A novel cloud RAN architecture which allows pooling the baseband resources to optimize both CAPEX and OPEX. The cloud baseband unit provides a pool of LTE channel baseband signal processing elements that can be assigned to remote radio units based on the traffic load. The LTE channel baseband element or elements can also be shared among a group of remote radio units.

Mobile data is increasing at a compound annual rate of far more than 100% as a result of an increasing level of penetration of data-intensive devices and an increasing level of usage per device. These devices are getting smarter due to improved user interfaces, vastly increased numbers of applications, faster processors, and improved radio access technologies, therefore are consuming increasing amounts of data.
Data volumes are growing at a rate that exceeds operators' ability to grow capacity. Capacity growth typically comes from growth in the number of sites, from increased spectrum resources, and from enhancements in radio access technology.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, standardized by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), has emerged as the next generation wireless technology that will lead the growth of mobile broadband services in the next decade. Its adoption by service providers around the world has the potential to generate economies of scale unprecedented by any previous generation of wireless networking technology as it becomes the universal 4G/5G mobile platform used by all service providers.
LTE is critical to delivering the lower cost per bit, higher bandwidth, and subscriber experience needed to address the challenges of mobile broadband. It has the potential to transform how subscribers and machines use applications and content distributed over mobile and converged networks. The effect will be to increase the value of these networks and create favorable conditions for the continued mass market adoption of mobile broadband services.
The reality is that, we have reached a point where an increase in number of conventional sites and available spectrum can no longer keep up with the explosion in demand for mobile data capacity—actually falling short by an entire order of magnitude in recent years. What other options exist? One possibility is architectural innovation. What if the definition of a "cell site" were radically changed, in such a way that the number of "sites" dramatically increased and the cost per unit of capacity (after adjusting for the inevitable lower utilization of smaller sites) significantly decreased?
This capacity gap drives deployment of at least one order-of-magnitude more "small cells"—making up for the difference by means of spectrum re-use. In order to provide consistent capacity density across a mobile service area, these deployments need to take place in a more "distributed" manner—forcing operators to expand beyond the current foot-print for the deployment of more mobile broadband radios. In many cases, operators need to acquire more and new types of cell locations to deploy data-centric wireless broadband service networks. These cell locations then determine the required type of "small cell" equipment to build a heterogeneous mobile radio access network.
In next decade, Web-scale IT will be an architectural approach found operating in most of global enterprises, up from less than 10 percent in 2013. Web-scale IT is a pattern of global-class computing that delivers the capabilities of large cloud service providers within an enterprise IT setting by rethinking positions across several dimensions.
Large cloud services providers such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc., are reinventing the way in which IT services can be delivered. Their capabilities go beyond scale in terms of sheer size to also include scale as it pertains to speed and agility. If enterprises want to keep pace, then they need to emulate the architectures, processes and practices of these exemplary cloud providers.
Web-scale IT looks to change the IT value chain in a systemic fashion. Data centers are designed with an industrial engineering perspective that looks for every opportunity to reduce cost and waste. Web-oriented architectures allow developers to build very flexible and resilient systems that recover from failure more quickly.
Web-scale IT refers to a global-class of computing or architectural approach used to deliver the capabilities of large cloud service providers within an enterprise IT setting. The approach is to design, build and manage data center infrastructure where capabilities go beyond scale in terms of size to include scale as it pertains to speed and agility. Web-scale IT is simply defined as all the things happening at large cloud service firms, such as Google, Amazon, Netflix, Facebook and others, that enables them to achieve extreme levels of agility and scalability by applying new processes and architectures.
Web-scale IT methodology pertains to designing, deploying and managing infrastructure at any scale and can be packaged in a number of ways to suit diverse requirements and can scale to any size of business or enterprise. It is not a single technology implementation, but rather a set of capabilities of an overall IT system.
A Centralized-Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture, also known as Cloud-RAN or C-RAN, is garnering attention for its ability to meet all of the above needs while supporting mobile fronthaul and backhaul, network self-optimization, self-configuration and self-adaptation through self-organizing network functionality (SON).
The Cloud RAN concept lowers operating expenses and simplifies the deployment process. By centralizing all the active electronics of multiple cell sites, at one location, energy, real-estate and security costs are minimized. The remote radio unit (RRU) can be mounted outdoor or indoor—on poles, sides of buildings or anywhere a power and a broadband connection exist, making installation less costly and easier. The RRU is typically connected using fiber to the Cloud, creating cloud-like radio access network topology. This topology saves costs both during the installation and later in the on-going operation.
One of the essential components of a web-scaled infrastructure is the backhaul between the remote radio head and the cloud RAN. Since the baseband signal processing is performed in the cloud the signal that the backhaul carry between cloud and remote radio unit is baseband samples and control signals. Therefore, the backhaul needs to support very high bandwidth with very low loss of packets, and acceptable latency.
This application discloses a novel cloud architecture which allows for pooling the cloud RAN recourses to optimize both OPEX and CAPEX.
The drawings referred to in this description should be understood as not being drawn to scale except if specifically noted.


A method provides for control of access to network resources. A virtual identity machine resides in the network and is pre-authorized to access certain network resources. End users desiring access to those network resources attempt to logically connect to the virtual identity machines. If the logical connection attempt is successful, then the end user assumes the virtual identity of the virtual identity machine and has access to all of the same information that was available to the virtual identity machine.

The ways in which people exchange information have been dramatically changed by the continued evolution of data communication capabilities. Today, more and more individuals have access to data networks by which they obtain news, entertainment and business information. In fact, as the data communication capabilities have increased, commerce along the data communication networks has appeared and increased as well. Today, the wide area network commonly referred to as the Internet provides its users with access to almost incomprehensible amounts of information.
FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic way, a network orientation in which a user 10 may attempt to get information from servers 15 and 20 via a wide area network (WAN) 50. In this arrangement the user, via a terminal device such as a PC 60, can connect to a gateway into the wide area network, here shown as Internet 30 service provider (ISP) 40. Typically, the user's terminal facility is connected to the ISP via a standard telephone network 30 such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Other configurations are possible where direct connections into the ISP or into the wide area network are available. In this arrangement either one of the servers, or both, may desire to either charge for access to the information on the server or limit the access to information on the server based on some predetermined criteria. For example, the server 1, 15, may provide an on-line version of a particular publication. The producer of the publication may desire to limit access to the publication to only those users willing to pay a subscription fee for the publication. Whenever the server decides to limit access to its resources, it must provide some facility by which it can authorize and/or authenticate a user who wishes to access a given resource. Typically today, each server that wishes to limit access to its resources must also provide a separate authentication/authorization facility. This is represented in each of the servers illustrated in FIG. 1. This arrangement creates a tremendous burden for those who wish to limit access to the resources. As the number of subscribers grows, the authentication and authorization facility resource for each server must be adapted to this growth. It also requires each individual who wishes to limit access to somehow incorporate additionally complex application software at additional cost to limit the access in the manner desired.
One alternative to this configuration has been presented by enCOMMERCE with an authorization program referred to as GetAccess. In this arrangement, a centralized server includes an authorization database. Even though some of the facilities are centralized, each location interacting with GetAccess requires its own server to load a GetAccess interface and to communicate with the central facility in such a manner as to build its own authorization table with the aid of the centralized facility. While this off-loads some of the responsibility for some of the authorization, it still requires complex interactions between the end servers and the centralized authority as well as the loading of authorization information at individual servers that are seeking to limit access to their resources.
It would be desirable to provide a technique by which the end point service providers or resource providers could off-load substantially all responsibility for authorizing and authenticating access-requesting users in a manner which does not overly tax the resource providers or the communication network.

System for securing inbound and outbound data packet flow in a computer network


A Vertical Combined Production Facility, or gas-well production system, in which the separation of each phase (hydrocarbon gas, hydrocarbon liquids, and produced water), dehydration of natural gas, removal of minute traces of water from the hydrocarbon liquids, and polishing of produced water, are performed in a single pressure vessel. Additionally, the pressure vessel is installed in a vertical configuration such that the pressure vessel shell also serves as the structural support for a small deck and helideck. Additionally, the inlet heating of the well flow-stream is accomplished by a heat exchanger installed in the dehydration/regeneration heater (reboiler).

1. Technical Field of This Invention
The present invention relates to an offshore or marshland production system for use in the production of natural gas and hydrocarbon liquids.
2. The Prior Art
Currently, offshore and marshland production systems are comprised of numerous separate equipment components to perform specific functions. For example, indirect fired flow-line heaters are used to heat the flow-stream from a gas well to prevent freezing and formation of hydrates. Production separators separate the gas from condensate and produced water. Likewise, a coalescer is used to remove trace amounts of water from the condensate to satisfy market specifications and a water skimmer is used to polish produced water by removing trace amounts of hydrocarbon prior to disposing the water.
These separate components and the process function that each performs are typically installed on top of a structural steel deck and the separate components are interconnected with piping. To protect against upset conditions such as over-pressure or high liquid level, each component is equipped with safety devices such as high pressure shutdown sensors, pressure safety relief valves, and high/low liquid level shutdown sensors, etc.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,549, Production and Flare Caisson System. The Production and Flare Caisson System incorporates a vertical structural caisson into which a production separator is placed. The Production and Flare Caisson System is of limited benefit because only the production separator is placed in a vertical configuration, while the other process equipment is apparently mounted in a conventional manner on the structural deck. Utilizing these multiple components indicates the need for safety devices, such as high pressure shutdown switches, pressure safety relief valves, and high/low liquid level shutdown switches to be placed on each component and the need for these components to be interconnected with significant amounts of piping and instrumentation. Similarly, the Production and Flare Caisson System is limited in its ability to reduce the size of the structural deck, since components other than the production separator must be mounted on the structural deck. Further, the Production and Flare Caisson System makes no mention of additional value-added capabilities, such as dehydration of the gas, inlet heating of the flow-stream, polishing of the produced water or treatment of the liquid condensate.
Reference is now made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,475, Sea Bed Process Complex which describes a modularized oil well production complex for installation on the sea bed, which is intended to produce crude oil from oil wells. The Sea Bed Process Complex places each component into a separate "module" to facilitate installation and retrieval with sub-sea remote operated vehicles (ROV). Further, the Sea Bed Process Complex incorporates a two phase oil/gas separator utilizing a vertical annual separator in which an integral pump creates a centrifugal fluid movement which facilitates separation of the liquid and gas phases. Additionally, no mention is made in the patent for the Sea Bed Process Complex relating to dehydration of gas, heating of well-stream fluids, or polishing of produced water, which are fully described and provided for in my invention.
Reference is now made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,433, Vertical Oil Separator which describes a vertical separator for separating crude oil into liquid and gas phases. This patent discloses a separator which utilizes a casing design and vertical pump to impart a centrifugal or "swirling" action to flow-stream liquids, with the result that the liquid phase and gas phase of the flow-stream are separated. The Vertical Oil Separator does not accomplish heating of the inlet flow-stream, dehydration of the gas, condensate coalescing or water polishing. Further, the vessel of the Vertical Oil Separator is designed for installation below water at the sea bed and is not used as a structural component.
Reference is now made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,601, Integrated Floating Platform Vertical Annual Separator and Pumping System for Production of Hydrocarbons. This invention is an improvement on U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,433, in that the earlier patented device is modified and adapted for installation on a floating platform such as a tension leg platform. In addition, Patent No. 5,474,601 provides for a tensioned riser supported by a floating tension leg platform.
Reference is now made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,4180, Hydrocarbon Fluid Separation at an Offshore Site and Method. This invention discloses an apparatus and method for separating liquids from gas as received from large pipelines. Described in the text as a "slug catcher", the device eliminates intermittent slugs of liquids from the incoming flow-stream in order to facilitate downstream processing. This apparatus and method do not provide any capability to heat the incoming stream, separate produced water from natural gas liquids, dehydrate the natural gas, or further condition the natural gas liquids and produced water for sales or disposal, respectively. Neither is this device and method utilized as a structural component or combine the pressure vessel shell as a structural component; rather, it is installed into spare well conductor guides on existing platform structures.
Reference is now made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,735, Operating System for Increasing the Recovery of Fluids From a Deposit, Simplifying Production and Processing Installations, and Facilitating Operations with Enhanced Safety. This invention describes a sub-sea watertight hull configured to allow a production separator and other equipment components to be placed below the surface of the water in an atmospheric environment to facilitate production from very low pressure flow-streams by reducing hydrostatic pressures. This watertight hull allows many types of equipment components to be installed near the seabed without the disadvantages of hydrostatic pressure and inaccessibility of sub-sea installation. While the '735 patent mentions flow-stream heating, pumping, multiple stages of separation, large vessels for storage and secondary polishing, it clearly discloses these components as separate and distinct components.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,833, Offshore Structure for Deep-sea Production, which discloses an offshore structure consisting of a buoyant vessel containing a large separator for storing and separating produced fluids. The buoyant chamber provides protection for the separator, buoyancy support for the flow-lines and riser, as well as support for a deck. The '833 patent discloses a separator which is essentially a huge holding tank, with further processing being accomplished by conventional production equipment installed on top of a conventional deck. It is primarily designed for deep-water fields, taking advantage of the huge buoyant support to reduce or eliminate costly deep-water structures. The '833 patent does not disclose heating of the flow-stream, dehydration of gas, condensate coalescing or water polishing, nor does it describe a single vessel in which these functions are performed. Neither does this invention utilize the production process components as a structural support.
Reference is now made to WO 81/01310, Method and Column for Collection and Separation of Oil, Gas and Water From Blowing Wells at the Sea Bed, which discloses a method for collection of oil, gas and water from an offshore oil or gas well and a vertical column. This invention is designed to mitigate the effects of a catastrophic sub-sea well blowout by providing a means of controlling and collecting effluent discharged from the well. This invention does not address normal production functions such as gas dehydration, water polishing, condensate coalescing or well-stream heating, all of which are functions of my invention. While this invention does utilize the vessel as a structural component, the operating pressure is approximately the same as the hydrostatic head of water outside the column, rendering this device unusable for routine and continuous use as a production facility since all produced gas would have to be recompressed at high cost before flowing to gas pipelines.


The temporary protection of polymeric articles, particularly polymeric articles with optical qualities such as ophthalmic lenses formed by the lamination of individual lens blanks, can be effected by the application of protective polymeric compositions to the surface of the polymer article, the composition being applied as a dry film or coating a film on a surface of the polymeric article. The individual lens blank is prepared for lamination or coating by application of a selective solvent to the polymeric film, the selective solvent dissolving, dispersing or otherwise removing the protective polymeric film but neither reacting with, etching or dissolving the composition of the polymeric article. The solvent even may comprise water or aqueous solutions (especially pH 8.0 to 12), although C1 to C5 alcohols and alkylene glycol ethers may also be used as the solvent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polymeric articles, particularly to ophthalmic lens blanks or wafers and more particularly to a method for protecting ophthalmic lens blanks or wafers, particularly polymer composition ophthalmic lens blanks or wafers by forming a solvent removable protective film thereon. The removable protective film is removable by application of a solvent to which the polymeric article is inert, such as with water or aqueous solutions.
2. State of the Art
Eyeglass lenses were originally manufactured as a single integral body of glass or plastic. The lenses were individually ground or molded to meet the specifications of a particular ophthalmic prescription. This is clearly a labor intensive process that required costly equipment, highly skilled technicians and required a significant amount of time to perform the tasks accurately.
Modem fabrication of ophthalmic lenses can be economically accomplished in a more rapid manner with a laminated lens construction wherein at least two lens wafers are bonded together with a transparent adhesive. Such lens wafers are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,149,181; 4,846,913; 4,883,548; 4,867,553; 4,857,553; and 4,645,317 and British Patent Application, publication number 2,260,937A.
The laminate construction enables assembly of composite lenses having any of a large number of different combinations of optical corrections from a relatively small stock of prefabricated lens wafers of different configurations. Pairing of different combinations of a front surface lens wafer with a back surface lens wafer can, for example, provide composite lenses having any of a large number of different powers as the power of the lens is the summation of the powers of the two wafers. Such combinations provide for a large majority of all of the prescriptions required for clear vision. Additionally, the front or rear lens elements may have corrections for far-sightedness (a bifocal area) within one of the lenses. The multi-corrective lens may then be formed by combining (e.g., laminating or fusing) the appropriate combinations of blanks.
Notwithstanding the advantages of using lens wafers in the construction of a composite lens, a problem arises with the use of such lens wafers. Specifically, any contaminates such as dust, dirt, fingerprints and moisture found on the wafer surfaces to be glued may become permanently entrapped at the interface of the wafers in the composite lens upon adhesion of the front wafer to the back wafer resulting in defects in the lens, if those contaminants are not removed before lamination. This adds the potential for additional and significant undesirable work in the lamination of the lens blanks from the stored stock of lenses. These defects would reduce the optical quality of the finished lens and can ultimately lead to lens rejection.
To provide a defect-free composite lens, the wafer surfaces to be laminated together (with a transparent adhesive) should be substantially clean of such contaminates. However, since the wafers are invariably handled during composite lens fabrication, it is particularly difficult to avoid contaminants such as fingerprints and dust on the wafer surfaces. These are particularly undesirable on the surfaces that are laminated together as those contaminants would be permanently secured between the lenses and could not be removed after lamination of the lenses. Contaminants on the exterior surfaces of the finished lenses are not as worrisome as they may be cleaned from the lens by normal cleaning procedures after lamination of the at least two lens blank elements.
The ability to maintain a contaminant-free surface is also important if optical coatings such as anti-reflection layers, abrasion resistant layers, tints, polarizing layers, or ophthalmic coatings are to be applied. Again, any surface damage or contamination underneath added layers would be uncorrectable after application of the optical coating.
Previous methods known in the art neither address nor are applicable to this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,899,315 and 3,899,314 relate to texture control of glass ophthalmic lenses by use of a protective layer which is removed prior to use. A flat glass lens preform is provided with a thin protective layer of a chemically soluble glass fused thereto. In the manufacturing process, the flat preform is subsequently cut and pressed or slumped to the desired ophthalmic shape and the protective layer subsequently removed by dissolving this in a corrosive reagent, thereby exposing the underlying surface which, while smooth, nevertheless needs to be cleaned. The lens is rendered immediately adaptable to ophthalmic use, without further working (grinding, polishing or cleaning) of the surface. This wet process, however, is not suitable for reagent sensitive molded plastic (e.g., polycarbonates or polymethacrylates) lenses. Furthermore, it has been found that the wet process does not provide a sufficiently clean surface on lens wafers required for laminated ophthalmic lenses.
Another approach to removing dust and grease from a polymer surface is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,375 which describes a method for removing dust and grease from phonograph records by applying a polyvinyl alcohol composition which forms a self-supporting film upon drying. When the film is lifted from the record, dust and grease, which are dissolved in the film, are removed. However, this composition, when applied to plastic lenses or lens wafers, forms films that are difficult to remove.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,883,169 describes a self-supporting removable film on the surface of a plastic lens wafer which does not cross-link to the wafer surface. The removable layer provides a method of cleaning the surface of the lens. Additionally, the removable film provides a level of abrasion protection to the underlying surface. The reference also describes a method of cleaning at least one surface of a lens wafer from contaminates which method comprises:
(a) applying a film forming composition onto at least one surface of a lens wafer, said composition comprising:
(I) a film forming unmodified polymer, and
(ii) a compatible solvent;
(b) removing the solvent from said composition to form a self-supporting removable film that coats the surface of the wafer to which it was applied without being cross-linked thereto which film encapsulates therein at least a portion of the contaminates found on the wafer surface prior to application of the composition thereto; and
(c) removing said film from the surface of the wafer. The film removal is shown as being provided because there is no chemical binding, whether covalent or ionic, between the film and the lens wafer so that the film is accordingly peelable.
The temporary protection of polymeric articles, particularly polymeric articles with optical qualities such as ophthalmic lenses formed by the lamination of individual lens blanks, can be effected by the application of polymeric compositions to the surface of the polymer article, the composition being applied as a film or forming a film on a surface of the polymeric article. The individual lens blank is prepared for lamination or coating by application of a selective solvent to the polymeric film, the selective solvent dissolving, dispersing or otherwise removing the polymeric film but neither reacting with or dissolving the composition of the polymeric article. The solvent even may comprise water or aqueous solutions, although C1 to C5 alcohols and alkylene glycol ethers or any blends of these solvents may also be used.

Temporary protective layer on polymeric articles


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include: forming an opening in an insulating layer to expose a portion of a major surface of a substrate, the substrate comprising a first semiconductor material; forming a protrusion in the opening using a first epitaxial growth process, the protrusion comprising a first portion disposed in the opening and a second portion extending out of the opening, the protrusion comprising a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material; and forming the second semiconductor material on sidewalls of the second portion of the protrusion using a second epitaxial growth process different from the first epitaxial growth process.

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to continuous improvements in the integration density of a variety of electronic components (e.g. transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from repeated reductions in minimum feature size, which allows more components to be integrated into a given area. However, the smaller feature size may lead to more leakage current. As the demand for even smaller electronic devices has grown recently, there has grown a need for reducing leakage current of semiconductor devices.
Fin field effect transistors (FinFETs) have emerged as an effective alternative to further reduce leakage current in semiconductor devices. In a FinFET, an active region including the drain, the channel region and the source protrudes up from the surface of the semiconductor substrate upon which the FinFET is located. The active region of the FinFET, like a fin, is rectangular in shape from a cross sectional view. In addition, the gate structure of the FinFET wraps the active region around three sides like an upside-down U. As a result, the gate structure's control of the channel has become stronger. The short channel leakage effect of conventional planar transistors has been reduced. As such, when the FinFET is turned off, the gate structure can better control the channel so as to reduce leakage current.
As technologies further evolve, semiconductor process nodes have been scaled down for high density integrated circuits. As a result, the form factor of integrated circuit has been improved from shrinking the semiconductor process node (e.g., shrink the process node towards the sub-20 nm node). As semiconductor devices are scaled down, new techniques are needed to maintain the electronic components' performance from one generation to the next. For example, transistors formed by high carrier mobility materials such as group III-V materials, germanium and/or the like are desirable for high density and high speed integrated circuits.
High carrier mobility materials offer various advantages in comparison with silicon. However, silicon wafers are dominant in the semiconductor industry because of the high cost associated with high carrier mobility material wafers. One solution to fabricating high carrier mobility material based transistors is growing high carrier mobility material active regions on silicon substrates through an epitaxial growth process. When a high carrier mobility material layer is grown on a silicon substrate, the high carrier mobility material may be compressively strained to fit the lattice spacing of the silicon substrate. After the thickness of the high carrier mobility material layer surpasses a critical thickness, the strain may be relieved by forming a variety of threading dislocations. Such threading dislocations are defects, which may degrade electrical properties of high carrier mobility material based transistors. Stacking faults caused by the growth of the high carrier mobility material layer on the silicon substrate also degrade electrical properties of such transistors. Methods of reducing or eliminating threading dislocations and stacking faults may be needed.

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A portable, insulated container, preferably a cooler, including an integrated table surface upon which items can be placed. The table surface is movable between a stowed position and an extended position, wherein each position the lid of the container can be lifted to access the interior cavity of the container. Advantageously, the footprint of the table surface in a horizontal plane is always located above the footprint of the container in a horizontal plane such that object or item in a surrounding area need not be disturbed in order to move the table surface between the stowed position and the extended position.

Portable insulated containers such as coolers, ice chests and ice boxes are commonly used to maintain food and beverages at desired temperatures at various locations, for example sporting events, picnics, fishing trips, a beach or swimming pool, and camping trips; especially where conventional cooling or heating access is not available.
Containers have been proposed having many different features for example wheels, handles, and tray surfaces designed to make use and transportation of the containers easier for the user. Examples of various containers include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,011,364; 5,876,047; Des. 368,387; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,480,170; 5,947,032; 5,860,281; Des. 403,899; Des. 299,796; U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,319 and Des. 376,068.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,902 relates to a portable cooler and auxiliary table. The cooler includes an insulated container having an openable top to provide access to the cooler chamber. In one embodiment, an auxiliary top panel is provided with U-shaped brackets at opposite ends which are selectively securable in receivers at the opposite ends of the container to secure the top in a position immediately overlying the cooler cover for storage. To place the auxiliary table in an elevated position of use, the table is removed from the receivers and legs are foldable from a stored position to a position of use and engageable in the receivers to position the table at an elevation above and parallel to the cooler top to allow access to the cooler chamber. The table may also be removed for use independent of the cooler. In other embodiments, the legs are extendible from apertures in the cooler side or end walls to allow the table unit to be elevated to the desired position and then secured in place. In another embodiment, the support legs are pivotally secured to the end of the cooler between the storage position and a position of use. In the latter embodiment, the auxiliary table is selectively securable to the cooler top in the stored position so that access is provided to the cooler chamber in the storage position. Additional storage for food utensils and other items reportedly may be provided in drawers or recesses provided in the auxiliary table.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,311,991 and 6,328,179 relate to a portable cooler that includes a cooler body provided with wheels and a pivoted towing handle provided with two grips to allow use of the cooler by persons of both tall and short stature. The cooler cover is provided with a recess and a closure panel for storage of items within the cooler but above melting ice or relatively heavy items that might crush items contained in the cooler. A table assembly is operable independently of the lid allowing the table to be deployed on a leg with the cooler lid in a closed position, as well as to allow access to the interior cavity of the cooler without clearing the table. Retractable bungee cords for securing items to the cooler are provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,802 relates to a portable, insulated container with lid; particularly a portable insulated container with lid and attached tray for movement between a stowed and elevated position above the surface of the container lid reportedly capable of supporting various items thereon while simultaneously allowing the user to lift the lid of the container to access the interior; more particularly to a portable cooler with an attached retractable tray constructed and arranged to be positioned by a single user at various elevations above the surface of the lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,451,709 relates to a portable cooler and table assembly that reportedly may be transported in a single, self-contained unit. The assembly may be converted for use as a table for a variety of recreational activities, e.g., dining, drinking, games such as ping pong, beer pong, table hockey, card games, board games, preparation for sporting events and meals. The table and cooler may be permanently attached to each other, or alternatively, the cooler may be detachable from the table. The table may fold or collapse to assist in converting the assembly from a transportable unit into a fully extended and operable table and cooler. The table surface may contain surface features such as grooves, indentations, nets, game pieces, etc. The cooler may comprise any container that is capable of containing ice or some other refrigeration or heating system, e.g., a conventional 54 quart beverage cooler. Alternatively, the cooler may be replaced with a storage container or other storage device. The assembly may also contain various wheels, legs and handles to assist in mobility and conversion.
In view of the prior art, a problem exists inasmuch as containers are often arranged in an areas of limited space, such as between or adjacent other objects, for example chairs, walls, vehicles or plants. In the case of a container having a detachable table surface it is possible that the same can be lost, thus making the container less useful. Regardless of whether the container has a removable table surface, the table surface may also have a footprint not located above that of the container during positioning of the table surface on the container.

Portable container with integrated table surface


A synchronized image manipulation system and method are disclosed. The image manipulation system includes a computer device for controlling the operation of the system, at least one display screen for displaying a plurality of generally similarly shaped objects, and an operator control device for receiving operator input. The plurality of generally similarly shaped objects include a plurality of view ports that display at least a portion of the plurality of generally similarly shaped objects. The operator control device controls the operation of the system in accordance with the operator input and at least one image manipulation function. In addition, the at least one image manipulation function synchronizes the plurality of view ports according to either a mirror synchronization configuration or a symmetrical synchronization configuration.

The field of the invention is imaging methods and systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a synchronized magnification system and method for generally similarly shaped objects.
Digital imaging systems are commonly employed to allow an operator to obtain images that show the interior of a structure of interest. A common application of such imaging systems is medical imaging, and common approaches for implementing such imaging systems, especially in the context of medical imaging, include magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, X-ray imaging, computerized tomography, etc.
Today, many tools exist that assist operators when using digital imaging systems. For example, operators often need to define a particular region in a view port and create a mask around this area. This allows an operator to focus clearly within the defined region so that extraneous imagery does not distract the eye. For many operators, particularly radiologists, there exists a need to frequently manipulate and reconfigure masked images within a short period of time. Consequently, it is desirable to have a system that allows operators to interactively navigate through images as well as create, manipulate, and reconfigure masks in real-time.
In many instances, particularly screening mammography, it would be desirable for radiologists to be able to compare zoomed regions in multiple image ports simultaneously. Mammographers are taught to scan right breast images counter clockwise and left breast images in a clockwise fashion. Thus, it would be advantageous if mammographers had the ability to compare multiple zoomed regions in mirrored or symmetrical synchronization. Consequently, it is desirable to have a system that allows an operator to interactively view, magnify, and inspect multiple image ports simultaneously, in symmetrical and mirrored synchronization.

Synchronized magnification system and method for images

GE Informational Systems Technologies, Inc.


An oxide for use in integrated circuits is substantially stress-free both in the bulk and at the interface between the substrate and the oxide. The interface is planar and has a low interface trap density (Nit). The oxide has a low defect density and may have a thickness of less than 1.5 nm or less.

The present invention relates to an ultra-thin oxide for use as the gate dielectric in metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) structures.
As integrated circuit (IC) complexity increases, the size of devices within the IC must decrease. To decrease the size of a device, the various elements of a device must be reduced proportionately. This is known as device scaling. In one type of device, a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure, device scaling requires that the oxide layer be made thinner. Unfortunately, as conventional oxides are made thinner (scaled), their quality tends to degrade. The degradation in oxide quality tends to adversely impact the reliability of a device using the oxide.
In addition to oxide quality, the reliability of the dielectric material in a MOS structure may be affected by oxide stress and the planarity of the oxide-substrate interface. Oxide stress can result from lattice mismatch and growth induced stress. Lattice mismatch is difficult to overcome and growth stress has been addressed in a variety of ways with mixed results. Stress in the oxide may lead to defects especially in the interfacial region. This may result in mass transport paths and leakage current.
The reliability of a device is characterized by a few conventional criteria. For example, in a MOS transistor reliability may be characterized in terms of the change in conventional device parameters over time (known as device parameter drift). Additionally, time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) may be used to characterize reliability of the transistor.
Under operating bias (applied voltage) and temperature conditions, device parameters such as threshold voltage (Vt), saturation current (IDSAT) and transconductance (gm) tend to drift to unacceptable values. In fact, the drift in device parameters during normal operation is thought to be more problematic than other known reliability problems, such as dielectric breakdown of the oxide. Accordingly, in some cases, device parameter drift can cause a device to fail well before dielectric breakdown occurs.
In order to address the reliability issues discussed above, a variety of approaches have been tried. For example, it is known that the best oxides for many IC devices are grown rather than deposited oxides. Furthermore, the higher growth temperatures may yield a better quality oxide. Unfortunately, there are problems associated with fabricating oxides at high temperatures by conventional techniques. For example, in achieving the high temperatures required in the high temperature oxide growth sequence, the overall thickness of the oxide grown tends to increase. As a result the oxide may be too thick for a reduced dimension device. Thus, in the effort to fabricate a better quality oxide, device scaling objectives may be defeated. Moreover, when cooling down from the high growth temperatures, the viscosity of the grown oxide increases and undesired growth induced stress may result. Given these issues, it is customary in the semiconductor industry to grow oxides at a low temperatures. The drawback to this practice is that by growing oxide at lower temperatures, the oxide quality may be compromised. This reduction in quality adversely impacts reliability of the oxide for reasons discussed above.
What is needed, therefore, is a high quality oxide having low stress which is sufficiently thin to meet the demands of device scaling in the semiconductor industry.
The present invention relates to an oxide for use in integrated circuits. The oxide is disposed over a substrate and the interface between the substrate and the oxide is planar and substantially stress-free. The oxide has a low defect density (Do) and a low interface trap density (Nit). The oxide of the present invention may have a thickness less than 4.0 nm; illustratively, 1.5 nm or less.

High quality oxide for use in integrated circuits


An apparatus and method for rapidly providing activity on a vehicle network bus includes a node having a bus connection to the vehicle network bus. The node includes a Rapid Response Stack loaded with the predetermined message to respond to any network bus request before the application is up and running. A true stack is loaded with real messages from the application once it is booted up and running on the node, whereupon the application subsequently responds to network bus requests using the true stack instead of the Rapid Response Stack.

Motor vehicles have seen a tremendous increase in the use of in-vehicle electronics. Many of these in-vehicle electronics are adapted to provide the vehicle driver and occupants with a vast amount and array of data and information via wireless communication technology, and to allow them to communicate data and information outside of the vehicle also using wireless technology. An example of these electronics devices are on-board navigation systems, remote vehicle diagnostic systems, real-time weather service, voice communication, Internet access, e-mail and paging. However, since the design cycle for the typical motor vehicle is relatively long as compared to the design cycle for new electronic devices, new state-of-the art electronic products are available but may not be readily adaptable to the motor vehicle.
Many motor vehicles are designed with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) communication bus structure that allows electronic devices on the bus to communicate with each other and with device controllers and with other vehicle systems connected to the bus over bus connection nodes. The bus structure, however, typically operates using a proprietary communication protocol. In addition, in view of the many governmental requirements for vehicle certification, safety, fuel economy, emissions, etc., and the possibility of adverse interactions between devices with the vehicle systems, the OEMs ensure that the devices operate properly on the OEM bus before manufacturing the vehicle.
Along these lines, a bus master may be provided for the OEM bus that permits a limited amount of interaction between the various electronic devices and the OEM bus. There are bus masters in most vehicle bus topographies that coordinate and regulate the interactions between the vehicle components on the bus. The bus requirements are normally very stringent to ensure compliance with safety, regulatory and functionality requirements. Failure to meet these bus requirements can cause a vehicle to malfunction. The cost and effort required to implement these bus requirements in a vehicle device connected to the bus is excessively high. In order to meet these requirements, device suppliers have historically implemented expensive hardware and software solutions (e.g. proprietary operating systems). For example, the OEM bus has stringent requirements for connected devices meeting boot time requirements, e.g. less than fifty milliseconds. If there are devices that do not respond on the bus within the allotted time, the bus master will assume that there is a bus problem and will either shut down the bus or request the faulty device to disconnect from the bus. Either situation is unacceptable. However, for some complex devices, such as Telematics control units, it is difficult to attain these boot time requirements given the complexity of the boot up sequences in current operating systems.
Thus there is a need for an apparatus and method for providing a rapid response for vehicle bus activity, even before a device node has booted up. It would also be of benefit to provide a seamless transition of the device node to a fully booted condition. Further, it is desirable to provide this improvement with a minimal change of software and/or hardware.


A tool for separating mutually connected parts which has a head part and at least two spreading elements which are movably connected to the head part in such a way that a force or a pulse applied to the head part is converted in the spreading elements into a force component which is in the same direction and into a force component which is perpendicular thereto and which is operable to move the parts to be separated away from each other.

For the efficient recycling of products, it is generally necessary for the various components of those products to be separated from each other. That separation operation can be effected by suitable reversal of the assembly technology used in production of said products. Such a procedure however is very time-consuming and consequently inefficient. On the other hand, when dealing with products or components of products which are to be fed to a material recycling operation, at least partial destruction of the products or components does not have an adverse effect on the recycling quality so that it is possible to have recourse to destructive processes when dismantling products in order to increase the degree of flexibility and to improve the level of effectiveness.
For the purposes of separating components or structural parts or for the purposes of releasing mechanical connections, suitable forces must be applied to the corresponding components or products in a highly flexible, rapid and effective manner. That gives rise to problems in particular when suitable engagement surfaces for applying those separating forces are not available. Particularly when dealing with components that adjoin each other in flush and snug relationship, with complex separating joins, the application of suitable separation forces for dismantling purposes often gives rise to serious problems.
Hitherto for example chisels or bits have been used in order to apply suitable separating or wedging forces between product components or mutually adjoining constituent parts of products. Such chisels or bits however only have a relatively short effective travel, due to the principle on which they operate, so that generally further working steps are required for complete separation of components. In addition the use of chisels or bits requires components which are suitable for transmitting the necessary separating forces. For example the use of a chisel or bit gives rise to problems in dismantling plastic casings if the edges of the parts of the casing are not capable of transmitting the separating or dividing forces produced by the chisel or bit. When dismantling smooth plastic casings of that kind, it repeatedly happens that the casing fractures and the chisel or bit breaks away, which is an undesirable phenomenon that inter alia represents a risk of injury.
Instead of chisels or bits, use is often made of screwdrivers or crowbars in order to provide for the corresponding dismantling effect. Such tools are also only suitable for a limited function, that is to say in this case also further working steps may be necessary in order to dismantle the corresponding products.
An apparatus which utilises a wedge effect to split wood is known for example from EP 0 260 184 A1. That known apparatus has a wedging tool provided with two spreading limb elements which are mounted on the wedge element pivotably in opposite directions. When the wedge element is driven into the wood to be split, those spreading elements pass into the corresponding gap formed by the split and then further spread the wood apart. A similar wood splitting apparatus is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,163. That known apparatus has a head part and at least two spreading elements which are movably connected to the head part so that a force applied to the head part or a pulse applied to the head part is respectively converted in the spreading elements into a component which is directed in the same direction as the applied force or the applied pulse, and a force component which is perpendicular thereto and which moves the parts to be separated away from each other. In that known tool which is only suitable and intended for splitting wood and not quite generally for separating parts which are connected together, the spreading elements are formed by rigid levers provided at their front ends with angle elements. In that structure, a splitting wedge on which the spreading members are pivotably disposed serves in known manner to split a piece of wood.
A hatchet or ax with lateral spreading elements is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,360. That known hatchet or ax therefore utilises a similar spreading principle to above-mentioned EP 0 260 184 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,163.

Freistaat Bayern, vertreten durch die Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg, diese vertreten durch den Rektor Prof. Dr. Gotthard Jasper


A sporting good structure including a frame and a target board with resilient straps attached at four lateral edges and being led and joined to a bracket unit of the frame so as to locate the target board onto the frame. The target board has a transparent hook side corresponding with a fleeced stick side of a sporting device such as a ball. The transparent hook side is mutually combined with a patterned layer with diagrams visible through the transparent hook side to provide a perspective visual effect. An outer surface of the patterned layer is coated with a protective film. When the sporting device hits onto the target board thereof, the resilient straps will be elastically stretched according to the impact generated providing an anti-shock effect for the sporting device to grip onto the transparent hook side of the target board in a secure manner. The diagram disposed at the patterned layer of the target board can also have various sporting backgrounds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sporting good structure, including a frame and a target board with resilient straps attached to four lateral edges thereof to mount the target board onto the frame. The target board is provided with a transparent hook side corresponding with a fleeced stick side for a sport device like a ball of different sports. The transparent hook side is mutually combined with a patterned layer with diagrams that can be clearly seen through the transparent hook side. Therefore, when the sport device hits onto the target board, the resilient straps provide an anti-shock effect for the sporting device to grip securely onto the transparent hook side. Besides, the diagrams disposed on the patterned layer of the target board can also be made as various sporting backgrounds to fit to the interest of different users, facilitating a more widespread use as well as providing a realistic visual effect to boost the quality of leisure sports.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional sporting good structure, as shown in FIG. 1, is made up of a catching board 10 and a sleeve grip 11 attached at one side of the catching board. The catching board 10 is also equipped with a hook side 12 with a plurality of protrusive fastener dots 121 disposed on a surface corresponding with a fleeced stick surface 131 of a ball 13 In practical use, the catching board 10 is held in a hand with the sleeve grip 11 worn around a palm to catch the ball 13 tossed onto the catching board 10 and permitting the fleeced stick surface 131 to grip onto the hook side 12 when touching the catching board 10 in a toss-and-catch process.
There are some drawbacks to the conventional sporting good. First, the catching board 10 does not provide any anti-shock effect. Thus, when tossed, the ball 13 can easily bounce backwards due to an impact generated when the ball 13 bumps onto the catching board 10. The fleeced stick surface 131 of the ball 13 is hard to grip accurately onto the hook side 12 of the catching board 10 and can easily come off and fall onto the ground, which tends to reduce the interest of a user. Second, the hook side 12 of the catching board 10 is plainly designed with a solid color without any diagrams of various sporting backgrounds such as soccer, baseball, or golf, etc. disposed thereon, which, failing to provide a realistic visual effect and rendering it rather limited in practical use and thus uncompetitive in the market.


A hydraulic pump apparatus having an internal sump formed by a housing having an internal portion and an end cap secured to the housing. A rotatable cylinder block is located in the sump and driven by an input shaft extending into the housing. The pump apparatus also has a system of hydraulic porting in fluid communication with the cylinder block. The porting includes a pair of system ports located on a first side of the hydraulic pump apparatus, a fluid inlet on a second side of the hydraulic pump apparatus, opposite the first side, and a bypass valve positioned on the second side adjacent to the fluid inlet.

The present invention relates to hydraulic pumps, although other uses will be apparent from the teachings disclosed herein. In particular, the present invention relates to Bantam Duty Pumps (BDP) which can be combined with motors and other remotely-located units. When used in this manner, these BDP units provide an infinitely variable flow rate between zero and maximum in both forward and reverse modes of operation.
Pumps discussed herein are of the axial piston design which utilize spherical-nosed pistons, although variations within the spirit of this invention will be apparent to those with skill in the art and the invention should not be read as being limited to such pumps. One such prior art pump is shown in FIG. 1. The pump is a variable displacement pump 10 designed for vehicle applications. A compression spring 12 located inside each piston 14 holds the nose 16 of the piston 14 against a thrust-bearing 18. A plurality of such pistons positioned about the center of the cylinder 20 forms a cylinder block kit 22. The variable displacement pump 10 features a cradle mounted swashplate 24 with direct-proportional displacement control. Tilt of swashplate 24 causes oil to flow from pump 10; reversing the direction of tilt of the swashplate 24 reverses the flow of oil from the pump 10. The pump is fluidly connected with a motor to form a pump-motor circuit having a high pressure side and a low pressure side through which the oil flows. See generally FIG. 4C. Controlling the oil flow direction, i.e. changing the high and low pressure sides, controls the motor output rotation. Tilt of the swashplate 24 is controlled through operation of a swashplate control shaft 26 (also referred to herein as trunnion arm). The trunnion arm is connected to a slide which connects with the swashplate. Generally, movement of the trunnion arm 26 produces a proportional swashplate movement and change in pump flow and/or direction. This direct-proportional displacement control (DPC) provides a simple method of control.
A fixed displacement gerotor charge pump 28 is generally provided in BDP units. Oil from an external reservoir (such as reservoir 200 in FIG. 4C) and filter is pumped into the low pressure side by the charge pump 28. Fluid not required to replenish the closed loop flows either into the pump housing 30 through a cooling orifice or back to the charge pump 28 inlet through the charge pressure relief valve. Charge check valves 32 are included in the pump 10 and end cap 34 (cap 34) to control the makeup of oil flow of the system. A screw type bypass valve 36 is utilized in the pump 10 to permit movement of the machine (tractor, vehicle, etc.) and allow the machine to be pushed or towed. Opening a passage way between fluid ports with bypass valve 36 allows oil to flow, thereby opening the pump-motor circuit, which allows the motor to turn with little resistance because the vehicle wheels will not back drive pump 10.
While such pumps are useful, they have the disadvantage of having a preferred alignment direction. More particularly, the housing 30 has a preferred alignment with the end cap. This preferred alignment direction is created by the hose coupling, or connections, between the motor 38 and the pump end cap 34 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The placement of the system ports 40 determines the preferred alignment of the housing 30. This is particularly troublesome when one desires to control a hydraulically powered vehicle with pumps positioned on either side of the vehicle and where the control arms for the individual pumps also must be mounted to the outer sides thereof. A control arm for the left pump 10L (FIG. 2), for instance, can be conveniently connected to the trunnion arm 26 to provide control of the swashplate from the left. However, to connect a control arm to the right pump 10R, for instance, the pump must be rotated to place the trunnion arm 26 nearer to the right side of the vehicle. Costly hose fittings are then required to connect the hoses 44 to the pump 10R. Alternatively a cumbersome and costly U-shaped control linkage 46 may be connected to the trunnion arm 26 while maintaining the pump end cap in its preferred orientation, as shown in FIG. 3.
An improvement on the earlier pumps having preferred alignment is shown in FIG. 4C; the corresponding end cap 156 is shown in FIG. 14A. FIGS. 4C and 14A disclose a prior art pump wherein the end cap 156 may be connected to the housing in one of two orientations. Specifically, end cap 156 is rotatable 180° with respect to the housing. This permits the trunnion arm 26 to be placed on opposing sides. This improved "symmetric pump" has shortcomings however which the present invention overcomes. The advantages of a symmetric pump according to the present invention over the prior art "symmetric pump" will be apparent to those with skill in the art from the teachings herein.


To efficiently compress the information amount for feedback when a communication apparatus sends back a result of performing discrete cosine transform on the reception quality information to a communication apparatus of a communicating destination. In a communication apparatus for transmitting feedback information generated based on a plurality of reception quality information to a communicating destination apparatus, the feedback information is a result of performing discrete cosine transform on the plurality of reception quality information, and performing respective different quantization on signal components of at least a group of samples among signal components of a plurality of samples obtained by the discrete cosine transform.

With increases in the amount of data communication in recent years, the need has been intensified for a mobile communication system having higher spectral efficiency, and various techniques have been proposed with the aim of actualizing the system. OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) is one of techniques having the possibility of enhancing the spectral frequency, and is determined to be applied to the downlink access scheme of the E-UTRA (Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access) system of which standardization has been proceeding especially in 3GPP (The 3rd Generation partnership Project) (Non-patent Document 1).
This OFDMA system is a system in which users in a cell access to respective resource blocks divided by time and frequency, and is capable of performing scheduling for assigning users to resource blocks providing good quality, and controlling transmission parameters such as a modulation scheme, coding rate, transmit power and the like for each resource block. Herein, in order to perform scheduling of users and controlling the modulation scheme/coding rate for each resource block suitably, it is necessary for the transmitting side to grasp channel conditions on the receiving side. Therefore, the need arises for the receiving side to notify (as feedback) the transmitting side of reception conditions. Such feedback information about channel conditions is called CQI (Channel Quality Indicator) in the E-UTRA system.
As described above, the receiving side needs to send back the CQI to the transmitting side in adaptive control of a modulation scheme and the like, and when a lot of CQIs are sent back, the problem arises that the spectral efficiency on uplink severely degrades. One of means for solving the problem is a CQI compression method using discrete cosine transform (hereinafter abbreviated as "DCT") (Non-patent Document 2).
Shown herein is an example in the case of performing DCT processing on reception quality information (reception quality measurement result). FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the reception quality information, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a result of performing DCT processing on the reception quality information as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 1 shows the reception quality information (CQI (Received SNR)) in association with the subcarrier number (Sub-carrier Number). Further, FIG. 2 shows an absolute value (Absolute Value after DCT) of a sample value subjected to DCT processing indicative of a result (signal component) of performing DCT processing on the reception quality information in association with the sample number (Sample Number).
As shown in FIG. 1, in the case of performing DCT processing (the number of points is "1024") on the CQI (the number of subcarriers is "1024") varying continuously in the frequency region, the result of the DCT processing is indicated as shown in FIG. 2 as an example. The DCT-processed signal components gather in the low-frequency region as shown in FIG. 2, and high-frequency components are an extremely small value (nearly zero). By exploiting such a property, Non-patent Document 2 provides the method of sending back only the low-frequency components without sending back the high-frequency components of the signal subjected to DCT, and thereby compressing the feedback amount of CQI. FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a state where the low-frequency components are only sent back. After receiving CQI which is compressed in this way, the transmitting side inserts zero in sample points of deleted high-frequency components, performs inverse discrete cosine transform (hereafter abbreviated as "IDCT"), and is able to reproduce the CQI observed on the receiving side, while hardly undergoing the effect of deleted high-frequency components.
Non-patent Document 1: 3GPP, TR 25.814 v0.3.1, "Physical Layer Aspects for Evolved UTRA"
Non-patent Document 2: 3GPP, TSG RAN WG1 ad hoc meeting on LTE, R1-060228, "Sensitive of DL/UL Performance to CQI Compression with Text Proposal"

Communication apparatus and communication method


The present invention provides a method of targeting transient gene expression and stable gene expression from the exogenous administration of a DNA sequence, which sequence is less than a complete genome, wherein said DNA sequence encodes RNA and protein, or RNA only, to differentiate tissue of living organisms wherein said DNA sequence through a jet injector technique, and said DNA sequence of less than a complete genome is expressed in a living organism. The present invention further provides a flexible multi-nozzle injector device with a wide surface area to allow molding of the injector nozzle to the surface contours of the tissue. Another aspect of the present invention provides an injection device having a long nozzle for injection of DNA deep into the host tissue. Also, in a further aspect the present invention provides an injector device modified to be used with and/or inject through an endoscopic device.

It is known in this field that a full length cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) DNA genome of the Washington B strain of the virus can be injected into rabbit skin as an episome by several methods (See, Brandsma et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., Vol. 88, pages 4816-4820 (June 1991)). In the Brandsma publication, inter alia, the authors discuss, as one of the several methods of inoculating with the episome, the use of a ped-o-jet (a standard hypodermic jet injector gun) for injecting the entire viral genome of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) DNA into rabbit skin. Prior to injection of the full length genome Brandsma purifies it either by using standard cesium chloride centrifugation or by using polyethylene glycol precipitation followed by proteinase K digestion. Equivalent purification results were obtained with DNA purified by either method.
The Brandsma publication alludes to the possibility that further research might lead to other forms of DNA that might also be injected using the jet injection technique, but there is no data or descriptional basis to lead one to expect any likelihood of success with injecting DNA if less than a complete genome episome.
The four different methods discussed in Brandsma et al for inoculating rabbit skin involved (a) epithelial scarification with a razor blade followed by smearing on of DNA, (b) scratching the skin with the back of an 18-gauge needle followed by smearing on of DNA, (c) intradermal inoculation and puncture 200 times with a 27-gauge needle, and (d) interdermal inoculation using a PED-O-Jet injector (Stirn Industries, Dayton, N.J.).
The four types of inoculations were performed on four to five pound random-bred New Zealand white female rabbits, anesthetized with ketamine hydrochloride (44 milligrams per kilogram) after clipping their backs free of hair. The inoculant contained 70 micrograms of supercoiled CRPV-p LAI1 DNA (wild type or mutant) per site in 0.1 milliliter of 0.15 M NaCl or 10 mM Tris.HCl/1 mM EDTA.
Inoculation methods (a) and (b) were not very efficient, but the intradermal inoculation and puncture (manual) and the jet injector methods both induced papillomas. The intradermal manual method induced papillomas in 15-25% of the inoculated sites on all the rabbits. The jet-injector caused 23-81% of the inoculated sites to form papillomas.
The Brandsma paper concluded that there was some advantage as to the total number of papillomas produced and a savings of time for the inoculation. However, it was not clear whether the increased rate of producing papillomas from the DNA episomes could also be accounted for possibly of different depths at which the injection was done into the tissue using the manual or the jet method. Further, there is no data for the manual method using a larger diameter (smaller gauge) needle for the injection. The 27 gauge needle used has a very small diameter and could possibly have broken the episome DNA into fragments.
In other words, Brandsma is not clear as to whether the jet injector and the manual injection were done at the same depth in the tissue. Possibly, one of the two methods injected deeper into the tissue or injected over a wider area of tissue. Specifically a different manual injection technique (such as injecting while withdrawing the needle instead of at just one depth) may have been much more successful than the technique used by Brandsma. Thus, the data produced in Brandsma is inconclusive on this point.
Moreover, in Brandsma there is no experimental evidence or data that would provide any reasonable basis for believing that DNA fragments which are not capable of producing an episome would be expressed if they were injected either manually or using the jet injection.
Accordingly, there is a need in this art for an improved method for initiating gene expression for DNA which corresponds to less than a complete genome, i.e., gene fragments, in a host and for improved equipment with which to perform these injections.

Targeting gene expression to living tissue using jet injection

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


The present disclosure relates to a touch panel having a shielding structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The touch panel having a shielding structure comprises a conductive ring disposed on periphery of an upper surface of a substrate, a shielding layer disposed on a lower surface of the substrate, and a plurality of conductive connection points electrically connecting the shielding layer and the conductive ring. By connecting the shielding layer and the conductive ring by the conductive connection points, impedance of the shielding layer is consistent for different distances between the shielding layer and flexible printed circuit, thereby eliminating noise interference from a liquid crystal display or an electronic device under the touch panel, while using the touch panel. Moreover, the manufacturing method of the touch panel with a shielding structure is a simple process, which reduces the manufacturing cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a touch panel, especially to a touch panel having a shielding structure and method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Touch panels can, based on different sensing principles, be classified into resistive type, capacitive type, acoustic wave type, optical type and so on. Touch panels typically determine a touch location by detecting changes in electrical signals, optical signals and acoustic wave signals.
In a conventional electronic device integrated with a touch panel, a shielding layer is formed between the touch panel and the electronic device, and one end of the shielding layer is electrically connected to a shielding pin of a flexible printed circuit (FPC). The shielding layer can absorb noise from the electronic device, and the noise is then released via the shielding pin of the FPC.
However, impedance of the shielding layer is low at the FPC end and is high at the end far away from the FPC. Also, effect of the shielding noise is weakened by inconsistency in impedance of the shielding layer. Thus, noise interference from the electronic device cannot be avoided when using the touch panel.

Touch panel having a shielding structure and method of manufacturing the same


A volumetric dry solids materials feeder comprises a supply hopper, a feed trough disposed below the hopper, and an auger disposed in the feed trough to feed out the material. The trough is anchored to a vibration base, on which is mounted a vibratory mechanism. A vibration transfer spring connects the vibration base to a bracket secured to the hopper. Upon activation, the vibratory mechanism vibrates the vibration base and thus the trough at a predetermined frequency, while the spring transfers the vibration to the hopper. The spring lessens the amplitude of the transferred vibration and changes the frequency thereof, so as to minimize interference (primarily harmonic problems) between the vibration of the hopper and trough.

Volumetric dry solids materials feeders are designed to discharge material such as powders, granules, or stranded fiberglass at a predetermined rate based on volume. The material typically flows out of a hopper into a trough. Located in the trough is a discharge device, such as an auger, which feeds the material out of the trough through a discharge opening or spout. Such feeders, especially when feeding adhesive, cohesive, fibrous, or hygroscopic dry solids materials, sometimes experience problems in transferring the material from the hopper to the discharge device due to the material either sticking to the walls of the hopper, blocking downward flow, or bridging (compaction) of the material in the trough and/or hopper. Problems are also sometimes experienced in properly filling the feed auger with material.
It has been found that the above problems, among others, are reduced by the application of high-frequency vibration to the trough and hopper, particularly during handling of certain types of short fiberglass strands and other kinds of fibrous products. The high-frequency vibration shakes the material loose from the walls of the hopper, breaks-up bridging material, and greatly assists in filling the feed auger.
In addition to material-flow problems within the hopper or trough, the precise metering of material by a volumetric feeder can be disrupted, for example, when material of varying density enters the auger, when material sticks to the auger, or when difficulty is experienced in properly filling the auger. It has been found that vibration of the trough and auger also minimizes these problems. It is therefore desirable in many metering applications to vibrate both the hopper and the trough/auger.
Prior attempts at solving feeding problems through vibration include Wahl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,782, which discloses a volumetric materials feeder in which a single motor powers a metering auger and a vibratory mechanism. A first shaft of the vibratory mechanism imparts vibration to the trough and auger by rotation of an eccentric weight, and a second shaft, perpendicular to and directly connected by a belt/pulley system to the first shaft, vibrates the hopper. The frequency of hopper and trough vibrations will thus be equal, which, combined with the direct connection of the two vibration shafts, can sometimes cause problems of vibration interference (primarily harmonic problems).
Wahl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,203, discloses a vibratory tray volumetric feeder having a vibratory mechanism that vibrates both the tray and also an auxiliary hopper below the supply hopper. As in the Wahl '782 patent described above, the hopper and tray are both directly connected to the vibratory mechanism, with that configuration's attendant interference problems.
Wahl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,675, discloses a double auger volumetric feeder in which the trough and hopper are vibrated by means of a rotating cam repeatedly striking a protrusion connected to the support platform of the hopper and trough. Such a vibratory mechanism is subject to undue wear, along with the interference problems described above.

Dry solids materials feeder with vibrating mechanism and a method of vibrating various component parts of the feeder


A method for alignment of a chip in a substrate surface inspection is provided, in which a surface of a substrate including a chip formed therein is inspected by using a beam. The method is characterized in comprising: a step of placing the substrate so that the chip is positioned within a field of view subject to the inspection; a step of measuring a magnification for the detection when the chip is positioned within the field of view subject to the inspection; a step of calculating a size of position error of the chip based on the measured magnification for the detection; and a step of compensating for the position of the chip based on the calculated position error.

The present invention relates generally to an aligning method of a chip, an apparatus and method for inspecting samples using the same aligning method, and a method for manufacturing devices using the same apparatus and method, and specifically to: an aligning method for performing a defect inspection of a device pattern having a pattern of size equal to or less than 0.1 μm formed on a surface of a sample, such as a stencil mask, a wafer and the like, with a high precision, a high reliability and a high resolution, and also with a high throughput; an apparatus and method for inspecting samples using the same aligning method; and a method for manufacturing devices, which includes a step of inspecting samples by using the same apparatus and method for inspecting samples.
An apparatus for inspecting a sample for defects is typically operated in a manner in which an electron beam is irradiated onto a sample to be inspected, such as a wafer, to thereby generate electrons containing data related to a device pattern formed on a sample surface to be inspected; the generated electrons are then used to form an image of the data representing the device pattern; and thus obtained image is inspected in accordance with a predetermined inspection program. To improve the reliability of the result of the inspection, it is required that data having a high precision should be obtained from the device pattern on the sample surface through the irradiation of electrons. One means to address this is represented by the registration of a stage in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions, which carries the sample thereon and moves in the X-axis direction and in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to said X-axis direction, and by a focus adjustment in the Z-axis direction parallel with the axial direction of a secondary optical system.
In the practice according to the prior art method, taking as an example a case where images for two regions corresponding to each other are generated from the wafer surface to be inspected and thus obtained two images, or one of the image and another corresponding image are inspected for any defects, such a method has been typically employed, in which for said one image, a plurality of images is generated each taken by shifting a position by +1 pixel, +2 pixels, −1 pixel, −2 pixels, respectively, along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a total of 25 thus obtained images consisting of those 24 shifted images plus 1 not-shifted image are compared with the other images, wherein a defect inspection apparatus using a single electron beam has been put into practical use for forming those images.
Further, an inspection system using a multi-beam to perform a defect inspection of the samples has been also suggested in order to improve the throughput (see, for example, Specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,224 and B. Lischke, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 28, No. 10, p 2058). There is another known method, in which a rectangular beam is irradiated onto a sample, and an electron beam emanated from the irradiated point is magnified by a projection optical system for detection (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei7-24939).
Those systems that carry out the defect inspection using a plurality of electron beams with which a plurality of regions can be scanned at once, may be considered to theoretically improve the throughput in proportion to the number of electron beams.
The above-described inspection apparatuses for a pattern defect according to the prior art, however, have been associated with a problem that it could be difficult to perform an accurate inspection, which may possibly be arise for the following reasons:
(1) Although a stage is installed for carrying a sample thereon and moving therewith in the X-axis direction and in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction, there might be a case where a distortion is induced in a stage guide serving for guiding the stage, or another case where the stage guides in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions are not crossing precisely at a right angle with respect to each other, which would prevent the stage from moving along an ideal track;
(2) Upon placing the sample on the stage, there might be a case where an X-Y coordinate of the sample is not aligned with an X-Y coordinate of the stage, and so an error would be generated in a rotational direction;
(3) There might be a case where an error is introduced in a laser interferometer for detecting a position of the sample;
(4) There might be a case where, in some samples, the die could be formed in a position offset from its designed position in the lithography process;
(5) There might be a case where a variation in moving speed is induced during a continuous movement of the stage; and
(6) There might be a case where a charge-up is induced in the sample by the irradiation of the electron beam and a resultantly obtained image contains a distortion generated therefrom.
If the errors described above are not somehow compensated for, the obtained image could be offset from its theoretical position by ±2 or more pixels, for example. If there is a possibility that said offset occurs to an extent defined by each ±3 pixels in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions, then in order to ensure accurate defect inspection, the number of images to be generated for the comparison should be as much as 7×7=49. Consequently, with the above systems there could be a disadvantageous situation that the number of memories and comparator circuits required for the inspection must be increased, which in turn leads to a problem that the rate of the defect inspection could no longer keep up with that of the image taking, and accordingly the defect inspection could not be performed with high throughput.
In addition, in the defect inspection of the samples according to the prior art, as described above, simply the registration in the X-Y directions is typically practiced prior to two-dimensional image taking for subsequent pattern inspection, but an uneven surface of the sample has not been taken into consideration. From this reason also, it is possible that highly accurate image signals will not be obtained.
For example, a defect inspection apparatus using a projection optical system, which is known as an apparatus for obtaining a two-dimensional image for inspecting a sample or the like for any defects in the sample, has been associated with a problem that a magnification of a secondary electron image varies significantly over time or in response to any changes in the environment, such as a temperature change. Further, such a projection optical system has another problem that if the surface of the sample is uneven, a resolution of the two-dimensional image deteriorates because of a shallow focal depth of the system.
Yet further, those defect inspection apparatuses according to the prior art have been associated with a problem that an accurate defect inspection can not be carried out due to a frequent variation in the magnification of the image projection optical system, and in addition, no special attention has been paid to a need for an accurate measuring of a scanning sensibility of a multi-beam optical system, and also no reference specifically disclosing this matter has been found.
Still further, for the SEM using a single beam, since it comprises a single beam and a single detector, and accordingly the density of the signal fully represents data on the sample, therefore the defect detection can be performed by simply carrying out the pattern matching, but for the case of using multi beams, since the multi beams contain the variation in its beam current value by some percentage among respective beams and also has a difference in the detecting sensibility among respective beams. Therefore, the density of the signal is not necessarily representing the data on the sample exclusively. Besides, the defect detection method using the projection optical system has a problem that the density of the signal could be different even for the same pattern section in a sample depending on whether it is located in the marginal area of the field of view or in the area adjacent to an optical axis, and this may lead to a frequent detection of false-defect during the defect detecting operation.

Method and apparatus for inspecting samples, and method for manufacturing devices using method and apparatus for inspecting samples


A preventive film for a polarizer which comprises a non-oriented two-layer film comprising a polycarbonate film having a glass transition temperature of 100° C. or higher and, laminated on one surface thereof, a polyester him: a preventive film for a polarizer which comprises a non-oriented three-layer comprising a polycarbonate film having a glass transition temperature of 100° C. or higher and a polyester film laminated on one surface thereof and a polybutylene terephthalate film laminated on the other surface thereof and a polarizing pate which uses a polarizing film comprising a polarizer and two sheets of the above film adhered by heating with no use of an adhesive agent to both sides thereof. The preventive film exhibits an extremely small double refraction and is capable of being adhered directly to a polarizer through heating and the polarizing plate can be produced at a low cost.

A polarizing plate 20 used by attaching to a liquid-crystal display device or the like, for example, has a configuration shown in FIG. 1. Thus, a polarizing film 10 is composed by attaching preventive films 3 for a polarizer, which form preventive layers, via an adhesive 7 to both surfaces of the polarizer 4 in a sandwiched manner. A preventive film 1 for a polarizing film is attached adhesively via a pressure sensitive adhesive 6 to one side of the polarizing film 10. A phase difference film 5 is attached to the other side of the polarizing film 10, and a releasable preventive film 2 for a polarizing film in which a releasing agent 8 is applied to one surface of the film of the same configuration as the preventive film 1 for a polarizing film is adhesively attached thereto via a pressure sensitive adhesive 6.
A polarizer obtained by causing adsorption of iodine or a dichroic dye on a film composed of a hydrophilic polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol and orienting the film by stretching is used as the polarizer 4. The following requirements are placed on the preventive film 3 for a polarizer, which maintains endurance and mechanical properties of the polarizer 4: the film has to be optically transparent, that is, should not demonstrate double refraction easily, and also has to have heat resistance, high mechanical strength, a smooth surface, and good adhesion to the adhesive 7 and pressure sensitive adhesive 6, and a non-oriented film such as a triacetyl cellulose can be used. In order to obtain a clear color and fine image, the phase difference film 5 is required to demonstrate uniform double refraction over the entire surface and have stable optical properties even under severe environmental conditions of high temperature and high humidity. Uniaxially stretched films of polycarbonates have been used therefor.
The preventive film 1 for a polarizing film and the releasable preventive film 2 for a polarizing film are used with the object of preventing the surface of the polarizing film 10 or phase difference film 5 from contamination or scratching in the process of distributing the polarizing film 10 or mounting on a liquid-crystal display device. Those preventing films are attached adhesively to the polarizing film 10 or phase difference film 5 with the pressure sensitive adhesive 6, and it is desired that they can be easily separated in the process of mounting on a liquid-crystal display device. It is preferred that in the releasable preventive film 2 for a polarizing film, the releasing agent 8 be applied to the surface of adhesive bonding to the pressure sensitive adhesive 6 to facilitate peeling.
Based on the aforementioned necessary properties, cellulose films such as triacetyl cellulose, polyester films, polyacryl films, polycarbonate films, and polyethersulfone films are used as the preventive film 3 for a polarizer. A polarizing film 10 is composed by attaching such preventive film 3 for a polarizer in a sandwiched manner via an adhesive 7 so as to protect both surfaces of the polarizer 4. The polarizer 4, as described hereinabove, is prepared by causing adsorption of iodine or a dichroic dye on a film composed of a hydrophilic polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol and orienting the film by stretching, but because the iodine is evaporated if the film is thermally fixed after stretch orientation, the film is used without conducting the thermal fixing. For this reason, the film is greatly expanded and shrunk under the effect of temperature changes or moisture changes in the environment. For this reason, the preventive films 3 for a polarizer which are attached to the polarizer 4 by sandwiching and constrict the deformation caused by temperature changes or moisture changes have to be attached by using the adhesive 7 and cured by heating at a temperature of 90° C. or less at which iodine is not evaporated. Directly thermally attaching to the substrate film, without using an adhesive, and attaching the preventive film for a polarizer by using a usual adhesive which is cured by heating at a high temperature are impossible. Adhesives that are cured by heating at a low temperature are special and expensive products and require an adhesive application process. Therefore, they are a significant obstacle for reducing the cost of polarizing plates.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a preventive film for a polarizer that has an extremely small double refraction and can be directly thermally attached to a polarizer, and also to provide an inexpensive polarizing plate using such a film.

Preventive film for polarizer and polarizing plate using the same