An ultrasonic surgical system utilizes a digital control system to generate ultrasonic drive current for transducers that are located in a hand piece and are attached to a surgical scalpel or blade so as to vibrate the blade in response to the current. The digital control includes a digital signal processor (DSP) or microprocessor; a direct digital synthesis (DDS) device; a phase detection logic scheme, a control algorithm for seeking and maintaining resonance frequency; and design scheme that allows to regulate current, voltage, and power delivered to an ultrasonic device. The system allows the power versus load output curve to be tailored to a specific hand piece; the components of the digital system are much less sensitive to temperature variations; and the digital system provides increased flexibility in locating the resonance frequency of the blade and running diagnostic tests.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ultrasonic surgical systems and, more particularly, to improved apparatus for facilitating the performance of surgical procedures such as simultaneous soft tissue dissection and cauterization of large and small blood vessels through the use of a precisely controlled ultrasonically vibrating blade or scalpel.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that electric scalpels and lasers can be used as surgical instruments to perform the dual function of simultaneously effecting the incision and hemostatis of soft tissue by cauterizing tissue and blood vessels. However, such instruments employ very high temperatures to achieve coagulation, causing vaporization and fumes as well as splattering, which increases the risk of spreading infectious diseases to operating room personnel. Additionally, the use of such instruments often results in relatively wide zones of thermal tissue damage.
Cutting and cauterizing of tissue by means of surgical blades vibrated at high speeds by ultrasonic drive mechanisms is also well known. One of the problems associated with such ultrasonic cutting instruments is uncontrolled or undamped vibrations, and the heat as well as material fatigue resulting therefrom. In an operating room environment, attempts have been made to control this heating problem by the inclusion of cooling systems with heat exchangers to cool the blade. In one known system, for example, the ultrasonic cutting and tissue fragmentation system requires a cooling system augmented with a water circulating jacket and means for irrigation and aspiration of the cutting site. Another known system requires the delivery of cryogenic fluids to the cutting blade.
It is known to limit the current delivered to the transducer as a means for limiting the heat generated therein. However, this could result in insufficient power to the blade at a time when it is needed for the most effective treatment of the patient. U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,387 to Thomas, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application, discloses a system for controlling the heat in an ultrasonic surgical cutting and hemostasis system without the use of a coolant, by controlling the drive energy supplied to the blade. In the system according to this patent, an ultrasonic generator is provided which produces an electrical signal of a particular voltage, current and frequency, e.g., 55,500 cycles per second. The generator is connected by a cable to a hand piece, which contains piezoceramic elements forming an ultrasonic transducer. In response to a switch on the hand piece or a foot switch connected to the generator by another cable, the generator signal is applied to the transducer, which causes a longitudinal vibration of its elements. A structure connects the transducer to a surgical blade, which is thus vibrated at ultrasonic frequencies when the generator signal is applied to the transducer. The structure is designed to resonate at the selected frequency, thus amplifying the motion initiated by the transducer.
The signal provided to the transducer is controlled so as to provide power on demand to the transducer in response to the continuous or periodic sensing of the loading condition (tissue contact or withdrawal) of the blade. As a result, the device goes from a low power (idle) state to a selectable high power (cutting) state automatically depending on whether the scalpel is or is not in contact with tissue. A third, high power coagulation mode is manually selectable with automatic return to an idle power level when the blade is not in contact with tissue. Since the ultrasonic power is not continuously supplied to the blade, it generates less ambient heat, but imparts sufficient energy to the tissue for incisions and cauterization when necessary.
The control system in the Thomas patent is of the analog type. A phase lock loop that includes a voltage controlled oscillator, a frequency divider, a power switch, a matching network and a phase detector, stabilizes the frequency applied to the hand piece. A microprocessor controls the amount of power by sampling the frequency current and voltage applied to the hand piece, because these parameters change with load on the blade.
The power versus load curve in a generator in a typical ultrasonic surgical system, such as that described in the Thomas patent, has two segments. The first segment has a positive slope of increasing power, as the load is increased, which indicates constant current delivery. The second segment has a negative slope of decreasing power as the load increases, which indicates a constant or saturated output voltage. The regulated current for the first segment is fixed by the design of the electronic components, and the second segment voltage is limited by the maximum output voltage of the design. This arrangement is inflexible since the power versus load characteristics of the output of such a system can not be optimized to various types of hand piece transducers and ultrasonic blades. The performance of traditional analog ultrasonic power systems for surgical instruments is affected by the component tolerances and their variability in the generator electronics due to changes in operating temperature. In particular, temperature changes can cause wide variations in key system parameters, such as frequency lock range, drive signal level, and other system performance measures.
In order to operate an ultrasonic surgical system in an efficient manner, during startup the frequency of the signal supplied to the hand piece transducer is swept over a range to locate the resonance frequency. Once it is found, the generator phase locks on to the resonance frequency, keeps monitoring of the transducer current to voltage phase angle and maintains the transducer resonating by driving it at the resonance frequency. A key function of such a system is to maintain the transducer resonating across load and temperature changes that vary the resonance frequency. However, these traditional ultrasonic drive systems have little to no flexibility with regards to adaptive frequency control. Such flexibility is key to the system's ability to discriminate undesired resonances. In particular, these systems can only search for resonance in one direction, i.e., with increasing or decreasing frequencies, and their search pattern is fixed. The system cannot hop over other resonance modes or make any heuristic decisions, such as what resonance(s) to skip or lock onto, and ensure delivery of power only when appropriate frequency lock is achieved.
The prior art ultrasonic generator systems also have little flexibility with regard to amplitude control, which would allow the system to employ adaptive control algorithms and decision making. For example, these fixed systems lack the ability to make heuristic decisions with regards to the output drive, e.g., current or frequency, based on the load on the blade and/or the current-to-voltage phase angle. It also limits the system's ability to set optimal transducer drive signal levels for consistent efficient performance, which would increase the useful life of the transducer and ensure safe operating conditions for the blade. Further, the lack of control over amplitude and frequency control reduces the system's ability to perform diagnostic tests on the transducer/blade system and to support troubleshooting in general.
Some limited diagnostic tests performed in the past involve sending a signal to the transducer to cause the blade to move and the system to be brought into resonance or some other vibration mode. Then the response of the blade is determined by measuring the electrical signal supplied to the transducer when the system is in one of these modes. The new system has the ability to sweep the output drive frequency, monitor the frequency response of the ultrasonic transducer and blade, extract parameters from this response, and use these parameters for system diagnostics. This frequency sweep and response measurement mode is achieved via a digital code such that the output drive frequency can be stepped with high resolution, accuracy, and repeatability not existent in prior art. As a result, extensive and accurate diagnostics can be performed.
A particular operation may make use of an ultrasonic surgical instrument followed or preceded by the use of an Electro-surgical Unit ("ESU") in which a high frequency electric current is delivered through the tissue under treatment and acts as a combination scalpel and cauterizing instrument. However, an ESU can emit a large amount of electrical interference when activated. This interference can impair the reliable operation of the ultrasonic surgical equipment, which may be activated at the same time. Thus, there is a need for a means to temporarily disable the ultrasonic surgical equipment during ESU activation. In the prior art this has been accomplished by hardwiring the ultrasonic equipment and the ESU together such that when the ESU is activated, the ultrasonic equipment is disabled. However, this can be inconvenient, since both instruments must be brought into the operating area, even if only one is going to be used.

Ultrasonic surgical system within digital control


Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for evaluating risk adjusted performance of an investment portfolio. This invention may be applied to any asset which has a value. The invention evaluates risk adjusted performance of an investment portfolio by first determining at least one positive utility concept and at least one negative utility concept describing an asset. Then, the invention normalizes the at least one negative utility concept to an equivalent negative utility concept describing or deriving from a group of assets. Finally, the invention may relate at least one positive utility concept and at least one normalized negative utility concept to determine a performance measure. In this way, the invention normalized negative asset returns such that better investor utility ratings are not falsely provided.

Sharpe introduced his reward per unit of variability ratio as the difference between the mean return on a portfolio ( rp) and the mean risk free rate ( rf) divided by the standard deviation of the portfolio's excess return over the risk free rate, denoted σxp, as shown in equation (1):
                              S          p                =                                                            r                -                            p                        -                                          r                f                            -                                            σ            xp                                              (        1        )
The Sharpe ratio is recommended by Capital Asset Pricing Theory and theoretical writings on investment portfolio performance evaluation as the best measure for the evaluation of the risk adjusted investment performance of an investor's entire portfolio. Hence, it can fairly be argued to represents one of the best investment performance measure for the average individual investor.
Despite being considered by many as the most popular investment performance measure, the Sharpe ratio carries a major reliability burden. This is because when an asset experiences a negative average excess return, the Sharpe ratio indicates better investor utility ratings the riskier the asset. Many previous studies lack reliability, as they assess negative average excess return assets using the Sharpe ratio without addressing or even acknowledging this problem.
If the Sharpe ratio is used to assess the utility of an asset with negative average excess return, it considers the asset the better the higher its risk. For instance, comparing assets A and B with the average excess returns −5% and −8% as well as the (excess return) standard deviations 10% and 20%, respectively, asset B with the bigger loss and the much higher risk receives the better Sharpe ratio (−0.4 compared to −0.5).
FIG. 1 is a modification of Sharpe's (1998: 31) FIG. 10 titled 'Performance of Two Funds in Bad Times". During times, in which the market return is smaller than the risk free return (rf), it compares the utility resulting for investors from different investment strategies indicated by the points, whereby the Sharpe ratio ascribes all points Y the same utility and the same excess utility over all points X's utility. Hence Sharpe, who only displays the black points, considers any investment Y to be more attractive than any investment X. However, based on the basic axioms that the measurement of investor utility is the original function of any investment performance evaluation measure and that risk has a negative utility, it can be shown that the Sharpe ratio severely lacks reliability in this case, as it recommends investments with the same return but a higher risk (i.e. standard deviation) than an alternative. For instance, the Share ratio recommends investment Y′ instead of X′, Y″ instead of X, and Y′″ instead of X″ in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 illustrates the negative Sharpe ratio dilemma for an investment with a −100% average excess return and various excess return standard deviation values ranging from 25% to 200%. These high excess return standard deviation values have been chosen to show the effect of marginal increases in excess return standard deviation for both sides of 1 (100%). The return of 100% has been selected to receive a Sharpe ratio of 1 for an excess return standard deviation of 1. As shown by the graph, the Sharpe ratio generally assesses an investment with equal loss but a higher risk with a better, as less negative, investor utility score.
But this negative average excess return problem does not only apply to the Sharpe ratio, it also applies in some form to any measure, which is based on the ratio of return to risk (e.g. Sortino Ratio (Sortino, F. A. and R. van der Meer. (1991) "Downside risk." Journal of Portfolio Management, 17 (4): 27-31) or Modified Sharpe ratio (Gregoriou, G. N. and J.-P. Gueyie. (2003) "Risk-Adjusted Performance of Funds of Hedge Funds using a Modified Sharpe Ratio." Journal of Wealth Management, Winter 2003: 77-83)). The reliability problem of the Sharpe ratio is even greater, if a study analyzes the mean of many funds' Sharpe ratios, since any inclusion of meaningless negative Sharpe ratios into an average Sharpe ratio makes this mean itself over-proportionally more meaningless.
One of several proposals for overcoming the problem with the Sharpe ratio has been suggested by Israelsen. This is described in "Sharpening the Sharpe Ratio." Financial Planning, 33 (1): 49-51, Israelsen (2003) and "A refinement to the Sharpe ratio and information ratio." Journal of Asset Management, 5 (6): 423-427, Israelsen, C. L. (2005). This proposal involves multiplying a portfolio's average excess return with its standard deviation, if the former is negative, as shown in equation (2):
                              I          p                =                                            r              -                        xp                                σ            xp                          (                                                                    r                    -                                    xp                                /                                                                                              r                      -                                        xp                                                                                )                                                          (        2        )            where Ip denotes the Israelsen ratio; rxp is the mean excess return of the portfolio over the risk free rate; | rxp| is the same mean excess return in absolute terms; and σxp is the standard deviation of the portfolio's excess return. However, a problem with the Israelsen ratio is that it leads to unreliable fund ratings. If the average excess return standard deviation in a sample of funds is far above one, positive Israelsen ratios experience low absolute values, but negative Israelsen ratios show big absolute values. This bias, which Israelsen himself appears to recognize, prohibits the calculation of any reliable average including positive and negative Israelsen ratios.
All other current attempts to solve the negative average excess return problem of the Sharpe ratio or a similar ratio result in investor utility ratings, which themselves face even greater reliability problems than the Israelsen ratio. Hence, no reliable return to risk ratio for the assessment of loss incurring assets appears to currently exist. Given that investors are expected to be especially risk averse, when their investments incur losses and that return to risk ratios are the main means of assessing investors' entire portfolios, this lack of a reliable measure is a problem.
In summary, the Sharpe ratio loses its meaning in case of negative average excess return and hence can be considered an inappropriate measure of investor utility unless all observed relevant average excess returns are positive. Since the negative average excess return problem applies to the Sharpe ratio as well as its common substitutes, investors, fund managers and other financial market participants have a clear, strong need for a Sharpe ratio like measure of investor utility which they can appropriately use for assets with positive or negative average excess return. This need is especially strong for big institutional investors, as they face substantial negative price impacts when attempting to offset a large portion of an asset due to the expectation of negative excess returns.

University Court of the University of St Andrews


A wireless communication apparatus prevents desensitization in a line signal frequency caused by clock signal harmonic. The wireless communication apparatus is provided with a receiver/demodulator for receiving a line signal of a predetermined frequency and for demodulating the line signal, a control section decoding the demodulated line signal using an operation clock signal, and a clock signal generating circuit supplying a clock signal. The control section controls the clock signal generating circuit to change a frequency of the clock signal in response to the line signal frequency, therefore, harmonic of the clock signal do not enter into a desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication apparatus generating a decoding clock signal using a frequency synthesizer and more particularly relates to the wireless communication apparatus capable of preventing desensitization caused by harmonic of an operation clock signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Concerning a receiving part in a wireless communication apparatus, when a strong disturbance wave exists near a receiving frequency, desensitization occurs because of amplification degeneration from saturation of a high frequency part or a like, and therefore a receiving sensitivity deteriorates.
Particularly, concerning a wireless selective calling receiver (such as a pager), for example, the wireless communication apparatus having multiple receiving line signal frequencies, since clock signal harmonic generated in a clock signal generating circuit in the wireless selective calling receiver becomes an disturbance wave and desensitization occurs, there are cases in that receiving sensitivity deteriorates as to a part of line signal frequencies.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a conventional wireless communication apparatus, and FIG. 7 is a view showing a relationship between a line signal frequency and a clock signal harmonic frequency in the conventional wireless communication apparatus.
The conventional wireless communication apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, is provided with a clock signal generating circuit 301, a control section 302, a receiver/demodulator 303, and a nonvolatile memory 304.
The clock signal generating circuit 301 supplies an operating clock for the control section 302.
The control section 302 controls a receiving operation of the receiver/demodulator 303 and executes processes such as decoding for a digital coded signal as a demodulation result from the receiver/demodulator 303.
The receiver/demodulator 303 demodulates received wireless signal and outputs a demodulated signal consisting of a digital coded signal.
The nonvolatile memory 304 memorizes data such as an ID address in the demodulated signal, a receiving line signal frequency in the receiver/demodulator 303 and a like.
Additionally, for example, a frequency synthesizer is used as the clock signal generating circuit 301. In the conventional wireless communication apparatus having multiple receiving line signal frequencies, like a wireless selective calling receiver, in order to convert a frequency of a received signal or a like, it is conventionally used that plural signals having required various frequencies are produced from stable standard frequency signals using a frequency synthesizer when plural station-frequency-signals and a like are generated (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei5-152903, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei9-008688).
Further, recently, a frequency synthesizer is also used as a clock signal generating circuit for generating a clock signal decoding an encoded-received-demodulated signal.
Next, explanations will be given of operation of the conventional wireless communication apparatus with reference to FIG. 6.
A high frequency signal inputted through an antenna (not shown) and consisting of a wave modulated by a predetermined modulation mode is inputted into the receiver/demodulator 303.
The control section 302 controls the receiver/demodulator 303 so that only the high frequency signal of a required line signal frequency in response to data of received line signal frequency memorized in the nonvolatile memory 304.
The receiver/demodulator 303 demodulates the received high frequency signal and then outputs the demodulated signal as a digital signal of a predetermined encoding form.
The control section 302 decodes this encoded signal using an operation clock signal from the clock signal generating circuit 301. In addition, the control section 302 outputs decoded result data onto a display or a like when an ID address in decoded results data coincides with the ID address memorized in the nonvolatile memory 304.
Concerning the wireless communication apparatus shown in FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 7, a constant range P of front and back of a line signal frequency f0, for example, a range of f0xc2x1xcex94f0 is the range in which desensitization occurs. When a disturbance wave exists in this range, receiving sensitivity deteriorates.
When a harmonic frequency mxc2x7fLKC of a clock signal is within this range, it effects to a received input and becomes the disturbance wave, receiving sensitivity deteriorates compared with a frequency range outside this range.
In the conventional wireless communication apparatus shown in FIG. 6, the frequency fCLK of a clock signal generated in the clock signal generating circuit 301 is approximately constant. Therefore, there is a problem in that receiving sensitivity deterioration can not avoided since a harmonic mxc2x7fCLK of the clock signal enters the frequency range of f0xc2x1xcex94f0 in which desensitization occurs with a used line signal frequency when a number of receiving lines is large.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication apparatus having plural receiving line signal frequencies and preventing desensitization caused by harmonic of an operation clock signal.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication apparatus including a receiver/demodulator for receiving a line signal of a designated frequency and for demodulating the line signal, a control section for decoding a demodulated line signal with a clock signal, and a clock signal generating circuit for supplying the clock signal for the control section, and wherein the control section controls the clock signal generating circuit in response to the line signal frequency to change a frequency of the clock signal so that harmonic of the clock signal does not exist in a desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency.
In the foregoing, a preferable mode is one wherein the clock signal generating circuit includes a standard oscillator generating a signal of a standard frequency, a divider for dividing the clock signal, a phase comparator for detecting a phase error between the divided clock signal and a standard frequency signal and a VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) for changing an oscillating frequency in response to the phase error and wherein the frequency of the clock signal outputted from the VCO is changed by changing the dividing number of the divider in accordance with control by the control section.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the control section sequentially changes the dividing number of the divider and controls the clock signal generating circuit to generate the clock signal while determining whether a clock signal harmonic frequency exists in the desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency in accordance with the line signal frequency or not, so that the clock signal harmonic frequency does not exist in the desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the control section determines whether the clock signal harmonic frequency is close to an upside or a downside in the desensitization range, and then controls the clock signal harmonic frequency to exist just outside of the desensitization range.
Also, a preferable mode is one wherein the control section calculates a dividing number of dividing part necessary so that the clock signal harmonic frequency does not exist in the desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency in response to the line signal frequency.
Also, a preferable mode is one further including a memory for memorizing the calculated dividing number so as to correspond with the line signal frequency, and wherein the control section controls the clock signal generating circuit to generate the clock signal using the memorized dividing number when identical line signal frequency is received.
Also, a preferable mode is one further including a memory for previously memorizing dividing-rate-data of the divider for each division among plural divisions obtained by dividing a receiving-frequency-range, the dividing-rate-data determined so that a clock signal harmonic frequency does not exist in a desensitization range corresponding to all line signal frequencies in each division, and wherein the control section reads the dividing-rate-data corresponding to a received-line-signal-frequency, controls a dividing-rate of the divider in accordance with the dividing-rate-data and controls the clock generating circuit to generate the clock signal.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication method including a step of receiving a line signal of a designated frequency, a step of demodulating the line signal, a step of changing a frequency of a clock signal in response to a line signal frequency so that harmonic of the clock signal does not exist in a desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency, a step of generating the clock signal, and a step of decoding the demodulated line signal with the clock signal.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a media storing a program, the program including a step of receiving a line signal of a designated frequency, a step of demodulating the line signal, a step of changing a frequency of a clock signal in response to a line signal frequency so that harmonic of the clock signal does not exist in a desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency, a step of generating the clock signal, and a step of decoding the demodulated line signal with the clock signal.
With this configuration, in the wireless communication apparatus, the control section controls a clock signal generating part to change frequency of the clock signal in accordance with the line signal frequency, therefore, harmonic of a clock signal do not enter the desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency.
In this case, the clock signal frequency may be controlled in a frequency synthesizer by changing a dividing number of a dividing part so as to change the frequency of the clock signal outputted from the VCO in accordance with control of the control section. This frequency synthesizer includes the standard oscillator generating a standard frequency signal, the dividing part dividing a clock signal, a phase comparison part for detecting a phase error between the divided signal and the standard frequency signal and the VCO changing an oscillating frequency in response to the phase error.
Also, in this case, the control section may sequentially change the dividing number of the dividing part and may control the clock signal generating circuit to generate the clock signal while determining whether a clock signal harmonic frequency exists in the desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency or not in accordance with the line signal frequency, so that the clock signal harmonic frequency does not exist in the desensitization range corresponding to the line signal frequency.
Also, a memory part may be provided to previously memorize dividing-rate-data of the dividing part for each division among plural divisions obtained by dividing a receiving-frequency range, the dividing-rate-data determined so that a clock signal harmonic frequency does not exist in a desensitization range corresponding to all line signal frequencies in each division, and the control section may read the dividing-rate-data corresponding to a received-line-signal-frequency, may control a dividing-rate of the dividing part in accordance with the dividing-rate-data and may control the clock generating part to generate the clock signal.
Accordingly, with this configuration, the clock signal frequency is controlled in the clock generating part so that a harmonic frequency of an operation clock signal in the control section does not become close to the line signal frequency and does not enter a frequency range in which desensitization occurs in the receiver/demodulator, therefore, it is possible to prevent receiving-desensitization by influence of clock signal harmonics.


An item-sorting unit includes a mobile frame movable in a direction of motion, and a driven endless belt mounted on the frame for rotation in a cross direction extending transversely relative to the direction of frame motion. An outer surface of the belt includes one or more upstanding curbs extending parallel to the cross direction. The curb(s) is formed of a flexible high-friction material and functions to resist movement of carried items relative to the belt.

This invention relates to a belt for a sorting machine unit of the so-called "cross-belt" type.
The industrial item sorting sector utilizes sorting machines employing various technologies, such as machines equipped with pushers, tilting dishes, etc.
Other known machines are of the "cross-belt" type, which comprise a small endless conveyor belt or mat installed on a trolley serving as a item carrier and sorting unit, where the said belt is actuated to move in a direction perpendicular to the forward motion of the sorting unit.
The systems based on a "cross-belt" technology enjoy an ever-growing diffusion, thanks to their high productivity coupled with other advantages such as a limited encumbrance and high sorting precision.
Compared to other technologies, the "cross-belt" technology also allows handling an extremely broad range of items, thanks to the fact that the sorting functions are carried out in an active manner, by case-to-case changing of the various parameters such as the acceleration imparted to the item, its unloading time and velocity, depending on the characteristics of the items themselves, thus eliminating the imprecision of the machines based on different technologies, such as those of a tilting-dish type, which unload by gravity.
For the purpose of loading items on the belts of the carrying and sorting units, loading stations are generally provided. These consist of several independent conveyor belts, arranged at an oblique angle to the direction of motion of the sorting unit.
In practice, all these stations constitute the interface between the operators charged with the loading process and the sorting machine itself.
The modern technologies for loading the items include the use of electronic devices capable of automatically verifying the dimensions and characteristics of the items and calculating, for each of them, the optimum accelerations and transit velocities.
The control of the functionality of the loading station generally serves the purpose of assigning each item to a sorting unit, and positioning the item at the center of the belt of that unit.
This positioning step is most important for a favorable final result, as any items loaded in erroneous positions may cause jamming along the sorting path, with a resulting abnormal operation of the machine and damage to the items. The items may even fall off the sorting unit, or, as in the most common case, assume anomalous trajectories during the unloading phase at the destination, with a consequent jamming in the exit devices and/or with sorting errors.
Although the latest systems utilize highly sophisticated technologies and equipment to ensure a precise positioning of the items, some loading errors occasionally still occur, wherein "error" involves an inability of an item to find its ideal position on the sorting unit.
These errors are generally generated by the unpredictable behavior of certain objects, both during the loading phase and while passing from the loading station to the carrying and sorting mat or belt.
In order to minimize these shortcomings, the present state of the art resorts to the following devices:
when the introduction belt is inclined in a horizontal plane with respect to the direction of motion of the sorting unit, the item is loaded onto the still-moving sorting unit with a velocity vector including some components congruent with the forward velocity of the sorting unit, so that the item may be deposited on the belt at a relative velocity of essentially nil; PA1 beside the path of the sorting machine, in front of the loading stations, some barriers are installed which prevent any objects with a low friction coefficient from being pushed off the sorting unit, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the unit; PA1 some retaining curbs are installed on the sorting units, separate from the mat, to prevent any items with a low friction coefficient from sliding off in the direction of motion of the unit, and thus dropping off the unit in either the forward or rearward direction; PA1 conveyor belts made of highly adherent materials are used, so as to reduce any undesirable effects when handling items with a low friction coefficient.
However, all of the expedients described above cannot always prevent the occurrence of anomalous situations, so that it occasionally still happens that some items are improperly positioned on the mats.
For example, limp items such as plastic bags of a large size with respect to the volume of their contents, tend to glide in the direction of motion of the machine, so that the use of any fixed banks on the carrying units may have negative effects.
The bags may in effect position themselves so as to partially pile up on the bank, which may in an unloading phase slow the item's motion by friction, thus adversely affecting its trajectory.
Moreover, the mats, friction coefficient varies in use due to the dirt accumulating on its surface or because of different conditions of humidity, with the result that the behavior of the items may in an unloading phase be affected even to a considerable extent.
Some known conveyor belts also carry a row of ledges arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the mat, i.e., parallel to the direction of motion of the sorting unit. These ledges are used when the conveyor belt is severely inclined, so as to prevent a slippage of the items being carried.
Other known rotating mats have a curb affixed to their lower (interior) surface (in contact with the supporting rollers), which curb slides in a groove provided in the supporting rollers and functions as a guide to keep the mat centered on the rollers.

Mobile item-sorting unit having an endless belt provided with an item-restraining curb structure


A sealed rolling bearing has sealing devices with both the functions of high sealing ability and small sliding resistance, which are antipodal to each other. The sealed rolling bearing has an outer member (1, 30) formed with an outer raceway surface (8, 29) on its inner circumferential surface. An inner member (4, 5, 32) is formed with an inner raceway surface (9a, 9b, 31) on its outer circumferential surface. The inner raceway surface (9a, 9b, 31) is arranged opposite to the outer raceway surface (8, 29). Rolling elements (10, 34) are freely rollably contained between the outer and inner raceway surfaces. Sealing devices (12, 13, 35) are arranged in an annular space formed between the outer and inner members (1, 30 and 4, 5, 32). Each of the sealing devices (12, 13; 35) has elastic sealing lips (27a˜27c, 23˜25, 37a, 37b). The maximum height Ry or Rmax of the surface roughness of a sliding surface of a member of the rotational side (18, 4, 32), which the sealing lips (27a˜27c, 23˜25, 37a, 37b) slidingly contact, is limited to a value of 2.0 μm or less. The run-out of the sliding surface, normal thereto, is limited to a value of 30 μm or less.

In general, sealed roller bearings, with high sealability, prevent ingress of rain water or dusts into the inside of the bearing. The bearings are used, for example, as bearings for the suspension of automobiles. This is due to the fact that these bearings are usually exposed to severe conditions which contain muddy water, dusts etc. On the other hand, such a rolling bearing is required to have a small rotational torque since a large rotational torque on the bearing causes adverse influence to bearing temperature rise and fuel consumption. Since the sliding resistance of the seals is a major factor that influences an increase in the rotational torque of the bearing, it is desirous to provide a sealed rolling bearing that has not only a high sealability but a small sliding resistance.
One representative example of such a bearing for an automobile is described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present disclosure. This bearing is used for a driving wheel of an automobile. The bearing includes an outer member integrally formed with a body mounting flange on its outer circumference. The flange is adapted to be mounted on a body (not shown) of the automobile. The outer member is also formed with double row outer raceway surfaces on its inner circumferential surface. A wheel hub has an integrally formed wheel mounting flange on one of its end to mount a wheel (not shown). One inner raceway surface is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the wheel hub. The inner raceway surface is arranged opposite to one of the double row outer raceway surfaces. A cylindrical portion, of a smaller diameter, axially extends from the inner raceway surface. The cylinder portion includes serrations formed on its inner circumferential surface to transmit torque. An inner ring is adapted to be fitted on the cylindrical portion and the inner ring includes the other inner raceway surfaces formed on its outer circumferential surface.
Double row rolling elements (balls) are arranged between the double row outer and inner raceway surfaces. The balls are freely rollably held by cages. Sealing devices are arranged at both ends of the outer member within an annular space formed by an inner member (including the wheel hub and the inner ring) and the outer member. The sealing devices prevent leakage of grease contained within the bearing as well as ingress of rain water or dusts into the inside of the bearing.
The sealing device of the inboard side, arranged between the outer member and the inner ring, includes a sealing ring with a metal core. The metal core has a substantially L-shaped cross-section and is fit into the outer member. A sealing member is integrally adhered, via vulcanized adhesion, onto the metal core. A slinger, having a similar L-shaped cross-section, is fit onto the inner ring. The sealing member is made of an elastic material, such as rubber, and has three sealing lips, an outer sealing lip, a middle sealing lip and an inner sealing lip. The tip edge of the outer sealing lip is in sliding contact with an inner side of an upstanding portion of the slinger. The tip edges of the middle sealing lip and the inner sealing lip are in sliding contact with a cylindrical portion of the slinger.
The sealing device, on the outboard side, has an annular metal core and a sealing member integrally adhered, via vulcanized adhesion, on the metal core 26. The sealing member is made of elastic material, such as rubber, and has three sealing lips. The tip edges of the three sealing lips are in direct sealing contact with the surface of the wheel hub.
In the sealing devices of the bearing for a wheel of a vehicle of the prior art, the slinger of the sealing device on the inboard side has a surface roughness of a sliding surface on which the sealing lips sliding contact which is limited to a value at the center line average height (Ra) at 0.3 μm or less and to a value at the maximum height (Ry) at 1.2 μm or less. Thus, foreign materials cannot easily enter into the inside of the bearing. This is due to the difficulty to generate a small gap at the maximum height portions and damages which would be otherwise caused at rolling contact portions by change in the properties of the grease (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 184897/2003).
However, in order to limit the surface roughness of a sliding surface to which the sealing lips sliding contact to the value at the center line average height (Ra) at 0.3 μm or less and to the value at the maximum height (Ry) at 1.2 μm or less, it is necessary, previously, to press sheet members having the target surface roughness or to carry out lapping of the surfaces of sheet members after the pressing process. In fact, since availability of the plate member with such a target surface roughness is difficult, it is state of art, in view of its manufacturing cost, to carry out lapping of the surfaces of the sheet members after the pressing process.
Such a lapping of the surface of the slinger makes its handling very difficult, increases the number of processing steps, and further causes deformation of the surface of the slinger. Such a deformation of the sliding surface of the slinger causes variation of the interference of the sealing member. This reduces the following ability of the sealing lips and accordingly reduces the sealing of the bearing.


A semiconductor device includes an AlGaN layer that is provided on a SiC substrate and has an acceptor concentration equal to or higher than a donor concentration, a GaN layer provided on the AlGaN layer, and an electron supply layer that is provided on the GaN layer and has a band gap greater than that of GaN.

(i) Technical Field
A certain aspect of the embodiments discussed herein is related to a semiconductor device. Another aspect of the embodiments is related to a semiconductor device having a SiC substrate.
(ii) Related Art
A semiconductor devices using a nitride semiconductor is used as a power device operating at high frequencies and outputting high power. Particularly, there is known an FET such as a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) as a semiconductor device suitable for amplification in a high-frequency or RF (radio Frequency) band such as a microwave band, a quasi-millimeter band or a millimeter band.
As a semiconductor device having a nitride semiconductor, there is known a semiconductor device in which an AlN layer, an AlGaN layer, a GaN layer and an electron supply layer are sequentially stacked in this order on a Si substrate (see Japanese Patent application Publication No. 2008-166349). As a substrate for the semiconductor device including a nitride semiconductor, there is known a SiC substrate having a lattice constant relatively close to that of GaN besides the Si substrate.
The semiconductor device using a nitride semiconductor is desired to operate at higher frequencies. Higher operating frequencies may be achieved by improving the pinch-off characteristic.


This invention relates to processes and intermediates for manufacturing fused heterocyclic-type kinase inhibitor compounds, such as thienopyridine-based compounds, and to processes and intermediates for preparing intermediates that are useful in the manufacture of fused heterocyclic-type kinase inhibitor compounds, such as thienopyridine-based compounds, particularly at an industrial level.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to processes and intermediates for manufacturing fused heterocyclic-type compounds, such as thienopyridine-based kinase inhibitor compounds, and to processes and intermediates for preparing intermediates that are useful in the manufacture of fused heterocyclic-type compounds, such as thienopyridine-based kinase inhibitor compounds, particularly at an industrial level. Fused heterocyclic-type compounds have been found to be useful to inhibit protein tyrosine kinase activity. In particular, fused heterocyclic-type compounds, such as thienopyridine-based compounds, have been found useful to inhibit the protein tyrosine kinase activity of growth factor receptors, resulting in the inhibition of receptor signaling, for example, the inhibition of VEGF receptor signaling and HGF receptor signaling. Fused heterocyclic-type compounds have been found to be useful in the treatment of cancer by inhibiting protein tyrosine kinase activity. The pharmaceutical compositions that comprise these compounds are also useful in the treatment of diseases, other than cancer, which are associated with signal transduction pathways operating through growth factor and anti-angiogenesis receptors such as c-Met.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Tyrosine kinases may be classified as growth factor receptor (e.g. EGFR, PDGFR, FGFR and erbB2) or non-receptor (e.g. c-src and bcr-abl) kinases. The receptor type tyrosine kinases make up about 20 different subfamilies. The non-receptor type tyrosine kinases make up numerous subfamilies. These tyrosine kinases have diverse biological activity. Receptor tyrosine kinases are large enzymes that span the cell membrane and possess an extracellular binding domain for growth factors, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular portion that functions as a kinase to phosphorylate a specific tyrosine residue in proteins and hence to influence cell proliferation. Aberrant or inappropriate protein kinase activity can contribute to the rise of disease states associated with such aberrant kinase activity.
Angiogenesis is an important component of certain normal physiological processes such as embryogenesis and wound healing, but aberrant angiogenesis contributes to some pathological disorders and in particular to tumor growth. VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor A) is a key factor promoting neovascularization (angiogenesis) of tumors. VEGF induces endothelial cell proliferation and migration by signaling through two high affinity receptors, the fins-like tyrosine kinase receptor, Flt-1, and the kinase insert domain-containing receptor, KDR. These signaling responses are critically dependent upon receptor dimerization and activation of intrinsic receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activity. The binding of VEGF as a disulfide-linked homodimer stimulates receptor dimerization and activation of the RTK domain. The kinase activity autophosphorylates cytoplasmic receptor tyrosine residues, which then serve as binding sites for molecules involved in the propagation of a signaling cascade. Although multiple pathways are likely to be elucidated for both receptors, KDR signaling is most extensively studied, with a mitogenic response suggested to involve ERK-1 and ERK-2 mitogen-activated protein kinases.
Disruption of VEGF receptor signaling is a highly attractive therapeutic target in cancer, as angiogenesis is a prerequisite for all solid tumor growth, and that the mature endothelium remains relatively quiescent (with the exception of the female reproductive system and wound healing). A number of experimental approaches to inhibiting VEGF signaling have been examined, including use of neutralizing antibodies, receptor antagonists, soluble receptors, antisense constructs and dominant-negative strategies.
Despite the attractiveness of anti-angiogenic therapy by VEGF inhibition alone, several issues may limit this approach. VEGF expression levels can themselves be elevated by numerous diverse stimuli and perhaps most importantly, the hypoxic state of tumors resulting from VEGFr inhibition, can lead to the induction of factors that themselves promote tumor invasion and metastasis thus, potentially undermining the impact of VEGF inhibitors as cancer therapeutics.
The HGF (hepatocyte growth factor) and the HGF receptor, c-Met, are implicated in the ability of tumor cells to undermine the activity of VEGF inhibition. HGF derived from either stromal fibroblasts surrounding tumor cells or expressed from the tumor itself has been suggested to play a critical role in tumor angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. For example, invasive growth of certain cancer cells is drastically enhanced by tumor-stromal interactions involving the HGF/c-Met (HGF receptor) pathway. HGF, which was originally identified as a potent mitogen for hepatocytes, is primarily secreted from stromal cells, and the secreted HGF can promote motility and invasion of various cancer cells that express c-Met in a paracrine manner. Binding of HGF to c-Met leads to receptor phosphorylation and activation of Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, thereby enhancing malignant behaviors of cancer cells. Moreover, stimulation of the HGF/c-Met pathway itself can lead to the induction of VEGF expression, itself contributing directly to angiogenic activity.
Biological agents, such as ribozymes, antibodies and antisense RNA targeting either HGF or Met have been shown to inhibit tumorogenesis (Stabile et al., (2004) Gene Therapy, 11: 325-335; Jiang et al., (2003) Clin. Cancer Res., 9: 4274-4281; and Genentech U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,344).
Thus, anti-tumor and/or anti-angiogenic strategies or approaches that target either or both VEGF/VEGFr signaling and HGF/c-Met signaling may circumvent the ability of tumor cells to overcome VEGF inhibition alone and may represent improved cancer therapeutics.

Processes and intermediates for preparing fused heterocyclic kinase inhibitors


A device for dilating an opening through the tracheal wall of a patient includes a loading dilator. A balloon catheter is received in the lumen of the dilator such that the balloon extends distal to the loading dilator distal end. The balloon is configured to radially dilate a portion of the tracheal wall upon inflation. The balloon includes retention structure along its outer surface such that upon inflation, the retention structure inhibits dislodgement of the balloon when the balloon is positioned across the tracheal wall. The retention structure may comprise a pair of spaced elements radially projecting from the outer surface of the balloon, and spaced along the outer surface such that each of the elements is disposed at an opposite side of the tracheal wall when the balloon is positioned along the tracheal wall opening.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a device for dilating an opening through a wall of a patient's air passageway. More particularly, the invention relates to a dilational device having a balloon retention mechanism for maintaining a position of the balloon across the air passageway wall during dilation of the passageway.
2. Background Information
The restoration of an adequate air passageway is the first critical step in maintaining the ability of a seriously ill or injured patient to breathe, or in performing resuscitation on a patient unable to breathe. Endotracheal intubation (the placement of a tube through the nostrils or mouth and into the trachea itself) is generally considered the preferred method for establishing an air passageway when the trachea, nostrils and/or mouth are free of obstruction. When an obstruction is present, however, endotracheal intubation is often not possible, and some other passageway for airflow must be established.
The most direct way to provide an air passageway under these circumstances is to form an opening in the tracheal wall, and once formed, to maintain the opening by inserting a tracheostomy tube therethrough. Conventional tracheostomy tubes generally include an open distal aperture, and a circumferential inflatable cuff to provide a seal between the tracheal wall and the tracheostomy tube.
Several methods and devices are known for forming or enlarging an opening in a tracheal wall. Each method is subject to certain advantages and disadvantages. For example, tracheostomy and cricothyrotomy procedures have been performed by using a scalpel to make an incision in the neck. Such procedures entail a high degree of surgical skill to perform successfully, particularly since it is vital to locate and avoid unintentional severing of the blood vessels in the area. These procedures can even require the surgeon to cut through several blood vessels and ligate (tie) them to the trachea, in order to achieve an adequately large opening. The length of time needed to perform these procedures (often on the order of half an hour) is poorly suited to emergency treatment, when prompt restoration of the air passageway is critical. Moreover, the use of a scalpel to fully form an opening potentially causes undue trauma to the tissues surrounding the opening, and can result in the formation of an unduly large or oversized opening in the soft tissue of the neck.
To minimize such trauma, it has been found desirable to initially incise only a small opening, and thereafter enlarge the opening with further dilation. For example, one technique for dilating an opening includes the use of a wire guide to facilitate the introduction of a dilator into the trachea. This technique involves making a small incision with a scalpel, and inserting a needle and wire guide through the incision. The needle is removed, and a tapered, elongated, tubular dilator is positioned over the wire guide and introduced into the trachea. One drawback of this technique is that the tubular dilator must thereafter be withdrawn, and a loading dilator/tracheostomy tube combination must then be inserted over the wire guide. Even though intended to be performed in an emergency situation, the technique entails the sequential manipulation of several devices by the physician, which is time consuming and complicates the procedure.
In another procedure, an opening formed by the needle is dilated by the use of a device having a handle and a nose, the nose extending laterally from the axis of the handle. The nose has two jaws that spread apart for separating the tissue surrounding the opening, and the device is introduced into the trachea by positioning the elongated, tapered nose over the wire guide. While this type of device may offer more powerful dilation than elongated tubular dilators, a problem with this device is that the unguarded nose must be inserted into the trachea with precision, and must be manipulated at an angle to avoid perforating the posterior tracheal wall.
Another prior art technique for dilating an opening is the use of a tapered, elongated, tubular dilator, or a series of tapered dilators having increasingly larger diameters. Although such dilators are effective for forming a suitably-sized opening in the tracheal wall, each dilator presents a pointed distal end to the posterior tracheal wall when introduced into the trachea. The risk of injury to the trachea is compounded by the toughness of the tracheal membrane, which resists the introduction of medical devices. Introducing these elongated dilators typically requires the application of considerable force. Although a hydrophilic coating may be applied to the dilator to reduce the amount of force required to insert the dilator, a physician must still exert a downward force to push the dilator into the trachea, and yet avoid puncturing the posterior tracheal wall.
Prior art devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,653,230 and 7,036,510, both incorporated by reference herein, describe devices and methods for radially dilating a tracheal opening. A catheter having a polymeric inflatable balloon at the distal end of the catheter is provided. The uninflated balloon is positioned across an opening formed in the airway wall. The balloon is slowly inflated, thereby radially dilating the opening in the tracheal wall to form an ostomy of suitable size to permit insertion of a tracheostomy tube. Since these devices permit the radial enlargement of an opening, they eliminate the necessity of exerting the downward or axial push force required by many existing devices.
Although the devices described in the '230 and '510 patents are generally effective for radially dilating the opening in the tracheal wall, it is possible that the balloon may slip into or out of the trachea during inflation. Such slippage may occur, for example, as a result of inflation forces acting upon the balloon, and/or due to the resistance exerted by the tissue being dilated by the inflating balloon. When this occurs, the user generally must deflate the balloon, reposition it across the tracheal wall, and repeat the balloon inflation. Since these steps involve providing, or maintaining, an adequate airway for the patient, any additional steps that must be carried out to achieve proper positioning of the tracheostomy tube are inherently undesirable.
It would be desirable to provide a dilational device capable of radially dilating an opening in a tracheal wall, and that is structured in a manner to inhibit slippage or other undesired movement of the balloon during dilation.

Percutaneous dilational device having balloon retention mechanism


The invention provides a dressing composition comprising a bisphosphonate matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor covalently bound to a polymer wherein, when the dressing is contacted with a wound, substantially all of the bisphosphonate remains with the dressing composition and is unable to enter the wound tissue. The invention also provides for a method of treatment of a wound by contacting a dressing composition comprising a covalently bound MMP inhibitor with the wound fluid to thereby selectively inhibit one or more MMP's in the wound fluid without inhibiting those in the wound tissue.

The treatment of chronic wounds represents a significant burden on the healthcare system. Currently, between 1-3% of the population in Australia suffer from chronic wounds which translates to a healthcare cost of upwards of $500 million per annum.
Chronic wounds can have a debilitating effect on sufferers and impacts negatively on their quality of life. The treatment of pain related to the wound is often identified as one of the main priorities in chronic wound management. In extreme cases amputation of the affected limb is necessary.
There is currently no single accepted treatment for chronic wounds. Topical treatments using growth factors have been shown to be only partially effective. It has been suggested that this kind of treatment has had limited success due to the high levels of proteases found in the chronic wound fluid resulting in degradation of the growth factors. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP's) in particular are found in high levels in chronic wound fluid and they have been held responsible for the degradation of the extracellular matrix as well as key factors, including growth factors, critical to wound healing. To address this, some treatments have focused on inhibiting one or more MMP's to reduce the proteolytic environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,227 discloses the use of bisphosphonates as MMP inhibitors to reduce the excessive degradation of connective tissue matrix protein components in mammals. Inhibition of MMP-1 and MMP-8 using clodronate is stated as particularly desirable. The bisphosphonate is delivered orally, intravenously, or topically i.e. the intention is to make the bisphosphonate available systemically as well as to the wound tissue and wound fluid.
PCT publication WO 2006/126926 teaches that a suture thread with an MMP inhibitor adhered to it may be useful to prevent weakening or softening of the tissue surrounding the sutures after surgery. The inhibitor may be adhered to the suture thread by adsorption, electrostatic interaction or covalent bonding. The aim of this invention is, therefore, to have MMP inhibitors in direct contact with the tissue which is sutured to inhibit tissue degradation and so, loosening of the sutures.
Local contact between the tissue and inhibitor is favoured over systemic delivery. However, it is stated as being desirable that the MMP inhibitor should be gradually released from a fibrinogen matrix associated with the suture thread and so a combination of covalent and electrostatic loading is the preferred means of adherence to the suture thread. A large proportion of the MMP inhibitor is therefore to be released into the tissue in and around the wound.
WO 2002/40058 discloses a bisphosphonate covalently bound to a polymer such as poly(ethylene glycol) which also has a biologically active agent bound via a degradable linker. The bisphosphonate in this invention is employed solely for its hydroxy-apatite targeting ability.
The bisphosphonate is used to target the polymer to bone surfaces and as the degradable linker degrades the biologically active agent is released. This allows the bone surface to be used as a reservoir for a releasable biological agent. The bisphosphonate is present purely as a targeting moiety which is made available systemically via a number of possible delivery routes.
It has been reported that the role of MMP's in chronic wounds may not be as simple as was first thought and the destructive role they play in creating the proteolytic environment of the wound fluid may only represent part of the picture.


One aspect of the present invention extends the number of client and/or service types used in location-based services. The extension provides richer definitions for use in selecting the optimal or otherwise best suited positioning sequences to be used in fulfilling given positioning requests. For example, some types of commercial-related positioning requests are better satisfied with quicker-but-lower-accuracy position determinations, while other types benefit from more-accurate-but-slower position determinations. These and other benefits are provided by extending the type definitions used to identify commercial positioning requests. For example, a UE may be configured to send positioning requests that indicate the extended client or service types. As another example, the network node(s) involved in generating or processing such requests are configured to understand the extended type definitions and/or to map the extended definitions to QoS requirements, or to particular positioning sequences, for requesting that a positioning node carry out that particular positioning sequence.

Positioning service, location service (LCS) and location-based services (LBS) are becoming more and more important to cellular operators. The introduction of smart phones offers new service possibilities that will require operators to optimize performance, with respect to different positioning requirements for different services, but brings with it new challenges with respect to location services.
In particular, positioning and LCS support for LTE are currently being standardized. Most of the basic signaling support for LCS has been standardized, although work remains. For example, functionality such as LCS QoS (Quality of Service) is not yet complete in the standard. Further, most of the available positioning functionality contemplated in the LTE context has been adopted from UTRAN specifications, even though those specifications are perceived as lacking flexibility and suffering from certain practical problems.
QoS Discrimination in UMTS
LCS QoS Parameters in UMTS
In UMTS, the signalling service between UTRAN or GERAN (in Iu mode) and core network (CN) is provided by the radio network layer signalling protocol called Radio Access Network Application Part (RANAP). At least the following RANAP functions are related to LCS,                Controlling location reporting—the function allows the CN to operate the mode in which the UTRAN reports the UE location using message                    LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL (transmitted from CN to RNC);                        Location reporting—the function used for transferring the actual location information from RNC to the CN using message                    LOCATION REPORT;                        Location related data—the function allows the CN to either retrieve from the RNC deciphering keys (to be forwarded to the UE) for the broadcast assistance data, or request the RNC to deliver dedicated assistance data to the UE by means of messages:                    LOCATION RELATED DATA REQUEST,            LOCATION RELATED DATA RESPONSE, and            LOCATION RELATED DATA FAILURE.
It is specified [8] that a Location service request shall include, among the others, such attributes as LCS Client identity, LCS Client Type, and also, if needed, supported GAD shapes, positioning priority, service identity and/or type, and requested QoS information. In UTRAN, this functionality is enabled by RANAP, so that the LCS Client can request a certain QoS of the positioning functionality available in the RNC of UTRAN (the RNC and its corresponding NodeBs are called the Radio Network Subsystem, or RNS; there can be more than one RNS present in an UTRAN). The requested QoS is defined (at least) by the following information elements of the RANAP LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL message, see [1]:                Response time (values: high/low), which is not mapped to time in the standard;        Accuracy code (encoded with 128 values), which is interpreted as the radius in meters of an uncertainty circle when decoded; and        Vertical accuracy code (encoded with 128 values), which is interpreted as the size of the uncertainty interval, but it is unclear in the standard whether it is one- or two-sided.
Furthermore, the message may also include positioning priority and Client Type (more details in the section that is immediately below).
Client Types in UTRAN
In [8], LCS Client is defined as a software and/or hardware entity that interacts with a LCS Server for the purpose of obtaining location information for one or more UEs. LCS Clients subscribe to LCS in order to obtain location information. LCS Clients may or may not interact with human users. The LCS Client is responsible for formatting and presenting data and managing the user interface (dialogue). The LCS Client may reside in the UE or SUPL-Enabled Terminal (SET), but it could also be at the network side (e.g., network maintenance services or BSs positioning themselves).
The Client Type information is very important in practice since it allows for configuring LCS QoS discrimination in a flexible way. Also, there may exist some restrictions for certain LCS client types. For example, in the US, national interim standard TIA/EIA/IS-J-STD-036 restricts the geographic shape for an emergency services LCS client to minimally either an "ellipsoid point" or an "ellipsoid point with uncertainty circle and confidence" as defined in [7]. In UTRAN, the LCS Client type is signaled in the location reporting control message as one of 8 pre-defined values in UTRAN, said values being used to discriminate between different services. The following Client Type values are supported by UTRAN Iu interface, see [1]:
Emergency Services;
Value Added Services;
PLMN Operator Services;
Lawful Intercept Services;
PLMN Operator Broadcast Services;
PLMN Operator Operation and Maintenance Services;
PLMN Operator Anonymous Statistics Services; and
PLMN Operator Target MS Services Support.
It can be noted that there is only one Client Type for commercial LBS (i.e., Value Added Services)—this single type definition is becoming a significant drawback, as the number of commercial location services increases.
Service Types in UTRAN
Service Type is an attribute of specific LBS that may be provided by the LCS client, as defined in [9]. The LCS Client may also provide the service identity, which can then be mapped by the server to a certain Service Type which may also be verified against the LCS profile and the subscription. The following LCS categories and types have been standardized [9]:                Public Safety Services (Emergency Services, Emergency Alert Services);        Location Sensitive Charging;        Tracking Services (Person Tracking, Fleet Management, Asset Management);        Traffic Monitoring (Traffic Congestion Reporting);        Enhanced Call Routing (Roadside Assistance, Routing to Nearest Commercial Enterprise);        Location Based Information Services (Traffic and public transportation information, City Sightseeing, Localized Advertising, Mobile Yellow Pages, Weather, Asset and Service Finding);        Entertainment and Community Services (Gaming, Find Your Friend, Dating, Chatting, Route Finding, Where-am-I); and        Service Provider Specific Services.Confidence in General
Due to the nature of radio propagation, it is standard to adopt a statistical description of the obtained positions of the terminals. The confidence parameter is then used for description of the statistical error, the confidence being defined as the probability that the terminal is located in the interior of the reported region. The ways the confidence is obtained differ, the reason for this being different statistical models. In A-GPS, the inaccuracy is caused by a combination of pseudo-range measurement errors and geometrical effects. Due to the excess measurements, the law of large numbers together with a linearization provides a motivation for the standard Gaussian position error model. For cell ID and TA positioning the error is rather caused by radio coverage effects. Hence a uniform statistical model for the terminal location is used in these cases.
Selection Logic in UTRAN
The UE Positioning function is controlled by means of operator configurable sets of logic for positioning method selection (the notation "positioning method selection algorithm" will be used below). The positioning method selection algorithm takes a number of inputs, including these items:                The Client Type, received in the LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL message [1];        The QoS parameters (Response Time, Accuracy Code and Vertical Accuracy Code), received in the LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL message [1];        The EnabledPositioningFeatures parameter, with augmented range to cover also RTT Positioning—not relevant for the present invention disclosure; and        The UE Capability, primarily to reveal the A-GPS capability of the UE—not relevant for the present invention disclosure.
In the first revision of the QoS discriminating positioning feature, three service classes are implemented, with one configurable set of selection logic for each service class. Each service class, except the Emergency Services class which is default, is defined by configured Client Types. There is one dedicated service class for emergency positioning and two service classes for different commercial services.
The logic for each service class allows a first positioning attempt, possibly followed by two re-attempted positioning attempts. The following alternatives are configurable by the operator:
Valid for all service classes:                The typical QoS for each licensed positioning method, including                    Typical response time,            Typical Accuracy Code (Horizontal accuracy expressed as a radius),            Typical Vertical Accuracy Code (Vertical accuracy).
Valid for each service class, separately:                A list of Client Types, for which the service class shall be selected.        Note1: A Client Type is only allowed to appear in one service class. Furthermore, no list is needed for the Emergency Services service class, which is the default case.        Note2: Only one Client Type for commercial services is available in UTRAN.        Valid for all positioning attempts.                    Selection of post-check of QoS after each positioning attempt. Note that the QoS is not computed unless a postcheck is configured.                        First Positioning attempt                    An ordered list of selectable positioning methods,            The method with best QoS is selected.                        Second positioning attempt:                    Hard selection of first re-attempted positioning method, from list of selectable positioning methods.            Note: A positioning method that has already been executed is not executed a second time.                        Third positioning attempt:                    Hard selection of second re-attempted positioning method, from list of selectable positioning methods.            Note: A positioning method that has already been executed is not executed a second time.
The positioning selection algorithm operates by first checking the Client Type IE that is received in the LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL message. The Client Type will then correspond to the appropriate service class. The positioning method selection algorithm then proceeds by selection of a first positioning method. The selection is QoS-based, and accounts for:                The requested QoS, as received in the LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL message;        The configured (typical) Response Time, Accuracy Code (Horizontal accuracy) and Vertical Accuracy Code (Vertical accuracy), for each of the licensed positioning methods; and        The UE Capability and the enabledPositioningFeatures parameter (which determines if the positioning method is turned on in an RNS)—not relevant for the present invention disclosure.
The selection algorithm loops over the whole list of configured possible first positioning methods, and selects the method that best meets the QoS criteria. The precedence of the QoS criteria follows 3GPP, i.e., Response Time, Accuracy Code followed by Vertical Accuracy Code. In case two methods are equally good, the first method of the list of configured possible first positioning methods is selected.
After the first positioning method has been selected (selection of no method is a possibility), the selected positioning method is executed.
If configured, a post check of the achieved accuracy is performed, after which it is determined if the UE Positioning function shall proceed with reporting or re-attempted positioning, depending on the outcome of the test. In case of failure of the selected positioning method, the UE Positioning method also proceeds with re-attempted positioning.
In case the UE Positioning function proceeds with re-attempted positioning, the UE Capability and enabledPositioningFeatures are checked, this time for the positioning method which is configured for the second positioning attempt. If the test is successful, the use case corresponding to the UE state and the selected positioning method is executed. At completion, any configured post check is performed to check the achieved accuracy. If the achieved accuracy fulfils the requested accuracy, the result of the second positioning attempt is reported, otherwise a third positioning attempt is performed. A third positioning attempt is also performed in case the second positioning attempt would fail.
The third attempt operates like the second attempt, with the exception that after completion, no post check needs to be performed. The reason is that there is no fourth attempt in case the achieved QoS would not be good enough. For the same reason, the UE Positioning function reports the result of the positioning attempt that best meets the requested QoS, as received in the LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL message.
QoS Evaluation in UTRAN
The QoS evaluation operates by:                Checking if the response time is below the requested response time;        Calculation of areas of the geographical formats that results from each positioning method, and comparison to the area of a circle with a radius given by the requested horizontal accuracy code; and        Calculation/lookup of the size of the vertical inaccuracy that results from each positioning method, and comparison to the requested vertical (scalar) accuracy, as given by the vertical accuracy code received over the RANAP interface.Positioning Architecture and Protocols in LTE
In LTE, the basic Evolved Packet System (EPS) architecture consists of two nodes in the user plane, a base station and an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network Gateway (GW). The node that performs control-plane functionality (MME) is separated from the node that performs bearer-plane functionality (i.e., GW). Signaling service between E-UTRAN and EPC is provided over the S1 interface by means of S1 Application Protocol (S1AP) [2]. The S1 interface between eNodeB and MME is called S1-MME and is utilized in control-plane positioning solutions. SLs interface is standardized between MME and eSMLC with LCS-AP protocol operating over the interface. The S1 interface between eNodeB and Serving GW is called S1-U and it is utilized in user-plane positioning solutions.
The following location-related procedures are defined for S1AP in [2]:                Location Reporting Control, which allows the MME to request the eNodeB to report the current UE location, with message                    LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL;                        Location Report, by which the eNodeB provides the UE's current location to the MME by using message                    LOCATION REPORT;                        Location Report Failure Indication, by which eNodeB informs MME that a Location Reporting Control procedure has failed, with message                    LOCATION REPORT FAILURE INDICATION.
In [2], LOCATION REPORTING CONTROL message only indicates how the eNodeB shall report to MME and what type of location information (e.g., CSG or TAI). S1AP messages as such do not contain information on the required accuracy, response time, etc. This information is carried by means of LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) [4], while using S1AP protocol as a transport over the S1-MME interface, so that LPP messages are carried as transparent PDUs over S1-MME.
LPP is a point-to-point protocol used between a location server and a target device in order to position the target device using position-related measurements obtained by one or more reference sources. For LPP messages, a server could, for example, be eSMLC in the control plane or SLP in the user-plane, while a target could be a UE or SET in the control and user planes, respectively. LPP uses RRC as a transport over Uu interface between UE and eSMLC, S1AP over S1 and SLs interface between eNodeB and eSMLC. The following transactions have been specified for LPP,
capability transfer procedure (request/provide messages),
assistance data transfer procedure (request/provide messages),
location information transfer (request/provide messages), etc.
LTE Positioning Protocol Annex (LPPa), see [5], is a protocol between an eNodeB and the eSMLC. The protocol supports the LPPa Location Information Transfer procedures for positioning-related information and LPPa Management procedures not specifically related to LCS.
Depending on the source of the location service request, the procedures flow may differ. That is, the process flow differs depending on whether the LCS request is triggered by the UE, or by the MME or some other EPC LCS entity, or initiated by the eNodeB. In all cases, a location session is invoked by the MME in order to obtain the location of the UE or perform some other location related service such as transferring assistance data to the UE. LPP and LPPa transport are then supported as a part of an LCS session.
In a user-plane solution, SUPL, including the use of LPP over SUPL, takes place as part of the general user-plane protocol stack [6]. SUPL occupies the application layer in the stack, with LPP (or another positioning protocol) transported as another layer above SUPL.
After the LCS session has been established, according to the current standard, the information related to LCS QoS is retrieved during the LPP capability exchange and LPP location information transfer procedures, i.e., after the LCS session has been established.
In the LPP context, capabilities refer to the ability of a target or server to support different position methods defined for LPP, different aspects of a particular position method (e.g., different types of assistance data for A-GNSS) and common features not specific to only one positioning method (e.g., ability to handle multiple LPP transactions). Capability information, among the others, includes methods, velocity types, geographical location types, etc.
Location information request, transmitted optionally, contains at least the following information:                Location information type (estimate preferred, estimate required, measurements required, etc.);        Periodical reporting (amount and reporting interval);        Assistance availability (available assistance information or no server assistance information);        Additional information (may or may not return requested information);        QoS (see details below);        Environment (badArea, notBadArea, mixedArea, etc.);        Location type (a sequence of Boolean indicators for defining location estimates that may be returned by the target with the estimates being one or more of the following locations types: ellipsoidPoint, ellipsoidPointWithUncertaintyCircle, ellipsoidPointWithUncertaintyEllipse, polygon, ellipsoidPointWithAltitude, ellipsoidPointWithAltitudeAndUncertaintyEllipsoid or ellipsoidArc); and        Velocity type (horizontal velocity, horizontal velocity with and without uncertainty, horizontal & vertical velocity with and without uncertainty).
One can note that location information transfer is a bidirectional procedure, i.e., it can be initiated by request from either side, requesting either for measurements or for estimates, when allowed (e.g., some measurement transmissions are only relevant from a target to a server).
The QoS information part of the location information request comprises the following information:                horizontal accuracy (128 accuracy codes, 100 confidence codes);        vertical coordinate request (Boolean);        vertical accuracy (128 accuracy codes, 100 confidence codes);        response time (a value in range [1, 128] seconds)—the maximum response time as measured between receipt of the Request Location Information and transmission of a Provide Location Information; and        velocity (Boolean).

Signaling support enabling QoS discrimination for positioning, location and location-based services in LTE


A voltage-limiting circuit, including a series branch circuit having a plurality of power switching devices, a plurality of energy temporary-storage circuits, and a centralized voltage-limiting circuit for limiting voltage for the series branch circuit. Each power switching device includes a control terminal, a high-end, and a low-end, and is connected in parallel with one energy temporary-storage circuit. The energy temporary-storage circuits include clamping diodes, energy storage capacitors, static voltage-sharing resistors, and energy return ends. In each energy temporary-storage circuit, the energy storage capacitors are connected in parallel with the static voltage-sharing resistors to form the energy return ends, and then connected in series with the clamping diodes. The centralized voltage-limiting circuit includes a voltage-limiting functional circuit and a plurality of energy concentration diodes for concentrating the energy temporarily stored by the corresponding energy temporary-storage circuits.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a voltage-limiting circuit, and more particularly to a voltage-limiting circuit with energy recovery function for automatically limiting the amplitude of voltage at two ends of each power switching device in series connection.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electricity grid provides electric energy generally in the form of industrial-frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz) AC energy for users, however, the electric energy practically used by users is different, such as in the form of DC (for example, electrolytic aluminum), high-frequency AC (for example, induction heating), and frequency voltage adjusted as required (for example, variable frequency driver for a motor). Thus a converter is required to convert electrical energy. Power switching devices is core components of the converter widely-used for realizing the conversion of electrical energy.
Due to the limitation of current level of the semiconductor industry, for example, the insulated gate bipolar transistor IGBT provided in batches at present has the withstand voltage limit value of 1700 V or 3300 V, and the high voltage such as 10 kV and 500 kV cannot be directly processed with a single power switching device. Furthermore, a low-voltage power switching device has lower cost, therefore, the low-voltage power switching devices are usually connected in series during the practical application to solve the problem of poor voltage resistance. The parameters of a power switching device and a control circuit thereof have discreteness including temperature sensitivity and time variance, and the length of time in the switching-on process and switching-off process of the power switching device may be inconsistent. Thus, in a series branch circuit for the power switching device, the power switching device with longer switching-on process and shorter switching-off process has to bear higher voltage, and the device with little leakage current has to bear higher voltage when being cut off. The higher voltage is detrimental to the work of the power switching device, and even the power switching device will suffer from breakdown damage when the voltage exceeds the withstand voltage limit value of the power switching device. Therefore, when the power switching devices are connected in series, special measures are required to be taken, and the voltage at two ends of the power switching device is limited in the safe range, for example, within the range of 70% of its withstand voltage limit value.
In the application of series connection of the power switching device, a currently used technical method is that a dynamic and static voltage-sharing absorption unit circuit is connected on each power switching device in parallel. As shown in FIG. 1, the dynamic and static voltage-sharing absorption unit circuit includes a diode, a capacitor, and a parallel voltage-stabilizing circuit, and can fulfill the voltage limiting function.
The prior technical method has the disadvantages that first, one power switching device corresponds to one parallel voltage-stabilizing circuit, more parallel voltage-stabilizing circuits are used, the number of elements is large, and the utilization ratio is low; second, each parallel voltage-stabilizing circuit is required to be debugged independently, and when the stabilized-voltage value is changed, all the parallel voltage-stabilizing circuits are required to be changed, thus the workload is heavy; third, the parallel voltage-stabilizing circuit adopts energy-consuming type design and needs to consume electric energy, thus the efficiency of the complete machine using the technology is reduced.


A probe device for measuring the electric characteristics of an IC chip on a wafer, etc. is disclosed. The probe device includes a unit having a micro-strip line structure in which a plurality of probes are integrally formed. The unit comprises a flexible insulating quartz base plate, a plurality of mutually insulated lead strips provided on one surface of the base plate, and a ground strip provided on the other surface of the base plate. Notches are formed in those regions of the insulating base plate, which are located between the lead strips at an end portion of the unit. The unit is supported such that the tip end portion of the unit is formed as a free-end portion and the unit is inclined by a predetermined angle toward electrode pads on the IC chip with respect to an imaginary horizontal plane. The combination of each of the lead strip, the insulating quartz base plate an the ground strip constitute a micro-strip line. At the tip end portion of the unit, each micro-strip line serves as the probe. A tip portion of each lead strip serves as a contact of the probe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a probe device for measuring electric characteristics of objects to be tested such as ICs or LSIs formed on a semiconductor wafer, and, in particular, to a probe device having probes formed by a micro-strip line technique for measuring high-frequency electric characteristics of the objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of electrodes are arranged on a semiconductor device such as an IC or LSI, or on a liquid crystal display substrate (LCD substrate). In order to test the electric characteristics of such electrodes, a probe device is employed. In this probe device, a number of probe needles are disposed on a probe card with a predetermined arrangement. The test of an object is carried out in a state wherein the tip end portions of the probe needles are brought into contact with the electrode pads of the object.
A higher degree of integration in recent semiconductor devices such as ICs or LSIs has led to an increase in the number of electrodes in semiconductor devices and to a decrease in size of electrodes. In accordance with this tendency, the probe needles of a probe device need to be reduced in size and increased in density. The reduction in size and increase in density of probe needles has inevitably made the manufacture and mounting of probe needles troublesome. In particular, in the case where a coaxial cable structure is employed in a probe needle in order to enhance the high-frequency characteristic of a probe device, the manufacture and mounting of small, high density probe needles has become very difficult. This difficulty results in a low reliability of the probe device.
It is also required that an automatic test be performed with the use of a probe device. When high-integration semiconductor devices such as ICs or LSIs, having a number of small and densely arranged electrodes, are to be tested, a probe device having a probe card with conventional probe needles has various disadvantages, because of the characteristics of the probe needles. For example, in this type of conventional probe device, exact positioning of the needles must be performed prior to a test.
As a technique for overcoming the drawbacks of the conventional probe device, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-14659 discloses a structure wherein probe needles are produced by a micro-strip line technique. Basically, a micro-strip line has a structure of "metallic strip-insulation base plate-metallic strip", and the micro-strip line technique is well known as a wiring technique for transmission of high-frequency signals.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-14659, micro-strip lines, the number of which is identical to the number of electrode pads on an object to be tested, are individually attached to the bottom surface of a test base plate or a probe card. A distal end portion of each micro-strip line is arranged so as to project into an opening formed at the center of the probe card. The distal end portion of each microstrip line serves as a probe, and the distal end portion of the lead strip of each line functions as a contact for each probe. A jig for bringing the distal end portions of the micro-strip lines or probes into pressurized contact with the electrodes on the object is provided above the opening. A common shock absorber is interposed between the jig and the micro-strip lines. This structure is advantageous in that the high frequency measuring characteristic can be enhanced by the use of a micro-strip line structure and the troublesome step of, for example, fine positioning of probes, as in the prior art, can be made unnecessary.
Owing to the high integration of semiconductor devices such as ICs or LSIs, the length of one side of a pad serving as an electrode in a semiconductor device between adjacent pads is about 70 to 110 .mu.m. In accordance with the size of the pad, the width of a microstrip probe is set to about 50 to 80 .mu.m. Under this circumstance, the desirable electric contact cannot be achieved by the above structure, wherein a common shock absorber is interposed between all micro-strip probes and the jig, thereby pressing each micro-strip line, which has a width of the unit of .mu.m, onto each electrode pad. This is because the electrode pads have uneven heights and the levels of adjacent pads are not equal.
In addition, in order to achieve a stable characteristic impedance in a micro-strip line, it is desirable that the width of the ground strip, located opposite each lead strip, which is put in contact with the electrode pad, be as large as possible. In an actual probe device, it is necessary to make the width of the ground strip sufficiently larger than the width of the lead strip. However, in the above conventional structure, the width of the lead strip is substantially equal to that of the ground strip.

Probe device having micro-strip line structure