A liquid storage container includes a liquid storage part, a liquid supply part, a liquid outflow part, and a cover. The liquid storage part stores a liquid. The liquid supply part has a liquid supply port defining an opening by which the liquid is supplied to a liquid jet apparatus from the liquid storage part. The liquid outflow part is made of a porous material. The liquid outflow part is disposed inside of the liquid supply port and allows the liquid to flow out to the liquid jet apparatus from the liquid storage part. The cover includes a sealing part contacting with the liquid supply part and sealing off the liquid supply port, the sealing part and the liquid outflow part defining a space therebetween, and a contact part made of a non-porous material, the contact part contacting with a part of the liquid outflow part.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid storage container and a cover therefor.
2. Related Art
One known liquid storage container is a cartridge for storing ink (a print material) for supply to a printer (print apparatus). Such a cartridge is provided with a liquid supply part and a liquid outflow part. The liquid supply part of the cartridge is provided with a liquid supply port, which is an opening configured so that the ink can be supplied to the printer. The liquid outflow part of the cartridge is formed of a filter, which is a porous medium made of a porous material, and is provided to the inside of the liquid supply port and causes the ink to flow out to the printer by capillary force. In the state before the cartridge is mounted onto printer, a cover (also called a cap or a lid) for closing off the liquid supply port is mounted onto the cartridge in order to prevent the ink from flowing out from the cartridge (see JP-A-2008-246896 (Patent Document 1), for example).

Liquid storage container and cover therefor


A method, system and computer readable medium for joining multiple virtual machines (VMs). The method includes identifying a first virtual machine (VM) executing a first operating system (OS) for joining with a second VM executing a second OS, wherein the first OS and the second OS are compatible. A new VM having a new disk is created, wherein the new disk includes the contents of a first existing disk of the first VM and a second existing disk of the second VM.

In computer science, a virtual machine (VM) is a portion of software that, when executed on appropriate hardware, creates an environment allowing the virtualization of an actual physical computer system. A computing environment may include many virtual machines (VMs) utilizing computing resources. In a conventional system, there is an increased burden on a virtual machine management system to manage a computing environment including a large number of VMs. In addition to the aforementioned management issues, having many VMs can lead to increased load on the system, a slower migration, a lack of resource sharing, a reduction in a number of host computers, and an increased need for per VM software licenses


A mapping between virtual processing units and physical processing units allows for an increase or decrease in the number of physical processing units installed in a computing device without disrupting the computing device's network communications. At startup, each of the virtual processing units can be allocated the necessary network communication management structures for supporting network communication. The networking subsystem can continue to use the virtual processing units as it would physical processing units, namely packets can be routed through the appropriate processing unit. However, because the networking subsystem is only aware of the virtual processing units, the mapping between the virtual processing units and the physical processing units can continually adjust for changes in the number of physical processing units installed, allowing the number of installed physical processing units to be modified without affecting the operation of the networking subsystem or ongoing network communications.

As the central processing units used by many computing devices achieve speeds approaching the practical maximum speed of processing technology, computing devices are increasingly being manufactured with multiple processing units to provide future speed increases. However, many systems have yet to be redesigned to take advantage of the multiple processing units and perform tasks in parallel, or divide tasks equally among the processing units. By redesigning individual systems, either in hardware or software, to accommodate multi-processor computing devices, further increases in speed, proportional to the increases experienced to date, can be achieved.
Due to the tremendous growth of the number of networked computing devices, connected to the both Internet and World Wide Web, and to smaller, more private networks, such as corporate or government Intranets, the ability of computing devices to efficiently handle network communications has become of paramount importance. Consequently, the efficient use of multiple processing units by network subsystems can provide a mechanism by which a computing device's ability to handle network communications can be easily and inexpensively enhanced. Lying at the core of the explosion of the popularity and usage of networks are simplified communication protocols such as the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) commonly used by the World Wide Web, and many Intranets. Such network protocols can often be layered on top of "lower level" protocols, that provide different features. Among the most common of these lower level protocols are the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP).
The Internet Protocol provides the ability to break a message down into packets for transmission across packet-switching networks. Each packet can specify a destination, thereby allowing a single physical connection to be used for many different simultaneous communications. Each communication can be nothing more than a series of packets, and each packet, having a specified destination, can be sent independently of any other packet. In such a manner, a single physical connection can transmit an assortment of packets, each destined to a particular location, and thereby simultaneously support multiple communications.
The Transmission Control Protocol provides the ability of two hosts to establish a connection and exchange information. TCP can provide the necessary guidelines for ensuring that individual packets are properly delivered to the corrected destination, and that they are delivered in the proper order. By providing such delivery services, TCP and IP, collectively "TCP/IP", can provide a network communication foundation which can be used by other software and hardware, without the need to re-implement packetization, delivery, and routing functionality
Each of these networking protocols require some amount of processing by the computing device, and specifically the processing units of the computing device, to perform their tasks. For example, upon establishment of a TCP/IP connection, the processing units of a communicating computing device can create a data structure known as a Transmission Control Block (TCB) that contains all of the connection information for the TCP/IP connection. A TCB can contain socket information that can uniquely identify the connection, such as the sockets at the two ends of computing devices communicating with one another, and a local connection name by which the user can reference the connection. Additional information stored in the TCB can be the security and precedence of the connection, pointers to the user's send and receive buffers, pointers to the retransmit queue and to the current segment and send and receive sequence variables. As a result of storing this and other data, the size of a typical TCB is on the order of 400 to 500 bytes of non-paged-pool memory.
The TCBs can be stored in a table, such as a hash table, that can be searched by the processing units, upon receipt of each packet, for the proper TCB. Because a TCP connection can progress through a series of states during its lifetime, such as LISTEN, SYN-SENT, SYN-RECEIVED, ESTABLISHED, FIN-WAIT-1, FIN-WAIT-2, CLOSE-WAIT, CLOSING, LAST-ACK, TIME-WAIT, additional tables can be created by the processing units to increase the efficiency of the overall system. For example, a TimeWait TCB table can be created, having TimeWait TCBs that occupy less memory space than a complete TCB, but can still provide the necessary information required during the TIME-WAIT state. Similarly, a SYN TCB table can be created, having SYN TCBs that occupy less memory space than a complete TCB, but can still provide the necessary information required during the SYN-SENT and SYN-RECEIVED states.
In addition to creating, maintaining and searching network communication variables, such as TCB tables, the processing units of the computing device can also be requested by the networking protocols to implement mechanisms such as timer wheels and delta queues to aid in network communication. Networking protocols implement a number of scheduled events that can require timers for proper operation. For example, TCP supports timers that can indicate the appropriate time for events such as retransmission, Delay-acknowledgement, Push, Silly-Window-Syndrome prevention, Finish-Wait-2-State, connection establishment and disconnection. Such timers can be maintained in a TCB, and a timer wheel can reduce the number of timers maintained in the TCB by implementing a circular timer buffer with a number of divisions, each corresponding to a fixed unit of time. A pointer to a TCB having an event that is to occur at a particular time can be entered into a corresponding division, allowing a single timer wheel to maintain many of the scheduled events of multiple TCBs. Similarly, a delta queue can maintain the scheduled events of a TCB, or multiple TCBs, by storing each scheduled event as a function of the time difference between it and the next most recent event. In such a manner, the only difference that needs to be continually updated though time is the difference between the current time and the most recently scheduled event in the delta queue.
In current computing devices having multiple processing units, the number of processing units is determined upon starting the computing device, and the networking protocols' requests are divided among those processing units. Therefore, for example, the various TCB tables, timer wheels, and delta queues required by TCP and IP can be created and allocated to each processing unit present when the computing device was started. However, if an additional processing unit is subsequently added to the computing device, in order for the networking protocols to take advantage of the additional processing unit, each of the TCB tables, timer wheels, and delta queues can be rehashed and otherwise redistributed among the all of the processing units currently available. Such a process can require so much time to complete that open connections may become disconnected. Because most multi-processor server computing devices are loath to disconnect client computing devices, either the networking protocols do not take advantage of the additional processing power and speed provided by the added processing unit, or the administrator of the computing device does not provide additional processing units while the server computing device is actively communicating with client computer devices.


Systems, methods and techniques for automatically recognizing two-dimensional real world objects with an augmented reality display device, and augmenting or enhancing the display of such real world objects by superimposing virtual images such as a still or video advertisement, a story or other virtual image presentation. In non-limiting embodiments, the real world object includes visible features including visible security features and a recognition process takes the visible security features into account when recognizing the object and/or displaying superimposed virtual images.

Augmented reality ("AR") is the real-time superimposition of artificial images onto real world images. This technology has been used for a variety of applications from handheld entertainment to heads-up displays on military jets. For example, a person using an augmented reality-enabled display device (e.g., a smartphone with an AR app or AR enabled glasses) while shopping can be shown virtual advertisements, sale announcements, pricing information etc. superimposed onto images of actual products they can purchase.
Because AR tends to drive higher levels of attention, one advantageous use of augmented reality is superimposing advertisements and/or purchasing information over product images. People who might ignore traditional electronic advertisements may pay attention to an AR advertisement.

Augmented reality content selection and display based on printed objects having security features


A quick change mechanism is provided for a meter socket assembly including a base member structured to be coupled to a meter, a number of electrical bus members extending outwardly from the base member, and at least one electrical connector electrically connectable to a corresponding one of the electrical bus members. The quick change mechanism includes a foundation and a receiving portion disposed generally opposite and distal from the foundation and including a number of apertures. Each aperture receives a corresponding one of the electrical bus members. Resilient protrusions extend outwardly from the receiving portion and are operable between an undeflected position in which the resilient protrusion secures the electrical connector on such electrical bus member, and a deflected position in which the resilient protrusion is deflected away from the electrical connector in order that the electrical connector is removable from such electrical bus member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to meter centers and, more particularly, to meter socket assemblies of meter centers. The invention also relates to quick change mechanisms for meter socket assemblies.
2. Background Information
Meter centers including a number of watt-hour meters are commonly used to measure electric power consumed by the tenant(s) of a residence (e.g., without limitation, a single family home; an apartment building) or commercial site (e.g., without limitation, an office complex).
FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example meter center 1. The meter center 1 includes an upright cabinet forming an enclosure 3. The enclosure 3 is divided by an internal longitudinal wall 5 into side-by-side meter and disconnect switch compartments 7,9 (disconnect switch compartment 9 is shown in FIG. 1A only). A pair of vertical supply buses 11A,11B (FIG. 1A) are electrically connected at one end to a meter socket assembly 13 within the meter compartment 7 and, at the other end, to an electrical switching apparatus, such as the circuit breaker 15 shown in FIG. 1A, within the disconnect switch compartment 9. The meter socket assembly 13 includes a meter socket 17 (FIG. 1B) for mounting a meter 19 (FIG. 1B) in the meter compartment 7 for each tenant load circuit, and to electrically connect the meter 19 (FIG. 1B) to line buses 21A, 21B (line bus 21A is shown in FIG. 1A only) which are electrically connected to the respective supply buses 11A,11B (FIG. 1A). Meter centers and electrical bus work therefor are described in detail, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,937 (Campbell et al.), which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The meter socket assembly 13 of FIGS. 1A and 1B is designed to be interchangeable between an underground feed configuration (shown), and an overhead feed configuration (not shown). In the underground feed configuration, the utility lines (not shown) are routed to the meter center 1 underground and are typically fed through the bottom (from the perspective of FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the meter center enclosure 3 to be electrically connected at or about the lower end (from the perspective of FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the line buses 21A,21B (line bus 21A is shown in FIG. 1A only). In an overhead feed configuration, the utility lines (not shown) are routed to the meter center 1 above ground and are fed through the top (from the perspective of FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the meter center enclosure 3 to be electrically connected to the upper end (from the perspective of FIGS. 1A and 1B) of the line buses 21A,21B.
Each line bus 21A,21B has two twisted sections of about 90 degrees each, in order that the upper and lower ends of the line buses 21A,21B are horizontal (with respect to the plane of the back panel 27 of the meter cabinet 3) and the middle portions of the buses 21A,21B are vertical (with respect to the plane of the back panel 27 of the meter cabinet 3). As best shown in FIG. 1A, the vertical portion of each of the line buses 21A,21B is side mounted to a corresponding individual base member 23A,23B by a pair of side-mount screws 25. These separate sub-assemblies, which together form the meter socket assembly 13, are then mounted to the back panel 27 of the meter cabinet 3 by first and second pedestal assemblies 29,31 (FIG. 1B). Each pedestal assembly 29,31 comprises multiple components and employs a plurality of fasteners 33. The first and second pedestal assemblies 29,31 are disposed at the upper (from the perspective of FIGS. 1A and 1B) and lower (from the perspective of FIGS. 1A and 1B) ends of the line buses 21A,21B, respectively. In addition to functioning as mounting brackets for mounting the meter socket assembly 13, the pedestal assemblies 29,31 also serve to support the line buses 21A,21B. A still further number of fasteners 35 (FIG. 1B) are required to secure wire connectors, commonly referred to as lugs 37, to the line buses 21A,21B for providing the electrical connection between the meter socket assembly 13 and, for example, the utility lines (not shown).
Accordingly, the meter socket assembly 13 has numerous separate components and fasteners 25,33,35 therefor. This makes assembly, repair, replacement, and/or maintenance of the meter socket assembly 13 difficult. For example, removal or replacement of the line buses 21A,21B would require the side-mount screws 25 (FIG. 1A) to be removed in four locations, the lug fasteners 35 and lugs 37 to be removed in two locations, and the line buses 21A,21B to be disengaged from both of the pedestals 29,31. The fasteners 25,33,35 could be lost and/or can strip or break during the above removal or replacement process. Also, access to some of the fasteners, such as the aforementioned side-mount fasteners 25 (FIG. 1A), is limited, and can require special tools to be used to loosen or tighten them. Furthermore, the twisted structure of the line buses 21A,21B unnecessarily uses more material than required.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a mechanism for quickly and easily removing and installing the bus members (e.g., without limitation, line buses 21A,21B) and components (e.g., without limitation, lugs 37) of the meter socket assembly 13, without first requiring the loosening and/or removal of a plurality of fasteners (e.g., 25,33,35). It is also desirable to provide support for, and resistance to undesired rotation of, the bus members 21A,21B of the meter socket assembly 13, for example, when removing or installing components of the meter socket assembly 13.
There is, therefore, room for improvement in meter socket assemblies and in connectors therefor.

Meter socket assembly and quick change mechanism therefor


A generally cylindrical element 10 that is adapted for immersion in water is described. The generally cylindrical element 10 has an outer surface 11 that is in contact with the water in use. The outer surface 11 has at least two rows of repeating shapes 20, for example hexagons 20, provided on the surface 11, where each row of repeating shapes 20 is separated from the other or the adjacent row(s) by a groove arrangement 30. Each shape 20 within a row is separated from the, or each, adjacent shape 20 by at least one groove 30. This configuration of the surface 11 reduces Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) and/or drag that may act upon the generally cylindrical element 10 when it is immersed in a body of water.

In fluid dynamics, vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) are motions induced on bodies interacting with an external fluid flow, produced by—or the motion producing—periodical irregularities on this flow.
A classic example is the VIV of an underwater cylinder. A skilled person can very simply observe how this happens in basic terms by putting a cylinder into the water (such as water held in a swimming-pool or even a bucket) and moving it through the water in the direction perpendicular to its axis. Since real fluids always present some viscosity, the flow around the cylinder will be slowed down while in contact with its surface, forming the so-called boundary layer. At some point however, this boundary layer can separate from the body because of its excessive curvature. Vortices are then formed changing the pressure distribution along the surface. When the vortices are not formed symmetrically around the body (with respect to its mid-plane), different lift forces develop on each side of the body, thus leading to motion transverse to the flow. This motion changes the nature of the vortex formation in such a way as to lead to a limited motion amplitude (differently than from what would be expected in a typical case of resonance).
It is therefore important to reduce or minimise VIV on cylindrical objects when they are positioned within and operating in the water column typically between and possibly from the water surface to the seabed within a water current flow such as in an offshore environment.
Conventionally, it is known to attempt to reduce VIV in a number of ways. For example, Matrix Composites and Engineering of Henderson, Wash., 6166, Australia produce the MATRIX LGS™ system (which is described in PCT Patent Publication No WO2016/205900) and which comprises a cylindrical element placed around a cylindrical structure deployed in a body of water (such as a marine riser, umbilical, cable or pipeline) where the cylindrical element comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending raised body portions which are adapted to reduce VIV.
Also, Trelleborg of Houston, Tex. 77073, USA jointly with Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. of Houston, Tex. 77094-1810, USA produce a Helical Buoyancy system which is arranged to be placed around a cylindrical structure deployed in a body of water which requires buoyancy support (such as Marine Drilling Risers, Intervention Risers, Jumpers, Long Pipeline Spans, Production Risers, Umbilicals, Flow Lines and Power Cables) where the Helical Buoyancy system comprises a cylinder made up of two half shells formed from buoyant material and where the cylinder is placed around the structure to be supported in the body of water and where the cylinder comprises helical grooves formed on its outer surface along its length. Further details of the Helical Buoyancy System may be viewed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,443,896 B2 and 9,322,221 B2.

Cylindrical element profiled to reduce vortex induced vibration (VIV) and/or drag


A method is provided for removing uranium from water. The method includes the mixing of a boron reagent with water contaminated with uranyl dication ions, leading to removal of the uranium from that water.

Over the past 50 years the United States has used nuclear energy for military purposes and power generation. This has resulted in the establishment of numerous facilities engaged in the production, research, development and testing of nuclear materials. Now the nation must deal with the environmental consequences of the radioactive materials that were generated.
Over forty million tons of soil and debris are contaminated with radioactive waste. This extends to about 1.7 trillion gallons of groundwater in some 5,700 distinct plumes. Hazardous and radioactive waste at more than 120 sites in 36 states and territories must be characterized, treated and disposed of.
Uranium exists in contaminated water and sediments as the highly water soluble uranyl dication [UO2]2+ ion. The uranyl dication is very mobile at these sites, able to travel in solution through the groundwater. Currently there are no techniques that will irreversibly bind the uranyl dication ion and prevent its dispersion in nature.
The present invention relates to the use of boron reagents to bind the uranium and precipitate it from the contaminated water. This allows, for example, the uranium to be collected in sludge ponds where it can be stored or collected for safe disposal or storage. Alternatively, the boron reagents may be used to precipitate the uranium on site and left in place. The precipitate that forms between the boron reagent and uranium will not release the uranium back into the water. Advantageously, the uranyl dication is effectively removed from the groundwater so that it cannot spread out into the environment. Thus, the present invention effectively prevents further environmental damage resulting from uranium contamination.

Use of boron compounds to precipitate uranium from water

University of Kentucky Research Foundation


A system and method that allows a consumer to monitor the electrical power usage in a residence is disclosed. The electrical use may be monitored at the service level, the circuit level, or at the group level. The electrical usage is communicated to a power monitoring system using a power line communications network (PLC). The monitored electrical usage can be accessed by both the utility supplying the electricity and by the consumer or owner of the residence.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of electrical distribution systems, and in particular, to monitoring the electrical use of a residence using the electrical wires as part of the communications network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, the electrical power used by a residence is monitored with an external meter. The meter is checked once a month to determine the amount of electrical power used by the residence. Many meters are manually checked, although remotely read meters are gaining prevalence. In most cases the amount of power used by the residence is accumulated over the month and only the total amount of power used during the month is recorded. The rate of power usage during any given time is typically unavailable. Utilities typically charge more for electrical power at peak usage periods. The Utility may also have a tiered pricing structure where a low rate is charged for a base level of use, a higher rate is charged for next amount of power used, and the highest rate is charged for the amount of power used above a predetermined amount. For example, the first 1000 kilowatt/hours of electrical power may cost 5 cents per Kilowatt/hour, the next 500 kilowatt/hours may cost 8 cents per kilowatt/hour, and all power used in addition to the first 1500 kilowatt/hours may cost 15 cents per kilowatt/hour. A consumer that wishes to minimize their electrical costs currently has no way to monitor their electrical usage.
Systems are currently available that use the wiring in a residence as the connections or cabling for a communications network, for example the Ethernet to powerline homeplug adapter EC14H by Mirco-star international, ltd. These systems typically use the ground wire in the residence's power distribution system as the cabling for the communication network. By using the electrical wiring as the network connection, every plug or electrical outlet in the residence is automatically connected to the network. This allows a power monitoring system to monitor the power consumption in the residence at the outlet level, the group level, and the service level. In this application service level means the total electrical power entering the residence. Power monitors are well known in the arts and can be found that already have computer enabled connections. Agilent technologies and Yokogawa are two examples of manufactures that produce power monitors.
There is a need for a method and apparatus that allows a consumer to monitor the electrical power usage in a residence.


A short-prevented lead frame and a method for fabricating a semiconductor package with the lead frame are proposed, wherein each lead of the lead frame is formed with a thickness-reduced portion at a peripheral position of the lead frame, allowing thickness-reduced portions of adjacent leads to be arranged in a stagger manner. This stagger arrangement significantly increases pitches between the neighboring thickness-reduced portions of leads. Therefore, during a singulation process as to cut through the leads, lead bridging and short-circuiting between adjacent leads caused by cut-side burrs can be prevented from occurrence, whereby singulation quality and product yield and reliability are effectively improved.

Generally, a QFN (quad flat non-leaded) semiconductor package is basically configured by mounting at least a chip on a die pad of a lead frame, and forming a plurality of conductive elements such as bonding wires for electrically connecting the chip to leads of the lead frame, wherein the chip, bonding wires and lead frame are encapsulated by an encapsulating resin to form an encapsulant. As compared with a QFP (quad flat package) having outer leads that are exposed to outside of the package and used to establish external electrical connection, this QFN semiconductor package, as named, is characterized to be free of exposed outer leads, and thus relatively lower in overall package profile. Moreover, the QFN semiconductor package is adapted to expose bottom surfaces of the die pad and leads to outside of the encapsulant. These exposed surfaces directly urge the semiconductor package to be electrically coupled to an external device such as a printed circuit board (PCB), by which no other conductive elements e.g. solder balls or bumps are necessarily provided for the semiconductor package to serve as I/O (input/output) connections for communicating with the external device, making process complexity and costs of fabrication both considerably reduced.
However, the above conventional QFN semiconductor package is still inherent with significant drawbacks, for example, relatively weak bonding between the encapsulant and lead frame, bridging of adjacent leads during singulation, and so on. This is because that, as described above, the die pad and leads of the QFN semiconductor package are partly exposed and not entirely enclosed by the encapsulant, which thereby weakens bonding strength between the encapsulant and lead frame, and tends to cause delamination between the encapsulant and the die pad or leads, making quality and reliability of the semiconductor package adversely affected.
In accordance with the delamination problem, U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,029 teaches a semiconductor package 1 shown in FIG. 6A. Similar to a conventional QFN semiconductor package, this semiconductor package 1 adopts a lead frame 10 with at least a chip 12 being mounted on a die pad 11 thereof. A plurality of bonding wires 13 are formed to electrically connect the chip 12 to leads 14 of the lead frame 10. All these components of the semiconductor package 1 are encapsulated by an encapsulant 15, wherein bottom surfaces of the die pad 11 and leads 14 are exposed to outside of the encapsulant 15. In particular, the semiconductor package 1 is characterized in forming of a recessed step-like portion 110, which dents upwardly from bottom peripheral edge of the die pad 11, and allows part of the encapsulant 15 to fill into the step-like portion 110, This helps enhancing contact area and bonding strength between the die pad 11 and the encapsulant 15, and thereby reduce the occurrence of delamination.
As shown in FIG. 7A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,200 discloses a semiconductor package 2, in which at least a chip 22 is deposited on a die pad 21 of a lead frame 20, and electrically connected to leads 24 of the lead frame 20 by a plurality of bonding wires 23; an encapsulant 25 is formed to encapsulate all the foregoing components of the semiconductor package 2, with bottom surfaces of the die pad 21 and leads 24 being exposed to outside of the encapsulant 25. Similar to the above-described semiconductor package 1, a step-like portion 210 is formed at bottom peripheral edge of the die pad 21 in the semiconductor package 2, so as to reinforce bonding strength between the die pad 21 and the encapsulant 25. Moreover, ends of the leads 24 around the die pad 21 are also formed with step-like portions 240 at bottom edges thereof, by which contact area and bonding strength between the leads 24 and the encapsulant 25 are effectively enhanced. In provision of the step-like portions 210, 240, the lead frame 20 is firmly bonded with the encapsulant 25, and much less likely to delaminate from the encapsulant 25; thereby, reliability of the semiconductor package 2 can be well assured.
However, those above disclosed semiconductor packages are still in concern of the lead bridging problem. During a singulation process, by virtue of metal affinity to a cutting tool, cut-side burrs of the metal-made leads are usually generated when the cutting tool cuts through the leads. As shown in FIGS. 6B and 7B, since the leads 14, 24 of the semiconductor package 1, 2 are densely arranged or low in pitch, cut-side burrs may diffuse along a cutting direction (as indicated by an arrow in the respective drawings) to cause bridging and short-circuiting of adjacent leads, which severely damages quality and yield of singulated products.
Therefore, how to effectively eliminate the drawback of lead bridging caused by diffusion of lead burrs during singulation, and to assure quality and reliability of fabricated products, are significant problems to solve.

Method for fabricating semiconductor package with short-prevented lead frame

Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd.


A substrate holding device according to the present invention comprises: a motor; a rotating shaft rotated by the driving force of the motor; a spin base coupled to the rotating shaft and rotated integrally with the rotating shaft; a cover member surrounding the motor and having its one end arranged in the vicinity of the spin base; a rotating ring fixed to a surface, opposite to the cover member, of the spin base; a fixed ring arranged opposite to the rotating ring along the axis of the rotating shaft; a spring provided at the one end of the cover member for elastically urging the fixed ring toward the rotating ring; and clean gas supply mechanism for supplying clean gas to a space between the rotating ring and the fixed ring. Either one of a surface, opposite to the fixed ring, of the rotating ring and a surface, opposite to the rotating ring, of the fixed ring is formed with a gas introducing recess into which the clean gas is to be introduced by the clean gas supply mechanism, and either one of the opposite surfaces being formed with a dynamic pressure creating recess for creating the dynamic pressure of the gas between the rotating ring and the fixed ring when the rotating ring rotates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate holding device for holding a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, and a substrate processing apparatus comprising the same.
2. Description of Related Art
A single substrate processing apparatus used in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, for example, comprises a spin chuck for holding a substrate almost horizontally and rotating the held substrate, and a nozzle for supplying a process liquid such as a chemical liquid to the substrate held in the spin chuck. In the single substrate processing apparatus, process of the substrate using the process liquid is achieved by supplying, while rotating the substrate within a horizontal surface using the spin chuck, the process liquid from the nozzle to the substrate that is being rotated.
The spin chuck comprises a rotating shaft arranged in a vertical direction, a spin base mounted on an upper end of the rotating shaft almost horizontally, and a plurality of chuck pins arranged on an upper surface of the spin base. The rotating shaft is integrated with a driving shaft of a motor. The rotating shaft is rotated by the motor with the substrate held by the plurality of chuck pins, so that the substrate, together with the spin base, is rotated.
The motor is surrounded by a cylindrical cover member. In order to prevent a corrosive atmosphere including a process liquid component from reaching to a rotation mechanism section including the motor or the like and prevent an atmosphere including dust (particles) generated from the rotation mechanism section from reaching to the substrate, an upper end of the cover member leads to the vicinity of a lower surface of the spin base, and a sealing mechanism is arranged between the upper end of the cover member and the lower surface of the spin base.
It is considered that a contact seal such as an oil seal is used, for example, for the sealing mechanism. However, the contact seal may cause generation of dust and reduction in sealing properties by abrasion. Since the diameter of the cover member surrounding the motor is relatively large, the diameter of the contact seal provided along the upper end of the cover member also becomes large. When the spin base is rotated, therefore, the peripheral speed of a contact portion with the contact seal on the lower surface of the spin base is increased so that the contact seal may be baked.
In order to avoid such a problem caused by using the contact seal, a so-called non-contact static pressure-type seal may, in some cases, be used. The non-contact static pressure-type seal comprises a fixed ring supported on an upper end surface of the cover member through a plurality of springs, and a rotating ring mounted on the lower surface of the spin base and arranged opposite to the fixed ring. A plurality of clean gas blow-off ports open to an upper surface of the fixed ring. Clean gas can be supplied to a space between the fixed ring and the rotating ring from the clean gas blow-off ports. In a state where no clean gas is supplied from the clean gas blow-off ports, the fixed ring is abutted against the rotating ring over its entire periphery by the urging force of the springs. When clean gas is supplied to a space between the fixed ring and the rotating ring from the clean gas blow-off ports, the fixed ring is spaced apart from the rotating ring by several micrometers to tens of micrometers by the pressure (static pressure) of the clean gas, thereby entering a non-contact state. At this time, the clean gas supplied to the space between the fixed ring and the rotating ring branches off to flow along the inside and the outside of the cover member from the space. Consequently, sealing between the fixed ring and the rotating ring is achieved.
While the substrate (spin base) is being rotated, the clean gas continues to be supplied to the space between the fixed ring and the rotating ring in order to maintain the non-contact state between the fixed ring and the rotating ring. However, the flow rate of the clean gas supplied to the space between the fixed ring and the rotating ring may be reduced due to a failure in a clean gas piping system or a clean gas supply source, for example. When the flow rate of the clean gas is reduced, the pressure of the clean gas between the fixed ring and the rotating ring is reduced, whereby the rotating ring rotates while coming into contact with the fixed ring. Therefore, the fixed ring and/or the rotating ring may be damaged, and atmospheric contamination with abrasion powder of the fixed ring and/or the rotating ring may be occurred. Even if interlocking control for stopping the driving of the motor to stop the process of the substrate in response to the reduction in the flow rate of the clean gas is carried out, the rotating ring rotates while coming into contact with the fixed ring for approximately three seconds from the stop of the driving of the motor to the stop of the rotation of the spin base. Therefore, the same problem occurs. When such a problem occurs, cleaning for removing the abrasion powder must be performed in addition to the repair of a faulty portion. As a result, a down time period (a time period during which the substrate cannot be processed) by the substrate processing apparatus is lengthened.
In a configuration using a non-contact static pressure-type seal, the clean gas must continue to be supplied to the space between the fixed ring and the rotating ring while the substrate is being rotated. Therefore, the running cost is high.

Substrate holding device and substrate processing apparatus


When a failure detection server calculates a measurement average value at every predetermined time with respect to measured values collected in the past, and collects measured values from cable modems, the server sets a failure determination threshold value by adding or subtracting a predetermined difference threshold value to or from the measurement average value so as to determine the presence of failure. A failure analysis server performs a screening process of inputting determined failure information and eliminating logically conflicting failure information, obtains a differential of the screened failure information between this time and previous time so as to extract changed failure information and newly generated failure information, and then, repeats state determination at an upstream connection point, starting from a cable modem having failure information, so as to estimate the failure generated location.

In a conventional CATV transmission line monitoring system, transponders are mounted on an optical node, two-way amplifiers, power supplies, etc. installed on the transmission lines, and a transmission line monitoring computer in the center side periodically subjects each of the transponders to polling via a headend, so as to collect data of the devices to be monitored. In this monitoring system, each of the transponders directly monitors and operates an object device, therefore many parameters of, for example, opening and closing of a casing, power consumption, interior temperature, etc. can be collected. Furthermore, it has an advantage of having an advanced function such as a function of opening and closing an upstream gate of branching lines, in which, for example, part of an operation for specifying streamed noise failure in the upstream can be subjected to a remote operation performed at a headend station.
However, there have been various drawbacks, for example, since the conventional CATV transmission line monitoring system using transponders is an independent communication system in which both the hardware and software are dedicated to transmission line monitoring, the system is expensive, and the transponders are mounted in outdoor-use device casings, accordingly, harsh environmental conditions, i.e., high temperature and high humidity cause failure and malfunctions in the transponders per se, thereby generating operation/maintenance cost increasing factors.
Therefore, attention has been focused on cable modems used in the cable television internet, and it is proposed a simple CATV transmission line monitoring system for monitoring transmission lines by utilizing standard network management protocol of cable modems, as a simple CATV transmission line monitoring system in which excessive monitoring and control functions provided in the case when transponders are used are omitted and merely minimum functions required for maintenance of transmission lines are implemented (JP2002-247607).
Meanwhile in a conventional system for monitoring transmission lines by utilizing cable modems, measured values according to cable modems, such as downstream reception levels and downstream S/N, are collected through polling, and failure is detected by comparing the measured values with predetermined threshold values. However, since CATV transmission lines are strongly affected by temperature variation due to, for example, solar irradiation and seasonal variation, failure determination using threshold values as absolute values is not always appropriate. Therefore, relative evaluation in which measured values collected through polling are stored as statistical data in, for example, year units, and threshold values are set relatively with the average value of the corresponding season and time of the previous year serving as a reference, thereby effectively determining failure. However, measured values of at least one year have to be stored for such relative evaluation, and it takes too much time to start the relative evaluation. Moreover, the diurnal temperature variation of the same day of the previous year is not necessarily same as the actual diurnal temperature variation. Therefore, threshold values are set relatively using the monthly average value of the same month of the previous year as a reference, wherein it is expected that the difference with the actual diurnal temperature variation is considerably large when the monthly average is used, and, even in failure determination according to relative threshold values, it is difficult to sufficiently eliminate the influence due to temperature variation.
When failure is determined from measured values obtained through polling of cable modems disposed in the premises of subscribers on feeder lines which are ends of CATV transmission lines, generally, failure points are mapped with the positions of the cable modems positioned at ends in the system diagram of the CATV transmission lines having a tree structure, and geometry analysis is performed, thereby estimating failure locations on the transmission lines. If there are not many failure points, the estimation of malfunction locations is carried out comparatively easily. However, because measured values are collected by subjecting a plurality of cable modems, which are disposed in the premises of subscribers on end feeder lines of CATV transmission lines, to polling, so as to determine malfunctions, in some cases, measured values of a plurality of cable modems are determined to be in failure at the same time, and the substances of the failure are different in failure points. In this case, analysis of failure locations by means of geometry analysis cannot be assumed to be always appropriate, and an algorithm of which process for estimating failure locations that is simple and highly accurate is required.
In addition to the cable modems disposed in the premises of subscribers on end feeder lines of CATV transmission lines, cable modems are disposed also on trunk lines in accordance with needs, and measured values are collected through polling so as to determine failure. However, measured values of the cable modems disposed on transmission lines in this manner are sometimes erroneously determined to be in failure due to causes unique to cable modems even though upstream and downstream signals are normal, and presence of erroneous failure points on the transmission lines may lead to erroneous estimation of malfunction locations.
Furthermore, measured values collected through polling from cable modems disposed on premises of subscribers on feeder lines and a trunk line of CATV transmission lines are stored, and subjected to multipoint statistical display for carrying out comparison display of, for example, downstream signal levels of a plurality of cable modems in a graph of monthly variation thereof. However, the number and types of transmission devices to be passed through from a headend to cable modems vary in each cable modem, and there is a problem that, even if the measured values of such cable modems are subjected to multipoint statistical display, appropriate comparison and determination cannot be carried out since the correlation as a transmission system is low.

CATV transmission line monitoring system, method, and program


A method for establishing a network connection between a mobile electronic device and a target network device includes establishing a short-range communications link between the mobile electronic device and the target network device. The method may also include, by a processor, executing an application that causes the processor to receive network device information from the target network device, via the short-range communications link, use the identifier associated with the target network device to identify a network to which the target network device is connected, use a transmitter component of the mobile electronic device to establish the network connection between the mobile electronic device and the target network device, via the identified network, and cause the transmitter component to send a communication to the target network device, via the identified network. The network device information comprises an identifier associated with the target network device.

Mobile devices such as smartphones, notebook and laptop computers, PDAs (personal digital assistants), tablet computing devices, and so forth, are extremely prolific, and are extensively used to provide convenient storage and/or printing of various documents and data. Such devices are able to store the documents and data of the user, and allow the user to access such information in many different locations. When users with such mobile devices wish to print documents, files or other information stored on the mobile devices, information is transmitted via a print aware mobile application to a print device directly or through an intermediate processing device using mechanisms such as print.
Printers/multifunction-devices designed for use in a network environment routinely offer greater functionality than a simple desktop printer such as the printer can be managed, monitored, and configured directly from a standard web browser or any web-enabled application. Examples of network connected devices may include scanners, readers, fax machines, label makers, multifunction devices (MFD), or servers. When a user wishes to use one of the networked devices, a connection program may presents the user with a list of all networked devices (such as printers) based on selection criteria provided by the user.
However, there are many situations in which users may not know how to connect to a network of the selected device, such as a wireless network, in order to connect to the device and perform tasks. One issue is that MFDs and mobile devices often reside on different networks. This difference makes a direct connection between MFD and mobile hard to accomplish because this typically requires credentials for accessing that network, not to mention prior knowledge of the configuration parameters required. For example, a user may want to use a multifunction device via their mobile, over an enterprise WiFi network. However, there may be more than one network service set identifiers (SSIDs) visible to the user, and the user may not know which one to use in order to gain access to the selected device. Existing pairing solutions involving the use of NFC hotspots, passive NFC tags, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags or transmitters and so on are well-known, but do not solve this problem. Instead, such pairing solutions merely solve the problem of identifying the network address (IP or hostname) of the specific device in order to communicate with it, and do not address the problem of how one should connect to the surrounding enterprise network in order to be able to reach that specific device. Moreover, existing solutions introducing surrounding network information (such as which SSID to connect to, and how) would reintroduce administrative overhead in setting up such information, especially as it may change over time. The above problems may be exacerbated for MFDs hard wired to a network and as such do not know the network topology of the network and/or the wireless network information.
As such, a mobile device may only connect to a print device by first connecting to the print device network, which may be different from the mobile device network.
The current disclosure discloses a system and method to automatically determine the correct surrounding network information to use when connecting a mobile device to a network in order to use a resource, such as an MFD with minimal effort.

System and method for network access discovery


An electronic device is for transmitting a video stream, and is able to be embedded in an autonomous motor vehicle. The electronic device includes a convertor for converting the video stream into a video signal transmissible via a transmission channel and a transmitter configured to send, to a monitoring device outside the vehicle, via the transmission channel, a signal for escalating information including said video signal. The electronic transmission device also includes a timestamper configured to repeatedly produce a timestamping signal including at least one piece of information relative to the production date of said timestamping signal. The information escalation signal includes the timestamping signal.

Devices for transmitting a video stream of the aforementioned type are known. They make it possible to transmit images filmed by a camera embedded in the vehicle to an operator of the monitoring device, who thus has access to a partial view of the environment of the vehicle controlled by the monitoring device. This is particularly useful in case of obstacle encountered by the vehicle and requiring a remote intervention by the operator to make it possible for the vehicle to bypass the obstacle.
However, there is a delay between the sending of the video stream by the vehicle and the reception of the video stream by the monitoring device due to the lag of the communication network. This transmission delay of the information is problematic for the control of the vehicle when it becomes too great, since there is then a significant time shift between the reality and the perception thereof by the operator.
It is known to display the sending time on the images of the video stream in order to have an estimate of the transmission delay at the monitoring device.
However, such a display does not allow a precise determination of the transmission delay of the video stream and therefore does not make it possible to provide sufficient security for the remote control of the vehicle.

Electronic device for transmitting a video stream and associated vehicle


A guide mechanism is configured for guiding an optical pick-up head to move on a chassis. The guide mechanism includes a carriage, a first guide rail, a second guide rail, and a buffering device. The carriage includes a main body for receiving the optical pick-up head, and a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion formed on two opposite sides of the main body. The first guide rail is slidably received in a slot of the first engaging portion. The second guide rail is slidably engaging with the second engaging portion. The buffering device is clipped between the first guide rail and the first engaging portion. An optical disk drive using the guide mechanism is also provided.

1. Force of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical disk drives, and particularly to a guide mechanism for an optical disk drive to guide an optical pick-up head thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical optical disk drive emits a laser beam to record information to an optical disk or reproduce information from the optical disk. The optical disk drive usually includes a chassis, a spindle motor, an optical pick-up head, and a guide mechanism. The chassis is configured for supporting other components. The spindle motor is used for rotating the optical disk. The optical pick-up head is configured for emitting the laser beam onto the optical disk to perform a read operation or a write operation. The guide mechanism is configured for guiding the optical pick-up head to move along a radial direction of the optical disk, in order to move the laser beam to specific areas of the optical disk.
A conventional structure of the guide mechanism generally includes two guide rails, a carriage, a conduct device, and a stepping motor. The guide rails are fixed on the chassis. The carriage receives the optical pick-up head and is slidably supported on the guide rails. The conduct device is configured for conducting a driving force from the stepping motor to the carriage. Therefore, in operation, the carriage holding the optical pick-up head is driven along the guide rails by the driving force. The carriage includes two engaging portions, and each engaging portion engages with a corresponding guide rail. In detail, a first engaging portion defines a slot therein, and a corresponding guide rail can be slidably received in the slot, while a second engaging portion defines a hole, and which the other guide rail passes through the hole.
In order to reduce friction, the engaging portion and the corresponding guide rail cooperatively defines a clearance therebetween. However, this clearance introduces play or instability when the optical pick-up head moves along the guide rails.
Therefore, improvements for a guide mechanism are needed in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiency.

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


In a facsimile communication method, when a home facsimile machine makes the transition to simplified protocol phase B because of sensing polarity inversion, CED reception from an associated machine, etc., it stores 9600 bps as the initial value of control signal communication speed and sends a communication speed notification signal of the frequency corresponding to the stored communication speed to the associated machine, then sends an NSS thereto at the stored communication speed. When receiving the communication speed notification signal, the associated machine previously senses execution of the simplified protocol and the communication speed of the subsequently received NSS from the notification signal and receives the NSS at the sensed communication speed, then sends a communication speed notification signal of the frequency corresponding to the sensed communication speed and subsequently sends an NSF at the communication speed. When receiving the communication speed notification signal, the home machine also previously senses the NSF communication speed from the notification signal and receives the NSF at the sensed communication speed, then makes the transition to phase C.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a facsimile communication method and a facsimile machine, and in particular to a facsimile communication method and a facsimile machine for shortening the time of a protocol executed before transmission and reception of image information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional facsimile machines execute facsimile communication in accordance with transmission control procedures standardized by ITU-T (old CCITT) Recommendations T.30 as a facsimile protocol on a public switched telephone network. However, in the transmission control procedures, a control signal is transmitted at a low speed of about 300 bps so that a distant office can receive the control signal reliably, and it takes time in protocols in phases A and B executed before transmission and reception of image information (phase C). Thus, hitherto, the following techniques for shortening the protocols in phases A and B have been proposed:
Disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 61-98064 is a technique wherein a polarity inversion detection circuit, a memory circuit for storing the telephone number and function of an associated machine, and a control signal sending circuit for sending a control signal for informing the associated machine of a simplified protocol are provided and to originate a call, the availability of the simplified protocol function of the associated machine is read from the memory circuit and if the associated machine has the simplified protocol function, a control signal (command signal spc) for notifying the associated machine of execution of a nonstandard simplified protocol is sent from the control signal sending circuit just after the polarity inversion detection circuit detects polarity inversion. However, the technique requires additional specific signal sending means for notifying the associated machine of execution of the nonstandard simplified protocol.
Disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 62-38660 is a technique wherein when a calling facsimile machine receives an NSF (nonstandard function identification signal) at 300 bps from a called party, it transmits an NSS (nonstandard function setting signal) at 300 bps, then successively transmits image information, thereby shortening the time of a TCF (training check signal) and a CPR (reception ready confirmation signal). The technique shortens the time of image information transmission as compared with the standard protocol. However, since the NSF and NSS are transmitted and received at 300 bps, it is likely that it will take significant time to transmit and receive the NSF and NSS under present conditions in which the communication function increasingly grows and accordingly the amount of data to be transferred by the NSF and NSS increases more and more, although it depends on the data amount of the NSF and NSS; the technique is inefficient.
In the techniques described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 62-38660, since the calling party sends image information following the NSS, a fallback procedure does not exist; if image information training results in an error in the called party, a NACK signal (negative acknowledge) is sent to the calling party, which then again sends training and image information to the called party. However, since the calling party need not sense the NACK signal in the standard protocol, new means must be added, leading to an increase in costs.
Described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 3-68262 is a technique wherein when a calling party detects a CED (called equipment discrimination signal) from a called party, it sends a tone and upon detection of the tone, the called party stops sending the CED and the calling party measures the CED length and if the measurement value is shorter than the threshold value, sends an NSS at high speed. However, since negotiation of a preprocedure is omitted and the calling and called parties communicate with each other according to communication parameters such as paper size, line density, compression method, etc., predetermined between both the parties, the functions that can be used with the standard protocol by changing the communication parameters cannot be used with the simplified protocol.
In the technique described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 3-68262, the initial value of the communication speed of the NSS and image information transmitted following the NSS is predetermined and each time an error occurs, resending is performed. If the number of times an error has occurred reaches the specified number of times, the communication speed falls back, for example, from 9600 bps to 7200 bps for communication. However, in the technique, the calling party cannot recognize error occurrence in the called party and a mismatch may occur between the number of error occurrence times counted by the calling party and that counted by the called party. In this case, the calling and called parties differ in communication speed and the communication does not hold. Also, specific signal sending means for sending a tone for stopping sending the CED from the called party and notifying the called party of execution of the simplified protocol becomes newly necessary.
Further described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 3-154566 is a technique wherein when polarity inversion is sensed, a 300-bps NSS is sent and if polarity inversion cannot be sensed and a CED is detected, a tone is sent for stopping the CED and a 300-bps NSS is sent. In the technique, the contents of the FIF (facsimile information field) of an NSF of an associated office are stored at the first communication time and at the next communication time and later, the NSF is omitted and communication parameters are determined based on the stored contents. For the image information communication speed, the calling party stores a communication speed history and transmits image information at the stored communication speed.
However, since the technique also transmits the NSS at 300 bps, it is likely that it will take significant time to transmit the NSS as in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 62-38660 described above; the technique is inefficient. In the technique, to omit transmission of the NSF from the called party, the calling party needs to store the contents of the FIF of the NSF of the called party at the time of first communication. To store the FIF contents for each associated party, a large-capacity memory is required, leading to an increase in costs.
The communication speed history needs to be stored because of no fallback procedure. To store the communication speed history for each associated party, a still larger capacity memory is required, leading to a further increase in costs. Also, specific signal sending means for sending a tone for stopping sending the CED from the called party and notifying the called party of execution of the simplified protocol needs to be newly provided, as in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 3-68262 described above.
Disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 3-205958 is a technique wherein a predetermined communication speed is set in the FIF of an NSF in a called party and the NSF is transmitted at 300 bps and a calling party transmits a fast NSS at the setup communication speed and subsequently also transmits framed image information. However, since the technique transmits the NSF at 300 bps, it is likely that it will take significant time to transmit the NSF as in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 62-38660 described above; this technique is also inefficient. Also described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 3-205958 is that communication may be executed at the highest speed among the reception capabilities concerning the communication speed of the called party contained in the NSF or DIS in place of setting the communication speed in the FIF of the NSF. According to the description, when the called party transmits an NSF, next the calling party sends an NSS at high speed. If the highest speed of the calling party is slower than the called party, the called party, which does not contain means for sensing it, cannot sense the speed at which the calling party sends the NSS; there is a high possibility that communication will not hold.
Further in the technique, since the calling party sends image information following the NSS, a fallback procedure does not exist; described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 3-205958 is that if an FCS error (frame check sequence error) occurs in the called party, the called party may send a tone for notifying the error occurrence and the calling party may resend the NSS at high speed. However, since the calling party need not sense such a tone in the standard protocol, new means must be added, leading to an increase in costs.
Further described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 5-191613 is that while a called party sends a CED, a calling party sends a simplified protocol control signal and if the called party, which receives the simplified protocol control signal, stops sending the CED, then the simplified protocol is executed; if the called party does not stop sending the CED, a normal protocol is executed. However, specific signal sending means needs also to be newly provided for sending a simplified protocol control signal for stopping sending the CED and notifying the called party that the simplified protocol can be executed.
Described in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 5-219334 is a technique wherein when detecting a DED, the calling party sends a unique tone (DTMF) for also notifying the called party of the communication speed of image information to the called party for causing the called party to stop sending the CED and send a 300-bps NSF for a simplified protocol (NSF from which indispensable capability parameters are omitted). The calling party sends image information parameters at the fast communication speed notified with the unique tone before sending the image information. However, since the technique transmits the NSF at 300 bps, it is likely that it will take significant time to transmit the NSF as in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. Sho. 62-38660 and Hei. 3-205958 described above; the technique is not much efficient. It is also necessary to newly provide unique tone sending means for sending the unique tone (DTMF).
Since the image information parameters are sent at high speed before the image information is sent, the information to be sent to the called party with the unique tone DTMF is only the communication speed of image information. However, no fallback procedure exists in the control and considering shortening of the communication time in the fallback procedure, it is necessary to speed up transmission and reception of the control signals such as an NSF. To shorten the communication time of image information, it is effective to apply the maximum communication speed 14.4 kbps defined in ITU-T Recommendations V.17, for example, for transferring the image information. To speed up transmission and reception of commands, the control signals may be transmitted and received at 14.4 kbps matching the above-mentioned image information communication speed.
However, to send the control signals, it is also necessary to send a training signal, etc., as defined in various recommendations. Since V.17 defines the training signal sending time as 1.2 seconds, if control signals are transmitted and received conforming to V.17, the training signal needs to be sent for a comparatively long time and the time required for transmitting and receiving the control signals is not necessarily shortened. Thus, the image information communication speed is not always the optimum communication speed for sending the control signals at high speed.

Facsimile communication method and facsimile machine


A quantum computer comprises an apparatus having atomic objects therein; a first manipulation source configured to provide a first manipulation signal; a second manipulation source configured to provide a second manipulation signal; and a controller. The controller is configured to cause the first manipulation source to provide the first manipulation signal to a region of the apparatus; and cause the second manipulation source to provide the second manipulation signal to the region. The first manipulation signal is tuned to excite atomic objects within the region from a leaked state outside of the qubit space to an intermediary manifold and to suppress excitation of atomic objects that are in the qubit space. The second manipulation signal is tuned to excite atomic objects from the intermediary manifold to a decay manifold from which there is a non-zero probability that an atomic object will decay into the qubit space.

In trapped atomic object quantum computers, trapped atomic objects (e.g., atoms, ions, and/or the like) are used as qubits of the quantum computer. Qubits, similar to classical bits, may be in one of two states (e.g., 0 or 1). However, atomic objects within a trap may be in more than two states. When an atomic object leaves the defined two state qubit space, the atomic object is said to have been leaked. This leakage leads to leakage errors. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation many deficiencies of such systems have been solved by developing solutions that are structured in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, many examples of which are described in detail herein.

Suppressing/transforming leakage errors in hyperfine qubits


The present invention relates to a method for joining paper material (2, 3) in a first joining region (20) and a second joining region (30), comprising the steps of: roughening the first joining region (20) and/or the second joining region (30), moistening the first joining region (20) and/or the second joining region (30), and joining the first and second joining region (20, 30) between a sonotrode (60) and an anvil (63) of an ultrasonic friction welding apparatus (6) by means of ultrasonic friction welding, wherein a vibration direction (A) of the sonotrode (60) is not parallel to a joining force direction (B) of a joining force of the anvil (63).

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for joining paper material, in particular paper, cardboard or paperboard or the like, wherein the joining process may be carried out without additional auxiliary materials, in particular in a manner that is free of plastics materials and/or adhesive.
EP 0 340 334 A2 discloses an apparatus which joins paper products by means of ultrasonic. The paper used in said document has a thermoplastic coating. This thermoplastic coating is melted on during the joining process. After cooling and curing, the joining regions of the paper layers are then interconnected. Furthermore, DE 10 2013 225 745 A1 discloses an ultrasonic joining method for connecting paper material, in which method ultrasonic friction welding is carried out. These known methods have proven themselves in principle, but there is an urgent need, in particular due to stricter environmental regulations, for packaging, for example, to be made entirely of paper material that is recyclable and contains no other additional ingredients, in particular plastics materials or adhesives or the like, which can result in environmental pollution.

Method and apparatus for joining paper material


A method and apparatus for dimensioning and, optionally, weighing an object. A platform with a surface is used for supporting an object. A user selects between two different dimensioning devices of the apparatus. The first device employs three distance sensors to determine a distance between each of the distance sensors and a side of an object. The second device includes a movable gate that is passed over and about an object or objects on the platform. Sensor arrays, such as paired, aligned light emitter and receiver arrays, are used in combination with a plurality of sensed gate positions to determine the dimensions of the objects(s) as the gate passes around the object(s) based on whether or not light from an emitter on one side of the gate reaches a light receiver on another, opposing side of the gate.

Millions of packages per year are handled and shipped by United Parcel Service, Federal Express, and many other smaller courier and delivery services. These packages originate with federal, state, and local governments as well as private businesses of all sizes. In many instances, the charges by the carriers to their customers are based on the so-called "dim-weight factor" or "dimensional weight factor" (DWF) of the article being shipped, a fictitious dimension based on length (L) times width (W) times height (H) in inches divided by a standard agency or association-recognized divisor or conversion factor, commonly 139 (L×W×H)/139) for international shipments and 166 (L×W×H)/166) for domestic U.S. shipments. The "139" and "166" divisors or conversion factors have been recognized and adopted by the International Air Transport Association (I.A.T.A.). Even if an object or package is of irregular configuration, the "dim weight," using the longest measurement each of length, width, and height, is still utilized for billing purposes. The volume computed by multiplication of object length, times width, times height may hereinafter be termed the "cubic volume," "spatial volume," or simply the "cube" of the object.
The measurements of the articles shipped are also critical so that the carrier can compute volume-based shipping charges; accurately determine the number of containers, trucks, trailers, or other vehicles required to transport goods to their destinations; and handlers of goods can optimize the use of space in retail as well as warehouse/distribution-center facilities. In addition, article weight and measurements may also be used to determine and predict weight and balance for transport vehicles and aircraft and to dictate the loading sequence for objects by weight and dimensions for maximum safety and efficiency. If orders of any items are to be packed into boxes, knowledge of object weight

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Object dimensioning system and related methods


The present application is directed to a substrate comprising a first major surface comprising light transmitting areas and light shielding areas. An image reception layer exists on the light shielding areas of the first major surface of the substrate. The substrate is substantially continuous. In some embodiments, the image reception layer is on the second major surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, the light transmitting areas are substantially free of the image reception layer. In certain embodiments, a light shielding coating exists on the light shielding areas between the image reception layer and the substrate.

The design and production of unidirectional graphic articles is known and described, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,711 entitled "Method for Making Unidirectional Graphic Article" and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.
While unidirectional graphic articles are useful in a number of display environments, these articles typically provide only one display option, for example a reflected image in a first lighting condition. That is, an image can be seen (from the viewing side of the article) in high brightness conditions such as daylight, and the image is not visible (from the viewing side of the article) in low brightness conditions such as nighttime.
Dual display films and systems are also described in the art, to provide multiple display options. That is, a film capable of showing a reflected image in a first lighting condition and a transmitted image or series of images in a second lighting condition. Examples of such films are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,888,029; 5,962,109; 6,226,906; 6,577,355; and publication numbers WO 2004042684, WO9747481, and US 20040090399.


A produce washer includes a holder to position a single piece of produce and a nozzle disposed at a horizontal distance adjacent to the holder. When the produce is a cored lettuce head, the cored lettuce head is positioned in the holder with the cored portion facing the nozzle disposed across the horizontal distance. When the cored lettuce head is positioned in the holder, the nozzle directs a stream of cleansing liquid across the horizontal distance into the cored portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to the preparation of produce for processing. More specifically, the present application relates to washing a cored lettuce head.
2. Related Art
A major market has been found for pre-made salads, usually marketed in plastic bags. The lettuce for such pre-made salads needs to be washed before it can be incorporated. The mass production of such salads requires the lettuce to be washed on a mass production scale.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,067, U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,237, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,375 describe one apparatus for washing such salads, which includes a perforated platform connected to and supporting a tripod, or other lettuce head guide, that fits into the core hole. The guide includes three L-shaped vanes that project from the support platform. The platform includes supports for a lettuce head holder. The holder has an opening sufficiently large to permit the guide to project through the opening with the holder in a first position over the guide. The opening in the holder includes, near the top of the holder, a recess, preferably of sufficient size and shape to receive and support a cored head of lettuce. In a first position, a core hole of the cored head of lettuce is placed over the guide and into the recess of the holder, with the lettuce head otherwise resting in the recess of the holder. A nozzle at the proximal end of a siphon discharges a spray of aqueous solution vertically into and through the area within the guide, and into and around the cored area of a lettuce head to wash the head efficiently.
The holder is pivotally connected to two holder supports. The two holder supports are connected to the support platform so that the holder can move upwardly from the first, horizontal position, where the guide projects through the opening in the holder, to a second raised position at a distance of 45 to 75 degrees from the first position. This movement to a second position unseats the cored area of the lettuce head from the guide and propels the lettuce head onto a conveyor that carries the cored washed lettuce head from the washing apparatus.
Disadvantageously, the holder pushes the lettuce to unseat the cored area of the lettuce head from the guide and propel the lettuce head on the conveyer. Such a pushing configuration applies an amount of force against the lettuce head, which may be sufficient to bruise or otherwise damage the lettuce head. Additionally, the chamber houses various moving parts and a complex pressurizing system, which is relatively costly to manufacture and may be costly to maintain.


A method for manufacturing an acoustic wave device with an excellent frequency-temperature profile is performed such that the acoustic wave device produced includes a piezoelectric substrate, an IDT electrode located on the piezoelectric substrate, and a dielectric film mainly including Si and O and arranged on the piezoelectric substrate to cover the IDT electrode. The dielectric film is formed by sputtering in a sputtering gas containing H2O.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for manufacturing an acoustic wave device and, more specifically, to methods for manufacturing an acoustic wave device that includes a piezoelectric substrate, an IDT electrode located on the piezoelectric substrate, and a dielectric film arranged to cover the IDT electrode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cellular phones and other communication devices usually have a built-in acoustic wave device in their RF (radio frequency) circuit and this device works as a duplexer, an interstage filter, or the like. There are several types of acoustic wave devices available, including those based on surface acoustic waves (surface acoustic wave devices) and those based on boundary acoustic waves (boundary acoustic wave devices).
The acoustic wave device has an IDT electrode on its piezoelectric substrate, and this IDT electrode is driven to generate acoustic waves. The piezoelectric substrate is made of LiTaO3, LiNbO3, or any other similar compound. Acoustic wave devices with a piezoelectric substrate made of these compounds have a negative temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF). Specifically, LiNbO3 substrates have TCFs on the order of −90 ppm/° C. to −70 ppm/° C., and LiTaO3 substrates have TCFs on the order of −40 ppm/° C. to −30 ppm/° C. As a result, acoustic wave devices based on these substrates often fall short of the required frequency-temperature profile that duplexers and interstage filters should have.
A solution to this kind of problem can be found in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-254507, which proposes an acoustic wave device that has a dielectric film in addition to a piezoelectric substrate made of LiTaO3, LiNbO3, or any other similar compound and an IDT electrode formed on the piezoelectric substrate. This dielectric film has a positive TCF and is formed to cover the IDT electrode. The chemical structure of the dielectric film is mainly composed of Si and O and has some bonds substituted with a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, and/or a hydroxy group (OH). According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-254507, this constitution leads to an excellent frequency-temperature profile.
However, the acoustic wave device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-254507 is disadvantageous in that its electrical properties may be affected depending on the method chosen for the formation of the dielectric film.

Method for manufacturing acoustic wave device


A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip attached to an upper surface of the first semiconductor chip, a silicon heat-dissipation body thermally connected to at least one of the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip, and a molding member configured to surround the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip and exposing an upper surface of the silicon heat-dissipation body.

The inventive concept relates to a semiconductor package and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package, which has excellent heat dissipation characteristics and high reliability and may be manufactured using a simple process and a method of manufacturing the same.
Since a logic chip typically generates a large amount of heat during operation, the performance of the logic chip may be limited due to temperature. Accordingly, improvements are required in connection with heat dissipation of a semiconductor package including a logic chip.

Semiconductor package and method of manufacturing the same


Referring to the table of the count values corresponding to the aligning speeds stored in a ROM, the main control unit sets an aligning speed value (Kd: default value) in the aligning motor speed control circuit 193 and calculates the equation K1=Kd/(-Ta/Tb+(2+.alpha.))-1 measured by the aligning speed adjustment sequence and a new target value Ka=(Kd+K1)/2+C. At this time, if .vertline.Kd-K1.vertline..ltoreq.10, the main control unit substitutes C=0; if 20.gtoreq..vertline.Kd-K1.vertline.>10, it substitutes C=2 when Kd<K1 and C=-2 when Kd>K1; and if .vertline.Kd-K1.vertline.>20, it substitutes C=4 when Kd<K1 and C=-8 when Kd>K1.

The present invention relates to a image forming apparatus that is represented by apparatuses, such as an electrophotographic-type color electrophotocopying apparatus and a color printer that form color images by superimposing monochromatic images.
Many color image forming apparatuses have employed the following method: four monochromatic-image forming units, each composed of a photosensitive unit and a developing unit, are arranged in series, and a yellow (Y) image, a magenta (M) image, a cyan (C) image, and a black (B) image for reinforcing light and darkness formed by the respective image forming units are laid one on top of another in sequence on a sheet material transported by a transfer belt provided along the image forming units.
Four monochromatic-image forming units, each composed of a photosensitive unit and a developing unit, are arranged in series so as to correspond to a yellow image, a magenta image, a cyan image, and a black image, or a specific number of images defined by subtractive primaries. The transfer belt transports a sheet material made of a transparent resin sheet for sheet paper or an overhead projector. One known method of laying four images one on top of another is such that four images are transferred to an intermediate transferring unit and superimposed one on top of another on the intermediate transfer unit and the superimposed images are transferred to a sheet material at a time.
In these color image forming apparatuses, four color images (four images) are required to be accurately superimposed. Therefore, various types of control are employed to obtain accurately superimposed images.
For example, the control includes the photosensitive unit peripheral speed control and belt peripheral speed control. The photosensitive unit peripheral speed control controls a drum-driving motor to rotate at a constant speed so that a photosensitive-unit peripheral speed, by which an arbitrary point on a peripheral surface of the photosensitive unit provided in each of four photosensitive units is moved, is the same as the belt peripheral speed, by which an arbitrary point on a sheet material transfer belt rotated by a belt driving motor is moved. The belt peripheral speed control detects the rotation speed of a transferring-belt driving motor and thereby controls it to be constant so that the photosensitive-unit peripheral speed is the same as that of the belt. Also, correction is included in the control to be performed for spacings at which portions where the individual photosensitive units of the four image forming units in contact with the sheet material transfer belt. The correction is performed by changing image forming timing for portions where the images are superimposed.
However, in actual operation, it is difficult to obtain a superimposed image that is completely free of deviation for various reasons. The reasons include positional deviations occurring when exposure light is incident on the individual photosensitive units, deviations in pitch of the photosensitive units (image forming units), slippage occurring between a driving roller for driving the sheet material transfer belt and the sheet material transfer belt, the variation in the peripheral speed of the sheet material transfer belt because of changes in the diameter of the driving roller due to thermal expansion.
For these reasons, a run-in control sequence for converging color deviations and an image-density control sequence are also included in the control. The run-in control sequence converges color deviations occurring when images are superimposed. This control is carried out at power-on time and using warm-up time after a cover or the like is opened or shut after sheet materials are jammed or stacked in the apparatus. The image-density control sequence serves to maintain the image density (toner adhesion amount) even when characteristics vary according to the variation in temperature and aged deteriorations.
With the described various corrective control operations being provided, however, color deviation (positional deviation in the superimposed image) occurs. This color deviation occurs when the difference occurs between the peripheral speed of the sheet material transfer belt and the speed of transportation of sheet materials that are transported by an aligning roller toward the sheet material transfer belt.
For example, when the transportation speed of the aligning roller is lower than the peripheral speed of the sheet material transfer belt, the aligning roller causes a load to exert on the sheet material transported by the sheet material transfer belt. The load is exerted in the direction opposing the direction in which the sheet material is transported; therefore, the sheet material is pulled in the aforementioned direction, color deviation occurs on the whole of the sheet material. Also, jitter is caused because of influence of oscillation in paper-feed driving system, which is transferred from the aligning roller.
In contrast, when the transportation speed of the aligning roller is higher than the peripheral speed of the sheet material transfer belt, great deflection occurs on the sheet material. The deflection occurs in a space defined by upper and lower guides provided so as to sandwich the sheet material from the upper and lower sides. That is, the deflection occurs in front and back portions in the direction in which the sheet material is transported between the aligning roller and a roller provided for electrically charging the sheet material is electrostatically attracted onto the sheet material transfer belt. When the deflection of the sheet material increases to a level that cannot be incorporated in the aforementioned space, the deflection extends and thereby causes the sheet material to shake (or, to wave) in the direction in which the sheet material positioned on the sheet material transfer belt is pushed. This causes the position of the sheet material placed on the sheet material transfer belt to deviate, thereby causing color deviation as in the earlier case.
As described above, since the speed at which the aligning roller is required to transport the sheet material has the narrow proper speed range, it is undesirable that the transportation speed of the aligning rollers be faster or slower than the proper speed. Moreover, in adjusting the transportation speed of the sheet material, it is undesirable that the speed be adjusted many times until it has converged at a specific value.
In a monochromatic (e.g., black-only) image forming apparatus, colors need not be superimposed. Moreover, a monochromatic image forming apparatus involving a digital process subjects gradation to a binarization process to express gradation in the density of pixels, which makes jitters less liable to appear. In a color image forming apparatus, however, colors have to be superimposed and the gradation is subjected to a multivalued process, thus forming pixels of different sizes with an equal pitch, which makes jitters conspicuous.
Furthermore, in a small-sized color printer or copying machine, its size is restricted and the distance between the aligning rollers and the image forming section cannot be made longer. The adsorption roller that causes a sheet material to adhere to the transfer belt by suction in the monochromatic mode still remains in the same position even in the color mode, which decreases the slack (or deflection) space.
As a result, a sufficient deflection space for the sheet material cannot be secured between the aligning rollers and the transport rollers for putting the sheet material between them and transporting it and in the sheet material deflection space formed by the top and bottom guide plates located there. In a conventional apparatus of this type, the length that the sheet material can be bent is 2 mm or less and the proper speed range for the A3 longitudinal size 420 mm is as narrow as 0 to 0.48% or less.


A system and method for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an engine selectively coupled by an upstream clutch to an electric machine, which is selectively coupled by a downstream clutch to a step-ratio transmission, include at least one controller programmed to control the engine and the electric machine in response to entering a lash zone in anticipation of a wheel torque reversal to adjust a gain applied to an active motor damping torque controller to reduce driveline oscillations and backlash.

Vehicles may experience powertrain oscillations that disrupt smooth operation and lead to objectionable drivability if not properly controlled. In hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), it is often desirable to move from a propulsive force on the wheels to a regenerative braking force on the wheels very quickly. Similarly, the vehicle may transition from a large regenerative force to a propulsive force if the driver steps into the accelerator. Driveline lash or backlash may occur due to lost motion caused by slack or clearance within or between various driveline components associated with transmission gearing, a transaxle, driveline joints, wheels, etc. when torque changes direction. When transitioning from propulsive force to regenerative force or vice versa, the driveline will cross a zero torque point where meshing gear teeth or otherwise coupled components are floating or not touching. This may trigger driveline clunk and oscillation if this region, sometimes referred to as the lash zone, is traversed too quickly.

Engine and motor control during wheel torque reversal in a hybrid vehicle


A method and system for controlling air/fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine during cold start operation utilizes control logic to determine a base fuel pulsewidth and a base spark timing according to corresponding cold-start look-up tables. A crank angle of the engine at which a peak pressure in the cylinder occurs is then sensed to obtain a crank angle at peak pressure (PPCA) value. Upon reaching stable combustion, the base fuel pulsewidth and the base spark timing are ramped to a predetermined desired fuel pulsewidth and a predetermined desired spark timing based on the PPCA value so as to control the air/fuel ratio. Upon reaching this state, combustion stability is maintained by feedback control of fuel pulsewidth and spark timing based on the statistical variation of successive PPCA values.

During the first 10-40 seconds of cold start engine operation, an internal combustion engine is typically commanded to operate at lean air/fuel ratio (A/F) with significantly retarded spark timing due to stringent emission regulations. This mode of engine operation, however, poses significant challenges especially in light of variability in product componentry and the in-use fuel driveability index. A key reason for this sensitivity is that during such cold start conditions, neither the exhaust gas oxygen (EGO) sensor nor the catalyst is active so the engine operation needs to be controlled under total open loop condition. At the same time, operating at lean A/F with significant spark retard causes the combustion to become significantly more unstable, resulting in large torque fluctuations which create various forms of undesirable noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
Thus, there exists a need to operate the engine at lean A/F during engine cold start under a closed loop condition in order to insure combustion remains stable.

Method and system for controlling air/fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine during cold start