An improved punching tool (1) has a lower tool (3), which is subdivided into a lower tool base plate (7) and a lower-tool operative part (8). The lower tool base plate (7) has a receiving face, with which uniform base areas of a plurality of lower-tool operative parts (8) are associated. The dividing place between the lower-tool operative part (8) and the lower tool base plate (9) is disposed such that all the workpiece-specific designs are present exclusively on the lower-tool operative part (8), while the lower tool base plate (7) is the same, without change, for all workpieces to be machined.

The invention relates to a punching tool, in particular for green sheets.
It is often necessary, in still-unfired sheetlike ceramic substrates (green sheets), to punch holes in a certain pattern for one or more components or through-contacting means, before the substrate is further processed, for instance into supports for electronic components and conductor tracks. For that purpose, the punching tool has an upper tool that is provided with dies and a lower tool that has a cutting plate. The cutting plate has a flat top side, in which the holes to be punched are located at the intended points. With this arrangement, it is possible to produce components with a punched grid that is replicable. Depending on the feeding of the green sheet, it is possible with one and the same tool to create different punched patterns or components. Below the cutting plate, there is an air distributor plate and a vacuum plate, which mechanically support the cutting plate and supply the required media. For instance, the punched holes of the cutting plate must be subjected to compressed air, in order to blow punching waste (so-called slugs) out of the punched hole. Openings are also provided in the cutting plate and are subjected to compressed air, for guiding the green sheet on an air cushion. The feeding of the green sheet is thus reinforced. The disposition of the openings, like the disposition of the punched openings, is dependent on the pattern to be punched into the green sheet; that is, it is workpiece-specific or component-dependent. Accordingly, the embodiment of the vacuum plate which brings the media to the cutting plate is also workpiece-dependent. The vacuum plate is in turn supported by a lower tool base plate. The lower tool base plate is adapted to the workpiece-specific vacuum plate.
If a machine is to be converted from one workpiece or component (green sheet) to another workpiece, with a different punching grid, then the entire punching tool is replaced. If a component with a new punching grid is to be punched, then the entire tool is constructed from scratch.

Punching tool with re-usable, neutral structural groups


Values for one or more particle properties, such as an aerosol asymmetry parameter g, can be measured directly using a detector that measures scattered light. The detector can comprise two or more diffusers coupled to optical sensors responsive to scattered light that is incident on the surfaces of the diffusers. One or more weighing functions can be obtained based on diffuser geometry. In an example, the diffusers correspond to quadrants of a circular toroid.

Radiative transfer models can be used to model the transfer of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., sunlight) in the atmosphere and can be useful for understanding and modeling phenomena such as global climate change. One factor these models consider is how much light is absorbed or reflected by particles suspended in the atmosphere, thereby contributing to radiative forcing. Such particles include aerosols, which are generally no larger than about 10 μm in diameter. Aerosols may be generated naturally, for example by wild fires, dust entrainment, volcanic eruptions, etc., or they may be a result of human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels. The amount of light that an aerosol or other particle absorbs or scatters depends on factors such as the size, shape and composition of the particle.
The angular distribution of light scattered by aerosol particles is useful in determining the aerosol contribution to radiative forcing. This angular distribution is commonly parameterized into a single value, the asymmetry parameter g, for use in large-scale radiative transfer models. This asymmetry parameter g is used to describe the angular distribution or phase function of aerosol scattering, often according to the single-parameter Henyey-Greenstein phase function. See, e.g., Henyey, L. C. and J. L. Greenstein "Diffuse Radiation in the Galaxy," Astrophys. J 93, 70-83 (1941); and Cornette, W. M. and J. G. Shanks, "Physically Reasonable Analytic Expression for the Single-Scattering Phase Function," Appl. Opt. 31, 3152-3160 (1992). According to this function, the asymmetry parameter g is defined as an intensity-weighted average cosine of the scattering angle,
                                                        g              =                                                                            1                                      4                                        π                                                                                ∫                                          4                                            π                                                                                ⅆ                      Ω                                                                                P                                                                    (                        θ                        )                                                                                cos                                                                    (                        θ                        )                                                                                =                                                                            1                                      4                                        π                                                                                ∫                    0                    π                                                                                ⅆ                      θ                                                                                P                                                                    (                        θ                        )                                                                                sin                                                                    (                        θ                        )                                                                                cos                                                                    (                        θ                        )                                                                                ∫                        0                                                  2                                                    π                                                                                ⅆ                        ϕ                                                                                =                                                                                1                    2                                                                                ∫                      0                      π                                                                                ⅆ                        θ                                                                                P                                                                          (                          θ                          )                                                                                sin                                                                          (                          θ                          )                                                                                cos                                                                          (                          θ                          )                                                                                ,                                                          (        1        )            wherein θ is an angle between a propagation direction of an incident light flux and a direction of propagation of a scattered light flux, and wherein P(θ) is a phase function giving an angular distribution of the scattered light. Values of g range from −1 for pure backscattering to +1 for pure forward scattering.
Rather than being measured directly, the asymmetry parameter g is typically estimated indirectly from other aerosol parameters. See, e.g., Andrews et al., "Comparison of Methods for Deriving Aerosol Asymmetry Parameter," J. Geophys. Res., 111, doi: 10.1029/2004JD005734 (2006). Cloud integrating nephelometers and polar nephelometers have been used for the measurement of g for large particles (e.g., large relative to the wavelength of incident light that the particles scatter), including water drops and ice crystals. Modifications to an integrating nephelometer to measure aerosol g directly have been proposed previously. See, e.g., Gayet, J. F. et al. "A New Airborne Polar Nephelometer for the Measurements of Optical and Microphysical Cloud Properties. Part I: Theoretical Design" Ann. Geophysicae 15, 451-459 (1997); Gerber et al. "Nephelometer Measurements of the Asymmetry Parameter, Volume Extinction Coefficient, and Backscatter Ratio in Arctic Clouds," J. Atmos. Sci. 57, 3021-3034 (2000); and Heintzenberg, J. and R. J. Charlson, "Design and Application of the Integrating Nephelometer: A Review," J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol. 13, 987-1000 (1996). Cloud integrating nephelometers typically cannot measure aerosol properties, and polar nephelometers are typically complex and expensive.

Instrument for measuring particle parameters

Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education, on behalf of the Desert Research Institute


A hose coupling, and method of constructing same, for sealably interconnecting a flexible hose and a rigid center pipe. The hose coupling is assembled without requiring relative rotation between the rigid center pipe and the inner surface of the flexible hose. The method includes the steps of inserting an end of the center pipe rectilinearly into the opening of the flexible hose, disposing a compression sleeve member having first and second outwardly facing frustoconical surfaces about the flexible hose, disposing first and second complementary threaded tubular members, which respectively define first and second outwardly facing frustoconical surfaces, about the flexible hose and rigid center pipe, respectively, and threadably drawing the first and second complementary threaded tubular members together such that the first and second outwardly inwardly facing frustoconical surfaces respectively force the first and second outwardly facing frustoconical surfaces inwardly to compress the compression member tightly about the flexible hose and the center pipe. The hose coupling includes the compression sleeve member, the first and second complementary threaded tubular members, and the cooperative frustoconical surfaces which force the compression sleeve member to a smaller stressed diameter which securely and sealably interconnects the rigid pipe member and flexible hose.

Flexible hoses have been developed for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry which have an inner liner designed to inhibit permeation of refrigerant through the hose wall. Such hoses, such as Aeroquip's FC505 hose, reduce liberation of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants to the atmosphere, thought to be harmful to the earth's ozone layer. The inner liner, for example, may include a thin layer of a polyamide polymer, such as a polyamide from the nylon family.
It is common in the refrigeration industry to utilize a hose fitting or hose coupling which sealingly interconnects a rigid center pipe and a flexible hose, including the insertion of the rigid center pipe into the hose opening. This interconnection often requires relative rotation between the rigid center pipe and flexible hose as the rigid center pipe is forced to the desired dimension within the hose opening. Such relative rotation, however, can damage the inner liner of the aforesaid refrigeration hoses, defeating the purpose of such hoses.
Thus, it is desirable, and it is an object of the present invention, to provide a new and improved hose coupling, and method of constructing same, which will provide a reliable sealed joint between a rigid center pipe and a flexible hose, without causing damage to hoses of the type which include an inner liner.
It would also be desirable, and it is another object of the present invention, to provide a new and improved hose coupling, and method of constructing same, which, in addition to preventing damage to hoses having an inner liner, permit disassembly and re-use of the components used in the hose coupling.

Hose coupling and method of constructing same


A scissor-action piston rotary engine. The engine comprises a cylinder with a pair of rotors which are supported by a mutual main shaft and rotatably housed inside the cylinder. Each of the rotors has a pair of diametrically opposed sector shape pistons with the pistons diametrically intermediately arrayed to form a circular piston-space-piston arrangement. Two pairs of planet gears each with eccentric pins and cranks are linked to the rotors through planet gear housings. Two sun gears with the gear ratio of 2:1 are drivingly engaged to the planet gears. Two pairs of torque transmission arms which are axially offset and diametrically apart by 90.degree. are mounted on the main shaft. Four distributive arms are provided to link the eccentric pins with the torque transmission arms.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a high power density scissor-action piston rotary internal combustion engine and, in particular, to gear-driven mechanism engine with modified kinematic configuration and enhanced reliability due to the addition of distributive arms to the kinematic linkage system. The addition of distributive arms to the kinematic linkage system represents a new and superior kinematic configuration for high performance, scissor-action piston, rotary internal combustion engines.
2. Prior Art
Many versions of scissor-action engines have existed. All such prior scissor-action engine designs have used rotary reciprocal movement between the rotor pistons to provide the four stroke cycle of the internal combustion engine. As the entire rotor assembly rotates relative to the cylinder, the engine is subjected to periodic inertia forces due to the resulting to and fro movement. The no-gear design is a trend of new designs because gears are viewed as the engine component most vulnerable to periodic stress. However, this critical evaluation of gear designs is in error. The main cause of the mechanical failure of past gear designs has been due to the inadequate kinematic configuration of the double rotor engines rather than the utilization of a gear with an optimumly designed kinematic configuration, a gear design is still a very viable alternative to no-gear designs.

Scissor-action piston rotary engine with distributive arms


Devices for monitoring, calibrating and maintaining a manufacturing robot. The first device comprises a reference pin mounted to a first member and a reference aperture located on a second adjacent member wherein the reference pin is inserted into the reference aperture when the two members are at their zero reference location. A second device checks tip alignment by periodically passing the welding tip of a welding torch through a V-shaped notch in a gauging block. The gauging block is electrically conductive and if the tip contacts the sidewalls of the V-shaped notch an electrical circuit is completed signalling the robot controller of tip misalignment. A third device comprises a shielding gas monitor having a closed tube to which the welding torch is applied for expelling shielding gas into the tube. The tube is in fluid communication with a flow gauge that measures gas flow and signals the controller if gas flow is insufficient.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to devices for calibrating, monitoring and maintaining manufacturing robots, especially welding robots.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Increasingly manufacturing robots, such as welding robots, are being used in industry for repetitive tasks. These robots are programmed to perform a specified manufacturing process. How these robots are integrated into the manufacturing process is crucial in taking full advantage of their unique advantages.
Manufacturing robots are provided with various pivoting joints, so that they can be manipulated into various configurations. For example, a second member maybe pivotally coupled to a first member. An encoder calculates the rotational position of the second member relative to the first member and provides a position signal to the robot controller. The encoder is provided with an absolute zero reference point from which the relative movements of the members can be calculated. Sometimes the encoders become broken or inaccurate. In removing an encoder from a robot, the first and second members are moved into a position where the encoder is at its absolute zero reference point and the encoder is removed. During this removal operation, the angular position of the first and second members maybe accidentally changed requiring the robot to be reprogrammed once the new encoder is installed. Such an occurrence results in additional downtime.
Welding robots are provided with welding torches having a series of shielding gas nozzles. Sufficient flow of the shielding gas during the welding process is essential for quality welds. If shielding gas flow is blocked or insufficient, defective welds are produced. Robotic welding systems typically monitor gas flow upstream from the nozzles and are incapable of detecting diversion of gas from the torch. Therefore the operator must be constantly alert for this problem.
In a welding robot, a welding wire is fed through a welding tube and projects past the shielding gas nozzles. If the wire tip is offset more than a small fraction of an inch from its desired location, the resulting weld will be uneven and weak since weld leg length and/or penetration are adversely affected by the offset. There are numerous sources of torch and wire tip misalignment. As such it is important that the alignment of the torch tip be checked periodically.


A brush seal is provided that includes a top plate, a back plate, and a bristle pack. The bristle pack is secured at a joint between the top plate and the back plate. The bristle pack includes a first bristle set extending from the joint, a second bristle set extending from the joint, and a sliding backing plate. The sliding backing plate includes a sliding portion and a support portion. The sliding portion is disposed contiguous with the second bristle set. The support portion has an inner face and a support face. The inner face is in contact with a distal end of the second bristle set. The support face is configured to support at least a portion of the first bristle set. The sliding backing plate is configured to slide relative to the second bristle set.

This disclosure relates generally to seals. More particularly, this disclosure relates to brush seals having a sliding backing plate.
Brush seals include wire bristles that extend across seal cavities between a first component and a second component to reduce airflow through the seal cavity. Brush seals typically include a top plate, a backing plate, and a bristle pack extending from between the top plate and the backing plate and across the seal cavity. The backing plate provides support to the bristles to prevent the bristles from deforming. A backing plate gap is formed in the seal cavity between a distal end of the backing plate and the second component that the bristles extend towards and contact. The portion of the bristles extending across the backing plate gap is unsupported, and as such, the bristles can blow over and deform at high pressures and temperatures. However, a relatively large backing plate gap is required in active seal cavities; i.e., seal cavities where the two components move relative to each other such that the seal cavity expands and contracts during operation, to prevent clashing between the backing plate and the second component. Clashing occurs where the second component contacts the backing plate, and clashing can cause damage to the components defining the seal cavity and to the brush seal. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,351,971 and 7,021,631 each describe examples of brush seals that are currently known.
What is needed is a brush seal that can adequately seal in a relatively high pressure differential environment and/or one that can withstand relatively high expansion and contraction of the seal cavity and still adequately seal.


A MEMS switch includes a micro-machined monolithic layer (122) having, a seesaw (52), a pair of torsion bars (66a, 66b), and a frame (64). The frame (64) supports the seesaw (52) for rotation about an axis (68) established by the torsion bars (66a, 66b). Shorting bars (58a, 58b) at ends of the seesaw (52) connect across pairs of switch contacts (56a1, 56a2, 56b1, 56b2) carried on a substrate (174) bonded to one surface of the layer (122). A base (104) is also joined to a surface of the layer (122) opposite the substrate (174). The substrate (174) carries electrodes (54a, 54b) for applying forces to the seesaw (52) urging it to rotate about the axis (68). An electrical contact island (152) supported at a free end of a cantilever (166) ensures good electrical conduction between ground plates (162a, 162b) on the layer (122) and electrical conductors on the substrate (174).

Radio frequency ("RF") switches are used widely in microwave and millimeter wave transmission systems for antenna switching applications including beam forming phased array antennas. In general, such switching applications presently use semiconductor solid state electronic switches, such as Gallium Arsenide ("GaAs") MESFETs or PIN diodes, as contrasted with mechanical switches. Such semiconductor solid state electronic switches also are used extensively in cellular telephones for switching between transmitting and receiving.
When RF signal frequency exceeds about 1 GHz, solid state switches suffer from large insertion loss in the "On" state (i.e., when an electrical signal passes through the switch) and poor electrical isolation in the "Off" state (i.e., when the switch blocks transmission of an electrical signal). MEMS switches offer distinct advantages over solid-state devices in both of these characteristics, particularly for RF frequencies near or exceeding 1 GHz.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,994,750, 6,069,540 and 6,535,091 all disclose MEMS switches in which a pair of coaxial torsion bars, a pin or a pair of flexible hinges support respectively substantially planar and rigid beams or a vane for rotation about an axis established by the torsion bars, pin or flexible hinges. In all three patents, the pair of coaxial torsion bars, the pin or the pair of flexible hinges respectively support the substantially planar and rigid beams or vane a small distance above a substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,750 ("the '750 patent") discloses that ends of the torsion bars projecting outward from the beam and anchored respectively to a pair of support members alone support the beam the small distance above the glass substrate. Both U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,540 ("the '540 patent") and U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,091 ("the '091 patent") interpose respectively the pin or an upper and lower fulcrum located at the flexible hinges between the beam or vane and the substrate to maintain a spacing therebetween.
In the instance of the '750 patent, the beam extends to only one side of the torsion bars so its rotation thereabout in closing an electrical switch provided thereby is equivalent to the movement of a door swinging on its hinges. Alternatively, both in the '540 and '091 patents the respective beam or vane extends in both directions outward from the pin or pair of flexible hinges. Thus in the structures respectively disclosed in these two patents, in closing an electrical switch the beam's or vane's rotation about the axis established by the pin or pair of flexible hinges resembles the movement of a seesaw. In all three patents, electrostatic attraction induces rotation which effects switch closure.
Omitting numerous fabrication details which appear in the text and drawings of the '750 patent, it discloses in a first example that material forming its beam initially begins as part of a monolithic p-type silicon substrate which carries an n-type diffusion layer into which boron ions are injected to form a p+ surface layer. That is, the n-type diffusion layer separates the p+ surface layer from the p-type silicon substrate. During the beam's fabrication, etching removes the p-type silicon substrate leaving only material of the n-type diffusion layer and p+ surface layer to form the beam. Similarly, torsion bar fabrication removes material of the n-type diffusion layer leaving only material of p+ surface layer to form the torsion bars. Subsequent processing forms aluminum support members spanning between the p+ surface layer material forming the torsion bar ends and the adjacent glass substrate.
The '540 patent discloses that to reduce switch insertion loss as well as improve sensitivity, its beam is preferably formed from entirely of metal as is the pin about which the beam rotates. In particular, the '540 patent discloses that the beam may be formed from nickel ("Ni") electroplated at low temperatures compared to most semiconductor processing. The '540 patent discloses that not only does its all metal beam reduce insertion losses relative to known SiO2 or composite silicon metal beams, such a configuration also improves the third order intercept point for providing increased dynamic range. Electrical potentials applied respectively between a pair of gold electrodes deposited on one side of the glass substrate nearest to the metallic beam and a pair of field plates disposed on the opposite side of the glass substrate furthest from the beam generate the electrostatic force which effects rotation of the beam about the metallic pin.
The vane included in the MEMS switch disclosed in the '091 patent is formed of relatively inflexible material, such as plated metal, evaporated metal, or dielectric material on top of a metal seed layer. Thin flexible metal hinges connect opposite sides of the vane to a gold frame which projects outward from the low-loss microwave insulating or semi-insulating substrate. The substrate may be fabricated from quartz, alumina, sapphire, Low Temperature Ceramic Circuit on Metal ("LTCC-M"), GaAs or high-resistivity silicon. Configured in this way, the vane and the hinges are disposed above the substrate, and the flexible hinges electrically couple the vane to the frame. The hinges, which can be flat or corrugated, allow the vane to rotate about a pivot axis that is parallel to the substrate and above the lower fulcrum. Pull-back and pull-down electrodes, which can be encapsulated with an insulator such as silicon nitride (Si3N4), are formed on the substrate adjacent to the vane. Electrical potentials applied either to the pull-down or the pull-back electrodes respectively close or open the MEMS switch.
A series of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,629,790, 5,648,618, 5,895,866, 5,969,465, 6,044,705, 6,272,907, 6,392,220 and 6,426,013 all disclose MEMS structured which are reminiscent to a greater or lesser extent to those described above for the '750, '540 and '091 patents. These patents all disclose an integrated, micromachined torsional scanner, which in a particular configuration, may include a frame-shaped reference member. A particular configuration of the torsional scanner includes a pair of diametrically opposed, axially aligned torsion bars that are coupled to and project from the reference member. In a particular configuration, a plate-shaped dynamic member, analogous to the beams and vane disclosed respectively in the '750, '540 and '091 patents, is encircled by the frame and is coupled thereto by the torsion bars. Configured in this way, the torsion bars support the dynamic member for rotation about an axis that is collinear with the torsion bars. The reference member, the torsion bars and the dynamic member are all monolithically fabricated from a semiconductor layer of a silicon substrate. A desirable method for fabricating the torsional scanner uses a Simox wafer, or similar wafers, e.g. a silicon-on-insulator ("SOI") substrate, where the thickness of the plate is determined by an epitaxial layer of the wafer. As compared to metals or polysilicon, single crystal silicon is preferred both for the plate and for the torsion bars because of its superior strength and fatigue characteristics. These patents also disclose using electrostatic force to effect rotary motion of the dynamic member.


The present invention provides a system (100) for conditioning multi-component slurries utilized in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of semiconductor wafers (140). The system provides a first slurry component (108), and a second slurry component (120). A conditioning component (102) has first and second inlets, and an outlet operatively coupled to a dispensing system (138). First and second flow control components (116, 126) are operably intercoupled between the first and second inlets and the first and second slurry components, respectively. The system further provides a megasonic energy source (106), adapted to generate an energy field (118) across the conditioning component. A conveyance component (114) conducts the slurry components from the inlets through the energy field, and delivers a final mixture (136) of multi-component slurry to the outlet.

The continual demand for enhanced integrated circuit performance has resulted in, among other things, a dramatic reduction of semiconductor device geometries, and continual efforts to optimize the performance of every substructure within any semiconductor device. A number of improvements and innovations in fabrication processes, material composition, and layout of the active circuit levels of a semiconductor device have resulted in very high-density circuit designs. Increasingly dense circuit design has not only improved a number of performance characteristics, it has also increased the importance of, and attention to, semiconductor material properties and behaviors.
The increased packing density of the integrated circuit generates numerous challenges to the semiconductor manufacturing process. Every device must be smaller without damaging the operating characteristics of the integrated circuit devices. High packing density, low power consumption and good reliability must be maintained without any functional device degradation. Increased packing density of integrated circuits is usually accompanied by smaller feature size.
As integrated circuits become denser, the widths of interconnect layers that connect transistors and other semiconductor devices of the integrated circuit are reduced. As the widths of interconnect layers and semiconductor devices decrease, their resistance increases. As a result, semiconductor manufacturers seek to create smaller and faster devices by using, for example, a copper interconnect instead of a traditional aluminum interconnect. Unfortunately, copper is very difficult to etch in most semiconductor process flows. Therefore, damascene processes have been implemented to form copper interconnects.
Damascene methods usually involve forming a trench and/or an opening in a dielectric layer that lies beneath and on either side of the copper-containing structures. Once the trenches or openings are formed, a blanket layer of the copper-containing material is formed over the entire device. The thickness of such a layer must be at least as thick as the deepest trench or opening. After the trenches or openings are filled with the copper-containing material, the copper-containing material over them is removed, e.g., by chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP), so as to leave the copper containing material in the trenches and openings but not over the dielectric or over the uppermost portion of the trench or opening.
During CMP, slurry is applied to the surface of a wafer as a mechanical polishing pad polishes that surface. Slurries having a variety of chemical and physical compositions are available. Depending upon its composition and its intended use, slurry may be produced to be more copper selective, more dielectric selective, or material neutral. Regardless of their affinity or neutrality, however, slurries generally comprise a number of components, such as abrasives (e.g., alumina) and reactants (e.g., peroxides). At some point in time, these components are mixed together for slurry application to a wafer surface. Ideally, the resulting mixture typically comprises some homogeneous or quasi-homogeneous blend of various particulate matter and chemicals (e.g., suspension, emulsion).
There are generally two approaches to mixing slurry components—premixing and point-of-use mixing. Conventionally, each approach has a number of disadvantages associated therewith. For example, premixed slurries are mixed at a location apart from the CMP apparatus and, for some amount of time, must be stored. Furthermore, depending upon where and when such slurry has been premixed, it may require transport to a site where the CMP apparatus is. Where slurries are left unused while sitting in storage or transport, even for relatively small amounts of time (e.g., 1 hour), a certain degree of degradation begins. Agglomerations of slurry material (e.g., gels) may begin to form. Particulate matter may begin to settle. These and other related phenomena degrade the consistency and efficacy of the slurry over time—resulting in inconsistent CMP results wafer-to-wafer and lot-to-lot. Such deficiencies can cause uneven polishing, scratches or other related anomalies. This, in turn, can cause a number of yield and reliability problems.
Certain conventional systems have attempted to address such issues by monitoring the CMP process to determine when the slurry has degraded past an unacceptable point. Depending upon which conventional system is used, the slurry may then be discarded and replaced, or put through some sort of re-mixing process. Typically, re-mixing is of limited effectiveness, and both approaches introduce a high level of labor and material costs to the manufacturing process.
Conventional point-of-use mixing also causes certain issues for manufacturers. In certain conventional systems, point-of-use mixing is achieved by applying separate slurry components to the wafer while polishing—allowing the polisher (i.e., pad) to mix the components along the surface of the wafer. Utilizing such an approach, a manufacturer cannot be sure that a full and consistent mixing, or an even polish, has occurred.
Other conventional point-of-use mixing systems may rely on an apparatus to briefly mix a small quantity of components immediately prior to application from a single outlet (e.g., nozzle). In many cases, such mixing involves some sort of mechanical agitation (e.g., stirring, shaking) that causes physical impact within or between the components of the slurry. Depending upon the slurry components used, this impact stress can cause component shear—resulting in the formation of additional agglomerations and other non-conformities in the slurry. Furthermore, such mixing is usually brief—not allowing enough time for a full mixing or beneficial pre-reaction of slurry components (i.e., conditioning), depending upon the components used.
These and other similar conventional approaches thus result in a number of CMP irregularities. Agglomerations, gels, settled particulate matter and other non-conformities occurring in such conventional systems could overpolish, under polish, mar or scratch device structures on a wafer surface. If recognized, additional efforts or expenses must be incurred to compensate or allow for these irregularities. If not recognized, these irregularities detrimentally skew the CMP process. Either way, product yield and process costs are negatively impacted.
Moreover, such conventional systems—whether premixed or point-of-use—are typically static in nature, providing for only a single slurry formulation during CMP. Most conventional systems provide the ability to change slurry formulation only on a lot-to-lot basis. Depending upon the system utilized, a manufacturer might be able to change slurry formulation on a wafer-to-wafer basis. Given the methods and apparatus of most conventional systems, however, wafer-to-wafer modification would be an exceptional circumstance rather than a routine operation—as it would add a number of time and labor-intensive steps to the process (e.g., stopping processing lines, purging component reservoirs and conduits, refilling). For similar reasons, intra-wafer modification of slurry formulation would be commercially impractical, if not impossible.
As a result, there is a need for a versatile system for point-of-use mixing or conditioning of multi-component slurries used in CMP—a system that fully and completely mixes slurry components in a versatile, non-stressful manner that reduces or eliminates slurry nonconformities, and provides for real-time modification of slurry composition, in an easy, efficient and cost-effective manner.

Versatile system for conditioning slurry in CMP process


A device for exciting surface plasmons includes a light illuminating source, a transparent substrate having a ridge, a metal layer covering side surfaces of the ridge and their neighboring region, and a thin metal film formed on a top face of the ridge. Evanescent waves caused by light emitted from the light illuminating source and transmitted through the transparent substrate and the thin metal film can excite surface plasmons in the thin metal film.

In the conventional field of optics, the focal spot size has been restricted due to the diffraction limit of light. In recent years, however, near-field light that can exceed the limit has attracted attention, and investigations using the near-field light have been vigorously conducted in various fields, for example, using a scanning near field optical microscope (SNOM) capable of observing an object of nanometer size. Among the applications of the near-field light, surface plasmon resonance has particularly attracted attention, which makes it possible to obtain electric field intensity of tens of times of that of incident light. Here, the surface plasmon resonance means a phenomenon that plasma oscillation of free electrons, which are generated locally in a metal surface layer when external electromagnetic waves are applied thereto, comes to resonate with the applied electromagnetic waves.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 1-138443 discloses a device for causing the surface plasmon resonance. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross sectional view of a basic device for causing the surface plasmon resonance. This device includes a light source 101, a light converging lens 102 for converging light emitted from the light source, a triangular prism 103 formed of a transparent dielectric, a thin metal film 104 formed on a surface of the triangular prism, and a photodetector 105 for detecting light reflected by the thin metal film.
P-polarized light emitted from light source 101 is transformed by light conversing lens 102 to convergent light, which is transmitted through triangular prism 103 and focused on thin metal film 104 at an incident angle θ. Incidentally, "p-polarized light" means linearly polarized light in which the electric vector of the light incident on a substance surface has a vibration direction that lies in a plane including the traveling direction of the light and a line normal to the substance surface. A part of the light focused on thin metal film 104 satisfies the resonance condition and comes to resonate with a surface plasmon to cause an enhanced evanescent field 106 on the free surface side of thin metal film 104. The remaining part of the light is reflected and then is detected by photodetector 105.
A graph shown in FIG. 7 is obtained by changing the incident angle θ of light on thin metal film 104. In this graph, a horizontal axis represents the incident angle θ of light, and a vertical axis represents reflectance (%). In FIG. 7, the intensity of light received by photodetector 105 becomes a minimum at a specific incident angle θs, indicating that a part of the convergent light resonates with a surface plasmon at that incident angle.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-240787 discloses an application of the above-described device for exciting surface plasmons to a microscope. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross sectional view of a basic microscope utilizing surface plasmons. This figure shows a light source 201, a beam expander (lenses 202, 203) for expanding parallel light emitted from the light source, a light converging lens 204 for transforming the parallel light expanded by the beam expander into convergent light, a prism 205 for coupling the light, a thin metal film 206 formed on a surface of prism 205, a specimen 208 separated from the thin metal film with a gap filled by emulsion oil 207, a photodetector 209 for detecting the light reflected by thin metal film 206, and an X-Y pulse stage 210 for moving specimen 208 intermittently.
Parallel light emitted from light source 201 is expanded by beam expander 202, 203, and transformed by light converging lens 204 to convergent light which is then transmitted through prism 205 and focused on thin metal film 206. Of the focused light, a light part having a specific incident angle excites a surface plasmon. The incident angle depends on the thicknesses and refractive indices of thin metal film 206, emulsion oil 207 and specimen 208.
The light reflected by thin metal film 206, without contributing to excitation of the surface plasmon, is measured by photodetector 209. Photodetector 209 detects coordinates where intensity of the reflected light is reduced due to excitation of the surface plasmon, and then a surface plasmon excitation angle can be obtained from the coordinates, thereby making it possible to determine change in refractive index of specimen 208. Further, X-Y pulse stage 210 is used to scan specimen 208 so as to obtain two-dimensional distribution of the refractive index of the specimen.
With the device shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 8, however, the area where the surface plasmon is excited depends on the spot size of the focused light. For example, in FIG. 6, if light source 101 has a wavelength of 650 nm and light converging lens 102 has an NA (numerical aperture) of 0.6, the light beam can be narrowed only to a diameter of about 1 μm. This means that the microscope of FIG. 8 can obtain a resolution only on the order of 1 μm. That is, the resolution limit of a microscope is determined by the diffraction limit of light emitted from the light source.
On the other hand, it is possible to reduce the spot size to a certain degree by decreasing the wavelength of the source light and increasing the NA of the light converging lens. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain a small light spot of an nm order size. Thus, it appears that the resolution of the conventional microscope utilizing surface plasmons has already reached a critical limit.

Surface plasmon excitation device and microscope including the same


A system for correcting a duty cycle comprises a digital quadrature generator circuit, a frequency doubler circuit, a first duty cycle correction circuit coupled between the digital quadrature generator circuit and the frequency doubler circuit, and a second duty cycle correction circuit coupled between the digital quadrature generator circuit and the frequency doubler circuit. The first duty cycle correction circuit comprises a first stacked duty cycle correction circuit and the second duty cycle correction circuit comprises a second stacked duty cycle correction circuit.

Many integrated circuits (ICs) generate an internal clock signal based on a received clock signal. A number of signal processing, data transfer, and other functions are performed employing the internal clock signal. For example, analog signals can be converted into the digital domain, complex signal processing functions can be performed, digital signals can be stored, and high speed data transfer operations can be performed. The reliable generation of internal clock signals is thus an important aspect of IC design.

Clock doublers with duty cycle correction


To improve an image recognition rate by quickly changing a parameter in a proper manner without being affected by a transmission delay of an image encoding stream in an image receiving device that recognizes a decoded image obtained by decoding the received image encoding stream. The image receiving device includes a data receiving unit, a parameter changing unit, a decoding unit, and an image recognition unit. The data receiving unit receives an image encoding stream including image encoding data and the parameter. The parameter changing unit changes the parameter received by the data receiving unit, that is, the parameter specified for encoding performed by a sender, to a value suitable for image recognition performed in the subsequent stage. The decoding unit generates the image decoding data by decoding the received image encoding data according to the changed parameter. The image recognition unit performs image recognition on the image decoding data.

In a transmission system for displaying image information on, for example, an original image acquired by a camera, the temporarily encoded and compressed original image is transmitted and then a decoded image obtained by decoding is displayed. Generally, an enormous amount of image information is transmitted and thus transmission bandwidths need to be reduced in transmission paths such as a network. Such an image transmission system may require image recognition instead of or in addition to display. For example, image recognition is required to detect a suspect using a monitoring camera, identify a distance between vehicles and a road sign using an on-board camera, or avoid a collision between a pedestrian and another vehicle or another obstacle.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-239995 discloses an on-board camera system that recognizes images using compressed and expanded pictures to assist driving of vehicles. Depending on the running condition of a vehicle and a driving assistance application (e.g., a lane passing alarm, collision avoidance, and rear moving image display), encoding control information including an image size in a moving image format, a color format, a frame rate, and a bit depth is transmitted to the encoder control unit of a moving image transmitter, a sender changes an encoding parameter based on the encoding control information, and then a moving image stream is generated.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-22404 discloses an image encoding device that includes a feature quantity extracting unit upstream of image encoding, calculates the flatness (activity) of an image in a feature quantity calculating unit, and improving image quality by determining a parameter for a deblocking filter included in image encoding.

Image receiving device, image transmission system, and image receiving method


This invention is a novel method in orthomolecular health to sustain favorable amounts of L-arginine efficiently within the human body for preservation of good health and amelioration of various disease states. The method provides administration of sizable amounts of L-citrulline as precursor substance for bioconversion to L-arginine in order to maintain greater blood plasma concentrations of L-arginine as potential substrate for various metabolic functions. The method is useful to increase the availability of substrate for nitric oxide production by constitutive nitric oxide synthases. Embodiments include uses of exogenous L-citrulline for more vasoprotection in sickle cell disease and atherosclerosis, more stability in circulating platelets, more relaxative smooth muscle tone during pregnancy and in achalasia, greater defense against angiostenosis after angioplasty, greater defense against oxidative stress, enhanced cell stores of creatine, enhanced fertility in males with oligospermia, and greater defense against osteoporosis.

Orthomolecular medicine is the term coined by Linus Pauling for the preservation of good health and the treatment of disease by varying the concentrations in the body of substances that are normally present in the body and are required for optimal or better health. Pauling, L., Vitalstoffe Zivilisations Krankheiten 13:3-5, (1968). L-arginine is viewed a nonessential amino acid in humans for nitrogen balance and for metabolic purposes in that L-arginine can be synthesized in the human body in sufficient amounts without dietary supply of this amino acid except for optimum growth in young children and for select metabolic disorders involving hepatic ureagenesis and for stress states. Visek, W. J., J. Nutri. 115:531-541, (1985); Barbul, A., J. Parenteral Enteral Nutr. 10:227-238, (1986); Young, V. R. et al, pp. 191-243, in: Amino Acid Metabolism and Therapy in Health and Nutritional Disease, CRC Press, (1995).
L-citrulline is also viewed a nonessential amino acid in humans for nitrogen balance and metabolic purposes without supplemental supply of L-citrulline. This amino acid is not a component of most proteins within the human body except for some specialized proteins in cells in the epidermis, hair, and in myelin. Rothnagel, J. A. et al, pp. 624-631, in: Methods in Enzymology, Academic Press, (1984).
L-arginine is a normal constituent of numerous body proteins and is associated with a variety of essential metabolic cell reactions including the initial amidinotransferase (E.C.26.21) reaction with glycine for creatine synthesis. Barbul, A., (1986); Young, V. R. et al, (1995). L-arginine also is a unique endogenous substeate for consitutive nitric oxide synthase (c-NOS) for production of the effector free radical, nitric oxide, in the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway for messenger agent. Schmidt, H. H. H. W. et al, Cell 78:919-925, (1994).
L-glutamine is another dietary nonessential amino acid that is in body fluids and it is derived from skeletal muscle metabolism of amino acids as a major endogenous source of 1-glutamine as precursor for the intestinal synthesis of L-citrulline. Young, V. R. et al, (1995). Without appreciable liver uptake of intestinal-derived L-citrulline in portal venous blood, L-citrulline is distributed by circulating blood to the kidneys, brain, and other cells. Windmueller, H. G. et al, Am. J. Physiol. 241:E473-E480, (1981). In these tissues, there is de novo cell conversion of L-citrulline to L-arginine for cell protein synthesis and other purposes. Jones, M. E., J. Nutr. 115:509-515, (1985).
Plasma L-citrulline availability to the kidneys appears to be the major important factor in determining the rate of endogenous (extrahepatic) arginine synthesis, based largely in nonhuman models. Dhanakoti, S. N. et al, Am. J. Physiol. 259:E437-E442, (1990). However, it has been assumed, but not known with confidence that this scheme applies equally to human subjects. Young, V. R. et al, (1995).
On the other hand, circulating blood plasma and whole body L-arginine homeostasis in healthy human subjects is believed to be achieved principally by modulation in the level of dietary arginine intake and/or by regulation in the rate of L-arginine degradation. This concept is based partly on the evidence that the rate of conversion of plasma citrulline to plasma arginine was found to be similar during the fast and fed states in healthy human subjects adapted to an arginine-rich (adequate) or arginine-free diet. Castillo, L. et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 90:7749-7753, (1993); Young V. R. et al, (1995). A change in arginine synthesis in extrahepatic tissues is said not to be an important component to arginine homeostasis in the face of altered physiologic or pathologic states. The net rate of de novo arginine synthesis in human subjects is believed not to be profoundly affected by acute changes in the dietary intake level of arginine. Instead, arginine homeostasis is considered more likely to be achieved by changing rates of L-arginine degradation in relation to the prevailing metabolic conditions of the host subject and the dietary intake level of L-arginine. Young, V. R. et al, (1995).
Supplemental oral 3-gram single doses in healthy humans raises plasma arginine levels acutely, but without a change in plasma citrulline levels. Kamoun, P. et al, Clin. Chem. 37:1287, (1991). Based on studies in rats, after parenteral injection, of extra arginine, the concentrations of arginine in plasma and various tissues return to normal in about 2 to 3 hours as the plasma half-life is very short at about 1 hour. These pharmacokinetics of administered arginine is used to cast doubt on the usefulness of arginine sold in many health food stores, where consumers buy arginine preparations because of a variety of reputed, yet unproven, health benefits. Noeh, F. M. et al, Life Sciences 58:131-138(1996).
In humans, the rate of uptake or utilization by liver and other tissues of arginine is so rapid after ingestion of a single protein meal of about 30 to 50 grams of proteins (containing about 1 to 2 grams of arginine) that peripheral plasma arginine levels peak within 2 to 3 hours and return to near fasting levels in about 5 to 6 hours. Yearick, E. S. et al, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 20:338-344 (1967); Palmer, T. et al, Clin. Sc. Molec. Med. 45:827-832 (1973).
In normal adults, plasma levels of arginine peak at about 1 hour to about 3.6-times greater than fasting values of 90.+-.6 .mu.M (mean.+-.SEM) after ingestion of 24.8 grams of L-arginine (as 30 grams of arginine hydrochloride), but plasma levels return to near fasting values in 3 hours. Smoyer, W. E. et al, J. Lab. Clin. Med. 118:166-175, (1991). A single oral dose of 24.8 grams of free arginine may be estimated to be about 4.7-times greater than the total amount of arginine that is ingested daily in humans consuming a moderately high protein diet of 1.5 grams/kg body weight for a 70 kg person (with assumption that the arginine content in the protein is about 5%), about 5.25 grams of arginine|
Overnight fasting levels of arginine in blood plasma of healthy American children aged 6 to 18 are reported to be 89.+-.20 .mu.M (mean.+-.SD) and the overnight fasting levels of healthy adult men and women are reported as 89.+-.26 and 75.+-.24 .mu.M, respectively. Armstrong, M. D. et al, Metab. 22:561-569, (1973). Similar overnight fasting values for plasma arginine concentrations of healthy adults are reported by other workers, e.g. 84.+-.22 .mu.M and 94.+-.20 .mu.M (mean.+-.SD), respectively. Perry et al, J. Neurochem. 24:587-589, (1975); Scriver, C. R. Metab. 34:868-873, (1985). Overnight fasting plasma values of arginine are strikingly lower in healthy women during late normal pregnancy, viz. decline from 89.+-.20.8 .mu.M to 43.4.+-.5.6 .mu.M. Fitch, W. F. et al, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 46:243-249, (1987). Similarly, fasting plasma arginine levels are significantly lower (65.+-.14 .mu.M) in elderly men of well-fed good health, possibly related to the aging process or due to lower protein intake. Mariguti, J. C. et al, Amino Acids 9:46, (1995).
Various isozymes of nitric oxide synthase (EC 126.96.36.199) have been identified as being responsible for the constitutively expressed synthesis (continuously present, though not always active enzyme) of nitric oxide as an initial important product. L-arginine is the nitrogenous substrate for the enzymatic product of nitric oxide by constitutive nitric oxide synthase (c-NOS) activity and L-citrulline is formed stociometrically as a coproduct. Constitutive isozymes are present in endothelial cells, in central and peripheral neuronal cells, in epithelial cells, and many other cells of the body, including human blood platelets. Forstermann, U. et al, Hypertension 23:1121-1131, (1994); Radomski, M. W. et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:5193-5197, (1990); Murunganandam, A. et al, Biochim, Biophys. Acta 1200:1-6, (1994); Vasta, V. et al, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 206:878-884, (1995).
The synthesis of nitric oxide constitutively by vascular endothelium is responsible continuously for vasodilator tone, the control of platelet aggregation and adhesion, and the inhibition of leukocyte activation and adhesion. Thus, endothelium-derived nitric oxide via the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway is vasoprotective. Moncada, S. et al. New Engl. J. Med. 329:2002-2012, (1993); Schmidt, H. H. H. W. et al. Cell 78:919-925, (1994). Endothelium-derived nitric oxide potentially antagonizes all stages of platelet activation.
Platelets themselves generate nitric oxide by the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway mediated by constitutive NOS within platelets. This platelet pathway acts as a negative pathway to stabilize platelet function.
Utilization of L-arginine as substrate for platelet c-NOS serves as autocrine control of platelet function and the availability of extracellular L-arginine for a specific platelet transporter of this substrate is contributory to vasoprotection and antithrombotic effect. Radomski, M. W. et al, (1990); Muruganandam, A. et al, (1994); Vasta, V. et al, (1995).
The apparent Michaelis constant (K.sub.m) of L-arginine for purified endothelial c-NOS in vitro is about 6 .mu.M (the concentration of substrate when the velocity of enzymatic reaction is half-maximal). However, the concentration for maximal stimulation of the purified c-NOS is much higher, between 30 and 100 .mu.M. Mayer, B. et al, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 164:678-685, (1989). In the presence of extracellular L-glutamine concentration at level within a common normal plasma value in humans (600 .mu.M), endothelial production of nitric oxide generated by c-NOS in vitro is directly dependent upon the extracellular concentrations of L-arginine above 10 .mu.M to levels of 1,000 .mu.M and more without apparent saturation of the enzyme. Arnal, J. F. et al, J. Clin. Invest. 95:2565-2572, (1995). Thus, the functional apparent K.sub.m of extracellular L-arginine in vivo for constitutive endothelial generation of nitric oxide in intact cells is very much greater than that of the purified c-NOS near 6 .mu.M.
This discrepancy termed "the arginine paradox" underlies apparently the fact that much in vivo data shows that increasing plasma L-arginine concentrations in circulating blood above normal fasting mean values of about 75 to 90 .mu.M augments endothelial nitric oxide production by activated c-NOS. Fostermann, U. et al, (1994). Intracellular concentration of L-arginine does become rate-limiting for nitric oxide production in endothelial cells when stimulated under certain conditions and these cells can utilize exogenous L-arginine for nitric oxide catalytic formation. Bogle, R. G. et al, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 180:926-932, (1991).
With L-arginine infusion into humans with hypercholesterolemia, impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation is corrected, which is mediated through nitric oxide generation. Drexler, H. et al, Lancet 338:1546-1550, (1991); Creager, M. A. et al, J. Clin. Invest. 90:1248-1253, (1992).
Vascular injury and hypercholesterolemia enhance adhesiveness of vascular endothelium to platelets and leukocytes and enhance vascular proliferation. These are viewed critical processes in atherogenesis. A twofold increase in plasma arginine levels induced by a sixfold enrichment of dietary L-arginine improves nitric oxide-dependent vasodilation associated with antiatherogenesis and markedly inhibits endothelial adhesiveness and atherogenesis in hypercholesterolemic rabbit models. In the rabbit model, alterations in nitric oxide activity are viewed as playing critical roles. Cooke, J. P. et al, J. Clin. Invest. 90:1168-1172, (1992); Tsao, P. S. et al, Circulation 89:2176-2182, (1994). Thus, generated endothelial nitric oxide, derived from L-arginine and oxygen by c-NOS, has potent antiplatelet and antiproliferative roles. Cooke, J. P. et al, Current Opinion Cardiol. 7:799-804, (1992). Neither L-arginine nor its amino acid precursor, L-citrulline, is currently suggested or used as dietary supplements for platelet antagonistic, antithrombotic, or vasoprotective effects. Becker, R. C. Sci. Med. 3:12-21, (1996).
The apparent K.sub.m of L-arginine for its uptake into human platelets is reported at 26.+-.4 .mu.M and 300 .mu.M extracellular concentration of L-glutamine, L-lysine, or L-ornithine is inhibitory to L-arginine uptake at 30 .mu.M concentration. Vasta et al, (1995). It is viewed that varying concentrations of L-arginine in plasma may change the uptake of this amino acid into human platelets and consequently its substrate availability for platelet nitric oxide synthesis and platelet stability. Vasta et al, (1995).
Endothelial-dependent vasodilation, mediated through nitric oxide generation, is impaired also with advanced aging and increasing hypercholesterolemia. Zieher, A. M. et al, J. Clin. Invest. 92:652-662, (1993). Advanced non-enzymatic glycolation end products, which accumulate in the vascular endothelium and subendothelium in aging and diabetes mellitus, have been shown to quench formed nitric oxide and mediate defective endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Bucala, R. et al, J. Clin. Invest. 89:432-438, (1991). Aging is viewed producing a derangement of endothelium function in essential hypertension since renal vasodilatory responses to L-arginine were blunted in aged compared to young hypertensives. Compo, C. et al, Kidney Int. 49 (Suppl. 55):S-126-S-128, (1996).
Endothelial secretion of nitric oxide, a diffusible agent, is thought to be released primarily into the abluminal side where it activates smooth muscle relaxative vasodilation and antiproliferative functions. This molecule also diffuses into the luminal side of blood vessels where this product formed by c-NOS with L-arginine is an important vasoprotective and antithrombotic mediator. Wu, K. K. et al, Annu. Rev. Med. 47:315-331, (1996).
After arterial injury in a rabbit model of angioplasty with endothelial denudation. long-term daily addition of L-arginine hydrochloride to 2.25% in the drinking water, which increased plasma arginine levels about 2.6-times, reduced thickening and enhanced neoendothelium-dependent arterial muscle relaxation. Hamon, M. et al, Circulation 90:1357-1362, (1994).
Clinically, platelets are postulated to have an important adverse role in many acute and chronic cardiovascular events including disorders of microvascular occlusions and vasospasms. Harker, L. A. et al, Circulation 62 (Suppl. V):V-13-V-18, (1980). Nitric oxide formation from endothelial c-NOS activity has critical roles in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. However, therapeutic strategies for vascular augmentation of enzymatic nitric oxide production for beneficial prevention and/or the amelioration of atherosclerosis or other diseases or for the attenuation of neointimal formation after endothelial injury, including direct supplementation of NOS substrate (L-arginine) or co-factors (such as tetrahydrobiopterin), have not been developed for efficacious, practical use in humans. Lloyd-Jones, D. M. et al, Annu. Rev. Med. 47:367-375, (1996).
Oral strategies also have not yet been designed or reduced to practice in humans using L-citrulline as precursor for efficiently increasing the potential endogenous production of nitric oxide through increased activity of constitutive nitric oxide synthases by increased availability of L-arginine for vasoprotection, neuroprotection, antithrombotic effects and myorelaxant effects via the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway. Schmidt, H. H. H. W. et al, (1994). Also, similar oral strategies are not in the art for indirectly resulting in sustained luxus plasma concentrations of L-arginine for other healthy functions such as protein biosynthesis or creatine biosynthesis or for management of common disease states, such as in atherosclerosis, etc.
L-citrulline is sometimes used as a substitute for L-arginine in the management of rare genetic urea cycle enzymopathies and acquired liver disorders with hyperammonemia, and in the rare disorder, lysinuric protein intolerance. Citrulline malate (a salt of citrulline) is provided in slight amounts in a few European proprietary preparations for ill-defined or vague purposes in asthenia (weakness) or as a tonic. For liver disorders, citrulline is present with arginine and ornithine in some multi-ingredient proprietory preparations. Martindale The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th edition, (1993).
Specifically, efficient oral management strategies for humans using L-citrulline as precursor to L-arginine have not included sickle cell disease, normal late term pregnancy, preterm labor, preeclampsia (toxemia of pregnancy), symptomatic coronary artery disease (anginal chest pain)--even with angiographically normal coronary arteries (microvascular angina), vascular patency after arterial angioplasty, focal neurologic ischemic attacks including strokes and lacunar infarctions, migraine pain, vascular/neuronal complications of hypertensive disease, endothelial injury from chronic hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, aging, achalasia of the esophagus and male infertility. Francis, R. B. Jr. et al, Am. J. Hematol. 47:1405-1414, (1991); Wolters, H. J. et al, Brit. J. Haematol. 90:715-717, (1995); Steinberg, M. H., Am. J. Med. Sci. 312:167-174, (1996); Schoengold, D. W. et al, Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 131:490-499, (1978); Dorner, K. et al, (1993); Fitch, W. L. et al, (1987); MacDonald, P. C. et al, Scient. Am. Sci. Med. 3:42-51, (1996); Roberts, J. M. et al, Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 161:1200-1204, (1989); Molnar, M. et al, Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 170:1458-1466, (1994); Egashira, K. et al, New Engl. J. Med. 328:1659-1644, (1993); Hamon, M. et al, (1994); Morikawa, E. et al, Am. J. Physiol. 263:H1632-H1635, (1992); Caplan, L. R., Neurol. 39:1246-1250, (1989); Lauritzen, M., Sci. Med. 3:32-41, (1996); Zeiher, A. M. et al, (1993); Compo, C. et al, (1996); Ross, R. et al, Science 193:1094-1100, (1976); Bucala, R. et al, (1991); Diederich, D. et al, Am. J. Physiol. 266:H1153-H1161, (1994); Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment, (1997); Schmidt, H. H. H. W., (1994); Schachter, A et al, J. Urol. 110:311-313, (1973); Calloway, D. H., Nutr. Absts. Revs. 53:361-382, (1983); Barbul, A., (1986).
Aging causes losses in the total number of functioning neurons. Wurtman, R. J., Sci. Am. 246:50-59, (1982). A deficiency in any key amino acid is said to limit the rate of protein synthesis and hence nutritional status. A deficiency in plasma L-arginine concentration is reported in elderly men of well-fed good health. Moriguti, J. C. et al, (1995). The free arginine concentration in cerebrospinal fluid is only about 23% of the plasma concentration of 84.+-.22 .mu.M (mean.+-.SD) in fasting healthy adults. Perry, T. L. et al, (1975). Free arginine levels in many motor and sensory areas of rat brain tissue decline by 20% or more in old compared to young adult male rats. Banay-Schwartz, M. et al, J. Neurosci. Res. 26:217-223, (1990). Plasma-borne L-citrulline readily passes the blood-brain barrier. Buniatan, H. C. et al, J. Neurochem. 13:743-753, (1966).
It is unclear how arginine is transported into brain cells from the blood plasma in humans. However, L-arginine may be localized mainly within glial cells in the central nervous system, while L-citrulline and nitric oxide as co-products of neuronal c-NOS are present within nitrergic neurons. Pow, D. V., Neurosci. Lett. 181:141-144, (1994). Membrane-localized c-NOS is found in dendrites and synaptic fractions of neurons and an increase in extracellular L-arginine may result in potentiation of neuronal function. Kantor, D. B. et al, Science 274:1744-1748, (1996).
Brain tissue arginine levels follow increases in plasma levels in the rat, but they are generally only 20 to 30% of plasma levels. Buckrnann, I. et al, Pharmacol. 53:133-142, (1996). L-citrulline can be converted to arginine in the brain, including perivascular nerves of cerebral arteries. Buniatan, H. C. et al, (1966); Sadasivu, B. et al, J. Neurochem 27:786-794, (1976); Chen, F.-Y. et al, J. Pharmacol. Exptl. Therap. 273:895-901, (1995).
With endothelial injury, atherosclerosis is considered to be a free radical disease. A constant source of damaging compounds is the reaction of oxygen with polyunsaturated substances in plasma and the vascular wall and the formation of oxidation products including peroxides and free radicals. Harman, D., Drugs & Aging 3:60-80, (1993). A small percentage of mitochondrial electron transport chain activity and autoxidation reactions leak electrons to reduce molecular O.sub.2 to superoxide radical as the one-electron reduction product of oxygen with secondary generation of hydrogen peroxide, another reactive oxygen species. Halliwell, B., Annu. Rev. Nutr. 16:33-50, (1996). Further cell damage and atherosclerosis may result, especially with aging. Harman, D., (1993).
More free radicals are formed in experimental diabetes mellitus with endothelial cell dysfunction due to impaired vasoprotection from the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway. Diederich, D. et al, (1994). However, nitric oxide production from endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and endothelial-dependent vasorelaxation are masked in experimental diabetes mellitus by the increased destruction of nitric oxide by oxygen-derived free radicals like superoxide and by quenching by advanced glycolation products in diabetic endothelium and subendothelium. Bucala, R. et al, (1991); Diederich, D. et al, (1994). Thus, removal of endothelium-derived nitric oxide by metabolic-formed superoxide or by advanced glycolated products deprives smooth muscle in vascular walls of a relaxative muscle tonic effect in diabetes mellitus. In experimental diabetes mellitus, long-term oral administration of L-arginine in marked amounts prevents the glomerular hyperfiltration and abnormnal filtration fraction hemodynamics and ameliorates the proteinuria. Reyes, A. A. et al, J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 4:1039-1045, (1993).
The main function of formed nitric oxide, a free radical, as cell messenger seems to be to stimulate cell guanylate cyclase to elevate cyclic guanosine monophosphate, which in turn activates smooth muscle relaxation, platelet stability, and neurochemical potentiation. Moncada, S. et al, (1993); Schmidt, H. H . H. W. et al, (1994). Nitric oxide reacts strongly in biological systems with other metal-proteins and thiols, as well as with molecular oxygen and superoxide free radical. Stamler, J. S. et al, Cell 78:931-936, (1994).
Nitric oxide serves as a free radical scavenger by rapidly reacting with free radicals involved in lipid peroxidation and perhaps in aged-related modifications of proteins. Kanner, J. et al, Lipids 27:46-49, (1992); Stadtman, E. R., J. Gerontol. 43:B112-B120, (1988). In tissues, generated nitric oxide seems normally to be an antioxidant. Kanner, J. et al, Biochem, Biophys. 289:130-136, (1991). Mitochondria are one of the major intracellular sources of free radicals and defects in mitochondrial energy metabolism with increased production of reactive oxygen species may cause cell injury and neuronal degeneration. Nitric oxide generated by c-NOS may usually exert protective effects. Simonian, N. A. et al, Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 36:83-106, (1996).
At suboptimal and depleted extracellular concentrations of L-arginine, activated nitric oxide synthase produces superoxide, highly potent peroxynitrite, and hydrogen peroxide as reactive oxygen species as mediators of cellular injury instead of nitric oxide. Xia, Y. et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:6770-6774, (1996); Heinzel, B. et al, Biochem. J. 281:627-630, (1992).
The magnitude of intracellular L-arginine is a crucial factor in switching nitric oxide synthase from the production of nitric oxide to the production of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. A decrease in perfusion flow may lead to tissue L-arginine depletion and cellular injury or death. Xia, Y. et al, (1996). Increasing L-arginine availability as substrate for nitric oxide synthase activity protects cells from apoptosis in an L-arginine-deficient (10 .mu.M) environment, perhaps by alleviating oxidative stress by terminating propagation of free radical chain reactions or by interacting with oxygen and superoxide to limit their reduction to more reactive oxygen species like hydrogen peroxide and hydroxide free radical. Mannick, J. B. et al, Cell 79:1137-1139, (1994).
Inhibition of constitutive nitric oxide synthase activity during the latter part of pregnancy produces a preeclampsia-like syndrome and retardation of fetal growth in rats. Molnar, M. et al, (1994). Much evidence suggests that preeclampsia and eclampsia are human diseases, typified by vasoconstriction, that are endothelial cell disorders with endothelial injury involving the fetoplacental vessels. Roberts, J. M. et al, (1989). Basal release of nitric oxide from c-NOS activity in human umbilical arteries and veins seem important in normal pregnancies and deliveries. Chaudhuri, G. et al, Am. J. Physiol. 265:2036H-2043H, (1993).
Maternal plasma levels of most amino acids are lower in normal pregnancy than in the nonpregnant state. The plasma levels of arginine decline progressively during the first, second, and third trimesters of normal human pregnancy. In the third trimester, fasting mean "normal" values of 43.6 .mu.M and 32 .mu.M have been found, with 95% statistical confidence ranges from 27.8 to 71.4 .mu.M and 8 to 68 .mu.M, respectively. Schoengold, D. M. et al, (1978); Dorner, K. et al, (1993). After a high-protein meal, postprandial levels of plasma arginine are significantly lower than in nonpregnant women. Fitch, W. L. et al, (1987). During gestation, maternal plasma arginine levels are significantly lower in mothers of fetally malnourished infants than that in mothers having normal babies. McClain, P. E. et al, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 31:401-407, (1978).
Addition of L-arginine to extracellular fluid bathing isolated uterine muscle strips from gravid rats results in nitric oxide generation, dose-dependent muscle relaxation, and muscle quiescence. Yallampalli, C. et at, Endocrinol. 133:1899-1902, (1993).
Oral intake of 4 to 20 grams of arginine daily may improve total sperm counts and motility rates of spermatocytes of infertile men. Schachter, A. et al, (1973). Considered as a nutritional supplement, arginine's therapeutic value in male infertility is not well documented. Calloway, D. W., (1983). However, nitric oxide generation via the 1-arginine/nitric oxide pathway in testis and/or vas deferens may up-regulate spermiocytes and promote fertility. Schmidt, H. H. H. W. et al, (1994).
Achalasia is an idiopathic disorder of esophageal motility characterized by the absence of peristalsis and failure of a hypertonic lower esophageal sphincter of smooth muscle to relax during swallowing. The disorder seems to result from dysfunction or loss of nerve cells in the ganglionated myenteric plexuses and it likely involves nitrergic neurons (and perhaps submucous plexuses--W.H.W.). McQuaid, K. R. pp. 553-554 in: Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 1997, (1997).
In sickle cell disease, poorly understood endothelial dysfunction, intimal hyperplasias, thromboses, and vascular occlusions including strokes are characteristic. Francis, R. B. Jr. et al, (1991). Unexplained sudden death in young people is too common in sickle cell disease. Liesner, R. J. et al, J. Royal Soc. Med. 86:484-485, (1993). Sudden death following severe exercise may occur even in subjects with sickle cell trait. Kerle, K. K. et al, Mil. Med. 161:766-767, (1996). Adhesion of sickle erythrocytes to vascular endothelium is postulated to play a pivotal role in the vascular occlusions. Duits, A. J. et al, Clin. Immunol. Immunopath. 81:96-98, (1996). Low-intensity oral anticoagulation management in sickle cell disease may reverse the prothrombotic state. Wolters, H. J. et al, (1995).
Migraine is a neurologic disorder characterized by recurrent headache attacks lasting up to about 72 hours. The basic disease process seems to be a disturbed ionic homeostasis in the neuronal microenvironment following a cortical spreading wave of transient electrical depolarization. Lauritzen, M., (1996). Migraine attacks may be precipitated by different factors in various individuals via sensory afferent impulses projecting to the brain or by substances crossing the blood-brain barrier. Migraine without aura and migraine with aura are viewed identical as regards the painful pathophysiological phase of the attack, but differ at the onset of attack involving a primary disturbance of nerve cell function which may relate to mitochondrial dysfunction. Theory now is that longer-lasting microcirculatory changes follow the cortical depression with continued arteriolar vasoconstriction and arteriolar spasm focally with hypoperfusion, stasis, or ischemia. Lauritzen, M., Brain 117:199-210, (1994); Lauritzen, M., (1996).
Generation of the migraine headaches are viewed caused by secondary activation of pain-sensitive fibers within the walls of intracranial blood vessels (nociceptive vascular nerve fibers) including the pial arterial tree. Lauritzen, M., (1994); Lauritzen, M., (1996). Migraine pain may be triggered in some cases by nociceptive activation in dural blood vessels secondary to ischemic blood flow in the middle meningeal artery. Lambert, G. A. et al, Cephalalgia 14:430-436, (1994).
L-arginine administration reduces the oligemic vasoconstriction that follows induced cortical spreading depression in rats and raises the possibility that shortage of L-arginine contributes to reduced cerebral blood flow in migraine patients and that migraine patients might benefit from the systemic administration of L-arginine. Fabricius, M. et al, Am. J. Physiol. 269:H23-H29, (1995); Lauritzen, M., (1996). Wolff found that inhalation of small amounts of amyl nitrite, a well-known donor of nitric oxide, temporarily reversed migraine aura in some cases. Silberstein, S. D. et al, p. 115 in: Wolff's Headache and Other Head Pain, 6th ed., (1993). Also, platelet activity increases with acute migraine headaches, possibly related to physiological or other stress. DeBelleroche, J. et al, pp. 185-191 in: The Headaches, ed. J. Olesen et al, (1993).
It is known in the art that ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is the major source of chemical energy in living matter. ATP is a powerful effector of many enzymes and ATP levels are kept relatively constant in health by creatine phosphokinase and adenylate cyclase enzyme reactions. It is also known in the art that the creatine phosphokinase enzyme reaction is pivitol to good health since phosphocreatine serves as a dynamic reservoir of high-energy phosphate. This reservoir is normally high in muscle and nerve cells. Phosphocreatine buffers the high cytosolic ATP/ADP ratios from rapid fluctuations by means of the creatine phosphokinase reaction on ATP and ADP levels. Rapid fluctuations in ATP levels would be deleterious to the smooth functioning of cell cation pumps and maintaining of ionic gradients. It is also known in the art that the total creatine content in human cells is highest in muscle, brain, and testis and that free creatine serves as an energy messenger between mitochondria (the major "energy factory") and many sites of energy utilization within muscle cells, neurocytes, and many cells of the body, in the "creatine-phosphocreatine shuttle". The concentration equilibrium ratio between creatine and phosphocreatine is known to be about 0.4 to 0.5 in muscle and brain cells and there is a continuous drain or loss of phosphocreatine through a non-catalyzed cyclization to creatinine, a waste product.
Free creatine is reported high at about 14 mmol/kg in human heart muscle. Guichard, P. et al, Medical Hypotheses 45:41-44, (1995). Free creatine is high at about 8 to 9 mmol/kg in grey matter and high at about 6 mmol/kg in white matter of the human brain. Michaelis, T. et al, Radiology 187:219-227, (1993). Besides serving as reactant for phosphocreatine formation, creatine may serve a cytoprotective role as an amine to scavenge intracellular hexose or triose sugars formed at undue levels in diabetes mellitus (or aging--W.H.W.). Guichard, P. et al, (1995). Deleterious non-enzymatic reactions between glucose or phosphorylated sugar intermediates and amine groups of protein side-chains might take place leading to adversely modified protein products (Maillard products) or advanced glycolated products. Guichard, P. et al, (1995). Advanced glycolated products are capable of quenching nitric oxide formed by constitutive nitric oxide synthases. Bucala, R. et al, (1991).
Extracellular creatine increased by 3 mM in hippocampal brain tissue in vitro results in large increases in neuronal free creatine and phosphocreatine levels without change in ATP levels. Degrees of anoxia-induced neuronal damage are attenuated and greater neurocyte viabilities result after anoxic periods. Carter, A. J. et al, J. Neurochem. 64:2691-2699, (1995).
Oral supplementation of creatine daily in healthy normal humans leads to lessened muscle fatigue with physical exercise. T he creatine supplementation is associated with greater muscle stores of free creatine and phosphocreatine. Harris, R. C. et al, Clinical Sci. 83:367-374, (1992). Fatiguing myocytes produce reactive oxygen species at a dramatically increased rate and seem to be responsible for at least some of the fatigue. Concurrently, constitutive nitric oxide synthases in the mitochondrial membranes of the myocytes produce more nitric oxide. Reid, M. B., News Physiol. Sci. 11:114-119, (1996).
It is known in the art that spermatozoa contain large concentrations of creatine. It is also known that the concentration of arginine in seminal ejaculates averages normally about 4.5 mM in subjects with normospermia. Addition of L-arginine in vitro to human semen specimens with low motility enhances sperm motility in a concentration-dependent manner between 1.0 and 4.0 mM. Keller, D. W. et al, Biol. Reproduct. 13:154-157 (1975).
It is known in the art that L-arginine is an essential precursor for the biosynthesis of creatine in the human body in a 2-step enzymatic process. Glycine amidinotransferases are present in kidney, liver, and other tissues for the transfer of the guanidino group of L-arginine to glycine to yield guanidoacetate, the immediate precursor of cell creatine.
Low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) intake in humans inhibits platelet activity and prolongs the total bleeding time. These effects are associated with beneficial therapeutic effects in subjects with cardiovascular disease. Boysen, G. et al, Stroke 15:241-243, (1984).

Orthomolecular medical use of L-citrulline for vasoprotection, relaxative smooth muscle tone and cell protection


The subject technology provides a portion of the functionality of an application on an electronic device on which the application is not installed. The portion of the functionality of the application is provided by a clip of the application that can be obtained, installed, and launched on the user device, at the time the functionality is desired by a user, and without authenticating information for the user. The clip of the application can provide the user with access to a purchase function, an ordering function, or any other sub-function of the application. When the application itself is installed on the device, the clip of the application can be deleted while preserving access, by the application, to data generated on the device by the clip.

Users often install applications for performing various functions on their electronic devices, particularly mobile electronic devices. Prior to installing the application, the user typically accesses an application repository at a remote server, selects an application from the repository, provides authentication information and/or payment to the server, and after receiving access to the code based on the authentication, downloads the code of the application for installation. Typically, if a user attempts to access an application that is not installed on their device, the device re-routes the user to a web page associated with an owner of the application or offers the user an opportunity to authenticate, download, and install the application using the steps above.

Registered applications for electronic devices


A thermal processor may include a cooling jacket positionable around a process chamber within a process vessel or jar. A heater can move into a position substantially between the process chamber vessel and the cooling jacket. A holder having multiple workpiece holding positions is provided for holding a batch or workpieces or wafers. The process chamber vessel is moveable to a position where it substantially encloses the holder, so that wafers in the holder may be processed in a controlled environment. A cooling shroud may be provided to absorb heat from the heater before or after thermal processing. The thermal processor is compact and thermally shielded, and may be used in an automated processing system having other types of processors.

Virtually all modern electronic devices are made with integrated micro-electronic circuit devices. These devices are generally formed on a wafer or substrate using multiple processing steps. Some of these processing steps are performed by heating the wafer. For example, rapid thermal anneal and furnace anneal are processes performed by heating a wafer to change its electrical properties. Different heat treatments (varying in time, temperature profiles, process gases, etc.) are used to provide different effects. These heating processes may be used to activate dopants, change film interfaces, densify deposited films, change states of grown films, repair damage from ion implantation, move dopants or drive dopants from one film into another or from a film into the wafer substrate. Other thermal processes include polyimide bake, lead free reflow, metal anneal, vacuum drying, photoresist bake and low-k bake.
While different temperatures and temperature profiles are used in different thermal processes, many of these thermal processes require heating the wafers to 500° C. or even higher. Operation in these temperature ranges generally requires high capacity heating elements, extensive insulating and cooling elements, and sufficient clearance around the thermal processor to avoid affecting adjacent objects, equipment, or people. As a result, thermal processors, and especially batch thermal processors, have conventionally been provided as relatively large and independent apparatus or systems dedicated to performing only thermal processing.
The high operating temperatures of thermal processors of course creates various problems when trying to provide a single system having a thermal processor and other types of processors. However, notwithstanding the heat related effects within a processing system, the thermal processor itself must be able to provide reliable, controllable, and substantially uniform wafer heating. Consequently, these requirements may tend to conflict with system requirements, such as size limitations, heat up/cool down cycle time requirements, loading/unloading parameters, etc. Accordingly, there is a need for a thermal processor having improved performance. There is also a need for a thermal processor that may be used in a processing system having other types of processors.


A method for identifying biologically significant peptide-DNA binding interactions and sequence-specific DNA-binding peptides in vivo using combinatorial oligonucleotide libraries is disclosed. Target DNA sequences include promoter sequences, 5' and 3' regulatory sequences, and exon and intron regulatory sequences. Preferably, a yeast combinatorial library is employed. Peptides that bind to specific DNA sequences, identified by the above method, are disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for identifying nontoxic compounds that inhibit gene expression in host cells in vivo.

Previous investigations have been directed at developing methods for identifying specific peptide-peptide or peptide-nucleotide interactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,530 to Schatz and U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,170 to Schatz describe a method for isolating novel peptide ligands that bind to receptor molecules of interest using phage display combinatorial library techniques. The '530 patent concerns the method of constructing the combinatorial peptide library used in the '170 patent. The methods described involve the use of combinatorial libraries to express fusion proteins, but employ in vitro binding affinity. These references involve neither a reporter plasmid having a reporter gene driven by a target DNA sequence nor a transactivating domain of a transcription factor in the fusion protein. They do not teach identification of peptides by functional expression and selection.
Rebar and Pabo, Science 263, 671-673 (1994) discloses a method for identifying peptides that have high affinity to specific nucleotide sequences, specifically zinc finger binding sequences, using phage display combinatorial library techniques and affinity selection. Like Schatz, the method disclosed here, while employing fusion protein expression and random oligonucleotides cloned into a DNA vector, does not involve a functional expression selection strategy.
PCT Application WO 96/06166 to Choo et al., and Choo et al., Nature 372, 642-645 (1994), disclose a method for identifying zinc-finger DNA-binding proteins using phage display combinatorial library techniques and affinity selection in combination with rational design. In addition to the method of identification, the patent also describes a method of using the selected DNA-binding peptide to block/alter gene expression in mammalian cells. However, neither the paper nor the patent application discloses selection of DNA-binding peptides or drugs by functional expression.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,538 to Kay and Fowlkes describes a method for identifying a protein, polypeptide or peptide which binds to a ligand of choice by screening a library of recombinant vectors in which each vector expresses a fusion protein containing a binding domain and an effector domain that enhances expression or detection of the binding domain. The specification discloses only affinity selection using magnetic beads in vitro. Functional selection in vivo by activating the expression of a reporter gene in a reporter plasmid is not contemplated, and screening based on the death or survival of transformed cells is not envisioned.
The foregoing all fail to provide a method of identifying biologically significant peptide-DNA binding events. Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for improved methods of identifying and characterizing peptide-DNA interactions.

Method for the identification of peptides that recognize specific DNA sequences

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


A phone line selector module used in telecommunications related equipment for automatically sensing and switching back and forth between first and second input ports. The selector module includes a two-piece inter-fitting housing which receives a miniature printed circuit board therein. The miniature printed circuit board is used to mount phone line selector circuitry thereon. The phone line selector circuitry includes a first ring sensing circuit, a second ring sensing circuit, and a latching relay.

This invention relates generally to switching circuitry for use with telecommunications related equipment. More particularly, it relates to a phone line selector module formed of phone line selector circuitry which allows for automatically sensing and switching from first input phone lines connected to an output line to second input phone lines connected to the output phone line in response to a ring signal.
As is generally well-known to those skilled in the art of the telecommunications industry, large scale copper wires have been commonly used to provide a plain old telephone service (POTS) from a central office of a local telephone company to a subscriber's or telephone user's premises. The subscriber typically must only use the wires that are connected to his premises for a single designated type of service (e.g., regular analog telephone services). In view of recently developed technology, there are now available new digital phone services, such as digital subscriber line services, which offer many benefits over the POTS. Thus, a subscriber might want to have the option of signing up the service for either POTS or digital phone services.
If a subscriber is currently signed up with POTS and desires to switch to digital phone services, the company offering the digital phone services or VOIP (Voice-Over Internet Protocol) service must sent out a service truck with a technician to the subscriber's premises for manually disconnecting the phone lines from the central office and re-connecting them to the VOIP lines of a broadband service provider. This suffers from the disadvantages of not only time-consuming labor-cost, but also the down-time for the subscriber to accommodate the visit from the technician.
Accordingly, there are various arrangements of switching circuits already known in the prior art which have been provided for automatically disconnecting the phone lines from the central office and re-connecting them to the VOIP lines of a broadband service provider. For example, there is known of switching circuits referred to as "Netja X Switcher" and "Easy Port Smart Switch" which are manufactured and sold by Sistellia Corporation of Stamford, N.Y. However, these products suffer from the problem that they typically are functioning as one-way latching switches wherein the switches are designed to perform the switching operation only once. In other words, once the switching operation is completed the device will be permanently latched in the selected mode and cannot be changed back. This would be quite troublesome to a subscriber who has switched from POTS to a digital phone service and becomes dissatisfied and desires to switch back to POTS.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide improved phone line selector switch circuitry which permits the switching automatically back and forth between first input lines coupled to the regular analog telephone service and second input lines connected to the digital phone service. Further, it would be advantageous to fabricate the selector switch circuitry so that it can be re-used multiple times in order to effect added cost savings. In view of this, the inventor of the present invention has developed such improved phone line selector circuitry which includes an output port that is automatically switched from first input lines to second input lines in response to a ring signal detected on the second input lines.