The present invention discloses a method and system for the rapid charging of a lithium-ion battery. A charging algorithm is applied to modify a charging pulses frequency, duty cycle and amplitude depending on the measurement of the battery temperature. The charging algorithm is based on the chemical Diffusion Coefficient of the battery, with this Diffusion Coefficient, in turn, dependent on the type of solvent system, the type of electrolyte, and the temperature of the battery.

Pulse charging of an electrochemical cell (a.k.a. a battery) has been shown by many to increase the rate of charge acceptance, thus decreasing the time necessary to charge the cell (or battery).
Most pulse charge algorithms use an ad hoc choice of pulses with no consideration for processes occurring in the battery. Even those algorithms where consideration has been given to the electrochemical processes, erroneous assumptions have been made which result in pulses that are not efficient: they are not properly tuned to the timescale of the electrochemistry. For lithium-ion batteries there are several diffusion processes, each with its own time domain. When the battery is charged, each of these processes is occurring simultaneously (described from cathode-to-anode in the cell):
Lithium ions diffuse out of the cathode and enter the electrolyte where they are solvated by one or more solvent molecules. They may also form ion-pairs or ion-aggregates in solution, with each type of species having its own temperature-dependent concentration and mobility (diffusivity) in the electrolyte.
Driven by the electric current, the lithium-containing species in the electrolyte solution diffuse toward the anode where they form an electrochemical double-layer at the boundary between the electrolyte and the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI). Hereafter this layer will be referred to as the "boundary layer." The SEI is a passivation layer of reacted material at the surface of the anode. [A passivation layer is a protective layer that prevents further reactions that would erode or corrode the an electrode. Passivation layers are often electronically and/or ionically conductive. In this case, the passivation layer protects the anode from "active" reaction with electrolyte.] The SEI is formed during the first few formation cycles of the cell. Most experimental evidence indicates that the SEI is formed by reaction of the electrolyte with the carbon. The SEI is conductive to lithium ions, but lithium-ions are not stored there (as they are in the anode), and as such it is referred to as a solid electrolyte.
Lithium ions shed their paired species (anions and solvent molecules) and enter the SEI where they continue to diffuse toward the carbon. Lithium ions move from the SEI into the carbon where they continue to diffuse and occupy available sites in the carbon. Each of these processes has an associated time constant. Diffusion of the lithium through the solids (carbon, lithiated metal oxide cathode, and SEI) is relatively fast. The processes occurring at and in the boundary layer are the slowest and are referred to as "rate-limiting."
It is manipulation of this rate-limiting step that will lead to increased rates of charge for a lithium-ion cell (and battery). The processes occurring in a lithium-ion-polymer (a.k.a. lithium-polymer), and a lithium-ion-gel (a.k.a. lithium-ion-polymer-gel) cell are essentially similar and can be assessed and manipulated by the same methods.
The treatment of the processes in the boundary layer (the boundary layer is that volume of the electrolyte, adjacent to the electrode, where the concentration of lithium ions is in flux and can be manipulated) is not mathematically rigorous or phenomenologically detailed, but can be generally determined given the chemistry and chemical reactions that occur.
The two boundary conditions for this treatment are a consideration of the boundary layer with 1) no flux of lithium ions (zero-current condition) and 2) a constant flux (constant-current condition). The intermediate conditions between these two boundary conditions are of particular interest because during the intermediate condition the boundary layer is susceptible to being manipulated. The way these intermediate conditions can be affected is by using instantaneous current pulses or by using sinusoidal waveforms with short rise times.
Fick's Second Law of diffusion governs most time-dependent diffusion problems in electrochemistry. Fick's law is in the form of a differential equation, which implies that it describes what is common to all diffusion problems and not just the characteristics of a particular diffusion problem. Fundamentally, the concentration of a species (in this case, ions in solution and near the boundary layer) is a function of position and timec=f(x,t)
Fick's laws of diffusion are well known to those skilled in the science of batteries and other electrochemical devices.

Lithium ion rapid charging system and method


A system and method for providing reversed backup operation for keeping local hard drives in a stand-by (non-spinning) mode thereby extending the life of local hard drives and reducing power consumption, heat and noise produced by the local drives. The present invention uses remote storage systems as primary storage systems when the network connectivity and its bandwidth are sufficient so that the local hard disk can stay in the stand-by mode. If the network connectivity is unavailable or insufficient to handle the data flow, the local hard disk is spun up and temporarily used as the primary storage for reads and writes. When necessary and possible, the data on both storage locations is synchronized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and system for backing up data while extending the life of local hard drives and reducing power consumption, heat and noise. Specifically, the present invention provides a system and method for reversed backup operation for keeping local hard drives in a stand-by mode (that is, not spinning) thereby extending the life of local hard drives and reducing power consumption, heat and noise produced by the local drives.
2. Related Art
Hard disks are mechanical devices. (A hard disk or hard disk drive (HDD), commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk or fixed disk drive, is a non-volatile storage device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. For more information about HDDs, see http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jhtml?term=harddisk.) When their disks are spinning, HDDs consume power, generate noise, and are sensitive to shocks and impacts. Hard drives consume from 5% to 31% of the desktop and notebook computer power. This not only increases the overall IT power consumption and reduces battery life of portable computers but also increases the amount of heat generated by the system. Excessive heat can cause discomfort to the user and increase the power consumption of fans to remove the heat from the computer and air conditioners to cool the ambient air in the work environment. Office computers consume about 1% of the electricity produced in the United States with additional 1.2% consumed by the data centers. Given the expected growth of the number of computers, these fractions are expected to significantly increase in the future. The situation is especially critical in major cities where the electricity prices are the highest and the power supply increases may not be possible at all. In these cases, the only possibility to expand the businesses is to lower the existing power consumption.
Even low intensity office noise (e.g., from the spinning of HDDs in workstations or laptops) reduces productivity, motivation, ability to learn, and can even cause health risks. Noise levels of the average desktop hard drives rotating at 5,400-7,200 RPM are typically between 30 and 50 dBA. High-performance hard disks with higher rotational speeds generate more noise. Disk head seek-related sounds distract the users even more due to their irregular nature. (To read and write to the surface of the disks, the drive uses a small electro-magnet assembly, referred to as a head, located on the end of an actuator arm. There is one head for each platter surface on the spindle. The disks are spun at a very high speed to allow the head to move quickly over the surface of the disk. Towards the other end of the actuator arm is a pivot point, and at the end is a voice coil, which moves the head.) While one may argue that it is possible to manufacture computers with better sound-insulation, there is a need for a system and method which reduces the level of office noise with existing hardware.
Furthermore, spinning hard disk drives are fragile and sensitive to shocks. (Workstations and, of course, laptops are much more susceptible to being subject to a physical impact as a result of the workstation/laptop or, especially in the case of the laptop, being dropped.) The relative speeds of the disk heads moving over the disk platters depend on the disk speed and can exceed 150 miles per hour for 15 KRPM drives. In case of an abrupt impact or vibration, disk heads can touch and damage the platter surfaces.
Gyroscopic effects exacerbate the problem for mobile devices. Even small disk platter damage can create a chain reaction of collisions of the particles scratched from the platters, the disk heads, and the disk platters. Therefore, even a single collision of the disk drive head and the platters can result in the rapid loss of the drive and loss of the data.
Non-rotating disks in the stand-by mode consume an order of magnitude less power and generate less heat than busy disks and at least three times less than idle rotating disks. For the purposes of this application, the term "stand-by" refers to non-spinning or non-rotating disks. Further, non-rotating, or non-spinning, disks are silent. They are also typically four to five times less sensitive to shocks and, thus, are more reliable. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the time the disks are spinning.
Most solutions to the "rotating hard disk" problem that exist today target either portable devices, servers, or RAID controllers. "One media" solutions are trying to solve the problem with only one storage device. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict the future (including the disk access patterns), and delaying writes increases the risk of losing data. Data read mispredictions frequently increase power consumption compared to the systems where the disk drives are spinning all the time. Also, it takes several seconds for the user to wait for the disk drive to spin-up in case of a read request that missed the caches. Delaying data writes increases the chances of the data loss and frequently spinning up the disk significantly increase the hard disk wear. For example, desktop hard disks can sustain only about 50,000 total spin-up procedures before they fail. Flash memory consumes little power and is fast. However, it is small and can sustain only a limited number of writes. Hybrid drives contain built-in nonvolatile flash memory. It increases the amount of memory available for caching and allows to persistently store some amount of data writes without spinning up the disk drive. Therefore, hybrid drives allow to prefetch more data and delay the data writes to the disk without sacrificing the data reliability. Unfortunately, hybrid drives only partially solve the above problems. Read request mispredictions and large volumes of writes still require accessing the disk. Also, hybrid drives are hardware solutions that require replacement of the existing hard drives, are hard or impossible to upgrade if the flash memory wears out and operate on the data blocks and thus have no access to the file-system-level meta-information. (Meta-information is necessary for the data prefetching optimizations.) Experimental driver-level solutions that work with a hard disk drive and a flash drive as two independent devices are free from the first and the second problems.
Disk-less servers, workstations, and thin clients use remote storage instead of the local hard drives. Remote storage systems usually consist of many hard disks. Such systems can distribute the data on the disks according to its popularity, use multi-speed disks or disks with different characteristics, and can dedicate some disks for write and read caches. This frequently allows the ability to keep a significant percentage of the number of disks off. Unfortunately, disk-less clients require permanent and high quality network connectivity. Therefore, this technique is not suitable for most mobile systems. Also, disk-less systems are less common and thus harder to configure and support for users and administrators and, thus, systems using hard drives are most prevalent.
Hard disks in most notebook and server systems are kept in the idle mode even when no read or write requests are being served. Systems that do put their hard disks into the stand-by (non-spinning) mode frequently add more problems than they solve.
Completely diskless clients add inconvenience for the users and administrators. Desktop solutions have high latency and become unusable in case of network problems. Also, such systems have different administration processes, which is not confined by the machines themselves. That is the reason why diskless desktops and servers have limited adoption. With the recent increase of the sizes of flash memory, it is expected that flash memory may replace the system disks. However, the sizes that are available today and at least in the near future are still much smaller and more expensive than users need.
Solutions that combine multiple (possibly different) disks were shown to be more effective for server-type workloads. Unfortunately, servers and desktops have only one (system) disk. A combination of flash memory and hard disks partially solves the problem but still can result in shortened life-time and long access latencies in case of the flash memory read misses. Previous attempts to augment the disk and flash with the network connectivity to store the data were shown to improve performance and prolong battery life on mobile systems. However, they can shorten the disk life-times and increase power consumption on the server and, as a result, overall on the enterprise scale.
Data reliability and availability are usually the most important requirements for storage systems. Traditional power optimization solutions frequently contradict these requirements and decrease user and administration convenience. For example, frequent spin-up and spin-down operations increase data reliability and availability but significantly decrease the life-time and thus reliability of the hard disk drives. As a result, these features are usually disabled or configured for about hour long time-outs on most servers and desktops. Notebook hard disks can survive about an order of magnitude more spin-up operations but will still wear out within a year if only the break-even balance of power is considered. Similarly, diskless clients degrade performance and become nonoperational in case of network infrastructure problems.
In addition to power consumption, hard disks pose a set of other problems such as noise, fragility, and ease of being stolen or lost. However, servers, desktops, and mobile systems have different disks and different deployment scenarios, which make some of the above problems important or completely unimportant. For example, a disk in a notebook consumes almost no power in the idle state and its power consumption optimization not only makes no sense at the enterprise scale but usually has negligible effect on the battery life. A desktop in the enterprise is almost always reliably connected to the fast local network whereas a notebook can get disconnected at any time.
There is a need for a client file system which provides the following functions:
1. provides run-time data protection (CDP or at least replication) of each hard disk in the enterprise, even when a desktop loses connectivity due to temporary network problems or when a mobile client is away from the network infrastructure, without significantly increasing the cost of required backup storage;2. spins the local hard disks up for short periods of time and only several times a day;3. provides data access latency and bandwidth similar to the operation with the local disks at least under typical user workloads; and4. requires minimal hardware and software modifications in existing infrastructure.
Hard disks fail, fail inevitably and unexpectedly. People make mistakes and overwrite or delete useful data. Hard disks or whole computers get lost or stolen. Data backup systems try to minimize the consequences of these harmful events. Traditional backup systems create snapshots of a subset of files on a periodic basis. This poses two problems:
1. Some important data may be left unprotected due to subset of files selection mistakes (which is usually realized when it is already too late); and
2. the most recent (and thus frequently most important) data updates are not protected.
The first problem could be solved by backing up whole hard disks. However, it is usually time consuming and considered prohibitively expensive because of the expensive storage systems used for backups. Also, increasing the amount of backup storage increases the enterprise power consumption.
The second problem is partially solved by the run-time data replication. In addition, reverting to an earlier version of the file is frequently desirable. For example, if a user deletes a portion of the document by mistake, he may need to revert to an earlier version of the file to recover the deleted portion. Continuous Data Protection (CDP) preserves backup copies for every data update on-the-fly. This allows users to roll-back any file to any previous state in time. Unfortunately, mobile users are still left unprotected when not connected to a reliable network link.
Therefore, there exists a need for a solution that solves at least one of the deficiencies of the related art.

System and method for using reversed backup operation for minimizing the disk spinning time and the number of spin-up operations

International Business Machines Corporation


A biaxial hinge device includes an approximately rod-shaped first shaft member; an approximately rod-shaped second shaft member; a shaft connecting member for connecting the first shaft member and the second shaft member such that the direction in which the first shaft member extends and the direction in which the second shaft member extends are approximately orthogonal; an arm portion provided to the first shaft member so as to be turnable along the outer circumference of the first shaft member, a hinge fixing portion provided to the second shaft member so as to be turnable along the outer circumference of the second shaft member, and a thrust cam member provided to the first shaft member such that movement in the direction in which the first shaft member extends is enabled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biaxial hinge device suitably applied to cellular telephone devices, PHS (Personal Handyphone System) telephone devices, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) devices, portable game devices, notebook computers, and so forth, which have a hinge portion enabling opening/closing of a housing, for example, and to a portable terminal device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a biaxial hinge device having two rotational axes and to a portable terminal device wherein the overall size and the like has been reduced by enabling a single spring member to serve in the place of spring members used for each rotational shaft with the related art, thereby reducing the number of spring members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-198062 (pp. 8-9, FIG. 5) discloses in a clamshell type cellular telephone device having three folding functions which are a function of opening/closing in the longitudinal direction of an upper housing, a function of opening/closing in the lateral direction, and a function of folding in a state of the front and back of the upper housing having been inverted.
This clamshell type cellular telephone device has a hinge unit configured separately of a first hinge unit and a second hinge unit. The first hinge unit has a first rotational shaft rotatably supporting the first hinge unit itself as to a lower housing, and a second rotational shaft rotatably supporting the second hinge unit as to the first hinge unit, with the first rotational shaft and the second rotational shaft disposed in a mutually orthogonal arrangement. The second hinge unit is provided with a third rotational shaft which rotationally supports the upper housing as to the second hinge unit, such that the second rotational shaft is disposed orthogonal to the second rotational shaft. Accordingly, the upper housing can be rotated on each of the rotational shaft directions of the first rotational shaft, second rotational shaft, and third rotational shaft.

Biaxial hinge device and portable terminal device

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc.


The present invention provides tertiary and secondary amine compounds of the formula ##STR1## and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which are antagonists for alpha-2 adrenoreceptors and which inhibit serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) uptake.

There is evidence that the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety disorders is related to some type of serotonin dysfunction. The tricyclic antidepressant imipramine binds with high affinity to a recognition site associated with the transport of 5-HT. The site at which these trycyclic antidepressants bind is not identical to the 5-HT binding site and yet binding of compounds of this type inhibits the uptake of 5-HT (serotonin); an allosteric relationship is postulated (Charney, D. S., Krystal, J. H., Delgado, P. L., Heninger, G. R., Annu. Rev. Med. 1990, 41: 437). A number of compounds which demonstrate highly selective serotonin uptake inhibition have shown clinical efficacy as antidepressants (Fuller, R. W., Wong, D. T., Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 1990, 600: 68). It has been found that serotonin uptake inhibitors bind with less affinity to neurotransmitter receptors than the tricyclic antidepressants; this lower binding affinity is thought to be responsible for fewer chlorinergic and histaminergic side effects for these uptake inhibitors (Robertson, D. W., Fuller, R. W., Ann. Rep. Med. Chem., 1991, 26: 23) relative to the tricyclic antidepressants.
Serotonin uptake inhibitors are thought to offer clinical advantages over the tricyclic antidepressants because they exhibit fewer severe adverse drug reactions, particularly as far as cardiovascular side effects and overdose potential. Serotonin uptake inhibitors have shown some indications of efficacy in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (Zak, J., Miller, J., Sheehan, D., Fanous, B., J. Clin. Psychiatry, 1990, 49: 23), panic disorders (Balon, R., Pohl, R. I., Yergani, V., Rainey, J., Oxenkrug, G., Acta. Psychiatr. Scand., 1987, 75: 315), alcoholism (Gill, K., Amit, Z., Koe, K., Alcohol, 1988, 349), and feeding disorders (Wong, D., Fuller, R., Int. J. Obesity, 1987, 11: 125). Some of the emotional aspects of Alzheimer's disease were ameliorated by the use of a serotonin uptake inhibitor (Karlsson, I., Clinical Neuropharmacol., 1990, 13 (Suppl 2): 99). There is some indication that the serotonin uptake inhibitor Fluoxetine is effective in the treatment of hypochondriasis (Viswanathan, R., Paradis, C., Am. J. Psychiatr., 1991, 148: 1090).
The adrenergic nervous system plays a major role in the innervation of heart, blood vessel and smooth muscle tissue. Compounds capable of interacting with receptor sites within the adrenergic nervous system can initiate a variety of physiological responses, including vasoconstriction, vasodilation, and increased or decreased heart rate (chronotropic), contactility (inotropic) and metabolic activity. In the past, various adrenergic compounds have been employed to affect these and other physiological responses. However, many adrenergic compounds do not possess significant selectivity to enable desirable interactions with adrenergic receptor sites. That is, these adrenergic compounds do not demonstrate a high degree of specificity for differing receptors types within the adrenergic nervous system in order to obtain a desired physiological response separate from other possible, and perhaps less desirable, responses of the system.
The fact that adrenergic and serotonergic nerve terminals exist in close proximity in various brain regions might indicate some kind of functional interaction between these two neurotransmitter systems. There is evidence that presynaptic alpha-2 adrenergic receptors are located on 5-HT nerve terminals where they function to inhibit the release of 5-HT (Gothert, M., Huth, H., Naunyn-Schmiedegerg's Arch. Pharmacol., 1980, 313: 21 and Gothert, M., Huth, H., Schlicker, E., Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol., 1981, 317: 199). It has been demonstrated in in vitro slice preparations that alpha-2 antagonists are capable of reversing the inhibition of 5-HT release upon electrical stimulation under quasi physiological conditions by either exogenously applied alpha-2 agonists or endogenous norepineprine (NE) (Charney, D. S., Krystal, J. H., Delgado, P. L. Heninger, G. R., Annu. Rev. Med. 1990, 41: 437). One might therefore conclude that an agent which combines alpha-2 antagonist activity with 5-HT uptake inhibitory activity would be more effective than either activity alone in increasing the biophase concentration of 5-HT. Compounds such as napamezole, Win 51181- 2, which is a potent and selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist and also inhibits serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) uptake, is under development by Sterling Drug as an antidepressant (Pharma Projects, May 1991, 12). Chromic uptake blockade will, over time, result in down-regulation of the alpha-2 receptor, and perhaps the delay in onset of antidepressant efficacy correlates with the time required for receptor down-regulation.
1-Aminomethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalenes have been described by J. F. DeBernardis, R. E. Zelle and F. Z. Basha in International Patent Application Number WO 89/06645. One of their generic structures encompasses methylenedioxy and ethylenedioxy heterocyclic compounds which are excluded from the present invention. Their compounds do not possess the selective alpha-2 antagonist activity with the inhibition of serotonin uptake profile of the present compounds.

Tertiary and secondary amines as alpha-2 antagonists and serotonin uptake inhibitors


A bike rack cargo carrier for mounting to a vehicle hitch allowing bicycles to be transported outside the vehicle. The bike carrier includes a drawbar adapted to be received within the vehicle hitch and a cargo platform adjustably attached to the drawbar to facilitate fore and aft adjustment of the platform relative to the rear of the vehicle. The drawbar is provided with a vertical offset to position the platform further from the ground. A support stanchion is removably secured to the carrier platform to transport a plurality of bicycles in a vertical position. The stanchion is adjustably mounted to the platform to accommodate different numbers of bikes.

I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cargo carriers for vehicles and, in particular, to a hitch mounted bike rack capable of adjustment fore and aft relative to the vehicle to optimize the position of the carrier platform.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Article carriers are widely employed to expand the carrying capacity of vehicles while maintaining comfort within the passenger compartment. Rooftop carriers are well known although access can be cumbersome particularly with taller vehicles. Moreover, rooftop carriers are dependent upon the structural strength of the vehicle roof and therefore may be limited in their carrying capacity. Rear mounted cargo carriers have also been employed to increase the cargo capacity of the vehicle. Many require specialized mounting hardware to secure the carrier to the vehicle resulting in undesirable added structure and cost. Some of the prior known cargo carriers are attachable to the vehicle hitch but do not provide any flexibility in the positioning of the carrier to accommodate the wide variety of vehicle configurations. Cargo platforms which simply extend from the hitch assembly could be damaged by contact with the ground as the vehicle moves along an inclined surface such as a driveway. Similarly, the rear portion of the vehicle may include obstructions to full utilization of the carrier such as the spare tire on utility vehicles. It is desirable to optimally position any cargo carrier to ensure full capacity yet minimize the cantilever forces applied to the hitch assembly.

Hitch mounted cargo carrier bike rack adapter


A mounting frame combination structure is disclosed, for decreasing a profile thickness of an LCD device, which includes a main support accommodating an LCD panel which may display a picture image or other information, and a backlight provided below the LCD panel; a sash provided above the main support, for retaining the LCD panel and the main support from a front side; a bottom cover provided below the main support and supporting the backlight; and, a mounting frame positioned between the side surfaces of the bottom cover and joined thereto by a fastener. In case a step-difference portion is formed in an outer surface of the sash, the mounting frame is fastened to the main support.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly to an improved mounting frame combination structure of an LCD device for obtaining a thin profile of the LCD device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A cathode ray tube (CRT), one type of display device, has been widely used for television monitors, measurement instruments and information terminals. However, the CRT has limitations to miniaturization and lightness in weight. With the trend of miniaturization and lightness in electronic machines, display devices such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device using an electro-optics effect, a plasma display panel (PDP) using a gas discharge and an electro luminescence display (ELD) device using an electro-luminescence effect have been actively studied, and which can substitute for the CRT.
Among the display devices, the LCD device is most actively studied in that the LCD device realizes excellent picture quality, low power consumption and low heat emission as compared with those of the CRT. Herein, the LCD device includes main components such as a liquid crystal module (hereinafter, referred to as an "LCM") and a mounting frame. The LCM, a flat display device, has a backlight and an LCD panel. The LCM is combined with the mounting frame, and then is mounted on a monitor.
Hereinafter, a mounting frame combination structure of an LCD device according to the related art will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This structure can be utilized to mount other types of flat panel displays, such as plasma panels and electro-luminescent panels. In this disclosure, the term LCD is considered to encompass any flat panel display type.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one example of a mounting frame combination structure in an LCD device according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, an LCM 1 includes an LCD panel 25, and a backlight 20 provided below the LCD panel 25. The backlight 20 includes a plurality of optical sheets 21, a reflecting plate 22 and a light-guiding plate 23. Also, the backlight 20 and the LCD panel 25 are supported by a main support 2 having an empty space for accommodating the backlight 20 and the LCD panel 25 therein.
A sash 3 is provided at an upper portion of the support main 2, for retaining the LCD panel 25 and the main support 2, from a front side. Also, a bottom cover 4 is provided at a lower portion of the main support 2, thereby retaining the reflecting plate 22 and the light-guiding plate 23 from a rear side. The main support 2 is generally formed of a plastic material, and the bottom cover 4 is generally formed of a metal material such as aluminum, having greater thermal conductivity than that of the plastic material. A mounting frame 5 is provided at a rear portion of the LCM 1, for mounting the LCM 1 on a monitor housing (not shown). The mounting frame 5 is combined with the LCM 1 by a screw 6.
More specifically, holes are formed for penetrating a side portion 5a of the mounting frame 5, the sash 3 and the bottom cover 4. Thus, after attaching the side portion 5a to an outer surface of the sash 3, the mounting frame 5 is combined with the sash 3 and the bottom cover 4 by the screw 6, engaging a thread formed in the hole in the bottom cover. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of a mounting frame combination structure of an LCD device according to the related art. Referring to FIG. 2, an LCM 1 includes an LCD panel 25 and a backlight 20, and the backlight 20 and the LCD panel 25 are supported by a main support 2 and a sash 3. Also, a mounting frame 5 is combined with a lower portion of the LCM 1, and the mounting frame 5 is combined with an outer surface of the sash 3 by a screw 6. Unlike the structure of FIG. 1, the screw 6 passes through a side portion of a main support 2, so that the mounting frame 5 is directly combined with the outer surface of the sash 3. In this case, the mounting frame 5 is directly combined with the main support 2, Thus, this method is generally used for structures requiring a thin profile in the depth direction.
However, the mounting frame combination structure of the LCD device according to the related art has the following disadvantages: in the mounting frame combination structure of the LCD device according to the related art, the side portion of the mounting frame is attached to the outer surface of the sash, whereby the width of the LCD device is increased by the thickness of the side portion of the mounting frame. Especially, with recent trend to a large-sized display screen while minimizing a housing width or a case width, the related art mounting frame combination structure has problems in that it is hard to realize the desired profile.

Mounting frame combination structure of liquid crystal display device


The method of producing a cushion assembly includes bonding a foam pad to a cover material with a heat-activatable adhesive layer and an electrically conductive layer therebetween. The cover material is placed in a contoured mold with the adhesive layer and the electrically conductive layer placed thereover and in heat transfer relationship to each other. The foam pad is placed thereover and the electrically conductive layer is energized to heat and activate the heat-activatable adhesive layer to allow bonding between the foam pad, the cover material and the electrically conductive layer.

Various techniques have been developed for joining a cover material to a substrate, particularly for use in automotive seat fabrication. U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,199, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, shows a method that utilizes steam to melt an adhesive film in order to bond a cloth fabric layer to a foam pad. In this method, the steam penetrates the fabric layer to activate the adhesive film.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,097, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated by reference, shows a method that utilizes a magnetic flux to melt an adhesive film containing ferromagnetic particles to bond a fabric or trim cover to a foam cushion. An oscillatory radio frequency generator is used to energize copper coil tubing to produce the magnetic flux. The magnetic flux induces eddy currents in the ferromagnetic particles in order to generate heat to activate the adhesive film.

Method of joining a cover material to a substrate utilizing electrically conductive bonding


A semiconductor apparatus includes a semiconductor device, a cooler of a forced cooling type, and a heat mass. Heat generated in the semiconductor device is conducted to the cooler. The heat mass comes into junction with the semiconductor device with solder so as to be thermally combined with the semiconductor device. The heat mass functions also as an electrode.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof and relates, in particular, to a semiconductor apparatus including a semiconductor device brought into junction with a circuit substrate comprising a heat sink and a manufacturing method thereof.
A semiconductor apparatus comprising a heat sink, a substrate stacked and adhered to the heat sink, and a semiconductor device mounted on a circuit pattern of the substrate is known. Heat generated by the semiconductor device is conducted to the heat sink through the substrate from the bottom surface of the semiconductor device and, thereby, is dissipated, that is, released. However, when a semiconductor apparatus simply reduces in size, the contact area between the semiconductor device and the substrate reduces. Consequently, a conduction amount, from the bottom surface of the semiconductor device, of heat generated by the semiconductor device reduces. Therefore, the semiconductor device is not cooled smoothly. Thus, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-323630 proposes to mount an auxiliary substrate for heat release in a portion in the surface of a semiconductor on the opposite side from the substrate stacked and adhered to a heat sink. A radiation fin or a water-cooled heat sink is mounted on the auxiliary substrate.
FIG. 13A illustrates a semiconductor module 51 disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-270765. The semiconductor module 51 used in an electric power conversion system is intended to restrain a drastic temperature increase of a semiconductor device 54 in the overload state. The semiconductor device 54 is provided on a metal substrate 52 with an insulating substrate 53 in between. A pair of heat accumulators 55 is provided immediately above and in the vicinity of the semiconductor device 54. The heat accumulator 55 houses substance, for example, low melting point metal, which changes in phase from solid to liquid at a temperature slightly lower than the upper limit temperature at which the semiconductor device 54 can be used. The low melting point metal absorbs heat of the semiconductor device 54 temporarily and thereafter releases heat. Heat generated in the semiconductor device 54 is normally conducted only to a cooler (not shown) through a metal substrate 52. However, in the case where the semiconductor device 54 is in the overload state with which cooling capability of the cooler cannot cope sufficiently, the heat accumulator 55 accumulates the excess heat temporarily and thereafter the heat is conducted to the cooler.
FIG. 13B illustrates a junction apparatus disclosed by Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 5-13660. The junction apparatus is intended for production of a thermoelectric module by including a plurality of thermoelectric devices coming into junction with a substrate with high-frequency induction heating. High-frequency induction heating can bring a ceramic member into junction with a metal member and bring electronic parts into junction with a substrate. A junction apparatus comprises a stand 61, a pressuring jig 63 pressuring the substrate 62, and a high-frequency heating coil 64 provided around the pressuring jig 63. The pressuring jig 63 is a weight having an end surface in contact with the substrate 62. A carbon sheet 65, a thermoelectric device 66 and a substrate 62 are sequentially arranged on the stand 61. When the high-frequency heating coil 64 causes the pressuring jig 63 to undergo induction heating, that is, high-frequency heating in the state where the substrate 62 is being pressurized by the pressuring jig 63, heat generated by the pressuring jig 63 is conducted to the substrate 62, the thermoelectric device 66 is brought into junction with the substrate 62. By arranging solder and brazing filler metal between the substrate 62 and the thermoelectric device 66, the thermoelectric device 66 is soldered or brazed to the substrate 62.
Generally, a semiconductor device includes an electrode on the side opposite from the junction surface with the substrate. However, as described above, an auxiliary substrate is mounted on a semiconductor device of the above described Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-323630. A radiation fin or a water-cooled heat sink is thermally connected to the auxiliary substrate. Therefore, in order to connect a wire or a lead to an electrode being present on the upper surface of a semiconductor device, a special configuration for preventing the wire or the lead from interfering with the radiation fin or a water-cooled heat sink is required. Consequently, the work for bringing the wire or the lead into junction with an electrode is cumbersome.
Comparing with such a configuration of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-323630, the above described cooler (not shown) of the above described Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-270765 can preferably deal with heat generation of the semiconductor device 54 in the non-overload state, for example, the normal state illustrated in FIG. 13A. Therefore, an increase in size of the cooler is restrained. However, the heat accumulator 55 is required to house substance capable of changing from the solid phase to the liquid phase, that is, low melting point metal. Therefore, due to measures for thermal stress or convenience on fabrication of the heat accumulator 55, space is assumed to take place inside the heat accumulator 55 in the case where the low melting point metal is in the liquid phase. Thus, even if the heat accumulator 55 is used as an electrode, the container of the heat accumulator 55 actually functions as an electrical conduction route to make the current uneven between the center and the periphery of the semiconductor device 54. Therefore, the heat accumulator 55 cannot be used as an electrode. Moreover, the wire or the lead to be connected to an electrode needs to be arranged so as not to interfere with the heat accumulator 55. In addition, in the case of mounting a semiconductor module 51 on a vehicle, if low melting point metal inside the heat accumulator 55 occasionally comes into the solid phase in a biased state when a vehicle is accelerated and decelerated, a vehicle runs around a curve, a vehicle shakes or a vehicle inclines, then the subsequent heat accumulating operation may become nonuniform.

Semiconductor apparatus and manufacturing method thereof


A digital clock dejitter circuit has a RAM for receiving an incoming gapped signal, a digital, fractional RAM fullness gauge for tracking the average input and output rates to and from the RAM and for generating therefrom a control indication, and a controllable digital frequency generator for receiving a fast clock signal and the control indication, and for providing therefrom a substantially jitter-free clock signal at the same nominal rate as the incoming gapped signal. The RAM fullness gauge has write and read counters which track the movement of data into and out of the RAM, and a subtractor for taking the difference of the counters to obtain the integer value of the RAM depth. The controllable digital frequency generator has an adder, a register, and a fast clock counter (FCC) which provides the fullness gauge with a fractional digital indication of the RAM depth. The adder has a carry output fed to the FCC to control whether the FCC divides by x or x+1, and a remainder output fed to the register and then fed back as an input to the adder. The adder also receives the control indication from the fullness gauge as an input. FCC inputs include the fast clock, and the carry output of the adder. The FCC outputs are a read signal for causing a byte to be read from the RAM at the end of a count cycle, and the fast clock count used for fractional fullness.

This invention relates generally to digital circuits for regenerating a jittered clock signal. More particularly, this invention relates to a dejitter circuit which receives a jittered telecommunications signal, and which uses a clock source of higher frequency for regenerating the telecommunications signal at the rate of the incoming telecommunications signal.
DS0, DS1, DS2, and DS3 telecommunications signals are well defined according to CCITT specifications. Essentially, a DS0 signal is a signal having a bit rate of 64 Kbits/sec. A DS1 signal is composed of twenty-four DS0 segments plus overhead for a total bit rate of 1.544 Mbits/sec (plus or minus approximately 200 b/sec). In turn, four DS1 signals plus some overhead (bit stuffing) constitute a 6.312 Mb/sec DS2 signal, and four DS2 signals plus some additional overhead constitutes a 44.736 Mb/sec DS3 signal.
DS3 signals are commonly used between central offices for high speed communication. When the DS3 signal is received, it is often demultiplexed into its seven composite DS2 signals, with the bit stuffing utilized for control and essentially removed from the DS2 signals. In turn, the DS2 signals are often demultiplexed into their four composite DS1 signals with the DS2 bit stuffing utilized for control and essentially removed from the resulting DS1 signals. Each resulting DS1 signal has a bit rate of approximately 1.544 Mb/sec plus or minus 200 b/sec. However, because in generating the DS1 signal the overhead or stuffing bits are removed, the bit stream of the DS1 signal is gapped or "jittered". Additional jitter termed "transport" or "systematic" jitter is also found in the DS1 signal due to the fact that all systems introduce noise into the signals which they are carrying. Jitter is undesirable as it can introduce error in the decoding of the signal.
With the advent of the optical network, additional telecommunication signals have been defined according to CCITT specifications. The basic SONET signal is an STS-1 signal having a bit rate of 51.84 Mb/sec. An STS-3 signal (155.52 Mb/sec) has three times the bit rate of the STS-1 signal. Often the STS-1 or STS-3 signals are used to carry the data payloads of DS0, DS1, DS2 and DS3 signals. In fact, the STS signals can also be required to carry the data payload of standard European signals such as a 2.048 Mb/sec signal.
Standard devices such as phase locked loops are known in the art for tracking signal rates and for generating a clock of the nominal received rate for eliminating jitter. Phase locked loops however, have several drawbacks including expense and the requirement of analog implementation. The subject invention eliminates the need for an analog phase locked loop through the use of a small amount of digital circuitry capable of implementation on a small section of an LSI circuit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a digital circuit for regenerating a clock signal for a jittered telecommunications signal at the nominal rate of the jittered telecommunications signal.
It is another object of the invention to provide a digital dejitter circuit where the rate of the generated output signal is finely tuned to the rate of the incoming signal and has minimal jitter.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a digital phase lock loop circuit which follows a nominally 2.048 MHz gapped telecommunications signal and generates a nominally 2.048 MHz ungapped clock signal from a 58.32 MHz signal.
In accord with the objects of the invention, the digital clock dejitter circuit broadly comprises a FIFO means for receiving the incoming gapped signal, a digital, fractional FIFO fullness gauge means for tracking the average input and output rates to and from the FIFO means and for generating therefrom a control indication, and a controllable digital frequency generator means for receiving a fast clock signal and the control indication, and for providing therefrom a substantially jitter-free clock signal at the same nominal rate as the incoming gapped signal.
The FIFO means is preferably implemented with a RAM. The digital, fractional FIFO fullness gauge means is preferably implemented with a write counter which tracks the writing of bytes into the RAM, a read counter which tracks the reading of bytes out of the RAM, a comparator (subtraction) means for taking the difference of the write and read counters to obtain the FIFO length or depth, and a fast clock divider means (which is part of the controllable digital frequency generator means) for providing a digital indication regarding how close the system is to the reading of another byte from the FIFO. Effectively, the comparator provides the FIFO gauge means with a digital integer value of the bytes in the FIFO, while the fast clock counter means provides the FIFO gauge means with a fractional value. The FIFO fullness indication is a control indication which is used to slightly change the nominal frequency generated by the controllable digital frequency generator means. The control indication is a digital signal which is either processed to represent the desired output frequency of the system, or is processed to represent a change in output frequency of the system. In any event, the processed control indication is fed to the controllable digital frequency generator means.
The controllable digital frequency generator means is preferably implemented with an adder, a register, and the fast clock divider. The adder has at least two inputs and two outputs. The outputs include a carry output which is fed to the fast clock divider, and a sum (remainder) output which is fed to the register. The two inputs include the remainder which is provided to the adder by the register, and the processed control indication from the FIFO gauge means. Similarly, the fast clock divider has two inputs and two outputs. The two inputs are the fast clock, and the carry output of the adder. The fast clock divider receives the fast clock and counts in order to conduct a divide by value x--or divide by value x+1. The carry output of the adder is used to determine whether the fast clock divider divides by x or by x+1. The outputs of the counter are a read signal which causes a byte to be read out from the FIFO at the end of a count cycle, and a fast clock count which is used as the fractional value by the FIFO gauge means.
By arranging the inputs (other than the remainder) to the adder to normally (i.e., in steady state) sum to a value equal to the ratio of the number of times a divide by x is required to the sum of the number of times a divide by x plus the number of times a divide by x+1 is required, and by causing a divide by x if the carry value is zero and a divide by x+1 if the carry value is one, the carry output will cause the fast clock divider to output the nominally desired frequency. When the FIFO fills or depletes, the control signal from the FIFO fullness gauge means changes. Thus, one input to the adder is changed. Depending on the direction of the change, additional or fewer carries will result over a period of time, and the output frequency generated by the fast clock divider will change accordingly.
To dejitter a jittered European telecommunications 2.048 Mb/sec signal by using a faster STS-3 input clock signal, a divide by twenty-eight--divide by twenty-nine circuit which receives a 58.32 MHz clock signal (which is three/eighths the rate of a 155.52 Mb/sec STS-3 clock signal) is utilized. To generate exactly a 2.048 Mb/sec signal from the 58.32 MHz signal, a divide by 28.4765625 of the fast clock is required. Thus the divide by twenty-nine should occur exactly 47.65625% of the time and the divide by twenty-eight should occur exactly 52.34375% of the time. In order to guarantee such an arrangement, 0.4765625 (in digital form=0.0111 1010 0000 0000 0) is added to the adder each cycle. Whenever the carry out is one (which would be 47.65625% of the time), the next divide cycle is divide by twenty-nine. Whenever the carry out is zero (i.e., 52.34375% of the time), the next divide cycle is divide by twenty-eight.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided drawings.

Digital clock dejitter circuits for regenerating clock signals with minimal jitter


A handholdable ion emitting pet grooming brush for grooming pets is provided. It includes a body having an air intake on the top side of the body. A bristle unit is removably attached to the bottom side of the body and there is an opening in the middle of the bristle unit, which opens to an air outlet trough on the bottom side of the body. The air outlet trough is adapted to be similar in dimension to the opening. An ion generator is disposed in the body for creating an air flow that travels from the air intake to the air outlet trough. The ion generator includes a high voltage pulse generator, a first electrode located below the air intake, and a second electrode located above the air outlet trough. The second electrode includes a plurality of spaced second electrodes each coupled to the high voltage pulse generator. The air flow includes ionized air traveling from the first electrode between and past the spaced second electrodes and through the opening in the middle of the bristle unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pet grooming devices and more particularly to ion generators.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the art that ion generators can produce flow of an ionizable fluid media, such as air, without the aid of moving parts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,394, issued to Thomas Townsend Brown on Jan. 23, 1962, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,550, issued to Thomas Townsend Brown on Aug. 16, 1960 disclose that when suitable voltages are applied to electrodes the medium such as air is caused to move with respect to the electrodes. Another example of the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,801, issued to Lee on Dec. 6, 1988, which describes electro-kinetic transducers for applications including loudspeakers, and ion generators.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,637, issued to Weinberg on Mar. 28, 2000 describes a corona discharge device for destruction of airborne microbes, chemical toxins, and allergens. A miniature air purifier applies a high voltage to an emitter electrode located about ¼-inch from an 80% open mesh metallic grid held at ground potential. A corona discharge surrounds the emitter point and produces ionized air as well as destroying pathogens and pollutants with ozone and direct electron impact decomposition. The grid attracts ionized air molecules, thereby creating a mass flow of purified air out of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,315, issued to Taylor on Jan. 6, 2004, describes an ion emitting brush for removing lint, hair, and the like from clothing. The ion emitting brush is used to brush away lint, hair, etc. from clothing and other material and also provides a measure of cleaning and/or conditioning as well for the material.
Common pet brushes are well known in the art. Since pets vary, pet brushes are specifically designed for the particular type of pet. For example, dog brushes are significantly different than a brush used for a cat and definitely different than a horse grooming brush. This is primarily due to the different textures and lengths of the coats on these animals. There have been attempts at improving basic pet brushes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,428, issued to Locke on Jan. 8, 2002, describes a vacuum pet brush for collecting debris loosened by a grooming brush or comb. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,090 issued to Larson on Sep. 28, 1999, which describes a device for removing dirt, loose hair, dander, etc. from household pets. An electrostatic generator is connected a high voltage capacitor. When a pet is brought in close proximity to its surface the electrostatic force pulls dirt and loose hairs off the pet.
These pet brushes may serve their purpose; however, they do not promote the destruction of microbes, chemical toxins, and allergens that may be present on a pet. House pets are in many environments during a typical day. They are typically outside the house in the yard and when there can pick up on their coats many substances that are undesirable. Then when let into a house they bring these substances with them. Other pets such as horses are never in a house; however, they need constant grooming as they are exposed to a barnyard type environment.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for pet groomer that can be used with different pets and destroy microbes, chemical toxins, and allergens that a pet is exposed to on a daily basis.


A method and system for determining minimum post production test time on an integrated circuit device to achieve optimal reliability of that device utilizing defect counts. The number of defective cells or active elements with defective cells (DEFECTS) on the integrated circuit device are counted and this count serves as a basis for determining the minimum test time. A higher number of DEFECTS results in longer post production testing in order to achieve optimum reliability of the integrated circuit device. The number of DEFECTS can be counted on a device internal to the integrated circuit device and made available to determine the minimum required test time. The number of DEFECTS can also be obtained external to the integrated circuit device by intercepting information routed to another device. Information provided internally and externally can also reveal the physical location of DEFECTS to further refine the minimum required test time.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to integrated circuit device testing and in particular to post production integrated circuit device testing. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to determining the minimum amount of post production testing required on an integrated circuit device to achieve optimum reliability of that device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large fraction of the integrated circuits manufactured today contain some form of defect tolerance or redundancy. Incorporating redundancy into an integrated circuit allows manufacturers to repair many of the defects that would otherwise lead to circuit failures by replacing the defective circuit with a redundant circuit. This can therefore significantly increase the product yield. In memory circuits with redundant memory, for example, it is not uncommon for yields to increase 10 fold when compared to the same circuits containing no redundancy.
The number of defects that are repaired is of significant interest in areas such as yield modeling, yield learning, reliability estimation and test time reduction. For instance, it is known that as the number of defective elements on an integrated circuit device increases the more likely the integrated circuit device is to fail. Accordingly, the amount of post production test time required to insure an integrated circuit device is reliable increases with the number of defective elements present on the integrated circuit device. Despite this, manufacturers do not currently record this information directly or even attempt to obtain it from repair data.
Use of a defect count correlates well with a yield/reliability model in which the number of defects a given repaired chip possesses predicts the chip's probability of failing a reliability test. (See T. S. Barnett, A. D. Singh, M. Grady, K. G. Purdy, "Redundancy Implications for Product Reliability: Experimental Verification of an Integrated Yield Reliability Model", Proceedings 2002 International Test Conference, October 2002, to appear).
A paper presented at the IEEE International Test Conference in 2001, titled "Estimating Burn In Fallout for Redundant Memory", authored by T. S. Barnett, et al, describes how the number of repaired defects can be used to estimate the early life reliability of redundant memories. The paper "Yield Reliability Modeling for Fault Tolerant Integrated Circuits" by T. S. Barnett et al., (Proceedings of Defect and Fault Tolerance, October, 2001), extends this approach to more general fault tolerant architectures. While these works demonstrate how one could exploit defect count information for the purpose of early life reliability prediction, no specific technique for obtaining defect counts from integrated circuits is discussed. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a mechanism for automatically counting defective cells and active elements with defective cells in order to the minimize the amount of post production testing required on an integrated circuit device to achieve optimum reliability of that device.

Method and system for determining minimum post production test time required on an integrated circuit device to achieve optimum reliability


A configurable base is formed from a plurality of interlocking tiles that may fit within a frame. Anchoring tiles have receptacles for accepting anchors. Smooth panels support heavy items. Accessories are formed to either attach to the anchor or integrally with the anchor. Accessories include tie downs, sidewalls, cross frame and stanchions, and wheel-chocks. The anchor fits into the receptacles for placement anywhere desired on the base. An embodiment of the anchor has a lock for added security. A coupler provides at least one aperture for securing items, preferably positioned on the frame. An alternative configurable bed is formed by orthogonal cross members arranged within a frame. Open spaces between the orthogonal cross members accept anchors. Another alternative configurable bed is formed from a single tile having a plurality of receptacles. A method of configuring a cargo management system allows a dealer employee to compare customer needs to established footprints, alter the footprint design if needed, and generate a cost estimate for the configuration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices, systems, and processes useful for cargo management in utility trailers, truck beds, and the like.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Utility trailers and truck beds are used to haul a wide variety of items. Individuals often carry bikes, kayaks, and camping equipment. A power sports enthusiast may carry one or more of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, or personal watercraft. A person moving household goods might want to carry mattresses, furniture, and boxes. A person repairing or maintaining the landscaping or garden area of a home might need to carry soil, shrubbery, and a riding mower home from the store. Any of these activities often involve carrying a number of differently shaped items securely on a utility trailer or pickup truck bed.
One problem typically encountered when carrying such items is adequately securing them to prevent shifting and movement during transit. Traditionally, the person carrying these items has had to string a labyrinth of bungee cords and ropes in an attempt to keep these items held securely. Unfortunately, too many people are not sufficiently experienced with hauling such items, tying secure knots, or don't have the correct tools to keep such items securely anchored. It is quite common that, as a result, the items are not properly secured, become loose from their restraints and shift during transit. In some cases, loose or shifting cargo may even fall out of the trailer or vehicle, potentially causing accidents and harm to other drivers.
Another problem in the utility hauling field is that no interchangeable platform is available to readily accommodate articles of various shapes and sizes. Instead, one must typically purchase equipment specific to each type of item or items to be hauled. Specialized equipment, especially for items such as skis or kayaks, must often be installed on to a luggage rack at the car dealership. Moreover, these specialty racks are not interchangeable, and typically do not allow a person to accommodate more than one type of cargo.
Still another problem found with current utility truck or trailer bed configurations is not having sufficient tie-downs in the location where they are needed. Too often, bungee cords don't quite reach to the nearest hole in the truck bed side panels, or there aren't sufficient tie-down points available for all the items to be secured. Rope may be used, but the average person often does not adequately arrange or knot the rope to maintain sufficient tension to prevent movement. Without proper securing, cargo can jostle and become damaged, damage the truck or utility bed carrying the cargo, or worse yet, completely fall out of the trailer or bed.
With these problems in utility hauling, what is needed is an easily configurable cargo management system adaptable to a variety of uses that can be easily assembled while still securely holding hauled items.

Cargo management system for trailers and truckbeds and method of use


A thermoelectric component is provided. The component comprises a partition plate with electrical insulation, P-type and n-type thermoelectrical semiconductor elements that are equal in number and retained with juts in the partition plate, flat metallic electrodes connected to the cold junction of the p-type and n-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements, and T-shaped metallic electrodes connected to the hot junction of the p-type and n-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to thermoelectric components and cooling devices utilizing thermoelectric semiconductor elements. In detail, it is related to the technology which enables thermoelectric elements to last longer while preventing the cooling efficiency from decreasing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thermoelectric components utilizing thermoelectric semiconductor elements made of such compounds as bismuth/tellurium, iron/silicon or cobalt/antimony group are used in cooling/heating devices. These thermoelectric components, where neither liquid nor gas is used, are useful as cooling/heating sources which are compact, free from rotational abrasion and require no maintenance.
Generally, in this type of thermoelectric component, two types of thermoelectric semiconductor elements, p-type and n-type, are arranged precisely. The thermoelectric semiconductor elements are soldered to electrodes and form a .pi.-type series circuit. When these thermoelectric elements and metallic electrodes are sandwiched by ceramic substrates with metallic film, they are commonly used as thermoelectric modules.
The composition of thermoelectric modules conventionally known is shown in FIG. 7, where (a) is the front view and (b) the diagonal view. As is shown in this figure, in this thermoelectric module, n-type and p-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements are positioned alternatively and attached to metallic electrodes. The metallic electrodes are attached alternatively to the top and bottom of the n-type and p-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements, and all elements are thus connected in a series circuit. In order to fix thermoelectric elements to upper and lower metallic electrodes, solder is applied. Each of the upper and lower metallic electrodes is attached to ceramic substrates which have been metalized with copper or nickel, and the entire system is thereby secured. The thermoelectric component of this type of composition is generally called a thermoelectric module.
When power is supplied to the electrodes of this thermoelectric module to allow an electric current to run from n-type element to p-type element, heat absorption (cold junction) occurs at the upper part of the .pi.-type and heat radiation (hot junction) at the lower part because of the Peltier effect. When the electrodes are connected in reverse, the directions of hot and cold junctions also switch. This phenomenon makes thermoelectric components useful in cooking/heating devices. Thermoelectric modules are of wide use; cooling LSIs, computer CPUs and laser units as well as for refrigeration.
When we use this thermoelectric component as a cooling device, we need to cool the hot junction (radiation part). Traditionally there have been two approaches to cooling thermoelectric components. One is, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the air cooling system in which Radiating Fin 32 is attached to the hot junction of Thermoelectric Component 31 so that air is sent from Fan 33 to Radiating Fin 32. The other is, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the water cooling system in which a Water Cooling Jacket 34 is attached to the hot junction of Thermoelectric Component 31 so that cooling water runs through the Water Cooling Jacket 34 in the direction of the arrows shown between points 34A and 34B.
FIG. 9 is a temperature diagram of a thermoelectric component. The parameters which evaluate the cooling capacity of the thermoelectric component are Module .DELTA.T and System .DELTA.T. Module .DELTA.T is the difference (.DELTA.T1) between the temperature at the outer edge of the cold junction of the thermoelectric component, that is, the temperature (Q2) of the upper ceramic substrate, and the temperature at the outer edge of the hot junction of the thermoelectric component, that is, the temperature (Q5) of lower ceramic substrate. System .DELTA.T is the difference (.DELTA.T2) between the temperature (Q3) of the cold-junction part of the thermoelectric component and the one (Q6) surrounding its hot-junction part. The latter perimeter temperature corresponds to the temperature around Radiating Fin 32 in FIG. 8(a) and to the temperature of water in Water Cooling Jacket 34 in FIG. 8(b).
As illustrated in FIG. 9, the lowest temperature of the thermoelectric component is measured at the edge of the cold junction of the thermoelectric semiconductor element. The temperature rises as the measuring point moves through the metallic electrode to the ceramic substrate and ends up at Q3 at the cooling load. The highest temperature (Q4) is measured at the edge of the hot junction of the thermoelectric semiconductor element. The temperature falls as the measuring point moves through the metallic electrode to the ceramic substrate and ends up at Q6 around the hot junction. Owing to a small thermo-conductivity, ceramic substrates lower the cooling efficiency significantly.
The Peltier cooling device is therefore suggested as preventing the cooling efficiency from decreasing (Nikkei Mechanical, pp 48-56, Sep. 16, 1996). In this device, aluminum substrates with the oxidized surface, are used instead of ceramic ones. It also has a water cooling jacket with a spraying nozzle which can cool the aluminum substrate at the hot junction efficiently. This Peltier cooling device is said to provide the same cooling efficiency as that of an ordinary cooling system with flon gas.
However, this Peltier cooling device and the cooling devices shown in FIG. 8, do not provide the optimum performance from thermoelectric semiconductor elements because thermoelectric semiconductor elements are cooled indirectly through a lower substrate in each of them.
The thermoelectric semiconductor elements shown in FIG. 7 receive a large amount of thermal stress during operation, owing to the stiff structure in which the elements are fixed on top and bottom to the ceramic substrates. This results in a short life of thermoelectric semiconductor elements.

Thermoelectric component and thermoelectric cooling device


Active-RC low-pass filters based on R-0.5R ladders are implemented to provide high linear and low power design solutions for integrated biomedical applications. Among various R-αR ladders family, R-0.5R ladders provide the best low frequency selectivity characteristics. The filters exhibit ultra-low pole frequencies and occupy relatively compact silicon areas by using the R-0.5R ladders.

The "background" description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
Design of high quality biomedical devices to gather real-time physiologic parameters from a patient body could be the key point in saving the patient's life. These devices monitor biomedical signals in order of volts, V, to mV at the body surface and hence are susceptible to noise and interference. Low power, highly linear analog filters have wide range of applications in biomedical signal processing for example, a hearing aid as described in I. Deligoz, S. R. Naqvi, T. Copani, S. Kiaei, B. Bakkaloglu, S. Je, and J. Chae, ("A MEMS-based power-scalable hearing aid analog front end," IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 201-213, June 2011—incorporated herein by reference), photoplethysmogram as described in A. Wong, K. Pun, Y. Zhang, and K. Nang Leung, ("A low-power CMOS front-end for photoplethysmographic signal acquisition with robust DC photocurrent rejection," IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 280-288, December 2008—incorporated herein by reference), electrocardiogram (ECG) as described in S. Lee, and C. Cheng, "Systematic design and modeling of a OTA-C filter for portable ECG detection," IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 53-64, February 2009—incorporated herein by reference), wearable breathing detector as described in P. Corbishley and E. Rodriguez-Villegas, ("A nanopower bandpass filter for detection of an acoustic signal in a wearable breathing detector." IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 163-171, 2007—incorporated herein by reference), pulse oximeter as described in K. Li and S. Warren, "A wireless reflectance pulse oximeter with digital baseline control for unfiltered photoplethysmograms," IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 269-278, June 2012—incorporated herein by reference), acquisition of various neurophysiological signals as described in M. Mollazadeh, K. Murari, G. Cauwenberghs, and N. Thakor, ("Micropower CMOS integrated low-noise amplification, filtering, and digitization of multimodal neuropotentials," IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-10, February 2009—incorporated herein by reference) and M. Mollazadeh, K. Murari, G. Cauwenberghs, and N. Thakor, "Wireless micropower instrumentation for multimodal acquisition of electrical and chemical neural activity," IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 388-397, December 2009—incorporated herein by reference), neural spike detection as described in A. Rodríguez-Pérez, J. Ruiz-Amaya, M. Delgado-Restituto, and Á. Rodríguez-Vázquez, "A low-power programmable neural spike detection channel with embedded calibration and data compression," IEEE Tran. on Biomed. Circ. and Syst., vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 87-100, April 2012—incorporated herein by reference), EEG monitoring as described in R. F. Yazicioglu, P. Merken, R. Puers, and C. V. Hoof, ("A 200 uW eight-channel EEG acquisition ASIC for ambulatory EEG systems," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 43, no. 12, pp. 3025-3038, December 2008—incorporated herein by reference), and neural recording systems as described in A. Wong, K. Pun, Y. T. Zhang, and K. Hung, ("A near-infrared heart rate measurement IC with very low cutoff frequency using current steering technique," IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. I, vol. 52, no. 12, pp. 2642-2647, December 2005-incorporated herein by reference).
However, as recognized by the present inventor, designing ultra-low frequency filters for biomedical signal processing is a challenging problem due to the difficulty in developing efficient methods achieving large time constant while maintaining high linearity performance.

Ultra-low frequency bio-medical active-RC lowpass filters

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals


A method of forming a semiconductor arrangement includes forming a gate dielectric layer over a semiconductor layer. A gate electrode layer is formed over the gate dielectric layer. A first gate mask is formed over the gate electrode layer. The gate electrode layer is etched using the first gate mask as an etch template to form a first gate electrode. A first dopant is implanted into the semiconductor layer using the first gate mask and the first gate electrode as an implantation template to form a first doped region in the semiconductor layer.

In a semiconductor device, such as a transistor, current flows through a channel region between a source region and a drain region upon application of a sufficient voltage or bias to a gate of the device. The gate is isolated from the channel region by a gate dielectric layer. When current flows through the channel region, the device is generally regarded as being in an 'on' state, and when current is not flowing through the channel region, the device is generally regarded as being in an 'off' state. As technology nodes shrink, in some integrated circuit designs, the gate structure height and width dimensions also shrink. Low doped drain (LDD) regions defined in the source/drain regions reduce the likelihood of hot carrier injection that may potentially damage the gate dielectric layer as the height and width dimensions shrink.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Semiconductor arrangement and method of manufacture

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED


In a phase change memory, an interlayer insulating layer is disposed on a substrate. A heater plug includes a lower portion disposed in a contact hole penetrating the interlayer insulating layer and an upper portion protruding upward over the top surface of the interlayer insulating layer. A phase change pattern is disposed on the interlayer insulating layer to cover the top surface and the side surface of the protruding portion of the heater plug. An insulating spacer is interposed between the phase change pattern and the side surface of the protruding portion of the heater plug. A capping electrode is disposed on the phase change pattern.

Description of the Conventional Art
Conventional nonvolatile memory devices retain stored data even when powered off. Examples of conventional nonvolatile memory devices are ferroelectric memory devices, magnetic memory devices and phase change memory devices.
A unit cell of the phase change memory device uses a phase change material to store data. A phase change material changes into one of two stable sates (e.g., an amorphous state and a crystalline state), depending on the temperature and duration of supplied heat. A phase change material in an amorphous state has a higher resistivity than the phase change material in a crystalline state. The amount of current flowing through the phase change material differs according to a difference between the resistivity of the phase change material in the amorphous state and the resistivity of the phase change material in the crystalline state. Whether the stored data is a logical "1" or "0" is determined using the difference in the amount of current.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are sectional views illustrating a conventional method for fabricating a conventional phase change memory device.
Referring to FIG. 1, an interlayer oxide layer 2 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 1, and the interlayer oxide layer 2 is patterned to form a contact hole. A first conductive layer, filling the contact hole, is formed on the semiconductor substrate 1. A contact plug 3 is formed by planarizing the first conductive layer until the interlayer oxide layer 2 is exposed. A phase change layer 4 and a second conductive layer 5 are sequentially formed on the semiconductor substrate 1 including the contact plug. A mask pattern 6 covering the top surface of the contact plug 3 is formed on the second conductive layer 5.
Referring to FIG. 2, using the mask pattern 6 as an etch mask, the second conductive layer 5 and the phase change layer 4 are sequentially patterned to form a phase change pattern 4a and a conductive pattern 5a that are stacked sequentially. The phase change pattern 4a contacts the contact plug 3. At least a portion of the phase change pattern 41 corresponds to a program region 8. The program region 8 changes into an amorphous state or a crystalline state, depending on the temperature and supply duration of Joule heat generated by the contact plug 3.
In the conventional phase change memory device shown in FIG. 2, a region 7 adjacent to the side surface of the phase change pattern 4a may be damaged during an etching process using the mask pattern 6, which may change and/or degrade phase change characteristics of the region 7. The program region 8 may have a hemispheric structure surrounding the contact surface between the phase change pattern 4a and the contact plug 3. In this example, a portion of the program region 8 may belong to the damaged region 7, which may degrade characteristics of the program region 8 and lead to malfunction of the phase change memory device. As the integration degree of semiconductor devices increases, the size of the phase change pattern 4a decreases, which may emphasize and/or worsen the defects of the phase change memory device due to the damaged region 7.

Phase change memory devices and methods for fabricating the same


A centrifugal type refrigerant compressor comprises at least one impeller (17, 18), electric motor (27) and drive shaft (22) mounted on non-lubricated radial bearings, such as magnetic or foil gas bearings (23, 24), with axial locating means (26) associated with the shaft (22) to restrict axial movement thereof with respect to the compressor housing (12). The housing (12) encases the motor (27) and the compressor and defines the gas inlet (31) and the gas outlet (16) passageways. Gas throttling means (34) is provided in the inlet (31), and a control means (30) varies the speed of the motor (27) and the throttling means (34) to control the compression ratio and mass flow through the compressor in accordance with the refrigeration load.

Gas compressors such as those used in air conditioning and like systems use oil or alternatives as a lubricant for the compressor bearings. Because lubricating oils have an affinity with and absorb the refrigerants in which they operate, they should ideally be kept at an elevated temperature even when the compressor is not operating to prevent the refrigerant condensing in the oil. Such condensed refrigerant causes oil to foam on initial starting of a compressor, ultimately leading to compressor failure.
Further, up until now it has been necessary to design the refrigeration circuit of an air conditioning system to ensure that any oil which travels through the system can be returned to the compressor. Because it is difficult to restrict or prevent the oil travelling through the entire refrigeration system, oil traps need to be placed and oil return has to be taken into account when the system is designed. This causes restrictions such as the need to limit equipment location, the length of pipe run, the size of the refrigerant piping and the nature of the equipment used in the system. Because of the need to take these factors into consideration, the efficiency of a system and the operating ability of the system, such as the ability to unload can be compromised.
Most refrigeration and air conditioning systems currently use a refrigerant R12 or a singular refrigerant which is a CFC or HCFC refrigerant which is potentially damaging to the environment. Other refrigerants in use include R22, which is currently approved for use under the Montreal Protocol on the ozone layer until 2030 A.D. However, use of this refrigerant must be in progressively reducing volumes and the only CFC-free commercial refrigerant currently endorsed without reservation by the Montreal Protocol and by the International Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Industry (HVAC) is the refrigerant known as R134A. This refrigerant, however, is commercially unsuitable as a direct replacement for the CFC refrigerants in existing hematic or semi-hematic machines because the chemical structure of R134A results in a performance loss of up to about 30%. Further, the refrigerant R134A is basically unsuitable for use with existing compressors because the refrigerant is chemically incompatible with lubricants now available for the mechanical bearings and other rotating or reciprocating parts of the compressors.
Another difficulty with current air conditioning systems is that, traditionally, small to medium refrigeration systems of between 1 and 150 kilowatts use reciprocating, rotary or scroll compressors which are relatively cheap to produce but are relatively inefficient. Screw compressors become more efficient at sizes between 150 and 1,000 kilowatts although most systems over 500 kilowatts use centrifugal compressors. These are more efficient than screw compressors, but are conventionally far more costly to produce and maintain.
The efficiencies of the smaller equipment, below 180 kilowatts, is restricted by the available technology in the reciprocating, rotary, scroll and screw compressors. While centrifugal machines can offer a higher efficiency in the lower capacity range, limitations on high rotational speed drives, and the cost thereof, inhibits their use.


An electro-luminescence display panel and a driving method thereof for preventing a life shortening of the EL caused by a direct current are disclosed. In the electro-luminescence display panel implementing a gray level by a combination of light-emitting periods of sub-frames corresponding to each bit of video data, each of pixels includes an electro-luminescence (EL) cell, and a cell driver for allowing a forward current to be flown into the EL cell in accordance with a supplied data signal in a light-emitting period of the sub-frame while allowing a backward bias to be applied to the EL cell in a non-light-emitting period of the sub-frame.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electro-luminescence display (EL) display panel, and more particularly to an EL display panel and a driving method thereof that are adaptive for preventing a life shortening of the EL caused by a direct current (DC).
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there have been highlighted various flat panel display devices reduced in weight and bulk that is capable of eliminating disadvantages of a cathode ray tube (CRT). Such flat panel display devices include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP) and an electro-luminescence (EL) display panel, etc.
The EL display panel of such display devices is a self-luminous device capable of light-emitting a phosphorous material by a re-combination of electrons with holes. The EL display device is generally classified into an inorganic EL device using an inorganic compound as the phosphorous material and an organic EL device using an organic compound as it. Such an EL display panel can be driven a low driving voltage (e.g., 10V) unlike other display devices, and has an excellent recognition because it employs a self-luminescence. Also, the EL display panel can implement an ultra thin film device because it does not need a back light unlike the LCD. Furthermore, the EL display panel has advantages of a wider viewing angle and a faster response speed in comparison to the LCD such that it can be highlighted into a post-generation display device.
The organic EL device is usually comprised of an electron injection layer, an electron carrier layer, a light-emitting layer, a hole carrier layer and a hole injection layer that are disposed between a cathode and an anode. In such an organic EL device, when a predetermined voltage is applied between the anode and the cathode, electrons produced from the cathode are moved, via the electron injection layer and the electron carrier layer, into the light-emitting layer while holes produced from the anode are moved, via the hole injection layer and the hole carrier layer, into the light-emitting layer. Thus, the electrons and the holes fed from the electron carrier layer and the hole carrier layer emit a light by their re-combination at the light-emitting layer.
An active matrix EL display panel employing such an organic EL device is largely classified into an analog driving method and a digital driving method.
The analog driving method of the EL display panel is a driving method that controls a current amount fed to an EL cell by an analog signal having a different level in accordance with a video data signal, that is, by a voltage or current, thereby controlling brightness.
On the other hand, the digital driving method of the EL display panel is a driving method that controls a light-emitting time of the EL cell according to a digital video data signal, thereby controlling brightness. In this case, in order to control a light emitting period of the EL cell, one frame is divided into 1st to 6th sub-frames SF1 to SF6 when it is intended to a plurality of sub-frames corresponding to each bit of video data, that is, 6-bit video data as shown in FIG. 1. Further, since different weighting values are given to light-emitting periods of the 1st to 6th sub-frames SF1 to SF6, a ratio LT1:LT2:LT3:LT4:LT5:LT6 of the light-emitting periods of the 1st to 6th sub-frames SF1 to SF6 becomes 1:2:4:8:16:32. The 1st to 4th sub-frames SF1 to SF4 other than the 5th and 6th sub-frames SF5 and SF6 includes non-light-emitting periods UT1, UT2, UT3 and UT4 that are gradually decreased in opposition to the light-emitting periods LT1, LT2, LT3 and LT4. The EL cells arranged in a matrix type at the EL display panel are scanned, on a line sequence basis, in each light-emitting period LT1 to LT6 of the 1st to 6th sub-frames SF1 to SF6 to be turned on in accordance with a data signal, thereby providing a light-emission. On the other hand, the EL cells are scanned, on a line sequence basis, in each non-light-emitting period UT1 to UT4 of the 1st to 4th sub-frames SF1 to SF4 to be turned off, thereby stopping a light-emission. Accordingly, brightness of the EL device is implemented by combining light-emitting times of the sub-frames turned on in accordance with video data.
FIG. 2 is a detailed circuit diagram of one pixel configuring an active matrix EL display panel for providing a digital driving. FIG. 3 is a driving timing diagram of the first sub-frame SF1.
The pixel shown in FIG. 2 is comprised of an EL cell OLED, and a cell driver including three PMOS transistors P1, P2 and P3 and a storage capacitor Cs for driving the EL cell OLED.
The cell driver includes a storage capacitor Cs connected to a power line PL, a first switching PMOS transistor P1 connected between a data line DL and the storage capacitor Cs to be controlled by a light-emitting scan line SLp, a second switching PMOS transistor P2 connected between the power line PL and the storage capacitor Cs to be controlled by a non-light-emitting scan line SLe, and a third driving PMOS transistor P3 connected between a voltage supply line VDD and the EL cell OLED to be controlled by the storage capacitor Cs.
A writing scan line SLp provides a writing signal, that is, a program signal PS for turning on the first PMOS transistor P1 in a light-emitting period LT of each sub-frame SF. The first PMOS transistor P1 is turned on by the program signal PS to charge a data signal into the storage capacitor Cs, thereby turning on or off the third PMOS transistor P3 in accordance with the charged voltage during the light-emitting period LT.
An erasing scan line SLe provides an erasing signal ES for turning on the second PMOS transistor P2 in a non-light-emitting period UT of each sub-frame SF. The second PMOS transistor P2 is turned on by the erasing signal SE to discharge the storage capacitor Cs, thereby turning on the third PMOS transistor P3 during the non-light-emitting period UT.
Referring to FIG. 3, the first PMOS transistor P1 is turned on by a low voltage of the program signal PS in the non-light-emitting period LT1 of the 1st sub-frame SF1. Further, a low voltage ("0") or a high voltage ("1") of the data signal is supplied via the turned-on first PMOS transistor P1 to be charged in the storage capacitor Cs. When the low voltage is charged in the storage capacitor Cs, the third PMOS transistor P3 is turned on to thereby turn on, that is, light-emit the EL cell OLED during the light-emitting period LT. On the other hand, when the high voltage is charged in the storage capacitor Cs, the third PMOS transistor P3 does not turn off, that is, light-emit the EL cell OLED during the light-emitting period LT.
Then, the second PMOS transistor P2 is turned on by a low voltage of the erasing signal SE in the non-light-emitting period UT1 to supply a high-level voltage VDD from the power line PL to a gate electrode of the third PMOS transistor P3, thereby discharging the storage capacitor Cs. Thus, the third PMOS transistor P3 is turned off, thereby allowing the EL cell OLED to be turned off, that is, to provide a non-light-emission in the non-light-emitting period UT.
However, the related art EL display panel has a problem in that, since it allows a current to be flown only in a forward direction (i.e., anode→cathode) at the EL cell for the purpose of light-emitting the EL cell OLED, a life of the EL cell OLED is shortened due to a direct current (DC).
Furthermore, the EL display panel driven by the digital driving method as shown in FIG. 2 also has a problem in that, since it allows a forward direction current to be flown into the EL cell OLED in accordance with a data signal in the light-emitting period LT while allowing a current to be not flown into the EL cell OLED by floating the anode of the EL cell OLED in the non-light-emitting period UT, a life of the EL cell OLED is shortened due to a direct current (DC).

Electro-luminescence display panel and driving method thereof


The including of an engaging recess with an article of human wearing apparel, such as a cap, that has a specific exterior ornamental configuration. An elongated, illuminatable, plastic, light tube is to be snapped into an elongated groove formed on the wearing apparel and is to be snugly retained thereby. The light tube is to be flexible so as to accommodate to the specific shape of groove. The illuminatable tube includes a liquid substance which is to be activatable which will cause the tube to glow for a period of time. Also, the body of the tube will contain a separate light activatable substance which can be used to cause the tube to emit light after expiration of the light from the liquid substance.

1) Field of the Invention
The field of this invention is directed to wearing apparel and more particularly to wearing apparel which can be selectively illuminated for a period of time and can be reilluminated after termination of the original period of luminescence.
2) Description of Prior Art
The use of wearing apparel that has a specific exterior ornamental configuration has long been known. One common type of such wearing apparel is headwear. There are numerous types of hats, caps, beenies and so forth. At times, headwear may represent a particular desired configuration such as "Mickey Mouse ears".
Ornamental headwear wearing apparel is frequently sold within certain environments as a novelty item. Such environments would be theme parks. Generally, children are the principal users of such headwear and, the more attractive the manufacturing of such headwear, the greater the enducement for the child to purchase and use the headwear.
Within recent years, a new type of novelty item that has become of common use within recreational facilities, such as theme parks, is what is frequently referred to as a glow tube. The glow tube is an elongated plastic thin tube which can be readily bent in any desired configuration. Within the interior of the glow tube there is incorporated an activatable substance. Upon the glow tube being manually grasped and rapidly bent back and forth, this substance is activated and light is emitted. This emitting of light causes the tube to glow and the tube will continue to glow for a period of time such as generally four to eight hours. The disadvantage of such a novelty item is that no illumination is possible after this period of time. The purchaser, usually a child, would like to be able to obtain illumination at a later time, days and even months later.
The incorporation of a glow tube in conjunction with an article of wearing apparel of a specific ornamental configuration is disclosed within the above referenced prior patent application.

Illuminated article of wearing apparel with afterglow