An external I/F gives numerical information on an imaging device, input from PC or PLC, to a memory. The memory outputs the numerical information to CPU as well as retaining the numerical information. CPU transmits the numerical information through a camera to an operation control unit. The operation control unit performs correction using a correction value from a correction table. In order to correct a variation individually possessed by a lens unit or an illumination unit, the correction table is previously produced for each lens unit or illumination unit based on the numerical information from the camera. The post-correction control signals are output to a lens unit 62 and an illumination unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a method for setting a operation condition thereof, particularly to the image processing apparatus used in an FA (Factory Automation) line and the method for setting the operation condition thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image processing apparatus (visual sensor) is used to inspect a product on a line in a factory.
FIG. 23 shows a block diagram of a configuration example of a conventional image processing apparatus 800. Referring to FIG. 23, the image processing apparatus 800 includes a controller 20 and an imaging device 60. The imaging device 60 includes a camera 61, a lens unit 62, and an illumination unit 63. Signal cables 81, 811, and 812 through which control signals are transmitted from the controller 20 are provided corresponding to the camera 61, the lens unit 62, and the illumination unit 63 respectively.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-279911 discloses a monitoring camera lens device in which a motor is driven based on a control signal from a remotely placed controller and remote operation can be performed by controlling a setting state of an optical component coupled to the motor, and the monitoring camera lens device includes an at-hand handling unit arranged in a main body of the monitoring camera lens device and a control unit in which the motor is driven according to the handling of the at-hand handling unit and the at-hand handling can be performed by controlling the setting state of the optical component.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-324684 discloses an illumination control apparatus, wherein a relationship between an input light-control signal and an output light-control signal, obtained through a light-control signal input circuit unit when the output light-control signal is changed in a stepwise manner, is obtained and stored as a correction table in closing a light-control signal short-circuit unit, and the output light-control signal corresponding to the input light-control signal from the light-control signal input circuit unit is determined by referring to the correction table in opening the light-control signal short-circuit unit.
The camera 61 or the illumination unit 63 can be remotely controlled in the conventional image processing apparatus 800 of FIG. 23. However, because a zoom function, a focus function, and an iris function of the lens unit 62 cannot numerically be managed, it is necessary to manually adjust the zoom function, the focus function, the iris function and the like. Specifically, the lens unit 62 is adjusted by rotating a ring like a single-lens reflex camera or by controlling current and voltage while viewing a monitor.
Thus, in the conventional image processing apparatus 800, due to the manual adjustment of the lens unit 62, it is difficult to realize the same setting in the plural lines in FA. It is also difficult to recreate the same setting in replacing the camera 61 and the lens unit 62. Furthermore, in the conventional image processing apparatus 800, even if a user wrongly performs the setting in maintenance, it is difficult to find the wrong setting because parameters such as zoom, focus, and iris cannot numerically be managed in the lens unit 62 of the imaging device 60.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to provide an image processing apparatus in which the imaging device can numerically be managed and an operation condition setting method thereof.

Image processing apparatus and operation condition setting method thereof


A chiral smectic liquid crystal composition comprising one or more liquid crystalline compound exhibiting a smectic C phase and at least one compound of the formula (A): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are same or different and are each a straight-chain or branched-chain alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and each C marked with * is an optically active carbon atoms, and a liquid crystal display device containing it.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid crystal compositions exhibiting a chiral smectic C phase, and more particularly to liquid crystal compositions exhibiting the chiral smectic C phase and useful for ferroelectric liquid crystal display devices with high capacities and wide viewing angles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently liquid crystal display devices predominantly utilize the nematic phase of liquid crystals, while active research has also been conducted in recent years on various display modes utilizing a smectic phase. Especially promising is ferroelectric liquid crystal display utilizing a chiral smectic C phase (hereinafter referred to merely as "ferroelectric liquid crystal display") because this mode of display is adapted to high-capacity display with wide viewing angles.
Unlike usual TN (twisted nematic) liquid crystal display, however, ferroelectric liquid crystal display, which utilizes the memory characteristics of the smectic C phase, requires a higher response speed for an increased display capacity. For example, when a drive method is used wherein one screen is rewritten at 1/60 sec with application of 4 pulses for rewriting one line, the response speed .tau. has the following relationship with the number of lines, L, that can be displayed at this speed. EQU 4.times..tau..times.L=1/60 sec
Thus, an exceedingly high response speed is required of the liquid crystals for use in high-capacity liquid crystal display devices.
To fulfill various requirements, therefore, liquid crystal compositions incorporating a plurality of compounds are conventionally used for ferroelectric liquid crystal display as is the case with nematic liquid crystal display, whereas compositions which are fully satisfactory in respect of the response speed still remain to be developed.
While the liquid crystal composition for ferroelectric liquid crystal display must be highly responsive as stated above, the other properties desirable for the composition include the following. First, the composition needs to exhibit the smectic C phase at around room temperature. Further to be satisfactory in the orientation of liquid crystals, the composition preferably exhibits IAC (isotropic-smectic A-smectic C) or INAC (isotropic-nematic-smectic A-smectic C) phase series.
From the foregoing viewpoint, we have carried out intensive research and consequently found that a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition having high responsibility and the desired properties described for use in ferroelectric liquid crystal display can be prepared by admixing a small amount of a compound represented by the formula (A) given below with a liquid crystal compound exhibiting the smectic C phase. The present invention has been accomplished based on this finding.

Chiral smectic liquid crystal composition


An apparatus for the reduction of partial products of a multiplier combines attributes of pre-addition and the regularity found in array multipliers by employing improved four-to-two composite counter cells. This composite counter cell, the basic block for reducing the partial products, is itself comprised of two new four-to-two counters. One of the four-to-two counters is used to perform pre-addition of the partial products while the second counter is used to perform addition between the sum produced by the counter performing the pre-addition and the outputs from the second counter of a cell in a previous stage of the addition. The regularity of array multiplication schemes is preserved and interconnections required by the mechanism span no more than two columns of the matrix.

Multiplication involves the production of partial products which may be produced either directly or indirectly, the reduction of the partial products to two values, and the subsequent addition of these two values by a two-to-one addition to produce the product. Assuming a carry-look-ahead two-to-one addition scheme, the speed of the multiplication is primarily influenced by the delay associated with the production of partial products, the number of partial products that must be reduced, and the delay associated with the reduction of these partial products to two values. For a given number of partial products, the delay associated with their reduction to two values is dependent upon the reduction technique and the counter chosen to implement the reduction.
The most common technique for indirect partial product production and assembly is the Booth algorithm since it is simple to implement, results in small delays for the production and assembly of multiples, and reduces the number of partial products. This is especially true when the three-bit algorithm is used in the design. Direct partial product generation and assembly also have been used. In the direct scheme, partial products are formed via a two-way AND between all combinations of the bits of the multiplicand and the multiplier with the weight of the partial product being determined by the weight of the bits being ANDed.
Two common techniques exist to reduce the partial products. The first scheme comprising either Wallace trees. or Dadda trees reduce the partial products in a parallel fashion by employing counters. Common counters used include three-to-two, five-to-three, and seven-to-three counters. Other counters may also be employed. The second technique involves the use of only three-to-two counters configured in a regular array to reduce the partial products. Both techniques have been employed extensively in the past. Their employment has been strictly based on the methodology used in the design rather than the advantages of one scheme versus the other. The parallel scheme has typically been employed in designs using a random logic methodology since less stages of logic are generally required to perform the reduction with this technique. This scheme, however, results in highly irregular structures that become difficult to place and wire. The second scheme requires more stages but is highly regular so that placement and wiring is relatively straight forward. As a result, this scheme is normally employed in designs using custom or semi-custom design methodology. To avoid prohibitive wire crossing, the counters used in array configurations have been limited to three-to-two counters as shown in FIG. 1.
In the past, multipliers generally have either employed the Booth algorithm for partial product generation in conjunction with either a Wallace or Dadda tree for partial product reduction or direct generation of partial products with array reduction of the resulting partial products using three-to-two CSAs. In this paper, a scheme for array reduction of partial products is presented that is not only suitable for use with the direct method, but is also useable in a hybrid approach where the partial product generation and assembly is performed using a Booth Algorithm while their reduction is accomplished by the array reduction scheme. A hybrid scheme is shown in FIG. 2 as applied to a S390 56.times.56 bit multiplier. (We will show how this hybrid apparatus can become an improved computing apparatus) As shown in this figure, a Booth encoder, implementing three-bit overlapped scanning, is used to produce 29 partial products that must be reduced to two values before entering the two-to-one adder. It is convenient to halve the resulting matrix of partial products before starting the reduction. This halving produces two matrices of 14 and 15 products that must be reduced. Though the following discussion uses this multiplier as an environment for presenting the concepts of the new reduction scheme, application of the concepts is not restricted to this environment.
As indicated above, m/n counters have been previously proposed and used for parallel reduction of the partial product matrix. A specific example uses the four-to-two counter shown in FIG. 3 to reduce, in a parallel fashion, the matrix of partial products of a 32.times.32 bit multiplier. While such counters may result in an advantage when compared with partial product reduction using three-to-two carry save adders, CSA, in a Wallace or Dadda reduction, they are unsuitable for regular array implementations. For example, consider the employment of the four-to-two counter shown in FIG. 3 to reduce a matrix of partial products using an array configuration. Because the number of relatively slow outputs, two, from this counter, C and S, exceeds the number of inputs, one, into the counter that are associated with relatively less critical paths, C.sub.in, at least one slow output from a preceding four-to-two counter will of necessity be wired to an input of the subsequent counter that must traverse its critical path. This can be seen in FIG. 4, where one of the slowest outputs, C, has been wired to the input whose path is the fastest, C.sub.in, leaving the slow output, S, to traverse the critical delay path. For this reason, the critical path through the counters performing the reduction is additive implying that the employment of such a counter in the array multiplier may not produce a speed advantage when compared with an array multiplier comprised of three-to-two CSAs. For example, the interconnections just described and shown in FIG. 4 indicate that each level of four-to-two counter reduces two products of the form a.sub.i b.sub.i, for a direct multiplication scheme, with the delay of a six-way XOR function. Given that the three-to-two CSA reduces a product term of the form a.sub.i b.sub.i with a delay of a three-way XOR via the interconnection scheme employing these CSAs shown in FIG. 1, no apparent speed advantage results from the employment of the four-to-two counter array multiplier scheme since either approach reduces two partial product terms by employing a six-way XOR function.
In the sections to follow, we present a new counter design referred to as a four-to-two composite counter whereby four-to-two is intended to designate the reduction of four new items, i.e. partial products, to outputs that span no more than two multiplier columns. For example, the counter reduces four partial products of weight i while only requiring communication with columns of weight i and i+1. As a result of the limited communication required, interconnections between the composite counters can be kept small making the composite counters suitable for array multiplier schemes. Consequently, we incorporate the design into an array multiplier scheme, determine the associated critical path, and compare the proposed scheme with other known array implementation schemes.

High performance array multiplier using four-to-two composite counters

International Business Machines Corporation


A slot machine comprising display means (110) having a display screen provided on a plane opposed to a player, display control means (401) for controlling the display means (110) so as to display a still condition and a game play condition for each display window, start instruction means (108) for accepting a game play start instruction and instructing the display control means to start operation, stop instruction means (109) for accepting an instruction for stopping symbol change for each display window and instructing the display control means to stop operation, and game control means (403) for controlling game progress, wherein the improvement comprises storage means (904) for storing a plurality of symbol patterns and outputting the stored data to the display means based on read address specification, and background storage means (905) for storing backgrounds to be displayed on the display means, the display control (401) means issuing an output instruction to the storage means and the background storage means. Thus, a powerful and interesting slot machine can be provided.

In a conventional slot machine, three rotation drums comprising various symbols rotate. When a game start command is received, the three rotation drums are rotated and when the player presses stop switch buttons in sequence, the drum rotation is stopped. A predetermined number of game play media are paid out to the player for a winning game play in response to the combination of symbols after the drum rotation stops.
Another slot machine comprises a CRT provided on its front in place of rotation drums and displays a total of nine symbols on three rows.times.three columns of the CRT. Further, slot machines comprising a liquid crystal display for displaying symbols are provided as described in International Publication No. WO92/11070.
These kinds of slot machines which display symbols include slot machines which display nine symbols on three rows.times.three columns of the display window and slot machines which display three symbols on each of the three display windows provided for each row. In the present specification, the row of the display screen is referred to as display window.
In the slot machines in the related art, the number of combinations that can be considered for winning game play combinations varies depending on the number of input game play media. For example, when one game play medium is input, the win combination can only be a combination of the same symbols completed on a horizontal row at the intermediate stage of the three drums; when two game play media are input, it is a combination of the same symbols complete on a horizontal row at any of upper, intermediate, and lower stages of the three drums; or when three game play media are input, it is a combination of predetermined symbols completed on a horizontal row at any of upper, intermediate, and lower stages of the three drums or on a diagonal row. If a player presses a bet rate button instead of inputting game play media, the number of combinations that can be considered for win combinations varies depending on the number of game play media. To show the upper, intermediate, and lower stage and diagonal arrangements, lines are drawn along the arrangements are drawn around the drums, on the front glass. In the conventional rotating drum slot machines, the lines are printed on the front glass for surface protection; when game play media are input or the bet rate button is pressed, the betting lines light up. If the symbols on the betting line match a predetermined symbol combination after the slot machine drums stops rotating, the line display is flashed on and off.
However, in such slot machines, when the symbols match a win symbol combination, it is displayed on the front glass or a front display. Thus, it is difficult to make a display change, and the game tends to lack interest.
A slot machine using a liquid crystal display comprises a liquid crystal symbol display for displaying symbols and a liquid crystal line drawing display for displaying lines, with the latter placed in front of the former. Normally, the liquid crystal line drawing display is placed in a light transmission state and symbols are displayed on the liquid crystal symbol display. To display lines, the line display portions on the liquid crystal line drawing display are energized and changed to a light shielding state.
Since the transmission factor of a liquid crystal is poor, even if symbols are displayed in the light transmission state, they are difficult to see. In addition, since two liquid crystal panels are provided for the liquid crystal symbol and line drawing displays, costs are increased and space is wasted.

Slot machine that can superimpose on a display screen images from different storage locations


An autonomous flip-up license plate mount for motorcycles that improves the aesthetics of a motorcycle while ensuring a license plate is properly displayed during use of the motorcycle. The mount includes a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate, an automatic pivoting mechanism, and a hinge mechanism. A first end of the first mounting plate is connected along the hinge mechanism. Additionally, the hinge mechanism is connected along a rear surface of the second mounting plate, allowing for relative rotation about a main axis of the hinge mechanism. The automatic pivoting mechanism is a motorized system used to rotate the second mounting plate about the hinge mechanism. Accordingly, the automatic pivoting mechanism is operatively coupled between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate. Thus, activation of the automatic pivoting mechanism positions the mount into either a functional configuration or a collapsed configuration.

In present times, motorcyclists are always trying to find ways to maximize the aesthetics of their motorcycles. Oftentimes, motorcyclists would often invest in manual-flip up license plates for their motorcycles. These conventional manual-flip up license plates must be concealed/deployed by the motorcyclist every time they park/drive, respectively. This often leads to motorcyclists forgetting to deploy the license plate when driving, leading to legal altercations with law enforcement. The present invention aims to solve this problem. The present invention is catered for cruisers, old style motorcycles, and any other type of motorcycle that uses the nut of the rear wheel axle or the suspension bolt. The present invention can also be used for new-style motorcycles, without altering the drive chain/belt tension of the rear wheel axle. The present invention is a movable mount that conceals the license plate of a motorcycle when the motorcycle is in the parked configuration, preserving the motorcycle's aesthetics. The present invention also comprises of an autonomous system that automatically deploys the concealed license plate when the user is driving the motorcycle.

Autonomous flip-up license plate mount for motorcycles


Electronic information defining visual content within video frames may be accessed. Video frames may be ordered in a source sequence. Positions in the source sequence may be associated with playback directions. Video frames may be ordered in a playback sequence based on the playback directions. The playback sequence may characterize a playback order in which video frames are displayed during playback. Video frames in the playback sequence may be associated with playback speeds. The playback speeds may determine perceived speeds with which visual content is displayed during playback. Speed ramped video frames may be determined based on the playback sequence and the playback speeds. A speed ramped video may be generated based on the speed ramped video frames.

Video applications may allow a user to change playback speeds of a video based on playback time locations. Changing playback speeds of a video based on playback time locations may result in the video running out of playback content prior to the desired end points. For example, a user may change a playback speed of a video having a duration of five minutes. At the four minute mark, the user may set the playback speed of the video to be 4× speed for thirty seconds. At the four minute mark, the video only has fifteen seconds of playback content at 4× speed. The video will run out of playback content prior to the end of the desired thirty-second segment at 4× speed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for bidirectional speed ramping


An elliptical exercise machine may include a base, one or more upright stanchions coupled to the base and extending upward from the base and supporting first and second cranks. The first crank may support a first crank arm. The first crank arm may support a first pedal leg hanging downward from the first crank arm. The first pedal leg may support a right pedal. The right pedal may be configured to swing forward and rearward and to raise upward and lower downward. The second crank may support a second crank arm. The second crank arm may support a second pedal leg hanging downward from the second crank arm. The second pedal leg may support a left pedal. The left pedal may be configured to swing forward and rearward and to raise upward and lower downward.

Elliptical exercise machines are generally configured to allow users to simulate striding motions along an elliptical path as a way to exercise a variety of muscles through a wide range of motion. Since their introduction, elliptical exercise machines have become very popular with users due to the generally low-impact exercise they enable as compared to other striding exercises such as walking, jogging, or running.
Unfortunately, however, conventional elliptical exercise machines generally have fixed elliptical paths which can be uncomfortable for users. Also, conventional elliptical exercise machines generally have relatively long front-to-back footprints that take up relatively large amounts of floor space, which can make them difficult to fit onto the floor space in a gym or a home.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


Various embodiments of an apparatus that simultaneously cools and thermally decouples adjacent electrically-driven devices in close proximity are provided. In one aspect, an apparatus comprises a first non-silicon heat sink and a first silicon-based heat sink disposed on the first non-silicon heat sink. The first silicon-based heat sink is configured to receive a first electrically-driven device on a first portion of the first silicon-based heat sink and to receive a second electrically-driven device on a second portion of the first silicon-based heat sink. The first silicon-based heat sink includes a first groove or a first opening between the first portion and the second portion such that a heat conduction path between the first electrically-driven device and the first non-silicon heat sink through the first silicon-based heat sink is shorter than a heat conduction path between the first electrically-driven device and the second electrically-driven device through the first silicon-based heat sink.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of transfer of thermal energy and, more particularly, to removal of thermal energy from electrically-driven devices in close proximity.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many applications, ranging from consumer electronics to telecommunications and the like, in which electrically-driven devices (e.g., semiconductor-based integrated circuits) capable of performing various tasks are packed in close proximity in a small form factor to serve various needs. Such electrically-driven devices may include, for example, driver circuits, logic processors, graphics processors, laser diodes including edge-emitting lasers and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodiodes, sensors, etc. Many of such electrically-driven devices inevitably generate thermal energy, or heat, in operation. As the number and complexity of the functionalities performed by such electrically-driven devices continue to increase and as the distance between electrically-driven devices in the small form factor continues to decrease, heat generated by such electrically-driven devices present some technical challenges that need to be addressed.
For one thing, performance, useful lifespan, or both of an electrically-driven device may be significantly impacted if the heat generated by the device is not adequately dissipated or otherwise removed from the device. Moreover, given the close proximity between two or more electrically-driven devices in some applications, a phenomenon of thermal coupling between the two or more devices may occur and result in the heat generated by one of the devices being transferred to one or more adjacent devices. More specifically, when thermal coupling occurs and when an adequate heat transfer mechanism is lacking, heat generated by electrically-driven devices in close proximity may detrimentally deteriorate the performance and useful lifespan of some or all of the affected devices.
Many metal-based heat dissipation or cooling packages, whether water-cooled or air-cooled, have been developed for use in compact form factor to dissipate heat generated by electrically-driven devices in small form factors. For instance, heat exchangers and heat pipes made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as copper, copper-tungsten alloy, aluminum or iron, for example, are commercially available. However, most metal-based heat exchangers and heat pipes tend to experience oxidation, corrosion and/or crystallization after long periods of operation. Such fouling factors significantly reduce the efficiency of heat transfer of metal-based cooling packages. Other problems associated with metal-based cooling packages include, for example, difficulty in precision alignment in mounting laser diode bars, VCSELs, LEDs or chips in laser diode/VCSEL/LED cooling applications, issues with overall compactness of the package, corrosion of the metallic material in water-cooled applications, difficulty in manufacturing, high-precision fabrication, electrical isolation, etc. Yet, increasing demand for higher power density in small form factor motivates the production of a compact cooling package with fewer or none of the aforementioned issues. Moreover, conventional packages typically use wire bonding to provide electrical power to the electrically-driven device(s) being cooled, but wire bonding may add cost and complexity in manufacturing and may be prone to defects in addition to occupying space unnecessarily.

Silicon-based cooling package for cooling and thermally decoupling devices in close proximity


A cone light is a light emitting structure that is placed on a traffic cone to improve the visibility of the traffic cone. The light cone includes a plurality of lights that are mounted to an outer surface of the cone light and a micro-controller that controls the illumination of the lights. The cone light also has a memory storing a plurality of flash patterns and the micro-controller illuminates the lights in the flash pattern selected by the user. Multiple cone lights can be used together with a master cone light transmitting a flash pattern signal to one or more slave cone light so that each of the cone lights is illuminated in a matching or coordinated pattern.

Traffic cones, also called traffic pylons, road cones, highway cones, safety cones, construction cones are usually cone-shaped markers that are placed on roads or footpaths to temporarily redirect traffic in a safe manner. They are often used to create separation or merge lanes during road construction projects or automobile accidents. Traffic cones are usually made in bright colors to be highly visible. However, a problem with traffic cones is that they may not be visible at night. For night time use or low-light areas traffic cones are usually fitted with a reflective material or coating to increase visibility. Although traffic cones have improved visibility when a light is shined on the reflective material, these traffic cones may not be very visible at night without the incident light of a car headlight, a street light, a flashlight or another light source. What is needed is a light that can be placed on traffic cones to improve the visibility of the traffic cones at night.


A LED bulb apparatus includes a main body, a light source, two end covers, and two connectors. The main body is a hollow structure. The light source module is disposed inside the main body. The light source module has a base plate, a driver and a light source. The driver and the light source being are mounted on the base plate. The two end covers are fixed on two ends of the main body for closing the hollow structure for forming a closed container for storing the light source module and a heat dissipation gas.

Various light bulb devices are developed and used in different fields. For example, a common light bulb device has an Edison connector to be installed in a corresponding Edison socket.
Some other bulb devices with a light passing shell and operated in larger power ratio for emitting strong light. Such bulb devices have special support bases to be installed and for providing power input.
LED (Light Emitted Diode) is a relatively new technology now widely used in lighting devices. LED provides high efficiency, but it is important to prevent LED components to operate in high temperature environment. Thus, it is important to solve heat problems in LED lighting device design.
In addition, inventors also note that manufacturing cost is also a critical issue. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a low cost while reliable design of LED light bulb devices.


An assembly including a paint tray liner for protecting a paint tray from coming in contact with paint being held within the tray. The assembly includes a flexible plastic member having a generally rectangular shape and including an open end to receive the paint tray within the flexible plastic member, a sealing strip coupled to the flexible plastic member located proximate to the open end of the flexible plastic member, and a vacuum valve coupled to a side of the flexible plastic member to remove air from the flexible plastic member to create a vacuum within the flexible plastic member and form the flexible plastic member to the contours of the paint tray. Also shown are methods of manufacturing and using the paint tray liner.

Common equipment utilized in the painting of household and commercial surfaces are a paint roller and paint tray. However, after completing a painting job, trays are often difficult to clean, causing a mess, additional cleaning time, and inconvenience. Typical trays can also leave a dried-on paint residue that can ruin future painting projects. The vacuum sealable paint tray liner described herein provides a convenient, and effective solution to the issue described above.


The process for purifying an .alpha.-, .beta.- or .gamma.-substituted carboxylic acid or a salt or an ester thereof or a mixture of two or more thereof from an aqueous solution which contains an .alpha.-, .beta.- or .gamma.-substituted carboxylic acid or a salt or an ester thereof or a mixture of two or more thereof and at least one polyol or at least one amino alcohol, wherein the solution is treated by electrodialysis.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Devant and Braun (Chem. Berichte 119 (1986) 2191-2207) describe the impossibility of eliminating chiral amines from acetamides without destroying the center of chirality (page 2194). The authors were furthermore unsuccessful in numerous attempts to hydrolyze the amides with alkali or acid to the carboxylic acid and optically active amine, and they found that the required result was achieved only by reaction with dinitrogen tetroxide as described by White (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 77 (1955) 6008). However, this reaction with N.sub.2 O.sub.4 is elaborate and therefore unsuitable for industrial processes.
WO 95/08636 describes an enzymatic process for resolving optically active amines in which the amines are enantioselectively acylated with an ester, then the mixture of acylated amine (amide) and unreacted amine is separated and, where appropriate, the optically active amine is liberated from the acylated amine (amide) by amide cleavage. However, no possible parameters for the amide cleavage process are indicated.
As a continuation of this process, PCT/EP/96/03948 describes a process for cleaving optically active amides to carboxylic acids and optically active amines with retention of the center of chirality, which comprises hydrolyzing the amides in the presence of a polyol or amino alcohol and of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal hydroxide.
The carboxylic acids employed in this case as auxiliary reagent for the enzymatic resolution of optically active amines are preferably .alpha.-, .beta.- or .gamma.-substituted carboxylic acids which are, as a rule, used as aqueous solution which, besides a salt or an ester of the above carboxylic acid, contains at least one polyol or at least one amino alcohol and an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal hydroxide. The solutions have hitherto always been fed to an incinerator.
Fractionation of a mixture of this type by distillation is usually impossible because the carboxylic acids or their salts or esters are able to react to esterify the polyol, eg. ethylene glycol (EG) or diethylene glycol (DEG), or the amino alcohol, eg. ethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine (TEA) and/or to form a salt (in the case of TEA). Accordingly, to optimize the yield, it is previously necessary to remove as far as possible the abovementioned components present besides the carboxylic acid or the salt or ester thereof. Workup by distillation is generally difficult or industrially very elaborate because of the high boiling points of the abovementioned compounds. It has also to be taken into account that ethylene glycol, for example, has a similar boiling point to many of the carboxylic acids under discussion here, eg. methoxyacetic acid, which in turn makes removal of the acid from the above mixture by distillation difficult.

Purification of .alpha.-, .beta.- or .gamma.-substituted carboxylic acids


A grommet strip for mounting along an exposed edge of a wall and including a spring tempered metal substrate strip comprising an elongated base portion and a plurality of spaced apart finger portions forming strip voids and extending in a common direction from each longitudinal edge thereof and substantially normal thereto, the inner surfaces of the base and finger portions forming an elongated channel with an open end opposite to the base portion and adapted to receive the edge of the wall with the inner surface of the base portion engaging the exposed edge and the inner surfaces of the finger portions engaging marginal sections of the wall directly adjacent thereto. A resilient, non-metalic coating covers outer surface portions of the base portion so as to provide an elongated resilient surface along the exposed edge, but has limited bounds that establish coating voids coextensive with the strip voids and therewith provide transverse openings into the channel. In addition, the coating forms over exposed edge lengths of the base portion between adjacent finger portions edge surfaces that intersect the outer surface of the base portion at angles substantially greater than 90.degree..

This invention relates generally to a grommet strip for covering an exposed edge of a wall and, more particularly, to an electrically insulating grommet strip for covering the exposed edges of openings in electrical equipment housings.
Electrical equipment housings frequently possess openings for the passage of electrical wires. Generally, such openings are equipped with grommets or bushings that cover and insulate the exposed edges of the openings. A common grommet is made of rubber or a similar resilient material and consists of a pair of annular spaced apart flange portions internally joined by a cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion projects through an opening and the flange portions engage the peripheral wall portions thereof. Disadvantages of such grommets include the requirement for large inventories to accommodate openings of various size, and their inapplicability to openings of other than circular shape.
The above problems are somewhat alleviated by a grommet strip having a flat, elongated base from opposite edge of which project longitudinally spaced apart pair of fingers. The strip can be cut to desired length and then applied to an opening with the base engaging the edge of the opening and the fingers engaging peripheral portions thereof. Such a grommet strip is disclosed in British Patent No. 849,761. However, certain disadvantages persist for even the above described grommet strip. For example, the installation of the grommet strip into openings of complex shape requires the use of an adhesive and is, therefore, quite labor intensive.
An improved grommet strip is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,966. That grommet strip comprises a resiliently coated spring tempered substrate strip which can be securely mounted over an exposed edge of a wall without the use of adhesives. However, in certain instances the exposed, relatively sharp edges on the strip can cause abrasion damage to engaged insulation on electrical wires.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved grommet for covering the exposed edges of openings in electrical housings.


Mechanisms, in a data processing system comprising a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) processor, for performing a data dependency check operation on vector element values of at least two input vector registers are provided. Two calls to a simd-check instruction are performed, one with input vector registers having a first order and one with the input vector registers having a different order. The simd-check instruction performs comparisons to determine if any data dependencies are present. Results of the two calls to the simd-check instruction are obtained and used to determine if any data dependencies are present in the at least two input vector registers. Based on the results, the SIMD processor may perform various operations.

The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to mechanisms for performing a Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) address compare operation that utilizes permute logic for distributed register files.
When performing various operations within a processor, such as gather/scatter operations, it is important to verify that memory locations upon which such operations are performed are distinct, i.e. there are no data dependencies on these memory locations. If the memory locations are not distinct, then the performance of the gather/scatter operation may cause a violation of the data dependencies resulting in data corruption and errors in the execution of computer code. Currently, performing comparison operations on the memory locations to determine if there are any data dependencies that may be violated is an expensive process in terms of numbers of instructions, processor cycles, power consumption, and the like.

SIMD compare instruction using permute logic for distributed register files

International Business Machines Corporation


A diode device for face down bonding use comprising: a semiconductor main body; a first region for forming an electrode, the region being exposed at a first surface of the semiconductor main body; a first electrode provided in the first region; a second region for forming another electrode, the second region being provided within the semiconductor main body; a third region conducting the second region to the first surface through the semiconductor main body; and a second electrode provided in the third region on the first surface.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a diode device, having both electrodes provided on a same surface thereof, capable of being directly connected to a conductive pattern on a circuit board without using lead wires.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTS
Face-down bonding is a method for directly attaching integrated circuits to circuit boards such as printed boards and the like without using lead wires, conventionally used in the construction of various types of electronic circuits.
According to this method, electrodes are provided on the same surface of the integrated circuit, which is then turned face down and bonded directly to the circuit board. Since the integrated circuit consequently requires no packaging, the size of the integrated circuit can be scaled-down, lowering costs. For these reasons, face-down bonding is widely used.
However, although this method can be used for integrated circuits, chiefly being provided transistors in it, in which electrodes can be disposed on the same surface, it has not been possible to use face-down bonding in the case of diode devices having only two electrodes, such as, for instance, variable-capacity diodes.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional variable-capacity diode device, in which region 3 and region 4, having different conductive types, are provided within an epitaxial layer 2 on a silicon semiconductor substrate 1, thereby forming a PN junction such as super abrupt junction.
In FIGS. 4, 5 is an insulating film comprising silicon oxide, 6 is an electrode connecting to region 4, 15 is a lead wire, 16 and 17 are board-shaped terminals formed from lead frames.
Region 4 is exposed on the surface of the semiconductor main body which comprises the substrate 1 and the epitaxial layer 2, enabling an electrode to be provided on the surface of region 4. But, since region 3 lies beneath region 4, an electrode 18, which connects to region 3, is provided on the underside of the substrate 1.
The underside electrode 18 is securely joined to the terminal 16, by inserting a gold ribbon into the joint interface between the substrate 1 and the terminal 16 and applying heat thereto, a eutectic bond are formed of the terminal 16, the gold and the substrate 1.
The surface electrode 6 is connected to the terminal 17 by a gold lead wire 15.
The terminals 16 and 17 only are exposed to the outside, and packaging, such as a resin sealant, is provided. The terminals 16 and 17 are then connected to a circuit board.
Thus it has not been possible to connect the conventional diode device to a circuit board by means of face-down bonding since the two electrodes cannot be provided on the same surface.


A power switch module for an electronic device includes a flip-flop circuit, a first current path for coupling a voltage source to the flip-flop circuit, and a second current path for coupling the voltage source to the flip-flop circuit. In response to a user power-on event, an output of the flip-flop circuit is at a first logic state for normally powering on the electronic device. In response to a user power-off event, the output of the flip-flop circuit is at a second logic state for normally powering off the electronic device. When the voltage source is suddenly interrupted, the output of the flip-flop circuit is kept at the first logic state but the electronic device is abnormally powered off. After the voltage source is resumed, the output of the flip-flop circuit kept at the first logic state reboots the abnormally powered-off electronic device.

Circumstances of insufficient power supply or power interrupt are occasionally encountered when using a computer, leading to a forced shutdown. In current techniques, a basic input/output system (BIOS) is capable of restoring the forced-shutdown computer to a last state. That is, for example, the computer is in a normal powered on state before the power interrupt, and is forced to shut down when the power is interrupted. Under the control of the BIOS, without needing a manual power-on operation performed by a user, the computer is automatically restored to a normally powered on state after eliminating the power interrupt (i.e., after the power is resumed).
However, for no-BIOS electronic device, e.g., a system-on chip (SoC) electronic device, there is a need for a lower-cost solution for restoring a last state.

Power switch module, voltage generating circuit and power control method for electronic device


A method and system for using exhaust temperature anomalies to detect fugitive fueling of a reciprocating internal combustion engine compares an exhaust temperature attribute with a predetermined threshold value for such attribute, which is a function of either the combustion of fugitive fuel within the engine, or an indicator of an operating condition leading to fugitive fueling. If the value of the attribute exceeds the threshold value, remedial action will be taken to avoid engine damage resulting from fugitive fueling.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the use of specific exhaust temperature anomalies in multi-cylinder internal combustion engines to detect unwanted fugitive fueling.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
As used herein, the term "fugitive fueling" means a phenomenon in which an engine receives fuel in excess of that which the engine's fuel controller intends to deliver, either by injectors or by another fuel delivery device. Fugitive fueling may occur in a variety of situations. For example, if an engine is operated in a hydrocarbon contaminated atmosphere, such as could occur in the event of a spill at a petroleum transfer terminal or a recycling facility, sufficient unwanted, or fugitive, hydrocarbons may be inducted by the engine's air system to cause overspeed and severe engine damage. A mishap such as vehicular accident or train wreck may create fugitive fueling situations as well.
Another type of fugitive fueling may occur due to a leak in an engine lubrication system. Such leaks may occur in a turbocharger or other component connected with the engine's air inlet system. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that engines, particularly diesel engines, are capable of operating quite well on lubricating oil, including lubricating oil aspirated into the engine's cylinders as a result of failure in a component such as a turbocharger bearing, or a failure such as the dropping of a cylinder poppet valve. In any case, fugitive fueling may provide hundreds of horsepower worth of fuel to a large engine which is sufficient to cause the engine to overspeed if the engine is unloaded.
Known systems and methods monitor engine speed and attempt to limit overspeeding by controlling fuel delivery. This method of control may not be effective in the case of engines which exhibit overspeeding only after a significant time has passed since the onset of a fugitive fueling event, because the passage of time frequently allows a large quantity of lubricating oil to build up improperly within a location accessible to the engine's air inlet system. Once this occurs, fuel limiting may not be sufficient to prevent a damaging overspeed event.
A need exists for a system and method to detect and respond to fugitive fueling before an engine overspeeds, and indeed, prior to the build-up of lubricating oil which could cause a deleterious overspeed event.

Method and system for using exhaust temperature anomalies to detect fugitive fueling of a reciprocating internal combustion engine


A position detecting apparatus includes a ball on which dots are magnetically recorded so as to form a repetitive pattern (dot pattern) provided at a front end portion of a pen-type case and a magnetic head 4 having detecting elements arranged in a matrix form to detect the repetitive pattern and to output position detection information corresponding to the detection result. Because the dot pattern is magnetically recorded on the ball, it is possible to precisely record the dot pattern on a ball having a diameter of the several mm, and the position detecting apparatus can become compact through miniaturization of the ball. In addition, abrasion by friction, etc. of dot pattern can be prevented by the magnetic recording thereby contributing to detection of a precise dot pattern. Such a dot pattern also may be magneto-optically recorded. In addition, a second ball in contact with the first ball and having a portion exposed to the external portion of the case may be preferably provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a position detecting apparatus adapted for detecting a change, etc. of position resulting from movement based on manual operation to deliver information thereof to a computer system, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, it was not possible to move the cursor (or pointer) on a display screen of a computer system unless an operator (or user) operates key board. In recent years, however, cursor control has been connected to a serial port of the computer system, thereby making it possible to move the cursor more freely than the key board.
As an example of one of such cursor controllers, there is known a so called mouse having an outside dimension as large as the palm of the hand and having a ball rotatably provided therewithin. In operation, the human being holds the mouse by the hand to move it on a desk, whereby the ball rotates. Rotation of the ball is detected by an optical encoder. This optical encoder detects rotation of the ball to thereby form position information for moving the cursor and distance information indicating the distance to deliver the information to the computer system through the serial port. The computer system gives an indication to move the cursor on the display screen on the basis of the position information and the distance information delivered from the optical encoder to display picture data corresponding thereto.
As another cursor controller, a so called tablet is known. In the case of the tablet, an operator moves a stay write pen on a dedicated board comprised of an optical grid to thereby count signals indicating the number of crossing times of the optical grid to detect the direction and the position to deliver respective detection information thus obtained to the computer system. The computer system gives an indication to move the cursor on the display screen on the basis of the respective detection information.
Further, in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 120424/1985 (Tokkaisho No. 60-120424), there is disclosed a position detecting apparatus in which a plurality of marks disposed equidistantly from each other are painted on the spherical surface of a sphere provided at one end of a tubular case and light is irradiated onto these marks and rays of reflected light are detected by using an optical detector, thus position information and distance information are outputted
However, since the mouse has dimensions as large as the palm of the hand of a human being, and an operator is therefore required to hold the mouse in a manner to cover it from above when in use, movement of the hand in a manner different from that when the operator usually holds the mouse is required for inputting characters or graphics to the computer system, resulting in the problem that the operability is poor.
Further, the tablet requires a dedicated board that is paired with the stay write pen, resulting in the problem that movement of the stay write pen is limited also by the dimensions of the board.
In addition, the position detecting apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 120424/1985 (Tokkaisho No. 60-120424) is compact as compared to the mouse, and does not require a dedicated board which was required for the tablet. However, since predetermined marks are painted on the spherical surface of the sphere, there is the problem in durability that those marks are peeled away when such position detecting apparatus is used for long time. Further, in order to allow the human being to use the position detector in the same manner as in the case where the human being ordinarily uses the pen, it is necessary to reduce the shape itself approximately to that of a so called ball-point pen. Followed by this, it is necessary to reduce the dimension of the sphere to approximately several mm. For this reason, it becomes difficult to precisely paint marks on the sphere itself, thus disadvantageously failing to precisely carry out position detection.


Preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to polymeric medical devices, such as stents. More particularly, the compositions disclosed herein comprise halogen-containing phenol moeities, that may be used for medical devices and other uses whereby bioresorbable and radiopaque and physicomechanical properties are desired.

1. Field of the Invention
Preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to inherently radiopaque bioresorbable polymers for use in fabricating medical devices, such as stents. More particularly, the polymeric compositions comprise halogen-containing phenol moieties.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medical devices comprised of metal or polymer are used for numerous clinical applications every day. Metal medical devices are generally radiopaque due to the nature of the material whereas polymer medical devices are generally not naturally radiopaque. Hence, there remains a need for additional radiopaque bioresorbable polymeric formulations for use in devices that provide the advantage of radiopacity for a variety of medical procedures. A prime example of such a device includes vascular stents which are described below.
Vascular stents are used widely in a variety of applications, including, especially, in the treatment of heart disease. It has been reported that in 1998, about 61 million Americans had some form of heart disease, which since about 1990 has been the single leading cause of death in the United States. One type of heart disease, coronary artery disease (CAD), is characterized, at least in part, by the inhibition of blood flow through the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle due to the buildup of plaque (arteriosclerosis) in the arteries. CAD is suspected to account for 1 out of every 5 deaths that occur in the U.S.A. In 2001, about 1.1 million people had a new or recurrent myocardial infarction (heart attack due to coronary arterial disease). See, for example, Report by the American Heart Association, "Heart and Stroke Statistical Update", 2001, American Heart Association, Dallas, Tex. Currently more than 500,000 Americans are treated annually for blocked coronary arteries. This number is expected to double over the next 10 years in light of the aging population.
Vascular stents generally comprise a mesh tube, which is inserted into an artery to keep the artery open after it has been stretched with a balloon during the course of an angioplasty procedure. Typically, the vascular stent is mounted on a balloon catheter that is inserted via the femoral artery and pushed to the desired location in the coronary artery. There, the balloon is inflated, thus expanding the stent and pressing it against the vessel wall to lock it in place.
Most stents are constructed from metal, including, for example, stainless steel or nitinol. While such metal stents possess certain desirable characteristics, such as sufficient radial strength to hold open a subject artery and radio-opacity (allowing an implanted stent to be seen and monitored by X-ray radiography/fluoroscopy), metal stents also exhibit a number of significant disadvantages. For example, the insertion and expansion of a metal stent in an artery tends to further injure the diseased vessel, potentially leading to the development of intimal hyperplasia and further occlusion of the vessel by the resulting in-growth of smooth muscle cells and matrix proteins through the stent struts. Another disadvantage associated with use of metal stents is that once deployed, they become permanent residents within the vessel walls—long after their usefulness has passed. Indeed, the useful lifespan of a stent is estimated to be in the range of about 6 to 9 months. After this time, the chronic stresses and strains imposed on the vessel architecture by the permanent metal implants are believed to promote in-stent restenosis. Another disadvantage associated with the use of metal stents is that the placement of multiple permanent metal stents within a vessel may be a barrier to subsequent surgical bypass. Further, the deployment of a first metal stent may become a physical hurdle to the later delivery of a second stent at a distal site within the same vessel. In contrast to a metal stent, a bioresorbable stent may not outlive its usefulness within the vessel. Moreover, a bioresorbable stent may be used to deliver a greater dose of a therapeutic, as a drug and/or biological agent could be coated on the stent as well as embedded in the device itself. Further, such a stent could deliver multiple drugs and/or biological agents, at the same time or at various times of its life cycle, to treat specific aspects or events of vascular disease. Additionally, a bioresorbable stent may also allow for repeat treatment of the same approximate region of the blood vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,477 ("the '477 patent") teaches medical devices formed from radiopaque biocompatible polymers with hydrolytically unstable polymer backbones and pendant free carboxylic acid groups that promote polymer degradation and resorption; incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Not only are many of the disclosed polymers less than ideal for use in stents, the polymers with free carboxylic acid groups are prepared from monomers with benzyl-protected free acid moieties that are selectively removed from the polymer via hydrogenolysis in the presence of a palladium catalyst and hydrogen. While such a method is effective for removing the benzyl protecting groups with little or no cleaving of the polymer backbone, the palladium catalyst used therein is relatively expensive, and traces of palladium are difficult to remove from the polymer product.
Some of the aforementioned deficiencies of the '477 patent have been addressed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/176,638, filed Jul. 7, 2005, and Ser. No. 10/952,274, filed Sep. 27, 2004, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. However, there remains a need for additional radiopaque bioresorbable polymeric formulations that provide advantageous physicochemical properties adapted for use in fabricating a variety of implantable medical devices.
Reference: Hutmacher D W, Sittinger M, Risbud M V. Scaffold-based tissue engineering: rationale for computer-aided design and solid free-form fabrication systems. Trends Biotechnol. 2004 July; 22(7):354-62.

Inherently radiopaque bioresorbable polymers for multiple uses


A condensation management apparatus comprises a microstructured film arranged to condense water vapor on an underside of a substantially horizontal surface. The film comprises channels disposed at least on a first major surface and configured to support capillary movement of condensate. The channels have a channel axis substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the film. A capillary siphon structure of the film comprises a fold in the film, a condensate collection region proximate the fold, and a siphon region between the fold and a condensate release location of the film. At least a portion of a second major surface is attached to the underside of the substantially horizontal surface such that longitudinal openings of the channels of the condensate collection region are oriented towards a direction of gravity and the condensate release location is positioned lower along the direction of gravity than the condensate collection region.

Water condensation can be problematic in the operation of manufacturing and processing plants. Approximately 70 percent of food production in the United States passes through or is dependent on a cold chain, where food product or ingredients are refrigerated or frozen using a refrigeration system. A conveyor system is typically used to transport product into and out of the refrigeration system. Cooled surfaces near the entrance and exit of the refrigeration system produce condensation, which can drip onto the product if not properly managed. This condensation poses both a food quality and food safety risk. Persistent moisture can lead to the proliferation of microorganisms. The presence of microorganisms in product can decrease shelf life or cause foodborne illness. Excess moisture in certain dry products, for example bread, creates a quality issue where condensate droplets contact the product. For these reasons, it is desirable to prevent condensation formed above the entrance and exit of a refrigeration system from contacting product transported by a conveyor system.
Current mitigation solutions include manual and mechanical interventions to prevent condensation that is continuously formed above the entrance and exit of a refrigeration system from contacting product on the conveyor system. Manual approaches entail monitoring condensation build-up above the entrance and exit and periodically removing accumulated condensation by wiping or drying the surface. Because of the risk of releasing condensation during wiping or drying, production must be stopped while this procedure is being performed, leading to a loss in productivity.
An example of a current mechanical solution involves installation of air curtains above the entrance and exit of a refrigeration system. The air curtains are designed to minimize mixing of room air with internal air of the cooled chamber. Air curtains incur additional expense and expertise to both install and operate. The high velocity of air required may also disturb or alter product moving through the air curtain. A simpler mechanical intervention involves installation of a sliding panel at the front of the opening to minimize the area of the gap where air exchange occurs. The panel height is adjusted to be slightly above the height of the incoming product. While this can reduce the volume of air mixing at the opening, cold air contacts the back side of the sliding panel causing condensation to form on both the front and back sides and in the niches formed where the sliding panel is affixed. These niches are difficult to access and require frequent disassembly to ensure adequate cleaning and sanitation of the surfaces.

Managing condensation with fluid control film apparatus


The present invention provides a high-resolution Micro-OLED display module and a manufacturing method thereof. The method for manufacturing the high-resolution Micro-OLED comprises: S1, providing a substrate, and manufacturing light-emitting pixel units on the substrate; S2, encapsulating the light-emitting pixel units by a film encapsulation technique, and forming a film encapsulation layer; S3, manufacturing sub-pixel units on the surface of the film encapsulation layer, and depositing a metal reflective layer between two sub-pixel units which are adjacent to each other; S4, manufacturing a metal oxide layer on the surfaces of the metal reflective layer and the sub-pixel units by a deposition technique, to obtain a high-resolution Micro-OLED matrix; and S5, using a cover plate to encapsulate the high-resolution Micro-OLED matrix produced in step S4, to finish the manufacturing of a high-resolution Micro-OLED.

Compared with a CTR (Cathode Ray Tube) display or a TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display), an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display has the characteristics of lighter and thinner appearance design, wider viewing angles, faster response speed and lower power consumption, therefore, as the next-generation display device, the OLED display has gradually attracted more attentions.
In the prior art, an OLED display includes a Micro-OLED device, and the common Micro-OLED devices are affected by precision of an FFM (Fine Metal Mask) technology, such that PPI (Pixels Per Inch) of the Micro-OLED can only reach about 800, and the requirements of a higher PPI cannot be satisfied.
Meanwhile, at present, the full colorization of a Micro-OLED display device is realized by combining a white light OLED with a CF (Color Filter) layer, and a semiconductor photoengraving process is utilized to ensure high refinement of the CF layer, thereby improving resolution of a Micro-OLED display device; however, in the practical application process, since the light transmittance of a CF layer is lower than 30%, optical loss is easily caused to the Micro-OLED in a display process, such that the maximum brightness of the Micro-OLED display device is low; in addition, since the CF layer has a high requirement on counterpoint alignment precision, a shift in alignment between the CF layer and the white light OLED will lead to cross color of emitting lights of a Micro-OLED display device, thereby limiting further improvement of PPI of a Micro-OLED display device.
In view of this, the existing Micro-OLED display module and its manufacturing method actually need to be improved, to solve the above problems.

High-resolution Micro-OLED display module and manufacturing method thereof

SUZHOU QINGYUE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD


Methods and apparatus for assembly of extensible composite webs and web sausages, and personal care articles manufactured from such webs. The invention comprises fabricating a resiliently extensible web by bringing together and securing to each other as discrete elements, intervening web substrate elements between resiliently stretchable elastic elements. Securement between elastic elements and web substrate elements is defined by alternating zones of securement and non-securement along a length of the web substrate. The invention comprises deactivating elastic elements in the non-securement zones thereby to retract elastic strands in the non-securement zones without retracting the corresponding web or webs in such non-securement zones, and correspondingly, to distinguish the securement zones as relatively more resiliently stretchable and the non-securement zones as relatively less resiliently stretchable. The invention further comprises applying, to the relatively non-stretchable non-securement zones, fastener material extending generally between adjacent ones of the relatively more resiliently stretchable securement zones.

This invention relates to manufacture of, e.g. absorbent, personal care articles, especially to methods and apparatus for assembly of multiple component extensible webs, and personal care articles manufactured from such webs. More specifically, this invention relates to methods and apparatus for assembly of webs, preferably extensible webs, and personal care articles manufactured therefrom wherein the methods and apparatus of the invention diminish inefficient attributes of methods associated with conventional processes for manufacturing personal care articles. While embodiments of the present invention are described herein in terms of personal care articles such as pull-on pants or adult incontinence briefs, the invention includes, and is equally applicable to, infant diapers, training pants, and like personal care articles.
In conventional methods for fabricating personal care absorbent articles, it is known to build workpieces on a uniform, continuous web or webs as the web or webs advance through a series of work stations on a manufacturing line, wherein each work station effects a modification to a web or workpiece element, such as cuts or additions of absorbent article components to such web, webs, or workpiece element. Individual workpieces are then severed from the uniform continuous web or webs to form individual absorbent personal care articles or article blanks. In such conventional methods for fabricating personal care articles, ancillary components, such as fastener tabs and fastening areas or landing zones, are affixed to such articles or article blanks either at the work stations of such manufacturing line or at a subsequent stage in the manufacturing process after separation of such articles or article blanks from the web or webs.
A need exists for improved methods for production of personal care absorbent articles wherein the methods are effective to reduce material waste and to improve time efficiency of the manufacturing process as well as to reduce financial waste inevitably associated with time inefficiency of such manufacturing process. A need exists for improved methods for production of personal care absorbent articles wherein the methods are effective to attenuate material waste and time inefficiency associated with conventional manufacturing processes as well as to reduce the financial burden associated with such inefficiencies and waste.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide improved methods for production of personal care absorbent articles which implement a more "manufacture-friendly" extensible web as a base structure from which to assemble personal care absorbent articles, enabling a manufacturer to assemble such articles while employing relatively fewer work stations on the manufacturing line, compared to conventional methods, thus reducing production time.
It is another object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods which include fabricating a web of indefinite length by adding alternating workpieces and intervening elements to the web segment so as to develop a self-supporting web of indefinite length, wherein support of such self-supporting web along the indefinite length of such web is primarily defined by the alternating workpieces and intervening elements making up the web.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods including defining, in the workpieces, mechanical fasteners effective to engage the intervening elements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods wherein the releasable attachment of the workpieces to the intervening elements comprises the only attachment between the workpieces and the intervening elements.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide improved manufacturing methods which reduce the relative quantity of raw material which is wasted in the manufacturing of personal care-type articles.


The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing 0 degree light and 180 degree phase shifted light having substantially equal intensities as both lights exit an alternating phase shift reticle. A material is inserted within the etched portion of the 180 degree phase shift channel of a reticle, wherein the material contains an index of refraction such that the first order light (+1, xe2x88x921) is propagated through the 180 degree channel. The end result is a 180 degree phase shifted light having an intensity substantially equal to that of the 0 degree light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, it relates to an improved reticle design for ensuring that both the 0 degree light and the 180 degree light passing through an alternating phase shift mask are of approximately equal amplitude.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lithography processing is a required technology when manufacturing conventional integrated circuits (IC""s). Many different lithography techniques exist and all lithography techniques are used for the purpose of defining geometries, features, lines or shapes onto an IC die or wafer. In general, a radiation sensitive material, such as photoresist, is coated over a top surface of a die or wafer and is patterned using lithography techniques to selectively permit the formation of the desired geometries, features, lines, or shapes.
One known method of lithography is optical lithography. The typical optical lithography process generally begins with the formation of a photoresist layer on the top surface of a semiconductor wafer. A mask typically of quartz and having fully light non-transmissive opaque regions, which are usually formed of chrome, and fully light transmissive clear regions (non-chromed) is then positioned over the aforementioned photoresist coated wafer. Light is directed onto the mask via a visible light source or an ultra-violet light source. This light passes through the clear regions of the mask and exposes the underlying photoresist layer, and is blocked by the opaque regions of the mask, leaving that underlying portion of the photoresist layer unexposed. The exposed photoresist layer is then developed, typically through chemical removal of the exposed/non-exposed (depending on whether the photoresist is positive or negative photoresist) regions of the photoresist layer. The end result is a semiconductor wafer coated with a photoresist layer exhibiting a desired pattern. This pattern can then be used for etching underlying regions of the wafer.
In recent years, there has been great demand to increase the number of transistors on a given wafer area. Meeting this demand has meant that IC designers have had to design circuits with smaller minimum dimensions. However, it was found that the traditional optical lithography process placed real limits on the minimum realizable dimension due to diffraction effects. That is, light shining onto the mask is modified as it passes through the mask and therefore the desired photoresist pattern differed somewhat from the pattern actually achieved. In particular, as the minimum dimension approaches 0.1 microns, traditional optical lithography techniques will not work very effectively.
One technique that has been used to realize smaller minimum device dimensions is called phase shifting. In phase shifting, the destructive interference caused by two adjacent clear areas in an optical lithography mask is used to create an unexposed area on the photoresist layer. This is accomplished by making use of the fact that light passing through the clear regions of a mask exhibits a wave characteristic such that the phase of the amplitude of the light exiting from the mask material is a function of the distance the light travels in the mask material. This distance is equal to the thickness of the mask material. By placing two clear areas adjacent to each of other on a mask, one of thickness t1 and the other of thickness t2, one can obtain a desired unexposed area on the photoresist layer through interference. By making the thickness t2 such that (nxe2x88x921)(t2) is exactly equal to xc2xd xcex, where xcex is the wavelength of the exposure light, and n is the refractive index of the material of thickness t1, the amplitude of the light exiting the material of thickness t2 will be 180 degrees out of phase with the light exiting the material of thickness t1.
Since the photoresist material is responsive to the intensity of the light, and the opposite phases of light cancel where they overlap, a dark unexposed area will be formed on the photoresist layer at the point where the two clear regions of differing thicknesses are adjacent. Phase shifting masks are well known and have been employed with various configurations. The configuration described above is known as an alternating phase shift mask (APSM). APSMs have been shown to achieve dimension resolution of 0.25 microns and below.
Referring to FIG. 1, a standard reticle design 100 for an alternating phase shift mask is depicted. The reticle contains a light transmissive region 104 (e.g., quartz) and light non-transmissive regions 102 (e.g., chrome). The reticle 100 also contains a 0 degree channel 116 and a 180 degree phase shift channel 114. As described above, the 180 degree phase shift channel 114 is created by forming an etched portion 112 in the light transmissive region 104 such that the distance traveled within the reticle 100 is shorter for light rays 106 than for light rays 108, where the light rays 106, 108 are provided by illumination source 110.
As described above in connection with alternating phase shift masks, the difference in the distance traveled by light rays 106, 106 through light transmissive region 104 in combination with the refractive index of the light transmissive region 104 and the wavelength of the light rays 106, 108 are calculated such that the amplitude of the light rays 106 exiting the reticle 100 are 180 degrees out of phase with the light rays 108 exiting the reticle 100.
While APSMs have been used with a great degree of success, they still have some drawbacks. For instance, currently, the amplitude of the 0 degree and the 180 degree phase shifted intensities exiting an alternating phase shift mask are not equal. For example, FIG. 2 depicts image intensity for both 0 degree light and 180 degree phase shifted light. It is clear from the graphical representation that the intensity of the 180 degree phase shifted light is substantially less (e.g., approximately 19% less) than the 0 degree light. The reason for this discrepancy is that the first order of diffracted light (designated +1 and xe2x88x921) traveling through the 180 degree phase shift channel 114 does not completely pass through the reticle 100 because it is prevented from doing so by the light non-transmissive regions 102 (e.g., the chrome regions). Since the intensities of the 0 degree and 180 degree phase shifted light rays are not equal, the above-described process of canceling out opposite polarities of light is not optimized. As a result, the unexposed areas of the photoresist where the two light rays overlap are poorly defined, thereby inhibiting optimal IC designs. Thus, a method and apparatus for producing 0 degree light and 180 degree phase shifted light having substantially equal intensities as that light exits an alternating phase shifted mask is desirable.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing 0 degree light and 180 degree phase shifted light having substantially equal intensities as that light exits an alternating phase shifted mask. In the present invention, a material is inserted within the etched portion 112 of the 180 degree phase shift charnel 114 of a reticle 100, wherein the material contains an index of refraction such that the first order light (+1, xe2x88x921) is propagated through the 180 degree channel 114. The end result is a 180 degree phase shifted light having an intensity substantially equal to that of the 0 degree light.

Reticle design for alternating phase shift mask


Disclosed herein is a method of repairing a component. The method includes scanning a damaged area of the component, and preparing a repair plan in response to the scanning. The method may also include providing the repair plan to a guided tool having a position correcting controller, and removing damaged material from the component in preparation for a repair operation. An apparatus is also disclosed that includes a computing device configured for performing actions. The computing device includes a processor and a local memory. The actions include detecting damage to the component, recording position information of the detected damage, and incorporating the position information in the repair plan.

Vehicles, including air-borne vehicles, are frequently assembled by aligning different parts/panels on structures, potentially with other components. The parts, panels, or components may require an in-place repair. One method of repair includes using a hand-guided cutting tool to remove an area of a component and then patching the area. However, hand-guided tools are known to be imprecise and labor-intensive.

Apparatus and method for contoured-surface component repair


A pushbutton provides an operator with a replaceable cam ring that converts the operating mode of the operator from push-pull to twist-to-release.

The present invention relates generally to electrical pushbuttons and in particular, operators for pushbuttons that provide push-pull or twist-to-release modes of operation.
Electrical pushbuttons close or open electrical contacts in response to a pressing inward of a button or knob. Different pushbuttons may provide for different operating modes including: "momentary on", where the knob returns by spring action after it has been released, "on-off" where alternate pressings of the knob activate and deactivate the contacts, "push-pull," where pressing of the knob activates the contacts and the knob must be manually pulled to deactivate the contacts, and "twist to release," where the knob remains in when pressed until it is twisted whereupon a spring causes the knob to return. Different pushbuttons may also provide for different electrical characteristics including different numbers of contacts and whether those contacts are normally open or normally closed.
For reasons of manufacturing efficiency and inventory management, it is known in the art to provide pushbuttons that may be assembled from modular contact blocks and operators. A contact block may include a normally open or normally closed contact and the operator may include the mechanism defining the operating mode of the pushbutton. Different operators may be assembled to one or more different or identical contact blocks to provide a wide variety of different types of pushbuttons.


A DC electric motor has a stack of laminations defining a rotor with at least two pairs of poles and an even number of slots at least equal to 8. The rotor also has a commutator with an even number of segments and a closed distributed rotor winding. The winding extends in the slots and is connected in a predetermined manner to the segments of the commutator. The rotor winding has a winding section of the lap type, connected to two consecutive segments of the commutator and, in series with this, a plurality of winding sections of the wave type. These winding sections all span an identical number of slots.

More specifically the subject of the invention is a DC motor of the type comprising a wound rotor with at least two pairs of poles, including a stack of laminations that defines an even number of slots, at least equal to 8, and associated with which are a commutator with an even number of segments and a closed distributed winding the wires of which extend in said slots and are connected in a predetermined manner to the segments of the commutator.
In prior art motors of this type, the winding of the rotor is typically of the lap type, or of the wave type.
The lap-type winding is generally preferred for low-voltage applications with high current intensities. This type of motor may be used, for example, as the motor of a radiator fan on a motor vehicle.
These types of motors entail the use of a large quantity of copper and of a high number of brushes and associated accessories in the brush-holder. Such a motor is therefore also relatively heavy.
Wave type windings have a limitation on the number of rotor teeth and commutator segments due to the winding sequence. The commutator pitch Yc must be equal to (C±1)/P where C is the number of segments and P is the number of pole pairs. For example, for a 4 pole motor having 18 segments, the equation gives Yc as (18±1)/2 or 17/2 or 19/2 which is not a whole number and thus can not be wound as a wave type winding.
However, a wave type winding can have certain benefits over a lap type winding in terms of weight and construction for motors with more than one pair of poles, e.g. 4 poles, 6 poles, 8 poles, etc.


Methods and apparatus are provided for temporarily occluding a body lumen. A method in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention includes introducing a tip of a catheter into the body lumen, the tip including a central longitudinal axis; expelling a thermosensitive polymer from the tip of the catheter into a portion of the body lumen, with at least a portion of the thermosensitive polymer being expelled from the tip in a direction generally radially outward from the central longitudinal axis to improve adherence of the thermosensitive polymer to a wall defining the body lumen; and at least partially withdrawing the tip from the body lumen and allowing the thermosensitive polymer to harden as it warms to body temperature to form a plug in the body lumen.

The present application relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to medical devices for temporarily occluding body lumens.
Medical devices are often used to facilitate the flow of material as, e.g., in a ureteral stent used for drainage of urine from the kidney to the bladder, or in a vascular graft used to maintain blood flow. However, there are times when it would be preferable to stop flow or occlude a lumen temporarily such as, e.g., to block blood flow until a clot has formed, to block a bodily fluid until a surgery is complete, to block a passageway to protect another part of the body, to block the urethra to prevent urinary leakage or bleeding, to block the fallopian tube or vas deferens to prevent conception, or to block a passageway to compartmentalize pressure or material to one part of the lumen and not another. In many of these cases occlusion is only needed temporarily.
Current occlusion devices, backstops or plugs are often difficult to place, difficult to maintain in position, can be potentially traumatic, and need removal physically to be temporary. Placement of a physical solid plug or similar device may not create sufficient obstruction of the body passageway depending on the nature of the occlusive device. For example, the occlusive device may be incorrectly sized and too small to create complete obstruction, and may be incorrectly shaped for complete occlusion, or be slightly permeable. An occlusive device placed in the fallopian tubes, e.g., might be too small to securely seal against the fallopian tube walls or might be formed of a screen like structure and thus be slightly permeable. It might create an obstruction sufficient to prevent the passage of an egg past the occlusive device, but might in fact be dangerous if sperm, a much smaller cell than the egg, is able to pass the obstruction and fertilize the egg upstream of the obstruction, creating an ectopic pregnancy.
Placement of an occlusive device with a predefined shape may not conform to the lumen, resulting in incomplete obstruction. For example, ureters are not cylindrical, but have irregular cross-sections with multiple folds. A tubular or spherical device, even one that expands may not occlude these folds. Additionally, even if the occlusive device is shaped to fill the entire lumen, fallopian tubes tend to recannalize around an obstruction. Similarly, ureters and vascular lumen can dilate around the occlusive device and thereby resist obstruction.
One method addresses this problem by enhancing tissue ingrowth into the device. However, this may not be practical if the occlusion is to be temporary. Another method is to externally apply pressure to the intended area. For example, in vascular lumens, this method attempts to block flow from the vein or artery until the natural clotting process is complete. Pressure may be manually applied with, e.g., a staple, clip, or clamp. However, this method may damage internal or external tissue and is only viable if access to the lumen is available externally.
Another method addresses temporarily occluding a lumen by using a balloon. Balloons can withstand high pressure. It may be difficult to control the pressure, which can result in overpressurizing or overdilating the balloon, leading to injured tissue. For example, the inflated arterio balloon dilates the artery, potentially injuring the intima, which can lead to thickening and narrowing of the artery.
For patients with urinary fistulas, diversion of urine is performed by a percutaneous transrenal approach with ureteral occlusion. Ureteral occlusion previously was obtained by detachable and non detachable balloons, but migration as well as deflation of the balloons occurred relatively frequently, leading to recurrence of the urine leakage. A silicone ureteral occluder was developed and used with only limited success because of device migration and incomplete ureteral occlusion. It appears that the best results have been accomplished with Gianturco coils and Gelfoam embolization. Even with multiple coil placements, together with Gelfoam plugs, the ureteral occlusion is sometimes achieved for only weeks or months, and was attributed mostly to the induced urothelial hyperplasia. Coil migration was frequently encountered. The lack of an appropriate self-anchoring mechanism results in coil migration, which eventually deteriorates the occlusive effect.
Another method of internally occluding blood vessels is a "T" shaped device with a bulbous tip placed at either end of the "T." These devices are manufactured from silicon rubber. The bulbous tips of the device are inserted into each of the two parts of the vessel. The bulbous tips have to be correctly sized to effectively occlude the blood vessel. In clinical practice, these devices reduce bleeding at the arteriotomy, but do not stop bleeding.
Percutaneous occlusion techniques have become important tools in minimally invasive management of a wide range of pathological conditions. Use of permanent mechanical occlusion devices, such as coil embolization, has been shown equivalent to that of surgical ligation. The Gianturco-Wallace stainless steel coil (Cook Inc., Bloomington, Ind.) has been a widely used permanent, expandable intravascular occlusion device for transcatheter delivery. The coil and other mechanical occlusion devices have a number of drawbacks, the largest one being that they are typically permanent or implanted, which is undesirable for certain applications.
Other temporary backstops, such as the NTrap (Cook Urological) or Stone Cone (Boston Scientific), are designed to allow certain size fragments to pass through in the ureter. However, in addition to these devices not fully occluding (which may be desirable in certain clinical circumstances), these devices need to be restrained by a wire, tether or the like for retrieval. The restraint may get in the way of other procedures such as laser lithotripsy. The restraint may become detached and additional procedures may be required to retrieve the unconstrained segment of the backstop.
Other device occlusion concerns in body lumens are high flow conditions. A coil anchoring system has been devised for vascular application, however often rendering the system non-repositionable or removable. Additional concerns with existing occlusion devices are the need for specialized equipment, the time required for installation and the complexity of the procedure, all resulting in greater cost to the patient.

Methods and apparatus for temporarily occluding body openings