The invention encompasses a method of forming a silicon nitride layer. A substrate is provided which comprises a first mass and a second mass. The first mass comprises silicon and the second mass comprises silicon oxide. A sacrificial layer is formed over the first mass. While the sacrificial layer is over the first mass, a nitrogen-containing material is formed across the second mass. After the nitrogen-containing material is formed, the sacrificial layer is removed. Subsequently, a silicon nitride layer is formed to extend across the first and second masses, with the silicon nitride layer being over the nitrogen-containing material. Also, a conductivity-enhancing dopant is provided within the first mass. The invention also pertains to methods of forming capacitor constructions.

Silicon nitride is commonly utilized as an insulative material during semiconductor device fabrication. For instance, silicon nitride can be utilized as a dielectric material in capacitor constructions. Another use for silicon nitride in semiconductor device fabrication is as a barrier layer to impede migration of, for example, oxygen, hydrogen, and metallic materials.
It can be desired to simultaneously deposit silicon nitride over a conductively-doped silicon material and a silicon oxide. For instance, it can be desired to deposit silicon nitride over conductively-doped polycrystalline silicon to form an insulative material over the polycrystalline silicon, and to simultaneously deposit the silicon nitride over borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) to form a barrier layer over the BPSG.
A difficulty that can occur during such simultaneous deposition of silicon nitride is that the silicon nitride can form much more rapidly over the polycrystalline silicon than over the BPSG. Specifically, a nucleation rate of silicon nitride on silicon is typically significantly higher than it is on silicon oxides. Accordingly, the silicon nitride thickness over the polycrystalline silicon will be much thicker than that over the silicon oxide. For instance, a 50 Å thick silicon nitride layer can be formed on hemispherical grain polysilicon in about the time that it takes to grow a 20 Å thick silicon nitride layer on BPSG. The 20 Å thick silicon nitride layer may not be sufficient to be a suitable barrier layer to subsequent penetration of undesirable materials through the silicon nitride and into the BPSG. If materials penetrate into the BPSG, they can subsequently penetrate through the BPSG and to an underlying active region, which can ultimately cause failure of devices formed relative to the active region.
One solution to the above-described difficulty is to grow a thicker layer of silicon nitride on the polycrystalline silicon to enable a sufficiently thick barrier layer to be formed on the BPSG. However, such can result in too thick of a silicon nitride layer being deposited on the polycrystalline silicon for later use as a dielectric material in a capacitor device. It would be desirable to develop methodology whereby silicon nitride can be simultaneously deposited over a silicon oxide and a conductively-doped silicon material, with the deposition rate being substantially the same over both the silicon oxide-containing material and the conductively-doped silicon material.

Methods of forming semiconductor constructions


Two-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating compositions are being described which are separately packed, and comprise the component A and the component D, whereby the component A is curing as soon as it gets in touch with water or the component D which contains the curing agent for the component A.. The component D can be, or a component B containing an ingredient which is curing at the contact of water, or, possibly, at the contact with the component A, or. the component D can also be a mixture of solid matter and a volatile ingredient which is causing the cross-linking of the component A.. The advantage of the novel two-component systems is that the component D is working as a curing agent for the component A, however, a surplus thereof is, or self-curing, or it does not leave a nuissance residue in the cured composition.

Two-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating compositions are already known for a long time. They consist of a separately packed resin component having reactive groups, e.g. epoxy groups, and a curing agent. Both components are mixed just before use and the mixture is applied immediatedly after (within the "period of exposure") onto the corresponding substrate where it is curing.
An essential drawback of these two-component systems is the fact that the mixing of both components is being carried out by the user and that an inaccurate mixing ratio of both components is leading to a deterioration of the strength of the cured adhesive-, sealing- or coating composition.
In case that the resin component contains reactive groups which are causing rapid curing at the contact with a curing agent, but are also slowly curing with water to completion, e.g. ambient moisture, then it is not crucial to operate with an inaccurate mixture having a deficiency of the curing agent, because a gradual curing to completion of the resin component is taking place anyway.
However, it is more critical, when during use more curing agent is added than necessary for curing to completion of the resin component. In this case the surplus of curing agent remains after complete curing of the resin component as a "foreign ingredient" within the mixture, thus, causing a dramatic deterioration of the mechanic properties of the cured composition. Corresponding compositions that are displaying very good mechanic properties when the mixing ratio of the resin component and the curing agent, issued by the producer, is being well respected, show completely unsatisfactory values, in the case that the user is adding bigger quantities of curing agent during the preparation of the mixture than necessary for complete curing.
Furthermore, it is important for known two-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating compositions that a uniform and homogeneous mixing of the resin component with the curing agent is being carried out for use, because otherwise the cured adhesive-, sealing- or coating composition also has areas with a too high or too low content of curing agent, even if the correct mixing ratio of resin component and curing agent is being used which is leading to the problems already described concerning the diminution of mechanic properties of the cured composition.
From the above-mentioned reasons, in recent years one-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating-compositions have been more and more accepted. These one-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating compositions have a resin component with reactive groups which are curing through the effect of atmospheric moisture at ambient temperature, or these one-component compositions are containing an additional inactivated curing agent which is added homogeneously to the resin component by the manufacturer respecting the accurate mixing ratio. The corresponding one-component products are storable at room temperature and are curing only when the adhesive area is being heated to the on-set temperature of the curing agent.
A heating of the adhesive area, however, is undesirable or even impossible in many applications, and therefore for these applications only the use of those one-component systems is possible that are exclusively curing after the application through the effect of water, for example by ambient atmospheric moisture.
These systems, however, have the drawback that long curing times are necessary for thorough curing and immediately after joining the substrates to be glued, the adhesion is that weak that a fixation of the parts to be glued is absolutely necessary. This is highly undesirable in many applications, for example in the manufacturing of motor vehicles, like automobiles, buses, shipbuilding as well as building commerce, e.g. home building, for example if the corresponding one-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating compositions are used to glue wind-shields or to glue home windows.
A further drawback is that the speed of the curing depends on the available atmospheric moisture and that with cold ambient temperatures and little atmospheric moisture it can take several weeks until complete curing is being achieved.
Since the curing is taking place from the exterior to the interior through the effect of atmospheric moisture, it is further dependent on the diffusion of the penetrating water in the adhesive layer and thick adhesive layers are curing extremely slowly, and, furthermore, also those adhesive layers are curing slowly that are linking large surfaces of substrates, because the interior areas of the surfaces that are to be glued impede strongly the penetration of humidity.
Due to these difficulties, known one-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating compositions for many applications and particular environmental conditions have been completely unsuitable so far and the two-component systems have to be used despite the above-mentioned drawbacks.
The subject of the present invention is to develop a two-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating composition in which both components are packed separately and which are storable, whereby when the components get in touch with each other, the mixing ratio between the resin component and the curing agent is not crucial because the resin component is curing also in the absence of curing agent through atmospheric moisture and because the curing agent is curing on its own to a solid composition due to the effect of atmospheric moisture, or because a possible surplus of the curing agent is steadily evaporating.

Two-component adhesive-, sealing- or coating composition and it's use


The present invention relates to an energy management system including a motor, an inverter electrically connected to the motor, a DC-DC converter electrically connected to the inverter, a first energy storage unit electrically connected to a DC link of the inverter through the DC-DC converter, a second energy storage unit coupled to the inverter, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the distribution of electrical power from the first energy storage unit and the second energy storage unit to the inverter in dependence upon a predetermined power threshold.

Electric vehicles are known in the art and use one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. (A traction motor is an electric motor that is used for propulsion of a vehicle.) Typically, electrical energy stored in on-board energy storage units, such as batteries and ultracapacitors, is fed to an inverter where direct current (DC) is converted to alternating current (AC), which is then fed to multi-phase (typically 3-phase) AC motors that drive the wheels of the vehicle. Electrical propulsion is designed and often used for urban package delivery vehicles (PDV), urban transit buses, and material transport vehicles, including underground mining vehicles, where emissions also must be kept to a minimum in the enclosed, underground spaces of the environment in which these vehicles operate. In connection with this, vehicles with electrical propulsion, as opposed to utilizing internal combustion engines, are often utilized to improve air quality, increase productivity, and reduce the cost of a mining operation, plus emissions for package delivery, and public transport in urban areas.
Thermal control of the energy storage units in underground mining electric vehicles is often challenging since the energy storage unit on-board the vehicle (e.g., the battery or ultracapacitor) is often required to operate over a specified temperature range. If, for example, the temperature is too high, the life of the battery or other energy storage unit can be significantly reduced. In addition, if the energy storage unit operates at significantly elevated temperatures, such thermal conditions may also lead to potential safety issues.
Conversely, depending on the particular battery technology and chemistry, if the operating temperature is too low, performance of the battery can degrade. Or, if for example, a high temperature battery such as a sodium metal halide chemistry battery is utilized, the battery may not function properly when the operating temperature range is below 250° C. In addition, operation at the low end of the operating temperature range can cause low efficiency and reduced power capability. Likewise, operation of the battery at elevated temperatures above prescribed temperature levels may shorten the battery's life, cause faults, and the like.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art propulsion system 10 for a vehicle. As shown therein, the system includes a single energy storage unit 12, an inverter 14, at least one motor 16 and a control unit 18 for controlling the distribution of electrical energy from the energy storage unit 12, as discussed in detail hereinafter. The storage unit 12 may be a battery having of a type and chemistry known in the art, and is configured to store electrical energy from an external power station, from stored electricity originally form an external power source, from an on-board electrical generator, or during capture of regenerative braking energy while the vehicle is decelerating or holding speed on a down-hill grade. The energy storage unit 12 is configured to feed stored electrical energy, where energy is defined as power for a specified time (i.e. Whr), in the form of DC current at a particular voltage, to the inverter 14, where it is converted to alternating current electrical excitation. From the inverter 14, the alternating current and voltage electrical excitation is fed to the motor 16 which drives the wheels of a vehicle 20 on which the system 10 is deployed. As will be readily appreciated, however, all of the power and energy for propelling the vehicle employing the propulsion system 10 must be provided by the single energy storage unit 12.
In view of the above, there is a need for an energy management system and method for electric vehicles that alleviates thermal issues related to battery operation.

Energy management system and method for a vehicle


The present invention relates to a refrigerant recycling and reclaiming system capable of removing refrigerant from a refrigeration machine for filtering and reclaiming of the refrigerant, whereupon the refrigerant can be either stored or reintroduced into the refrigeration machine and reused rather than being lost to the atmosphere or otherwise wasted. The recycling and reclaiming system of the present invention is characterized in that it includes an evaporator and/or refrigerant storage tank which are contained within a thermal barrier, typically a water bath, which permits the system to operate at lower temperatures and pressures than systems heretofore known in the art. Lower temperatures and pressures in turn require a much smaller horsepower compressor unit resulting in a decrease in the physical size and operating cost of the system.

It is well-known that the broad class of refrigerants presently used in refrigeration units known in the art, particularly those which consist of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), can have a deleterious effect on the earth's ozone layer. One of the major sources of exposure of the atmosphere to such CFC's occurs during the servicing of such refrigeration units, when the refrigerant contained within the refrigeration unit is typically vented into the atmosphere when such units are disassembled for service. When repairs have been completed, such refrigeration units must then be recharged with fresh refrigerant, resulting in increased service costs.
Attempts have been made in the art to avoid wasting the refrigerant contained within the refrigeration unit by capturing that refrigerant, filtering and reclaiming it, and subsequently either storing the reclaimed refrigerant or reintroducing it into the refrigeration unit for further use. Examples of such systems include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,110,998; 4,261,178; 4,285,206; 4,304,102; 4,363,222; 4,364,236; 4,441,330; 4,476,688, 4,480,446; 4,539,817; 4,554,792; 4,646,527; 4,688,388; 4,766,733; 4,768,347; 4,805,416; 4,809,515; 4,809,520; 4,856,289; 4,856,290; 4,862,699; 4,887,435; 4,903,499 and 4,909,042.
The refrigerant recycling and reclaiming systems of the prior art share the limitation of operating at substantial temperatures and pressures which, in turn, dictates the need for large horsepower compressors capable of working with the elevated pressures. These larger horsepower compressors, in turn, have higher operating costs and cause such systems to be larger and less portable than would otherwise be necessary. Thus, a need has arisen in the art for refrigerant recycling and reclaiming systems capable of operating at lower temperatures and pressures, utilizing lower horsepower compressors with the advantages attendant thereto.
It is an object of the present invention to allow compressors of different sizes to be used depending on the properties of the system being serviced. It is a further object of the present invention to remove oil and moisture from the refrigerant being reclaimed. It is a further object of the present invention to improve cleansing of the refrigerant being recycled by providing filter dryers on both the input and output sides of the system. It is a further object of the present invention to prevent the compressor from being slugged so that it may receive a steady flow of refrigerant. It is a further object of the present invention to permit reclaiming to proceed rapidly even under heavy load conditions. It is a further object of the present invention to simplify the reclaiming process by reduce the number of hose connections and disconnections required over those of prior art systems. It is a further object of the present invention to improve cost and safety of operation by utilizing low pressures within the reclaiming system.

Refrigerant reclaiming and recycling system with evaporator chill bath

The Youngstown Research & Development Co.


A door lock apparatus includes: a latch mechanism; a lock mechanism having a link that can move the latch mechanism to an unlock position and a lock position, and a lock plate that moves the link; a key-operation-force transfer mechanism that transfers an operation force of a key cylinder to the lock plate of the lock mechanism; and a housing in which at least the lock mechanism and the key-operation-force transfer mechanism are accommodated. The door lock apparatus further includes a positioning portion and an engaging portion that position the key-operation-force transfer mechanism in a neutral state corresponding to a neutral position of the key cylinder with respect to the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a door lock apparatus mounted on a door of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A door lock apparatus is provided on a door of a vehicle so that it is detachably engaged to a substantially U-shaped striker fixed to a vehicle body. The door lock apparatus includes a latch mechanism that is engaged to the striker, and a lock mechanism that releases the engagement of the striker by the latch mechanism.
In vehicles of recent years, at least the lock mechanism is accommodated in a closed housing, and a key cylinder into which a key is inserted is directly connected to the lock mechanism in the closed housing, thereby preventing fraudulent manipulation and theft of a vehicle.
As a door lock apparatus having such mechanisms, JP-A-2009-150114 describes a door lock apparatus in which a key lever that follows an operation of a key cylinder provided on an outer side of a door of a vehicle, and a key sub-lever connected to the key lever through a key link are provided so that a sector gear that interlocks with the key sub-lever moves to a lock position or an unlock position.
According to this door lock apparatus, the key sub-lever is connected to the sector gear with play so that the key sub-lever is not operated even if the sector gear is turned from the unlock position to the lock position and vice versa, for example by an actuator, when the key sub-lever is in a neutral position.
According to this door lock apparatus, however, the key sub-lever can turn within a range of the play with respect to the sector gear. Therefore, there is a problem that the key sub-lever, the key link and the key lever are not positioned, and the key lever is variable in position. If the key lever is variable in position, there is a problem that mutual connecting shapes of the key lever and the key cylinder including convex and concave portions do not match with each other when they are assembled together, and it is difficult to assemble them.


A perovskite compound of the formula, (Na1/2Bi1/2)1-xMx(Ti1-yM′y)O3±z, where M is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; and M′ is one or more of Zr, Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta, W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni, and 0.01<x<0.3, and 0.01<y<0.3, and z<0.1 functions as an electromechanically active material. The material may possess electrostrictive or piezoelectric characteristics.

This invention relates to a class of lead-free or low lead perovskite structure oxide compounds useful as electromechanical actuators. It also relates to composite actuators utilizing these compounds in the form of oriented polycrystals or crystallites. The invention relates to compositions exhibiting improved strain coefficients, strain actuation and other properties relating to piezoelectric or electrostrictive performance. The invention also relates to a method of making an electromechanical device, e.g., a piezoelectric or electrostrictive device, which incorporates oriented crystallites.
Piezoelectric materials respond to the application of stress by generating electrical polarization in the crystal, and generate a strain upon application of electric field. The magnitude of the piezoelectric effect or electromechanical effects, in general, is measured in part by the piezoelectric coefficient dab which is a measure of the strain in the material due to the application of a unit electric field and the electromechanical coupling constant kab, the square of which is a measure of the efficiency of electromechanical energy conversion. The subscript a denotes the direction in which the field is applied and the subscript b denotes the direction of the measured actuation. The widely used PbxZr1-xTiO3 (PZT) family of piezoelectric actuators typically show d33=200–700 pC/N, maximum strains before dielectric breakdown of 0.3% and maximum electromechanical coupling coefficients of k33˜80%.
Single crystal ferroelectric perovskite compounds such as PbxMg1-xNbyTi1-yO3 (PMN-PT) and PbxZn1-xNbyTi1-yO3 (PZN-PT) have recently been shown to have unusually good performance as piezoelectric actuators, with strain coefficients d33 of up to 2500 pC/N, maximum strains of 1.5%, and electrochemical coupling coefficients of k=94%. See Kawata et al., Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 21:1298 (1982). The piezoelectric properties are superior to those of PZT and appear to be much easier to grow as single crystals than many other perovskites, including PZT. At room temperature, these single crystal actuators form the perovskite structure in a phase of rhombohedral symmetry. They exhibit these superior properties only when they are actuated out of the spontaneous polarization direction, which is 111
when referred to the crystal axes of the corresponding cubic perovskite. The highest actuation to date appears to have been observed when the crystals are actuated with the applied field parallel to the 100 direction of the corresponding cubic perovskite.
A drawback to all these lead-based perovskites is the toxicity of lead and associated difficulties in processing, crystal growth and handling. In certain environmentally sensitive or biologically sensitive applications, they can not be used. Another drawback is the high density and relatively low elastic modulus of the lead based perovskites. For applications where toxicity or weight-based measures of performance are important, alternative materials are desired.
(Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 (NBT) and (K1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 (KBT) are known to crystallize in the perovskite crystal structure. See, Smolenskii et al., Soviet Phys. Solid State 2(11):2651 (May, 1961) and Roleder et al, Ferroelectrics 89:1 (1989). At room temperature, NBT is a rhombohedral ferroelectric with a Curie temperature of 320° C. Undoped BNT has been grown as single crystals, and the structure and phase transitions as a function of temperature have been studied; however, the piezoelectric properties of the single crystal are not known and it has not been used as a piezoelectric actuator.
(Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 has also been alloyed with alkaline earth titanates. Polycrystalline materials in the (Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3-M′TiO3 (M′=Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb) systems have been previously studied. See, Takenaka et al. Ferroelectrics 7:347 (1974); and Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 30(9B):2236 (1991). In all these doped materials, the modest values of d33 and k33 make them of relatively limited interest for piezoelectric actuation, when compared with materials such as PZT.
Takenaka et al. reports the alloying of (Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 with BaTiO3 (Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 30(9B):2236 (1991)) or PbTiO3 (Elec. Eng. Japan 112(7):92 (September 1992)). The compounds exhibit a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and tetragonal (ferroelectric) phases at approximately 6 molar % and 13.5 molar % of the additive, respectively, at 20° C. Near the morphotropic phase boundary, d33 values of approximately 125 pC/N and k33 of about 55% have been reported.
For (Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 alloyed with CaTiO3, the morphotropic phase boundary between rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and cubic (paraelectric) phases lies at approximately 17% at 20° C., and a 10% composition shows d33 values of approximately 50 pC/N and k33 of about 38%. See, Takenaka et al. Japan. J. Appl. Phys., 28:59 (1989).
(Na1/2Bi1/2)TiO3 alloyed with SrTiO3 shows a more complicated sequence of phases with increasing Sr concentration. A rhombohedral phase (antiferroelectric) phase intervenes between the rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and cubic (paraelectric) endmembers. Some mixed substitutions such as those between NBT and (Pb,Ba)TiO3 and (Pb2Sr)TiO3 have also been characterized and show, near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and tetragonal (ferroelectric) phases, d33 125=pC/N and k33=55%. See, Takenaka et al. Ferroelectrics 7:347 (1974).
While the intrinsic electromechanical properties of properly oriented single crystals appear to be attractive, there are numerous obstacles to their practical implementation. Firstly, the growth, orientation, cutting and handling of large single crystals is expensive and difficult. For example, a typical method of single crystal growth is the Czochralski method in which a crystal may take days to grow. Special precautions in crystal growth may have to be taken for compounds that contain toxic and volatile components, such as lead oxide. Secondly, ceramic ferroelectrics are mechanically brittle and weak, more so than other ceramics such as aluminum oxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide. The act of electrical actuation can be sufficient to cause fracture in a single crystal actuator.
Polycrystalline materials are more tolerant of crystalline defects and are easier to manufacture. Nonetheless, a conventional polycrystalline ferroelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive actuator suffers in performance relative to an optimally oriented single crystal. One reason is that randomly oriented crystallites can not simultaneously be oriented with respect to an applied field so as to optimize the intrinsically anisotropic crystal properties in each grain. Another reason is that each single crystal grain undergoes anisotropic crystal deformation under the applied field and so works against its neighbors. This limits the net strain which is achievable from polycrystalline actuator material.
If the majority of the gains in a polycrystal are textured, that is, share one or more common crystallographic directions, the electromechanical properties can approach those of a single crystal. However, it is well-known to those skilled in the art that polycrystalline ceramics are difficult to prepare in a textured form. Ceramics which tend to grow grains with an anisotropic platelet shape, such as micaceous minerals or the Bi—Sr—Ca—Cu—O superconducting compound, or a needle-like shape, such as certain magnetic oxides, can sometimes be prepared in an aligned form by deformation and/or recrystallization of an initial isotropic grain or by applying a high electric or magnetic field. Systems with isotropic grain and crystallite shapes, which include the perovskites of interest, are much harder to align. While oriented polycrystalline perovskite ferroelectrics have been accomplished in the form of thin films supported by a substrate they have not been achieved in polycrystals suitable for actuation devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide perovskite compounds which are low in lead or lead-free and which can be grown as single crystals for use as electromechanically active materials.
It is a further object of the invention to provide electromechanically active perovskite compounds of rhombohedral, tetragonal and other phase symmetries for use in electromechanical actuators.
It is a further object of the invention to provide perovskite compounds which are low in lead or lead-free and which have superior electromechanical properties, such as improved strain coefficients, low hysteresis piezoelectric actuation, ultrahigh room temperature electrostrictive actuation, improved coupling constant and/or improved actuation strain.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a piezoelectric composite device which provides the advantages of anisotropic properties of large single crystal materials without the need to use said large crystals.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method and apparatus for transferring data from a first to a second memory of a computer system. The method comprises (i) initializing a descriptor with a description of physical addressing of a first section of a first array of the first memory; (ii) updating a mask associated with the descriptor with an indication for transferring data from a first sub-section of the first section to the second memory, the mask and the data managed by an application on a first virtual machine of the computer system, the application isolated from the physical addressing of the first section; (iii) responsive to the updated mask, (a) determining physical addresses of the first sub-section based on the description, and (b), transferring the data from the first sub-section to the second memory; and (iv) clearing at least a portion of the updated mask to indicate completion of transferring the data.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to virtual computing, and, more specifically, to image data transfer in a virtual computing environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Direct Memory Access (DMA) provides a capability for certain computer hardware sub-systems to access a computer's memory for read and write operations without affecting the state of the computer's central processor. Such an ability to directly access the computer's memory frees the central processor from involvement with a data transfer, such as a transfer of data to a peripheral system of the computer, thereby speeding up overall computer operations. In some computer systems, a DMA controller (DMAC) may perform the DMA data transfer operations, for example, the copying of data from one computer memory to another.
Several techniques currently exist that address the requirement to instruct a DMAC to copy selective data from physical memory that is directly addressable by both software and the DMAC. One such technique includes a 'write-back' caching structure in which a cache memory comprises dirty page flags, where the dirty page flags inform the DMAC which memory locations should be accessed for data transfer. Another technique comprises a masked data Random Access Memory (RAM) associated with two dimensional video memory. The masked data RAM is used to regulate the DMAC access to memory that defines the position and shape of a moving window of video data designated for transfer to a video device.
However, in virtualized environments where a computer employs one or more virtual machines, software inside a virtual machine is abstracted from the computer's physical memory architecture for security purposes, making it difficult for the above techniques to instruct a DMAC as to which physical memory locations should be accessed for data transfer. Moreover, the problem is exacerbated when the virtualized memory comprises multi-dimensional data structures, such as image frames, due to the fact that the multi-dimensional data structures are located in non-contiguous physical memory.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an efficient method for instructing DMAC resources to access selective data located in virtualized memory.

System and method for transferring updates from virtual frame buffers


A motorcycle-stance alteration kit is described. The kit includes a handlebar clamp, a fork clamp, and a footpeg extension. The handlebar clamp is formed to connect with a motorcycle's fork clamp and reposition the motorcycle's handlebar to alter a user's riding stance. The fork clamp is configured to be attached with motorcycle forks to the motorcycle's frame. The fork clamp includes a horizontal mounting surface that is formed to offset the fork's rake angle to cause the horizontal mounting surface to rest in a substantially horizontal alignment with respect to a ground surface. Finally, the footpeg extension is formed to connect with and between a motorcycle frame and footpeg. Thus, the footpeg extension effectively repositions the footpeg to alter the user's riding stance.

(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a motorcycle accessory and, more particularly, to an accessory for attaching with a motorcycle to alter a rider's stance and riding position, including a footpeg extension and handlebar extension kit.
(2) Description of Related Art
Riding motorcycles has long been a favored sport among enthusiasts. As the sport has progressed it has taken many different directions, leading to the development of a variety of motorcycles, including street motorcycles and off-road motorcycles. As manufacturers develop their motorcycles, they are typically restricted to manufacturing for the masses. In doing so, this has led to motorcycles that are developed for riders of an average height and stature. While optimal for a rider of an average height, the typical motorcycle is not optimal for riders having alternative statures. For example, tall riders are forced to ride motorcycles that do not properly address their natural riding stance. In other words, the handlebars and footpegs on original motorcycles are not properly positioned to allow a taller rider to ride comfortably. In the very least, the handlebars and footpegs are placed at sub-optimal positions for taller (and shorter) riders.
Thus, a continuing need exists for a motorcycle-stance alteration kit that allows a user to alter the riding stance of a motorcycle.


A frequency synthesizer and a method thereof. The method comprises grouping the carrier frequencies into first through fifth frequency groups comprising the first to third frequencies, the fourth to sixth frequencies, the seventh to ninth frequencies, the tenth to twelfth frequencies, and the thirteenth to fourteenth frequencies, generating a center frequency of the third frequency group, frequency mixing the center frequency of the third frequency group to produce center frequencies of the first, second, fourth, and fifth frequency groups, and performing frequency mixing on the center frequencies of the first through fifth frequency groups to produce two adjacent frequencies for each center frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a frequency synthesizer, and in particular to a frequency synthesizer in a Multi-Band Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MB-OFDM) Ultra Wideband (UWB) system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multi-Band Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MB-OFDM) Ultra Wideband (UWB) systems (referred to as MB-OFDM UWB systems hereinafter) include a working spectrum from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz, the spectrum is divided into 14 bands, each comprising 528 MHz. FIG. 1 is a spectrum diagram for a MB-OFDM UWB system, comprising first frequency band b1 to fourteenth frequency band b14, each frequency band comprises a carrier frequency, referred to as first frequency f1 to fourteenth frequency f14 and located at 3432 MHz, 3960 MHz, 4488 MHz, 5016 MHz, 5544 MHz, 6072 MHz, 7128 MHz, 7656 MHz, 8184 MHz, 8712 MHz, 9240 MHz, 9768 MHz, and 10296 MHz respectively. Every three frequency bands are grouped to provide first group BG1 to fifth group BG5. Note fifth group BG5 only comprises frequency bands b13 and b14.
Based on MB-OFDM UWB standard, a frequency synthesizer in a MB-OFDM UWB system must provide the three frequency bands in first group BG1 from 3.1 GHz to 4.8 GHz, referred to as Mode-1 (or Mandatory) operation. The MB-OFDM UWB system can optionally provide frequency bands exceeding 5 GHz to provide high data throughput, referred to as Mode-2 operation. Since fast switching between the frequency bands (≦9.5 ns) is required in the operation, the conventional phase lock loop (PLL) cannot meet system requirements. Utilizing frequency mixing technique to generate the required frequencies selected by the multiplexers provides a feasible solution. However, related disclosures [1] to [7] are only applicable to Mode-1 operation. Disclosure [8] supports Mode-2 operation, but only generates 7 frequency bands, rather than the fourteen frequency bands for the MB-OFDM UWB system. Disclosure [9] supports all fourteen frequency bands, but comprises a PLL and 5 mixers, and possibly generating large noise and degrading transmission signals.
Current telecommunication development aims for high speed/high volume wireless communication. A MB-OFDM UWB device can offer the solution to such requirements of additional functions beyond telecommunication. Thus a need exists for a frequency synthesizer covering the whole spectrum for a MB-OFDM UWB system, comprising minimum numbers of single sideband mixers to reduce the generated spurs.
[1]: IEEE 802.15.3a, Updated MB-OFDM Proposal Specification (03/268r3), March 2004, by MBOA
[2]: C. F. Liang and S. I. Liu, "A Fast-Switching Frequency Synthesizer for UWB applications," IEEE 2005 Asia Solid-State Circuit Conference, 8-2, November 2005, pp. 197-200
[3]: C. C. Lin and C. K. Wang, "Subharmonic Direct Frequency for Mode-1 MB-OFDM UWB System", IEEE 2005 Symposium on VLSI Circuits, 3-3, pp 38-41.
[4]: C. Sandner, et al., "A 3 GHz to 7 GHz Fast-Hopping Frequency Synthesizer for UWB," International Workshop on Ultra Wideband System, 2004, 18-21, May 2004, pp. 405-409.
[5]: D. Leenaerts, et al., "A SiGe BiCMOS ins Fast Hopping Frequency Synthesizer for UWB Radio," 2005 IEEE Int. Solid-State Circuit Conference, 11-2, pp. 202-203.
[6]: Hyun-Su Chae, et al., "A Fast Hopping Frequency Synthesizer for UWB Systems in a CMOS Technology," Int. Symp. on Wireless Communication Systems 2005, 5-9 Sep. 2005, pp 370-374.
[7]: Remco van de Beek, et al. "A fast-hopping single-PLL 3-band UWB synthesizer in 0.25 um SiGe BiCMOS," Proceedings of 31th ESSCIRC 2005, 12-16 Sep. 2005, pp. 173-176.
[8]: Jri Lee and Da-Wei Chiu, "A 7-band 3-8 GHz Frequency Synthesizer With 1 ns Band-Switching Time in 0.18 um CMOS Technology", IEEE 2005 Int. Solid-State Circuit Conference, 11-3, pp. 204-205, 2005.
[9]: C. Mishra, et al., "Frequency Planning and Synthesizer Architectures for Multiband OFEM UWB radios," IEEE Trans. on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 53, issue 12, December 2005, pp. 3744-3756.

Frequency synthesizer and method thereof

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Composite laminated tubing with low coefficient of thermal expansion and preferably a Poisson's ratio near 0.5 is used for production tubing which is subject to substantial expansion and contraction.

In producing crude oil in offshore areas, floating production systems have been used to transfer large volumes of fluids between subsea installations and the water surface. Floating production systems are becoming more attractive as petroleum production extends to water depths beyond the economic and physical limitation of fixed platforms and to distances beyond the economic limits of pipelines. Most floating production systems have wellheads and special production manifolds on or near the ocean floor and processing equipment and storage facilities on a moored floating vessel. Fluid-handling lines, or conduits, are used to transfer hydrocarbons between the subsea wellheads or manifold systems on the ocean floor and the vessel mounted production equipment.
In many production systems, the oil is produced from formations at an elevated temperature, as much as several hundred degrees above the temperature of the surrounding water. The tubing through which the oil is produced is thus subjected to a wide range of temperatures ranging from sea water temperature (during shutdown of operations) to several hundred degrees during production of hot oil. To accommodate this variation in temperature, it is necessary to provide an expansion joint in the production tubing to prevent buckling and possible tubing failure due to expansion and contraction of the tubing. For example, a production tubing 2000 feet long will expand in length approximately 32 inches when heated from 68.degree. F. to 300.degree. F. Such expansion requires an expansion joint for production from a well in deep waters, such as from a tension leg platform.
The production tubing is usually placed in a marine riser which serves as a retainer for tubing failures. Since no reliable seal design is available for marine expansion joints, these joints invariably leak and the riser is subject to filling with oil. Thus, the back-up safety system in effect becomes the primary oil retention vessel. This is a serious compromise with regard to safety and reliability.
It would be desirable to provide a marine riser system which is not subject to these deficiencies.

Composite tubing with low coefficient of expansion for use in marine production riser systems


Aspects of the invention relate to a programmable device with a template removably attached thereto. The template contains programming descriptors written in the preferred language of the consumer. As a result, the market for such programmable devices is not restricted based on the preferred language of the consumer.

There are a number of programmable devices that include programming or other information on the device itself. Typically, such information is written only in a single language. For example, a thermostat sold in the United States may provide programming information written only in English. While such information may be understood by a majority of U.S. consumers, there are still many consumers who do not understand English, are not comfortable with English or otherwise prefer a different language. Many of these consumers may avoid such English-only programmable devices altogether, and, as a result, the available market for such devices becomes unnecessary limited. Further, even if such consumers decide to purchase the device, proper programming of the device may prove to be cumbersome, which can lead to consumer frustration with the product and negative impressions of the associated brand or manufacturer. Thus, there is a need for a programmable device that can minimize such concerns.

Programmable device with removable templates


This specification discloses a user identity verification method, apparatus, and system, relating to the field of information technology. The method comprises: receiving a facial image and one or more eye-print pair images corresponding to an identity verification object from a client, wherein a number of the one or more eye-print pair images corresponds to a number of eye-print collection steps, comparing the facial image to a preset facial image and comparing the one or more eye-print pair images to preset eye-print templates, and sending successful identity verification information to a client when comparison results for the facial image and the one or more eye-print pair images meet preset conditions.

With the continuous development of information technologies and the Internet, a variety of applications have emerged. Of these, more and more financial institutions are providing users with apps to manage associated financial transactions. To ensure the security of user information, it is necessary to perform identity verification of the users managing financial transactions through apps, that is, performing user security verification operations such as identity authentication and name authentication.
Today, user identity verification is normally performed by employing a method of combining facial image recognition with live facial image verification, i.e. issuing facial movement parameters to the user when verifying a collected facial image, and requiring the user to complete live movement verification according to these movements. However, now it is possible to synthesize lifelike 3D facial images and simulate user facial movements and expressions, resulting in low precision and reliability for existing user identity verification methods, and making it unlikely to ensure the security of the apps used by users.

User identity verification method, apparatus and system


A connector assembly having a receiving housing, a fitting housing and a retainer. The fitting housing is inserted into the receiving housing and is held in engagement position by the retainer. However, if one or more electrical terminals, within cavities in the fitting housing, is not fully inserted into its locked position, the retainer is held in a temporary position wherein a portion thereof projects outwardly of the fitting housing. This portion engages the end face of the receiving housing. The end face is preferably perpendicular to the insertion direction or at an acute angle thereto. As a result, the receiving housing does not distort even if excessive insertion force is applied to the fitting housing and/or the retainer.

A typical prior art connector, with female terminal 3 only partially inserted into housing 1, is shown in FIG. 9. Housing 1 is adapted to fit inside of hood 5 which is attached to--or part of--the male housing (not shown). Retainer 2 carries a projection which bears against bevel 6 on the end face of hood 5. Lance 4, which serves to lock terminal 3 in position after it has been fully inserted in the cavity is affixed to--or integral with--housing 1. As shown in FIG. 9, it is not yet operative, since female terminal 3 has not been fully inserted into housing 1.
However, since the leading edge of hood 5 is provided with bevel 6, the Application of substantial insertion force will cause hood 5 to distort outwardly and permit housing 1 to fully enter hood 5, even though female terminal 3 has not been properly inserted into the cavity. This makes it very difficult or even impossible to determine, after assembly, whether terminal 3 is in its proper position. Moreover, since there are, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of cavities 7 (each containing terminal 3), it is possible that some terminals 3 will have been properly inserted, while one or more others are in the position shown in FIG. 9.
In FIG. 10, the female terminal in cavity 7 is incompletely inserted. As can be seen from the Figure, the left side of retainer 2 is fully inserted into housing 1, while the right side projects somewhat therefrom. Insertion pressure on housing 1 will cause it to distort hood 5 and enter completely therein. However, terminal 3 in cavity 7 will not make a proper electrical connection with the mating connector and, therefore, the assembly is defective. This cannot be determined by observation.


A gear selection position displaying device includes a path display portion (56) which displays a movement path of a gearshift lever, lever position display portions (circled portions of 51c, 53b, 53c, 53d and 55b) which display the position of the gearshift lever, and gear range display portions (51a, 52a, 54a and 55a, and symbol imparted portions of 51c, 53b, 53c, 53d and 55b) which display gear ranges which are selected at the gear selection positions, respectively. When a momentary area where the gearshift lever is automatically restored to a home position is selected, a display on the gear range display portions (52a, 54a) which corresponds to the momentary area so selected is deleted (52b, 54b), whereas a gear range corresponding to the selected momentary area is displayed (53c, 53d) on the gear range display portions (53c, 53d).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gear selection position displaying device for use with a gearshift system of an automatic transmission and a vehicle equipped with the gear selection position displaying device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a gear selection position displaying device which can preferably be applied to a gearshift system which has a home position and a holding position for a gearshift lever, whereby when the gearshift lever is shifted to the holding position from the home position, the gearshift lever is returned to the home position in the event that a predetermined condition is satisfied.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, as gearshift systems for automatic transmissions installed on motor vehicles, so-called shift-by-wire type gearshift systems attract attention which are advantageous in reduction in operating force as well as size of gearshift systems. In the shift-by-wire method, the gear selection position of a gearshift system is detected by a sensor or the like so that gear ranges of an automatic transmission are changed over by an actuator based on a detection signal. Namely, in the shift-by-wire method, since the gear ranges of the automatic transmission are made to be changed over through electric controls, the degree of freedom in designing operation modes of a gearshift lever is increased. For example, a so-called momentary function can be imparted in which when the driver removes his or her hand from the gearshift lever which has been shifted into a predetermined gear selection position, the gearshift lever is automatically restored to a home position.
Here, as an example of common selection gear ranges in an automatic transmission, there are raised neutral gear range, drive gear range, reverse gear range and low-drive gear range (low-gear). (Note that a park gear range is a gear range where the automatic transmission is locked, and hence, the park gear range is different from the selection gear ranges in the automatic transmission.) In this case, to match these selection gear ranges, formed in a gearshift system are such gear selection positions as neutral position, drive position, reverse position and low-gear position. In the shift-by-wire type gearshift systems, the momentary function can be provided for all the gear selection positions, whereby since the gearshift lever can be positioned in the same position at all times except when the gearshift lever is operated, improvement in operability of the gearshift lever in gearshift can be expected.
For example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. JP-A-2002-264684, a gearshift system is disclosed in which when the driver removes his or her hand from the gearshift lever which has been shifted into a predetermined gear selection position, the gearshift lever is automatically restored to the home position. In the event of the gearshift system like this, when the driver removes his or her hands from the gearshift lever after he or she has operated the lever, a state occurs at all times in which the gearshift lever is returned to the home position. When the gearshift lever is constructed so as to be located in the same position like this, there is caused a problem where the driver has difficulty in realizing the current gear range which is currently selected in the automatic transmission.
To solve this problem, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. JP-A-2003-327002, a gearshift system is described in which a holding function to hold a gearshift lever is provided for reverse position and low-gear position of gear selection positions, while at the other gear selection positions, the gearshift lever is automatically restored to the home position. According to the gearshift system like this, the driver can confirm the current gear range in the automatic transmission from the sensation in the hand, thereby making it possible to realize a gearshift system which has superior operability.
Incidentally, in the gearshift system having the gearshift lever holding function which is described in JP-A-2003-327002, when the gearshift lever is in the home position, the gear range in the automatic transmission is in a manual mode where the gears in the automatic transmission are changed over through a gearshift operation by the driver. This leads to a problem where the driver cannot make sure which gear is actually selected in the automatic transmission from the gear selection position, either. To cope with this, a technology is disclosed in JP-A-2002-264684 in which the gear range that is currently selected in the automatic transmission is displayed by highlighting with emitted light of a symbol or number (for example, "R" for reverse gear range, "L" for low-gear gear range, "3" for third gear, and the like) within the instrument cluster.
In the event that the emitted light highlighted display like this is applied to the gearshift system described in JP-A-2003-327002, however, since the actual shift lever position in the gearshift system cannot be displayed in a corresponding fashion, the driver needs to look at and comprehend the display. This leading to a problem where a certain length of time is necessary to confirm the currently selected gear range and a sensation of physical disorder is generated.
In addition, in a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, for example, when the driver selects the reverse position in the gearshift system while the vehicle is running forwards at a predetermined speed, there occurs a case where an automatic transmission control unit, which controls the changeover of gear ranges in the automatic transmission, determines invalid the gearshift operation effected by the driver and the control unit prohibits the changeover of gear ranges. However there has been no means for allowing the driver to recognize in advance that the gearshift operation done by him or her has been overridden.

Gear selection position displaying device


A fault bits scrambling memory and method thereof relate to a memory including at least one memory bank. The memory bank includes a memory module, a scrambling-logic unit, a self-testing unit and a scrambling code generating unit. The memory module includes a plurality of pages. Each page has a plurality of memory cells, and each memory cell has a physical address. The scrambling logic unit receives a scrambling code and the physical address to generate a mapping address by logical calculation, and outputs the mapping address to the memory module. The self-testing unit detects the faulty memory cells of each page. The scrambling code generating unit is applied to generate the scrambling code to maintain the number of the faulty memory cells corresponding to the mapping address of the same page is up to a maximum tolerance.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a memory, and particularly to a fault bits scrambling memory and method thereof.
2. Related Art
Commonly, the non-volatile memories, such as the flash memories, use the error correction code (ECC) to repair the soft error or the physical fault (hereinafter, the soft error and the physical fault are called fault) of the memory cell. However, using the error correction code to repair the data is limited; for example, the single-error-correcting and double-error-detecting (SEC-DED) algorithm can only repair the single faulty bits. If more than one bit must be repaired, it must apply other algorithms and further storing spaces must be applied for the algorithms, thereby reducing the available memory space. Hence, how to solve the issue of the faulty memory cells exceeding the maximum tolerance is an urgent issue to be solved by the inventor of the disclosure and related personnel.

Fault bits scrambling memory and method thereof

National Taiwan University of Science and Technology


Provided is a method for manufacturing a lead frame and a semiconductor package having a semiconductor chip for connecting to an outer board and having a base metal layer formed of iron and nickel as main elements. The method includes preparing the base metal layer of a lead frame, forming one or more plating layers on the base metal layer, mounting the semiconductor chip on the lead frame, molding the semiconductor chip and at least a portion of the lead frame, bending the lead frame to form the lead frame in a predetermined shape, and heat-treating the lead frame for forming a diffusion layer in order to protect the lead frame from corrosion.

This application claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2004-0011819, filed on Feb. 23, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lead frame and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor package with the same, and more particularly, to a lead frame for connecting a semiconductor chip to an outer circuit, the lead frame being manufactured with a pre-plated frame. The present invention further relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor package with such a lead frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional lead frame typically includes a die pad 110 and a plurality of leads 120 arranged around the die pad 110. The die pad 110 is connected to a rail or outer flame 170 by pad supports 180 to support a semiconductor chip on the die pad 110. The leads 120 include inner leads 130 and outer leads 140. A damper portion 160 is disposed between the inner and outer leads 130 and 140 to support them while maintaining a gap between the inner and outer leads 130 and 140. When an assembly of the semiconductor package is completed, the outer flame 170 and the damper portion 160 are cut out.
FIG. 2 shows a semiconductor package 105 containing a lead frame depicted in FIG. 1, in which a semiconductor chip 50 is mounted on the lead frame.
Referring to FIG. 2, the semiconductor chip 50 is mounted on the die pad 110. The inner leads 130 are wire-bonded to the semiconductor chip 50 by a wire 52, and the outer leads 140 are electrically connected to an external circuit (not shown). Accordingly, the leads 120 have a bonding portion W that is wire-bonded to the semiconductor chip 50, an outer bonding portion S connected to the outer circuit and bending portions B bent at an intermediate portion of the leads 120.
The semiconductor chip 50 and the inner leads 130 are molded with resin 55 to form the semiconductor package 105. In manufacturing such a semiconductor package 105, there is a need for improving the wire boning property between the semiconductor chip 50 and the inner leads 130. For this, solder containing Sn—Pb may be deposited on a predetermined area of the outer leads 140. However since this process must be performed through a wet process after the resin molding process is performed, the reliability of the product may be deteriorated.
To solve this problem, a pre-plate frame has been proposed. In this method, metal having a superior solder-wettability is pre-deposited before the semiconductor packaging process so that the solder plating process can be omitted in the post semiconductor packaging process. The lead frame using the pre-plated frame makes the post packaging process simple. In addition, environmental pollution can be prevented since soldering can be omitted in the semiconductor packaging process.
However, since the semiconductor chip bonding, wire boding, epoxy molding, and soldering processes are performed at a temperature generally above 200° C., it becomes important to properly select the outer plating layers when the lead frame is formed with the pre-plated frame.
Describing more specifically, the outer plating layers of the pre-plated lead frame must be good in the oxidation property at a high temperature, in the bonding property for bonding with the bonding wire, in the adhering property for attaching with the chip formed typically of silicon, in the bonding property for bonding with the epoxy resin, and in the deliquescence with the solder for soldering. Furthermore, the outer plating layers must have a proper ductility to prevent the bonding capillary from being worn during the wire bonding process. In addition, the outer plating layers must have a property for preventing the migration phenomenon that may cause the short circuit as the plated metal is diffused to a contact medium for a long time under a high temperature and humidity condition in order to obtain a long term reliability of the semiconductor device.
FIG. 3 illustrates a construction of a lead frame disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,518,508 that is assigned to the co-assignee of this application. This lead frame may be manufactured through a conventional method for forming a pre-plated frame that can satisfy the above-described conditions.
Referring to FIG. 3, the lead frame 120 includes a base metal layer 121 formed of copper, copper alloy or an iron-nickel alloy, a Ni plating layer 122 formed of nickel or nickel alloy and deposited at least on an upper surface of the base metal layer 121, a Pd plating layer 123 formed of palladium or palladium alloy and deposited on the Ni plating layer 122, and a protective plating layer 124 formed of Ag or Ag alloy and deposited on the Pd plating layer 123.
Such lead frames that are formed through the known pre-plating methods have a good effect when the lead frames are not damaged for example by an outer shock or the like. However, since the lead frames must go through a bending process during a conventional semiconductor package assembling process, the plating structure at the bending portion can be cracked and corroded. This problem may be more severe when the base metal layer 121 is formed of alloy 42 rather than cooper or cooper alloy. As well known in the art, alloy 42 is composed of 42% Ni and 58% Fe, and widely used as a base material for the lead frame. However, since the alloy 42 is greatly different in the dielectric characteristics from that of the over layer metals such as Pd, Au and Ag of the Pd plating layer 123 and the protective plating layer 124, a galvanic coupling may be occurred, which may facilitate a severe corrosion of the base metal layer 121.
Particularly, referring to FIG. 4, during the lead frame manufacturing process, cracks or other defects may be easily incurred, thereby causing portions of the protective plating layer 124 to be easily chipped off. When the protective plating layer 124 is chipped off or otherwise damaged, inner layers such as the base metal layer 121 and Ni plating layer 122 can be exposed to oxygen contained in the air. Corrosion can be more easily developed at the exposed portions (such as portion 120c in the figure) due to the galvanic coupling.
Where the Pd plating layer 123 is plated on the Ni plating layer 122 formed on the defective portions through an electroplating process as shown, a large amount of hydrogen is mixed with the educed Pd components because the education potential of Pd is similar to that of the hydrogen, and the Pd plating layer 123 can be damaged more quickly. Accordingly, cracks may be easily developed at wired bonding portions W and soldering portions S of the lead frame 120. In addition, as it is common to form the Ni, Pd and protective plating layers through the electroplating process, the electroplating of the plating layers has a tendency to deteriorate ductility of the lead frame. Accordingly, when the bending portions B are formed in the lead frame, cracks may be easily developed at the bending portions B.
Because the cracks can easily be developed at the bending portions B, the wire-bonding portions W of the lead frame, and the soldering portions S of the external leads, these cracked portions are readily exposed to the air, and the galvanic coupling is increasingly occurred at these portions. As a result, the exposed portions may be easily corroded.
Furthermore, in the course of forming the Pd and Ni plating layers, a large amount of hydrogen is mixed with the lead frame. As a result, the deposition density of the Pd and Ni plating layers is degraded, thereby deteriorating the overall reliability of the lead frame.

Lead frame and method for manufacturing semiconductor package with the same


A system and method for use with a data management service provides automatic assistance of transaction data sorting to an account based on account name inferences. A table is generated from transactions that have been previously sorted to accounts, in which the table contains occurrence frequencies of associations between merchants and accounts. The occurrence frequencies of the table are utilized to analyze an unsorted transaction. The merchant associated with the unsorted transaction is matched to a merchant of the table. The occurrence frequencies of the accounts of the table associated with the matched merchant are determined. The accounts of the table are matched to accounts of the user's chart of accounts. A determined likelihood account is calculated for the unsorted transaction for account sorting.

Electronic transaction management systems provide for the implementation of a company's chart of accounts and categorization of transactions. These charts of accounts and categorizations are essential for the creation of statements that enable a company's managers to assess a company's position. To measure a company's performance over time, an electronic transaction management system can generate one or more reports based on the chart of accounts or other transaction categorizations. For example, a report of an income statement may list the relevant revenues and expenses for a time period, in which those revenues and expenses are defined by the chart of accounts. By comparing reports from a current period of time with a prior period of time, company managers can understand a company's profitability to ensure that the company will deliver necessary income and remain solvent. Furthermore, reports and statements can demonstrate a company's return on investment, risk, financial flexibility, and operating capabilities. In particular, a chart of accounts, which enables financial reporting, is considered the foundation of a company's implementation of an accounting structure within a transaction management system.
Typically, each company that utilizes an electronic transaction management system will uniquely design its chart of accounts and transaction categorizations to summarize data into meaningful information. In particular, a proper design of a chart of accounts facilitates compliance with the operating and reporting requirements of each company's type of industry and business. Often, designing a chart of accounts is one of the first tasks to be performed when a company configures a new implementation of an accounting structure of a transaction management system. After the initial design of a company's chart of accounts, transactions are typically downloaded from various financial institutions that provide services to the company. In order to generate reports that compare time periods, downloaded historical transactions must each be sorted to a specific account of the chart of accounts. For example, if a company wishes to generate a report making a comparison to a prior year, a year of historical transactions must be sorted to appropriate accounts. This initial sorting of historical transactions to accounts is often an onerous manual task. Using current transaction management systems, an initial sorting of transactions is not assisted with automation because such automation relies on initial manual sorting of transactions determined by accounting staff. Thus, current transaction management system environments rely on a high volume of initial manual sorting decisions of the accounting staff to facilitate future automation assistance for the sorting of future transactions.
The initial manual sorting of transactions to accounts is a burdensome and costly process that can cause a new implementation of an accounting structure to fail. For example, the first fiscal period after a new implementation is frequently considered the most precarious. It is generally thought that an implementing company will only find value in the benefits of a new implementation of an accounting structure after a key fiscal period, such as a fiscal quarter, is completed. The implementation period of an accounting structure by an implementing company is a critical period because it is a time when a company is most likely to cancel a new implementation. Under current environments, the first-time use during the implementation period is also the time when there is an inordinate strain on a company's accounting staff to perform not only proper manual sorting of the current period transactions, but also additional manual sorting of historical transactions from prior time periods. Furthermore, account-sorting automation benefits cannot be realized under current environments until after the accomplishment of an initial manual sorting of transactions during an implementation period.
In addition, the current environment where there is little or no assistance provided for the initial sorting of transactions, and the resulting largely manual processes, provide significant opportunity for the introduction of human error. As discussed above, this is particularly true in light of the inordinate strain on a company's accounting staff created during the first-time use implementation period.
Consequently, what is needed is a system and method that solves the long standing technical problem in the data management arts of the inability of electronic transaction management systems to automatically assist with the sorting of transactions to an account of a chart of accounts, or other category, with a new implementation of a company's accounting structure within an electronic transaction management system.

System and method for automatic assistance of transaction sorting for use with a transaction management service


An ac synchronous electrical machine includes a stator and a multi-phase stator winding that defines a plurality of stator poles. The stator winding has two or more coil groups, each coil group including a plurality of coils for each phase that are received in winding slots in the stator. The stator winding is connected to a power source/sink. The coil groups are connected in series and each coil group is connected to a power source/sink by a respective switch (26a, 26b . . . ). This allows one or more of the coil groups to be selectively supplied with power from the associated power source/sink or selectively supply power to the associated power source/sink. The switches are operated by a controller. The coils in each coil group are arranged substantially symmetrically around the circumference of the stator to define selected poles of the electrical machine and to produce a constant and balanced rotating torque when any particular coil group or combination of coil groups is active.

A typical ac synchronous electrical machine includes a field system mounted on the rotor surrounded by a stator winding mounted on the stator. The stator winding will include a plurality of coils that are located in winding slots formed in a surface of the stator assembly. The rotor provides a rotating magnetic field generated by conventional windings with slip rings or brushless excitation power supply. When operated in a motoring mode, ac power supplied to the stator winding will cause the rotor to rotate and produce shaft torque and mechanical power.
For many applications it is desirable for the electrical machine to increase the speed at a constant power and with no further increase in the stator voltage of the electrical machine. This can be achieved by reducing the rotor flux as the speed increases. A similar field weakening control can be achieved with induction machines.
However, if the rotating field system uses permanent magnets then the rotor flux cannot be reduced in the same way. As the rotor flux remains constant then the stator voltage of the permanent magnet electrical machine will increase as the speed increases. This is not ideal because such a permanent magnet electrical machine will normally need N times the rated insulation voltage and will need a power converter with N times the rated voltage and power of the machine, for an increase of N times the rated speed of the machine.

GE Energy Power Conversion Technology LTD.


Siding panels having indicia indicating a zone into which fasteners should be placed, and methods for manufacturing and installing the panels are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the siding includes a panel of siding material having a first edge extending along a first dimension, a second edge spaced apart from the first edge a first distance, and a first side with indicia. The indicia define a zone into which at least one fastener should be placed to install the panel. The zone extends along the first dimension and has a width of approximately 0.2 inch to approximately 0.3 inch. The zone has a center line spaced apart from the first edge a second distance of approximately 7 percent to approximately 22 percent of the first distance. The siding material is composed of a continuous, single fiber-cement compound including cement, silica, and cellulose fiber.

The exterior surfaces of houses and other structures are often protected by exterior siding products made from wood, vinyl, aluminum, bricks, stucco, fiber-cement, and other materials. Wood and fiber-cement siding products, for example, are generally panels, planks, or shakes that are "hung" on plywood or composite walls. Although wood siding products are popular, wood siding can become unsightly or even defective because it may rot, warp, or crack. Wood siding products are also highly flammable and subject to insect damage. Therefore, wood siding products have several drawbacks.
Fiber-cement siding products are relatively new and offer several advantages compared to other types of siding materials. Fiber-cement siding is generally a composite material composed of cement, silica sand, cellulose, and binders. To form fiber-cement siding panels and planks, a liquid fiber-cement composite is rolled or pressed into the shape of the panels or planks, and then the fiber-cement composite is cured. Fiber-cement siding is advantageous because it is nonflammable, weatherproof, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Moreover, fiber-cement siding does not rot and insects do not consume the fiber-cement composites.
Fiber-cement siding products are typically installed by a builder, a siding contractor at a particular job site, or a modular home manufacturer in a factory. To install fiber-cement siding panels, for example, the panels are cut to a desired length and then nailed to plywood or wood-composite panels in a manner similar to hanging panels of cedar siding. Some fiber-cement siding panels include a single embossed, horizontal line to assist the installer with the alignment and overlap distance of adjacent panels. Trim materials can be attached to the structure before or after the fiber-cement siding is installed. The fiber-cement siding and the trim materials are subsequently painted.
One concern with fiber-cement siding is that some installers do not or cannot read the installation instructions, and consequently fail to attach the fiber-cement siding to the structure properly, such as nailing the siding in an improper location. More specifically, installers sometimes place nails at a position that is either too high or too low on a panel when attaching the panel to a wall. When fiber-cement siding is installed using the blind nail method, nails that are placed too low on the panel will be visible even after the overlying panel of fiber-cement siding is attached. Alternatively, if the nail is placed too high on the panel, the bottom edge of an overlying panel may not lay against the top surface of the underlying panel. Consequently, the overlying panel may rattle when windows or doors in the structure are closed or in high winds. Moreover, a high nail on an overlying panel of fiber-cement siding may cause the panel to appear to be warping or buckling even though fiber-cement panels cannot warp or buckle because they are inert. This appearance creates a poor image for fiber-cement sidings, and consumers are very sensitive to siding failures. Furthermore, improperly installed siding can void the warranty and be costly to repair. Therefore, there is a significant need to assist installers in properly attaching fiber-cement siding to structures.

Siding having indicia defining a fastening zone


A management system includes a position detection unit which obtains a position of a work machine, a posture detection unit which obtains a posture of the work machine, an object detection unit which obtains a three-dimensional shape of a buried object, a position calculation unit which obtains a position of the buried object by using the position of the work machine obtained by the position detection unit, the posture of the work machine obtained by the posture detection unit, and the three-dimensional shape of the buried object obtained by the object detection unit, and an information acquisition unit which acquires buried object information including at least the position of the buried object obtained by the position calculation unit.

There are work machines having imaging devices. Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique of generating a construction plan image data on the basis of a construction plan data stored in a storage unit and position information of a stereo camera, superposing the construction plan image data and a current state image data imaged by the stereo camera, and three-dimensionally displaying a superimposed synthesized image on a three-dimensional display device.


Disclosed is a camera lens assembly of a portable terminal, which includes a lens housing; and a drive plate provided at a position adjacent to the lens housing, wherein the lens housing rotates as the drive plate moves linearly. Because of the camera lens assembly, the lens housing need not be directly manipulated to rotate the lens housing. Therefore, since the lens housing is installed in the housing of the terminal, even in a state in which the lens housing is rotatably installed on the housing of the terminal, damage and breakage due to exterior impacts can be prevented and the restrictive terminal design problem due to the lens housing is overcome.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly to a camera lens assembly for a portable terminal which includes a lens housing rotatably engaged with a housing of the terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the term "portable terminal" refers to a device that provides radio communication functions through a mobile communication base station between one user and another user, or between a user and a service provider. Various types of content, such as a voice communication service, short message transmission, mobile banking, TV, online gaming, VOD (video on demand), etc., are provided through the portable terminal.
Portable terminals are classified according to their shapes, and include a bar-type terminal in which communication circuits and input/output devices such as a microphone unit and a speaker unit are installed in one housing, a flip-type terminal in which a flip cover is installed in the bar-type terminal, and a folder-type terminal which is opened and closed as a pair of housings are rotated and in which input/output devices are distributed in the housings. Recently, a slider-type terminal has appeared together with the folder-type terminal to improve the portability and convenience of the terminal and satisfy the tastes of users.
In addition, various mobile communication services such as games and moving picture file transmission through the Internet to the portable terminal, mobile banking, VOD, DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting), etc., have been provided. The mobile communication services have become varied as use of portable terminal have become common, the tastes of users are varied, and services providing various contents through the portable terminal can be commercialized.
As information communication technology becomes integrated, the portable terminal functions not only as a simple communication device but also as a complex device including such functions as a camera function, and may also operate as a storage device. Among the complex functions, a camera lens assembly is becoming an indispensable element of the terminal.
The camera lens assembly mounted to a portable terminal may be classified into a fixed-type and a rotation-type. The fixed-type camera lens assembly is installed on one surface of a housing of a terminal and limits damage due to an exterior impact, but is inconvenient in that the direction of the terminal must be changed so that the camera lens thereof points toward the subject being photographed. On the other hand, the rotation-type camera lens assembly is rotatably installed on a housing of the terminal and has an advantage in that a subject can be photographed by rotating a lens housing in various directions without moving the terminal. However, this assembly has a risk of being damaged by an exterior impact, since the lens is exposed to the outside. Moreover, since the rotation-type camera lens assembly is exposed outside the housing of the terminal, diversity of the terminal design is restricted.

Camera lens assembly for portable terminal


There is disclosed an input device including a display for displaying a plurality of icons, and a selector for selecting a displayed icon. At least a portion of the display is an electronic display. The device is adapted such that the selector moves relative to the display between a plurality of positions. At least one position corresponds to a displayed icon. The device further includes a function selection means. A function associated with an icon corresponding to a current position of the selector is selected when the function selection means is enabled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device suitable for a portable handset, and particularly, but not exclusively, to an input device for a mobile telephone.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile telephone technology has evolved to a stage where the size of handsets is limited, in some instances, by the size of the user interface. The user interface can be generally considered to comprise an input device and a display, although the functionality of the input device and the display may be combined.
The input device typically comprises a keypad, which provides keys for entering numbers to facilitate the making of telephone calls, and keys for enabling functions to be selected, such as a function to start a call or end a call for example. A typical mobile telephone keypad may have seventeen keys.
In applications where it is desirable to minimize the size of the mobile telephone, the need to provide a usable input device for the mobile telephone may limit the reduction of the size of the telephone. In very small scale applications, it may not be possible to provide sufficient space for the input device.
Various techniques have been used in the art of mobile telephony to attempt to solve the problems associated with the need to provide the input device. It is known to provide the input device as a keypad comprising an array of very small keys or buttons. However beyond a certain size reduction, such keypads become difficult to use, and it may be difficult to select the depression of an individual key. It has also been known to provide keypads comprising unconventional arrays of keys in combination with the keys themselves being small. However such unconventional arrays of keys can be aesthetically unpleasing, and can also be awkward to use. It has also been proposed to provide voice recognition means as the input device for mobile telephones, and thereby eliminate the need for a keypad or require a keypad with a reduced number of keys. However voice recognition can be unreliable, and requires training. Voice recognition may also often be impractical to use, for example when it is desired to send a text message, such as a short messaging service (SMS) message, during a meeting. Another attempt to provide a reduced size input device on a mobile telephone or a portable device generally has been to provide a touch-pad with a stylus, functioning as a combined input device and display. A touch-pad is limited in use when miniaturised, however, and additional space is also needed to store a stylus. Thus the provision of a touch-pad in itself creates further size problems.


A manually operated moveable display device for displaying a plurality of images comprising an image member with an inage panel slidably retained adjacent to a shutter panel of a shutter member. A plurality of coded images are disposed on the image panel, a plurality of shutter elements are disposed on the shutter panel in alignment with the coded images, and a plurality of viewing elements are interposed between the plurality of shutter elements. The device maintains the first edge of the image panel and the first edge of the shutter panel in a substantially parallel relationship, the second edge of the image panel and the second edge of the shutter panel in a substantially parallel relationship, the image panel of the image member and the shutter panel of the shutter member in a bowed condition, and the image panel and the shutter panel of the shutter member in contact. The moveable display device may comprise most preferably a first bowed sleeve slidably surrounded in close frictional contact by a second bowed sleeve with coded images disposed on a front panel of the first bowed sleeve and shutter elements and viewing elements disposed on a front panel of the second bowed sleeve. The first and second bowed sleeves may be formed for precise registration and size by use of registration points disposed adjacent to the corners of first and second flexible sheets from which the first and second bowed sleeves are formed.

Since at least as early as the year 1906, devices permitting the sequential display of a plurality of coded images by relative movement of an image member relative to a shutter member have been known to the art. Based on the nature of their operation, such devices may be termed moveable display devices.
Most basically stated, such moveable display devices comprise an image member slidably retained adjacent to a shutter member. The image member has a plurality of interposed coded images disposed thereon. One looking at the image member separated from the shutter member would see the plurality of interposed coded images as apparently incoherent narrow strips or, possibly, dots, and the coded images would not be likely to be dearly cognizable.
The shutter member has a plurality of ideally opaque shutter elements disposed thereon that are separated by a plurality of translucent, ideally transparent, viewing elements. Certainly the prior art has made dear that the plurality of shutter elements may assume a wide variety of shapes including straight bars, curving bars, apertured opaque portions, and any other functioning configuration. Naturally, the shapes of the coded images would correspond to the shapes of the shutter elements. The plurality of viewing elements could comprise open slots, transparent bars, or any other means that would allow a selective viewing of the coded images.
It is worth noting that it is most common for the plurality of shutter elements to comprise straight opaque bars of ink or the like printed on a transparent substrate and for the plurality of viewing elements to comprise interposed portions that are devoid of ink. Accordingly, the present discussion will continue under the assumption that the shutter elements and the viewing elements are so formed but with the proviso that such need not necessarily be the case.
In intended operation, the plurality of shutter elements perform dual, equally critical functions. By their opaque nature, the shutter elements selectively block from view all but one of the plurality of interposed coded images. Accordingly, the image that is not blocked may be termed an active image. Just as importantly, however, the plurality of shutter elements bridge the gaps between the coded strips that comprise the active image. With this, the plurality of shutter elements uncode the active image of the plurality of coded images, and the active image appears to be complete.
When the image member and the shutter member are moved relative to each other a predetermined amount, the strips of the previously active image are concealed, and the next succeeding coded image assumes the fleeting position as an active image. This procedure will continue through a cycle comprising the number of coded images that are disposed on the image member whereupon the first coded image will again appear thereby signaling the start of a new, identical cycle.
The very astute observer will realize that the number of coded images that a moveable display device is able to display in a cycle is mathematically limited by the width of the shutter element relative to the width of the strips that comprise the coded images. Stated more particularly, the number of coded images cannot exceed one plus the result of the width of each shutter element divided by the width of each strip of the coded images. In the aforedescribed formula, the number one represents the active image while the result of dividing the width of each shutter element by the width of each strip of the coded images represents the number of images concealed by the shutter elements at any one time.
For a number of obvious reasons, there has been a recognized and long felt need in this art to provide a moveable display device that is capable of displaying an increased plurality of images. In light of the simple formula set forth above, it is readily apparent that an increase in the number of displayed images can be accomplished by increasing the number of the plurality of coded images concealed behind each individual shutter element, or, more specifically, by increasing the number of coded image strips concealed behind each individual shutter element.
To conceal an increased number of coded image strips behind each individual shutter element, one might increase the overall width of each shutter element. However, to maintain a display of relatively high image resolution, one widening each shutter element would be required to increase the physical size of the display itself. In most cases involving hand held moveable display devices, increasing the size of the display device would be impractical
Therefore, to increase the number of displayed images while maintaining an image of high resolution in a display device of a preferred physical size, it is preferable instead to narrow the overall width of the coded image strips while substantially maintaining the original width of the concealing shutter elements. Unfortunately, however, this preferred solution presents a plurality of practical problems at least in part because it necessitates that the width of the viewing elements be proportionately narrowed.
For example, a narrowing of the viewing elements results in a proportional increase for the need for precise registration between the coded images and the shutter elements, including during relative movement therebetween. In other words, where the strips of the coded images are very narrow, even a slight misalignment will destroy the device's ability to display coherent images. Furthermore, as the width of the strips narrows, the need for maintaining the coded images and the shutter elements in dose contact over their entire surfaces also increases proportionally. With very narrow strips of the coded images, even a very slight gap between the coded images and the shutter elements would ruin the clarity of the displayed images except from a perfectly perpendicular viewpoint, and even then true clarity might require that a user view the display device using only one eye.
For many decades, maintaining precise registration and dose contact between the shutter elements and the coded images in image display devices has been a recognized need and an explicit goal of a multiplicity of inventors. However, the proposed solutions of these inventors have proven to be undesirably complex, cumbersome, and, in some cases, of dubious effectiveness.
Relative to manually operated display devices, the inventor W. S. Russell recognized this need. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,259,297 for a Picture Display Holder, which issued in 1918, Russell attempted to provide a means for registering the shutter elements and the coded images in the form of gage marks on the shutter member and the image member that a user was expected to maintain in accurate registration merely by finger pressure. One must suspect that such a registering means would be vulnerable to misalignment particularly during movement, even with relatively wide coded image strips. Such limitations have continued to limit the number of images that manually operated moveable display devices are able to display effectively. Consequently, it appears that even in the most well made devices it has proven impracticable to display any more than four images effectively.
The need for accurate registration and close contact between coded images and shutter elements again was attempted to be addressed in the 1961 U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,125 to Elvestrom for a Pictorial Display Device. In that patent, Elvestrom revealed a complex arrangement of brackets and an adjustable nut and screw combination for maintaining and adjusting the alignment of his shutter elements and coded images. After describing this complex arrangement in detail, he writes, "Only a moderate amount of experimentation is required to achieve this desired setting." Without speaking to the effectiveness of the device, it must be said that requiring such a complex arrangement and the active involvement and expertise of a user certainly is less than ideal.
Still another attempt to provide a moveable display device that maintains full surface contact and accurate registration of a shutter member relative to an image member is found in the 1975 U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,504 to Ringelheim, deceased, et al. for a Visual Display Apparatus. In a telling manner, the patent declares tat, "the inability to maintain precise alignment" of the shutter elements and the coded images is a problem that has interfered with the commercial adoption of moveable display devices. Ringelheim also laments the need for maintaining close surface contact between the surfaces of the shutter member and the image member in moveable display devices. Having said these things, the inventor goes on to disclose a complex coil spring and cam follower arrangement that is said to maintain intimate surface contact and precise alignment of the shutter member relative to the image member.
With such a knowledge of the state of the art at hand, it becomes dear that a moveable display device capable of maintaining an image member and a shutter member in constantly dose contact and in exceedingly accurate registration certainly would be useful. However, a manually operated moveable display device able to maintain continuously close contact and accurate registration between an image member and a shutter member while being exceedingly simple in use, structure, and manufacture undoubtedly would represent a marked advance in the art.

Manually operated moveable display device