A multilayer electronic component includes a multilayer capacitor including a capacitor body and a plurality of external electrodes spaced apart from each other on a mounting surface of the capacitor body, and a connection terminal including a plurality of land portions disposed on the plurality of external electrodes, respectively. When a thickness of the multilayer capacitor is defined as T1 and a distance from an uppermost end of the plurality of external electrodes to a bottom of the connection terminal is defined as T2, T1/T2 is 0.6 to 0.9.

As a type of multilayer electronic component, a multilayer capacitor is formed of a dielectric material, and the dielectric material is piezoelectric, and may thus be modified in synchronization with an applied voltage.
When a frequency of the applied voltage is in the audible frequency band, a displacement of a capacitor body becomes vibrations and is transmitted to a substrate through a solder, and the vibration of the substrate may be audible. This sound is known as acoustic noise.
Such acoustic noise may be perceived as a malfunction of the device by the user as an abnormal sound when the operating environment of the device is quiet.
In addition, in a device having a voice circuit, the acoustic noise may be superimposed on the voice output to reduce the quality of the device.
In addition, apart from acoustic noise perceived by the human ear, when the piezoelectric vibrations of the multilayer capacitor are generated in a high frequency region of 20 kHz or more, they may cause malfunctioning of various sensors used in IT and industrial/electric fields.

Multilayer electronic component and board having the same mounted thereon


A nanoscale switching device has an active region disposed between two electrodes of nanoscale widths. The active region contains a switching material that carries mobile ionic dopants capable of being transported over the active region under an electric field to change a resistive state of the device. The switching material further carries immobile ionic dopants for inhibiting clustering of the mobile ionic dopants caused by switching cycles of the device. The immobile ionic dopants have a charge opposite in polarity to the charge of the mobile ionic dopants, and are less mobile under the electric field than the mobile ion dopants.

Nanoscale devices using switching materials such as metal oxides that exhibit resistive switching behavior have recently been reported. The switching behavior of such devices has been linked to the memristor circuit element theory originally predicted in 1971 by L. O. Chua. The discovery of the memristive behavior in the nanoscale switching devices has generated significant interest, and there are substantial on-going research efforts to further develop such nanoscale switches and to implement them in various applications. One of the many important potential applications is to use such switching devices as memory units to store digital data. A memory array may be constructed with such switching devices in a crossbar configuration to provide a very high device density. For memory applications, it is desirable to have nanoscale switching devices with good operation endurance so that they can go through many switching cycles without failure.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A control device is provided that includes a plate and a control unit. The control unit has a rotary unit designed as a transmitter unit and a receiver unit. The transmitter unit has a top surface and a bottom side, wherein a base is formed on the bottom side in a center region and a first magnetizable element or a first magnet for positioning the transmitter unit at a predefined position over the receiver unit is arranged in the center region. In a rest position the transmitter unit rests with the base on the plate and the axis of rotation extends essentially parallel to the normal of the plate, or the transmitter unit is tilted into an operating position such that the base rests only partially on the plate and the axis of rotation is tilted relative to the normal of the plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control device for an electrical appliance.
2. Description of the Background Art
Known from EP 0 797 227 A2, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,131, is a control device for controlling an electrical appliance. The control device has a handle as a transmitter unit with a ferromagnetic disk that rests upon a plate of the electrical appliance. An annular magnet is located beneath the plate. By means of the magnet, a force is exerted on the ferromagnetic disk and holds the handle in its axial and radial position in such a way that the handle is rotatable as well as being easily removable from the plate of the electrical appliance without tools.
Known from DE 102 12 929 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,435, is a control device of the generic type for a cooktop. In this design a restoring force is exerted on the transmitter unit of the control device by means of magnetic force from the bottom side of the cooktop, and the control device is positioned. The transmitter unit has a base in a center region. A receiver unit with sensors is located on the bottom side of the cooktop to detect the rotary and tilting motions of the transmitter unit. In addition, from DE 20 2004 017 133 U1 a transmitter unit of the generic type is known that controls the individual burner plates of the cooktop by rotating and displacing the transmitter unit on the surface of the cooktop, which is implemented as glass ceramic, for example, via a receiver unit that is located under the cooktop and has a sensor.
Moreover, another control device of the generic type with a transmitter unit and a receiver unit is known from DE 10 2006 034 391 A1. The cylindrical transmitter unit comprises a magnetizable element in a center region and multiple individual magnets arranged in an edge region. In addition, the transmitter unit has a contact surface in a center region with which the transmitter unit rests on the cooktop in a rest position. A convex region adjoins the edge of the transmitter unit on the contact surface. As a function of the direction of tilt, different parts of the convex region of the transmitter unit rest on the cooktop over the receiver unit. In addition to a magnet that is centrally located under the transmitter unit and that serves to position the transmitter unit, the receiver unit also includes multiple sensors located at angles of 60° around the central magnet. By means of the sensors, which are designed as Hall sensors, for example, a signal associated with the direction of tilt and the amount of tilt of the transmitter unit can be output, with which signal the cooktop can be controlled.

Control device for an electrical appliance


A method of forming an electron reflecting layer on a perforated shadow mask in a color cathode ray tube, which method comprises the steps of preparing an aqueous suspension containing water glass and powdered bismuth oxide, applying the suspension by the use of a spraying technique to one of opposite surfaces of the perforated shadow mask which confronts a color electron gun assembly within the color cathode ray tube, thereby to form an electron reflecting coating, and drying the coating to complete the electron reflecting layer. The aqueous suspension is prepared by adding to water both the powdered bismuth oxide of 0.1 to 1.0 .mu.m in average particle size in a quantity within the range of 20 to 45 percent by weight relative to the total weight of the aqueous suspension and the water glass having a solid component within the range of 25 to 30 percent by weight relative to the total weight of the water glass, the amount of the water glass added to the water being within the range of 37.5 to 62.5 percent by weight relative to the amount of the powdered bismuth oxide used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a finely perforated shadow mask in a color cathode ray tube and, more particularly, to a method of forming an electron reflecting layer on the finely perforated shadow mask for facilitating reflection of electron beams thereby to minimize any possible thermal deformation of the finely perforated shadow mask.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known to those skilled in the art, the color cathode ray tube generally comprises a highly evacuated envelope including a funnel section generally tapering in one direction, a generally cylindrical neck section closed at a rear end and continued at a front end to the reduced diameter end of the funnel section and accommodating therein a color electron gun assembly comprised of red, green and blue electron guns, a faceplate having its periphery sealed to the large diameter end of the funnel section and also having a screen plate. The screen plate has an inner surface deposited with a multiplicity of generally vertically running stripes of cyclically distributed, elemental color phosphors, for example, red, green and blue phosphors, which surface confronts the electron gun assembly. The evacuated envelope also includes a finely perforated shadow mask lying perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the evacuated envelope and having a multiplicity of fine slits each provided for one group of the three elemental color phosphors on the inner surface cf the screen plate, which mask is housed within the envelope and positioned in the vicinity of and in parallel relationship with the phosphor deposited inner surface of the screen plate. The groups of the three elemental color phosphors on the inner surface of the screen plate are so defined and so positioned as to optoelectrically correspond to the slits defined in the perforated shadow mask.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of the well known color cathode ray tube, wherein reference numeral 1 represents the highly evacuated envelope, reference numeral 2 represents the electron gun assembly, reference numeral 3 represents the finely perforated shadow mask, reference numeral 4 represents the screen plate, reference numeral 5 represents the phosphor deposited inner surface of the screen plate 4, reference numeral 6 represents a deflection yoke assembly mounted on the neck section in the vicinity of the funnel section and comprised of two pairs of electromagnetic coils disposed at right angles to each other on the neck section, reference numeral 7 represents the slits defined in the perforated shadow mask 3, and reference numeral 8 represents electron beams emitted from the electron gun assembly 2.
The color cathode ray tube of the above described construction operates in the following manner. Three electron beams 8 of different colors emitted from the color electron gun assembly 2 travel towards the phosphor deposited inner surface 5 of the screen plate 4. On their course towards the screen plate 4, the electron beams 8 are passed through a deflection magnetic field developed by the deflection yoke assembly 6 so that the electron beams can sweep across the phosphor deposited inner surface 5 of the screen plate 4 from left to right and from top to bottom while successively exciting the elemental color phosphor deposits on the inner surface 5 of the screen plate 4. After the passage of the color electron beams 8 through the deflection magnetic field, the color electron beams 8 pass through selected ones of the slits 7 in the perforated shadow mask 3. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the perforated shadow mask 3 serves as a color selection electrode operable to allow any single electron beam to impinge only upon the phosphor deposits of a particular one of the three elemental colors as the perforated shadow mask 3 is so uniquely positioned relative to the phosphor deposited inner surface 5 of the screen plate 4 as to permit any one group of the three elemental color phosphors on the inner surface 5 to correspond to the associated slits 7 in the perforated shadow mask 3.
In this well known color cathode ray tube, it is also well known that about 80% of the color electron beams produced by the color electron gun assembly 2 is said to impinge upon the perforated shadow mask 3 without passing through the slits 7 and will therefore not reach the phosphor deposited inner surface 5 of the screen plate 4. It is this quantity of the color electron beams that applies heat energies to the perforated shadow mask 3 thereby to cause the latter to be undesirably heated. Once the perforated shadow mask 3 is so heated, the perforated shadow mask undergoes an undesirable thermal expansion that results in a thermal deformation of the perforated shadow mask 3 generally known as doming. The doming phenomenon is known as a cause of a deviation in positional relationship between the elemental color phosphor deposits on the inner surface 5 of the screen plate 4 and the patterned slits 7 in the perforated shadow mask 3, that is, a cause of mislanding of the electron beams upon the phosphor deposited inner surface 5.
As a method of substantially alleviating the above discussed problem, the Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-6969, published in 1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,927 issued Mar. 7, 1989, and assigned to the same assignee of the present invention, discloses the formation of an electron reflecting layer 9 on the perforated shadow mask 3 as shown in FIG. 2 which shows a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of the perforated shadow mask 3. According to any one of those references, the electron reflecting layer 9 is made of a material having a higher reflectivity to the incident electron beams than that of a material used to form the perforated shadow mask 3.
The Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-14459, published in 1985, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,376, disclose the formation of the electron reflecting layer 9 by spraying a suspension, containing a quantity of powdered heavy metal having its atomic number of 70 or greater, onto the perforated shadow mask 3 while air is drawn through the slits 7 in the perforated shadow mask 3 from a location on one side of the perforated shadow mask 3 adjacent the phosphor deposited inner surface of the screen plate 4.
One example of the heavy metal whose atomic number is 70 or greater may include a bismuth oxide. In practice, the bismuth oxide is employed in the form of powdered particles of not greater than 1 .mu.m in particle size which are added to an aqueous solution of water glass to provide the suspension. To form the electron reflecting layer 9, a spraying technique is employed to apply the suspension containing the powdered bismuth oxide over the perforated shadow mask 3.
However, it has generally been considered difficult to realize a favorable method of forming the electron reflecting layer on the perforated shadow mask. Specifically, the application of the suspension containing the powdered bismuth oxide by the use of the spraying technique requires the content of the bismuth oxide to be properly selected to a required value in dependence on the particle size of the powdered bismuth oxide used. Unless the content of the powdered bismuth oxide is selected properly, the viscosity of the resultant suspension tends to become excessively high or low so enough as to result in a clogging of the particles within a spraying gun or as to result in a difficulty in spraying the suspension uniformly over the perforated shadow mask.
Also, if the content of the water glass used in the suspension as a binder is increased in an attempt to increase the bondability of the applied bismuth coating, that is, the eventually formed electron reflecting layer, to the surface of the perforated shadow mask, an increased amount of carbon dioxide tends to be adsorbed by the water glass, resulting in a considerable reduction of the lifetime of the perforated shadow mask in the color cathode ray tube. On the other hand, if the content of the water glass in the suspension is short of the required quantity, an insufficient bondability will be attained between the electron reflecting layer and the perforated shadow mask and the electron reflecting layer will be readily peeled off from the perforate shadow mask.

Method of forming an electron reflecting coat on CRT shadow masks


A method for transferring data from a general purpose register (GPR) to a vector register (VR), the method including vectorially combining data in the VR from the GPR, by executing instructions of a PowerPC Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), the step of combining including splatting a low nibble from the GPR into a low nibble in each element of a first VR by executing two “load vector for shift left” (lvsl) or “load vector for shift right” (lvsr) and one “vector subtract unsigned byte modulo” (vsububm), shifting a high nibble of the GPR into a low nibble the GPR, splatting the low nibble of the GPR into a low nibble in each element of a second VR by re-executing the two lvsl or lvsr and one vsububm instructions, shifting the low nibble of the second VR into a high nibble of the second VR and combining both first and second VRs into one VR.

Many microprocessors operate with Vector architectures and include a Vector Processing Unit (VPU). Vector architectures enable simultaneous processing of many data items in parallel. Operations may be performed on multiple data elements by a single instruction—referred to as Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) parallel processing.
Many implementations of a VPU may use dedicated register files that are disjoint from a General Purpose Register (GPR) file. There is accordingly a need to transfer data from the GPR to a Vector Register (VR).
Prior art solutions for transferring data from the GPR to the VR may be classified into three main approaches. The first approach stores data from a GPR to memory and then loads the data from the memory into a VR. An example of this approach is embodied in AltiVec. AltiVec (trademark of Motorola, Inc.) is a high bandwidth, parallel operation vector execution unit developed as a SIMD extension to the PowerPC ISA (instruction set architecture). AltiVec is a vector architecture that can process multiple data streams/blocks in a single cycle. However, transferring data indirectly through memory has disadvantages. It is time consuming and can cause pipeline stalls.
A second approach provides explicit instructions to transfer data to/from the register files. Intel's MMX/SSE/SSE2/SSE3 technologies employ this solution. However, this has the disadvantage of adding additional instructions to the architecture. While the additional instructions may be acceptable for a CISC (Complete Instruction Set Computer), they are undesirably limiting for a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer).
A third approach has the vector and scalar registers share the same file. In this manner the vector and scalar instructions access the same physical register, eliminating the need to transfer data between them. This was the original implementation of Intel's MMX technology. However, it has the disadvantage of reducing the number of registers available to the processor.

Splat copying GPR data to vector register elements by executing lvsr or lvsl and vector subtract instructions

International Business Machines Corporation


A garment with a flexible fabric shell has a pocket or vent opening with a resealable closure such as a zipper, snaps, or hook and loop fasteners, which is operable between a closed position, in which the opening in the shell is closed, and an open position, in which the opening in the shell is revealed. A resilient spring member of springy plastic, composite, metal or other material is mounted to the fabric around the opening, and has two arms which have portions which are displaced vertically from one another when the closure is open, but which are resiliently compressed into a common plane when the closure is sealed. Each time the closure is opened, the spring member urges portions of the shell on either side of the flap apart, to thereby enlarge the area of the opening and permit access or air flow therethrough.

Not applicable.
Adjustable garments can be a great aid to human effectiveness, particularly in performing complicated or strenuous activities outdoors. Strategically placed pockets can make important supplies and accessories readily available in a convenient location for the wearer of the garment. Moreover, zippered vent openings in thermally important positions can provide ventilation on demand to rapidly reduce the temperatures within the garment during periods of heavy exertion, or, alternatively to maintain temperatures when the wearer is at rest.
Pockets and vent openings are closed with conventional fasteners such as zippers, snaps, string ties, and hook and loop fastening systems. However, depending on the location of the opening, the disposition of the wearer""s limbs, the stance of the wearer, wind conditions, etc., the openings, once the fasteners have been released, may be of greater or lesser size. If the side flaps of the opening remain adjacent one another, air passage therethrough may be restricted in the case of a vent, or access to the contents may be cumbersome in the case of a pocket.
What is needed is a reclosable opening which may reliably present a definite passageway once it has been unsealed.
The closure system of the present invention has a spring member with two arms spaced on opposite sides of the slit opening of a pocket or ventilation opening, formed, for example, in a garment. The spring member is formed of a resilient material such as nylon. In its undeformed condition, the spring member arms are curved above and below the plane of the flexible fabric containing the opening. When the closure, be it zipper, snaps, buttons, hook and loop fasteners, or otherwise, is closed, the spring force of the spring member is overcome, and the pocket or ventilation opening is closed in a conventional fashion. When the closure is opened, the restorative force of the spring member arms causes the flaps on opposing sides of the opening to spread apart. The spring member may be U-shaped or a closed loop, and it may be fastened to the fabric to surround the closure, or may be formed as a part of the closure and attached to the fabric. The wide opening of the mouth facilitates air flow through a ventilation opening, and one-handed unobstructed access to contents of a pocket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pocket which has a wide mouth when it is opened.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ventilation opening in a garment with a wide surface area when opened, despite the orientation or posture of the garment""s wearer.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


The present invention relates to a plate type speaker adapted to radiate sound by transforming horizontal vibration for vibrating a side of a diaphragm into vertical vibration of the diaphragm. The plate type speaker of the present invention comprises a plate-shaped diaphragm for receiving horizontal vibration to generate vertical vibration; a base frame having a fixing portion to which one end of the diaphragm is coupled; a voice coil plate that has one end connected to the other end of the diaphragm, is mounted on the base frame to horizontally vibrate and has a voice coil wound on either or both of surfaces thereof, and a magnetic body that has opposite polarities at positions spaced apart by predetermined distances from top and bottom surfaces of the voice coil plate and is coupled to the base frame. According to the plate type speaker of the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a plate type speaker with a thickness reduced through transformation of vibration at a side of a diaphragm, which is caused by horizontal vibration of a voice coil plate, into vertical vibration of the diaphragm. Accordingly, the plate type speaker of the present invention can be easily applied to small appliances requiring an audio system, and it is also possible to manufacture plate type speakers in various forms with a plurality of diaphragms depending on the structure of a base frame.

A speaker is a device for radiating sound by generating compression-rarefaction waves in the air through transformation of electrical signals into vibration of a diaphragm. The principle of vibration of a diaphragm included in a speaker uses a phenomenon in which a low- or high-pitched sound is generated by vibrating the diaphragm at a low or high frequency using Lorentz force caused by a current flowing through a voice coil placed in a magnetic field. As the amplitude increases even at a frequency, the sound gets louder due to increased sound pressure.
Speakers include cone type speakers, plate type speakers, dome type speakers, horn type speakers, and the like. Among them, the plate type speakers are advantageous over other type speakers in that they can be manufactured in compact sizes by attaching voice coil plates directly to flat diaphragms.
FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional plate type speaker, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing a coupling structure of a voice coil, permanent magnets and plates employed in the conventional plate type speaker.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a flat coil plate 36 with a top end to which a flat diaphragm 30 is vertically fixed is inserted into an assembly of upper plates 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 32a, 32b, 32c and 32d, lower plates 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 34a, 34b, 34c and 34d, and permanent magnets 37 fixed therebetween. The assembly of permanent magnets and upper and lower plates is fixed to a base frame 35. Then, an edge 39 is bonded to the periphery of the flat diaphragm 30 and secured by a guide ring.
An electric current generated at a speaker driving circuit is supplied to a voice coil 38 fixed at the coil plate 36 to produce a magnetic field at the voice coil 38. The magnetic field cooperates with a facing magnetic field generated from the polarity of the permanent magnet-plate assembly, thereby generating a force that vibrates the coil plate 36 and the flat diaphragm 30 fixed thereto. Consequently, the vibration of the diaphragm 30 causes sound to radiate outside.
However, in the conventional plate type speaker constructed as above, there are limitations on manufacture of slim speakers suitable for small appliances since the coil plate 36 is attached to a bottom end of the diaphragm 30 and the assembly of permanent magnets and upper and lower plates is formed and placed below the diaphragm 30.

Plate type speaker using horizontal vibration voice coil


A vehicle information acquiring unit for acquiring vehicle information; a heat source information acquiring unit for acquiring heat source information; a stop determining unit for determining whether or not a vehicle is stopped on the basis of the vehicle information; a heat source determining unit for determining whether or not a heat source satisfying a target condition is generated in the vehicle on the basis of the heat source information, when the stop determining unit determines that the vehicle is stopped; an activation control unit for activating an imaging device, when the heat source determining unit determines that a heat source satisfying the target condition is generated; an image acquiring unit acquiring a captured image of inside of the vehicle from the imaging device; and a notification control unit outputting notification information to the outside of the vehicle, when a living body is detected in the captured image.

In the related art, there is known technology for detecting a person or an animal (hereinafter referred to as a "living body") left behind in a vehicle.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an in-vehicle person detecting and reporting device that detects a person inside a vehicle and outputs a person detection report to the outside of the vehicle. In the person detecting and reporting device disclosed in Patent Literature 1, the presence or absence of a person or an object is determined from mass distribution on seats that is read from a plurality of mass sensors laid on the seats of the vehicle, and in a case where it is determined there is a person or an object, a camera is activated and discrimination between a person and an object is made from an image captured by the camera. An in a case where a person is detected, a person detection report is output.

Left-behind detection device and left-behind detection method


An apparatus is provided that comprises a processor. The processor comprises a cache to store data, a decoder, an error classification module, and an error correction module. The cache stores data, the data encoded as a codeword. The decoder reads the codeword from cache and calculates a syndrome of the codeword using an H-matrix. The error classification module determines an error type of the syndrome. The H-matrix is redesigned such that the columns form a geometrical sequence, and as a result not only t-bit random errors but also (t+1) bit adjacent errors can be corrected. The error correction module, triggered by the enhanced error classification module, takes one of two sets of inputs depending on error type (either random error or adjacent error) and produces corrected data from the syndrome when the syndrome comprises a detectable and correctable error.

Computer systems execute instructions of various codes. This code involves the transfer of code and data within and between processors and memory devices. Often, the code can be compromised, suffering the introduction of one or more errors. A soft error is a signal or data which is wrong, but does not necessarily imply a breakage in the system hardware. After observing a soft error, there is no implication that the system is any less reliable than before.
An error occurrence in a computer's memory system that changes an instruction in a program or a data value. Soft errors are typically remedied by error correction routines and do not typically damage a system's hardware; the only damage is to the data that is being processed.
Soft errors can occur when the radioactive atoms in the chip's material decay. The decay may produce a particle that strikes a memory cell causing the cell to change its state. The soft error rate (SER) steadily increases as the process technology scales downward. A single event upset, such as a particle strike, may cause single-bit upset (SBU) or multiple-bit upset (MBU). As the process geometry shrinks, the same particle will have a larger footprint in terms of bits. Therefore, MBU in nearby cells become more and more frequent.
Soft errors may also occur when the data being processed is affected by a noise phenomenon, typically when the data is on a data bus. The system may try to interpret the noise as a data causing errors in addressing or processing program code. The erroneous data may also be saved to memory and cause problems at a later time. Soft errors can occur on transmission lines, in digital logic, analog circuits, magnetic storage, and elsewhere, but are most commonly known in semiconductor storage.
When detected, a soft error may be corrected by rewriting correct data in place of erroneous data. Reliable systems use error correction to correct soft errors. However, in many systems, it may be impossible to determine the correct data, or even to discover that an error is present at all.
Soft errors are a major challenge in the design of memories and logic circuitry in microprocessors particularly as a result of technology scaling and increased SER.

Method of correcting adjacent errors by using BCH-based error correction coding


A level having a pair of opposed edge rails, a web connecting the edge rails together, one of edge rails having an edge rail window therein with a cavity in the web communicating with the edge window. A vial assembly is mounted at said cavity in which the vial may be viewed from the edge rail window or from the sides of the web. Web openings may also be provided in the web with vial holding assemblies mounted in each web opening.

This invention relates to a level and more particularly to a level in which a plurality of vial assemblies are mounted on the level.
Such levels comprise a frame having an I-beam configuration which includes a pair of opposed edge rails connected together by a web. A plurality of spaced vial assemblies are mounted in spaced web openings in the web. These web openings permit the vials of the vial assemblies to be mounted on the web at different angles with respect to the edge rails. In some of these levels, an edge rail window is also provided in an edge rail to permit a vial to be viewed from the edge rail as well as from the web.
One object of the present invention is the provision an improved level with at least one web opening in the web and at least one edge rail opening in an edge rail.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved level with a plurality of vial assemblies to permit viewing a vial from both an edge rail and from the web.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved level which has different types of vial assemblies thereon.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved level that has vial assemblies which are of simple construction and which are economical, simple and efficient to use and manufacture.
Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.


A process of refining a map of a body cavity includes positioning a first probe and a second probe within the body cavity. Mapping elements on the first probe are used to gather local information from a plurality of locations along the body cavity. The absolute locations of the mapping elements are registered in a three-dimensional coordinate system, and are associated with the local information to generate the map. A mapping element on the second probe is then used to gather information local to a location between the plurality of locations along the body cavity. The absolute location of the mapping element is registered in the three-dimensional system and associated with the local information to refine the map.

The invention relates to systems and methods for guiding and locating diagnostic or therapeutic elements on medical instruments positioned in a body.
The use of invasive medical devices, such as catheters and laparoscopes in order to gain access into interior regions or spaces of the body for performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures is well known. In such procedures, it is important for a physician or technician to be able to precisely position the device, including various functional elements located on the device, within the body in order to make contact with a desired body tissue location.
For example, the need for precise control over the positioning of an invasive catheter or surgical probe is especially critical during procedures for testing or ablating myocardial tissue within the beating heart for treating cardiac rhythm disturbances. To perform such a procedure, the physician typically steers a catheter through a main vein or artery into the interior region of the heart that is to be treated. The physician then manipulates the catheter in order to place one or more electrodes carried on the distal portion and/or tip of the catheter into direct contact with the endocardial tissue. The physician may use the electrode(s) to examine the propagation of electrical impulses in heart tissue in order to locate aberrant conductive pathways and to identify the arrhythmia foci. This procedure is called mapping. One such mapping technique is to introduce multiple-electrode array structures carried on the distal end of an invasive catheter into the heart through venous or arterial access. Information obtained from the various electrode elements (operating in either unipolar or bipolar fashion), combined with externally obtained electrocardiogram signals, can be externally processed to detect local electrical events and identify likely arrhythmia foci locations within the heart.
Using the same, or a different catheter or surgical probe device, the physician may then direct energy from one or more distally carried electrode(s) through the myocardial tissue either to an indifferent electrode (in a unipolar electrode arrangement) or to an adjacent electrode (in a bipolar electrode arrangement) to ablate the tissue locations containing the aberrant conductive pathways in order to restore a healthy heart rhythm. This procedure is called ablation therapy.
In theory, minimally invasive mapping techniques allow a physician to identify a target ablation site within the heart, prior to the actual ablation procedure and without the complications of open heart surgery. In practice, however, current minimally invasive mapping techniques do not ensure that an identified target site will be accurately or easily relocated. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide physicians with the ability to accurately return to a target site in the heart that was previously identified using minimally invasive mapping techniques.
One proposed solution to the problem of identifying and relocating target sites in the heart site is to add a navigation system that is centered outside of a patient""s body, in order to provide an xe2x80x9cabsolutexe2x80x9d reference frame that is unaffected by the absolute location of the patient. One such system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,199 to Ben-Haim (xe2x80x9cthe ""199 patentxe2x80x9d), combines an electrophysiological mapping system and a navigational system centered on a reference frame outside of the body in order to attempt to increase a physician""s ability to return to an identified target site. The mapping system provides data on points of interest at sites within the body. The exterior navigational system provides data on the xe2x80x9cabsolutexe2x80x9d location of the site with respect to an external reference frame of the site as these points of interest are identified. This is accomplished by placing one or more location sensors adjacent mapping elements on the mapping probe. As taught in the ""199 patent, combining the xe2x80x9clocation informationxe2x80x9d with xe2x80x9clocal informationxe2x80x9d for a sufficient number of sites will provide a three dimensional xe2x80x9cmapxe2x80x9d of data points corresponding to the three-dimensional structure of the heart or other organ.
One problem, however, occurs with mapping catheters having relatively small mapping element carrying structures, e.g., 3-D catheter structures that are 40 mm in diameter or smaller. In these cases, it is difficult to place location elements adjacent all of the mapping elements, and sometimes even adjacent a select few of the mapping elements. Thus, generating a three dimensional map is made difficult. Another problem occurs as a result of the discrete nature of the mapping elements. Oftentimes, critical information is missed between the mapping elements, resulting in a map that, although corresponding to the three-dimensional structure of the heart or other organ, does not accurately identify target sites.
The present invention provides for systems and processes for refining a registered map.
In a first aspect of the present invention, a method of mapping a body cavity of a patient is provided. The body cavity may be, for example, a heart chamber. A first probe carrying a plurality of mapping elements is positioned adjacent a plurality of locations along the body cavity. The first probe may include a 3-D catheter structure on which the plurality of mapping elements is carried. In one embodiment, the 3-D catheter structure is 40 millimeters or less in size. A second probe carrying a functional element is also positioned in the body cavity. The absolute position, within a three-dimensional coordinate system, of the functional element is determined. Also, the proximity of that functional element to each of the plurality of mapping elements is determined. Based on the absolute position of the functional element and the proximity of the functional element to the mapping elements, an absolute position within the coordinate system of the mapping elements is determined. A map is generated by detecting information local to the body cavity, with the mapping elements, and associating the local information to the absolute positions of the mapping elements. The functional element is then located adjacent a location on the body cavity between the plurality of locations. Here, the functional element of the second probe comprises a mapping element. Prior to locating the functional element adjacent the body cavity location, in one alternative, the first probe is removed from the body cavity. In another alternative, the first probe is maintained within the body cavity while locating the functional element adjacent the body cavity location. The absolute position of the mapping element of the second probe, within the coordinate system, is determined. Additionally, information local to the body cavity is detected using the mapping element, and the local information is associated to the absolute position of the mapping element in order to refine the map.
In an alternative procedure of the first aspect of the present invention, a first probe carrying a plurality of mapping elements are located adjacent a plurality of locations along the body cavity. A second probe carrying a mapping element is positioned in the body cavity. An absolute position within a three-dimensional coordinate system is determined for each of the plurality of mapping elements. A map is generated by detecting local information using the plurality of mapping elements and associating that information to the absolute positions of the plurality of mapping elements. The mapping element of the second probe is adjacent a location on the body cavity between the plurality of locations. An absolute position of the mapping element is determined, local information is detected using the mapping element, and the local information is associated to the absolute position of the mapping element in order to refine the map.
For either of the above-mentioned procedures, the refined map is stored in memory, the refined map is retrieved from memory, and the refined map is displayed. A device is navigated within the coordinate system by reference to the displayed refined map. The navigated device may be the second probe. The navigated device may also be a therapeutic device used to treat targeted tissue identified by the local information. The therapeutic device may include an ablation element to ablate the targeted tissue.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a method of mapping a body cavity of a patient is provided. The method comprises positioning a mapping probe within the body cavity, generating a map of the body cavity with the mapping probe, and registering the map within a three-dimensional coordinate system. This can be accomplished using the previous map registration methods, or alternatively, using other map registration means. The method further comprises positioning a roving probe in the body cavity and refining the map with the roving probe.
The preferred method of refining the map may include locating the mapping element adjacent a location on the body cavity, determining an absolute position of the mapping element within the coordinate system, and detecting information local to the body cavity using the mapping element and associating the local information to the absolute position of the mapping element. Alternatively, other means of refining the map can be used. The preferred method may further include storing the refined map in memory, retrieving the refined map from memory, and displaying the refined map. A device can be navigated in the coordinate system by reference to the displayed refined map. The device can be a therapeutic device and the refined map can comprise information indicating tissue targeted for therapy, in which case, the method can further comprise treating the targeted tissue with the device, e.g., by ablating it with an ablation electrode. The mapping probe can be removed from the body cavity prior to refining the map, or alternatively, maintained within the body cavity while the map is refined. The body cavity can be a heart chamber or any other body cavity within the patient.
In a third aspect of the present invention, a system for mapping a body cavity is provided. The system includes a first probe having a distal portion carrying a plurality of mapping elements and one or more location elements, and a second probe having a distal portion carrying a mapping element and a location element. In one embodiment, the first probe includes a 3-D catheter structure to carry the plurality of mapping elements. In an embodiment of this first probe, the 3-D catheter structure is 40 millimeters or less in size. A mapping processing subsystem is provided that is in communication with the plurality of mapping elements and the mapping element. The mapping processing subsystem is configured for generating a map by detecting information local to the body cavity using the plurality of mapping elements and the mapping element. A location determination subsystem in communication with the one or more location elements and the location element determines absolute positions of the plurality of mapping elements and the mapping element in a three-dimensional coordinate system based on locations of the one or more location elements and the location element. A registration subsystem in communication with the mapping processing subsystem and the location determination subsystem associates the local information to the absolute positions of the plurality of mapping elements and the mapping element. Memory in communication with the registration subsystem is used for storing the refined map, and a display is used for displaying the refined map. In an alternative embodiment, a device carrying another location element, wherein the location determination subsystem is further in communication with another location element and is configured to determine an absolute position of the another location element, is provided. This device may be the second probe. Also, this device may be a therapeutic device, and may include an ablation electrode, capable of treating tissue targeted for therapy that is identified by the local information.
Other and further aspects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following drawings and detailed description.

Systems and processes for refining a registered map of a body cavity


A doorbell system having a sound memory for storing and playing a CD quality doorbell sound is disclosed. Said doorbell system includes a receiver unit for receiving an indication of a doorbell button being pressed, a code detector for commanding the sound memory to output stored sound signals and sound producing means for outputting a CD quality sound. Also disclosed is a method for storing a CD quality sound into a doorbell system.

The present invention is directed toward the field of door chimes. In particular, a door chime system that uses a high quality recorded sound to indicate the activation of a door chime button is disclosed. The invention provides the distinct advantage over the prior art of playing a CD quality recorded musical doorbell indication sound instead of an artificial sound produced by an electronic music synthesizer chip.
The invention may be incorporated into any wireless door chime. U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,214, assigned to Dimango and hereby incorporated by reference, for example, discloses a door chime having multiple detectors which transmit radio frequency ("RF") signals to a common receiver upon the depression of doorbell buttons. Each detectors is associated with a specific doorbell button and includes means for allowing manual selection of a song or melody to be played by the receiver upon the receiver's receipt of the RF signal from the detector. The system allows different audible indications to be played in response to the depression of the doorbell button associated with a particular detector. As a result, a user can program each detector, such as a front doorbell detector and a back door detector, to signal, through its RF signal, the receiver to play a distinct audible indication whenever a specific doorbell button is pressed so that a user can determine from the audible indication played by the receiver which doorbell button was pressed.
A particular shortcoming of many of the wireless door chime systems, such as the system described above, is the sound quality of the audible indication. Typical door chime systems produce a poor quality sound. Therefore, there remains a need in this art for a method of creating a high sound quality signal for use with door chime systems. There remain a more particular need for a method storing a CD quality sound into a door chime system. There also remains a need for a door chime system capable of playing a CD quality sound.


A semiconductor device and manufacturing method capable of forming shallow extension regions in insulated-gate transistors. A side wall material containing about 1 to 20% of phosphorus, such as PSG, is deposited on the sides of an opening to a film thickness of tens of nanometers to about 100 nm and etched back to form phosphorus-containing side walls respectively adjacent to boron-containing side walls. An interlayer insulating film of silicon nitride etc. is then formed on the silicon nitride film. A thermal process performed during formation of the interlayer insulating film forms N-type extension regions in the NMOS region through a diffusion where phosphorus contained in the phosphorus-containing side walls serves as the diffusion source and P-type extension region in the PMOS region through a diffusion where boron contained in the boron-containing side walls serves as the diffusion source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device manufacturing method, and particularly to a method for manufacturing MOS transistors used in DRAMs, logic circuits, etc.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIGS. 47 to 54 are sectional views showing a conventional method for manufacturing CMOS transistors (CMOSFETs). The CMOS transistor manufacturing method will now be described referring to these diagrams.
First, as shown in FIG. 47, element isolation regions 61 are selectively formed in the upper part of a silicon substrate 60. Next, a P well region 83 and an N well region 84 (both of which include a channel region) are formed by ion implantation etc. in the NMOS region 81 and the PMOS region 82 which are isolated by the element isolation regions 61. A silicon oxide film 62 and a polysilicon layer 63 are then sequentially deposited on the entire surface of the silicon substrate 60.
Next, as shown in FIG. 48, resist 64 is formed on the polysilicon layer 63 and patterned by photolithography.
Next, as shown in FIG. 49, the polysilicon layer 63 and the silicon oxide film 62 are etched using the patterned resist 64 as a mask to obtain gate electrodes (interconnections) 65 and gate oxide films 79.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 50, resist 66 is formed on the entire surface and patterned so that it remains only in the PMOS region 82, and N-type impurity ions 67 are implanted relatively shallowly from the surface of the silicon substrate 60 by using the patterned resist 66 and the gate electrode 65 in the NMOS region 81 as masks to obtain N-type diffusion regions 68 (68a and 68b).
Next, as shown in FIG. 51, a silicon oxide film is deposited on the entire surface and etched back to form side walls 69 (69a and 69b) of silicon oxide film on the sides of the gate electrodes 65.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 52, resist 70 is formed on the entire surface and patterned so that the resist 70 remains only in the NMOS region 81, and P-type impurity ions 71 are implanted relatively deep from the surface of the silicon substrate 60 by using the patterned resist 70 and the gate electrode 65 and side walls 69 in the PMOS region 82 as masks, so as to obtain P-type diffusion regions 72 (72a and 72b). The P-type diffusion regions 72 are formed deeper from the surface of the silicon substrate 60 than the N-type diffusion regions 68.
Next, as shown in FIG. 53, resist 73 is formed all over the surface and patterned so that the resist 73 remains only in the PMOS region 82. N-type impurity ions 74 are then implanted relatively deep from the surface of the silicon substrate 60 by using the patterned resist 73 and the gate electrode 65 and side walls 69 in the NMOS region 81 as masks, thus forming N-type diffusion regions 75 (75a and 75b) which are merged with the previously formed N-type diffusion regions 68 to form main source/drain regions.
The N-type diffusion regions 75 serve as the source/drain regions of the NMOS transistor and the N-type diffusion regions 75 under the side walls 69 serve as extension regions 75ae and 75be which are shallower from the surface of the silicon substrate 60.
Next, as shown in FIG. 54, an interlayer insulating film 76 of silicon oxide film is deposited all over the surface. A thermal process applied in this process causes the N-type diffusion regions 75 and the P-type diffusion regions 72 to further diffuse to form N-type diffusion regions 77 (77a and 77b) and P-type diffusion regions 78 (78a and 78b). Accordingly, the formation depth of the extension regions 77ae and 77be in the N-type diffusion regions 77 is deeper than that of the extension regions 75ae and 75be. Also, the formation depth of the extension regions 77ae and 77be is made deeper than that of the N-type diffusion regions 68 by thermal processes performed between the formation of the N-type diffusion regions 68 and the formation of the interlayer insulating film 76.
The semiconductor device having the CMOS transistors is then completed through existing processes such as interconnecting etc.
Important factors to enhance the driving capability and operating speed of MOSFETs and improve the short-channel characteristic include the reduction of gate dimension (gate length), reduction of source/drain resistance, and formation of shallower PN junctions.
Among these factors, obtaining shallower PN junctions, or forming shallower extension regions, can be achieved by reducing the amount of thermal treatments which are performed after the formation of the extension regions and contribute to the impurity diffusion. However, in the conventional CMOS transistor manufacturing method as shown in FIGS. 47 to 54, thermal processes such as annealing are performed, after the formation of the N-type diffusion regions 68 as extension regions, to form the side walls 69 and to activate the N-type diffusion regions 75 as the main source/drain regions; the thermal processes diffuse the extension regions further deeper, which makes it difficult to form shallower PN junctions.

Semiconductor device manufacturing method and semiconductor device


An interferometric profiler is used to measure object motion by modifying the motion of the scanner so that the phase variation at each scanning step is kept within the acceptable limits of the algorithm used to calculate phase changes. The scanner motion is so manipulated on the basis of prior knowledge about the nature of the object motion, or knowledge obtained by pre-calibration, or by real-time feedback based on current measurements. The object motion is recovered from the scanning information by subtracting the scanner position from the object position as it evolves during the scan.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the field of scanning interferometry and, in particular, to a new approach for measuring sample deformations occurring during interferometric measurements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent developments in micro-optics and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology produced a variety of engineered micro-elements, ranging from gears and mirror arrays to membranes, resonators and accelerators. Inasmuch as these micro-elements (which vary in size from micrometers to millimeters) are susceptible to shape changes while in operation, a need has arisen for measuring not only their static shape but also their motion behavior (that is, the vertical displacement due to operational motion and shape changes due to vibration, deformation, and the like).
Traditional surface profilometry has dealt with the characterization of the surface profile of a static object. In scanning interferometric measurements, the surface of the object is scanned vertically (that is, the direction normal to the plane of the test surface) to produce interferograms that are acquired as the optical path difference between the object and a reference mirror is varied. In accordance with conventional terminology, the term "out-of-plane" is used in this disclosure to refer to the direction of scanning (regarding the sample object's surface displacement). The term "object motion" is used to refer to the cumulative out-of-plane displacement of the surface of the test object as a result of its operational motion and other external influences, such as vibration, deformation, etc. Object motion is not intended to include the motion resulting from scanning of the test object.
For the purposes of this disclosure, object motion is considered slow when it is negligible for shape-measurement detection, so that the object can be considered static (both conditions that are present in conventional profilometry). Such slow, quasi-static, motion can arise, for example, from thermal or pressure loading, or from creeping or shrinkage. The frequency of such slow motion is much lower than the sampling rate of the detecting system. Fast motion, on the other hand, is characterized by frequencies much higher than that of the sampling system and typically arises from a shock wave propagating through the object as a result of mechanical impact, or from the application of a high-frequency voltage pulse, as is the case in MEMS operation.
The range of motion (which may also be referred to as the dynamic range of motion or amplitude) is another relevant characteristic of object motion and it can be described, for example, in units of wavelength of light. The dynamic range of object motion depends on the object's mechanical and operational characteristics and may range, for instance, from fractions of a wavelength, for small vibrations and stress deformations that are essential for MEMS-membrane operation, to several tens of a wavelength or more for micro-mirror movements that find their use in tunable photonic devices.
Several techniques have been reported that can be used for limited measurements of different types of object motion, such as digital holography (applicable to reflecting and scattering surfaces), and digital speckle pattern interferometry (DSPI) and electro-optic holography (both used for scattering surfaces). These techniques are limited in their applicability by the relatively long data-transfer times associated with area detectors. Another technique is Doppler vibrometry (for example, see Albrecht et al., "Laser Doppler and Phase Doppler Measurement Techniques," Springer-Verlag, 2002), which is based on heterodyne interferometry and utilizes fast detection of deformations at a single point (single-point detection). The limitation of this technique lies in the fact that the relative phase of vibrations at consecutive data points can be lost and therefore the recovery of object-motion information may be incorrect. All of these prior-art approaches can be used with continuous as well as stroboscopic illumination.
Other interferometric and fringe-projection techniques are described by Michael Pawlowski et al. in "Shape and motion measurement of time-varying three-dimensional objects based on spatiotemporal fringe-pattern analysis," Opt. Eng. 41(2) 450-459 (2002), and Xavier Colonna de Lega et al. in "Deformation measurement with object-induced dynamic phase shifting," Applied Optics, Vol. 35, No. 25, 5115-5121 (1996). These articles teach that fringes representing deformation can be analyzed when phase change is in an appropriate range.
The optical profilometric techniques traditionally used to determine object shape based on spatial or temporal analysis of fringe patterns are not always suitable for detecting object motion, as herein defined, because of phase-change constraints inherent with the algorithms associated with each technique. The discrepancy between the actual size of the measurement phase change introduced by object motion and the nominal size (the phase step) assumed and required by the algorithms used to perform interferometric analysis may prevent the use of the algorithms with any degree of reliability. For example, a conventional five-step phase algorithm (such as the Schwider/Hariharan algorithm) is based on a phase step of π/2±ε (typically about 5 degrees) between acquisition frames during the interferometric scan. If the object motion materially alters the actual phase change between the object and the reference surfaces, the algorithm will produce unreliable results. Thus, conventional profilometry is inadequate to measure motion when the object motion is characterized by a range of amplitudes or frequencies that are not suitable for the algorithms utilized in the system (and thus the information cannot be processed in converging fashion to describe the object motion).
Recent profilometric technique improvements, such as the use of a reference signal (described in U.S. Publication No. 2002-0196450, incorporated here by reference), addressed measurement precision but did not provide an avenue of compensation for object motion. Although the use of a reference signal makes it possible to correct scanner deviations from nominal performance, the computational constraints of the algorithms still prevent its general application in the measurement of object motion.
Conventional interferometric applications rely on precise measurements or knowledge of the changing optical path difference (OPD) between the test object and the reference surface as a result of scanning (or any equivalent method utilized to introduce a fringe shift, such as fringe projection techniques, wavelength shifting, polarization techniques, change of index of refraction in optical path, etc.). Specifically, the change in OPD (also commonly referred to in the art as "fringe shift") between frames and the corresponding change in phase (normally referred to as the "phase step") are used to calculate surface height. In the case of ideal scanning of a static object (i.e., scanning without motion errors of the scanner due to back-lashes, friction, etc.), the phase step will remain constant between sampling frames as determined by the scanner's design velocity profile (for example, 90 degrees at the mean wavelength used for illumination, including the effect of the angle of illumination). As such, the phase-versus-time plot is a straight line with a slope that corresponds to the constant design speed of the scanner, as illustrated in FIG. 1. As mentioned, the algorithms utilized for analysis allow deviations from ideal scanning behavior so long as the phase change remains within a predetermined "operational window," which is illustrated in the figure for each scanner step by the area bound by the upper and lower limit traces (straight dashed lines) around the phase plot. For instance, for a 90-degree phase-step algorithm, such an operational window may correspond to a phase step of π/2±ε (the width of the operational window, typically about ±5 degrees, is illustrated disproportionately large for illustration).
If a sinusoidal object motion were present with an amplitude that caused the phase steps to remain within the operational window of the algorithm, as illustrated in FIG. 2 by the vertical phase-change window associated with each scanning step, it would still be possible to retrieve the object motion from conventional interferometric analysis because the algorithm would provide a measure of the phase change between acquisition frames, which in turn could be used in conventional manner to calculate the motion of the test surface in relation to the sample stage. On the other hand, if the object motion were more pronounced (such as, for example, characterized by a constant linear component and a harmonic component), the actual phase changes might not always be within the operational window of the algorithm, as illustrated in FIG. 3 (wherein the linear and sinusoidal components of the object motion are represented by straight dotted and sinusoidal continuous lines, respectively, and the phase change is shown outside the operational window for all steps except n+1). Accordingly, interferometric analysis would not allow accurate recovery of the object motion.
Therefore, to the extent that interferometric profilers are used for object characterization, conventional analysis approaches do not generally allow for proper monitoring of object motion on the basis of actual scanner position history. This invention provides a solution to this problem and achieves sub-wavelength accuracy in object motion measurements through the use of non-contact, optical methods.

Measurement of object deformation with optical profiler


An automatic driving control apparatus for a vehicle can selectively switch between a manual driving mode in which a driver manually performs driving operation of the vehicle and an automatic driving mode in which driving operation is performed automatically along a target traveling route. The apparatus includes a driver identifier that identifies the driver, a driving experience value evaluation unit that evaluates a driving experience value based on a traveling history in the manual driving mode of the identified driver, a shift permission time setting unit that sets a shift permission time from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode based on the driving experience value, and a driving mode switching unit that controls the driving mode so as to be switchable to the automatic driving mode on condition that at least a driving time by the driver in the manual driving mode exceeds the shift permission time.

The technology relates to an automatic driving control apparatus for a vehicle capable of switching between a manual driving mode in which a driver performs driving operation and an automatic driving mode in which the driver needs not perform driving operation.
In recent years, automatic driving control apparatuses have been developed which allow vehicles such as automobiles to travel in an automatic driving mode in which drivers need not perform driving operation.
In such automatic driving control apparatuses, when it is determined during traveling in the automatic driving mode that the automatic driving mode cannot be continued due to a change in a traveling environment or a system defect or the like, traveling can be continued by switching the driving mode from the automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode or the like.
Therefore, for such automatic driving control apparatuses, it is important on the way to a destination to verify in advance whether the driver is ready to take over driving from the automatic driving mode. In contrast, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-115356 discloses a technique that determines, before starting automatic driving of a vehicle, an awakening degree as driving ability of a driver and prohibits the traveling in the automatic driving mode when a return determination unit determines that the driver lacks driving ability.

Automatic driving control apparatus for vehicle


A programmable latency (a programmable number of clock cycles) needed for an operation completion. The required latency for a pipe is determined from a formula including the system clock cycle time which the unit will be specified to operate under. The latency is preprogrammed by setting the count of a timer accordingly to provide at least the minimum number of clock cycles necessary to cover the time required to do the computation. Separate timers are independently set for arithmetic logic unit (ALU) operations, multiply operations, logical operations and divide and square root operations.

The present invention relates to integrated circuits which perform arithmetic operations and are controlled by a system clock.
Coprocessors and/or floating point units can perform a variety of arithmetical functions. Certain functions, such as addition, subtraction and logical operations could be implemented completely combinatorially. Other operations, such as double precision multiplication, division, and square root might often be implemented as a collection of combinatorial blocks separated by registers and/or latches. In general, all arithmetic functions could be implemented as one or more combinatorial circuit blocks (sometimes also called "sections" or "pipes"), each separated from other combinatorial blocks by storage elements (latches or registers). Each may be used zero, one or more times during a particular operation. Blocks could also be shared by several functions. For example, a large combinatorial circuit could often be shared among division, square root, and multiplication algorithms.
A completely combinatorial implementation of an algorithm (addition, for example), is the simplest of the above implementations: it has only one combinatorial block and no storage elements.
Each combinatorial block requires no less than a certain amount of time to generate a correct result after its operands appear in (are clocked into) its input storage elements. The control signal that clocks new operands into the block's input registers is often called a start signal for this block. The time allocation for each pipe (in order for it to produce a correct result) is implemented via a timer that counts a certain number of system clock cycles after the corresponding start signal. Each section could require one or more system clock cycles, depending on the system cycle time. In general, for a particular pipe with a particular set of inputs, the number of system cycles allowed for operation completion, multiplied by the cycle time, has to be greater than or equal to the minimum amount of time required for the correct result to be computed by the pipe.
Currently (in the present art), the number of cycles allowed for each pipe is hard-wired into the integrated circuit implementation. The number of cycles for a pipe cannot be changed via hardware means outside of the integrated circuit.
If the hard-wired number of cycles allowed for a certain pipe is too small, this particular pipe will become the limiting factor in determining the coprocessor's fastest cycle time. On the other hand, if the number of cycles for the same pipe is too big, the system will not be able to take full advantage of the pipe's speed.

Variable latency method and apparatus for floating-point coprocessor


A method for manufacturing an EEPROM comprises the step of using raw gas containing an organic compound having a molecular weight of more than 44, such as ethyl acetate and tetrahydrofuran when a first polysilicon layer serving as a select gate electrode and a second polysilicon layer serving as a floating gate electrode are deposited by a CVD process. The above described step allows a voltage at the time of tunneling electrons to be decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electrical erasable and programmable read-only memory (referred to as EEPROM hereinafter) and a manufacturing method therefor, particularly to reducing the programming voltages therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the description of the prior art, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,196 issued Jul. 4, 1978, entitled "Triple Layer Polysilicon Cell", assigned to Intel Corporation is incorporated by reference.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing a single cell of a conventional EEPROM having a triple gate structure which is disclosed in the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,196.
The EEPROM having a triple gate structure comprises a first polysilicon (polycrystalline silicon) gate electrode 3 formed on a silicon substrate 1 through a first gate oxide film 2 for writing information charge, a second polysilicon gate electrode 5 formed on the first polysilicon gate electrode 3 through a first polysilicon gate oxide film 4 and serving as a floating gate electrode, a third polysilicon gate electrode 7 formed on the second polysilicon gate electrode 5 through a second polysilicon gate oxide film 6 to overlap with at least a portion of the second polysilicon gate electrode 5 for controlling writing and erasing of the information charge, and a fourth polysilicon gate electrode 8 for erasing the information charge.
Operation is now described. When data is written, the EEPROM having a triple gate structure applies a voltage of approximately 25 V to the third polysilicon gate electrode 7 and the fourth polysilicon gate electrode 8, and the first polysilicon gate electrode 3 is grounded. As a result, electrons are injected from the first polysilicon gate electrode 3 to the second polysilicon gate electrode 5 by tunneling. In addition, when data is erased, the first polysilicon gate electrode 3 and the third polysilicon gate electrode 7 are grounded, and a voltage of approximately 25 V is applied to the fourth polysilicon gate electrode 8. As a result, electrons deposited on the second polysilicon gate electrode 5 are injected to the fourth polysilicon gate electrode 8 by tunneling. The oxide films 4 and 6 on the first polysilicon gate electrode 3 and the second polysilicon gate electrode 5 are approximately 1000.ANG.. Since electrons tunnel through the oxide films 4 and 6 at approximately 25 V, the EEPROM having a triple gate structure is formed such that a portion from which information charge is emitted, of the polysilicon layers 3 and 5 serving as electrodes, has a rough surface. The rough surface allows tunneling of electrons even at a relatively low voltage.
Conventionally, the following approaches have been employed so that the surface of the portion from which information charge is emitted, of the first polysilicon gate electrode 3 and the second polysilicon gate electrode 5 easily becomes rough.
(1) A first polysilicon gate oxide film is formed by thermal oxidation at a low temperature. (For the fact that the surface of polysilicon becomes rough more easily by thermal oxidation at a low temperature, see an article by R. M. Anderson et al., entitled "Evidence for surface asperity mechanism of conductivity in oxide grown on polycrystalline silicon", J. of Applied Physics, Vol. 48, No. 11, November, 1977.)
(2) The concentration of implanting conductive impurities into polysilicon serving as a first polysilicon gate and a second polysilicon gate is decreased.
Description is now made on a method for manufacturing the EEPROM. FIGS. 2A to 2E are diagrams showing the sequential steps of the manufacturing method for the conventional EEPROM.
A p type silicon substrate 1 is prepared (FIG. 2A). A first gate oxide film 2 is then formed on the silicon substrate 1 (FIG. 2B). A polysilicon layer 8 with the concentration of conductive impurities decreased is then formed on the first gate oxide film 2 to be a first polysilicon layer 3 (FIG. 2C). A first polysilicon gate oxide film 4 is formed in the upper and side portions of the first polysilicon layer 3 by thermal oxidation, and a second polysilicon gate electrode 5 with the impurity concentration decreased is formed thereon (FIG. 2D). A second polysilicon gate oxide film 6 is formed in the upper and side portions of the second polysilicon gate electrode 5 by thermal oxidation, and a third polysilicon gate electrode 7 and a fourth polysilicon gate electrode 8 are formed thereon.
The manufacturing method for the conventional EEPROM having a triple gate structure comprises the steps of, for example, decreasing the concentration of impurities contained in polysilicon and decreasing the thermal oxidation temperature of a gate oxide film so that the first polysilicon gate electrode and the second polysilicon gate electrode have rough surfaces. However, it is difficult to make uniform the concentration of impurities contained in polysilicon within the surface of the silicon substrate. Therefore, the rough surfaces of the polysilicon cannot be made uniform. Thus, electric characteristics are not kept constant, yield of the EEPROM is decreased and the reliability is decreased.

Electrical erasable and programmable read-only memory and manufacturing method therefor


A boat launching apparatus for pick-up trucks including a trailer framework unit pivotally disposed on the rear bumper of the truck and having automatic control for raising and lowering the trailer framework unit relative to the bed of the truck.

As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,274,788; 4,212,580; 3,357,581; and 3,826,391; the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse boat launching apparatus associated with the bed of a pick-up truck.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, these patented arrangements are uniformly deficient both with regard to the complexity of the structures that are employed as well as the difficulty encountered by the operators of the apparatus in the launching and retrieval of the boat.
In addition none of the prior art solutions have realized the benefit of locating the primary pivot support point of the apparatus over the bumper of the pick-up; and, in fact the cited patents teach away from that deployment in that they leave the rear gate of the truck in place and design the systems around that obstacle.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among boat owners having pick-up trucks used to transport their boats to and from a launching site, for a new and improved apparatus that is extremely stable and which will quickly and efficiently effect the launching and retrieval of their boat; and, the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.


A method of displaying information on a screen, including providing the information, wherein the information is based on user text information, and displaying a predefined message on a screen, if the user text information is empty or invalid, otherwise displaying the user text information on the screen for a display time, wherein the display time depends on an amount and/or complexity of the user text information.

Today, on screen display (OSD) has become a popular feature and is widely used e.g. for camcorders, digital versatile disc (DVD) recorders for providing various types of information to a user. For example, OSD information is used for guiding a user through a menu of a television set. Also, OSD may be used for displaying information to a user regarding a certain television program.

Method and device for displaying information


A threaded connection includes a pin member including a continuous external wedge thread having a first pin step, a mid pin step, and a second pin step and a box member including a continuous internal wedge thread having a first box step, a mid box step, and a second box step. The first pin step and the first box step correspond at a first wedge ratio, the mid pin step and the mid box step correspond at a transition wedge ratio, and the second pin step and the second box step correspond at a second wedge ratio. Upon selected make-up of the pin member with the box member, a clearance exists between corresponding thread flanks of at least a portion of the threaded connection.

Casing joints, liners, drill pipe, and drill collars (collectively referred to as "tubulars") are often used in drilling, completing, and producing a well. Casing joints, for example, may be emplaced in a wellbore to stabilize a formation, to protect a formation against elevated wellbore pressures (e.g., wellbore pressures that exceed a formation pressure), and the like. Casing joints may be coupled in an end-to-end manner by threaded connections, welded connections, and other connections known in the art. The connections may be designed so as to form a seal between an interior of the coupled casing joints and an annular space formed between exterior walls of the casing joints and walls of the wellbore. The seal may be, for example, an elastomeric seal (e.g., an o-ring seal), a metal-to-metal seal formed proximate the connection, or similar seals known in the art. In some connections, seals are formed between the internal and external threads. Connections with this characteristic are said to have a "thread seal." As used herein, a "thread seal" means that a seal is formed between at least a portion of the internal thread on the box member and the external thread on the pin member.
It will be understood that certain terms are used herein as they would be conventionally understood where tubular joints are being connected in a vertical position along a central axis of the tubular members such as when making up a pipe string for lowering into a well bore. Thus, the term "load flank" designates the side wall surface of a thread that faces away from the outer end of the respective pin or box member on which the thread is formed and supports the weight (i.e., tensile load) of the lower tubular member hanging in the well bore. The term "stab flank" designates the side wall surface of the thread that faces toward the outer end of the respective pin or box member and supports forces compressing the joints toward each other such as the weight of the upper tubular member during the initial makeup of the joint or such as a force applied to push a lower tubular member against the bottom of a bore hole (i.e., compressive force). The term "face" of the box is the end of the box member facing outward from the box threads and the term "nose" of the pin is the end of the pin member facing outward from the threads of the connection. Upon makeup of a connection the nose of the pin is stabbed into and past the face of the box.
One type of thread commonly used to form a thread seal is a wedge thread. In FIG. 1, a connection having a wedge thread is shown. "Wedge threads" are characterized by threads that increase in width (i.e., axial distance between load flanks 125 and 126 and stab flanks 132 and 131) in opposite directions on the pin member 101 and box member 102. Wedge threads are extensively disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. RE 30,647 issued to Blose, U.S. Pat. No. RE 34,467 issued to Reeves, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,954 issued to Ortloff, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,605 issued to Mott, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. On the pin member 101, the pin thread crest 122 is narrow towards the distal end of the pin member 101 while the box thread crest 191 is wide. Moving along the axis 105 (from right to left), the pin thread crest 122 widens while the box thread crest 291 narrows. In FIG. 1, the thread surfaces are tapered, meaning that the pin thread 106 increases in diameter from beginning to end while the box thread 107 decreases in diameter in a complimentary manner. Having a thread taper improves the ability to stab the pin member 101 into the box member 102 and distributes stress in the connection.
Generally, thread seals are difficult to achieve with free-running threads having broad crests and roots, however, the same thread forms may have thread seals when used for wedge threads. Various thread forms may be used for embodiments of the invention disclosed below. One example of a suitable thread form is a semi-dovetailed thread form disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,239 issued to Klementich, and incorporated herein by reference. Another thread form includes a multi-faceted load flank or stab flank, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,706 issued to Church, and incorporated herein by reference. An open thread form with a generally rectangular shape is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,880 issued to Watts. Each of the above thread forms are example thread forms that may be used for embodiments of the invention having either wedge threads or free running threads. Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the teachings contained herein are not limited to particular thread forms.
For wedge threads, a thread seal is accomplished by the contact pressure caused by interference over at least a portion of the connection between the pin load flank 126 and the box load flank 125 and between the pin stab flank 132 and the box stab flank 131, which occurs when the connection is made-up. Close proximity or interference between the roots 192 and 121 and crests 122 and 191 completes the thread seal when it occurs over at least a portion of where the flank interference occurs. Higher pressure may be contained with increased interference between the roots and crests ("root/crest interference") on the pin member 101 and the box member 102 and by increasing flank interference. This particular connection also includes a metal-to-metal seal that is accomplished by contact between corresponding sealing surfaces 103 and 104 located on the pin member 101 and box member 102, respectively.
A property of wedge threads, which typically do not have a positive stop torque shoulder on the connection, is that the make-up is "indeterminate," and, as a result, the relative position of the pin member and box member varies more for a given torque range to be applied than connections having a positive stop torque shoulder. As used herein, "make-up" refers to threading a pin member and a box member together. "Selected make-up refers to threading the pin member and the box member together with a desired amount of torque, or based on a relative position (axial or circumferential) of the pin member with the box member. For wedge threads that are designed to have both flank interference and root/crest interference at a selected make-up, both the flank interference and root/crest interference increase as the connection is made-up (i.e. increase in torque increases flank interference and root/crest interference). For wedge threads that are designed to have root/crest clearance, the clearance decreases as the connection is made-up. Regardless of the design of the wedge thread, corresponding flanks and corresponding roots and crests come closer to each other (i.e. clearance decreases or interference decreases) during make-up. Indeterminate make-up allows for the flank interference and root/crest interference to be increased by increasing the torque on the connection. Thus, a wedge thread may be able to thread seal higher pressures of gas and/or liquid by designing the connection to have more flank interference and/or root/crest interference or by increasing the torque on the connection, however, this also increases stress on the connection during make-up, which could lead to failure during use.
Free-running threads used for oilfield tubular connections typically do not form thread seals when the connection is made-up. FIG. 2 shows a prior art connection having free-running threads. The free-running threads include load flanks 154 and 155, stab flanks 157 and 158, crests 159 and 162, and roots 160 and 161. As is typical of a connection with free-running threads, this connection relies on a positive stop torque shoulder formed by the contact of surfaces 151 and 152 disposed on the pin member 101 and the box member 102, respectively. The positive stop torque shoulder shown in FIG. 2 is commonly referred to as a "pin nose shoulder." In other connections, the positive stop torque shoulder may instead be formed by the box face 163 and a mating shoulder (not shown) on the pin member 101. The positive stop torque shoulder also provides a seal. Unlike wedge threads, which make-up by the wedging of the pin thread (106 of FIG. 1) and the box thread (107 of FIG. 1), free-running threads rely on the positive stop torque shoulder to load the connection during make-up. To make-up the connection shown in FIG. 2, the pin member 101 and the box member 102 are screwed together until the surfaces 151 and 152 are brought into abutment, at which point the pin load flank 154 and box load flank 155 are also in abutment. Additional torque is applied to the pin member 101 and the box member 102 to load the surfaces 151 and 152 and the pin load flank 154 and box load flank 155 until the desired amount of make-up torque has been applied to the connection.
The connection shown in FIG. 2 does not accomplish a thread seal because of the large gap 153 that exists between the pin stab flank 157 and box stab flank 158. The gap 153 occurs because of how free-running threads with positive stop torque shoulders are loaded. Applying torque to the connection during make-up against the positive stop torque shoulder causes the pin member 101 to be compressed while the box member 102 is stretched in tension. Note that when a box face shoulder is used, the box member 102 is compressed while the pin member 101 is stretched in tension. The force between the pin member 101 and the box member 102 is applied through the pin load flank 154 and box load flank 155. The pin stab flank 157 and the box stab flank 158 are not loaded during make-up. This results in contact pressure between the load flanks 154 and 155 and a gap between stab flanks 157 and 158. As discussed above, a wedge thread (as shown in FIG. 1) is able to form a thread seal in part because of the interference between the load flanks 125 and 126 and the stab flanks 132 and 131. For wedge threads, this occurs near the end of the make-up of the connection because of the varying width of the pin thread 106 and the box thread 107. To have similar interference between the load flanks 154 and 155 and stab flanks 157 and 158 on a cylindrical (i.e. non-tapered) free-running thread, the interference would exist substantially throughout the make-up of the connection because the pin thread 106 and the box thread 107 have a continuous width. Further, root/crest interference, if any, would exist substantially throughout the make-up of the connection. This could lead to galling of the threads and difficulty in making up the connection.
The variance in thread width for a wedge thread occurs as a result of the load flanks having different leads than the stab flanks. A thread lead may be quantified in inches per revolution. Note that this is the inverse of a commonly used term "thread pitch," which is commonly quantified as threads per inch. A graph of the leads for a prior art wedge thread is shown in FIG. 3A. For this connection, the load lead 14 is constant over the length of the connection and greater than the stab lead 12, which is also constant. The nominal lead is shown as item 10. As used herein, "nominal lead" refers to the average of the load lead 14 and the stab lead 12. The thread will widen with each revolution by the difference in the load lead 14 and the stab lead 12. The difference in the load lead 14 and the stab lead 12 is sometimes referred to as the "wedge ratio." For a free-running thread (i.e. non-wedge thread), the load lead 14 and the stab lead 12 would be substantially equal causing the free-running thread to have a substantially constant thread width (i.e. a zero wedge ratio).
Intentional variances in thread leads have been disclosed in the prior art for the purposes of load distribution, however, the present inventor is unaware of variances in thread leads to form a thread seal for a wedge thread or a free-running thread. One example of a varied thread lead for stress distribution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,348 issued to Dearden, et al. That patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Dearden discloses a connection with free-running threads that has the pin thread and box thread divided into three portions with different leads (note that Dearden refers to thread pitch, which is quantified as threads per inch). In FIG. 3B, a graph of the thread leads for the box member and the pin member is shown. As shown in the graph, at one end of the connection, the pin thread lead 21 is larger than the box thread lead 22. In the intermediate portion 23, the pin thread lead 21 and box thread lead 22 are substantially equal. Then, at the other end of the connection, the box thread lead 22 is larger than the pin thread lead 21. In Dearden, the changes in the pin thread lead 21 and box thread lead 22 are step changes (i.e. substantially instantaneous changes in the lead). The varied thread leads disclosed by Dearden are intended to distribute loading across a greater portion of the connection, and have no effect on the inability of the free-running threads to form a thread seal. Dearden does not disclose varying a load lead or stab lead independent of each other.
Another connection is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 10/126,918 entitled "Threaded Connection Especially for Radially Plastically Expandable Conduit" ("Sivley") and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. That application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Sivley discloses connections having a variance in load lead and/or stab lead on one or both of the pin member and the box member. A graph of an embodiment disclosed by Sivley is shown in FIG. 3C. Sivley discloses varying the load lead 14 relative to the stab lead 12 at a selected rate over at least a portion of the pin thread and/or box thread. In FIG. 3C, the connection is a wedge thread as shown by the difference between the load lead 14 and the stab lead 12. The load lead 14 and the stab lead 12 converge at a linear rate towards the end of the thread. Sivley discloses various other embodiments having load leads 14 and stab leads 12 that vary at linear rates relative to each other. The variance in the thread leads distributes the loads experienced by the connection over the length of the connection.
FIG. 9 shows a prior art two-step connection. The threads that form the connection are separated on two different "steps," a large step indicated by the bracket 31 and a small step indicated by the bracket 32. The portion between the large step 31 and the small step 32 is commonly referred to as a mid-step 901. In some connections, the mid-step 901 may be used as a metal-to-metal seal. The pin thread crest on the small step 32 of the pin member 101, at its full design height, does not interfere with the box thread crest on the large step 31 of the box member 102 when the pin member 101 is stabbed into the box member 102. The diameter of the small step 32 of the pin member 101 is smaller than the smallest crest-to-crest thread diameter on the large step 31 of the box member 102. The pin thread 106 on the small step 32 can be stabbed past the box thread 107 on the large step 31. The threads on both the small step 32 and the large step 31, which have substantially the same nominal lead, engage with each revolution to make-up the connection. Thus, the number of revolutions during which the threads slide or rub against each other is reduced for the same number of engaged threads. A two-step connection allows for each of the steps to have threads with different characteristics as long there is little or no variance in the nominal lead of the threads on the steps.
A two-step wedge thread connection is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,436 issued to Mallis and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. That patent is incorporated herein by reference. Mallis discloses a two-step wedge thread connection having different wedge ratios, one of which is considered to be an "aggressive" wedge ratio and the other a "conservative" wedge ratio. "Aggressive" refers to the larger wedge ratio, and "conservative" refers to the smaller wedge ratio. Everything else the same, the greater the wedge ratio, the more determinate the make-up. Too large of a wedge ratio may have an inadequate wedging effect, which can allow the connection to back-off during use. Smaller wedge ratios are better able to resist backing-off of the connection. Too small of a wedge ratio may have such an indeterminate make-up that galling may occur over the lengthened make-up distance. Mallis discloses that one of the steps can have a wedge ratio that is optimized for a more determinate make-up (aggressive), while the other step can have a wedge ratio that is optimized for preventing back-off of the connection (conservative).
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,174,001 and 6,270,127 issued to Enderle and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, two-step, low torque wedge threads for tubular connectors are disclosed. Those patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. One of the steps is provided so that there is interference contact at makeup along at least one of the complementary stab flanks, load flanks, roots, and crests while clearance is provided along another step along at least one of the complementary stab flanks, load flanks, roots, and crests, which reduces the amount of torque required for make-up of the connection while retaining torque sensitivity, sealing capability, and threads necessary for structural purposes.
One problem with two-step connections is that the connection must be thick to reach 100 percent pipe body efficiency. As used herein, "pipe body efficiency" is the tensile strength of the connection relative to the tensile strength of the tubular. The primary reason for needing a thicker connection is the unengaged space of the mid-step, which is required so that the threads on the large step can clear the threads on the small step during stabbing. The mid-step, due to the lack of thread engagement, does not contribute to the overall strength of the connection. The advantages of having two separate threads often makes up for the decreased pipe body efficiency, however, it is desirable to have a single step thread that can exhibit the advantages of two-step connections.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.