A method of depositing an inter layer dielectric. A first layer using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is deposited. It is followed by a second layer, deposited using sub atmospheric CVD. The second layer is argon sputter etched.

In the fabrication of semiconductor devices, numerous conductive device regions and layers are formed in or on a semiconductor substrate. To isolate underlying regions or layers, an inter layer dielectric is formed over those regions. In most modern processes chemical vapor deposition is performed, wherein a solid film of oxide is formed on a substrate by the reaction of an oxide source gas and the substrate. Various parameters such as the oxide source and deposition method influence the characteristics of the resulting inter layer dielectric. In chemical vapor deposition the gas mixture, temperature, RF power, pressure, and gas flow rate, among other factors, may be varied to achieve the desired characteristics.
In many current applications, the inter layer dielectric (ILD) has to conform to exacting specifications. There should be no voids between metal lines at any layer that is above the metal surface in void height, or greater than 25% of the metal spacing in void width. Voids larger than that can be uncovered during further processing causing problems. Composite ILD stress at the post polish thickness should be between 1.0e08 to 9.0e08 dyne/square-cm, compressive. If the inter layer dielectric is not compressive enough, it will result in cracking and short circuits. If the ILD layer is too compressive, it can result in poor oxide metal adhesion which can lead to open circuits within the device. These specifications can not be achieved with present processes.
Smaller semiconductor transistors are formed by decreasing the channel length of the transistor. A problem with manufacturing such small channel devices is that the aspect ratios of various structures on these transistors increases. Aspect ratio is the proportion of the height of a structure to its width. In general, aspect ratio refers to the dimensions of the spaces between structures. Thus, for example, metal aspect ratio describes the ratio of the metal height to the space between the metal structures.
As device sizes shrink, the distance between metal structures on the wafer decreases. Resistance, however, is inversely related to cross sectional area in metals. Increased resistance has numerous disadvantages including increased power consumption and heat emission. Thus, scaling down metal cross sections is disadvantageous. One solution to this is to increase the height of the metal. This, however, leads to increased metal aspect ratios.
Presently, there are a number of methods to deposit inter layer dielectrics. One currently used method is shown in FIGS. 1A-E. Substrate 100 represents a semiconductor substrate and any device layers or structures underlying the metal structures 110 thereon. In order to isolate these metal structures 110 from subsequent layers, a first layer of dielectric 130 is deposited using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. Tetraethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS) is used as the oxide source in this deposition. The first layer of dielectric 130 is relatively conformal and high in quality. The deposition profile of the first layer 130 is tapered by an argon sputter etch 140. The argon sputter etch removes oxide from the upper edges, and redeposits part of that oxide in the corners formed by the metal structures 110 and the substrate 100. This redeposited oxide 145 helps taper the deposition profile. A second layer 150 of oxide is then deposited, also using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition method with TEOS as the oxide source (PTEOS). This second layer 150 is a thick sacrificial layer. This second layer 150 then planarized 160.
Although this method was useful in the past, it does not meet the ILD criteria set out above. When aspect ratios increase to 1.5:1 or greater, ILD produced by this process will have voids that exceed 25% of metal width and are higher than the metal surface in height. Thus, this method can not be extended to transistors incorporating aspect ratios of 1.5:1 of greater.
An alternative prior art process is shown in FIGS. 2A-F. A first layer of oxide 230 is deposited over the metal structures 210 on the substrate 200. The first layer is deposited using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of TEOS material (PTEOS). The PTEOS deposited layer 230 is high in quality, compressive and relatively conformal. A nitrogen plasma treatment 240 is applied to the first layer 230. This nitrogen plasma treatment 240 creates a uniform and accepting surface for subsequent layers. A second layer 260 is then deposited using a sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition (SACVD) of TEOS material. The SACVD produces a lower quality dielectric 260, which is tensile. This layer 260 is then followed by a sacrificial layer 270 formed with the PTEOS method. The sacrificial layer 270 is then planarized 280.
This process can be used for gapfill at 1.0 to 1.5:1 aspect ratios. However, in order to achieve the void specifications described above, the thickness of the SACVD layer 260 used must be greater than 60% of the metal height. Since the SACVD layer 260 is highly tensile, compressive PTEOS layers 230, 270 are needed to balance the SACVD layer 260. Therefore, the ILD resulting from this method is thick. This not only increases overall device size, it also causes problems when vias are formed through the ILD. As the ILD increases in thickness, the aspect ratio of the via increases as well. This causes problems in forming and filling the vias. Therefore, this method is not workable for metal aspect ratios of 1.5:1 or greater.
Thus it is desirable to find a method of depositing an ILD layer that allows for aspect ratios of 1.5:1 or greater, and retains a compressive quality, while not requiring excessive ILD height.

Deposition of an inter layer dielectric formed on semiconductor wafer by sub atmospheric CVD


A retractable cover system may include a cover adapted to cover an object, a holder, and a retraction cord arranged to pull the cover into the holder when the cover is not in use, wherein the cover, the holder and the retraction cord are arranged to cause the cover to collapse as it is pulled into the holder. The cover may include a retraction channel, and the holder may include a storage sleeve. The retraction channel may be arranged to collapse the cover in response to pulling the retraction cord by gathering the cover as the cover is pulled into the storage sleeve by the retraction cord.

Outdoor gear is frequently exposed to environmental hazards such as dirt, wind, precipitation, etc. Some components of outdoor gear such as seats on bicycles and other vehicles, optic sights for hunting gear, etc., need protection from such environmental hazards. Currently available covers may provide adequate protection but are inconvenient use.


An entertainment device is provided. The entertainment device includes a main processing station which provides an output signal. The main processing station includes a control interface. A front panel is removably connected to the control interface. The front panel includes a memory for storing multimedia content. The front panel provides control parameters to the main processing station. The content of the memory is provided to the main audio processing station for output. In addition, the front panel processes and presents the stored multimedia content as a portable device. Both control parameters and multimedia (e.g. audio or video) information may be exchanged between the front panel and the main processing station. The front panel also includes a telecommunications device and an alarm transponder.

The present invention relates to an entertainment device, and, more particularly, to a removable front panel of an automobile entertainment device for storing content and/or operating as a stand-alone media player.
Automobile entertainment devices, sound systems in particular, frequently employ a variety of anti-theft features to discourage theft. One known feature is to provide the automobile audio device with a detachable front panel.
In use, the detachable front panel is a control interface. The removable front panel manages and initiates the functionality of the automobile entertainment device, namely the device actuation, volume control, tuning, etc. The front panel may include a small semiconductor memory containing a security identification number or stored tuner presets and the like. The absence of the removable front panel disables the functionality of the automobile entertainment device. Upon exiting the vehicle, an operator removes the front panel and physically carries the front panel away. Thus, much like a traditional ignition key or car alarm transponder, the front panel is carried by the operator until returning to the vehicle. In this way, the entertainment device absent the removable front panel is simply a xe2x80x9cblack boxxe2x80x9d having no readily accessible functionality.
Upon returning to the automobile and attaching the front panel to the entertainment device, the operator is once again able to operate the automobile entertainment device in the usual manner. Typically the operation of an automobile entertainment device includes playing recorded media inserted into the device such as audio cassette tapes and compact disks (CDs). The recorded media may also be transported periodically by the operator from the automobile entertainment device to a home or personal listening device.
As can be appreciated, with the advent of portable electronic devices such as car alarm transponders, personal digital assistants, MP3 players, portable global positioning systems (GPS), cellular telephones and the like, an operator of an automobile is likely to have several of such devices on his/her person in addition to the above front panel and/or recorded media.
A removable front panel for an automobile entertainment device is provided in which stand-alone functionality is enabled and the functionality of one or more of the above mentioned portable devices is consolidated into a single removable front panel device.
The present invention provides an entertainment device having a removably attached front panel. The device includes a main processing station for receiving control parameters and for providing an output signal to an output terminal thereof. The front panel is removably connected to the main processing station for providing control parameters to the main processing station. The front panel includes a panel memory for storing content, the content is provided to the main processing station for output.
The present invention further provides a removable front panel for controlling the operation of an automobile sound system, the automobile sound system includes a main memory. An audio processing means of the front panel codes and decodes audio content. A panel memory means stores audio content of the front panel. A communication means of the front panel is provided for contacting a remotely located party. A control means provides control parameters to the audio processing means and operates the communication means. An interface means links the front panel to the automobile sound system and provides control parameters to the automobile sound system. The audio content of the panel memory is provided to the automobile sound system for output and/or storage in the main memory.

Removable front panel for an entertainment device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method is provided for operating a gas turbine engine that includes a high pressure compressor and a water injection apparatus for injecting water into a flow of the engine upstream from the high pressure compressor. The method includes the steps of operating the engine without injecting water into the gas flow of the engine, injecting water at a first flow rate into the gas flow for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached, and injecting water into the engine at an increased second flow rate for evaporative cooling of engine components downstream from the high pressure compressor.

This invention relates generally to gas turbine engines and more particularly, to prebooster and precompressor water injection in a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor for compressing a working fluid, such as air. The compressed air is injected into a combustor which heats the fluid causing it to expand, and the expanded fluid is forced through a turbine. The compressor typically includes a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor.
The output of known gas turbine engines may be limited by the temperature of the working fluid at the output of the high pressure compressor, sometimes referred to as temperature xe2x80x9cT3xe2x80x9d, and by the temperature of the working fluid in the combustor outlet, sometimes referred to as temperature xe2x80x9cT41xe2x80x9d. To reduce both the T3 and T41 temperatures, at least some known engines use an intercooler positioned in the fluid flow path between the low pressure compressor and the high pressure compressor. In steady state operation, the intercooler extracts heat from the air compressed in the low pressure compressor, which reduces both the temperature and volume of air entering the high pressure compressor. Such reduction in temperature reduces both the T3 and T41 temperatures. Increased power output therefore can be achieved by increasing flow through the compressor. However, such an intercooler may also reduce thermal efficiency of the engine.
To facilitate reducing both the T3 and T41 temperatures for power augmentation, without sacrificing engine thermal efficiency, at least some known engines include prebooster or precompressor water injection. The water spray facilitates reducing both the T3 and T41 temperatures, and also reduces compressive engine horsepower. Because the T3 and T41 temperatures are reduced, the engine is not T3 and T41 constrained, the engine may operate at higher output levels below the T3 and T41 temperature limits.
In one aspect, a method for operating a gas turbine engine including a high pressure compressor and a water injection apparatus for injecting water into a flow of the engine upstream from the high pressure compressor is provided. The method includes the steps of operating the engine without injecting water into the gas flow of the engine, injecting water at a first flow rate into the gas flow for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached, and injecting water into the engine at an increased second flow rate for evaporative cooling of engine components downstream from the high pressure compressor.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for operating a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes the steps of injecting water into the gas flow at a first flow rate for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached, accelerating the engine to full power while water is injected at the first flow rate, and injecting water at a second flow rate into the engine for evaporative cooling of engine components while the engine is maintained at a substantially constant operating power.
In a further aspect, a method for operating an engine including a high pressure compressor and a water injection system including a plurality of nozzles is provided. The method includes the steps of operating the engine at full power without injecting water into the gas flow of the engine, injecting water through the nozzles into the gas flow at a first flow rate for power augmentation once engine full power is about reached, accelerating the engine to full power while water is injected at the first flow rate, and injecting water at a second flow rate through the nozzles into the engine for evaporative cooling of engine components while the engine is maintained at a substantially constant operating power, wherein the second flow rate is at least approximately five percent greater than a corresponding water injection first flow rate used for power augmentation.

Methods for operating gas turbine engines


An improvement is described in the carpet compositions which is especially effective in killing dust mites, contains an anionic detergent, an ethoxylated glycerol type compound, a hydrocarbon ingredient, at least one cosurfactant, an acaricidal agent, and water.

In recent years all-purpose liquid detergents have become widely accepted for cleaning hard surfaces, e.g., painted woodwork and panels, tiled walls, wash bowls, bathtubs, linoleum or tile floors, washable wall paper, etc. Such all-purpose liquids comprise clear and opaque aqueous mixtures of water-soluble synthetic organic detergents and water-soluble detergent builder salts. In order to achieve comparable cleaning efficiency with granular or powdered all-purpose cleaning compositions, use of water-soluble inorganic phosphate builder salts was favored in the prior art all-purpose liquids. For example, such early phosphate-containing compositions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,560,839; 3,234,138; 3,350,319; and British Patent No. 1,223,739.
In view of the environmentalist's efforts to reduce phosphate levels in ground water, improved all-purpose liquids containing reduced concentrations of inorganic phosphate builder salts or non-phosphate builder salts have appeared. A particularly useful self-opacified liquid of the latter type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,840.
However, these prior art all-purpose liquid detergents containing detergent builder salts or other equivalent tend to leave films, spots or streaks on cleaned unrinsed surfaces, particularly shiny surfaces. Thus, such liquids require thorough rinsing of the cleaned surfaces which is a time-consuming chore for the user.
In order to overcome the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art all-purpose liquid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,409 teaches that a mixture of paraffin sulfonate and a reduced concentration of inorganic phosphate builder salt should be employed. However, such compositions are not completely acceptable from an environmental point of view based upon the phosphate content. On the other hand, another alternative to achieving phosphate-free all-purpose liquids has been to use a major proportion of a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents with minor amounts of glycol ether solvent and organic amine as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,130. Again, this approach has not been completely satisfactory and the high levels of organic detergents necessary to achieve cleaning cause foaming which, in turn, leads to the need for thorough rinsing which has been found to be undesirable to today's consumers.
Another approach to formulating hard surfaced or all-purpose liquid detergent composition where product homogeneity and clarity are important considerations involves the formation of oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions which contain one or more surface-active detergent compounds, a water-immiscible solvent (typically a hydrocarbon solvent), water and a "cosurfactant" compound which provides product stability. By definition, an o/w microemulsion is a spontaneously forming colloidal dispersion of "oil" phase particles having a particle size in the range of 25 .ANG. to 800 .ANG. in a continuous aqueous phase.
In view of the extremely fine particle size of the dispersed oil phase particles, microemulsions are transparent to light and are clear and usually highly stable against phase separation.
Patent disclosures relating to use of grease-removal solvents in o/w microemulsions include, for example, European Patent Applications EP 0137615 and EP 0137616--Herbots et al; European Patent Application EP 0160762--Johnston et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,991--Herbots et al. Each of these patent disclosures also teaches using at least 5% by weight of grease-removal solvent.
It also is known from British Patent Application GB 2144763A to Herbots et al, published Mar. 13, 1985, that magnesium salts enhance grease-removal performance of organic grease-removal solvents, such as the terpenes, in o/w microemulsion liquid detergent compositions. The compositions of this invention described by Herbots et al. require at least 5% of the mixture of grease-removal solvent and magnesium salt and preferably at least 5% of solvent (which may be a mixture of water-immiscible non-polar solvent with a sparingly soluble slightly polar solvent) and at least 0.1% magnesium salt.
However, since the amount of water immiscible and sparingly soluble components which can be present in an o/w microemulsion, with low total active ingredients without impairing the stability of the microemulsion is rather limited (for example, up to 18% by weight of the aqueous phase), the presence of such high quantities of grease-removal solvent tend to reduce the total amount of greasy or oily soils which can be taken up by and into the microemulsion without causing phase separation.
The following representative prior art patents also relate to liquid detergent cleaning compositions in the form of o/w microemulsions: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,472,291--Rosario; 4,540,448--Gauteer et al; 3,723,330--Sheflin; etc.
Liquid detergent compositions which include terpenes, such as d-limonene, or other grease-removal solvent, although not disclosed to be in the form of o/w microemulsions, are the subject matter of the following representative patent documents: European Patent Application 0080749; British Patent Specification 1,603,047; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,414,128; and 4,540,505. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,128 broadly discloses an aqueous liquid detergent composition characterized by, by weight:
(a) from 1% to 20% of a synthetic anionic, nonionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant or mixture thereof; PA1 (b) from 0.5% to 10% of a mono- or sesquiterpene or mixture thereof, at a weight ratio of (a):(b) lying in the range of 5:1 to 1:3; and PA1 (c ) from 0.5% 10% of a polar solvent having a solubility in water at 15.degree. C. in the range of from 0.2% to 10%. Other ingredients present in the formulations disclosed in this patent include from 0.05% to 2% by weight of an alkali metal, ammonium or alkanolammonium soap of a C.sub.13 -C.sub.24 fatty acid; a calcium sequestrant from 0.5% to 13% by weight; non-aqueous solvent, e.g., alcohols and glycol ethers, up to 10% by weight; and hydrotropes, e.g., urea, ethanolamines, salts of lower alkylaryl sulfonates, up to 10% by weight. All of the formulations shown in the Examples of this patent include relatively large amounts of detergent builder salts which are detrimental to surface shine. PA1 from 0.05% to 5% of an acaricidal agent; PA1 from 0.1% to 20% of an anionic surfactant; PA1 0.1% to 20% of a compound which is a mixture of a partially esterified ethoxylated polyhydric alcohol, a fully esterified ethoxylated polyhydric alcohol and a nonesterified ethoxylated polyhydric alcohol, said mixture being (herein after referred to as an ethoxylated glycerol type compound); PA1 0 to 4% of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate; PA1 0.1 to 10.0% of a perfume, essential oil or water insoluble hydrocarbon; PA1 0 to 3 wt. % of an alkali metal silicate; PA1 0 to 20 wt. % of a hydrocarbon propellant; and PA1 balance being water, said proportions being based upon the total weight of the composition, wherein the composition does not contain any zwitterionic surfactants which would destroy the microemulsion or condensate products of a primary alkanol and ethylene oxide and wherein the composition does not contain a solid component having a mean particle size of 2 to 100 microns which would leave a pulverulent residue on the surface being treated or quartz, sand, siliceous earth, metal carbonate, SiO.sub.2, amorphous silica, polyacrylates, xanthan gum. Explicitly excluded from the instant compositions are alkali metal detergent builder salts containing carbonate or phosphate groups, aliphatic alcohols, alkyl aryl alcohols such as benzyl alcohol and phenylethyl alcohol, alkanol amines, amines, polyhexamethylene biquamide hydrochloride, didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, benzyalkonium chloride, isopropyl alcohol and N-lower alkyl neoalkanolamides such as methyl neodecamide and N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide. The size of the residue left on the surface is at least 120 millimicrons and cannot be ingested by the house dust mite.
Furthermore, the present inventors have observed that in formulations containing grease-removal assisting magnesium compounds, the addition of minor amounts of builder salts, such as alkali metal polyphosphates, alkali metal carbonates, nitrilotriacetic acid salts, and so on, tends to make it more difficult to form stable microemulsion systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,584 discloses a microemulsion composition having an anionic surfactant, a cosurfactant, nonionic surfactant, perfume and water; however, these compositions do not possess the low ecotoxicity profile and the improved interfacial tension properties as exhibited by the compositions of the instant invention.
British Patent No 1,453,385 discloses polyesterified nonionic surfactants similar to the polyesterified nonionic surfactants of the instant invention. However, these nonionic surfactants of British Patent 1,453,385 do not disclose the formula (II) portion of the instant composition. Additionally, the formulated compositions of British Patent 1,453,385 fail to disclose the critical limitations of the instant invention.
A number of patents teach esterified ethoxylated glycerol compounds for various applications. These patents are Great Britain 1,453,385; Japan 59-1600 and Japan 58-206693 and European Patent Application 0586,323A1. These publications fail to appreciate that a mixture of esterified ethoxylated glycerol and nonesterified ethoxylated glycerol, when used in a hard surface cleaning composition, functions as a grease release agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,940 discloses acaricidal agents in combination with solid components that leave a residue on the surface being treated.

Acaricidal carpet cleaning composition comprising esterified and non-esterified ethoxylated glycerol mixture


An electro-static discharge protection circuit including: a first input terminal and a second input terminal; a first output terminal coupled to the first input terminal, and a second output terminal coupled to the second input terminal; a first circuit branch connected between the first input terminal and the second input terminal, said first circuit branch including at least one first Zener diode having a cathode terminal and an anode terminal; a second circuit branch connected between the first output terminal and the second output terminal, wherein the first circuit branch comprises a load element coupled between the second input terminal and the anode terminal of the at least one first Zener diode; the second circuit branch includes a first transistor having a control terminal adapted to receive a transistor control voltage, the first transistor being coupled to the load element so as to receive from the load element the transistor control voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to circuits for protecting such electronic devices from ElectroStatic Discharge ('ESD') events.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Electronic devices, such as semiconductor devices of an Integrated Circuit ('IC'), need protection against undesired, potentially harmful events. Examples of these undesired events are electrostatic discharges, occurring when an electrostatic charge builds up on one of two electrically insulated elements, like the plates of a capacitor, so as to significantly increase the electrical potential difference between the two elements, until a conductive path from the first to the second insulated element is established, resulting in a sudden and undesired current, which may damage the semiconductor device, e.g. the capacitor dielectric.
Generally, electrostatic discharge takes place during handling of the integrated circuit. For example, damage occurs during the testing phase of the IC, or during its packaging or assembly onto a circuit board, and possibly during the operation of the electronic system of which the IC is part. Damages caused by ESD events can partially or totally hamper the functionality of the IC.
ESD events may, in particular, occur when a charged body (such as a person) touches the externally-accessible terminals of the IC. Each external terminal (which is used for accessing the IC from the outside) is connected, typically through a bonding wire, to a corresponding internal terminal of the IC. In such a way, the ESD event can involve one or more of the semiconductor devices of the IC. For example, a semiconductor device of the IC may be applied a voltage drop higher than a maximum voltage which it is able to sustain, and thus it may break.
In order to avoid damage caused ESD events, ICs comprise ESD protection circuits associated with the IC terminals. In particular, known ESD protection circuits are designed to provide, when necessary, a high conductivity path, adapted to safely sink the excessive electrostatic charge that builds up on the IC internal terminals from the semiconductor devices of the IC.
Examples of ESD protection circuits are well known in the art. An example of known ESD protection circuit, used in particular to protect semiconductor devices which are power device, such as power MOSFETs, adapted to sustain voltages ranging from, for example, 8V to 1500V, includes two circuit branches, arranged in a Π-shaped circuit structure; each branch includes two Zener diodes, which are connected in series and back to back. In case of an ESD event, either one of the two Zener diodes in each branch is reverse biased at the Zener voltage, whereas the other Zener diode is forward biased; the excessive electrostatic charge is thus safely sunk.
For better clarity, a conventional Π-shape ESD protection circuit 105 is schematically shown in FIG. 1. The ESD protection circuit 105 can be schematized as a quadrupole coupled to two IC terminals 106 and 107, in the example herein considered input terminals; for example, the terminal 107 is the IC terminal intended in operation to be connected to a reference voltage, like the ground, whereas the input terminal 106 is a terminal that, in operation, is intended to receive a drive (gate) voltage Vin (with respect to the ground voltage applied to the terminal 107) for a semiconductor device 110 which is assumed to be a power MOSFET. The ESD protection circuit 105 is further coupled to a first and second terminals 108 and 109 of the semiconductor device 110, in the example considered the gate and the source of the power MOSFET to be protected.
ESD events may cause the drive voltage Vin to take values that are much higher than the maximum value it is expected to take in operation, and may be either positive or negative.
In the drawing, the semiconductor device 110 is schematically represented by a capacitor Cgs, representative of the gate capacitance of the power MOSFET, between the power MOSFET gate terminal 108 and source terminal 109. The capacitor Cgs is designed so as to be able to sustain without breaking a voltage difference up to a breaking voltage Vbv (for example, ranging from 15V to 30V).
The protection circuit 105 includes a first circuit branch 111 with two Zener diodes D1 and D2, which are connected back to back (i.e., the diode D1 has a cathode terminal connected to a cathode terminal of the diode D2) in series between a first terminal 113 connected to the IC terminal 106 and a second terminal 114 connected to the IC terminal 107.
The protection circuit 105 has a second circuit branch 112 including two further back-to-back Zener diodes D3 and D4 connected in series between a first terminal 115 and a second terminal 116 of the second branch 112. A resistor R1 is connected between the first terminal 113 of the first circuit branch 111 and the first terminal 115 of the second circuit branch 112. The second terminal 116 of the second circuit branch 112 is connected to the IC terminal 107, so that the first and the second circuit branches 111 and 112 together with the resistor R1 have a Π shape.
In the example at issue, the Zener diodes D1 and D2 are designed so to have a first Zener (breakdown) voltage Vz1 lower in absolute value than the absolute value of the breaking voltage Vbv. In particular, the first Zener voltage Vz1 is lower than the breaking voltage Vbv of at least a predetermined voltage Vf, that corresponds to the diode threshold voltage for entering the forward-biasing condition (e.g., Vf ranges from 0.2V to 0.4V). The Zener diodes D3 and D4 are designed so to have a second Zener (breakdown) voltage Vz2. Typically, the second Zener (breakdown) voltage Vz2 is equal to the first Zener voltage Vz1.
In absence of the protection circuit 105, when, due to an ESD event, the value of the drive voltage Vin exceeds the breaking voltage Vbv (in particular, when the value of the drive voltage is approximately an order of magnitude higher than the breaking voltage Vbv, such as, from 2000V to 8000V according to the IEC 1000-4-2 specification relating to the ESD protection levels) a discharge current Ibv would flow through the capacitor Cgs, which would thus be damaged. In cases like this, the ESD protection circuit 105 activates to safely sink from the capacitor Cgs the discharge current Ibv, and limiting the voltage applied to the semiconductor device 110.
In fact, in such biasing condition, depending on the polarity (sign) of the drive voltage Vin, one between the Zener diodes D1 and D2 conducts a reverse current, being reverse biased at the first Zener voltage, whereas the other Zener diode is forward biased and thus conducts a forward current.
In particular, when the drive voltage Vin is positive (with the sign convention adopted in FIG. 1 i.e., the potential at the IC terminal 106 is higher than the potential at the IC terminal 107 of at least the first Zener voltage Vz1 plus the diode threshold voltage value Vf), the diode D1 is forward biased, whereas the diode D2 is reverse biased at the first Zener voltage Vz1. As a result, a first current I111 flows through the first circuit branch 111 from the first terminal 113 to the second terminal 114 thereof.
Concurrently, the diodes D3 and D4 conduct current, being the diode D3 forward biased and the diode D4 reverse biased, so that the second circuit branch 112 can conduct a second current I112, flowing through the second circuit branch 112 from the first terminal 115 to the second terminal 116 thereof.
Vice versa, when polarity of the drive voltage Vin is reversed (i.e., the IC terminal 106 is at a potential lower than the potential of the IC terminal 107 of at least the first Zener voltage Vz1 plus the diode threshold voltage, the diode D1 is reverse biased at the Zener voltage, whereas the diode D2 is forward biased. The first currents I111 flows in this case through the circuit branch 111 from the second terminal 114 to the first terminal 113 thereof. Similarly, the second current I112 flows through the second circuit branch 112 from the second terminal 116 to the first terminal 115 thereof.
In both cases, substantially no current flows through the semiconductor device 110. The ESD protection circuit thus avoids breaking of capacitor Cgs thus meaning that the gate oxide of the MOSFET is shielded from undesired breaking events.
During the normal operation (when no ESD events occur) the ESD protection circuit 105 is off: as long as the drive voltage Vin is lower than breaking voltage Vbv, the first circuit branch 111 and the second circuit branch 112 are not conductive, since the voltage drop applied thereto is not sufficient for turning on at least one Zener diode among the diodes D1-D4 in reverse biasing voltage operation. In this way, a non-destructive current (i.e., lower in absolute value than the discharge current Ibv) can flow through the semiconductor device 110 for driving it, without causing malfunctioning or damage thereof.


The present invention refers to a catalyst for the manufacture of methyl mercaptan from carbon oxides comprising Mo and K compounds and oxides or sulfides of metals chosen from the manganese group. The improvement of the present process consists of the fact that carbon dioxide can be converted with higher conversions and selectivities to methyl mercaptan as compared to state-of-the-art technologies, with only minor amounts of carbon monoxide being formed as side product. Simultaneously, carbon monoxide can be easily converted into carbon dioxide and hydrogen by reaction with water using established water-gas-shift-technologies thus increasing the overall selectivity to methyl mercaptan.

Methyl mercaptan is a well known intermediate for the production of organic compounds, such as sulfur containing amino acids, pesticides and dyes. Industrially, methyl mercaptan, also known as methanethiol, is produced mainly for the synthesis of methionine, a widely used feed supplement for poultry.
Methyl mercaptan is commercially produced by the heterogeneously catalyzed gas phase reaction of methanol and hydrogen sulfide. For example, EP-B-0832878 and DE-C-19654515 disclose a methanethiol preparation method based on the reaction of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) with methyl alcohol (CH3OH). EP-A-167,354 discloses a synthesis pathway based on the reaction of hydrogen sulfide with carbon monoxide (CO), wherein titanium dioxide (TiO2) was employed as carrier and nickel oxide (NiO) or molybdenum oxide (MoO3) as active component.
Chinese Patent Applications CN 1207957 and CN 1207958 disclose a series of catalysts useful for the methanethiol synthesis from high H2S-containing synthesis gas, wherein the active component (Mo—S—K-based species) comes from the precursor of K2MoS4 or (NH4)2MoS4 plus a potassium salt. In these Chinese patent applications, dimethylformamide [(CH3)2NCOH] and not water is chosen as solvent to dissolve the active component. The described process is hard to handle and expensive.
WO2005/040082A2 refers to a continuous process for the manufacture of methyl mercaptan using Mo—O—K based catalysts and a process for the preparation of a solid, preformed catalyst system. It is further described that the total selectivity of methyl mercaptan can be increased by at least 1% by lowering the total gas hourly space velocity.
EP-A-104507 describes a continuous process for reacting carbon oxides, sulfur or hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen at elevated pressure and temperature. The reaction is carried out over a preformed, single-phase, solid catalyst system comprising a porous alumina containing support, on which a mixture of a manganese sulfide and at least one of an iron, nickel, zinc, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum or alkali metal sulfide is deposited. The described process is a continuous, vapor-phase reaction in the presence of a specified sulfur-containing or sulfide catalyst system containing manganese to produce methyl mercaptan with improved conversions and yields. It is stated that by using the described catalyst system, the methane formation is kept to a minimum, which should result in an improved economic process. Formation of inert by-products, such as methane, should be avoided because these inert materials are difficult to separate from the recycle gases. It would build up in the recycle gas streams and would have to be vented periodically.
Other by-products of the synthesis of methyl mercaptan from carbon oxides, sulfur or hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen include carbonyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, carbon bisulfide and dimethyl disulfide. Especially carbonyl sulfide formation should be kept to a minimum since carbonyl sulfide is an intermediate in the formation of methyl mercaptan. Low selectivities of carbonyl sulfide result in higher selectivities of methyl mercaptan thus improving the overall yield of methyl mercaptan and the whole economy of the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,242 describes a process for the production of methyl mercaptan by heating a gas comprising carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst based on a tungsten sulfide or rhenium oxide on an activated alumina substrate. In the process, unreacted gas is recycled to the feed gas stream, wherein the water which is formed during the reaction with the catalyst, is removed from the unreacted gas. The desiccation is carried out by passing the gas through a molecular sieve. Using a Re2O7/Al2O3 catalyst a maximum selectivity of 64.6% at a CO2-conversion of 28.0% is reported
Although innumerous attempts have been started to improve the selectivity and yield of methyl mercaptan manufactured from carbon oxides there is still a need for further improvements since high selectivities of methyl mercaptan at comparatively high conversions of carbon oxides are desired. Especially, carbon dioxide as Cl source for methyl mercaptan is attractive as the major by-product carbon monoxide can be easily converted into carbon dioxide thus increasing the overall selectivity for methyl mercaptan.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Catalyst for the preparation of methyl mercaptan


A navigation device includes: a route calculation module operable to calculate a route from a start location to a destination location; a rendering module configured to use digital map data to generate images of the route for display to a user; and a route preview module operable to provide the user with a preview of the calculated route. In at least one embodiment, the route preview module is operable to divide the calculated route into junction segments and road segments, and is configured to control the rendering module to display images representative of locations within the road segments at a higher display speed than images representative of locations within the junction segments.

Portable computing devices, for example Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs) that include GPS (Global Positioning System) signal reception and processing functionality are well known and are widely employed as in-car or other vehicle navigation systems, either as devices that are permanently mounted in the vehicle or as devices that can be removed from the vehicle.
In general terms, a modern PND comprises a processor, memory (at least one of volatile and non-volatile, and commonly both), and map data stored within said memory. The processor and memory cooperate to provide an execution environment in which a software operating system may be established, and additionally it is commonplace for one or more additional software programs to be provided to enable the functionality of the PND to be controlled, and to provide various other functions.
Typically these devices further comprise one or more input interfaces that allow a user to interact with and control the device, and one or more output interfaces by means of which information may be relayed to the user. Illustrative examples of output interfaces include a visual display and a speaker for audible output. Illustrative examples of input interfaces include one or more physical buttons to control on/off operation or other features of the device (which buttons need not necessarily be on the device itself but could be on a steering wheel if the device is built into a vehicle), and a microphone for detecting user speech. In one particular arrangement, the output interface display may be configured as a touch sensitive display (by means of a touch sensitive overlay or otherwise) additionally to provide an input interface by means of which a user can operate the device by touch.
Devices of this type will also often include one or more physical connector interfaces by means of which power and optionally data signals can be transmitted to and received from the device, and optionally one or more wireless transmitters/receivers to allow communication over cellular telecommunications and other signal and data networks, for example Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, GSM, UMTS and the like.
PNDs of this type also include a GPS antenna by means of which satellite-broadcast signals, including location data, can be received and subsequently processed to determine a current location of the device.
The PND may also include electronic gyroscopes and accelerometers which produce signals that can be processed to determine the current angular and linear acceleration, and in turn, and in conjunction with location information derived from the GPS signal, velocity and relative displacement of the device and thus the vehicle in which it is mounted. Typically, such features are most commonly provided in in-vehicle navigation systems, but may also be provided in PNDs if it is expedient to do so.
The utility of such PNDs is manifested primarily in their ability to determine a route between a first location (typically a start or current location) and a second location (typically a destination). These locations can be input by a user of the device, by any of a wide variety of different methods, for example by postcode, street name and house number, previously stored "well known" destinations (such as famous locations, municipal locations (such as sports grounds or swimming baths) or other points of interest), and favourite or recently visited destinations.
Typically, the PND is enabled by software for computing a "best" or "optimum" route between the start and destination address locations from the map data. A "best" or "optimum" route is determined on the basis of predetermined criteria and need not necessarily be the fastest or shortest route. The selection of the route along which to guide the driver can be very sophisticated, and the selected route may take into account existing, predicted and dynamically and/or wirelessly received traffic and road information, historical information about road speeds, and the driver's own preferences for the factors determining road choice (for example the driver may specify that the route should not include motorways or toll roads).
In addition, the device may continually monitor road and traffic conditions, and offer to or choose to change the route over which the remainder of the journey is to be made due to changed conditions. Real time traffic monitoring systems, based on various technologies (e.g. mobile phone data exchanges, fixed cameras, GPS fleet tracking) are being used to identify traffic delays and to feed the information into notification systems.
PNDs of this type may typically be mounted on the dashboard or windscreen of a vehicle, but may also be formed as part of an on-board computer of the vehicle radio or indeed as part of the control system of the vehicle itself. The navigation device may also be part of a hand-held system, such as a PDA (Portable Digital Assistant), a media player, a mobile phone or the like, and in these cases, the normal functionality of the hand-held system is extended by means of the installation of software on the device to perform both route calculation and navigation along a calculated route.
Route planning and navigation functionality may also be provided by a desktop or mobile computing resource running appropriate software. For example, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) provides an on-line route planning and navigation facility at http://www.rac.co.uk, which facility allows a user to enter a start point and a destination whereupon the server with which the user's computing resource is communicating calculates a route (aspects of which may be user specified), generates a map, and generates a set of exhaustive navigation instructions for guiding the user from the selected start point to the selected destination. The facility also provides for pseudo three-dimensional rendering of a calculated route, and route preview functionality which simulates a user travelling along the route and thereby provides the user with a preview of the calculated route.
In the context of a PND, once a route has been calculated, the user interacts with the navigation device to select the desired calculated route, optionally from a list of proposed routes. Optionally, the user may intervene in, or guide the route selection process, for example by specifying that certain routes, roads, locations or criteria are to be avoided or are mandatory for a particular journey. The route calculation aspect of the PND forms one primary function, and navigation along such a route is another primary function.
During navigation along a calculated route, it is usual for such PNDs to provide visual and/or audible instructions to guide the user along a chosen route to the end of that route, i.e. the desired destination. It is also usual for PNDs to display map information on-screen during the navigation, such information regularly being updated on-screen so that the map information displayed is representative of the current location of the device, and thus of the user or user's vehicle if the device is being used for in-vehicle navigation.
An icon displayed on-screen typically denotes the current device location, and is centred with the map information of current and surrounding roads in the vicinity of the current device location and other map features also being displayed. Additionally, navigation information may be displayed, optionally in a status bar above, below or to one side of the displayed map information, examples of navigation information include a distance to the next deviation from the current road required to be taken by the user, the nature of that deviation possibly being represented by a further icon suggestive of the particular type of deviation, for example a left or right turn. The navigation function also determines the content, duration and timing of audible instructions by means of which the user can be guided along the route. As can be appreciated a simple instruction such as "turn left in 100 m" requires significant processing and analysis. As previously mentioned, user interaction with the device may be by a touch screen, or additionally or alternately by steering column mounted remote control, by voice activation or by any other suitable method.
A further important function provided by the device is automatic route re-calculation in the event that: a user deviates from the previously calculated route during navigation (either by accident or intentionally); real-time traffic conditions dictate that an alternative route would be more expedient and the device is suitably enabled to recognize such conditions automatically, or if a user actively causes the device to perform route re-calculation for any reason.
It is also known to allow a route to be calculated with user defined criteria; for example, the user may prefer a scenic route to be calculated by the device, or may wish to avoid any roads on which traffic congestion is likely, expected or currently prevailing. The device software would then calculate various routes and weigh more favourably those that include along their route the highest number of points of interest (known as POIs) tagged as being for example of scenic beauty, or, using stored information indicative of prevailing traffic conditions on particular roads, order the calculated routes in terms of a level of likely congestion or delay on account thereof. Other POI-based and traffic information-based route calculation and navigation criteria are also possible.
Although the route calculation and navigation functions are fundamental to the overall utility of PNDs, it is possible to use the device purely for information display, or "free-driving", in which only map information relevant to the current device location is displayed, and in which no route has been calculated and no navigation is currently being performed by the device. Such a mode of operation is often applicable when the user already knows the route along which it is desired to travel and does not require navigation assistance.
Devices of the type described above, for example the Go 720 model manufactured and supplied by TomTom International B.V., provide a reliable means for enabling users to navigate from one position to another. Such devices are of great utility when the user is not familiar with the route to the destination to which they are navigating.
With devices of this type, as aforementioned, it is possible for a user to opt to input a start location and a destination location, whereupon the device can be controlled to compute a navigation route from the start location to the destination location and ultimately be operated to provide the user with navigation instructions as they travel along the computed route from the start location to the destination.
As some users can find it difficult to react in time to navigation instructions provided along the route, particularly in circumstances where the user is distracted by traffic, it is commonplace for such devices to provide the user with the ability to preview a computed route—the intention being that once a route has been previewed navigation instructions provided to the user along the route will not be a complete surprise to the user (because the user has already viewed those instructions) and hence the user may be better able to correctly follow the provided navigation instructions.
A variety of different route preview configurations have previously been proposed. For example, the aforementioned TomTom Go 720 navigation device provides users with the option, inter alia, to preview a route as text, as a collection of discrete junction images or as a video of the entire route.
FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a textual preview of a computed route that commences at Village Way, London and shows (from left to right) the distances between turnings, an icon representing the type of turn, and the name of the road into which the route passes once the turn has been made.
FIGS. 7a and 7b are schematic representations of elements of the same route as viewed using the junction image preview functionality. The screenshot shown in FIG. 7a corresponds to the first turning (into Burbage Road) shown in FIG. 6, and the screenshot shown in FIG. 7b corresponds to the next turning (into College Road) shown in FIG. 6. As shown, the static junction images are overlaid with the route 288 to be followed and an arrow 290 indicating the form of the manoeuvre that needs to be undertaken at each junction.
This route preview functionality provides the user with discrete rendered images of the junctions that make up the computed route, and the user can scroll back and forth between junction images by operating virtual scroll keys 292.
Whilst each of these techniques do provide the user with the ability to preview the computed route, only route junctions are shown and as such it is difficult for the user to easily appreciate distances between junctions.
To address this drawback it is also known to provide the user with the ability to view a video of the route, namely a series of rendered images displaying every part of the route and comprising in effect an ordered preview of all the static images that would be generated by the navigation device in the course of guiding a user along the route. FIG. 8b is a schematic illustration of one static image that makes up the video showing the route 288 to be followed overlaid with an arrow 290 indicating the type of the next manoeuvre, and an icon 294 (in effect a virtual vehicle) indicating the position of the vehicle on the route.
In this known arrangement the speed with which the virtual vehicle moves along the route in this video preview mode is adjusted so that, for example, the vehicle moves more quickly along highways than it does along suburban city streets, and so that the vehicle slows for junctions and manoeuvres. It is also known to provide the user, as shown in FIG. 8a, with the possibility of adjusting the speed at which the video is replayed from a 10% of normal speed to a 500% of normal speed by moving a slider 296 to the right to increase the display speed and to the left to reduce it.
Whilst this known functionality does greatly improve upon the display of a list of manoeuvres or a series of discrete static junction images, it is the case that for longer journeys it can take a considerable amount of time to preview the entire route and many users will not have the patience to watch, for example, a thirty minute video for a trip that would take actually take two hours to complete.
The user can, of course, speed up video replay, but as increasing the display speed of the video also increases the speed at which manoeuvres are undertaken, it can be difficult at higher display speeds to appreciate exactly what manoeuvre is required at any given junction. The solution to this problem would be to slow the video down, but in this instance it would take significantly longer to preview the entire route.
The combination of these factors can mean that users tend not to use the route preview functionality that is currently provided, and as that functionality can help users to familiarise themselves with the route and navigate safely it would be useful if alternative preview functionality could be proposed that avoided or at least addressed these drawbacks.


A method and apparatus for providing access to object data stored in an object server in response to a database query. The method comprises the steps of receiving a database query comprising a relational operation with a data surrogate identifying object data stored in an object server, transforming the database query into relational database commands, transmitting the relational database commands to the relational database management system, receiving a response table from the relational database management system, compiling an answer set from the response table comprising an object locator responsive to the database query, and transmitting the answer set to the client.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to database management systems, and in particular to a federated database management system that provides users and application developers with large object processing and retrieval capabilities within an SQL-based operating environment.
2. Description of Related Art
Large-scale integrated database management systems provide an efficient, consistent, and secure means for storing and retrieving vast amounts of data. This ability to manage massive amounts of information has become a virtual necessity in business today.
At the same time, wider varieties of data are available for storage and retrieval. In particular, multimedia applications are being introduced and deployed for a wide range of business and entertainment purposes, including multimedia storage, retrieval, and content analysis. Properly managed, multimedia information technology can be used to solve a wide variety of business problems.
For example, multimedia storage and retrieval capability could be used to store check signature images in a banking system. These images may then be retrieved to verify signatures. In addition, the authenticity of the signatures could be confirmed using content-based analysis of the data to confirm that the customer's signature is genuine. However, practical limitations have stymied development of large multimedia database management systems.
Multimedia database information can be managed by ordinary relational database management systems (RDBMS), or by object-oriented database management systems (OODBMS). Each of these options present problems that have thus far stymied development.
Object-oriented database management systems are unpopular because they require a large initial capital investment and are incompatible with existing RDBMSs. Further, maintaining two separate data repositories in a RDBMS and a OODBMS is inconsistent with the database management philosophy of maintaining a secure consistent central repository for all data.
RDBMSs such as the TERADATA.RTM. system are vastly more popular than OODBMS. However, existing RDBMSs cannot effectively handle large multimedia objects. Also, although RDBMS database features and functions apply equally well to alphanumeric or multimedia data types, multimedia objects introduce new semantics problems, and require new strategies for manipulating and moving extremely large objects, which would otherwise overwhelm RDBMS computational capacity and the I/O capability of the computer implementing the RDBMS.
Accordingly, there is a need to extend existing RDBMSs to efficiently manipulate and move extremely large objects, especially multimedia objects. The present invention satisfies this need with a method and apparatus for extending an object relational database management system and its supporting functions to store and retrieve very large multimedia object by appending RDBMS answer sets generated in response to RDBMS queries with data surrogates associated with multimedia objects stored in a separate object server.

Method and apparatus for extending a relational database management system using a federated coordinator


A variable air volume ceiling diffuser includes a damper that is raised and lowered by a linkage that is controlled by a duct temperature sensor/actuator and one or more room temperature sensors/actuators. The linkage includes a heating slide movable for the heating mode and a cooling slide movable for the cooling mode. The duct temperature sensor/actuator selects the heating slide for movement by the room temperature sensors/actuators in the heating mode and selects the cooling slide for movement by the room temperature sensors/actuators in the cooling mode. The differential movement between the heating and cooling slides moves a roller that engages a profiled cam surface attached to two lever arms. As the roller moves along the cam surface, the lever arms pivot about their axis of rotation so that the damper moves upward to close the air inlet and downward to open the air inlet.

Thermal powered VAV ceiling diffusers are widely used in HVAC systems to control the temperature within an occupied space. The VAV ceiling diffuser is connected to a heating and cooling duct of the HVAC system. The heating and cooling duct supplies either warm or cool air to the diffuser. The diffuser has thermal sensors/actuators that sense the temperature of the air supplied in the duct and the temperature of the occupied space. Based on the sensed temperatures, the thermal sensors/actuators drive a linkage that opens and closes a damper to increase or decrease the amount of heating or cooling air supplied to the occupied space in order to maintain a relatively constant temperature in the occupied space.
The prior art discloses a number of thermal powered VAV ceiling diffusers that employ various linkages for controlling the movement of the damper in response to the duct temperature and the room temperature. Because the sensors/actuators provide limited movement, the linkages must be able to translate that limited movement into accurate positioning for the damper in order to control the temperature in the occupied space.


The invention provides immunogenic peptides from the HPV type 16 E7 protein that comprise overlapping class I restricted T cell epitopes. Also disclosed are methods of administering DNA molecules encoding these peptides to a host mammal.

This invention relates to treatment of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection.
Papilloma viruses are non-enveloped DNA viruses with a double stranded circular genome of approximately 8,000 bp. Over 75 types of human papilloma viruses (HPV) have been typed at the DNA level, and these can be broadly grouped into families on the basis of their tissue tropism.
Histologic, molecular, and epidemiologic evidence have implicated some HPV strains in cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. Many studies support the view that most moderate and severe cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN) contain HPV DNA which is exclusively detected in the histologically abnormal epithelium of these lesions. Persistent infection with HPV is believed to be the predominant risk factor for development of cervical carcinoma. HPV DNA is readily found in episomal form within cells exhibiting a cytopathic effect, while the HPV DNA is found integrated within the chromosomes of cells associated with most high grade precancerous lesions and cancer. Approximately 23 HPV types are commonly found in anogenital screening programs, but only 10–15 are associated with progressive disease. Type 16 is the type most commonly found in cervical cancer tissue.
Papillomaviruses contain nine open reading frames. HPV genes with transforming properties have been mapped to open reading frames E6 and E7. Substantial biochemical work has demonstrated that the HPV E6 protein inactivates the protein p53, whereas the E7 protein interferes with retinoblastoma (Rb) protein function. Since p53 and Rb are tumor-suppressor proteins which function as cell division inhibitors, their inactivation by E6 and E7 leads the cell to enter into S phase of the cell cycle. Expression of E6 and E7 is sufficient to immortalize some primary cell lines, and blocking E6 or E7 function has been shown to reverse the transformed state.

Immunogenic peptides from the HPV E7 protein


A foldable bath bench has a seat assembly and two leg assemblies. The seat assembly has a front, a rear, two opposite sides, two transverse crossbars and at least one seat. The transverse crossbars are mounted respectively at the front and rear, and each transverse crossbar has two opposite ends. The at least one seat is mounted on the transverse crossbars. The leg assemblies are mounted on the opposite sides of the seat assembly, and each leg assembly has two bracket assemblies, and two vertical supports and two legs. The vertical supports are attached respectively to the bracket assemblies and are able to pivot relative to the ends of the transverse crossbars. The legs are mounted respectively on the vertical supports. The foldable bath bench becomes more compact by folding the vertical supports of the leg assemblies relative to the seat assembly for carrying and storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bench, and more particularly to a foldable bath bench that has multiple foldable legs and can be folded into a compact state for storage or carrying.
2. Description of Related Art
Bath benches are used generally in the nursing field to allow a caregiver to put a patient unable to move by himself on a bath bench and give the patient a bath.
A conventional bath bench is so large that the conventional bath bench usually has to be stored somewhere other than in the bathroom. However, the conventional bath bench cannot be folded or easily disassembled and is hard to carry and store.
With reference to FIG. 5, a conventional bath bench (90) has a seat (91), two leg brackets (93) and four telescopic legs (95).
The seat (91) has two opposite sides. The leg brackets (93) are mounted on the opposite sides of the seat (91). Each leg bracket (93) has two vertical supports (931). Each vertical support (931) has a positioning button extending retractably from the vertical support (931). The telescopic legs (95) are mounted telescopically respectively around the vertical supports (931), and each telescopic leg (95) has multiple through holes defined through the telescopic leg (95) and corresponding to the buttons on the vertical supports (931).
To adjust the height of the seat (91), each telescopic leg (95) moves along the vertical support (931) to an appropriate position, and the button on the vertical support (931) extends through one of the through holes to hold the telescopic leg (95).
The conventional bath bench (90) is made somewhat compact by retracting the telescopic legs (95). However, the conventional bath bench (90) with the retracted telescopic legs (95) is still large and cumbersome.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a foldable bath bench to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


The present invention is directed to IP telephony communications control. A user-interface device is communicatively coupled to an IP communications link and adapted to provide communications control selections to a user via a display. A plurality of IP telephony devices are coupled to the IP communications link. Selections from the display are used for providing communications control including control of communications for at least one of the plurality of IP telephony devices. The user-interface device is adaptable for use by various types of users, such as system administrators, office administrators, and individual telephony device users. In this manner, efficient and flexible user control of IP telephony applications is effected using a portable operations platform that is adaptable for use by different users at various locations.

The electronics industry continues to rely upon advances in technology to realize higher-functioning devices at cost-effective prices. For many communication applications, realizing higher-functioning devices in a cost-effective manner requires the creative use of communications channels. Many technologies have been developed that have enhanced communications. Examples include the Internet, facsimile applications, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), wireless telephones, voicemail systems, email systems, paging systems, conferencing systems, electronic calendars and appointment books, electronic address books, and video-image processing systems that communicate video data simultaneously with voice data over telephones and the Internet. As the popularity of these technologies increases, so does the need to merge and coordinate these technologies in a manner that is convenient and cost-effective for the user.
The above-mentioned technologies have been developed in a relatively isolated manner. Large-scale integration of multiple communications systems has been costly and difficult to achieve and manage. One difficulty stems from the variety of communications channels and data types used for various applications. For example, telephony signals can now be transmitted by methods and systems including traditional publicly-switched telephone networks (PSTN), Internet telephony service providers (ITSP), packet-based systems, digital wireless systems, analog wireless systems, private branch exchanges (PBX), cable systems, T1 systems, integrated service digital network (ISDN), and digital subscriber line (DSL) systems, to name a few. Many telephone systems, particularly for business applications, offer services including voicemail, facsimile, call forwarding, and other call-controls, but these systems are often costly, difficult to manage, limited in scope, and do not offer integration of various communications methods. In addition to difficulties inherent in coordinating telephony-type communications, the coordination of additional communications, such as text, video, or other data, provides additional challenges.
Widespread acceptance and usage of communication systems and services are largely a function of cost and user convenience. Therefore, widespread acceptance and usage of such technology cannot be forced, even when appropriately addressing marketing needs and overcoming the exorbitant costs of the mass production equipment.
The scalability of a communications system weighs heavily upon the acceptance of the system. As the face of today's workplace is changing, the ability to provide flexible communications services is becoming increasingly important. Many employees are highly mobile, moving between companies and between jobs within a company. When employees are added, leave or move, the communications systems for those employees must be modified. In addition, many employees work from several locations, such as a base office, home, or a branch office. To accommodate ongoing communications needs a user-friendly and user-reconfigurable system would be advantageous.
As technology advances, traditional distinctions between communications types, such as video, audio, email, and others are breaking down. Wireless telephones and modems are being adapted for Internet use, and Internet telephony communication applications are becoming more viable and even commonplace. For both unsophisticated and sophisticated users of such communication systems and services, the coordination of various communications methods and systems would be beneficial. In addition, it is important to provide scalable, cost-effective, user-friendly control over the communications networks and over the devices that interface with and configure the networks.

Communications controller and method therefor


A display device has a video circuit for pixels arranged in a matrix. The video circuit includes a digital data store section; a transfer-data processing section for generating a data signal at a time assigned to one of gray scale levels for the data in synchronism with a supplied clock; a gray-scale voltage generator for generating gray-scale voltages; a selection gate circuit for successively generating gate pulses associated with the gray-scale voltages, in synchronism with the clock; and a gray-scale voltage selector circuit for receiving the data signal via a selection-data transfer line provided for each of plural columns of the pixels, and for successively selecting the gray-scale voltages from the gray-scale voltage generator, in synchronism with the gate pulses. The gray-scale voltage selector circuit outputs as the video signal, one of the gray-scale voltages selected from the successively selected gray-scale voltages in synchronism with the data signal.

The present invention relates to a display device, and in particular, to a display device having improved its video signal drive circuit section.
For example, a display device such as a liquid crystal device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix array, a circuit for selecting one from a plurality of pixel rows each comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in the x-direction, and a circuit for providing a video signal to each of the pixels in the selected pixel row in synchronism with the selection of the pixel row.
Specifically, a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between two opposing substrates, fabricated on a liquid-crystal-layer-side surface of one of the two substrates are a plurality of gate signal lines extending in the x direction and arranged in the y direction and a plurality of drain signal lines extending in the y direction and arranged in the x direction, and each of areas surrounded by two adjacent ones of the gate signal lines and two adjacent ones of the drain signal lines serves as a pixel area.
Each of the pixel areas is provided with a thin film transistor driven by a scanning signal from one of the gate signal lines and a pixel electrode supplied with a video signal from a corresponding one of the drain signal lines via the thin film transistor. The gate signal lines are supplied with the scanning signals successively so as to select one from the plural pixel rows each comprising plural pixels arranged in the x direction, and in synchronism with this selection, each of the drain signal lines supplies a video signal voltage to a corresponding one of the pixel electrodes.
Each of the drain signal lines is connected to a video signal drive circuit. The video signal drive circuit is supplied with information formed of a certain number of bits representing a gray scale, selects gray scale voltages in accordance with the information and applies the gray scale voltages to the drain signal lines.

Display device having an improved video signal drive circuit


A method for utilizing the Monte Carlo method to determine the most efficient arrangement of schedulers for a grid using a Scheduler Optimization Program (SOP). The SOP obtains the schedulers and scheduler timetable from memory and randomly selects a time period and scheduler to analyze. The SOP then uses the selected scheduler to modify the scheduler timetable. The SOP then runs the ROI calculator to obtain a ROI property for the modified timetable. If the ROI property for the modified timetable is greater than the ROI property for the original scheduler timetable, the SOP replaces the scheduler timetable with the modified timetable.

Recently, companies have begun to explore the possibilities of using grid computing networks (grids) to increase the company's productivity. A grid comprises a plurality of computers that are networked together. Large or complex computations (jobs) can be broken up into a plurality of smaller, more manageable jobs by the grid. The smaller jobs are then sent out to the computers within the grid for parallel processing. As the individual computers complete their jobs, the grid reassembles the smaller jobs into the completed job. The end result is that the large, complex jobs are processed in significantly less time than is possible on a single computer.
One of the important components of a grid is the scheduler. The scheduler is an algorithm that decides how to distribute the individual job pieces for processing throughout the grid. Although the concept of a scheduler sounds simple, the decision-making process for distribution of the job pieces is extremely complex. A number of decisions must be made as to how the scheduler chooses one grid computer over another. The physical distance between computers, processing speed, available memory, cost of operating grid computers, queue for each computer, the topology of the network connectivity among the computers, special resources (i.e. hardware, software, or licenses) available on particular computers, and connectivity between hard drives are just a few of the factors taken into consideration in creating a scheduler. Logical factors, such as job operating characteristics, priorities of various kinds, operational constraints on the utilization of the grid system, and many others, must also be taken into consideration by the scheduler. Thus, there are a plurality of different schedulers that can be created to distribute the job pieces throughout the grid. Selecting the appropriate scheduler for a grid is made even more complex by the fact that the type of grid traffic changes depending on the time of day or the day of the week, month, or year. One scheduler may be more efficient in the mornings and another scheduler may be more efficient in the evenings. A third scheduler may be more efficient on the weekends or on the last day of every fiscal quarter. Thus, in order to operate a grid at maximum efficiency, a user will ideally change schedulers from time to time, depending on the operating conditions of the grid. It is difficult for a person to constantly analyze and change the schedulers, so an automated method is preferable. Currently, there is no automated method for dynamically or adaptively changing the selection of the schedulers to best use at a given time interval. Consequently, a need exists for an automated method for dynamically and adaptively changing the selection of a scheduler in a grid computing network.
One method for measuring the efficiency of the scheduler is to run a return on investment (ROI) calculator. An example of an ROI calculator is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/756,150 incorporated herein by reference. The ROI calculator can calculate, using simulation and other modeling methods, the return on investment of an IT infrastructure which employs a particular set of schedulers. The return on investment is a quantitative measure of how effectively the company's information technology (IT) infrastructure is implemented. The ROI calculator can also determine other properties associated with the grid such as operating efficiency, total operating cost, mean time to process individual jobs, and so forth. A user can run a ROI calculator for individual schedulers and operating conditions to determine which scheduler is best suited for which operating conditions. However, as schedulers are continuously modified and updated, an orderly method for applying the ROI calculator to the operating conditions and schedulers is needed. Therefore, what is needed is a method for determining how to select the operating conditions and schedulers using an ROI calculator as a measurement tool.
The Monte Carlo method for selecting criteria is well known in the art. The Monte Carlo method involves the random selection and application of criteria to a model. Proponents of the Monte Carlo method assert that the Monte Carlo method can be more efficient at finding near-optimum solutions than orderly search methods for particularly difficult problems. Schedulers and grid conditions, both being complex, are ideal for the Monte Carlo method. Therefore, what is needed is a method for applying the Monte Carlo method to schedulers and grid conditions for evaluation by an ROI calculator in order to determine the most efficient daily arrangement of schedulers to a grid.

Monte carlo grid scheduling algorithm selection optimization

International Business Machines Corporation


A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a active matrix substrate; a liquid crystal layer; and a counter substrate opposing the active matrix substrate with the liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The active matrix substrate includes a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of signal lines crossing the scanning lines, a plurality of switching elements each provided near a crossing of each scanning line and each signal line, an insulating film, and a plurality of pixel electrodes at least partially overlapping the scanning lines and the signal lines with the insulating film interposed therebetween. The counter substrate includes a plurality of color filters. Adjoining color filters of different colors on the counter substrate at least partially overlap each other at a position corresponding to a boundary between adjoining pixel electrodes on the active matrix substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having switching elements such as thin film transistors (hereinafter referred to as "TFTs").
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary circuit configuration of a conventional liquid crystal display device having TFTs. A plurality of pixel electrodes 101 are provided on an active matrix substrate (not shown) in a matrix. In FIG. 6, a TFT 102 as a switching element is connected to each pixel electrode 101. A gate electrode of each TFT 102 is connected to a gate line 103. The TFTs 102 are controllably driven by gate signals input to the gate electrodes of the TFTs 102 through the gate lines 103.
A source electrode of each TFT 102 is connected to a source line 104. When the TFTs 102 are driven, data (display) signals are input to the pixel electrodes 101 through the source lines 104 and the TFTs 102. The gate lines 103 and the source lines 104 each run alongside the pixel electrodes 101 so as to substantially orthogonally cross each other.
A drain electrode of each TFT 102 is connected to the pixel electrode 101 and one terminal of a storage capacitor 105. The other terminal of the storage capacitor 105 is connected to a common line 106. Each common line 106 is connected to a common electrode Vcom.
The active matrix substrate having such a configuration is attached to a counter substrate with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. Thus, the liquid crystal display device is produced.
In order to realize color display in such a liquid crystal display device, most typically, color filters are provided on the counter substrate. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a configuration of a portion in the vicinity of a boundary between two adjoining pixels having color filters of different colors. Herein, it is assumed that color filters 113 are arranged in stripes, the most commonly employed arrangement in a display panel for a lap-top computer or the like.
The color filters 113 which include individual color filters 111 and 112 are formed of a resin having pigments or the like dispersed therein. The color filters 113 have a thickness of about 1 .mu.m. In order to obviate both a lack of a color and a combination of colors, the color filters 111 and 112 need to be provided with an interval d1 therebetween so as not to overlap each other. Although there is variation among the intervals d1 depending on the fabrication process, the interval d1 generally needs to be at least about 5 .mu.m. Moreover, in order to prevent light from leaking through between the filters, an overlap margin d2 needs to be provided so that a black matrix 107 and the color filters 113 provided on the counter substrate overlap each other with certainty. The overlap margin d2 also needs to be at least about 5 .mu.m. Consequently, a line width of the black matrix 107 on the counter substrate needs to be at least (d1+2.times.d2).
Since no voltage is applied to portions of the liquid crystal layer between adjoining pixel electrodes 101, the orientation of liquid crystal molecules in these portions is not controlled. A line 110 needs to be provided on the active matrix substrate with a certain distance from the pixel electrode 101. Therefore, as well as to obviate both the lack of a color and the combination of colors, and in order to block light incident on the portions between the line 110 and the pixel electrode 101, the black matrix 107 needs to be provided on the counter substrate with the line width thereof being at least (d1+2.times.d2).
In other words, the line width of the black matrix 107 needs to be about (d1+2.times.d2) or more regardless of how the color filters 113 are configured. For these reasons, the line width of the black matrix 107 cannot be set smaller than (d1+2.times.d2). Thus, there is a problem that an aperture ratio of the liquid crystal display device cannot be improved to a satisfactory level.

Liquid crystal display device having overlapping color filters


A method for adjusting image geometry in a system having a video display monitor, an input device and an input device pointer visually representing the position of the input device on the video display monitor comprises the steps of generating an image geometry adjustment screen, hiding the input device pointer and generating a simulated input device pointer, using positional information received to accordingly adjust the image geometry, and restoring the input device pointer to the image geometry adjustment screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to video display monitors and more particularly to a method for adjusting image geometry in a video display monitor.
2. Description of the Background Art
The display of high quality images is a primary concern of manufacturers, developers and users of video display monitors. Over the operational lifetime of a video display monitor, it may become desirable or necessary from time to time to make adjustments to the geometry of the image displayed by the monitor. Such adjustments may be required to compensate for a degradation or drift in the performance of monitor components. Alternatively, geometry adjustments may be effected to accommodate the individual preferences of the user. Geometry adjustments may also be made to compensate for variations in the direction and magnitude of the local ambient magnetic field, which depends upon, among other factors, the geographical location at which the monitor is being used.
With reference to FIG. 1, there is depicted a cathode ray tube (CRT) video display monitor 10 of a type commonly used in connection with computer systems. The monitor 10 includes a transparent screen 12 having an inner surface that is covered with a phosphor coating 14. An electron gun 16 is configured to emit a beam of electrons 18 directed toward the screen 12. At least one magnetic coil 20 continuously redirects the path of electron beam 18 such that the locations at which electrons impinge on the phosphor coating 14 (which emits light in response to such impingement) is controlled and the desired image is produced on the screen. The display monitor 10 may include an aperture grill 22 which selectively directs electrons to red, green and blue light emitting phosphors to thereby produce a composite color image.
Adjustment of image geometry in a CRT video display of the foregoing description is generally accomplished by modifying the operation of the magnetic coil 20, which in turn changes the pattern of electron impingement on phosphor coating 14. A known method for adjusting image geometry utilizes positional information received from an input device, such as a mouse or trackball, to modify magnetic coil operation accordingly. The method may typically include the step of generating an image geometry adjustment screen having objects which may be spatially manipulated by the appropriate operation of the input device. The movement of the input device is then used to modify the magnetic deflection operational parameters such that the relevant aspect of the image geometry is adjusted by an amount proportional in some manner to the direction and magnitude of the input device movement. During the spatial manipulation of the geometry adjustment object or indicia and associated adjustment of the screen geometry, the position of the input device is continuously visually represented on the screen at by an input device pointer.
When a user makes adjustments to image geometry according to the above method, the movement of the input device pointer displayed on the monitor and viewed by the user is a combined result of the movement of the input device and of the change in image geometry produced by the input device movement. This may tend to produce an exaggeration or other anomaly of the movement of the input device pointer with respect to the movement of the input device. For example, a small movement of the input device may result in a disproportionately large movement of the input device pointer on the screen. This exaggeration of input device pointer movement will generally be disorienting to the user and will render the task of making precise adjustments of image geometry difficult or impossible. While the perceived exaggeration may be alleviated somewhat by reducing the size of the image adjustment screen, such a reduction will reduce the precision to which geometry adjustment may be performed. Therefore, there remains a need for a method of adjusting screen geometry of a video display monitor which overcomes the above-described problems.

Method for adjusting image geometry in a video display monitor


The present invention provides methods, systems, computer program products, and devices for renewable energy site power limit control that address conditions of plant saturation and loop delay. In an exemplary embodiment, power limit control of the present invention is broken into two levels of control: a site-wide real power limit control that produces a single site-wide command, SitePlimCom, for all inverters, and inverter-level power limit control that outputs a command, Inv[x].PlimCom[k], for individual inverters. In some embodiments, the invention has one or more of the following features: an integrator with nonlinear gains, limit based anti-windup, a power limit control term based on the sum of both integrator and feed-forward terms, and an inverter-level controller designed to meet slew rate and site power overshoot constraints. The invention can be used at any renewable energy site employing inverters wherein improved dynamic control performance is needed, including solar, wind, and tidal energy sites.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the control of power limits at renewable energy sites such as solar, wind, and tidal energy sites. More particularly, the present invention relates to renewable energy site power limit control that addresses conditions of plant saturation and loop delay.
2. Description of Related Art
Renewable energy sites are typically composed of multiple power conversion devices connected in parallel generating fixed frequency AC power to a grid. The devices are typically AC-AC or DC-AC inverters. Inverters are designed to extract maximum power from the renewable power supply, subject to a real power limit reference and often, a reactive power command.
A simple and common scenario is to configure inverters individually with the same fixed power limit and reactive power reference and allow them to operate independently to deliver power to the grid. The system is connected in terms of power output, but not control. However, this scenario tends to underutilize the total available power when it varies from inverter to inverter, and cannot regulate total site output power. Furthermore, such a system cannot regulate power at a point on the grid separated from the collective inverter outputs by grid impedance, especially when there are disturbances in grid voltage and load.
More recently, site controllers have been employed to reduce these problems by measuring site total power feedback to actively control site total power. As shown in FIG. 1, the site control loop 10 consists of commands 23 from the controller 12 to the inverters 18 and feedbacks 21 from the inverters 18 and/or a utility meter 14 back to the site controller 12. The inverters 18 are connected to a power source 16 such as a photovoltaic (PV) module, and a step-up transformer 20 may intervene between the inverters 18 and the power meter 14.
The site controller typically generates the site-wide inverter command by feeding the site power error between the feedback and reference through a PI or I controller to generate a site-wide power command and then divides that equally among inverters to generate a command to send to individual inverters. The inverter power controllers are typically much faster than the site control loop. Therefore it is important to implement as much control functionality by the inverter itself, if possible.
However, traditional controllers can be improved by an effective means of handling non-ideal plant saturation and control loop delay, which cause many problems. The methods, systems, computer program products, and devices of the present invention are designed to overcome the following challenges of non-ideal operation encountered when implementing site power limit control: 1) Poor utilization of available power near limits of inverter saturation when available power is unequally distributed among inverters. The plant can appear quite nonlinear in this situation and performance suffers if appropriate anti-windup and saturation-dependent integration techniques are not used; and 2) Degraded controller dynamic response due to significant delay in the communications channels used to implement the control loop. Loop delay can result in unnecessary integrator windup during reference slewing and general instability. It can also result in large site power overshoot in the case of a power surge if power limit commands are not distributed to inverters appropriately.
The first problem is that of quickly maximizing utilization of available power when it is unequally distributed among inverters. This might occur, for example, at a PV site on a cloudy day when the PV array is partially shaded. In this case, the total site output drops below the site power reference. To compensate, the present invention increases the site-wide inverter power limit commands by incrementing an integrator which changes according to the error between the site power limit reference and site power feedback. The change in the integrator is chosen to take into account the number of inverters which are capable of producing more power. Furthermore, the present invention provides anti-windup techniques to prevent the integrator from increasing while no inverter is capable of increasing power output.
The second problem is that of handling significant site control loop delay. This delay is due to site controller task time and communication latency. This delay greatly restricts controller bandwidth. To reduce dependence on loop delay, exemplary embodiments of the present invention employ a feed-forward term which provides a fast transient response independent of feedback loop delay. The feed-forward term sums with an error term which maintains zero steady state error. Loop delay causes undesired integrator windup when the power limit reference changes. In the present invention the integrator error term is modified to compensate for this effect of loop delay. Another side effect of loop delay is that instantaneous site power surges cannot be corrected in less time than the loop delay. Often, the utility imposes restrictions such as acceptable site power overshoot or site power positive slew rate. At a PV site, for example, available solar irradiance may change very quickly as clouds pass overhead. Although there is nothing that can be done to prevent a sudden drop in available power, a sudden increase in available power can be prevented, even if the site control loop is not quick enough to react to it. The present invention addresses this issue by constraining each inverter power limit to be no larger than a certain margin higher than the inverter output power. This margin is the effective maximum real power overshoot that could be expected to an instantaneous surge in available inverter power. Incidentally, the margin also has the effect of slew limiting inverter power up, which is typically desired.
Various power controllers exist, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,260,469; 7,923,862; 7,890,217; and 6,512,966; as well as in U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0006613 (which patents and publication are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties), suffer from one or more of the limitations described herein. There is a need for improved renewable energy plant control that addresses issues of site power saturation and loop delay so that dynamic performance can be significantly improved.

Methods, systems, computer program products, and devices for renewable energy site power limit control