A thermal printer is provided with a first temperature sensor which is disposed in a substrate of a thermal head, and a second temperature sensor disposed in a housing of the thermal printer. The thermal head has an array of heating elements, each constituted of a resistance layer formed on the substrate, and a grazed glass layer is interposed between the resistance layer and the substrate. An average temperature of the grazed glass layers is calculated from first and second temperatures detected by the first and second temperature sensors, the heat resistance of a path from the substrate to the first temperature sensor, and the heat resistance of an atmosphere in the housing. Based on the calculated temperature, electric energy to be supplied to the thermal head is changed to control heat energy generated from the thermal head.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal printer and a driving method of a thermal head of the thermal printer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a thermal printer which detects the temperature of the thermal head itself and the ambient temperature of the thermal head in order to control temperature variation of the thermal head.
2. Background Art
The thermal printer has a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements which are connected in parallel to one another and arranged in an array. The thermal head gives an amount of heat energy to the thermosensitive recording medium depending on the sensitivity of the recording medium and desirable density of the pixel to record. Specifically, first bias heat energy is applied for heating the thermosensitive recording medium up to such a temperature above which a color begins to be developed. Next, a variable amount of image heat energy necessary for developing the color at desirable density is applied.
On the other hand, the thermal head has an array of heating elements, each constituted of a resistance. Generally, a resistance layer is formed on a substrate, and a pair of electrode layers overlap the opposite ends of the resistance layer. A grazed glass layer is interposed between the resistance layer and the substrate so as to make the outer surface of the heating element convex, and thus ensure the contact with the recording medium or the ink ribbon. On the inner surface of the substrate, i.e., the opposite side from the grazed glass layer, a heat radiation plate is mounted for rapidly cooling the heating element in the cooling periods provided between the heating periods of the heating elements.
The heating elements have a problem that as the print proceed, the thermal head stores heat energy especially in the grazed glass layers, and hence the temperature of the thermal head gradually rises in total. Even though a predetermined electric driving energy is supplied to the resistance to generate a predetermined heat energy, the heat energy applied to the recording medium may change depending upon the temperature of the heating element and the thermal head. Especially the heat accumulation in the grazed glass layer has great influence on the surface temperature of the heating element. As a result, density of an image recorded on a sheet of recording paper tends to be low in the first stage of the printing, and relatively high in the end of the printing. Also when printing a plurality of copies in continuous succession, the first copy tends to have a lower density in total, while the last copy tends to have a higher density in total. This phenomenon is called "shading".
Hereinafter, the variation of temperature of the thermal head due to heat storage or accumulation during printing will be referred to as "a long interval temperature variation of the thermal head".
To solve this problem, JPB 60-240271 discloses a thermal printer wherein drive voltage supplied to the thermal head is controlled based on a temperature measured from the thermal head, such that the head drive voltage is lowered with increasing head temperature, thereby to minimize unexpected variation of the heat energy radiated from the thermal head, i.e. the shading.
Because not only the head temperature but also the temperature of the ink ribbon and/or the recording medium and that of the platen drum or plate have influence on the recording density, it is desirable to take the ambient temperature into consideration. JPB 2-162060 discloses a teaching to provide a second temperature sensor in the ambience of the thermal head, so as to control the energy supply to the thermal head on the basis of the temperature signals from the two sensors.
However, considering the structure of the heating elements as above, it is hard to dispose a temperature sensor, such as a thermistor, adjacent to the outer surface of the heating element or the grazed glass layer. The head temperature sensor is usually disposed in the substrate which is constituted of a ceramic plate and/or an aluminum plate, so that the substrate is interposed between the temperature sensor and the grazed glass layer.
Accordingly, the temperature detected by the conventional head temperature sensor does not directly represent the temperature of the grazed glass layer, but represent the temperature of the substrate which has influence merely indirectly on the surface temperature of the heating element. For this reason, the accuracy of the temperature control of the heating elements and thus the preventing effect against the shading has been insufficient.

Thermal printer which detects the temperature of a thermal head to central temperature variations


A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate, first and second insulating layers, a fuse, a diffusion layer and a conductive pattern. The first insulating layer is selectively formed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The fuse is formed on the first insulating layer. The diffusion layer is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The diffusion layer is applied to a fixed potential. The second insulating layer is formed on the fuse. The conductive pattern is formed on the second insulating layer. The conductive pattern surrounds the fuse. Further, the conductive pattern is electrically connected to the diffusion layer.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and particularly to a semiconductor device having fuses for modifying electrical failures of the semiconductor device.
It is difficult to find electric failures or detective conditions generated in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device (LSI) such as a memory during its manufacturing process. They become clear in an electric testing process executed after the manufacturing process. Therefore, the LSI is provided with at least one redundant fuse to modify the electric failures. The electric failures found out in the electric testing process can be modified by cutting and processing (fuse blow) the fuse with laser light.
The redundant fuse is formed, using a polysilicon layer, on a field insulating film formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate and is covered with an insulating film as shown in, for example, a patent document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11(1999)-67054). Upon cutting of the fuse, it is cut by laser light together with the insulating film. Thus, a cut section of the fuse is exposed to the outside within a fuse aperture or opening during from after the cutting of the fuse to resin encapsulation.
In a scribing process executed during from after the cutting of the fuse to the resin encapsulation, the cut section of the fuse is subjected to charged water. When ESD (Electro Static Discharge) occurs in this state, there is a possibility that an electrical charge will pass from the charged water to the fuse cut section and a gate electrode of an internal transistor to thereby cause breakdown of a gate insulating film of the internal transistor. There is also a possibility that even by an electrical charge charged on a film with a chip mounted thereon, it will be discharged from the fuse cut section to the gate electrode of the internal transistor, thereby causing the breakdown of the gate insulating film.
A protection circuit that protects an internal circuit of a semiconductor device has been described in, for example, a patent document 2 (Japanese Patent Application No. 3526853). This internal circuit is connected to a ground potential terminal (high potential side) and a low voltage source terminal (low potential side) and operated at a negative potential. The protection circuit comprises a first diode connected between a ground voltage source terminal and an input terminal and operated in the backward direction where a negative polarity surge has occurred in the input terminal, a second diode connected between the input terminal and the low potential source terminal and operated in the forward direction where the negative polarity surge has occurred in the input terminal, an NMOS transistor connected between a substrate potential terminal and the low voltage source terminal, and first and second capacitors which divide the difference in potential between the substrate potential terminal and the low voltage source terminal and applies a source-to-gate voltage to the NMOS transistor. The respective capacitances of the first and second capacitors are selected in such a manner that the source-to-gate voltage of the NMOS transistor does not cause turning-on thereof over its threshold value in the normal case free of the electrostatic surge. Since a backward electrostatic surge current flows in the first diode where the negative polarity surge is intruded into the input terminal, a response time is taken and the electrostatic surge responds in the forward direction of the second diode, so that the electrostatic surge current flows from the second diode to the input terminal. The difference in potential between the substrate potential terminal and the low voltage source terminal becomes approximately identical to the voltage of the electrostatic surge. Thus, the gate-to-source voltage of the NMOS transistor, which is divided by the first and second capacitors, exceeds the threshold value so that the NMOS transistor is turned ON. Therefore, the electrostatic surge current flows through the substrate potential terminal, the NMOS transistor and the second diode so that the internal circuit is protected from the electrostatic surge.
As described above, the redundant fuse of the semiconductor device has the cut section exposed to the outside in the scribing process or the like subsequent to having been cut by, for example, laser. Therefore, there is a fear that the gate insulating film of the transistor of the internal circuit will be broken due to the electrical charge intruded from the cut section. Although, however, measures against the ESD surge intruded from the input terminal such as described in the patent document 2 have heretofore been taken, any measures are not taken against the ESD surge at the cut section of the redundant fuse.

Semiconductor device having fuse area surrounded by protection means


The invention provides a magnetic tape cartridge library apparatus wherein the space can be utilized effectively to allow accommodation of an increased number of tape cartridges. The magnetic tape cartridge library apparatus includes a cartridge magazine for removably accommodating a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges in a plurality of stages in a vertical direction therein, a magnetic tape deck for reading or writing data from or onto a magnetic tape cartridge loaded therein, a hand apparatus disposed on the front side of the magnetic tape deck, and a magazine feeding mechanism for feeding the cartridge magazine forwardly or rearwardly on one of the left and right sides of the hand apparatus. The hand apparatus is operable to insert or take out a magnetic tape cartridge into or from the cartridge magazine and transport the magnetic tape cartridge between the cartridge magazine and the magnetic tape deck.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape library apparatus, and more particularly to a magnetic tape library apparatus which includes a movable cartridge magazine.
2. Description of the Related Art
A magnetic tape cartridge library apparatus (hereinafter referred to merely as tape library apparatus) is conventionally known which includes a magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus (hereinafter referred to merely as tape deck) which performs recording and reproduction processes onto and from a magnetic tape medium (hereinafter referred to merely as magnetic tape) and an automatic recording medium loading apparatus which automatically loads and unloads such a recording medium as a magnetic tape cartridge (hereinafter referred to merely as tape cartridge) into and from the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus by means of a hand apparatus. However, where the hand apparatus is provided on the front side of the magnetic tape deck (hereinafter referred to merely as tape deck), even if a free space can be provided on the opposite left and right sides of the tape deck, the free spaces on the opposite left and right sides of the tape deck cannot be used for accommodation of cartridges because the hand apparatus cannot advance into the free spaces.
FIG. 9 shows an example of a conventional automatic recording medium loading apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 276828/2000. Referring to FIG. 9, the automatic recording medium loading apparatus 100 shown includes a recording and reproduction apparatus (tape deck) 103 for performing a recording process and a reproduction process into and from a tape cassette 102 loaded in an apparatus body 101 thereof, a cassette accommodating rack 104 for accommodating a plurality of tape cassettes 102 in parallel to each other in a vertical posture at the same height therein, a box-shaped rack case 106 for fixedly accommodating the cassette accommodating rack 104 therein, a table 109 having the rack case 106 placed thereon, a rack feeding mechanism 110 for feeding the table 109 leftwardly and rightwardly in front of the recording and reproduction apparatus (tape deck) 103, and a loading mechanism 105 for transporting a tape cassette 102 between the cassette accommodating rack 104 and the recording and reproduction apparatus 103. The cassette accommodating rack 104 is disposed integrally with the recording and reproduction apparatus 103.
In the automatic recording medium loading apparatus 100, a tape cassette 102 can be transported directly from the recording and reproduction apparatus 103 to the cassette accommodating rack 104. Consequently, the space required for transportation of a tape cassette 102 is small, and the automatic recording medium loading apparatus can be formed with a small size and the time required for the transportation can be reduced.
In the conventional automatic recording medium loading apparatus 100, however, since a plurality of tape cassettes 102 are accommodated in parallel to each other in a vertical posture at the same height in the cassette accommodating rack 104 and the cassette accommodating rack 104 is fed leftwardly and rightwardly together with the rack case 106 to effect exchange of a tape cassette 102, the number of tape cassettes 102 which can be accommodated in the cassette accommodating rack 104 is limited, and a great number of tape cassettes cannot be handled.

Magnetic tape cartridge library apparatus having vertically oriented stages


A lightning protection system is provided for a wind turbine. The wind turbine has an electrically grounded structure part, a main shaft electrically and mechanically connected to the grounded structure part, a blade hub rotationally connected via a main bearing to the main shaft and blades connected to the blade hub. The lightning protection system includes a down-conductor attachable inside one of the blades and a high voltage conductor for guiding lightning current, wherein a first end of the high voltage conductor is in electrical communication with the down-conductor. The lightning protection system also includes a high voltage contact attachable inside the main shaft, wherein a second end of the high voltage conductor is in electrical communication with the high voltage contact. Lightning current is guided from the down-conductor via the high voltage conductor to the high voltage contact.

Lightning strikes are a major reason for wind turbine failures. When a lightning strikes a wind turbine often one or more blades of the wind turbine are hit. From there the current of the lightning strike is usually conducted by conducting means like a down-conductor to one or more wind turbine components like the hub, nacelle or the tower and then further down to the ground.
The current flowing through the wind turbine must not reach any electrical components like the generator or converter or other critical components like the main bearings or the gearbox as they would be damaged by the large energy of the lightning strike. The combination of a high voltage and a large electrical current from the lightning strike could damage these components.
Often, the down-conductor is connected directly to the hub which conducts the current to the nacelle and further down to the ground. For a direct drive wind turbine also called gearless wind turbine the hub is connected electrically and mechanically to the rotor of the generator. Due to this design the current can pass onto the rotor and discharge into the stator of the generator. The large current of up to 200 kA could destroy the permanent magnets, the generator windings and could introduce metallic particles between rotor and stator. The particles will stick to the magnets and decrease the distance between rotor and stator which might cause contact between both generator parts. Therefore, lightning protection systems like these are not applicable for direct drive wind turbines.
For a direct drive wind turbine having a generator with an outer rotating rotor it is even more difficult to find a way to conduct the electrical current from a lightning strike to the blades without damaging the generator or other components of the wind turbine.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,750 B1 shows a lightning protection system for conducting lightning strikes to the blades and further to the region surrounding a blade hub and along a path around the blade hub and critical components of the wind turbine. The long lightning conducting path has directional shifts or turns bearing the risk of lightning strike jumps to a critical component.

Lightning protection system for a wind turbine and wind turbine with a lightning protection system


A method of printing an image on a substrate using a page-wide-array printer and a page wide array printer is provided. The method includes printing a first portion of the image as relative movement occurs between the substrate and the print heads, and printing a second portion of the image as relative movement occurs between the substrate and the print heads, such that there exists an area of overlap between the first portion of the image and the second portion of the image. The substrate may be moved in a first direction relative to the print heads whilst the first portion of the image is printed, moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and moved in the first direction again whilst the second portion of the image is printed. The substrate may be printed whilst the substrate is moved in the second direction.

In general, a page-wide array printer comprises a substrate transport path and a print head or array of print heads extending the full width of the substrate transport path. Such an arrangement allows the entire width of a substrate to be printed simultaneously. A substrate may be any sort of sheet-like medium, including paper, cardboard, plastic and textile.
The print head or array of print heads is usually fixed within the printer, and a substrate on which an image is to be printed is moved past the print head or heads along the substrate transport path. A complete image is often printed in a single printing pass.
In such single-pass printing image quality may sometimes be limited. For example, if the image requires a large amount of ink to be transferred to part or all of the substrate, that part of the substrate may warp or become deformed due to receiving a high flow of liquid ink in a short time. It is also possible that ink from adjacent print head nozzles may coalesce, causing the image to become blurred, or to appear grainy. It can be difficult to achieve detailed images that are also sharp in single-pass print-modes.

Method and printer for multi-pass page-wide array printing

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An apparatus and method for fastening a wood panel to a high structural strength steel frame member using self-drilling, self-tapping screws. An electrically powered rotary driver with an attached screw driver bit is carried by a pneumatically-powered telescoping driver support/fastener-positioning unit that includes a fastener positioning plate, telescoping members attached to the fastener positioning plate, and a pair of foot plates for the operator to stand on whereby to hold the apparatus down during a screw-driving operation. The driver and the driver support/fastener-positioning unit are controlled by an electro/pneumatic system. The method implemented by that system comprises retracting the driver support/fastener positioning unit so as force the screw driver bit to engage in the positioning plate, operating the driver as the telescoping members are retracted so that the screw driver bit will cause the engaged fastener to drill in turn through the wood panel and the steel frame member and form a screw connection with the steel frame member, and then turning off the driver and re-extending the telescoping members so as disengage the screw driver bit from the driven fastener, ready for a new screw-driving operation.

It is well known to use screws and nails, or similar pin-type fasteners, for securing floor, wall and ceiling panels to supporting structures in buildings and vehicle cargo container bodies. In the case of truck trailer and cargo container bodies, hard wood floors are attached to a steel metal frame or substrate with screw fasteners. It is essential that those screws be driven in far enough to secure the flooring member in tight engagement with the underlying frame, and also that the heads of the screw fasteners not protrude above the wood flooring. One technology for securing floors to truck trailer bodies requires pre-drilling holes in both the wood flooring and the underlying metal frame members, e.g., steel angle irons, I-beams, U-channels or flat metal bars, and applying self-tapping screws through those holes to anchor the flooring to the frame. That procedure using predrilled holes is slow due to the need to pre-drill the members to be secured together. Accordingly attention has been directed to avoiding the necessity of pre-drilling the underlying frame members.
One prior approach to securing hard wood flooring or panels to aluminum or mild steel substrates or structural frame members without pre-drilling has been to use an electrically powered screwdriver operating at a relatively high speed, e.g., about 2400 rpm, and special high carbon steel self-drilling, self-tapping wing screws, e.g. the fastening system of Muro Corporation of Tokyo, Japan comprising its model FLVL41 electrically powered screwdriver and its Super Wing™ self-drilling screws. Such prior fastening systems are suitable for driving the self-drilling, self tapping wing screws through wood into aluminum frame members; and also suitable for driving screws through wood into mild steel frame members in thicknesses up to about ¼ inch, although that driving operation is relatively slow, typically taking about 15 seconds or more.
However, freight trailer body manufacturers now prefer to use frame members made of a high tensile strength steel characterized by a tensile strength of 80,000 psi and a yield strength of approximately 50,000-65,000 psi (hereinafter "HTS steel"), with the frame members having a thickness of at least ⅛ inch and as much as ⅜ inch. Prior electric powered screw driving systems using self-drilling wing screws have not been satisfactory for reliably, effectively and rapidly penetrating such high tensile strength frame members with self-drilling, self-tapping screws, and there use in such applications has been limited to screws with a maximum shank diameter of about 6 mm, exclusive of the wings, and a maximum head diameter of about 11 mm. In addition to the screws not readily penetrating the HTS steel and the screw driving process being slow (about 25 seconds), a significant limiting factor is that driving the fasteners requires the operator to exert a substantial downward force on the driver in order for the screw driver bit to drive the fastener into the high tensile strength frame member, which leads to operator fatigue. In this connection it is to be noted that the time required to drive each screw is a function of the operator-generated force exerted on the screw by the driver, the torque applied to the screw by the electrically-powered driver, and the rotational speed imparted to the screw by the driver. It is to be noted that also using an electric screw driver with a greater speed, e.g., 5000 rpm, has been found to be unacceptable since at that higher speed the heat buildup at the interface of the screws with the HTS steel frame member will cause the tips of the screws to burn up, which in turn reduces the ability of the drill portion of the screws to penetrate the steel frame member and consequently extends the time required to properly anchor the screw in that steel member. That same tip burning phenomenon has been found to occur to some extent even with drilling speeds of about 2400 rpm.
One effort to overcome the foregoing limitations of prior electric power screwdriver systems with respect to anchoring hard wood members to high tensile strength frame members is the apparatus described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,990,731, which is incorporated herein by reference. That apparatus, which was found to be capable of rapidly driving high carbon steel self-drilling, self tapping wing screws through hard wood flooring members into high tensile strength steel frame members, comprises a pneumatically-powered impact screw driver carried by a pneumatically operated telescoping driver support/fastener positioning unit for urging the screw driver device to move in a direction that applies an axial driving force to screws. The telescoping apparatus reduces the effort that the operator needs to exert to urge the driver into engagement with the workpiece. Although that system can complete a fastening operation through ¾ to 1⅜ inch thick hardwood flooring into ⅛ inch thick HTS steel frame members using screws with a maximum shank o.d. of about 6 mm in about 12 seconds without any pre-drilling and with much less muscular effort than required with the Muro system, it has several limitations. For one thing it requires a relatively large air flow at a relatively large pressure to assure adequate stall torque and rotational speed for the driver, e.g., about 30 cubic feet/minute air flow at a pressure of about 90 psi. That requires the apparatus to be coupled to a relatively large compressor, e.g., a 25 HP electrically powered compressor. Another limitation is that the high speed of the pneumatic impact driver, about 5000 rpm when supplied with air at a pressure of about 90 psi, tends to cause burning up of the tips of the screws, particularly when attempting to install screws with a diameter in excess of 6 mm, e.g., screws with a shank diameter, exclusive of wings, of 8 mm (which are preferred for trailer truck body applications due to their greater holding power and strength). That tip burning problem can be alleviated by reducing the air pressure to decrease the driver's torque and rotational speed, but at a cost of an increase in the time required to fully drive a screw. Other limitations of that apparatus are the cost of pneumatic impact drivers and the noise that they generate.
Accordingly there has still existed the need for a screw driving and fastening apparatus that is capable of rapidly and reliably driving self-drilling, self-tapping screws into high tensile strength steel substrates having a thickness in the order of ⅛ inch to ⅜ inch without any need for pre-drilling the HTS steel substrates.

Apparatus and method for fastening together structural components


A method for tracing an instrumented program, including triggering a probe in the instrumented program, obtaining an original instruction associated with the probe, loading the original instruction into a scratch space, beginning execution of the original instruction in the scratch space using a thread, detecting a state of a signal received by a signal handler, and if the signal is asynchronous, executing a second instruction corresponding to the signal after executing the original instruction, and if the signal is synchronous, executing a third instruction corresponding to the signal and resetting a program counter to a location of the original instruction where the probe in the instrumented program was triggered.

Analyzing the dynamic behavior and performance of a complex software system is difficult. Typically, analysis of a software system is achieved by gathering data at each system call and post-processing the data. Data is gathered at each system call by placing a probe at locations of interest in the software (i.e., instrumenting the software to obtain an instrumented program) and gathering data when the probe is encountered by the thread executing the instrumented program.
Probes are typically represented in the instrumented code as trap instructions. The location (i.e., address) of each trap instruction is stored in a look-up table and associated with an original instruction (i.e., the instruction that is replaced when the program is instrumented).
When a thread executing the instrumented program encounters a trap instruction, control is transferred to a trap handler, which calls into the tracing framework and performs the actions associated with the trap instruction. The trap handler then looks up the original instruction in the look-up table. The trap instruction is then overwritten by the original instruction (i.e., the original instruction is placed back in its original location within the code path replacing the trap instruction that was just executed). The tracing framework then single-steps the original instruction (i.e., the original instruction is executed and then control is returned to the kernel). The original instruction in the code path is then overwritten by the trap instruction that was originally encountered by the thread. The thread then resumes executing the instrumented program.
In a system in which more than one thread is executing within a given instrumented program, a particular thread may not trigger a probe (i.e., encounter a trap instruction) if the thread encounters the original instruction corresponding to a probe as opposed to the trap instruction. This situation typically occurs when a first thread encounters the trap instruction and overwrites it with a corresponding original instruction, and while this is occurring, a second thread encounters the original instruction. In this scenario, the first thread calls into the tracing framework to perform the actions associated with the trap instruction, while the second thread executes the original instruction but does not call into the tracing framework. The aforementioned method for instrumenting a program is typically referred to as "lossfull" (i.e., all the requested tracing information is not obtained, because in certain scenarios such as the one described above, a probe within a give code path may not be encountered by all executing threads).
Alternatively, the original instructions may be replaced with a reserved trap instruction, and when a thread executing the instrumented program encounters the reserved trap instruction, all threads executing in the instrumented program are suspended while the thread that caused the trap single-steps the original instruction, which is temporarily written over by the trap instruction, as defined above. Note that by suspending all the threads executing when the trap is encountered by one of the threads, the execution of the tracing framework is effectively serialized. After the thread has single-stepped the original instruction, the reserved trap instruction that was encountered by the thread is copied back over the original instruction in the code path. All threads executing in the instrumented program then resume executing the instrumented program. The aforementioned method for instrumenting a program is typically referred to as "lossless" (i.e., all the requested tracing information is obtained because the threads executing the instrumented program encounter all the probes in the code path in which they are executing).
Signal handlers are functions that a user-level process registers with a kernel. When a signal is received, the kernel redirects the flow of control from the immediate instruction to the first instruction corresponding to the signal received by the signal handler. Upon completion of handling a signal and the associated instructions, the signal handler returns to the location where it was interrupted. Synchronous signal handlers are designed to handle synchronous signals, which are related to specific instructions. These signals may arise as a result of actions such as, but not limited to, dereferencing a bad pointer, dividing by zero, performing an operation on invalid floating point numbers, etc. Asynchronous signal handlers are designed to handle asynchronous signals, which typically arise because of external events that are possibly unrelated to the current instruction. A timer event from a user-level thread, an external process using a kill command, and hardware interrupts are examples of asynchronous signals.

Avoiding signals when tracing user processes


A network controller as well as a method in a network controller for coordinating resource assignments to radio access points of a superdense, SDN, network is provided. The method comprises identifying a set of radio access points in the SDN network whose respective radio resource assignment is to be independently coordinated. The method also comprises obtaining interference information indicative of the extent to which radio transmissions to or from different radio access points in the set would interfere with one another absent radio resource assignment coordination. The method then forms subsets of the radio access points in the set based on this obtained interference information. The method also assigns different subsets of radio resources to the different subsets of the radio access points, and reports assignment information to the radio access points in the set, indicating the assignment of radio resources.

Wireless devices for communication such as terminals are also known as e.g. User Equipments (UE), mobile terminals, wireless terminals and/or mobile stations. Terminals are enabled to communicate wirelessly in a cellular communications network or wireless communication system, sometimes also referred to as a cellular radio system or cellular networks. The communication may be performed e.g. between two terminals, between a terminal and a regular telephone and/or between a terminal and a server via a Radio Access Network (RAN) and possibly one or more core networks (CNs), comprised within the cellular communications network.
Terminals may further be referred to as mobile telephones, cellular telephones, laptops, or surf plates with wireless capability, just to mention some further examples. The terminals in the present context may be, for example, portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices, enabled to communicate voice and/or data, via the RAN, with another entity, such as another terminal or a server.
The cellular communications network covers a geographical area which is divided into cell areas, wherein each cell area being served by a base station, e.g. a Radio Base Station (RBS), which sometimes may be referred to as e.g. "eNB", "eNodeB", "NodeB", "B node", Base Transceiver Station (BTS), or AP (Access Point) or radio AP, depending on the technology and terminology used. The base stations may be of different classes such as e.g. macro eNodeB, home eNodeB or pico base station, based on transmission power and thereby also cell size. A cell is the geographical area where radio coverage is provided by the base station at a base station site. One base station, situated on the base station site, may serve one or several cells. Further, each base station may support one or several communication technologies. The APs or base stations communicate over the air interface operating on radio frequencies with the terminals within range of the APs or base stations. In the context of this disclosure, the expression Downlink (DL) is used for the transmission path from the radio AP to the wireless terminal. The expression Uplink (UL) is used for the transmission path in the opposite direction i.e. from the wireless terminal to the radio AP.
Superdense networks (SDNs) are extremely dense deployments of radio access points (radio APs) for wireless communication with inter-site distances in the order of, or even less than, tens of meters. With such a dense deployment the number of simultaneously active wireless terminals per radio AP is expected to be low. Therefore, SDNs are assumed to be noise-limited as opposed to traditional cellular networks which are typically interference-limited in scenarios with high traffic density. Noise-limitation is a desired property since it enables high link bit rate and simplifies radio resource management, coordination, and possibly also radio receiver implementations. SDNs are sometimes also referred to as ultradense networks. (UDNs).

Radio resource assignment coordination in superdense networks


A bracket includes a clip member having a U-shaped base. One of the clip member legs terminates in a lateral extension projecting away from other clip member leg and the other of said clip member legs terminates in a second normally oriented to extend beyond and spaced from that lateral extension. That other leg is flexible to allow second extension to be moved into engagement with said lateral extension in which orientation a releasable interlocking engagement between the two extensions. A generally U-shape liner is nested within the clip member and has spaced legs extending generally along respective ones of the legs of the clip member. When the second and lateral extensions are in engagement the clip member and liner are interengaged so as to be held against relative movement in X, Y, and Z directions. The lateral and second extensions are constructed to accommodate mounting the bracket to a mounting surface.

This invention relates to bracket devices for holding elongated elements securely and compactly in their operational environment.
It has been a long recognized need in the area of assembling elongated control elements, for example, brake cables and the like, that they be securely and compactly mounted in their operational environment by a releasable bracket. Numerous arrangements of elements and bracket constructions have been proposed. Brackets for mounting elongated elements are customarily used in operating environments wherein they are required to endure millions of repetitive stresses. For example, brackets used in automotive applications to hold brake lines, brake cables and fuel lines are constantly subjected to engine and road travel induced by vibrations. Therefore, it is known that such brackets must be made of a strong material to provide a required rigidity and structural strength over a life of many years. However, such strong durable bracket materials do not compress and conform to the shape of the elongated element or elements to be held. To solve this conformity problem it has been the practice to precisely configure the holding space within the bracket to conform exactly to the shape of the elongated element or elements to be held. Such conformity is necessary because if the elongated element or elements are not tightly held they will vibrate within the bracket which results in noise and rubbing which produces wear that can damage and destroy the elongated element or elements being held especially those conveying liquids. While precisely configuring the bracket is one satisfactory way of holding the elongated elements such precise configuration results in the bracket being only usable for the specific control element that it was designed to hold. Whenever the shape or the number of elongated elements to be held is varied a new bracket is customarily designed and this increases the expense of the bracket members.
Therefore, in spite of extensive research and development in the field of brackets for holding elongated elements there exists a need for a bracket which is more universally adaptable and lower in cost to releasably hold elongated elements of different numbers and shapes secure against wear and noise producing vibration while providing a rugged assembly which can be quickly and easily installed by an assembler. Known brackets while addressing some of the encountered problems do not offer adequate solutions from the standpoint of being adaptable to a large number if not all operational applications.


A heating header of a semiconductor mounting apparatus includes: a first material; and a second material, the second material being bonded to the first material and coming into contact with a first semiconductor chip when the first semiconductor chip is compressed, wherein a contact surface of the second material with the first semiconductor chip is a curved surface that is convex toward the first semiconductor chip side, and the contact surface of the second material with the first semiconductor chip becomes a planar surface when each temperature of the first material and the second material reaches a melting temperature of a solder that is formed between a first terminal of the first semiconductor chip and a second terminal of a second semiconductor chip.

As processors and memories to be used in servers and the like, a laminated semiconductor chip in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are laminated is sometimes used for enhancement of performance. As illustrated in FIG. 12, terminals (micro-bumps) 102 in each of which a solder 103 is provided on the top of a cupper pole (a Cu post or a Cu pillar) are formed on a semiconductor chip 101. There is used a method of laminating a plurality of semiconductor chips 101 by bonding the terminals 102 of the plurality of semiconductor chips 101 to each other.
As illustrated in FIG. 13, a paste-like or film-like reinforcement resin 104 is supplied on the semiconductor chip 101, for securing the bonding reliability after the plurality of semiconductor chips 101 are laminated. The paste-like reinforcement resin 104 is called an NCP (Non-conductive Paste), and the film-like reinforcement resin 104 is called an NCF (Non-conductive Film). As illustrated in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, using a heating header 201 of a semiconductor mounting apparatus such as a flip-chip bonder, terminals 102A and solders 103A of a semiconductor chip 101A push and penetrate the reinforcement resin 104, while the semiconductor chip 101A is heated and compressed. The solders 103A of the semiconductor chip 101A and solders 103B of a semiconductor chip 1016 are bonded, and thereby, the conduction and hardness between the semiconductor chip 101A and the semiconductor chip 1016 are secured.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-332390
[Patent document 2] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-66027
[Patent document 3] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-18897

Heating header of semiconductor mounting apparatus and bonding method for semiconductor


According to an aspect of the invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first detecting unit, a second detecting unit, a control unit. The image forming unit forms an image on a recording medium by using coloring materials of a plurality of colors based on image information. The first detecting unit detects whether or not the first given number of the first housing units are installed to the apparatus. The second detecting unit detects whether or not the second given number of the second housing unit and the third given number of the first housing unit are installed to the apparatus.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
Recently, in image forming apparatuses such as printers, in order to decrease the costs thereof, there are many cases where a memory (hereinafter, referred to as a CRUM) that stores information on toner or the like is not built in a toner cartridge as a bundled expendable item of the image forming apparatus at the time of shipment.
In such a case, when the toner of the bundled toner cartridge is consumed, a user purchases a toner cartridge that is available in the market or the like.
In the toner cartridge purchased by the user, the CRUM is built. Accordingly, a control process for the printer side should be configured to be able to use both a toner cartridge not having a CRUM and a toner cartridge having a CRUM.
Therefore, there is a request for checking whether all the toner cartridges are installed at low cost in the state in which image formation can be performed. Accordingly, various technologies have been proposed.

Image forming apparatus configured to use a cartridge including memory and a cartridge without memory


The subject innovation relates to systems and/or methodologies for generating a low jitter large frequency tuning LC-based phase-locked loop circuit for multi-speed clocking applications. In addition to a plurality of noise reduction features, the phase-locked loop includes programmable charge pump and loop filter that enable a wide loop bandwidth, a programmable VCO that enables a wide VCO frequency range and a per lane clock divider that further enables a wide PLL frequency range. Furthermore, an auto-calibration circuit ensures that the VCO included in the PLL receives the optimum current for noise reduction across the VCO frequency range.

1. Field
The present innovation relates generally to an LC phase-locked loop (PLL), and more specifically to improving the LC PLL's jitter performance, loop bandwidth, voltage control oscillator (VCO) frequency range and the PLL frequency range for multi-speed clocking applications.
2. Background
A phase-locked loop is a well known circuit that is typically used as a control system to generate a signal having a fixed relation to the phase of a reference signal. With reference to FIG. 1, a typical phase-locked loop is shown. The phase-locked loop 100 includes a phase detector 102, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 104, and a feedback 106 path from the VCO 104 to the phase detector 102. The phase detector 102 receives as inputs a reference signal and a feedback signal from the VCO 104. The phase detector output controls the VCO 104 such that the phase difference between the two inputs is held constant. The VCO 104 generates an output frequency based on the output of the phase detector. Voltage controlled oscillators 104 are an integral part of high speed serial interfaces, and the performance of the VCO 104 to a large extent can determine the performance of the PLL 100 as a whole.
With the ever increasing data rates and density of high speed serial interfaces in transmission systems, current Serializer-Deserializer (SerDes) transceivers need to be multi-data rate compatible to support new link speeds and standards while still being compatible with previous speeds and standards. Achieving the desirable higher data rates with older lossy and discontinuous channels places a large burden on silicon, particularly in equalization and clocking. As a consequence, it is desirable to have a low jitter phase-locked loop (PLL) that provides a tolerance in the transmit path jitter budget and also facilitates reliable data recovery by the clock and data recovery (CDR) delay-locked loop (DLL) and phase interpolator (PI) in the receiver.
Typically, when circuit designers attempt to satisfy the requirements of multiple standards with one PLL design, they use a ring-oscillator PLL. The inherent properties of ring-oscillator PLLs give them wide-bandwidth capabilities. However, ring-oscillator PLLs also traditionally suffer from poor jitter performance. Compared to the ring-oscillator PLLs, LC PLLs generally have superior jitter performance but a smaller VCO frequency range. It would be desirable to have a PLL solution with the jitter performance of a LC PLL and the wide-band performance of a ring-oscillator PLL.

Low jitter large frequency tuning LC PLL for multi-speed clocking applications


Examples described herein include systems and methods for managing slices in a Telco network by using a graphical user interface (“GUI”) with augmented reality (“AR”). A user device can scan a code that is related to physical hardware in a datacenter. Based on the code, the GUI can display at least one virtual component that resides on that hardware. The user can move the virtual component from one slice to another, such as by dragging it to a displayed slice region. Similarly, the user can drag the virtual component to new physical hardware. This can cause an AR engine to contact an orchestrator to route traffic to the virtual component according to the new slice identifier and new hardware. The GUI can also provide a datacenter map to related physical or virtual components, allowing the user to locate and inspect other hardware relied on by a slice.

Network slicing is a form of virtualization that allows multiple logical networks to run on top of a shared physical network infrastructure. A distributed cloud network can share network resources with various slices to allow different users, called tenants, to multiplex over a single physical infrastructure. For example, Internet of Things ("IoT") devices, mobile broadband devices, and low-latency vehicular devices may all need to share a 5G network that is allocated into slices. Network slicing can allow the physical network to be partitioned at an end-to-end level to group traffic, isolate tenant traffic, and configure network resources at a macro level. Accordingly, slice-based networking may enable dramatic increases in network usage.
To maximize usage of the physical infrastructure, virtual components can be created and moved based on current demands at particular locations. A slice may implement a service chain of virtual components, such as virtual network functions ("VNFs"), for performing the certain network tasks the slice is responsible for. But the locations of these virtual components can be dynamic. Each client can have a service level agreement ("SLA") that defines minimum performance characteristics, and dynamic movement can help ensure those requirements are met. For example, an SLA can define minimum latency, bandwidth, and security requirements. An orchestrator process can continually change locations of virtual components to ensure SLA compliance for multiple tenants across multiple slices.
However, the dynamic nature of virtual component placement in a sliced network can make management of the infrastructure difficult. A data center operator likely will not know what virtual components are even running on particular servers or server racks. The difficulty in identifying which physical hardware contains which virtual components can result in inefficient problem solving and repairs when a problem occurs. Data center complexity can make it very difficult for an operator to even find the correct server where a problem is occurring within rows upon rows of server racks.
Current technologies also do not give an operator enough visibility and control to easily determine where problems exist and easily move virtual components to different servers or slices. The relationships between physical and virtual layers for a slice are not clearly visible to administrators. Additionally, moving a virtual component to a new slice or new hardware can require complex setup that is not practical within the framework of a dynamically moving 5G Telco environment.
As a result, a need exists for systems with improved user interfaces for slice management. Particularly, a need exists for augmented-reality-enabled datacenters.

Augmented reality for slice management in a telco network


A piezoelectric composition comprises an oxide having a perovskite structure, wherein the oxide contains bismuth, barium, iron and titanium; the X-ray diffraction pattern of the piezoelectric composition after a polarization treatment has a first peak and a second peak in the range of the diffraction angle 2θ of 38.6° or more and 39.6° or less; the diffraction angle 2θ of the first peak is smaller than the diffraction angle 2θ of the second peak; an intensity of the first peak is represented as IL; an intensity of the second peak is represented as IH; and IH/IL is 0.00 or more and 2.00 or less.

Most of piezoelectric compositions in practical use at present are solid solutions (so-called PZT piezoelectric compositions) consisting of lead zirconate (PbZrO3) and lead titanate (PbTiO3). The PZT piezoelectric compositions contain a large amount of lead oxide (PbO) as their main component. Since the lead oxide remarkably easily vaporizes at low temperatures, a large amount of the lead oxide diffuses into the air in production processes of piezoelectric compositions or piezoelectric devices using them. Since lead is an environmental pollutant harming human bodies, piezoelectric compositions containing no lead are demanded.
A typical piezoelectric composition containing no lead is bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) described in the following Non Patent Literature 1. Bismuth ferrite (BFO) presents with a large spontaneous polarization. However, since the anisotropy of BFO is high and a large leak current is liable to be generated in BFO, BFO does not have a sufficient piezoelectricity (for example, piezoelectric constant d33). Therefore, piezoelectric compositions having a larger d33 than BFO are demanded. For example, in the following Patent Literature 1, a ternary compound (xBaTiO3-yBiFeO3-yBi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3) composed of barium titanate, bismuth ferrite and bismuth magnesia titanate is disclosed. Further in the following Patent Literature 2, a binary compound (Ba1-yBiy)a(Ti1-x-zZrxFez)O3) composed of barium zirconate titanate and bismuth ferrite is disclosed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Piezoelectric composition and piezoelectric device


The present invention is directed to a footwear system that is customizable and offers a plurality of interchangeable base portions, upper portions, and connector elements in various styles, colors and designs, thus allowing an assortment of easily interchangeable and distinct styles of footwear in a single system. The footwear system specifically comprises an interchangeable base portion having a plurality of spaced openings and hollow receptacles formed in the base portion, an interchangeable upper portion adapted for removable attachment to the base portion where the upper portion has a plurality of spaced openings on each side end, and a plurality of interchangeable connector elements for connecting the upper portion to the base portion, where the connector elements may have decorative elements.

Conventional sandal footwear typically includes a platform base with straps extending across the platform base and permanently secured within the platform base. Typically, the platform base is constructed of a plurality of elements forming a sandwich-type structure, with the ends of the straps secured within this structure by attachment means such as thread or glue. Such straps are typically not removable, and if the straps break, become soiled, or are no longer in fashion, the sandal footwear is often discarded, even though the platform bottom may still be capable of a much longer period of wear.
Moreover, women's footwear, particularly sandals such as slides and thongs, are very popular due to their style and comfort. In order to meet the demand for such footwear, footwear manufacturers and retailers must offer a large variety of fixed footwear designs and styles with non-interchangeable portions, thereby resulting in a substantial inventory cost. Equally problematic, if a woman wants to be in style with the latest fashions or coordinate her wardrobe, she has to buy many pairs of footwear resulting in additional expense.
Known footwear with interchangeable portions exist. Such known footwear includes sandals with interchangeable upper portions or vamps. However, the connector elements that connect the upper portion to the base of the sandal are typically of a complex construction, have numerous parts which increase the expense of manufacture and production, are difficult to remove and/or attach to the footwear base, and often break and easily detach. In addition, such connector elements are typically fixed, are not decorative, and do not allow a wearer to coordinate the connector with the interchangeable upper portion.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new and improved footwear system with interchangeable portions that does not have the problems associated with known footwear having interchangeable portions.

Footwear system with interchangeable portions


A backlight module and a liquid crystal display are disclosed. The backlight module includes a back frame and a support. The back frame is arranged on the support and is fixedly connected with the support. A receiving cavity is formed between the back frame and the support for receiving flexible circuit boards and printed circuit boards connecting to the flexible circuit boards. By adding the support at the outer side of the back frame, the receiving cavity is formed between the back frame and the support to receive the doubled flexible circuit boards and printed circuit boards. Not only the resolution of the liquid crystal display is achieved, but also the reliability of the mechanical components of the liquid crystal display is enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to liquid crystal display technology, and more particularly to a backlight module and a liquid crystal display (LCD).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
LCDs are characterized by attributes such as thinner, power-saving, low radiation, and the emitted soft lights are not harm to human eyes, and thus are greatly adopted. With the demand toward high resolution display, currently, the LCDs with 4K resolution are very popular as the high display performance. In order to develop the LCDs with higher resolution, the study regarding the LCDs with 8 k resolution is ongoing.
With the developed technology, it can be understood that LCDs with higher resolution is the trend, which results in that the number of flexible circuit boards (FCBs) is also increased. The FCBs are densely arranged on sources of the liquid crystal panel, and thus the mechanical design is affected, such as the screw arrangement.

Backlight module and liquid crystal display

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


An apparatus for quantitatively depositing molecular impurities on a semiconductor wafer, includes a reaction chamber, a gas generator for generating a source gas serving as the molecular impurities, a humidifier for generating moisture vapour of a constant temperature, a mixer for mixing the source gas and the moisture vapour to generate a mixed gas, a gas injector for injecting the mixed gas into the reaction chamber, an exhausting part for initiating a vacuum condition in the reaction chamber before deposition of the molecular impurities and for exhausting a remaining gases after deposition of the molecular impurities, and a cleaning air supply portion for supplying a cleaning air into the reaction chamber before deposition of the molecular impurities. After fabricating a semiconductor device using the wafer processed as above, a defective source of mechanism of contamination can be traced by analysing the semiconductor device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for depositing molecular impurities on a semiconductor wafer, and more particularly, to an apparatus that can quantitatively deposit expected molecular impurities on a semiconductor wafer so as to trace the cause of a defective semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process steps for fabricating a semiconductor device, it is very important to optimally control molecular impurities because the molecular impurities within the clean room cause many problems and can exert a harmful influence upon the semiconductor device, which has a high degree of integration.
In a clean room, a secondary air current is generated by the movement of many items, such as production facilities, measuring instruments, produced devices, workers, robots for production, an unbalance of a spacial temperature, and so on. Because particles (i.e., fine dusts) adjacent to the moving objects are moved due to the secondary air current, wafers may be contaminated with the moving particles. It is thus important to remove such particles in the clean room to enhance the productivity of the semiconductor devices fabricated therein.
In addition, as the process steps for fabricating a semiconductor device become more complicated and take longer to complete, the wafers are contaminated more and more. The particles on wafers generate electric charges or cause crystallization defects.
Furthermore, since particles are accumulated from one another, the production device yield is influenced by a very small amount of contamination source. Therefore, it is necessary to trace the cause of several defective semiconductor devices, analyse the defective mechanism, and predetermine a contamination control level and a process limitation caused by the contamination source.

Apparatus and method for depositing molecular impurities on a semiconductor wafer


The invetion relates to compounds of formula (I)

In 1999, Nagata et al identified CRTH2 (chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells), a novel G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) belonging to the leucocyte chemoattractant receptor family.
The CRTH2 receptor is selectively expressed from a wide variety of tissues including the brain, lung and lymphoid organs in mouse (Abe et al., Gene (1999) 227 (1):71–7). With respect to expression from immune system cells, it is reported that CRTH2 receptor is selectively expressed on Th2 cells, eosinophils and basophils, but not Th1 cells, B cells and NK cells in human (Nagata et al., FEBS Letters (1999) 459 (2):195–9).
Bauer et al, (see EP1170594A2) identified Prostaglandine D2 (PGD2) as the endogenous ligand of CRTH2. PGD2 is released from immunologically stimulated mast cells and Th2 cells.
Interaction of CRTH2 with PGD2 plays a critical role in the allergen-induced recruitment of Th2 cells in the target tissues of allergic inflammation. In addition, CRTH2 mediates PGD2 dependent cell migration of blood eosinophils and basophils.
Allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis are diseases that currently affect about 10% of the population, and that number appears to be increasing (Bush, R. K. a. G., John W., Handbook of asthma and rhinitis. 1st ed. (1997), Abingdon: Blackwell Science. 270). Currently numerous classes of pharmaceutical agents are widely used to treat these diseases, for example, antihistamines, decongestants, β2 agonists, anticholinergics, methylxanthines, cromolyns, corticosteroids, and leukotriene modulators. Generally however, the usefulness of these agents is limited by side effects and low efficacy. Accordingly, there is a critical medical need to identify pharmaceutically active compounds that interfere with key steps of the inflammatory and immunological processes that contribute to these disease states, and other inflammatory conditions.
EP 987251 discloses cholesteryl ester transfer protein of formula
for use in the treatment of diseases affected by low levels of HDL cholesterol and/or high levels of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.
WO91/05549 discloses compounds of formula
for use as vasodilator, hypotensive agent, water diuretics and platelet agglutination inhibitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,607 discloses compounds of formula
for use as antihypertensives.
WO 02/079165 discloses compounds of formula
as STAT6 signaling pathway modulators.

Quinoline derivatives as CRTH2 antagonists

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are as defined in the description, their use as medicament, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and processes for their preparation.


A method an apparatus for testing the strength of an individual to determine occupational fitness is provided which receives physical strength inputs from a tested individual for storage in a computer memory and comparison to predetermined standards. The apparatus includes a frame carrying two or more strength monitoring stations, each including a load cell, the stations being mounted at different positions on the frame. Each of the stations is electronically connected to a computer. The computer sequentially receives signals from load cells within the computer's memory corresponding to preselected strength tests. The method includes having the tested individual apply a force to a first member coupled to a load cell and storing in the computer memory a value corresponding to the force applied, then having the individual apply a second force to a second member coupled to a second load cell and transmitting a second value corresponding to the second force to the computer memory, and then comparing the first value and the second value to predetermined occupational performance values to determine the tested individual's occupational fitness. In preferred embodiments, the method includes performing a plurality of different tests and then combining the values and then storing and comparing the values to determine the individual's occupational fitness.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns a method and apparatus for measuring the strength of individuals through various testing regimens and providing a baseline to determine how the individual can best be placed according to physical capabilities. More particularly, it is concerned with an apparatus which is capable of measuring a plurality of discrete isometric strength performance characteristics of individuals of differing stature and directly inputting those measurements into an electronic storage device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When hiring individuals to work in any environment which may have physical requirements associated with the job to be performed, it is beneficial to try and match the individual with a position within his or her physical capabilities. The U.S. Department of Labor has established a Dictionary of Occupational Titles, which includes 5 levels for which a strength factor is expressed. These include sedentary work, light work, medium work, heavy work and very heavy work, with increasing levels of physical demands. Each level includes a description of the amount of force or strength which must be performed in the job, and the frequency of application. Additional factors include the amount of time an individual may be required to stand or walk. For example, under the category "Occupations in assembly, installation, and repair of large household appliances and similar commercial and industrial equipment", the description indicates that only light work would be anticipated for the description number 827.131-010 "Electrical-Appliance-Service Supervisor", while heavy work would be anticipated for the description number 827.361-014 "Refrigeration Mechanic".
There has developed a need for objectively determining an individual's strength and capacity to meet such standards or for any other job necessitating physical tasks. This type of determination preferably involves collecting more than a single strength measurement, such as several strength measurements for discrete body regions in an objective, repeatable manner without risking injury to the tested individual. Moreover, there has developed a need for a device which readily accommodates individuals of various body sizes to perform the same tests. Furthermore, there has developed a need for a testing instrument which can quickly receive input for a variety of different discrete muscles or muscle groups without elaborate changeover procedures. There has developed a need for an apparatus which can efficiently store and process physical testing for occupational suitability. Finally, there has developed a need for a method and apparatus which can collect the testing input and quickly and effectively transmit the testing results to a remote site for analysis.

Method and apparatus for registering occupational fitness


An apparatus includes a crimping device for producing individual, pillow-shaped, preferably filled, hollow bodies from plastically deformable tubes separated transversely to their longitudinal direction and delimited at opposite ends by crimped edges. The crimping device has at least one elongate crimping unit assigned to the longitudinal direction of the tubes, on which a row of crimping tools is disposed one behind the other in the longitudinal direction. Each crimping tool has a stationary crimping jaw fixed in the frame and a movable crimping jaw lying opposite to the fixed jaw in the transverse direction and disposed on a carriage movable back and forth in the transverse direction in the frame. All of the movable crimping jaws may be fastened on the carriage to actuate all of the crimping tools simultaneously and thereby separate a tube into a number of hollow bodies.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for producing pillow-shaped hollow bodies which are delimited at opposite ends by crimped edges.
2. Description of the Related Art
The production of edible pillow-shaped hollow bodies is known from European Patent EP 774 209 B1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,710 and from International Patent Application No. WO 02/071848 A1, corresponding to Published European Patent Application EP 1 361 795.
European Patent EP 774 209 B1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,710, discloses the production of the edible hollow bodies from an extruded, plastically deformable chocolate tube. After the extruder, the tube passes two stationary crimping tools, which are alternately actuated and respectively cut off a portion of the tube, protruding from the extruder, and create a horizontal or vertical crimped edge.
International Patent Application No. WO 02/071848 A1, corresponding to Published European Patent Application EP 1 361 795, discloses the production of edible hollow bodies from a baked, plastically deformable wafer tube. The latter is transported in the longitudinal direction over a horizontal transport path, along which two elongate, mutually overlapping crimping devices are disposed. They have crimping tools, which move in the longitudinal direction of the transport path, alternately come into action at the beginning of the path and cut up the wafer tube pushed into the transport path, thereby creating a horizontal or vertical crimped edge.
In both cases, the efficiency is not very high. In order to achieve a durable closure of the ends of the hollow bodies that are created by crimped edges, with all of the crimping tools it is necessary for there to be a distinct delay of the crimping operation creating the crimped edges immediately before the final severing of the respective, already laid-flat region of the tube. A precondition therefor is a slow relative movement, or a relative movement delayed by a holding time, of the two crimping jaws performing the crimping operation. As a result, however, the quantity of pillow-shaped hollow bodies that can be produced per unit of time is very greatly restricted.

Apparatus for producing pillow-shaped, preferably filled, hollow bodies

Franz Haas Waffel - und Keksanlagen-Industrie GmbH


A method of transmitting paging information for a network terminal of a wireless communications system including initiating a dedicated paging procedure to transmit dedicated paging information to a user equipment using a high speed downlink operation in a CELL_PCH state. The high speed downlink operation includes reception of a high speed downlink shared channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of transmitting paging information for a wireless communications system and related communications device, and more particularly to a method of transmitting paging information to a user equipment in a CELL_PCH state in a wireless communications system and related communications device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The third generation (3G) mobile telecommunications system has adopted a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) wireless air interface access method for a cellular network. WCDMA provides high frequency spectrum utilization, universal coverage, and high quality, high-speed multimedia data transmission. The WCDMA method also meets all kinds of QoS requirements simultaneously, providing diverse, flexible, two-way transmission services and better communication quality to reduce transmission interruption rates. Through the 3G mobile telecommunications system, a user can utilize a wireless communications device, such as a mobile phone, to realize real-time video communications, conference calls, real-time games, online music broadcasts, and email sending/receiving. However, these functions rely on fast, instantaneous transmission. Thus, targeting at the third generation mobile telecommunication technology, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) provides High Speed Package Access (HSPA) technology, which includes High Speed Downlink Package Access (HSDPA) and High Speed Uplink Package Access (HSUPA), to increase bandwidth utility rate and package data processing efficiency to improve uplink/downlink transmission rate.
On the basis of HSDPA, the 3GPP further introduces HS-DSCH (High Speed Downlink Shared Channel) reception in a CELL_PCH and a URA_PCH state, allowing the UE in the CELL_PCH or the URA_PCH state to monitor an HS-DSCH accompanied with a Shared Control Channel for HS-DSCH (HS-SCCH) for downlink data reception, so as to improve a peak data rate, a signaling delay, a state transition delay, download times and flexible cell capacity. In the HS-DSCH reception in the CELL_PCH and URA_PCH state, the HS-DSCH is a transport channel allowed to map on dedicated-type logic channels including a Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH) and a Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH) or common-type logic channels including a Paging Control Channel (PCCH) and a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH).
A UMTS radio access network (UTRAN) enables the HS-DSCH reception in the CELL_PCH and the URA_PCH state by including parameters, related to radio resource control (RRC) configuration of PICH (Paging Indicator Channel), HS-SCCH, HS-DSCH and an H-RNTI (HS-DSCH radio network transaction identifier) for PCCH transmission, in the system information broadcast. The parameters are configured in a "HS-DSCH paging system information" information element (IE) included in a system information block (SIB) type 5/5bis sent from the UTRAN to the UE.
During performance of the HS-DSCH reception in the CELL_PCH and the URA_PCH state, the UE may use a common or a dedicated H-RNTI as a UE identity for reception of HS-DSCH packets.
The common H-RNTI can be shared by multiple UEs, whereas each dedicated H-RNTI is only allocated to one UE. During reception of downlink media access control (MAC) packets, the UE using the common H-RNTI needs to determine whether the received packets are of its own with UE identification information (i.e. UE ID and UE ID Type) in the packet header. On the other hand, the MAC packets for the UE using the dedicated H-RNTI include no UE identification information to provide better data transmission efficiency. As a result, PCCH reception requires the common H-RNTI, and DCCH and DTCH receptions require the dedicated H-RNTI. Furthermore, with the available HS-DSCH reception, the UE using the dedicated H-RNTI in the CELL_PCH state can perform downlink and uplink data transmissions without a cell update procedure.
When the UTRAN allocates a dedicated H-RNTI to the UE, the UE stores the dedicated H-RNTI in an H_RNTI variable. In addition, when the UE is in the CELL_PCH state and the SIB type 5/5bis includes the "HS-DSCH paging system information" IE, the UE has to use the dedicated H_RNTI for the HS-DSCH reception if the H_RNTI variable is set, otherwise the UE selects the common H-RNTI from the "HS-DSCH paging system information" IE.
Two methods for paging information transmission are provided in the related RRC specification. The first method is applied to the UE in an idle mode, a CELL_PCH state, or a URA_PCH sate. In the first method, the UTRAN transmit a PAGING TYPE 1 message to the UE via the PCCH, and correspondingly the UE has to receive the PAGING TYPE 1 message with a common H-RNTI.
The second method is a dedicated paging procedure that is only applied to the UE in a CELL_FACH and a CELL_DCH state. The UTRAN transmits a PAGING TYPE 2 message for initiation of the dedicated paging procedure.
As can be derived from the above description, the UE using the dedicated H-RNTI in the CELL_PCH state is not applied to any of the first and second methods. Thus, the UE using the dedicated H-RNTI in the CELL_PCH state is unable to receive both PAGING TYPE 1 and PAGING TYPE 2 messages and thereby can result in a miss of the paging information associated with a terminating call.

Method of transmitting paging information for a wireless communications system and related apparatus


A springy, low dielectric retainer device in the form of a rod, a triangle, an ellipse or whatever, is used in a compressed condition to hold RF energy absorber blocks in position juxtaposed "energy leaky" RF circuitry. The absorber blocks are held in position due to frictional forces provided by the compressed retainer. In this manner, the absorber blocks can be re-positioned to obtain optimum amplitude/frequency response characteristics from the affected RF circuit.

It has been found that high frequency circuits "leak" RF energy. The FCC has required that this leakage be kept below certain standards. Since the FCC made requirements put rules in place aimed to prevent the leakage, radio frequency circuits are typically enclosed in a metal container. When the enclosure cover is off while the circuits are being optimized in their performance, the RF energy escapes to the outside. It has been found that when a cover is placed on the enclosure, and the RF energy can no longer escape to the atmosphere, that it may be reflected to sensitive portions of the circuit in a positive feedback manner, and conversely may cause oscillations or other detrimental effects. Thus, it is important in high gain circuits that some type of RF energy absorption material be used to minimize reflective energy. The use of RF energy absorber blocks adjacent such energy emitting circuitry is one such solution to minimize reflective energy.
When a high gain amplifier capable of passing high frequency radio signals is placed in an enclosed environment, standing waves of other detrimental effects are sometimes initiated such that the amplifier will oscillate. Thus, while the amplitude/frequency response of the circuit may be satisfactory after adjustment of various parameters with the cover of the enclsure off, the amplifier may break into oscillation upon complete enclosure of a circuit by fastening down the cover. RF energy absorber blocks can be positioned adjacent the RF circuitry to minimize adverse results upon encosing the RF circuitry.
In the past, the absorber blocks have been held in place by various means such as a screw-type rod with nuts used to hold the absorber blocks in place against the wall until the optimum placement is determined. Upon proper placement, the absorber blocks are often epoxied or otherwise permanently attached to the walls. If the screw rod is made of metal, as has been the case in the past, and the parts accidentally fall onto the microwave circuit during the positioning process, the adjacent microwave circuitry can be damaged mechanically and/or electrically.
The present invention improves upon the prior art referenced above by making the retainer device out of a low dielectric material such as nylon or delrin. If the metal screw were merely made out of one of these materials, the potential for damage from dropping it would be minimized both electrically and mechanically. However, the screw-type device is still awkward to install and to adjust for block re-positioning purposes.
The present concept uses deformation of a portion of a retaining device to provide sufficient forces between the absorber blocks and the walls to hold these blocks in position long enough to accurately ascertain block position for optimum circuit performance characteristics. Properly positioned blocks can then be epoxied or otherwise adhesively attached to the walls. While the present retaining device could be removed at this time, it is typically left in place for potential future use if the circuit board needs replacing in the field.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved absorber block retainer.

Absorber tuning block retainer apparatus


A forming section has a lower wire loop (11), which constitutes a single-wire section (T) following a breast roll (12). A first dewatering zone (Z1) has at least one stationary, first forming shoe (40) followed by a pulsating strip cover (50). The first forming shoe has leading and trailing edges and underpressure affecting through holes of the cover. The holes are openings or slots substantially in the longitudinal direction of the machine, whereby non-pulsating dewatering is applied on the stock travelling on top of the lower wire. A pulp suspension jet is fed from a headbox (30) at an impact point after the shoe leading edge. The cover is straight at least in the area between the impact point of the pulp suspension jet and the trailing edge. The impact of the pulp suspension jet on the forming wire is thus better controlled in a better way, increasing production speed.

The invention relates to a method on a forming section and a forming section.
The task of a forming section is to remove water from fiber suspension fed by the headbox. The consistency of the fiber suspension fed onto the forming section is usually 1% and, after the forming section, the consistency of the web formed on the forming section is, for its part, 18-20%.
When the web is manufactured of watery wood fiber stock, water in the pulp is removed on the forming section through a forming wire or forming wires for starting the formation of the web. Wood pulp fibers remain randomly distributed on the forming wire or between forming wires moving together.
Depending on the grade of the web being manufactured, different types of stocks are used. The amount of water that can be removed from different stocks for achieving a web of good quality is a function of many factors, such as e.g. a function of the desired basis weight of the web, the design speed of the machine, and the desired level of fines, fibers and fill materials in the finished product.
Many types of devices are known on the forming section i.e. former of the web, such as foil strips, suction boxes, hitch rolls, suction rolls, and rolls provided with an open surface, which have been used in many different arrangements and arrays when trying to optimize the amount, time and location of water being removed when forming the web. The manufacture of the web is still partly art and partly science in simply that removing water as quickly as possible does not produce an end-product of best quality. In other words, manufacturing a high-quality end-product especially with great speeds is a function of the amount of dewatering, the dewatering method, the duration of dewatering and the location of dewatering.
When it is desired to maintain or improve the quality of the end-product when transferring to higher production speeds, many times unforeseeable problems are created as the result of which either the production volume has to be decreased for maintaining the desired quality or the desired quality has to be sacrificed for achieving the greater production volume.
A forming section known from prior art is a hybrid former consisting of a single-wire section and a twin-wire section following it, whereby a lower wire forms a second wire of the twin-wire section. The headbox feeds a pulp suspension jet at the beginning of the single-wire section, after which the pulp layer, having received its initial forming on the lower wire, moves onto the twin-wire section in which the formation of the web is continued. On the single-wire section, the web is dewatered only in one direction i.e. through the lower wire and, on the twin-wire section, the web is dewatered in both directions.
The hybrid former can be used in a relatively large basis-weight range, whereby it is possible by means of it to e.g. manufacture fine paper the basis weight of which is in the range of 150-300 g/m2. With a gap former, it is usually not possible to manufacture a web the basis weight of which exceeds the value of 200 g/m2. Thus, there are still a lot of hybrid formers in use and some old fourdrinier-wire formers are modified into hybrid formers.
A problem related to the hybrid former is that the residual variation of the web formed is dependent on the speed of the machine. The upper limit of the speed range of best hybrid formers today is about 1,300 m/min. If the speed of the hybrid former is increased to the value of over 1,300 m/min, also the residual variation of the web formed increases strongly. A web having too large a residual variation is not a saleable product.
FIG. 7 of WO publication 2004/018768 shows a hybrid former according to prior art. The headbox feeds a pulp suspension jet onto a lower wire at the beginning of a single-wire section on top of a breast roll or immediately after it. On the single-wire section, the web is dewatered only in one direction with dewatering devices which can comprise e.g. dewatering strips combined with underpressure or without underpressure, different suction boxes, forming shoes or other equivalents. The single-wire section is followed by a twin-wire section at the beginning of which an upper wire loop forms a gap with the lower wire. Within the upper wire loop, there is a suction box which is divided into three successive compartments in which unequal underpressures can be used. The lower surface of the first compartment of the suction box following the gap of the twin-wire section is constituted of a curvilinear, stationary forming shoe provided with through holes.
FI patent publication 990432 describes a hybrid former in which there is a short single-wire section, which is followed by a twin-wire zone formed between a lower wire loop and an upper wire loop. A slice-lip-adjusted headbox and a breast roll of the fourdrinier wire, which is an open roll, are located so that the headbox feeds a pulp suspension jet at a very small angle onto the fourdrinier wire at the point of the breast roll or in the travel direction of the web after the breast roll. The length of the fourdrinier-wire section is advantageously 0.7-3.0 m. The distance between a vertical plane passing through the central axis of the breast roll and the outmost point of the lip channel of the headbox is 150-250 mm. The height difference between the upper surface of the lower lip of the headbox and the topmost point of the breast roll is 0-10 mm. The impact angle of the headbox jet in relation to the travel direction of the fourdrinier wire is 0-2 degrees.
An article by P. Nyberg and A. Malashenko, "Dilution Control Headbox—Choices, Threats, and Solutions," published in the Proceedings of the 83rd Annual Meeting, Technical Section, CPPA, Montreal, Canada, January 1997, describes a dilution-adjusted headbox and advantages acquired by it. With a dilution-adjusted headbox, a more effective adjustment of basis weight and fiber orientation are achieved in comparison with a traditional slice-lip-adjusted headbox. The basis weight and the fiber orientation can be adjusted independent of each other and considerably more accurately, whereby variations normally occurring in process parameters can be compensated effectively.
FI patent 116628 describes a forming section of a multi-layer web. FIG. 1 shows a hybrid former in which there is a fourdrinier-wire section and a twin-wire section following it. At the beginning of the fourdrinier-wire section, a first headbox feeds a pulp suspension jet onto the fourdrinier wire and, at the beginning of the twin-wire section, a second headbox feeds a pulp suspension jet on top of a pulp layer travelling on the fourdrinier wire. At the beginning of the fourdrinier-wire section, there is a non-pulsating dewatering zone which consists of a stationary, curvilinear forming shoe at which the pulp suspension jet of the first headbox impacts, advantageously at the angle of 2-6 degrees, in an area immediately after the leading edge of the curvilinear forming shoe. Before the beginning of the twin-wire section, there is a non-pulsating dewatering zone which also consists of a stationary, curvilinear forming shoe at the point of which the pulp suspension jet of the second headbox impacts on the pulp layer travelling on top of the fourdrinier wire. At the beginning of the twin-wire section, there is a non-pulsating dewatering zone consisting of a stationary, curvilinear forming shoe which zone is followed by a pulsating dewatering zone constituted of dewatering strips. In the forming shoes, there is a curvilinear cover provided with holes and possibly underpressure arranged below the cover. In test runs, it has been observed that guiding the lip jet of the headbox with a high speed onto the curvilinear cover constitutes a problem.
FI patent 70739 describes a web-forming unit for manufacturing a paper web. Within a forming wire loop, there are a breast roll and a forming roll. On a section between the breast roll and the forming roll below the forming wire, there are a forming board and a combination of a wet suction box and a wire guiding shoe following it. The headbox feeds a pulp suspension jet on top of the fourdrinier wire on the section following the breast roll. The cover structure of the forming board below the forming wire can be closed, perforated or strip covered. The surface of the forming board is most suitably planar. Dewatering with an open-surfaced forming board takes place most suitably freely, but also a suction effect can be combined with this.
A problem related to arrangements according to prior art is that the formation and the tensile strength ratio of the web are strongly dependent on the jet-wire ratio. An optimum has to be searched for the characteristics of the web in relation to both formation and tensile strength ratio and usually the situation is such that the optima of both factors are not realized with a certain jet-wire ratio. Then one ends up with a compromise in which with higher tensile strength ratios one has to be satisfied with weaker formation.
In the arrangements according to prior art, it is important that the impact point of the lip jet of the headbox can be accurately adjusted to the same point with each run speed. The lip jet impacts in the arrangements according to prior art in the area of the wire in which there are no dewatering strips below the wire, whereby one has to be able to guide the lip jet accurately in the area in question. As the location of the headbox cannot be moved in the machine direction, the location of the impact point of the lip jet is adjusted by adjusting the position of the upper lip of the headbox in the machine direction.


A pixel structure and a display panel are provided. The pixel structure uses an insulation protrusion with a drain electrode extending thereon or a single-layered conductive protrusion as an electrical connection interface between the drain electrode and a pixel electrode. The aperture ratio and resolution are increased for no contact hole is required to be formed in the passivation layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pixel structure and a display panel, and more particularly, to a pixel structure and a display panel that use a protrusion structure as an electrical connection interface between the drain electrode of a thin film transistor device and a pixel electrode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The display panel includes a plurality of pixel structure, and each pixel structure includes display components such as thin film transistor device, storage capacitor and pixel electrode. In a conventional display panel, the thin film transistor device is covered with a passivation layer for protection. The pixel electrode needs to be electrically connected to the drain electrode of the thin film transistor device, thus the passivation layer must have a contact hole exposing the drain electrode, and the pixel electrode is filled into the contact hole and in contact with the drain electrode. Considering process limit and alignment bias, the dimension (size) of the contact hole must be between 20 micrometers and 25 micrometers, or even greater, which sacrifices the aperture ratio. Particularly for small size display panel, the formation of the contact hole makes it difficult to increase the aperture ratio and resolution.