Application of digital light processor (DLP) systems in an imaging ellipsometer or imaging polarimeter with a focusing means, sample and detector arranged to meet the Scheimpflug condition.

Spectrometers and monochromators are known which accept a beam of spectroscopic electromagnetic radiation and disperse it into a spatially expanded spectrum of wavelengths which are individually monitored. It is also known to direct a beam of electromagnetic radiation onto a surface area of a sample and then image electromagnetic radiation reflecting from different locations of the sample by an array of detectors, such as by use of an imaging ellipsometer or the like system. It is further known that chopping beams can provide benefits.
Further, Digital Light Processors (DLP) are known and have been applied to modulate homogeneous light applied thereto and generate images thereby, however, DLP's are not believed to have been applied to, for instance, process images projected thereonto, such as those produced by incident electromagnetic radiation reflecting from a sample in systems such as ellipsometers, polarimeters, reflectometers spectrophotometers or the like which typically apply detectors with a multiplicity of detector elements, such as charge coupled devices (CCD's).
U.S. Patents which have been identified are:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,126,682; 7,265,766; 7,262,817; 7,252,395; 7,236,150; 7,233,427; 7,196,740; 7,194,169; 7,187,484; 7,164,397; 7,158,180; 7,149,027; 7,116,459; 7,088,486; 7,075,643; 7,072,094; 7,061,512; 7,019,881; 7,011,415; 7,006,995; 6,975,629; 6,965,470; 6,691,194; 6,937,382; 6,930,983; 6,906,852; 6,906,687; 6,870,660; 6,857,751; 6,856,446; 6,842,549; 6,781,094; 6,758,571; 6,741,503; 6,665,110; 6,654,516; 6,619,804; 6,618,186; 6,583,921; 6,558,006; 6,496,477; 6,459,425; 6,398,389; 6,298,370; 6,275,271; 6,259,153, 6,200,646, 6,179,489; 6,163,363, 6,105,119; 6,061,049; 5,932,119; 5,909,559; 5,658,559; 5,658,063; 4,114,366.
Published US Applications which have been identified are:
US2005/001820; US2006/0220562; US2005/0079386; US2002/0024640; US2003/0143131; US2004/0023368; US2002/0081582; US2003/0138363; US2006/019757; US2004/0035690; US2003/0020703; US2006/0197757; US2004/0159641; US2003/0186427; US2003/0019852; US2002/0041420; US2003/0003032; US2001/0010843; US2005/0251230; US2005/0213092; US2006/0134669; US2002/0171834; US2003/0054388; US2006/0028718; US2003/062802; US2003/062802; US1999/041007; US2006/096310; US2005/030470; US2004/008115; US1999/010866; US1997/025177; US1999/063385; US2001/014460; US2005/030328; US2005/031292; US2002/084238.
Published Foreign Applications which have been identified are:
EP1070823; EP1258288; EP00916981. It is mentioned that the 981 EP Patent describes sequential spectrometer followed by an imager. The parent application Ser. No. 12/002,650, of this Application, Claims a sequential imager followed by an imager.
Finally, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,567,345 to Liphardt et al., (incorporated by reference herein), it is known to provide cameras which are designed so that the "Scheimpflug" condition is substantially met to enable providing an image to a film which is in focus over a large film area even though the source of the image is spatially distributed over varying distances from the camera lens. A similar condition can be achieved in reflectometer, ellipsometer, polarizer or the like systems. To meet this condition in use, the source of a beam of electromagnetic radiation is caused to direct a beam of electromagnetic radiation to or from a sample along an oblique angle of incidence. Said beam approaches said focusing means along a locus which is substantially perpendicular to the plane thereof and then passes through said focusing means and impinges upon a sample placed on said stage for supporting a sample, or a detector, at an angle of incidence (β) with respect to a normal to a surface of said sample.
What is new, novel and non-obvious is:                to apply digital light processors (DLP) to the end that images corresponding to a sequential multiplicity of regions on a sample are imaged onto a DLP, which images are then sequentially monitored by at least one detector element, sequential output from which is then interpreted or as corresponding to the corresponding locations on a sample surface;        to apply digital light processors (DLP) in systems such an imaging ellipsometer or imaging polarimeter and the like imaging systems;        applying the Scheimpflug condition on the detector side of an imaged sample.

Application of digital light processor in imaging ellipsometer and the like systems


A system and method for exchanging tape cartridges between two automated tape cartridge libraries. A carriage assembly carries cartridges back and forth between the libraries. The carriage assembly includes a cartridge transport cell, has a vertical axis, and cooperates with pass through ports in the libraries for providing access to tape cartridge storage cells in the libraries. A guide structure extends between the libraries for supporting the carriage assembly. The guide structure defines a linear path and has first and second sides substantially parallel to the linear path which define an envelope. The carriage assembly is driven along the guide structure, and automatically rotates about the substantially vertical axis. The cartridge transport cell is accessible by robotic devices in the libraries when the carriage assembly is aligned with the pass through ports. The carriage assembly rotates substantially within the envelope as it is driven along the guide structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the exchange of tape cartridges between tape cartridge libraries and, more particularly, to a system and method for exchanging tape cartridges between automated tape cartridge libraries linked in a library system.
2. Background
Current automated libraries for tape cartridges typically include arrays of multiple storage cells housing the tape cartridges, as well as multiple media drives. Multiple automated robotic devices may be used to move tape cartridges between the various storage cells and media drives within a library. The use of multiple robotic devices raises various problems concerning the distribution of power to such robotic devices. In prior art automated tape cartridge libraries, the movement of the robotic devices is restricted by wire cable connections used for providing such power. Such cabling can prevent the robotic devices from crossing paths, or from continuous movement in one direction around the library without the necessity of ultimately reversing direction.
Such problems can be overcome through the use of power distribution strips or rails. A robotic device traveling over a given route may used fixed conductive strips or rails to supply power to the robotic device, which itself is provided with brushes or wheels that contact the conductive strips or rails in order to conduct power to the robotic device. The integration of such conductive strips or rails into the automated tape cartridge library, in conjunction with brush or wheel contacts provided on the robotic devices, allows for greater freedom of movement of the robotic devices. Moreover, such power distribution systems also provide for modular and extensible power distribution to robotic devices as library configurations change, or as libraries are connected in a modular fashion to form library systems.
In that regard, a number of relatively large automated tape cartridge libraries are known having, for example, between 1000 and 2500 cartridge storage cells. Relatively smaller automated tape cartridge libraries, having for example on the order of 700 cartridge storage cells, are also known. For some users, as storage requirements increase, a smaller automated tape cartridge library may have to be replaced with a larger automated library, often at considerable expense. As a result, there exists a need to allow such smaller automated libraries to be linked together to create larger library systems having, for example, on the order of 1400 cartridge storage cells.
It is known to link the above described larger automated libraries using a variety of pass-through ports and cartridge exchange mechanisms. For example, to ensure maximum access to data stored in the tape cartridges, multiple paths are created between larger automated libraries that employ cam or screw driven cartridge exchange devices. As such devices are located entirely or substantially within a library, little floor space in a data center is compromised by the device. However, the use of multiple paths and interior cartridge exchange devices result in the loss of a large number of cartridge storage cells in each library.
Alternatively, multiple larger automated libraries can be linked linearly to improve access to data. In such configurations, gravity driven cartridge exchange devices are employed between linked libraries. In operation, a tape cartridge is delivered to the cartridge exchange device by a robotic device in one of the libraries. The weight of the cartridge causes the exchange device to rotate and deliver the cartridge to the linked library, where it can be retrieved by another robotic device in that library. This configuration does not result in the loss of large number of storage cells in each library, and only minimally affects floor space. However, only a single cartridge may be passed at a time and, because the exchange device is gravity driven, another path must be provided to exchange cartridges in the opposite direction between the linked libraries. Moreover, more complex host software which sees the linked libraries as a single library, such as Automated Cartridge System Library Server (ACSLS), may be required to control the multiple linked libraries.
The pass-through ports and cartridge exchange mechanisms used in linking the relatively larger automated libraries, however, are not suitable for use in linking the relatively smaller automated libraries in that they do not meet the form factors (e.g., orientation, floor space) required by users needing 1400 cartridge storage cells. Moreover, pass-through ports and cartridge exchange devices that result in the loss of large numbers of cartridge storage cells are unacceptable because such a loss represents a significant percentage of storage space in such smaller libraries. Still further, the development of new tape cartridges having differing weights raises concerns as to the ability of gravity driven cartridge exchange devices to reliably transfer all types of cartridges.
Thus, there exist a need for an improved cartridge exchange mechanism for use in linked automated libraries. Such an improved mechanism would preferably minimize the number of storage cells that may be lost as a result of linking automated libraries, as well as preferably minimize the amount of space required for linking such libraries. Such an improved mechanism would also preferably be capable of reliably transferring a wide variety of cartridge types.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved system and method for exchanging tape cartridges between first and second tape cartridge libraries.
According to the present invention, then, in an automated tape cartridge library system having a first library and a second library, each of the first and second libraries having a plurality of storage cells for housing tape cartridges and a robotic device for moving the tape cartridges in the library, a system is provided for exchanging tape cartridges between the first and second libraries. The system comprises a carriage assembly for carrying tape cartridges from the first library to the second library and from the second library to the first library, the carriage assembly comprising at least one cartridge transport cell, wherein the carriage assembly has a substantially vertical axis and is adapted to cooperate with a first pass through port in the first library for providing access to the plurality of storage cells in the first library and a second pass through port in the second library for providing access to the plurality of storage cells in the second library. The system further comprises a guide structure extending between the first and second libraries for supporting the carriage assembly, the guide structure defining a linear path and having first and second sides substantially parallel to the linear path, the first and second sides defining an envelope. The system still further comprises means for driving the carriage assembly along the guide structure between the first and second pass through ports, and means for rotating the carriage assembly about the substantially vertical axis, wherein the at least one cartridge transport cell is accessible by the robotic device of the first library when the carriage assembly is aligned with the first pass through port, the rotating means automatically rotates the carriage assembly substantially within the envelope as the driving means drives the carriage assembly along the guide structure between the first and second libraries, and the at least one cartridge transport cell is accessible by the robotic device of the second library when the carriage assembly is aligned with the second pass through port.
Also according to the present invention, in an automated tape cartridge library system having a first library and a second library, each of the first and second libraries having a plurality of storage cells for housing tape cartridges and a robotic device for moving the tape cartridges in the library, a method is provided for exchanging tape cartridges between the first and second libraries. The method comprises providing a carriage assembly for carrying tape cartridges from the first library to the second library and from the second library to the first library, the carriage assembly comprising at least one cartridge transport cell, wherein the carriage assembly has a substantially vertical axis and is adapted to cooperate with a first pass through port in the first library for providing access to the plurality of storage cells in the first library and a second pass through port in the second library for providing access to the plurality of storage cells in the second library. The method further comprises providing a guide structure extending between the first and second libraries for supporting the carriage assembly, the guide structure defining a linear path and having first and second sides substantially parallel to the linear path, the first and second sides defining an envelope. The method still further comprises providing means for driving the carriage assembly along the guide structure between the first and second pass through ports, and providing means for rotating the carriage assembly about the substantially vertical axis, wherein the at least one cartridge transport cell is accessible by the robotic device of the first library when the carriage assembly is aligned with the first pass through port, the rotating means automatically rotates the carriage assembly substantially within the envelope as the driving means drives the carriage assembly along the guide structure between the first and second libraries, and the at least one cartridge transport cell is accessible by the robotic device of the second library when the carriage assembly is aligned with the second pass through port.
The above features, and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed descriptions thereof when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Method for exchanging tape cartridges between automated tape cartridge libraries


A method for automatically determining device settings based on usage history. The method includes determining a characterization for a device operation in terms of a set of features and selecting a previous device operation having a characterization which is similar to the characterization of the device operation. The device settings which are associated with the characterization of the selected previous device operation may then be employed in performing the device operation.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of computer systems. More particularly, this invention relates to determining device settings.
2. Art Background
Computer systems typically include a variety of devices including devices that provide input and/or output functionality and/or interaction with users. Examples of such devices are numerous and include rendering devices including printers and displays, input devices including keyboards, mouse, tablet, etc., communication devices, and storage devices to name a few examples.
Devices in a computer system commonly provide a set of alterable operating characteristics. For example, a printer may provide alterable resolutions, paper options, color palates, fonts, etc. In another example, a display device may provide alterable resolutions, color palates, backgrounds, etc. In yet another example, a mouse may provide alterable button functions and tracking speeds, etc.
The operating characteristics of a device are typically controlled using a set of parameters that are commonly referred to as device settings. A computer system usually includes software that enables a user to alter device settings. For example, a computer system usually includes printer drivers which generate control panels which enable users to alter the device settings for printers. Similarly, a computer system usually includes driver programs for other devices that enable alteration of their device settings.
It is common for devices in a computer system to be employed under circumstances in which its users change device settings relatively frequently. Unfortunately, a relatively frequent use of control panels to change device settings usually wastes time and may increase user frustration.
A method is disclosed for automatically determining device settings based on usage history. The method includes determining a characterization for a device operation in terms of a set of features and selecting a previous device operation having a characterization which is similar to the characterization of the device operation. The device settings which are associated with the characterization of the selected previous device operation may then be employed in performing the device operation.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


In a PBSS cluster environment, the beacon interval is allocated such that each PBSS in a PBSS cluster possesses its own master sub-beacon interval. Moreover, each member of the PBSS cluster can share unoccupied sub-beacon intervals. When a master PBSS fails to use its own master sub-beacon interval or the beacon intervals which are unoccupied, the available idle time within the beacon interval can be utilized by other member PBSSs in the PBSS cluster. As available or idle beacon interval time is allocated, each master PBSS retains the highest priority to its own master sub-beacon interval thus providing immediate access to a beacon interval when necessary.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general, to resource sharing in wireless networks and more particularly to resource sharing in a personal independent basic service set cluster.
2. Relevant Background
Within wireless communication systems, a wireless communication device is normally referred to as a station or STA (e.g., a wireless station). Examples of wireless stations (STAs) include a wide variety of wireless communication devices (e.g., computers including laptop computers, PDAs, cell phones, etc.). In addition, various wireless communication systems can be configured to operate using different means of communication (e.g., ad hoc, peer to peer, etc.). The basic building block of a wireless network is a Basic Service Set (BSS). A BSS is a group of STAs that communicate with each other. Communications take place within the area surrounding these stations called a Basic Service Area (BSA). The BSA is defined by the propagation characteristics of the wireless medium.
An Independent BSS (IBSS) is one in which stations can communicate directly with each other and thus must be within direct communication range. Typically, IBSS networks are composed of small numbers of stations set up for a specific purpose or for a short period of time. One common use is to create a short-lived network to support a single meeting in a conference room. Due to the short duration, small size, and focused purpose, IBSSs are sometimes referred to as ad hoc BSS or an ad hoc network. Such small personalized type of ad hoc networks are also referred to as personal or private IBSS networks (PBSS).
In some wireless communication systems, a PBSS coordinator point (PCP) may operate as a central governing communication device to which and through which various other STAs within the wireless communication systems communicate. For example, the PCP may serve as a coordinator of various other STAs within the wireless communication system or BSS, and it may also serve as a gateway to another network (e.g., a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, etc.).
Access to the wireless medium through which the stations communicate is controlled by a coordination function. In a PBSS there are numerous ways to access the communication medium. These include a contention-based period or contention-based access, an isochronous service period or pseudo-static service period and asynchronous service period or a service period request/allocation per beacon interval.
A contention-based protocol (CBP) is a communications protocol for operating wireless telecommunication equipment that allows many users to use the same radio channel without pre-coordination. The "listen before talk" operating procedure in IEEE 802.11 is the most well known contention-based protocol. Using a contention based protocol multiple independent stations can interact without central control. Before attempting to transmit, each station checks whether the medium is idle. If the medium is not idle, stations defer to each other and employ an orderly exponential back-off algorithm to avoid collisions.
"Isochronous" literally means to occur at the same time or at equal time intervals. In general English language, it refers to something that occurs at a regular interval of the same duration, as opposed to synchronous which refers to more than one thing happening at the same time. The term is used in different technical contexts, but often refers to the primary subject maintaining a certain interval, despite variations in other measurable factors in the same system.
In telecommunication, isochronous is known to mean a periodic signal pertaining to transmission in which the time interval separating any two corresponding transitions is equal to the unit interval or to a multiple of the unit interval
When a transfer of information is "synchronous," the sending and receiving devices are synchronized, such as by using the same clock signal, and the transfer of information re-occurs at identical periodic intervals. For example, the input/output (IO) device 10 can send a synchronous message, indicating the camera's current mode, to the computer system 100 once every second. However, because the IO device 10 and the computer system 100, or components within the computer system 100, may be difficult to synchronize, a synchronous transfer of information may not be appropriate in some situations.
When a transfer of information is "isochronous," the sending and receiving devices are only partially synchronized, but the sending device transfers information to the receiving device at regular intervals. Such transfers can be used, for example, when information needs to arrive at the receiving device at the same rate it is sent from the sending device, but without precise synchronization of each individual data item. For example, an Input/Output device may send an isochronous stream of video information to the computer system which ensures that the information flows continuously, and at a steady rate, in close timing with the ability of the computer system to receive and display the video. While a synchronous transfer of information typically involves having each data transfer occur at the same time with respect to a clock signal, an isochronous transfer of information may require that up to "X" bits of data be transferred every "T" time units, although precisely when the X bits are transferred within the time T can vary.
In telecommunications, asynchronous communication is transmission of data without the use of an external clock signal. Any timing required to recover data from the communication symbols is encoded within the symbols. The most significant aspect of asynchronous communications is variable bit rate, or that the transmitter and receiver clock generators do not have to be exactly synchronized.
Each of the aforementioned techniques for access to the communication medium has advantages and disadvantages, both of which are amplified when PBSSs are clustered. PBSS clustering occurs when individual PBSS networks overlap. In such a situation interference mitigation of the overlapping networks is employed when each PBSS operates on the same channel. In such a situation the beacon intervals are aligned in the PBSS cluster. A spatial reuse mechanism is defined for fixed traffic mode (isochronous service period (SP)) in each PBSS.
FIG. 1 is a depiction of a spatial reuse mechanism for fixed traffic in a PBSS as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. As shown three PBSS networks overlap in which each network includes two stations. Within each beacon interval each PBSS is given an offset time slot during which it may transmit. During this transmit period other PBSS networks within the PBSS cluster are prevented from transmission and relegated to a receive only mode.
It is not clear, however, how to allocate and share a beacon interval among overlapping PBSSs. Indeed a solution should harmonize all 3 kinds of time slot medium access techniques for data transmission: contention-based protocol, isochronous SP, and asynchronous SP. A need exists, therefore, for a method or protocol and associated system to define how to use a shared beacon interval among overlapping PBSS networks. These and other challenges of the prior art are addressed by one or more embodiments of the present invention.

Personal independent basic service set cluster resource sharing


An inspecting method for grasping the inspection result on an intermediate (or an n-th) treatment without long extension of time, in case predetermined treatments of a predetermined number (N times) are exerted on a plurality of sheets running on a conveyor line, before all the treatments of N-times are ended. The inspecting method for inspecting an object subjected to the predetermined treatment includes performing the predetermined treatment repeatedly by the N-times (N: a natural number of 2 or more) sequentially on the individual objects being conveyed on the conveyor line, and an inspecting step of testing such a leading one of the objects as has been subjected to the n-th (n: a natural number of 1 or more but N or less) treatment, and returning the tested object to after such one of the targets as was subjected to the n-th treatment.

In recent years, buildup printed wiring boards according to B2it (Buried Bump Interconnection Technology/B-square-it) are being developed as the printed wiring boards for high-density packaging. A buildup printed wiring board according to B2it may be produced by stacking copper-foil substrates called "sheets" each having a large number of conical "bumps" formed thereon.
After the formation of the bumps on such a buildup wiring board according to B2it, a test needs to be conducted with an image pickup camera to determine whether or not each of the bumps has a predetermined shape and size and is located in a predetermined position on the sheet. To conduct such a test on the bumps, a technique of measuring the height of each protrusion formed on a work surface can be utilized, as disclosed in Patent Reference 1.
The sheets may have a large standardized size, and some sheets are larger than the image size that can be captured by a camera. To conduct a test on such sheets with high precision in a short period of time, a number of cameras are required. For example, in a case where each sheet is 1000 mm in the test width direction, and the image capture width that can be captured by one camera is 20 mm, fifty cameras are required to conduct a test on one sheet.
To counter this problem, the applicant of this application filed an application for a patent on a method for conducting a test on a large-size test object with a minimum number of CCD cameras (Patent Reference 2).
Meanwhile, in the case of test objects such as the above-mentioned buildup printed wiring boards, it is essential to conduct a test to determine whether each of the bumps has a predetermined shape and is located in a predetermined position with high precision. Therefore, it is necessary to perform precise positioning (or to establish alignment) between the position of the camera and the position of the sheet having the bumps formed thereon.    Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-61953    Patent Reference 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-1553605

Testing method, testing and processing system, processing device, testing device, manufacturing/testing device, and manufacturing/testing method


An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer in which the manufacturing efficiency of grinding using a double-headed grinding machine is improved, minute surface undulations arising through the grinding are reduced, and the yield of the manufacturing process is improved. By processing a sliced wafer using a double-headed grinding machine, a strained layer and a macroscopic undulation component formed on the wafer surfaces during the slicing are removed, and the degree of flatness of the wafer is improved, and by subsequently carrying out both-surfaces lapping, minute surface undulations that arose during the double-headed grinding are removed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of obtaining a semiconductor wafer having a high degree of flatness and little processing-induced strain from a monocrystalline ingot, in particular a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer in which an improvement in manufacturing efficiency is achieved by grinding with a double-headed grinding machine, and moreover minute surface undulations produced by the grinding are reduced and hence a more uniform surface is obtained.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following steps are generally used in a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer: 1) a slicing step of slicing a monocrystalline ingot pulled using a monocrystal pulling device to obtain a thin disk-shaped wafer; 2) a chamfering step of chamfering the sliced wafer to prevent chipping or cracking; 3) a lapping step to flatten the chamfered wafer; 4) an etching step to remove a processing-induced strained layer that appears on the wafer as a result of the aforementioned processing; 5) a polishing step of finish-polishing the chamfered part; 6) a polishing step of polishing either one or both surfaces of the wafer; and 7) a finish-polishing step of finish-polishing the wafer.
For the purpose of reducing the number of manufacturing steps or the amount of polishing and improving the flatness of the wafer produced, a method in which chamfering is carried out after slicing, then planar grinding of both surfaces is carried out, and then finishing is carried out by chemical polishing (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H8-31680) and a method in which planar grinding of both surfaces is carried out after slicing, then etching to remove residual strain is carried out if necessary, and then both surfaces are finished by chemical polishing (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H9-248740), have been proposed.
Moreover, for the purpose of simplifying the manufacturing process and improving the flatness, a method in which chamfering is carried out after slicing, then planar grinding of one surface is carried out, then etching to remove residual strain is carried out if necessary, then washing is carried out, and then both surfaces are finished by chemical polishing (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. H9-260314, H9-270396), and a method in which chamfering is carried out after slicing, then planar grinding of one surface and lapping are carried out, then dry etching is carried out, and then both surfaces are finished by chemical polishing (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-260314), have been proposed.
Various problems have come to the fore with lapping devices used in conventional manufacturing processes. For example, as the diameter of wafers increases, the lapping device must be made larger, and the costs of consumable materials and the device increase; as the diameter of wafers increases and the lapping devices become larger, the load on workers increases; as the amount of consumable materials required increases, the amount of industrial waste (waste polishing dust) increases. Moreover, if one-surface grinding is carried out immediately after slicing, then the undulations caused by the wire saw cannot be removed.
A means by which the above-mentioned problems relating to the lapping device can be resolved is to follow one of the various proposals described above in which a double-headed grinding machine is used in place of the lapping device.
However, if a wafer is manufactured using a double-headed grinding machine, then minute surface undulations (height of a few tens of nm, period of a few mm) appear on the surfaces of the wafer due to the double-headed grinding step.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer in which manufacturing efficiency is improved by grinding using a double-headed grinding machine, and minute surface undulations arising through the grinding are reduced, allowing more uniform surfaces to be obtained.
The present inventors conducted various studies for the purpose of adopting a double-headed grinding step and also combining this step with a step for removing minute surface undulations arising through the double-headed grinding. As a result, the present inventors arrived at the present invention upon discovering that, by processing a wafer after slicing using a double-headed grinding machine, a strained layer and a macroscopic undulation component formed on the wafer surfaces during slicing are removed, and the degree of flatness of the wafer is improved, and that by subsequently carrying out both-surfaces lapping, minute surface undulations that arise during the double-headed grinding are removed.
The present invention thus provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer comprising a double-headed grinding step, a both-surfaces lapping step, and a both-surfaces polishing step in that order.
Moreover, the present inventors also propose methods of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer in which, in the above-mentioned method, a periphery chamfering step is used after the double-headed grinding step, the both-surfaces lapping step is carried out using elastic platen, and/or a chemical etching step or a grinding step using a single side grinding machine of inversion type optionally followed by an alkali etching step is used after the both-surfaces lapping step.
According to the present invention, when obtaining a semiconductor wafer from a monocrystalline ingot, by carrying out lapping after double-headed grinding, a high-precision semiconductor wafer having no minute undulations (height of 10 to 100 nm, period of 1 to 10 mm) can be manufactured with the amount of waste polishing slurry discharged in the lapping step being reduced to about one quarter.
The present invention relates to obtaining, from a monocrystalline ingot, a semiconductor wafer having a high degree of flatness and little processing-induced strain; by carrying out lapping after double-headed grinding, a high-precision semiconductor wafer having both surfaces polished and having no minute surface undulations can be obtained, the amounts of consumable materials used can be reduced, and manufacturing can be carried out efficiently.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor wafer


An automatic fishing system includes a plurality of fishing machines each of which has rotation drums capable of winding fishing lines and capable of rotating in a reeling direction and an unreeling direction, a drive motor for driving the rotation drums in the reeling direction and the unreeling direction, and an electromagnetic clutch for transmitting rotation of the drive motor to the rotation drums, a hooking detection means for always detecting hooking of fish at any one of the plurality of fishing machines, and a fishing machine control means for controlling operations of the plurality of fishing machines in accordance with detection result of the hooking detection means. The fishing machine control means controls the rotation drums of other fishing machines that hook no fish in the reeling direction so that hooks of the other fishing machines are wound up to a water surface or near the water surface.

In a fishing boat provided with a plurality of fishing machines, if a fish or fishes are hooked on one fishing machine, it is necessary to quickly control other fishing machines for preventing tangle of fishing lines or hooks from occurring. For example, when a fish or fishes are hooked on one of the fishing machines, a crew of the fishing boat has to hurryingly run to other fishing machines so as to quickly stop the operation of these other fishing machines and to wind up the fishing lines of these other fishing machines so as to pick up the fishing lines and the hooks from sea. If no such action is performed and the hooked fish runs around in the sea, tangle may occur between the fishing line and/or the hook of one fishing machine and the fishing line and/or the hooks of other fishing machines as shown in FIG. 11. In the worst case, the caught fish may be missed and the fishing lines and/or the hooks of the other fishing machines may be damaged. Even more particularly, it is dangerous to run around on the board when landing of fish began, and also even if enough members are on the board, other work (work in the fishing boat) may be disturbed. Furthermore, when there are a lot of fishing machines on which no fish is caught, it is quite difficult to roll up all of them quickly.
In Patent Document 1, described is an automatic fishing apparatus provided with a plurality of fishing machines mounted on a fishing boat, for controlling operations of these fishing machines by means of a centralized control device. According to the automatic fishing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, which is proposed by the applicant of this application, the plurality of fishing machines on the fishing boat are divided into a plurality of groups. Movements of hooks of the fishing machines in each group are synchronized with each other by means of the centralized control device so as to attract a school of fish (fish layer) into a water depth area with a constant depth from the water surface.

Automatic fishing system and automatic fishing method


A portable headlight assembly for illuminating a surgical site and moves with the surgeon, the headlight assembly having a headlight source, such as a HID lamp, to illuminate via a light cable coupled to receive and transmit the illumination in the range of natural daylight between 5000 and 6700 degrees Kelvin, a power supply that couples to the HID lamp when the light cable is located to receive focused light from it, and a control that monitors the operation of the headlight source and the portable power supply and is responsive to temperature of the portable power supply and radiation supplying illumination. The light cable extends between the HID lamp to guide illumination from the HID lamp and its reflector to a lens carried on a head strap worn by a practitioner for delivering the illumination to the surgical site.

The circular mirror with a centered hole to look through that doctors and dentists, herein practitioners, wore to reflect ambient room light toward the patient was low cost but dependent on available light thus ineffective. Those were compact, lightweight and relatively low tech. Studies have been made of the best electrical light and how to deliver that to the surgical site so the practitioners can easily see the work to be done. So far the common practice is an overhead light that can be angled to aim it toward the area of concern, interest and surgery. Those overhead lights have to be adjusted and readjusted. The practitioner touches them so they have small protective antiseptic booties over their handles and require the aversion of the eyes from the patient to the light during the readjustments. also they are substantially spaced from the surgical site and thus need to be high wattage and focused to put illumination just where required so the practitioner typically has to look back and forth between the light and the surgical site. a light that always shines on the surgical site where the practitioner is working and looking would reduce the interruptions in concentration and focus on the medical procedure being performed is needed.
Studies show psychological effects of good illumination on the visual acuity and success of endeavors. Melatonin hormone controls the circadian rhythm and the performance of animals and humans. In periods of darkness, melatonin reduces cardiovascular activity and induces fatigue. Morning light inhibits melatonin secretion in the pineal gland, which increases cardiovascular activity. Melatonin inhibition peaks at 450 nm in the continuous visual spectrum, i.e. in the blue spectral range. Light containing a large proportion of blue wavelengths therefore inhibits the secretion of melatonin in the pineal gland. If these blue wavelengths are absent (reddish light), melatonin secretion is uninhibited, which produces fatigue, recent research, lead by Professor Dietrich Gall, head of the Lighting Technology Department, at Ilmenau University of Technology, Germany, with the cooperation of the lighting firm Berchtold GmbH & Co. KG, of Tuttlingen, in the USA Berchtold Corporation□1950 Hanahan Road□Charleston, S.C. 29406□ analyzed lighting as a form of radiation and the potential psychological effects of its dose level on doctors, dentists and surgeons.
Consequently, light having the proper wavelengths and intensity and aimed at the area of doctor effort and scrutiny is of paramount importance for a successful and good result and often may be life saving. Past efforts to illuminate a surgical site or area of concern and investigation by the practitioner have been less than compact, portable, safe and reliable in performance.
In 2002, Professor Gall succeeded in describing the circadian effect of light in mathematical terms, defining the circadian effect coefficient (acv coefficient) as the ratio between the visual utilization effect (taking the photoreceptors' effect curve into account) and the circadian utilization effect (taking the effect curve of the circadian retinal receptors into account). So it became possible to measure the circadian effect of light, and provide a simple means to describe the physiological effect of light. Volker Dockhorn, engineer and Product Manager, OR-Lights, Berchtold, explained that the goal was to determine whether surgical lights of different color temperatures produced different physiological effects on a surgeon, and use that knowledge to deliberately reduce fatigue and improve their wakefulness when working at night. Since 1929, CHROMOPHARE® lights have led the market in surgical equipment technology. Quality surgical lighting illumination and consultant's knowledge of efficient and versatile operating room design set BERCHTOLD apart in the market. CHROMOPHARE® X 65:Tn: 4300 K—acv undimmed: 0.60—acv dimmed: 0.60—remark: opto-mechanical dimming. CHROMOPHARE® D 650 plus Tn: 4300 K—acv undimmed: 0.59—acv dimmed: 0.51—remark: electronic dimming. Comparative light Tn: 3400 K—acv undimmed: 0.45—acv dimmed: 0. Results of measurements of the circadian effect coefficient for three surgical lights all lights were first measured at an luminance of 100,000 lux and subsequently with luminance dimmed to 50% Table 1 presents results of measurements of the circadian effect coefficient (acv coefficient) for three surgical lights, one gas discharge light (BERCHTOLD® CHROMOPHARE® X 65), one halogen light with a high color temperature of 4,300K (BERCHTOLD® CHROMOPHARE® D 650plus) and one halogen light of comparable size, from another firm, with a lower color temperature of 3,400K and a large red component. All lights were first measured at a luminance of 100,000 lux and subsequently with luminance dimmed to 50%.
The results described would suggest that the gas discharge light CHROMOPHARE® X 65 and the halogen light CHROMOPHARE® D 650plus, with its high color temperature (4,300K), cause less fatigue, whereas it would be expected that surgery performed under a halogen light with a lower color temperature (3,400K) would cause greater fatigue, especially at night.
To verify this outcome, the study examined the performance and concentration of 55 participants. In one group, 30 people carried out tests in winter; in the other, 25 performed them in summer, to determine seasonal effects. Experiments were limited to a study of the difference in effect between the two-halogen lights, which initially irradiate a similar spectrum. The color temperature difference between the two lights arises through selective filtering of the wavelength spectrum by light manufacturers.
The irradiated surface was flat, and its reflectivity was therefore higher (76%) than is usually the case with human tissue. For this reason the luminance of both lights was adjusted to 40,000 lux, by altering the size of the light field. The light field diameter was the same for both. The acv value for the halogen light with high color temperature was 0.59, while for the one with lower color the temperature was 0.45, said Volker Dockhorn.
The participants did not know which lights were being used. To induce a general state of fatigue, such as results through mental work, the participants were asked to solve arithmetical problems under time pressure. Then the d2 test was performed, to determine a subject's performance capability and power of concentration. The sequence in which the lights were used was altered from one test to the next. 50% of participants began the tests under the light with high color temperature (BERCHTOLD®), then, following an adaptation interval, performed them under the light with lower color temperature. The remaining 50% began tests under the reference light. On average, participants working under the BERCHTOLD® light answered 502 questions; those working under the reference light answered only 485 questions, equivalent to a 3.5% improvement in performance by those working under the BERCHTOLD® light. Statistical error probability was 0.069 in this case, i.e. only slightly short of the significance threshold (0.05), and it is therefore justified to point to a trend.
If, as a means to determine power of concentration the number of questions answered correctly is considered, the difference was even more pronounced. On average, under the BERCHTOLD® light 205 questions were answered correctly, whereas under the reference light 195 questions were correct an average, 5.1% lower than in the case of the reference light. The result has an error probability of 0.041, i.e. within the significance threshold of 0.05. Therefore, in winter, a significant increase in power of concentration and a decrease in error frequency were found in work performed under the BERCHTOLD® light with a high color temperature of 4,300K.
The scientists presume that the results would diverge even more if the tests were carried out at night, when melatonin blood levels are higher. However, as it was, even tests carried out during the afternoon or evening showed a clear trend and, in some part, also significant results that appear to confirm the results of the physical measurements.
Thus the study has proved that a high color temperature of 4,300 as irradiated by a CHROMOPHARE® D 650 plus light can enhance a surgeon's performance capability during the winter (trend). Work performed under a surgical light of low color temperature (3,400 K) is subject to a significantly greater error frequency. During night surgery, when a surgeon's melatonin blood level is high, this effect is thought particularly pronounced.
Headlight assembly United States Patent Application number 20070236955 and discloses portable fan cooled light with optics for surgery. That teaching is missing is the importance of maintaining color temperature ideal for a surgeon to see different anatomical structures and reduce fatigue. In the background thereof it includes, one problem associated with known dental loupe lights is that the housing of the light source is typically secured to a bench adjacent the dental professional so as to be fixed, i.e., stationary and immobile. The mounting is needed due to the size and design of that headlight and cooling fan. By being fixed or having poor design, the movement of the dental professional is hampered and restricted during dental procedures. additionally, the length and fixed headlight end or proximal plane of the fiber optic cable disclosed would no doubt impede the ability of the dental professional to move or manipulate various instruments during the dental procedure, which can result in the fiber optic cable being damaged or otherwise compromised.
Any light source capable of proper illumination will consume a significant amount of energy and create heat. The light source used in conjunction with the fiber optic cable and any focusing optics can provide a single defined beam that does not interfere with its use. The light source can be configured to emit light characterized as substantially 5500 Degrees Kelvin or "noon day" sunlight. Accordingly, the light emitter can include a plurality of LEDs that cooperate to emit the light. Alternatively, the light emitter can include a halogen, HID, or other lamp that can be filtered so as to emit the light. HID lights have no filament to burn up so they last ten times longer that common halogen lamps. The lamp is filled with xenon gas that is excited by high voltage 20,000 volts direct current creating light intensity equivalent to daylight 6000 Degrees Kelvin in color temperature. another benefit is that only 2.9 amperes are required using about 35 watts. a ballast and igniter are required to energize 12 volts to the high voltage needed for the excitation of the xenon. Optimization of low power lamp achieving an average used illumination output with performance equivalent to a 300-watt xenon lamp by reducing overall radio frequency infrared output reducing shielding required when plugged into a wall unit while also reducing the heat and safety concerns. Light output is comparable to a stand 300-watt xenon unit that is plugged into the wall using the wall circuitry for its shielding and cooling. The disclosed battery powered unit has the ability to be flexible enough to be un-tethered allowing freedom of movement with its compact portable design configuration and minimized shielding needs releases it from being plugged into the wall. The high wattage system used in a interior or minimally invasive hip procedures with a plugged in unit is often placed under the surgical table covered and separated with a sterile draped to maintain a sterile field increases the chance of fire as compared to the presently disclosed belt worn battery low wattage that does not have that risk and also enables the user to move about freely without assistance. The disclosed cordless headlight assembly may be carried within a personal environmental surgical suit primarily used by orthopedic surgeons while performing hip and joint surgeries allowing them to move around the surgical table when they need to articulate body parts. More progressive surgeons move the plug-in versions under the table requiring a nurse to reach underneath the table plug and unplug the headlight fiber optic cable. also by having the cords and cables at their feet movement of the two surgeons working side-by-side causes them to step on the cables cause damage. The disclosed portable unit in surgery permits ease of movement and no incidence of damage to the cables as they are carried by the surgeon(s) out of harm's way. The plug in fiber optic cables can fall into the sterile field during surgery compromising the sterility of the procedure. Using the disclosed fiber optic headlight eliminates that even when using the environmental helmet or the stand headlight version.
Furthermore, the cooling of lighting devices that typically generates a substantial amount of heat has resulted in its placement being fixed and/or remote from the loupe columniation lens. In part, this is because the heat generated from the light source has caused its housing to become hot, which will injure the practitioner or assistant that comes too close or accidentally touches the hot housing accordingly, that patent application teaches and explains that there is a benefit of a lighting apparatus that includes a headlight that is thermally disconnected from the light source and fan housing. Even though, that patent application recognizes as beneficial for the lighting apparatus to include a cooling apparatus so that the temperature of the light source housing would be held below a potentially dangerous or harmful temperature, that has not been refined to the level of the present disclosure of a compact portable headlight assembly as will be disclosed. Not appreciated or understood in that patent application are the benefits of a surgical site illumination with various components, housed together in proximity and wherein the light is selectively directed into the optic fiber cable. Furthermore, it would be beneficial for the apparatus to be portable and/or usable with the optic fiber cables of various lengths and loupes that are also interchangeable as needed. The light source can be any lamp that emits light. Such a lamp can be a halogen lamp, high intensity discharge (HID) lamp, array of light emitting diodes, LEDs, etc. Operating rooms in many hospitals lack floor space for added new technology including important instrumentation. The disclosed surgical headlight offers a compact solution. Removal of large high wattage headlight would revolutionize the way that surgical headlights are used in the operating room. The disclosed compact portable high light configuration meets the needs of the surgeons and is low wattage but with sufficient illumination of the surgical site.
An example of a light source can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/339,288, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by specific reference notes the spectrum or color temperature of the light emitting diodes of the light source can be tuned. This allows for the spectrum or temperature of the light to be adjusted as desired or needed. For example, the spectrum of light emitted by the light source may deviate from the noonday sunlight spectrum about 5200 Degrees Kelvin to about 6600 Degrees Kelvin over time, and tuning the spectrum can re-achieve the desired spectrum. also, the spectrum can be tuned and adjusted during manufacturing. alternatively, there may be situations where light that does not approximate the noonday sunlight spectrum is desired or needed, where tuning may alter the spectrum away from noonday sunlight. In addition, the color-rendering index produced with the present invention is significantly improved compared to conventional devices and the resulting light spectrum can more closely simulate noonday sunlight. as such, the spectrum can be characterized as being from about 5200 Degrees Kelvin to about 6600 Degrees Kelvin, more preferably from about 5400 Degrees Kelvin to about 6000 Degrees Kelvin, and most preferably about 5500 Degrees Kelvin. Notably there is no teaching of portable cooled high intensity discharge lamps in this application or the importance of lighting safely anatomical structures with safety and freedom of movement available to a practitioner.
Portable headlight assembly of United States Patent Application 20080085111 adds a camera to the concept and mentions a high intensity discharge lamp but it still does not address portability and safety.


A method for managing message distribution in a networked computing environment. The method includes determining, for a particular topic, at least a first subscriber messaging engine and a second subscriber messaging engine to receive a topic message. The method includes determining that the first subscriber messaging engine is to act as a cache for the second subscriber messaging engine. The method includes sending the topic message to the first subscriber messaging engine. The method then includes sending a reference message to the second subscriber messaging engine, the reference message being able to be used to retrieve the topic message from the first subscriber messaging engine.

Publish/subscribe (pub-sub) data processing and messaging systems have become very popular in recent years as a way of distributing data messages. Pub-sub messaging systems are a messaging technology that may be used in Internet based or other networked environments. In a pub-sub network, one or many publisher applications send messages to the network and subscriber applications register subscriptions to indicate their interest in receiving certain types of messages pertaining to certain topics. If a published message matches one of the subscriptions stored for a particular subscriber, the message is passed to the subscriber. In typical pub-sub messaging systems, it is the responsibility of a messaging engine where the publisher application is connected to push messages to messaging engines connected to relevant, or subscribed, subscriber applications. It is common, especially in cloud computing scenarios, to have a messaging system with hundreds, or more, messaging engines.

Managing message distribution in a networked environment

International Business Machines Corporation


A video playing control method and apparatus, a device, and a storage medium. The method comprises: under the condition that a touch operation on a first touch element on a video playing interface is detected, obtaining feedback content generated on the basis of related information of the touch operation and a preset response strategy, and displaying the feedback content by means of a browser page, the video playing interface, or a local page (S1010); and under the condition that a touch operation on a second touch element on the browser page, the video playing interface, or the local page is detected, adjusting the video playing progress according to the touch operation on the second touch element (S1020).

During a playback of a video, a clickable control may appear at a certain position of a video playing interface, and if the user clicks on the control, a local page can be displayed on the screen for user to learn information related to the video content or perform operations related to the video content through the local page, thereby achieving interaction with the user during the playback of the video.
However, the local page is generally pre-customized and is difficult to update according to actual needs, resulting in low expandability, and limiting the interaction with users during the playback of the video.

Video playing control method and apparatus, device, and storage medium

SHANGHAI MARINE DIESEL ENGINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A method and device for storing data comprises a non-volatile memory for storing digital data words and a photoelectric transducer receptive of light energy applied thereto for producing an electric signal. The device is responsive to the electric signal for reading the stored digital data words out of the memory and for displaying the stored digital data words read out of the memory.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for storing data in a miniature portable package.
Known data devices for storing identification data such as bar codes, have the disadvantage that they normally store no more than a limited amount of information and that once data is stored thereon in the form of bars, it cannot be changed.
Other data storage devices such as magnetic strips, while being alterable, are not capable of storing more than a limited amount of information and require contact or near contact for data dialogue. Further, data storage devices that do not require contact, such as those that use rf, require stimulated transmitting schemes or on board batteries.


An improved hard disk drive of the invention comprises a housing, which comprises a base and a cover. The hard disk drive further internally comprises at least one disk for storage of data within the housing and an actuator for reading and recording of the data on the at least one disk. An electrical connector comprising a flexible circuit extends through an opening in the base and provides electrical contact between electronics external to the housing and one or more components within the hard disk drive. Methods for forming the improved hard disk drives are also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to hard disk drives with improved electrical connectors and related methods.
A disk drive is a device used to store information in a computing environment. In a disk drive, data is generally recorded on planar, round, rotating surfaces (which are commonly referred to as disks, discs, or platters). There are several types of disk drives, including optical disk drives, floppy disk drives, and hard disk drives. Nowadays, hard disk drives tend to be most common. Strictly speaking, "drive" refers to a device distinct from its medium, such as a tape drive and its tape, or a floppy disk drive and its floppy disk. A hard disk drive (sometimes referred to as a HDD), also referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a non-volatile storage device that stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. Early hard disk drives had removable media; however, a HDD today is typically an encased unit with fixed media.
A typical hard disk drive includes a head disk assembly (HDA) and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) attached to a disk drive base of the HDA. The HDA typically includes at least one magnetic disk, a spindle motor for rotating the disk, and a head stack assembly (HSA) having an actuator assembly with at least one transducer head, typically several, for reading and writing data from the disk. The PCBA includes a servo control system in the form of a disk controller for generating servo control signals. The HSA is controllably positioned in response to the generated servo control signals from the disk controller. In so doing, the attached heads are moved relative to tracks disposed upon the disk. The heads are typically distanced from the magnetic disk by a gaseous cushion—so that they are said to "fly" over the disk. Thus, it is important that the position of the heads be well-controlled for proper reading and writing from the disk.
Hard disk drives are generally sealed to prevent dust and other external sources of contamination from interfering with operation of the hard disk heads therein. Some hard disk drives are hermetically sealed. A hermetic seal is generally understood to be an airtight seal. Note that some seals (e.g., those "sealing" air within the hard disk drive) are not literally air tight, but rather utilize an extremely fine air filter in conjunction with air circulation inside the hard drive enclosure. The spinning of the disks causes air to circulate therein, forcing any particulates to become trapped on the filter. The same air currents also act as a gas bearing, which enables the heads to float on a cushion of air above the surfaces of the disks. However, "hermetically" sealed means that the seal is so airtight that the disk drive's internal pressure is substantially independent of the external or ambient pressure. This is in contrast to a conventional or non-hermetically sealed disk drive that has a breather port with a filter in a wall of the base plate or cover for equalizing the disk drive's internal pressure with the external pressure. Thus, a hermetically sealed drive does not contain a breather port.
Within a hermetically sealed hard disk drive, gases other than atmospheric air are often employed. Filling the sealed environment of a hard disk drive with gases other than air can enhance their performance. For example, use of lower density inert gases, such as helium, can reduce aerodynamic drag between the disks and their associated read/write heads by a factor of approximately five-to-one as compared to their operation in air. This reduced drag beneficially results in reduced power requirements for the spindle motor. A helium-filled drive, thus, uses substantially less power than a comparable hard disk drive operating in an air environment. At the same time, the helium gas also conducts heat generated during operation of the disk drive away more effectively than air.
Hermetically sealed hard disk drives are first filled with a desired gaseous medium (whether it be atmospheric air or one or more other gases) before operation. Then, if the constituency of the gaseous medium substantially changes due to leakage of the hard disk drive housing, the hard disk drive must be either discarded or refilled with the desired gaseous medium. Filling disk drives to a desired pressure and concentration of gaseous components, however, can be both time-consuming and difficult. A number of patent documents focus on providing and/or replenishing gases such as helium at a desired concentration within a hard disk drive. See, for example, U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2003/0081349 and 2003/0089417. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 6,560,064.
Due to imperfect sealing of hard disk drive housings, the benefits of using lower density gases such as helium are conventionally not longstanding. Potential paths of gas leakage (allowing both air flow into the hard disk drive housing and allowing gas outflow from the hard disk drive housing) are throughout the hard disk drive. Those potential paths of gas leakage include those associated with the junction of two mating components thereof. Those components include, for example, screws or other mechanical fasteners used to conventionally fasten multiple parts of the housing together. A further potential path of gas leakage is associated with the electrical connector and its exit from the hard disk drive housing. In addition, gasket seals and the like used to improve the seal between multiple components are often susceptible to at least some leakage. As gas, such as helium, leaks out of a sealed hard disk drive, air leaks in (or vice versa), causing undesirable effects in the operation of the disk drives—even possibly causing the disk drives to catastrophically fail. For example, an increased concentration of air inside the hard disk drive may increase forces on the read/write head therein due to turbulent airflow within the drive. Further, such undesired air may cause the read/write heads to "fly" at too great a distance above the disks. The risk of unexpected failure due to inadequate concentration of helium within such drives is a considerable drawback to helium-filled disk drives, particularly since the data stored within the disk drive can be irretrievably lost if the disk drive fails.
Elimination of or minimization of leakage is desired for not only better containment of gas within a hard disk drive, but for other reasons as well. One such reason relates to a reduction of complications arising from electromagnetic interference. Electromagnetic interference ("EMI," also called radio frequency interference or "RFI") is a usually undesirable disturbance caused in an electrical circuit by electromagnetic radiation emitted from an external source. Such disturbance may interrupt, obstruct, or otherwise degrade or limit the effective performance of the circuit. EMI can be induced intentionally for radio jamming, as in some forms of electronic warfare, or unintentionally, as a result of spurious emissions and responses, intermodulation products, and the like. A source of EMI may be any object, artificial or natural, that carries rapidly changing electrical currents, such as another electrical circuit or even the sun or Northern Lights. Broadcast transmitters, two-way radio transmitters, paging transmitters, and cable television are also potential sources of EMI within residential and commercial environments. Other potential sources of EMI include a wide variety of common household devices, such as doorbell transformers, toaster ovens, electric blankets, ultrasonic pest controls (e.g., bug zappers), heating pads, and touch-controlled lamps. It is known that EMI frequently affects the reception of AM radio in urban areas. It can also affect cell phone, FM radio, and television reception, although to a lesser extent. EMI can similarly affect performance of a computer.
In conventional hard disk drives, as with potential paths of gas leakage, unwanted and potentially problematic EMI wavelengths can enter a disk drive through a number of places. Within integrated circuits, the most important means of reducing EMI are: the use of bypass or "decoupling" capacitors on each active device (connected across the power supply and as close to the device as possible), risetime control of high-speed signals using series resistors, and VCC filtering. If all of these measures still leave too much EMI, shielding such as using radio frequency (RF) gasket seals (which are often very expensive) and copper tape has been employed. Another method of reducing EMI is via use of metal hard disk drive components. While the use of metal components undesirably increases the overall weight of an apparatus, use of metal components has been conventionally mandated in the hard disk drive industry due to the EMI sensitivity of mechanical spinning components therein. Without mechanical spinning components therein, however, manufacturers of flash drives have taken advantage of the benefits of, for example, a plastic case for enclosure of the drive. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,301,776, which describes how metal material used for top and bottom plates of the drives described therein can be replaced by plastic as there are fewer EMI issues associated with flash memory devices as compared to mechanical spinning hard disk drives.
As discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0179489, despite the advantages of helium-filled drives, such drives have not been commercially successful. This is mainly due to problems associated with leakage of gas from within the drives over time. Unlike air-filled disk drives, helium-filled drives do not include a filtered port to equalize the pressure within the drive to the ambient pressure—which ensuing pressure differential contributes to increased leakage of gas. Thus, while prior art helium drives are completely "sealed" in the conventional sense, it is still possible for helium gas therein to leak out past conventional rubber gasket seals used to seal the top cover to the drive base. Such leakage is not surprising given the relatively smaller size (i.e., lower atomic weight) of the helium atoms in comparison to the constituent gases found in air (i.e., nitrogen and oxygen). That is, the rubber gasket seals on prior art drives allow the relatively smaller helium atoms to diffuse through the rubber membrane. Indeed, such prior art gasket seals do not provide hermetic seals with respect to air (i.e., the gasket seals are also permeable to the larger atoms of nitrogen and oxygen in air) since it is air that typically displaces the helium gas that leaks from the drive.
Most prior art gasket seals are only intended to keep relatively large contaminants such as dust or smoke from the interior of a disk drive. However, such gasket seals are preferred as compared to other, more permanent methods of sealing a drive for two main reasons. First, such seals typically do not outgas and, thus, do not contribute to the contamination of the interior of the drive. Secondly, such seals may be reused if necessary during the assembly of the disk drive, such as when an assembled drive fails to pass certification testing and must be "re-worked." Re-working a drive typically entails removing the top cover from the base and replacing a defective disk or read/write head while the drive is still in a clean room environment. The re-worked drive is then reassembled, which can even be done using the same rubber gasket seal positioned between the base and the top cover. Unfortunately, however, while such gasket seals are convenient, they simply often do not provide a sufficient hermetic seal to maintain the required concentration of helium (or other low density gas) within the disk drive for the desired service life of the drive.
In view of the potential for long-term performance problems, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0179489 describes a disk drive assembly having a sealed housing. As described therein, a disc drive includes a base plate supporting a spindle motor and an actuator assembly. A structural cover is removably attached to the base plate to form an internal environment within the disc drive. The internal environment of the drive is filled with a low density gas such as helium, and a sealing cover is permanently attached to the base plate and the structural cover to form a hermetic seal that maintains a predetermined concentration of the low density gas within the internal environment over a service lifetime of the disc drive.
The disc drive further includes a first seal secured between the base plate and the structural cover to prevent contaminants from entering the internal environment of the disc drive. The first seal is formed from a material such as rubber that allows leakage of the low density gas from the internal environment at a sufficiently low rate so that the disc drive may be operated for a predetermined period of time in the absence of the sealing cover.
In one embodiment, the base plate includes a raised outer edge and the sealing cover includes a downward depending edge that is adhesively bonded within a groove formed between an outer surface of the structural cover and the raised outer edge of the base plate. Alternatively, the sealing cover may include a downward depending edge that is adhesively secured to an outer perimeter wall of the base plate. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing cover is soldered to a top surface of the raised outer edge of the base plate. Such assemblies purportedly create a hermetic seal that will maintain desired concentrations of helium (or other low density gases) within the drive over the operational lifespan of the drive (e.g., leaking helium at such a low rate that it would take over seventy years for the helium concentration to drop below a predetermined lower limit). However, such sealing covers are not without their limitations—e.g., those dimensional limitations discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0179489 and the potential interference of such sealing covers with electrical connectors, such as those associated with flex circuitry protruding from the disk drive. Thus, improvements are still needed.
In addition, while U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0223148 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,984) discusses improved containment of helium within a hard disk drive, the methods therein rely on laser-based metal sealing of such drives. Further, such "sealing" of drives is incomplete in that it does not prevent leakage through valves and ports used to inject gas into disk drive housings once sealed as such. As described therein, a base can be combined with a cover by overlapping respectively corresponding coupling flanges of the base and cover with each other. The coupling flanges are then described as being jointed and fastened together by spot welding, but only if both of the base and cover are made of metal including iron. Alternatively, hermetic sealing to some extent is said to be guaranteed if seam-welding is effected by continuously carrying out spot welding. Alternatively, when the base and the cover are made of a metal other than iron or a resin material, the coupling flanges are described as being joined together by means such as wrap-seaming, screws, or riveting. Still further, if both the base and cover are made of metal including aluminum or made of a resin material, the coupling flanges are stated to be preferably jointed and fastened together by screws or rivets. Further, in the outer peripheral portion of the jointed coupling flanges, a frame composed of a pair of L-shaped frame elements can be attached to force the jointed coupling flanges to be closed up tightly. Each of these L-shaped frame elements are made of so-called engineering plastic, e.g., polyamide resin or polyphenylene sulfide resin, and have a sectional form with a recess corresponding to the outer shape of the jointed coupling flanges. In this case, the L-shaped frame elements are fixed to the jointed coupling flanges of the housing by adhesive or by welding the frame elements per se. Also see U.S. Pat. No. 6,762,909 for a description of laser welding of a disk drive's cover and base plate made of aluminum or other alloys. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,592 discusses how spot welding can be used to secure a base and cover of a disk drive housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,592 discloses a housing comprising a lower body portion and a cover portion. Lower body portion is stated to be cylindrical in shape, having a lip located towards the outer periphery and a ledge associated therewith. Cover portion is stated to have a lip portion along its outer periphery. The inner and outer diameter of the lips are selected so that the two lips nest with one another when the cover portion is placed over the lower body portion, i.e., the outer diameter of the lower body portion's lip is selected to be greater than the inner diameter of the cover portion's lip. Further, the height of the cover portion's lip is selected with respect to the height of the lower body portion's lip so that a groove is formed for accommodating the outer periphery of the disk. Adhesives, such as epoxy, can be applied in the groove to assist in fixedly securing the disk within the groove. The disk is further secured in the groove by the clamping action provided by the cover portion and the lower body portion. Alternative methods for securing the cover portion to the lower body portion described therein include: threading, cam-locking, radial crimping, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, and the like.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,392,838 and 6,525,899 disclose a disk drive assembly purportedly hermetically encased within a metallic can. The metallic can comprises a top and bottom housing. Each housing component includes a sealing flange extending around its periphery. After the disk drive assembly is securely placed into the bottom housing, the top and bottom housings are mated and sealed together by forming a seam seal with the seal flanges. Also disclosed is use of a metallic gasket seal having a C-shaped cross-sectional area to purportedly hermetically seal a disk drive assembly. The C-seal includes a base layer and a plating layer, with the length of the seal extending the periphery of the disk drive base, similar to conventional elastomer gasket seals. After the disk drive cover is placed over the disk drive base and C-seal, the cover is clamped, thus compressing the C-seal. The resulting compression forces the plating layer to fill surface asperities in the area of the disk drive cover and base that contact the C-seal. These configurations purportedly provide assemblies with atmosphere leak rates of less than one cubic centimeter per 108 seconds or 5% of the volume of the sealed atmosphere over ten years.
No matter how a hard disk drive is individually configured and sealed, it must be configured to electrically couple with external components in a computing environment. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,157, information is transferred to and from drive platters within a disk drive through the magnetic read/write heads by way of flexcircuits that couple to the drive heads. Special flexible flexcircuits also couple the actuator arm in order to control the movement of this arm and the associated magnetic read/write heads. These flexcircuits must be able to couple to the read/write heads, the actuator arm movement device, and to the platter spin motor, which are all situated inside the sealed chamber. The other ends of these flexcircuits must be able to connect to the outside of the sealed chamber to a disk drive controller circuit on a PC board.
A typical prior art disk drive 110 is shown in FIG. 1. A base 101 is shown for providing a mounting surface for the actuator arm, the platters, and other drive mechanisms. Case 100 is placed over the base 101, the platters (not shown), and the actuator arm (not shown) in order to provide the sealed chamber. As is conventional, flexcircuits and connectors 103 and 102 are shown extending from the junction of the sealed chamber. The free ends of the connectors are exposed outside of the sealed chamber and the other ends are coupled within the chamber to the actuator arm movement, the read/write heads, and the platter spin motor (actuator). The cables 102 and 103 are standard flexible connectors and hook inside under the base 101 in order to connect to receiving connectors of a PC board located and mounted under the base 101 and acting as a hardware controller device. The flexcircuits 102 and 103 are placed through the junction of the base 101 and the case 100. In order to maintain the sealed chamber with these flexcircuits present in this junction, the junction of the case 100 and the base 101 are typically epoxy- or glue-sealed. The sealant flows around the irregularly shaped cables to insure a proper chamber. However, once the base 101 and the case 100 are sealed by epoxy, glue, or cement, they are permanently affixed together. This makes repair of the components located within the chamber problematic. Also, as the flexcircuits 102 and 103 outwardly extend from the disk drive unit, they often tear and rip if caught during manufacturing on an assembly line, which can destroy the entire hard disk drive.
In view of the number of potential problems impacting effective and long-term performance of hard disk drives, alternative methods and apparatus for improved hard disk drives are desired. Particularly desired are alternative methods and apparatus for providing efficient electrical connection between hard disk drives and external components, where such connection facilitates improved hermetic sealing of hard disk drives.

Hard disk drives with electrical connectors comprising a flexible circuit extending through an opening in the base and related methods


Methods, apparatus, and systems for determining the relevance of points of interest for a user are described. An application server receives information about a user's location, and velocity, as well as other user preferences, and adjusts a search space and filters points of interest identifying those that are relevant to the user. The relevance of the points of interest are based on the user's route, location and velocity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more specifically, to techniques for providing relevant point of interest information to a user of the wireless communication system based on the user's route and velocity.
2. Background
Services based upon a mobile user's location (Location Based Services, or LBS's) are gaining in popularity. One such service uses the location of the user as a basis to identify points of interest within an area about the user. Another service provides a user with a route from their current location to a desired destination.
Several technologies have been developed to aid in determining the location of a mobile user. One such technique involves using the satellite positioning systems (SPS's) such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, or Glonass, while other location technologies are based (at least partly) upon network-based solutions. In still another example, the user can manually enter their location. Furthermore, recently many cellular telephones and personal digital assistants have been developed that include telecommunications capability to aid in position determination.
In one service, the user location is used as a starting point and the user enters a desired destination. The service will then calculate a route from the user's present location to the destination and provide that to the user. In another example, a user provides their location and a point of interest (POI) that they desire to find; for example the user may desire to find the nearest restaurant. The service will then use the starting point and search for restaurants within a vicinity of the user and provide this information back to the user.
While these services are useful, there is a need for to improve the relevance of information about points of interest provided to a mobile user.

Method and apparatus for determining relevant point of interest information based upon route of user


A ferroelectric liquid crystal device comprising a pair of substrates each provided with an electrode thereon, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer disposed between the substrates in a thickness which is thin enough to release the spiral structure of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, wherein the ferroelectric liquid crystal provides two average molecular axis directions forming an angle 2.theta. therebetween, each average molecular axis direction corresponding to one or two stable orientation states of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, the ferroelectric liquid crystal provides two average molecular axis directions forming an angle 2 .circle.H therebetween when voltages exceeding the threshold voltage of the ferroelectric liquid crystal are applied to the ferroelectric liquid crystal, and the ferroelectric liquid crystal provides two average molecular directions forming an angle 2.theta.a therebetween after applying an alternating electric field to the ferroelectric liquid crystal and removing the electric field, the angles .theta., .circle.H and .theta.a satisfying the relationships of: .theta.<.theta.a.ltoreq. .circle.H .

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device for use in a liquid crystal display device, an optical shutter array, etc., and more particularly to a ferroelectric liquid crystal device having improved display and driving characteristics, because of improved initial alignment or orientation of liquid crystal molecules.
Clark and Lagerwall have proposed the use of a liquid crystal device having bistability (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 107216/1981, U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,924, etc.). As the bistable liquid crystal, a ferroelectric liquid crystal having chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase or H (SmH*) phase is generally used. The ferroelectric liquid crystal has bistability, i.e., has two stable states comprising a first stable state and a second stable state, with respect to an electric field applied thereto. Accordingly, different from the conventional TN-type liquid crystal in the above-mentioned device, the liquid crystal is oriented to the first stable state in response to one electric field vector and to the second stable state in response to the other electric field vector. Further, this type of liquid crystal very quickly assumes either one of the above-mentioned two stable states in reply to an electric field applied thereto and retains the state in the absence of an electric field. By utilizing these properties, essential improvements can be attained with respect to the above-mentioned difficulties involved in the conventional TN-type liquid crystal device.
In order to provide a uniform orientation or alignment characteristic to a ferroelectric liquid crystal in the above described type of device, there has been known to apply a uniaxial alignment treatment onto a substrate surface. More specifically, the uniaxial alignment treatment includes a method of rubbing a substrate surface with velvet, cloth or paper in one direction, or a method of obliquely depositing SiO or SiO.sub.2 on a substrate surface.
By applying an appropriate uniaxial alignment treatment to a substrate surface, a specific bistable condition has been provided as an initial alignment characteristic. Under such an initial alignment condition, however, there have been observed practical problems such as poor contrasts and low light-transmittances during optical modulation tests carried out by using polarizers arranged in cross nicols in combination with the device.
More specifically, in a ferroelectric liquid crystal device of the type described above, a state wherein molecules of a liquid crystal (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "LC") are twisted from an upper substrate to a lower substrate in an LC molecular layer (twist alignment state) as shown in FIG. 21 is readily developed rather than a state wherein LC molecules are aligned in parallel with each other in an LC molecular layer (parallel alignment state) as shown in FIG. 22. Such a twist alignment of LC molecules leads to various disadvantages for a display device such that the angle formed between the LC molecular axes in the first orientation state and the second orientation state (tilt angle) is apparently decreased to result in a decrease in contrast or light transmittance, and overshooting occurs in the response of the LC molecules at the time of switching between the orientation states to result in an observable fluctuation in light transmittance. For this reason, it is desired that the LC molecules are placed in the parallel alignment state for a display device.

Ferroelectric liquid crystal device having increased tilt angle


An example computing system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first controller and a second controller. The first controller is to verify integrity of a first root of trust (ROT), and generate an integrity signal indicating the results. The second controller is to verify integrity of a second ROT, write the firmware image to the first controller, and verify integrity of the written firmware image.

Security attacks on computing systems can affect firmware and hardware layers. Not only is there a need to protect the storage of a computing system, but also the firmware images that can serve as core components of a computing system. If a core component is compromised by a security attack, it is possible that the computing system will be unable to even boot up.

Multiple roots of trust to verify integrity

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP


The present invention provides a navigation system for an unmanned underwater vehicle that includes at least two navigation sensors that provide latitude and longitude measurements of unequal accuracy, a processor and a memory. The memory stores a machine-readable set of instructions executable by the processor to process the latitude and longitude measurements received from the navigation sensors, and to estimate vehicle latitude and longitude with approximately equal accuracy.

Traditional navigation systems for manned vessels, such as inertial navigation systems, Doppler-aided inertial navigation systems, GPS-aided inertial navigation systems, etc., are highly accurate but relatively large, heavy, expensive, and power-hungry. Conversely, a navigation system for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is preferably small in size, lightweight and inexpensive, and should consume much less power than a traditional inertial navigation system in order to facilitate long duration, autonomous missions.
For example, the navigational load may be apportioned between a more accurate navigation system, to be used during a small portion of the UUV mission, such as a search phase, and a less accurate navigation system, to be used during the remaining portion of the UUV mission, such as the transit phase(s). Of course, the UUV navigation system used during the transit phase must satisfy particular navigational accuracy requirements, such as, for example, 10 nautical miles (nm) (1−σ) in both latitude and longitude.
While inexpensive sensors have been produced which can measure either latitude or longitude to an accuracy of about 10 nm, an inexpensive, compact, light weight, low power navigation system has yet to be developed which can estimate both latitude and longitude to the same accuracy, i.e., about 10 nm.
For example, in recent years wildlife scientists have attached inexpensive, miniature archival light sensors to fish in order to record their movements in the open ocean. These sensors typically record underwater light level, depth and temperature data. Contemporary sensors can sense light at approximately 300 meter depths and offer up to 16 MB of data storage. Latitude and longitude can be determined from the light measurements, depth measurements and an on-board clock. Accuracies depend on total daily sensor motion, depth, time of the year, and cloud cover patterns but can be, at the one sigma level, approximately 10 nm (about 20 km) in longitude and 130 nm (about 260 km) in latitude. These light sensors are typically better at measuring longitude than latitude, since the estimation of local noon (i.e., longitude) is more accurate than the estimation of the length of the day (i.e., latitude).
Inexpensive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices include miniature accelerometers, angular rate sensors, gyroscopes, etc., which may be combined to form a MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU). MEMS gyroscopes offer low cost, compact size, low weight, and low power consumption, but are far less accurate than fiber-optic or ring-laser gyros. Unfortunately, when several MEMS gyroscopes, or angular rate sensors, are combined with several MEMS accelerometers, and other electronics, to form a MEMS IMU, the cost, weight, size and power consumption increase substantially over a single MEMS gyroscope.
Thus, a need remains for an inexpensive, small, lightweight, low power underwater navigation system that can estimate both latitude and longitude to the same accuracy, such as, for example, 10 nm.

Underwater navigation by aided light sensor


The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for generating and optimizing irrigation protocols. The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for optimizing water usage in growing plants for yard and crops. The disclosure also extends to methods, systems and computer program products for providing automated irrigation.

With the increased desire for water conservation while maintaining healthy yard and crops, it has become important to use the advances in technology and communication systems to provide efficient use of water resources.
What is needed are methods, systems, and computer program implemented products for regulating the use of water in areas that are predictable and often over watered because caretakers and/or older irrigations systems are not responsive enough to effectively conserve water while maintaining aesthetically pleasing or healthy landscapes.

Watering instructions and irrigation protocols sent over a network