A method of separating a plate-like workpiece held by adhesion on an elastic adhesive pad from the pad. The elastic adhesive pad has innumerable pores in its surface and generates adhesive force when negative pressure is produced by the pores, after being crushed, by restoration force generated by elasticity and adhesion. The method includes the step of heating the elastic adhesive pad at a predetermined temperature to separate the plate-like workpiece from the elastic adhesive pad by air expanding in the pores.

The present invention relates to a method of separating a plate-like workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer that is held by adhesive on an elastic adhesive pad, from the elastic adhesive pad which has innumerable pores formed in the surface and generates adhesive force when negative pressure is produced by the pores crushed by restoration force generated by elasticity and adhesion.
In the production process of a semiconductor device, a circuit such as an IC or LSI is formed in a large number of areas arranged in a lattice form on the surface of a substantially disk-like semiconductor wafer and each area having the circuit formed therein is diced along predetermined cutting lines to produce a semiconductor chip. To improve the heat radiation property of the semiconductor chip, the thickness of the semiconductor chip is desirably made as small as possible. To enable the downsizing of portable telephones, smart cards, personal computers and the like in which a large number of semiconductor chips are used, the semiconductor chip is desirably formed as thin as possible. To this end, before the semiconductor wafer is divided into chips, the back side of the semiconductor wafer is ground to a predetermined thickness. As a technology capable of further reducing the thickness of the semiconductor chip to be divided, there has also been developed a processing method so-called xe2x80x9cpre-dicingxe2x80x9d which comprises forming dicing grooves having a predetermined depth in the surface of the semiconductor wafer before the grinding of the back side of the semiconductor wafer, and grinding the back side of the semiconductor wafer until the dicing grooves are exposed to divide the semiconductor wafer into semiconductor chips.
The semiconductor wafer or semiconductor chips formed thin as described above are easily broken due to reduced rigidity and hence, considerable care must be taken in handling them in the processing step. The applicant has proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Applications 25881/2000 and 158334/2000 (JP-A 2000-25881 and JP-A 2000-158334) a tray comprising an elastic adhesive pad with innumerable pores in the surface for adhesive-holding a plate-like workpiece, making use of negative pressure produced when the pores are crushed by restoration force generated by elasticity and adhesion, in order to enable a thin plate-like workpiece having low rigidity to be carried easily.
When the plate-like workpiece held by adhesion on the tray comprising an elastic adhesive pad is to be separated from the elastic adhesive pad after it has been carried to the predetermined processing step, negative pressure in the pores formed in the surface of the elastic adhesive pad is reduced by supplying air to the elastic adhesive pad, whereby the plate-like workpiece is separated from the elastic adhesive pad. However, in the above method of supplying air to the elastic adhesive pad, it is difficult to supply air to all the pores formed innumerably in the surface of the elastic adhesive pad and considerable suction force may often remain in the elastic adhesive pad. In this case, when the plate-like workpiece is very thin and has low rigidity like a semiconductor wafer or semiconductor chip, it is liable to suffer damage at the time of separation from the elastic adhesive pad.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of separating a plate-like workpiece held by adhesion on an elastic adhesive pad, which is capable of separating a plate-like workpiece held by adhesion on an elastic adhesive pad easily.
To attain the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of separating a plate-like workpiece held by adhesion on an elastic adhesive pad from the elastic adhesive pad that has innumerable pores in the surface and generates adhesive force when negative pressure is produced by the pores crushed by restoration force generated by elasticity and adhesion, which comprises the step of separating the plate-like workpiece from the elastic adhesive pad in a state of air in the pores being expanded by heating the elastic adhesive pad at a predetermined temperature.
The above elastic adhesive pad is mounted on a substrate and the substrate is placed on a heating table to heat the elastic adhesive pad via the substrate. Alternatively, the above elastic adhesive pad is mounted on the substrate, and the substrate is provided with a heating element to heat the elastic adhesive pad by heat generated by the heating element. Further alternatively, either one of a hot gas, hot liquid and infrared radiation is supplied to the above elastic adhesive pad to heat the elastic adhesive pad. The heating temperature of the elastic adhesive pad is desirably 40xc2x0 C. to 60xc2x0 C.

Method of separating a plate-like workpiece held by adhesion on an elastic adsorption pad


A process sequence for fabricating a buried stack capacitor structure, to be used as a component in a memory cell such as a one transistor SRAM cell, has been developed. The process features formation of a self-aligned opening used to accommodate a subsequent buried stack capacitor structure, with the self-aligned opening defined via selective dry and wet etch procedures, employed to avoid damage to regions of a semiconductor substrate which become exposed at the conclusion of the definition procedure. In addition the process sequence allows a smooth, top surface topography to be present during definition of a polysilicon storage node structure in the self-aligned opening, allowing unwanted portions of polysilicon to be easily removed, reducing the risk of polysilicon stringers.

xe2x80x9cA Novel Method of Defining A Buried Stack Capacitor Structure For A One Transistor SRAM Cellxe2x80x9d, by W. C. Chen et al, of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, filed on Dec. 12, 2001, Ser. No. 10/020,753, U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,226 assigned to a common assignee.
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods used to fabricate semiconductor devices, and more specifically to a method used to form a buried stack capacitor structure for a static random access memory (SRAM), cell.
(2) Description of Prior Art
SRAM cells have in the past been fabricated using six transistors, usually comprised of four N channel, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), devices, and of two P channel MOSFET devices. However to reduce processing costs the semiconductor industry has been attempting to fabricate smaller chips, allowing a greater number of smaller semiconductor chips to be obtained from a specific size starting substrate thus reducing the processing cost of a specific semiconductor chip. The smaller semiconductor chips are designed to offer device densities equal to, or greater than counterpart larger semiconductor chips. However the use of smaller chips for SRAM technology create problems when attempting to place six transistors on the smaller semiconductor chip. Therefore SRAM designs have focused on pseudo type, or a one transistor, 1 T SRAM cell, comprised with a single metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) device, and a single capacitor structure. This configuration, featuring a single transistor and a single capacitor structure, provides the same function as the six transistor design, however requiring less space and thus fulfilling the objective of constructing smaller semiconductor chips.
This invention will describe a novel process sequence in which the 1 T SRAM cell is fabricated using a buried stacked capacitor structure, with the buried stacked capacitor structure option requiring less space than a counterpart trench type, or a stacked type capacitor structure. In addition the integrated process described in this invention will feature unique process sequences targeted at eliminating silicon damage, and eliminating polysilicon stringer formation, which can occur during buried stack capacitor fabrication. Prior art such as Arnold, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,210, as well as Huang, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,726, describe processes for integrating the fabrication of capacitor structures in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells. However those prior arts do not describe the novel process features highlighted in this present invention directed at the fabrication of a buried stack capacitor structure, as an component of a 1 T SRAM cell, featuring process sequences designed to eliminate silicon damage and polysilicon stringers which can occur during the integrated process sequence.
It is an object of this invention to fabricate a buried stack capacitor structure for use in memory cells, such as a static random access memory (SRAM), cell.
It is another object of this invention to define a self-aligned opening for the buried stacked capacitor structure, via use of selective dry etching, and selective wet etching procedures, with the selective etch procedure preventing damage to regions of the semiconductor substrate exposed at the conclusion of the self-aligned opening.
It is still another object of this invention to form an implanted well region for logic applications early in process sequence, after formation of a shallow trench isolation region and after a subsequently formed sacrificial silicon dioxide layer, to avoid damage to capacitor dielectric layer which can occur if well implant procedure is performed after capacitor formation.
It is still yet another object of this invention to use a disposable silicon oxide layer, and a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) procedure for planarization purposes, allowing definition of a storage node structure, obtained via deposition of, and patterning of a polysilicon layer, to be accomplished without forming polysilicon stringers between the subsequent capacitor structure and adjacent devices.
In accordance with the present invention a method of fabricating a buried stack capacitor structure is described. After formation of silicon oxide filled, STI regions in a semiconductor substrate, a silicon dioxide pad layer is grown on regions of the semiconductor substrate not occupied by the STI regions. A well region, needed for logic applications, is formed in areas of the semiconductor substrate not occupied to the STI regions. A silicon nitride layer, and a silicon oxide layer are then deposited followed by a planarizing CMP procedure, exposing silicon nitride only on the top surface of the STI regions. Selective removal of the exposed portions of silicon nitride result in a planarized top surface featuring composite insulator regions comprised of silicon oxide-silicon nitride-silicon dioxide, located between STI regions. Photolithographic and selective dry etching procedures are used to define an initial self-aligned opening via removal an unprotected top portion of silicon oxide in the STI region, and via selective removal of an unprotected portion of the silicon oxide component of the composite insulator region, located adjacent to the STI region, resulting in exposure of a portion of the silicon nitride component of the composite insulator region. After removal of the masking photoresist shape selective etching procedures are used to remove the portions of silicon nitride and portions of the silicon dioxide pad layer, not covered by a silicon oxide shape which was defined during the initial self aligned opening, resulting in definition of a final self-aligned opening for a buried stack capacitor structure. The portion of the semiconductor substrate exposed in the buried stack capacitor opening, located adjacent to the partially etched STI region, was not damaged as a result of the selective etching procedures used for definition of the final self-aligned opening. After deposition of a first polysilicon layer a photoresist shape is formed in the final self-aligned, buried stack capacitor opening, protecting regions of first polysilicon layer from a CMP procedure used to remove portions of first polysilicon layer from the planarized top surface of the composite insulator region located between STI shapes, the region in which subsequent devices will be formed in, resulting in the definition of the storage node structure of the buried stack capacitor structure. Formation of a capacitor dielectric layer and deposition of a second polysilicon layer, is followed by a patterning procedure applied to the second polysilicon layer, and to the capacitor dielectric layer, resulting in a buried stack capacitor structure, in the final self-aligned opening, comprised of a top plate formed from second polysilicon layer, a capacitor dielectric layer, and the storage node structure defined from first polysilicon layer. The silicon dioxide pad layer protected portions of the underlying semiconductor substrate located between STI regions, from the final capacitor definition procedure.

Integrated process sequence allowing elimination of polysilicon residue and silicon damage during the fabrication of a buried stack capacitor structure in a SRAM cell

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company


A tubular connection is formed by a box member and a pin member, each of which has a tapered constant pitch thread. A profile defined by the thread of at least one of the pin member and the box member results in a pitch line that is a stepped pitch line. The stepped pitch line configuration may produce a wide radial band of substantive contact between the stab flanks of the pin member and box member upon full make-up of the connection.

The Oil & Gas upstream production industry drills wells of ever increasing depth and complexity to find and produce raw hydrocarbons. The industry routinely uses steel pipe (Oil Country Tubular Goods) to protect the borehole (casing) and to control the fluids produced therein (tubing). Casing and tubing are made and transported in relatively short lengths and installed in the borehole one length at a time.
One way to drill a borehole more efficiently is to conserve borehole diameter. The most straightforward way to achieve this is to minimize the diameter of the pipe connections. Two types of premium oilfield connections, namely integral flush joints and slim diameter high performance connections have been utilized for these purposes. The outer diameter of a flush joint connection is substantially the same as the outside diameter of the body of the pipe. In other words, the connection is contained within the wall thickness of the pipe body.
It would be desirable to provide slim diameter and flush-type connections, as well as other connections, with improved compression ratings. To better understand compressive strength in flush and slim-diameter connections, some terminology should be established. Threads include a raised portion, the ridge or tooth, that fits into the recessed thread groove. The threadform is defined by a root, crest, stab flank, and load flank, each of which is actually a helically extending surface. As exemplified by FIG. 1, a profile (i.e., 2-dimensions) of the threadform is defined by a cross-sectional plane extending radially outward from a central axis of the tubular member or thread and includes a repeating "sequence" of ridge segments 10a, 10b, 10c and groove segments 12a, 12b, 12c, each ridge segment defined by the stab flank 14, crest 16 and load flank 18, and each groove segment defined by the load flank 18, root 20 and stab flank 14. Each groove segment of the profile is formed by a respective axial segment of the helical groove of the three-dimensional thread and each ridge segment of the profile is formed by a respective axial segment of the helical ridge of the three-dimensional thread.
Any given threadform will have one and only one "pitch line," a term that is well known and understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of thread design. For example, ASME B1.7-2006 (entitled "Screw Threads: Nomenclature, Definitions, and Letter Symbols"), a well-known industry standard adopted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, defines the "pitch line" as the generator of the "pitch cone" for a tapered threadform. "Pitch cone" is defined in the same standard as "an imaginary cone of such apex angle and location of its vertex and axis that its surface would pass through a taper thread in such a manner as to make the axially measured widths of the thread ridge and thread groove equal." Thus, the "pitch line" is an imaginary line 22 on the threadform profile that intersects the stab flank and the load flank such that the axial width WR of the thread ridge equals the axial width WT of the thread groove.
As shown in FIG. 1, the pitch line has traditionally been understood to be a single straight line intersecting the load flanks and stab flanks at specified points. This is also reflected in the ASME standard, which explains that the pitch cone—the imaginary three-dimensional surface generated by rotating the pitch line about the central axis of the thread—"is located equidistant between the sharp major and minor cones of a given thread." As shown in FIG. 1, the major cone bounds the crest of an external thread taper, while the minor cone bounds the root. Thus, the pitch line has historically been understood not only to be a single straight line but also to be a single straight line located at the particular location shown in FIG. 1 and reflected in FIG. 44 of the ASME standard.
The load flank and the stab flank are traditionally angled to create clearances between the tooth and groove so the two members that comprise the thread can fit together initially and be assembled without damage. The stab flank angle as and load flank angle UL are taken as positive as illustrated in FIG. 1. The included angle a1 is the algebraic sum of the two angles.
Square threads have substantially no flank angle and therefore are desirable because they provide good tension and compression load transfer. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,110, square or near square threads may include at least one relieved surface on the stab flanks that extends from the crest to some point on the stab flank surface; i.e., a surface with a larger stab flank angle to create additional clearance for the load flanks during make-up of the connection. The larger angles(s) alleviate some of the large thread flank clearance concerns. The clearance between the load flanks is "transferred" to the stab flanks as the connection ends come in contact and further torque is applied. Further make-up of the connection may allow the stab flanks to come back in contact, but typically only creating a helical point or line of contact or substantive contact that is only able to absorb so much stress upon final make-up.
As described in the preferred embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,110, multiple angles (i.e., relieved surfaces) are used on the stab flank. In the "stabbed" position, i.e., as the male (or pin) of one connection is initially placed into the female (or box) of the mating connection, these surfaces enable the stab-flank of the pin thread to rest on the stab flank of the box thread while the load flanks have sufficient clearance to allow thread engagement as the pin is rotated to be "made-up," i.e., rotated towards the final, fully engaged position of the connection. Furthermore, the relieved surface(s) cause the threads to engage such that the clearance between the load flanks is reduced during make-up because certain of the surfaces acted as a cam or inclined plane to reduce the clearance in certain parts of the thread. However, it is connection engagement (i.e., interaction between parts of the connection other than the threads (such as a metal seal)) that actually halts the forward progress of the threaded connection and will causes the contact within the threaded portion of the connection to shift from the stab flank to the load flank. This same movement shifts the existing clearance from the load flank to the stab flank. Make-up is achieved as the threads are driven together by applied torque which rotates the pin member, forcing the pin load-flank to move relative to the box load-flank. The shape of the stab flanks are such that as the threads reach final position, i.e., full make-up, the pin and box threads make two-dimensional point contact at the pitch-line.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,110 the pitch line of the threadform is a straight line that produces a pitch cone when rotated about the center axis of the tubular member or thread. The pitch line is located equidistant between the root and crest along each of the stab flank and the load flank, which is standard for tubular connections. Controlled by tolerance limitations within the manufacturing process, the actual intersections of the pitch line on the stab flanks at full make-up may have a small clearance, surface contact, or a slight interference fit. However, the use of a threadform with a traditional straight pitch line is the only configuration shown in the '110 patent. This is shown by FIG. 5B of the '110 patent and the corresponding discussion at column 11, lines 41-56 (hereby incorporated by reference), which shows that pitch line 56 is a straight line, as generally understood in the art at the time. Such a configuration will limit the area of contact that can be created between the stab flanks of the pin and box members.

Tubular connection and associated threadform


The present invention relates to thermosetting resin compositions comprising (a) a first vinyl ester resin synthesized from the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, bisphenol A and glacial methacrylic acid, in from about 1% to about 95% by weight of the total composition; (b) a resin selected from the group consisting of (1) a second different vinyl ester synthesized from the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with glacial methacrylic acid, and (2) an unsaturated polyester, in from about 1% to about 69% by weight of the total composition; and electrical laminates made therefrom which further comprise a catalyst in from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of the total composition and which may or may not be clad with an electrical conductive layer on at least one side; and a method of producing these.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to thermosetting resin compositions with excellent electrical properties; electrical laminates made therefrom; and methods of producing these.
2. Technology Review
Electrical laminates such as circuit boards are produced by laminating sheets of electrical conducting material onto a base substrate of insulation material. The performance of the finished circuit board is effected by the electrical characteristics of the base substrate material.
Commercially available thermoset resin systems with acceptable electrical performance at high frequencies (>350 MHZ) are restricted in their applications due to high cost. The lower cost alternatives that are available do not perform satisfactorily at high frequencies due to unacceptable electrical properties, such as high dielectric constant (D.sub.k), high dissipation factor (D.sub.f), high variability of D.sub.k and D.sub.f with frequency, and consistency of D.sub.k and D.sub.f from lot to lot of production material.
Thermoplastic polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which have exceptional electrical performance at high frequencies are commercially available. The primary drawbacks associated with these materials are very high raw material costs and special processing considerations that add substantial cost to the final product. Because of the physical properties, very high laminating temperatures and pressures are also required to fabricate an electrical laminate from PTFE. Furthermore, due to the inability to "wet" PTFE, costly and hazardous chemicals are required to modify its surface during fabrication of the circuit.
A thermoset material would have much greater mechanical properties over a much broader temperature range. Additionally, since thermoset materials have better mechanical properties, this would allow the circuit board fabricator to use conventional cost effective processes.
A need exists for thermosetting resin compositions, and electrical laminates made therefrom, of low to moderate cost with acceptable electrical properties at frequencies up to at least 20 GHz. Such compositions would have great utility as circuit board substrates and the laminates made from these thermosetting resins can be utilized in many applications such as in the rapidly growing wireless communication market, in high speed computers, in high definition televisions, and in various other electrical and related applications.

Thermosetting resin compositions, electrical laminates obtained therefrom and process of producing these


Apparatus for carrying a spray can including an elongated support element, a receptacle for receiving the end of the spray can having a spray valve element and flexible arms for releasably retaining the spray can in position. The receptacle and the flexible arms are releasably attached at predetermined locations on the elongated support element by flexible lock elements.

Spray cans are frequently and commonly employed to mark locations at construction, building, and other sites. The spray paint may, for example, be utilized to mark utility locations or locations where a specific type of task is to be performed. A worker often has to have a spray can at his or her ready disposal throughout the day. This can present difficulties since an individual is normally performing a number of tasks at the job site. If a spray can is simply hand carried it can easily be misplaced.
Some workers have followed the practice of securing a spray can in a conventional tool belt or apron. This approach is not satisfactory because a cap must normally be used on the spray can to prevent its accidental actuation. When one wishes to use the spray can, not only must the can be removed from wherever it is being held but the cap must be removed as well. This is inconvenient and time consuming. The prospective user may only have one hand free because he or she may be carrying out tasks with the other. Also, spray caps are commonly accidentally dislodged from the spray cans, especially when the users are physically active as is virtually always the case in construction and building projects. When the protective caps are no longer in position, accidental actuation of spray can valve elements can, and does, occur.
Applicant is aware of a number of prior art devices which are utilized to carry a variety of articles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,247, issued May 16, 1989, discloses a belt-suspended holster for a caulking gun. The lower end of the holster is provided with a nose plate for receiving the applicator tip of the caulking gun. Clasps in the form of resilient arms are fixedly secured to the rest of the holster to engage the cylindrical outer surface of the caulking gun to maintain it in position. Likewise, the nose plate of the holster is fixed in place relative to the rest of the holster by fasteners such as rivets.
With the arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,247, the caulking gun may be manually be put into place or removed from the holster from only one direction, that is, from the front of the holster. Furthermore, the nose piece, being an integral and immovable part of the holster, cannot be employed to protect the tip of the caulking gun upon removal of the caulking gun from the holster. The holster of U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,247 is relatively complex and expensive.
Other prior art of which applicant is aware are the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 1,605,195, issued Nov. 2, 1926, U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,120, issued Jan. 25, 1972, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,611, issued Feb. 19, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,518, issued Sep. 11, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 969,524, issued Sep. 6, 1910, and Austrian Patent Document No. 181793, dated Apr. 25, 1955. The arrangements shown in this prior art are of even less pertinence to the present invention then that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,247, discussed at length above.


Disclosed herein is a method of more quickly heating the cabin air in a hybrid electric vehicle. In one aspect, when a switch is engaged, and a temperature sensor indicates that an ambient temperature is below a predetermined threshold, and an engine coolant temperature is below a predetermined threshold, the method allows for operation of the vehicle in a charge sustaining mode in order to increase the load on the engine and generate more heat for the cabin.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a type of a hybrid vehicle that has both an internal combustion engine, which produces driving power by burning fossil fuel, and an electric motor, which produces driving power using electric energy. A general hybrid vehicle converts the driving power of the combustion engine to charge a high-voltage battery, which supplies electric power to the electric motor. A plug-in hybrid vehicle has an additional device for receiving electric power by being directly connected to an external power source, and thus the high-voltage battery may be charged at energy stations, in addition to being charged by the conversion of the driving power produced by the combustion engine.
We have discovered that when an environment is extremely cold (for example, 20 degrees Fahrenheit or less), the warm-up time for the temperature of the cabin of a PHEV may be longer than desired. In certain cases, this may be due to the vehicle prioritizing a charge-depleting mode, in which the primary source of motive power is a battery and an electric motor.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle cold weather motive warm up strategy


The present invention is directed to substantially pure human Vpr Interacting Protein (hVIP), and fragments thereof. Also disclosed are isolated nucleic acid molecules that encode hVIP, or a fragment thereof; nucleic acid probes and primers directed to nucleic acid molecules that encode hVIP, or a fragment thereof; oligonucleotide molecules that consist of a nucleotide sequence complementary to a portion of the nucleotide sequence that encodes hVIP; vectors comprising nucleic acid molecules encoding hVIP; recombinant expression vectors that comprise nucleic acid sequences that encode hVIP; host cells that comprise recombinant expression vectors which include nucleic acid sequences that encode hVIP; genetic therapy vectors comprising nucleic acid molecules encoding hVIP; isolated antibody which binds to an epitope on hVIP; pharmaceutical compositions comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and nucleic acid molecules complementary to a portion of hVIP; methods of making hVIP; and methods of inhibiting expression of hVIP oligonucleotides complementary to a portion of the nucleotide sequence that encodes hVIP.

Relatively little regarding the function of the viral protein R (Vpr) has been reported since the demonstration that the small open reading frame within HIV-1 designated R encodes a 15 kd protein. Wong-Staal, et al., AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses, 1987, 3, 33-39. The vpr open reading frame is conserved within all genomes of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and within most, if not all, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) genomes. Vpr is immunogenic in vivo and most if not all HIV.sup.+ individuals makes antibodies that can react with eukaryotically produced Vpr protein.
The progression from HIV infection to AIDS is in large part determined by the effects of HIV on the cells that it infects, including CD4.sup.+ T lymphocytes and macrophages. On the other hand, cell activation, differentiation and proliferation are in turn thought to regulate HIV infection and replication in T cells and macrophages. Gallo, et al., Science, 1984, 224, 500; Levy, et al., Science, 1984, 225, 840; Zack, et al., Science, 1988, 240, 1026; Griffin, et al., Nature, 1988, 339, 70; Valentin, et al., J. AIDS, 1991, 4, 751; Rich, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 1992, 89, 176; and Schuitemaker, et al., J. Virol., 1992, 66, 1354. Cell division per se may not be required since HIV and other lentiviruses can replicate in nonproliferating, terminally differentiated macrophages and growth-arrested T lymphocytes. Rose, et al., Am. Rev. Respir. Dis., 1986, 143, 850; Salahuddin, et al., Blood, 1986, 68, 281; and Li, et al., J. Virol., 1993, 67, 3969. The ability of lentiviruses, including HIV, to replicate in nonproliferating cells, particularly in macrophages, is believed to be unique among retroviruses and it may be significant that several lentiviruses contain a vpr-like gene. Myers, et al., AIDS Res. Hum. Retrovir., 1992, 8, 373. HIV infection of myeloid cell lines can result in a more differentiated phenotype and increase the expression of factors such as NF-KB which are necessary for HIV replication. Roulston, et al., J. Exp. Med., 1992, 175, 751; and Chantal Petit, et al., J. Clin. Invest., 1987, 79, 1883.
The most evidence for the function of the Vpr protein comes from several studies reporting the activities of HIV strains that have mutations in the vpr gene. It has been reported that mutations in the vpr gene results in a decrease in the replication and cytopathogenicity of HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV in primary CD4.sup.+ T lymphocytes and transformed T cell lines (Ogawa, et al., J. Virol., 1989, 63, 4110-4114; Shibata, et al. J. Med. Primatol., 1990a, 19, 217-225; Shibata, et al., J. Virol., 1990b, 64, 742-747 and Westervelt, et al., J. Virol., 1992, 66, 3925), although others have reported mutated vpr gene had no effect on replication (Dedera, et al., Virol., 1989, 63, 3205-3208). Interestingly HIV-2 mutated for vpr has been reported unable to infect primary monocyte/macrophages. Hattori, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1990, 87, 8080-8084. Transactivation of the HIV long terminal repeat and heterologous promoters by HIV is increased about 3-fold in wild-type versus vpr-negative HIV-1, though the mechanism through which Vpr may transactivate transcription is unknown and may be indirect. Cohen, et al., J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr., 1990b, 3, 11-18. The relationship between the effects of Vpr on promoter activity and viral infectivity is not clear. Vpr protein is incorporated into the viral particle, and this finding has led to the proposition that Vpr functions early in infection, following virus penetration and uncoating, and that Vpr may interact with cellular regulatory mechanisms important in the establishment of infection. Cohen, et al., J. Virol., 1990a, 64, 3097-3099; Yu, et al., J. Virol., 1990, 64, 5688-5693; and, Yuan, et al., AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses, 1990, 6, 1265-1271.
The vpr gene of HIV-1 has been shown to induce cellular growth inhibition and differentiation in tumor lines of intermediate differentiation in vitro. Levy, et al., Cell, 1993, 72, 541. Since Vpr protein originates within viral particles, Vpr may play a role in establishing productive infection. In addition, several important possibly interrelated functions have been identified for HIV-1 Vpr. These include import of reverse transcription complex into the nucleus of non-dividing cells, cellular differentiation, cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, and enhancement of HIV-1 replication.
HIV-1 Vpr is required to import the viral preintegration complex into the nucleus of non-dividing cells (Heinzinger, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1994, 91, 7311-7315; and Fletcher, et al., EMBO., 1996, 15, 6155-6165) and it enhances viral replication in monocyte cell lines (Balotta, et al., J. Virol., 1993, 67, 4409-4414; Balliet, et al., Virology, 1994, 200, 623-631; and Connor, et al., Virology, 1995, 206, 935-944). Vpr localizes to the nucleus and induces cellular differentiation subsequently arresting cells at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Lu, et al., J. Virol., 1993, 67, 6542-6550; Mahalingam, et al., Virology, 1995, 212, 331-339; DiMarzio, et. al., J. Virol., 1995, 69, 7909-7916; Levy, et al., Cell, 1993, 72, 541-550; Rogel, et al., J. Virol., 1995, 69, 882-888; Jowett, et al., J. Virol., 1995, 69, 6304-6313; Mahalingam, et al., DNA Cell Biol., 1997, 16, 137-153. Mutational analysis suggests that the functions of this 96 amino acid Vpr protein are mediated through interactions with appropriate cellular cofactor(s). Zhao, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 199, 269, 15577-15582; Refaeli, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1995, 92, 3621-3625; He, et al., J. Virol., 1995, 69, 6705-6711; Re, et al., J. Virol., 1995, 69, 6859-6864.
There is a need to identify novel compounds which inhibit HIV replication. Specifically, safe and effective compounds are sought which reduce replication by interfering with particular molecular signals mediated by Vpr. Likewise, safe and effective compounds are sought which interfere with the cofactor with which Vpr interacts, which is an essential component of the cell cycle cascade. Moreover, there is a need to identify the co-factor and target it in methods of modulating the cell cycle. There is a need for compounds and methods for inhibiting the progression of the cell cycle from G2 to M phase in cells whose proliferation is undesirable such as hyperproliferating cells.

Cellular receptor for HIV-1 Vpr essential for G2/M phase

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


A first terminal is coupled to a wide-area packet-based network and installed with first client application. One or more second terminals are coupled to the first terminal via a local wireless link, and each installed with an instance of a lightweight sub-client having reduced functionality relative to the first client. The first client establishes a call with a remote, third terminal over the network, based on a user credential identifying the first client. Each second terminal generates an audio or video stream, and each sub-client transmits the respective stream to the first client over the local wireless link for use in the call. The first client switches between a second state in which the call uses the streams from the sub-clients and a first state in which the call uses a stream generated by the first terminal without the streams from the sub-clients.

Communication systems exist which allow a live voice and/or video call to be conducted between two or more end-user terminals over a packet-based network such as the Internet, using a packet-based protocol such as internet protocol (IP). This type of communication is sometimes referred to as "voice over IP" (VoIP) or "video over IP".
To use the communication system, each end user first installs a client application onto a memory of his or her user terminal such that the client application is arranged for execution on a processor of that terminal. To establish a call, one user (the caller) indicates a username of at least one other user (the callee) to the client application. When executed the client application can then control its respective terminal to access a database mapping usernames to IP addresses, and thus uses the indicated username to look up the IP address of the callee. The database may be implemented using either a server or a peer-to-peer (P2P) distributed database, or a combination of the two. Once the caller's client has retrieved the callee's IP address, it can then use the IP address to request establishment of a live voice and/or video stream between the caller and callee terminals via the Internet or other such packet-based network, thus establishing a call. An authentication procedure is typically also required, which may involve the user providing credentials via the client to be centrally authenticated by a server, and/or may involve the exchange of authentication certificates between the two or more users' client applications according to a P2P type authentication scheme.
With the increasing prevalence of electronic devices capable of executing communication software, both around the home and in portable devices on the move, then it is possible that multiple different terminals may be available at one end of the call, each having audio and/or video inputs and each of which could potentially be installed with an instance of the client application. In such cases it may be desirable to consider how best exploit these multiple resources to maximise the usefulness of the communication system.
Further, there are some existing arrangements that provide a remote interface for a call. For example Bluetooth headsets provide an input/output interface that is remote from the phone that handles the call. DECT phones (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephones) provide handsets that are remote from the base station. There also exists a video application, running on a smart phone, and showing up on a computer as a video device in the list of video devices (such that it can be used e.g. in a VoIP client by simply selecting it in the video device list).

Making calls using an additional terminal


A hip corner plate connection in which a single element sheet metal hip corner plate connector is used to connect a hip rafter most commonly occurring in wood frame buildings having a stick-framed roof of either dimensional lumber or plywood I-rafters to the top plates of the supporting walls. The sheet metal hip corner plate connector includes base members which attach to the single or double top plates of the framed wall, and flanges which attach to the hip rafter. The base members provide a gusset-like connection to tie the corner walls together and flanges provide lateral as well as uplift resistance to wind and seismic forces acting on the hip rafter,

This invention relates to a hip rafter to corner plate connection; most commonly occurring in wood frame buildings having a stick-framed roof of either dimensional lumber or plywood I-rafters. The invention may be used in traditional hip roofs which is one of the four basic roof shapes, or it may be used in roofs which are a combination of the basic shapes.
A hip is defined as the outside corner where two planes of a roof meet. It is comprised of a hip rafter at the corner and jack rafters from the hip to the eave. The hip rafter is supported at its lower end by the wall at plate level (or by a post) and at its upper end by the ridge (or by a wall).
Sheet metal connectors for joining common rafters to wood top plate members have been in use for some time and come in many different configurations. There is, however, only one commercially available connector known to applicant for joining hip rafters to corner plates and it was granted to Tyrell T. Gilb Aug. 17, 1993 for Rafter-to-Corner Plate Connection, U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,273. The Gilb connector, however, if used in a building with a right angled corner requires that the corner of the wood lower corner plate and the wood top plate be bevel cut. In addition, the Gilb connector gives minimal lateral support to prevent overturning to the hip rafter. A further limitation of Gilb is that the connector cannot be installed after the hip rafter has been nailed to the top plates.
The rafter-to-corner plate connectors taught by a few patents, none of which are known to be commercially available, are considered impractical because they are either too costly to manufacture or are incapable of handling the many different rafter slope angles.
The current practice of many roofing contractors is to use a Simpson hurricane tie or twist strap and flatten the 90 degree bend to a 45 degree bend to accommodate the rafter. This practice is costly because of the additional labor cost in bending the metal on the job and does not provide an architecturally aesthetic solution.


A method is provided for scheduling the transmission time of multimedia objects. The method includes dividing the transmission time into frames based on an object decoding rate. The transmission time is further divided within each frame of the multimedia object channel into time slots. The number of time slots is equivalent to dividing the transmission rate by the multimedia object decoding time. A delivery time schedule of multimedia objects is formed with a time stamp within the scheduled object delivery period or frame period. A scheduled object delivery period is computed which is equivalent to the maximum object group delay period allowable. Objects that cannot be delivered within a current time slot are re-scheduled to a later time slot.

This invention relates to the transmission of real time data between a sender and receiver over a transmission network.
The current delivery of real-time data depends very much on the feed back channel from the receiver to the sender which provides a report on the received data transmission. Based on this feedback report, the sender will take appropriate action for the transmission of subsequent data to the receiver. The action taken by the sender may require reservation of more network resources for end-to-end data delivery and re-transmission of lost data. Re-transmission of lost data requires the receiver end to report specifically the amount of lost data encountered before the entire data can be of use to the applications at the receiver end. For a large system having a large number of servers and clients, the report messages between the terminals utilise a considerable amount of bandwidth.
In both connection and connectionless data networks, data packets at the lower layers such as the network layer differentiate data only by priority or time-to-live parameters. The distinction made between data packets at the network layer does not relate the coupling nature of the application layer data fragmented into data packets for network layer delivery. Some of these data packet parameters used to distinguish the various classes of service between data packets are listed in the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) RFC 791 on Internet Protocol version 4 and IETF's RFC 2460 on Internet Protocol version 6. In the current specifications for Differentiated Service as mentioned in IETF's RFC 2474, RFC 2475, RFC 2597 and RFC 2958, only a means to provide data packet marking is provided. IP data packets with special marking allow the network components such as routers or switches to treat the IP data packets based on the packet's different Quality of Service fields or DSCP, as an indicator on how data flow should be determined. The re-transmission and dropping of data packets belonging to a specific stream is performed at the IP packet level without any knowledge of the application data. Data packet differentiation is only performed at the packet level and selective dropping of a group of data packets is almost impossible if this process has to be performed at the network level.
Without the additional information from the application software, a data packet that makes it though the network may consist of only part of the data the application software needs. With the re-transmission of the missing data that finally arrives at the receiver end, a strict real-time requirement in most instances cannot be met. A data object that arrives not adhering to the real-time requirement is said to be of no presentation value because the time for decoding the piece of information has already passed. As a result, network resources are used in delivering real-time data of no value to the end user. In addition, the non-presentation value group of data packets may cause unnecessary network congestion at the already strained intermediate network nodes. In many instances the congestion of network traffic may be prolonged and in a worst case scenario the traffic congestion may spread to a wider area.
For most real-time data streaming across a packet data network, the decoding rate for the data is only made known to the end devices, for instance the server and the end client. In many instances, the server can only deliver data at the rate based on the decoding rate of the data and a report sent from the client giving statistics of the data received. In some implementations, a large data buffer or an arbitrary size of data buffer needs to be pre-allocated at the client side before the streaming of data from the server to the client can begin. In the scenario where a wide area network is constructed based on a number of intermediate network nodes such as routers and switches which have no information on the type of data and how the data should be treated for end-to-end delivery, the intermediate nodes have no real-time streaming knowledge of the network packets arriving and leaving the nodes. In the event of network congestion at one of the intermediate nodes there is no means to deliver or re-schedule the delivery of network data packets that makes sense from the view of the application data. In most cases only a partial object data is successfully delivered to the end terminals and re-transmission of lost data may be performed automatically by the network layer.

Time based multimedia objects streaming apparatus and method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of determining a Time Synchronization Function (TSF) based on Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) messages. For example, a wireless station may be configured to determine a first TSF value of a local TSF of the wireless station at arrival of a first FTM message from a responder station; to determine a second TSF value of the local TSF at arrival of a second FTM message from the responder station, the second FTM message including a first Time of Departure (TOD) value of the first FTM message; to process a third FTM message from the responder station, the third FTM message including a second TOD value of the second FTM message; and to apply to the local TSF a TSF correction based at least on the first TSF value, the second TSF value, the first TOD value, and the second TOD.

Outdoor navigation is widely deployed thanks to the development of various global-navigation-satellite-systems (GNSS), e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS), GALILEO, and the like.
Recently, there has been a lot of focus on indoor navigation. This field differs from the outdoor navigation, since the indoor environment does not enable the reception of signals from GNSS satellites. As a result, a lot of effort is being directed towards solving the indoor navigation problem.
A Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) Protocol, e.g., in accordance with an IEEE 802.11REVmc Specification, may include measuring a Round Trip Time (RTT) from a wireless station (STA) to a plurality of other STAs, e.g., several Access Point (AP) STAs and/or non-AP STAs, for example, to perform trilateration and/or calculate the location of the STA.
However, an accuracy of the calculated location of the STA may depend on time synchronization between the STA and the plurality of other STAs. Conventional mechanisms to maintain synchronization may be inefficient and/or power consuming.

Apparatus, system and method of determining a time synchronization function (TSF) based on fine time measurement (FTM) messages


The invention discloses electrode for generating negative oxygen ion and negative oxygen ion generator using the electrode, comprising a wire loop with a longitudinal section shaped U, a circle of fibre bundle filled inside of the U-shaped groove in the wire loop, wherein the fibre bundle and wire loop are tightly glued by conducting resin and the said wire loop is composed of micrometer-size carbon fiber or fullerene fiber. The invention improves the productivity of negative oxygen ions and greatly reduces the generation of Ozone molecules. Besides, by utilizing the strong turning air flow to transfer the generated negative oxygen ions in high concentration to the space of a long distance for human to breathe, it improves the use efficiency of negative oxygen ions without the filter net, simplifies the structure of negative oxygen ion generator in this invention, as well as decreases its size.

The invention involves electrode for generating negative oxygen ion and negative oxygen ion generator using the electrode.
At present, the negative oxygen ion generator often directly uses the columnar or acicular metal needle as the electrode for generating negative oxygen ion. The productivity of negative oxygen ion and level of generated Ozone molecules depend on the voltage applied to the metal electrode. The exorbitant negative high voltage is conductive for the generation of negative oxygen ions and Ozone molecules, which may cause the intoxication in human body. Again, due to the easily oxidized on the tip of metal needle, it may lose the tip discharge process. To reduce the productivity of Ozone molecules, at present, many negative oxygen ion generators wrap tens of thousands of or hundreds of thousands of carbon fiber or fullerene fiber as the emitting electrode on surfaces of each wire loop or acicular metal electrode. This kind of emitting electrode could reduce the ozone produce efficiency to some extent, but due to the structure, the number of fixed carbon fiber or fullerene fiber is very limited. If there were too many carbon or fullerene fibers fixed on each wire loop or acicular metal electrode, then carbon or fullerene fibers that far away from the wire loop or needle cannot obtain sufficiently high intensity of negative high voltage electric field. In this case, these carbon or fullerene fibers would not emit electrons and generate no negative oxygen ion, showing a lower productivity of negative oxygen ions. The surface area of the existing carbon fiber or fullerene fiber bundle fixed on each wire loop or needle is small, which leads to the relatively low capacity for adsorbing electropositive Ozone molecules. Due to the high concentration of Ozone molecules, the instrument still needs the filter net for Ozone molecules. Besides, this kind of wire loop or acicular metal electrode whose surface is wrapped of carbon or fullerene fibers cannot utilize the strong air flow to transmit the generated negative oxygen ions to the space that lies beyond.
The negative oxygen ions generated by the existing negative oxygen ion generator are easily recombined by the particles of all kinds in the air (such as the dust and bacterial molecule, etc.) at the instrument outlet. Due to the short conveying distance, the negative oxygen ions in the space far away from instrument outlet are not much left. Therefore, negative oxygen ions are difficult to be conveyed to further space for human to breathe and play a little role in human's health. At the same time, Ozone molecules that cannot be conveyed to further space would achieve a higher concentration, which is extremely unfavorable for the human health. To reduce the concentration of Ozone molecules generated by the negative oxygen ion generator, the filter net is usually added at the outlet of negative oxygen ions. Adding the filter net possesses certain effects on restraining the concentration of Ozone molecules, but it greatly reduces the concentration and conveying distance of negative oxygen ions.

Electrode for generating negative oxygen ion and negative oxygen ion generator using the electrode


Disclosed herein is a therapeutic method for treating a clinical disorder associated with a mutation in the carboxypeptidase E gene. In the therapeutic method of the invention, a molecule having carboxypeptidase activity is introduced into the plasma of the individual being treated. Such molecules include, for example, carboxypeptidase H, carboxypeptidase M, carboxypeptidase N, carboxypeptidase U and carboxypeptidase B. Also disclosed are methods for identifying individuals falling within the class for which the therapeutic method described above can be effective. These methods include, for example, the isolation of DNA encoding carboxypeptidase E followed by either: 1) sequence determination and comparison to wild-type; or 2) expression and comparison of activity to wild-type activity. Also disclosed are oligonucleotide probes useful for diagnosing a clinical disorder such as obesity, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes in an individual, the clinical disorder being associated with a mutation in the carboxypeptidase E gene.

Many clinical disorders are characterized as etiologically diverse, thereby complicating diagnosis and treatment. Diabetes mellitus, the most prevalent of the endocrine diseases, is one example. The disease, which is characterized by metabolic abnormalities and by long-term complications involving the eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels, has been estimated to affect between 1-2% of the population.
The National Diabetes Data Group has defined two broad Categories: insulin-dependent diabetes and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. A therapeutic regimen including insulin therapy does not necessarily imply a disease classification of insulin-dependence. Rather, the term insulin-dependent is applied to that subcategory of diabetics at risk for ketoacidosis in the absence of insulin. Many of the patients who receive insulin therapy to control plasma glucose levels are not at risk for ketoacidosis if exogenous insulin is not administered.
A further classification which appears in the literature is the primary and secondary classification. The primary classification implies that no associated disease is present, while the secondary classification indicates some associated abnormality which causes or allows a diabetic syndrome to develop (e.g., pancreatic disease, hormonal abnormalities, drug or chemical induction, insulin receptor abnormalities, genetic disorders, etc.).
In light of the fact that a significant percentage of identical twins remain discordant for diabetes, an environmental factor (e.g., viral infection of beta cells) is believed to play a role in the development of many diabetic syndromes. It is possible, however, to identify genetic abnormalities as likely causes for diabetic syndromes. The ability to associate a specific etiology with a particular clinical disorder, such as a diabetic syndrome, is valuable to the clinician in formulating a therapeutic regimen.

Clinical disorders associated with carboxypeptidase E mutation


A method for displaying one or more images in an electronic device is provided, which includes displaying a first image; retrieving at least one second image on the basis of additional information of the first image; comparing at least one first feature point of the first image with at least one second feature point of the at least one second image; displaying information on whether at least one recommended image with respect to the first image exists, based on a result of the comparison; and if the at least one recommended image exists, displaying the at least one recommended image according to a user input.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for retrieving and providing images that are similar to a photo taken by a camera module or a photo stored in an electronic device and an electronic device thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The method for matching images to each other includes the technology of retrieving images. The image retrieval technology includes a method for retrieving only the contents of the target image and a method for retrieving the contents of the image together with text related to the corresponding image. The former is referred to as contents-based image retrieval (CBIR), and the latter is referred to as text-based image retrieval (TBIR).
FIG. 1A shows a case in which the images are retrieved by the TBIR method, and FIG. 1B shows a case in which the images are retrieved by the CBIR method.
As the user views images, particularly photos taken while travelling, which are stored in an electronic device, the user may not be satisfied with the photos that have been taken, for example, at tourist attractions, on a cloudy day, or at certain angles. In this case, the user may wish to only view photos that make the user satisfied, for example, photos that helps the user to recall memories.
The TBIR method may satisfy the user by allowing the user to view photos that the user wants to view. However, the TBIR method is tiresome because the user needs to know the text that is related to the image (photo) that the user wants to view.
The CBIR method extracts feature points by using image processing technology and compares the feature points to thereby retrieve the image. Therefore, the CBIR method requires a large amount of calculation and power consumption. Furthermore, the user may not be satisfied with the result of retrieval by the CBIR method. Referring to FIG. 1B showing the images retrieved by the CBIR method, there is no correlation between the image 10 that is used for retrieval and the resultant images 20 that have been retrieved by using the image 10.
Furthermore, the image retrieval technology requires the user to conduct an additional operation of uploading the photo that he or she has taken to the image retrieval service provider.

Method for recommending one or more images and electronic device thereof


A distance measurement device having better measurement accuracy than conventional distance measurement devices. A stereo camera (1) has a camera stay (4) to be secured to a housing (12) of a vehicle and also has a pair of cameras (2, 3) mounted on the camera stay (4). The camera stay (4) has an installation section (4a) located between the pair of cameras (2, 3) and to be mounted on the housing of the vehicle via fixation sections (6, 7, 8). The installation section (4a) is movable in the direction of a base line interconnecting the cameras (2, 3).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a distance measurement device, for example, to be mounted on a vehicle, for measuring a distance from the vehicle to an object ahead of the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
As a distance measurement device of this type in related art, there is known one that calculates the distance from a vehicle to an object ahead of the vehicle, for example, having two pieces of cameras that are both arranged facing towards ahead of the vehicle with their optical axes being separated from each other by a predetermined distance, based on parallax information of images obtained from the respective cameras. Such a distance measurement device is used in a system, for example, for detecting an inter-vehicle distance and/or sensing an obstacle ahead of the vehicle.
It will be appreciated that, in general, the accuracy of distance measurement relies on the accuracy of alignment of two cameras. Accordingly, when the distance between the two cameras is changed or when the optical axis of one of the cameras is shifted from a predetermined direction, there has been a problem in that the accuracy of distance measurement is deteriorated.
In an attempt to solve this problem, for example, a vehicle mounting camera has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-88623. FIG. 4 shows the conceptual structure of such a vehicle mounting camera 21 in related art.
As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle mounting camera 21 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-88623 has a pair of cameras 22 and 23, a camera stay 24 for holding the cameras 22 and 23 in predetermined positions, and an installation section 25 in a unified structure with the camera stay 24 to be secured to a housing 26 of a vehicle. The vehicle mounting camera 21 is adapted to accurately maintain the relative positions of the cameras 22 and 23 with respect to each other by being tightly secured to mounting holes 30, 31 and 32 provided on the housing 26 of the vehicle by three screws through three mounting holes 27, 28 and 29 provided in the installation section 25.


An elbow prosthesis can include a humeral component having a yoke, an ulnar component having a head, a humeral bearing positionable in a base of the humeral component, an ulnar bearing assembly configured to engage with the head, and a pin extendable through the bearing assembly and the head. The pin can be extendable into first and second ears of the yoke to enable pivotable movement of the ulnar component relative to the humeral component. The elbow prosthesis can include a first fastener insertable through the first ear of the yoke and configured to engage with the pin, and a second fastener insertable through the second ear of the yoke and configured to engage with the pin.

A joint arthroplasty procedure may be performed to repair or replace damaged bone of a patient's joint, such as bone that is damaged due to a traumatic injury or a degenerative illness. For example, during a total elbow arthroplasty procedure, the surgeon implants a prosthetic humeral component into the distal end of a patient's humerus and a prosthetic ulnar component into the proximal end of the patient's ulna. The prosthetic humeral component and the prosthetic ulnar component are generally joined by a hinge that enables pivoting movement between the prosthetic humeral component and the prosthetic ulnar component, to recreate the natural, anatomical articulation of the elbow joint.


A controller for a single port (typically FIFO) memory for a computer system allocates the flow of data from a single port dynamic RAM to several data requesters such as a graphics engine, a CPU, and a display screen. One parameter is assigned to the display screen and a second parameter is assigned to the other data requester. Then each memory cycle is assigned in duty cycle fashion to the data requesters associated with one or the other of the parameters. Thus, typically the screen display which requires large amounts of data will have a relatively large parameter value associated with it such as six, while the single parameter value associated with the graphic engine and CPU will have a lower value such as two. The screen display will in response access the memory for six memory cycles consecutively, while the graphics engine and CPU will access the memory for only two memory cycles. The FIFO associated with the screen display is thus kept relatively full so that the screen is refreshed at all times and no FIFO empty detection is thus needed. The memory controller includes a loadable counter for counting down the loaded parameter, and a state machine for loading in the values, decrementing the values held in the counter, and switching between the two parameters.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to control of a single port memory in a computer system. More specifically, the invention relates to controlling flow of information from a single port dynamic random access memory in the computer system to other portions of the computer system such as the display, the CPU, and graphics engine by using parameters to control the duty cycle by which the graphics engine, CPU and display share access to the memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Graphics systems for computers include random access graphics display memory (RAM) which is accessed by both the display, the central processing unit (CPU), and the graphics engine (graphics processor). Typically, this memory is dual ported video RAM with one serial port dedicated to the display and one parallel port accessed by the graphics engine and the CPU. However, such video RAM is relatively expensive and it would be more cost effective to use a single port DRAM (dynamic random access memory) memory. The display needs to receive a large amount of data from the memory in order to keep the display refreshed, where the typical bandwidth of data transfer from the memory to the display is 25 to 80 Megabytes per second. The graphics engine (GE) and central processing unit each typically operate at different speeds, at typically one megabyte per second to about 90 megabytes per second. The display is usually given the highest priority for memory access because its screen must be kept continually updated. This is usually accomplished by providing a first in first out (FIFO) memory interposed between the display memory and the display. The FIFO functions as a data "reservoir" and is kept relatively full, so that the display is continually provided with data.
The problem then given the single ported DRAM is making sure that the FIFO is not emptied, and if it is emptied (or nearly so) to ensure that data is immediately provided from display memory and hence to the display; this typically is done by detecting whether the FIFO is full or nearly empty. When the FIFO is full, data is no longer transferred to it from the display memory. When the FIFO is nearly empty, data must be transferred to it immediately. It is difficult to detect exactly when the FIFO is full or empty due to asynchronous clocks of the memory access and display access. To accommodate this uncertainty, a larger size FIFO is needed to avoid FIFO overflow and underflow.
Thus detection of the FIFO being full or empty is relatively difficult and in most systems the FIFO is made relatively large to account for the uncertainty of detection of full and empty. Moreover in the typical prior art system the FIFO pointers pointing to the FIFO read location and write location are compared to determine whether the FIFO is empty or full, and when they are approximately together i.e. within some limit between the read pointer and the write pointer, the FIFO is assumed to be nearly empty. Given the asynchronicity between the display and the graphics engine and CPU and the fact that the display is reading in data at a variety of speeds typically between 25 and 80 MHz, there is further uncertainty which complicates the design and requires a relatively larger FIFO, at additional expense.
Thus there is a need to solve the general problem of data being delivered from the single ported memory at a fixed rate and being distributed between different requesters such as the display, graphics engine and CPU which are asynchronous and typically accepting the data at different rates and also achieves the best possible performance. In other words, there is a need for a relatively simple and reliable scheme to allocate data to the memory requesters.

Resource allocation with parameter counter in multiple requester system


A motor controller drives and controls a motor to drive a shaft subject to gravity. The motor controller includes a PI control unit which controls the velocity of the motor, a brake which prevents the falling of the shaft in accordance with a brake signal, and a storage unit which detects the brake signal input to the brake. On the basis of the state of the detected brake signal, the storage unit stores the torque command value when the brake signal has changed from off to on, and sets the stored torque command value to an integral component of the PI control unit when the brake signal has changed from on to off.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor controller, and more particularly, it relates to a motor controller having a function which prevents the falling of a shaft when a power supply to the motor is turned on.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Z shaft of a vertical machining center or a Y shaft of a horizontal machining center are commonly referred to as "gravity shafts". A gravity shaft is shaft which falls when the power supplied to a motor for driving this gravity shaft is turned off. To account for this, for example, a mechanical brake is provided to prevent the falling of the gravity shaft. However, in order to prevent the falling of the gravity shaft, it is necessary to not only provide, for example, the mechanical brake, but also to control the on/off timing of a motor power supply signal and the on/off timing of a brake signal.
FIG. 4 shows the on/off timing of the brake signal and the on/off timing of the motor power supply signal at the start and cutoff of the supply of power to the motor which drives the gravity shaft. In the graph of FIG. 4, T41 indicates the timing of turning on the power supply signal and T42 indicates the timing of turning off the brake signal in when the motor is in a clamped state when power is first supplied. Moreover, T43 indicates the timing of turning on the brake signal and T44 indicates the timing of turning off the power supply signal when the supply of power to the motor is cut off. As apparent from this graph, when the supply of power to the motor is cut off, a signal for turning on a brake of the gravity shaft is first output (T43), and the power supply to the motor is cut off (T44) after the brake has actuated a motor clamp or the like, thereby preventing the falling of the gravity shaft.
On the other hand, when the motor is first started, the supply of power to the motor is first switched on (T41), and then a signal for turning off the brake of the gravity shaft is output (T42), thereby preventing the falling of the gravity shaft. Normally, because a certain amount of time is required to actuate the brake to bring the gravity shaft into a clamped state, the timing of turning off of the power supply signal must be delayed for a length of time equal T44−T43.
Furthermore, unlike a motor for driving a horizontal shaft, the motor for driving the gravity shaft requires torque to hold a gravity part. Therefore, when power is first supplied to the motor, the gravity shaft will fall until the output torque of the motor equals or exceeds the minimum torque able to hold the gravity part (hereinafter referred to as holding torque). Accordingly, there is a method for compensation by adding a holding torque component to a torque command value. Here, FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one example of a motor controller to which such a method for compensating for the holding torque component is applied. A motor 54 is driven and controlled in accordance with a velocity command V* calculated by an upper controller (e.g., position control), which is not shown in the diagram. The flow of control is described below.
An encoder 55 detects the position of a rotor of the motor 54. A conversion unit 56 calculates a velocity feedback V from the value of the position detected by the encoder 55. A velocity control unit 51 performs arithmetic operations for, for example, PI control from the velocity feedback V and the velocity command V* input from the upper controller, and calculates a torque command. An arithmetic unit adds, to the torque command, the holding torque component input from a holding torque compensating unit 57 to calculate a torque command value T*. Then, a current control unit 52 calculates an inverter drive command from the torque command value T* and a current feedback I of a current supplied to the motor 54. The current is converted from a direct current to an alternating current in an inverter circuit 53 on the basis of the inverter drive command, and this current is supplied to the motor 54 to drive and control the motor 54.
Japanese Patent Publication Laid-open No. 2007-282435 (Patent Document 1) describes a controller for controlling a motor by a torque command value to which a preset toque compensation value is added when a brake for mechanically holding a motor shaft has released the motor shaft. With this controller, when the brake is released from the motor shaft, the toque compensation value can be added to the torque-command value to suppress a protrude amount wherein a work piece falls more than necessary and protrude from a set position.
In the above-described conventional method for controlling the on/off timing of the brake signal and the on/off timing of the motor power supply signal, the output torque of the motor when power is first supplied is smaller than the holding torque, and the gravity shaft therefore begins to fall. When the gravity shaft falls, the output torque of the motor changes. The amount of the change is determined by an integral component in the arithmetic operation for the PI control used in velocity control as indicated by the velocity control unit 51 in FIG. 5. Thus, the output torque of the motor does not change abruptly, but always changes at a given time constant. As a result, by the time the output torque of the motor becomes equal to the holding torque, the gravity shaft has already fallen in a considerable amount. Torque is then abruptly generated to make up for the amount of this fall, which disadvantageously results in an oscillating torque as shown in FIG. 6.
Furthermore, the method for compensating for the holding torque component described as a conventional technique is based on the assumption that the holding torque component is constant. First, the application of this method to a normal gravity shaft is considered. Here, one example of the configuration of the gravity shaft is shown in FIG. 7. In the diagram of FIG. 7, the gravity shaft includes a ball screw 73 attached in the direction of gravity, a spindle head 74 movable along the ball screw 73, a motor 71 for driving and controlling the spindle head 74, and a brake 72 provided to prevent the spindle head 74 from falling. When the spindle head 74 vertically moves, the holding torque is not changed by its position. Thus, an appropriate compensation can be made by the method for compensating for the holding torque component (constant value).
However, in the case of a rotation shaft of a rotary table mounted on a trunnion unit of a five-shaft processing machine of a machine tool, the holding torque varies according to the position of the rotation shaft. Thus, in the conventional method for compensating for the holding torque component of the constant value at the start of supply of power to the motor, the compensation torque is often overcompensated or under-compensated depending on the position of the rotation shaft. Here, the change of motor output torque when the compensation torque is under-compensated is shown in FIG. 8. For example, an under-compensated torque component at time T81 is ΔTo, so that the shaft falls. On the other hand, in the case of overcompensation, the motor output torque is greater than the holding torque, and the shaft rises for a moment. That is to say, the problem is that if the compensation torque is not properly set, the behavior of the gravity shaft at the start of power application to the motor is unstable.
Moreover, when a work piece is mounted on the rotary table, the holding torque changes not only depending on the position of the work piece, but also depending on the weight, shape, or mounting position of the work piece. There is therefore also in such situations a problem of unstable behavior of the gravity shaft when power is first supplied to the motor.


A telescoping hex head nut driver comprising a first hexagonal socket on a shank, a handle attached to said shank, with smaller (inner) hexagonal sockets and shanks telescoping within the first hexagonal socket and shank. The inner sockets can be extended to engage smaller hex head nuts and means are provided in the handle to extend and retract the inner sockets.

This invention relates to hand tools and in particular to a new and improved hexagonal nut driver.
In the cabinetry and other components of appliances such as refrigerators, trash compactors, dishwashers, TV cabinets as well as major appliances such as furnaces and air-conditioners, whether in homes or in buildings such as for offices, apartments and the like, three standard sizes of fasteners constitute a majority (approximately 90%) of all the fasteners used in the appliances. In this industry, a 1/4 inch, a 5/16 inch and a 3/8 inch hexagonal sheet metal nuts (Hexnuts) are such fasteners. Consequently, to service such appliances, it is common practice today to use three separate and distinct hexnut drivers to disassemble and reassemble the appliances. For example; to change a door gasket in a refrigerator, a 1/4 inch hexnut driver is required; to change a evaporator fan motor, a 5/16 hexnut driver is used; and if other parts are needed to be changed, usually still another hexnut driver, a 3/8 inch size, is used.
One of the problems in the industry is that often the service man spends half his time exchanging tools to service the appliance and sometimes at least one of the tools is missing or misplaced so that a trip to another location to find the missing tool is necessary. This problem is further complicated by the fact that, while a screwdriver can sometimes replace the missing tool, it has become increasingly popular to eliminate the screwdriver slot from the hexnut so that this substitution is becoming impossible.
In any event, with the necessity for three separate tools, possibly four if a screwdriver is needed to do the job; it becomes apparent that at the present time servicing appliances is unnecessarily time consuming and bothersome and there is a need for a single tool to replace the present three or four tools need for servicing appliances and the answer to this need is the primary object of this invention.


Disclosed is a system for transporting disks in vacuum to a vacuum station whereat a lubricant film is applied uniformly to the surfaces of the disks by evaporation. Thickness uniformity is achieved by directing the evaporate through a multi-hole aperture plate. Described is equipment for manufacture, the process of manufacture and the novel disks created.

Several types of computer memory have in common the feature that they utilize "hard" disks which are comprised of a base or substrate material, such as aluminum, glass, plastic or ceramic, upon which are thin layers of various material including materials which are magnetic or optically active, plus layers of materials which protect the active layer(s) from corrosion, or mechanical damage. Such magnetic, optical or magneto-optical disks may also be referred to as media. An example of such media is the magnetic disks which are used in hard disk drives.
In typical applications a thin polished or textured aluminum disk is used as the substrate. Various thin films are deposited by vacuum sputtering upon this substrate. Typically an underlayer or underlayers 200 to 1000 Angstroms (.ANG.) thick is first deposited, then a magnetic layer, 100 to 600 .ANG. thick is deposited over this underlayer and then a protective thin layer is deposited over the magnetic layer. This protective layer is typically 50 to 150 .ANG. of carbon.
The carbon layer serves several important functions. It protects the magnetic layer against corrosion damage from water vapor or other atmospheric contaminants. It also protects the magnetic layer from mechanical damage, which could occur as a result of contact of the disk with the magnetic read-write head. The head normally "flies" above, but very close to, the surface of the disk. However, when the drive is not in operation the head may rest on the disk, or it may contact the disk inadvertently as a result of shock, vibration or malfunction when the drive is operating. To obtain maximum magnetic signal strength it is desirable to "fly" the head as close as possible to the magnetic layer. Spacing of 1 micro-inch (250 .ANG.) or less is typical in current drives. Such close spacing can result in relatively frequent contacts between the head and the disk, and is sometimes referred to as semi-contact recording. If frictional forces are high, such contacts can destroy parts of the disk surface.
Both the disk surface and the head have relatively flat, smooth surfaces. As a result, there can be substantial friction between them when they are in contact. This is particularly significant when the head has been resting for some time against the disk. In this case the starting friction or "stiction" between the head and the disk can be so great that the motor seeking to start the disk rotating could have insufficient force to do so, or if it does, the carbon protective coating of the disk may be damaged in the process.
To minimize these problems, disk manufacturers typically apply a thin (10-15 .ANG.) film of a lubricant over the carbon topcoat. The commonly used method of applying the lubricant is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,503 and is as follows:
1. After a carbon topcoat is applied in the vacuum sputtering system, the disks are loaded in a cassette, which typically holds 25 such disks. The cassettes exit the vacuum system into atmosphere.
1. The cassettes then proceed to the lubricant system where, typically, the disks are removed from the cassette as a batch and lowered into a tank containing a mixture of lubricant and solvent. This mixture is then withdrawn from the tank in a controlled manner to leave a uniform thin coating of lubricant on the disks.
2. The lubricant-coated disks are returned to cassettes where they proceed to further processing and/or testing.
In addition to being very thin (10 to 15 .ANG.) and very uniform (to within 2 .ANG.), the lubricant layer must satisfy a number of requirements. Obviously, it must be adequately lubricious to reduce friction and stiction between the head and the disk. It must also bond sufficiently well to the carbon layer to resist evaporation and the centrifugal forces generated by the disk, which rotates at speeds up to 10,000 rpm, so that it remains largely in place and is not spun off. At the same time it must be able to flow somewhat so as to be able to recoat areas of the disk where the lubricant may have been displaced as a result of contact with the head.
Obviously, achieving the proper balance between fixity and mobility is difficult and requires careful control of the properties of the lubricant and of the process for applying it. At present, a difficulty arises since the fresh carbon surface is reactive and begins to contaminate as soon as it is exposed to atmosphere. This leads to varying times of such exposure, since the lubrication process systems handle disks in the batch mode. The lubricant, which is designed to bond to the surface, does so non-uniformly since the contaminated surface is not uniform and surface contamination increases as the disks remain exposed to atmosphere. Such contamination makes it difficult to keep the lubrication process under control, which in turn affects disk drive reliability. Also solvents present and used in the gravity lube process are considered air pollutants, requiring that the present lubrication systems be built with elaborate and expensive means to minimize solvent escape.
Although the construction of optical and magneto-optical disks is not the same as conventional magnetic hard disks, they also have the characteristic that the head flies very close to the disk surface and therefore occasional head-disk contact occurs. To minimize potential damage to both the head and the disk a top lubrication layer is frequently used on such disks also, with similar problems of process and environmental control.
Disks are manufactured at a reasonably rapid rate using serial feed and processing. Yet most of the current processes for lubricating disks use batch processing. Manufacturing processes combining serial and batch processing, although possible, make disk production most complex. The instant invention permits continuous serial feed as to simplify manufacturing techniques.