Some implementations provide a semiconductor device that includes a substrate coupled to a die through a thermal compression bonding process. The semiconductor device also includes a trace coupled to the substrate. The trace includes a first conductive material having a first oxidation property. The trace also includes a first surface layer including a second conductive material having a second oxidation property. The second oxidation property is less susceptible to oxidation than the first oxidation property. The first and second conductive materials are configured to provide an electrical path between the die and the substrate. The first surface layer has a thickness that is 0.3 microns (μm) or less.

A thermal compression bonding process is a process used to assemble/package a flip chip, die or semiconductor device to a packaging substrate. Such a flip chip is often referred to as a thermal compression flip chip (TCFC). FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a package that includes a chip/die coupled to a substrate using a thermal compression bonding process. As shown in FIG. 1, a package 100 includes a die/chip 102 that is coupled to a substrate 104. There are several electrical connections 106 and a non-conducting paste (NCP) 108 between the chip 102 and the substrate 104. The electrical connections may be defined by under bump metallization (UBM) structures (e.g., UBM structure 110), solder (e.g., solder 112) and traces (e.g., trace 114). The NCP 108 provides a protective layer that covers the electrical connections between the chip 102 and the substrate 104.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of how a chip/die may be assembled to a package by using a thermal compression bonding process. Specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates a package 200 and a die 202. The package 200 includes a packaging substrate 204 and several traces 206a-c. FIG. 2 also illustrates a non conductive paste (NCP) 208, which is usually dispensed on top of the traces 206a-c before thermo-compression is done. The NCP 208 may have fluxing capabilities, which means the NCP 208 may be capable of removing oxide from materials (e.g., remove oxide from humps and/or traces). Oxide is a material layer that may be formed on the surface of an underlying material when the underlying material is exposed to air, water and/or other chemicals. The die 202 includes several bumps 210a-c. Each of the bumps 210a-c respectively includes copper pillars 212a-c and may also include solders 214a-c.
One of the challenges with a thermal compression bonding process is controlling or preventing the oxidation of the trace, which can lead to weak joints or non-connects. A trace is typically made of copper, which can be easily oxidized. That is, an oxide layer easily forms on the copper surface. As mentioned above, oxidation occurs when the material is subject to air, water and/or other oxidizing environments. Oxidation may be problematic because oxide on a material may prevent solder from properly wetting to the material. Thus, one of the problems that may arise during a thermal compression bonding process is that the solder (e.g., solder 214b) may not properly wet with a trace (e.g., trace 206b) on the substrate side, therefore preventing a good joint from forming between the solder and the trace. Thus, in some implementations, the result of the oxide on the trace is an open or poor joint. In an open joint, there is no connection between the solder and the trace. In a poor joint, the connection between the solder and the trace is very weak and will likely fail over the life of the die and/or package.
FIG. 3 illustrates a die assembled to a package after a thermal compression bonding process. Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates the package 200 and the die 202 of FIG. 2 after a thermal compression bonding process. As shown in FIG. 3, the bump 210a is coupled to the trace 206a. Similarly, the bump 210b is coupled to the trace 206b, and the bump 210c is coupled to the trace 206c. As shown in FIG. 3, the joint between the solder 214b (of the bump 210b) and the trace 206b is poor, as illustrated by the fact that the solder 214b is barely in contact with the trace 206b. Although there is a connection between the solder 214b and the trace 206b, this connection will eventually fail. In contrast, the joint between the solder 214a and the trace 206a is better, since the solder 214a is in contact with more surface area of the trace 206a.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved design to ensure solid joints are created between solder and trace.

Surface finish on trace for a thermal compression flip chip (TCFC)


The object of the present invention is to provide an optical recording and reproducing method for a dye-based recordable optical recording medium includes recording shortest marks on an organic dye recording layer formed on a substrate having a guide groove with a wobble formed thereon using one pulse which is more highly energized than pulses of each of marks other than the shortest marks; recording each of the third shortest marks and still longer marks using one pulse beam of which the rear edge is energized for a given length of time, and the energized pulse power is equal to the pulse power of each of the second shortest marks, and irradiating cooling pulses onto the backwards of the respective pulse beams of all the marks during recording at an optical energy of 0.1 mW or less for a given length of time, and provide an apparatus for the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and reproducing method for a dye-based recordable optical recording medium in which information can be recorded and reproduced by irradiating a dye-based recordable optical recording medium with a light beam to induce optical changes such as transmittance and reflectance to the recording layer thereof, and an apparatus for the recording and reproducing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, recordable digital versatile discs (DVD-R) have been developed for providing advanced large capacity optical discs. In order to enhance recording capacity of optical discs, it is necessary to develop recording materials to micronize recording pits, to adopt image compression formatting technologies as typified by MPEG2, and to develop technologies for shortening the wavelength of semiconductor lasers for reading recording pits.
Conventionally, as for semiconductor lasers of red wavelength regions, only AlGaInP laser diodes of a wavelength of 670 nm have been commercially utilized, for example, for barcode readers or instrumentation units. Nowadays, red lasers are remarkably expanding their markets in terms of optical storage products along with high-densification of optical discs. DVD drives are standardized at two wavelengths of 635 nm and 650 nm using laser diodes for their light sources, and DVD-ROM (Read Only Memory Digital Versatile Disc) drives of a wavelength of 650 nm are commercially available.
Typically, in dye-based recordable optical recording media where pits or marks are formed by use of heat mode, the pulse width and the recording power of a recording pulse train are optimized by emission of a laser during recording at a specific recording speed, thus there exist a problem that the marks and/or spaces are different at the other recording linear velocities. Namely, dye-based recordable optical recording media suffer from problems that jitter properties tend to degrade with time, because thermal capacity of heat pulses at the front edge required to form marks turns into insufficient, the heating temperatures are different from the optimal decomposing temperature, and thus average mark lengths are often varied, and the duty ratio of optimal heating pulse varies, mark widths are hardly uniform, and thus uniform mark widths cannot be obtained, resulting in thin marks or thick marks in accordance with mark lengths.
In addition, as for physical formats of DVD media, DVD-R media are standardized with a format of which the land portions of so-called land pre-pits are partially cut. According to the format, there are problems that when the land pre-pit signal (LPPb) is less than 0.16, pre-pit information such as pre-pit addresses cannot be properly reproduced; on the other hand, when the land pre-pit signal is more than 0.32, the land-pit signals themselves act noisily at data region, thus resulting in frequent occurrences of data errors. Accordingly, there is a disadvantage that the cut width should be adjusted with respect to each recording material by the use of a stamper, and the land cut width should be adjusted so as to control the land pre-pit signal within the range of 0.16 to 0.32.
In the prior art concerning optical recording media using a dye in the recording layer, there are optical recording media using polymethine dyes or combination of polymethine dyes and optical stabilizers as recording material; optical recording media using a layer formed from tetraazaporphyrin (porphyrazin) dye or a combination of cyanine dyes and azometalchelate dyes (salt forming dye) and a reflective layer as a recording layer; optical recording media using formazane (metal chelate) dye and the other dyes as the recording material; and optical recording media using dipyromethene (metal chelate) dye and the other dyes as the recording material. Further, there are many proposals known in the art which perform multi-pulse recording using dyes as the recording materials, however, as far as the inventors of the present invention know, there is no document found that one pulse recording is performed on dye-based recordable optical recording media while optimizing the recording waveform to perform recording at higher linear velocities, like the present invention.

Recording and reproducing method for dye based recordable optical recording medium and apparatus using the same


The invention provides a method of decreasing human immunodeficiency virus entry into cells, the method comprising decreasing levels of functional CD63 present with the human immunodeficiency virus and the cells. The invention further provides a method of treating or preventing human immunodeficiency virus infection in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject an amount of a compound effective to decrease levels of functional CD63 in the cells of the subject.

Throughout this application various publications are referenced. The disclosures of each of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
Macrophages (MØ) are crucial for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) pathogenesis. In addition to their antigen presenting function, these cells appear to be important targets for HIV infection in extravascular tissues. Nearly all primary HIV strains are capable of replication in MØ, and the overwhelming predominance of macrophage (M)-tropic virus strains early in disease suggest that these cells may be involved in virus transmission, particularly for sexually acquired infection.
Substantial work has been accomplished over the last decade to define molecular determinants of M-tropism; identification of particularly the β chemokine receptor CCR5 as an HIV co-receptor required for efficient entry of M-tropic HIV strains into MØ, as well as CD4+ T cells. Specific mechanisms of entry into primary MØ remain poorly defined, however. Although CD4 and CXCR4 are expressed on MØ and can be utilized for entry, viruses that use CD4 and CCR5 (R5 strains) infect MØ more efficiently than those using CD4 and CXCR4 (X4 strains). T-tropic HIV strains that use CD4 and CCR5 that do enter MØ, however, may fail to replicate in an Env-dependent manner. Efficiency of HIV infection may therefore involve cellular factors in addition to CD4 and chemokine receptors.
Treatment of HIV infection dramatically improved in 1996 with the approval of protease inhibitors, and the routine use of combinations of three or four antiretroviral drugs simultaneously. Despite initial success resulting in suppression of virus replication below limits of quantification in the majority of patients (Gulick 1998; Staszewski 1999), limitations of this approach are becoming increasingly apparent. Only about half of patients initiating combination antiretroviral therapy will have a durable virologic response. Response to subsequent regimens is complicated by cross resistance within the available classes of drugs, limited exclusively to protease inhibitors and reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Prototype small molecule inhibitors of chemokine receptor interactions, and of gp41-mediated fusion are directed to envelope-specific events in the HIV life cycle, opening the era of development of a new class of antiretroviral drugs, inhibitors of HIV entry.
Identification of novel cellular factors involved in HIV entry could provide important new therapeutic targets, and expand the arsenal of drugs that can be used in combination to block HIV entry. This class of antiretroviral drugs would still be active in patients who have developed resistance to protease inhibitors and reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System


A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell comprises a MRAM device and a single crystal self-aligned diode. The MRAM device and the single crystal self-aligned diode are connected through a contact. Only one metal line is positioned above the MRAM device of the MRAM cell. A first and second spacers positioned adjacent to the opposite sidewalls of the contact define the size of the single crystal self-aligned diode. A first and second metal silicide lines are positioned adjacent to the first and second spacers, respectively. The single crystal self-aligned diode, defined in a silicon substrate, includes a bottom implant (BI) region and a contact implant (CI) region. The CI region is surrounded by the BI region except for a side of the CI region that aligns the surface of the silicon substrate. A fabrication method, a read method, two programming methods for the MRAM cell are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a magnetic random access memory (MRAM), and more particularly, to a MRAM cell using a single crystal self-aligned diode and methods for operating and fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is a memory cell that is capable of performing nonvolatile memory operations. A MRAM cell consists of two devices: a MRAM device and a selective device. The MRAM device of a MRAM cell is used to store information, whereas the selective device of a MRAM cell is used for preventing the MRAM device from being affected by other MRAM cells in a MRAM array, such as the leakage current. A MRAM cell has high speed, low power consumption, and high integration density.
Formed by multi-layer ferromagnetic thin films, the MRAM device of a MRAM cell can have either in-plane or perpendicular magnetization directions relative to the surfaces of the ferromagnetic thin films. Because the resistance of the MRAM device changes according to the magnetization directions formed in the multi-layer ferromagnetic thin films, the information stored at the MRAM device of a MRAM cell is read by sensing current variations due to the resistance change.
The selective device of a MRAM cell can be either a diode or a transistor. A single crystal diode or a poly-crystal diode may be used for the selective device for a MRAM cell. However, a single crystal diode has the difficulty to shrink its size and a poly-crystal diode has a current leakage problem at the reverse bias region. Alternatively, a transistor can be used for the selective device of a MRAM cell, however, the fabrication process for a transistor is more complicated than the one for a diode. Furthermore, the size of a transistor is also larger than the size of a diode.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a MRAM cell using a new selective device that has small size and simple fabrication process.

Magnetic random access memory using single crystal self-aligned diode


A method and system for removing contaminants from contaminated soil at a site utilizes particle size segregation and particle density segregation to yield a plurality of fractions, whereby each of the fractions are tested and identified for the presence of unacceptable levels of contaminants, and the soil fractions from the contaminated soil at the site corresponding to the identified contaminated fractions are collected for subsequent disposal or treatment, while the remaining untainted soil fractions are homogenized and returned to the site.

It is generally acknowledged that years of industry have generated numerous environmentally tainted sites throughout the country and around the world, which pose health hazards to people. In recent years, efforts to clean up or remediate environmentally contaminated sites have increased dramatically. Many methods and devices for cleaning up or disposing of environmental contamination in water, air, and soil have been developed. However, the magnitude of the environmental contamination remains vast in comparison to the resources made available to solve this growing problem.
Soil contamination is a matter of concern in many locations. The ever increasing environmental awareness has produced more stringent laws and regulations for the protection of human and animal health. At least in the developed countries it is no longer tolerated for contaminated soil to be deposited in open landfills, while special deposit sites for hazardous waste become more limited and increasingly expensive.
"Soil" refers to unconsolidated and consolidated material in the ground. Soil may include natural formation material such as dirt, sand, minerals, ores, geological deposits, and rock, as well as fill material. Soil may be contaminated with chemical, biological, and/or radioactive compounds. Contamination of soil may occur in a variety of ways, such as material spillage, leakage from storage vessels, and landfill seepage. Public health concerns may arise if such contaminants migrate into aquifers or into air. Soil contaminants may also migrate into the food supply through bioaccumulation in various species part of the food chain.
To address the problem of environmental contamination and particularly as it relates to soil contamination, a range of soil treatment and decontamination techniques have been developed. These techniques involve, but are not limited to the application of fluids, biological agents, heat, vacuum, pressurized gases, and mechanical agitation. There are many ways to remediate contaminated soil. "Remediating soil" means treating the soil to reduce contaminant levels within the soil or to remove contaminants from the soil. An ex situs method of remediating contaminated soil is to excavate the soil and then process the soil in a separate treatment facility to reduce contaminant levels within the soil or to remove contaminants from the soil. Alternatively, contaminated soil may be remediated in situs.
In situs flushing operations wash away contaminated areas in the soil or in the groundwater with large amounts of water (provided the flushing water can be isolated and separated efficiently). Instead of using water, it is also possible to separate volatile organic substances from soil with (hot) steam. However, this requires an after-treatment of the extracted materials.
Washing of contaminated soil is conventional. Water can cleanse contaminating substances from soil, gravel and rocks mechanically. Water also may separate fine-grained particles (silt and clay) from coarse-grained particles (sand and gravel). In this case the water is loaded with the contaminants from the soil and needs to be treated adequately, before it can be reused or returned to surface and ground water.
One typical site of environmental soil contamination involves weapons firing ranges (e.g. small arms fire) where heavy metal contamination is a serious on-going problem. Such contamination poses substantial economic costs and environmental challenges to surrounding areas. Remediation of soil from firing ranges poses special concerns because the contaminants typically exist both as discrete particles (unfired rounds, intact expended bullets, bullet fragments and finer-sized heavy metal particles) and ionic (adsorbed) heavy metals residing on the soil grains. The ionic coatings are often the result of corrosion of the particulate lead, which can leach into the ground water and cause serious environmental and human health consequences.
Small arms firing ranges accumulate particulate lead from expended bullets. Depending on site-specific characteristics such as soil type, exposure time, and rainfall, erosion and migration of lead may occur. Soil outside of the range as well as ground water may become contaminated with lead that has corroded, dissolved, and migrated from the expended rounds. As a consequence of the heavy metal content, firing range soils typically fail Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) tests, thus mandating that the large volume of material on such sites must be managed as hazardous waste. Current remediation strategies do not comprehensively and economically address the problem of both particulate and leachable (e.g., ionic heavy metal) soil contamination under all climatic and soil conditions.
Two distinct types of treatment goals may be applied for firing range soils: total content and leachable content. The leachable (hazardous) content is related to the total content, but is not directly proportional. The leachability of a metal can be strongly influenced by the physical and chemical conditions of the metal.
To date, no technology has been available that can simultaneously reduce both total and leachable contaminant concentrations (e.g., lead) and render soil acceptable for reuse. Soil leachability can be mitigated using stabilization; this technology has a proven track record and is available from numerous vendors. Stabilization does not remove lead, leaving the total lead content unaffected. As a result, stabilized soils tend to contain high total lead contents and must still be disposed of off-site.
Therefore, there is a need for developing a process that provides better, more rapid and less expensive environmental clean up of contaminated sites and materials. There is a further need for developing a process which has not previously been available that removes contaminants such as heavy metals to lower the total soil contaminant content as well as the leachable contaminant content. There is a further need for developing a process that can treat contaminated soil, including small arms firing range soil to meet both remediation criteria, thus enabling soil reuse instead of resorting to costly and unproductive landfill disposal.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System for removing contaminants from soil

Brice Environmental Services Corporation


A memory device comprises a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells for storing n-valued data, an unit for converting a binary logic data applied thereto into an n-valued logic data when the binary logic data is written into the memory cell array, and an unit for converting an n-valued logic data into a binary logic data when the n-valued logic data is read out from the memory cell array.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory device and, more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device including memory cells for storing n-valued information.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the progressive advancement in semiconductor technology, the capacity of the semiconductor memory devices is becoming increasingly large. However, the capacity increase has been achieved so far chiefly relying on miniaturizing technology of the memory cells for storing binary information. Therefore, it has also become apparent that the conventional method for capacity increase has its limitations. Meanwhile, on the user side, it is becoming necessary more and more to process a large volume of data or the like at high speed, and therefore, there is no end to requirement for semiconductor memory devices with larger capacity.
Conventionally, the memory capacity is sometimes increased substantially by data compression, that is, compressed data is stored in a smaller area of a semiconductor memory device. More specifically, in the case of text data, data is compressed by Huffman method, and in the case of image data in facsimile, for example, data is compressed by the MH (Modified Huffman) method. Data thus compressed is stored.
On the other hand, the Huffman method compresses data by assigning codes having short bit length to characters which occur with high frequency. Also in the MH method, short codes are assigned to patterns which occur with high frequency. Therefore, those methods are used for compression and restoration of data in units of data blocks with specified block length, so that those methods can only be used for image data accessed sequentially or text data for batch processing. Thus, those methods had no practical use for data that is accessed randomly in byte units, for example, on the semiconductor memory device.

Memory device including two-valued/n-valued conversion unit


An electronic cymbal (10) has a first cymbal unit (12) for normal playing and a second cymbal unit (13) for cup playing which are vertically separated and attached to a common instrument holder (11). The second cymbal unit (13) of a smaller size than the first cymbal unit (12) is positioned above the first cymbal unit (12) with an intervening felt washer (22). Transducers (15, 19) are provided on the back surface of respective cymbal units (12, 13).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic cymbal instrument that enables normal playing as well as cup playing to be performed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic cymbal sounds are generated by striking the instrument with a drumstick and converting the resulting vibrations produced in the instrument body to electrical signals and outputting the sounds through a speaker or headphone, as disclosed in a Japanese Practical Utility Model H4-3358, for example.
The performance capabilities demanded of such electronic cymbal instruments include: (1) response characteristics should be uniform regardless of the strike point; (2) vibrations generated by the strike should diminish smoothly without exhibiting the so-called "violent decay" phenomenon; (3) the impact sound generated by the drumstick should be low. For such reasons, cymbals are mostly made of a plastic plates of about 5 mm thickness molded into a flat plate or, as in non-electronic cymbal instruments, into a convex front surface. Also, to lower the impact sound, a padding made of such materials as rubber is attached to the striking region of the instrument, and, sensors such as piezo-electric elements are attached to the back surface of the cymbal to convert the mechanical vibrations to electrical signals.
To enable performing rim shot playing (normal playing) and cup playing as do non-electronic cymbal instruments, the electronic cymbals are provided with a rim section and a pad section such that normal playing sounds are produced by striking the rim section while cup sounds are produced by rapping the pad section.
FIG. 3 shows such a conventional electronic cymbal having a rubber plate 2 bonded to the central section of the instrument body 1 and a pad sensor 3, on the back surface of the instrument body 1, for converting the vibrations in the instrument body 1 to electrical signals, and a rim switch 4 to enable switching between the normal mode of playing and cup mode of playing. Also, in the case of an electronic cymbal because switching between the normal and cup modes of playing are carried out by the turning on/off the rim switch 4, it is not always necessary to match the sizes of the pad area and the rim area to those of non-electronic cymbals; also, the instrument sound range is not limited by the dimensions of the playing area.
As explained above, conventional cymbals are provided with a rim section and a pad section so as to provide the instrument with the ability to play normal and cup modes of playing. In designing the location of the strike sections, if the outer peripheral region of the instrument body is to be the pad section and the central section is to be the rim section, a cymbal player, who is accustomed to playing non-electronic cymbal instruments but is unfamiliar with electronic cymbal, experiences some difficulty in drumstick handling, because such an arrangement of the strike sections is opposite to that in non-electronic cymbal instruments.
To counter such difficulties, an arrangement may be considered so that the strike section of the instrument body on the outer peripheral section (rim section) is used for normal playing and the central section (pad section) is for cup playing. However, in either of the strike section arrangements discussed above, the strike sections are located adjacent to each other at the same level, resulting in it being quite easy to hit both sections of the instrument at the same time, because, when the player is trying to hit the central section of the instrument with the tip of the drumstick, the midpoint of the drumstick can accidentally come into contact with the edge section of the instrument. Therefore, the conventional electronic cymbal instruments presented a problem of instrument playability.


In a driver circuit of direct drive matrix type LCD panel, a quantity of ON-STATE cells (or OFF-STATE cells) displayed on the just previous scan electrode is counted and a quantity of ON-STATE cells (or OFF-STATE cells) to be displayed on a present scan electrode is also counted. A compensation voltage is generated according to a predetermined relation based on a difference of the two above-counted quantities, and is superposed onto drive voltages of unselected scan electrodes or of each of data electrodes, in a polarity that an undesirable spike voltage induced on unselected cell voltage is cancelled, in synchronization with selection of the present scan electrode. The compensation voltage may be generated according to a digital difference of the two quantities or to a change in an analog voltage representing the counted quantity. The above-described relation of the compensation voltage versus the counted quantity difference may be proportional or may be given with a predetermined specific relation to meet the panel characteristics. The compensation voltage may be a flat voltage during the period for selecting the single scan electrode or may be of a spike waveform. Amplitude of this spike is determined by the above-described predetermined relation. An irregular panel brightness caused from spike voltages induced from data electrode voltage application is cancelled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and circuit configuration for driving a liquid crystal display panels of direct drive type.
2. Description of the Related Art
In driving methods of liquid crystal display devices, there are two major categories, i.e. a direct drive matrix type and an active matrix type. The active matrix type experiences difficulties in its production because active elements are required on every picture element at intersections of the matrix. Therefore, the direct drive matrix type has been widely employed for display panels having a large number of the picture elements.
It is widely known that in the liquid crystal display panel of the direct drive matrix, when data pulse voltages are applied onto selected data electrodes an undesirable spike voltage is induced on the unselected scan electrodes facing the data electrodes, through electrostatic capacitances of liquid crystal cells (referred to hereinafter as cells) connected to the data electrodes. The spike voltage is caused by differentiation of the change in the applied data pulse voltages by the cell capacitances. Optical transparency of each cell corresponds to an effective value, i.e. a square root of sum of squares of applied cell voltages for the voltage application period. Thus induced spike voltages on the unselected scan electrodes cause a cross-talk, i.e. non-uniformity, to develop on the display panel. Recent trend of increase in electrodes quantity on a larger panel causes not only an increase in electrical resistance of transparent electrodes but also a decrease in difference of the applied cell voltage to select an ON-STATE of the cell, where the cell is most transparent by an application of cell voltages, from a voltage to select an OFF-STATE, where the cell is least transparent by the least application of the cell voltages. Therefore, the cross-talk has been becoming more and more serious problem.
In order to eliminate the effect of such undesirably induced spike voltages, some methods have been proposed as described below. In Japanese un-examined patent publication Sho 63-240528, there is disclosed an idea that a compensation voltage is applied to unselected electrodes. However, none of its practical means is disclosed therein. In Japanese un-examined patent publication Sho 63-220228, there is disclosed a method that a voltage corresponding to the display data on a selected scan electrode is fed back to unselected scan electrodes. However, in these methods, it is impossible to compensate a cross-talk on the display which is caused from a change in the quantity of ON-STATE cells when the scan goes to a presently selected scan electrode from the just previously selected scan electrode.

Method and apparatus for driving a liquid crystal display panel


A liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal layer interposed between a pair of substrates, said substrates being coupled to each other through an insulative sealing material at the peripheral portions thereof, one of said pair of substrates being a transparent front substrate through which viewing of the display device occurs, and a graphite containing matrix coating on an inside surface of the front substrate, said coating having a matrix of apertures therein, said coating being applied by application of a composition comprising in weight percent, about 1% to about 30% colloidal graphite, about 0.1% to about 20% binder material for the coating, and about 10% to about 98% of a fluid carrier, said applied coating having a thickness of less than about 20 microns.

As known from the prior art, the liquid crystal display (LCD) device is basically comprised of two substrates (e.g. glass panels) disposed in parallel with each other at a given distance, transparent electroconductive films strips or coating layers being selectively disposed on the opposing surfaces of those two substrates, an alignment system for aligning liquid crystal molecules in a definite direction which covers each of said substrate surfaces and the electroconductive strips or layers placed thereon, and a liquid crystal filling the space between the alignment system, with the side faces of the device being tightly sealed to guard against any leakage of the liquid crystal material.
In recent years, liquid crystal display devices have been widely utilized to construct flat panel display devices, for example, in lap top computers, office automation equipment, personal computers, flat screen TV products, and the like. This is because liquid crystal devices have advantages such as low power consumption, light weight, and low or efficient space-volume requirements.
The state of the art is indicated by the following cited references, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,358,810; No. 5,307,187; No. 4,469,409; No. 4,437,731; No. 5,596,435; No. 4,495,083; No. 4,392,717; No. 4,976,887; and No. 4,815,821.
In the past there have been drawbacks or disadvantages associated with the manufacture or construction of suitable commercial liquid crystal display devices. For example, in past liquid crystal display devices certain types of chromium coatings, or other sputtered metal coatings have been used as the opaque matrix between the pixels, and such materials are expensive and difficult to apply, and also chromium compounds are quite toxic. Also in prior LCD devices the users viewing angle relative to the screen has been a relatively small viewing angle. For example, those users of prior lap top computer screens (i.e. those using LCD flat panel display devices) have recognized that when the viewer's eye varies at an angle significantly different from a 90.degree. or perpendicular visual approach to the lap top screen, then the display images on the screen become difficult to properly observe or read owing to reflection of ambient light by the chromium layer. Still further, the cost of materials and the manufacturing process costs for prior LCD or flat panel display panels screens has been relatively high and expensive.
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved liquid crystal display device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel liquid display device which utilizes a highly advantageous black matrix coating system and which also provides a considerably wider viewing angle than was previously possible with LCD flat panel screen devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new liquid crystal display device which does not require the presence of any chromium coatings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved liquid crystal display device which significantly improves on the cost of materials required to construct the device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new technique of constructing liquid crystal display devices wherein the manufacturing or processing costs are significantly improved.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A continuous process for heating a polybenzazole or polybenzothiazole filament, which includes the step of heating the filament to a temperature of at least 100.degree. C. but no greater than 290.degree. C. while applying a tension thereto of at least 3.5 grams per denier, which is carried out at a line speed of at least 100 m/minute; and there is no prior or subsequent heating of the fiber to any temperature greater than 300.degree. C. It has been discovered that placing tension on the filament while it is dried increases its tensile modulus without a significant decrease in its tensile strength.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of polybenzoxazole or polybenzothiazole filaments and fibers.
Fibers prepared from polybenzoxazole (PBO) and polybenzothiazole (PBT) (hereinafter referred to as PBZ or polybenzazole polymers) may be prepared by first extruding a solution of polybenzazole polymer in a mineral acid (a polymer "dope") through a die or spinneret to prepare a dope filament. The dope filament is then drawn across an air gap, washed in a bath comprising water or a mixture of water and a mineral acid, and then dried. If multiple filaments are extruded simultaneously, they may then be combined into a multifilament fiber before, during, or after the washing step.
Dried polybenzazole fibers prepared by such a process are known to have a tensile modulus in the range of from about 20 to about 25 Msi. For certain applications however, a higher tensile modulus is desirable. Accordingly, processes are known for preparing fibers with a higher tensile modulus, by washing and drying a spun fiber, and then heat-treating the fiber at a temperature of at least about 350.degree. C. Such processes are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,445. However, such processes typically require the fiber to have been dried to a residual moisture content of less than about 2 percent and a residual solvent content of less than about 2 percent prior to heat-treatment, in order to obtain a fiber with good physical properties. Further, such heat-treating processes add to the time and expense necessary to prepare a suitable fiber. In addition, such heat-treatment processes typically result in a measurable decrease in the tensile strength of the fiber. While such fibers may be useful for certain applications, further improvement in the physical properties of the fiber is desirable.

Process for the preparation of polybenzoxazole and polybenzothiazole filaments and fibers


A system and method for defining a process structure for performing a task. The system comprises a computer, having a data storage memory, a keyboard for inputting data and a screen. A user inputs a first process definition which comprises a verb word and an object word defining the task for which a structure is to be created. The user is then able to define subsequent process definitions which are a predicted consequence of executing the first process definition or a predicted constituent step in executing the first process definition. By analyzing each process definition at each stage a complete process structure for performing the task can be built up and refined. The user is also able to specify particular object words falling within the meaning of the object word of a particular process definition which can be called up in tabular form on the screen, overwriting the display of process definitions in the process structure.

Methods are known which enable the user to analyse a system structure in order to establish where in the sequence of system steps hold-ups may occur. Examples of these are GANT charts or PERT software which provide an analysis based on critical path analysis. They do not provide any guidance to the user on how to begin identifying the steps in the task.
In performing a task it is very often the case that a large amount of time is wasted performing unnecessary steps or concentrating on relatively unimportant or simple steps while avoiding, or spending too little time on, steps that warrant the greater attention. It is human nature to spend a lot of time and attention on those steps in the performance of a task that are more interesting or reflect the strengths of the particular operative. If those strengths coincide with the steps requiring the most detail the result is likely to be satisfactory. However, when a task is multi-disciplinary in nature or slightly outside the experience of the operative, the operative either tends to concentrate on his or her relative strengths or is unable to define where the greater effort should be expended.
It is possible to address this by using a multi-disciplinary team, but this still requires an ability to identify the significant areas for which a team member is warranted. In the execution of a large and complex task this may be a necessary aspect of the identification of a task-step and its performance. However, on a smaller scale or at the initial stages of defining the steps in a task this can involve a heavy drain on employee time at a stage when the task concerned may not justify such input.
The person defining a task could usefully use a tool that would assist him or her in taking a logical course through the identification and definition of the steps themselves necessary in performing a particular task.
Furthermore, when a task has been set up it is useful, often essential, to monitor the progress of a task according to the status of each task step. Thus, it would also be advantageous for the user to have a tool that would enable him or her to track the progress of a task and its constituent steps.

System and method for defining a process structure for performing a task


An epoxy resin composition comprising an epoxy resin, a curing agent, and an inorganic filler has a melt viscosity of at most 150 poise at 175.degree. C. The inorganic filler has a BET specific surface area of 1.5-6 m.sup.2 /g and is such that when a 75/25 mixture of the inorganic filler and a bisphenol F type liquid epoxy resin is measured for viscosity at shear rates of 0.6/sec. and 10/sec. at a temperature of 25.+-.0.05.degree. C. by an E type viscometer, the ratio of the viscosity at 0.6/sec. to the viscosity at 10/sec. is at least 3.5/1. The amount of the inorganic filler loaded is 80-90% by weight of the composition. The composition is suitable for the encapsulation of matrix frames.

Epoxy resin compositions are often used as encapsulants (or molding compounds for semiconductor devices) for advanced thin packages. There is the tendency of loading epoxy resins with large amounts of submicron fillers having a mean particle size of less than 1 .mu.m, desirably less than 0.5 .mu.m for achieving both improved loading and minimized moisture pick-up. The fine filler as a whole has a very large specific surface area as compared with conventional fillers. The interfacial wetting between the resin and the filler is thus substantially exacerbated. This results in epoxy resin compositions having an extremely increased viscosity which makes it difficult to mold the compositions.
For the purpose of providing an epoxy resin composition having an increased filler loading and a reduced viscosity, we found that a filler loading of about 80 to 85% by weight and a viscosity of about 100 to 300 poise at 175.degree. C. are achievable by blending a filler containing about 5 to 15% by weight of a spherical filler fraction having a particle size of about 0.5 .mu.m. This type of filler has already been used in practice. On the other hand, the current trend is toward increasing the loading of filler for minimizing water absorption for improving solder reflow resistance. Particularly when a filler loading of more than 85% by weight is desired, conventionally used spherical fillers lead to a very high viscosity in a low shear region to cause die pad deformation, wire deformation and even line breakage.
When epoxy resin compositions loaded with large amounts of inorganic fillers and having a melt viscosity of at most 150 poise, especially at most 100 poise at 175.degree. C. are molded using matrix frames, it is very difficult to control the flow of the resin. There arise the problems of non-uniform filling of first and second cavities with the resin and defects like voids and wire deformations. It is desired to overcome these problems.


A high speed method for producing a booklet containing a personalized mail reply form, a set of personalized return address mail stickers, event and endorsement stickers, and a collated tablet of personalized note paper, such as stationary. The entire booklet can be inserted into a window envelope or polywrapped, revealing the mailing address for postal delivery. Alternatively, the booklet can be edge tabbed to mail without an envelope.

It is conventional to include gift premiums in the form of sets of return address or other stickers in direct mail packages, particularly those produced and distributed by fund raising organizations. Sometimes one or two page sets of address stickers are produced for inclusion in the direct mail package. Others produce a small pad of return address stickers that is affixed to a carrier, which is then inserted in a window envelope. A similar competitive format is a set of pressure sensitive adhesive labels on continuous form which carries promotional copy of the back of the liner as well as variable offer information imaged on a large pressure sensitive label on the front of the liner. The form is cut off, folded and inserted in a window envelope.

Method and personalized label and note paper booklet for direct mail


Technology is disclosed herein for sharing encrypted data within a client-server distributed data storage system. According to at least one embodiment, a first computing device encrypts multiple data sets of the first computing device using symmetric encryption keys. Each of the data sets is encrypted using a different symmetric encryption key among the symmetric encryption keys. The first computing device shares the encrypted data sets with a second computing device. The first computing device further sends the symmetric encryption keys to the second computing device via a secured channel. The symmetric encryption keys are suitable for decrypting the encrypted data sets at the second computing device. The secured channel is through a server connected with the first and second computing devices. The server cannot access the contents of the secured channel and cannot access contents of the encrypted data sets.

It is common practice for mobile computing devices to share data. A mobile computing device can share digitally stored information, e.g., contacts, computer programs, multimedia, documents with other devices. The sharing of data can be achieved via various methods via, e.g., computer networks, removable media or wireless communications.
In order to share a file with another device, the data of the file has to be transferred over a network or other media. Unauthorized access of the file data being transferred can jeopardize privacy and confidentiality of the users of the devices. Data security of the file sharing process becomes an important issue in view of the popularity of interconnected mobile computing devices.

File sharing with client side encryption


A method for retaining network address of a wireless client device as the device roams between different access points operably connected to a single gateway is described. An embodiment comprises maintaining a table in the gateway memory containing the unique identifier of the wireless client device sent with each data packet. In addition to, the unique identifier, an entry in the table in the gateway memory includes the communication pathway established between the gateway and the wireless client device. When forwarding a data packet from the WAN to the wireless client device, the gateway uses the table in the gateway memory to determine the correct destination path for the data packet instead of relying on the destination address attached to the data packet.

Local Area Networks (LAN) are an integral part of today's homes and businesses, linking computers, printers, and servers. When one of these devices is connected to a LAN, it is assigned a unique network address to be used for as long as the connection is maintained. Increasingly, these networks have also included wireless connectivity. With the popularity of wireless networks increasing, there is a push to provide more services over wireless connections. Besides the traditional data communication support, WLANs are expected to support voice and video applications.
Client devices that support wireless communication typically are equipped with a wireless communication card or an embedded wireless communication module that allows for receiving and transmitting data to and from a wireless AP. The AP is usually attached to the wired LAN and can incorporate a router as a gateway to the wide area network (WAN) for Internet access. A LAN is not restricted to one AP, and in many circumstances, multiple APs are dispersed throughout a facility like an office building or home to provide extended wireless coverage.
The wireless client and AP go through an authentication and association process before the wireless client can establish communication with the LAN, router or WAN. This process is defined in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, incorporated herein by reference. The AP and wireless device connect through one of a plurality of service set identifiers (SSID) available to the AP for establishing a communications pathway. Generally, the wireless device has a default SSID which may be user defined and the AP has a plurality of SSIDs which the wireless device can use to establish a communications pathway. During this process, the wireless client is assigned a network address by the AP.
Commercially available APs generally have a communication range of less than 100 m. However, this range is affected by a number of factors such as, e.g., the location of the AP, indoor vs. outdoor, obstructions, antenna location and type, and output power. When these factors are taken into account, the AP's range is generally limited to a relatively small area such as several rooms in a house or building. To increase the coverage area, more APs wired to the LAN can be added to locations where wireless access is not available. Within the coverage area of an individual AP, a wireless client device can enjoy the benefits of the network, including services provided by the WAN. However, there are limits to the services that wireless clients enjoy.
Most services used by a wireless client require a unique network address associated with the client. This network address is generated when the client first establishes communications with the AP. A challenge occurs when there are multiple APs on a LAN and the wireless client device roams between two or more APs. When a wireless client device is authenticated and associated with an AP, it is assigned a network address that in part indicates which AP the wireless device is using as part of its communication pathway. This address is only valid for wireless communications through that particular AP. The wireless client device generally uses a different address when communicating through a different AP. Therefore, if the wireless client was to roam to a new AP, the previously assigned network address is no longer valid.
The IEEE has recognized this as an impediment to wireless networks. In an effort to address this problem, it developed protocol 802.11R (fast roaming). Intended to refine the transition process of a mobile client as it moves between APs, this protocol permits client devices to retain their networking address as they moves between APs. However, this does not fully address the challenge.
Using 802.11R, a wireless client device can roam to a new AP and still transmit data to the correct destination on the WAN or LAN. However, data transmitted to the wireless device will be routed to the previous AP which the wireless client is no longer associated with. This means that the wireless client device will not receive data intended for it.
Therefore, what is desired is a method for providing the retention of a wireless client communication pathway for transmitting and receiving data as the client roams from between two or more APs wired to the same LAN.

Transporting multi-basic service set (BSS) frames over wired medium preserving BSS-ID


A communication apparatus includes a first CPU that is capable of executing a communication process at a first processing speed; a measuring unit that measures a first transmission speed when the communication process is executed with a base station; a collecting unit that collects from at least one other apparatus, a second transmission speed between the base station and the apparatus, and a second processing speed of a second CPU included in the other apparatus based on the first transmission speed; a determining unit that determines whether the communication process is to be transferred to the other apparatus, based on the second transmission speed and the second processing speed; and a transferring unit that transfers the communication process to the other apparatus based on a determination result.

Conventionally, terminal apparatuses such as mobile telephones have performed a radio communication with a base station to receive and transmit information. If the terminal apparatus moves to a location that radio waves from the base station do not reach, communication of the terminal apparatus is cut off and the communication process is interrupted. Disclosed as a technique to address such a case of cutoff of communication between a terminal apparatus and a base station is a technique using ad-hoc communication to allow, for example, another terminal apparatus different from the terminal apparatus to relay communication to the base station (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2007-89021 and 2004-27450).
Recently, various functions are continually added to terminal apparatuses and consequently, the load placed on the terminal apparatuses is increasing. Disclosed as a load distribution technique is a technique in which a single terminal apparatus has plural radio communication units and performs communication using an optimal radio communication unit. Disclosed as a load distribution technique at a based station is a technique in which a terminal apparatus receives congestion information from plural base stations and selects an optimal base station to perform communication (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2005-295087 and 2002-159038).
In the prior art described above, however, the techniques of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2007-89021 and 2004-27450 have a problem in that a low-speed communication channel may be selected although the communication can continue despite communication between a terminal apparatus and a base station being cut off. The technique of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-295087 has a problem in that a specific terminal apparatus may remain subjected to an excessive load.

Communication apparatus and communication method


Methods for treating or reducing the likelihood of acquiring estrogen-related (e.g. estrogen-exacerbated) diseases including endometriosis include administering to a patient a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), in combination with inhibiting ovarian secretions, e.g., by administering an LHRH agonist or antagonist. In some embodiments, a precursor of sex steroids, said precursor being selected from the group consisting of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), androst-5-ene-3β,17β-diol (5 diol), and androstenedione or a compound transformed into one of these, is also administered.

Endometriosis is a frequent gynecological disease responsible for significant proportion of infertility and for high incidence of dysmenorrhea as well as pelvic, abdominal or vaginal pain. In terms of incidence, endometriosis is the second most frequent gynecological disorder after leiomyoma (Jones and Jones 1981) which are seen in 20% of women over age 35 (Conley and Lacey 1984). Endometriosis is defined as "the presence of ectopic tissue which possesses the histologic structure and function of the uterine mucosa" (Sampson 1921). It is a debilitating disease which can affect women from menarche to menopause. (Kistner 1979) has estimated that 30 to 40% of women with endometriosis are infertile.
Since endometrial tissue requires estrogens for its growth and proliferation, a state of hypoestrogenism results in atrophy and regression of endometriosis as observed following natural or surgical menopause in women as well as in experimental animals (Dizerega, Barber et al. 1980). As will be discussed later, removal of ovarian estrogens does not remove all estrogens in endometriotic tissue, while it removes all estrogens in normal human endometrium which lacks the enzymes to make estradiol, especially aromatase.
Pseudopregnancy and progestin therapy have been reported to improve endometriosis, relieving pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea in more than 80% of patients, but frequently transiently (Kistner 1959; Riva, Wilson et al. 1961; Kistner 1962; Moghissi and Boyce 1976). Similar observations were reported with androgens: methyl testosterone was partially effective in relieving dysmenorrhea and abdominal pain, but if higher dosages were used, important masculinizing signs appeared. In addition, ovulation was not consistently inhibited and treatment with androgens raised the possibility of virilization of the female fetus or genitourinary teratogenicity (Kistner 1979).
Initial studies of GnRH-a (also called LHRH agonist) therapy showed both subjective and objective improvement among patients with endometriosis (Lemay, Maheux et al. 1984; Erickson and Ory 1989), and controlled comparative studies demonstrated similar efficacy and better tolerability for GnRH-a compared with Danazol (Henzl, Corson et al. 1988; Rock, Truglia et al. 1993). It is thus well established that estrogen deficiency induced by LHRH agonists shows clinical benefits in endometriosis (Meldrum, Chang et al. 1982; Lemay, Maheux et al. 1984).
Despite the above-mentioned benefits, wide application of GnRH-a therapy in endometriosis has been limited by the hypoestrogenic side effects, such as vasomotor symptoms, vaginal dryness, emotional instability, insomnia, and loss of bone mineral density (BMD). Concerns about the long-term effect of these side effects, particularly loss of BMD, have limited the duration of treatment with GnRH-a therapy to 6 months for most gynecologic disorders (Surrey 1995).
Following our original observations that chronic administration of an LHRH agonist led to an inhibition of ovarian function characterized by a loss of ovarian LH receptors (Auclair, Kelly et al. 1977a; Auclair, Kelly et al. 1977b; Auclair, Ferland et al. 1978) and blockage of steroidogenesis (Bélanger, Auclair et al. 1979; Rivier, Rivier et al. 1979; Bélanger, Labrie et al. 1980) in male rats, it became of interest to investigate the possibility of a similar loss of ovarian gonadotropin receptors in female animals. In fact, a single injection of 8 ng of an LHRH agonist on diestrus I leads to a significant reduction of ovarian LH receptors (30%) (Kledzik, Cusan et al. 1978). A near maximal inhibition (60%) of ovarian LH receptors is seen at the dose of 40 ng, the inhibitory effect remaining of similar magnitude up to a dose of 25 μg. The decrease in ovarian LH receptors is accompanied by a marked reduction of uterine wet weight, intrauterine fluid, and plasma progesterone concentration as measured on the morning of expected proestrus; serum LH and FSH levels remain unchanged (Kledzik, Cusan et al. 1978).
In fact, estrogen deficiency is known to cause bone loss and osteoporosis, thus limiting the use of otherwise efficient LHRH agonists for the treatment of endometriosis and uterine fibroids. This has led to the suggestion of using a single 6-month course of LHRH agonist for the treatment of endometriosis (Fogelman 1992). Such a treatment schedule is generally accompanied by a return of endometriosis upon cessation of LHRH agonist treatment because of insufficient apoptosis of endometriotic cells.
"Add-back" hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the combining of various agents with GnRH-a, has been recommended as a means of maintaining a therapeutic response and reducing potential adverse events of GnRH therapy. The rationale for this approach derives from the estrogen threshold hypothesis, which stipulates that estrogen within a certain concentration range may partially prevent bone loss while not stimulating growth of endometrial lesions (Barbieri 1992). To prevent the bone loss associated with LHRH-A therapy, the addition of low dose estrogen (add-back therapy) has thus been studied. It is unlikely, however, that maximal effects on endometriosis are achieved with add-back estrogen therapy.
When the progestogen medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) was used with an LHRH agonist for 6 months, no significant BMD change was found in the proximal and distal forearm (Friedman 1989). Progestogen therapy in the form of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) (Lemay, Dodin et al. 1989; Cedars, Lu et al. 1990) or norethindrone (Riis, Christiansen et al. 1990; Eldred, Haynes et al. 1992; Surrey and Judd 1992) in combination with GnRH-a therapy has been evaluated in several small studies. Both therapies appear to eliminate vasomotor symptoms and BMD loss associated with GnRH-a therapy, but continuous administration of MPA appears to reverse the beneficial effects of GnRH-a, and norethindrone has adverse effects on the lipid profile (Surrey 1995).
MPA, however, has shown an increased risk of breast cancer (Women's Health Initiative 2002).
Estrogen receptor antagonists can also be useful to block the estrogens responsible for stimulation of endometriotic tissue proliferation. Estrogen receptor antagonists to be used can be Fulvestrant, Raloxifene, Tamoxifen, Toremifene, Arzoxifene, LY 335563 (Desmethylarzoxifene), LY 335124, LY 326315, CHF-4227, Nafoxidine, Lasofoxifene, LY-2066948, LY-2120310, Ospemifene, Sivifene (A-007), TAS-108, Bazedoxifene acetate (1-{4-[2-(Azepan-1-yl)ethoxy]benzyl}-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-methyl-4H-indol-5-ol acetate), ERA-923, Afimoxifene, (Z)-4-hydroxytamoxifen, Enclomiphene, Fispemifene, Acolbifene, EM-652, EM-800, Droloxifene, Idoxifene, GW 5638, TAT-59, GW-7603, Centchroman, Levormeloxifene, ICI-164384, BL-3040, CH-4893237, SR 16158, SR 16137, Rad-1901, SERM 3471 (PSK-3471), HMR 3339, HMR 3656, CC 8490, 11β-Fluoro-7α-[5-(methyl3-[(4,4,5,5,5-pentafluoropentyl)sulfanyl]propylamino)pentyl]estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17β-diol (SH 646, see WO1998/007740), 11β-Fluoro-17α-methyl-7α-5-[methyl(8,8,9,9,9-pentafluorononyl)amino]pentylestra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17β-diol (see WO2003/045972) or (+)-3-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-[4-(2-piperidin-1-ylethoxy)phenyl]-4-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-chromen-7-ol (see WO2001/68634).
Steroidal and non-steroidal antiestrogens (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators) have been disclosed in the treatment of estrogen-related diseases, including endometriosis in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,395,842; 5,393,785; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,337. Other Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators have been also disclosed for the treatment of endometriosis in WO 97/04763; UK 2 303 628 A; WO 96/09040; WO 96/09041; EP 0 652 005 A1; EP 0 731 093 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,797; EP 0 761 669 A2; U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,828; EP 0 729 951 A1; and EP 0 703 228 A1; WO 2004/009086; US 2004/0259915; WO 2005/073190; WO 2005/073205; WO 2005/073206; and WO 2005/073244. Combination therapy for the treatment of estrogen-sensitive disease has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,107.
The combination of LHRH agonist or antagonist with a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) or antiestrogen has been disclosed in the treatment of estrogen-related diseases including endometriosis in EP 1424080 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,309,691 B2, US 2001/0041672 A1 and WO 02/056903 A2. The use of clomiphene to protect the skeleton during LHRH agonist therapy of endometriosis has been suggested (Goulding and Fisher 1991).
DHEA, DHEA-S, 5-diol and androstenedione can be converted in a cell- and tissue-specific fashion into estrogens and/or androgens by the process of intracrinology (Labrie, Bélanger et al. 1988; Labrie 1991; Labrie, Luu-The et al. 2005 and Labrie 2007).
This invention describes a new method for treating estrogen-related diseases including endometriosis.

Methods of treating or preventing estrogen-related diseases


An optical recoding carrier and an information recording method applying an amplitude shift keying (ASK) method or further a DC-biased ASK method are provided, wherein at least one periodically undulated section and at least one non-periodically undulated section are formed on the optical recording carrier to indicate specific information. The information recording method can be embodied as an addressing method of an optical disk for recording address information of tracks of the optical disk. A continuous track structure is provided on the optical recording carrier to save the available recording space and improve the information reading precision of the optical recording carrier. Furthermore, a signal generating apparatus and an information reading apparatus applied in the information recording method are provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical recording carrier applying an amplitude shift keying (ASK) method for recording information, an information recording method applying the ASK method, and a reading apparatus and a generating apparatus for reading and generating the information.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, different types of optical disks in the market have different addressing structures and methods. For example, CD-R/-RW, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, and DVD-RAM use physical identification data (PID) for indicating address information so as to identify the physical positions of tracks on an optical disk. The PID is usually pre-recorded on the optical disk during the fabrication process of the optical disk.
Among existing addressing techniques, the addressing technique adopted by CD-R/RW optical disk is to pre-record the address information on grooves of an optical disk through frequency modulation (i.e. to embed the address information in the grooves) so that the data and the address information can be read together from the groove structure by a player and the action of the pickup head can be conveniently controlled. Besides, an addressing structure referred as land pre-pits is adopted by DVD-R/-RW optical disk, and which is to pre-record pits on the land area of an optical disk for indicating the address information. Moreover, the addressing technique adopted by DVD+R/+RW optical disk is to embed the address information into the grooves through phase modulation, and the addressing technique adopted by DVD-RAM optical disk is to arrange the address information on the tracks of an optical disk in the form of embossed pits so as to divide the tracks into different sections.

Optical recording carrier, signal generating apparatus, information recording method, and information reading apparatus

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Having detected an anomalous fault in a peripheral I/O slot, a processor entity may need to perform some remedial action, wherein the peripheral slot may have a fault line. First a voltage may be detected on the slot. Processor entity may set a fault if a voltage is found. A hotplug controller which may provide outputs that the processing entity may store as a fault syndrome word. The service processor or operating system, either during initial program load, or at another time, may detect that the fault could be a false fault depending on a set of predefined conditions and following the mechanism described here can then clear the fault earlier set. If an action from a previous device list is set, then there may be a clearing of the voltage fault based on determining that the action is set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the art of configuration management and fault detection in modular electrical systems, and more particularly to permitting alternate voltage sources to be applied to daughterboards without conflicts from primary systems that may apply a voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Enterprise server systems usually have external input/output (I/O) devices for expansion. The most common expansion bus interface used for this is Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) and its extended and improved version PCI-X. When a system supports hot plug capabilities, power to the PCI slots is controlled by hot plug controller modules, hereinafter "hotplug controller", that are capable of detecting voltage faults and disabling the slot if a fault is found. There are cases where anomalous or false power faults can be detected if a voltage is found in the lines going to the PCI slot prior to the motherboard or system planar powering on. The anomalous fault may happen if an external device connected to the PCI adapter or card is powered on before the motherboard finishes an initial program load. This often happens in the case where external devices are shared between different server systems.
A problem may develop if the external device is powered on before the PCI slots are powered on. No problem develops if the external device is powered on after the PCI slots have been powered-on. However an anomalous fault often occurs if the timing is reversed. That is, the fault is based merely on the timing of applying power, and not on any real defect in the card or supporting system. The problem results in a person performing a manual hotplug operation when the anomalous power fault occurs. Only then, is a person able to properly configure the PCI slot for the system. Otherwise, the PCI slot remains in an unconfigured or disabled state.
A previous solution for the problem was to add extra hardware, such as diodes, inverters or other devices, to prevent current back flow into the PCI slots from the card. Unfortunately, this solution is either not effective or too expensive in situations where a power feedback problem is discovered in motherboards that are already in use in the field. Moreover, additional hardware means greater expenses in assembly, inventory and other costs of production for those motherboards that are intended to be made.
Thus, it would be advantageous if a series of steps or inexpensive apparatus could identify an anomalous power fault and assure that the affected slot is configured or otherwise enabled.

Method to override daughterboard slots marked with power fault

International Business Machines Corporation


Polyimide compositions, films, and electronic devices using polyimides, based on 9-aryl-9(perfluoroalkyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride or 9,9'-bis(perfluoroalkyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride and benzidine derivatives. These polyimides offer a combination of low linear coefficient of thermal expansion, low dielectric constant, and low water absorption.

Polyimides constitute a class of valuable polymers being characterized by thermal stability, inert character, usual insolubility in even strong solvents, and high T.sub.g, among others Their precursors are usually polyamic acids, which may take the final imidized form either by thermal or by chemical treatment.
Polyimides have always found a large number of applications requiring the aforementioned characteristics in numerous industries, and recently their applications have started increasing dramatically in electronic devices, especially as dielectrics. With continuously escalating sophistication in such devices, the demands on the properties and the property control are becoming rather vexatious.
Especially for the electronics industry, improvements of polyimides are needed in forming tough, pin-hole free coatings, having lower dielectric constant, lower linear coefficient of thermal expansion, and lower moisture absorption, among others. It is not usually possible to maximize all properties, since many of them are antagonistic. Thus, only a compromised solution has so far been achieved by at least partially sacrificing one or more of these properties in order to maximize a desired one.
It has now been found that polyimides based on 9-aryl-9(perfluoroalkyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride or 9,9'-bis(perfluoroalkyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride and a class of benzidine derivatives provide compositions which may be used to form dielectric films for electronic circuits characterized by high thermal stability, low linear coefficient of thermal expansion, low dielectric constant, and low water absorption.
Japanese Patent Application Publication Kokai Hei 2-60933 (Masaki Ishisawa et al., Pub. Date: Mar. 1, 1990) discloses certain compositions of polyimides containing a benzidine derivative and derivatives containing fluorochains. However, one of the disadvantages of these compositions is the fact that the fluorochains contain adjacent carbon atoms having hydrogen and fluorine atoms, and are subject to premature thermal decomposition, due to dehydrofluorination. This publication does not recognize the importance of low water absorption, as this property is not even mentioned. Furthermore, this publication does not mention, suggest, or imply the combination of 9-aryl-9-(perfluoroalkyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride or 9,9'-bis(perfluoroalkyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride and benzidine derivatives for achieving the advantages of the present invention.

Polyimides based on a 9-aryl-9(perfluoroalkyl)-xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride or 9,9'-bis(perfluoro-alkyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-dianhydride and benzidine derivatives


The present invention relates to accelerators for curing unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, and acrylic resins in conjunction with peroxide type initiators. The accelerators are based on iron/manganese complexes of a tridentate, tetradentate, pentadentate, or hexadentate nitrogen donor ligands. Also disclosed are curable resin compositions including the forgoing accelerators and a curing process for employing these accelerators. These resin compositions show good curing properties and do not contain cobalt accelerators. The present invention further relates to gel coats and molded composites prepared from such unsaturated polyester, vinyl ester, and acrylic resins.

Thermoset resins, including unsaturated polyesters and vinyl esters, are commonly employed in a variety of fabrications, such as casting materials, fiber reinforced materials, and coatings. These resins are typically dissolved in an unsaturated vinyl monomer, like styrene, to facilitate crosslinking (curing) and reduce viscosity. The resin is cured with a peroxide type initiator by means of a free radical co-polymerization mechanism to form a solid article. Accelerators are used to promote the decomposition of peroxides.
WO2008003496 discloses a resin composition comprising an unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin, a manganese compound and a thiol-containing compound and a peroxide compound having formula ROOH, in which R is hydrogen or an optionally substituted alkyl group.
WO2008003495 discloses an unsaturated polyester resin composition comprising an unsaturated polyester resin, a manganese compound, a 1,3-dioxo compound and a base; the resin composition being curable with a peroxide.


Systems and methods for operating a controlled device via an activation accessory that includes a vibration motor, a wearable module including a clench-detection sensor (e.g., a Hal effect sensor), and a communication element. The sensor is coupled to a controller, which has an output coupled to a control signal interface and another output coupled to the vibration motor. The controller is programmed to receive and evaluate input signals from the sensor to determine whether or not they represent a command for the controlled device by assessing the input signals for a signal pattern indicative of a plurality of volitional jaw clench actions of a wearer of the wearable module. If/when the processor determines that the input signals represent the command, then it decodes the command and transmits an associated control signal to the controlled device via the control signal interface as well as an activation signal to the vibration motor.

It is common for aviators, especially those operating military fixed-wing aircraft, to wear respiration systems that include a mask and for such masks to include therein control switches that can be manipulated by the wearer using his/her lip or tongue. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,184,903 describes a hands-free, mouth-activated switch disposed within a cup-shaped, rigid portion of a pilot's oxygen mask. Among the elements controllable by such a switch is a night vision compatible light.
While such systems are common, they do not provide complete solutions for an entire aircraft crew. For example, not all crew members may wear or even have access to oxygen masks or such masks as include these types of switches. Moreover, it is highly unusual for civilian aircraft crews to have such masks as employ mouth-activated switches. Even if the mask-fitted, mouth-activated switches are employed, use thereof demands that the mask be worn. This would not be typical of flight crew members when embarking or disembarking the aircraft. Hence, the associated controlled systems (e.g., illumination systems) are predictably unavailable for use during these activities.


A method and apparatus for provision of persistence context to program components. An embodiment of a method includes receiving a call from a persistence engine, the call requesting a persistence context for a program component of a computer application. There is a method call to obtain the persistence context; and the persistence context is provided to the persistence engine. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

In computer applications in which program components or objects are utilized, the persistence of the program components is a factor to be addressed by a developer. The persistence of the program objects may vary according to the needs of a system and the type of program components that are utilized.
For example, program components may include enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs) that exist in a Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) environment or in a standalone operation in the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition (J2SE). The persistence of such components is governed by the standards for an EJB, including the Enterprise JavaBean Specification 3.0 (referred to herein as the EJB 3.0 Specification).
Program components may exist in various different environments, depending on the type of operation. In a conventional process, it may be necessary to handle persistence in differing manners depending on the operation.
In the particular example of EJB persistence, an EJB persistence provider can be used both in enterprise and stand-alone situations, in J2EE and J2SE environments respectively. In conventional operations, the environments are generally treated differently for persistence. For this reason an application developer is generally required to separately address the different operations in each such environment, thereby complicating the application development process.

Provision of persistence context to program components


An image processing apparatus comprises a first correction part for correcting an error of an input multilevel tone data so that a corrected data having a speficied number of bits is supplied, a multilevel rendition part for generating a multilevel rendition data and an error data from the corrected data being compared with a plurality of predetermined threshold levels, an error diffusion part for carrying out a prescribed error diffusion of the error data and for supplying a resulting error data for use in an error correction process of a subsequent data, and a second correction part for correcting the multilevel rendition data by a specified bit of the input multilevel tone data so that a corrected multilevel image data that is appropriate for being outputted by an output unit in which a multilevel tone data is assigned to each pixel included in an output image data is supplied.

The present invention relates generally to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus which is applied to an image processing part of a digital image output unit, such as a copier, a facsimile or a printer, by which pseudo halftone images having an appropriate image quality can be generated from a multilevel tone data by making use of a prescribed image processing technique.
Conventionally, the dither process, which is a prior image processing technique, has been used to generate a halftone data from a multilevel tone data inputted from an original document by a scanner, and convert the halftone image data into a data appropriate for being outputted by an output device, such as a printer, in which only a bilevel image data can be outputted suitably. When the dither process is applied to the image processing, the input multilevel tone data is compared with a predetermined dither matrix pattern so as to determine the value of a bilevel data for each pixel in the output image data. However, the dither process described above has a disadvantage in that a high resolution of a reproduced image is not compatible with a multiple gray level of the output image data, that is, it is inevitable in the case where the dither process is applied that the higher the resolution, the lower is the gray level.
On the other hand, there is another known halftone rendition technique which can provide a reproduced image having a good resolution together with a sufficient gray level. Such a prior halftone rendition technique is generally called the error diffusion method. This conventional error diffusion method has a feature, namely, that an error of optical density of an image produced when a bilevel rendition process is performed is stored in an error buffer memory for use in the bilevel rendition process of pixels adjacent to a pixel being considered so that the optical density of the image from an original document is maintained by the image processing after a multilevel tone process is performed. The multilevel tone process described above is a process that is performed in order to reduce the number of tone levels of input pixels to a number of tone levels of an output image data that can be outputted with a reproduced image having a suitable image quality by the output device including a copier, a facsimile and a printer. Conventionally, a bilevel rendition technique such as the dither process is applied to most of the output devices, because the output devices can suitably output a bilevel image data only. However, the multilevel tone process described above is not limited to the bilevel rendition process, as it can also include several multilevel rendition processes such as two-level, three-level, ... and sixteen-level rendition processes. The conventional error diffusion technique described above is disclosed, for example, in "Digital Halftoning" (the name of a paper contained in a journal published by the Institute of Television Engineers of Japan).
As described above, it is known that the conventional error diffusion process is often applied when a pseudo halftone data is generated from an input multilevel tone data inputted by the scanner. However, when the above conventional error diffusion technique adapted for bilevel rendition is applied without any modification or change to the multilevel tone process so that a processed image data is outputted by an output device, such as a printer, in which a multilevel tone data is assigned to each pixel included in the output image data, there is a problem in that a pseudo outline may sometimes be produced at portions of a reproduced image where the optical density of the reproduced image does not change clearly, or an undesired moire pattern may appear in the reproduced image especially when a screened halftone data is processed. In addition, the conventional error diffusion method adapted primarily for performing a bilevel rendition process has a disadvantage in that it is very difficult to supply a processed image data appropriate for being outputted by a printer in which a multilevel tone data is assigned to each pixel included in the output image data. To eliminate this problem, there is an improved multilevel tone process which does not use the prior error diffusion method for bilevel rendition, and in this multilevel tone process a multilevel rendition is carried out by a corrected data being compared with a plurality of predetermined threshold levels. However, the hardware of an error diffusion part of the image processing apparatus to which such an improved multilevel tone process is applied must be changed in accordance with the particular output device used, since there is a different optimal number of tone levels for each type of output device or printer.


An improved aortic cannula is provided for use in heart bypass surgery. The cannula includes an elongated tube with a terminal end. The terminal end has a ramped surface leading to the discharge opening, with a lip extending approximately 70.degree.-90.degree. to the longitudinal axis of the cannula at the bottom of the discharge opening. The curved surface and lip cause the blood to exit the cannula opening in a direction approximately 70.degree.-90.degree. from the longitudinal axis of the cannula, and in a direction toward the ascending aorta. With the improved cannula of the present invention, no blood is directed towards the aortic arch, thereby minimizing the risk of stroke from dislodged plaque commonly found in the aortic arch. The curved surface of the terminal end also reduces the blood flow turbulence, thereby decreasing pressure requirements. The width of the opening allows blood to be discharged in a broadcast band with a radius of approximately 90.degree..

The present invention relates generally to medical devices and, in particular, aortic cannulas. Aortic cannulas are used to return blood to the aorta while the heart is by-passed during heart surgery. These cannulas are purposely made with small diameters to minimize the disruption to the aorta, which in many heart surgery patients have advanced complex atherosclerotic plaque with adherent blood thrombi.
Aortic cannulas generally comprise an elongated tube having a terminal end. In at least some styles of conventional cannulas, a single opening is provided in the terminal end which provides a single stream of blood exiting the cannula and entering the aortic arch. Due to the small diameter of the cannula, the flow velocity of the blood through the single opening in the terminal end of the cannula is extremely high, resulting in "jet" flow. The fluid pressure at the discharge end of the prior art cannula is also high. It is believed that the force of this jet stream of blood dislodges atherosclerotic plaque and/or adherent thrombi from the walls of the aorta, causing embolisms and strokes.
Attempts in the art to prevent embolisms resulting from cannulation have included designing the cannula in order to reduce the velocity of blood exiting the terminal end. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,288 describes a cannula having a conical diffuser placed toward the proximal end of the cannula. The cannula includes several outlet openings in the sidewall to permit blood deflected by the diffuser to flow out of the cannula. This cannula design, however, still directs blood toward the sides of the aortic arch wherein the atherosclerotic plaque usually lies. Thus, the patient is still susceptible to embolisms and strokes.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved aortic cannula which does not cause injury to the aortic tissues or dislodge atherosclerotic plaque during cannulation.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved aortic cannula which directs blood flow from the cannula toward the ascending aorta.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved aortic cannula which reduces the risk of embolisms or stroke present with the use of conventional cannulas.
Still a further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved aortic cannula which decreases the jet effect of blood flow from the cannula.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved cannula which directs the blood flow approximately 90.degree. from the cannula axis and which broadcasts the blood flow through the cannula opening across a radius of approximately 90.degree..
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved aortic cannula which is economical to manufacture and convenient, durable, and safe to use.
These and other objectives will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


A method, apparatus and system for pre-authenticating ports is disclosed. In one embodiment, an active port facilitating communication of media content between a transmitting device and a receiving device is identified, while the active port are associated with a first High-Definition Content Protection (HDCP) engine. Then, inactive ports that are in idle mode serving as backup ports to the active port are identified, while the inactive ports are associated with a second HDCP engine. Pre-authentication of each of the inactive ports is performed so the pre-authenticated inactive ports can subsequently replace the active port if a port switch is performed.

In the operation of a system that utilizes multiple data streams, such as multiple media data streams for display. The data may include data protected by High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) data, which is referred to herein as HDCP data. Thus, a system may result multiple encoded streams that require deciphering. However, the process of deciphering HDCP can be time consuming. This generally results in a delay before the data may be viewed or heard, thereby interfering with the use and enjoyment of a system.
HDCP is a content protection protocol that is used to protect media content, particularly premium media content. For example, when there is flow of content between transmitting device (e.g., a DVD player) and a receiving device (e.g., a television) via the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) interface, the premium media content flowing is to be protected, such as the receiving device is validated and authenticated before receiving such media content from the transmitting device, while the transmitting device is validated and authenticated before the receiving the device accepts its content. This validation and authentication of the two devices is performed by exchanging some initial verification data (e.g., public/private keys), which may last less than a second or two.
Each time there is change in the connection, such as the change in connection ports, media content, etc, a new validation/authentication process is run. For example, if the receiving device is now connected to another transmitting device (e.g., digital camera), these two devices are now validated and authenticated before the protected media content can be communicated between them. This process is cumbersome and time-consuming and wastes valuable resources.
Additionally, HDCP receivers are purely slave devices and there is not a way for a receiver to explicitly signal the transmitter with any request or status. For example, even a "broken" link can only be signaled implicitly by intentionally "breaking" the Ri sequence. Although there are various types of HDCP transmitters, many of them exhibit unsuitable behavior that is the primary cause of much of the delay.
It is, therefore, desirable to have the ports pre-authenticated so that the necessity to run an authentication process each time a port is swapped with another port is eliminated.

Method, apparatus, and system for pre-authentication and processing of data streams


A direct current switch with a device for arc extinction independent of current direction includes at least two interconnected switch units, each switch unit having at least one current path having an interruption surface and having at least two switch contact elements for forming the interruption surface. An arc extinction device is associated with one or a plurality of current paths of the switch units. Devices for magnetic field generation are included, each generated magnetic field being assigned to different switch units' interruption surface and oriented such that its field lines run transversally to the respective interruption surface. Given a current flow direction, deflection forces of at least two generated magnetic fields act through flow paths contrary to arcs extending longitudinally to respective interruption surface such that an arc is deflected towards the arc extinction device and a further arc is deflected away from the arc extinction device.

A known principle for extinguishing arcs in switch disconnectors and circuit breakers for alternating currents consists in forcing an arc with the aid of its own magnetic field into an extinction chamber provided specifically for this purpose, where it is split into a plurality of small arcs and cooled by the arrangement of extinction plates. This cooling causes a rise in voltage, which ultimately leads to the current being disconnected. The natural zero crossing of the current is also helpful here in the case of an applied alternating voltage source.
The extinction of arcs in the case of direct current switches is substantially more problematic in contrast since, especially in the case of high direct current voltages of up to 1500 volts, for example, and currents which are low relative to the nominal current (and which are dependent on the existing switch geometry), for example roughly 5 . . . 50 A, only a small magnetic field of the arc itself prevails, which is not normally sufficient to force the arc into an extinction chamber. A further problem is that no natural zero crossing exists in the case of direct currents, which makes the extinction of arcs even more difficult.
In an extreme case therefore when a direct current is switched, an arc between the open contacts of a switch can remain, not be extinguished and under certain circumstances destroy the switch, especially damage the switch contacts. Other standard protective devices such as circuit breakers likewise do not lead to the current being disconnected, since this is normally below the nominal current, i.e. there is an operating current for these protective devices which prevents disconnection.
EP 2 061 053 A2 discloses using the housing of a switching device for alternating current applications in the manufacture of a switching device for direct current applications and adapting this housing at low cost for direct current applications by adding a permanent magnet arranged in particular on the outside of the housing. As a result of this, the direct current switching capability of conventional alternating current switching devices is substantially increased since arcs are moved away from contact points of the switching device into extinction chambers by the permanent magnet field. It is also regarded as an advantage of the disclosure of EP 2 061 053 A2 that not every splitting surface and every extinction device needs to be assigned to one individual magnet each as is the case with known direct current switching devices.
W02012/076606A1 discloses a switch which is suitable for multipolar direct current operation independent of polarity and has at least two switching chambers. Each of the switching chambers has two extinction chambers with extinction plates to extinguish arcs occurring in the respective switching chamber between contact regions. Two magnets generate a magnetic field in the region of the switching contacts of all the switching chambers such that arcs are forced towards one of the extinction chambers of the switching chambers irrespective of the current direction in the arc. This switch exhibits rapid, reliable extinction behavior that is independent of the current direction and therefore prevents installation faults caused by polarity and is suitable for applications where switches are needed for both current directions.

Direct current switch with a device for arc extinction independent of current direction