A writing reading/panel with hidden indication bar, including a panel body having a resilient paper clip pivotally disposed on upper side and a slide channel longitudinally disposed on a lateral side, an indication bar snugly fitted in the slide channel at normal time and a connecting member vertically slidably disposed on two sides of the slide channel to embrace the same. The connecting member is disposed with at least one resilient locating plate for abutting against lateral walls of the slide channel so as to locate the connecting member at a desired position on the panel body. In the case that the indication bar is hidden in the slide channel, a paper can be clipped on the panel body for a user to directly write thereon. Alternatively, the indication bar can be taken out of the slide channel and connected with the connecting member, whereby the indication bar can be moved along with the connecting member along the slide channel to indicate the content of the paper clipped on the panel body.

The present invention relates to a writing/reading panel with hidden indication bar, including a panel body formed with a slide channel in which an indication bar can be snugly fitted at normal time, permitting a user to freely carry the panel body and directly write on a paper clipped thereon. Alternatively, the indication bar can be taken out of the slide channel and connected with the connecting member, whereby the indication bar can be moved along with the connecting member along the slide channel to indicate the content of the paper clipped on the panel body.
During working on a paper such as typing, collation, etc., a reading panel is often used to clip the paper and an indication bar is slidably disposed on a lateral side of the panel for indicating the content of the paper so as to facilitate the reading and avoid missing or mistake.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an existing reading panel including a panel body 100 and a paper clip 101 resiliently pivotally disposed on the panel body 100. A guide rail 102 is longitudinally formed on a lateral side of the panel body 100 and a connecting member 103 is slidably fitted with the guide rail 102. An indication bar 104 is pivotally connected with the connecting member 103 and attached to the panel face of the panel body 100 for indicating the content of the paper. The upper section of the connecting member 103 is formed with a U-shaped hook section 103a for embracing the guide rail 102. The lower section of the connecting member 103 is formed with a resilient clip section 103b for resiliently clamping the guide rail 102 so as to stably locate the connecting member 103 as well as the indication bar 104 on the panel body 100. When moving the indication bar 104 up and down, as shown in FIG. 2, the clip section 103a must be first compressed and expanded (as shown by the phantom line) to release the guide rail 102, permitting the connecting member 103 as well as the indication bar 104 to be moved up or down to next position. Several shortcomings exist in such structure as follows:
1. When moving the indication bar 104, it is necessary to simultaneously continuously compress the clip section 103b of the connecting member 103. Such operation is quite uneasy.
2. When moving the indication bar 104 and compressing the clip section 103a, only the upper hook section 103a of the connecting member 103 is guided by the guide rail 102 so that the connecting member 103 can be hardly accurately guided through a proper path. When suffereing an outward pulling force, the connecting member 103 is quite apt to detach from the guide rail 102 or the hook section 103a tends to be broken.
3. It is impossible to hide the indication bar 104 in the panel body so that the indication bar 104 is always attached to the face of the panel body 100. Therefore, it is impossible to provide a plane panel face for a user to write thereon.
4. When moving the indication bar 104, the clip section 103b is continuously compressed. After a long period of use, the clip section 103b is subject to wearing and loosening. Therefore, the indication bar 104 can be hardly located at a horizontal position.
5. It is impossible to hide the indication bar 104 in the panel body so that when carried outdoors, the indication bar 104 is apt to drop down and miss or be broken due to collision.

Writing/reading panel with hidden indication bar


This invention is directed to a process for forming a sorbent-metal complex. The process includes oxidizing a sorbent precursor and contacting the sorbent precursor with a metallic species. The process further includes chemically reacting the sorbent precursor and the metallic species, thereby forming a sorbent-metal complex. In one particular aspect of the invention, at least a portion of the sorbent precursor is transformed into sorbent particles during the oxidation step. These sorbent particles then are contacted with the metallic species and chemically reacted with the metallic species, thereby forming a sorbent-metal complex. Another aspect of the invention is directed to a process for forming a sorbent-metal complex in a combustion system. The process includes introducing a sorbent precursor into a combustion system and subjecting the sorbent precursor to an elevated temperature sufficient to oxidize the sorbent precursor and transform the sorbent precursor into sorbent particles. The process further includes contacting the sorbent particles with a metallic species and exposing the sorbent particles and the metallic species to a complex-forming temperature whereby the metallic species reacts with the sorbent particles thereby forming a sorbent-metal complex.

Toxic metals may enter a combustion system in many physical and chemical forms, for example, as constituents of a hazardous or municipal solid waste to be incinerated or as trace quantities in coal. In fact, studies have shown that coal combustion and waste incineration are the two major contributors to atmospheric loading of toxic metals such as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, vanadium, lead and zinc. Once introduced into a combustion environment, a metal may undergo transformations to different phases as well as to different chemical species depending upon combustion conditions and the presence of chlorine and other reactive species. Also, at combustion temperatures, metals may be vaporized and then undergo nucleation to form a submicron aerosol, or the metal vapor may condense onto existing particles. These resulting particles, formed by nucleation or condensation, have been observed to have a diameter of approximately 0.02 .mu.m. Through growth by condensation of vapor or by coagulation with other particles, these particles ultimately may have a diameter of from about 0.02 .mu.m to about 1.0 .mu.m in the flu gas. For example, in one study on hospital waste incineration, a bimodal distribution in the flu gas was observed, and the particles having a diameter between about 0.1 .mu.m and 0.2 .mu.m accounted for 7% to 74% of the lead, 62%-77% of the cadmium, and 20%-80% of the zinc in the total particulate phase. (Kauppinen, E. I. and Pakkanen, T. A., "Mass and Trace Element Size Distributions of Aerosols Emitted by a Hospital Refuse Incinerator", Atmos. Environ., 24A, 423 (1990).
Unfortunately, flu gas cleaning equipment used in combustion systems is least efficient in capturing particles having diameters in the submicrometer size range. For example, electrostatic precipitators are used in many coal-fired combusters and typically exhibit the lowest collection efficiency for particles less than 1 .mu.m in diameter. Particles in these size ranges potentially pose a greater health threat than larger particles since they penetrate deeper into the lungs where the toxic materials come into contact with the blood. This potential adverse health impact of metal emissions from combustion devices is an appropriate incentive to investigate new methods and technologies for metal removal from waste gas streams. Furthermore, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has begun to regulate toxic metal emissions from combusters pursuant to Title III of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments which specifically lists eleven metals and their compounds as air toxics.
In an attempt to control such toxic metal emissions, researchers have proposed several control methods using various bulk solid sorbents to chemically adsorb various metals thereby reducing their discharge in particulate form into the atmosphere.
One such method includes combusting a metal contaminated waste in a fluidized bed of sorbent. (Oho, T., Chen, J., Hopper, J. and Oberacker, D., "Metal Capture During Fluidized Bed Incineration of Wastes Contaminated with Lead Chloride", Combust. Sci. and Technol., 85, 101 (1992)). Other proposed methods include injecting a sorbent into the high temperature region of a combustion device (Scotto, M., Petersen, T. and Wendt, J., "Hazardous Waste Incineration: The In-Situ Capture of Lead by Sorbents in a Laboratory Down-Flow Combuster", 24th International Symposium on Combustion, the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (1992), and passing a metal vapor at high temperatures through a packed bed of sorbent (Uberoi, M. and Schadman, F., "High Temperature Removal of Cadmium Compounds Using Solid Sorbents", Environ. Sci. Technol., 25, 7, 1285 (1991); and Uberoi, M. and Schadman, F., "Sorbents for Removal of Lead Compounds from Hot Flu Gases", AlChE Journal, 36, 2, 307 (1990)).
Although these bulk solid sorbent control methods may reduce metal emissions, they have several limitations. For example, because of mass transfer limitations with the bulk solid sorbent, the sorbent is not very efficient, and therefore, a large amount of sorbent must be used. More specifically, the metals may react with the surface of the bulk solid sorbent to form a metal-sorbent complex at the surface which plugs the pores of the sorbent and blocks access by the metals to the inner core volume of the bulk solid sorbent. This inhibits mass transfer of metal vapor to a significant active portion of the overall sorbent reactive surface, thereby severely limiting the efficiency of the bulk solid sorbent. In order to overcome this mass transfer limitation, the ratio of sorbent material to metals must be significantly increased thereby increasing not only raw material costs, but also post treatment costs incurred in land filling or otherwise disposing of the resulting large quantities of filtered or precipitated powdered material.
Therefore, it would be extremely desirable to have a method of reducing toxic metal emissions from a combustion system in which the system uses a sorbent material more efficiently, thereby providing enhanced capture and subsequent storage of toxic metals at a reduced cost.

Process for forming a sorbent-metal complex by employing a sorbent precursor


A belt autotensioner including: a support arm having one end supported and the other end biased in a predetermined direction; a tension pulley supported by the other end of the support arm; and a friction member held in sliding contact with the support arm for applying a rocking resistance to the support arm, and having a Rockwell hardness [H.sub.R R] of 30 to 40 in at least a portion in sliding contact with the support arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an autotensioner for keeping the tension of a belt of a belt drive mechanism automatically to a proper level.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the belt drive mechanism of the prior art in which the belt is made to run on a drive pulley and a driven pulley, there is used an autotensioner as means for applying a tension to the belt. This autotensioner generally includes a tension pulley for applying a tension to the belt; a support arm for supporting the tension pulley; a torsion coil spring for biasing the support arm in one direction; and a friction member for establishing a resistance (or sliding resistance) to the rocking motions of the support arm. In this autotensioner, the motions of the tension pulley are regulated, while being allowed according to the fluctuations in the tension of the belt, so that the support arm may be elastically biased in one rocking direction by the torsional restoring force of the coil spring and given a rocking resistance by the friction member.
In this autotensioner, as disclosed in Unexamined Published Japanese Patent Application No. 2-253035, the friction member is made of an annular plate for realizing the function of attenuating vibrations and impacts. The friction member is sandwiched between the front and end face of the boss or the component of the support arm and a guide member, as mounted on the front end of a rocking support pin for supporting the support arm, while employing them as its sliding contact partners. Moreover, the friction member is pressed between the sliding contacting partners by the extendible restoring force thereby imparting the rocking resistance to the support arm by its friction.
The friction member is usually made of a relatively hard material such as a material having a Rockwell hardness [H.sub.R R] of about 50 or more. The material for the friction member is prepared by adding glass fibers to the base of either a thermoplastic synthetic resin such as polyamide (PA), polyether ketone (PEEK) or polyether sulfone (PES), or a thermoset synthetic resin of phenol.
In the autotensioner described above, the friction member is made of a relatively hard material mainly with an object of suppressing an abrasion. When the sliding contact partners have a large manufacturing distortion, the friction member has a region, where it is out of contact with the partners, at the initial state of use. As the abrasion of the friction member proceeds according to the use so that the non-contact region is lessened, the friction coefficient of the friction member to the sliding contact partners seriously changes. This invites an instability in the vibration/impact attenuation characteristics of the friction member.
When the friction member is made of a relatively soft material, on the contrary, it can come into close contact with even the sliding contact partners having the manufacturing distortion. It is then expected that the change in the friction coefficient between the initial and advanced stages can be suppressed to a small value. However, the friction member has a short lifetime because of less caused by abrasion.


In order to reduce an occurrence of a double image, to improve a contrast ratio in transmissive display, and to widen a viewing angle, a light diffusion layer for restricting the occurrence of the double image is placed between a viewing angle compensating plate and a reflective layer. With this configuration, though traveling directions of light emitted from a backlight placed on an outside of the reflective layer are changed in the light diffusion layer, the traveling directions are not changed in the viewing angle compensating plate and a liquid crystal layer once the light is made incident onto the viewing angle compensating plate, and the light travels straight in any of the vertical direction and slanting directions. Thus, the viewing angle compensating plate can exert an original function thereof to compensate a phase difference and can ensure a viewing angle widely.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device which mainly performs transmissive display by a backlight and is capable of performing reflective display utilizing external light in a place where illumination of the external light is intense.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal display device of a first related art. The liquid crystal display device has a configuration, in which a liquid crystal layer 3 is held between an array substrate 1 and an opposite substrate 2, and a backlight 4 is placed on an outside of the array substrate 1.
In the array substrate 1, a polarizing plate 12 is pasted on an outer surface of a glass-made transparent substrate 11 by a transparent adhesive layer 13, an address line 14 is formed on an inner surface of the transparent substrate 11, a transparent insulating layer 15 is formed entirely on the upper surface of the transparent substrate 11, and a pixel electrode 16 and a switching element 17 are formed on an upper surface of the transparent insulating layer 15.
In the opposite substrate 2, a polarizing plate 22 is pasted on an outer surface of a glass-made transparent substrate 21 by a transparent adhesive layer 23, a color filter 24 and a black matrix 25 are formed on an inner surface of the transparent substrate 21, and an opposite electrode 26 is formed so as to cover the color filter 24.
The backlight 4 is a light source using a white LED (Light Emitting Diode). In the case of transmissive display, light emitted by the backlight 4 transmits through the array substrate 1, the liquid crystal layer 3 and the opposite substrate 2 in this order, and is utilized for the display.
Moreover, a reflective layer 41 is formed between the polarizing plate 12 and the backlight 4. In the case of reflective display, light from the outside, such as a sunbeam, is made incident onto a display screen, and transmits through the opposite substrate 2, the liquid crystal layer 3 and the array substrate 1. Then, the light is reflected on the reflective layer 41, transmits through the array substrate 1, the liquid crystal layer 3 and the opposite substrate 2, and is utilized for the display.
However, the first related art has had a problem that a displayed image by the light from the backlight and a reflected image by the light reflected on the reflective layer 41 are overlapped on each other to cause a double image (parallax), leading to deterioration of image quality.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal display device of a second related art. In this liquid crystal display device, a light diffusion layer 18 is formed between the transparent substrate 11 and polarizing plate 12 of the array substrate 1 for the purpose of reducing an occurrence of the double image. Other portions are similar to those in FIG. 1. A placement position of the light diffusion layer, usually, should be on the backlight side rather than the liquid crystal layer side when viewed from the display screen side. A reason for this is that, when the light diffusion layer is placed on the display screen side, a character blur owing to light scattering becomes prone to occur on the display screen, leading to the deterioration of the image quality. Note that, as a technology using the light diffusion layer, ones described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2003-255317 and 2003-121847 are known.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal display device of a third related art. In this liquid crystal display device, for the purpose of expanding a viewing angle, a viewing angle compensating plate 19 is placed between the transparent substrate 11 and polarizing plate 12 of the array substrate 1, and a viewing angle compensating plate 29 is placed between the transparent substrate 21 and polarizing plate 22 of the opposite substrate 2. This viewing angle compensating plate 19 is pasted on the transparent substrate 11 by the transparent adhesive layer 13 and on the polarizing plate 12 by a transparent adhesive layer 20. Moreover, the viewing angle compensating plate 29 is pasted on the transparent substrate 21 by a transparent adhesive layer 30 and on the polarizing plate 22 by the transparent adhesive layer 23. Other portions are similar to those in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a liquid crystal display device of a fourth related art. In this liquid crystal display device, for both of the purposes of reducing the occurrence of the double image and expanding the viewing angle, the light diffusion layer 18 is placed between the transparent substrate 11 and viewing angle compensating plate 19 of the array substrate 1 in FIG. 3. Other portions are similar to those in FIG. 3. As described above, the fourth related art is one for achieving the reduction of the occurrence of the double image and the expansion of the viewing angle by providing both of the light diffusion layer 18 and the viewing angle compensating plates 19 and 29.
However, though the reduction of the occurrence of the double image is achieved, the fourth related art has had a problem that a contrast ratio is significantly lowered in the case of the transmissive display, resulting in narrowing of a range of the viewing angle.

Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.


An electronic device includes a casing and a fan received in the casing. The fan includes a cover plate, a bottom plate and a side wall. An air outlet is defined in the side wall. The bottom plate defines an air inlet. The casing includes a bottom cover and a top cover. The bottom cover includes a base plate, and a side plate extending upwardly from a periphery of the base plate. The bottom plate includes a horizontal first area and a second area inclining relative to the first area. A height of the base plate relative to a horizontal plane gradually increases from one side of the casing to another side of the casing. A height of the second area relative to the horizontal plane also gradually increases from the one side of the casing to another side of the casing.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to electronic devices, and particularly to an electronic device with a fan mounted therein having an excellent heat dissipation capability.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, with the development of electronic technology, an electronic device such as a computer or a server is devised to be much thinner and smaller than before, yet hold many more electronic modules. However, the electronic modules generate a large amount of heat during operation. The interior space of the electronic device is very limited, and the electronic modules occupy much of that space. Therefore, the space saved for a fan for dissipating heat generated from the electronic modules is becoming smaller and smaller, and a gap between the fan and a casing of the electronic device is becoming narrower and narrower. During operation, only a little of ambient air is drawn along the gap by the fan, and heat dissipation capability of the fan is very limited. As a result, heat generated by the electronic modules cannot be efficiently taken away.
What is needed, therefore, is an electronic device with a fan mounted therein which can overcome the limitations described.


A transistor structure which includes a raised source, a raised drain, a gate located between the source and the drain, a first capping layer in communication with at least a portion of the gate and the source, a second capping layer in communication with at least a portion of the gate and the drain, a first portion of a gate oxide region in communication with at least a portion of the gate and the source, a second portion of a gate oxide region in communication with at least a portion of the gate and the drain. The source, the gate, the first capping layer, and the first portion of a gate oxide region define a first gap. The drain, the gate, the second capping layer, and the second portion of a gate oxide region define a second gap. The structure also includes a first junction area located beneath the first gap, the gate and the source and a second junction area located beneath the second gap, the gate and the drain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to a semiconductor raised source-drain structure and, more particularly, to a semiconductor raised source-drain structure with gate side gaps and pocket junctions.
2. Description of the Background
Raised source and drains have been demonstrated in submicron semiconductor devices. In contrast to conventional source and drains, raised source and drains are vertical structures formed on top of the substrate instead of implanted structures in the substrate surface. Thin film structures are typically inserted between the sidewalls of the gate and the top regions of the raised source and drains to isolate the gate from the source and drains. Such an isolation arrangement, however, can cause excessive capacitive loading from gate to source and drain.
Devices incorporating raised source and drains typically include implanted n- regions under the source and drain regions to create conductive channels between the gate and the source and drains. Such channels do not have good drive and punchthrough capabilities. Also, it is difficult to implant the conductive channels after the polysilicon pattern defining the source and drain structures.
Thus, there is a need for a semiconductor device with raised source and drains that has improved series resistance, good IDS current drive, improved punchthrough leakage, and reduced sidewall capacitance that can be fabricated using standard fabrication techniques.

Semiconductor raised source-drain structure


A method for automatically aligning measured power-related data in a power monitoring system to a common reference point. A conductor in a power delivery system is modeled according to an equivalent pi model of a transmission line that is characterized by model parameters. The conductor is monitored on both ends by a reference monitoring device and a second monitoring device. The voltage and current are measured in either the reference monitoring device or the second monitoring device and a phase shift offset between the voltages or currents at the two devices is calculated. The calculated phase shift offset corresponds to a temporal delay between events observed at the pair of devices, and calculating and storing the phase shift offset allows a power monitoring system controller to more accurately align data received from monitoring devices.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,684,441 generally discloses techniques for aligning measured data by analyzing the grid's frequency or amplitude variations to generate a cycle count offset by which one monitoring device's data lags or leads a reference monitoring device's data. This approach works very well for radial-fed power systems. However, power systems that include apparatuses such as transformers or very long conductor lengths such as transmission lines can introduce phase shifts into the measured data between monitoring devices upstream and downstream of the transformers or generators. These small phase shifts introduce fractional offsets in the cycle counts that can cause the cycle count offset to be shifted by fractions of a full cycle, such as defined by a 50 Hz or 60 Hz power signal. What is needed is an improved method for aligning measured data synchronously by calculating the precise number of cycles by which the measured data between a pair of monitoring devices differ for sequence of events analysis (e.g., how and when a fault propagates through the electrical system), fault detection analysis, clock adjustment in the monitoring devices, determining power flows throughout an electrical system, and other analyses.

Data alignment in large scale electrical system applications


A semiconductor device may be manufactured by a method that includes forming an etch stop layer on a semiconductor substrate, sequentially forming a first interlayer insulating layer, a first diffusion barrier, a second interlayer insulating layer, and a second diffusion barrier on the etch stop layer, forming a via hole exposing the etch stop layer by etching the second diffusion barrier, the second interlayer insulating layer, the first diffusion barrier, and the first interlayer insulating layer, forming a first trench overlapping the via hole by etching the second diffusion barrier and the second interlayer insulating layer, forming a second trench continuous to the first trench by etching the first diffusion barrier and part of the first interlayer insulating layer, and removing the etch stop layer exposed through the via hole, wherein the first and second trenches are etched under different dry etching conditions.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a damascene structure.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Recently, as semiconductor devices have become highly integrated and process technology has been enhanced, conventional aluminum wiring has been replaced by copper wiring for improving device characteristics such as operation speed and resistance of the device as well as parasitic capacitance between the metals. However, since copper has very poor etching characteristics, a damascene process is widely used for such a copper line instead of a conventional etching process.
In the damascene process, a dual damascene pattern including a via hole and a trench is formed in an interlayer insulating layer, and then copper is filled in the dual damascene pattern to form the copper metal line. The interlayer insulating layer is formed from undoped silicate glass (USG), a fluorine doped silicate glass (FSG), silicon nitride (SiN), etc. In some cases, a desired critical dimension (CD) may not be obtained when an upper profile of the trench is deformed. Such deformation may be due to an etch selectivity difference between the FSG and SiN layers.
In order to solve such a problem, a P—SiH4 layer (e.g., a plasma-deposited silicon oxide layer and/or a silicon oxide layer formed by plasma-enhanced deposition from a silane precursor gas, also known as PEOX) may be used instead of the SiN layer. In this case, the deformation of the upper profile of the trench may be prevented since the etch selectivity difference between the FSG layer and the P—SiH4 layer is not substantial. However, when an etching gas for FSG is used for etching the interlayer insulating layer having the P—SiH4 layer therein, etching of the interlayer insulating layer becomes locally poor, and thus the via hole and the trench may not be uniform.
Thus, according to a conventional method, via holes and trenches may not be uniformly fabricated. In such cases, metal lines may show different resistances thereby producing an undesirable effect on operation of the semiconductor device (e.g., different metal lines may exhibit different signal transmission speeds; in extreme cases, the difference may be sufficiently great that the device cannot with manufactured within predefined specifications, or acceptable parameter variation or tolerance ranges).
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form prior art that may be already known in this or any other country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device


Compositions and methods for the treatment of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura are disclosed.

Several publications and patent documents are cited throughout the specification in order to describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. Each of these citations is incorporated herein by reference as though set forth in full.
ADAMTS13 (A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease with ThromboSpondin type1 repeats-13) cleaves ultra large (UL) von Willebrand factor (VWF) on endothelial cells1 and soluble VWF in the flowing blood2;3 or at site of injury where VWF-rich platelet thrombi are formed4-6. This cleavage is highly specific occurring at the Tyr1605-Met1606 bond in the A2 domain7. In vivo, fluid shear stress accelerates the cleavage of cell bound ULVWF1;8 and soluble VWF in circulation2;3. In vitro addition of a denaturant such as urea9 or guanidine7 markedly accelerates the cleavage of soluble VWF by ADAMTS13. These findings facilitate the development of various biochemical assays for assessing ADAMTS13 activity.
The importance of VWF proteolysis is highlighted by the development of a fatal syndrome thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) when plasma ADAMTS13 activity is severely deficient, either due to hereditary mutations of ADAMTS13 gene10 or acquired formation of autoantibodies that inhibit ADAMTS13 activity11-13. Nearly all adult patients with severely deficient ADAMTS13 activity harbor polyclonal immunoglobulin Gs (IgGs) that bind the Cys-rich and spacer domains, particularly the spacer domain of ADAMTS1313-17. Recent studies have shown that exosite 3 (i.e. Y659-Y665) and several other adjacent amino acid residues (i.e. R568 and F592) in the spacer domain comprise a major antigenic epitope for autoantibodies in TTP18;19. This region is also found to play an essential role in proteolytic cleavage of VWF under various conditions6;20-24 and inhibition of arterial thrombus formation in vivo6.
Clearly a need exists for the identification of those residues in the ADAMTS13 spacer region which modulate substrate recognition and autoantibody recognition. This information should provide guidance for the development of therapeutic compositions useful for the treatment of TTP, myocardial infarction and stroke, and other inflammatory and arterial thrombotic disorders.

Gain-of-function ADAMTS13 variants resistant to auto antibody inhibition and methods of use thereof


The present invention generally provides an insulating vessel for beverages. The vessel has an outsert and a insert. The insert is positioned within the cavity of the outsert. In one embodiment the insert has a plurality of insulating members that are spaced from an inner surface of the outsert to define a series of air gaps between an outer surface of the insulating members and the inner surface of the outsert. In another embodiment, the insert and outsert have generally conical side walls with substantially the same taper angle so as to be in a friction lock relationship with one another.

Various methods, containers and auxiliary devices for providing insulation to a container to keep the contents of a container warm/cold and to lessen the effects of the transfer of heat/cold to a user's hand are well known in the art. While such insulating containers and jackets according to the prior art provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present invention seeks to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.


A chip-lifetime testing instrument for semiconductor devices which can detect defective chips by testing the performance and electrical lifetime of the chips in manufacturing process of the semiconductor devices, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced and unnecessary processes for packaging of defective chips can be avoided, thereby reducing the necessary space for the set-up of the testing instrument.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing instrument, and more particularly to, a chip-lifetime testing instrument for a semiconductor device which can detect inferior chips by testing the performance and electrical lifetime thereof in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor devices.
In general, the chip-lifetime test of semiconductor devices has been carried out after packaging chips by loading, wire-bonding, and molding processes and the test has been achieved by connecting the externally exposed leads of a package to power supplying means of a chip-lifetime testing instrument.
Since the performance and electrical lifetime test of the chip is carried out in the packaged state, therefore, unsatisfactory chips have already been packaged, reducing the efficiency of production and resulting in substantial cost such as the waste of materials due to packaging unsatisfactory chips.
Also, the testing instrument for the packaged chip must be large in order to be connected electrically to the externally exposed leads of the package. Thus, the set-up cost increases and large spaces are needed.

Chip-lifetime testing instrument for semiconductor devices


Image-recording, hydrophilic colorants having an organic pigment linked to a hydrophilic compound through a linking group and which are capable of forming images excellent in print quality such as chroma, gloss, density, light fastness and abrasion fastness, and also as hydrophilic colorants capable of affording inks excellent in physical properties such as long-term storability and press stability are described.

In recent years, inkjet printers (hereinafter simply called "printers") have found wide-spread commercial utility as representative image-recording systems making use of water-based inks (hereinafter simply called "inks") Reflecting the move toward high-quality printers, the use of such printers has expanded to the recording of general documents, the recording of color documents, the preparation of color New Year's cards, the printing of color photographs, the preparation of large drawings, the drafting of large advertisement posters, and the like.
Concerning the users of such printers, on the other hand, they have spread not only to office or business users but also to personal users. Keeping in step with the developments of computer-to-plates in the printing industry field, the use of such printers has also expanded to general printing such as the printing of simple prints and the printing of proof sheets.

Hydrophilic coloring matter for recording image, aqueous coloring agent for recording image, method and device for recording image

Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals Mfg. Co., Ltd.


An actinic energy ray-curable resin is obtained by reacting an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid (c) with a terminal epoxy group of an epoxy resin having an unsaturated group and a hydroxyl group in its side chains and an epoxy group in its terminal and further reacting a polybasic acid anhydride (d) with the hydroxyl group of the above-mentioned epoxy resin, wherein the above-mentioned epoxy resin is a product of the polyaddition reaction of a reaction product (I) of a polybasic acid anhydride (a) and a compound (b) having at least one unsaturated double bond and one alcoholic hydroxyl group in its molecule, a compound (II) having at least two carboxyl groups in its molecule, and a bifunctional epoxy compound (III), wherein at least either one of the carboxyl group-containing compound (II) and the bifunctional epoxy compound (III) is a compound containing no aromatic ring. A photocurable and thermosetting resin composition comprising this actinic energy ray-curable resin, a photopolymerization initiator, a diluent, and a cyclic ether compound is useful as a solder resist for a printed circuit board, interlaminar insulating materials for a multi-layer printed circuit board, and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a linear, actinic energy ray-curable resin having a photopolymerizable unsaturated group and a carboxyl group, and more particularly to a linear, alkali-soluble, and actinic energy ray-curable resin containing regularly repeating cyclohexane rings.
This invention further relates to an alkali-developable, photocurable and thermosetting resin composition using the actinic energy ray-curable resin mentioned above and a cured product thereof, and more particularly relates to a liquid, alkali-developable, photocurable and thermosetting resin composition which is suitable for use in various applications, particularly for use as permanent masks for printed circuit boards, interlaminar insulating layers for multi-layer circuit boards, and the like and capable of forming a cured film exhibiting low dielectric properties and excelling in adhesiveness, resistance to electroless plating, electrical properties, flexibility, resistance to moisture absorption, and resistance to PCT (pressure cooker test) by means of a procedure comprising the steps of irradiating a coating film of the composition with actinic energy rays, then developing the exposed film with a dilute aqueous alkaline solution, thereby forming an image on the film, and finally curing the film by irradiation with actinic energy rays and subsequent heating, or by heating and subsequent irradiation with actinic energy rays, or by heating and to a cured film-forming technology using the composition mentioned above.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present, as a solder resist for part of the household grade printed circuit boards and for virtually all the industrial grade printed circuit boards, a liquid developing type solder resist which is irradiated with ultraviolet light and then developed to form an image and thereafter finally cured (finish curing) by heating or exposure to light is adopted from the viewpoint of ensuring highly accurate formation of circuits with high density. Further, with due respect to the problem of environmental safety, the liquid solder resist of the alkali developing type which implements development with a dilute aqueous alkali solution as a developer has come to play the leading role. As such alkali developing type solder resists using a dilute aqueous alkali solution, for example, published Japanese Patent Application, JP 61-243869A discloses a solder resist composition comprising a photosensitive resin obtained by addition of an acid anhydride to the reaction product of a novolak type epoxy compound with an unsaturated monobasic acid, a photopolymerization initiator, a diluent, and an epoxy compound, and JP 3-253093A discloses a solder resist composition comprising a photosensitive resin obtained by addition of an acid anhydride to the reaction product of a novolak type epoxy compound with an unsaturated monobasic acid, a photopolymerization initiator, a diluent, a vinyltriazine or a mixture of vinyltriazine with dicyandiamide, and a melamine resin.
Although some material systems are heretofore proposed as a solder resist as mentioned above, a solder resist composition using mainly a photosensitive resin obtained by causing a polybasic acid anhydride to react with a reaction product of the above-mentioned novolak type epoxy resin and an unsaturated monobasic acid as a photosensitive component is currently used in large quantities in the practical manufacture of printed circuit boards. Although such a photosensitive resin is excellent in photocuring properties and alkali-developability, it is hardly possible to say that the above-mentioned resin has reached a satisfactory level in respect of the balance between the photocuring properties and the flexibility. Moreover, this resin has the drawback of being easy to generate cracks by the thermal shock according to the use aimed at because it tends to cause shrinkage during curing and exhibits low elongation and poor toughness.
Further, in view of high densification of the printed circuit board to cope with the recent trend of electronic devices toward decreasing weight and size, the desirability of producing the solder resist having high performance has been finding growing recognition. Moreover, the IC packages using a printed circuit board having the solder resist applied thereto and a sealing resin are recently used instead of the IC packages called QFP (quad flat-pack package), SOP (small outline package), etc. which use a lead frame and a sealing resin. These new packages have such structure that metals such as ball-like solder are arranged in an area on one side of a printed circuit board having the solder resist applied thereto, the IC chips are directly connected thereto on the other side by wire bonding or through the medium of the bumps etc., and they are sealed by a sealing resin. They are called by mnemonic names, such as BGA (ball grid array) and CSP (chip scale package). These packages have more pins than other packages such as QFP of the same size, but are easier to miniaturize. Moreover, also in mounting the devices, they realize a low percent defective owing to the self-alignment effect of ball-like solder, and the introduction of these packages is advanced quickly.
In the printed circuit boards having the heretofore commercially available alkali development type solder resist, however, the PCT resistance which is the long-term reliability test of a package was inferior, which resulted in exfoliation of a solder resist film. Moreover, another matter which came into question is the so-called popcorn phenomenon, i.e. the phenomenon that the absorbed moisture boils within the package during re-flow of the package at the step of mounting of devices and cracks occur in the solder resist film and the circumference thereof inside the package. Such drawbacks in resistance to moisture absorption and long-term reliability are undesirable not only in the case of the above-mentioned mounting technology but also in the products for other uses, such as a solder resist of a usual printed circuit board, a solder resist to be used in the manufacture of a flexible printed circuit board, and interlaminar insulating layers of multi-layer circuit boards like a build-up board.

Resin curable with actinic energy ray, photocurable and thermosetting resin composition containing the same, and cured product obtained therefrom


An object of the present invention is to diminish the sizes of most disintegrated material effectively, said sizes being determined by the box seats made on the surface of the under roll (7).

FIG. 3 shows a vertical section of a conventional disintegrator 1, in which in a case 4 having an upper hopper 2 and under exit 3, there are provided with a pair of upper rolls 5 and 6, an under roll 7 located below the upper rolls, and knives 8 and 9 (9 is prepared for reverse rotation of under roll) projecting from inner surface of case 4 toward the under roll 7. Disintegrative materials 10 thrown inside the hopper 2 are disintegrated between the upper rolls 5, 6 driven as arrows while moving downward, then after disintegrated between the under roll 7 and knives 8, 9, and exited downward from the exit 3.
As shown in FIG. 4, under roll 7 is provided with six cutting edge blocks 14 each of which is fastened by bolts 15 on one of hexagonal installation seats 13 circumferentially formed on outer surface of cylindrical tubular body 12. The construction in the FIGS. 3 and 4 are generally shown in Japanese Examined Patent Application 2(1990)-38259.
FIG. 5 shows another conventional structure corresponding to a view of arrow V in the FIG. 3. Upper rolls 5 and 6 in FIG. 5 have helical blades 17 and 18 respectively, then disintegrative materials put between the upper rolls 5 and 6 are driven to the right by the upper roll 5, and to the left by the upper roll 6 thereby sheared by the opposing blades 17 and 18 and fell on the under roll 7. The under roll 7 shown in the FIG. 5 is provided with helical blades 19 and 20 intersecting each other formed integrally on the surface of the under roll, the blades 19 and 20 forming a number of box seats 21 opened radially outwardly. Disintegrative materials are received in the box seats 21 and parts of the materials projecting from the box seats 21 are cut by knives 8 and 9, and most parts remaining in the box seats 21 fall down when the box seats reach lower position. Therefore, the size of the most disintegrated material pieces after passing the disintegrator is determined by longitudinal length L1, circumferential length L2 and the depth L3 of the box seat 21. This results in, when house wastes for example are disintegrated, the longer final bar like pieces such as 100˜120 mm are obtained and such long pieces are not suitable for mixing in the livestock litter. If the length is below 30˜50 mm, as urine of livestock is soaked, rotting is accelerated and easily change into favorable fertilizer, but it is impossible to cut into satisfactory short length. These disadvantages are not avoided by the cutting edge block 14 of FIG. 4.

Disintegrator with rotative disk cutters

Abstract: In a disintegrator (1) having a case (4) with an upper hopper 2 and under exit (3), a pair of upper rolls (5, 6), an under roll (7) located below the upper rolls, and knives (8,9) projecting from inner surface of the case (4) toward the under roll (7) comprising a number of annular grooves (25) formed on the under roll (7), each groove (25) being coupled by a rotative disk cutter (27) at under side of the knives (8, 9). The under roll (7) is provided with polygonal installation seats (13), between adjoining installation seats (13) each attached by a number of cutting edge blocks (14) on a same circumference, said annular grooves (25) are formed between the adjoining installation seats (13).


A polymeric tube is positioned on a polymeric mandrel and then laser cut to form an implantable medical device, such as a stent. The method reduces contamination of the inner surface of the stent, which would be caused if conventional glass or metal mandrels are used, while simultaneously reducing damage to the inner surface of the stent due to the shielding effect of the polymeric mandrel.

The invention relates to radially expandable endoprostheses which are adapted to be implanted in a lumen of a tubular organ. An "endoprosthesis", or stent, corresponds to an artificial implantable medical device that is placed inside the body. A "lumen" refers to a cavity of a tubular organ such as a blood vessel. A stent is an example of these endoprostheses. Stents are generally cylindrically shaped devices which function to hold open and sometimes expand a segment of a blood vessel or other anatomical lumens such as urinary tracts and bile ducts. Stents are often used in the treatment of atherosclerotic stenosis in blood vessels. "Stenosis" refers to a narrowing or constriction of the diameter of a bodily passage or orifice. In such treatments, stents reinforce vessels and prevent restenosis following angioplasty in the vascular system. "Restenosis" refers to the reoccurrence of stenosis in a blood vessel or heart valve after it has been treated (as by balloon angioplasty or valvuloplasty) with apparent success.
A treatment involving a stent includes both delivery and deployment of the stent. "Delivery" refers to introducing and transporting the stent through a lumen of a tubular organ to a region requiring treatment. "Deployment" corresponds to the expanding of the stent within the lumen at the treatment region. Delivery and deployment of a stent may be accomplished by positioning the stent about one end of a catheter, inserting the end of the catheter through the skin into the lumen, advancing the catheter in the lumen to a desired treatment location, expanding the stent at the treatment location, and then removing the catheter from the lumen. In the case of a balloon expandable stent, the stent is mounted about a balloon disposed on the catheter. Mounting the stent typically involves compressing or crimping the stent onto the balloon. The stent is then expanded by inflating the balloon. The balloon may then be deflated and the catheter withdrawn. In the case of a self-expanding stent, the stent may be secured to the catheter via a retractable sheath or a sock. When the stent is in a desired bodily location, the sheath may be withdrawn allowing the stent to self-expand.
Stents have been made of many materials including metals and polymers. Polymer materials include both nonbioerodable and bioerodable plastic materials. In some applications, a polymeric bioerodable stent may be more advantageous than a metal stent due to its biodegradeability and increased flexibility relative to the metal stent. The cylindrical structure of a stent is typically composed of a scaffolding that includes a pattern or network of interconnecting structural elements or struts. The scaffolding can be formed from wires, tubes, or planar films of material rolled into a cylindrical shape. In addition, a medicated stent may be fabricated by coating the surface of either a metallic or polymeric scaffolding with a polymeric carrier. The polymeric carrier can include an active agent or drug. Furthermore, the pattern that makes up the stent allows the stent to be radially expandable and longitudinally flexible. Longitudinal flexibility facilitates delivery of the stent and rigidity is needed to hold open a lumen of a tubular organ. Generally, the pattern should be designed to maintain the longitudinal flexibility and rigidity required of the stent. The stent should also have adequate strength in the circumferential direction.
A number of techniques have been suggested for the fabrication of stents from tubes and planar films or sheets. One such technique involves laser cutting or etching a pattern onto a material. Laser cutting may be performed on a planar film of a material which is then rolled into a tube. Alternatively, a desired pattern may be etched directly onto a tube. Other techniques involve cutting a desired pattern into a sheet or a tube via chemical etching or electrical discharge machining. Laser cutting of stents has been described in a number of publications including U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,807 to Saunders, U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,005 to Richter and U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,759 to Richter.
In a typical method of manufacturing a metal stent with a laser, a mandrel is placed inside the lumen of metal tubing. A "mandrel" refers to a metal bar or rod on which an implantable medical device may be shaped. The mandrel provides structural support to the tubing as it is being cut and shaped. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,807 to Saunders.

Assembly for manufacturing an implantable polymeric medical device


Circuitry and methods allow selected memory word lines (WLs) to be deactivated without using a global deactivate signal. All active WLs do not therefore have to be deactivated simultaneously, which can cause voltage at a common deactivate node to rise undesirably. This undesirable voltage rise can adversely affect a system by, for example, inadvertently activating an inactive WL. The invention advantageously limits the voltage fluctuation at the common deactivate node.

This invention relates to integrated circuit memories. More particularly, this invention relates to the deactivation of selected word lines in dynamic random access memories (DRAMs).
A DRAM is a form of semiconductor random access memory (RAM) commonly used as main memory in computers and other electronic systems. DRAMs store information in integrated circuits called cells, which hold one bit of information each. Cells are typically grouped into one-dimensional arrays called words.
In certain DRAM architectures, selection of a word for reading or writing occurs as follows: the word to be activated is determined by decoding an address. The selected word line (WL) is then connected to a common node with a sufficiently positive voltage, typically referred to as the VCCP node. Similarly, deactivation involves connecting the WL to a common node with a negative or sufficiently low voltage. This node may be ground or a special purpose node referred to herein as VWLN. As transistor sizes continue to shrink and transistor leakage current becomes more of a problem, the VWLN node is preferred over ground.
More than one WL may be activated or deactivated simultaneously for testing or other purposes. A problem sometimes arises when deactivating multiple WLs. The positive electrical charge residing on a previously activated word line discharges into the VWLN node, pulling the node's voltage up. In some cases, VWLN node voltage may increase enough to inadvertently activate WLs intended to remain deactivated, thus adversely affecting data integrity throughout a system.
Many systems rely on a single pre-charge signal that is shared across all WLs for WL deactivation. This sharing forces all WLs to be deactivated simultaneously. As a result, it is often impractical to activate more than a few WLs at a time, because their simultaneous deactivation could cause a substantial change in VWLN node voltage.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide circuitry and methods that reduce the voltage fluctuation at the VWLN node, thus allowing more WLs to be active at the same time.

Selectable memory word line deactivation


A cogeneration system including an engine, which drives a generator to generate electricity, a cooling/heating unit, which includes at least one compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger, to establish a heat pump type refrigerant cycle, and a refrigerant over-heating unit to supply heat of cooling water used to cool the engine to a suction-side refrigerant line of the compressor of the cooling/heating unit, and to supply heat of exhaust gas discharged from the engine to the suction-side refrigerant line of the compressor and to a discharge-side refrigerant line of the compressor. In accordance with the cogeneration system, it is possible to maximize absorption of the waste heat of the engine while preventing compressor malfunction, and thus, to increase the refrigerant condensing temperature of the indoor heat exchanger. Thus, an enhancement in heating performance is achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cogeneration system in which both the electricity and waste heat generated from an engine are used, and, more particularly, to a cogeneration system in which waste heat generated from an engine is supplied to suction and discharge sides of a compressor during a heating operation to achieve an enhancement in heating performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, cogeneration systems are adapted to generate both electricity and heat from a single energy source.
Such a cogeneration system can recover heat of exhaust gas or waste heat of cooling water generated from an engine or turbine during an electricity generation operation, so that the cogeneration system can achieve an increase in energy efficiency of 70 to 80% over other systems. By virtue of such an advantage, the cogeneration system has recently been highlighted as an electricity and heat supply source for buildings. In particular, the cogeneration system exhibits highly-efficient energy utilization in that the recovered waste heat is mainly used to heat/cool a confined space and to heat water.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a conventional cogeneration system used in a heating/cooling apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional cogeneration system includes a gas engine 1, and a generator 3, which is driven by a driving force outputted from the gas engine 1, to generate electricity. The electricity generated from the generator 3 is used in a variety of devices including a cooling/heating unit 20, illumination devices, and other electrical products.
In the cogeneration system, waste heat generated from the gas engine 1, that is, heat of cooling water generated when the cooling water cools the gas engine 1, and heat of exhaust gas generated from the gas engine 1, is used during a heating operation of the cooling/heating unit 20.
Here, the cooling/heating unit 20 is of a heat pump type so that the cooling/heating unit 20 not only can be used as a cooling unit, but also can be used as a heating unit in a state in which the refrigerant flow direction in the refrigerant cycle is reversed. As in a general heat pump type configuration, the cooling/heating unit 20 includes a compressor 21, a four-way valve 23, an outdoor heat exchanger 25, an outdoor fan 26, an expansion device 27, and an indoor heat exchanger 29.
In particular, an air pre-heating heat exchanger 30 is arranged at the side of the outdoor heat exchanger 25 to preheat air passing around the outdoor heat exchanger 25 during a heating operation of the cooling/heating unit 20, using the waste heat of the gas engine 1.
In order to supply the waste heat to the cooling/heating unit 20, the cogeneration system also includes a cooling water heat exchanger 5 to recover the heat of the cooling water used to cool the gas engine 1, and an exhaust gas heat exchanger 9 arranged at an exhaust conduit 7 to recover the heat of the exhaust gas.
The cooling water heat exchanger 5 and exhaust gas heat exchanger 9 are connected to the air pre-heating heat exchanger 30 of the cooling/heating unit 20 by a heat transfer line 11, through which a heat transfer medium flows, so as to supply waste heat to the air pre-heating heat exchanger 30 during the heating operation of the cooling/heating unit 20. Thus, the cogeneration system recovers engine heat and exhaust gas heat, pre-heats outdoor air through the air pre-heating heat exchanger 30, using the recovered heat, and causes the pre-heated air to perform heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger 25, thereby preventing a degradation in the heating performance of the cooling/heating unit 20, which may occur when the temperature of the outdoor air is low.
When the cooling/heating unit 20 operates in a cooling mode, the flow path of the heat transfer medium is changed to communicate with a radiating line 13, which is connected to the heat transfer line 11, because it is unnecessary to supply waste heat. In this case, the waste heat is discharged to the atmosphere through a radiator 17, which includes a heat exchanger 15 and a radiator fan 16, or is supplied to and used in a water heater, a hot water supplier, or other systems.
In FIG. 1, reference character P designates pumps, each serving to force the heat transfer medium to flow through an associated portion of the heat transfer line 11, and reference character V designates valves, each serving to switch the flow path of the heat transfer medium between the heat transfer line 11 and the radiating line 13.
However, since the waste heat generated from the gas engine 1 is used only to pre-heat the outdoor heat exchanger 25 through the air pre-heating heat exchanger 30, the conventional cogeneration system has a limitation in enhancing the heating performance during the heating operation.


A method, comprises: receiving measured air pressure data from each air data probe on a vehicle; receiving a first set of data from at least one sensor system on the vehicle; determining predicted noise levels for each air data probe using a noise modelling system and the received first set of data; determining a transmission loss for each air data probe; determining if any air data probe is faulty by determining if an transmission loss of any of the air data probes is greater than a first threshold value, where an air data probe is deemed faulty if its transmission loss is greater than the first threshold value; and if the transmission loss of any of the air data probes is greater than the first threshold value, then generating a signal to indicated that at least one air data probe is faulty.

Air data probes, such as pitot probes (which measure total pressure, or the sum of dynamic and static pressure) and/or pitot static tubes (which measure static and total pressures), are used to measure an aircraft's altitude and speed. Air data probes are susceptible to blockages which give rise to erroneous measurements. Blockages can arise due to icing, failure to remove covers from probes, and insect infestation. Erroneous measurements from air data probes have led to aircraft crashes. Therefore, there is a need to verify proper operation of air data probes during aircraft operation.

Apparatus and method for verifying operation of air data probes


Systems and methods of routing media content based on monetary cost are disclosed. A particular method includes receiving, at a network device coupled to a plurality of media delivery networks, media content to be provided to a destination device. The method also includes selecting a first media delivery network of the plurality of media delivery networks for routing the media content based at least in part on a determination that a first monetary cost associated with routing the media content through the first media delivery network is less than a second monetary cost associated with routing the media content through a second media delivery network of the plurality of media delivery networks. The method further includes routing the media content from the network device to the first media delivery network.

The popularity of the Internet, coupled with the increasing capabilities of personal/mobile electronic devices, has provided consumers with the ability to enjoy multimedia content almost anytime and anywhere. For example, live (e.g., sports events) and video on demand (VOD) content (e.g., television shows and movies) can be streamed via the Internet to personal electronic devices (e.g., computers, mobile phones, and Internet-enabled televisions).
When multimedia content is streamed or downloaded from a source device (e.g., a server) to a destination device, the multimedia content may be routed along a path that includes numerous intermediate devices (e.g., other servers, network switches, etc.), service providers (e.g., internet service providers), and/or networks (e.g., local area networks, wide area networks, public networks, private networks, carrier networks, the internet, etc.). Thus, numerous routing paths may be available between a multimedia content source and a destination device.

Routing media content based on monetary cost


An apparatus for moving an outboard motor installed on a watercraft of the type that comprises a transom for the stable coupling of adapted engagement elements that are jointly connected to the motor; the apparatus comprises a panel, which is articulated at least to bottom boards of the watercraft and at least partially superimposed on the transom, for the engagement of the engagement elements of the motor; the panel, by virtue of articulation elements, can move from a first configuration for navigation, in which it is partially superimposed on the transom and rigidly coupled thereto, to a second configuration for housing the watercraft, in which it is rotated substantially at right angles to the transom in the second configuration, the panel is almost parallel to a plane of the bottom boards of the watercraft.

In the field of pleasure craft it is known to use small rigid watercraft or inflatable boats provided with an outboard motor, commonly called tenders, as support craft for medium or large craft. Use of the tender allows the crew and the guests of the craft to reach easily any point of the coast that instead might be precluded to the craft due to limits of maneuver, draught or restrictions due to marine orders and the like.
Obviously, these service craft, the tenders, must have the maximum possible space on board yet occupy a minimal amount of space when loaded on the craft during the navigation.
Actually, the presence of an outboard motor (which therefore protrudes with respect to the outline of the tender), the protrusion of the corresponding propeller, which is present even when the boat is not in operation, and the fact that the center of gravity of the assembly is considerably shifted toward the stern (the weight of the motor is very high and concentrated in a cantilever fashion beyond the stern), complicates significantly the operations of launching and recovering the tender. The use of the outboard motor, moreover, entails a considerable reduction in the internal occupiable surface, as a consequence of the need to accommodate lever systems, cables and other apparatuses required for the transmission of the controls of said engine from the respective control bar to a pilot post located in a more advanced position in the boat (abaft). The spaces occupied by these components are obviously not available to passengers.
In order to make hauling operations easier and in order to facilitate the housing of the tender during navigation on the craft that it serves (some crafts have an appropriate compartment for storing the tender), solutions for collapsing the transom of the tender by deflating the buoyancy chambers (watertight chambers which, inflated appropriately, constitute the sides of the boat) and other methods useful for reducing the space occupation of the outboard motor are known (all these solutions are intended to accommodate the motor, during the housing of the boat, on the bottom boards of the boat itself, minimizing overall space occupation).
These specific solutions can be applied only on so-called portable motors, of low power and with tiller steering (every small outboard motor has a tiller with a handpiece that can rotate and constitutes the speed control; the tiller is jointly connected to the outboard motor and its movement turns the motor with respect to the longitudinal axis of the boat).
These solutions for collapsing the motor do not affect the usability of the deck spaces, which remain limited, force various manual operations and are incompatible with remote controls (the cited solutions can be applied only with motors that have tiller steering).
In order to obviate these drawbacks, some shipowners adopt hydrojet tenders, i.e., tenders provided with an inboard motor and a water jet propulsion pump. This solution guarantees to eliminate the problems linked to the weight of the outboard motor cantilevered with respect to the stern and to the additional space occupation with respect to the outline of the watercraft that is typical of outboard motors, but the limitations connected to the use of the hydrojet are the limited space on board for housing personal items and equipment; because much of the space under the seats and under the console is occupied by the motor, the propulsion system and by the respective equipment.
Like all inboard motors, hydrojet motors are particularly complicated in case of maintenance and repair intervention: this is due to poor access to the motor and the poor support network that exists for these motors, which are much less widespread than the outboard units.
An inboard motor on small crafts leads to a high risk of flooding risk of the motor itself, with consequent loss of functionality and serious economic damage.
Because of the poor efficiency of hydrojet propulsion at low speed, one is forced to use motors of high power, weight, cost and complexity in order to obtain a satisfactory performance.
It is therefore evident that hydrojet motors do not solve the typical problems of outboard motors but simply reduce some of the drawbacks of the latter while creating others that in some cases are even worse.
It is noted that a tender should have the maximum people carrying capacity while also guaranteeing maximization of the usable spaces on board (a large boat would be ideal) but at the same time must have the smallest possible space occupation and weight in order to be allow to easily accommodate the tender in the limited available spaces of the main craft. It is fundamental, moreover, to be able to have a forward-shifted center of gravity, because this allows easy launching and hauling especially in yachts equipped with a garage (compartment designed for storing the tender) that use pulling winches and ascent ramps or rollers as a launching and raising apparatus.

Apparatus for moving an outboard motor installed on a boat and boat with foldaway outboard motor


Integrated MEMS devices for pressure sensing and inertial sensing, methods for fabricating such integrated devices, and methods for fabricating vertically integrated MEMS pressure sensor/inertial sensor devices are provided. In an example, a method for fabricating an integrated device for pressure and inertial sensing includes forming a MEMS pressure sensor on a first side of a semiconductor substrate. The method further includes forming a MEMS inertial sensor on a second side of the semiconductor substrate. The second side of the semiconductor substrate is opposite the first side of the semiconductor substrate.

Microminiature sensors have been achieved with the development of the Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) technique. The most widely used sensors mainly include MEMS pressure sensors and MEMS inertial sensors. MEMS pressure sensors are devices for sensing pressure and are widely used in various fields, for example, automotive electronics such as Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), consumer electronics such as tire pressure gauge and blood pressure gauge, industrial electronics such as digital pressure gauge, digital flow meter and industrial batch weighting. MEMS inertial sensors are devices that perform measurement by using inertial forces. In practical application, a MEMS inertial sensor generally refers to an accelerometer or a gyroscopic apparatus (which is also referred to as a gyroscope). According to different sensing principles, the MEMS inertial sensor may be classified as a piezoresistance sensor, a capacitive sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a tunneling current sensor, a resonant sensor, a thermoelectric coupling sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, and the like. MEMS inertial sensors are generally applied to portable devices such as mobile phones or game devices in the consumer electronic field; to automotive electronic stability systems (ESP or ESC) such as automobile airbags or vehicle gesture measurement systems; to GPS assistant navigation systems; and to communication satellite radio systems.
While various independent sensors have been widely used in consumer electronics, automotive electronics and industrial electronics, integration of different types of sensor as an integrated device has been problematic. Specifically, there are significant differences in manufacture and package method among various sensors. Typically, MEMS inertial sensors and MEMS pressure sensors may be designed and manufactured separately and then packaged together. This requires complicated processing, a large package size and a high cost.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method for fabricating an integrated MEMS device for pressure sensing and inertial sensing. Further, it is desirable to provide an improved integrated MEMS device for pressure sensing and inertial sensing. Also, it is desirable to provide an improved method for fabricating vertically integrated MEMS pressure sensor/inertial sensor devices. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.

Integrated MEMS pressure sensor and MEMS inertial sensor


To provide a protective-layer thermal transferring film that can provide a protective layer having a superior sorting property.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective-layer thermal transferring film and a printed article having an image on which the protective layer of the film is transferred.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, images such as tone images and mono-tone images including characters and symbols have been formed on a substrate by using a thermal transfer system, such as a heat-sensitive sublimation transfer system.
In the heat-sensitive sublimation transfer system, a thermal transfer film, which is formed by placing a dye layer prepared by melting or dispersing a sublimable dye serving as a colorant in a binder resin on a substrate, is used, and with this thermal transfer film being superposed on an image receiving film, energy in accordance with image information is applied to a heating device such as a thermal head so that the sublimable dye contained in the dye layer on the thermal transfer film is transferred onto the image-receiving film; thus, an image is formed thereon.
This heat-sensitive sublimation transfer system makes it possible to control the amount of dye transfer on a dot basis in response to the quantity of energy to be applied to the thermal transfer film; therefore, this system has the advantages of forming a superior tone image and of easily forming characters, symbols and the like.
With respect to the image formed by the heat-sensitive sublimation transfer system, since the transferred dye is present on the surface of the image-receiving member, a protective layer is formed on the image from the viewpoints of protecting the image and of imparting light resistance, abrasion resistance and the like to the image (for example, see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
Printed articles, each having the protective layer formed thereon, are continuously discharged from a printer, and stacked on a printed-article receiving tray, and the printed articles, discharged on the tray, are not accurately stacked one by one on the printed article discharged immediately before, and randomly stacked to a certain extent. For this reason, after a desired number of sheets have been printed, the pile of the printed articles is taken out of the tray, and normally, these need to be sorted properly.
In this case, however, a problem tends to arise in which the printed articles, discharged from a printer, are mutually adhered to each other, with the result that the continuously printed articles are not properly aligned, that is, the printed articles are not properly sorted (poor sorting property).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-80844    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-71626

Protective layer thermal transferring film

Abstract: A protective-layer thermal transferring film which has a protective layer that comprises at least a peeling layer and a heat seal layer on at least one portion of one face of a substrate film, and can be thermally transferred, and when the protective layer is thermally transferred on an image-receiving member, the image-receiving member is allowed to have a surface coefficient of friction of 0.4 or less.


Method of obtaining and/or verifying a binder to prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1) or fragments thereof of at least 6 amino acids in length, including Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2), comprising at least one of the steps of: a) generating the binder using a developer comprising an amino acid sequence of at least 6 amino acids in length contained in an amino acid sequence corresponding to the C-terminal part but lacking amino acid 164 of prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1); b) determining whether the binder is capable of binding to an amino acid sequence of at least 4 amino acids in length contained in an amino acid sequence corresponding to the C-terminal part but lacking amino acid 164 of prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1); c) selecting and optionally isolating the binder from a plurality of binders which is capable of binding to an amino acid sequence contained in an amino acid sequence corresponding to the C-terminal part but lacking amino acid 164 of prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1); d) carrying out binding assays with the binder in order to determine the ex vivo stability of prepro-Vasopressin or fragments thereof of at least 6 amino acids in length, including Copeptin, in a biological sample; e) carrying out binding assays with the binder and another binder for comparison purposes in order to determine the concentration of prepro-Vasopressin or fragments thereof of at least 6 amino acids in length, including Copeptin, in a biological sample; wherein the C-terminal part consists of amino acids 138 to 164 of prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1), in order to obtain a binder or a mixture of binders capable of binding to an epitope contained in an amino acid sequence corresponding to amino acids 138 to 163 but lacking amino acid 164 of prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1).

Prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1) can be processed to Pro-Vasopressin by cleavage of the signal peptide, which can be further processed into Vasopressin, Neurophysin-2 and Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2), the latter representing the C-terminal moiety of the precursor peptide. Vasopressin, also known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH), is a key regulator of water and electrolyte balance. The measurement of Vasopressin in biological samples is barely possible in clinical routine due to considerable technical challenges related to its rapid clearance from the circulation, interaction with platelets in the serum, and small size, see "Literature", paragraph [0039], [1-3]. Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2), which is stoichiometrically formed together with Vasopressin, has been successfully established as a surrogate marker for Vasopressin. A major reason for this success is considered its extremely high ex vivo stability, making it suitable for routine use [4-6].
Clinical research has revealed numerous indications, where measurement of Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) gives highly useful diagnostic information, including cardiological, pulmonological, infectious, kidney diseases, pathological disturbances of the water and electrolyte balance, and others [5]. Published methods for the detection of Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) are immunoassays [4, 6].
Prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1) and fragments thereof can be expressed also ectopically in certain types of cancer, and anti-Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) antibodies can be used to detect expression in tissue samples (EP 1539818 A2).
While immunogens for the generation of anti-Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) antibodies have been described, little, if any, is known about the actual epitopes of these antibodies. Described anti-human Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) antibodies are listed in table 1. In the prior art, no attention has been paid to the question on whether and how the epitope specificity of anti-Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) antibodies might affect the accuracy and robustness of the detection of prepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1) or fragments thereof including Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) in biological samples, using such antibodies. It is rather generally believed that Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2) is very stable per se. An antibody for detection of mature Copeptin (SEQ ID NO. 2), the epitope of which is rather unspecifically defined as having been mapped "near the C-terminus of Copeptin" (SEQ ID NO. 2), is offered by Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Heidelberg, Germany, and recommended for use in ELISA and other applications.
TABLE 1AntibodyOriginImmunogenEpitopeReferenceAnti-SheepCATQLDGPAGALLLRLV (SEQ ID NO: 14)Not described[6]PATV17representing positions 132-147 ofpre-pro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1)plus an N-terminal cystein residue Anti-SheepCLAGAPEPFEPAQPDAY (SEQ ID NO: 15)Not described[6]PLAY17representing positions 149-164 ofpre-pro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1)plus an N-terminal cystein residue 294/1A7MouseATQLDGPAGALLLRLVQLAGAPEPFEPAQPDAYGPAGALWO 2010049179(SEQ ID NO. 16)(SEQ ID NO. 20)A1representing positions 132-164 ofrepresentingpre-pro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1)positions 137-144plus an N-terminal cystein residueof pre-pro-Vasopressin(SEQ ID NO. 1) H-065-32RabbitASDRSNATQLDGPAGALLLRLVQLAGAPEPFEPAQPDAYNot describedPhoenix(SEQ ID NO. 17)Pharmaceuticals,representing positions 126-164 ofBurlingame, USAprepro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1) MAB607MouseASDRSNATQLDGPAG (SEQ ID NO. 18)Not describedR + D Systems,7 (clonerepresenting positions 126-140 ofMinneapolis,579021)pre-pro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1)USA MAG-1MouseQLAGAPEPFEPAQPDAY (SEQ ID NO. 19)Not describedEP 1539818 A2representing positions 148-164 ofpre-pro-Vasopressin (SEQ ID NO. 1) sc-7811GoatNot described"epitope mapping nearSanta Cruzthe C-terminus ofBiotechnology,CopeptinInc., Heidelberg,[(SEQ ID NO. 2)]Germanyof human origin"

Method of obtaining a binder to prepro-vasopressin or fragments thereof


An internal combustion engine that utilizes a control system for improving operation of the engine under a variety of conditions. The control system includes a sensor that directly senses a combustion condition in a cylinder. The output of the sensor is utilized in adjusting the air-fuel mixture delivered to other, non-sensed cylinders to optimize engine operation.

The present invention relates generally to a system and method for controlling the ignition characteristics of certain internal combustion engines, and particularly to a system and method for utilizing feedback from a combustion condition sensor in one cylinder and utilizing that feedback to adjust the air-fuel mixture to a more optimal ratio in other non-sensed cylinders.
Internal combustion engines are used in a wide variety of applications, including providing power for a variety of vehicles. Generally, such engines include one or more cylinders that each contain a piston designed for movement in a reciprocating manner. Each piston is connected to a crankshaft by a connecting rod that delivers force from the piston to the crankshaft in a manner that rotates the crankshaft. Power to drive the piston is provided by igniting an air-fuel mixture supplied to the cylinder on a side of the piston opposite the connecting rod. The air-fuel mixture is ignited by some type of ignition device, e.g. providing a spark across electrodes of a spark plug.
Air and fuel may be supplied to each cylinder by a variety of mechanisms, such as a fuel injection system. Regardless of how the air-fuel mixture is established, it is necessary to adjust or change the air-fuel mixture according to operating conditions. For example, application of greater throttle for increased engine speed requires a greater quantity of fuel. On the other hand, maintaining the engine operation at a lower rpm, requires a lesser quantity of fuel supplied to each cylinder. Generally, greater control over combustion conditions, e.g. air-fuel mixture, provides an engine designer with a greater ability to bring about a desired engine performance under a greater range of operating conditions.
Modern engines often utilize electronic fuel injection systems that inject specific amounts of fuel based on a stored fuel map. The fuel map effectively acts as a guide as to fuel injection quantities based on a variety of sensed parameters, such as engine speed, throttle position, exhaust pressure and engine temperature. However, none of these inputs are based on the actual combustion taking place in the one or more cylinders.
In some applications, oxygen sensors have been used to sense oxygen content of the combustion products, i.e. exhaust gasses. However, the sensed information has not been fully utilized in optimizing the air-fuel ratio in both sensed and non-sensed cylinders. It would be advantageous to have a methodology for correcting, for example, a fuel map controlling the fuel delivered to both sensed and non-sensed cylinders.
The present invention features a method for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders and a controller that utilizes a fuel map. The method includes sensing a combustion condition in a sensed cylinder of an internal combustion engine. The method further includes determining whether the combustion condition is a desired combustion condition under the current operating parameters. The method also includes utilizing the difference between the combustion condition and the desired combustion condition to correct the fuel amounts introduced into a non-sensed cylinder.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for controlling the operation of a watercraft. The method includes powering a watercraft with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders in which a cylinder of the plurality of cylinders is sensed for a specific combustion condition. The method also includes determining whether the combustion condition is desired under the current operating parameters and the comparing the actual combustion condition to a desired combustion condition. The fuel amount introduced into a non-sensed cylinder is then corrected based on the sensed combustion condition.
According to another aspect of the invention, a system is provided for controlling combustion in an internal combustion engine. The system includes a direct, fuel-injected, two-stroke engine having a plurality of cylinders with each cylinder being coupled to a fuel injector and a pair of electrodes for producing an ignition spark. The system further includes a combustion condition sensor coupled to a sensed cylinder of the plurality of cylinders. The sensor is able to produce an output indicative of the combustion condition. Also, the system includes a control unit having a pre-established fuel map for injecting specific quantities of fuel into each cylinder under a given operating condition. The control unit is able to adjust the fuel map for non-sensed cylinders based on the output of the combustion condition sensor.

Control methodology for an internal combustion engine that utilizes a combustion condition sensor


An apparatus includes a first DC bus, a second DC bus, a first converter circuit coupled to the first DC bus, and a second converter circuit coupled to the second DC bus. The apparatus further includes a limiter circuit coupled to the second DC bus, a first control circuit configured to sense a voltage on the first DC bus and to responsively control the first converter circuit to limit the voltage on the first DC bus, and a second control circuit configured to sense a voltage on the second DC bus and to responsively control the limiter circuit to limit the voltage on the second DC bus. The apparatus may include a modulation conversion circuit configured to provide a set of switch control signals to the converter circuits and implemented in a module that is also used to implement the second control circuit.

The inventive subject matter relates to electrical apparatus and methods and, more particularly, to protection apparatus for motor drives and similar power converter devices.
In some power converter applications, a converter circuit that provides power to load from a DC bus may feed power back to the DC bus, which may result in an undesirable increase in DC bus voltage. For example, in adjustable frequency drive (AFD) applications, deceleration or overhauling loads coupled to the AFD's output inverter may lead to such increased DC bus voltage.
In AFDs that use a single DC bus, such DC bus overvoltage may be limited by controlling the inverter output frequency. However, more complex AFDs may use separate DC buses for respective output phases of the AFD, which may introduce complexity into limiting DC bus voltage, as different ones of the buses may exhibit overvoltage at different times. Conventional techniques for addressing such issues are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,088,073 to Morashita.

Bus voltage limiter for converter apparatus with multiple DC buses


In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a controller, one or more signals from the one or more pressure transducers. The one or more pressure transducers are coupled to one or more pressure lines, the one or more pressure lines are coupled to one or more probes, and the one or more probes coupled to a vehicle. The method also includes converting, by the controller, the one or more signals to one or more digital signals. The method further includes calculating, by the controller, a wind velocity relative to the vehicle using the one or more digital signals.

Under certain conditions, vehicles are susceptible to wind-induced tip-over. For example, surface pressures that occur during high wind conditions can result in forces and moments that may cause a train to derail. Currently, real-time wind speed and direction data is insufficient to make safety decisions regarding vehicle operations in potentially high and/or unknown wind conditions.

Systems and methods for communicating information associated with wind pressures


A clamp to be surface mounted on a printed circuit board with a clamp groove into which an optical fiber is inserted. A flexible synthetic resin member is deformed by applying a pressing force so as to narrow the width of the clamp groove. The deformation causes an opening of the clamp to be closed, and opposing shape preservation members with the clamp groove located therebetween to be deformed so as to shorten the distance between top ends of the shape preservation members. A metal plate member with no spring properties remains deformed even after the pressing force is released, and the flexible synthetic resin member also remains deformed. An optical fiber pinched by inner wall surfaces of the clamp groove is unlikely to be displaced either in an axial direction or in a radial direction.

(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clamp.
(ii) Background Art
When a slender member such as an optical fiber or a covered conductor is wired along a surface of a printed circuit board, a clamp for specifying a wiring path is often mounted on the printed circuit board.
One example is a metal clamp to be surface mounted on a printed circuit board disclosed in Publication of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-349413. Another example is a clamp formed of nylon resin or the like disclosed in Publication of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-148584.


Digital predistortion circuity is disclosed including digital interface circuitry configured to receive a digital input signal having a signal bandwidth (BW) centered about a frequency f0 and provide a digital transmission signal based on the digital input signal. The digital predistortion circuitry includes circuitry configured to generate a digital correction signal based at least in part on the digital input signal, one or more first signal transmission paths configured to transmit the digital transmission signal, and one or more second signal transmission paths separate from the one or more first signal transmission paths and configured to transmit the correction signal.

1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to electronic signal transmission.
2. Description of Related Art
Within an electronic device, non-linear devices operating in a transmission chain can introduce distortion to electronic signals propagating therethrough, which can negatively impact transmission performance. Various schemes may be implemented to compensate for such non-linearity.


A printed circuit board includes a first layer on which a first stationary contact terminal is formed and one or more second layers spaced apart from the first layer by at least one intermediate layer. A portion of the one or more second layers extends into a recess formed by a discontinuity of the intermediate layers. The portion is flexible and has a second terminal which can be brought into contact with the first stationary terminal.

Within the field of telecom apparatuses, such as base stations for mobile telephony and terminals for mobile datacom equipment there is a need for switches and relays that provide high isolation typically exceeding 80 dB.
Micro mechanical switches (MEMS) constitute a promising technology for providing miniaturised switches on for instance Silicon substrates. This technology, however, still leaves something to be desired concerning the required high isolation. The following documents are examples of MEMS.
Prior art document U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,520 discloses an electrostatic operated device comprising a substrate, an insulating layer, and a substrate electrode for providing repulsive forces and an insulating layer. A movable electrode is of flexible material is deposited on the planar surface such that a distal portion can curl away from the planar surface. Two composite layers with different thermal coefficients of expansion will also curl the electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,650 shows a MEMS magnetic actuation device comprising a latchable cantilever on which a soft latchable magnetic member is placed and a plane coil for moving the cantilever. Both the cantilever and the coil are mounted on a thin field substrate. This document moreover mentions that thermal; magnetic and electrostatic MEMS relays are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,318 shows a micro-cantilever with an integrated heating element comprising fist and second layers, such as silicon dioxide and aluminium, of different coefficients of thermal expansion. The micro-cantilever has a tip, which is brought into contact with a material for measuring friction during atomic force microscopy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,477 shows a MEMS electrostatic RF switch having a membrane, which is attached, by respective flexure structures, in two opposite ends to a substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,338 discloses an electrostatic relay mounted on a silicon wafer. The relay comprises an upper poly-silicon diaphragm, a central electrode and a lower poly-silicon diaphragm. A conductive depression in the wafer and a conductive portion of the lower diagram will make contact due to electrostatic forces.
WO9936948 discloses a micro-mechanical device manufactured on a silicon substrate. On the silicon substrate, silicon dioxide layers are formed for etching material and releasing meander shaped cantilever beams. A top metal layer is sputtered on the silicon dioxide layer. The top metal layer extends to vertical sections on the cantilever beams.