is not justified for low quantity testing as is oftentimes necessary during the engineering and prototype and limited run production phases of most electronic devices. In these particular circumstances, tests have been done by hand which is extremely time consuming and oftentimes not as accurate.
What is needed is a flexible interface between integrated circuits and the circuit tester to facilitate testing of relatively small quantities of electronic devices on high volume testers.

Load board socket adapter and interface method


The present invention includes a novel subtype of the P2-purinergic receptor, referred to as the P2Y12 receptor. This receptor is expressed selectively in the platelets and brain, and couples to a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein (Gi). Nucleic acids encoding the receptor and associated screening and therapeutic methods are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to methods employing an ADP receptor, termed the P2Y12 receptor, and its encoding nucleic acid molecules. The invention also relates to methods for the recombinant production of the receptor proteins and the proteins made by these methods, antibodies against the whole receptor or regions thereof, vectors, nucleotide probes, host cells transformed by genes encoding polypeptides having the receptor activity, methods for the discovery of novel modulators of receptor activity, along with diagnostic and therapeutic uses for these various agents.
Thrombotic complications are a major cause of death in the industrialized world. Examples of these complications include acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, chronic stable angina, transient ischemic attacks, strokes, peripheral vascular disease, preeclampsia, deep venous thrombosis, embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Thrombotic and restenotic complications also occur following invasive procedures, e.g., angioplasty, carotid endarterectomy, post CABG (coronary artery bypass graft) surgery, vascular graft surgery, stent placements and insertion of endovascular devices and prostheses.
It is generally thought that platelet aggregates play a critical role in these events. Blood platelets, which normally circulate freely in the vasculature, become activated and aggregate to form a thrombus with disturbed blood flow caused by ruptured atherosclerotic lesions or by invasive treatments such as angioplasty, resulting in vascular occlusion. Platelet activation can be initiated by a variety of agents, e.g., exposed subendothelial matrix molecules such as collagen, or by thrombin which is formed in the coagulation cascade.
An important mediator of platelet activation and aggregation is ADP (adenosine 5xe2x80x2-diphosphate) which is released from blood platelets in the vasculature upon activation by various agents, such as collagen and thrombin, and from damaged blood cells, endothelium or tissues. Activation of platelets by ADP results in the recruitment of more platelets and stabilization of existing platelet aggregates. Platelet ADP receptors mediating aggregation are activated by ADP and some of its derivatives and antagonized by ATP (adenosine 5xe2x80x2-triphosphate) and some of its derivatives (Mills, D. C. B. (1996) Thromb. Hemost. 76:835-56). Therefore, platelet ADP receptors are members of the family of P2 receptors activated by purine and/or pyrimidine nucleotides (King, B. F., Townsend-Nicholson, A. and Burnstock, G. (1998) Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 19:506-514). ADP receptors additionally have been characterized as belonging to the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily.
Studies of inherited disorders in humans and rats which result in a reduction of ADP release from platelets or reduced ADP receptor number and signaling confirm the critical role in platelet aggregation of ADP and the ADP receptors (Cattaneo M. and Gachet C., Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. (1999) 19:2281-2285). Inhibitors of ADP-induced platelet aggregation are efficacious antithrombotic drugs.
Recent pharmacological data using selective antagonists suggests that ADP-dependent platelet aggregation requires activation of at least two ADP receptors (Kunapuli, S. P. (1998) TIPS 19:391-394; Kunapuli S. P. et al., (1998) Biochem J. 336:513-523; Jantzen, H. M. et al., (1999) Thromb. Haemost. 81:111-117). One receptor appears to be identical to the cloned P2Y1 receptor, is coupled to the G protein Gq and mediates intracellular calcium mobilization. This receptor is also required for ADP-induced platelet shape change.
The second platelet ADP receptor couples to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. The gene or cDNAs for this receptor has not been identified previously and the receptor has been provisionally termed P2YADP (Fredholm B. B. et al., (1997) TIPS 18:79-82), P2TAC, (Kunapuli, S (1998) TIPS 19(10):391-394), and P2Ycyc based on its pharmacological and signaling properties. Based on the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and the activation of the G protein Gxcex1i2 by ADP in platelet membranes it was thought that this receptor may couple to Gi in vivo, and may belong to the G-protein coupled receptor family. This receptor also appears to be the target of the orally active antithrombotic drugs ticlopidine and clopidogrel, which appear to act through unstable and irreversible acting liver metabolites (Quinn, M. J. and Fitzgerald, D. J. (1999) Circulation 100:1667-1672). Patients with mild bleeding disorders have been identified with functional defects in this receptor (Cattaneo M. and Gachet C., Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. (1999) 19:2281-2285). The molecular identity of the Gi-linked receptor has remained elusive, even though it is the target of efficacious antithrombotic agents such as ticlopidine and clopidogrel (Gachet et al. (1990)). A sequence corresponding to this Gi-linked receptor was previously published in WO 98/50549, but its function was not identified.
Despite the previous physiological identification of a second ADP receptor and the discovery of agents that may act at this receptor, there exists a need for platelet ADP receptor inhibitors with improved properties.
The present inventors have cloned the Gi-linked receptor, designated P2Y12, and show that a patient with a bleeding disorder (Nurden et al (1995)) is defective in this gene. Cloning of the P2Y12 receptor facilitates the development of better antiplatelet agents to treat a variety of cardiovascular diseases.
The invention includes an isolated nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of: (a) an isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, an isolated nucleic acid molecule that encodes the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12 (b) an isolated nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to the complement of a nucleic acid molecule comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 under conditions of sufficient stringency to produce a clear signal; and (c) an isolated nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule that encodes the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 under conditions of sufficient stringency to produce a clear signal.
The present invention further includes isolated nucleic acid molecules wherein the nucleic acid molecule comprises the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, isolated nucleic acid molecules that comprise nucleotides 130-1158 of SEQ ID NO: 1 or nucleotides 130-1161 of SEQ ID NO: 1; isolated nucleic acid molecules that comprise the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 11, nucleic acid molecules that comprise nucleotides 73-873 of SEQ ID NO: 11 or nucleotides 73-876 of SEQ ID NO: 11.
The present invention further includes the nucleic acids operably linked to one or more expression control elements, including vectors comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecules. The invention further includes host cells transformed to contain the nucleic acids of the invention, wherein said host is selected selected from the group consisting of prokaryotic hosts and eukaryotic hosts and methods for producing a protein comprising the step of culturing a host cell under conditions in which the protein encoded by said nucleic acid molecule is expressed.
The invention further provides a polypeptide, which may be expressed in a recombinant cell or may be purified, selected from the group consisting of an isolated receptor polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, an isolated receptor polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12.
The invention further provides an isolated antibody that binds to a polypeptide of the invention, including monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.
The invention further provides a method of identifying an agent which modulates the expression of a nucleic acid encoding a P2Y12 receptor comprising the steps of exposing cells which express the nucleic acid to the agent and determining whether the agent modulates expression of said nucleic acid, thereby identifying an agent which modulates the expression of a nucleic acid encoding the protein having the sequence of P2Y12 receptor.
The invention further provides a method of identifying an agent which modulates at least one activity of a P2Y12 receptor comprising the steps of exposing cells which express the protein to the agent; determining whether the agent modulates at least one activity of said protein, thereby identifying an agent which modulates at least one activity of a P2Y12 receptor.
Activities the agent may modify include but are not limited to the interaction between ADP, ATP or a derivative thereof, and a P2Y12 receptor; potassium current or adenylyl cyclase activity, platelet activation or thrombotic activity; acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, chronic stable angina, transient ischemic attacks, strokes, peripheral vascular disease, preeclampsia, deep venous thrombosis, embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or a bleeding disorder; thrombotic and restenotic complications following angioplasty, carotid endarterectomy, post CABG (coronary artery bypass graft) surgery, vascular graft surgery, stent placements or insertion of endovascular devices and prostheses.
The invention further provides a method of identifying binding partners for a P2Y12 receptor protein comprising the steps of exposing said protein to a potential binding partner and determining if the potential binding partner binds to said protein, thereby identifying binding partners for a P2Y12 receptor protein.
The invention further provides a method of modulating the expression of a nucleic acid encoding a P2Y12 receptor protein comprising the step of administering an effective amount of an agent which modulates the expression of a nucleic acid encoding encoding a P2Y12 receptor protein.
The invention further provides a method of modulating at least one activity of a P2Y12 receptor protein comprising the step of administering an effective amount of an agent which modulates at least one activity of a P2Y12 receptor protein.
The invention further provides a non-human transgenic animal modified to contain a nucleic acid molecule of the invention including a nucleic acid molecule which encode a P2Y12 receptor or a truncation mutant of P2Y12 receptor.
The invention further provides a method of diagnosing a disease state in a subject, comprising the step of determining the level of expression of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a P2Y12 receptor.
The invention further provides a method of diagnosing a disease state in a subject, comprising the step of determining the level of expression of a P2Y12 receptor protein.
The invention further provides an isolated mutant P2Y12 receptor protein which is a naturally occurring truncation mutant, wherein said truncation is caused by a frame-shift mutation in the region of the gene encoding transmembrane domain six of the protein.
The invention further provides an isolated mutant P2Y12 receptor protein which is a naturally occurring truncation mutant, wherein said truncation is caused by a frame-shift mutation in the region of the gene encoding transmembrane domain six of the protein wherein said protein is associated with a bleeding disorder.
The invention further provides an isolated mutant P2Y12 receptor protein which is a naturally occurring truncation mutant, wherein said truncation is caused by a frame-shift mutation in the region of the gene encoding transmembrane domain six of the protein wherein said frame shift mutation introduces a stop codon in the gene encoding the P2Y12 protein and results in platelets with impaired ADP-dependent platelet aggregation activity, reduced ADP binding activity and reduced ability to inhibit cAMP levels in response to ADP.
The invention further provides an isolated nucleic acid encoding a mutant P2Y12 receptor protein which is a naturally occurring truncation mutant, wherein said truncation is caused by a frame-shift mutation in the region of the gene encoding transmembrane domain six of the protein.
The invention further provides an isolated nucleic acid encoding a mutant P2Y12 receptor protein which is a naturally occurring truncation mutant, wherein said truncation is caused by a frame-shift mutation in the region of the gene encoding transmembrane domain six of the protein wherein said nucleic acid encodes a protein associated with a bleeding disorder.
The invention further provides an isolated nucleic acid encoding a mutant P2Y12 receptor protein which is a naturally occurring truncation mutant, wherein said truncation is caused by a frame-shift mutation in the region of the gene encoding transmembrane domain six of the protein wherein said frame shift mutation introduces a stop codon in the gene encoding the P2Y12 protein and results in platelets with impaired ADP-dependent platelet aggregation activity, reduced ADP binding activity and reduced ability to inhibit cAMP levels in response to ADP.
The invention further provides a method of diagnosing a disease state in a subject, comprising the step of determining the level of expression of a nucleic acid molecule of the invention.
The invention further provides a method of diagnosing a disease state in a subject, comprising the step of determining the level of expression of a protein of the invention.
The invention further provides a method of diagnosing a disease state in a subject, comprising the step of identifying a nucleic acid molecule of the invention.

Methods of identifying agents that modulate P2Y12 receptor activity


A driving integrated circuit and methods thereof are provided. The driving IC includes a memory for driving a display panel and having a memory structure including at least one cell block, a scan register receiving data read from the memory, a source driver receiving data output from the scan register and outputting the received latched data to the panel and a switching unit establishing a connection between an activated cell block and the scan register in response to an activation of the activated cell block. One method includes performing a read operation to read data from a memory, the read operation including sensing and amplifying data stored within a memory cell, turning on a switch to increase a bit line voltage above a voltage threshold and latching the amplified data received through a line connected to the switch and transmitting the read data to the panel of the display device.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to a driving integrated circuit (IC) and methods thereof, and more particularly to a driving IC and methods of driving a display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) may be deployed within notebook computers, cellular phones, monitors and so on. Conventional LCDs may include a panel for displaying images, and the panel may include a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels may be formed at respective intersections of a plurality of scan lines transferring a gate select signal and a plurality of data lines transferring color data (e.g., gradation data).
A driving integrated circuit (IC) for driving a display device, such as a LCD, may be designed such that a scan driver for driving the scan lines, a source driver for driving the data lines, and a memory storing data for driving the panel may be integrated in a single chip.
As a picture quality (e.g., resolution) of a display device increases, the memory included in the driving IC may require a higher capacity. A conventional driving IC may typically include a static random access memory (SRAM) having a memory cell structure of 6-TR or 8-Tr.
As the graphics standard of a mobile display device (e.g., a LCD display) transitions from QVGA to VGA, a memory included in a driving IC for driving the mobile display device may require a higher degree of integration. However, a conventional 6-TR SRAM structure may not be suitable for higher degrees of integration.

Driving integrated circuit and methods thereof


A robot claw includes a base seat, more than one elastic assemblies, and at least two first clamping assemblies. The base seat includes a first fastening surface and a second fastening surface opposite to the first fastening surface. Each first clamping assembly includes a sliding unit fastened to the first fastening surface of the base seat and a clamping member fastened to the sliding unit. The sliding unit includes a guide rail. Two elastic assemblies are loaded at two opposite ends of each guide rail; when each of the clamping member slides to one end thereof, one elastic assembly elastically resists with an air cylinder to drive the air cylinder with the clamping member to slide towards the other end of the guide rail of the sliding unit.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to robot claws, and particularly to a robot claw for industrial automation.
2. Description of Related Art
A robot claw may clamp a workpiece and fasten the workpiece to a particular location of a machine table for machining the workpiece. After the workpiece has been machined, the robot claw again clamps the workpiece to remove the workpiece. However, if a workpiece must be intricately loaded in a tray in a very specific or particular orientation and the clamping accuracy of the robot claw cannot be adjusted, it is difficult for a robot claw to clamp the workpiece and hold it steadily on the machine table.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A server side scripting language hosts batch requests from a client for invoking object specific libraries on the client requestor. The requestor executes a user application driven by a web scripting language which may not have facilities or resources for efficiently invoking operations that are provided by the server. A batch script enables the requestor to invoke a set of server operations in batch, without exchanging requests and result for each invocation of a service side operation, thus mitigating the bandwidth that would otherwise occur for individual client/server exchanges for each operation. The server provides a proxy class for expected object types and operations, and a dispatch layer identifies the appropriate proxy class for each operation requested from the batch script.

In a managed application environment, scripting languages are often employed for leveraging an object oriented architecture to invoke operations for computations and manipulations on a remote server. Typically, such a remote server is invoked for computationally intensive tasks that are performed more efficiently on the server than directly on the node or client invoking the remote server. Scripting languages such as ECMA script (European Computer Manufacturers Association, an international standards organization) have been developed for supporting a managed application environment. Users execute applications in the environment for performing various tasks on objects such as pdf files, images, documents, and others. Web scripting languages provide features for manipulating objects and invoking operation over a network, allowing the user to employ the application on behalf of data objects over the network.
With the modern trend toward graphically intensive user interfaces, and the user demand for video and audio manipulation capabilities, applications tend to invoke computationally expensive manipulations to present sophisticated sound and video. Further, modern applications frequently invoke security operations such as watermarking and encryption which require mathematical permutations on long byte strings, also increasing bandwidth and processing demands. Often, web scripting languages are called upon to drive these bandwidth hungry applications. The web scripting applications allow flexible usage from remote locations, and often invoke remote libraries for computationally intensive tasks. The remote libraries defer computationally expensive operations to a common server, alleviating the need for each individual web scripting application, or client, to maintain a robust set of processing libraries for operations such as watermarking, image processing, encryption, and other computationally expensive operations.

Methods and system for proxy component to perform plurality of operations for applying to an object


A system and method for synchronously processing ear shells for hearing aids comprising: loading data associated with a first and second ear shell; determining whether to perform a rigid or non-rigid registration of the data associated with the first and second ear shells, wherein the rigid registration is performed when shapes of the first and second ear shells are within a predetermined threshold, and the non-rigid registration is performed when the shapes of the first and second ear shells are not within the predetermined threshold; registering the data associated with the first and second ear shells; processing the first and second ear shells, wherein the processing is synchronously performed; and outputting the processed first and second ear shells to a display device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to hearing aids and more particularly, to synchronized processing of ear shells for the manufacture of hearing aids.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In most humans, hearing impairment occurs in both ears rather than a single ear. As a result, most humans require a hearing aid for both ears in order to compensate for their hearing loss. Hearing aids, however, are typically custom made because most humans have different levels of hearing loss and different inner canal, meatus and/or concha structures.
In order to manufacture a hearing aid or pair thereof, a health care professional takes impressions of a patient's left and right ears, which are duplicates of the contours of the patient's ears, and then forwards these impressions to a hearing aid manufacturer. The hearing aid manufacturer then replicates the impressions into, for example, ear shells so they will fit the patient and, then installs electronic hearing components into the shells thus completing the hearing aid manufacturing process.
In an effort to streamline the above manufacturing process, several computerized methods of manufacture have been developed. These methods commonly referred to as electronic modeling systems include sundry electronic detailing and modeling procedures, which are used to aid in the manufacture of hearing aids. These methods, however, typically manufacture each shell separately and require manual adjustments to the shells; thus, leading to inconsistencies between the shells, which increase the time and cost for the manufacture of hearing aids.

Synchronized processing of ear shells for hearing aids