The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a method for driving a plasma display panel. The driving method of the plasma display panel according to the present invention comprises the steps of: supplying alternately a sustain pulse to a scanning electrode and a sustain electrode during a sustain period; and supplying a DC voltage of positive polarity to an address electrode during a part of the sustain period. According to the driving method of the plasma display panel of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a stable address discharge and to prevent the damage of the circuit components and the erroneous discharge owing to excessive voltage fluctuation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a method for driving a plasma display panel.
2. Description of the Background Art
A plasma display panel (hereinafter, referred to as a 'PDP') is adapted to display an image by light-emitting phosphors with ultraviolet rays generated during the discharge of an inert mixed gas such as He+Xe, Ne+Xe or He+Ne+Xe, or the like. This PDP can be easily made thin and large, and it can provide greatly increased image quality with the recent development of the relevant technology.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a discharge cell of a three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP includes a scan electrode 30Y and a sustain electrode 30Z which are formed on the bottom surface of an upper substrate 10, and an address electrode 20X formed on a lower substrate 18. Each of the scan electrode 30Y and the sustain electrode 30Z include transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z, and metal bus electrodes 13Y and 13Z which have a line width smaller than that of the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z and are respectively disposed at one side edges of the transparent electrodes. The transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z, which are generally made of ITO (indium tin oxide), are formed on the bottom surface of the upper substrate 10. The metal bus electrodes 13Y and 13Z, which are generally made of metal such as chromium (Cr), are formed on the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z, and serves to reduce a voltage drop caused by the transparent electrodes 12Y and 12Z having high resistance.
On the bottom surface of the upper substrate 10 in which the scan electrode 30Y and the sustain electrode 30Z are placed parallel to each other, is laminated an upper dielectric layer 14 and a protective layer 16. The upper dielectric layer 14 is accumulated with a wall charge generated during plasma discharging. The protective layer 16 is adapted to prevent damages of the upper dielectric layer 14 due to sputtering caused during plasma discharging, and improve efficiency of secondary electron emission. As the protective layer 16, magnesium oxide (MgO) is generally used.
A lower dielectric layer 22 and a barrier rib 24 are formed on the lower substrate 18 in which the address electrode 20X is formed. A phosphor layer 26 is applied to the surfaces of both the lower dielectric layer 22 and the barrier rib 24. The address electrode 20X is formed in the direction of crossing the scan electrode 30Y and the sustain electrode 30Z. The barrier rib 24 is disposed in parallel with the address electrode 20X and prevents ultraviolet rays and visible lights to be caused during plasma discharging from getting leaked to an adjacent discharge cells. The phosphor layer 26 is excited with an ultraviolet ray generated during the plasma discharging to generate any one visible light of red, green and blue lights. An inert mixed gas is injected into the discharge spaces defined between the upper substrate 10 and the barrier ribs 24 and between the lower substrate 18 and the barrier ribs 24.
In this PDP, one frame is divided into a plurality of sub-fields which having different luminance frequencies and is driven with time division, thereby implementing the gradation of image. Each of sub-fields are divided into an initialization period for initializing an entire screen, an address period for selecting an address line and selecting a cell from the selected address line, and a sustain period for implementing gradation of image in response to the luminance frequency. Herein, the initialization period consists of a setup period which provided with a rising ramp waveform and a setdown period which provided with a falling ramp waveform.
For example, when displaying an image with 256-level gray scale, a period (16.67 ms) of one frame that corresponds to 1/60 second is divided into eight sub-fields (SF1 to SF8), as shown in FIG. 2. Each of the eight sub-fields (SF1 to SF8) consists of the initialization period, the address period, and the sustain period, as mentioned above. The initialization periods and the address periods of each of the sub-fields have equal intervals. But the sustain periods of each of the sub-fields have increasing intervals in the ratio of 2n (n=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
FIG. 3 shows a driving waveform of PDP which provided to two sub-fields.
In FIG. 3, Y indicates a scanning electrode and Z indicates a sustain electrode, and X indicates an address electrode.
Referring to FIG. 3, a PDP is driven with a reset period for initializing an entire screen and an address period for selecting a cell, and a sustain period for maintaining the discharge of the selected cell.
In the reset period, a rising ramp waveform (Ramp-up) is applied to all scanning electrodes Y during a setup period. This rising ramp waveform (Ramp-up) makes the cells of the entire screen to generate a weak discharge, thereby forming a wall charge in the cells. In the setdown period, after being provided with the rising ramp waveform (Ramp-up), a falling ramp waveform (Ramp-down) which is falling in the positive polarity lower than a peak voltage of the rising ramp waveform (Ramp-up) is applied to the scanning electrodes Y, simultaneously. The falling ramp waveform (Ramp-down) makes the cells to generate a weak discharge, so that an unnecessary charge of wall charge and space charge generated by the setup discharge may be removed and a wall charge which is necessary for address discharge in the cells of the entire screen may be remained uniformly.
In the address period, scan pulses (scan) of a negative polarity are sequentially applied to the scanning electrodes Y, and in the same time, data pulses (data) of positive polarity are applied to the address electrodes X. A voltage difference between the scan pulses (scan) and the data pulses (data) is added to the wall charge generated during the initialization period, so that an address discharge may be generated in the cells to which the data pulses (data) are applied. Therefore, a wall charge generates in the cells selected by the address discharge.
On the other hand, during the setdown period and the address period, the sustain electrodes Z is provided with a DC voltage of positive polarity having a sustain voltage level Vs.
In the sustain period, sustain pulses (sus) are alternatively applied to the scanning electrodes Y and the sustain electrodes Z. Then, the cells selected by the address discharge are added with the wall voltage and sustain pulses (sus) in the cells, so that a sustain discharge may be generated in the form of surface discharge between the scanning electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z whenever the application of the sustain pulses (sus). Finally, after completion of the sustain discharge, the sustain electrode Z is supplied with an erasing ramp waveform (erase) having small pulse width, and the wall charge in the cells is erased the erasing ramp waveform.
However, the conventional PDPs have problems in that a discharge efficiency become lower by the wall charge to be formed in the address electrode X. More specifically, the address electrodes X maintains a base potential during the sustain period that the sustain pulses is alternatively supplied to the scanning electrodes Y and the sustain electrodes Z.
Herein, the address electrodes X maintaining the base potential are accumulated with predetermined wall charges generated from the sustain discharge. This wall charges causes the sustain discharge having a low luminance efficiency. In practical, the wall charges formed in the address electrodes X have a wall voltage that is equal to around half voltage of the sustain pulses.
In order to solve this problem, it has proposed that the address electrodes X are supplied with a DC voltage of positive polarity having an address voltage level Va during a sustain period, as shown in FIG. 4. When the address electrodes X are supplied with the DC voltage of positive polarity during the sustain period, the wall charges generated in the address electrodes X become minimized, the driving efficiency becomes higher, accordingly. In other words, a stable sustain discharge is achieved by lowering the wall voltage of the wall charges formed in the address electrodes X. Practically, it has experimentally proved that the driving efficiency of PDP is improved when the address electrodes X had been supplied with the DC voltage of positive polarity during the sustain period.
However, a driving method shown in FIG. 4 has a problem that an erroneous discharge is generated when there are both a selective write subfield and a selective erase sub-field. Referring to FIG. 5, the selective erase sub-fields are consisted of the address period and the sustain period, thus the address discharge of the address period is followed immediately after completion of the sustain period. Herein, in order to higher the driving efficiency, if the address electrodes X is supplied with the DC voltage of positive polarity having the address voltage level during the sustain period in the sub-fields before beginning of the selective erase sub-fields, a discharge condition is changed. Therefore, an amount of the wall charges of positive polarity which is accumulated in the address electrodes X may be decreased accordingly, and in the subsequent address period, the amount of the wall voltage in the address electrodes X becomes insufficient, thereby generating an erroneous discharge.

Method for driving a plasma display panel


An engine control apparatus for discriminating each cylinder of an engine comprises a crank angle rotor (M1) having a configuration representing a crank angle of an engine; a crank angle sensor (M2) operatively associated with the crank angle rotor (M1) to generate a crank angle signal in accordance with the configuration of the crank angle rotor (M1). The configuration of the crank angle rotor (M1) includes first and second silent sections. The first silent section is cooperative with the crank angle sensor (M1) to constitute a part (M3) for generating a first level non-pulsation component of the crank angle signal. The second silent section being cooperative with said crank angle sensor to constitute a part (M4) for generating a second level non-pulsation component of the crank angle signal. There is further provided a cam angle rotor (M5) having a configuration representing a cam angle, which is operatively associated with a cam angle sensor (M6) for generating a cam angle signal to provide a plurality of different kinds of signal level sequences with respect to the first and second silent sections of the crank angle rotor. A cylinder discriminating device (M7) discriminates each cylinder of the engine on the basis of the level of the non-pulsation component of the crank angle signal and the signal level sequences of the cam angle signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engine control apparatus for controlling ignition timing and/or fuel injection timing, and more particularly to an engine control apparatus capable of accurately and promptly discriminating cylinders.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the fields of engine control, there have been conventionally known various cylinder discriminating techniques. In such cylinder discriminating techniques, a crank angle is generally detected by a rotational sensor such as a Hall sensor or an optical sensor which generates a crank angle signal having a plurality of signal levels. A cam angle is also detected by the similar sensor, so as to be used together with the crank angle for discriminating cylinders of an engine.
One example of discriminating cylinders on the basis of these crank angle and cam angle signals is, for example, disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 3-172558/1991.
FIG. 4 illustrates the principle of the discriminating method in accordance with the teaching of the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 3-172558/1991. A crank angle rotor is generally formed with numerous projections and recessions alternately disposed at the circumferential peripheral portion thereof so as to generate a pulsation signal. The circumferential peripheral portion of the crank angle rotor used in this prior art is further provided with a plurality of silent sections having no projections therein being disposed at predetermined intervals.
In FIG. 4, a crank angle sensor signal (a) has a plurality of non-pulsation components as generally denoted by a reference character (c). Reference positions (REF) are detected on the basis of these non-pulsation components (c). On the other hand, a cam angle rotor has a plurality of projections having different widths in connection with the total number of cylinders. Thus, a cam angle sensor signal (b) generates a plurality of HIGH-level sections each having a width (d). The number of these HIGH-level sections is the same as the number of cylinders. The width (d) is differentiated from each other among HIGH-level sections so that each of the cylinders can be discriminated based on the detection of pulse counts of the crank angle signal encompassed during the width (d).
Another example of discriminating cylinders on the basis of the crank angle and cam angle signals is disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 60-138251/1985.
FIG. 5 illustrates the principle of the discriminating method in accordance with the teaching of the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 60-138251/1985. As shown in FIG. 5, a crank angle sensor signal alternates at regular intervals. On the other hand, a cam angle sensor signal alternates at irregular intervals. The level of the cam angle signal is detected at two points corresponding to a rise timing A and a drop timing B of the crank angle sensor signal as shown in FIG. 5. Through this detection, four signal patterns of HIGH-HIGH, HIGH-LOW, LOW-HIGH, and LOW-LOW are detected. The cylinder discrimination is then carried out on the basis of thus obtained four patterns of HIGH-HIGH, HIGH-LOW, LOW-HIGH, and LOW-LOW as shown FIG. 6.
These conventional discriminating methods are, however, disadvantageous in the following point when used in a distributorless ignition system. A major problem is that these discrimination methods cannot be applied to 8-cylinder engines. First of all, the system disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 3-172558/1991 will require to excessively enlarge the crank rotor radius. Because, the cam angle rotor needs to be formed with eight projections having mutually different widths so as to encompass 1 to 8 crank angle signal pulses therein, respectively. Secondly, the system disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 60-138251/1985 will provide only four signal patterns using HIGH and LOW-levels at best. Consequently, an additional rotation sensor will be inevitably required in the case where an ignition coil is provided per cylinder in an 8-cylinder engine.

Engine control apparatus for discriminating cylinders


A insulating part for use in a plasma reactor, particularly as a support for an electrically floating shield in a plasma sputtering reactor. The insulating part is composed of a metallic base and a partial surface covering of a ceramic insulator, such as alumina. Preferably the ceramic coating is deposited by thermal spraying. The insulating part can be easily affixed to other metal parts in the chamber by use of fastening means such as screws applied to the uncoated portions of the part. When the insulating part is used as an isolator to support but electrically isolate a second metal part, the second metal part may rest on the ceramic coating with the insulating part screwed to the chamber wall or other metal support member.

Modern integrated circuits require many layers of metallization, for example of aluminum, for both contacts to the underlying silicon active areas and for complex interconnections between the separate devices. Plasma sputtering, also called physical vapor deposition or PVD, has become the most widespread method of depositing the metallization. In metal sputtering, a target is made of the same material as will be deposited. An inactive gas such as argon is admitted into the chamber at a very low pressure and is excited into a plasma by biasing the target negatively with respect to the chamber wall or other part. An exemplary biasing voltage is -600VDC. The plasma produces positively charged argon ions which are attracted to the target at sufficient velocities to dislodge atomic sized target particles. Some of the sputter particles strike the wafer being coated and are deposited thereupon as a layer of the material of the target.
The application of sputtering to advanced integrated circuits has imposed severe requirements upon the sputtering process. One of these requirements is that the sputtered metal effectively fill narrow, deep holes. In a typical IC structure, a dielectric layer of, for example, silicon dioxide, is deposited over a previous layer, which may be the underlying silicon layer or a previous metallization layer. Holes are etched through the dielectric layer, and sputtering then deposits an aluminum layer both into the holes and over the dielectric layer. The metal in the holes selectively contact the small defined portions of the underlying layer. The metal overlayer is then photolithographically defined into horizontal interconnects. The holes are called contact holes if silicon is being contacted at the bottom or via holes if another metal layer is being contacted. For very advanced integrated circuits, contact holes and the via holes for the lower levels of metallization are very narrow compared to the dielectric thickness to provide dense circuitry. As a result, sputtering must fill holes with very high aspect ratios, defined as the depth to the width of the hole. The aspect ratio may be 5 or more for advanced integrated circuits.
Hole filling is fostered by low chamber pressure such that particles sputtered from the target do not strike any argon atoms on the direct path to the wafer. This condition is expressed as the spacing between the target and wafer being approximately equal to or less than the mean free path of sputtered atoms in the operating pressure of argon or other sputtering gas. Such a ballistic trajectory favors a sputtered particle distribution that is peaked around the normal of the wafer, that is, directed into deep hole. Furthermore, techniques are available to ionize some of the sputtered particles so as to accelerate them to the wafer in a highly aniosotropic velocity distribution to thereby effectively fill the bottom of the hole. Excessive collisions would reduce the effectiveness of the directional extraction.
Another disadvantage of a high operating pressure and frequent collisions between the energetic sputtered atoms and the argon atoms is that sufficient energy may be imparted to the argon atoms to cause some of them to be embedded in the sputtered metal film.
However, in general if the chamber pressure is reduced too much, the plasma collapses, thus stopping the sputtering process. That is, there is a minimum plasma chamber pressure. The value of the minimum pressure varies with chamber design and is increased by unnecessary loss mechanisms. In typical commercial sputtering reactors, the DC potential of the wafer is left floating although an RF bias may be applied to it for the above described directional extraction. A generally cylindrical shield placed around the sputtering volume is grounded and acts as the anode for the negatively biased target. The shield additionally acts as a coating shield to prevent the walls of the chamber from being coated with the sputtered material. The shield can be easily replaced when it becomes excessively coated. However, the grounded shield tends to extract argon ions from the plasma, that is, acts as a loss mechanism for the plasma. The loss increases the minimum chamber pressure required to support the plasma To circumvent this problem in a cost effective way, Ding et al. disclose a two-part shield, one part electrically floating, the other grounded, in U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 08/677,760, filed Jul. 10, 1996 now U.S. Pat. 5,736,021 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As illustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, the PVD reactor 10 is principally defined by a main chamber wall 12 and a target 14 of the material to be sputter deposited upon a wafer 16 supported on a heater pedestal 18 in opposition to the target 14. A vacuum pump 20 can maintain a base pressure within the reactor 12 to below 10.sup.-6 Torr, but a gas source 22 supplies an inactive working gas such as argon into the chamber at a pressure in the low milliTorr range. An electrical insulator 24 forms a vacuum seal between the main chamber wall 12 and the target so that a DC power supply 26 can bias the target sufficiently negatively with respect to the chamber wall 12 to cause the working gas to be excited into a plasma in the volume between the target 14 and the pedestal 18. An unillustrated magnetron positioned on the back of the target 14 intensifies the plasma near the target 14 so as to increase the sputtering rate. According to Ding et al., two overlapping annular shields 30, 32 are disposed between the plasma processing volume and the chamber walls 10.
One of the purposes of the shields 30, 32 is to protect the chamber walls 10 from being sputter coated with the same material coating the wafer 16. When the shields 30, 32 become excessively coated, they can be easily removed and replaced without the necessity of an in situ cleaning.
Another purpose of the shields 30, 32 is to provide electrical biasing of the sputtering process. In this configuration, the pedestal 18 is electrically floating, and the bottom shield 32 is grounded to provide a cathode to the negatively biased anode of the target 14. The negative voltage applied between the grounded shield 32 and the target 14 causes the argon working gas to discharge into a plasma, and the resultant positively charged argon ions are attracted to the negatively biased target 14 with sufficient energy to sputter atoms and other atomic-sized particles from the target 14. Some of the sputtered atoms deposit upon the wafer while others coat the shields 30, 32. The top shield 30, however, is left electrically floating, and the mobile, electrically charged plasma particles eventually charge it up to a voltage intermediate the voltages of the target 14 and the grounded shield 32. Thereby, electrical arcs between the target 14 and the shield assembly 30, 32 are significantly reduced compared to the more conventional configuration of a single grounded shield extending close to the target. The floating shield 30 serves further purposes of reducing ion loss to the walls, thereby reducing the minimum pressure required to support and plasma, and also of guiding positively charged sputtered particles toward the wafer 16.
The reactor 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is only schematically shown, and the illustration omits the support structure for the shields 30, 32. The detailed embodiment presented by Ding et al. uses a thick floating shield 30 of stainless steel resting on a flat annular ceramic spacer or ring, which is itself supported on an inwardly extending shelf of the chamber wall 12 through a rim of the grounded shield 32. The ceramic spacer provides the required electrical isolation between the chamber wall 12 and the floating shield.
The ceramic spacer, however, presents some problems. Ceramics are brittle and prone to cracking, especially during installation. The brittleness is exacerbated for more complexly shaped bodies having sharp corners. Also, fine particles tend to flake off from ceramics. Such particles are a major problem in advanced semiconductor fabrication. Yet further, it is difficult to join ceramic and metal pieces by means of screws and the like. Metal screws promote the cracking and flaking problems described above, and they further defeat the electrical isolation provided by the ceramic. Ceramic screws are available, but they in turn are subject to cracking and flaking in the high-stress function of threaded engagement. Finally, while metal parts can be economically machined in small quantities, the fabrication of ceramic parts entails a high start up cost which becomes prohibitive for only a few specialized parts. In view of these problems, the structure of Ding et al. supporting and engaging the floating and grounded shields 30, 32 does not use screws but instead is left mechanically floating with only the weight of the somewhat massive floating shield 30 mechanically biasing the grounded shield 32 against grounded chamber wall 12. As a result, physical separations cannot be precisely controlled, and the inevitable rubbing of parts during operation is likely to produce additional particles, especially from the ceramic spacer. Also, the electrical contact between the grounded shield 32 and the chamber wall 12 is uncertain.
Polymeric insulators are available, but they are generally unable to survive in the hostile plasma environment, particularly when high temperatures are involved. Of course, metals are usually not considered to be electrical insulators.
Accordingly, it is desirable to produce a support structure for an electrically isolated part of a plasma chamber that does not require a ceramic part.
It is further desirable that such a support structure be threadably engageable with the chamber wall.

Ceramic coated metallic insulator particularly useful in a plasma sputter reactor


A control device of a hybrid vehicle including an electric motor and an engine as drive force sources, the hybrid vehicle being configured to execute engine running using the engine as the drive force source for running and motor running using the electric motor as the drive force source for running with the engine stopped, the control device having a predefined running performance oriented running mode such as a sport running mode and a predefined large drive force running mode with a lower requirement degree of start acceleration performance as compared to the running performance oriented running mode, in the predefined running performance oriented running mode, the motor running being inhibited, the engine running being performed in an operation range in which the motor running is normally performed, and the engine being retained in an operating state at the time of vehicle stop, and in the predefined large drive force running mode, the motor running being inhibited, the engine running being performed in the operation range in which the motor running is normally performed, and the engine being stopped at the time of vehicle stop.

A hybrid vehicle is known that includes an electric motor and an engine as drive force sources and that is capable of engine running using the engine as the drive force source for running and motor running using the electric motor as the drive force source for running with the engine stopped. A hybrid vehicle described in Patent Document 1 is an example thereof and performs the motor running in a lower load range and the engine running in a higher load range and, if it is requested to perform running with importance attached to power performance, the hybrid vehicle performs the engine running regardless of a magnitude of load and can keep the engine in an operating state even at the time of vehicle stop so as to acquire excellent drive force responsiveness.


The invention disclosed is a method and system for the secure activation of web clipping applications upon a portable information device (PID). In an embodiment of the invention, the method first provides for preventing a user from accessing web clipping applications that are installed on the PID and located within installed software. The method then continues with a user registering the PID with a proxy server by using a registration application within the installed software. Upon the authorized registration of the PID with the proxy server, the web clipping applications are revealed to the user, and with the web clipping applications thus revealed, the user may retrieve information from the proxy server through the implementation of any of the web clipping applications. The invention further provides for a method and system for the secure access of a proxy server by a PID such that the recurring step of device identification can be eliminated. This provides for reduced overhead in recurring data transmissions and affords more efficient communications.

The use and presence of handheld organizers and other such compact and lightweight portable information devices (PID's), including laptop computers, cellular phones, and pagers, has burgeoned in recent years. The availability of these items to the average consumer has placed many into use and into all aspects of one's business and daily life. The presence of these devices has become common in the home and office, on the streets, in shops and restaurants, and in places of travel.
With the growth in usage of such PID's has come the desire to provide these devices with access to the Internet. Handheld organizers can be connected to personal computers (PC's) that have Internet access and information can be downloaded from the Internet and into the handheld device, and because of the portability of these handheld devices, the wireless access to the Internet is often desired.
Recently, handheld devices have been implemented with radio frequency (RF) communications ability. Wireless transceivers with short to medium range communications ability are being incorporated into the handheld devices. In conjunction with the incorporation of transceivers within these PID's, various wireless communications protocols, such as the Bluetooth, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and I.E.E.E. (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 protocols, have been developed to provide standardized methods for establishing low-to-medium power, short-to-intermediate range radio frequency (RF) communications between RF enabled devices.
With the establishment of a capability for handheld organizers to communicate with the Internet using modems or wireless connections, a technological need to efficiently manage the data flow between the handheld device and the Internet has arisen. Because the Internet and Internet web-sites have been structured for data communications and delivery to desktop systems and servers, the volume of data and the delivery of the data may often be overwhelming to the handheld device and the associated data delivery system. The data display and data storage components within handheld devices are relatively small and limited when compared with those within desktop systems. Additionally, the ability to transfer data wirelessly is presently significantly more bandwidth limited than with the hardline communications of the Internet.
To address the needs of handheld devices in accessing the Internet, web clipping processes have been developed. Upon request of a handheld device, an Internet server acts as a proxy for the handheld device and gathers web-site data. In so doing, applications upon the proxy server clip the web-site content down to the core information upon the site, such as the news headlines and text within a news web-page. The core information is then transferred to the handheld device. Web clipping applications resident upon the handheld device effect the essential framework of the clipped web-site and incorporate the core information clipped from the web-site. The result is a condensed version of the web-site that is displayable upon the relatively small screen of the handheld device.
In wireless communications, data transfer can be relatively expensive and time consuming, therefore it is desirable to minimize the overhead in data transfer. Graphics and logos not essential to relaying the informative content of a web-site are removed during the web-site clipping process. It is also of benefit to remove other data commonly transferred in the communications between computing devices when it is not of an informative nature to the user.
One such non-informative data entity is the device and/or user identification information that is commonly transferred from a client device to a server device. This information is commonly transferred at every instance of a client device acquiring access to a server device for information. This data transfer burden becomes substantial, especially in a cumulative sense, when data bit transfer costs are high as they often are in wireless communications systems. Eliminating this identification information transfer would significantly improve the overall communications efficiency with regard to informative content in such wireless communications.
There remain, however, strong needs for retaining secure access to the services of the proxy server, whether accessed by communications line or wirelessly. Capacity planning requires the ability to track the number of users that are utilizing the proxy server services. Services that are often provided free of charge during the early stages of the establishment of a service market are often later subject to subscription charges and an ability to restrict access to authorized users becomes necessary.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and system for the secure activation of web clipping applications upon handheld organizers and other portable information devices (PID's) that reduce or eliminate the data transmission overhead associated with device log-in activities.

Method and system for secure activation of web clipping applications


A coin classification apparatus and method which is adaptable to a purse, wallet or as a separate coin purse. The apparatus comprises a plurality of stacked troughs, equalling the number of coin sizes to be classified. Each trough is equipped with a plurality of restriction apertures which restrict the passage of coins larger than the aperture but allow the passage of all other coins, the apertures on a given trough are the same size. The top trough has the largest apertures while the bottom trough has no apertures. Loose coins are deposited in the top trough and coins are classified in separate troughs as smaller coins pass successively through apertures.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method for separating discs of varying diameter. The apparatus may be adaptable to classifying coins, metal washers, and other flat discs. Furthermore the apparatus may be made as a separate unit or as an integral part of a purse, wallet or other personal currency container. The apparatus operates automatically and separates discs based on size and further displays the size classified discs in separate troughs for each disc size. The separate trough display also provides an easy access means for retrieving discs as needed. The inventor is unaware of a prior device which automatically separates discs based on size and further can be adaptable to be included as a coin classifier and as part of a wallet or purse.
Accordingly an object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which separates discs based on diameter size and retains the diameter classified discs in separate troughs for easy access when needed. Furthermore it is an object to provide a disc size classifier which adaptable to classifying currency coin and which apparatus may be adaptable to a wallet or purse. Also, the device operates automatically, relying only on gravity and the slight agitations experienced by a purse or wallet when carried by a person. It is also an object to provide an apparatus which may be utilized to separate washers and other metal discs by size diameter.


A process for producing a product for use as an alternative cover material for landfills using recycled materials is provided. The process includes: receiving construction and demolition debris in a first area; receiving clean fill in a second area; positive sorting at least one of masonry products, concrete, bricks, cinder block, rocks, and asphalt from the construction and demolition debris; positive sorting a remaining portion of the construction and demolition debris to remove recyclable materials including at least one of cardboard, wood, fiber, ferrous metal and non-ferrous metal; negative sorting a remainder of the construction and demolition debris to remove materials other than wood, roofing material, plaster, plaster board and insulating board to form a first feed stock component; grinding the first feed stock component to a desired particle size of up to approximately six inches to form a first feed stock; mixing the at least one of the masonry products, concrete, bricks, cinder block, rocks and asphalt with the clean fill to form a second feed stock component; grinding the second feed stock component to a desired particle size of up to approximately six inches to form a second feed stock; and blending the first and second feed stocks in a proportion of approximately 2:1 to approximately 5:1 by weight to form an alternative cover material for landfills using recycled material.

The present invention relates to a process and system for producing an alternative cover for landfills, and more particularly, is directed to an alternative daily cover for landfills using recycled materials which meets the Department of Environmental Protection requirements for a daily cover.
State and federal environmental regulations generally require operators of landfills to periodically cover exposed solid waste, typically at the end of each working day or at the end of every 24 hours. The daily cover is used to prevent vectors, odors, blowing, litter and other nuisances from the landfill and is also required to prevent fires and to allow loaded vehicles to successfully maneuver on landfill after the cover material has been placed. Generally, the layer of cover material is required to be a minimum of 6 inches thick and a supply of the cover must be maintained on site. The cover must also be capable of sustaining vegetation in some states, at least temporarily, prior to receiving a final cover in order to protect against corrosion and sedimentation. The daily cover requirements vary somewhat from state to state, but the material used is generally known in the industry as "daily cover", or "periodic cover" when the interval is more than one day (for example two or three days). As used herein "daily cover" is intended to include both daily and periodic cover for landfills such as municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, rubble landfills, land clearing debris landfills, and industrial waste landfills.
Generally, each day's solid waste, garbage or other debris which has been placed in the landfill is covered at the end of the day. Further layers of solid waste, garbage and debris are then spread directly on top of the daily cover from the previous day. Typically, landfills use soil as a daily cover, and the soil must be purchased from an outside source and delivered to the landfill site. Due to the high rate of soil consumption as daily cover, this can be a substantial cost item. Moreover, the soil used as a daily cover in the landfill uses a significant amount of the available landfill space which might otherwise be used for receiving solid waste garbage and debris. In view of the fact that landfill capacity is being rapidly exhausted, it would be desirable to reduce the consumption rate of the available landfill volume. It would also be desirable to use recycled material which would otherwise be deposited in landfills as a component of an alternate daily cover material which meets all of the requirements for a daily cover, and can be provided at reduced cost due to the use of recycled materials. This would consume less overall landfill space since the recycled materials would form part of the daily cover as opposed to part of the solid waste or debris which was previously required to be covered.
Landfill operators are also required to provide intermediate cover for areas which will be temporarily dormant, generally for more than 3 or 4 days, but which will eventually be covered with additional solid waste, garbage or other debris. This intermediate cover has similar requirements to daily cover, but is generally required to have a smaller maximum particle size to prevent vectors, odors, litter and other nuisances from the landfill over a longer period of time. It would also be desirable to provide an alternate intermediate cover using recycled materials.

Process for producing a product for use as an alternative cover material for landfills and systems


In an electrical propulsion system on board a moving traction vehicle (such as a rapid transit rail car) having current collectors in contact with an energized third rail, controllable switch means is used to connect the system to the current collectors. From time to time the current collectors traverse gaps between adjacent sections of the third rail, in which event regenerative braking operation of the system will be prevented unless the next third rail section is energized by a wayside source of voltage. The switch means comprises the parallel combination of a diode that conducts current when the system is operating in a motoring mode and a reversely-poled thyristor that conducts regenerative braking current once a firing signal is applied thereto. To detect the energized status of the third rail, an electrical filter network is excited by the third rail voltage and derives an output value representative of the amplitude of an a-c ripple component of such voltage having a fundamental frequency that characterizes the wayside voltage source, and after each third rail gap is traversed a firing signal is applied to the thyristor as soon as this value exceeds a predetermined minimum level.

This invention relates generally to electrical propulsion systems used on traction vehicles (such as self-propelled rapid transit rail cars) to propel and retard the vehicle, the electric power input to the system being obtained from wayside conductors (e.g., a third rail) normally energized by direct current derived from electric power sources located at various stations along the right-of-way that the vehicle will travel, and it relates more particularly to means for detecting whether or not the wayside conductor with which the vehicle is in contact is so energized and for preventing any "regenerative" braking operation of the propulsion system if the wayside conductor is not otherwise energized.
A typical traction vehicle propulsion system comprises two pairs of electric traction motors, with the rotatable shafts of each pair being mechanically coupled through suitable gearing to the respective axle-wheels sets of a separate one of the two trucks that support the vehicle, two controllable electric power converters each having relatively positive and negative direct current (d-c) source terminals and a set of load terminals connected to a different pair of traction motors, a bi-directional current path including an electro-mechanical line switch or circuit breaker for connecting the d-c terminals of both converters to a set of current collectors protruding from the vehicle in sliding contact with a normally energized wayside source of unipolarity voltage having a relatively low, constant magnitude, and suitable control means for operating the converters either in a propulsion (motoring) mode when acceleration or constant speed of the vehicle is desired, or in an electrical retarding (braking) mode when deceleration is desired. Preferably the traction motors are three-phase alternating current (a-c) induction motors, the converters are three-phase voltage source inverters, and a low pass electrical filter is connected between the aforesaid line switch and the d-c terminals of the inverters.
In its motoring mode of operation, each inverter is so controlled that the unipolarity voltage applied to its source terminals is converted into three-phase alternating voltage of variable fundamental frequency and amplitude at its load terminals, and the a-c traction motors respond by producing torque to accelerate the vehicle or maintain its speed as desired. In the alternative electrical braking mode of operation, the inverter is so controlled that each motor acts as a generator driven by the inertia of the vehicle and supplies electric power which flows in a reverse direction through the inverter and appears as direct current and unipolarity voltage at the source terminals. As this electrical energy is used or dissipated, the traction motors respond by absorbing kinetic energy and slowing the vehicle.
Electrical braking is achieved by a combination of dynamic and regenerative braking. Dynamic braking is effected by selectively connecting a dynamic braking resistance in parallel relationship with the d-c source terminals of the inverter. This resistance receives current from the inverter, converts the electrical energy to thermal energy, and dissipates the resulting heat. Regenerative braking, on the other hand, is effected by returning to the wayside source power flowing in a reverse direction through the inverter during electrical braking. The regenerated power can be advantageously utilized by the propulsion systems of other traction vehicles sharing the same wayside source of voltage and operating in their motoring mode. The two electrical braking modes can be combined in desired proportions, this mixing process being commonly referred to as "blending." An electrical propulsion system, including a voltage source inverter for supplying a-c traction motors, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,918--Bailey, Kumar and Plette, granted on Feb. 27, 1990, and assigned to General Electric Company.
The wayside source of unipolarity voltage usually comprises two or more low-voltage d-c power generating plants or stations located near the right-of-way traveled by the traction vehicle. In a typical station the d-c power is derived from commercially available three-phase a-c electric power by means of a polyphase power transformer in combination with an uncontrolled power rectifying bridge having a set of a-c input terminals connected to the transformer secondary windings (i.e., the low voltage windings) and a pair of d-c output terminals across which the unipolarity voltage is produced. At each station one of the d-c terminals of the rectifying bridge (conventionally the one whose potential is negative with respect to the other d-c terminal) is grounded, and suitable means is provided for connecting the other terminal to a plurality of bare electrical conductors extending along different sections of the right-of-way. Proximate ends of the conductors in adjacent sections are separated from each other by relatively short, insulating gaps. Such gaps are commonly found at track crossings and switches and at other strategic locations along the route traveled by the vehicle. As the vehicle is driven by its electrical propulsion system along each different section of the right-of-way, its current collectors are in sliding contact with the corresponding conductor until a conductor gap is reached, at which point the vehicle will be unpowered for a relatively short distance (e.g., as short as four or five feet) until its leading current collector makes contact with the wayside conductor associated with the next section of the right-of-way. This external conductor is usually a third rail parallel to the pair of rails forming the track on which the vehicle travels, in which case the gaps are simply air gaps and the current collectors are spring-biased "shoes" respectively supported in cantilever fashion on the two trucks of the vehicle.
There are certain times when the wayside conductor in one section of the right-of-way will be temporarily disconnected from its normal voltage source for track maintenance work or for some other purpose. In this event, the wayside conductor is intended to be de-energized or "dead." If a vehicle enters such a de-energized section while its electric power converter is operating in a regenerative braking mode, there is a possibility that the regenerative current from the vehicle will raise the electrical potential on the wayside conductor to an undesirably high level, thereby endangering maintenance people who believe the conductor is dead. In order to prevent this hazard from occurring, suitable means for detecting whether or not the conductor is energized by a power generating station and for preventing regenerative braking if the conductor is not so energized are desired.
It is known in the prior art, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,753, to provide a permissive control signal which is inserted into the electrical power supplied by each wayside generating station to the vehicle for establishing when regenerated power may safely be returned from the vehicle to the wayside conductor.
It is also known in the prior art, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,154, to open the line switch in the current .path between the electric power converter and the current collectors on board the vehicle as these current collectors traverse each wayside conductor gap every time the vehicle moves from section to section of the right-of-way, thereby preventing either motoring or regenerative braking operation of the propulsion system as the vehicle enters the next section. After the leading current collector makes contact with the wayside conductor of the next section, the line switch is not reclosed until voltage is detected on the current collectors and a current sensor indicates that appreciable current is flowing to auxiliary electrical load circuits on the vehicle.
The above-referenced prior art regenerative braking protective apparatus has shortcomings. If the propulsion system were operating in a regenerative braking mode and the traction vehicle were traveling at a relatively high speed (e.g., 40 MPH) as the current collectors pass through a gap between a first energized wayside conductor and a second de-energized conductor, the gap would be traversed in an interval of time (e.g., 70 milliseconds) that is shorter than a typical opening time (e.g., 100 milliseconds) of a conventional line switch. Consequently, an undesirable spike of high voltage could be applied to the de-energized conductor before the line switch has time to open the current path between the converter and the current collectors. Furthermore, if the wayside conductor were disconnected from its power generating station while in contact with a vehicle whose propulsion system is operating in a regenerative braking mode, the regenerative current would fool the protective apparatus so that neither the current-collector voltage detector nor the auxiliary load current sensor would cause the line switch to open.
It is known in the prior art relating to electrical propulsion systems for trolley buses to interrupt regenerative braking current in the bi-directional current path between each of two trolley poles and an electric power converter whenever the tandem trolley poles of the bus traverse insulator gaps in a pair of overhead power supply lines and thereafter to permit such current to be conducted to the power lines of the next section of right-of-way only if the unipolarity voltage across such lines has proper polarity and magnitude and is not decreasing. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,113 wherein the bi-directional path includes a diode bridge to ensure that the polarity of the voltage applied to the d-c source terminals of the converter during motoring operation will not change if line voltage polarity changes, a pair of the diodes are shunted by thyristors poled to conduct regenerative current, and a lightning arrestor capacitor is connected between the trolley conductors. During regenerative braking operation, both thyristors change from conducting to non-conducting states whenever the trolleys come to the insulator gap because current in the trolley conductors then decreases abruptly to zero and the resulting increase of voltage across the lightning arrestor capacitor puts a reverse bias on the thyristors. Later, the thyristors are returned to their conducting states in response to the concurrence of a number of conditions: the sensed line voltage has proper polarity and magnitude and is not decreasing; traction motor current exceeds a predetermined threshold magnitude; and the bus is moving faster than a predetermined speed.

Regenerative braking protection for an electrically-propelled traction vehicle


A wrap around bed frame for use in supporting a box spring and mattress. The bed frame has the normal side rails and cross members and also has a foot member that is affixed to the foot ends of the side rails such that the foot member provides support for the foot end of the bedding and prevents sagging and damage from weight being exerted at the foot end of the bedding. The entire bed frame can be assembled with fittings that do not require tools for assembly and thus, the bed frame can be assembled easily by the user by simply sliding or snapping the components together. Protective shields cover the bed frame so as to prevent tearing of the linen, bed spreads or other bed coverings used with the bed frame.

With a conventional bed frame, there normally are two side rails that are placed in a parallel orientation with respect to each other and one or more cross members that span between the side rails to provide support to the box spring and mattress. The sides of the box spring are supported by a horizontal flange of the side rails and the internal area of the box spring and mattress are supported by the cross members.
With many bed frames, the side rails and cross members are made of a metal, generally steel, and are comprised of steel angle irons. As a recent innovation, the side rails can also be comprised of angle irons joined together to form a T-shaped member or can be constructed and used as single, unitary steel components.
With a typical steel bed frame, the foot ends of the side rails extend beyond any supporting legs such that the foot ends of the side rails extend in cantilever manner outwardly from the foot end of the bed and there is no further component, such as a foot supporting member that provides support for the foot ends of the side rails.
There is currently a trend of not having a foot board at the foot end of the bed. The absence of a footboard not only reduces support at the foot end of the bed but eliminates the pleasing and decorative component that would normally cover and enclose the foot end bedding and give the overall foot end of the completed bed a pleasing appearance.
As such, the foot end of the box spring and mattress are basically unsupported and a weight placed at that end, such as by a person sitting on the very end of a mattress, can create bending and cause damage to the bed frame. This is particularly true of a king size bed frame where there may be two foundations in a side by side relationship and overlaid by a single mattress and, in such instance, there is a decided lack of support at the center of the bed where the two foundations come together.
A system for providing support to the foot end of a box spring and mattress has been shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,363,665 entitled "Bed Frame With Extended Bumper Assembly", however, that reference discloses curved ends that joined a side rail and a straight member of a bumper assembly. The manufacture of curved ends, however, is fairly difficult in order to meet the tolerance requirements of joining a side rail and a bumper assembly.
Another difficulty with present bed frames is that there is a certain amount of labor used in securing the frame members together, that is, the metal components are affixed together by hand and often require hand tools to complete the assembly of a bed frame. As such, since the initial set up of a bed frame is normally carried out by a delivery person who may have multiple deliveries on the same day, the amount of time used to complete the set up of the bed frame is important and, obviously, there an advantage in being able to assemble the bed frame quickly and accurately in as little time as possible.
A further difficulty with current bed frames is that the metal structural components have sharp edges and joints and the presence of those sharp edges can cause tearing of the linen, bed spreads or other bed coverings used with the bed.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide metal bed frame where the foot ends of the side rails are connected to a foot member to form an aesthetically pleasing design that visually provides a smooth continuation of the side rails that transition to the foot member as well as provide support to the foot end of a box spring and mattress.
It would be further advantageous to have a bed frame that was easily assembled without the need for tools or specialized skill and which was fully protected by some shields to cover any sharp edges of corners to prevent tearing or damage to the bed coverings.


A plurality of processors, each with caches provided for a plurality of processor modules and a local storage in which a main storage is distributed and arranged are mutually connected through an internal snoop bus. The processor modules are mutually connected through a second system bus. By using two separate buses, cache coherence operations within a processor group is kept separate from cache coherence operations outside the processor group.

The invention relates to a cache coherence apparatus for a multiprocessor system in which a plurality of processor modules are connected through a system bus and, more particularly, to a coherence apparatus for a cache of a multiprocessor system in which a plurality of processor elements with caches are connected in a processor module through a main storage and an internal common bus.
In recent years, since it is expected that the processing performance of computer systems will remarkably improved and the development of a multiprocessor system in which a plurality of processors are connected through a common bus is progressing. In the multiprocessor system, by using a superscalar type or a VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) type as a processor, the processing performance of a sole processor is improving. The use of a cache mechanism largely contributes to the improvement of the performance. In such a cache mechanism, a primary cache is built in the processor and a secondary cache is provided between the processor and an external main storage. Using this configuration the hit ratio of the second cache is raised, thereby reducing accesses to the main storage and improving the performance. Further, as a common memory for a plurality of processors, a sole memory is not provided but local memories which function as a main storage are distributed and arranged on a unit basis for a predetermined number of processors. Common memory areas are distributed and arranged for a plurality of local memories and the common memories can be flexibly constructed in dependence on the number of local memory units according to a system scale.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional typical multiprocessor system. The system has two processor modules 1000-1 and 1000-2. The processor modules 1000-1 and 1000-2 have the same construction. For example, when considering the processor module 1000-1, it is constructed by processor elements 1100-1 and 1100-2, cache units 1200-1 and 1200-2, a common bus 1300-1, and a local storage unit 1400-1. The processor elements 1100-1 and 1100-2 have therein primary caches and are also provided with the cache units 1200-1 and 1200-2 as secondary caches on the outside. The local storage unit 1400-1 functions as each main storage by allocating particular physical spaces to the processor elements 1100-1 and 1100-2. At the same time, the local storage unit 1400-1 allocates a common memory space which is shared by all of processor elements, 1100-1 to 1100-4, of the processor modules 1000-1 and on the cache of the accessing source is updated to a 1000-2. In a manner similar to the above, the processor module 1000-2 side is also constructed by processor elements 1100-3 and 1100-4, cache units 1200-3 and 1200-4, a common bus 1300-2, and a local storage unit 1400-2. The common buses, 1300-1 and 1300-2, of the processor modules 1000-1 and 1000-2 operate as one bus connected via a back panel of a module casing. As for a cache control of the cache units 1200-1 to 1200-4 associated with a plurality of processor elements, 1100-1 to 1100- 4, when there is a read access in one of the processor elements and there is a mishit, a copy value of a read address is transferred to the cache by the access to the corresponding local storage. When the cache causes a mishit by a write access of the processor, a copy value of the corresponding local storage is transferred to the cache and is overwritten. In this instance, the value in the main storage and the overwritten copy value in the cache are different. Therefore, a cache coherence is maintained by a copy back which transfers the newest value in the cache to the main storage and updating the old value. on the other hand, in the case where the value of a certain local storage has been copied into a plurality of caches, the copy values in the caches other than the cache to which the write access was performed are invalidated. After that, the copy value in the cache of the accessing source is updated to a newest value and, subsequently, the newest value is copied back to the local storage, thereby maintaining the cache coherence.
However, since the multiprocessor system of FIG. 1 uses a construction such that all of the processor elements, cache units, and local storages are connected to one bus, there are the following problems. First, in order to maintain cache coherence, commands and data are transferred between the cache unit of the processor element which generated the read or write access and the local storage unit having the access address. Therefore, bus transfer requests to maintain coherence compete among a plurality of processor elements and the load of the common bus increases in accordance with the number of processors and high speed processing cannot be performed. Although the load on the bus can be reduced by providing a plurality of common buses, when the number of processors increases to ten or twenty processors, the system cannot cope effectively with it.
Each of the processor modules 1000-1 and 1000-2 is constructed on a module casing unit basis. Therefore, the common buses 1300-1 and 1300-2 are connected by a cable using connectors via a back panel of the casing. Thus, the line length of the bus is increased and the clock frequency of the bus cannot be raised due to electrical characteristics. For example, although the clock frequency can be set to 60 MHz in case of only one bus in the module, it is reduced to 40 MHz in case of the bus connection which shares the back panel.
In the multiprocessor system, a system bus particularly exerts a large influence on the performance. In the system bus, the data transfer speed and the bus usage efficiency as a ratio of cycles which are used for data transfer over the total bus cycles have to be raised. Otherwise, the system bus becomes a bottleneck and even if the number of processors is increased, the performance is not improved. To improve the data transfer speed, generally, the width of data bus is widened or an interface of a small signal amplitude is used, thereby raising an operating frequency of the bus. To raise the bus usage efficiency, it is possible to use a split type transfer system to yield a usage privilege to another bus unit for a period of time until a response is received after a request such as a memory access or the like was generated.

Coherence apparatus for cache of multiprocessor


A method for manufacturing a suspended membrane in a single-crystal semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: forming in the substrate an insulating ring delimiting an active area, removing material from the active area, successively forming in the active area a first and a second layers, the second layer being a single-crystal semiconductor layer, etching a portion of the internal periphery of said ring down to a depth greater than the thickness of the second layer, removing the first layer so that the second layer formed a suspended membrane anchored in the insulating ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuits. It more specifically relates to methods for manufacturing electronic components designated as SON in the art (for Silicon On Nothing).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
MOS transistors are currently formed on an SOI-type substrate (for Silicon On Insulator). Since the cost of this substrate is not negligible, it has been provided to locally form, in a solid substrate, a buried silicon oxide layer under a single-crystal silicon film on which the transistor will be formed.
FIGS. 1A to 4B illustrate successive steps of the forming of a MOS transistor on a portion of a substrate comprising a buried silicon oxide layer.
FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively are a top view and a cross-section view along plane BB of FIG. 1A of an initial manufacturing step. In a solid silicon substrate 1, an insulating ring 2 delimiting an active area 4 has been formed.
At the step illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, which respectively are a top view and a cross-section view along plane BB of FIG. 2A, active area 4 has been etched down to a given depth before the successive epitaxial forming of a silicon-germanium sacrificial layer 6 and of a silicon layer 8 across a thickness corresponding to the etch depth. A gate insulator 12 has been deposited on layer 8, after which a metal gate 10 has been formed. The upper portion of the gate comprises a polysilicon layer 14. Two spacers 16 are formed on either side of gate 10-14. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, gate 10-14 extends on insulating ring 2, on either side of active area 4.
At the step illustrated in FIG. 3B, which is a cross-section view of a next manufacturing step, insulating ring 2 has been etched to be able to access to sacrificial layer 6. Then, layer 6 has been removed. The mechanical resistance of the suspended membrane corresponding to layer 8 is ensured by the extensions of gate 10-14 which bear on insulating ring 2.
At the step illustrated in FIG. 4B, which is a cross-section view of a next manufacturing step, a silicon oxide layer 22 has been deposited under layer 8. A MOS transistor, which is insulated from substrate 1 by layer 22, can then be formed in silicon layer 8. Such a transistor has the same advantages as a transistor formed in the upper silicon layer of an SOI-type structure.
In this example, the selective etching of sacrificial layer 6 over layer 8 is performed after the forming of gate 10-14. A hydrogen chloride gas at high temperature used for this step inevitably etches metal gate 10, which may be a problem. Further, the etch selectivity over spacers 16 and to gate insulator 12 is not perfect.

Method for manufacturing a suspended membrane and dual-gate MOS transistor


An apparatus for storage of potential energy using water from a deep body of water is described. The apparatus comprises one module including a cylinder, a piston slidably connected to the cylinder, a column for storing the water from the deep body of water received through an inlet being in communication with the cylinder/piston, and a connecting tube which mutually connects the cylinder and the column. The apparatus further comprises driving means for reciprocally displacing the piston in relation to the cylinder, wherein the driving means is a crankshaft drivingly connected to the piston and at least one flywheel mounted to the crankshaft for counteracting the pressure as result of the water stored in the column.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for storage of potential energy using water from a deep body of water, comprising at least one module which module comprises a cylinder, a piston slidably connected to the cylinder, a column for storing the water from the body of water received through an inlet being in communication with the cylinder/piston, and a connecting tube which mutually connects the cylinder and the column, and wherein the apparatus further comprises driving means for reciprocally displacing the piston in relation to the cylinder.
Such an apparatus is known from the British Patent Application No. 2 068 469. The driving means of this known apparatus consists of a buoy which is secured to the piston for reciprocating motion thereof. The buoy moves freely up and down on the waves of the sea in which the apparatus is applied. This known apparatus has a disadvantage in that the buoy is not capable of generating sufficient force to push the piston downwards, or at least to push the piston downwards with a sufficiently large stroke to displace the water to the column. Therefore, this apparatus is not very efficient.

Apparatus for storage of potential energy


Provided are a computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for maintaining state information. An available node affiliated with an unavailable device adapter and an unavailable node affiliated with an available device adapter are identified, wherein the available node is assigned a first subset of disk arrays, and wherein the unavailable node is assigned a second subset of disk arrays. The available device adapter is affiliated with the available node. First state information of the first node that describes a state of the first subset of disk arrays is updated with second state information of the second node that describes a state of the second subset of disk arrays. Access to the first subset of disk arrays and the second subset of disk arrays is provided through the available node and the available device adapter using the updated first state information.

In a storage subsystem, with two or more nodes, each node owns device adapters. A node includes a processor and a storage subsystem. The storage subsystem manages access to a storage space (e.g., hard disk drives, otherwise referred to as a Direct Access Storage Device (DASD)).
Disk arrays are configured on each device adapter and, hence, disk arrays are owned by each node. Host Input/Output (I/O) runs on logical volumes configured on the disk arrays.
Sometimes (e.g., failover), a device adapter moves from a first node to a second (new) node, and there is a period of time when underlying disk arrays of the first node are inaccessible because the device adapter state has not been re-established on the second node. In this period, when the disk arrays are inaccessible, no host I/O runs to volumes on those inaccessible disk arrays (i.e., there is a temporary loss of access).
Some systems depend on re-establishing device adapter state after the device adapter moves to second new node. With this, there is a temporary loss of access to volumes until the device adapter state is re-established on the new node.

Preventing access loss when device adapter affinity to a node changes

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A temperature control system for a controlled environmental vault including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of a split-type room air conditioner that comprises a mounting component, shroud component, and a shroud cover component. The shroud component and shroud cover component are configured to be installed on the outdoor unit to effectively divert hot exhaust air from the outdoor unit to outside the controlled environmental vault. The mounting component assembles to the indoor unit such that the indoor unit can be secured to an architectural structure such as a ceiling joist or ceiling rafter.

A Controlled Environmental Vault ("CEV") is a hut, enclosure, or box-like structure that encloses and protects infrastructure. Usually, CEVs enclose and protect infrastructure pertaining to communication equipment, such as telephone, Internet, computer, or surveillance equipment. CEVs include temperature control equipment in order to maintain one or more specified temperatures and reduce the likelihood of damage to infrastructure within the CEV. Temperature control equipment includes, for example, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ("HVAC") systems, dehumidifiers, fresh air blowers, environment monitors and alarms, and electrical control panels and outlets.
CEVs are typically fabricated from materials including steel, concrete, or aluminum and may be completely or partially buried (underground) or entirely above ground. Usually, an entry hatch provides access to the CEV.
Most CEVs that enclose and protect communication equipment include a traditional air conditioning system. Traditional air conditioning systems in CEVs are inefficient and expensive to maintain. In addition, many replacement parts are no longer manufactured or difficult to obtain. For example, compressors for traditional air conditioning systems found in CEVs are no longer manufactured. Therefore, replacement compressors must be entirely rebuilt. This repair is not cost effective since rebuilt compressors can cost thousands of dollars for parts and labor. Furthermore, rebuilt compressors tend to experience an increased failure rate.
There is a demand for a temperature control system for a CEV that is more efficient than currently installed systems and furthermore, that minimizes maintenance, energy cost, and repair cost. The present invention satisfies this demand.

Temperature control system for a controlled environmental vault


A bag holder comprising a pair of elongated vertical side members connected by a lower support bar and an upper brace member. An arm member forwardly extends from an upper end of each of the side members. Each arm member is formed into an upwardly extending horizontally elongated tab with a rearwardly projecting protrusion and a bent nose. The brace member has a rearwardly and downwardwardly extending middle portion, and a rod member extends perpendicularly and rearwardly from each end of the brace member. The device can further have a removeable cover member fitting over the arms.

This invention relates to a device for holding bags, more specifically, this invention relates to a device for holding waste or storage bags which can be removeably mounted on desks, drawers, or on the edge rims of miscellaneous items.
Market bags of the plastic type having two looped handles given out in most supermarkets and grocery stores are utilized by many as waste bags.
When used in the stores, the bags hold grocery and other items. The bags are held on a rack holder such as that taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,487,388 and 4,332,361. The rack holders are design to stand on their own and hold bulk quantities of pressed bags which can be opened one by one to load goods therein.
When brought home, the market bags can be recycled as waste bags. These bags are typically placed inside small waste baskets. Some people just hang the bags by the looped handle to protruding knobs or handles on drawers or doors. When used in small wastebaskets or hung on objects by the handles, the full volume of the bags cannot be utilized as a trash source.
Thus it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a bag holder which utilizes the full volume of the bag. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder which can be hung on the edge of drawers and other items. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag holder which is inexpensive to manufacture.
The present invention is a bag holding device which can be hung on rims of miscellaneous items including edges of drawers and cabinets. The bags utilized with this device has a pair of opposed upwardly extendable loop handles, and the holder comprises a pair of elongated vertical side members. A brace member horizontally connects the pair of vertical side members, and an arm member forwardly extends from an upper end of each of the side members. Each arm member is formed into an upwardly extending horizontally elongated tab with a rearwardly projecting protrusion and a bent nose. Also, the brace member has rearwardly and downwardwardly extending middle portion for hooking onto the rim of miscellaneous items. In use with a bag, a user places each of the looped handles of the bag on a corresponding one of the arm portion tabs.
The holder further can comprise a support bar connecting the lower ends of the side members. Also, the holder further can comprise a rod member extending perpendicularly and rearwardly from each end of the brace member for lateral balance. The device can further have a removeable cover member fitting over the arms.

Bag holder for hanging on rims of miscellaneous items


A communication device for communicating via a telecommunication line includes a plurality of operating units, an energy-saving control unit, an instruction receiver, and a wake-up unit. The plurality of operating units are configured to receive an electric power and operate. The energy-saving control unit is configured to alternatively run a normal mode or an energy saving mode. The instruction receiver is configured to receive an instruction for selecting the operating unit that processes target data. The selection instruction is transmitted from a transmission device connected via the electric communication line prior to the transmission of the target data. The wake-up unit is configured to supply the electric power to the operating unit so as to wake up the operating unit from the sleep state upon receiving the selection instruction during the energy saving mode if the operating unit instructed by the selection instruction is in the sleep state.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
There is known a communication device that receives an instruction for processing target data transmitted from an external device via a network and processes the target data according to the received instruction. It is also known for such a communication device to alternatively runs a normal mode in which all the operating units inside the device are powered, and an energy saving mode in which an operation unit or only some operating units, such as a communication control unit for receiving an instruction for processing target data from an external device via a network, are powered and the other operating units are not powered and in the sleep state.
Such a communication device, upon receiving an instruction for processing target data via a network from an external device under the energy saving mode, causes a predetermined operating unit to process the target data according to the received instruction after running the normal mode to resume powering all the operating units. As a result, such a communication device is apt to unnecessarily power the operating units not required for processing the target data.
A certain technique, for example, adopts a Multi-Function Printer (MFP) that, for each job, maps in advance an IP address to a combination of function blocks required to be operated at the time of running the job, and stores them. When causing the MFP to execute a job, the external device specifies an IP address mapped to the job as its destination, and transmits a job execution instruction. The MFP receives the job execution instruction in a communication unit corresponding to the IP address specified by the external device, and then, use the stored information in advance to recognize the job mapped to the IP address and the combination of the function blocks mapped to the job. Then the MFP only powers the function blocks included in the recognized combination and executes the job. The MFP thus avoids unnecessarily powering a function block not required for executing a job.

Communication device for processing target data quickly


A data analyzing apparatus that stores geographic information and observation data including various information regarding an event. A data processing unit generates analyzing data by using the geographic information and the observation data, and a data analyzing unit derives a tendency of occurrence of the event based on the analyzing data. A prediction unit predicts a place where the tendency of occurrence of the event is high by using the tendency and the geographic information. An observation data input unit inputs new observation data, and an analyzing monitor unit controls the data processing unit to generate modified analyzing data by using the new observation data, the observation data and the geographic information, and readjusts the analyzed result based on the modified analyzing data. A health condition observer observes a health condition data, and the observation data input unit inputs the observation data including the health condition data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data analyzing apparatus, a data analyzing method, and a data analyzing program which analyze an event on the basis of geographic information.
2. Background Art
A geographic information system (GIS) which can display various pieces of information such as topographic information or which can perform route searching between arbitrarily given points is known. A global positioning system (GPS) which can extract coordinates at which a certain object is currently positioned is also known. A combination of the GIS and the GPS can detect a specific point at which the object is currently present at the point on a map, and can be applied to an automobile navigation system or searching for a nearest object.
Information registered in the GIS include information of immovable objects such as topographic features, roads, and buildings, objective data such as precipitation, tolls of toll roads, and population density.
For example, when a start point and an end point are given to an automobile to perform route searching between the two points, re-searching for a route is performed such that static data such as the presence/absence of roads, objective data such as tolls of toll roads, and time-series traffic jam information are reflected. For this reason, a route with the minimum toll and a route for the earliest arrival time can be established.
An automatic process (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 321081/2000) of a traveling route by topographic features, a data processing device (see Japanese Patent No. 3276945) which detects the traveling route based on a positioning data acquiring means such as a PHS, a device obtained by modifying the data processing device to be used for pedestrians (see Japanese Patent No. 3370555), and the like are proposed.
However, a conventional system which performs searching in a subjective condition such as, for example, "route on which a beginning driver can safely drives" or a condition in which an objectively determined reference is not clear has not existed.
For example, past traffic accident cases are given to geographic information, and route searching can be performed so as to avoid an accident occurrence location. However, there is no guarantee that a location where an accident has not yet occurred is not necessarily safe also in the future. This is because a "location where an accident has previously occurred" is known, but a "location where an accident is likely to occur" is not known.
When a traffic accident occurs, the traffic accident is recorded as a traffic record. However, a "case in which a traffic accident was about to occur" is not recorded as a record. For safety purposes, such a case in which an accident was about to occur must be handled equally as a case in which an accident has actually occurred. However, this is impossible in a current geographic information system.

Data analyzing apparatus, data analyzing program, and mobile terminal


A thermal storage apparatus for using a hydrate thermal storage medium including: (a) a storage tank for storing a cooling medium liquid; (b) a refrigerating machine, connected with the storage tank via a pipe for cooling the cooling medium liquid, the cooling medium liquid circulating between the storage tank and the refrigerating machine; and (c) a thermal storage body immersed in the cooling medium liquid, wherein the thermal storage medium comprises a hermetically sealed container containing an aqueous solution which generates at least one hydrate selected from the group consisting of a primary hydrate and a secondary hydrate, wherein the primary hydrate has a smaller hydration number and a small heat capacity than the secondary hydrate, and wherein the secondary hydrate has a larger hydration number and a larger heat capacity than the primary hydrate.

Conventionally, for increasing the thermal storage capacity of a water tank for storing heat using the sensible heat of water, there is a related art of immersing large number of thermal storage body in the water in the tank. That type of related art has an advantage of increasing the thermal storage capacity utilizing existing water tank being used to store heat.
An examples of the above-described thermal storage body is a hermetically sealed container containing a thermal storage medium which solidifies at or above the water-solidification temperature, that's to say, 0° C. or above, such as various kinds of wax. In the process, thermal storage medium is solidified before water solidifies, thus utilizing the latent heat of the thermal storage medium to increase the thermal storage capacity.
However, that type of cooling medium body has a drawback. In the above-mentioned process, when the thermal storage medium in the cooling medium body solidifies, no fluidization of the thermal storage medium occurs, inside the thermal storage medium body. Furthermore, because of the low thermal conductivity of the solidified thermal storage medium, the efficiency of heat exchange reduces, between the water in the water tank and the thermal storage medium.
To prevent the drawback, there is a countermeasure to decrease the size of container, which has the cooling medium body, and to increase the surface area relative to the volume. The method, however, needs to charge a vast number of thermal storage bodies into the water tank. Thus, in case of using a large-sized water tank, a vast number of thermal storage bodies are required.
In the above-described water tank or the like for storing heat, the temperature of internal thermal storage medium, or water, varies with various conditions. For example, the thermal storage temperature is necessary to be changed depending on the kind of refrigerating machine that cools the water in the water tank, or depending on the usage of the thermal load side that utilizes the water of the water tank as the thermal storage tank.
Accordingly, the conventional thermal storage medium such as one kind of wax is not suitable for attaining thermal storage temperature in various kinds of usage because of fixed solidification temperature thereof. As a result, the thermal storage temperature of the above-described water in the water tank has the restricted range.
Furthermore, from the viewpoint of the thermal storage medium of the related art as a thermal storage apparatus, various kinds of apparatus for thermal storage medium are used in air-conditioners and the like. The thermal storage medium are used to store discontinuously supplied energy such as midnight power and waste heat generated in plants, thus to effectively use energy by utilizing thus stored cold heat at air-conditioners.
The apparatus, which uses ice, is known as one of the thermal storage medium apparatus in the world. In the apparatus, which makes use of the ice, the ice is produced during midnight time by utilizing midnight power and the like, and the cold thermal stored heat is utilized at air-conditioners during daytime. Compared with the apparatus by thermal storage medium, which utilizes sensible heat of water, the ice-used thermal storage medium has an advantage of capable of storing a large amount of the cold thermal capacity owing to the latent heat of the ice. In order to produce the ice, however, water requires to be cooled to a further low temperature than the solidification temperature thereof. On the contrary, the solidification temperature of the water is low. Therefore, the coefficient of performance of the refrigerating machine degrades. In addition, the ice and the ice slurry are difficult in handling and transporting, so the apparatus becomes complex and large.
From another point of view, there is a thermal storage medium body made of gas hydrate, which is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2-203138, (the term "JP-A" referred herein signifies the "unexamined Japanese patent publication"). The technology disclosed in the patent publication, however, uses chlorofluorocarbon-base refrigerant R11 as the coolant for generating gas hydrate. The R11 is a compound having large ozone depletion potential, and exists as gas phase under atmospheric pressure, thus a hermetically sealed container requires, which raises a problem to needs the expensive apparatus using the thermal storage medium.

Thermal storage medium using a hydrate and apparatus thereof, and method for producing the thermal storage medium


An automatic organization of images in computer memory is provided as a doubly-linked (or multiply-linked) list data structure which reflects in its interconnections to relationships between various stages in complex image processing tasks. Data structures, implemented in an appropriate high-level computer language such as C, contain pertinent information about the image as well as pointers (memory addresses) to other data structures and their associated images. These pointers allow the construction and maintenance of the linked list relationships between images. Since the relationships between images in the linked lists are equivalent to the relationships between stages of image processing tasks, the complex tasks of image processing are automatically documented in the linked list data structure without the necessity of maintaining an auxiliary written record. Furthermore, considerable flexibility in developing novel image processing tasks is obtained as well as advantages in managing the memory requirements in image processing and avoiding redundant computation of quantities already stored in the image data structure.

Microprocessor-based computer systems are becoming increasingly capable of image-processing tasks which thus far have been the province of mainframe computers and special purpose hardware. Nonetheless, the large memory and computational requirements of image processing place a premium on efficient utilization of computer memory and effective organization of computations.
Many image processing tasks require several stages of processing, each of which generates an image as its data product, which is then used as the input data of the next stage of image processing. For example, consider the processing of an image to produce an edge map, as is frequently required in industrial quality control applications or in machine vision. First an image is acquired using an electronic camera and stored in random-access memory of the computer. This image then is convolved with an edge-enhancement mask (such as a 3.times.3 Laplacian mask, for example) to yield an edge-enhanced image. Next, the pixel intensities of this image are tabulated to produce a histogram, which in turn is analyzed to select one or more threshold intensity values. The individual intensity values of the edge-enhanced image are then compared to the selected threshold intensity values so as to yield an edge map which is usually a binary image (where all of the individual intensity values are compared to a single selected threshold intensity value and the image consists of two levels of intensity only, i.e., one level representing the individual intensity values above the selected threshold and the other level representing individual intensity values below the selected threshold). Owing to noise in the original image, irregularities in illumination, or other problems, the edges in the edge map may not be geometrically continuous and one or more cycles of dilation and erosion of the edge map may be required to yield a satisfactory edge map suitable for subsequent analysis.
Several observations may be made with respect to this example: First, during the processing at least four separate images are generated, each image depending upon earlier stages of processing. Secondly, in general, the entire process, and in particular, the computation of the edge-enhanced image by convolution of an edge-enhancement mask with the original image, is a time-consuming computation operation. Thus, if an error is made in processing the image data during one of the later stages of processing, e.g. if the thresholds are not selected correctly in the computation of the edge map, it would be an unnecessarily wasteful use of computer time to reprocess the original image through all of the multiple stages. Thirdly, information useful in later stages of analysis, such as the pixel intensity histogram, should be permanently associated with the image so as to be available for later analyses and without having to be recomputed.
In common practice when processing images through a series of stages, such as the process described above, the available memory is arranged in a series of buffers, each of which may contain an image or a portion of an image. These buffers may be randomly selected and bear no particular arrangement to each other. It is therefore incumbent upon the user to impose an order on this memory which is appropriate to the task at hand. This organization is not automatic in the current state of the art. Further, any auxiliary information describing or documenting the image must be stored elsewhere and connecting that information with the corresponding images themselves is again a separate task imposed on the user.
In addition, when storing the image in a file, the general practice is to retain only minimal information about the image, typically its size and name.

System for and method of storing image data processed in multiple stages