A terminal fitting has a rectangular tube (10) formed with a locking hole (19). A resilient contact piece (25) is in the rectangular tube (10) for contacting a tab of a mating terminal fitting. Displacement restricting portions (15F, 15R, 18F, 18R) are provided in the rectangular tube (10) at positions before and behind the locking hole (19) for contacting lateral edges of the resilient contact piece (25) and restricting displacement of a resilient contact piece (25) towards a tab entrance space (32). Thus, external matter that may intrude through the locking hole (19) can not cause a damaging deformation of the resilient contact piece (25).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting and to a connector provided therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,743 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 05-190227 disclose a terminal fitting with a rectangular tube that has a front end for receiving a tab. A resilient contact extends in forward and backward directions in the rectangular tube and contacts the tab inserted into the rectangular tube. A locking hole is formed in a plate of the rectangular tube at a side of the resilient contact opposite the tab. The terminal fitting is inserted into a cavity of a connector housing and is retained therein by the engagement of the locking hole with a resiliently deformable lock provided at an inner wall of the cavity.
The resilient contact is accessible through the locking hole from the outside of the rectangular tube. Thus, there is a possibility that external matter may intrude into the rectangular tube through the locking hole and may displace the resilient contact sufficiently to plastically deform a support of resilient deformation of the resilient contact while narrowing the tab entrance space. As a result, frictional resistance between the resilient contact and the tab may be increased.
Consideration may be given to forming the resilient contact with projections that project out along the width direction from the opposite left and right edges of the resilient contact. The projections could engage edges of locking holes formed in side plates of the rectangular tube. The engagement of the projections with the locking holes limits the amount of displacement of the resilient contact that can be caused by the intrusion of external matter through the locking hole.
However, the locking holes can reduce the strength of the side plates and hence can reduce the strength of the entire rectangular tube.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to improve a terminal fitting and a connector provided therewith, and particularly to prevent plastic deformation of a resilient contact piece caused by external matter that enters through a locking hole and/or to avoid a reduction in the strength of a rectangular tube portion.

Terminal fitting and a connector provided therewith


There is provided in the present invention a small bore sewer system comprising a clarifier tank for receiving sewage, separating liquid and solid sewage and retaining the solid sewage; and a collection device connected to the clarifier tank for receiving the liquid sewage and carrying it to a sewage treatment plant. The system may further include pumping stations and gravel and sand odor filters.

The cost of installing a conventional sewer system in a new parcel of land, whether its end use is residential, industrial or commercial, is one of the largest roadblocks to economic development for any community. Similarly, small or remote communities cannot afford the high price of adding a conventional sewer system even for residential usage and citizens continue to use private wells and inefficient septic systems.
Conventional sewer system installations cause significant disruption to a community and require major reconstruction of roadways. Individual dwellings are connected to a conventional sewer system through the use of large diameter rigid piping consisting of a series of connected pieces of pipe. The connections of these pipes are often leaky allowing infiltration of ground water which can account for up to 50% of a conventional sewage system's capacity. Leakage also results in exfiltration of sewage effluent. Moreover, the pipes must be deeply buried in areas of high frost penetration. Therefore, conventional sewer pipes require the digging of large, straight trenches approximately 6 to 8 feet deep. As well, the preferred and normal location of conventional systems is the roadway centerline. Conventional sewers therefore are timely to install and the choice of overall layout is dictated by access for maintenance.
Conventional systems are sensitive to gradient changes. Pipe gradients are steeper than prevailing road gradient to allow for the required high cleaning water velocities. The pipes must be kept in a straight alignment between manholes to aid maintenance and cleaning of the system.
The inclusion of ground water and high peaking factors in the design of pipes, pump stations, and treatment plants results in an overall conventional sewer system which is a large, complex system. Conventional sewer systems produce sludge at the treatment plants which must be removed regularly. Due to the short time it is in the system, there is little degradation of sludge and therefore high sludge volumes result. Lift pumps must be correspondingly large and complex in order to handle solids and high peak flows.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an efficient sewer system which is inexpensive to install and maintain. It should utilize flexible piping which does not need to be laid in straight alignment and which prevents infiltration of ground water and exfiltration of sewage. There is also a need for a sewage system which is not dependent on roadways and existing infrastructures for layout design.


An adaptive computing system having trainable components for eliminating harmful effects of skew caused by the length of the transmission line or introduced by data-dependent sources. A transmitter provides a data value to the transmission line according to an output clock signal and precompensates the transmission line when a change in the data value is detected. A receiver is communicatively coupled to the transmitter by the transmission line and has a plurality of data latches. Each data latch stores a data value received from the transmission line according to a unique clock signal. All configuration and training of the adaptive transmitter and receiver is accomplished through a standard boundary scan register that complies with IEEE/ANSI standard 1149.1-1990.

This invention relates generally to the field of communication of digital information, and more particularly to a computing system having adaptive communication components for eliminating process-dependent and data-dependent communication errors.
Error-free communication between components of a computing system is critical for accurate computing. Communication error may be caused by many factors. First, transmittal rates between components in similar computing systems are greatly affected by variations in the fabrication process for the individual components. For this reason, computing systems are often designed assuming a worst-case transmittal rate even though the actual achievable rate may be much faster. Second, the effects of such process-dependent errors are often a function of the data being communicated. This is particularly true in systems having source-terminated transmission lines. These systems are often susceptible to jitter where the actual transmittal rate varies with transmitted data.
Error-free communication becomes even more difficult as the clock speeds for modem computing systems continually increase. Conventional communication designs often incorporate a data queue, such as a FIFO, to store and transmit data between components. This technique introduces severe latencies which are unacceptable for data communication within modem computing systems. As a result, many computing systems have implemented custom communications designs in an attempt to minimize communication latency. These custom designs, however, often need to be continually redesigned as clock speeds increase. Furthermore, various components of a computing system often communicate at different rates. For example, multiple processors on a single printed circuit board may communicate at over 300 MHZ while communications with memory or another component over a back panel is often at a lower rate such as 100 MHZ. Custom communication designs have difficulty handling the varying communication rates of a modem computing system and often need to be redesigned for each communication stream.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a computing system which reduces process-dependent communication error and data-dependent communication error. There is also a need for a computing system that is adaptive and can easily be used in a variety of computing systems at a variety of communication rates.
The present invention is directed toward an adaptive computing system for reducing harmful skew caused by lengthy transmission lines. As illustrated in detail below, the system reduces data-dependent communication jitter and errors caused by process-dependent variations. In one embodiment, the invention is a data receiver including an input port having a plurality of data latches. Each data latch receives data from a transmission line and stores the data according to a unique clock signal. A data selector coupled to the input port selects one of the data latches and provides the stored data of the selected data latch to an output port. According to one feature, the data receiver comprises a test interface for commanding the data selector to select the data latch as a function of stored configuration information. According to another feature, the test interface stores the configuration information as a plurality of bits, each bit corresponding to one of the data latches and indicating whether the respective data latch stores accurate data. According to yet another feature, the test interface is a boundary scan register that accepts standard JTAG instructions for testing the receiver and user-defined instructions for programming the configuration information.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a data transmitter that includes an output latch for providing a data value to a transmission line. A precompensation control of the data transmitter provides a precompensation signal to the output latch when a change in the data value is detected. The output latch precompensates the transmission line according to the precompensation signal. According to one feature, the transmitter includes a test interface that is coupled to the precompensation control. The test interface enables and disables precompensation according to a configured precompensation mode. According to yet another feature, the test interface includes a boundary scan register that accepts standard JTAG instructions for testing the transmitter and user-defined instructions for configuring the precompensation mode.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention is a computing system having a transmitter coupled to a receiver by a transmission line. The transmitter provides a data value to the transmission line according to an output clock signal and precompensates the transmission line when a change in the data value is detected. The receiver has a plurality of data latches, each data latch storing a data value received from the transmission line according to a unique clock signal.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a method for communicating data in a computing system having a transmitter communicatively coupled to a receiver by a transmission line. The method includes the steps of transmitting data to the receiver via the transmission line and storing data received from the transmission line in a plurality of data latches according to a plurality of clock signals. According to one feature, the method includes the step of precompensating the transmission line when a change in the data value is detected. According to another feature, the method includes the step of selecting one of the data latches as a function of configuration information maintained in the receiver.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

Digital computing system having adaptive communication components


A method is provided for resetting the magnetization of the pinned and hard biasing layers of a spin valve read head at the row level. In a first embodiment of the invention a first magnetic field is applied substantially perpendicular to the air bearing surface (ABS) at room temperature for setting the magnetic moment of the pinned layer substantially perpendicular to the ABS followed by applying a second magnetic field substantially parallel to the ABS for setting the magnetic moments of the hard biasing layers substantially parallel to the ABS. In a second embodiment of the invention the antiferromagnetic pinning layer is also reset. This is done by heating the pinning layer with a current pulse conducted through the leads to the conductive layers of the spin valve head so that localized heating takes place adjacent the pinning layer as contrasted to ambient heating of the spin valve head. Simultaneous with the localized heating the first magnetic field is applied for orienting the magnetic spins of the pinning layer perpendicular to the ABS and resetting the magnetic moment of the pinned layer perpendicular to the ABS in a single domain state. Subsequently, a second magnetic field is applied for resetting the magnetic moment of the hard biasing layer parallel to the ABS in a single domain state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two step method of resetting magnetizations of a spin valve read head and, more particularly, to, first, applying a first magnetic field for resetting the magnetization of a pinned layer and, optionally, the orientation of magnetic spins of a pinning layer, and, second, applying a second magnetic field for resetting the magnetization of biasing layers of the head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A read head includes a spin valve sensor for sensing magnetic fields on moving magnetic media, such as magnetic disks or magnetic tapes. The sensor includes a nonmagnetic conductive layer, hereinafter a "spacer layer", sandwiched between first and second ferromagnetic layers, hereinafter a "pinned layer", and a "free layer", respectively. Hard biasing layers are connected to opposite end portions of the free layer for stabilizing the magnetic moment of the free layer in a single domain state. First and second leads are connected to the spin valve sensor for conducting a sense current therethrough. The magnetization of the pinned layer is pinned at about 90.degree. to the magnetization of the free layer, and the magnetization of the free layer is free to respond to external magnetic fields. The magnetization of the pinned layer is typically pinned by exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic layer, hereinafter a "pinning layer".
Preferably, the thickness of the spacer layer is less than the mean free path of conduction electrons through the sensor. With this arrangement, a portion of the conduction electrons is scattered by interfaces between the spacer layer and the pinned and free layers. When the magnetizations of the pinned and free layers are substantially parallel, scattering is minimal and the electrical resistance of the sensor is at a minimum. When the magnetizations of the pinned and free layers are substantially antiparallel, scattering is maximized and the electrical resistance of the sensor is at a maximum. Changes in scattering alter the electrical resistance of the spin valve sensor in proportion to sin .theta., where .theta. is the angle between the magnetizations of the pinned and free layers. A spin valve sensor is characterized by a magnetoresistive (MR) coefficient (the ratio of the change in electrical resistance of the sensor to its maximum electrical resistance) that is substantially higher than the MR coefficient of an anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor. For this reason a spin valve sensor is sometimes referred to as a "giant magnetoresistive" (GMR) sensor.
A read head employing a spin valve sensor (hereinafter, a "spin valve read head") may be combined with an inductive write head to form a combined magnetic head. In a magnetic disk drive, an air bearing surface (ABS) of a combined magnetic head is supported adjacent a rotating disk to write information on or read information from the disk. Information is written to the rotating disk by magnetic fields which fringe across a gap between the first and second pole pieces of the write head. In a read mode, the electrical resistance of the spin valve sensor changes proportionally to the magnitudes of the magnetic fields on the rotating disk. When a sense current I.sub.S is conducted through the spin valve sensor, electrical resistance changes cause potential changes that are detected and processed as playback signals.
Another type of spin valve sensor, an antiparallel (AP) pinned spin valve sensor, is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,185 to Heim and Parkin, which is incorporated into this application by this reference. The AP pinned spin valve sensor differs from the pinned layer spin valve sensor, described above, in that the pinned layer of the AP pinned spin valve sensor comprises multiple thin films, which are collectively referred to as an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer, while the pinned layer of the pinned layer spin valve sensor is a single thin film layer. The AP pinned layer has a nonmagnetic spacer film, hereinafter referred to as an antiparallel (AP) coupling film, sandwiched between first and second ferromagnetic thin films. The first thin film is exchange coupled to the pinning layer by being immediately adjacent thereto, and has its magnetic moment directed in a first direction. The second thin film is immediately adjacent to the free layer and is exchange coupled to the first thin film by the minimal thickness (in the order of 5 .ANG.) of the AP coupling film between the first and second thin films. The magnetic moment of the second thin film is oriented in a second direction that is antiparallel to the direction of the magnetic moment of the first film. The magnetic moments of the first and second films subtractively combine to provide a net pinning moment of the pinned layer. The direction of the net moment is determined by the thicker of the first and second thin films. The thicknesses of the first and second thin films are chosen to reduce the net moment. A reduced net moment results in a reduced demagnetization (demag) field from the AP pinned layer. Since the exchange coupling between the pinning layer and first thin film is inversely proportional to the net pinning moment, the exchange coupling is increased.
A transfer curve (a plot of the readback signal of the spin valve head versus the applied signal from the magnetic disk) of a spin valve sensor is defined by sin .theta.. A substantially flat portion of the transfer curve is selected for location of a bias point so that response of the sensor is substantially linear. Since positive and negative magnetic fields from a moving magnetic disk are typically equal in magnitude, it is important that positive and negative changes in the magnetoresistance of the spin valve sensor about the bias point on the transfer curve also be equal, which is referred to herein as read signal symmetry. The location of the bias point on the transfer curve is influenced by various magnetic fields when the sensor is in a quiescent state (sense current conducted, but an absence of magnetic fields from the rotating disk). When these magnetic fields are not balanced there will be read signal asymmetry in a positive or a negative direction with respect to the bias point.
A high performance spin valve head has high magnitude read signal output, and low, or no, read signal asymmetry. Where there is no read signal asymmetry, the transfer curve of the read signal is centered about a zero bias point. This means that from a point where the input signal is zero, the amplitudes of the positive and negative read signal outputs are equal as the input signals go between positive to negative levels. The level of performance of the spin valve head is dependent upon proper orientation and magnetizations of the aforementioned layers. If either of the pinned or biasing layers acquires a multi-magnetic domain state, read signal output will be decreased and read signal asymmetry will be increased. The impact on read signal output and read signal asymmetry will be even greater if the magnetic spins of the pinning layer are disoriented.
After fabrication of rows and columns of magnetic heads at a wafer level, the orientation of the magnetic spins of the pinning layers and the magnetic moments of the pinned and biasing layers are set by the application of magnetic fields in the presence of heat at or above the blocking temperature of the pinning layers. After setting the layers the heads typically undergo testing at the wafer level. The testing may be implemented by connecting test circuitry to terminals that are connected to the heads. The wafer is then diced into rows of sliders which contain the magnetic heads and then the row is lapped for forming the air bearing surfaces of the sliders. Unfortunately, after testing at the wafer level, dicing the heads into rows and lapping, the pinned and biasing layers may be changed from a single magnetic domain state to a multi magnetic domain state. In some heads, the orientation of the spins of the pinning layer may also be disturbed. Either or both of these conditions will cause a decrease in the performance of the spin valve head.

Two step resetting of magnetization of spin valve read head at the row level

International Business Machines Corporation


A bone fixation member can be configured to secure first and second bone segments of a target bone together in a compressed approximated position. The bone fixation member can include a strap made of a first material, a locking head extending from a proximal end of the strap, and a leader portion extending from a distal end of the strap. The locking head can have a housing and a strap receiving slot that extends through the housing, slot is configured to receive a distal end of the strap. The housing can be tapered such that a distal end of the housing has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of a proximal end of the housing. The leader portion can be configured to be more flexible than the strap. The leader portion can be made of a second material that is different than the first material.

In order to provide access to certain internal anatomy, such as the heart during an open heart procedure, midline sternotomies are typically performed. A midline sternotomy creates a cut substantially along the midline of the sternum, thereby dividing the ribcage into two halves and allowing the surgeon to move the ribcage so as to provide access to the heart. Upon completion of the open heart procedure, it is desired to approximate and compress the sternum, and rigidly maintain the sternal halves in their approximated position relative to each other so that the sterna halves are prevented from moving with respect to each other to promote bone fusion in the weeks following the surgical procedure.
During normal anatomical function, for instance during respiration, body movement, and carrying of objects, forces can be generated that act on the sternum. One conventional sternal fixation assembly includes stainless steel wires that are placed either parasternally (around the sternum) or transsternally (through the sternum bone) using a cutting needle that is attached to the wire, and subsequently twisted to tighten the wire against the sternum. However, the twisting generates tensile forces onto the wires that tend to weaken the wire, which can result in breakage both during the closure or post-operatively. Furthermore, this type of system relies on the experience of the surgeon when tightening the wires. If the wires are not tightened enough, the sternal compression can be compromised. If the wires are tightened too much, the wire can cut into or through the sternum and/or can break.

Bone fixation member systems and methods of use


Methods for fabricating semiconductor structures with backside stress layers are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the method comprises the steps of providing a semiconductor device formed on and within a front surface of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device comprises a channel region. A plurality of dielectric layers is formed overlying the semiconductor device. The plurality of dielectric layers comprises conductive connections that are in electrical communication with the semiconductor device. A backside stress layer is formed on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate. The backside stress layer is configured to apply to the channel region of the semiconductor device a uniaxial compressive or tensile stress that, with stresses applied by the plurality of dielectric layers, results in an overall stress exerted on the channel region to achieve a predetermined overall strain of the channel region.

The majority of present day integrated circuits (ICs) are implemented by using a plurality of interconnected field effect transistors (FETs), such as, for example, junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs or MOS transistors). A JFET is a type of transistor in which the current flow through a channel of the device between a drain electrode and a source electrode is controlled by the voltage applied to a gate electrode. An MOS transistor includes a gate electrode as a control electrode that is formed overlying a semiconductor substrate and spaced-apart source and drain regions that are formed within the semiconductor substrate and between which a current can flow. A control voltage applied to the gate electrode controls the flow of current through a channel in the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions and beneath the gate electrode. Usually both P-channel FETs (PMOS transistors) and N-channel FETs (NMOS transistors) are used to form ICs.
FET transistors, in contrast to bipolar transistors, are majority carrier devices. For example, the gain of an MOS transistor, usually defined by the transconductance (gm), is proportional to the mobility of the majority carriers in the transistor channel. The current-carrying capability of an MOS transistor is proportional to the mobility of the majority carriers in the channel. The mobility of electrons, the majority carrier in an NMOS transistor, can be increased by applying a longitudinal tensile stress to the channel. The tensile stress caused by the differential contraction can thus improve the performance of an NMOS transistor. Similarly, the mobility of holes, the majority carrier in a PMOS transistor, can be increased by applying a longitudinal compressive stress to the channel, thus improving the performance of the PMOS transistor.
Various methods have been used to apply stress layers to FET structures, although such methods often suffer from significant drawbacks. For example, conductive contacts to the source/drain regions often are formed through a stress layer that has been applied to the top or front side of the transistors, that is, overlying the gate electrodes. However, this interruption of the stress layer by a conductive contact compromises the integrity of the stress layer, thus decreasing the stress it applies to the channel regions. In addition, methods that form the stress layer on the backside of the transistors, that is, underlying the semiconductor substrate on and within which the transistors have been formed, typically do so early in the transistor fabrication, such as after impurity doping of source/drain regions. Thus, the stress layer is subjected to subsequent thermal processing of the transistor structure, which also can jeopardize the integrity of the stress layer. Further, if the stress layer is formed on the backside of the FET structure early in the FET structure fabrication, the stress layer often is removed when the structure is thinned for packaging and assembly. Thus, the final structure cannot benefit from the presence of the stress layer when the structure is in operation.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods for fabricating a semiconductor structure having a backside stress layer that is formed after fabrication of a semiconductor device and before packaging and assembly. In addition, it is desirable to provide methods for fabricating a semiconductor structure having a backside stress layer that is formed after thermal processing steps. It also is desirable to provide methods for fabricating a semiconductor structure having backside stress layers that are not removed from the structure before packaging and assembly. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.


An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermined task on a game unit, they receive a non-monetary award based on the progressive score. Each game unit connected to the progressive bonus apparatus may take the form of an arcade-type game with a rotating wheel on which to base scoring. A playing piece is directed down a playing surface towards a target end, and the wheel is rotated according to the target that was hit by the playing piece. The position of the wheel when it stops rotating affects the score. A non-monetary award based on the score is dispensed to the player when the game is completed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to games normally played in an arcade environment, and more particularly to such games played by directing a playing piece towards a target and seeing the results of game play displayed on a rotatable wheel.
2. Background of the Related Art
Roll-down games have been played for many years in arcade environments. These games usually include a ramp and one or more targets at the end of the ramp. A player rolls a ball down the ramp towards a desired target, and a game score is displayed on a scoring display based upon the player's success.
In U.S. Pat. No. 810,299, 0. E. Pettee describes a game in which a ball is rolled down a plane towards an upright target pin. When the pin is impacted, a motor activates to spin a dial. When the dial stops spinning, it indicates the player's score.
In U.S Pat. No. 2,141,580, S. E. White describes a game in which a ball is tossed into holes marked in various time intervals. A spinning dial hand is stopped from rotating by the amount of time indicated by the hole that the ball is tossed into. The object of the game is to make the dial stop at a chosen character or numeral on the dial face.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,915, F. D. Johns describes a skee-ball game in which a ball is rolled towards a scoring drum and in which tickets are. dispensed to the player by an electrically operated automatic ticket dispenser.
Roll-down games of the prior art, while enjoyable, are rather simple games and, as such, often lead to rapid player boredom. This is undesirable in an arcade environment where revenues are directly related to the continuous, repeated use of the games.

Multi-player ticket redemption arcade game


In a method for regulating the power supply of a plurality of field devices S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, connected to a data bus DBL and supplied with electrical current over the data bus DBL, the electrical current requirements of the individual field devices S1, S2, S3, A1, A2 are determined, and the electrical current consumptions of the field devices S1, S2, S3, A1, A2 are adjusted by means of corresponding control signals. In this way, the electrical current consumption of individual field devices S1, S2, S3, A1, A2 can be centrally adjusted and therewith the process conditions matched.

In the technologies of automation and process control, field devices are often applied for the purpose of measuring process variables (sensors) and controlling control variables (actuators).
Field devices for flow, fill level, differential pressure, temperature determination, etc., are well known. For registering the corresponding process variable, such as mass or volume flow rate, fill height, pressure, temperature, etc., the field devices are placed in the immediate vicinity of the relevant process component.
The field devices deliver a measurement signal, representing the measurement of the sampled process variable. This measurement signal is transferred to a central control unit (e.g. a control room or a process control system). As a rule, the entire process control is done from a control unit, where the measurement signals of different field devices are evaluated and, on the basis of the evaluation, control signals for actuators are produced, with the actuators then accordingly influencing the direction of the process.
An example of an actuator is a controllable valve, which regulates the flow of a liquid or gas in a section of a pipeline.
Signal transmission between field device and control unit can occur in digital form over a data bus. Known international standards for such signal transmission are PROFIBUS, FOUNDATION FIELDBUS, and CAN-Bus. In the case of programmable field devices, it is most common to utilize ASIC's (application-specific integrated circuits) or SMD's (surface mounted devices).
Thus, in the case of programmable field devices, ever more "intelligence" is being moved into the field, to the location of actual use.
The corresponding control program of a field device is stored in the field device in non-volatile memory and is executed in a microprocessor, which controls, among other things, the operating, measuring, and control functions of the field device.
Frequently, field devices are supplied with electrical current over the data bus. Electrical current consumption of a field device depends on various factors and is, as a rule, not constant over time. When a measurement is being obtained, an increased supply of current (peak load) becomes necessary. In the times in-between, a lesser supply of current (base load) is sufficient. The electrical current consumption of each field device is set by hardware at a fixed consumption level. Normally, the consumption level corresponds to the peak load, in order to assure that the field device will always have sufficient current for all of its functions. This means that in the times between measurements, unnecessary current is being consumed.
In newer field devices, the consumption level lies between the peak load and the base load. This means, however, that these field devices must contain an energy storer, in order to cover their energy requirement during times when measurement is occurring. Once the energy storer is filled completely, the energy supplied above the base load must be wasted by useless conversion into heat.
Only a certain amount of current (limit level) can be supplied over a data bus. I.e., the number of field devices that can be connected to a data bus is limited. The sum of the consumption levels of the separate field devices must not exceed the limit level. If as many field devices as possible are to be connected to a data bus, then the consumption levels of the separate field devices must be kept as low as possible, and this means, as a consequence, a low measuring rate for the separate field devices.
If the consumption levels of the separate field devices must be lowered, because an additional field device is to be connected to the data bus, this can only be done manually, which is expensive.

Method for regulating the power supply of a number of multiple field devices


A dynamic vehicle stability control system for a vehicle may include an active wing extending laterally relative to a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and configured to be rotatable to change an angle of attack relative to wind passing over the vehicle parallel to the longitudinal centerline, a repositioning assembly operably coupling the active wing to the vehicle, and a controller operably coupled to components and/or a sensor network of the vehicle to receive status information about the vehicle. The repositioning assembly may be operated based on a wing angle command received by the controller responsive to execution of a plurality of control algorithms executed by the controller. The controller may be configured to determine the wing angle command based on respective wing angle requests generated by each of the control algorithms.

Vehicles, and especially high performance vehicles, often employ aerodynamic devices that are designed to improve aerodynamic performance. These aerodynamic devices are typically static. Because these aerodynamic devices are static, they may provide improved performance over only a limited set of vehicle conditions. Outside of the limited set of vehicle conditions, the aerodynamic devices may compromise performance. As such, these static aerodynamic devices may be designed to be acceptable over all vehicle conditions at a single setting, and may therefore compromise vehicle performance relative to driver preferences and vehicle capabilities.
Thus, it may be desirable to develop an aerodynamic device that addresses some of the shortcomings discussed above.

System and method for active aerodynamic device control for a vehicle


A microstrip antenna includes a ferrite loaded substrate having a ground plane conductor disposed over a first surface thereof and having a strip conductor disposed over a second surface thereof. A DC magnetic field biasing circuit provides a directed DC magnetic field to the ferrite substrate such that the strip conductor radiates electromagnetic energy having circular polarization. In one embodiment, a ferrite material is disposed over the strip conductor to reduce the radar cross section of the antenna.

As is known in the art, a microstrip antenna typically includes a substrate having a ground plane disposed on a first surface thereof and a radiating element provided as a strip conductor having a rectangular or circular shape disposed on a second surface thereof. Radio frequency (RF) energy is typically coupled to the radiator via an RF feed circuit. When a single RF feed circuit is coupled to a radiating element having a rectangular shape, the antenna radiates electromagnetic energy having a linear polarization.
As is also known, there has been a trend in microstrip antennas to provide the substrate as a ferrite substrate and provide a DC magnetic field perpendicular to the plane in which the radiating element is disposed. This is done to provide the antenna having phase shifting, impedance matching and frequency tuning capabilities. For example, by applying a DC magnetic field to a microstrip antenna array having a plurality of radiating elements disposed over a ferrite substrate, a so-called main antenna beam of the antenna may be scanned and the radiation frequency of a microstrip antenna may be tuned by varying the strength of the biasing magnetic field.
One problem with such rectangular shaped radiating elements having a single feed however, is that they are linearly polarized. In many applications, it would be desirable to be able to receive RF energy of any polarization, and in particular it would be desirable to receive RF energy having two orthogonal polarizations or circular polarizations.
Microstrip antennas having circular polarization are able to receive RF energy having any polarization. Conventional circularly polarized microstrip antennas include a radiating element having a circular shape and a single feed circuit (i.e., single feed circular patch). Alternatively, a radiating element having a rectangular shape fed from two properly phased feed circuits coupled to adjacent sides of the radiating element (i.e., dual feed rectangular patch) may also provide circular polarization. In the single feed circular patch approach, the amount of elipticity in the shape of the radiating element determines the mixing of the two orthogonal linearly polarized radiations which in turn provides the circularly polarized waves.
In the dual feed rectangular patch approach, two orthogonal feeds are required in which the relative phases are shifted 90.degree. apart from each other to provide an antenna which may radiate electromagnetic energy having circular polarization.


A laser diode having a cathode connected to the ground side of a positive power source and an anode connected to the plus voltage side of the power source through a control circuit. A maximum current to drive the laser diode is supplied to the laser diode by a disgorging type constant current source. In a reading mode operated at a frequency one or more digit higher than a frequency for writing data, a differential current between the write current and a read current is sucked from the disgorging type constant current source by a sucking type constant current source, thereby allowing the read current to flow into the diode. In a writing mode, a current switch connects the sucking type current source according to write data. The disgorging type current source and the sucking type current source are connected to a photodiode by a current switch. An APC responds to the photodiode which detects a read power, thereby reducing a laser fluctuation created from temperature change.

The invention relates to a control apparatus of a laser diode for controlling a light emitting power of a laser beam which is irradiated from the laser diode to an optically rewritable or unwritable recording medium such as optical disk, magnetooptical disk, or the like and, more particularly, to a control apparatus of a laser diode whose light emission is driven and in which a cathode is connected to the ground side of a positive power source and an anode is connected to the plus voltage side of the positive power source through a control circuit.
In an optical recording and reproducing apparatus using an optical recording medium such as optical disk, magnetooptical disk, optical card, or the like, a laser diode is used as a light source, the light emission is controlled to a large write power in the writing or erasing mode, and the light emission is controlled to a small read power in the reading mode.
In the reading mode corresponding to a small power, a power level exists in a noise region of the laser diode and an S/N ratio of a reproduction signal deteriorates. Therefore, there is used a read modulating method such that the light emitting output is modulated so as to have a peak level exceeding a noise level at a frequency which is higher by one or more digit than a recording frequency and an execution power is suppressed within the noise region even when a peak power is high.
Further, in order to suppress a fluctuation of the light emitting power during the use of the laser diode, an automatic power control (hereinafter, abbreviated to "APC") is used, thereby controlling a light emitting power in the reading mode and a specific power (lowest power level when there is no light emission) in the writing mode to set reference values.
Generally, the laser diode has a unit structure such that it is packaged integratedly with a photodiode for monitoring. A negative power source is ordinarily used due to a diode connection in the unit.
In the field of a small disk apparatus, however, a positive power source is generally used and it is demanded that the small disk apparatus can be driven by the positive power source.


A semiconductor stack package includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a first semiconductor chip, and a second semiconductor chip. The first and second semiconductor chips are disposed side-by-side on a first surface of the PCB to be spaced apart from each other. Each of the first and second semiconductor chips includes a command/address (CA) chip pad and a data input/output (DQ) chip pad. The CA chip pad of the first semiconductor chip is electrically coupled to the CA chip pad of the second semiconductor chip through a CA bonding wire.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to semiconductor stack packages, and more particularly, to semiconductor stack packages including a plurality chips disposed side-by-side on a single plane.
2. Related Art
In the electronics industry, multi-functional or highly integrated semiconductor packages with compact sizes are increasingly in demand with the development of smaller and higher performance electronic systems. In response to such a demand, various package technologies for arraying or disposing many semiconductor chips in a single semiconductor package have been proposed to provide the multi-functional and highly integrated semiconductor packages. These multi-chip packages may be readily realized by designing at least one semiconductor chip in each package to be a multi-functional chip or by increasing a capacity of the at least one semiconductor chip in each package. Thus, the multi-chip packages may have the advantage of relatively short development period and low fabrication cost.
Since each of the multi-chip packages is fabricated by stacking semiconductor chips, the multi-chip packages may also be referred to as stack packages. The stack packages may be typically categorized as either vertical stack packages or horizontal stack packages according to a method of stacking the semiconductor chips. Each of the vertical stack packages may be realized by vertically stacking semiconductor chips on a package substrate, and each of the horizontal stack packages may be realized by arraying or disposing semiconductor chips side-by-side on a package substrate.


Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the use of a Bloom Filter in a web analytics application. Large sets of data, obtained from on and offline sources, may be analyzed using a Bloom Filter to find desired patterns within the data. The use of a Bloom Filter in the analysis allows for a more efficient use of resources to perform the analysis.

The present invention relates to on-demand web analytics, and in particular to analyzing web activity in relation to user segments.
The field of Web Analytics involves the collection of large amounts of data characterizing an internet user's web usage behavior. Examples of data that can be collected include the web page from which a user came, the pages viewed on a web site, if a purchase was made from the web site, the products viewed on the web site, etc. Such data can be collected for any number of different users over any number of different periods of time. The field of web analytics is dedicated to examining the vast amounts of data collected and determining if there are any useful patterns or similarities in the data across different users or groups of users. Discovery of such patterns or similarities may allow a web site owner to customize their web site in order to be more conducive to achieving certain goals, such as increasing sales.
One task that may be performed by a web analytics system is determining what web activities users satisfying certain criteria have also engaged in. For example, an administrator of an e-commerce web site, who may also be referred to as a client of the web analytics system, may wish to know which web pages have been viewed by users who made a purchase. Such information could be useful to the administrator in determining which pages are most likely to result in a sale. Another example may be of all the users who made a purchase in one month, what pages were viewed by those users in a subsequent month.
Web analytics systems capture vast amounts of data related to user's behavior on web sites. In some cases, analytics systems capture data related to every single page a user views, as well as any item on the page that the user clicks. Although the captured data is vast, it is relatively meaningless until processed to reveal patterns that are of value to a web site administrator. Often times, the administrator herself may not know what data will be meaningful at the time of collection. The administrator may wish to pose numerous "what if" type questions to the web analytics system in order to reveal useful data. For example, an administrator may ask "of users who purchased a product in January, how many viewed pages in February?" After receiving the results, it may be the case that no interesting patterns are revealed. The administrator may then ask "of users who purchased a product in February, how many viewed pages in January?" The second query may reveal that users who make purchases on the web site generally only do so after multiple visits.
Providing the ability for a web site administrator to query web usage data using unknown criteria poses several challenges to designers of web analytics systems. One of these challenges is the vast amount of collected data may not necessarily be structured in the form that is most conducive to answering the particular query presented. Continuing with the previous example, the web site administrator may have a list of all users that made a purchase in a given month. These users may be identified by a user ID. The group of users who satisfy the specified criteria may be referred to as a segment. The administrator may wish to know what web pages were viewed in the previous month by the users in the segment.
A naïve approach to this problem would entail the use of a nested loop join. An outer loop would iterate over each stored web activity. For each activity, an inner loop will compare the user ID associated with the activity to each user ID of users that made a purchase. If a match occurs, the web activity is added to the results set. Once each user ID in the set of users who made a purchase has been iterated, the process repeats, moving on to the next stored web activity. The nested loop join approach is extraordinarily inefficient and thus time consuming. In a best case scenario, where each and every stored web activity is associated with a user who made a purchase, on average each web activity would be compared to ½ the total number of users who made a purchase. In a more realistic scenario, some, if not most, of the stored web activities will be associated with user IDs that did not make a purchase. In such a case, each activity associated with a non-purchasing user ID would be compared to the full set of user IDs that made a purchase, only to determine that the activity should not be added to the results set.
An alternative approach that is slightly more efficient would be to use a lookup structure to perform a hash join. Each user ID that made a purchase could be loaded into a lookup structure, such as a hash table. The user ID for each web activity can then be hashed to determine if the user ID is contained in the hash table. The hash join approach has its own disadvantages. One problem occurs when a large number of users have made a purchase. The hash table itself may not fit into memory, requiring expensive and inefficient swapping of portions of the hash table into and out of memory. Furthermore, there is the complexity of properly sizing the hash table. Choosing too large a size results in a sparsely populated table, which could lead to the memory problems discussed above. Choosing too small a size results in large numbers of user IDs hashing to the same hash bucket, which would then result in further processing of all the entries contained in that hash bucket.
Yet another approach involves sorting both the web usage activity and the user IDs of those users who made a purchase. This may be referred to as a sort merge join. The algorithm for performing a sort merge join is complex and inefficient. Although the sort merge join may provide some efficiencies in the matching stage, the processing required to sort is excessive. When the set of stored web activities is large, as it is expected to be in web analytics applications, the sorting step alone becomes prohibitively expensive.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for efficient filtering of usage activity based on segments.

Using a bloom filter in a web analytics application

International Business Machines Corporation


Technologies generally described herein relate to waved time multiplexing. In some examples, a command flit can be transmitted from a sender node of a network-on-chip (“NOC”) to a destination node of the NOC via an intermediate node along a circuit-switched path. The command flit can include an interval period and a release duration. When the command flit has been transmitted, one or more data flits can be transmitted from the sender node to the destination node via the intermediate node along the circuit-switched path. The sender node, the destination node, and the intermediate node can be configured to reserve router resources of the sender node, the destination node, and the intermediate node respectively for circuit-switched traffic during a use duration of the interval period and to release the router resources for packet-switched traffic during the release duration in a waved time multiplex arrangement.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Data centers sometimes rely upon computing systems having multicore chips to run servers. With the current rate of technology scaling, the number of cores that can be integrated into each multicore chip may double about every two to three years. While this rate is expected to begin decreasing, the number of cores that can be included in a multicore chip can be expected to continue to increase for the foreseeable future.
With the ever-increasing number of cores in multicore chips, one challenge is the power usage of each core. In particular, the threshold voltage of the cores can reach a point at which further downscaling may be impossible without increasing static power consumption of the chips. Thus, one way to further increase efficiency and/or power of multicore processors may be to improve the energy efficiency of the cores.


The present invention is directed toward fluorescent inks and markers comprising carbon nanotubes. The present invention is also directed toward methods of making such inks and markers and to methods of using such inks and markers, especially for security applications (e.g., anti-counterfeiting). Such inks and markers rely on the unique fluorescent properties of semiconducting carbon nanotubes.

The issues of authentication and counterfeit deterrence can be important in many contexts. Bills of currency, stock and bond certificates, credit cards, passports, drivers licenses, as well as many other legal documents (e.g., deeds, wills, etc.) all must be reliably authentic to be useful. Museums and art galleries face such challenges when authenticating works of art. Additionally, consumer products and other articles of manufacturing, such as pharmaceuticals, books, movies, software, etc., are frequently the subject of counterfeiting in the form of "pirated" versions or "knock-offs."
A wide variety of attempts have been made to limit the likelihood of counterfeiting. Most such attempts tend to incorporate a unique identifier into the potentially counterfeited item. The addition of fluorescent compounds to inks and dyes has long been a technique used by governments and banks for anti-counterfeiting purposes. Likewise, fluorescent compounds can be incorporated or otherwise associated with other articles for identification and/or anti-piracy purposes. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,558,224 and 6,246,061.
Fluorescence, being a subset of photoluminescence (PL), occurs when a material is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation (EM), at least some of which is absorbed. Fluorescence refers to the subsequently re-emitted radiation of wavelength other than that which was absorbed. Typically, such emission, or fluorescence, is red-shifted to longer wavelengths relative to the incident or absorbed radiation, such emission can also be described as being Stokes shifted. The terms "fluorescence," "luminescence," and "photoluminescence," will be used synonymously herein.
Fluorescent compounds typically used in such above-described applications are generally organic molecules that fluoresce in the visible region of the EM spectrum when irradiated with ultra-violet (UV) light. There is, however, a constant need for both new and better fluorescent compounds to a) stay ahead of the would-be counterfeiters, and b) to expand the breadth of such marking and authentication techniques, wherein such fluorescent compounds offer a more unique optical signal and/or yield themselves to processing and operating conditions unsuitable for existing fluorescent compounds.

Fluorescent security ink using carbon nanotubes


There is provided a method for adjusting a system for providing hearing assistance to a user (101), the system comprising a microphone arrangement (26) for capturing audio signals, a transmission unit (102) for transmitting the audio signals via a wireless link (107) to a receiver unit (103) worn by the user, a gain control unit (126) located in the receiver unit for setting the gain applied to the audio signals, and means (38) worn at or in a user's ear (39) for stimulating the hearing of the user according to the audio signals from the receiver unit (103), said method comprising: generating test audio signals, transmitting said test audio signals at a pre-defined level from the transmission unit via the wireless link to the receiver unit and stimulating the user's hearing with said test audio signals via said stimulating means; simultaneously transmitting gain control commands from the transmission unit to the gain control unit in order to selectively change the gain set by the gain control unit; repeating these steps until an optimum value of the gain set by the gain control unit has been determined; and transmitting a store command from the transmission unit to the receiver unit in order to store that determined optimum value of the gain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for adjusting a system for providing hearing assistance to a user; it also relates to a corresponding system. In particular, the invention relates to a system comprising a microphone arrangement for capturing audio signals, a transmission unit for transmitting the audio signals via a wireless audio link from the transmission unit to a receiver unit, and means worn at or in the user's ear for stimulating the hearing of the user according to the audio signals received by the receiver unit.
2. Description of Related Art
Usually in such systems the wireless audio link is an FM radio link. According to a typical application of such wireless audio systems the receiver unit is connected to or integrated into a hearing instrument, such as a hearing aid, with the transmitted audio signals being mixed with audio signals captured by the microphone of the hearing instrument prior to being reproduced by the output transducer of the hearing instrument. The benefit of such systems is that the microphone of the hearing instrument can be supplemented or replaced by a remote microphone which produces audio signals which are transmitted wirelessly to the FM receiver and thus to the hearing instrument. In particular, FM systems have been standard equipment for children with hearing loss in educational settings for many years. Their merit lies in the fact that a microphone placed a few inches from the mouth of a person speaking receives speech at a much higher level than one placed several feet away. This increase in speech level corresponds to an increase in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to the direct wireless connection to the listener's amplification system. The resulting improvements of signal level and SNR in the listener's ear are recognized as the primary benefits of FM radio systems, as hearing-impaired individuals are at a significant disadvantage when processing signals with a poor acoustical SNR.
Most FM systems in use today provide two or three different operating modes. The choices are to get the sound from: (1) the hearing instrument microphone alone, (2) the FM microphone alone, or (3) a combination of FM and hearing instrument microphones together.
Usually, most of the time the FM system is used in mode (3), i.e. the FM plus hearing instrument combination (often labeled "FM+M" or "FM+ENV" mode). This operating mode allows the listener to perceive the speaker's voice from the remote microphone with a good SNR while the integrated hearing instrument microphone allows to listener to also hear environmental sounds. This allows the user/listener to hear and monitor his own voice, as well as voices of other people or environmental noise, as long as the loudness balance between the FM signal and the signal coming from the hearing instrument microphone is properly adjusted. The so-called "FM advantage" measures the relative loudness of signals when both the FM signal and the hearing instrument microphone are active at the same time. As defined by the ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2002), FM advantage compares the levels of the FM signal and the local microphone signal when the speaker and the user of an FM system are spaced by a distance of two meters. In this example, the voice of the speaker will travel 30 cm to the input of the FM microphone at a level of approximately 80 dB-SPL, whereas only about 65 dB-SPL will remain of this original signal after traveling the 2 m distance to the microphone in the hearing instrument. The ASHA guidelines recommend that the FM signal should have a level 10 dB higher than the level of the hearing instrument's microphone signal at the output of the user's hearing instrument.
When following the ASHA guidelines (or any similar recommendation), the relative gain, i.e. the ratio of the gain applied to the audio signals produced by the FM microphone and the gain applied to the audio signals produced by the hearing instrument microphone, has to be set to a fixed value in order to achieve e.g. the recommended FM advantage of 10 dB under the above-mentioned specific conditions. Accordingly,—depending on the type of hearing instrument used—the audio output of the FM receiver has been adjusted in such a way that the desired FM advantage is either fixed or programmable by a professional, so that during use of the system the FM advantage—and hence the gain ratio—is constant in the FM+M mode of the FM receiver.
CA 2422449 A1 relates to an example of such an FM receiver which not only receives audio signals from a remote microphone transmitter but in addition may communicate with remote devices such as a remote control or a programming unit via wireless link for data transmission.
EP 1 638 367 A2 relates to another example of an FM receiver for receiving audio signals from a remote microphone transmitter, wherein the FM receiver upon receipt of a polling signal from the remote microphone transmitter is capable of transmitting status information regarding the FM receiver to the remote microphone transmitter.
WO 97/21325 A1 relates to a hearing system comprising a remote unit with a microphone and an FM transmitter and an FM receiver connected to a hearing aid equipped with a microphone. The hearing aid can be operated in three modes, i.e. "hearing aid only", "FM only" or "FM+M". In the FM+M mode the maximum loudness of the hearing aid microphone audio signal is reduced by a fixed value between 1 and 10 dB below the maximum loudness of the FM microphone audio signal, for example by 4 dB. Both the FM microphone and the hearing aid microphone may be provided with an automatic gain control (AGC) unit.
WO 02/30153 A1 relates to a hearing system comprising an FM receiver connected to a digital hearing aid, with the FM receiver comprising a digital output interface in order to increase the flexibility in signal treatment compared to the usual audio input parallel to the hearing aid microphone, whereby the signal level can easily be individually adjusted to fit the microphone input and, if needed, different frequency characteristics can be applied. However, is not mentioned how such input adjustment can be done.
Contemporary digital hearing aids are capable of permanently performing a classification of the present auditory scene captured by the hearing aid microphones in order to select the hearing aid operation mode which is most appropriate for the determined present auditory scene. Examples for such hearing aids with auditory scene analyses can be found in US2002/0037087, US2002/0090098, CA 2439427 A1 and US2002/0150264.
Usually FM or inductive receivers are equipped with a squelch function by which the audio signal in the receiver is muted if the level of the demodulated audio signal is too low in order to avoid user's perception of excessive noise due a too low sound pressure level at the remote microphone or due to a large distance between the transmission unit and the receiver unit exceeding the reach of the FM link, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,976 and EP 1 619 926 A1.
As already mentioned above, usually the FM advantage is set to a value of about 10 dB, which value is a compromise taking into account a medium surrounding noise level and a good intelligibility of both the FM audio signal and the voice of the neighbours. Further, this value is based on a medium sensitivity of the hearing aid audio input and on a specific microphone impedance of the hearing aid microphone. Variations of the audio input sensitivity of different hearing aids due to microphone impedance and/or sensitivity variations will have a direct impact on the desired FM advantage of 10 dB, i.e. they will cause a deviation from this desired value, resulting in a decreasing comprehension and listening comfort. Measurements have shown audio input sensitivity variations of up to ±6 dB between the main hearing aid models present in the market. This implies that in practice the FM advantage will vary between 4 dB and 16 dB, depending on the hearing aid model connected to the FM receiver, instead of the desired value of 10 dB. In addition to that, tolerances of the FM transmitter and FM receiver gain are also added to the total FM advantage variation. Further, the desired FM advantage of 10 dB is a recommendation only and may not be optimum in any case or situation. In specific cases, the individual user's perception may require another value of the FM advantage than 10 dB.
It is an object of the invention to provide for a method for adjusting a system for providing hearing assistance to a user, wherein a remote microphone arrangement coupled by a wireless audio link to a receiver unit worn by the user is used and wherein perception of the transmitted audio signals should be optimized for the specific user, independently of the hearing instrument model and the FM system parameter variations and tolerances. It is a further object to provide for a corresponding system.

Method for adjusting a system for providing hearing assistance to a user


In a method of performing dilution of a droplet in an EWOD device, a parent droplet is provided on an electrode array of the EWOD device, wherein the parent droplet has a first concentration of a species. A diluent droplet also is provided on the electrode array of the EWOD device. The method includes controlling actuation voltages applied to the electrode array of the EWOD device to join the parent droplet and the diluent droplet into a product droplet having a diluted second concentration of the species different from the first concentration in the parent droplet. The actuation voltages then are controlled to split the product droplet into one or more daughter droplets having the second concentration of the species. A dilution ratio may be calibrated based on the volumes of the droplets. Serial dilution steps may be performed to generate daughter droplets of different species concentrations at each step.

Electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD) is a well known technique for manipulating droplets of fluid by application of an electric field. Active Matrix EWOD (AM-EWOD) refers to implementation of EWOD in an active matrix array incorporating transistors, for example by using thin film transistors (TFTs). EWOD (or AM-EWOD) is thus a candidate technology for digital microfluidics for lab-on-a-chip technology. An introduction to the basic principles of the technology can be found in "Digital microfluidics: is a true lab-on-a-chip possible?", R. B. Fair, Microfluid Nanofluid (2007) 3:245-281).
FIG. 1 shows a part of a conventional EWOD device in cross section. The device includes a lower substrate 72, the uppermost layer of which is formed from a conductive material which is patterned so that a plurality of electrodes 38 (e.g., 38A and 38B in FIG. 1) are realized. The electrode of a given array element may be termed the element electrode 38. The liquid droplet 4, including a polar material (which is commonly also aqueous and/or ionic), is constrained in a plane between the lower substrate 72 and a top substrate 36. A suitable gap between the two substrates may be realized by means of a spacer 32, and a non-polar fluid 34 (e.g. oil) may be used to occupy the volume not occupied by the liquid droplet 4. An insulator layer 20 disposed upon the lower substrate 72 separates the conductive element electrodes 38A, 38B from a first hydrophobic coating 16 upon which the liquid droplet 4 sits with a contact angle 6 represented by θ. The hydrophobic coating is formed from a hydrophobic material (commonly, but not necessarily, a fluoropolymer).
On the top substrate 36 is a second hydrophobic coating 26 with which the liquid droplet 4 may come into contact. Interposed between the top substrate 36 and the second hydrophobic coating 26 is a reference electrode 28.
The contact angle θ 6 is defined as shown in FIG. 1, and is determined by the balancing of the surface tension components between the solid-liquid (γSL), liquid-gas (γLG) and non-ionic fluid (γSG) interfaces, and in the case where no voltages are applied satisfies Young's law, the equation being given by:
                              cos                                                              θ                =                                            γ                              S                                                                                G                                      -                          γ                              S                                                                                L                                                          γ                          L                                                                                G                                                          (                  equation                                                              1                )
In operation, voltages termed the EW drive voltages, (e.g. VT, V0 and V00 in FIG. 1) may be externally applied to different electrodes (e.g. reference electrode 28, element electrodes 38A and 38B, respectively). The resulting electrical forces that are set up effectively control the hydrophobicity of the hydrophobic coating 16. By arranging for different EW drive voltages (e.g. V0 and V00) to be applied to different element electrodes (e.g. 38A and 38B), the liquid droplet 4 may be moved in the lateral plane between the two substrates 72 and 36.
FIG. 1B shows a circuit representation of the electrical load presented between the element electrode 38 and the reference electrode 28. The liquid droplet 4 can be modeled as a resistor and capacitor in parallel, the hydrophobic coatings 16 and 26 as capacitors and the insulator 16 as a capacitor. For the purposes of driving and sensing, the electrical load functions effectively as a capacitor whose value depends on whether a liquid droplet 4 is present or not a given element electrode 38.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,727 (Shenderov, issued May 20, 2003) discloses a passive matrix EWOD device for moving droplets through an array.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,911,132 (Pamula et al., issued Jun. 28, 2005) discloses a two dimensional EWOD array to control the position and movement of droplets in two dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,727 further discloses methods for other droplet operations including the splitting and merging of droplets, and the mixing together of droplets of different materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,612 (Sterling et al., issued Jan. 16, 2007) describes how TFT based thin film electronics may be used to control the addressing of voltage pulses to an EWOD array by using circuit arrangements very similar to those employed in AM display technologies.
The approach of U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,612 may be termed "Active Matrix Electro-wetting on Dielectric" (AM-EWOD). There are several advantages in using TFT based thin film electronics to control an EWOD array, namely:                Electronic driver circuits can be integrated onto the lower substrate 72.        TFT-based thin film electronics are well suited to the AM-EWOD application.
They are cheap to produce so that relatively large substrate areas can be produced at relatively low cost.                TFTs fabricated in standard processes can be designed to operate at much higher voltages than transistors fabricated in standard CMOS processes. This is significant since many EWOD technologies require EWOD actuation voltages in excess of 20V to be applied.
A disadvantage of U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,612 is that it does not disclose any circuit embodiments for realizing the TFT backplane of the AM-EWOD.
EP2404675 (Hadwen et al., published Jan. 11, 2012) describes array element circuits for an AM-EWOD device. Various methods are known for programming and applying an EWOD actuation voltage to the EWOD element electrode 38. The voltage write function described includes a memory element of standard means, for example, based on Dynamic RAM (DRAM) or Static RAM (SRAM) and input lines for programming the array element.
US Application US20100096266 (Kim et al., published Apr. 22, 2010) describes an EWOD device having a reservoir site that is configured to hold a quantity of liquid. Droplets are dispensed from the reservoir using control circuitry with a feedback mechanism. The control circuitry is configured to measure the fluid volume on the electrodes and independently adjust an applied voltage to increase/decrease the quantity of fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,439,014 (Pamula et al., issued Oct. 21, 2008) describes a method for effecting serial dilution on an EWOD device by combining a droplet with a droplet of wash buffer and then splitting the resultant droplet into two parts.
US Application US20130115703 (Bhattacharya et al., published May 9, 2013) describes a method for producing fluids with desired concentration factors by sequences of mix/split steps on an EWOD device.
Various methods are known for detecting the position and size of one or more droplets on an EWOD device. US8872527 (Sturmer et al., issued Oct. 28, 2014) describes a method for capacitance detection on an EWOD droplet actuator.
US8653832 (Hadwen et al., issued Feb. 18, 2014) describes how an impedance (capacitance) sensing function can be incorporated into the array element of an AM-EWOD device. The sensor function may be utilized to measure the position of one or more droplets on the array. The sensor function may further be utilized to measure the size of droplets which may overlap one or more elements of the array. A method of determining droplet size from sensor data is described in "Programmable large area digital microfluidic array with integrated droplet sensing for bioassays", Hadwen et al, Lab Chip. 2012 Sep. 21; 12(18):3305-13.
Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) is a method for measuring the quantity of a target nucleic acid sequence in a sample of interest. The basic method is described in the article "Digital PCR hits its stride", Nature methods Vol. 9 No. 6 p 541, and involves the sample being diluted and partitioned into hundreds or even millions of separate reaction chambers so that each contains one or no copies of the sequence of interest. By counting the number of 'positive' partitions (in which the sequence is detected) versus 'negative' partitions (in which it is not), one can determine exactly how many copies of a DNA molecule were in the original sample.

EWOD device with calibrated serial dilution function


A lane boundary line recognition device detects lane boundary line candidates of a roadway from images captured by an in-vehicle camera, judges that the lane boundary line candidate is a lane boundary line of a branch road, and calculates a curvature of the lane boundary line candidate, and recognizes the lane boundary line based on the calculated curvature. The device removes the lane boundary line candidate, which has been judged as the lane boundary line of the branch road, is removed from a group of the lane boundary line candidates, and calculates the curvature of the lane boundary line candidate based on an estimated rate of change of the curvature. The device uses a past curvature calculated predetermined-number of images before when the lane boundary line candidate is the lane boundary line of the branch road, and resets the estimated rate of change of the curvature to zero.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lane boundary line recognition devices and computer-readable storage mediums for storing programs capable of recognizing lane boundary lines on a roadway on which an own vehicle drives and assisting a driver of the own vehicle in order to perform driving safely.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed a driver assist device which detects and recognizes lane boundary lines on an own vehicle lane of a roadway, on which an own vehicle drives, on the basis of images captured by at least an in-vehicle camera mounted on the own vehicle. The driver assist device performs the driver assist of the own vehicle on the basis of the recognized lane boundary lines. The driver assist device provides warning regarding occurrence of abnormalities to the driver of the own vehicle when the own vehicle departs from the own vehicle lane, for example. It is necessary for the driver assist device previously described to correctly detect and recognize the lane boundary lines of the own vehicle lane on the roadway, at a branch road junction and in the presence of a branch road in front of the own vehicle. The branch road branches at the branch road junction from the roadway on which the own vehicle drives. However, there is a possible incorrect recognition for the device to recognize a lane boundary line (or a white line) of a branch road as a lane boundary line of the own vehicle lane when using data regarding the lane boundary lines calculated at the detection timing of the branch road.
In order to avoid such an incorrect recognition, for example, a patent document 1, Japanese patent laid open publication No. 2005-346383, discloses a boundary line detection device which does not use road parameters calculated on the basis of data regarding lane boundary line candidates when detecting that one of two lane boundary lines forming a pair is a lane boundary line of a branch road. By the way, a plurality of pairs of the lane boundary line candidates is extracted from images captured by an in-vehicle camera of the own vehicle. In this case, the boundary line detection device disclosed in the patent document 1 uses past road parameters which have been previously calculated on the basis of the lane boundary lines of the own vehicle lane on the roadway before detecting the presence of the branch road.
The boundary line detection device disclosed in the patent document 1 previously described resets the road parameter including a currently-calculated curvature of the lane boundary line candidate to a past curvature previously calculated when detecting the presence of the branch road. However, this is insufficient for the boundary line detection device to completely avoid the incorrect recognition of the lane boundary lines of the own vehicle lane by using previously-calculated road parameters including the past curvature of the lane boundary line.

Lane boundary line recognition device and computer-readable storage medium storing program of recognizing lane boundary lines on roadway


A method forms adhesive closing parts from a plastic material. To produce at least one adhesive closing element (3) without a form tool in at least one partial area, the plastic material is deposited in the form of drops. The drops are successively delivered by at least one application device (9). The locations of the deposition of the drops are selected in a three-dimensional manner in view of the form of the adhesive closing elements (3) to be produced.

A process for producing adhesive closing parts is disclosed in DE 198 28 856 C1. Application of this process is relatively costly when the adhesive fastening parts to be manufactured in which the adhesive fastener elements are very tightly packed and small. For example, in manufacture of so-called microfasteners, the adhesive fastener elements are provided in the form of stems thickened at their ends or provided with side projections in very high packing densities of 200 or more adhesive fastener elements per square centimeter. Shaping tools, such as dandy rollers, are required to shape the stems at the end. High production costs are incurred because of the very large number of openings in the roller, which may be produced by etching, electrodeposition, or laser machining.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for producing adhesive closing parts


A switch system realizes extension of the number of entries of an open flow table by using tables in a switch as existing resources. Specifically, the switch configures an open flow table by logically combining a plurality of tables, each of which defines processing to a given packet, based on a condition and a processing content defined in each table. The switch refers to the open flow table to determine the processing content to a reception packet. The switch executes the processing of the reception packet based on the determined processing content.

In order to control a communication path in a network system, a path control method adopting an OpenFlow technique as a control protocol for communication equipment has been recently developed. A network whose path is controlled according to the OpenFlow technique is referred to as an OpenFlow network.
In the OpenFlow network, a controller such as an OFC (OpenFlow Controller) operates each OpenFlow table of a switch such as OFS (OpenFlow Switch) to control behaviors of the switches. The controller is connected to the switch through a secure channel (Secure Channel) to control the switch by using a control message conforming to an OpenFlow protocol.
The switch in the OpenFlow network is an edge switch or a core switch that constitutes the OpenFlow network and is under control of the controller. A series of types of processing of a packet from reception of the packet at an input-side edge switch in the OpenFlow network to transmission of the packet at an output-side edge switch in the OpenFlow network is referred to as a flow.
The OpenFlow table is a table in which a flow entry is registered that defines a predetermined processing content (action) to be performed to a packet (communication data) conforming to a predetermined match condition (rule).
The rule of the flow entry is defined according to various combinations of some or all of a destination address, a source address, a destination port, and a source port, which are included in a header field of each layer of protocol hierarchy in the packet, and can be distinguished. The above-mentioned addresses include a MAC address (Media Access Control Address) and an IP address (Internet Protocol Address). In addition, information on an ingress port can be also used as the rule of the flow entry.
The action of the flow entry indicates an operation such as "output to a particular port", "discard", and "rewrite a header". For example, when identification information of an output port (for example, output port number) is presented in the action of the flow entry, the switch outputs a packet to the port, and when the identification information of the output port is not presented, the switch discards the packet. Alternatively, when header information is presented in the action of the flow entry, the switch rewrites a header of the packet on the basis of the header information.
The switch in the OpenFlow network executes the action of the flow entry to a packet group (packet sequence) that conforms to a rule of the flow entry.
Details of the OpenFlow switch are described in Non-Patent Literatures 1 and 2.
A large-capacity OpenFlow table is required to control a large amount of flow on the network. In the present circumstances, the TCAM (Ternary Content Addressable Memory) used for the OpenFlow table does not have a large capacity, and therefore, a necessary and sufficient amount of capacity is not ensured. Further, it is difficult to increase the capacity of each table (mainly TCAM) itself of the switch used in the OpenFlow table.
As one of methods of solving the above-mentioned problem, an external TCAM can be used, but this takes costs. Moreover, in equipment for high-speed transfer such as 10G multi-port (network equipment having a plurality of ports, which can correspond to a data transfer rate of 10G bit/second), the external TCAM cannot be employed. Now, there is no external TCAM capable of operating in the 10G switch at least.

Switching system, switching control system, and storage medium


A fastener module for portable computers that is disposed on the host of a portable computer to fasten the LCD with the host, no matter whether the LCD is closed directly or after rotating 180 degrees; the fastener module has a pivotable eccentric hook rod biased in a normal horizontal position when not affected by magnetic effect, when the LCD closes on the host of the computer, both sides of the hook rod are affected by the magnetic effect of the magnetic component on the LCD; since the pivot of the hook rod is designed eccentrically, the magnetic moment generated by the magnetic effect for each side of the hook rod is different, so that the hook rod changes its position instantly from the normal horizontal state to a vertical state and hooks within the opening of the LCD to fasten the LCD onto the host of the portable computer.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fastener module for portable computers, and more particularly to a fastener module that is capable of fastening the LCD with the host of a portable computer no matter whether the LCD of the portable computer is closed directly or after rotating it 180 degrees.
2. Description of Prior Act
A commercial notebook computer has a LCD and a host, and the LCD is disposed to pivot on the host. Therefore, the LCD of a commercial notebook can be flipped upwards from or closed downwards onto the host.
A hook mechanism is disposed on one or each side of the LCD to hook the LCD securely onto the host of a notebook, when the LCD closes on the host of the notebook. A fastening mechanism is disposed on one or each side of the host at the position corresponding to the hook mechanism of the LCD and used to fasten the LCD and the host in conjunction with the hook mechanism. With the locking of the hook mechanism of the LCD and the fastening mechanism of the host, the LCD is hooked securely onto the host simultaneously when closed on the host. On the other hand, when the hook mechanism of the LCD and the fastening mechanism of the host separate from each other, the LCD is not hooked on the host anymore and can be flipped upwards easily.
However, most LCDs of commercial notebook computers are capable of rotating 180°, so that current notebooks with this function can be switched from the notebook mode to flat-panel computer mode.
In the circumstances, when the aforementioned prior art of hook mechanism is disposed on the LCD of such notebook and the LCD rotates 180° and closes on the host of the notebook, the LCD cannot be hooked onto the host, as the hook mechanism of the LCD becomes facing upwards.


The current distribution across the p-layer (130) of a semiconductor device is modified by purposely inhibiting current flow through the p-layer (130) in regions (310) adjacent to the guardsheet (150), without reducing the optical reflectivity of any part of the device. This current flow may be inhibited by increasing the resistance of the p-layer that is coupled to the p-contact (140) along the edges and in the corners of contact area. In an example embodiment, the high-resistance region (130) is produced by a shallow dose of hydrogen-ion (H+) implant after the p-contact (140) is created. Similarly, a resistive coating may be applied in select regions between the p-contact and the p-layer.

The substantial increase in demand for semiconductor light emitting devices, and the corresponding increase in competition to satisfy demand has caused manufacturers to seek techniques that will reduce costs or improve performance. Of particular note, techniques that improve the efficiency or quality of the emitted light may serve to distinguish one competitor's product from the others.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example prior art Thin Film Flip Chip (TFFC) InGaN Light Emitting Device (LED), such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,596, "CONTACTING SCHEME FOR LARGE AND SMALL AREA SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT EMITTING FL1p-CHIP DEVICES", issued to Daniel A. Steigerwald, Jerome C. Bhat, and Michael J. Ludowise, and incorporated by reference herein.
In this example device, a light emitting layer 120 is formed between an n-layer 110 and a p-layer 130. An external power source (not illustrated) provides power to the device via connections to pads 160 and 170. The p-pad 160 is coupled to the p-layer 130 via a p-contact 140, through an optional guard layer 150 that inhibits migration of the p-contact material. The n-contact layer 170 is coupled directly to the n-layer 110 in this example. A boundary layer 180 isolates the n-contact layer 170 and n-layer 110 from the p-layer 130 and p-contact 140.
The p-contact 140 is provided over a large area to facilitate a uniform distribution of current through the p-layer 130, which has a relatively higher resistance to current flow. The n-layer 110 does not exhibit a high resistance, and thus the n-contact covers a smaller area, which may be 10% or less of the device area. The p-contact 140 is preferably highly reflective to reflect the light toward the top, emitting surface of the light emitting device. Silver is commonly used as the p-contact 140. The n-contact layer is also reflective and metals such as Aluminum are preferred. The guard layer 150 may be metallic, but is only partially reflective as a suitable highly reflective metal has not yet been found for this application. This partially reflective guard sheet fills the area adjacent to the p-contact, resulting in higher optical loss at the p-contact periphery.
The inventors have recognized that the light generated within about 15 microns of the periphery of the p-contact may, with high probability, enter the guard layer area 150 and suffer optical absorption before having a chance to exit the device. Therefore, current injected at the edge of the p-contact will exhibit a lower external quantum efficiency than current injected at the center area of the p-contact.
Despite the greater optical loss of the edges and corners of the device, the inventors have also noticed that more emitted light is produced at the periphery and in the corners than at the center of the device, because the voltage drop associated with the lateral flow of current through the n-contact layer, combined with the exponential dependence of vertical current flow upon junction voltage, provides a significantly higher current density at the edges and in the corners of the device. These relatively high injection currents create a slight halo-effect, with bright areas in the corners of the device.
In addition to potentially introducing optical anomolies, such a non-uniform current injection pattern is inefficient, as the internal quantum efficiency is lower for higher current densities. The 'over-emitting' portions, particularly the corners, of the light emitting device will also be 'hot-spots' that draw more current in the device, which have been observed to lead to premature failure of devices operated at high current.

P-contact with more uniform injection and lower optical loss