Signals are simultaneously read out from a plurality of memory cells connected to one selected word line onto respective data lines. By successively making a selection out of data lines, signals read simultaneously onto respective data lines are serially and successively sensed by means of one signal sensing means. As for restoring operation as well, restoring is successively performed via the signal transferring means on the basis of the result sensed by the signal sensing means. By thus making a plurality of data lines share either signal sensing means or both signal sensing means and restoring means, the number of these means can be reduced and the layout pitch of these means can be relaxed. Therefore, a semiconductor memory having a higher density can be realized.

The present invention relates to a large scale semiconductor integration circuit, in particular to a semiconductor memory suitable for higher density.
In recent years, densities of semiconductor memories have been made higher and higher. Especially in semiconductor memories comprising dynamic memory cells such as memory cells of single-transistor, single-capacitor type, higher densities have been obtained because the number of elements included in each memory cell is small. The concept of memory array configuration of such a higher-density semiconductor memory is shown in FIG. 2. Memory cells MC (such as MC.sub.11 and MC.sub.12) are arranged at intersections of word lines W.sub.1 -W.sub.m and data lines d.sub.1 -d.sub.n in a matrix form. In this configuration readout operation is performed as hereafter described. First of all, one word line such as W.sub.1 is selected, whereby signals read out from memory cells connected to this word line appear on data lines d.sub.1 -d.sub.n. Since these signals are typically minute, they are inputted to means for signal sensing SA.sub.1 14 SA.sub.n disposed on respective data lines and sensed as pieces (e.g., data bits) of stored information. Thereafter one of these stored information pieces is selected and read out to the outside of the chip. In the case in which the memory cells are memory cells such as single-transistor, single-capacitor memory cells where from stored information is read destructively, the information must be restored. Therefore, the results sensed by the signal sensing means are restored into respective memory cells.
As for refresh operation, signals from the memory cells are first read out onto respective data lines in the same way as the readout operation and sensed by the signal sensing means. The results are restored into respective memory cells, the information stored in the memory cells being refreshed.
As for storing operation as well, signals from the memory cells are first read out onto respective data lines and sensed by the signal sensing means. Thereafter, information pieces inputted from the outside of the chip are selectively stored into desired memory cells by storing means (not illustrated). On the other hand, original stored information pieces are restored into remaining memory cells by using results sensed by the signal sensing means.
Once a certain word line is selected in each operation, signals are thus read out from all memory cells connected to that word line onto respective data lines. The signals must be sensed by the signal sensing means to restore the result. In the configuration of the prior art, therefore, signal sensing means is provided on each data line, or, in a case in which the signal sensing means does not have restoring function, both the signal sensing means and restoring means are provided on each data line. However, the signal sensing means and the restoring means occupy an extremely larger area than that of the memory cells. Further, in recent years, the occupied area has been reduced by providing memory cells with three-dimensional structures. Therefore, the relative occupied area of the signal sensing means and the restoring means has becomes further increased, thereby adversely influencing the development of higher density memories. Further, since te pitch of data lines becomes small, it becomes difficult to make the layout of the signal sensing and restoring means in accordance with that pitch, furthermore. Therefore, there has also been adopted a method whereby the signal sensing means are arranged alternately on both sides of the data line to relax the layout pitch of the signal sensing means as described in 1989 IEEE ISSCC Digest of Technical Papers, Pp. 248-249, for example. Although this method is capable of relaxing the layout pitch of the signal sensing means to twice the pitch of the data lines, however, further improvement is impossible.

Semiconductor memories with serial sensing scheme


An object of the present invention is to propose a method of effecting a protection control for use in a communication network which makes it possible to avoid conflict between a protection switch of a SONET apparatus and a protection switch of an RPR apparatus. To this end, when ring switching of the BLSR is validated, the protection function of the RPR apparatus is invalidated while when the protection function of the RPR apparatus is validated, the ring switching of the BLSR is invalidated. The apparatus of the present invention can be applied to a network in which a ring network formed of a BLSR is connected with an RPR apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of effecting a protection control in a communication network and an RPR apparatus suitable for use in a communication network of an EOS (Ethernet Over SONET) in particular, in which a resilient packet ring (RPR) of the Ethernet (R) is placed upon a bidirectional line-switched ring (BLSR) composed of a plurality of synchronous optical network (SONET) apparatus, i.e., a ring network formed of the BLSR is connected with the RPR apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the Internet becomes more and more widely deployed in a communication field and with this trend, amount of communication information exchanged by means of IP (Internet Protocol) is remarkably increased. The IP communication is originally developed for data communication as a main object. Therefore, the IP communication has not been requested to have a high real time property as compared with a voice communication. Accordingly, even if any failure is brought about in the communication network, the communication network can be relatively free from a severe demand that might be imposed on the communication network in terms of a period of time it takes for the communication network to restore a network failure.
However, communication service demand has been steadily increased in the IP communication. As a consequence, the application field of the IP communication is expanded. At the same time, it is requested to provide a more reliable communication network. However, owing to the establishment of an RPR technology, high reliability can be secured even in the IP communication.
In this case, RPR is a technology which exerts its optimum performance upon data traffic in a network such as Ethernet. The RPR technology also has a historical background as has been developed as a ring network which is endurable in the requested reliability of WAN (Wide Area Network). In the RPR technology, an Ethernet frame is encapsulated within an RPR frame so that the Ethernet frame can function as a part of the RPR ring network.
On the other hand, the conventional SONET transmission network has been mainly developed as a network for communication with a speech signal and the network comes to have a large size in infrastructure. When the network employing the above-mentioned RPR technology is requested to be constructed by using the technology of the current status with ease effectively, it is considered that to introduce the infrastructure of the SONET transmission network into the network employing the above-mentioned RPR technology is an effective means.
In this case, the BLSR is a SONET network formed as a ring. According to the arrangement of the protection function of the BLSR, the network is provided with a redundant network in which a signal is allowed to be transmitted in a direction of the ring inverse to the direction in which the signal is ordinarily transmitted through a working network. With this arrangement, when any failure is brought about in the work network, the signal path can be switched from the working network to the network provided as a redundancy, and the failure can be recovered.
The RPR technology has been developed with an intention that the IP communication system comes to have a protection function having a reliability substantially equivalent to that of the conventional SONET transmission system. The protection function based on the RPR technology can be realized in the following manner in Ethernet ring network, for example. That is, packets assigned with different priority orders are ordinarily transmitted through the ring network bidirectionally. If any failure is brought about in the network for transmitting the packets in one direction of the ring path, the packet transmission is changed from the network suffering from the failure to one having no failure. At this time, the packets are brought into a transmission process one by one in accordance with the priority orders which are assigned to the packets in advance, respectively. That is, a packet having relatively high priority order is transmitted prior to one having relatively low priority order.
In this case, when the RPR transmitting apparatus (RPR apparatus) is provided in the SONET network, arrangement is made on the network operation in such a manner that the protection function of the SONET is effected prior to the protection function of the RPR apparatus. In more concretely, when any failure is detected in the RPR apparatus and the protection function is activated in the manner described above, a delay time is set in the network by user's manual input (key input operation through a user interface).
However, according to the above-described conventional technology, even if the RPR apparatus is equipped with a protection switching function which is highly reliable and capable of operating at a high speed, it takes a long period of time for switching from the network under current working status to the redundant network upon effecting the SONET protection function for failure restoration. As a consequence, the reliability (a networking rate) of the network can be lowered. Further, if the delay time is set to zero, it is expected that the protection switch of the SONET and the protection switch of the RPR apparatus conflict with each other.
The conflict of the protection switch of the BLSR and the protection switch of the RPR apparatus is taken place in the following manner. That is, for example, the switching of the RPR protection is effected on one network failure and thereafter the switching of the BSLR is effected on the same network failure. Then, the RPR apparatus perceives that the failure is restored, and hence the RPR apparatus tries to return the switching status to one which the protection switch of the RPR took before the failure was brought about. As a consequence, unstable reciprocal switching motion can be brought about in the RPR switch. In this case, either of the switching operation of the RPR apparatus or that of the BLSR is sufficient for restoring the failure.
In other words, the conflict of the protection functions results in useless switching motion, which fact can cause an undesirable hit (signal jump).

Method of effecting protection control in communication network and RPR apparatus


In the case of a method according to the invention for determining the arrangement of contact areas on the active top side of a semiconductor chip arranged in or on a housing, firstly semiconductor chip data, contact area data, housing data and production data are read in, from which a model of an electronic device is then determined. This is followed by determining the arrangement of the contact areas in said model of the electronic device. The contact area arrangement data thus determined are provided for subsequent fabrication and/or design processes.

The present invention considers electronic devices having semiconductor chips which are arranged in or on housings. Such a housing may be an arbitrary housing made of plastic, a printed circuit board or a leadframe or flat conductor frame. During the fabrication of such an electronic device, the semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the housing by means of bonding wires. Said bonding wires extend from contact areas or chip pads arranged on the active top side of the semiconductor chips to the contact pads situated on the top side of the housing, preferably at at least one inner edge facing the semiconductor chip.
The actual production of such often very complex electronic devices is preceded by a design process that defines the precise geometrical and electrical specifications of the electronic device with a semiconductor chip and with a housing as a basis for the production process.
The design processes that have been customary hitherto, in particular for semiconductor chips of this type, in practice often yield erroneous designs which can only be identified in a downstream simulation step and sometimes even remain undiscovered. Eliminating such problems causes an enormous delay in the fabrication of the semiconductor chip and is associated with great costs.

Method for determining the arrangement of contact areas on the active top side of a semiconductor chip


An insertable intracavity probe for use in magnetic resonance imaging of an area of interest in a body cavity particularly the colon, has an elongate shaft with a handle at its proximal end and an inflatable balloon structure at its distal end. The balloon structure has an outer balloon containing a loop-type pickup coil for connection to an interfacing network. The coil is sandwiched between two internal separately inflatable balloons, and when the probe is inserted, the coil can be optimally positioned relative to the area of interest by controlled differential inflation of the balloons. The probe also has an insertable rod-like mandrel for providing twisting orbital-type movement of the balloon structure on the shaft, by rotation of the mandrel, useful to steer the probe along curves or bends in the body cavity when it is being inserted. In a modified form of the probe, the mandrel can be used to rotate the coil and the internal balloons as a unit within the outer balloon for optimal in situ angular positioning of the coil.

This invention relates to a receiving device in the form of an intracavity probe for use in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy systems to enhance the imaging performance and spectroscopy sensitivity of such instruments when evaluating anatomical regions small in size relative to the body, and deep within the body, but proximate a location where an insertable pickup probe can be used. Specifically, the present invention relates to an intracavity pickup probe especially useful to image the colon region by rectal introduction, but which may also be useful for inspecting other regions of the body by suitable intracavity insertion.
In the field of MRI systems, also commonly known as NMR imaging systems, external pickup probes are typically used for receiving radio frequency signals from the region of interest. For optimum performance when imaging certain select parts of the body, the pickup probe should be insertable for intracavity use and include a radio frequency receiving coil, to be positioned as close to the region of interest as possible. In addition, the insertable pickup probe should also have a sensitive volume equaling the desired field of view of the region of interest. This allows optimization of the "filling factor" and "coupling coefficient" for the specific MRI system, thereby improving signal to noise ratio in MR imaging.
Furthermore, for optimum sensitivity, the receiving coil should have a loaded coil quality factor (Q) which is as great as possible and should be adjusted to resonate at the exact Larmour frequency of the scanner of the MRI system. It also sometimes is desired that the insertable, intracavity pickup probe be disposable, and hence the cost of the probe should be minimized as much as possible. At the same time, it is important that in reducing the cost of the probe, the ability to impedance match and tune the receiving coil to the scanner of the MRI system not be compromised. Therefore, there is a need to provide a disposable pickup probe at minimal cost for use in a MRI system which is capable of automatic or manual tuning and impedance matching of the receiving coil to the scanner of the MRI system.

Externally moveable intracavity probe for MRI imaging and spectroscopy

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving information associated with a first shopper of a plurality of shoppers from a monitoring device monitoring for presence of the plurality of shoppers; detecting, according to the information, entry into a store by the first shopper; identifying (responsive to detecting the entry) the first shopper, resulting in a first identification; generating (based upon the first identification) a first layout, the first layout comprising for each of a plurality of display screens situated along a route a respective visualization to be displayed, each respective visualization being part of a plurality of visualizations; detecting (responsive to receiving first motion data from the monitoring device) first movement by the first shopper to a first location that is proximal to a first display screen of the plurality of display screens; providing on the first display screen (responsive to detecting the first movement to the first location) a first visualization of the plurality of visualizations; detecting (responsive to receiving second motion data from the monitoring device) second movement by the first shopper to a second location that is different from the first location and that is proximal to a second display screen of the plurality of display screens; and providing on the second display screen (responsive to detecting the second movement to the second location) a second visualization of the plurality of visualizations, the second visualization being different from the first visualization. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Certain aspects of a conventional in-store shopping experience are improving (e.g. AMAZON GO) but such conventional in-store shopping experiences are not necessarily personalized. In addition, in certain circumstances, the available amount of conventional in-store retail space is shrinking, but such space is often used inefficiently for the customers that the space serves.

Apparatus and method for presentation of in-store visualizations and/or supply of products to customers


An example image forming apparatus may include a memory storing computer executable instructions and a processor. The processor may, by executing the computer executable instructions stored in the memory, determine whether a toner cartridge mounted in the image forming apparatus is genuine, and when it is determined that the toner cartridge is non-genuine, deactivate a user-defined application installed in the image forming apparatus.

An image forming apparatus such as a multifunctional printer may support basic functions such as printing, scanning, copying, and faxing functions, and a user may use a corresponding function by executing a system-provided application corresponding to each basic function in the image forming apparatus. In order to expand types of functions supported by an image forming apparatus, a user may additionally install a user-defined application provided by a third party or a vendor of the image forming apparatus in the image forming apparatus.

Controlling image forming apparatus equipped with non-genuine toner cartridge

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An analysis apparatus includes an information acquisition part for acquiring shape information about an analysis target object, an additional information extraction part for extracting additional information on the analysis target object from the shape information, and an analysis condition decision part for determining at least one boundary conditions based on the additional information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analysis apparatus, an analysis method, an analysis program, and a computer readable record medium on which an analysis program is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, there are various development steps in a process of product development. For example, a CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) system is used in order to test various characteristics which a product has at a previous stage for producing a prototype of the product.
This CAE system is a system for supporting various processes of product development and, for example, by incorporating the CAE system into a computer and executing the CAE system, simulation etc. of a structural strength characteristic, a vibration characteristic, a heat-resistant characteristic, etc. of a part having a complicated shape can be performed. The CAE system is utilized in wide fields of industry in order to perform the product development for the purpose of cost cutting, quality improvement and reduction in development schedule.
As an apparatus related to this CAE, a simulation data creation apparatus in which in GUI (Graphical User Interface) environment, several desired models are selected from among plural basic object models generated by a modeling language and a boundary condition for simulation execution is given by operating these selected object models has been known. According to this simulation data creation apparatus, a user can create simulation data without understanding a complicated programming language, and it is easy for the user to handle (for example, JP-A-2002-140653).


A mobile, wireless terminal contains apparatus for creating, editing and storing user personalized profiles for access by inquiring terminals in a short-range communication system. The mobile, wireless terminal contains databases for storing standardized format profiles containing user contact information, standardized format profiles of user interests and user or manufacturer defined profiles. The personalized profiles are stored in a single record of a Service Discovery Protocol database. Screen display apparatus in the mobile terminal displays indexes and contents of the profiles for user access in creating, editing and storing user profiles. The mobile terminal includes apparatus responsive to SDP inquires from inquiring terminals for access to and acquisition of the user defined personalized profiles.

An ad hoc network is a short-range wireless system composed primarily of mobile wireless devices which associate together for a relatively short time to carry out a common purpose. A temporary network such as this is called a "piconet" in the Bluetooth Standard, an FU "independent basic service set" (IBSS) in the IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard, a "subnet" in the HIPERLAN Standard, and generally a radio cell or a "micro-cell" in other wireless LAN technologies. Ad hoc networks have the common property of being an arbitrary collection of wireless devices which are physically close enough to be able to communicate and which are exchanging information on a regular basis. The networks can be constructed quickly and without much planning. Members of the ad hoc network join and leave as they move into and out of the range of each other. Most ad hoc networks operate over unlicensed radio frequencies at speeds of from one to fifty-four Mbps using carrier sense protocols to share the radio spectrum. The distance over which they can communicate ranges from ten meters for Bluetooth ad hoc networks to over one hundred meters for wireless LAN micro-cells in an open environment. ad hoc networks consist primarily of mobile wireless devices, but can also include one or more access points which are stationary wireless devices, operating as a stand-alone server or connected as gateways to other networks.
Bluetooth is a short-range radio network, originally intended as a cable replacement. It can be used to create ad hoc networks of up to eight devices operating together. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Specification Of The Bluetooth System, Volumes 1 and 2, Core and Profiles: Version 1.1, Feb. 22, 2001, describes the principles of Bluetooth device operation and communication protocols. The devices operate in the 2.4 GHz radio band reserved for general use by Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) applications. Bluetooth devices are designed to find other Bluetooth devices within their ten-meter radio communications range and to discover what services they offer, using a service discovery protocol (SDP). The SDP searching function relies on links being established between the requesting Bluetooth device in a client role and the responding Bluetooth device in a server role. Once a link has been established, it can be used to find out about services in the responding Bluetooth device and how to connect to them.
Other wireless standards support ad hoc networks in addition to the Bluetooth standard, the IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standard, and the HIPERLAN standard. Examples include the IEEE 802.15 Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) standard, the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard, the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) standard, the Shared Wireless Access Protocol (SWAP) standard, the Japanese 3rd Generation (3G) wireless standard, and the Multimedia Mobile Access Communication (MMAC) Systems standard of the Japanese Association of Radio Industries and Businesses.
Bluetooth units have general behaviors through which they communicate with other units. These behaviors are called "application profiles". There are 13 application profiles described in Version 1.1 of the specification, including the Generic Access Profile (GAP), Service Discovery Profile (SDP), Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP), and Object Push Profile.
The Generic Access Profile (GAP) defines how two Bluetooth units discover and establish a connection with each other. The service discovery protocol (SDP) defines the investigation of services available to a Bluetooth unit from other units. Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP) describes defines the set of protocols and procedures used by applications in handling object exchanges, e.g. File Transfer Synchronization using the Object Exchange (OBEX) Standard. The OBEX Standard is specified by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Object Exchange Protocol, Version 1.2. The OBEX Standard was adopted by Bluetooth as a binary HTTP protocol that allows multiple request/response exchanges. The Bluetooth Object Push Profile specification discusses the application of exchanging virtual business cards using the OBEX Standard.
Personal profiles are different from the official set of thirteen Bluetooth application profiles. Personal profiles are data sets intended to be exchanged between wireless mobile devices. Personal profiles provide information describing a user and his/her device to inform other users about the functionality and communication features of the user's device, and to inform about the characteristics and interests of the user. Currently, personal profiles are created by a user and sent to centralized servers operated by service providers for management and access by other users. What is needed is a mechanism or technique enabling a user to personalize his/her mobile, wireless terminal in real time to change and manage the personalization parameters at the terminal for sharing with other devices, such as in an ad hoc network.
Prior art related to personal profiles includes EP 1 130 869 A1 entitled "Management of User Profile Data" by D. Mandata, published Sep. 5, 2001, filed Mar. 1, 2000. This reference discloses an Instant Message Broker (IMB) System to allow messages to be sent in near real time between users. IMB is a distributed processing system that integrates network technologies, such as IP and Mobil Telecomm networks, allowing users to access functionality, accomplish tasks and deliver process information to called parties. IMB includes a database for storing and managing user profile data, which represents sets of user information/or user preferences concerning the terminal device users have access to within information transmission. The database comprises for each user at least one customizable user profile, which can be created, edited and/deleted by the user. Each customizable user profile is associated with an environment of the user representing a physical location and/or a logical context of the user. The database comprises a plurality of user profiles for one user, wherein only one user profile of a user is active at the same time. Each subscriber can have a plurality of user profiles in a so-called user space which is a subscriber's own data space as provisioned within the user profile database. Users can define different context for different situations and dynamically switch between them. The currently used active context describes how the subscriber can be reached. The description includes an indication whether the user is currently on-line on a preferred terminal device. In addition, a set of alternative terminal devices is provided where the IMB subscriber may be contacted or not reachable at the preferred device. The alternative terminal devices can also be used for receiving additional copies of instant messages.
The prior art does not describe or suggest a wireless, mobile terminal containing personalized user profiles that are installed, edited by and managed by the user on the user's mobile terminal. An example of a need for this capability is the real time modification of a sales representative's virtual business card to match the perceived interests of a potential customer. Currently, the sales representative cannot add or update the information in real time to his/her virtual business card. Another example of a need for this capability is in a dating/match-making scenario. During a chance meeting involving the exchange of virtual business cards, the user may wish to modify his/her personal interest information in real time, to match the perceived interests of the other user.
Still further, the prior art does not describe or suggest uploading the personalized user profiles from the user's wireless, mobile terminal to a server operated by service provider, for access by the user to update the profiles, and then return them to the user's wireless device.

Personal profile sharing and management for short-range wireless terminals


A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 4 showing an offset and tilted object transducer 50 being rotated about a system axis 51 to sequentially insonify the object from various acute incident angles .theta. to the system axis to provide images of the out-of-focus structures at spaced locations at the hologram detection surface 18 at different spaced times. If the pulse rate of the object transducer is greater than the fusion of the eye, the eye is able to average two or more images into a single perceived image. Likewise, video equipment that receives images at a rate greater than 30 Hertz will average two or more images and display the image at a rate of approximately 30 Hertz. Additionally, external video processing may be utilized to electronically average two or more images electronically to obtain an averaged image at any time constant desired by the operator. Such a system effectively neutralizes or blends the out-of-focus structure of an object spaced from a selected focus plane 27 while maintaining the structure within the plane in sharp consistent contrast to provide consistent, quality images of the internal structure of an object 12.

Although commercial application of ultrasonic holography has been actively pursued by many persons in the scientific and industrial communities for many years, only limited results have been obtained even though it was once thought that ultrasonic holography held great promise. It was felt that the application of ultrasonic holography was particularly applicable to the fields of non-destructive testing of materials and medical diagnostics of soft tissues that are relatively transparent or translucent to ultrasonic radiation. One of the principal problems that has been encountered and not effectively resolved is the difficulty of obtaining consistent, high quality images. Solutions have been particularly elusive in obtaining undistorted, high quality images of selected focused structures in an object under investigation because of the interference or shadowing of other out-of-focus structures in an object. A typical prior art ultrasonic holographic imaging system for inspecting a selected plane in an object is illustrated in FIG. 1.
Such a typical "real time" ultrasonic holographic imaging system is identified in FIG. 1 with numeral 10. The system 10 is intended to inspect the interior of an object 12. The system 10 generally has a hologram generating sub-system 13 and a hologram viewing sub-system (optical sub-system) 32. Principal components are ultrasonic transducers, generally referred to as an object transducer 14 for generating ultrasonic plane waves 16 to insonify the object 12 and a reference transducer 22 for generating an off-axis beam.
The ultrasonic energy transmitted through the object 12 is directed through a liquid medium to a hologram detection surface 18, which is generally an area of a liquid-gas interface or liquid surface, such as a water surface. Generally the hologram detection surface 18 is physically isolated in a detection container 20 to minimize distortions caused by vibration. The ultrasonic reference transducer 22 generates an off-axis ultrasonic beam that is also directed to the hologram detection surface 18 to form a standing wave hologram. It is frequently desirable to pulse the transducers 14 and 22 at desired intervals to minimize dynamic distortions of the detector surface 18.
Generally an ultrasonic lens assembly 26 is utilized to provide a focused hologram of a desired plane 27 within the object 12. In the example shown, the assembly 26 has a stationary lens 28 having a focal length coincident with the plane of the hologram detection surface 18. A movable complementary lens 30 is provided to be moved to focus on the selected object plane 27 of the object 12 to inspect an internal structures P.sub.0 that is within the selected object plane 27.
The optical subsystem 32 includes a source of coherent light, preferably a laser 34 for generating a beam of coherent light. The laser light beam is directed through a laser lens 36 to achieve a point source that is located at or near the focal point of a collimating lens 38 and then onto the hologram detector surface to illuminate the hologram. The diffracted coherent light radiation containing holographic information is directed back through the optical lens 38 and separated into precisely defined diffracted orders in the focal plane of the collimating lens 38. A filter 42 is used to block all but a first order pattern 44 for "real time" observation by a human eye 46 or an optical recorder, such as a video camera.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate graphically the problem encountered by distortions or image degradation caused by object structures P.sub.1 that are spaced from the focused object plane 27. Such speed object structures are referred to as "out-of-focus" structures, and are identified generally as P.sub.1. The out-of-focus structure P.sub.1, when insonified, retransmits spherical waves and a shadow that is transferred by the optical system 26 to a holographic pattern P.sub.1 in the detection surface as illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 illustrates the phenomenon in more detail in which the out-of-focus structure P.sub.1 forms a shadow identified as P.sub.10 in the plane 27. The shadow P.sub.10 is in effect imaged on the detector surface of the hologram 18.
One of the principal objects of this invention is to minimize and neutralize those out-of-focus structures of the object such as P.sub.1 to provide a more consistent, high quality image structure in the selected focal plane 27 of the object. A further object is to minimize the distortion caused by such out-of-focus structures utilizing rather inexpensive techniques and apparatus.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of this invention.

Ultrasonic holography imaging method and apparatus


A reuseable self securing plastic holding device for mounting onto a smooth clean polished surface and having a particular physical arrangement which absorbs and dissipates the sheer forces exerted thereupon by a held object.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a self securing holding device for mounting onto a surface which is reuseable and leaves no residue upon removal.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are a great many self holding devices for mounting signs on glass or smooth relatively non-porous surfaces.
Early in this development of self securing holding devices or mounts, the inventor herein developed devices which relied for holding capacity upon what has been referred to as molecular adhesion of which examples are his disclosures in his U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,098,272, 2,241,795 and 3,311,339.
It is desirable to improve upon the art as it is known by substantially increasing the relative holding capacity of the mount over what has been experienced in the past by particular innovations in particular details of the structure.


A bus station or a communication system is described, where the bus stations receive communications containing transmission information from which the position of the transmitting bus station in a sequence of bus stations can. A time slot for the bus station in which the bus station repeats the received communication is calculated from the transmission information and position information stored in the bus station indicating the position of the bus station in the sequence. These bus stations are especially suitable for data exchange by radio.

The present invention concerns a bus station for communication with other bus stations, where the exchange of communications between the bus stations is preferably accomplished by radio signals. There are already communication systems where communications are exchanged by radio signals, such as DECT and GSM, where a transmission between individual stations is controlled from a central office.

Bus station with routing for survivable networks


A parts production management system includes: a first table in which a line cycle number representing a line cycle that is a process unit for processing a group of parts and a parent lot number of a part input for being processed in a line cycle represented by the line cycle number are stored while being linked together; a second table in which the line cycle number and a child lot number of a part processed in the line cycle represented by the line cycle number are stored while being linked together; and a lot linking unit that stores a line cycle number of a line cycle for processing a parent lot and a parent lot number in the first table while being linked together when the parent lot is input to a production line and stores a line cycle number of a line cycle that has processed a child lot and the child lot number while being linked together when a process in the production line is completed and the child lot is output from the production line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parts production management system capable of linking parts to be processed in a production line in units of a lot and a method thereof.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-205061, filed Jul. 27, 2006, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Quality control methods in which a product and a production process thereof are linked together for management and the production process of a product can be traced retrospectively so as to determine the production process causing a problem by using the linking when there is a defect in the product have been used.
For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 10-43997, there is disclosed a system for supporting data analysis of lots of products by creating a table defining the linking relationship between processes when a division event occurs in the processes and linking the lots between the processes using the table.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-227184, a method of building a quality database and the apparatus the same are disclosed in which, in a packaging process or a point of changing a lot size for a processing operation for products, a configuration of parts are registered as a part tree, a configuration of process flows for management of an engineering process of the registered parts is registered, and registering quality data for management of processing information belonging to the registered processes.
However, in the above-described prior arts, although linking between parent lots and child lots is described, technology of detailed means for the linking process is not described.
In other words, when a linking operation between the parent lots and child lots is performed, a parent lot to be linked is required to be determined when a child lot generated from the parent lot is to be unloaded.
However, since input of the parent lot and loading of the child lot are performed at different locations, there is a problem in that the parent lot to be linked cannot be determined in an easy manner for a production line having no one to one correspondence or a production line through which different types of lots flow concurrently.

Parts production management system and parts production management method


In some embodiments, a resident controller at a specified location performs a method including registering a plurality of mobile devices of a plurality of users and a device profile for a resident device to be controlled based on a location of the plurality of users, and establishing a user state for each of the plurality of users corresponding to their location. In some embodiments, the mobile devices can provide boundary-crossing signals when their location cross a boundary corresponding to the specified location causing the resident controller to update the user states based on the boundary-crossing signals and update a presence state of the specified location based on changes to the user states, where the device profile specifies a first action to be performed when the presence state transitions to a first presence value.

Recent developments in home automation or "smart homes" have provided users with unprecedented control over a wide range of accessory devices in the home. For instance, modern smart home technology can allow users to configure and control the automation of home lighting, heating (e.g., via smart thermostats), ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), security (e.g., locks, cameras), home appliances (e.g., washers/dryers, ovens, etc.), and the like, from a single control center. In some systems, certain automated controls may rely on geo-fence data. Geo-fence data may correspond to a virtual perimeter for a real geographical area that, when crossed, can trigger an action by the home automated system (e.g., cause a light to turn on).
In some contemporary systems, a mobile device can track its location via an on-board global positioning system (GPS). The mobile device can send a notification to a smart home system when the GPS detects that the mobile device has traversed a preset geo-fence, which may trigger the action in the smart home, as noted above. Mobile devices typically include smart phones, smart watches, wearable technology, laptop computers, and the like.
Thus, recent smart home advancements have made homes safer and more energy efficient. However, implementations of home automation involving multiple users can result in undesirable functionality. As such, new advancements in smart home technology are needed.

Presence triggered notifications and actions


The object to create a system and a method which allows better running gear diagnosis of rail vehicles is achieved by the present invention by arranging a number of force measurement devices on the rail measurement zone to detect the forces and/or torques acting on the rail measurement zone, such that the system also comprises a number of sonic measurement devices for detecting the sound waves which occur when the rail vehicle travels over the rail measurement zone. The present invention thus offers a diagnostic system for analysis of the condition of wheel bearings and wheel geometries in particular in which the forces and sound waves occurring when the rail vehicle travels over the rail can be detected and analyzed, so that more reliable inferences about the condition of the running gear of the rail vehicle can be drawn from them.

There are already known systems in which a measurement zone is set up on a rail, e.g., from the document DE 10 2006 015 924 A1. With these known systems, a plurality of measurement devices is arranged beneath the rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail to detect the forces acting on the rail. By means of these measurement devices, the forces or torques occurring when the rail vehicle travels over the rail can be measured in the body of the track. However, such known systems are limited to measuring the forces or torques occurring in the rail, which allows only a limited diagnosis with respect to the condition of the running gear of the rail vehicle. With these systems, for example, it is thus possible to detect flat spots on wheels of rail vehicles, but this can only be done with a quality statement which is derived merely from the force measurement technique. Therefore, statements about the geometric properties of the flat spots are possible only to a limited extent.
Furthermore, there are also known systems for detecting overheated axle bearings of rail vehicles, also known as hot box detectors, in the state of the art. However, such systems have the disadvantage that they are able to detect bearing damage to the wheel or axle bearing on the rail vehicle only when the condition of the vehicle of the rail vehicle is already relatively critical.
The known hot box detectors are usually based on the principle of infrared measurement technology and can thus supply information about possible bearing damage only by way of a temperature difference measurement. For maintenance on rail vehicles as well as rail operators the hit ratio and the reliability of accurate information of diagnostic systems about the condition of the running gear of rail vehicles are of crucial importance.

System for analysis of the condition of the running gear of rail vehicles


The present invention is method and apparatus for music performance and composition. More specifically, the present invention is an interactive music apparatus comprising actuating a signal that is transmitted to a processing computer that transmits output signals to a speaker that emits sound and an output component that performs an action. Further, the present invention is also a method of music performance and composition. Additionally, the present invention is an interactive wireless music apparatus comprising actuating an event originating on a remote wireless device. The transmitted event received by a processing host computer implements the proper handling of the event.

For many years as is common today, performing music is restricted to traditional instruments such as acoustic and electronic keyboards, stringed, woodwind, percussive and brass. In all of the instruments in each of these classifications, a high level of mental aptitude and motor skill is required to adequately operate the instrument. Coordination is necessary to control breathing, fingering combinations, and expression. Moreover, the cognitive ability to read the music, watch the conductor for cues, and listen to the other musicians to make adjustments necessary for ensemble play require high cognitive function. Most school band programs are limited to the use of these instruments and limit band participation to only those students with the physical and mental capacity to operate traditional instruments.
For example, a student with normal mental and physical aptitude shows an interest in a particular traditional instrument, and the school and/or parents make an instrument available with options for instruction. The child practices and attends regular band rehearsals. Over time, the student becomes proficient at the instrument and playing with other musicians. This is a very common scenario for the average music student.
However, this program assumes all children have adequate cognitive and motor function to proficiently operate a traditional instrument. It assumes that all children are capable of reading music, performing complex fingering, controlling dynamics, and making necessary adjustments for ensemble performance. The currently available musical instruments do not consider individuals with below normal physical and mental abilities. Hence, it prohibits the participation of these individuals.
Teaching music performance and composition to individuals with physical and mental disabilities requires special adaptive equipment. Currently, these individuals have limited opportunities to learn to perform and compose their own music because of the unavailability of musical equipment that is adaptable for their use. Teaching music composition and performance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities requires instruments and teaching tools that are designed to compensate for disabled students' limited physical and cognitive abilities.
For example, students with physical and mental disabilities such as cerebral palsy often have extremely limited manual dexterity and thus are unable to play the typical keyboard instrument with a relatively large number of narrow keys. Similarly, a user with physical disabilities may have great difficulty grasping and manipulating drumsticks and thus would be unable to play the typical percussion device. Also, disabled users are unable to accurately control the movements of their hands, which, combined with an extremely limited range of motion, can also substantially limit their ability to play keyboard, percussion, or other instruments. Such users may, however, exhibit greater motor control using their head or legs.
Furthermore, the currently available musical instruments are generally inflexible in regard to the configurations of their user interfaces. For example, keyboards typically have a fixed number that cannot be modified to adapt to the varying physical capabilities of different users. In addition, individuals with cognitive delays are easily distracted and can lose focus when presented with an overwhelming number of keys. Similarly, teaching individuals with mental and physical disabilities basic music theory requires a music tutorial device that has sufficient flexibility to adjust for a range of different cognitive abilities.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a music performance and composition apparatus with a user interface adaptable for use by individuals with physical and mental disabilities, such that these individuals can perform and compose music with minimal involvement by others. In addition, there is a need for an apparatus allowing disabled users to use the greater motor control available in their head or legs. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for a music composition and performance tutorial system incorporating this new apparatus that allows musicians with disabilities to learn to compose and perform their own music.
Similarly, there is a need in the art for a universal adaptive musical instrument that enables people of all abilities to perform music alone, with other individuals of similar abilities, or with others in a traditional band setting. This solution could provide the necessary flexibility to assist individuals with their particular disability.

Method and apparatus for composing and performing music


This invention provides a method for pulling a single crystal silicon whose diameter is more than 200 mm. The single crystal silicon pulled by the method of this invention has a desired oxygen concentration and a uniform oxygen concentration distribution along its longitudinal axis. In the process of this invention, the single crystal silicon and the quartz crucible are driven to rotate in reverse directions, and the rotation speed of the single crystal silicon is set within the range of 8 to 16 rpm and to be more than twice the rotating speed of the crucible. The rotation speed of the crucible is set to be at its minimum value during pulling a body portion which begins from the beginning end of the single-crystal body and terminates at a location apart from the beginning end within a distance of 10% of the total length of the single-crystal body. Subsequently, the rotation speed of the crucible is gradually raised and is set to no more than a maximum value of 8 rpm.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor single crystal by the Czochralski Method (hereinafter referred as the CZ method), and in particular to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor single crystal having a diameter of more than 200 mm and a uniform distribution of oxygen concentration along its axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
The substrate for a semiconductor device is mainly made of high-purity single crystal silicon that is conventionally produced by the CZ method. In the CZ method, polycrystalline silicon nuggets are fed into a quartz crucible of a single-crystal silicon pulling apparatus. Then the quartz crucible is heated by heaters disposed therearound to melt the polycrystalline silicon nuggets. Thereafter a seed crystal installed on a seed chuck is dipped into the melt. After that, the seed chuck and the quartz crucible are respectively driven to rotate in the same or reverse directions, and at the same time the seed chuck is pulled to grow a single-crystal silicon ingot of a predetermined diameter and length. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-section schematic view showing a apparatus for pulling silicon semiconductor single crystals.
As shown in FIG. 6, within the main chamber 1, a graphite crucible 3 is disposed upon the upper end of a rotary crucible shaft 2 which can be driven to extend upward or downward. Melt 5 (formed by making polycrystalline silicon melted) is charged in a quartz crucible 4 accommodated within the graphite crucible 3. A cylindrical heater 6 and a heat insulating barrel 7 made of adiabatic material are disposed around the graphite crucible 3. Furthermore, a supporting member 8 is installed on the upper end of the heat insulating barrel 7, and a gas stream guide 9 in a shape of a truncated reversed cone is installed on the supporting member 8. Inert gas such as Argon is guided from a pull chamber (not shown) connected to the upper end of the main chamber 1. The inert gas enters the interior of the gas stream guide 9 and goes down along the single crystal silicon 10. Then the inert gas passes through the gap between melt 5 and the lower end of the gas stream guide 9. By this arrangement, SiO.sub.x evaporated from melt 5 can be expelled outside of the main chamber 1.
Due to the fact that the surface of the quartz crucible 4 is in contact with melt 5, oxygen contained in the surface of the quartz crucible 4 will dissolve into melt 5. Most of the oxygen dissolved in melt 5 evaporates from the free surface of melt 5 and is expelled, together with inert gas, outside of the main chamber 1. However, part of the oxygen enters the single crystal silicon being pulled. Usually, the oxygen concentration in a single crystal silicon is high at the beginning of pulling and then decreases as the increases solidification ratio of the single crystal silicon.
It is well known that the concentration of oxygen contained in a single crystal silicon can be homogenized in the longitudinal direction by controlling the rotation speeds of the crucible and the single crystal silicon. For example, a method for manufacturing single crystal silicon was disclosed in JP-B- 3-21515 MEMC ELECTRONIC MATERIALS INC. USA! (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an published Japanese patent application). In the above method, the rotation speed of the single crystal is kept at a constant value greater than the maximum rotation speed of the crucible, and the maximum rotation speed of the crucible is controlled not to exceed the rotation speed of the single crystal in the event that the length of the single crystal is increasing. Thus, the distributions of oxygen concentration in the longitudinal and radial directions of the single crystal can be made uniform.
The above method is only suitable for the case where single crystals of a diameter less than 100 mm and a single crystal pulling apparatus without a gas stream guide are used. However, for single crystals with larger diameters than 200 mm, it is difficult to homogenize the distribution of oxygen concentration therein by only controlling the rotation speeds of the crucible and the single crystal. The reasons are: (1) Even if the rotation speed of the single crystal is kept constant, the moving speed in the peripheral direction at the boundary of liquid and solid will increase in proportion to the increase of the single-crystal diameter. There is a limit to the above moving speed in the peripheral direction that can steadily grow single crystals. In the case of a single crystal with a diameter of more than 200 mm, its rotation speed is limited to about 50% of that disclosed in JP-B 3-21515. (2) The peripheral speed of the quartz crucible also increases due to the enlargement of its diameter, and waves raised by the error in circularity of the quartz crucible or the eccentricity induced by dislocation of the quartz crucible during installation, on the free surface of melt become intense. Accordingly, it is difficult to obtain the steady growing of single crystals, and still the rotation speed is limited to about 50% of that disclosed in JP-B 3-21515. (3) If the rotation speed of the crucible is less than 5 rpm, natural convection in the melt, that is, the upward and downward convections become dominant, and horizontal convections are hindered. Therefore, oxygen concentration in single crystals can not be controlled, and the range in which the oxygen concentration can be controlled becomes very narrow. Accordingly, it is difficult to maintain uniform oxygen concentration along the longitudinal axis of a single crystal. (4) Depending on the design of the hot zones (melt portion), if the rotation speed of a single crystal is occasionally raised too high, the outer peripheral surface of the crystal will become uneven and no longer cylindrical. In the case of pulling a single crystal with a diameter of more than 200 mm, the maximum rotation speed of the crystal is about 20 rpm. Thus, even if it is intended to keep the oxygen concentration along the radial axis uniform, the rotation speed of the crucible can not be raised to half of that value of the crystal. Accordingly, the oxygen concentration in the single crystal can not be raised, and it is difficult to maintain a uniform oxygen concentration in the longitudinal direction.

Method of pulling semiconductor single crystals


A display device includes an insulating substrate, a thin-film transistor arranged on the insulating substrate, a pixel electrode including a transparent electrode, and an aluminum alloy film as a connection wiring section for electrically connecting between the thin-film transistor and the pixel electrode. The aluminum alloy film is a multilayer aluminum alloy film including an aluminum alloy layer containing no nitrogen, and another aluminum alloy layer being arranged on the first layer and containing nitrogen. The nitrogen-containing layer ensures corrosion resistance against an alkaline solution. The nitrogen-containing aluminum alloy layer has been removed at least in a connection area with the pixel electrode so as to allow the pixel electrode to be directly connected to the first aluminum alloy layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin display device for use typically in semiconductors, liquid crystal displays and optical parts, and a method for fabricating the display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An active-matrix liquid crystal display device includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) array substrate, a counter substrate facing the TFT array substrate at a predetermined distance, and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT array substrate and the counter substrate. The TFT array substrate includes TFTs as a switching element, pixel electrodes, and a wiring unit containing scanning lines and data lines. The counter substrate includes a common electrode. A passive-matrix liquid crystal display device includes a wiring substrate, a counter substrate facing the wiring substrate at a predetermined distance, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the wiring substrate and the counter substrate. The wiring substrate contains scanning lines and data lines. The counter substrate contains a common electrode.
As the pixel electrode, an indium tin oxide (ITO) film containing indium oxide (In2O3) and about 10 percent by weight of tin oxide (SnO) is generally used. The data line in the wiring unit to be electrically connected to the pixel electrode comprises, for example, aluminum (Al) or an aluminum alloy such as Al—Nd. A multilayer film of a refractory metal such as molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti) or tungsten (W) as a barrier metal is interposed between the data line and the pixel electrode, so as to avoid the aluminum or aluminum alloy from being in direct contact with the pixel electrode.
The present inventors have investigated on improvements in a liquid crystal display of this type and have invented an aluminum alloy film that enables direct connection between the wiring unit and the pixel electrode without using such a refractory metal and have filed a patent application as Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-368786.
As possible solutions to keep a low contact resistance between such an aluminum alloy wiring and a pixel electrode without using a refractory metal, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-283934 discloses a technique for treating a surface of a drain electrode typically containing an aluminum alloy by plasma treatment or ion injection; and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-284195 discloses a technique of forming a multilayer film including a second layer containing impurities such as N, O, Si or C on gate, source and drain electrodes in a first layer, which second layer is to be connected to a pixel electrode.
The aluminum alloy film constituting, for example, the drain electrode to be directly connected to the pixel electrode developed by the present inventors and disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-368786 includes aluminum and a metal having a standard electric potential nobler than that of aluminum (−1.7 V), such as Ni (−0.25 V). The standard electric potential refers to an electrode potential with respect to hydrogen ion. Aluminum changes its electrode potential by alloying with the other metal such as Ni. Accordingly, an aluminum alloy film containing aluminum, 2 atomic percent of Ni and 0.6 atomic percent of Nd as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-284195 has an electrode potential in an alkaline developer at pH of 12.7 of −1.3 V, 0.6 V nobler than that (−1.9 V) of a pure aluminum film in the alkaline developer.
Aluminum is an amphoteric metal, and pure aluminum is inherently not so resistant against an acid and a base. Under regular conditions, however, such an aluminum film has a dense passive film (aluminum oxide layer) on its surface and becomes relatively resistant against corrosion. Corrosion proceeds in various manners. Galvanic corrosion caused by a local cell phenomenon becomes significant in such an alloy. The corrosion rate in galvanic corrosion varies greatly depending on the pH of the developer and the electrode potential of the thin film.
FIG. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the corrosion of aluminum and the electrode potential and pH of the alkaline developer. Aluminum becomes more susceptible to corrosion with the pH of the alkaline developer approaching 1 or 14 and with a decreasing (becoming more noble) electrode potential. FIG. 1 shows that pure aluminum is less susceptible to corrosion than the Al—Ni—Nd alloy even though it is in the corrosive region.
The corrosion can be prevented if such an aluminum alloy has a nobler potential in a stable region of water (in a region at potentials of −0.75 V to 0.48 V in an alkaline developer of pH of 12.7). It is difficult, however, to allow an alloy mainly containing aluminum to have such a high potential, since the aluminum alloy must keep a low electric resistivity. In other words, an aluminum alloy film in the wiring unit to be directly connected to the pixel electrode becomes more susceptible to corrosion than pure aluminum in terms of designing. It has been experimentally verified that an aluminum alloy has an increased corrosion rate with respect to an alkaline solution.
Among such alkaline solutions (basic solutions) with which aluminum can be in direct contact, alkaline developers for use in developing of a photoresist are strongly basic. Such developers are roughly classified as organic aqueous alkaline developers, inorganic aqueous alkaline developers, and developers in organic solvents. Among them, organic aqueous basic solutions containing tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) are generally used.
Aluminum does not corrode in developers in organic solvents. It does not significantly corrode in inorganic aqueous alkaline developers, because an inhibitor for inhibiting the corrosion of aluminum can be added thereto. Organic aqueous alkaline developers, however, cannot be incorporated with an inhibitor and may invite corrosion. In addition, a stripping agent containing an amine or its derivative for use in removal of a photoresist becomes alkaline when mixed with water.
If pure aluminum is dipped in such a basic solution for a time set in general fabrication processes, it is significantly prevented from corroding by the anti-corrosion action of the passive film. An aluminum alloy film containing aluminum and an alloy element such as Ni, however, has a nobler electrode potential within the corrosive region as in the pH-potential diagram of FIG. 1. An experiment has verified that an aluminum alloy containing about 2 atomic percent of Ni has an etching rate about five times (about 60 nm/min.) larger than the etching rate (12 nm/min.) of pure aluminum when dipped in an organic aqueous alkaline developer having a pH of 12.7 and containing 2.4 percent by weight of TMAH.
In fabrication of a liquid crystal panel, for example, an alkaline developer comes in direct contact with an aluminum alloy film in a lithography process for forming a wiring pattern on the aluminum alloy film by using a photoresist. The aluminum alloy film is generally etched by using the photoresist as a mask in a subsequent process, and there is no harm in remaining some region not covered by the photoresist or in etching all the region.
Misregistration of patterns formed by using a photoresist, however, may often occur in the photolithography process. In this case, a "rework" process is carried out, in which the photoresist is stripped and the photolithography process is carried out again. If any portion of the aluminum alloy film not covered by the photoresist is corroded in the first photolithography process, the second pattern cannot be registered at the very same position, which may invite a step in the wiring unit as shown in schematic sectional views of FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C.
More specifically, there is no problem when the aluminum alloy A is etched in exact accordance with a designed pattern by the photoresist P in the first photolithography process (FIG. 2A). However, a pattern failure in which the aluminum alloy A is not covered by the photoresist, if occurred in the patterning process, invites misregistration in the rework process where the pattern is again covered by the photoresist (FIG. 2B), and the resulting step Ax remains to the last (FIG. 2C), which may invite contact failure.


Copolymers of perfluoro(1,3-dimethyl-2,2-dioxole) with perfluoro(butenyl vinyl ether) and, optionally, with a third comonmer are amorphous in all monomer proportions, and soluble in perfluoro(2-butyl tetrahydrofuran). These copolymers are suitable in many high technology applications, especially where solubility is important, e.g., in applying coatings to substrates or articles for protection against mechanical, chemical, or environmental hazards. Dipolymers of the present invention have lower glass transition temperatures than dipolymers of perfluoro(1,3-dimethyl-2,2-dioxole) with tetrafluoroethylene having the same monomer proportions.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,030 to Resnick describes certain polymers of perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole (PDD), which has the following formula (1): ##STR1##
The above patent describes both homopolymers of PDD, which are not further characterized, and a crystalline copolymer with tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), which has a melting point of about 265.degree. C.
Since Resnick's discovery of PDD homopolymer, it has been established that the material is amorphous and has a very high glass transition temperature, T.sub.g, of about 335.degree. C. The homopolymer, however, is brittle and difficult to fabricate into final products because of poor melt flow and low solubility in available solvents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,569 to Squire describes amorphous dipolymers of PDD with TFE as well as terpolymers of PDD with TFE and another comonomer. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,935,477 and 4,754,009. both to Squire, describe dipolymers and terpolymers (collectively, copolymers) of PDD with comonomers, which include, i.a., certain perfluoroolefins and perfluoro,(alkyl vinyl ethers). It is shown in those patents that, in general, the T.sub.g of those copolymers decreases with increasing comonomer content, although not necessarily in a linear fashion. For a dipolymer containing 10 mol % of TFE, T.sub.g is decreased to about 260.degree. C. Generally speaking, if the PDD content in those copolymers is less than about 12 mole %, those copolymers have some crystallinity, which normally is not desirable. While the amorphous copolymers are soluble at room temperature in perfluoro(2-butyl tetrahydrofuran) available from 3M Company as FLUORINERT.RTM. FC-75, their solubility is not high. For example, a dipolymer with 10 mol % of TFE has a solubility of less than 3 weight percent in this solvent. This, naturally, imposes some restrictions on the fabrication techniques which require application of copolymer from solution, for example, dip-coating or spray-coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,457 to Nakamura et al. describes amorphous homopolymers and copolymers containing either one of the following repeating cyclic structures (2) or (3) ##STR2## formed during the cyclic polymerization of perfluoro(butenyl vinyl ether) (PBVE), CF2.dbd.CF--OCF2CF2CF.dbd.CF2. The homopolymer has a T.sub.g of only about 108.degree. C. Those polymers are soluble in perfluorobenzene as well as in FLUORINERT.RTM. FC-75. Comonomers disclosed appeared to reduce the T.sub.g. Moreover, the patent states that copolymers with either fluoroolefins or vinyl ethers lose transparency, solvent-solubility, and mechanical strength if the repeating units (2) or (3) constitute less than 80 wt % of the polymer.
It appears, however, that copolymerization of PDD with PBVE, if successful, could lead to new materials having potentially useful properties.

Amorphous copolymers of two fluorinated ring monomers


This disclosure relates to systems and methods for material discrimination. The systems and methods include a single source that generates both neutrons and photons, and a single imaging array with a common detector that detects the neutrons and the photons generated from the single source. The systems and methods allow for a determination of the contents, and/or the effective atomic number (“Z”) of the contents, of an object without physical inspection of the interior of the object.

Smuggling of various kinds of contraband has become a widespread problem in the context of global trade and international travel. This issue is particularly difficult to manage in case of import/export of large maritime cargo containers, where it is feasible to physically inspect only a small fraction of the bulk quantity of targets.
In pursuit of a solution to this problem, various passive and active detection techniques have been developed. The passive detection techniques involve identifying natural radioactive emissions emanating from objects of interest. Such passive techniques can be used to detect various types of nuclear materials, but may not be useful in detecting other types of contraband (e.g., illicit materials like drugs, etc.) In contrast to passive detection, the active detection techniques involve interrogating the objects with high energy neutrons and/or photons to ascertain the material distribution and composition of the objects.

L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.


A pipelined video pre-processor includes a plurality of configurable image-processing modules. The modules may be configured using direct processor control, DMA access, or both. A block-control list, accessible via DMA, facilitates configuration of the modules in a manner similar to direct processor control. Parameters in the modules may be updated on a frame-by-frame basis.

A stream of video frames, such as that generated by a video camera or read from a memory, frequently requires processing to improve the quality of the video or to extract features from the video. This processing is traditionally done by software in a post-processing operation. The post-processing operation may vary because (i) the parameters/coefficients of the algorithmic processing modules need to be modified; (ii) fine variations of a given algorithm need to be performed; and/or (iii) the operations that need to be performed on the video need to be changed. A software solution, however, while versatile, is slow and expensive in terms of processing power. Hardware-based algorithms are typically faster and more efficient, but hardware, by its nature, is difficult to reconfigure quickly and easily, especially when it must keep pace with live, streaming video. Existing hardware-based image processing systems thus produce non-optimal results because of their limitations in flexibility. A need therefore exists for a fast, efficient, and reconfigurable hardware-based image-processing system.

Dual control of a dynamically reconfigurable pipelined pre-processor


In an image forming apparatus, when images are formed on a sheet on and after a second round of an image forming operation, an image forming pitch by a print head which linearly forms the images in the direction perpendicular to the image forming line is controlled so as to vary from the preceding pitch corresponding to the rate of expansion and contraction of the sheet in the preceding image forming operation. When images are formed on a sheet on and after the second round of the image forming operation, the length of the image to be formed is controlled for expansion and contraction corresponding to the actual rate of expansion and contraction automatically detected by a size detecting sensor in the preceding image forming operation.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a light printer which is capable of forming images in a composite mode wherein images are formed by overlaying images on the same surface of a sheet and in a double-sided mode wherein images are formed on both sides of the same sheet.
2. Description of Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as a printer, copying machine, and the like, electrophotographic image forming apparatus has heretofore been well known for forming images wherein an electrostatic latent image is first formed by exposing a photoconductor with an image and then the electrostatic latent image is developed by toner to transfer the image onto a copy sheet. As an exposure medium, it is well known that a laser and LED elements can be controlled for an exposure process based on the image data produced from an original by reading the original image or with the use of a personal computer, word processor or the like, besides an optical system exposure assembly in which the reflection of an original image is irradiated by using the optical system comprised of lenses and reflectors. In a laser exposure process, a rotary scanning system has been put into practical use as an exposure system in which a modulated laser beam is deflected by a rotating polygon mirror for a scanning operation, and in an LED exposure process, a fixed scanning system has been used as an exposure system wherein an LED array is provided with a multiplicity of LED elements closely arranged with a selective turning on of each LED.
On the other hand, as image forming modes, there are provided a composite mode for forming images on one side of a sheet overlaying images and a double-sided mode for forming images on both sides of a sheet, in addition to ordinary mode in which a single image is formed on one side of a sheet. For such composite and double-sided modes, an apparatus is well known which is arranged for repeatedly carrying out an image transfer and fixing process more than twice on the same sheet. However, in such composite and double-sided modes wherein a transfer and fixing process are repeatedly performed a plurality of times on the same sheet as described above, the sheet is liable to expand or contract since the sheet is heated or pressed by a first round of a fixing process, and when an image is transferred and fixed with the same magnification at a second round of a fixing process, there arises slippage between images especially in a composite image forming process, and a proper image cannot be obtained.
For instance, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 177567/1987 discloses an image forming apparatus which is capable of solving the above problem, wherein the contraction of a sheet which arises under the composite and double-sided modes is rectified by delaying the sheet transport speed at the time when a second image is formed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,879, there is disclosed an alternative solution to the problem. In a copying machine adapted to project and expose an original image onto a photoconductor, it is arranged to correspond with the expansion or contraction of the sheet by scanning an original image with scanning means which is comprised of lenses and mirrors when a copying operation is carried out under a composite or double-sided mode wherein the copying magnification is varied according to the change is speed of scanning and the movement of the lenses. These methods may be applied only to a copying machine which is adapted to scan an original image with scanning means as described above, however, they cannot be applied to an ordinary light printer.
In each of the prior arts described, the slippage of composite images is rectified by predetermining the amount of contraction of the sheet when the images are formed thereon. However, the rate of expansion and contraction of a copy sheet caused by the fixing process is varied according to the fixing condition of the image forming apparatus, the kind and area of the sheet, the textured direction of fabric, and the percentage of water content of the sheet, ambient temperature, humidity and the like. Especially, the percentage of water content, ambient temperature and humidity which largely vary by themselves are factors that will largely vary expansion and contraction of the sheet, and it is very difficult to settle these conditions in view of the maintenance and daily handling of the sheet. Accordingly, when the expansion and contraction of an image is controlled to a high accuracy corresponding to the expansion and contraction of the copy sheet, it will become more difficult to correspond with the actual rate of expansion and contraction of the sheet.

Linear print head image forming apparatus with magnification adjustment


A synthetic turf testing apparatus includes a test element, wherein the test element has a contact surface for contacting a synthetic turf surface, wherein the test element includes a temperature sensor for measuring a time dependent surface temperature of the contact surface; a pedestal attached to the test element, wherein the pedestal is configured for applying force to the test element; a carriage for translating the pedestal along a translational path; a guide structure for supporting the carriage and guiding the carriage along the translational path; and an actuator for moving the carriage relative to the guide structure.

Synthetic turf or synthetic grass is surface that is made up of fibers which is used to replace grass. The structure of the synthetic turf is designed such that the synthetic turf has an appearance which resembles grass. Typically synthetic turf is used as a surface for sports such as soccer, American football, rugby, tennis, golf, for playing fields, or exercise fields. Furthermore synthetic turf is frequently used for landscaping applications.
An advantage of using synthetic turf is that it eliminates the need to care for a grass playing or landscaping surface, like regular mowing, scarifying, fertilizing and watering. Watering can be e.g. difficult due to regional restrictions for water usage. In other climatic zones the re-growing of grass and re-formation of a closed grass cover is slow compared to the damaging of the natural grass surface by playing and/or exercising on the field. Synthetic turf fields though they do not require a similar attention and effort to be maintained, may require some maintenance such as having to be cleaned from dirt and debris and having to be brushed regularly. This may be done to help fibers stand-up after being stepped down during the play or exercise. Throughout the typical usage time of 5-15 years it may be beneficial if an synthetic turf sports field can withstand high mechanical wear, can resist UV, can withstand thermal cycling or thermal ageing, can resist inter-actions with chemicals and various environmental conditions. It is therefore beneficial if the synthetic turf has a long usable life, is durable, and keeps its playing and surface characteristics as well as appearance throughout its usage time.
A concern when using synthetic turf is its effect on skin when an athlete slides. Sliding by the athlete can be intentional or controlled and may be to perform various athletic maneuvers such as a sliding tackle. Sliding may also be unintentional or accidental. The synthetic turf surface can abrade the skin. Friction between the synthetic turf surface and the skin can also lead to heating which may result in an injury.
United States patent application publication US 2006/0130556 A1 discloses a device for measuring the static and/or dynamic friction coefficient of a natural or synthetic grass surface. A rotatable shaft which is vertically disposed in a housing brings a rotating body into contact with a contact surface. A measuring means measures torque caused by friction between the contact surface and the rotating body.
United States patent application publication US 2004/0149005 discloses a device for measuring the static and/or dynamic friction coefficient of a natural or synthetic grass surface, in which the device comprises a frame to which a first arm is pivotally connected with one side, which first arm is pivotally connected at its other side to a bar fitted with a body having a surface which can be placed into contact with the surface to be measured, wherein said bar is furthermore connected to a means for exerting thereon a torque which acts about the pivot point thereon, and wherein loading means are furthermore present for exerting a force on the bar in the direction of the surface to be measured, wherein the bar is furthermore provided with means for measuring forces occurring in the bar, which means are present at a point located between the pivot point with the first arm and the side which is capable of carrying said body.


A human body communication system. The human body communication system includes a controlled device measuring a capacitance that corresponds to the distance to a human body, and transmitting information on the measured capacitance through a wireless medium; and a control device receiving the information, and then, based on the information, determining a transmission power and, with the determined transmission power, transmitting a control command of a user to the controlled device using the human body as a medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to human body communication, and more particularly, to a system and method for human body communication in which communication between a control device in contact with the human body and a mobile device positioned at a distance from the human body is performed using the human body as a transmission medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, communication can be broadly broken down into two categories: wired communication using wire media, such as a cable; and wireless communication using wireless media, electromagnetic signals traveling through air or a vacuum. In addition to these, human body communication using the human body as a communication medium has recently been studied and products applying the results of this study using human body communication are being developed.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a basic concept of human body communication.
Referring to FIG. 1, a control device 120 and a controlled device 130 are in contact with the human body 110 of a user. If the user applies a predetermined pressure or command signal to the control device 120, the control device 120 transfers the signal to the controlled device 130 through the human body 110. The controlled device 130 senses a flow of current through the body 110, and if it is determined that the sensed flow of current is caused by a control signal of the control device 120, performs an operation corresponding to the control signal.
Thus, the basic concept of human body communication is that communication is performed only when two different devices that want to communicate with each other are in contact with the human body. However, when necessary, one of the devices may be positioned (i.e., spacedly disposed) a predetermined distance from the human body 110. For example, when the user carries the controlled device 130 in a bag, the controlled device 130 put in the bag is positioned a predetermined distance from the user's body 110.
According to the conventional technology, considering that the controlled device 130 may be positioned a predetermined distance from the human body 110, the control device 120 transmits a signal with a high output power through the human body 110 so that the controlled device 130 can receive the signal from the control device 120 even if the controlled device 130 is positioned a predetermined distance from the human body 110. In this case, the high output power signal may have a detrimental effect on the human body 110. Also, since the high output signal is generated regardless of whether or not the controlled device 130 is in contact with the human body 110, so as to reach the controlled device in case it is not in contact with the body, the life of a battery used to drive the control device 120 is unnecessarily shortened. Furthermore, even though communication can be performed through transmission of a signal with minimum output power when the controlled device 130 is in contact with the human body 110, a high output power signal is still transmitted according to the conventional technology. As a result, communication is performed inefficiently.
Accordingly, there has been and continues to be a need to adjust the strength of an output signal transmitted from the control device 120 with respect to the distance between the controlled device 130 and the human body 110.

System and method for human body communication


A method of operating a memory device including receiving a multilevel signal having M levels transmitted by an external controller through a clock receiving pin, where M is a natural number greater than 2, and decoding the multilevel signal to restore at least one of Data Bus Inversion (DBI) data, Data Mask (DM) data, Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) data, or Error Correction Code (ECC) data may be provided. The multilevel signal is a clock signal transmitted by the external controller, and is a signal swinging based on an intermediate reference signal that is an intermediate value between a minimum level and a maximum level among the M levels.

The present inventive concepts relate to memory devices, methods of operating the same, and/or memory systems.
Memory devices may provide a function of writing and erasing data or reading recorded data in response to control signals received from one or more external controllers. A memory device may receive data from a controller and store the received data in memory cells, and to improve a communication speed between the memory device and the controller, at least one communication channel may use a multilevel signal different from a non-return-zero (NRZ) signal.

Memory device for receiving one clock signal as a multi-level signal and restoring original data encoded into the clock signal and method of operating the same


A universal attachment flange to connect equipment utilized to perform a task to various connection arrangements. A universal attachment flange is provided with a plurality of hole patterns to permit a bolted attachment of the flange to other devices that present varying patterns of bolt receiving holes. The universal attachment flange is capable of connection to a variety of four (4) hole patterns and at least one three (3) hole pattern. In one form the universal attachment flange includes a through hole threaded to receive a connection fitting.

This invention relates to an attachment flange for equipment utilized to perform a task by connection to other equipment. More particularly, it is directed to an attachment flange primarily to attach associated equipment to a variety of connection arrangements.
In many industries, equipment used to perform a task must accommodate a variety of connection arrangements present on the equipment upon which a particular activity is to be performed. One such example is found in the railroad and trucking industries in which pressurized air or other source of pressurized gas is attached to a tank car or a vehicular tank trailer to deliver the pressurized gas into the interior of the tank car or tank trailer during unloading of the load carried in the vehicle. The tank cars or trailer tanks of various manufacturers are used by shippers to supply raw materials to a customer that uses the materials in a manufacturing process. Because of differences between manufacturers of the load carrying vehicles, the task of unloading requires a variety of attachment arrangements to accommodate the connection arrangements presented by the vehicles employed by shippers.
The present invention accommodates the variance in connection arrangements by providing an attachment flange for the equipment to be connected that has a universal attachment capability.