A clip-on ammeter includes a current measurement unit, an evaluation unit and a USB interface. The current measurement unit records current values and provides the current values as measurement values for transfer purposes. The evaluation unit includes an ND converter and is connected to the current measurement unit. The evaluation unit allows the measurement values to be transmitted in a processable form as USB compatible digital data to the USB interface. The USB interface is connected to the evaluation unit and the USB interface allows the USB compatible data to be made available for transfer purposes to be further processed. The evaluation unit is energized via the USB interface. The clip-on ammeter includes a voltage transformer. The voltage transformer provides a stabilized voltage as a reference voltage for the current measurement unit.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a clip-on ammeter for measuring current values in an electrical conductor.
Clip-on ammeters are already known in prior art in different embodiments and are used for indirect current measurements, i.e. via the detection of a static or alternating magnetic field generated around an electrical conductor.
One embodiment comprises, for example, so-called clip-on ampere multimeters which record a current applied as an analog measurement value and output it as a digital value via an integrated indicating device, in particular a display.
Moreover, clip-on ammeters are known which are to be connected to oscilloscopes and also record an applied current as an analog measurement value but cannot output it directly.
In this case, the corresponding measurement value is output by the oscilloscope to be connected.
The decisive disadvantage of such clip-on ammeters which are to be connected to oscilloscopes is the requirement that the corresponding clip-on ammeter is compatible to the oscilloscope used so that, normally, a universal use of a clip-on ammeter with different oscilloscopes is not possible.
In addition to this, the mentioned clip-on ampere multimeters and clip-on ammeters to be connected to oscilloscopes have the disadvantage that they require energy to power the integrated measurement and transformer electronics, particularly for amplifying recordable, static magnetic field signals. Usually, the power is supplied by external devices, in case of the connection of a clip-on ammeter to an oscilloscope possibly, for appropriate oscilloscopes, by the oscilloscope itself via device-specific plug systems, or by energy sources, for example a battery, integrated into the corresponding clip-on ammeter.
A further disadvantage of such clip-on ammeters is that, depending on the accuracy provided by them, they are very expensive.
Furthermore, in prior art clip-on ammeters are known which can be operated without an additional power supply. However, such clip-on ammeters are only capable to record alternating currents on the basis of the developing alternating fields. Measurement values of direct currents cannot be recorded by the clip-on ammeters mentioned.
The utility model specification DE 20 2009 014 382 U1 discloses a current measurement device which comprises a USB interface for the energy supply of the measurement unit and for the data transfer to an evaluation unit.
The disadvantage of the solution described in this patent specification is mainly based on the fact that the voltage applied via the USB interface according to the USB standard of about 5 V is only stable to a limited extent and if it is used as a reference voltage for direct current measurements, measurement data of less accuracy are the result.
Summary of the Invention
The task of this invention is to provide, by avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art, a universally usable clip-on ammeter which can record measurement values both of alternating and direct currents and which, moreover, offers a very high accuracy and particularly allows the precise registration of direct current values without a separate power supply and which can be simultaneously provided in a cost-effective manner.
This task is solved by the features described in the independent claim(s). Advantageous further developed embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims.
A clip-on ammeter according to this invention comprises a current measurement unit, an evaluation unit and a USB interface. Furthermore, the clip-on ammeter comprises additional components, such as for example a divisible core; however, these components correspond to the common components of clip-on ammeters known and therefore they will not be explained in detail in the following.
The current measurement unit of the invention is capable to detect current values and to provide the values detected as measurement values in a transmissible form.
The current measurement unit is designed, for example, as a Hall sensor and the technical processes running during the detection of the current values, particularly the clamping around the corresponding electrical conductor and the registration of the magnetic field generated around the conductor, correspond to the mode of operation of commonly used clip-on ammeters and therefore they are assumed to be known and will not be explained in detail.
The measurement values which can be provided in a transmissible form by the current measurement unit are particularly analog measurement values.
The evaluation unit of this invention is connected to the current measurement unit. It is capable to record and process the measurement values provided in a transmissible form by the current measurement unit. For this purpose, the evaluation unit is equipped with an analog-digital converter, hereinafter also referred to as an A/D converter, which converts the analog measurement values provided by the current measurement unit into digital measurement values.
In addition to this, the evaluation unit is connected to the USB interface.
A significant feature of the clip-on ammeter of this invention is, in particular, the additional capability of the evaluation unit to provide the digital measurement values as USB-compatible data, wherein these USB-compatible data can be transmitted from the evaluation unit to the USB interface.
In this process, the digital measurement values are specified according to a corresponding USB data protocol.
According to the invention, the USB interface allows the USB-compatible data to be made available in a transmissible form for external further processing.
Another essential feature of the invention is the fact that voltage is also supplied to the evaluation unit by the USB interface via the connection of the evaluation unit to the USB interface.
In this design, the USB interface is an electric/mechanical standard for a connecting unit by means of which the clip-on ammeter can be connected to an external data processing unit, and by means of which the USB-compatible data can be transferred from the clip-on ammeter to the correspondingly connected, external data processing unit and via which power is simultaneously supplied to the evaluation unit.
A particular advantage is that all USB-capable data processing units with the appropriate data processing software can be used as external data processing units; wherein portable devices such as, for example, laptops, tablets or smartphones, which are provided with an appropriate data processing software and which can display as well as process and store the USB-compatible data of the clip-on ammeter, are preferentially used. Because normally a measuring person, for example an electrician, carries such portable devices in any case during his job, it is a special advantage of this clip-on ammeter that additional units for displaying and processing/storing the measurement values recorded by the clip-on ammeter are not required thanks to the devices carried by these persons in any case.
Simultaneously, it is also a particular advantage that power is supplied to the evaluation unit via the USB interface, wherein the energy required by the evaluation unit is provided by the external data processing unit, which can be connected to the USB interface, and is transmitted to the evaluation unit via the USB interface.
According to the common USB 2.0 standard, for example, the USB interface provides a stabilized voltage of 5 V±5% and a current of up to 500 mA.
The clip-on ammeter of this invention comprises a voltage transformer which is assigned to the USB interface and energized by the voltage applied at the USB interface.
The voltage transformer is capable to deliver a stabilized voltage as a reference voltage for the current measurement unit.
This function is based on the fact that the current measurement unit for direct current measurements is designed as a Hall sensor which must be powered by a reference voltage. Due to the direct relation between the reference voltage and the measurement value applied at a Hall sensor, the high constancy of the stabilized voltage, or of the resulting current, makes it possible to achieve a high measurement accuracy for a direct current measurement.
It is a further advantage that a reliable reference voltage supply is guaranteed without the need for additional constant voltage sources, such as a battery, an accumulator or separate reference voltage sources. Therefore, it is not necessary any longer to monitor the charge status and to recharge the accumulator or to replace a discharged battery; the clip-on ammeter is always ready for operation in this design. Moreover, a drop of the reference voltage, typical for accumulators or batteries if they are almost discharged, and the resulting measurement inaccuracy or the need for readjustment are avoided in this way.
Thus, the clip-on ammeter of this invention offers the apparent technological advantages that it can be universally connected to any USB-capable, external data processing unit via the USB interface and that the energy required for the evaluation unit is also reliably supplied by the USB interface and that a stabilized reference voltage is supplied by the voltage transformer to the current measurement unit and that, therefore, the precise recording of the measurement values of direct currents is made possible. Additional systems for energizing the evaluation unit or for supplying the stable reference voltage, such as batteries or external sources and device-specific or additional connection lines, are not necessary any more.
Moreover, a clip-on ammeter according to this invention can be provided in a cost-effective manner, particularly due to the avoided additional units, and, simultaneously, the impact on the environment is reduced because batteries are not required.
In a preferential further development of the clip-on ammeter of this invention, the current measurement unit is designed as an intelligent measurement chip and particularly capable to preprocess current values recorded and to provide the preprocessed current values as measurement values which can be transferred to downstream units.
An intelligent measurement chip is to be understood as a measurement chip which is capable to linearize a measurement characteristic curve of the measurement values to be provided and compensate errors, in particular such caused by temperature influences or operating voltage changes.
The intelligent measurement chip can be optionally provided with additional performance features. Such an additional performance feature can be the capability to parametrize the intelligent measurement chip by means of the external data processing unit and this means that, for example, a measurement sensitivity or an offset of the intelligent measurement chip can be adjusted or that an additional error compensation of external error sources or influences, such as assembly or tolerance inaccuracies, can be executed by the external data processing unit.
In the further development described, the current measurement unit preferably has a separate connection to the USB interface, wherein said connection is particularly used to supply energy to the current measurement unit.
Alternatively, the current measurement unit can be energized indirectly via the evaluation unit.
The design of the current measurement unit as an intelligent measurement chip offers the particular technological advantage that the measurement values determined can already be prepared in the measurement chip so that the evaluation unit is released from these processing operations.
Thus, the measurement values can be subsequently processed in a simpler and, above all, more energy-saving manner in the evaluation unit so that the resulting power requirement of the clip-on ammeter of the invention is particularly low in this preferred further development.
It is a particular advantage that, according to this preferred further development, the energy supply to the clip-on ammeter of the invention can also be provided and maintained for a longer period of time by smaller portable USB-capable data processing units, such as smartphones.
Due to the feature of the invention which enables the parametrization of the measurement chip, the manufacturer of the clip-on ammeter can, as a further advantage, set a product-specific measurement sensitivity of the measurement chip and thus, depending on the design of the clip-on ammeter, different levels of measurement accuracy and/or different measurement ranges can be predefined.
Moreover, in a preferred variant of the invention, the clip-on ammeter comprises an energy buffer storage which temporarily buffers the energy needed to power the evaluation unit.
According to the invention, energy is supplied to the energy buffer storage by the external data processing unit connected to the USB interface and via the USB interface, wherein optionally either the energy buffer storage is powered alone or the energy buffer storage and the evaluation unit are powered in parallel via the USB interface.
Furthermore, the energy for the evaluation unit can also be provided only by the energy buffer storage.
In the present variant, two operating modes can be provided for power-supply purposes.
In the first operating mode, the energy is supplied by the external data processing unit via the USB interface. Preferentially, the USB interface can supply power either to the energy buffer storage alone or to the energy buffer storage and the evaluation unit in parallel. In the latter case, the energy supply to the energy buffer storage runs in parallel with the actual power supply to the evaluation unit. Depending on the performance of the external data processing unit, the energy can be supplied to the evaluation unit and to the energy buffer storage with time offsets and not simultaneously. For this purpose, an energy management unit can be additionally assigned to the energy buffer storage.
In the second operating mode, the energy supply to the evaluation unit can be maintained by the loaded energy buffer storage, even if the energy is not provided by the external data processing unit via the USB interface.
In the variant described, the clip-on ammeter further comprises a data storage in which the digital measurement values of the evaluation unit can be stored temporarily and provided in a transmittable form.
According to the invention, the data storage is connected to the evaluation unit so that the evaluation unit can store the digital data in the data storage, if required, and recall them once the USB connection has been re-established.
Optionally, the data storage can have an additional direct connection to the USB interface, wherein the digital values are preferentially stored as USB compatible data in the data storage so that the external data processing unit can, if required, directly access the USB compatible data of the data storage via the USB interface.
The variant described here offers the particular technological advantage that the clip-on ammeter can be temporarily operated independently, i.e. without an external energy supply and without transfers of measurement values to an external data processing unit.
On the one hand, the mobility of the clip-on ammeter can be additionally improved in this way—an advantage which is particularly important for measurement points which are difficult to access or on a high potential. On the other hand, a possible energy supply shortage or a temporary failure of the external data processing unit which can occur, for example, in the event of a short-term failure of the external data processing unit can be compensated for a limited period of time.
In a preferred further development, the clip-on ammeter comprises an indicating unit in combination with the energy buffer storage which can display the remaining usable energy, or a remaining useful time, and which is capable to output an alarm signal if the amount of residual energy is less than a critical minimum value.
In a further variant of the clip-on ammeter of the present invention, the ammeter moreover comprises an indicating unit which is capable to display the measured current value as a digital value parallel to its further processing in the evaluation unit.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the clip-on ammeter, it includes a signal processing unit which is connected to the clip-on ammeter and which serves to record the measurement values as analog signals and to process them to analog data. In particular, the measurement values are processed by voltage amplification and, if necessary, by voltage displacement so that a good graphic representation with high resolution can be obtained, by an oscilloscope in particular.
According to the invention, the signal processing unit is connected to the voltage transformer and is powered by the latter with a bipolar voltage of preferentially +/−5 V.
Another feature of the further development just described is that the clip-on ammeter comprises an analog output which is connected to the signal processing unit and is capable to output the analog data.
It is a particular advantage that the clip-on ammeter can be connected via the analog output with an oscilloscope which can indicate the analog data.
Compared to conventional solutions, the operation of the clip-on ammeter of the invention with a voltage transformer in the further development presented, makes it possible to use the complete range of +/−5 V for an analog output of the analog data.
Thus, the further development just mentioned has the particular advantage to be capable to output the measurement values both digitally via the USB data connection and as analog data via the analog output.
In a preferred embodiment of the clip-on ammeter, the evaluation unit is moreover capable to provide a control signal for zero setting purposes and to transmit it to the signal processing unit. This signal is provided as an analog signal via a D/A converter integrated in the evaluation unit. In this embodiment, the evaluation unit comprises a control signal output and the signal processing unit comprises a signal input, wherein the signal output is connected to the signal input. The generation of the control signal in the evaluation unit is preferentially initiated by a push on a button or by using an external data processing unit via the USB data connection.
The control signal enables the signal processing unit to set the analog data to zero. In this way, a calibration of the analog output of the clip-on ammeter is made possible so that a zero line will be displayed, for example, on an oscilloscope, if no current is flowing in the electrical conductor to be measured.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING


Predictive maintenance method and apparatus for use with heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and/or refrigeration (HVACR) systems are disclosed. The preferred apparatus includes a dozen temperature sensors strategically located within and HVACR system to sense various operating temperatures and three electrical current sensors to sense various operating electrical currents. HVACR system conditions are measured periodically by an on-site service technician and inputted to a computer that identifies and reports the potential trouble spots represented by out-of-range measurements. The computer is programmed to produce graphs, tables and prediction commentary.

The present invention relates generally to heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and/or refrigeration (HVACR) systems. More particularly, the invention concerns automatic predictive maintenance method and apparatus for use with such systems.
When it is performed in accordance with a defined schedule, preventive maintenance of HVACR systems, and more particularly air conditioning and refrigeration systems, is time-consuming and costly. When preventive maintenance is not performed in accordance therewith, systems fail. Failures can occur at the worst possible time, and may result in significant economic loss, e.g. of inventory or equipment. The frequency with which preventive maintenance is performed is usually determined empirically and thus represents an actuarial approach that ignores equipment- or installation-specific requirements. Equipment maintenance based upon analytic concepts such as mean time between failures (MTBF) utilizes gross statistical averages that half the time fail themselves to achieve their failure-preventive purpose.

Method and apparatus for predictive maintenance of HVACR systems


A vacuum-treatment apparatus employs a magnetically driven clamp which uses repulsive and attractive forces between magnets. The clamp mechanism is simplified, maintenance of the apparatus can be easily performed, and the surfaces which mechanically contact one another are decreased as much as possible so that a vacuum-treatment apparatus which generates less dust is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum-treatment apparatus, in particular, to a vacuum-treatment apparatus used in a semiconductor production process, such as dry etching, CVD, deposition, sputter deposition and the like in which a specimen is treated while pressing it against a specimen table.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a dry etching apparatus, a conventional vacuum-treatment apparatus. In FIG. 2, a reaction chamber 1 of the dry etching apparatus is an airtight container which is provided with a gas-feeding entrance 2 and an exhaust port 3. An upper electrode 4 and specimen table 5, acting as a lower electrode, are provided at upper and lower portions of the reaction chamber 1. These electrodes are electrically connected and an RF generator 6 and a coupling capacitor 7 are connected in series with the electrodes. A specimen 8, i.e., a semiconductor wafer, is disposed on the surface of the specimen table 5, the outside of which is surrounded with a clamp ring 9 and clamp pins 10 which make the clamp ring move up and down. A clamp driving unit 11 which operates the clamp pins 10 is positioned exterior to the specimen table 5. A detailed description of the mechanism of the clamp driving unit 11 is omitted.
The conventional dry etching apparatus is constructed as described above. At first the specimen 8 is placed onto the specimen table 5 while the clamp ring 9 is in a raised position. The clamp pins 10 are moved down by the clamp driving unit 11. The clamp ring 9, which is mounted on the clamp pins 10, contact the outer circumference of the specimen 8. The specimen 8 is secured to the specimen table 5 by the desired pressure which is controlled by the power of the clamp driving unit 11. A reactive gas is fed into the reaction chamber 1 through the gas-feeding entrance 2 and an adequate quantity of the gas is exhausted from the exhaust port 3 so that the inside of the reaction chamber 1 is maintained at a predetermined pressure.
An RF voltage is applied by the RF generator 6 between the specimen table 5, acting as a lower electrode, and the upper electrode 4. Matching of impedance is performed by the coupling capacitor 7 so that a plasma of the reactive gas is generated in the reaction chamber 1 and the surface of the specimen 8 is etched. Then, the back of the specimen 8 is firmly pressed to the surface of the specimen table 5 by the pressure of the clamp ring 9. The heat transfer efficiency between the specimen 8 and the specimen table 5 is high and heat from the specimen 8, raised by the plasma, is absorbed into the specimen table 5. If an operator is required to set the temperature of the specimen 8 higher or lower than room temperature, he sets the temperature of the specimen table 5 at a desired temperature beforehand. The temperature of the specimen 8 can be changed to a desired value in a short time because of thermal transfer efficiency.
In the dry etching apparatus, the surface of a specimen, such as a silicon wafer, is etched by the plasma of the reactive gas which is generated in the reaction chamber 1 and the temperature of the specimen 8 rises during the process because of heat transfer from the plasma. The dry etching apparatus has a fundamental problem in that various characteristics such as the etching rate, uniformity of the etching rate on the surface of the semiconductor wafer and various etching rates according to the difference of materials etched, change with a rise in the temperature of the specimen 8. Superior characteristics are manifested when the specimen 8 is set at an optimum temperature higher or lower than room temperature. As described above, temperature control of the specimen 8 is a very serious problem and an attempt is made to control the temperature of the specimen 8 by controlling the contact between the specimen 8 and the specimen table 5.
In the above-described vacuum-treatment apparatus, in order to control the temperature of the specimen 8, i.e. to make the specimen 8 the same temperature as the specimen table 5, the specimen 8 is pressed against the specimen table 5 by using a mechanism in which the clamp pins 10 are moved up and down by the driving unit. Therefore, the construction of members such as clamp pins 10 and holes, through which the clamp pins 10 pass, is complicated and because there are many surfaces mechanically in contact one another, the amount of dust-generation is increased. This is a problem of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Such dust-generation must be sufficiently controlled in future semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which will require more precision.


A high-pressure connection device with a housing having a receiving opening into which an inlet conduit discharges. A pressure tube connector stub discharges on one end into an end face of the connector stub and has a male thread, which engages a female thread in the receiving opening press a sealing face on the connector stub into the receiving opening into contact with a seat face of the receiving opening. Both threads are embodied as sawtooth threads, and the thread flanks, which are embodied at least approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the female thread, rest on one another with nonpositive engagement in the tensed state.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an improved high-pressure connection device for delivering fluid such as fuel to a device, for example a fuel injector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One high-pressure connection device, known from Published, Nonexamined German Patent Application DE 197 53 518 A1, for instance, serves to deliver a fluid, preferably fuel, to an apparatus. Such a high-pressure connection device has a housing in which a receiving opening is embodied. Discharging into this receiving opening is an inlet conduit, which extends in the housing and through which the fluid can be conducted at high pressure. The high-pressure connection device furthermore contains a pressure tube connector stub with a high-pressure conduit embodied in it, through which the fluid can likewise be conducted at high pressure. The high-pressure conduit discharges at an end face of the pressure tube connector stub and communicates sealingly with the inlet conduit extending in the housing once the pressure tube connector stub is screwed, with a male thread embodied on it, into a female thread embodied in the receiving opening. The pressure tube connector stub, on its end face, has a sealing face, which when the pressure tube connector stub is screwed in is tensed against a seat face embodied in the receiving opening, so that the inlet conduit in the housing is made to communicate sealingly with the high-pressure conduit in the pressure tube connector stub.
The male thread on the pressure tube connector stub and the female thread in the receiving opening of the housing are typically embodied as 60° standard threads. This means that both flanks of the thread courses form an angle of at least approximately 60° with the longitudinal axis of the thread, so that between the two thread flanks as well, an angle of 60° is enclosed. If external or other factors result in a lateral force on the pressure tube connector stub, then the thread flanks of the female thread and the male thread become slightly shifted from one another. As a result, the pressure tube connector stub is somewhat skewed from its original axis, because the lateral flanks of the male thread on the pressure tube connector stub that receive the tensing force slide along the thread flanks of the female thread and thus also deviate in the axial direction. Since the sealing face of the pressure tube connector stub surrounds the orifice of the high-pressure conduit, the pressure per unit of surface area of the sealing face on the seat face decreases on the side where the lateral force engages the pressure tube connector stub. This can create leaks, since a more or less high pressure prevails in the high-pressure conduit and in the inlet conduit.


A .DELTA.Z calculator calculates difference between an inversion layer capacitance by a classical theory and an inversion layer capacitance by a quantum theory, calculates .DELTA.Z which is a thickness of a semiconductor substrate equivalent to the difference in inversion layer capacitance. A discretization mesh generator generates a Delaunay discretization mesh for a structure of the semiconductor device to be evaluated. An electrical parameter calculator calculates electrical parameters of the semiconductor device under constraint that a charge density of channel conductivity type of the semiconductor device is set to zero at discretization mesh points of the discretization mesh on an interface between an insulating film and the semiconductor substrate and at discretization mesh points of the discretization mesh in the semiconductor substrate which are located within a distance less than the stored .DELTA.Z from the interface between the insulating film and the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical parameter evaluation system, an electrical parameter evaluation method, and a computer-readable recording medium for recording an electrical parameter evaluation program and, more particularly, a technique for evaluating electrical parameters of MISFET with the use of the Delaunay discretization scheme, which is capable of taking the quantum-mechanical effect in account approximately by a calculation time equivalent to that required for the simulator with the use of the classical theory and also is applicable to a case impurity distribution in a semiconductor substrate is not uniform.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, in a device simulator which executes electrical parameter evaluation of MISFET represented by a silicon MOSFET numerically by virtue of numerical calculation, Boltzmann statistics based on the classical theory has been employed as the carrier distribution. However, in the silicon MOSFET, a two-dimensional quantization effect of conductive carriers as a quantum-mechanical effect cannot be disregarded because of the thinner thickness of the gate oxide film and the higher concentration in the silicon substrate according to miniaturization of the device. Therefore, difference in calculation results obtained by the classical theory and the quantum theory has been going to become significant. In other words, a high precision simulation has been going to become difficult in the device simulator using the classical theory.
As one of phenomena in which the quantum-mechanical effect appears, it has been known that, since an inversion layer capacitance calculated based on the classical theory is different from an inversion layer capacitance calculated based on the quantum theory, an effective thickness of the gate oxide film taught by calculation results calculated based on the quantum theory becomes apparently thick rather than an actual thickness of the gate oxide film. The reason for this phenomenon has been set forth in the literature, Toriumi et al., "Quantitative Investigation of Inversion Layer Capacitance", SSD85-15, IECE, 1985. In this literature, first Toriumi et al. have measured the drain current when the gate voltage is changed while applying a constant slight drain voltage and then detected a maximum value of the current amplification factor (gm). Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, a relationship between a reciprocal of the maximum value of the current amplification factor (1/gm) and the thickness of a gate oxide film (Tox) has been derived.
FIG. 1 shows experimental results of two kinds of devices which have a different substrate concentration on a device surface respectively. In both cases, an apparent thickness of the gate oxide film is increased rather than a true thickness of the gate oxide film. In other words, both the reciprocal of gm and the thickness of the gate oxide film have a linearity, but they do not pass through the origin so that the reciprocal of gm is not in proportion to the thickness of the gate oxide film. This event is inconsistent with the consideration that the reciprocal of gm should be in proportion to the thickness of the gate oxide film.
Toriumi et al. have explained the reason for this inconsistency, i.e., since conduction charges constituting the inversion layer have a limited thickness because of two-dimensional quantization as the quantum-mechanical effect, the inversion layer capacitance in the actual device becomes different from the inversion layer capacitance calculated based on the classical theory. Since such difference in the inversion layer capacitance cannot be disregarded, high precision simulation carried out by the device simulator based on the classical theory has been going to become difficult.
Under such circumstance, various technologies for electrical parameter evaluation with regard to the quantum-mechanical effect have been disclosed in the prior art.
First, as the first technology in the prior art, a simulation in which the quantum-mechanical effect in the inversion layer is taken strictly into account has been carried out by F. Stern (F. Stern, "Self-Consistent Results for n-Type Si Inversion Layers", Phys. Rev. B5, 4891 (1972)).
In this literature, Schrodinger equation and Poisson equation have been solved in a self-consistent manner along one dimensional direction perpendicular to the interface between the Si substrate and the gate oxide film in the channel region of the Si N-type MOSFET.
This method can provide the most strict solution, but it has defects such that an extremely long time is required for calculation rather than the classical theory and that two-dimensional analysis and three-dimensional analysis which are indispensable for evaluation of a short channel effect, etc. are difficult.
On the contrary, methods which can take the quantum-mechanical effect approximately into account based on physical equations in the classical theory have been considered variously.
As the second technology in the prior art, the method proposed by W. Hansch et al. will be explained for the N-type MOSFET (W. Hansch et al., "Carrier Transport near the Si/SiO.sub.2 Interface of a MOSFET", Solid-State Elec., 32, 839 (1989)). W. Hansch et al. have proposed the method in which the electron density nQM calculated quantummechanically is applied approximately to the electron density nCONV calculated based on the classical Boltzmann distribution in Eq.(1) to take the quantum-mechanical effect into account. EQU nQM=nCONV.multidot.[1-exp(-z/.lambda.)] (1)
Where z is a distance from an Si/SiO.sub.2 interface, and .lambda. is a constant which is determined by effective mass of electron, etc. Various methods similar to the Hansch et al.'s method have been proposed. However, in all such methods, the electron density nQM being calculated quantum-mechanically is approximated by use of a function of the electron density nCONV being calculated classically and a distance z from the Si/SiO.sub.2 interface. Such methods are inferior in strictness to the case where the Schrodinger equation is solved, but they can give sufficiently good approximation in practical use. In addition, a time required for calculation is small rather than the case where the Schrodinger equation is solved, and two-dimensional or three-dimensional calculation can be facilitated.
However, a thickness of the inversion layer is 6 to 8 nm whereas .lambda. in Eq.(1) is about 1 nm. Hence, there is necessity of employing a discretization mesh which has a very fine distance like 0.1 nm in the silicon substrate region which ranges from the Si/SiO.sub.2 interface to a 6 to 8 nm depth. In contrast, normally an about 2 to 4 nm distance is enough for the discretization mesh necessary for calculation of the classical theory. In brief, if the methods which are represented by W. Hansch et al. are employed, discretization mesh points which are more than twenty times those required for the calculation based on the classical theory are required, and thus a calculation time is extended correspondingly.
In addition, as the third technology in the prior art, there is a method which has been proposed by Y. Ohkura as another approximate solution (Y. Ohkura, "Quantum Effects in Si n-MOS Inversion Layer at High Substrate Concentration", Solid-State Elec., 33, 1581 (1990)). The method proposed by Y. Ohkura is that, although the solved equation in the classical theory is still used in calculation as it is, ToxMD given by Eq.(2) is employed in calculation instead of the oxide film thickness Tox in the actual device as the thickness of the gate oxide film and also VFBMD given by Eq. (3) is employed in calculation instead of VFB as the flat band voltage. The VFB can be determined by the substrate concentration of the actual device and material of the gate electrode. EQU ToxMD=Tox+.epsilon.ox.DELTA.z/.epsilon.Si (2) EQU VFBMD=VFD+qNA(.DELTA.z/2.epsilon.Si+Tox/.epsilon.ox).DELTA.z (3)
Where .epsilon. Si is a dielectric constant of silicon, .epsilon. ox is a dielectric constant of the gate oxide film, .DELTA.z is a parameter representing difference in the inversion layer capacitance between the classical theory and the quantum theory, q is an elementary charge, and NA is an acceptor concentration in the semiconductor substrate.
According to the third technology in the prior art, though the calculation is a coarse approximation, it has sufficient precision in practical use. In addition, since the discretization mesh is not needed to be formed fine in the vicinity of the Si/SiO.sub.2 interface and also the same discretization mesh as that used in the normal simulator based on the classical theory may be used, the third technology is excellent in respect of the calculation time. However, as expressed by Eq.(3), the corrected flat band voltage VFBMD is represented as a function of the impurity concentration NA in the semiconductor substrate. No problem is caused if the impurity distribution in the semiconductor substrate can be regarded as a uniform distribution. In numerous cases, since impurity introduction into the channel region by virtue of the ion implantation method is performed to define a threshold voltage after the well region has been formed in the actual device, the impurity distribution in the semiconductor substrate becomes non-uniform. For this reason, it is difficult to consider the quantum-mechanical effect for the actual device according to the Y. Ohkura's method.
Further, as the fourth technology in the prior art, there is a method which has been proposed by Tanimoto and which uses discretization performance to solve numerically the equation based on the classical theory as still another approximate solution (Tanimoto, Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) Hei 4-48744). According to this method, in the device simulator based on the classical theory with the use of a Voronoi discretization mesh, a thickness of the semiconductor (several nm) equivalent to difference in the inversion layer capacitance between the classical theory and the quantum theory is calculated, then a discretization mesh which has mesh points being closest to a semiconductor/gate insulating film interface at locations remote from the semiconductor/gate insulating film interface by the same distance as the thickness of the semiconductor equivalent to the difference in the inversion layer capacitance is set in the semiconductor, and then the quantum-mechanical inversion layer capacitance can be taken into account with the use of such discretization mesh. This method is characterized by execution of the Voronoi discretization scheme and the discretization mesh setting method, and nothing other than the above is needed.
The fourth technology in the prior art is identical in calculation time to that in the simulator based on the classical theory and is applicable to the case where the impurity distribution in the semiconductor substrate is not uniform. However, this method has defects because the Voronoi discretization mesh is employed. FIG. 2 is an example of the Delaunay discretization mesh, and FIG. 3 is an example of the Voronoi discretization mesh. In the Delaunay discretization mesh, the discretization mesh points are positioned on the interface between an external electrode and the semiconductor. While, in the Voronoi discretization mesh, the discretization mesh points are not positioned on the interface between the external electrode and the semiconductor. In the Delaunay discretization mesh, while using a discretization equation employing potential on the discretization mesh points positioned on the interface between the external electrode and the semiconductor as an unknown, simulation with regard to an external circuit as shown in FIG. 4 can be carried out. In the case of the Voronoi discretization mesh, as stated above, the discretization mesh points are not positioned on the interface between the external electrode and the semiconductor. Hence, a simulation with regard to a circuit (external circuit) other than a transistor like the circuit shown in FIG. 4 cannot be carried out. For this reason, there has existed the problem that the simulator for executing the Voronoi discretization scheme is inferior in function to the simulator for executing the Delaunay discretization scheme.

Electrical parameter evaluation system, electrical parameter evaluation method, and computer-readable recording medium for recording electrical parameter evaluation program


A gas burner safety system comprises dual sensor arrays, the first array positioned proximal to the gas burner and the second array positioned proximal to a control used to turn on and off and regulate the flame of the gas burner. The first array senses the flame components such that a flame signature is obtained when no object is placed on or above the flame and a flame image is obtained when an object is proximal to the flame. By comparing the flame signature and the flame image, a central control unit operatively connected to the sensor arrays can determine the presence or absence of an object proximal to the flame. The second sensor array is positioned to detect a human hand proximal to the control. In operation, if the flame image matches the flame signature and a human hand is not detected proximal to the control, the central control unit turns off the gas burner by causing the closure of a valve in the gas supply line to the gas burner.

Fires related to unattended gas burners on a cooking surface have long been recognized as a problem in need of a practical, effective solution. In a 2001 report to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (the "Report"), Arthur D. Little reported on possible technologies that could address cooktop fires. The Report reviewed 111 technologies, most of which focused on systems designed to determine whether a person was in proximity of the range, systems to measure the temperature of a cooking utensil or a cooking surface, and systems to detect, warn, and extinguish a fire.
In the interval since 2001, it appears that no technology identified in the Report has been widely accepted as a means to address the hazard of home cooking fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association Fire Analysis and Research Division (the "NFPA"), between 2006 and 2010, fire departments in the United States responded to an average of 90,400 home structure fires per year in which a range or cooktop was involved as a contributing cause of the fire. Such fires caused an annual average of 330 civilian deaths, 3,740 reported civilian injuries, and $571 million in property damage. The NFPA also reported that between 2005 and 2009, 84% of civilian deaths which involved cooking equipment were due to fires involving cooking range tops.
Civanelli, U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,277, envisioned using charged capacitor plates on the cooking surface to sense when a cooking utensil, such as a pot or pan, was moved about the cooking surface. Shuler, U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,761, describes a weight sensor under a burner which communicates with a solenoid that turns a gas supply on when weight is detected and which turns the gas supply off when weight is removed from the burner. Higley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,242, describes a system that shuts off the gas supply to a gas grill that has not been used for a preselected time period. According to Higley, an adjustable timer is used to shut off the gas supply after no motion has been detected for a preselected time period. Motion detection is accomplished using a lid position sensor to detect when the grill lid is moved between the open and the closed position, a detector which monitors switch usage to detect activity, and a vibration or movement detector which monitors when the grill itself has been moved. Coppola, WO2008031645, describes the use of fiber optic sensors to sense when a pot or pan is on a cooking surface. If the pot or pan is detected, then gas is allowed to flow to the burner. A timer allows gas flow to the burner for a pre-set period of time after a pot or pan is no longer detected on the burner. Other devices are known which sense general movement around a range and then turn off the range if no movement is detected after a predetermined interval. The simplest prior art safety device is a timer which turns off the gas supply to a range if the range has been in use for twelve hours.
Each of the prior art devices only senses when a cooking utensil is on a burner surface when there is general motion in the vicinity of a range or when the range has been in use for too long a period of time. Depending on what type of meal is being prepared, weight sensors or fiber-optic sensors that are used to determine when a utensil is on a burner may not be practical. If a meal requires the regular removal and replacement of a utensil, such as when cooking with a wok, it may be difficult to find a timer setting that adequately covers the range of movements which accompany such cooking and the burner may be turned off prematurely or be left on long after cooking has ceased. Likewise, detectors which rely on movement of a cooking appliance itself or on sensing movement in the general vicinity of the range may prove impractical as events that are within the normal range of cooking activities may cause a gas burner to be shut down prematurely. Likewise, events that are not part of the cooking activities may cause a burner to stay lit when it should be shut down for safety reasons. Thus, such devices fail to operate in a way that is consistent with how a human operator uses a range.
Thus, one of the challenges the prior art devices fail to accommodate is the nearly infinite variations in size and shape of cooking utensils, as well as the size, shape and mannerisms of a human operator.
Other types of temperature sensors such as passive infrared sensors ("PIR sensors") for example, do not actually detect the movement of an object or its presence; rather PIR sensors are electronic sensors which measure infrared radiation ("IR") from objects within their field of view. All objects with a temperature above absolute zero emit heat energy in the form of IR which enables PIR sensors to detect changes in temperature at a given point. Such may be interpreted as the movement of an object. An item of constant temperature that does not move is invisible. A motionless item which changes temperature is visible. This poses a gap in detection which is problematic in the instance of a cooking utensil, such as a pot of tepid water, that is intentionally left to boil. Under constant boiling, the temperature of the pot may change so little that a PIR sensor may lack the sensitivity to detect such a change. A stationary utensil that is being tended to by a human operator who creates a separate heat signature and is moving in and out of the zone of detection of the PIR sensor may be difficult to monitor. Such difficulties in using PIR sensors and the like could lead to misreadings and inadvertent shut-offs of a gas burner.
Therefore, what is needed is a safety burner system which operates in an ergonomic fashion and which accommodates the range of activities likely to be performed around a burner while a meal is being prepared. What is further needed is a safety burner system that intelligently interacts with a human operator of a gas range.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Safety burner system with automatic shut-off


A device which makes it possible to smoke the same cigarette several times by cutting and snuffing burning tobacco from the end of the cigarette, leaving a cigarette butt that can be smoked again. The devices uses a blade (24) and a snuffer (26), movable in a housing attachable to a tray (12) to hold a cigarette. The burning end of a cigarette is inserted into an opening in the blade and snuffer housing through which said blade and snuffer are reciprocally movable. Said blade cuts through the cigarette and detaches the burning tobacco from the cigarette, leaving the butt reconditioned for smoking again. Said snuffer is a bar which snuffs the burning tobacco cut from the end of the cigarette by pressing it against a flange (16) of the housing.

Cigarette smoking is a habit many smokers try to quit or reduce. There are well-documented health hazards posed by cigarette smoke, including secondary smoke. Also, the cost of the habit constitutes a significant financial burden to the smoker. Government taxes raise this cost further. It is very much in the interest of smokers to reduce both the amount of tobacco and the number of cigarettes they smoke, as well as the amount of secondary smoke they inhale.
One way for smokers to reduce the amount of tobacco smoked is to smoke only part of each cigarette. Many smokers are satisfied with smoking only part of a cigarette, and snuff burning partially-smoked cigarettes by grinding or crushing them against the bottom of a conventional ashtray. Another method of snuffing burning, partially-smoked cigarettes is by depriving the burning tobacco of oxygen. U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,055 to Hughes, 1961 Jun. 27, discloses an addition to cigarette packages which enables a smoker to do this.
Few smokers could or would smoke the partially-smoked cigarette (the "butt") that results from the use of either of these methods. Grinding or crushing usually breaks or tears the cigarette, rendering the butt unsmokable. Even if it is not rendered unsmokable, the butt has burnt tobacco at the end; it is visually unappealing and smelly, and pieces of burnt tobacco are prone to breaking off the butt. Also, pieces of burning tobacco are often broken off a cigarette as it its being ground or crushed. As these pieces burn they release smoke into the smoker's environment. The pieces of burning tobacco can ignite butts or other inflammable materials in an ashtray, releasing more smoke.
Depriving a burning cigarette of oxygen also leaves burnt tobacco at the end of the butt, and releases smoke into the invention and eventually the environment until all the oxygen in the snuffing compartment has been consumed.
Both of the aforementioned methods waste the remaining unburnt tobacco and release smoke into the environment.


An embodiment of a telecommunications device includes means for providing a set of words, each word including a plurality of digital symbols; a first memory area for storing the set of words, the first memory area including a first sequence of memory locations each one for storing a symbol; a second memory area for storing a composite frame including a predetermined number of symbols, the second memory area including a second sequence of memory locations; conversion means for converting the set of words in the first memory area into the frame in the second memory area, the conversion means including reduction means for reducing each word by removing a set of symbols from the word according to a puncturing algorithm, and expansion means for expanding each word by adding a set of additional symbols to the word according to a repeating algorithm; and means for transmitting the frame.

In the present times, telecommunication systems manage the transmission of huge flows of information with great flexibility. Moreover, current telecommunication systems have the capability of handling multiple multimedia services (such as voice, video and text signals) in a simultaneous way, as in the case of the well known Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standard. For this purpose, a typical approach provides for time-multiplexing said multiple and simultaneous services together onto a single physical channel. Moreover, channel coding schemes are applied to protect the flow of information from corruption effects caused by fading channels. According to said channel coding schemes, an increased quantity of data is delivered to the physical channel even if its bandwidth is limited by regulatory bodies due to spectrum limitations. At this level it is therefore often necessary to adapt the encoded data rate to the rate available at the physical level, trying to maintain a certain Quality of Service (QoS), as required by the nature itself of the service. This functionality is provided by the so called "rate matching" process by which each service is treated separately in order to "match" the throughput adaptation and the QoS compliance. More particularly, the rate matching is a coordinate process that matches the bits of the data flows associated with the different services to the bits available on the physical channel during each transmission period. This is achieved through removal and/or addition of bits carried out following predetermined pattern algorithms.
The operations performed during the rate matching process on the bits of the various data flows often require the use of memory devices. More particularly, the removal and/or the addition of bits from/to each data flow includes a plurality of steps, usually accomplished through multiple and dedicated memory areas. In detail, before the rate matching operations are performed on the various data flows, a first memory area is typically used for storing the bits thereof; the rate matching operations are then performed on copies of said bits stored in further memory areas, each one being adapted to store the intermediate results of a particular step of the rate matching process.
However, this approach is often not optimal, particularly for portable telecommunications apparatuses. Indeed, the use of multiple memory areas may be excessively expensive, both in terms of occupied silicon area and electric power consumption. The presence of multiple dedicated memory areas also requires a complex management thereof. For example, at each step of the rate matching process, bits have to be copied to a further memory area. All these copying operations involve processing periods that are relatively short. However, when the number of data flows is high, and when each data flow has a high bit rate, the total time required for performing all the copying operations may be intolerable.

Transmitter/receiver system with efficient memory management in rate matching processes


A method of processing a semiconductor substrate in forming scribe line alignment marks includes forming pitch multiplied non-circuitry features within scribe line area of a semiconductor substrate. Individual of the features, in cross-section, have a maximum width which is less than a minimum photolithographic feature dimension used in lithographically patterning the substrate. Photoresist is deposited over the features. Such is patterned to form photoresist blocks that are individually received between a respective pair of the features in the cross-section. Individual of the features of the respective pairs have a laterally innermost sidewall in the cross-section. Individual of the photoresist blocks have an opposing pair of first pattern edges in the cross-section that are spaced laterally inward of the laterally innermost sidewalls of the respective pair of the features. Individual of the photoresist blocks have an opposing pair of second pattern edges in the cross-section that self-align laterally outward of the first pattern edges to the laterally innermost sidewalls of the features during the patterning.

Scribe line alignment marks are used in the fabrication of integrated circuitry to precisely align the substrates with respect to reticles which are used to pattern the substrates. At least two of such marks are placed within scribe line area of the substrate between integrated circuit die area. Each alignment mark typically includes a plurality of raised and/or lowered features for which a stepper/scanner can optically search to determine and/or modify x-y alignment of the substrate for subsequent processing. The individual spaced features within an alignment mark are typically spaced rectangles, although any configuration might alternately be used.
X-y substrate alignment may occur by direct or indirect methods. With indirect alignment, scribe line alignment marks are initially formed relative to a substrate. Multiple layers are separately provided thereover and may be separately lithographically patterned. In doing so, each time the substrate is x-y aligned, reference may be made to the initially formed alignment marks. Such a method is referred to as "indirect" as each succeeding layer is not referenced to the immediately preceding layer. There are, however, certain critical mask levels which should be patterned relative to an immediately underlying layer. Accordingly, scribe line alignment marks may be fabricated relative to an immediate underlying layer and x-y alignment determined therefrom before patterning a subsequent layer. Such is referred to as "direct alignment".
The continuing reduction in the feature sizes of circuit components places ever greater demands on the techniques used to form those features. Photolithography is still commonly used to form patterned features such as conductive lines. A concept commonly referred to as "pitch" can be used to describe the sizes of the features in conjunction with spaces immediately adjacent thereto. Pitch may be defined as the distance between an identical point in two neighboring features of a repeating pattern in a straight line cross-section, thereby including the maximum width of the feature and the space to the next immediately adjacent feature. However, due to factors such as optics and light or radiation wave length, photolithography techniques tend to have a minimum pitch below which a particular photolithographic technique cannot reliably form features. Thus, minimum pitch of a photolithographic technique is an obstacle to continued feature size reduction using photolithography.
Pitch doubling or pitch multiplication is one method which extends the capabilities of photolithographic techniques beyond their minimum pitch. Such forms featured narrower than minimum photolithography resolution by depositing spacer-forming layers to have a lateral thickness (width) which is less than that of the minimum capable photolithographic feature size. The spacer-forming layers are then anisotropically etched to form sub-lithographic width features, and then the features which were formed at the minimum photolithographic feature size are etched from the substrate.
In forming scribe line alignment marks where sub-lithographic pitch multiplied features are formed, such may result in very narrow width features on the order of 50 nanometers and less that may be spaced more than a thousand nanometers apart. This makes it difficult or impossible for the scanners to view such features of scribe line alignment marks, thus precluding use of direct alignment techniques unless separate, dedicated masking for alignment marks is used.
While the invention was motivated in addressing the above-identified issues, the invention is in no way limited in overcoming some or all of the above-identified drawbacks. Rather, the invention is encompassed by the accompanying claims as literally worded and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.

Methods of processing semiconductor substrates in forming scribe line alignment marks


A bread maker having a reference value setting section for updating a reference value corresponding to a target temperature every heater-on/off control operation, the reference value serving to stabilize a current temperature to the target temperature by comparing the current temperature with the reference value and controlling a heater on the basis of a temperature difference between the current temperature and the reference value.

The invention relates to a bread maker whose temperature control response is improved.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a construction of a conventional bread maker A. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 1 designates a cylindrical baking oven main body; 2, an operation panel that is arranged in the middle of the front of the baking oven main body 1 for specifying a baking time and a finishing condition; and 3, a dome-like glass cover mounted on top of the baking oven main body 1 so as to be opened and closed. The baking oven main body 1 and the glass cover 3 provide a closed space of the bread maker. The operation panel 2 has a menu select button, a menu set button, a start button, and the like. In this bread maker, the glass cover 3 is constructed of transparent glass so that the inside of the baking oven main body 1 can be seen through with the glass cover 3 closed. The glass cover 3 is rotatably attached to a bracket 4 at the rear end thereof, the bracket 4 being mounted on the baking oven main body 1. The glass cover 3 also has a handle 5 attached to the front end thereof so that the glass cover 3 can be opened and closed. Inside the baking oven main body 1 is a cylindrical inner case 8. Further, an operation board 9 having a display corresponding to the operation panel 2, a keystroke drive section, and the like is arranged. A circuit board 10 for effecting the entire control is also arranged.
An internal temperature sensor 17 and a heat-ray radiation type heater 12 serving as an electrically heating element are secured to the inner circumferential surface of the inner case 8 in annular form. Inside the inner case 8 are a bread baking case 13 and a stirring blade 14. The bread baking case 13 is a cylindrical case whose top is opened. The stirring blade 14 mixes and kneads bread making ingredients including water charged into the bread baking case 13. The stirring blade 14 is rotatably arranged on the bottom of the case 8. Further, a dough sensor 11 for detecting the temperature of the ingredients during the stirring process is attached to the stirring blade 14. A stirring motor 16 is fixed below the baking oven main body 1, so that the stirring blade 14 rotates through pulleys 19a, 19b and a timing belt 20. A projecting rod 15 is attached to the inner wall of the bread baking case 13 lest the dough formed by stirring should rotate together with the stirring blade 14. Reference numeral 25 designates a fan motor; 26, a fan; and 27, a fan heater.
The circuit board 10 has a control circuit 50 for controlling the entire part of the bread maker A. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the control circuit 50. In FIG. 9, the same or like parts and components as those shown in FIG. 8 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 17 designates an internal temperature sensor, whose comparator compares a detected temperature with a fixed heater control reference value. Further, reference numeral 18 designates a microcomputer for effecting system control; 30, a relay for energizing and deenergizing the heater 12; 33, a relay for energizing and deenergizing the fan heater 27; and 31 and 32, relays for energizing and deenergizing the stirring motor 16 and the fan motor 25, respectively. The microcomputer 18 has ROMs and a RAM as a storage area and an I/O port and an A/D converter port as an interface. The ROMs include a ROM 52 that stores a control program related to the execution of the respective bread making processes, and a ROM 53 that stores related data.
Reference numeral 51 designates a power supply circuit of the bread maker A, which not only feeds dc power to the control circuit 10 by converting commercial power supply on the primary side into dc power supply, but also feeds ac power to the heater 12, the fan heater 27, the stirring motor 16, and the fan motor 25.
Next, a temperature control operation of the aforementioned bread maker A will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the temperature control operation of the bread maker A. A program indicated by the flowchart is located in process control programs requiring temperature control for such processes as stirring, fermenting, and baking processes of the bread maker A. Therefore, the process control programs requiring temperature control can be executed by the program indicated by the flowchart. According to the flowchart, temperature data inside the bread maker detected by the internal temperature sensor 17 is read (Step S100), and the read temperature data is compared with a reference value corresponding to a desired target temperature Ta (Step S101). As a result, if the read temperature data is judged to be lower than the reference value corresponding to the target temperature Ta, then the heater 12 is turned on to start conduction to the heater 12 (Step S103). On the other hand, if the temperature data read in Step S101 is judged to be higher than the reference value corresponding to the target temperature Ta, then either the heater 12 that has been turned on is turned off to stop conduction to the heater 12 or no conduction is made to the heater 12 (Step S102).
Therefore, in temperature control for heating the bread baking case 13, when the heating of the heater 12 that has been left cold is started to cause the temperature of the bread baking case 13 to be increased by the heater 12, the internal temperature sensor 17 detects such temperature increase, and in response thereto, the microcomputer 18 effects automatic on/off control of the heater 12 so that the temperature of the bread baking case 13 reaches the target temperature Ta as shown in FIG. 11.
As shown in FIG. 11, a sensor curve x shown by the solid line indicates the values detected by the internal temperature sensor 17, whereas a temperature curve y shown by the broken line indicates actual temperatures of the bread. The temperature curve y is initially fluctuating with large overshoot and undershoot but is gradually stabilized with the fluctuations controlled within a predetermined range D. The actual surface temperature of the bread is rather high and is away from the target temperature Ta in the initial part of the temperature curve y in particular as shown in FIG. 11 due to the heat capacity of various parts and components of the bread maker.
As described above, the heater 12 is controlled on the basis of a fixed heater control reference value corresponding to a set target temperature.
The conventional bread maker A is constructed as described above. That is, the heating control of the bread baking case 13 in particular involves the steps of reading the temperature data inside the bread maker detected by the internal temperature sensor 17, and comparing the read temperature data with a fixed reference value corresponding to a target temperature Ta. As a result of such heating control, the temperature fluctuates not only with large overshoot and undershoot at an initial temperature control period but also within a large range even at the steady state as shown in FIG. 11. Therefore, temperature control with satisfactory response and high accuracy within a small fluctuating range has not been achieved.


System and method for data cleansing are disclosed. The method comprises receiving one or more data records pre-categorized into one or more categories. Identifying at least one concept associated with one or more data records, and grouping, the at least one concept associated with the one or more data records into a plurality of category lists based on the predefined category associated with each of the one or more data records. Determining, one or more intersection sets based on a comparison between each pair of the plurality of category lists, wherein each intersection set comprises a set of one or more common concepts associated with a pair of category lists. The method comprises replacing each of at least one common concept of the set of one or more common concepts associated with each intersection set by a category name based on an occurrence rate of the common concepts.

Data cleansing is an important step in the data mining, text analysis and performing data classification. This is the process of removing noisy, incorrect, improperly formatted and garbage data to achieve higher accuracy in categorizing data. However determining whether a word or concept belongs to noise or if it is important is a very difficult process due to its scale.
For example in a system that classifies different types of news items, the word "crashed" could either mean a software crash, airplane crash or a building crash. However if the news sources are all related to software, then the meaning of the word is clear.
Conventional approaches for data cleansing, may not be accurate as they are not able to detect such words common within different domains.


An X-ray diagnostic apparatus has a computed tomography device including a first X-ray tube, which is fastened to a gantry ring (10) and which emits a fan-shaped effective beam, and an opposed radiation receiver, which is formed by a row of individual detectors, each of which forms an electrical signal corresponding to the received radiation intensity. A second X-ray tube is additionally fastened to the gantry ring at a right angle to the first X-ray tube, opposite which, at the gantry ring, a matrix-like X-ray detector is arranged. The second X-ray tube is activated in specified positions in pulsed fashion, such as at the uppermost rotational point. X-ray shadowgraphs thus can be produced simultaneously with CT images and without a need for repositioning any of the apparatus components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray diagnostic apparatus with a computed tomography device of the type having an X-ray tube, which is fastened to a gantry ring and which emits a fan-shaped effective beam, and an opposed radiation receiver, which consists of a row of single detectors, each of which forms an electrical signal corresponding to the received radiation intensity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Utility Model 295 21 308 discloses an X-ray examination system with a computed tomography device and other receiving devices relevant to X-ray technology in which components of the system can be used jointly in connection with the computed tomography device and the other receiving devices.
In a computed tomography device of this type, an image of the irradiated slice of the examination subject is reconstructed from the output signals of the individual detectors obtained at various irradiation directions. Digital radiographs can also be generated in a shadow-image mode by the additionally provided X-ray device. To do this, however, the gantry of the computed tomography device must be pushed to the side so that the image pick-up by the additional X-ray device can proceed undisturbed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,416 describes a computed tomography device with a curved CT detector in which an additional, stationary detector array for the creation of X-ray shadow images is provided. This additional detector array is arranged perpendicularly to the plane formed by the curved CT detector, i.e., it is arranged in the direction of the axis of rotation of the X-ray tube. A diaphragm which directs a fan-shaped X-ray onto the detector array for every position of the X-ray tube is provided in the beam path. CT exposures and X-ray shadow images can not occur simultaneously in this apparatus either, since at least the diaphragm must be pushed into the beam path of the X-ray tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,778 teaches a computed tomography device for spiral scanning which has a number of X-ray tubes, which are attached to the gantry ring, and a stationary annular CT detector row, or a number of CT detector rows which are fastened to the gantry ring, so that an improved and faster spiral scanning can occur. X-ray shadow images can not be produced with this apparatus.

X-ray diagnostic apparatus including a CT system and a system for producing radiographs


A tunable matching circuit is adjusted primarily based on transmitter oriented metrics and is then applied to attain a desired tuning for transmitter and receiver operation. In a TDM system, this is accomplished by identifying an optimal tuning for the transmitter and then applying an empirically derived adjustment to the tuning circuit in receiver mode. In an FDM system, this is accomplished by identifying a target operation that is a compromise between transmitter performance and receiver performance, and then adjusting the tuning circuit as a function of transmitter metrics and the current tuning values to achieve the desired compromised performance.

The present invention is directed towards impedance matching circuits and more particularly, adaptive impedance matching circuits to improve transceiver operation in a variety of scenarios.
As more technology and features are incorporated into small packages, engineering teams must get more and more creative, especially in the face of lagging miniaturization of parts and components. One of the areas that engineers focus on is multipurpose circuitry or, circuitry that meets a variety of functions. A good example of this focus is with regards to antenna matching circuits within cellular telephone devices.
Cellular telephone devices have migrated from single cellular technology supporting devices to multi-cellular technology devices integrating a variety of other consumer features such as MP3 players, color displays, games, etc. Thus, not only are the cellular telephone devices required to communicate at a variety of frequencies, they are also subjected to a large variety of use conditions. All of these factors can result in a need for different impedance matching circuits for the antenna. However, by utilizing tunable components, a single matching circuit can be used under a variety of circumstances.
Tunable matching circuits generally operate to adjust the impedance match with an antenna over a frequency range to maximize the output power. However, difficulties arise when attempting to tune the matching circuit for signal reception. What is needed in the art is an adaptive impedance matching module that can operate to optimize performance of both the transmitter and the receiver under a variety of circumstances. Further, what is needed is an adaptive impedance matching module that optimizes performance of the transceiver based on optimizing the operation in view of a figure of merit.

Tuning matching circuits for transmitter and receiver bands as a function of transmitter metrics


A flow chamber (10) for sampling drilling mud on a continuous basis comprises a rigid box (18) having an inlet (34) and an outlet (36). The box (18) is of rectangular cross-section which increases in depth and decreases in width from front to back to facilitate flow of drilling mud therethrough. A fitting (42) is provided in the top side of the box (18) for receiving a hydrocarbon sensor.

During the drilling of oil or gas wells, mud-laden fluid or "drilling mud" is often circulated through the hole for cooling and lubricating the drill bit, and for removing cuttings from the well. Drilling mud comprises a mixture of soil and water, and is usually held in a surface pond or pit adjacent to the well. The drilling mud is pumped into the hole and is then returned to the pit where the various cuttings are deposited.
The drilling mud provides a means of communicating with the bottom of the hole and with the geological formations penetrated by the bit during drilling. By appropriate measurements at the surface, before the drilling mud is returned to the pit, useful data such as the concentration of oil, gas, water, or sulfur in the drilling mud or cuttings, rate of drilling penetration, etc. can be determined through mud analysis. These data are then correlated with depth to provide a readout of information during drilling of the well.
Examination of drilling mud and the cuttings carried thereby is known as mud logging. Although discrete samples of drilling mud can be collected and analyzed, it is preferable to conduct sampling on a continuous basis. For example, the control and amount of information afforded by continuous mud logging is particularly desirable during drilling of exploratory holes, or when the stratigraphy is complicated. The mud sampling chambers of the prior art, however, have had a tendency to fill up and become clogged, which in turn has resulted in analysis of stagnant samples, improper sampling times, and other difficulties adversely affecting the accuracy and reliability of the procedure. Thus, a need has arisen for an improved flow chamber for sampling drilling mud on a continuous basis.


A process and apparatus for recovering conductor material from an installation cable with bunched conductors and plastic insulation cuts the installation cable into segments, presses and rolls the segments at an increased temperature ranging from 70° to 130° C. with the longitudinal axes of the segments perpendicular to directions of the rolling and sieves the segments for separating conductor material from the segments and, thereby, recovering the conductor material.

The present invention relates to a process for recovering materials from single-core installation cables, the core being made of non-magnetic material and plastic insulation. The present invention relates further to a construction of an apparatus desired for implementing the process.
It is known a Swedish process for recovering copper from cables with plastic insulation, comprising grinding the whole conductor, followed by separation of a product obtained in a separator. Copper obtained by this process as a powder allows to recover up to 60% copper brought to the recovery process.
Other process known inter alia from the Polish application of the utility model No 91974 consists in separation of the insulation from metal conductors by means of a knife arranged in a groove of the guide roll. In addition there is a scraper mounted at the roll. The knife is arranged at a pin through the torsional arm coupled with a control mechanism. The process is not suitable for bunched installation conductors due to easy damage of a core.

Process and apparatus for recovering materials from installation cables with a bunched conductor


An inductive touch sensor is provided. The inductive touch sensor comprises a driving layer for generating a magnetic field, an induced layer facing to the driving layer for identifying at least one induced electrical signal representing a change, in inductance corresponding to at least one touch location on the inductive touch sensor and at least one inductive circuit connected to the driving layer and the induced layer for detecting at least one induced electrical signal to determine at least one touch location on the inductive touch sensor. Furthermore, a detecting method of detecting at least one touch location on the inductive touch sensor is also provided.

During the last two decades, touch technologies have gained acceptance in a variety of consumer applications, such as touch screens in ATMs (automated-teller machines), track pads in laptop computers, and scroll wheels in media players. The movement of an object such as a finger or stylus along a surface of the touch sensor is detected by the touch sensor to generate electrical, signals for the subsequent process.
There are many types of touch sensing methods, such as resistive sensing type, capacitive sensing type, acoustic sensing type, optical sensing type, and the like, widely used in such technique field. For a resistive touch sensor, two continuous resistive sheets are stacked together with spacers at a predetermined interval clamped between the continuous resistive sheets. In operation, the two sheets contact each other at a touch location where an object touches a corresponding place of the outside surface of the touch sensor. The centroid of the touch location is detected by reading a current change at the touch location. However, if a multiple touch happens, then such resistive touch sensor can not distinguish multiple touch locations apart.
For the capacitive sensing type, there are two sub types, i.e. a projective capacitive type and a surface capacitive type. A projective capacitive touch sensor contains a lattice electrode pattern, while a surface capacitive touch sensor includes electrodes on the edge of a continuous conductive sheet. The capacitive touch sensor determines the touch locations by detecting the change in capacitance, when a conductive object such as a metal object or a finger approaches certain positions defined as the touch locations after being touched. However, the capacitive touch sensors are insensitive to dielectric materials.
An acoustic touch sensor comprises an element for emitting sound waves and another element for receiving sound waves, which causes the sound waves to be transmitted across the surface of the touch sensor. An object touching the surface absorbs some of the energy of the sound waves, which can be detected at the touch location. An optical touch sensor works in the similar way to the acoustic touch sensor, except that light waves such as infra-red waves but not sound waves are transmitted along the surface. However; both of these two types of touch sensors require frames to install the emitting elements and the receiving element. Moreover, the contaminants, such as dust, grease, etc, can also cause false activation on, the screen and the sensibility of the touch sensor is decreased.

Inductive touch sensor and detecting method


A reduction in interference improves throughput and increase opportunity for communication by each terminal apparatus. A base station apparatus that communicates with a terminal apparatus transmits information relating to a transmit power for a UE-specific reference signal in a state of being included in downlink control information, in a case of a predetermined transmission mode. A terminal apparatus that communicates with a base station apparatus includes a reception unit that receives downlink control information which includes information relating to a transmit power for a UE-specific reference signal, from the base station apparatus, in a case of a predetermined transmission mode, and a reception signal is demodulated based on the downlink control information.

In communication systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) which have been developed by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a cellular constitution is employed in which a plurality of areas, each of which is covered by a base station apparatus (a base station, a transmission station, a transmission point, a downlink transmission apparatus, an uplink reception apparatus, a transmit antenna group, a transmit antenna port group, a component carrier, or an eNodeB), or by a transmission station that is equivalent to the base station apparatus, are arranged in cells, and thus a communication area can be enlarged. In such cellular constitution, if the same frequency is used between neighboring cells or sectors, frequency efficiency can be improved.
In recent years, techniques with which a plurality of terminal apparatuses are non-orthogonally multiplexed for communication by allocating the same time, frequency, and spatial resource have been studied in order to increase a system capacity or create more opportunity for communication. Because the base station apparatus performs transmission while a plurality of terminal apparatuses are non-orthogonally multiplexed, interference between users occurs. Therefore, it is desirable that the terminal apparatus cancels inter-user interference. Codeword Level Interference Cancellation (CWIC) in which interference is cancelled after an interference signal is decoded is an example of the technique with which the inter-user interference is canceled. Such techniques are described above are described in NPL 1.

Base station apparatus, terminal apparatus, and communication method


Read-only memories are manufactured to include the associated microprocessor controlling program specified by, and proprietary to, the manufacturer's customers. The problem the manufacturer has of identifying each ROM and associated microprocessor with each customer is now overcome by including an assigned customer identification number in a separate small permanent register that may be read out into the data bus by an appropriate input signal. Stored program security is provided by including in the ROM test circuit a fusible link that may be opened by an appropriate signal to prevent all future readout of the customer's proprietary program.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to integrated circuits of the type known as microprocessors and more particularly to microprocessors containing as a part thereof a programmable read-only memory (ROM) suitable for storage of a program controlling the operation of the microprocessor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Microprocessors are now well-known in the semiconductor industry. A typical microprocessing system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,813, issued Oct. 5, 1976 on an application of David H. Chung. The microprocessor shown and described in that patent comprises a minimum twochip system wherein one chip includes the central processing unit (CPU), a scratch pad RAM memory, an interrupt circuit and several input-output (I/O) ports. A second chip contains a program counter, a ROM circuit, an interrupt and additional I/O ports. In operation, the ROM circuit contains the program controlling the operation of the associated central processing unit. Information transmitted to the microprocessor is then processed in accordance with this program and output signals generated by the operation of the CPU are sent from the microprocessor to carry out selected tasks. The particular program contained in the ROM circuit is usually proprietary to the party using the microprocessor. However, because of the way in which microprocessors are manufactured, the ROM program must be placed in the ROM by the manufacturer of the microprocessor and not by the customer who develops the program. Accordingly, the customer is concerned that the program be held by the manufacturer in confidence and not be disclosed either directly or indirectly to third parties.
The manufacturer, on the other hand, is faced with a difficult logistics problem. Typically, a given type of microprocessor will be sold to many thousands of different customers, each with a different proprietary program to be manufactured into the ROM. The manufacturer must be able to determine which particular microprocessor chips have been programmed for specific customers and must develop procedures to ensure that a given customer receives only those microprocessor ROM chips containing that customer's program. Furthermore, each customer is also concerned that his own customers or the ultimate users of the microprocessor will not have access to the customer's proprietary program placed in the ROM chip by the manufacturer. By allowing the ultimate user of the microprocessor to have access to this code, the user could then seek bids from other manufacturers of microprocessors in an attempt to obtain the microprocessors from other sources.
Accordingly, a method is required to enable a manufacturer of microprocessors to specifically identify the particular ROM chips destined for particular customers in a unique and fail-safe manner and to allow the customer to prevent his customers, the ultimate users, from reading out the particular proprietary program generated for use in the microprocessor.


An egg processing machine comprises egg breaking units positioned above egg collecting units and an albumen recovery device. The units are moved in pairs with a vertical distance between the two units through an egg breaking section where the egg breaking unit breaks the egg shell and albumen and yolk fall down in the egg collecting unit. An albumen recovery device comprises a rotating body catching albumen drippings with possible stringers before the egg shell is discharged.

The present invention relates to an egg processing machine comprising egg breaking units and egg collecting units moving along at least one endless travel path and an albumen recovery device.
Such an egg processing machine is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,322. The albumen recovery device includes a vacuum system drawing air in through an inlet opening in a pickup head, which in an active position is held stationary aligned with the travel path of the egg breaking and egg collecting units. The inlet opening in the pickup head faces upwards and draws albumen remains out of the broken egg shell when the egg breaking unit passes above the inlet opening.
When one egg breaking unit passes the pickup head stringers and albumen remains from one egg shell may land on the external side of the pickup head and stick momentarily thereto without being drawn into the inlet opening. When the following egg collecting unit passes below the pickup head such stringers and albumen may get in contact with or drip down onto the egg collecting unit. It is a disadvantage that the contents of one egg in this manner can get in contact with the collecting unit holding the contents of another egg.
After breaking the egg and separating the albumen and the yolk the quality of the egg material in the egg collecting unit may be controlled in order to discharge or isolate egg contents of inferior quality. A satisfactory quality of the resulting egg materials may require an isolation of the contents of each individual egg until its quality has been controlled.


In an image forming apparatus configured such that developer remaining on an image bearing member without being transferred to a recording material is moved from the image bearing member to a developer bearing member and then recovered in a developer storage portion 35. When forming a second image on a rear surface of the recording material having a surface on which a first image is fixed with a fixing device, a second potential difference between surface potential of the image bearing member after charging with a charging member when forming the second image and potential of the developer bearing member is less than a first potential difference when forming a first image.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material by an electrophotographic process.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, for image forming apparatuses for forming images on a recording material using toner (developer) such as electrophotographic apparatuses or electrostatic recording apparatuses, a cleanerless system (toner recycle system) has been proposed from a viewpoint of simplification of an apparatus configuration and elimination of waste. The system eliminates an exclusive drum cleaner, which is surface cleaning means after a transfer step of a photosensitive drum, moves transfer residual toner on the photosensitive drum after transfer to a development roller during a developing step to remove it from the photosensitive drum, and recovers the residual toner in a development device and reuses the same. The simultaneous developing/cleaning for removing residual toner on a photosensitive drum during a developing step is a method of recovering the residual toner on the photosensitive drum after a transfer step by toner recovery bias for recovering in a developing step at an image formation step or later. The toner recovery bias is a fog removing potential difference Vback, which is a potential difference between a DC voltage applied to a development roller (developer bearing member) and surface potential of the photosensitive drum (image bearing member). According to the method, since the transfer residual toner is recovered in the development device and reused in the next step or later, work such as disposing the waste toner and such becomes unnecessary and troublesome maintenance can be reduced. Since it is cleanerless, it is advantageous in terms of space and the image forming apparatus can be significantly downsized.
In an image forming apparatus using the simultaneous developing/cleaning system, it is important to reduce the transfer residual toner on the photosensitive drum after a transfer step, completely recover the toner to the development device in a developing step, and prevent the toner from appearing in the next image formation. Because, there is a possibility in which not all transfer residual toner on the photosensitive drum after a transfer step cannot be recovered in a developing step and a recovery residue ghost image or a toner scattering image appears.
For instance, in Japanese Patent No. 4510493, a mono component magnetic contact development system is proposed as a development device adopting the simultaneous developing/cleaning. The system is to perform development by carrying magnetic developer (magnetic toner) on a development sleeve (developer bearing member) containing magnetic field generating means and bringing it into contact with a surface of the photosensitive drum.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-173053, it is proposed, in a development device adopting the simultaneous developing/cleaning, to reduce an absolute value of a developing bias in image formation on a rear face to be smaller than in image formation on a front face so as to reduce an influence of a change in the moisture content of a recording material on the image quality.
When both side image formation is performed, transferability changes between a front face (a recording material that does not pass a fixing device) of the recording material and a rear face (a recording material that once passed the fixing device). With the above-described conventional configuration, there is a case where white background fogging becomes worse and a change in recovery residue ghost occurs caused by a change in transferability in both side image formation, and the image quality becomes unstable. In recent years, with requirement for saving paper use being on the rise to conserve resources, duplex printing has become more prevalent. This presents an important challenge to address since high image quality is required also in both side image formations.

Image forming apparatus having potential difference control