In a presaturation period, a radio-frequency (RF) pulse for selectively tilting only spins outside an imaging region is applied while a slice selective gradient field Gs is applied, and a spoiler gradient field Gsp for saturating transverse magnetization outside the imaging region is subsequently applied to selectively presaturate the spins outside the imaging region. In a high-speed imaging period after the presaturation period, a sequence TR constituted by an operation of applying a very short rectangular non-selective excitation pulse RF for tilting spins in a slice by a predetermined angle, an operation of applying phase encoding and readout gradient fields Gp and Gr (without applying the slice selective gradient field Gs), and an operation of acquiring an MR signal is performed many times while the amplitude of the phase encoding gradient field Gp is changed, thereby acquiring a one-slice MR signal. In some cases, an operation of applying the spoiler gradient field Gsp is added after the operation of acquiring an MR signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for practicing a high-speed imaging method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A high-speed imaging method with a short repetition time TR, called a FLASH (fast low angle shot) method, is known. In this method, an MR echo signal is acquired by a field gradient method, and an RF pulse having a small flip angle .alpha. is used.
Although the contrast of the image can be changed to some degree by changing a flip angle .alpha. and the repetition time TR, it is difficult to obtain sufficient contrast.
Recently, therefore, high-speed imaging methods capable of changing the contrast more freely have been developed. One of such methods is disclosed in "Snapshot FLASH MRI. Applications to T1, T2, and Chemical-Shift Imaging", A. Haase, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 13, pp. 77-89 (1990). In this snapshot FLASH method, the repetition time TR is extremely shortened (e.g., 3 ms), and the number of encoding steps (the number of pixels of an imaging matrix) in the phase encoding direction is reduced to 64, so that the time required for one imaging operation is set to be as short as 200 ms which is shorter than a spin-lattice relaxation time T1 of a tissue. This magnetic resonance imaging method is known to be capable of T1 enhancement, T2 (spin-spin relaxation time) enhancement, and chemical-shift-selective (CHESS) imaging as well as having a short imaging time.
In the snapshot FLASH method, however, the repetition time TR is set to be several ms which is extremely short as compared with general high-speed imaging, and a selective RF pulse and a slice selective gradient field are applied to perform selective excitation for each imaging operation. For this reason, a gradient field needs to rise and fall within a very short period of time, and the minimum repetition time TR (about 3 ms) is determined by the specifications of a gradient amplifier. The repetition time cannot be shorter than about 3 ms.


A method of producing a sheet type laundry detergent which comprises continuously or discontinuously applying a doughy detergent composition that has been prepared so as to have a viscosity of 1,000 mPa·s to 50,000 mPa·s at a shear rate of 10 s−1 to 1,000 s−1 onto a flexible support of continuous length that is running continuously in a prescribed direction under a shear rate condition of 10 s−1 to 1,000 s−1 by an application to form a thin layer of the doughy detergent composition.

Applicant proposed previously in JP-A-10-204499 a sheet type laundry detergent involving no scatter nor leakage of a detergent composition, which has a thin layer of a doughy detergent composition whose penetration hardness is in a specific range and a water-soluble support of sheet form disposed on both sides of the thin layer.
Unlike powdered detergent, the sheet type laundry detergent is advantageous in that detergent does not scatter when put into a washing machine and is easy to handle.
Since the doughy detergent composition is not always highly flowable, it is necessary to form the doughy detergent composition into a thin film with uniform thickness and width which exhibits high solubility when used. Further, it is not easy to form the thin film without developing defects such as air bubbles.
If the field of soaps such as sheet type soaps, a production method using a blade coater was proposed in JP-B-51-44524. The method disclosed, however, aims to obtain uniform and flexible sheet type soap by heat-melting a coating layer followed by cooling for solidification and differs from the present invention in technical means and object.
JP-A-53-91913 proposes a method of obtaining a sheet type laundry detergent in which a slurry is applied and, after drying, stripped off. Without specifying conditions for carrying out the application and the like, the method is practically difficult to carry out applying the doughy detergent composition dealt with in the present invention.
A doughy detergent composition is a viscous mixture made of a flowable material, such as liquid surface active agents, in which a powdered composition, such as solid detergent particles, is dispersed in high concentration. It exhibits complicated flow behavior, having properties intermediate between wet powder and a slurry. It is noted that the doughy detergent composition changes its properties from fluid-like to powder-like with time after preparation. The change in properties becomes more conspicuous with an increase of powdered composition concentration in the doughy detergent composition. In forming a thin layer out of a doughy detergent composition with such properties, it is preferred that the doughy detergent composition has high flowability, and for that purpose it is preferred for the composition to have a low concentration of solid detergent particles. On the other hand, a higher concentration of the solid detergent particles is preferred for developing sufficient detergent performance. Thus the flowability and the detergency of a doughy detergent composition are conflicting each other.
To use an application means in forming a thin layer of a doughy detergent composition is described in JP-A-10-72599, col. 9, ll. 14–17 and JP-A-10-204499, col. 14, ll. 10–13, but the publications do not mention conditions and the like for carrying out the application on an industrial scale, for example, for mass production; for such matter does not directly concern the inventions of the publications.
Apart from this, JP-A-5-189744 specifies the viscosity of a thixotropic fluid by setting the hysteresis loop area of a torque curve obtained with a viscometer at or below a specific value. The purpose of specifying is to control the surface roughness of an applied magnetic layer. The technique is different from the present invention of which the object is to increase the flowability of a doughy composition having a high concentration solid detergent powder to ensure satisfactory coating properties while retaining high detergency and solubility.
JP-A-7-209512 discloses an adhesive paste for a color filter which has a yield value of 0.1 Pa or higher and a non-Newtonian viscosity index of 0.9 or smaller. In this invention attention is paid to the intercept of a viscosity-shear rate curve, with no reference to the properties intermediate between fluid-like and powder-like as represented by the overall slope of the viscosity-shear rate curve.

Method for producing sheetlike detergent


A computer implemented method includes providing an operating system for controlling electronic desktops displayed on multiple monitors. The methods include providing a plurality of electronic desktops for a first monitor and a different plurality of electronic desktops for a second monitor and allowing independent switching of desktops on the first and second monitors. The methods also include moving electronic desktops between monitors.

Field of the Invention
present invention relates to methods for displaying electronic desktops on a computer monitor. In particular, the present invention relates to switching between electronic desktops on computers with multiple monitors and switching electronic desktops between monitors.
Related Technology
Modern computer hardware and the operating systems that control the hardware typically support multiple displays. The use of multiple monitors with a single operating system is typically done to facilitate display of content.
The operating system typically allows one of two different configurations for the second monitor. In the first scenario, the second monitor becomes an extension of the screen. The user indicates the side on which the second monitor is relative to the first monitor and the user can move objects from one screen to the next. This is the typical setup for a traditional desktop computer with two monitors. In a second scenario, the second monitor will be a mirror image of the first screen. The operating system simply outputs the content of the first screen to the second screen. This scenario is frequently used for group presentations where the user wants to display content from a relatively small personal computer screen (e.g., a laptop) to a conference room projector or large monitor.
Another reason for using two monitors is when running multiple operating systems on the same computer. In this scenario, the resources of the computer hardware are divided up between the two or more operating systems. Often the two different operating systems cannot share a monitor at the same time and thus need a dedicated monitor. The purpose and configuration of multiple monitors in a dual operating system configuration is vastly different than a multi-monitor feature of a single operating system.

Switching between electronic desktops on multiple displays


A ceramic block consisting essentially of substantially homogeneous (Y2O3)χ P2O5, where 0.95≦x≦1.05, having length LL, a width WW and a height HH, and a volume W of at least 8×10−3 m3 essentially free of cracks throughout the volume, a density of at least 85% of the theoretical maximal density of Y203.P2O5 under standard conditions, and a creep rate CR at 1250° C. and 6.89 MPa; where CR≦8.0×10−6 hour−1 and method for making the same. The method utilizes a dry process where the starting YP04-based ceramic material is synthesized by reacting anhydrous P2O5 with dry Y2O3 powder.

Fusion down-draw is a leading precision technology developed by Corning Incorporated, Corning, N.Y., U.S.A. for making thin glass sheets suitable for use as liquid crystal display (LCD) glass substrates and in other opto-electronic devices. This process is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. A stream of molten glass is introduced into a forming trough 103 called isopipe with end-caps 105 at both ends and having two side surfaces converging at a line called root 109 via an inlet pipe 101 coupled to the trough of the isopipe. The glass melt is then allowed to overflow both top surfaces of the trough of the isopipe called weirs, flow down along both side surfaces of the isopipe as two molten glass ribbons 107, then join and fuse at the root 109 to form a single glass ribbon 111, which is then drawn down in the direction 113 and cooled below the root to form the glass sheet with desired dimensions. In the zone below the root, the glass ribbon travels substantially vertically downward while being drawn and cooled from a viscous state, to visco-elastic and eventually to substantially elastic. The elastic glass ribbon is then cut into individual glass sheets, subjected to further finishing such as edge rounding and polishing, and then packaged and shipped to LCD panel makers for use as TFT or color filter substrates. Cutting of the glass ribbon at below the isopipe typically involves the scoring of the ribbon surface, followed by bending along the score-line, whereby discrete glass sheets are separated from the ribbon and then transferred to subsequent steps.
One of the advantages of the fusion down-draw process for making glass sheets is that the surface quality of the glass sheets is high because the quality areas thereof were only formed in the atmosphere and never touched a solid material such as the forming equipment. This process has been used successfully for making glass sheets having a width as large as 3000 mm and a thickness of about 0.6 mm.
The average size of LCDs for the consumer electronics market has increased steadily in the past decade, along with the demand for higher image quality. These have fueled the demand of large-width glass substrates and posed increasingly more stringent requirements for glass sheet quality, such as edge warp and waviness, sheet warp, surface waviness and roughness, thickness uniformity, as well as stress.
At the center of the overflow down-draw process is the isopipe. The dimension and dimension stability of the isopipe has significant impact on the dimension and dimension stability of the glass sheet formed. The isopipe is typically made of a refractory block of material such as zircon ceramics. While the isopipe is supported on both ends, it is typically not supported in the middle. At the high operating temperatures and under the heavy load of the gravity of the isopipe and the glass melt inside the trough and on the surfaces, the isopipe is subject to slow deformation due to a physical phenomenon called creeping. The higher the creep rate of the material of the isopipe, the more the isopipe can creep over a given period of time. In addition, the isopipe material is desirably stable and corrosion-resistance with respect to the glass melt it handles. While zircon was found acceptable for making LCD glass substrates for smaller generation glass sheets, it has relatively high creep rate for even larger generation isopipes, such as those having a length of over 3000 mm. In addition, zircon was found to be less than ideal in corrosion-resistance for some glass compositions.
YPO4-based ceramic materials were proposed for isopipes previously. However, making large-size ceramic materials based on YPO4 is not an easy undertaking. Therefore there remains a need of a large ceramic block based on YPO4 suitable for an isopipe and method for making the same. The present invention satisfies this and other needs.

Large xenotime ceramic block and dry process for making the same


A field emission cold cathode comprises a silicon substrate, a first insulation layer defining peripheries of a first and second feeder area disposed concentric with each other, a cathode area having a plurality of conical emitters overlying the first insulation layer, and a gate electrode layer having a plurality of openings each for applying electric field to each of the conical emitter. The cathode area has a narrower width than the width of the underlying insulating zone, wherein the cathode area has peripheries apart by fixed distance L from the peripheries of the feeder area. In this configuration, a uniform emitter current can be attained among the emitters to thereby obtain a high luminescence and high resolution CRT.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a field emission cold cathode for use in an electron gun for a cathode ray tube (hereinafter referred to as a "CRT") and a monitor display unit having a high luminance and a high resolution on a screen.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A thermionic (hot) cathode has been generally used as a conventional electron source for an electron gun in a CRT. Today, a monitor display unit for computers having a high luminance and a high resolution is demanded, which requests the electron gun to operate under a current density as high as the critical density of the thermionic cathode.
On the other hand, although electronic components are generally requested to consume less electric power and to be less environmentally hazardous, it is difficult for an electron source having the thermionic cathode to satisfy the request for the lower electric power. Therefore, a new type of electron source capable of satisfying the request is sought for.
A new type of electron gun for a CRT, which employs a field emission cold cathode, has been proposed in JP-A-7(1995)-21903, for example. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the proposed field emission cold cathode, and FIG. 1B is a schematic top plan view an showing the relative location between a cathode area and a feeder area as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the layers in the field emission cold cathode.
An insulating zone 29 implemented by a first insulation layer or field oxide film extending along an overlying cathode area 34 is formed on a silicon substrate 27. The insulating zone 29 has a substantially circular outer periphery apart radially outside by distance L from the outer periphery of the cathode area 34. A resistance layer 30, which is electrically connected with the silicon substrate 27 through a feeder area 28 of an annular substrate area, is formed on the entire surface including the surfaces of the insulating zone 29 and the feeder area 28. A second insulation layer 31 and a gate electrode layer 32 are formed on the resistance layer 30. A multiplicity of substantially cylindrical holes are formed in a circular cathode area 34 overlying the insulating zone 29 from the surface of the gate electrode layer 32 to the bottom of the second insulation layer 31 to expose the surface of the resistance layer 30. A minute conical emitter 33 is disposed in each of the cylindrical holes for emitting electrons.
In operation, when the tips of the conical emitters 33 are subjected to an electric field of about 10.sup.8 V/cm generated by a voltage applied between the silicon substrate 27 and the gate electrode layer 32, electrons are emitted from the tips of the conical emitters 33 by a tunnel effect. Where the diameter of the cylindrical holes and the thickness of the second insulation layer 31 are both on the order of 1 .mu.m, the electric field obtained in the vicinity of the tips of the conical emitters 33 is on the order of several tens of volts at most.
The silicon substrate 27 and the gate electrode layer 32 function as a parallel plate capacitor for storing electric charge therebetween. The accumulated electric charge may often cause an instantaneous discharge to generate a temporary short-circuit between the emitters 33 and the gate electrode layer 32 due to local deterioration of vacuum or other reason. In this case, the temporary short-circuit may generate a destructively high temperature beyond the melting point of the emitters 33. The resistance layer 30 is provided for the purpose of absorbing the excessive instantaneous current caused by the temporary short-circuit to thereby protect the emitters 33 from a thermal destruction.
The distance L between the feeder area 28 and the cathode area 34 as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the layers is provided to increase the resistance in this part of the resistance layer 30 to lower the voltage drop across the portion of the resistance layer 30 disposed within the span of the cathode area 34.
In the field emission cold cathode as described above, a current density as high as 100 to 1000 A/cm.sup.2 can be attained for an emitter density of 10.sup.8 emitters/cm.sup.2, which is 10 to 100 times as high as that of the thermionic cathode. Since electrons are emitted by the tunnel effect in the field emission cold cathode, no heater is needed and accordingly power consumption can be saved. Thus, a monitor display unit having a high luminance and a high resolution with a low electric power consumption is realized for computers by taking these advantages of the field emission cold cathode.
In a field emission cold cathode having a larger cathode area 34, however, there is a tendency in which the electric potential at the conical emitters 33 is higher as they are located nearer to the center of the cathode area 34 or more distant from the feeder area 28. Accordingly, the current which can be taken out of the conical emitters in the vicinity of the center of the cathode area is smaller to degrade the current density.
FIG. 2 shows a calculated current distribution curve within the cathode area 34 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The axis of abscissa shows the distance from the center of the cathode area 34, and the axis of ordinates shows the current in an arbitrary unit. As understood from FIG. 2, the most part of the current is provided from the emitters located near the feeder area 28 or in the vicinity of the outer periphery, whereas the emitters located in the vicinity of the central part of the cathode area 34 contribute little to the emission.
FIG. 3 shows calculated currents against voltages applied between the emitter 33 and the gate electrode layer 32 for two cases: one where the resistance layer 30 is provided as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B; and the other where the resistance layer is omitted. As understood from FIG. 3, there is a tendency in which the current difference between the two cases becomes larger as the emitter current increases as a whole. The characteristic of the field emission cold cathode shown above requests a higher driving voltage of the cathode, renders the driving circuit complicated, and increases the electric power consumption.
Some measures for improving the above-mentioned unevenness of current within the cathode area 34 are proposed, as in JP-A-7(1995)-153369 and-JP-A-7-282716, for example. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the field emission cold cathode proposed by the former publication, wherein there are provided an annular cathode line 19 formed on an insulator substrate made of glass, for example, and a plurality of cathode conductor islands 20 formed separately from the annular cathode line 19 within an area encircled by the cathode line 19. The cathode line 19 and the cathode conductor islands 20 are electrically connected through a resistance layer 21 formed on the cathode line 19 and the cathode conductor islands 20. It is recited that the emissions from the conical emitters disposed within the span of the cathode conductor islands 20 as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the layers are uniformalized due to an approximately constant resistance between the conical emitters and the cathode conductor islands 20.
In the field emission field cathode as described above, however, electric charge accumulated between the cathode conductor islands 20 and the gate electrode layer 23 may often be released due to a temporary short-circuit between the conical emitters and the gate electrode layer 23. In such a case, a large discharge current flows along the vertical direction of the resistance layer 21 having a limited resistance in the vertical direction, and causes an excessive current to flow through the conical emitters and destroys them. The destruction often results in a permanent short-circuit failure between the conical emitters and the gate electrode layer 23, causing a fatal defect in the CRT.
In a field emission display device (FED) or a liquid crystal display device (LCD), it is proposed, in JP-A-7-32632 (for FED) and JP-A-7-104244 (for LCD), for example, to provide a plurality of terminals in the scanning block for avoiding voltage drops in the supply lines. Referring to FIG. 5 illustrating the LCD structure shown in the latter publication, gate signal lines each opposed to a common electrode 24, with an intervention of a LCD plate therebetween, extend along the horizontal direction of a display screen as scanning metallic lines. A plurality of terminals are provided for the common electrode 24 to thereby receive separately adjusted voltages. Specifically, the voltages separately adjusted by a plurality of electric sources 25 and 26 are supplied to the respective terminals to form a voltage slope in the common electrode 24. Thus, if uneven voltages are applied by the switching devices disposed along the gate signal lines, the uneven voltages and hence unevenness of luminance in the display screen are compensated by the configuration of the plurality of terminals. Voltage differences in the scanning lines near and remote from the voltage source occur due to the voltage drops occurring in the signal lines, although the voltage drops might be desired to be reduced to zero and are in fact unavoidable in its nature.
Referring back to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the slope of voltages occurring within the cathode area 34 shown in these figures is caused by the resistance layer 30 extending underneath the conical emitters 33. However, the resistance layer 30 is provided for the purpose of suppressing an excessive current flowing in the event of temporary short-circuit between the emitters 33 and the gate electrode layer 32. Therefore, it is unreasonable to eliminate the resistance layer 30 in a field emission cold cathode, different from the above-described examples for a LCD in which the resistance in the signal line may be desired to zero.

Field emission cold cathode having concentric cathode areas and feeder areas, and cathode ray tube having such a field emission cold cathode


Apparatuses, methods and systems for a user monitoring apparatus are disclosed. One embodiment of the user monitoring apparatus includes one or more magnetic sensors operative to sense magnetic fields applied to the user monitoring apparatus. Further, the user monitoring apparatus is operative to sense at least one biometric characteristic of a user of the user monitoring apparatus based upon the sensed magnetic field applied to the user monitoring apparatus.

Current solutions for heart rate monitoring and respiration monitoring typically involve cumbersome and expensive equipment. For example, respiration and heart rate monitoring belts to be worn around the chest, spirometers and canulas to be worn around the mouth and nose, and electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes and leads to be taped on the body. Not only are these solutions obtrusive and expensive, but may also be too restrictive to be well-suited for ambulatory monitoring.
Noise mixed with signals received by the sensors used in heart monitoring, respiration monitoring, body motion and other monitoring applications can adversely affect the accuracy of each type of signal. Accordingly, methods for robust detection and separation of such signals in noisy conditions are desirable. Accuracy of heart rate detection is important in many commercial heart monitoring applications (that is, heart rate monitors in exercise equipment, personal heart rate monitors) and medical heart monitoring applications (for example, digital stethoscopes, mobile cardiac monitoring devices).
It is desirable to have apparatuses, methods, and systems for more accurate and less cumbersome monitoring of one or more biometric characteristic of a user.

Monitoring biometric characteristics of a user of a user monitoring apparatus


An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit to form a developer image on a medium, a heating body to heat the developer image formed on the medium, a heat source provided in the heating body to heat the heating body, and a pressing body arranged opposite to the heating body to permit the medium to pass between the pressing body and the heating body, thereby pressurizing the developer image. The image forming apparatus further includes a controller to drive the heat source, even if the heating body is heated from the room temperature state, and the temperature of the heating body rises higher than the fixing temperature, and then the temperature of the heating body is higher than the fixing temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a fixing device and more particularly to an image forming apparatus, a fixing device, and a fixing device control method in which the temperature control method for the fixing device is improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-330312, there is an image forming apparatus in consideration of shortening the time required for a heat roller to reach the fixing temperature when the switch thereof is turned on. The fixing temperature means the temperature of the heat roller at the time of the toner on a recording sheet being fixed.
A heater lamp of such a fixing device, after the heat roller reaches the fixing temperature, until the overshooting heat roller returns to the set temperature, may be kept in the heater lamp off state for a certain period of time. When taking a copy in the state that the heater lamp is off for some time after warming up, the heat roller loses heat to the pressing roller and a recording sheet simultaneously with rotation of the fixing device, and the temperature of the heat roller falls suddenly, and defective fixing may be caused.

Image forming apparatus, fixing device and fixing device control method


A securing arrangement and method for securing a first vehicle component having a generally nonmetallic body to a second metallic vehicle component includes the first vehicle component having at least one magnet fixably secured thereto. An adhesive is applied and one or both of the first and second vehicle components are positioned relative the other of the first and second vehicle components for connecting the first and second vehicle components with the adhesive. The at least one magnet prevents relative movement between the first and second vehicle components while the adhesive cures.

In the field of vehicle design, there continues to be increased emphasis on vehicle light-weighting. Advantages of light-weighting include improved fuel economy and reduced materials costing. As a result of this increased emphasis on vehicle light-weighting, many vehicle parts and components traditionally made of steel are presently being replaced with other materials, such as aluminum and plastic. One example part of this type is the spare tire well or pan, particularly that used in sedan-type vehicles, which is often disposed in the trunk of the vehicle. Previously, the spare tire pan was made of stamped sheet metal and attached to the vehicle white body by means of welding. There is now interest in manufacturing the spare tire pan of a lighter material.
Attaching non-steel parts (e.g., resin parts) to a vehicle body can present numerous technical challenges as compared to traditional fastening methods for metal-to-metal connections. While mechanical attachments such as bolts, screws, rivets, etc. are possible, these methods present unique challenges for resin parts in terms of long term durability of the attachment, particularly due to concerns from heating and continuous loading. If not carefully engineered, there is a potential for such conditions to cause premature failure of the connections due to torque loss from creep in the plastic material. Such concerns can be reduced by using metal collars inserted into the fastener area of the plastic to ensure metal-to-metal contact between the fastener and the vehicle body, but use of such metal collars increase costs.
Another alternative fastening method involves the use of adhesives to bond a plastic part to a metal structure. With proper surface treatment of the bonded surfaces, this technique can be very effective in achieving a high quality, durable bond. One drawback of this technique, however, is the length of time it typically takes for the bond between the two materials to cure or "set up." In other words, sufficient time must be given for the adhesive to cure and the bond to become established. During this period, there is a need to limit any relative motion between the surfaces to be bonded. In vehicle manufacture, this is often not feasible because the vehicle is moved along an assembly line and is subject to jostling. To stop movement of a vehicle body along an assembly line for the amount of time required to set up such a bond would reduce efficiency of the manufacturing line undesirably.

Securing arrangement and method for vehicle components


A method of patterning a layer of reflective material, such as a layer of conductor metal, using a layer of antireflection coating material sandwiched between two layers of photoresist. A first layer of photoresist is formed on an integrated circuit wafer and provides a planar surface for subsequent layers of material. A layer of antireflection coating material is formed on the layer of first photoresist and a layer of second photoresist is formed on the layer of antireflection coating material. The layer of second photoresist is selectively exposed and developed. The layer of antireflection coating material is patterned using dry etching and the patterned layer of second photoresist as a mask. The layer of first photoresist is then patterned using dry etching and the patterned layer of antireflection coating material as a mask. The layer of reflecting material is then patterned using dry etching and the patterned layer of first photoresist as a mask. The patterned layer of first photoresist is then removed.

(1) Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to the use of antireflection coating materials in the patterning of layers of reflective material and more particularly to the use of a layer of antireflection coating material sandwiched between two layers of photoresist.
(2) Description Of The Related Art
In the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits a layer of photoresist is frequently used to pattern metal layers. The photoresist is selectively exposed to form a mask from the photoresist layer. Reflections from the reflective metal layer can cause standing waves which deteriorate the accuracy of the pattern transferred to the layer of photoresist and consequently to the metal layer. Anti reflection coating materials are frequently used to avoid this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,883 to Garza describes the use of an antireflection coating layer on top of the photoresist layer to define critical dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,639 to Wei et al. describes the use of an antireflection coating layer between the metal layer and the photoresist layer to avoid the problem of reflections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,608 to Koh describes the use of titanium oxide as an antireflection coating layer between the metal layer and the photoresist layer to avoid the problem of reflections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,742 to Ta describes the use of an organic polymer beneath the photoresist as an antireflection coating material.
The present invention describes the use of a layer of antireflection coating material between two layers of photoresist to control reflections and provide a planar surface on which to expose the pattern to be transferred. The bottom photoresist layer planarizes the surface of the wafer. The antireflection coating layer avoids the problem of reflections when the top photoresist layer, formed over the layer of antireflection coating material, is selectively exposed.

Sandwiched middle antireflection coating (SMARC) process

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A radio telephone system is installed in an underground railway system. The telephone system has base stations A, B at respective railway stations 1, 2 and the base stations serve leaky cables serving the railway stations and further cables extending along the tunnel bores interconnecting the railway stations. To improve the availability of channels available as station calls to users of mobile radios within the areas of the railway stations, switches 20 are incorporated to prevent any channel occupied as a station call being directed into the cable serving the tunnel. This enables channels allocated as train call channels at one base station to be re-used as station call channels at an adjacent base station.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to channel allocation in a radio telephone system having base stations with which mobile radios are in radio communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
The invention addresses a limitation in conventional channel allocation whereby radio channels cannot be re-used by adjacent base stations due to the interfering radio coverage zones, even when mobile radios are not operating in those zones. There are radio systems where a proportion of the mobile radios are always located in such isolated areas that the channels used by them can be re-used in neighbouring areas. For instance, at in an underground railway system (where radio base stations are located at each railway station) there can be such radio isolation at the railway stations. However, this isolation does not exist in tunnels interconnecting the railway stations because in the tunnels the radiating cables of the two adjacent base stations meet. If it is necessary to allocate a channel for use in a tunnel it is important that this channel is not re-used on the adjacent cable since this would cause interference and malfunction of the mobile radio roaming technique. Therefore, the use of the channel for a call in a tunnel would normally preclude its re-use at the next railway station even though the mobile radio user may only require radio coverage within the railway station area. This is wasteful of radio channels and the aim of the invention is to improve the efficiency of channel allocation.

System and method for channel allocation in a radio telephone system for an underground railway


In a method for manufacturing a stacking-type, multi-flow, heat exchanger, heat transfer tubes and outer fins are stacked alternately, each heat transfer tube being formed by connecting a pair of tube plates and including an inner fin therebetween. The manufacturing method includes the steps of disposing the tube plates so as to oppose each other, inserting an inner-fin forming material between the tube plates, stacking the tube plates with respect to each other so as to nip or seize the inner-fin forming material between the tube plates, and cutting the inner-fin forming material and end portions of the tube plates simultaneously. By this method, the time for required manufacturing heat transfer tubes may be reduced significantly, and the productivity of the heat exchanger may be increased significantly. The positioning of inner fins may be achieved with a high degree of accuracy. Therefore, a stacking-type, multi-flow, heat exchanger having superior performance qualities and manufactured with a high degree of reliability may be manufactured at a reduced cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stacking-type, multi-flow, heat exchangers, each heat exchanger comprising a plurality of heat transfer tubes, each tube having an inner fin therein and outer fins which are stacked alternately between the tubes, and methods for manufacturing such heat exchangers. Specifically, the present invention relates to a process for manufacturing the heat transfer tubes, each tube having an inner fin therein, and a stacking-type, multi-flow, heat exchanger manufactured by using the methods, suitable as a heat exchanger for use in an air conditioning system, in particular, for vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Stacking-type, multi-flow, heat exchangers having alternately stacked heat transfer tubes, each tube having an inner fin therein and outer fins therebetween, are known, for example, as depicted in FIGS. 10–12. In a heat exchanger, thus constructed, a heat transfer tube is formed as in a known heat exchanger, as depicted in FIGS. 10 and 11. Namely, a pair of tube plates 101, each formed as depicted in FIG. 10, are disposed so as to compare each other, as depicted in FIG. 11, and the circumferential edges thereof are connected to each other to form fluid passages 102 therein. An inner fin 103 is inserted into each fluid passage 102 in order to increase the efficiency of heat exchange. Flanges 104 are formed on tube plates 101 at the end portions of each tube plate 101 in its width direction. Flanges 104 are disposed at the front and rear positions in the direction of air flow 40, as depicted in FIG. 12, which is viewed along Line A—A of FIG. 8. Thus, a known heat transfer tube 105 is constructed, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. JP-A-2002-267383.
Such a known heat transfer tube 105 is manufactured, for example, as depicted in FIG. 13. The manufacturing method shown in FIG. 13 has the following steps:
Step 11 (S11): Tube plates 101 and 101′ and inner fins 103 are made as complete parts, separately, and plates 101 and fin 103 are provided in a tube assembling process.
Step 12 (S12): Inner fins 103 are grasped by insertion arm 106 and conveyed toward tube plates 101 and 101′.
Step 13 (S13): Inner fins 103, conveyed by insertion arm 106, are disposed on a first or lower-side tube plate 101 within predetermined cavities so as not to be shifted from the predetermined positions.
Step 14 (S14): Insertion arm 106 is returned to its initial position.
Step 15 (S15): After insertion arm 106 is withdrawn from between tube plates 101, a second or upper-side tube plate 101′ disposed onto the lower-side tube plate 101.
Step 16 (S16): The pair of tube plates 101 and 101′ are secured temporarily to each other, so that the configuration of the heat transfer tube formed by the pair of tube plates 101 and 101′ is not disturbed during the stacking of a plurality of heat transfer tubes and a plurality of outer fins alternately, for example, temporarily secured by caulking to each other by crimping.
In such a method for manufacturing a heat transfer tube, however, at least the following problems remain:
(1) As the number of heat transfer tubes used per heat exchanger increases, the time for assemble increases, and the productivity declines.
(2) It is difficult to accurately position inner fins within the predetermined cavities of the fluid passage forming portions of a tube plate during of the above-described S13.
(3) A positional shift of an inner fin may occur during the covering of first-tube plate 101 with second tube plate 101′ at above-described S15.

Stacking-type, multi-flow, heat exchangers and methods for manufacturing such heat exchangers


A process for the production of HSA in Pichia pastoris cells comprising cultivating Pichia pastoris cells capable of expressing HSA at a pH of about 5.7 to about 6.4 contemporaneously with the expression of HSA.

Human serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein of adults. The concentration of albumin is 40 mg/ml, or 160 g of albumin circulating throughout the human body for a 70 Kg adult male. This protein maintains osmotic pressure and functions in the binding and transport of copper, nickel, calcium (weakly, at 2-3 binding sites), bilirubin and protoporphyrin, long-chain fatty acids, prostaglandins, steroid hormones (weak binding with these hormones promotes their transfer across the membranes), thyroxine, triiodothyronine, crystine, and glutathione. According to Peters, T. and Reed, R. G. in Albumin: Structure, Biosynthesis and Function, (Peter, T. and Sjoholm, J. eds.) 1977 p. 11-20, over 10,000 kilograms of purified albumin are administered annually in the United States alone to patients with circulatory failure or with albumin depletion.
Currently the only commercial source of HSA is from fractionated blood. Considering the possible dangers of blood borne contaminants and pathogens, it would be a considerable contribution to the commercial production of HSA to develop alternate methods of producing HSA. With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, it is now possible to produce HSA by alternate methods.
HSA has also been expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as disclosed by Etcheverry et al. in Bio/technology, August 1986, p. 726 and Arjum Singh in EPA 123,544. Etcheverry disclosed HSA expression intracellularly in a concentration of approximately 6 mg/l and the secretion of HSA which remained cell associated. Arjum Singh also disclosed the expression of HSA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in combination with the .alpha.-factor promoter and signal sequence. Singh appears to have been able to achieve an intracellular production level of approximately 25 mg/l and a secreted production level of 3 mg/l. Pichia pastoris has also been used to express HSA as is disclosed in EPA 344,459. The concentration of HSA produced in Pichia pastoris appears to be about 89 ng HSA/mg of protein. Although the process for producing HSA in recombinant expression system has been established by these experiments it would be desirable to optimize these processes to achieve the maximum possible HSA production.
Therefore, it would be a significant contribution to the art to provide a process for increasing the yeild of HSA from the recombinant expression of HSA in microorganism such as Pichia pastoris.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a process for increasing the yield of HSA produced in a recombinant expression systems.

Expression of human serum albumin in Pichia pastoris


An integrated circuit package system that includes: providing a substrate with a protective coating; attaching a labeling film to a support member in a separate process; joining the protective coating and the labeling film; and dicing the substrate, the protective coating, and the labeling film to form the integrated circuit package system.

Wafer level chip scale packaging (WLCSP) is one of the next generation of packaging solutions that has been developed to meet the demand of miniaturization for electronic devices. WLCSP may include a bumped wafer that can be singulated into individual die that can be directly mounted onto a printed circuit board without any further requirement to package. These individual bumped die may include integrated circuit systems that find application in many of today's consumer electronic devices, such as cell phones, video cameras, portable music players, computers, etc.
Unfortunately, these wafer level chip scale packages can present exposed die problems that arise during subsequent handling. For example, die cracking is becoming a pronounced problem as packaging technology shifts towards a thinner profile (i.e.—with targeted thicknesses of below fifty micrometers). These thinner profile packages lack the structural integrity necessary to withstand subsequent process steps, such as surface mounting and identification marking for device identification purposes.
Thus, a need still remains for a wafer level chip scale integrated circuit package system with enhanced structural integrity that permits non-destructive identification marking of the integrated circuit package system. In view of the ever increasing commercial competitive pressures, increasing consumer expectations, and diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. Moreover, the ever-increasing need to save costs, improve efficiencies, and meet such competitive pressures adds even greater urgency to the critical necessity that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Integrated circuit package system employing wafer level chip scale packaging


Apparatus and method which provide accelerated servo control value calculations for a control processor controlling an actuator maintaining a head adjacent a rotatable disc f a disc drive. A dedicated multiply-accumulate hardware core of a servo micro engine calculates sum-of-products terms common in servo control loops. The multiply-accumulate hardware core uses a pipeline with stages for fetch, read, multiply, accumulate, and write-back as an arithmetic core to fully utilize all of the hardware during every servo interval. Feeding this arithmetic core is a dedicated state memory, from which a first signed servo state and a second signed servo state are read and where calculation results may be optionally written. Another, independent, coefficient memory provides predetermined coefficients used in resolving servo control loop algorithms. A final dedicated instruction memory provides shifter control values and the addresses of the states and coefficients.

This invention relates generally to the field of magnetic data storage devices, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an apparatus and method for accelerating servo control calculations of an actuator for a disc drive.
Disc drives are used as primary data storage devices in modern computer systems and networks. A typical disc drive comprises a head-disc assembly (HDA) which houses mechanical portions of the drive, and a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted to an outer surface of the HDA which supports electronic circuitry used to control the HDA.
Typically, an HDA comprises one or more magnetic discs that are affixed to and rotated by a spindle motor at a constant high speed and an actuator assembly, which supports an array of heads adjacent tracks defined on the disc surfaces. The surface of each disc is a data recording surface divided into a series of generally concentric recording tracks radially spaced across a band having an inner diameter and an outer diameter. The data tracks extend around the disc and store data within the tracks on the disc surfaces in the form of magnetic flux transitions. The flux transitions are induced by an array of transducers, otherwise commonly called read/write heads or heads. Typically, each data track is divided into a number of data sectors that store fixed sized data blocks.
The head includes an interactive element such as a magnetic transducer, which senses the magnetic transitions on a selected data track to read the data stored on the track. Alternatively. the head transmits an electrical signal that induces magnetic transitions on the selected data track to write data to the track. As is known in the art, each read/write head is mounted to a rotary actuator arm and is selectively positionable by the actuator arm over a selected data track of the disc to either read data from or write data to the selected data track. Each head includes a slider assembly with an air-bearing surface that causes the read/write head to fly above the disc surface. The air bearing is developed as a result of load forces applied to the read/write head by a load arm interacting with air currents that are produced by rotation of the disc.
An actuator motor, such as a voice coil motor (VCM), rotates the actuator assembly, and hence the heads, across the disc surfaces. The control circuitry on the PCB includes a read/write channel which interfaces with the heads to transfer data between the tracks and a host computer, and a servo control system which drives the VCM to provide head positional control, based on the information contained in the servo field.
Continued demand for disc drives with ever increasing levels of data storage capacity and data throughput have led disc drive manufacturers to seek ways to increase the storage capacity of each disc surface and improve operating efficiencies of the disc drive. High performance disc drives of the present generation typically achieve areal bit densities measured in several gigabits per square centimeter, Gbits/cm2. Higher recording densities can be achieved by increasing the number of bits stored along each track, and/or by increasing the number of tracks per unit width across each disc. Storing more bits along each track generally requires improvements in the read/write channel electronics to enable the data to be written (and subsequently read) at a correspondingly higher frequency. Providing higher track densities generally requires improvements in the servo control system to enable the heads to be more precisely positioned over the discs. Improved operating efficiencies or throughput performance, for any given bit density, results from reduced cycle times in performing functions or through elimination and/or incorporation of functions internal to each other.
Throughput performance is enhanced during read/write cycles by stabilizing the servo systems ability to hold the head on track under adverse conditions such as an occurrence of: servo field thermal asperity; rotational vibration; resonance of rigid bodies at frequencies sympathetic to the servo frequencies; or components of runout, velocity and acceleration (commonly referred to as RVA) drifting out of tolerance.
To improve on track performance and improved short seek performance for disc drives of higher track densities, manufacturers of disc drives have expanded both the types of servo strategies employed and the complexity involved with those strategies. As a result, performing calculations for the servo control in high-performance disc drives requires an ever-increasing amount of processing horsepower. As a frame rates and track densities continue to increase, the demand for processing power also increases. This continual need for more MIPS (millions of instructions per second) necessitates rapid turning of the design to obtain an ever-faster processor and places pressure on an organization""s development resources.
While improvements in a drive""s servo system performance have been made by incorporating servo response enhancements, requirements for calculation of servo task specific algorithms commensurate with those strategies have grown in complexity, frequency and multiplicity. However, implementation of complex servo strategies for cutting-edge high performance disc drives has been limited by processor processing speeds. Servo response enhancements such as: notch filters; single and dual stage observers; state variable feedback control; H-infinity; H-infinity with anti-windup; single and dual stage seamless servo controllers have been developed and implemented to facilitate ever increasing track densities. Adaptation of those strategies into disc drives necessarily includes requirements for calculation of servo specific algorithms commensurate with those strategies. Examples of the types of processor intensive servo specific algorithms include: velocity profiled generation; single and dual-stage model reference seeks; once and twice around calculations; 10-tap RV feed-forward; and calculations of piezo plant voltage values and differences.
Implementation of any given servo enhancement technique, coupled with its appropriate servo specific algorithm, typically placed burdens on the processor that are well within the service capabilities of the processor. However, the demand on processor calculation resources that accompany simultaneous inclusion of a number of servo enhancement techniques, taxes the ability of processor to service both the servo system and non-servo system requirements placed on processor by a disc drive. As such, challenges remain and a need persists for the capability of performing servo calculations fast enough to sustain the processing requirements for several drive generations.
The present invention provides an apparatus for and method of accelerating calculations of servo control loop values for expanding control processor utility in improving data transfer throughput performance by resolving resource impeded, control processor embedded, multiply-accumulate hardware.
In accordance with preferred embodiments, a disc drive is provided with a rotatable actuator which supports an array of read/write heads adjacent a corresponding number of recording surfaces in a rotatable disc stack. A control processor providing closed loop servo control of the rotatable actuator and a multiply-accumulate hardware core of a micro servo engine providing servo control loop values to the control processor within one clock cycle of the disc drive for carrying out seek and track following control modes of a rotatable actuator.
In a preferred embodiment the actuator is characterized as a dual-stage actuator having both a primary actuator motor (VCM), which controllably moves all heads simultaneously, and an array of secondary microactuator motors which controllably move each head individually. The servo control loop values for the motor or motors are determined in relation to an actual position signal for the head, a desired position signal or target track seek request from the control processor and a set of control limits. The control limits are developed by measuring voltage output responses for each microactuator in response to voltage inputs applied to the individual microactuators and seek performance of the actuator during the manufacturing process. The use of a different set of control limits by head enables the control processor to be adapted for each head disc combination. That is, as each new head is selected, a new set of control limits appropriate for the new head are loaded into a volatile memory of the servo engine thereby providing accurate, adaptive control.
As adjustments are needed to align a head to a data track, whether seeking to a new track or adjusting the head position to the data track during track following, specific servo control loop values must be determined and supplied to the control processor firmware for execution of the adjustments. The servo control loop values commonly result from performing arithmetic operations on sum-of-products type arguments. To perform the sum-of-products servo control loop value calculations, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a servo micro engine that includes a multiply-accumulate hardware core specifically constructed using a pipeline with stages for fetch, read, multiply, accumulate, and write-back to fully utilize all of the hardware during every clock cycle.
Although multiply-accumulate hardware is often available in a typical control processor, its performance is often limited by the ability to keep the multiply-accumulate hardware busy. Limited numbers of registers and limited memory bandwidth conspire to limit the throughput. Such processors also lacked sufficiently large multipliers, which limits the precision of the calculation, or impacts performance if extra precision is maintained. The inclusion by an embodiment of the multiply-accumulate hardware core of the present invention of ample registers, memory and large multipliers resolve the performance degradation issues associated with using multiply-accumulate hardware supported within typical control processors.
In addressing limitations of primary processor based multiply-accumulate hardware, the multiply-accumulate hardware core of the present invention has adequate precision and saturation capabilities and includes dedicated memory with sufficient memory bandwidth to keep the multiply-accumulate hardware core fed with data.
These and various other features and advantages which characterize the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.

Accelerated servo control calculations method and apparatus for a disc drive


An axial flow fan has a hub with a longitudinal axis of rotation and an outer periphery for the hub. Several blades are secured at their root regions to the hub's outer periphery. Each of the blades has a medial line that is tangential to a respective hub radius at the hub's outer periphery.

To pass cooling air through a heat exchanger, such as a vehicle radiator, an axial flow fan is often used. The fan may be disposed upstream of the heat exchanger, such that air is blown through the heat exchanger, or downstream, such that air is drawn through the heat exchanger by the fan. Where air is blown through the heat exchanger by the fan, the air pressure in the region between the fan and the heat exchanger is raised by the action of the fan, and on the side of the fan remote from the heat exchanger, the air pressure is lowered. The reverse situation applies where air is drawn by the fan. There is accordingly a tendency for air to flow directly around the axial periphery of the fan between the high pressure region and the low pressure region. This air circulation, called reflux of air and causing so-called "tip vortices", however does not provide any cooling benefits.
Recently much interest has centered around the provision of a so-called "shroud" extending axially from the fan to at least a portion of the heat exchanger. The shroud is stationary and has a portion which houses the circumferential periphery of the fan. One function of such a shroud is to funnel air from the heat exchanger to the fan; another is to reduce the area of any reflux path around the fan. A problem in some applications is that the shroud increases the complexity of, and also adds to the weight of the cooling arrangement. Furthermore the acoustic properties of a shroud may cause resonances to occur and this is undesirable.
It is also known to provide axial flow fans with a so-called "tip support ring", in the form of a rotating cylindrical band disposed at, and joining together, the tips of the plural blades of the fan. The tip support ring provides additional stiffness to the fan and accordingly provides more predictable fan properties and dimensions. The ring may be used in cooperation with the stationary shroud to provide further restriction of the area for reflux flow around the fan.


A method of processing a laminated wafer in which a first wafer is laminated on a second wafer, the method including: a laminated wafer forming step of forming the laminated wafer by laminating the first wafer on the second wafer; a modified layer forming step of forming a modified layer within the first wafer by positioning a focusing point of a laser beam within the first wafer and moving the first wafer in a horizontal direction relative to the focusing point while applying the laser beam, the modified layer forming step being performed before or after the laminated wafer forming step is performed; and a separating step of separating part of the first wafer from the laminated wafer with the modified layer as a boundary, the separating step being performed after the laminated wafer forming step and the modified layer forming step are performed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated wafer processing method.
Description of the Related Art
An SOI (Silicon On Insulator) wafer manufacturing method referred to as a hydrogen ion delamination method or the like is known (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H05-211128, for example). In this manufacturing method, first, hydrogen ions or rare gas ions are implanted through an oxide film formed on a surface of a silicon wafer to form a fine bubble layer within the silicon wafer.
Next, the oxide film on the surface is brought into close contact with another silicon wafer serving as a substrate to form a laminated wafer constituted of the two silicon wafers. Thereafter, the laminated wafer is heated to cleave the silicon wafer at the fine bubble layer. A silicon thin film is thereby formed on the silicon wafer serving as a substrate with the oxide film interposed therebetween.


The invention relates to a method for mixing a static fluid with another component, such as a particulate material, a liquid, a compressible liquid or gas, or combinations thereof, using a motive fluid stream, producing a low pressure region within the static fluid using radial eductors in a tank. The invention further relates to a method for separating oil form an oil and water mixture using a motive fluid stream and air, producing a low pressure region in a tank with entrained air bubbles, wherein the oil attaches to the air bubbles and rises to the surface.

A need exists for a fast low pressure, safe method for mixing powders, particulate, compressible gas, or liquids into a fluid in a confined area that uses a high velocity motive fluid stream to form a low pressure region in the fluid using Bernoulli's principal.
A need also exists for a method to separate oil from water that is low pressure, high velocity, and very efficient.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.

Method for mixing fluids with an eductor


A multi-directional routing repeater has a plurality of buffers, each of the plurality of buffers has an input and an output. The output of each of the plurality of buffers is connected to a separate routing line for transmitting a signal in a separate direction of a first set of routing lines, and the input of each of the plurality of buffers is connected to one of a first set of programmable switches, one of a second set of programmable switches, one of a third set of programmable switches, and one of a fourth set of programmable switches, and each one of the first set of programmable switches is connected to a separate one of the second set of programmable switches and a separate one of the second set of programmable switches, none of which are connected to an input of a same one of the plurality of buffers. Each one of the first set of programmable switches is connected to a separate routing line for transmitting a signal in a separate direction of a second set of routing lines.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a routing network in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) architecture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a long line routing network employing unidirectional buffers for driving signals onto sets of parallel long routing lines.
2. The Background Art
Programmable logic devices (PLDs) are integrated circuit devices which contain gates or other general-purpose cells whose interconnections can be configured by programming to implement nearly any desired combinatorial or sequential function. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are well known in the PLD art. FPGAs generally include an array of general-purpose logic circuits, typically referred to as logic blocks, which can be programmed by programmable elements to implement virtually any logic function. The programmed logic elements in the gate array are connected together by routing resources to form a desired integrated circuit. The routing resources are connected to each other and to the logic elements in the gate array by programmable elements.
It is well known in the art that both volatile and non-volatile programmable elements have been used to provide interconnection in FPGA devices. Volatile programmable elements are often a pass transistor controlled by a static random access memory (SRAM) cell. Nonvolatile programmable elements include antifuses and floating gate transistors. Programmable antifuse based architectures and reprogrammable SRAM and floating gate memory cell based architectures as well known in the FPGA art.
In an SRAM based reprogrammable FPGA, the programmable elements are typically passgates controlled by information stored in an SRAM configuration memory. In an antifuse based FPGA, the antifuses are programmable elements that are formed by two conductors with a dielectric material sandwiched in between which represent an open state until programmed. The antifuses are disposed to provide the interconnections among the routing resources and to program the programmable logic elements. In a floating gate transistor based FPGA, the floating gates are typically similar to those used in flash memories the operation of which is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, but adapted for use in programmable arrays.
A variety of schemes well known to those of ordinary skill in the art for the implementation of the routing network in an FPGA have been proposed in the art. These routing schemes have attempted to address a number of different issues including: reducing the effect of resistance in the routing lines on signal transmission in the circuit; reducing the effect of capacitance between the routing lines on signal transmission in the circuit; increasing the reliability of place and route circuit implementations; and determining the number and lengths of routing lines needed to efficiently utilize the number and granularity of available logic blocks. Granularity is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to describe the number of inputs into a logic cell, and thereby the complexity of the logic expressions that may be implemented by the logic cell.
In Freeman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,363, a non-volatile reprogrammable based FPGA is disclosed which discusses the lengths and interconnection of various routing resources, depicted as local, long and global, and the granularity of the logic blocks. The long routing resources are channels that are bidirectional, and the signals on the channels are driven by buffers as the channels transmit the signals. As pointed out in Freeman, et al., the number of active programmable connections on a long routing line is of concern, because they require a not insignificant amount of die area, and also add to the load and capacitance on the line.
In FIG. 1, a schematic example of a known prior art bidirectional routing connection employed in a horizontal long line routing net 10 is illustrated. In the long line routing net 10, first and second horizontal routing nets 12 and 14 are each shown having a routing line, 16 and 18, respectively, being connected to the bidirectional routing connection and a vertical routing net 20 having a routing line 22, that may be connected to the routing line 18 from the second horizontal routing net 14 by a programmable switch 24. In the bidirectional routing connection, the long lines 16 and 18 may be programmably connected to the input and the output of a buffer 26 by programmable switches 28, 30, 32 and 34. The input of buffer 26 may also be programmably connected to ground by programmable switch 36.
In the operation of the bidirectional routing connection depicted in FIG. 1, signals from first horizontal routing net 12 are transmitted to second horizontal routing net 14 when programmable switches 28 and 32 are programmed to conduct, and signals from second horizontal routing net 14 are transmitted to first horizontal routing net 12 when programmable switches 30 and 34 are programmed to conduct. Signals may be transmitted between the vertical routing net 20 and the second horizontal routing net 14 when programmable switch 24 is programmed to conduct. In the event the buffer 26 is not to be used, programmable switch 24 is programmed to conduct. In the event the buffer 26 is not to be used, programmable switch 36 may be employed to pull the input of the buffer 26 to ground. Although not depicted in FIG. 1, a similar bidirectional routing connection is also known to be employed in the vertical direction for vertical long line resources. Active routing repeaters are typically used in longer routing resources, where the distance from on bidirectional routing connection to the next bidirectional routing connection is typically 4 or 8 tiles or even longer.
The bidirectionality of the routing connection is provided by the programmable switches 30 and 32 at the output of the buffer 26 as well as the programmable switches 28 and 34 at the input of the buffer 26. These programmable switches add both serial resistance and switch capacitance to the routing nets. When a very long net is being implemented there can be significant performance degradation resulting from the resistance of the switches 30 and 32 at the output of the buffer 26 due to the increased capacitance imposed by a very long net. Even though the programmable switches 30 and 32 may be implemented as several parallel switches to reduce the serial resistance, the parallel switches add more capacitance and require more die area. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to implement very long line routing nets with buffering as desired while reducing the resistance and capacitance associated with providing connectability between the long line routing nets.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Field programmable gate array long line routing network


A rotational angle detecting device continues a portion of operation by electric power from a battery when an electric switch is off. The rotational angle detecting device includes a sensor, a first calculator, a second calculator and a communication portion. The sensor detects a detection value that is variable according to a rotation of a detection object. The first calculator starts calculating first rotational information associated with the rotation of the detection object based on the detection value when the electric switch is turned on. The first calculator stops calculating the first rotational information when the electric switch is turned off. The second calculator calculates second rotational information associated with the rotation of the detection object regardless of an on/off state of the electric switch, based on the detection value. The communication portion outputs the first rotational information and the second rotational information to a controller.

Conventionally, an electric power steering device having an angle sensor to detect a steering angle of a steering wheel has been known. For example, in a Patent Literature (JP 5339094 B), an angle sensor includes a motor rotational angle sensor that detects a rotational angle of an electric motor, and the angle sensor calculates a rotational angle of a steering shaft based on the rotational angle of the electric motor that is detected by the motor rotational angle sensor. Further, in the Patent Literature, to reduce electric consumption, electric power is intermittently supplied to the angle sensor from the battery.

Rotational angle detecting device and electric power steering device using the same


A data communications system comprises a bus for transferring data, a plurality of devices sharing the bus by time-division multiplexing, wherein time is divided into time slots and a frame is assembled with a predetermined number of time slots, a processor for assigning to each of the devices time slots and for multiplexing data to be transferred to each of the devices into a data frame TXD and demultiplexing a data frame RXD including data transferred from each of the devices, wherein data transmission between the processor and each of the devices is performed during the time slots assigned to each of the devices, and an interfacing module, coupled with the processor and each of the devices, for multiplexing data transmitted from each of the devices to transfer to the processor.

In an electronic switching system (ESS) comprising a large number of processors, use of a hierarchical processor architecture is gaining popularity. For example, an access switching subsystem performing such functions as scanning, interfacing and time switching, included in the ESS, has the hierarchical processor architecture. In the hierarchical processor architecture, the functions of processors are divided into, e.g., two hierarchies, upper and lower, wherein the upper hierarchical function is performed by main processors (MP's) and the lower hierarchical function is performed by peripheral processors (PP's).
For instance, the PP performs simple processing operations, such as supervising telephony devices, e.g., a subscriber interface device, a trunk interface device and a signaling device, and controlling system peripheral devices, e.g., a magnetic tape driver, a disk driver and a CRT (cathode-ray tube) terminal. Therefore, the scanning of the subscriber's hook-off and signal distribution function are handled by the PP. On the other hand, the MP's control a predetermined set of the PP's to perform call processing and OA&M (operation, administration and maintenance) in response to predetermined signals generated at the PP's.
As described, it is necessary to provide a data communications path between the PP and each of the devices. In the known ESS, for data transmission the PP is connected to each of the devices by using a conventional bus architecture and a predetermined bus access process. The conventional bus architecture includes lines for an address, data, a bus clock.
However, in using the conventional bus architecture, the bus clock frequency does not guarantee the speed of data transmission. In other words, the speed of data transmission between the PP and each of the devices is lower than the bus clock frequency since it takes a predetermined period of the bus clock to perform operations required at every access, such as a bus arbitration operation for the bus access and data transfer operation. For example, it takes 20 clock periods to get the bus access and transfer data when the bus clock frequency is 2.5 MHz. Therefore, for a device requiring high speed data transmission, it is necessary to increase the bus clock frequency.
At high frequencies, impedance matching is critical since the bus has the character of a transmission line. Since it is difficult to do an exact impedance matching for the bus, resulting in such a high transmission loss of the bus, the length of the bus cable is severely limited at high frequency. Subsequently, the number of the devices connected to the PP is substantially restricted.

Data communication system using a time slot interface architecture between processor and devices therein


A system to generate an enhanced acoustic transmission signal includes a carrier signal generator to generate a carrier signal. A data signal generator is provided to receive data and to generate a data signal representing the data. A signal modulator is also provided to modulate the carrier signal with the data signal to form a modulated carrier signal at a carrier frequency. The system includes a masking signal generator to generate a masking signal to mask the modulated carrier signal from being audible by a human ear. An audio input device is provided to receive audio and to generate an audio signal based on the audio, wherein a frequency band surrounding the carrier frequency is removed from the audio signal. A signal adder is also provided to combine the modulated carrier signal, the masking signal, and the audio signal to form the enhanced acoustic transmission signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for generating an enhanced acoustic transmission signal for a psychoacoustically-motivated auditory band communication channel carrying data and audio signals.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
When exploring the psychology of hearing as a means to improved human computer interfaces, it becomes apparent that there are vast differences between the human auditory system and acoustical transducers used by computers. Though both convert sound pressure waves into energy differentials, the resultant signals do not have similar spectral content. A transducer, (e.g., a microphone) often has a near-flat frequency response that is not tuned to human speech. It converts all frequencies into appropriate voltage levels that are limited only by its sensitivity and dynamic range. If digitally sampled for computer enhancement, the frequency response is additionally determined by the Nyquist frequency. In the digital domain, there exists many methods for extracting all of the frequencies present in the signal whether or not they are audible by human ears. A very different signal is made available through the auditory system for human cognition. For the human percept, there are many preprocessing mechanisms that limit access to the frequencies in the environment. These preprocessing mechanisms include the natural resonance of the ear canal, the time-varying non-linear transfer function of the middle ear, and the complex conversion of mechanical pressures to electrochemical firings taking place in the cochlea. The physics of this complex conversion process is quite remarkable—sound energy is converted into mechanical motion, which is converted back to sound energy, then converted back into mechanical motion, which is detected and converted into electrochemical nerve signals. These processes selectively enhance perception of human speech and important localization phenomenon, as opposed to simply converting sound pressure into neuron firings. The human auditory system distinguishes sounds on the basis of duration, direction, pitch, loudness, and timbre.
Psychoacoustic masking has been used in digital speech processing over the last 10 years. There also exists masking techniques used in the encoding of audio signals to best avoid perceptual encoding noises. Additionally, there are masking techniques used in some acoustic noise reduction schemes for reducing the aggressiveness of the reduction. However, there are currently no viable psychoacoustic masking applications for use in in-band communication channels for creating enhanced acoustic transmission signals that are compatible with legacy analog communication systems, such as conventional telephones.

Enhanced acoustic transmission system and method


A method that associates the first telephone number of a first user with a second telephone number of a second user that has a relationship with the first user; tracks incoming and outgoing telephone calls; and stores a plurality of telephone messages received by the first user. For each telephone message, the method assigns such telephone message to one of first, second, and third groups; and sorts the plurality of telephone messages for playback. By doing so, the telephone messages may be prioritized such that the first user may be able to more quickly determine whether or not the first user should return a telephone message, often reducing the number of unnecessary telephone calls and improving efficiency.

Telephones or phones have profoundly changed many aspects of contemporary society, and have become an increasingly important tool for communicating with others, both for personal and business use. Telephones are available in a wide array of shapes and sizes, operate in variety of ways (e.g., via cells and cell towers, satellites, fiber optics, etc), and may be portable (e.g., cellular phones or mobile phones) or non-portable (e.g., a "landline").
A telephone is typically associated with a telephone number, and a user signs up for a service plan (e.g., cell phone plan) to be able to use his or her telephone to make and receive telephone calls. Typically, when a caller calls a callee, the callee may answer the incoming call, or may miss the incoming call. If the callee misses the incoming call, the callee may return the missed incoming call by placing an outgoing call to the caller.
Many telephones also include voicemail and caller identification or ID. With voicemail, a caller may be able to record a telephone message for a callee who is not answering his or her telephone. The callee may then listen to the voicemail at his or her convenience, and return the telephone call. The telephone messages are usually ordered based upon the time they were left.
With caller ID, the telephone number associated with an incoming call is displayed to the callee on his or her telephone. The name associated with that telephone number may also be displayed. Thus, this feature may indicate the telephone number associated with an incoming call, as well as the telephone number associated with a missed incoming call from the caller. Based on the missed caller ID information, the callee may the return the caller's telephone call.
Some systems also combine caller ID and voicemail functionality. For example, many voicemail systems also indicate to a callee the telephone number associated with a telephone message that was left for a callee.
Although voicemail and caller ID may allow users to personally know if there are any telephone messages on their phones, and missed telephone calls to be returned, one problem that may arise occurs when the caller makes multiple phone calls to different callees about the same topic. Although each callee may know whether he or she returned the call, they will generally not know whether the other callee has returned the call.
For instance, there are some arrangements, especially in small businesses, where co-workers (e.g., partners) use their own cell phones for business. Consider a real estate agent A and a real estate agent B who are working together, and both of their cell phone numbers are on the for sale signs and on the brochures. Oftentimes, a prospective buyer calls one of them, gets no answer, and then goes on to call the other. As a result, both agents may have missed calls and telephone messages from the potential buyer asking the same question, and both agents will likely return the call. Typically, both agents will listen to their telephone messages in order, and contact the callers in that order. As real estate agent A does not know that a potential buyer also called real estate agent B, and does not know whether real estate agent B already returned the telephone call, real estate agent A may waste his time returning a telephone call that real estate agent B has already returned.
This scenario is common when a partner has been away from his or her phone for a while, for example, with other customers. Upon checking his phone, real estate agent A may often have a list of missed calls and messages to return. If real estate agent A starts listening to the messages and returning calls in the order they were received, he may find that his partner has already responded to many of them, and that real estate agent A has thus wasted his time listening to the message, taking notes, looking up the information, and returning the calls when he could have been processing messages that real estate agent B had not handled. On a larger scale, this scenario may lead to a lot of wasted time, higher costs, and inefficiency.
A need therefore exists in the art for improving telephones, and in particular, a more intelligent approach for organizing telephone messages to enable users to more efficiently return telephone calls.

Ordering telephone messages left for a user

International Business Machines Corporation


A duplex plug for protecting conventional duplex electrical outlets, has dielectric caps connected by a flexible, generally S-shaped tether. Each cap has projecting prongs that fit the outlet receptacle, and the tether may have an aperture for deteachably securing it to a center mounting hole of the electrical outlet by means of a mounting screw. Use of the center mounting hole attachment is optional. The length and shape of the S-shaped tether are adapted to permit convenient biasing of a cap laterally away from one electrical receptacle.

Curious children attracted to electrical outlets are at risk of shock and injury resulting from touching live contacts or inserting metal objects into plug holes of electrical outlet receptacles. The prior art includes several types of protectors or guards to prevent the accidental or inadvertent insertion of fingers or metallic objects into the receptacle openings of electrical outlets. One such device is an electrically non-conducting dummy plug which can be inserted into the outlet receptacle when the receptacle is not in use. A short-coming of such a device is that it has no means to attach the dummy plug to the outlet when the dummy plug is not in use. A significant disadvantage of such a device is that when not in use, the dummy plug may become lost, misplaced, or broken.
A safety cover comprising a pair of safety plugs connected by a tether is disclosed by Buckshaw, U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,148 issued May 21, 1991. Buckshaw describes a flexible, linear tether having an aperture therein between the two safety plugs so that the tether can be attached to an electrical outlet by a screw. When a safety plug is not in use it is folded away from the receptacle and over the tether exposing an electrical outlet socket. While the Buckshaw apparatus keeps the safety cover in place when not in use, access to the outlet receptacle is crowded or obstructed by the close proximity of the unused safety plug in combination with the tether.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a safety plug for protecting conventional duplex electrical outlets that is simple in structure, easy to use, and economical to produce.
Another object of the invention is to provide a safety plug which can be removably attached to conventional duplex electrical outlets without altering or modifying the structure of the outlet.
Another object of this invention is to provide a safety plug that can be quickly and easily employed to protect an outlet receptacle, and easily disengaged when access to the electrical outlet receptacle is desired.
A further object of the invention is to provide a duplex safety plug for a duplex electrical outlet that permits the use of either one or both of the outlet receptacles while the safety plug is still attached to the outlet, whether by means of one of the plugs or by means of the tether attached to the center mount.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a safety plug protector that can be quickly and easily placed on a conventional duplex electrical outlet to cover and seal it during painting, and then be easily removed after the painting has been completed.


The last value of an element of a computing system is continually stored within a first register. The element is cleared during any restart or reset of the computing system. The last value is relevant to debugging of the computing system when the computing system fails to perform as expected and/or as desired. Upon receiving an instruction to reset the computing system via a first reset signal corresponding to pressing of a reset button or a second reset signal corresponding to a baseboard management controller issuing a reset command, the last value of the element as stored within the first register is copied to a second register. The computing system is then reset. The last value of the element as stored within the second register persists within the second register during this type of reset, but is cleared during any other reset or restart of the computing system.

Many computing systems having firmware, such as a basic input/output system (BIOS), perform power-on self test (POST) immediately after the computing system has been restarted or reset. The POST initializes and configures various components of the computing system, such as processors, memory, chipsets, and peripheral devices, and tests each such component before booting the operating system (OS) of the computing system. If there is a problem with a component, the BIOS may display an error message on a display device of the computing system.
The POST may not be able to proceed if there is an unexpected error within a component of the computing system, and can sometimes halt without providing any indication of the problem that has been encountered. The BIOS may further be unable to display an error message relating to a problem with a component on the display device if the problem is detected before the display device has been initialized. To determine the cause of such problems, some computing systems include a seven-segment light-emitting diode (LED) display that can indicate a relevant error via a POST checkpoint number.
The BIOS writes the checkpoint number to an input/output (I/O) port, such as I/O port 80h of a low-pin count (LPC) bus of the computing system. The single-byte data that is written to I/O port 80h is then displayed on the seven-segment LED display. When the computing system halts during the POST, the LED display indicates where the POST stopped executing. As such, the LED display is useful for debugging purposes.
However, many computing systems do not include such an LED display, making debugging more difficult. Furthermore, in some situations, the LED display even if present may not be useful. For example, some computing systems, especially server computing systems, include a secondary microprocessor, which is referred to as a service processor and/or as a baseboard management controller (BMC). The secondary microprocessor can detect when the computing system has stopped responding, and in response automatically reset the system. However, when the computing system is reset, the information displayed on the LED display is lost. As such, the computing system can be reset before a user has an opportunity to look at the LED display.

Persisting value relevant to debugging of computer system during reset of computer system


A spring-loaded interconnect includes a forward interconnect subassembly and a rearward interconnect subassembly with a flexible cable extending between each subassembly. The flexible cable includes a plurality of curved sections, and a plurality of substantially straight sections integral with the plurality of curved sections. The plurality of curved sections and the plurality of substantially straight sections are pre-configured within the spring-loaded interconnect such that the flexible cable and a spring compress, relax, and axially travel a predetermined distance when at least one external load is applied to at least one end of the spring-loaded interconnect.

The present disclosure generally relates to spring-loaded interconnects, and particularly spring-loaded interconnects having pre-configured flexible cables.
Due to their favorable electrical characteristics, coaxial cables and interconnects/connectors have grown in popularity for interconnecting electronic devices and peripheral systems. In some configurations, an interconnect can be mounted to a circuit board of an electronic device at an input/output port of the device and extended through an exterior housing of the device for connection with a coaxial cable. The interconnects/connectors include a conductive center contact coaxially disposed within an outer conductor, with a dielectric material separating the inner and outer conductors.
A typical application utilizing coaxial cable connectors/interconnects is a radio-frequency (RF) application having RF connectors designed to work at radio frequencies in the UHF, VHF, and/or microwave range. RF connectors are typically used with coaxial cables and designed to maintain the shielding that the coaxial design offers. Some interconnects/connectors include machined center contacts, which extend almost the entire length of the spring-loaded interconnect.
Unfortunately, these lengthy center contacts are often very difficult to manufacture. During manufacture, the center contacts are frequently processed, using various types of wet machining processes, which are capable of stressing the center contacts and causing damage. Assembly of long machined center contacts can also make overall assembly of the interconnects/connectors difficult.
For these reasons, among others, there is a clear need for improved spring-loaded connectors/interconnects.

Spring-loaded interconnects having pre-configured flexible cable