A user interface (102) of a portable electronic device (100) includes a plurality of keys (112). The user interface (102) includes a first group of keys representing vowel characters (402), and a second group of keys representing consonant characters (202). The second group of keys is separate from the first group of keys. For the first group of keys, a first key represents leading vowels (422, 424, 426), a second key represents above and below vowels (428, 430), and a third key represents following vowels (432, 434, 436). The second group of keys may be subdivided into phonetic consonant groups (FIGS. 5 & 6) or alphabetic consonant groups (FIGS. 7 & 8).

The computer industry utilizes character encoding systems for a variety of languages around the world. One example of a character encoding system used by the computer industry is the Thai API Consortium/Thai Industrial Standard ("TACTIS") which is used for the Thai language. The TACTIS code set consists of the ASCII (ISO 646-1983) character set and the TIS 620-2533 character set. The TIS 620-2533 character set includes Thai characters categorized as consonants, vowels, tone marks, diacritics, and noncomposibles. Examples of noncomposibles include punctuation marks and Thai digits.
Unlike the developers of the computer industry, developers of portable electronic devices must implement user interfaces having a limited number of keys. Of particular interest are strongly CV-typed languages having a strong consonant-vowel ("CV") type, such as Thai, Lao, Khmer, Myanmar, Korean, Tibetan, Hebrew, Arabic, and Indian languages such as Hindi and Tamil. Such languages often have a large alphabet and, thus, use many different characters. For example, an interface for Thai must support over 60 characters. On the other hand, portable electronic devices, typically have only twelve or so keys of which ten keys are used for entering the numbers "1" through "9" and "0". Therefore, it is quite challenging to design a portable electronic device that permits a user to input the numerous characters of a strongly CV-typed language using the limited number of keys in a standard keypad.
Accordingly, there is a need for a keypad entry system for character entry capable of addressing the numerous characters of a strongly CV-typed language. In particular, there is a need for a keypad entry system for character input that distributes consonants and vowels throughout the keypad in an intuitive configuration.

User interface of a keypad entry system for character input


Air is sampled at a rate in excess of 100 L/min, preferably at 200-300 L/min, so as to collect therefrom a substantial fraction, i.e., at least 20%, preferably 60-100%, of airborne particulates. A substance of interest (analyte), such as lead, is rapidly solubilized from the the collected particulates into a sample of liquid extractant, and the concentration of the analyte in the extractant sample is determined. The high-rate air sampling and particulate collection may be effected with a high-throughput filter cartridge or with a recently developed portable high-throughput liquid-absorption air sampler. Rapid solubilization of lead is achieved by a liquid extractant comprising 0.1-1 M of acetic acid or acetate, preferably at a pH of 5 or less and preferably with inclusion of 1-10% of hydrogen peroxide. Rapid determination of the lead content in the liquid extractant may be effected with a colorimetric or an electroanalytical analyzer.

This invention relates to apparatus and methods for monitoring the concentrations of hazardous airborne substances, especially lead in fire ranges, in and around lead-smelting or lead-fabricating facilities, lead-acid battery or pottery and ceramic plants, radiator repair and other soldering shops, dwellings contaminated with chipping lead paint, and other locations were elevated respirable levels may pose a hazard to human health.
According to recent estimates, in the State of California alone, almost 400,000 workers have elevated lead blood levels, of which some 60,000 persons may have potentially toxic lead levels. Similar data from Texas, New York, and New Jersey, xe2x80x9cshow that there is an epidemic of occupational lead poisoning in the United Statesxe2x80x9d (Chicago Tribune, Aug. 30, 1990, Sec. 1, Page 4).
It is therefore the purpose of this invention to provide a cost-effective method and instrumentation for monitoring airborne lead concentrations in said locations to help prevent lead poisoning among exposed persons. The need for xe2x80x9cpractical, low-cost ways of monitoring lead concentrations at firing rangesxe2x80x9d has been well recognized (D. J. Schaeffer, R. A. Deem, and E. W. Novak, Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J., 51(2):84-89 (1990)). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration""s permissible exposure limit to airborne lead is a concentration of 5xc3x9710xe2x88x925 g Pb/m3 averaged over an 8-hour period. An experimental ambient-air lead monitor based on X-ray fluorescence spectrometry has demonstrated a detection capability of 5xc3x9710xe2x88x925 g Pb/m3 in 40-60 min and of higher concentrations in shorter times. Comparable or longer periods of time are required by the present NIOSH Method 7082 (issued by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health on Feb. 15, 1984), which is based on atomic absorption spectroscopy. The NIOSH method calls for a sampling flow rate of 1-4 L/min and a minimum volume of 200 L, which necessitates a minimum sampling time of 200 L/4 L-minxe2x88x921 =50 min. It is thus obvious that shorter sampling times and higher detection sensitivities are needed for more cost-effective lead monitoring.
It is therefore another object of this invention to provide an inexpensive, portable, and rapid means for estimating airborne lead concentrations.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent to professionals in the health monitoring, industrial safety and hygiene, environmental, metallurgical, and related areas following perusal of the complete specification.
Briefly, the invention consists of sampling air at a rate in excess of 100 L/min, preferably at 200-300 L/min, and collecting therefrom a substantial fraction, i.e., at least 20%, preferably 60-100%, of airborne particulates, rapidly solubilizing the hazardous substance of interest (analyte), such as lead, from the collected particulates into a sample of liquid extractant, and determining the concentration of the analyte in the extractant sample. The high-rate air sampling and particulate collection may be effected with a high-throughput filter cartridge or with a recently developed portable high-throughput liquid-absorption air sampler, wherein an asymmetric air inlet is so designed as to impart a partly downward and rotational motion to the in-rushing air. Rapid solubilization of lead is achieved by a liquid extractant comprising 0.1-1 M of acetic acid or acetate, preferably at a pH of 5 or less and preferably with inclusion of 1-10% of hydrogen peroxide. Rapid determination of the lead content in the liquid extractant may be effected with an indicator tape or an electrochemical analyzer.

Apparatus and methods for monitoring the concentrations of hazardous airborne substances, especially lead


A Base Station System (BSS) and method for compensating traffic channel signal strength measurements to provide improved handover decisions. Each active mobile station in a given cell is instructed to measure and report signal strengths of the mobile station's active traffic channel, broadcast channels from neighboring cells, and a broadcast channel from the given cell over a predefined period of time. An offset value calculator analyzes the signal strength measurements of the active traffic channel and the given cell's broadcast channel, and calculates an updated value for a compensation offset factor. The updated value is then used within a handover algorithm to determine when to hand over mobile stations during future connections on the active traffic channel.

The present invention relates to radio telecommunication networks. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the present invention is directed to a Base Station System (BSS) and method for compensating traffic channel signal strength measurements for improved handover decisions in a cellular radio telecommunication network.
In cellular telecommunication networks operated in accordance with the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard, mobile stations measure and report the signal strengths of the currently serving cell and neighboring cells. The neighboring cells are identified in a neighbor cell list broadcast by the serving BSS. When a particular mobile station is engaged in an ongoing circuit-switched call, the mobile station measures the signal strength of the active traffic channel being used for the call, and measures the signal strengths of the neighboring cells' broadcast channels. These measurements are reported to the serving BSS in measurement reports. As the mobile station approaches the border of the serving cell, a decision is made as to whether to handover the mobile station to a neighboring cell by comparing the signal strength of the active traffic channel with the reported signal strengths of the neighboring cells' broadcast channels.
For network planning purposes, the cell border between two cells is defined as the locations where the signal strengths of the broadcast channels (BCCHs) from the two cells are equal, as adjusted by different offsets and hysteresis values. If the radio propagation characteristics of certain traffic channels in a cell significantly differ from the radio propagation characteristics of the BCCH of the same cell, inaccuracy is introduced because the cell border cannot be kept at the same location for incoming and outgoing handovers. This may cause a variety of unwanted effects and network performance degradation. For example, a mismatched border may cause premature or delayed handovers, ping-pong effects (mobile stations being repeatedly handed over back and forth between two cells), lower quality connections, and increased dropped calls.
A conventional solution for minimizing the unwanted effects and network performance degradation is to compensate for the difference in the radio propagation characteristics between traffic channels and the BCCH with a unique offset value that is added to or subtracted from the reported signal strength of the active traffic channel. However, the only accurate way to currently determine the value of the offset is through a trial-and-error tuning process. In this process, an optimizer estimates an appropriate compensation offset value by calculating the pathloss differences that apply to the signal passing through different cables, antennas, and the like, and finally transmitting on different frequencies. This value is applied to the traffic channel, and then statistics are gathered to determine the effectiveness of the compensation offset value. If the value was not correct (which is very likely), a new value is chosen, and statistics are again gathered to determine the offset's effectiveness. This is a time-consuming and error-prone method. Each cell's offset must be tuned to the cell's radio propagation differences between channels. However, the radio propagation characteristics vary between different cells and environments, thus making it difficult to determine an accurate offset value.

Base station system and method for compensating traffic channel signal strength measurements in a cellular radio telecommunication network


Inducements are provided to customers to regularly connect back to a service provider and report usage that is expressed using a count of requests from a local computing device for cloud-based operations such as packet routing, container instantiation, virtual machine (VM) utilization, calls to a service or application, and the like. The count information is reported within a secure context, such as a trusted execution environment (TEE), using public-private key pair cryptography by which key derivation is dependent on some form of counting. For example, a customer computing device that is subject to a usage license encrypts an operation count and reports it to the service provider.

A cloud computing environment, also called a "cloud computing network," "distributed computing system," or simply a "cloud," typically provides processing and storage resources to local computing devices over a wide-area network, such as the Internet. The cloud computing network generally provides resources that are available on demand from shared pools of configurable computing resources such as networks, servers, storage devices, applications, and software services, and the offered resources can typically be rapidly provisioned and released with relatively small management effort from the users. Providers of services that are delivered over cloud-based computing networks may use software that is open source, or which is otherwise subject to disclosure to customers under terms of license agreements or applicable regulations and laws. Service providers want to avoid scenarios in which customers simply copy the software and use it in violation of license terms.

Secure count in cloud computing networks


The invention proposes a method of performing authentication of a subscriber during a subscriber equipment terminated call, comprising the steps of sending a session invitation message (S4, S5) to the subscriber equipment, the session invitation message including authentication information (AuthData1), and performing an authentication procedure in the subscriber equipment by using the authentication information. The invention also proposes a corresponding network system, network control element and subscriber entity.

In general, subscriber to corresponding services are authenticated.
There are many different authentication methods. In the following, a Challenge Response based authentication method is described in short as an example.
The network node which actually performs the authentication requests a parameter set consisting of a random number RAND (usually, 128 bit) and a scheduled result (RESP) from an Authentication Center (AuC) and sends the RAND to the mobile node. In turn, the mobile node (MS, mobile station) has to calculate a result RESP_CALC from the number RAND. The calculation is performed in the mobile node by using a secret algorithm. The user identity, the challenge and a key shared between the user and the authenticator are taken as inputs to an authentication algorithm, thus resulting in the expected output. The shared key must be kept private and only the user and the authenticator should know it; but the authentication algorithm can be publicly known.
The result RESP_CALC is transmitted to the network node performing a verification of the authentication. It checks whether the scheduled result RESP is equal to the calculated result RESP_CALC. If both results are equal, the authentication is successful, otherwise it fails.
In mobile applications, and in particular in cellular networks, the serving network (i.e. the network providing services to the mobile nodes) can typically authenticate the mobile node in three situations: when the mobile node registers with the network, when the mobile node establishes communications, and when incoming communications are terminated to the mobile node.
The invention applies to networks, such as, e.g., Voice over IP (VoIP) networks, where the SIP protocol is adopted as control protocol to setup multimedia communications, for example. In particular, the invention applies to the case of mobile VoIP networks where calls need to be delivered to mobile nodes.
The SIP protocol provides a mechanism to allow authentication of a SIP terminal when the terminal registers to a SIP server and when the terminal establishes a SIP call. Currently, SIP does not foresee any mechanism to support authentication of SIP calls delivered to the mobile node. That is, SIP, as currently defined, does not allow authentication of terminated calls.
Thus, in order to apply SIP to VoIP mobile network, authentication of mobile terminated calls need to be supported.

Mechanism to allow authentication of terminated SIP calls


A structure interfaces dual polycrystalline silicon layers. The structure includes a first layer of polycrystalline silicon and a metal interface layer formed on a surface of the first layer of polycrystalline silicon. The structure further includes a second layer of polycrystalline silicon formed on a surface of the interface layer.

Dual polycrystalline silicon layers may be formed adjacent one another in various different types of semiconductor devices, including, for example, certain types of non-volatile memory devices. As shown in FIG. 1, formation of dual polycrystalline silicon layers typically involves the deposition of a first polycrystalline silicon layer 110 on an underlying layer 105 and then optional processing (not shown) of layer 110 to form various device structures (e.g., gates, etc.). Layer 110 may then be cleaned in an attempt to remove oxides and impurities, followed by an optional anneal at a high temperature to attempt to further remove oxides on layer 110. A second polycrystalline silicon layer 115 may then be deposited over layer 110. The cleaning and annealing processes, however, may not remove all oxides and impurities at the surface of layer 110, and residual oxide clusters 120 may be present on the surface of layer 110 prior to deposition of layer 115, thus, causing an imperfect interface 130 between polycrystalline silicon layers 110 and 115.
In the case wherein layer 110 is processed to produce a gate structure prior to formation of the second polycrystalline silicon layer, dopants for the gate are typically implanted into the top of the gate (i.e., into the upper surface of layer 110). In some circumstances, the dopants may cluster 125 at the surface of layer 110, thus, creating an undesirable depletion region at the interface 130 between layers 110 and 115.

Interface layer between dual polycrystalline silicon layers


A compact, portable locking pin locator device adapted to assist the driver of a semi truck including a tractor and a trailer to locate the trailer over the tandem axle under the back end of the trailer to achieve proper weight and balance of the load carried in the trailer over the wheels of the truck.

Semi trucks consist of a tractor and a trailer. For legal and safety concerns the loads carried in the trailers must meet state and federal weight requirements. This can be accomplished most often by positioning the trailer over the tandems in the rear of the trailer. Weight limitations apply to the steers, the drives and the tandems. Movement of the trailer over the tandems affects the weight at all three locations, the steers, the drives and the tandems. The trailer is constructed to slide back and forth over the tandems until the proper position is achieved and then locked into that position. Two parallel rails, fastened longitudinally underneath the trailer (sometimes referred to as the main frame) are fitted over corresponding rails on the tandems (sometimes referred to as the sub-frame). Holes in the trailer rails are positioned to engage extendable pins located on the tandems through holes in the tandem axle rails. Two or four pins are generally employed to lock the trailer and tandems together. The pins are retracted to permit the trailer to slide back and forth over the tandems. The pins are extended to lock the trailer to the tandems when the proper position is achieved to meet positional weight requirements. The mechanism used to extend and retract the pins is located on the tandems and moves all of the pins simultaneously. Holes in the trailer rails are located so they can match the locations of the pins. Thus lining up a hole on one trailer rail with a locking pin on one side of the tandems will simultaneously line up with a hole on the trailer rail on the other side of the trailer with a locking pin on the other side of the tandems.
The difficulty of locating the trailer in the proper position over the tandems axle is that the driver sitting in the tractor cannot see the relative position of the trailer over the tandems at the back of the trailer. After selecting the locking pin hole in the trailer rails to achieve proper weight and balance, a driver working alone must climb back into the cab of the tractor and slide the trailer until he/she thinks the correct position has been acquired. This action is repeated after every move the driver makes to position the trailer over the tandems and determine the relative position of the selected hole in the trailer rail to the pins in the tandems. The driver may have to make several trips climbing in and out of the tractor before positioning the trailer over the tandems at the selected location.
The prior art contains many examples of means for locating the trailer of a semi truck over the tandem axle. With varying degrees of complexity the prior art accomplishes this by some sort of sensor or trigger that detects when the trailer is in proper position and turns on a switch that activates a signal that can be detected by the driver without getting out of the tractor. Some of the newer semi trucks come with built in sensors and signals so assist the driver with this task. Most of the older trucks do not.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,072 discloses a mechanism to assist the driver to position the front of the trailer over the fifth wheel assembly mounted on the tractor or the back of the trailer over the tandem axle assembly. In each case the switch is located oh the fifth wheel assembly or the tandem axle assembly while the trigger part of the signaling apparatus is attached to a suitable position on the frame or other structure of the vehicle. A light signals the driver when the proper position is achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,237 discloses an air-powered actuator for retracting the locking pins and light means to signal the driver to determine that the pins are in position for retraction. It does not disclose a signal capable of determining when the locking pins are in position to engage selected holes in the trailer rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,834 discloses means for providing a remote indication of the positioning desired by the driver of a semi truck while the driver remains in the cab. However it does so employing a much more complicated set of components. Thus it employs a rod fitted in a tube and means for attaching one end of the combination to the tandem axle as well as means for securing the adjustment end of the rod within the tube. It also employs a spring attached at one end to the locking pin release handle. Finally it employs a separate visible indicator attached to the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,642 discloses a tool for positioning a tandem rig under a trailer of a semi truck. The tool attaches to the tandem and applies force to the handle, which unlocks the positioning pins. It then signals the driver in the cab that the positioning pins have been freed from their locked position. The tool is not designed to signal the driver when the positioning pins are in position to be locked.
The present invention differs substantially from the above in several ways. First the switch assembly is a single piece that attaches to a single location on the trailer rail. When the switch reaches the selected locking pin location to achieve proper weight and balance in the trailer, it turns on the signal that alerts the driver that the trailer is in the selected position for extending the locking pins. Additionally the Locking Pin Locator comes in a small compact carrying case for easy storing. Being more portable and compact than its prior art alternatives, it performs this function in an inexpensive and simple manner.


A safety device includes a body configured for attachment to a structure. The body has a first layer and a second layer. The body is washable, reusable, and attachable to varying surface compositions. An indicia is formed in the first layer, the indicia providing visual stimuli for persons with impaired depth perception.

As is known, stairways or steps facilitate permitting persons to ascend or descend levels of a building. Occasionally, it is necessary to warn or alert persons of the stairways or steps to prevent tripping or falling or of other hazards. Signage or devices are often employed to provide warnings. However, the known devices are not reusable and cannot be adapted to stairways or stairs with varying surfaces. For example, it may be difficult to employ a warning device or signage on stairway surfaces that are carpeted or concrete. Additionally, the known warning devices typically get worn or damaged or can get dirty and are not easily cleaned or replaced without damaging the underlying surface. Therefore, it can be expensive to provide different or replacement warning devices for varying surfaces as well as maintain a cleanliness of the devices. Additionally, it is especially difficult for persons with impaired depth perception to properly see the stairways or warning devices.
The present invention contemplates a reusable safety stairway device facilitating adequate warning for persons with impaired depth perception that can be employed on varying surfaces and easily cleaned.


A method for performing a handover between MBS zones of a mobile station receiving multicast and broadcast service (MBS) data in a wireless access system is disclosed. The method for performing the handover between first and second MBS zones of the mobile station in a wireless access system includes receiving the MBS from a first base station belonging to the first MBS zone which uses a first MBS zone identifier (ID), requesting the handover between the first and second MBS zones, receiving parameter information including a second MBS zone identifier (ID), from the first base station, and receiving the MBS from a second base station belonging to the second MBS zone, using the parameter information, wherein the second MBS zone uses the second MBS zone identifier (ID) which is needed to receive the MBS.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system for providing a multicast broadcast service in a wireless access system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the multicast broadcast system includes a Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) media server 11, an MBS distribution server 12, base stations (BSs) 13a, 13b, and 13c, and mobile stations (MSs) 14a and 14b.
In this case, the mobile station (MS) is a generic term of electronic appliances capable of wirelessly communicating the base station (BS). The mobile station (MS) may include all kinds of devices having mobility, for example, a mobile terminal or a user equipment (UE). The MBS media server provides base stations (BSs) with MBS data, and performs MS authentication (or UE authentication) for MBS media or encryption key distribution. The MBS distribution server 12 schedules MBS data provided to several base stations (BSs). Optionally, the MBS distribution server may be omitted or the MBS media server may schedule the MBS data. The base station (BS) receives MBS data over a backbone network, and provides the MS or UE with the MBS data via a wireless interface. In this case, the mobile station (MS) may receive the MBS data from the base station (BS).
The MBS for use in the above-mentioned conventional wireless access system can be mainly classified into first and second MBS service types. The first MBS service type is a single-BS access scheme, which is capable of being provided by a single BS within a single cell. The second MBS service type enables several BSs to make a single MBS zone, such that it provides the MBS zone with necessary services using a single MBS zone identifier (ID). For example, the second MBS service type receives the same data burst from the MBS server in several cells belonging to the MBS zone, such that it provides services. Therefore, although the mobile station (MS) moves from one cell to another cell in a single MBS zone, the mobile station (MS) can receive necessary services without a handover. That is, the above-mentioned second MBS service type is a multi-BS access scheme, which can acquire MBS-service continuity and a macro-diversity gain.
The above single-BS access scheme enables a single base station (BS) to provide the MBS service. For example, the single base station (BS) equally distributes a connection ID (CID) allocated to the MBS multicast to all MSs or UEs, such that it provides the MBS service. The multi-BS access scheme enables several base stations (BSs) belonging to the single MBS zone to provide the MSs or UEs with the multicast service using a multicast CID.
The wireless access system implements data communication between the BS and the MS (or UE) according to a service flow. This service flow includes a service flow identifier (SFID), a connection ID (CID), and a quality of service (QoS) parameter. In this case, the SFID identifies a corresponding service flow between the BS and the MS. The CID identifies a connection capable of delivering service flow traffic. The QoS parameter indicates a quality of the service flow.
A general service flow connection is located between the BS and the MS on a one-to-one basis. However, the MBS provides a point-to-multipoint service, which transmits data from a single source to several receivers. Therefore, the MBS service provides several receivers with the same data over a common radio frequency (RF) channel so as to effectively use radio resources.
The base station (BS) transmits the same MBS data to several mobile stations (MSs) via a single service flow. That is, when the MBS service flow is generated between the BS and the MS, the BS assigns the same multicast CID to several mobile stations (MSs), each of which requests reception of MBS data. Therefore, one or more MSs can simultaneously receive the MBS data using the same multicast CID.
Presently, the MBS service enables a single BS to equally assign a predetermined CID to all MSs, each of which desires to receive MBS data. Therefore, although the MS moves from one BS to another BS in the MBS zone, it continuously receives the same MBS data without any handover.
However, a method for performing a handover between MBS zones according to the multi-BS access scheme has not been well known in the art. For example, if the MS moves from a first MBS zone to a second MBS zone, the first and second MBS zones may have different parameters assigned to the MBS service. For example, the first and second MBS zones may have different multicast CIDs. Therefore, the MS must be re-established in the MBS server of a new MBS zone, such that it can receive a desired service within a target MBS zone. Also, the loss of conventional MBS data may unavoidably occur. That is, the MS is unable continuously receive the conventional MBS data.
When a mobile station (MS), which is receiving real-time MBS contents (or real-time MBS content data), enters a new MBS zone during a handover process from an old MBS zone to the new MBS zone, the MS is unable to pre-recognize services provided from the new MBS zone. Therefore, the loss of received MBS packet data may unavoidably occur.

Method of performing and supporting handover in broadband wireless access system


A method for fabricating a crown-type capacitor of a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of bit lines on the interlevel dielectric layer in a cell region and a periphery region of a substrate; forming a third oxide layer to fill gaps existing between the plurality of bit lines in the cell region; forming an etch-blocking layer and a first oxide layer over the entire structure obtained by forming the third oxide layer; forming a plurality of via-holes by anisotropically etching the first oxide layer, etch-blocking layer and third oxide layer, to expose the interlevel dielectric layer in the cell region; forming a silicon conductive layer, for forming a lower electrode of the crown-type capacitor, over the cell region of the structure having the plurality of via-holes to make electrical contact with the interlevel dielectric layer, and then forming a second oxide layer; completing the lower electrode by anisotropically etching the second oxide layer and the silicon conductive layer, to expose the first oxide layer; and removing the first and second oxide layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory device fabrication and, more particularly, to a method for fabricating a crown-type capacitor whose lower electrode (storage electrode) is formed using a triple-layer technique.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the manufacture of semiconductor memory devices, cell capacitance is inherently reduced with any decrease in memory cell area, which is required for higher levels of DRAM integration. As the primary obstacle to increased integration, reduced cell capacitance results in a drop off in the ability of a memory cell to read out data, causes difficulties in low-voltage operation, and tends to increase soft error rates. Therefore, to realize highly integrated semiconductor memory devices, e.g., DRAMs, the cell capacitance problem must be addressed.
Recently developed three-dimensional capacitors may be classified in accordance with the structure of the lower electrode of the capacitor. Examples include pin-type, box-type, cylindrical, and crown-type lower electrodes. In particular, the crown-type capacitor has received much attention in research due to its suitability for semiconductor devices having a design rule of 0.20 .mu.m or less. Conventionally, a single-layer technique is used in forming the lower electrode of a crown-type capacitor.
FIGS. 1 to 5 are cross-sectional views illustrating various steps for fabricating a crown-type capacitor of a semiconductor device in accordance with a conventional technique.
To begin with, a plurality of word lines (not shown) are formed on a semiconductor substrate (not shown), and then an interlevel dielectric layer 10 which is composed of borophosphorous silicate glass (BPSG) and comprises a cell region and a periphery region of a substrate. After a nitride film (not shown) is deposited over the entire structure on which the bit lines 20 are formed, the nitride film in the periphery region is anisotropically etched until the interlevel dielectric layer 10 is exposed.
As a result, the bit lines 20 in the cell region are capped with the nitride film, whereas those in the periphery region are covered with the nitride film only on their sidewalls in order to form spacers. The nitride film allows a silicon conductive layer (to be described with respect to FIG. 2) to be self-aligned with the cell region while in contact with the interlevel dielectric layer 10 but not so as to create an electrical short between the bit lines 20.
Thereafter, a first oxide layer 30, also composed of undoped silicate glass (USG) or BPSG, is deposited over the entire structure obtained after etching the nitride film, so as to fill the gaps between the bit lines 20. An anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer 40 is then formed over the first oxide layer 30.
Referring to FIG. 2, first, the ARC layer 40 and the first oxide layer 30 are anisotropically etched until the interlevel dielectric layer 10 of the cell region is exposed, thereby forming via-holes. Next, a silicon conductive layer 50 for forming the lower electrode is deposited over the entire structure having the via-holes formed therein. The silicon conductive layer 50 is electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate through a contact plug (not shown) formed in the interlevel dielectric layer 10.
At this time, as described above, the silicon conductive layer 50 is self-aligned and in contact with the interlevel dielectric layer 10 but not so as to electrically short the bit lines 20. A second oxide layer 60 is then deposited over the entire structure resulting from the deposition of the silicon conductive layer 50, so as to fill the remainder of the via-holes, i.e., atop the formation of the silicon conductive layer.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the second oxide layer 60 is firstly subjected to isotropic etching to expose the top surface of the silicon conductive layer 50. In this case, the second oxide layer 60 may remain over the silicon conductive layer 50 in the periphery region. Thereafter, the silicon conductive layer 50 and ARC layer 40 are isotropically etched until the top surface of the first oxide layer 30 is exposed, thereby completing a lower electrode 50a which serves as the capacitor's storage electrode.
FIG. 5 illustrates the problem of the conventional art. That is, the oxide material of the layers 30 and 60 is removed by a wet etching, which also results in the removal of surface portions of the interlevel dielectric layer 10 thus creating "loss" areas A. As a consequence, other parts of the interlevel dielectric layer 10 tend to fill the loss area A during a subsequent annealing process, which causes a shifting of the bit lines 20 and may even result in the collapse of the bit lines and an electrical connection (shorting) with nearby conductors.
To prevent this phenomenon, it has been suggested to leave a predetermined thickness of the first oxide layer 30 after the wet etching step, that is, to carry out an incomplete etching step. In this case, however, minute cracks may form in the periphery region of the first oxide layer 30, which is left relatively thin, due a thermal stress caused by the annealing process. In addition, an incomplete etching of the first oxide layer 30 results in the incomplete removal of the second oxide layer 60. This excess (unremoved) portion of the second oxide layer 60 causes imperfections in the inner sidewall surface of the lower electrode 50a, resulting in reduced reliability of the electrical characteristics of the capacitor.
It is preferred to form the first oxide layer 30 using a suitable material, one which does not crack, and to etch the layer so as to leave at least some of the material intact. However, it has proved impossible to do so while completely removing the second oxide layer 60. More particularly, the first oxide layer 30 should, without cracking, completely fill the gaps between the bit lines 20 without a void. In this regard, the conventional art suffers from the problem that no suitable material has been found to satisfy the conditions of the complete removal of the second oxide layer 60 and filling the gaps without the void.
As described above, the conventional method for fabricating a crown-type capacitor, which forms the lower electrode using a single layer, i.e., the first oxide layer 30, cannot completely overcome the shifting of the bit lines 20 by the flowing of the interlevel dielectric layer 10 when the lower electrode 50a is formed, and the subsequent collapse or shorting.

Method for fabricating crown-type capacitor of semiconductor device


A method for measuring eccentricity uses two radial gratings, in annular areas of which elementary patterns are provided at equal intervals so that the patterns of one radial grating are opposite to those of the other radial grating rotated by 180.degree.. Reference lines are provided on a rotary axis having eccentricity to be measured, coordinate axes relative to a bisector of the patterns opposite to each other are provided parallel with the reference lines, and spaces between the coordinate axes and the reference lines are measured, thereby allowing the shift of the rotary axis to be found. Thus, the eccentricity of the rotary axis can be measured with high accuracy.

a) FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a novel method for measuring eccentricity which does not depend on the accuracy of a reference cylindrical surface.
b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The measurement of eccentricity of a rotary axis has been made by detecting whether a fiducial point provided on the rotary axis produces a perfect circle, with the rotation of the rotary axis, in a plane perpendicular to it. In this case, the detection of roundness is performed on the basis of a coincidence with a reference cylindrical surface produced with sufficient accuracy or of the locus of a rotary axis making use of a cylindrical surface produced with sufficient accuracy. However, the accuracy of the cylindrical surface for reference depends on the machining tolerance of machine tools and operator skill. Consequently, as the accuracy of the eccentricity measurement is to be improved, it becomes difficult to make the reference cylindrical surface with a higher degree of accuracy. For instance, if the tolerance of the order of 1 nm is imperative, such difficulty will greatly increase.


An automatic machine is designed to test performances of green sand molding and composed of a machine support, a feeding device, a vibration device, a testing device, a detecting device, and a catching device. The green sand is extracted by the feeding device and then screened in the vibration device The selected green sand is received and carried by a test piece sleeve of the catching device. The test piece sleeve is driven to move to the testing device for testing the compatibility of the green sand, to the detecting device for testing the permeability of the green sand, and to the loadcell for testing the green compressive strength of the green sand.

According to the general practice of the casting industry, the test items of the testing of the green sand performance consist mainly of compactibility, permeability, green compressive strength, etc. The conventional green sand performance testing equipments are operated manually such that only one performance test is possible in one operation, and that each test result is recorded manually. It is therefore readily apparent that the conventional machines for testing the green sand performances are inefficient at best. Generally speaking, the conventional machines described above have the shortcomings, which are described hereinafter.
The manual operation of the conventional green sand performance testing machines is prone to human error. Similarly, the manual recording of the test results is bound to result in the incorrect data. As a result, it is often difficult to secure the green sand of high quality for use in the casting. Accordingly, the rejection rate of the cast product is bound to be high.
The manual operation of the conventional machines for testing the green sand performances is rather time--consuming such that one performance test takes about 30 minutes to complete. The manual recording of the test results calls for additional worker, thereby resulting in an increase in the labor cost.
The conventional machines for testing the green sand performances are designed for testing only one performance. As a result, the operators are required to allocate additional capital expenditure for the purchase and the operation of extra machines.

Machine for testing automatically performances of green sand molding

Metal Industries Research & Development Centre


The present application relates to a device for moving back and forth a guide track section of a guide track system for vehicles of a fun fair ride from a first guide track connection part to a second guide track connection part which is arranged at a distance from the first guide track connection part, wherein the first and the second guide track connection parts are part of the guide track system, comprising a guide track section onto which at least one of the vehicles can travel, a carrier structure for carrying the guide track section, a guide structure which has an active connection with the carrier construction and with which the carrier structure can be guided in such a manner that the guide track section can be moved back and forth from the first guide track connection part to the second guide track connection part along the guide structure, and a drive device for moving the carrier structure along the guide structure, wherein the carrier structure comprises means for making another movement of the guide track section in addition to the movement along the guide structure.

The present application relates to a device for moving back and forth a guide track section of a guide track system for vehicles of a fun fair ride from a first guide track connection part to a second guide track connection part which is arranged at a distance from the first guide track connection part, wherein the first and the second guide track connection parts are part of the guide track system.

Device for moving a guide track section of a guide track system for vehicles on a fun fair ride


An information processing device, a program, and an information processing method are provided, capable of instructing an imaging device to start and end a predetermined operation through an operation via a GUI. The information processing device includes: a display control unit configured to control display of a slider on a display unit, the slider being configured such that a display object is movable between predetermined positions; and a process control unit configured to instruct an imaging unit to control photography in a predetermined mode when the process control unit receives an operation of moving the display object.

Some devices such as digital still cameras or digital video cameras (hereinafter generally referred to as "digital cameras" in some cases) can connect to information processing terminals such as smartphones via wireless networks. As a communication standard for connecting different devices via wireless networks in this way, for example, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) (registered trademark) can be exemplified.
In addition, in recent years, functions of operating imaging devices such as digital cameras via information processing terminals are provided by connecting the imaging devices to the information processing terminals via networks. Some of the imaging devices in which input and output interfaces installed in the imaging devices are restricted (for example, simplified or excluded) have been provided on the premise that information processing terminals connected via networks are used as main user interfaces (UIs) because such functions are provided.

Information processing device, medium and method for using a touch screen display to capture at least one image


An aspect includes a method for policy to source code conversion. Policy information is received in a natural language format. Class generator data, including a plurality of classes and relationships between the classes, is accessed. A computer processor identifies at least one class in the plurality of classes and at least one data value associated with the at least one class in the policy information. The identifying is based on the class generator data. The computer processor creates an instance of the at least one class and generates source code from the instance of the at least one class. The source code is configured to create a subsequent instance of the at least one class.

The present invention relates to natural language processing and, more specifically, to converting policies expressed in a natural language format into source code to store policy information for use in a processing rule-based system.
In complex environments, such as a healthcare claim processing environment, subject matter experts can formulate processing policies of an associated organization. Processing policies may be expressed initially in a natural language format as formulated by the subject matter experts. In order to develop a knowledge base for applying the processing policies to claims, the processing policies must be expressed in a format that aligns with how underlying data is organized. The healthcare domain is epitomized by a complex system of codes that are used to describe every aspect of a patient encounter. When attempting to create business rule solutions, there is a potential to create hundreds of thousands if not millions of rules that would have to be evaluated for each claim that is processed.

International Business Machines Corporation


This invention is a system creating risk indices, where the risk index is based on a combination of indicators. The indicators for measuring risk are adaptive and dynamic to the changing availability of disaster information and state of the system. Importantly, this research addresses two needs of emergency responders. It provides a risk-based prioritization of key geo-locations to allocate support and mitigation efforts. It provides a mechanism for prioritizing data collection and analysis efforts.

In the immediate hours following disaster, information is sparse; however, as time progresses, analysts receive data about the evolving state and impact on various geographical areas. From the chaos, decision makers must distill the critical information needed to target aid most efficiently.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are collaborative systems that collect and process data for individuals conducting ground observations and surveys, including data about facilities. GIS data relevant to millions of system variables may be sent from handheld GPS units, personal computing devices, digital cameras, aerial photo satellites, voice recorders and a range of devices which have GPS capability.
Recent disasters have inspired the development of several collaborative GIS tools to collect and map these new sources of information, including OpenStreetMap, Sahana, and Crisis Mappers. It is necessary to structure information from many heterogeneous sources into key variables and metrics most critical to the decision-making process at a given point in time.
Super computers, known in the art, can potentially analyze millions of variables under alternative assumptions. As decisions are made during a disaster, each decision alters the state variables.
Although computational systems, known in the art, can accommodate changes in input, the models produced are static data models. While static models are useful during the planning phase, a static analysis may not be relevant during an actual disaster response effort, due to the dynamic nature of the underlying data and relevance of state variables.
GIS systems, known in the art, do not do multi-criteria decision analysis in real time. To optimize disaster response, it is necessary to perform an integrated assessment of multiple data layers reflecting different scenarios at various points in time, under different assumptions and parameters.

System for multi-criteria decision analysis

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY


An automatic transmission shift control system controls a line pressure for initiating a shift of an automatic transmission so that a duration between initiation of the shift and termination of a torque decline during the shift falls within a predetermined shift initiation time period. Also, a line pressure is controlled by the system for terminating a shift of the automatic transmission so that a duration between termination of a torque decline and termination of the shift falls within a predetermined shift termination time period. Both of the line pressures are used in a following shift control of the automatic transmission.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift control system for an automatic transmission for an automobile which causes the automatic transmission to shift based on torque input to or output from the automatic transmission. More particularly, this invention relates to such an automatic transmission shift control system in which an automatic transmission shifts while producing less of a shift shock which is physically felt by passengers.
2. Description of Related Art
Automatic transmissions with torque converters for automotive vehicles typically perform shift operations in two consecutive phases. These phases include a torque shift phase and an inertia shift phase. Because little drop in turbine speed takes place in the torque shift phase, the automatic transmission is not subjected to shift shock in the torque shift phase. However, in the inertia phase, in which discharge of inertial energy takes place due to a change in gear ratio, the speed of the turbine goes down rapidly, and the automatic transmission is subjected to shift shock.
One technique to prevent an occurrence of shift shock during shifting is to monitor the output torque of the automatic transmission to lower a line pressure supplied to the automatic transmission at the moment the output torque converts to an increasing condition from a decreasing condition. Such a shift shock control technique is known from, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-41,458.
It has been found that an actual input torque supplied to an automatic transmission undergoes complicated changes. It is, therefore, difficult to eliminate or reduce shift shock by regulating a line pressure during a transition of the shift operation into an inertia phase which is detected based only on a change in torque.
FIG. 1 provides a brief background that will enhance an understanding of the operation of the shift control system in accordance with the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 1 is a time chart for various transmission control factors, such as a turbine speed N.sub.t of a torque converter, a line pressure (PL) duty control, a clutch pressure CL supplied to a clutch chamber, an output torque T.sub.P of an automatic transmission, and a turbine output torque T.sub.t of the torque converter. When the automatic transmission begins a shift at a time T.sub.A, a turbine output torque T.sub.t, transmitted to a transmission mechanism of the automatic transmission, is provided as an output torque T.sub.P of the automatic transmission and transmitted to drive wheels through a propeller shaft. Shift shock, physically felt by passengers, is produced by a steep decline in transmission output torque T.sub.P in a time period between times T.sub.B and T.sub.D during shifting. This time period changes due to wearing of frictional coupling elements of the automatic transmission and is different for various automatic transmissions. In order to effectively prevent shift shock from occurring, it is not sufficient to simply reduce the amplitude of such a steep decline in transmission output torque.

Shift control system for automatic transmission


A satellite communications device for processing meter data includes an interface adapted to receive data from a plurality of remotely located utility meters of a selected meter type. The interface is configurable to receive data from at least a first meter type and a second meter type. A satellite modem is coupled to the interface and is operable to send the data received from the utility meters using a satellite link. The device includes a plurality of software modules for execution in the satellite modem. A first software module is adapted to process data from utility meters of the first meter type and a second software module is adapted to process data from utility meters of the second meter type.

Vendors provide meters to monitor and collect data, such as electrical-usage data, weather data, or environmental data. Each vendor provides a different type of meter to monitor and collect the data. The different types of meters use different protocols. Therefore, the data that is monitored, recorded, and collected from the different meters may not be consolidated and processed consistently.

Device and method for processing meter data from multiple meters


According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of plating a TSV hole in a substrate is provided. The TSV hole may include an open end terminating at a conductive pad, a stack of wiring levels, and a plurality of chip interconnects. The method of plating a TSV may include attaching a handler to the plurality of chip interconnects, the handler having a conductive layer in electrical contact with the plurality of chip interconnects; exposing a closed end of the TSV hole, including the conductive pad, to an electrolyte solution; and applying an electrical potential along an electrical path from the conductive layer to the conductive pad causing conductive material from the electrolyte solution to deposit on the conductive pad and within the TSV hole, the electrical path including the conductive layer, the plurality of chip interconnects, the stack of wiring levels and the conductive pad.

The present invention generally relates to integrated circuits, and particularly to though-substrate vias for three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits.
Advancements in the area of semiconductor fabrication have enabled the manufacturing of integrated circuits that have a high density of electronic components. A challenge arises where an increase in the number and length of interconnect wirings can cause an increase in circuit resistance-capacitance (RC) delay and power consumption, which can negatively impact circuit performance. Three-dimensional (3D) stacking of integrated circuits can address these challenges. Fabrication of 3D integrated circuits includes at least two silicon wafers stacked vertically. Vertically stacked wafers can reduce interconnect wiring length and increase device density. Deep through-substrate vias (TSVs) are formed to provide interconnections and electrical connectivity between the electronic components of the vertically stacked wafers. Such TSVs may require high aspect ratios, where the via height is large with respect to the via width, to save valuable area on the substrate. Therefore by using TSVs device density can be increased while reducing the total length of interconnection wiring.
However, fabrication techniques such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are unable to fill high aspect ratio TSV holes without the risk of pinch-off. Pinch-off refers to build up of deposited material at an opening of a trench or a via hole (e.g., TSV hole). This is a result of the width of a trench or the circumference of a via hole filling twice as fast as their depths. The occurrence of pinch-off may result in the formation of voids, where some volume of a trench or via hole remains unfilled with the deposited material. Void formation can result in an open circuit and if large enough may sever the interconnect structure. Thus, void formation can reduce integrated circuit performance, decrease reliability of interconnects, cause sudden data loss, and reduce the useful life of semiconductor integrated circuit products. In addition, pinch-off can trap undesired process chemicals within a trench or a via hole (e.g., TSV hole).
An alternative technique for fabricating TSVs may include electroplating. Electroplating techniques require a cathode. Generally, the part to be plated can act as the cathode. The cathode can be connected to a negative terminal of an external power supply and thus must be electrically conductive. In order to electroplate a trench or via hole etched in a nonconductive material, a seed layer may be required to act as the cathode. For example, a copper film may be deposited using physical vapor deposition or other known deposition techniques to form the requisite cathode, or seed layer, in preparation for electroplating. When electroplating a trench or via hole an electrical potential is applied to the copper seed layer while the structure is exposed to an electrolyte solution where the desired plating material can plate out onto the cathode. However, the risk of pinch-off remains in via holes fabricated using an electroplating technique because like other deposition techniques the plated material deposits on the sidewalls of the via hole at the same rate it deposits on the bottom of the TSV hole resulting in the circumference of the TSV hole filling twice as fast as its depth.
Accordingly, current fabrication techniques for filling high aspect ratio TSV holes with a conductive material have risks and disadvantages. Despite achievements that have been made in 3D integrated circuit technology to increase device density and reduce the length of interconnection wiring, the challenge of fabricating and filling high aspect ratio TSVs without void formation and chemical entrapment continues to persist.

Bottom-up plating of through-substrate vias


A method and apparatus for determining the range of an object. A first image of at least a portion of the object viewed from a first position is generated. A second image of the portion viewed from a second position spaced apart from the first position is generated by calculation from the first image and the distance between the first and second position. It is assumed that all of the portion represented by the first image lies on a radius less than the distance to the object. A third image of the portion viewed from the second position is generated and the range determined by comparison of the first and third images.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining the range of an object from an image of the object or a space containing the object.
There are a number of applications in which it is desirable to determine the range of a an object from an image of the object or a space containing the object. One application is in the area of mobile robot navigation.
In most applications for range determination from images, the range is required to be estimated from a panoramic image. A number of methods exist for capturing panoramic images using conventional cameras. These include rotating a camera about a vertical axis so as to obtain an image or by using multiple cameras looking in different directions. These techniques have a high level of complexity and require a large amount of equipment. International patent application number PCT/AU94/00501 (publication number W095/06303) by the present applicant discloses a panoramic imaging system utilising a single camera and a dome like convex mirror. International patent application PCT/AU97/00815 (publication number WO 98/25245) by the patent applicant discloses an improved panoramic imaging system utilising a single camera and a reflective surface shaped such that the area occluded by the camera is constant or decreases with increasing distance. The disclosure of international application number PCT/AU94/00501 and international patent application number PCT/AU97/00815 are incorporated in this specification by cross reference.
Estimation of range from an image can be achieved in a number of ways many of which involve a comparison of images resulting from a known displacement in some known direction. Various algorithms exist for range computation using two paraxial cameras. This is equivalent to using a single camera to capture images from two different locations and comparing the resulting images. Measurement of range using wide angle imaging has been used in relation to some machine vision. Some systems have utilised a series of motion detectors arranged at different angles to form a panoramic sensor. The detectors are scaled to the amplitude of motion seen at different angles by using detectors tuned to different velocities. This type of arrangement has been used on a mobile robot to provide the depth information to navigate and avoid collisions. A difficulty with this approach is that the motion detectors have narrow fields of view and cannot individually detect complex fields.
Arrangements in which panoramic sensors provide information to an algorithm that tracks the position of features during motion of a mobile robot are known. Using a knowledge of the motion of the features, the range to those regions of image can be determined. This approach suffers from a strong dependence on the feature selection and registration algorithms.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for determining range of an object from an image of the object or a space containing the object.
Accordingly, in one aspect this invention provides a method of determining the range of an object including the steps of generating a first image of at least a portion of the object viewed from a first position, producing a second image of said portion viewed from a second position spaced apart from the first position by calculation from said first image using the distance between said first and second positions and assuming all of the portion represented by said first image lies on an arc of constant radius less than the distance to the object, generating a third image of the portion viewed from said second position, and determining the range of the object by comparison of said second and third images.
In a second aspect this invention provides an apparatus for determining the range of an object including means to generate a first image of at least a portion of the object viewed from a first position, calculating means to produce a second image of said portion viewed from a second position spaced apart from the first position by calculation from said first image using the distance between said first and second positions and assuming all of the portion represented by said first image lies on an arc of constant radius less than the distance to the object, means to generate a third image of the portion viewed from said second position, and comparator means to determine the range of the object from said second and third images.
Preferably, the first and third images are generated by moving the effective position of the image generator from the first position to the second position. In an alternative approach two separate image generators of identical configuration can be used at each of the first and second positions.
The first and third images are preferably generated using a panoramic imaging system. More preferably, the panoramic imaging system is of the type described in international patent application number PCT/AU94/00501 or international patent application number PCT/AU97/00815.
Preferably, the images are a circular array representing an image space around a horizon. More preferably, the image is a one dimensional array of pixels that represent intensity in equally spaced regions around a horizon. The regions are preferably slightly overlapping.
In one form of the invention, the determination of range is made from a comparison of the deformation between the second and third images using the relationship that local image deformation is inversely proportional to range.
In another form of the invention, the local optical flow, that is, local angular image translation, is determined from the first and second images and the range determined by triangulation.
As used throughout this specification the term xe2x80x9cimagexe2x80x9d is used to refer to all forms of representation and storage of images by digital or other techniques. Consequently reference to comparison, calculation and other operations with images includes the corresponding manipulation of data indicative of the image whether or not the image is visually displayed at any time.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings:


A circulator comprises a waveguide housing having a plurality of hollow waveguide arms that communicate with a central cavity, the waveguide housing having a height defined by a plurality of waveguide sidewalls between a waveguide floor and a waveguide ceiling. A ferrite element is disposed in the central cavity of the waveguide housing, with the ferrite element including a central portion. The ferrite element further includes a plurality of ferrite segments that each extend from the central portion and terminate at a distal end. A plurality of dielectric transformers each having an upper surface protrude into the waveguide arms away from the central cavity along the waveguide floor. The dielectric transformers have a height that is less than the height of the waveguide housing such that the upper surface of the transformers is separated from the waveguide ceiling by a gap.

Ferrite circulators typically have a metal waveguide housing and dielectric transformers therein that serve as impedance-matching elements to provide an impedance match between air-filled input waveguides and a ferrite loaded junction region. An adhesive is typically used to bond the transformers to the waveguide housing of the circulators. The transformers commonly span the full waveguide height such that they are line-to-line with the waveguide floor and ceiling (or cover) minus the thickness of the adhesive. This structure can create a problem as some circulator assemblies may have transformers that protrude above the height of the waveguide due to transformer tolerances and/or assembly variation, preventing an interference fit.
When a transformer protrudes slightly beyond the waveguide height and a waveguide cover is put in place using fasteners, pneumatic presses, or laser-welding, the transformers can fracture due to interference. In using pneumatic presses to apply tuning covers, the transformer fracturing can occur even when the transformer does not protrude above the waveguide height due to slight bowing in of the cover from the applied pneumatic force.
When a transformer fractures, the unit has to go back to assembly to be re-worked causing delays and increased costs. If the circulator was tuned prior to the transformer fracturing, then the circulator typically has to be re-tuned after the re-work.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Ferrite circulator with reduced-height transformers


A method and system for managing a secure network boot of a server blade. The server blade is part of a server blade chassis, which holds multiple server blades that communicate with outside devices via a Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE) enabled network interface card. When a server blade receives a response from a PXE boot server offering a boot program download, a Remote Supervisory Adapter (RSA) card, managed by a remote manager, compares the identity of the responding PXE boot server with a list of trusted PXE boot servers. Only if the responding PXE boot server is on the list of trusted PXE boot servers will the server blade be allowed to use a boot program provided by the responding PXE boot server.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to the field of computers, and in particular to multiple blade servers housed in a server chassis. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for filtering, through a secure remote supervisor, responses from Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE) servers to a server blade's request for a boot program, such that responses to the request for the boot program are only utilized from trusted PXE servers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Server blade computers offer multiple server blades (computers mounted on separate boards) in a single chassis (blade chassis). Although each server blade may be under at least partial control of primary server blade in the chassis, each server blade typically functions as an independent server to specific clients. A typical arrangement of such as system is shown in FIG. 1, in which a blade chassis 102, having multiple server blades 103a–c, is connected to a network 106, which connects to multiple clients 104.
A PXE boot server network 108 is connected to blade chassis 102 and the individual server blades 103 via network 106. Each of the server blades 103 may utilize a network boot protocol known as Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE). PXE allows server blade 103 to request a network boot program from a boot server in the PXE boot server network 108. Such a boot server can provide a boot image that can be used to load a new operating system (OS), flash a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) memory, or even erase data on a local hard disk.
To download a boot program, server blade 103 broadcasts a request to PXE boot server network 108. One or more of the PXE boot servers in PXE boot server network 108 respond back to server blade 103 offering a requested boot program. If responses from multiple boot servers from PXE boot server network 108 are put on network 106, then server blade 103 typically responds to the first request response to arrive a server blade 103.
A network boot of server blade 103 as described is not secure, since the broadcasted boot request can result in a responsive offer from any PXE server connected to network 106, including an unauthorized PXE server attempting to tamper with the network. Thus, an unauthorized PXE boot server could result in possible undesired operations such as exposures to operational security and/or destroying data on a local fixed disk drive. What is needed, therefore, is a method and system for preventing booting from unauthorized PXE servers.

Method and system for restricting PXE servers


Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red’ is a moderately compact cultivar producing many shoots and having dense foliage. This cultivar is distinguishable from other cultivars by its small to medium-sized, heart-shaped, red-purple to red-bronze colored leaves. The plant has good vigor, but is less vigorous than Ipomoea batatas ‘Margarita’ and ‘Blackie’, and unlike these cultivars, ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red’ may be grown in containers with other species. The production of flowers by ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red’ is relatively rare even under short day conditions.

Ipomoea species are members of the morning glory family Convolvulaceae. Ipomoea batatas, the cultivated species, is commonly produced for consumption and referred to as the white or yellow sweetpotato and the orange yam. The plants are typically fast growing, green vines possessing a wide variety of leaf shapes ranging from palmate and deeply lobed, to cordate or triangular shaped leaves with no lobes. Ornamental sweetpotatoes, which have been bred and selected for their unique foliage colors, leaf shapes and plant habits, typically do not produce large fleshy storage roots like the sweetpotato cultivated for consumption. In comparison, storage roots produced by ornamental sweetpotatoes are typically not as large because no selection has been exercised for yield, thus storage roots do not begin to swell until very late in the season. Further, the few storage roots that are formed by ornamental sweetpotatoes are typically not as attractive as those produced by the tablestock types as they are generally cracked, very malformed, often mottled in skin and flesh color, and are not palatable.
Late in the growing season when day-lengths begin to shorten or when the plants are stressed, ornamental sweetpotato plants produce tubular flowers that are similar to morning glories, but most plantings are dominated by the appearance of the foliage. The plants are highly desirable due to their ability to grow under varied stress conditions, cover a large space, and last the entire growing season. Moreover, these plants have few insect or disease problems.
Until the release of the Sweet Caroline series of ornamental sweet potatoes (see below) there were six popular types of Ipomoea batatas ornamental sweetpotatoes being cultivated primarily for their annual, summer vines in landscaping applications. These six cultivars are: 'Blackie' (not patented), having purple foliage and lavender flowers; 'Terrace Lime' (not patented) and 'Margarita' (not patented; also known as 'Sulfur'), which have large brilliant chartreuse leaves and lavender blooms; 'Black Heart' (not patented; also known as 'Ace of Spades'), having heart-shaped leaves with burgundy purple color; 'Tricolor' (not patented; also known as 'Pink Frost'), a variegated plant having pale green, white, and pink-margined leaves; and 'Lady Fingers' (unpatented), which has medium green, dainty leaves divided into long, thin, fingerlike lobes that are complemented by burgundy stems and veins.
Ipomoea batatas 'Margarita' was recently released in the United States, and has become widely used as a landscape annual. However, it is not suitable for mixed containers as their variety exhibits a very vigorous growth and tends to out-compete other species. See Armitage, A. M. and J. M. Garner, (2001) Ipomoea batatas 'Margarita'. Hort Science 36:178. Another popular variety, 'Blackie', is a vigorous purple-leaved clone, which is also unsuited to containerized gardens.
Therefore, to meet the current horticultural demand, it is desirable to produce new, more robust cultivars of ornamental sweetpotato with attractive foliage colors, leaf shapes, and plant architectures. In addition, it would be advantageous to develop cultivars or ornamental sweetpotato exhibiting a more compact growth, and which do not out-compete other species in mixed containers.
Ipomoea batatas 'Sweet Caroline Light Green' (U.S. Pat. No. PP15,028, issued Jul. 20, 2004), 'Sweet Caroline Green' (U.S. Pat. No. PP15,056, issued Aug. 3, 2004), 'Sweet Caroline Bronze' (U.S. Pat. No. PP15,437, issued Dec. 21, 2004), 'Sweet Caroline Purple' (U.S. Pat. No. PP14,912, issued Jun. 15, 2004), and 'Sweet Caroline Red' (U.S. Pat. No. PP17,483 issued Mar. 13, 2007) are recently introduced cultivars developed North Carolina State University that are characterized by compact growth habit, moderate to deeply lobed palmate leaves, and attractive foliage color.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Ipomoea batatas named 'Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red'. 'Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red' is a moderately-compact variety producing many shoots and having dense foliage. This variety is distinguishable from other varieties by its small to medium-sized, heart-shaped, red-purple to red-bronze colored leaves. The plant has good vigor, but is less vigorous than 'Margarita' and 'Blackie' and, unlike these varieties, 'Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red' may be grown in containers with other species.
Lineage. The Ipomoea batatas 'Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red' cultivar (breeding designation NC848-6ORN) originated from a conventional cross between Ipomoea batatas cultivars NC136-1ORN (the female parent; not patented) and NC146-1ORN (the male parent; not patented) conducted from October 2002 to April 2003 at Raleigh, N.C.
NC136-1ORN resulted from a cross between 'Sulfur' (the female parent) and the clone 'S×BL R5-18' (the male parent; not patented). 'S×BL R5-18' was derived from a cross between 'Sulfur' (the female parent)בBlackie' (the male parent). NC146-1ORN resulted from a cross between 'Sulfur' and the clone 'S×BLR7-2', which was derived from a cross between 'Sulfur' (the female parent)בBlackie' (the male parent). Seed from this cross were planted in Raleigh, N.C. in Spring 2003. The single, individual plant now known as Ipomoea batatas 'Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red' was selected in August and September 2003 because of its combination of exceptional features, and has been propagated asexually since that time.
Asexual Reproduction. Since its selection, Ipomoea batatas 'Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red' has been asexually reproduced at Raleigh, N.C., predominantly by vegetative propagation of vine cuttings. Successively, there have been two cycles of vegetative propagation, one cycle of tissue culture micropropagation, and multiple vegetative propagation cycles to increase the plant population. Asexual reproduction of the new Ornamental Sweetpotato cultivar by cuttings has shown that the unique features of the new cultivar are stable and the plant reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Ornamental sweetpotato plant named ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red’


An improved and simplified hydrocarbon processing system is provided which has a mixing section for mixing of hydrogen and hydrocarbon to form combined, two-phase streams, as well as an indirect heat exchange section having a plurality of double-pass shell-and-tube heat exchangers designed to simultaneously receive and heat respective combined streams while maintaining separation of the streams. The use of the specialized double-pass exchangers results in significantly reduced capital and maintenance costs.

Conventional hydroprocessing units such as distillate, gas oil, and residue hydrotreaters and hydrocrackers preheat hydrogen and oil streams in a series of heat exchangers using reactor effluent as the heating medium. In most cases, the hydrogen and oil streams have been preheated in separate heat exchangers, with downstream control valves employed to properly distribute these single phase streams to multiple passes of a downstream furnace. In other cases, it has been known to premix hydrocarbon and hydrogen to form combined streams which are then passed through heat exchangers. However, these processing schemes require substantial capital investment owing to the need for the multiple heat exchangers and associated piping, valves, and control components. By the same token, maintenance costs are also high.

Optimized preheating of hydrogen/hydrocarbon feed streams


A page turning apparatus having a vacuum pad to vacuum suck the uppermost page of a booklet, a drive link plate to move the vacuum pad to pick up the uppermost page of a booklet at a predetermined angle in the direction of opening around a bound edge, a pinch-roller which goes under the uppermost page picked up at a predetermined angle, and a control unit which releases the vacuum suction of the vacuum pad, and moves the vacuum pad in the direction retreating from the uppermost page, after the pinch-roller goes under the uppermost page, and conveys a booklet so that the uppermost page is brought into contact with the pinch-roller, and opened.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a booklet page turning apparatus, which is mounted in a booklet publishing machine and automatically turns the pages of a booklet.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recent booklet has a page with high bending rigidity as part of tendency to heighten the added value. For example, there is a booklet having an ID page given a security protective layer to prevent forgery countermeasures of personal information, or a plastic sheet page having a buried IC chip for high-density recording. Another booklet has a radio IC chip readable and writable without contact. A front or back cover of such a booklet is given a radio shielding function to protect recorded information from unauthorized reading or writing. Such a booklet accepts reading or writing only when a front cover is opened.
An ordinary booklet page turning apparatus causes buckling distortion in a booklet, assuming the low bending rigidity of a booklet, turns up a page with a page turning roller, and flips up the page on the page turning roller.
However, when an ordinary page turning apparatus attempts to turn a rigid page of a booklet, the difference between the frictional force between the page turning roller and the uppermost page and the friction force between the uppermost page and the page under the uppermost page does not meet the condition to cause buckling distortion in the rigid page.
If the page turning roller is changed to the one with higher frictional coefficient, it can cause buckling distortion in a booklet. However, in this case, a rigid page may suffer plastic deformation exceeding over its plastic deformation range, or a buried IC chip may suffer stress destruction. Therefore, in the prior art, a page turning roller contacts the end of a booklet, and is raised while rotating, thereby a rigid page is turned without buckling distortion (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-144756).
However, in this method, the end of a rigid page must be accurately detected and made to contact the page turning roller, otherwise the page cannot be turned up.
Besides, pages of a booklet are fixed at the bound edge of a booklet like a cantilever structure, and tend to bend and become uneven at the ends after being repeatedly turned up and down, increasing the unstable elements of the page turning operation.
In a booklet having a rigid page mixed with ordinary body pages, after the rigid page and body pages are repeatedly turned up and down, the bending and unevenness of the ends of the pages are accelerated, and the unstable elements of the page turning operation are increased.
As described above, a booklet having two or more rigid pages is difficult to stably turn the pages by using page turning rollers.
As a method of separating a sheet one by one from a stack and conveying each sheet, a negative suction method using a vacuum pad is well known.
This method does not depend on the rigidity of a medium, and is advantageous to a booklet including two or more rigid pages.
A vacuum pad is available in various types according to the properties of a medium. One type of vacuum pad has an axle of rotation for oscillation. Another type of vacuum pad is deformable (made of rubber material or shaped like bellows).
However, if such a negative suction method is simply applied to a booklet page turning apparatus, the pages of a booklet cannot be turned unless each page of a booklet is raised by turning up over 90° with respect to the bound edge of a booklet, and a travel of a vacuum pad is increased. This makes it difficult to house the vacuum pad structure in the same conveying layout as in the conventional page turning apparatus using buckling distortion.


A thermoplastic resin composition comprising 10 to 98 parts by weight of a graft polymer (1A) containing a rubber-like polymer (1G) having a diene unit content of 50% by weight or less, 2 to 50 parts by weight of a hydroxyl group-containing acrylic copolymer (1B) and 0 to 80 parts by weight of other thermoplastic resin (1F), wherein the rubber-like polymer (1G) is at least one selected from the group consisting of a diene-based rubber, a polyorganosiloxane-based rubber and an olefin-based rubber; and, a graft copolymer (2A) obtained by grafting a vinyl-based polymer to a (meth)acrylate-based rubber-like polymer (2G) expansion-treated with an acid group-containing copolymer latex (2K) wherein the (meth)acrylate-based rubber-like polymer contains two or more poly-functional monomer units.

Improvement in the impact resistance of a resin material manifests very significant industrial utilities such as enlargement of the application of the material, realization of thickness reduction and size expansion of a molded article, and the like. Therefore, there have been various methods investigated for improving the impact resistance of a resin material.
In these investigations, ABS resins, high impact polystyrene resins, modified PPE resins and MBS resin reinforced polyvinyl chloride resins and the like have been already industrially used as a material having enhanced impact resistance by combining a rubber-like polymer with a hard resin.
Particularly, as a resin material which gets excellent weather resistance by using a saturated rubber component such as alkyl (meth)acrylate rubber and the like in a rubber-like polymer, an ASA resin which is a whether resistant ABS resin, for example, has been suggested and utilized in automobile exterior parts and outdoor electric appliances such as automatic vending machines and housing parts of wave intermediate bases and the like.
In such fields having such strict requirements for material specifications increasing year-by-year, JP-B Nos. 6-45663 and 3-66329 suggest thermoplastic resins comprising a rubber-like polymer made of a composite of a diene-based rubber and a (meth)acrylate-based rubber, and JP-A No. 08-041149 suggests a thermoplastic resin composition comprising a rubber-like polymer made of a composite of a specific polyorganosiloxane and a (meth)acrylate-based rubber, and these have features such as excellent impact resistance and weather resistance, and excellent surface appearance.
However, there is a increasing demand for materials having remarkably reduced gloss, namely so-called delustering materials, mainly in the fields of automatic interior parts such as a dash board and the like and resinified residence building materials and the like.
As delustering methods until now, JP No. 2733623 and JP-A No. 7-102139 suggest methods of compounding dynamically cross-linked acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR). JP-A Nos. 02-503322, 02-214712, 11-508960, 09-194656 and 2000-198905 suggest thermoplastic resins having a delustering property containing a rubber-like polymer having large dispersed particle size in a thermoplastic resin composition.
In JP-A Nos. 7-166021 and 7-173360, thermoplastic resin compositions having a delustering property containing a graft polymer having a hydroxyl group are suggested.
Further, JP No. 2958232 suggests a thermoplastic resin composition containing a hydroxyl group-containing cross-linked acrylic polymer.
However, thermoplastic resins obtained by these prior technologies cannot satisfy recent strict requirements for material specifications.
The methods suggested by JP No. 2733623 and JP-A No. 7-102139 have problems of poor weather resistance and heat stability of the resulting thermoplastic resin compositions.
The thermoplastic resin composition obtained in JP-A No. 02-214712 has poor balance between surface gloss and impact resistance though flowability thereof is excellence, and both abilities cannot be satisfied simultaneously.
The thermoplastic resin composition obtained in JP-A No. 11-508960 is deficient in impact resistance and flowability though weather resistance and delustering property thereof are excellent.
The thermoplastic resin composition obtained in JP-A No. 09-194656 is deficient in impact resistance typified by the Izod impact strength with notch though weather resistance and delustering property thereof are excellent.
The thermoplastic resin composition obtained in JP-A No. 2000-198905 has poor balance of delustering property, impact resistance and surface hardness, and cannot satisfy all of the objects of the present invention simultaneously.
The surface gloss of the thermoplastic resins obtained by the methods suggested in JP-A Nos. 7-166021 and 7-173360 has a level insufficient for a delustering property recently required, and a phenomenon of increase in gloss value is observed in molding in wider temperature conditions, particularly at high temperatures.
Further, in JP No. 2958232, there is no reference to means satisfying all of the objects of the present invention, in examples thereof.

Graft copolymer and thermoplastic resin composition


A horn antenna includes a conducting horn having an inner wall and a first dielectric layer lining the inner wall of the conducting horn. The first dielectric layer includes a metamaterial having a relative dielectric constant of greater than 0 and less than 1. The horn antenna may further include a dielectric core abutting at least a portion of the first dielectric layer. In one aspect, the dielectric core includes a fluid. A waveguide including a metamaterial is also disclosed.

Maximum directivity from a horn antenna may be obtained by uniform amplitude and phase distribution over the horn aperture. Such horns are denoted as "hard" horns.
Exemplary hard horns may include one having longitudinal conducting strips on a dielectric wall lining, and the other having longitudinal corrugations filled with dielectric material. These horns work for various aperture sizes, and have increasing aperture efficiency for increasing size as the power in the wall area relative to the total power decreases.
Dual mode and multimode horns like the Box horn can also provide high aperture efficiency, but they have a relatively narrow bandwidth, in particular for circular polarization. Higher than 100% aperture efficiency relative to the physical aperture may be achieved for endfire horns. However, these endfire horns also have a small intrinsic bandwidth and may be less mechanically robust.
Linearly polarized horn antennas may exist with high aperture efficiency at the design frequency, large bandwidth and low cross-polarization. However, these as well as the other non hybrid-mode horns only work for limited aperture size, typically under 1.5 or 2λ.
A horn antenna may be also configured as a "soft" horn with a J1(x)/x-type aperture distribution, corresponding to low gain and low sidelobes, and having a maximum bandwidth. Exemplary soft horns may include one having corrugations or strips on dielectric wall liners where these corrugations or strips are transverse to the electromagnetic field propagation direction.

Horn antenna, waveguide or apparatus including low index dielectric material


Disclosed herein are a novel nitrogen semiconductor compound simultaneously including groups with different electrical properties and a device fabricated using the nitrogen semiconductor compound as an organic semiconductor material or a hole conducting material. The nitrogen semiconductor compound can be spin-coated at room temperature when applied to the fabrication of the device, and has superior electrical conductivity and photovoltaic properties.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel nitrogen semiconductor compound and a device fabricated using the semiconductor compound. More particularly, the present invention relates to a nitrogen compound simultaneously including groups with different electrical properties, i.e. at least one electron acceptor and at least one electron donor, in side chains of the compound, and a device fabricated using the nitrogen compound as an organic semiconductor material or a hole conducting material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thin film transistors (TFTs) are representative devices fabricated using organic semiconductor compounds, and are generally composed of a substrate, a gate electrode, an insulating layer, source/drain electrodes, and a channel layer. Inorganic semiconductor materials, such as silicon (Si), have been commonly used as materials for channel layers of TFTs. However, with increasing demand for the manufacture of large-area, flexible displays at reduced costs, organic semiconductor materials are currently used as materials for channel layers, i.e. semiconductor layers, rather than inorganic semiconductor materials involving high costs and requiring high-temperature vacuum processes. Recently, studies on organic semiconductor materials for channel layers of OTFTs have been undertaken and the characteristics of the devices have been reported. Of these, a great deal of research is currently concentrated on low molecular weight and oligomer organic semiconductor materials, e.g., melocyanines, phthalocyanines, perylenes, pentacenes, C60, thiophene oligomers, and the like. Lucent Technologies Inc. and 3M Inc. have developed devices with charge carrier mobilities as high as 3.2-5.0 cm2/Vs using a pentacene single crystal (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 2003, Vol. 771, L6.5.1˜L6.5.11). In addition, CNRS, France, reported a device having a relatively high charge carrier mobility of 0.01˜0.1 cm2/Vs and a relatively high on/off current ratio (Ion/Ioff ratio) using an oligothiophene derivative (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993, Vol. 115, pp. 8716-8721). However, since these materials are largely dependent on vacuum processes in order to form thin films, the fabrication of devices incurs considerable costs. Under such circumstances, research is underway on organic polymer semiconductor compounds that can be coated by spin coating.
On the other hand, as other devices where organic semiconductor materials are used, there are exemplified organic solar cells. General solar photovoltaic cells consist essentially of a semiconductor layer and electrodes. The operational principle of a solar photovoltaic cell is as follows. Externally incident light generates electrons and holes inside a semiconductor layer. The electrons and holes migrate toward positive (P) and negative (N) electrodes, respectively, to generate a potential difference between the two electrodes. When load is applied to the solar photovoltaic cell, electric current flows in the solar photovoltaic cell. As described above, there is a growing tendency to use organic semiconductor materials as materials for semiconductor layers of solar photovoltaic cells rather than inorganic semiconductor materials involving high costs and requiring high-temperature vacuum processes. Thus, there is a need to develop a semiconductor compound that can be applied to the fabrication of devices, particularly, solar photovoltaic cells, by spin coating without a reduction in the efficiency of the devices despite increasing light intensity.

Nitrogen semiconductor compound and device fabricated using the same