A chip component includes external terminals on a mounting surface thereof at positions that are rotationally symmetric to each other by 180 degrees with respect to a center of the mounting surface. A substrate includes first and second mounting terminals on the mounting surface of the substrate at first diagonal positions of a square indicated by a two dot chain line, and third and fourth mounting terminals on the surface of the substrate at second diagonal positions of the square. The first and fourth mounting terminals are connected by a first terminal connecting portion, and the second and third mounting terminals are connected by a second terminal connecting portion. The chip component is configured to be mounted in any of four directions obtained by rotating the chip component every 90 degrees and achieves the same electrical characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure configured to mount a chip component on a substrate and to a module component including such a chip component.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a UHF RFID tag antenna typically includes an RFID IC and a dipole antenna that is connected to the two external terminals of the RFID IC, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-517840. In a case in which an IC including such two external terminals without polarity is connected, the two external terminals may be provided at positions that are 180-degree rotationally symmetric to the mounting surface of the IC, so that the IC can be mounted in both 180-degree directions and can achieve the same characteristics.
Recent ICs tend to have a substantially square shape in a planar view to achieve a reduction in size, improvement of handling performance, and improvement of reliability. Therefore, the direction of an IC cannot be determined only by the planar shape of the IC and can be determined only after the pattern of the mounting surface of the IC is checked. Alternatively, it is necessary to attach a marking to determine the direction of the IC, on the upper surface of the IC. In addition, in any case, a mounter needs a step of imaging the mounting surface or the upper surface of the IC and rotating a vacuum chuck so as to set the IC in a predetermined direction, which cannot increase mounting speed.
In contrast, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-102558 discloses a structure in which an IC chip that is an electrical two-terminal component can be mounted and operated even when the mounting direction of the IC chip is at any of 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, or 270 degrees.
However, the structure disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-102558 has the following problems to be solved.
In the structure in which the terminals on a diagonal line in the IC chip are connected to each other while the two of the four terminals on the circuit substrate are used as floating terminals in a potentially floating state, the ESD current flows through a wiring connection section in the IC chip when static electricity is applied to the floating terminals. However, since the wiring in the IC chip has a high wiring resistance in general, a large current such as the ESD current flows through the wiring in the IC chip, which causes a problem of disconnection of wiring due to the generation of heat.
In a case in which a mounted circuit substrate is a flexible substrate made of a material such as polyimide or a liquid crystal polymer, some of the four terminals may not be securely joined mainly due to deflection of the substrate. Therefore, electric connection failure easily occurs.
The periphery of each of the terminals on the circuit substrate is generally covered with resist in order to prevent a short circuit mainly due to a solder bridge. However, in the case in which a mounted circuit substrate is a flexible substrate made of a material such as polyimide or a liquid crystal polymer, the resist may easily be cracked mainly due to deflection of the substrate, a solder bridge may be caused at a cracked portion, which may cause a short circuit between the terminals. In the structure disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-102558, while there is no effect on the electrical characteristics even when the connection between the terminals in the diagonal direction is short-circuited, characteristics deterioration occurs when the connection between the terminals is short-circuited somewhere in the longitudinal and lateral directions.
The above described problems occur not only in monolithic semiconductor ICs but also in general surface-mount chip components of which the mounting surface includes external terminals.

Chip component mounting structure, and module component


The present invention relates to a user-guided dip picking method from electrical borehole images using Hough Transform. It includes defining a top and bottom reference curve, applying the Hough Transform to the borehole image limited by the top and bottom reference dips so that the Hough Transform space is restrained in the neighborhood of the reference dips. A 1D average trace representing the extrema of the 3D Hough parameter space for each depth is then computed and the extrema exceeding a given threshold are search in this 1D trace. The position in the 3D Hough space of an extremum represents a dip event.

Borehole imaging tools provide different types of borehole images, for example, electrical tools like the Formation MicroImager (FMI) tool, Resistivity At Bit (RAB) and Azimuthal Laterolog (AzLL) deliver signals that are processed and rendered visible, by photographic or other print out, or by cathode-ray tube display as a two-dimensional visible image is formed over logged segments of the borehole walls. Likewise, acoustic tools like the Ultrasonic Imaging Tool (USIT) deliver acoustic images of the borehole wall.
In such images, variations of the borehole wall caused for example by geological bed boundaries, fractures or vugs can be visually identified from sharp visible contrasts in the images, which reflect sharp changes in the formation property (e.g. resistivity) at boundaries of the beds. The images thus obtained may exhibit a resolution on the order of 0.5 cm, allowing very fine details of the formation to be distinguished due to the number of sensors in the circumferential direction, and the high rate of sampling in the longitudinal direction.
A key objective of borehole image processing is to geometrically characterize bed boundaries and fractures. When planar events (for example bed boundaries, shistosity, structures such as stilolites, faults or fractures) intersect a borehole, and are inclined or "dipping" at some angle relative to the axis of the borehole, the intersection with the borehole is an ellipse that is represented on the borehole image as a sinusoid since the borehole image is unrolled.
Extracting the dip events—and defining them in terms of sinusoids completely specified by amplitude and phases—might however be a quite tedious and automated dip picking form borehole images is indeed a highly desirable features for most geologists and geophysicist/interpreters. Dip event detection are currently performed using two kinds of applications: one-button application where the detection of dip events is fully automated for the whole depth range of a given borehole image and interactive tools which detect a single dip event with the help of the user.
One-button applications are greatly appreciated by the operators and provide high productivity. One of such applications is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,994 issued Nov. 10, 1992 according to which the borehole image data is interpreted using Hough transforms. Reference is also made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,371 issued Sep. 28, 1999. This patent teaches use of the Hough transform to extract dip and azimuth of multiple fractures and beddings from any type of borehole image with respect to a terrestrial reference. The method is robust enough to account for noise or gaps in the images and can separate dips and azimuths of fractures from those of formations. Thus, it can detect and characterize other geometric features (e.g., linear, circular, or ellipsoidal shapes, some of which may represent vugs in carbonate reservoirs) present in the images. However, this method requires huge computation means and times.
This requirement, and the fact that most of the algorithms used for one-button application are based on parameter settings that strongly depend on the type of borehole image and/or are only suitable for a limited range of depth, explain that the one-bottom application are not widely accepted by the experts' community.
Most of the dips picking interactive tools allow users to draw and adjust a sinusoid according to the borehole image. Others, such as the software application known as "BorView", let the user pick one or several seeds from an image and then compute the sinusoid that fit to the picks. Since users are highly trained professionals, the confidence in the results is high. However, borehole image data include a multitude of such dip events so that the aforementioned manual operations have to be repeated thousand times, obviously a tedious and time-consuming operation. Hence the need for a more user-friendly method.
The present invention seeks at providing means for an improved detection of dip events.

Method of determining planar events from borehole or core images


Providing clock signals includes receiving a first clock signal at a first clock circuit and at a second clock circuit, where the first clock signal comprises first cycles. A second clock signal is generated from the first clock signal at the first clock circuit, where the second clock signal comprises second cycles and a first cycle corresponds to a first multiple of the second cycles. A third clock signal is generated from the first clock signal at the second clock circuit, where the third clock signal comprises third cycles and a second cycle corresponds to a second multiple of the third cycles. The first clock signal and the second clock signal are sampled using the third clock signal. A safe cycle is determined in response to the sampled clock signals. Data is transferred in accordance with the safe cycle.

Electronic devices often require clock signals of different frequencies. Typically, a single clock system such as a phase locked loop circuit is used to generate multiple clock signals having different frequencies. Clock signals at certain frequencies, however, are difficult to generate, and circuits running at clock signals having different frequencies are difficult to synchronize. Consequently, previous techniques for providing clock signals are unsatisfactory for some situations.

Method and system for providing clock signals


A process for the conversion of nitrous oxide (N.sub.2 O) to nitrogen and oxygen by treating the gas with a catalyst of cobalt oxide and nickel oxide on a zirconia support at a temperature of at least about 280 degrees C.

N.sub.2 O is a by-product of the nitric acid oxidation of alcohols and ketones, for example in the oxidation of cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol to adipic acid. N.sub.2 O is also used as an anesthetic especially in mior surgery such as tooth extraction.
N.sub.2 O has recently attacted attention as a possible atmospheric ozone depletion gas, and efforts are therefore under way to diminish the amount of N.sub.2 O that is released into the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,303 to Nakaji et al. discloses an apparatus for the treatment of N.sub.2 O anesthetic waste gas by contacting it with a catalyst comprising one or more of ferric oxide (Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3), cobalt oxide (CoO), cupric oxide (CuO), chromium oxide (Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3), manganese dioxide (MnO.sub.2), and nickel oxide (NiO).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,980 to Torobin discloses the conversion of nitrogen oxides (NOx) to nitrogen and oxygen using finely divided molecular sieve carbon particles. This patent also discloses hollow microsphere catalyst supports that may be made of zirconia, and indicates that hollow microsphere catalyst supports may be used to support various metal oxide catalysts. Among the various alternative metal oxides listed are nickel oxide or cobalt oxide.


A large scale integrated circuit device includes a plurality of internal devices, an address decoding circuit, a bus control circuit, a first tristate buffer, and an output buffer. The internal devices are connected to an internal data bus and selectively perform data input/output operations. The address decoding circuit decodes an address signal from an address bus of a system to deliver an internal device select signal to one of the internal devices and an internal device select indication signal indicating that one of the internal devices is selected. The bus control circuit delivers an output control signal and an input control signal upon receiving the internal device select indication signal and one of a data write signal and a data read signal. The first tristate buffer controls data input to the internal data bus in accordance with the input control signal. The output buffer controls data output from the internal data bus in accordance with the output control signal.

The present invention relates to a large scale integrated circuit device (LSI device) used in, e.g., an information processing apparatus and, more particularly, to an LSI device capable of reducing power consumed inside the LSI.
Conventionally, not so many schemes to reduce LSI power consumption of this type have been proposed. So all data signals operating on a system bus are applied to an LSI chip through a bidirectional buffer, and consequently internal circuits of the LSI operate even when the operations are not required inside the LSI chip. This results in unnecessary power consumption.
In the above conventional LSI design, data are wasted, for no control is performed to apply data signals operating on the system bus only when they are required inside the LSI. For this reason, power tends to be consumed inside the LSI chip in accordance with switching between high (H) and low (L) of a data signal on the system bus. This process is used in most of LSI designs. In particular, a CMOS system wastes power if an unnecessary operation is performed because the system originally consumes large power.

Integrated circuit device having tristate input buffer for reducing internal power use


A novel system, e.g., an audio cassette player, is provided herein. The system simultaneously provides mechanical motion driven by a rotatable drive shaft which is rotating at a continuous predetermined desired speed, and for generating a voltage output by an electrical generator having a rotor which is rotating at a continuous predetermined desired speed, the rotatable drive shaft being non-concentric with, being laterally-spaced-apart from, and being parallel to the rotor. The system includes a prime mover which comprises a windable driving spring, which, in turn, includes an interconnecting drive train for separately drivably connecting the driving spring both to the rotatable drive shaft and to the rotor of the electrical generator. The interconnecting drive train comprising a gear train, which has a driving section which is connected to the driving spring means and which is common for driving both the rotatable drive shaft and the rotor at the electrical generator. It also includes two driven sections which are laterally-spaced-apart from one another and which extend in parallel from the driving section. One of the driven sections is drivably-connected to the rotatable drive shaft. The other one of the driven sections is drivably-connected to the rotor of the electrical generator. A speed governor is included for controlling unwinding of the driving spring so as to cause the driving spring to drive both the rotatable drive shaft and the rotor of the electrical generator at the respective continuous predetermined desired speeds.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for the simultaneous generation of mechanical motion and voltage. In one particular embodiment, it relates to portable audio cassette players.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
In many parts of the world there are locations without electric power lines. This means that electrical devices need to be battery operated. Moreover, in many such regions, batteries can be difficult to obtain and may furthermore be relatively expensive.
In many instances travellers, who rely on batteries to power electrical devices, may be disappointed when the batteries run out. In Arctic regions, it is known that batteries lose power rapidly dependent on the temperature. Loss of battery power for electrically-powered devices would be serious. In many other instances for emergency application, an electrical device may not be used frequently but it must be reliable when such use is essential. Under such conditions, batteries must be checked periodically to ensure that power is available as and when required.
Playback equipment for audio recordings is well known. Earliest examples of audio players were phonographs for reproducing sound recorded as an unevenness in the surfaces of grooves formed upon records. These initially were cylindrical and later were made in a flat circular form. In the use of a phonograph for playing flat records, for instance, a record is rotated upon a turntable beneath a tone arm which, in known manner, is caused to vibrate by its engagement with the uneven groove surface of the record. These vibrations are converted into electrical impulses corresponding to the vibrations and these impulses are transmitted to an amplifier which amplifies the impulses as sound. Originally, prime movers comprising manually windable driving springs were incorporated into phonographs for rotating turntables. Examples of such constructions are shown, for instance, in early Canadian Patent No. 222,126 granted in 1922, Canadian Patent No. 286,381 granted in 1929 and Canadian Patent No. 301,670 granted in 1930. In these patents, governors are described as being incorporated to ensure that the turntables are rotated at a controlled constant speed.
While mechanical prime movers were used for rotating turntables during early designs of phonographs and such prime movers were used over a lengthy period of years, the phonographs were, for all other purposes, operated by electrical power. As advancements were made in electrical engineering and new electrical devices were being developed and were being improved, after the 1920's, new designs of phonographs incorporated electrically powered driving means for rotating the turntables. As a result, from that particular time onwards all operations, including the driving of turntables, of phonographs have been operated by electrical power.
More recently, audio cassette and then compact disc technology has been developed as other means of recording sound. Audio cassette players and compact disc players are operated completely by electrical power, as is only to be expected with present technical knowledge. Electrical power for this purpose is provided either from the general electrical power supply, or, in the case of portable audio cassette and compact disc players, from batteries.
There are problems, however, with present-day batteries which may detract, under certain conditions, from the appeal of audio cassette players and compact disc players. For instance, in extremely cold weather conditions, batteries are known to lose power and this may result in a failure in their operation. In addition, present-day batteries have a limited useful life under any temperature condition and replacement batteries may be difficult or even impossible to find in certain geographical regions.
Recognition of many of the above problems was provided in G.B. Patent Application No. GB 2,262,324 A, published 16.06.1993 in the name of T. G. Baylis. That publication provided an electrical generator for powering a radio which comprised a spring motor which was wound up by way of a key such that the subsequent rotation of a torque drum as the stressed spring unwound therefrom generates electrical power. The rotational speed of the drum was geared up by gear means and rotated the rotor of an electrical motor to generate an output voltage. The output voltage was regulated by way of a Zener diode and was fed to a radio by way of a jack plug.

Batteryless, spring-powered portable cassette player


A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes mounting a semiconductor element on a first electrode disposed on a first surface of a substrate; preparing a metal plate including a main body part and a projection part; mounting the metal plate on the first surface side of the substrate, by joining the projection part to a second electrode that is disposed on the first surface of the substrate; sealing the semiconductor element and the projection part with a sealing resin; and forming an electrode terminal made of a base end part that is connected to the second electrode and has a side surface that is covered by the sealing resin, and a tip end part that is integrally formed with the base end part and that projects from a front surface of the sealing resin, by etching the main body part excluding a portion overlapping with the projection part.

Conventionally, a wet process called a semi-additive process (SAP) method has been known as a method for forming an electrode terminal drawn out to the outside of a semiconductor device. In the SAP method, a semiconductor element is mounted on a substrate; the substrate, the semiconductor element, and an electrode on the substrate are sealed by a sealing resin; and a via hole to expose the electrode on the substrate is formed on the sealing resin by using laser and the like. Then, in the SAP method, the substrate mounted with the semiconductor element is immersed into an electrolyte solution, and a conductive material such as plating is filled into the via hole of the sealing resin. Consequently, in the semiconductor device, the electrode terminal that is connected to the electrode on the substrate and the tip end part of which is exposed from the sealing resin is formed (U.S. Patent No. 2012/0217634).
However, when an electrode terminal is formed by using the SAP method, the following problems occur.
That is, in recent years, in the semiconductor device, with an increase in the thickness of the sealing resin that covers the semiconductor element, the aspect ratio of a via hole formed on the sealing resin tends to increase. When the aspect ratio of the via hole increases, the via hole is sometimes not completely filled with a conductive material such as plating. Even if the via hole is filled with the conductive material, it takes a long time to fill the via hole. Moreover, when a wet process such as the SAP method is applied on the semiconductor element having relatively low resistance against an electrolyte solution, the semiconductor element may be damaged.
Furthermore, the electrode terminal formed by using the SAP method includes a discontinuous corner at a boundary portion between a base end part covered by the sealing resin and a tip end part exposed from the sealing resin. In the semiconductor device, the sealing resin comes into contact with the corner of the electrode terminal. In a structure in which the sealing resin comes into contact with the corner of the electrode terminal, when the electrode terminal is connected to a printed circuit board (PCB), the stress is concentrated on the sealing resin that comes into contact with the corner. Consequently, a crack may be generated on the sealing resin.

Manufacturing method of semiconductor device and semiconductor device


A method of emulsifying asphalt using a polyamine polyoxide, preferably a diamine dioxide, as an emulsifier or co-emulsifier and an emulsion of asphalt, water and a polyamine polyoxide, preferably a diamine dioxide. The advantages of using a polyamine polyoxide as an emulsifier or co-emulsifier include its ability to provide superior cationic and anionic emulsions, and slow-setting emulsions at low use levels, and the excellent adhesion of the cured asphalt film.

The present invention generally relates to the use of polyamine polyoxides as asphalt emulsifiers. More particularly, the invention concerns an improved process for stabilizing an asphalt in water emulsion using a di-tertiary amine dioxide as an asphalt emulsifier.
Asphalt in water emulsions are used for road construction and repair, as well as in the construction industry as coatings and sealers. The asphalt properties are obtained after the emulsions set or cure, when the droplets of asphalt coalesce and adhere to the substrate and water is removed.
The rate of this setting process depends on the reactivity of the emulsion and the reactivity of the substrate. Emulsions are classified as rapid, medium and slow-setting types depending on their reactivity. Slow-setting emulsions find use in applications, such as cold mix, where the emulsion is mixed with aggregate and the mixture is used to pave a roadway.
Emulsions can be classified into cationic (positive) or anionic (negative) types depending on the charge on the asphalt droplets. Cationic emulsions are used for siliceous aggregates, like quartz, since such aggregates have negatively charged surfaces. The cured film from cationic emulsions generally adheres much better to siliceous aggregates than does the cured film from anionic emulsions. Generally, different emulsifiers are used for cationic emulsions than are used for anionic emulsions.
Nonionic emulsifiers, such as ethoxylated nonylphenols, can be used as part of an emulsifier or alone in both cationic and anionic slow-setting emulsions. However, at use levels comparable to the inventive emulsifier, the anionic and cationic slow-setting emulsions of ethoxylated nonylphenols are deficient in quality. Additionally, films of asphalt derived from such emulsions tend to strip off the aggregate when soaked in water.
Amine monoxides, such as RN(CH3)2O, RCONCH2CH2CH2N(CH3)2O(an amide amine oxide) or RN(CH2CH2OH)2O, where R is a C12 alkyl, coconut oil or tallow, have some efficacy as cationic asphalt emulsifiers. However, they generally cannot be used to produce both anionic and cationic emulsions. When they can form both anionic and cationic emulsions, the quality of the emulsions is deficient and they do not meet the requirements of slow-setting emulsions at economic use levels. Instead, they form rapid- or medium-setting emulsions which cannot be used with reactive aggregates.
The use of amine oxides as asphalt emulsifiers has been disclosed. For example, DE 1 719 449 (DE""449) discloses the use of tertiary amine oxides as a bitumen emulsion additive which is combined with a cationic emulsifier for road surfacing, while WO 94/03560 discloses the use of amine oxides as a cationic surfactant in asphalt/bitumen emulsions. Additionally, EP 0 037 996 discloses the use of an amine oxide with a napthenoyl group for emulsifying bituminous products. These amide amine oxides would have the same problems as the amine oxides discussed above.
A di-tert-amine dioxide comprising (hydrogenated) tallow groups is disclosed for use as a detergent or as an emulsifier of, for example, long chain fatty amines used as corrosion inhibitors in steam condensate lines, according to GB 1 104 491. However, there is no disclosure or suggestion of its use as an asphalt emulsifier.
The asphalt residues (i.e. after curing of the emulsion) from slow-setting asphalt emulsions, especially slow-setting anionic emulsions, show poor adhesion to aggregates such as quartzite. The result is poor durability of road materials prepared using these emulsions.
The asphalt residues from slow-setting emulsions prepared from the polyamine polyoxide emulsifiers of the invention, however, show good adhesion and have particularly better adhesion than the residues derived from slow-setting cationic, anionic or nonionic emulsions prepared with the commonly-used nonylphenolethoxylate emulsifiers.
The present invention generally relates to a method of emulsifying asphalt using a novel asphalt emulsifier, an asphalt emulsion containing the novel asphalt emulsifier, and a cold mix of the asphalt emulsion containing the novel asphalt emulsifier. The method emulsifies a mixture of asphalt and water by adding an emulsifying effective amount of a novel asphalt emulsifier of at least one polyamine polyoxide. A polyamine (or polytertiaryamine) is defined herein as having more than one amine group, such as a di-, tri- or tetra-amine, etc. A polyoxide is defined herein as having more than one oxide group, such as a di-, tri- or tetra-oxide, etc.
The invention is especially useful in slow setting emulsions, since lower use levels are required when using the inventive emulsifier and the emulsifier can be used for either anionic or cationic slow setting emulsions depending on whether art acid or alkaline water phase is used. Both the cationic and anionic slow setting asphalt emulsions are of good quality and meet the requirements of slow setting grades at low use levels. The cured asphalt residue from emulsions made with the inventive emulsifier adhere better to aggregates than the asphalt residue from emulsions prepared with nonionic nonylphenolethoxylate emulsifiers.
Further, the emulsions of the present invention can be used for cold mix, where they exhibit advantages compared with a conventional cationic mixing grade emulsifier. Additionally, the inventive asphalt emulsifiers are compatible with both cationic and anionic co-emulsifiers, especially when combined with co-emulsifiers conventionally used for medium and rapid-setting emulsions. It is, thus, very economical to use the inventive asphalt emulsifiers, since lower use levels are required and it is only necessary to stock a single emulsifier for both anionic and cationic emulsions and for slow setting emulsions.
These and other objects of the invention are readily apparent from the following disclosure.


A piezoelectric speaker-forming laminate (10) includes: a piezoelectric film (35); a pressure-sensitive adhesive face (17); an interposed layer (40) being a porous body layer and/or a resin layer disposed between the piezoelectric film (35) and the pressure-sensitive adhesive face (17); and a release layer (20) joined to the pressure-sensitive adhesive face (17). The pressure-sensitive adhesive face (17) is disposed in such a manner that at least a portion of the piezoelectric film (35) overlaps the pressure-sensitive adhesive face (17) when the piezoelectric film (35) is viewed in plan. The piezoelectric film (35) and the interposed layer (40) are allowed to be fixed to a support (80) as a piezoelectric speaker or a portion of a piezoelectric speaker by sticking the pressure-sensitive adhesive face (17) from which the release layer (20) has been removed to the support (80).

In recent years, a speaker employing a piezoelectric film (such a speaker may hereinafter be referred to as a piezoelectric speaker) is sometimes adopted as a speaker for audio equipment or for sound reduction. Piezoelectric speakers have an advantage in that they are small in volume and light.
Patent Literature 1 describes an example of a piezoelectric speaker. Specifically, Patent Literature 1 describes sticking a piezoelectric speaker to a wooden board serving as a support using an adhesive.


A service platform, container handling carrier and method of arranging electrical drive control elements. The platform (8) comprises one or more mounting space between a top and bottom surfaces (15, 19). The mounting spaces may receive electrical components (29).

The invention relates to a service platform of a container handling carrier. The service platform allows access to desired locations where exists a need for service.
The invention further relates to a container handling carrier which is designed to carry transport containers at harbors and container storage areas. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of arranging electrical drive control components of a container handling carrier.
The field of the invention is defined more specifically in the preambles of the independent claims.
Straddle carriers, shuttle carriers and corresponding container handling carriers are vehicles which are used for moving transport containers at port terminals and container yards. The containers are carried between wheeled legs of the carrier. Nowadays the carriers comprise more and more different electrical devices and their control apparatuses. The present solutions have shown to contain some disadvantages regarding positioning of the electrical devices.

Service platform, container handling carrier and method


An access port for a reaction or other fluid vessel which maintains the vessel under an inert gas atmosphere and maintains the integrity of the inert gas seal while performing filtered filling or draining operations is presented. The port uses a deflected septum sealing technique. The invention can be used for a number of laboratory and clinical operations on a variety of size and shape vessels. The combination of the appropriate vessel with this access port is very well suited for use in lab automation systems, such as automated solid phase chemical synthesis, biological screening, combinatorial chemistry and other areas where reaction chemistry is conducted.

An access port for a reaction vessel is presented which is useful with solid phase chemical synthesis or other chemistry, clinical or biological fluid handling operations which require a fluid containment vessel which is chemically inert, provides for control of the internal atmosphere and temperature, facilitates mixing, provides for accurate and facile addition of fluids as well as filtered removal of fluid from the vessel and is suitable for automation.
The inlet and outlet ports for fluid addition and removal are a critical features of the design of a reaction vessel, since maintaining the integrity of the inert or reactive atmosphere and retaining any solid support, such as resin inside the vessel, is critical.
In some designs, fluid enters the top of the vessel and drains out the bottom of the vessel through manually operated valves. Solids are maintained inside the vessel by placing a frit at the bottom of the vessel which serves as a filter which passes fluid only. This type of valving arrangement is suitable for a small number of reaction vessels but is impractical for automatic filling and draining of an array of vessels.
One design approach, suitable for automation, is to replace the top valve with a septum and add fluid by piercing the septum with a dispensing canula. The bottom valve may be replaced with a u-tube which will drain the vessel when sufficient head pressure is applied to cause a siphon. However, with this design, the u-tube outlet port can prematurely drain if pressures build up inside the reaction vessel during heating operations. Also, since the outlets feed into a common waste manifold, there is no way to monitor a blockage of the outlet of an individual reaction vessel. This vessel design is expensive to build, difficult to change frits, and require vessels with bottom seals.
In order to overcome the problems associated with the vessels which have been previously reported, a novel vessel should be well suited for automatic filling and draining operations using conventional pipetting equipment or other robotic or automation equipment. In addition, the septum access port should be usable with practically any type and size vessel, including but not limited to test tubes, vials, beakers, flasks, jars and 96-well plate. Further the vessel should not have a bottom drain port since this restricts direct heating and cooling of the vessels and with a smooth bottom, heating and cooling may be effected by direct application of a hot stage or cooling reservoir to the vial. The vessels should operate under an inert atmosphere with no fluid loss. That is, higher inert gas pressures could be used if the top of a sipper tube and the fluid in the vessel always have the same applied pressure. In the event of a leak in the septum due to multiple piercing of an aspirating or dispensing canula, the contents of the vessel should be contained and not leak. Any applied inert or reactive gas should bleed or vent out a predetermined hole, while maintaining the vessel under an inert gas atmosphere and assuring retention of the liquid in the vessel. The optimum design should not have check valves, u-tubes, or o-rings which decrease the reliability and increase the cost of manufacturing arrays of reaction wells. Automatic back flushing of any filtering frits should be provided as this will reduce the chance of frit or filter blockage. The design should also provide for the draining of each vessel individually when used in a multi-vessel array, as this would increase the vacuum capacity available for this operation. Such a device could also permit incorporation of sensors in the aspiration or dispensing canula which would insure an individual vessel was properly drained.


Compounds characterized generally as .beta.-alanineamide aryl/alkylsulfide/sulfonyl-terminated amino diol derivatives are useful as renin inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension. Compounds of particular interest are those of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from isopropyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, phenyl, fluorophenyl, chlorophenyl, benzyl, fluorobenzyl, chlorobenzyl, naphthyl, fluoronaphthyl, chloronaphthyl, fluoronaphthylmethyl and chloronaphthylmethyl; wherein x is zero or two; wherein R.sup.2 is selected from hydrido, methyl, ethyl and phenyl; wherein R.sup.3 is selected from hydrido, cyclohexylmethyl, benzyl, fluorobenzyl, chlorobenzyl, fluoronaphthylmethyl and chloronaphthylmethyl; wherein R.sup.5 is selected from methyl and ethyl; wherein R.sup.7 is cyclohexylmethyl; and wherein R.sup.8 is selected from n-propyl, isobutyl, cyclopropyl, cyclopropylmethyl, allyl and vinyl.

Renin is a proteolytic enzyme produced and secreted into te bloodstream by the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney. In the bloodstream, renin cleaves a peptide bond in the serum protein angiotensinogen to produce a decapeptide known as angiotensin I. A second enzyme known as angiotensin converting enzyme, cleaves angiotensin I to produce the octapeptide known as angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a potent pressor agent responsible for vasoconstriction and elevation of cardiovascular pressure. Attempts have been made to control hypertension by blocking the action of renin or by blocking the formation of angiotensin II in the body with inhibitors of angiotensin I converting enzyme.
Classes of compounds published as inhibitors of the action of renin on angiotensinogen include renin antibodies, pepstatin and its analogs, phospholipids, angiotensinogen analogs, pro-renin related analogs and peptide aldehydes.
A peptide isolated from actinomyces has been reported as an inhibitor of aspartyl proteases such as pepsin, cathepsin D and renin [Umezawa et al, in J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 23, 259-262 (1970)]. This peptide, known as pepstatin, was found to reduce blood pressure in vivo after the injection of hog renin into nephrectomized rats [Gross et al, Science, 175, 656 (1971)]. Pepstatin has the disadvantages of low solubility and of inhibiting acid proteases in addition to renin. Modified pepstatins have been synthesized in an attempt to increase the specificity for human renin over other physiologically important enzymes. While some degree of specificity has been achieved, this approach has led to rather high molecular weight hepta- and octapeptides [Boger et al, Nature, 303, 81 (1983)]. High molecular weight peptides are generally considered undesirable as drugs because gastrointestinal absorption is impaired and plasma stability is compromised.
Short peptide aldehydes have been reported as renin inhibitors [Kokubu et al, Biochim. Biophy. Res. Commun., 118, 929 (1984); Castro et al, FEBS Lett., 167, 273 (1984)]. Such compounds have a reactive C-terminal aldehyde group and would likely be unstable in vivo.
Other peptidyl compounds have been described as renin inhibitors. EP Appl. #128,762, published 18 Dec. 1984, describes dipeptide and tripeptide glyco-containing compounds as renin inhibitors [also see Hanson et al, Biochm. Biophys. Res. Comm., 132, 155-161 (1985), 146, 959-963 (1987)]. EP Appl. #181,110, published 14 May 1986, describes dipeptide histidine derivatives as renin inhibitors. EP Appl. #186,977 published 9 Jul. 1986 describes renin-inhibiting compounds containing an alkynyl moiety, specifically a propargyl glycine moiety, attached to the main chain between the N-terminus and the C-terminus, such as N-[4(S)-[(N)-[bis(1-naphthylmethyl)acetyl]-DL-propargylglycylamino]-3(S)-h ydroxy-6-methylheptanoyl]-L-isoleucinol. EP Appl. #189,203, published 30 Jul. 1986, describes peptidylaminodiols as renin inhibitors. EP Appl. #200,406, published 10 Dec. 1986, describes alkylnaphthylmethylpropionyl-histidyl aminohydroxy alkanoates as renin inhibitors. EP Appl. #216,539, published 1 Apr. 1987, describes alkylnaphthylmethylpropionyl aminoacyl aminoalkanoate compounds as renin inhibitors orally administered for treatment of renin-associated hypertension. PCT Application No. WO 87/04349, published 30 Jul. 1987, describes aminocarbonyl aminoacyl hydroxyether derivatives having an alkylamino-containing terminal substituent and which are described as having renin-inhibiting activity for use in treating hypertension. EP Appl. #300,189 published 25 Jan. 1989 describes amino acid monohydric derivatives having an alkylamino-alkylamino N-terminus and a .beta.-alaninehistidine or sarcosyl-histidine attached to the main chain between the N-terminus and the C-terminus, which derivatives are mentioned as useful in treating hypertension. U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,706 wich issued 13 Feb. 1990 describes a series of histidineamide-containing amino alkylaminocarbonyl-H-terminal aminodiol derivatives for use as renin inhibitors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,577 which issued 16 Jul. 1991 describes a series of histidineamide-aminodiol-containing renin inhibitors.
Several classes of sulfonyl-containing amino-diol renin-inhibitor compounds are known. For example, EP #229,667 published 22 Jul. 1987 describes generally alkylsulfonyl histidineamide amino diol C-terminated-alkyl compounds as renin inhibitors. Australian Patent Application #30797/89 published 7 Sept. 1989 describes alkylsulfonyl histineamide amino diol C-terminated-alkyl compounds as renin inhibitors, such as (S)-.alpha.-[(S)-.alpha.-[(t-butyl-sulphonyl)methyl]hydrocinnamamido]-N-[( lS,2R,3RS)-1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-2,3-dihydroxy-4,4-dimethylpentyl]-imidazole -4-propionamide and (S)-.alpha.-[(S)-.alpha.-[(t-butylsulphonyl)methyl]hydrocinnamamido]-N-[(1 S,2R,3S,4RS)-1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-2,3-dihydroxy-4-methylhexyl]imidazole-4-p ropionamide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,129 issued 3 Apr. 1990 describes sulfone-containing amino-hydroxyvaleryl compounds for use as antihypertensive agents, such as the compounds N-[2(S)-benzyl-3-tert-methylsulfonylpropionyl]-His-Cha-Val-n-butylamide and N-[2(R)-benzyl-3-tert-methylsulfonylpropionyl]-His-Cha-Val-n-butylamid e. EP #416,373 published 13 Mar. 1991 describes alkylsulfonyl histidineamide amino diol compounds as renin-inhibitors, such as (S)-.alpha.-[(S)-.alpha.-[(tert-butylsulfonyl)methyl]-hydrocinnamamido]-N- [(1S,2R,3S)-1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-3-cyclopropyl-2,3-dihydroxypropyl]-imidazo l-4-propionamide and (S)-.alpha.-[(S)-.alpha.-[(tert-butylsulfonyl)methyl]-hydrocinnamamido]-N- [(lS,2R,3R/S)-1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-3-cyclopropyl-2,3-dihydroxybutyl]imidazo l-4-propionamide.
Beta-amino-acid-containing amino-diol compounds have been described as renin inhibitors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,746 which issued 13 Feb. 1990 describes ethereal N-terminal aminodiol amino acid derivatives as antihypertensive agents such as O-[N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)aminocarbonyl]-3-L-homophenyllactyl-.alpha.- (R)-methyl-.beta.-alanineamide of (2S,3R,4S)-2-amino-1-cyclohexyl-3,4-dihydroxy-6-methylheptane. U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,429 which issued 5 Jun. 1990 describes .alpha.-aminoacyl-.beta.-aminoacyl aminodiols as antihypertensive agents such as Boc-L-phenylalaninyl-D,L-.alpha.-methyl-.beta.-alaninamide of (2S,3,4S)-2-amino-1-cyclohexyl-3,4-dihydroxy-6-methylheptane. U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,471 which issued 18 Feb.1992 describes peptidyl .beta.-aminoacyl aminodiol carbamates as antihypertensive agents such as 0-(N-morpholinocarbonyl)-3-L-phenyllactyl-.alpha.-(R)-methyl-.beta.-alanin amide of (2S,3R,4S)-2-amino-1-cyclohexyl-3,4-dihydroxy-6-methylheptane.

.beta.-alanineamide aryl/alkylsulfide/sulfonyl-terminated amino-diol compounds for treatment of hypertension


Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus for treating a medical condition in a patient using an implantable medical device by applying an electrical signal characterized by having a number of pulses per microburst, an interpulse interval, a microburst duration, and an interburst period to a portion of a cranial nerve of said patient, wherein at least one of the number of pulses per microburst, the interpulse interval, the microburst duration, or the interburst period is selected to enhance cranial nerve evoked potentials.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to medical device systems and, more particularly, to medical device systems for applying electrical signals to a cranial nerve for the treatment of various medical conditions, and for improved electrical signals in such systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many advancements have been made in treating diseases such as depression and epilepsy. Therapies using electrical signals for treating these diseases have been found to effective. Implantable medical devices have been effectively used to deliver therapeutic stimulation to various portions of the human body (e.g., the vagus nerve) for treating these diseases. As used herein, "stimulation" or "stimulation signal" refers to the application of an electrical, mechanical, magnetic, electromagnetic, photonic, audio and/or chemical signal to a neural structure in the patient's body. The signal is an exogenous signal that is distinct from the endogenous electrical, mechanical, and chemical activity (e.g., afferent and/or efferent electrical action potentials) generated by the patient's body and environment. In other words, the stimulation signal (whether electrical, mechanical, magnetic, electro-magnetic, photonic, audio or chemical in nature) applied to the nerve in the present invention is a signal applied from an artificial source, e.g., a neurostimulator.
A "therapeutic signal" refers to a stimulation signal delivered to a patient's body with the intent of treating a medical condition by providing a modulating effect to neural tissue. The effect of a stimulation signal on neuronal activity is termed "modulation"; however, for simplicity, the terms "stimulating" and "modulating", and variants thereof, are sometimes used interchangeably herein. In general, however, the delivery of an exogenous signal itself refers to "stimulation" of the neural structure, while the effects of that signal, if any, on the electrical activity of the neural structure are properly referred to as "modulation." The modulating effect of the stimulation signal upon the neural tissue may be excitatory or inhibitory, and may potentiate acute and/or long-term changes in neuronal activity. For example, the "modulating" effect of the stimulation signal to the neural tissue may comprise one more of the following effects: (a) initiation of an action potential (afferent and/or efferent action potentials); (b) inhibition or blocking of the conduction of action potentials, whether endogenous or exogenously induced, including hyperpolarizing and/or collision blocking, (c) affecting changes in neurotransmitter/neuromodulator release or uptake, and (d) changes in neuro-plasticity or neurogenesis of brain tissue.
In some embodiments, electrical neurostimulation may be provided by implanting an electrical device underneath the skin of a patient and delivering an electrical signal to a nerve such as a cranial nerve. In one embodiment, the electrical neurostimulation involves sensing or detecting a body parameter, with the electrical signal being delivered in response to the sensed body parameter. This type of stimulation is generally referred to as "active," "feedback," or "triggered" stimulation. In another embodiment, the system may operate without sensing or detecting a body parameter once the patient has been diagnosed with a medical condition that may be treated by neurostimulation. In this case, the system may apply a series of electrical pulses to the nerve (e.g., a cranial nerve such as a vagus nerve) periodically, intermittently, or continuously throughout the day, or over another predetermined time interval. This type of stimulation is generally referred to as "passive," "non-feedback," or "prophylactic," stimulation. The electrical signal may be applied by an IMD that is implanted within the patient's body. In another alternative embodiment, the signal may be generated by an external pulse generator outside the patient's body, coupled by an RF or wireless link to an implanted electrode.
Generally, neurostimulation signals that perform neuromodulation are delivered by the IMD via one or more leads. The leads generally terminate at their distal ends in one or more electrodes, and the electrodes, in turn, are electrically coupled to tissue in the patient's body. For example, a number of electrodes may be attached to various points of a nerve or other tissue inside a human body for delivery of a neurostimulation signal.
While feedback stimulation schemes have been proposed, conventional vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) usually involves non-feedback stimulation characterized by a number of parameters. Specifically, conventional vagus nerve stimulation usually involves a series of electrical pulses in bursts defined by an "on-time" and an "off-time." During the on-time, electrical pulses of a defined electrical current (e.g., 0.5-2.0 milliamps) and pulse width (e.g., 0.25-1.0 milliseconds) are delivered at a defined frequency (e.g., 20-30 Hz) for the on-time duration, usually a specific number of seconds, e.g., 10-60 seconds. The pulse bursts are separated from one another by the off-time, (e.g., 30 seconds-5 minutes) in which no electrical signal is applied to the nerve. The on-time and off-time parameters together define a duty cycle, which is the ratio of the on-time to the combination of the on-time and off-time, and which describes the percentage of time that the electrical signal is applied to the nerve.
In conventional VNS, the on-time and off-time may be programmed to define an intermittent pattern in which a repeating series of electrical pulse bursts are generated and applied to the vagus nerve 127. Each sequence of pulses during an on-time may be referred to as a "pulse burst." The burst is followed by the off-time period in which no signals are applied to the nerve. The off-time is provided to allow the nerve to recover from the stimulation of the pulse burst, and to conserve power. If the off-time is set at zero, the electrical signal in conventional VNS may provide continuous stimulation to the vagus nerve. Alternatively, the idle time may be as long as one day or more, in which case the pulse bursts are provided only once per day or at even longer intervals. Typically, however, the ratio of "off-time" to "on-time" may range from about 0.5 to about 10.
In addition to the on-time and off-time, the other parameters defining the electrical signal in conventional VNS may be programmed over a range of values. The pulse width for the pulses in a pulse burst of conventional VNS may be set to a value not greater than about 1 msec, such as about 250-500 μsec, and the number of pulses in a pulse burst is typically set by programming a frequency in a range of about 20-150 Hz (i.e., 20 pulses per second to 150 pulses per second). A non-uniform frequency may also be used. Frequency may be altered during a pulse burst by either a frequency sweep from a low frequency to a high frequency, or vice versa. Alternatively, the timing between adjacent individual signals within a burst may be randomly changed such that two adjacent signals may be generated at any frequency within a range of frequencies.
Although neurostimulation has proven effective in the treatment of a number of medical conditions, it would be desirable to further enhance and optimize neurostimulation for this purpose. For example, it may be desirable to enhance evoked potentials in the patient's brain to aid in treating a medical condition.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Microburst electrical stimulation of cranial nerves for the treatment of medical conditions


An optical printer capable of being decreased in the number of parts, small-sized and weight. A plurality of color filters are selectively alternated or changed with each other with respect to a common luminous section and such changing-over among the filters is carried out using a transfer unit for a print head, resulting in only one set of the luminous section and optical system being required. Also, power required for alternating or changing the filters with each other Is obtained by the transfer unit for the print head without arranging any specific unit.

This invention relates to an optical printer suitable for use for, for example, a color video printer or the like, and more particularly to an optical printer wherein a plurality of filters are selectively alternated or changed with each other with respect to a common write source as desired.
One of optical printers which have been conventionally proposed is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 276234/1991 by the assignee, which is constructed in such a manner as shown in FIG. 10. More particularly, the optical printer proposed includes a fluorescent luminous tube 100 acting as a write head. The fluorescent luminous tube 100 includes an envelope 103 constructed of a light-permeable substrate 101 and a casing 102 of a box-like shape scaledly joined to the substrate 101 and is evacuated to a high vacuum.
The substrate 101 is formed on an inner surface thereof with luminous sections each including an anode conductor and a phosphor layer deposited on the anode conductor. The phosphor layer is formed of a ZnO:Zn phosphor material. The luminous sections each are constituted by a plurality of luminous dots arranged at predetermined pitches in a main scanning direction. Three such luminous sections 200(R), 200(G) and 200(B) (200 (R, G, B)) are arranged in a sub-scanning direction.
The envelope 103 is provided therein with a Plurality of second control electrodes 104 so as to be positioned below the luminous sections 200 (R, G, B) and in a manner to be allotted to every luminous dot. The fluorescent luminous tube 100 also includes a common first control electrode 105 arranged below the second control electrodes 104 and formed in an electrically integral manner. Further, the fluorescent luminous tube 100 includes filamentary cathodes 106 arranged below the first control electrode 105 so as to extend in the main scanning direction for each of the luminous sections 200 (R, G, B).
The substrate 101 is provided on an outer surface thereof with a red filter r, a green filter g and a blue filter b in a manner to face the luminous sections R, G and B, resulting in three primary luminous colors of red, green and blue being taken out of the phosphor layers of the luminous sections. A luminous spectrum of the ZnO:Zn phosphor corresponds to a green color having not only a peak wavelength of 505 nm but a wide wavelength range between about 430 nm and 640 nm, so that use of the red, green and blue filters r, g and b permits the three primary luminous colors of red, green and blue to be taken out of the single phosphor.
The conventional optical printer also includes three lens systems 107 arranged adjacent to the filters r, g and b of the fluorescent luminous tube 100, respectively. Thus, light emitted from each of the luminous dots of the luminous sections 200 (R, G, B) is guided through each of the red, green and blue filters r, g and b to each of the lens systems 107, to thereby be focused at a predetermined position on a film 108 which is a written medium.
The print head thus including the fluorescent luminous tube 100 and lens systems 107 may be moved in the sub-scanning direction by means of a drive mechanism (not shown).
Driving of the optical printer thus constructed is carried out by scanning the luminous dots of the luminous sections 200 (R, G, B) of the fluorescent luminous tube 100 in order and applying a positive print signal to the second control electrodes 104 corresponding to the luminous sections in synchronism with the scanning. The first control electrode has a positive voltage constantly applied thereto to accelerate electrons emitted from the filamentary cathodes 106, thereby preventing any display defect due to application of a negative voltage to the second control electrodes 104 in correspondence to a non-luminous section.
The print head is moved in the sub-scanning direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 10 in conformity with driving of the fluorescent luminous tube 100 for luminescence, to thereby focus light of each of the luminous colors at the same position on the film 108, resulting in a color image desired being formed on the film 108.
In the conventional optical printer described above which is so constructed that the filters r, g and b are securely provided on the luminous sections 200 (R, G, B) arranged in three lines to obtain light of each of the three primary colors, arrangement of the luminous sections in proximity to each other causes light emitted from each of the luminous sections to enter the filter of the luminous sections adjacent thereto, leading to color mixing. Thus, the conventional optical printer requires to increase intervals between the luminous sections to a degree sufficient to prevent the color mixing, resulting in failing in down-sizing thereof. Also, such an increase in interval between the luminous sections fails to permit light emitted from the three-line luminous sections to be satisfactorily formed into an image by means of only one optical system, so that it is required to separately arrange the optical system for every line. This renders down-sizing of the optical printer further difficult and causes an increase in manufacturing cost.


A processing system for and a method of producing ions inside a process chamber and shielding the ions from a magnetic field by directing the magnetic field through a magnet keeper is described.

Processing substrates with plasma is widely used in a broad range of industries. A disk processing system using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) source, i.e. a PECVD system, is one example of a plasma-based enabling technology that may be used to coat the surface of media storage disks with a protective layer of carbon.
FIG. 1A illustrates a partial plan view of one type of processing system. The process system illustrated in FIG. 1A is a PECVD processing system known as the NCT Mark V Process Station (the "NCT unit"), which is manufactured by Intevac, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. FIG. 1B illustrates a conceptual operation of the NCT unit. During operation of the NCT unit, neutral gas molecules 100 enter the chamber 110 from a gas source 114 located behind gas diffuser 118. A filament 119 emits electrons 102 toward anode 116 that excite the neutral gas molecules 100 to generate plasma. Ions 104 are deposited onto disk 106 to coat the substrate surface with a protective diamond like carbon (DLC) coating.
The NCT unit design inhibits the backflow of plasma from chamber 110 into gas source 114 using a permanent magnet 112 positioned within an enclosure 120. The permanent magnet 112 is formed from NdFeB 38 magnetic material having a diameter of 1.0 inch and a length of 2.0 inches. The permanent magnet 112 generates a magnetic field that defines flux path 122. Flux path 122 moves through gas diffuser 118 in a direction that repels electrons 102 and ions 104 from entering where they might cause undesirable pre-ignition of neutral gas molecules 100.
While the NCT unit inhibits the backflow of electrons 102 and ions 104, the magnetic field may also distort ion distribution within chamber 110. The magnetic field may enter the chamber 110 directly by passing around the gas diffuser 118, which is spaced a distance of about 3.22 inches from the permanent magnet 112 and has a thickness of about 0.1 inch. Alternatively, the magnetic field may enter the chamber 110 indirectly by straying as it travels between the gas diffuser 118, which has a diameter of 2.25 inches, and the enclosure 120, which has a diameter of 8.00 inches. Magnetic field that enters the chamber 110 may distort ion distribution therein.
FIG. 1C illustrates the negative impact that ion distortion within chamber 110 may have on the carbon coating process. Ion distortion generates coating thickness variation through uneven ion distribution and unwanted ion deposition onto anode 116 and chamber magnets 124, which may lead to escalating variation in coating thickness variation. As a result, standard deviation in carbon coating thickness across the entire disk face may gradually increase from a cycle-start standard deviation 130 of, for example, about 5% of nominal substrate coating thickness at the beginning of a production cycle to a cycle-stop standard deviation 132 of, for example, about 10% of nominal substrate coating thickness at the end of a production cycle. Increasing coating variability ultimately translates into degraded performance of the media storage disk.


An object of the invention is to be able to select easily and quickly inspection recipes which are appropriate to samples from any number of inspection recipes. A calculating device displays a plurality of inspection recipes on the GUI. An inspection recipe includes settings for controlling charged particle columns which irradiate charged particles on samples with a plurality of characteristics. Plural inspection recipes are arranged and displayed on a coordinate system which is specified by a plurality of axes having characteristic values (robustness variable of charge up, throughput of defect inspection, and accuracy of defect inspection) which have mutually trade-off relationships.

Conventionally, in order to localize the defects for fine structure formation such as with LSI (Large Scale Integration), various inspection systems are used. For example, optical inspection systems form optical images of minute circuits with the object of inspecting this image in order to detect abnormalities. However, with optical images there is insufficient resolution to specify the minute feature characteristics, and because of that limitation, it is difficult to distinguish damaging defects and non-damaging defects at sites of circuit formation. On the other hand, inspection systems which use charged particle beams have sufficient resolution to make an image of the minute feature characteristics such as contact holes, gates, and interconnections and the feature characteristics for minute defects. In addition, it is possible to utilize classification detection for the magnitude of the defects based on shadow image of the defect's form. Consequently, when the charged particle beam system is used for inspection of minute circuits that have been manufactured in a process which uses a minimum critical dimension of 90 nm or less, there is merit in measurement when compared to an optical inspection system.
There is a charged particle beam system which effectively detects the defect by strengthening the shadow image of the defect through adjustment of the azimuth and elevation angle. However, when inspecting for a resist film after coating and image development with a LSI formation process or insulating film, charges are generated by charged particles irradiation for image formation, and with the change in orbit of the secondary electrons, there are generated bright spots (shading) on the observations. When strengthening the shadow image in order to improve the defect detection sensitivity, there is an increased effect on the observations as a brightness change from the secondary electrons, and shading is furthermore easily generated. Consequently, in order to effectively detect defects, it is very important to setup a charged particle beam system so as to eliminate shading, increase inspection sensitivity and inspection throughput.
Generally, in a charged particle beam system, it is possible to control the charge amount by adjusting the settings of optical conditions such as the beam current, landing voltage, booster voltage, image magnification, scanning pattern, scan speed and number of retrieving frame of images. In addition, there is charge control technology for pre-irradiation doses, for neutralization, UV brightness, H2O gas, flat gun, probe shunting and the like. With a charged particle beam system, there is combined the setting for these optical conditions and charge control technology and control of the charges is better than with conventional means. However, through the details of combining the optical condition settings and the charge control technology (called inspection recipe), there are great changes in defect detection efficiency (accuracy of defect inspection and throughput of defect inspection) with a charged particle beam system. Robustness variable of charge up (capacity showing the ease of charging and the throughput of defect inspection) depends on the sample. Because of this dependency, the most appropriate inspection recipe differs for every sample. There are many settings for an inspection recipe, and because of this number, it is necessary to have a high degree of knowledge when forming the inspection recipe.
Japanese laid-open Patent 2000-314710 registers in database inspection recipes which correspond to the sample name, sample construction or the inspection recipe name. Also, the patent discloses a technology which searches for the most appropriate inspection recipe for the sample from the database. According to this technology, because it is possible to extract the most appropriate inspection recipe for the sample from the sample name and the like, an operator can obtain a high degree of knowledge for forming the inspection recipe.
In addition, in Japanese laid-open Patent 2005-191017, technology is disclosed which determines and displays the charge from observations of the sample. According to this technology, the operator can see the charge conditions of the sample, and it is possible to determine whether or not the inspection recipe is appropriate by this visualization ability.

Charged particle apparatus, scanning electron microscope, and sample inspection method


The present invention provides a method of screening subjects for disease risk. The method comprises determining the serotonin transporter gene promoter genotype of a subject. The serotonin transporter gene promoter genotype is used to indicate whether or not the subject is at increased risk of disease. The method is particularly adapted to screening for risk of disease in response to stress, and accordingly can be used to indicate interventions that manage stress, and hence reduce disease risk, in susceptible or higher-risk individuals.

It is known that stress can contribute to a variety of different physical diseases. However, it is not well understood why different individuals respond to stress in different ways. Because stress is such a significant contributory factor in disease, it would be extremely useful to have a way to identify individuals who are at high risk, or increased risk, of responding unfavorably to stress in a manner that increases their risk of disease.

Use of polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene promoter as a predictor of disease risk


As filter canisters are utilized by recreational vehicles, provision of a single filter canister to the primary water input line exteriorly of the vehicle is provided. The recreational vehicle includes a filter canister mounted exteriorly of the recreational vehicle exteriorly adjacency to the vehicle's fill nozzles, wherein a first fluid supply conduit is directed to the filter canister and in turn mounts a second fluid supply conduit directed into the fill nozzle of the vehicle to effect filtering of the primary water supply of the vehicle. A flange plate is slidably received within a mounting flange for selective positioning and mounting of the canister during use permitting ease of disassembly of the canister relative to the recreational vehicle for ease of transport of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to water filter apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved RV water filter apparatus wherein the same is arranged for ease of securement and positioning of a water filter canister relative to a recreational vehicle as it may be utilized by various recreational vehicles as original or retrofit structure. Filter canisters are often added to recreational vehicles by mounting them on an interior wall and inserting them in a hot or cold water line beneath a water outlet. In order to serve all lines in the RV, at least four canisters are needed. This apparatus filters water as it enters the vehicle and elinates the need for multiple canisters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Water filter apparatus of various types are utilized in the prior art and such is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,061.
Further examples of water filter structure are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,798,672; 4,895,651; and 4,770,768 utilizing various filtration components such as charcoal and the like.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a new and improved RV water filter apparatus as set forth by the instant invention which addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction in providing for a readily mounted and dismounted arrangement for a water filter structure relative to a recreational vehicle and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A probabilistic clustering system is defined at least in part by probabilistic model parameters indicative of word counts, ratios, or frequencies characterizing classes of the clustering system. An association of one or more documents in the probabilistic clustering system is changed from one or more source classes to one or more destination classes. Probabilistic model parameters characterizing classes affected by the changed association are locally updated without updating probabilistic model parameters characterizing classes not affected by the changed association.

The following relates to the document processing arts. It is described with example reference to embodiments employing probabilistic hierarchical clustering in which documents are represented by a bag-of-words format. However, the following is also applicable to non-hierarchical probabilistic clustering, to other types of clustering, and so forth.
In typical clustering systems, a set of documents is processed by a training algorithm that classifies the documents into various classes based on document similarities and differences. For example, in one approach the documents are represented by a bag-of-words format in which counts are stored for keywords or for words other than certain frequent and typically semantically uninteresting stop words (such as "the", "an", "and", or so forth). Document similarities and differences are measured in terms of the word counts, ratios, or frequencies, and the training partitions documents into various classes based on such similarities and differences. The training further generates probabilistic model parameters indicative of word counts, ratios, or frequencies characterizing the classes. For example, a ratio of the count of each word in the documents of a class respective to the total count of words in the documents of the class provides a word probability or word frequency modeling parameter. Optionally, the classes are organized into a hierarchy of classes, in which the documents are associated with leaf classes and ancestor classes identify or associate semantically or logically related groupings of leaf classes. Once the training is complete, the clustering system can be used to provide a convenient and intuitive interface for user access to the clustered documents.
A problem arises, however, in that the classification system generated by the initial cluster training is generally static. The probabilistic modeling parameters are computed during the initial training based on counting numbers of words in documents and classes. If a document in the clustering system is moved from one class to another class, or if a class is split or existing classes are merged, or so forth, then the probabilistic modeling parameters computed during the training are no longer accurate.
To maintain up-to-date probabilistic modeling parameters, the clustering system can be retrained after each update (such as after each document or class move, after each class split or merge, or so forth). However, a large clustering system may contain tens or hundreds of thousands of documents, or more, with each document containing thousands, tens of thousands, or more words. Accordingly, re-training of the clustering system is typically a relatively slow proposition. For document bases of tens of hundreds of documents each including thousands or tens of thousands of words, retraining can take several minutes or longer. Such long time frames are not conducive to performing real-time updates of the hierarchy of classes. Moreover, the effect of such retraining will generally not be localized to the moved documents or classes that have been moved, merged, split, or otherwise updated. Rather, a retraining of the clustering system to account for updating of one region of the hierarchy of classes may have unintended consequences on other regions that may be far away from the updated region.

Hierarchical clustering with real-time updating


The present invention is ceramic matrix composite gas turbine engine component comprising a plurality of cured ceramic matrix composite plies, each ply comprising ceramic fiber tows, each ceramic fiber tow comprising a plurality of ceramic fibers, the tows in each ply lying adjacent to one another such that each ply has a unidirectional orientation. The component further comprises a layer of a coating on the ceramic fibers. The component further comprises a ceramic matrix material lying in interstitial regions between the fibers and tows of each ply and the interstitial region between the plurality of plies, wherein at least a portion of the component is no greater than about 0.021 inch thick. The present invention is also a method for making such a ceramic matrix composite component.

In order to increase the efficiency and the performance of gas turbine engines so as to provide increased thrust-to-weight ratios, lower emissions and improved specific fuel consumption, engine turbines are tasked to operate at higher temperatures. As the higher temperatures reach and surpass the limits of the material comprising the components in the hot section of the engine and in particular the turbine section of the engine, new materials must be developed.
As the engine operating temperatures have increased, new methods of cooling the high temperature alloys comprising the combustors and the turbine airfoils have been developed. For example, ceramic thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) were applied to the surfaces of components in the stream of the hot effluent gases of combustion to reduce the heat transfer rate and to provide thermal protection to the underlying metal and allow the component to withstand higher temperatures. These improvements helped to reduce the peak temperatures and thermal gradients. Cooling holes were also introduced to provide film cooling to improve thermal capability or protection. Simultaneously, ceramic matrix composites were developed as substitutes for the high temperature alloys. The ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) in many cases provided an improved temperature and density advantage over the metals, making them the material of choice when higher operating temperatures were desired.
A number of techniques have been used in the past to manufacture turbine engine components, such as turbine blades using ceramic matrix composites. However, such techniques have resulted in difficulties related to the small features of gas turbine engine components for helicopter engines.
A number of techniques have been used in the past to manufacture turbine engine components, such as turbine blades using ceramic matrix composites. One method of manufacturing CMC components, set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,015,540; 5,330,854; and 5,336,350; incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, relates to the production of silicon carbide matrix composites containing fibrous material that is infiltrated with molten silicon, herein referred to as the Silcomp process. The fibers generally have diameters of about 140 micrometers or greater, which prevents intricate, complex shapes having features on the order of about 0.030 inches, such as turbine blade components for helicopter gas turbine engines, to be manufactured by the Silcomp process.
Other techniques, such as the prepreg melt infiltration (MI) process have also been used, however, the smallest cured thicknesses with sufficient structural integrity for such components have been in the range of about 0.03 inch to about 0.036 inch, since they are manufactured with standard prepreg plies, which normally have an uncured thickness in the range of about 0.009 inch to about 0.011 inch. With standard matrix composition percentages in the final manufactured component, the use of such uncured thicknesses results in final cured thicknesses in the range of about 0.03 inch to about 0.036 inch.
What is needed is a method of manufacturing CMC helicopter turbine engine components that permits the manufacture of features having a thickness in the range of about 0.015 inch to about 0.021 inch. In addition, a method of manufacturing CMC helicopter turbine engine components having features with a thickness less than about 0.021 inch is also needed.

Manufacture of CMC articles having small complex features


Described herein are biomaterials, systems, and methods for guiding regeneration of an epiphyseal growth plate or similar interfacial tissue structures. In one aspect, the disclosed technology can include a biologic material that can comprise one or more of a hydrogel carrier for growth factors and MSCs, chondrogenic and immunomodulatory cytokines, microparticles for prolonged and spatially controlled growth factor delivery; and/or porous scaffold providing mechanical support. The implanted material can be applied via various different modalities depending on the nature of the physeal injury. One modality is an injectable hydrogel and another modality is an implantable hydrogel infused scaffold.

Skeletal interfacial tissue structures bridge tissues that differ in mechanical properties and composition, such as the tide mark between articular cartilage and bone, the enthesis between tendon/ligament and bone, and the epiphyseal plate between epiphyseal and metaphyseal bones. The lack of proper interfacial tissue formation after tissue grafting (e.g., ACL allograft) is a critical point of failure in current orthopaedic procedures. Many regenerative medicine approaches require control over formation of interfacial tissues to bond neotissue to existing structures (e.g., neocartilage to bone for joint resurfacing) and to promote normal function (e.g., limb growth, mechanical strength). For illustrative purposes, this disclosure focuses on regeneration of the epiphyseal plate in children affected by sarcoma resection, fracture, and disease; however this is just one particular non-limiting implementation of the disclosed technology, which can also be implemented for regeneration of various other skeletal interfacial tissues, in patients of any ages, and to treat various other injuries or diseases affecting the musculoskeletal tissues.
Epiphyseal injury, due to fracture, cancer, and infection, is a significant pediatric orthopaedic problem and results in tremendous morbidity. The epiphyseal plate, or growth plate, is the cartilaginous structure at the ends of long bones that drives appendicular skeleton growth via the process of endochondral ossification. In the pediatric population, the incidence of bone fractures that involve the epiphyseal plate is high at 2.4 to 4.6 per 1,000 (about 178,800-342,700 estimated US cases for 2015). Up to 75% of these fractures cause some growth disturbance, which can lead to substantial physical impairment due to limb deformity and limb length discrepancy. The amount of growth disturbance is proportional to fracture severity, with those that traverse the epiphyseal plate typically resulting in aberrant limb growth due to formation of boney tethers that cross through the growth plate and bridge bone ends. Small growth disturbances may resolve over time, but are not well tolerated in the lower limbs. Thus corrective surgery is more common in the portion of cases with lower limb involvement. For example in knee injuries, the number of distal femoral physeal fractures estimated to have required surgical correction in 2015 is 3000 to 6000. While 30-fold more individuals are estimated to have been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis in the same year, children live with these disorders much longer and through their most active, socially formative and productive years. To restore limb length, patients are treated with distraction osteogenesis, a long (3-6 months) and painful procedure employing hardware that pierces the skin.
Cancer-related injury is less common, but the morbidity is even greater, 5% of malignant tumors in children less than 15 years of age are osteosarcomas, with 640 cases estimated in 2015, 75% of these form near the epiphyseal plate. At least 20% of osteosarcoma cases require limb amputation because resection damage to the physis is severe and surgical reconstruction cannot restore normal growth. Surgeons attempt reconstructive techniques, such as vascularized physeal transfer from the distal limb, and perform rotationplasty to provide greater prosthesis function. There are no accepted treatments to restore epiphyseal plate function after tissue resection. Children can suffer from deformity, limb loss, functional impairment, prolonged immobilization, multiple surgeries, and/or physical and emotional pain during treatment. Costs are significant with repeated clinic visits, surgeries, rehabilitation, prosthetic maintenance, and lost future productivity.
No regenerative approach exists to prevent growth arrest after physeal injury or to repair large physeal defects and restore growth. Current clinical approaches to treat boney tether formation in the growth plate involve excision of the tether and placement of an interpositional material to prevent re-bridging. For example, the Langenskiöld procedure is one approach that fills the defect with autologous fat.
However, the success rate is only 15-38% for inhibiting tether re-formation. Experimental attempts to prevent tethers using other inter-positional materials, including autologous articular cartilage and physeal allografts, have failed to promote normal growth in animal models. Investigators have studied the regenerative potential of various biomaterials and cells implanted into epiphyseal plate defects in animal models. Cell-treated limbs still show growth disruption, but with less tethering and angular deformity compared to defects with cell-free implants. Transplants of entire physes have fared better in animals, likely because they possess the organized cellular architecture that drives physeal growth. However none have been able to completely prevent growth arrest, including transplantation of epiphyseal plate derived cells. Past approaches have likely failed because they were unsuccessful in re-establishing the natural architecture of the epiphyseal plate.
No reported study has endeavored to guide cells to reestablish the zonal architecture of the epiphyseal plate to facilitate repair. The epiphyseal plate consists of chondrocytes (cartilage cells) that are spatially stratified in zones of distinct differentiation states (FIG. 1). Intercellular signaling between zones by diffusible growth factors, or morphogens, helps maintain equilibrium and drive appendicular growth. Loss of equilibrium can result in growth termination or dwarfism. Transport of parathyroid hormone (PTH) related peptide (PTHrP) and Indian hedge hog (IHH) between zones establishes a negative feedback gradient loop that regulates chondrocyte phenotype progression, zonal equilibrium and growth. Proper transport and binding of PTHrP and IHH through the ECM are important for establishing gradient profiles. Thus, biomaterials employed for growth plate regeneration can facilitate reconstitution of gradients in soluble growth factors to promote physeal architecture formation.

Hydrogel systems for skeletal interfacial tissue regeneration applied to epiphyseal growth plate repair

University of Pittsburgh—Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education


The disclosure relates to a piezoelectric acceleration sensor. The piezoelectric acceleration sensor includes: a charge output member comprising a base, a piezoelectric element disposed on the base and a mass, wherein the base includes a supporting portion and a connecting portion disposed on the supporting portion and extending in a first direction, and the piezoelectric element and the mass are sleeved on the connecting portion; a shielding cover sleeved on the connecting portion, wherein the shielding cover is connected to the connecting portion and the supporting portion, the shielding cover forms a shielding space outside a periphery of the connecting portion and above the supporting portion, and the piezoelectric element and the mass are arranged in the shielding space; and a housing coupled with the supporting portion, wherein the housing and the supporting portion form an accommodating space for accommodating the charge output member and the shielding cover.

Piezoelectric acceleration sensor, also known as piezoelectric accelerometer, is an inertial sensor. The principle of the piezoelectric acceleration sensor is to employ the piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric element. When the accelerometer vibrates, a force exerted on the piezoelectric element by the mass changes accordingly. When the measured vibration frequency is much lower than the natural frequency of the accelerometer, the change in force is proportional to the measured acceleration.
Piezoelectric acceleration sensors are widely used in fault detection systems. External signals easily affect the measurement accuracy of piezoelectric acceleration sensors. An urgent problem to be solved is how to reduce the interference of external signals and improve the measurement accuracy.

FATRI UNITED TESTING & CONTROL (QUANZHOU) TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.


A method for drilling a borehole includes obtaining, while drilling the borehole, sensor data for the drilling assembly, analyzing, while drilling the borehole, the sensor data using a drilling behavior model to obtain results, and adjusting the drilling of the borehole based on the results. The drilling behavior model models drilling of the borehole using a distance drilled, a number of touch points, a number of bend angles, a number of external moments, a number of lengths of distributed weights, a lateral displacement of a center of the borehole at a bit, at least one vertical displacement from the center of the borehole, at least one angular offset, at least one force, and at least one mass per unit length.

Many different types of wells into the Earth's subsurface exist. For example, a borehole may be drilled to create a well for accessing hydrocarbons. As another example, geothermal wells are used to access the Earth's natural heat. Continuing with the example, wells are used to access water, vent mines, rescue people from mines, and obtain hydrocarbons from a formation. Each type of borehole requires a process for drilling the well.
For example, obtaining downhole fluids (e.g. hydrocarbons) typically require a planning stage, a drilling stage, and a production stage. Each stage may be performed one or more times. In the planning stage, surveys are often performed using acquisition methodologies, such as seismic mapping to generate acoustic images of underground formations. These formations are often analyzed to determine the presence of subterranean assets, such as valuable fluids or minerals, or to determine whether the formations have characteristics suitable for storing fluids. Although the subterranean assets are not limited to hydrocarbons such as oil, throughout this document, the terms "oilfield" and "oilfield operation" may be used interchangeably with the terms "field" and "field operation" to refer to a site where any types of valuable fluids or minerals can be found and the activities required to extract them. The terms may also refer to sites where substances are deposited or stored by injecting them into the surface using boreholes and the operations associated with this process.
During the drilling stage, a borehole is drilled into the earth at a position identified during the survey stage. Specifically, a drilling rig rotates a drill string that has a bit attached. Casing may be added to ensure the structural integrity of the borehole. The trajectory, or path in which the borehole is drilled, may be controlled by a surface controller. Specifically, the surface controller controls the drill string to ensure that the trajectory is optimal for obtaining fluids.
During the completion stage, the drilling equipment is removed and the well is prepared for production. During the production stage, fluids are produced or removed from the subsurface formation. In other words, the fluids may be transferred from the subsurface formation to one or more production facilities (e.g. refineries).

System and apparatus for modeling the behavior of a drilling assembly


There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus which includes a tank including first and second liquid storage chambers, and a liquid consuming unit. The tank includes a first inlet, a first atmosphere communication channel, a first liquid outflow channel, a first return channel, a second inlet, a second atmosphere communication channel, a second liquid outflow channel, and a second return channel. A volume of the first liquid outflow channel from the first position up to the second position and a volume of the second liquid outflow channel from the fourth position up to the fifth position differ mutually.

1. Field of the Invention
The present teaching relates to a liquid consuming apparatus which consumes a liquid supplied from a tank in which a plurality of storage chambers, each refillable by the liquid, is formed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printer (an example of a liquid consuming apparatus) which includes a plurality of storage chambers that are refillable by inks of various colors, and a recording head which records an image on a recording paper by jetting the inks supplied from the plurality of storage chambers through nozzles has hitherto been known.
In the printer having such arrangement, at the time of filling up the ink in each storage chamber for the first time, there is a possibility that the entire distribution channel (circulation route) of the ink from the storage chambers to the recording head is not filled up by the ink. Therefore, sometimes a so-called initial purge which is an operation of jetting the inks to the recording head till the entire distribution channel is filled with the inks is carried out.


Provided are method and apparatus of defining at least a portion of a vicinity area of a portable device as an input area and controlling the portable device based on a user input provided on the input area, and the portable device enabling the method, wherein the portable device includes a sensing unit configured to sense a user input in a vicinity area of the portable device, a recognizer configured to recognize a user gesture corresponding to the user input, and an output unit configured to output a control instruction corresponding to the recognized user gesture to control the portable device.

1. Field
The following description relates to a user input method of a portable device, and to a method and apparatus of defining a vicinity area of a portable device as an on-body input area and controlling the portable device based on a user input provided in the on-body input area.
2. Description of Related Art
A user touches a touchscreen of a portable device with a hand to provide a user input to the portable device. In a case of a capacitive touchscreen, an accuracy of a touch input may increase as an area of a finger touching the touchscreen increases. A touch may be recognized based on a change in a capacitance when skin is in contact with the touchscreen. Thus, when the user wears gloves, a touch may not be recognized, and an input may restricted depending on conditions, for example, due to the presence of moisture on a hand.
A resistive touchscreen is not used widely for portable devices, for example, wearable devices. When resistive touchscreen is used, a touch input may be provided when a pressure greater than a predetermined level is applied. Thus, it may be difficult to provide a user input using a small touchscreen of a portable device.
A wearable device provided in a form of a watch or a band that is to be worn on a wrist has a small touchscreen. Thus, a user may experience difficulty in providing an input through the touchscreen. When touching the small touchscreen of the wearable device with a finger, a portion of the touchscreen may be obscured. It may be difficult to display a menu icon on the touchscreen, which is sufficiently large to be touched with a hand. Due to a characteristic of a wearable device, for example, a limitation on a size of the touchscreen, it may be difficult to display a number of menu icons that are large enough to provide a user input on a single touchscreen. Due to a characteristic of a capacitive touchscreen, an input may be provided when a finger sufficiently touches the touchscreen. Thus, provision of an accurate touch with a finger on the small touchscreen may be difficult. Although a resistive touchscreen is applied to wearable devices, a touch input may be provided by pressing the touchscreen with a pressure greater than a predetermined level. Thus, provision of an input with a finger through the small touchscreen may also be difficult.


A method for connecting two objects electrically by an electroconductive liquid is described. The method includes providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. Thereafter, the method includes forming a channel of the liquid on the first surface of the substrate to extend along the first surface of the substrate. Further, the method includes forming a through hole in the substrate. Moreover, the method includes arranging the two objects to interpose the substrate, wherein the two objects overlap with the openings of the through hole. Next, the method further includes filling the liquid to the through hole via the channel, bringing the liquid in contact with the two objects, and hardening the liquid. Further still, the method further includes wherein a surface of the liquid hole bulges to form a projection which makes contact with one of the two objects.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for connecting objects such as wires and circuit elements which are arranged on both surfaces of a substrate.
Description of the Related Art
A substrate which supplies an electric signal etc. to various apparatuses, on which connecting objects (connecting bodies) such as wires and electrodes are arranged on both surfaces thereof, and these connecting objects are electrically connected via through holes formed in the substrate, is available.
As a method of connecting electrically the wires and electrodes which are arranged on both surfaces of a substrate, a method of connecting the electrodes and wires via through holes has been disclosed in FIG. 4 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-250842. In this method, a substrate, in which through holes and wires are formed, is arranged above a semiconductor chip, on an upper surface of which electrodes are formed, such that the through holes are positioned on the electrodes, and an electroconductive material is filled in the through holes by jetting an electroconductive liquid directly in the through holes from a nozzle of an ink-jet head, and the electrodes and the wires are connected electrically via the through holes.

Method for connecting two objects electrically


A foldable car seat carriage includes a frame unit and an engagement unit. The frame unit includes two leg frames. Each of the leg frames includes two legs pivotable relative to each other, and a driving mechanism. The driving mechanism has opposite ends connected pivotally to the legs at first and second intersections. The engagement unit includes two bayonets. Each of the bayonets has a linking portion connected pivotally to the driving mechanism of a respective one of the leg frames. For each of the leg frames, change of a distance between the first and second intersections of the driving mechanism and the legs during pivot action of the legs converts a position of the engagement unit relative to the legs.

For caretakers who may need to bring the infant around in a car seat, a frame may be installed with the car seat for easier transport of the infant in places such as supermarkets and airports.
Currently, two options of such a frame are available. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional car seat stroller frame may be folded to reduce its volume, but still has a relatively large folded volume and needs to be stored in a car trunk. Referring to FIG. 2, a car seat cart has a reduced folded volume compared with the car seat stroller frame, but has no options for storage and places the infant in a non-ideal position close to the ground.