An impurity quantity transfer device and method for conducting a numerical analysis of a semiconductor device diffusion process, applying integral interpolation of diffusion impurity quantities and obtaining an accurate impurity concentration distribution with a reduced pseudo diffusion, even at a region with a sharp impurity concentration gradient. A control volume region is generated to bridge a plurality of mesh elements of an interpolation destination mesh, and a subdivisional control volume is generated for an interpolation source mesh. The impurity quantities are summed for the grid points on the source mesh, and a initial impurity concentration is generated for the control volume region. The initial impurity concentration is multiplied by a conversion coefficient to produce a formal impurity concentration. From the formal impurity concentration, an impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the destination mesh is calculated. For further refinement, the errors caused by pseudo diffusion are estimated, and mesh points are added in regions where precision is otherwise insufficient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an impurity quantity transfer device which conducts, in numerical analysis of a semiconductor device, integral interpolation of impurity quantities among meshes generated on a semiconductor device to be processed for use in process device simulation and an impurity interpolation method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the oxidation and diffusion steps of a semiconductor manufacturing process, configuration of a semiconductor to be processed changes through the steps. For reproducing such a phenomenon by using a process simulator, configuration and a diffusion time are discretized, respectively. Discretization is employed because a diffusion equation used for oxidation and diffusion is non-linear and also because such a strong non-linear physical phenomenon as initial accelerating oxidation exists.
As a conventional technique of space discretization by a two-dimensional (2D) process simulator, the control volume method (hereinafter referred to as C.V. method) having excellent configuration-adaptability is widely used. In the C.V. method, space is represented by triangular meshes on which a control volume is defined with respect to each grid point (mesh point). Control volume denotes a polygon obtained by finding circumcenters of triangular elements having a relevant mesh point as a vertex and sequentially connecting the circumcenters of adjacent triangles (i.e. triangle sharing a side). Such a control volume obtained as a polygon is a grid-based control volume. In the C.V. method, a flow of physical quantities (e.g. current) on a mesh edge is represented as a quantity obtained by multiplying a density of the flow (e.g. current density) on the edge in question by a length of a side of a control volume which side crosses with the mesh edge in question (in general, referred to as a cross section also in two-dimensional space).
Depending on the configuration of a triangular mesh, however, sequentially connecting circumcenters of adjacent mesh triangles in a manner as mentioned above fails to have one (convex) polygon. In other words, sides of a control volume cross with each other. In this case, a cross section of the control volume takes a negative value in calculation, so that a flow of physical quantities on a mesh edge will be in the opposite direction to a density of the flow, causing increase in analysis errors.
To prevent such a situation, Delaunay division is employed. A line connecting circumcenters of mesh triangles fails to form a (convex) polygon when within a circumcircle of a predetermined triangular element on meshes, a vertex of other triangular element exists. It is therefore necessary to divide the meshes such that inside each circumcircle of every triangular element on the meshes, there falls none of the mesh points of other triangular elements. Such division is called Delaunay division. In the simulation employing the C.V. method, ensuring a calculation precision requires the Delaunay division to be ensured for a mesh as a unit of discretization of configuration.
In the simulation of an oxidation process, configuration of a semiconductor changes with time as mentioned above. When the configuration changes during the simulation due to oxidation processing, regeneration of a mesh is needed for ensuring the Delaunay division. On this occasion, it is necessary to transfer an impurity value defined with respect to a mesh yet to be regenerated to a regenerated mesh. In the C.V. method, an impurity concentration is defined with a mesh point (grid point) existing one in a control volume as a representative point.
Methods of defining an impurity concentration at a regenerated mesh include a method by analytical calculation of an impurity concentration as is used for log alignment and a method employing integral interpolation in which dose is preserved. For highly precise diffusion simulation, the integral interpolation method in which dose is preserved is employed. At a pn junction portion where an impurity concentration difference between grids is large, however, pseudo diffusion occurs which is a phenomenon of transfer of impurity quantities toward a grid of low impurity value caused as a result of impurity interpolation.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a procedure of an integral interpolation method. First, with respect to a regenerated mesh, a grid-based control volume is defined (Step 801). Next, with respect to a mesh yet to be regenerated, a grid-based control volume is defined (Step 802). A grid-based control volume is a polygonal region obtained by connecting a circumcenter of each triangular element sharing a grid point as described above.
Next, the grid-based control volume for the mesh yet to be regenerated is converted into a control volume triangle (hereinafter referred to as C.V. triangle) on a triangular mesh basis (Step 803). A triangular-mesh-based C.V. triangle represents a region divided by the respective sides of triangular elements on triangular meshes and the respective sides of the above-described grid-based control volume (polygon). Impurity concentration at each C.V triangle is made equal to an impurity concentration at an original grid-based control volume. Impurity quantities is therefore distributed in proportion to an area of a C.V. triangle.
Next, an area of overlap (hereinafter referred to as overlap area) is calculated between a pattern of a grid-based control volume on the regenerated mesh and a triangular-mesh-based C.V. triangle on the mesh yet to be regenerated (Step 804). After the calculation of an overlap area, an impurity quantity within the C.V. triangle proportional to the calculated overlap area is transferred to the grid-based control volume on the regenerated mesh (Step 805). After the transfer, determination is made whether the impurity quantities of all the C.V. triangles have been transferred to the grid-based C.V. on the regenerated mesh (Step 806), and when the transfer is yet to be completed, Steps 804 and 805 will be repeated and when it is completed, integral interpolation of impurities is finished.
Consideration will be given to change of an impurity concentration, that is, pseudo diffusion, occurring when integral interpolation of impurities is conducted by the above-described conventional impurity interpolation method. Here, vertical profiles are obtained assuming that with a space between meshes fixed on the premise of one-dimensional structure, integral interpolation is conducted with only a position of a mesh staggered by half a cycle. The obtained result is shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, a curve 901 represents an initial impurity profile, a curve 902 represents an impurity profile obtained after the integral interpolation is conducted once by the above method, and curves 903 and 904 represent impurity profiles obtained after the integral interpolation is conducted ten times and 100 times by the above method, respectively.
In the above-described conventional method, when a region of a control volume on a regenerated mesh bridges a control volume region of extremely high impurity concentration and a control volume region of low impurity concentration on a mesh yet to be regenerated due to impurity interpolation, so a large quantity of impurities will be transferred from the region of high impurity concentration toward the region of low concentration, that transfer of the impurity quantities within the region of lower impurity concentration is negligible. As a result, the impurity quantity is propagated toward the region of lower impurity concentration to cause large pseudo diffusion. As can be seen from FIG. 9, as few as ten times of repetition of impurity interpolation causes large pseudo diffusion.
In the simulation of oxidation steps, one oxidation step is divided into several time-steps to calculate time required for one oxidation step. Since one step is in common divided into approximately ten for calculation, the conventional method in which obvious pseudo diffusion appears by approximately ten times of impurity interpolation enables no simulation of oxidation step to have high precision. Under these circumstances, realization of an impurity interpolation method involving reduced pseudo diffusion has been demanded.
As described above, since a conventional impurity interpolation method conducts integral interpolation of impurity quantities for the transfer of impurities between meshes on the premise that impurity concentration is uniform within a control volume, if a difference in impurity concentration between meshes is large, a higher impurity concentration value will be dominant at a region whose concentration gradient is sharp to cause large pseudo diffusion.
Furthermore, since in a conventional method, no estimate of errors caused by pseudo diffusion is made at the time of integral interpolation of impurities, introduction of the processing for reducing errors caused by the pseudo diffusion is impossible.
Oxidation process simulation and diffusion simulation using an adaptive mesh which follows an impurity concentration require processing of regenerating a mesh. The mesh regeneration processing then requires interpolation of impurities between a mesh yet to be regenerated and a regenerated mesh. Integral interpolation of impurities by the above-described conventional method causes pseudo diffusion, and particularly in the vicinity of a pn junction in which a gradient of a profile concentration is sharp, causes obvious pseudo diffusion, resulting in changing the profile to have a moderate concentration gradient.
An object of the present invention is to provide an impurity quantity transfer device capable of obtaining an accurate impurity concentration distribution with reduced pseudo diffusion even at a region whose impurity concentration gradient is sharp and an impurity interpolation method thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an impurity quantity transfer device capable of conducting integral interpolation of impurities to high precision by the integral interpolation of impurities, estimating errors caused by pseudo diffusion and adding a mesh point when the precision is insufficient and an impurity interpolation method thereof.
According to the first aspect of the invention, in semiconductor device process simulation, an impurity quantity transfer device which transfers, according to deformation of a semiconductor device, an impurity value defined on a first mesh generated on the semiconductor device before the deformation to a second mesh generated on the semiconductor device after the deformation, comprises
control volume generation means for generating, on the second mesh, a grid-based control volume region bridging a plurality of mesh elements,
subdivisional control volume generation means for generating, on the first mesh, a mesh-based control volume subdivisional on a mesh element basis,
impurity quantity calculation means for calculating a sum of impurity quantities corresponding to each grid point on the first mesh based on a total area of the mesh-based control volume surrounding the grid point and an impurity concentration at the grid,
impurity quantity setting means for tentatively setting, with respect to the mesh-based control volume, an impurity concentration of the control volume by using an impurity concentration of each vertex of mesh elements on the first mesh covering the control volume, as well as determining an impurity concentration of each the mesh-based control volume by using the tentative set value and a conversion coefficient which will be described later,
impurity quantity comparison means for accumulating, based on an area of each the mesh-based control volume connected to a grid point on the first mesh and an impurity concentration tentatively set by the impurity quantity setting means, impurity quantities corresponding to the grid point on the first mesh, as well as comparing a sum of impurity quantities calculated by the impurity quantity calculation means and the accumulated impurity quantities to obtain a conversion coefficient allowing the compared values to agree with each other, and
impurity quantity transfer means for calculating, with respect to each the mesh-based control volume, an area of an overlap region between the mesh-based control volume and the grid-based control volume region on the second mesh and transferring an impurity quantity of the mesh-based control volume to the grid-based control volume region on the second mesh according to the calculated area to calculate an impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh.
In the preferred construction, the impurity quantity transfer means divides a calculated impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh by an area of a grid-based control volume on the second mesh to determine an impurity concentration corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh.
In the preferred construction, the impurity quantity setting means
takes an impurity concentration obtained by the linear interpolation based on an impurity concentration of each vertex of mesh elements on the first mesh as a tentative set value of an impurity concentration at the control volume in question, and
determines, as an impurity concentration at the control volume in question, a value obtained by multiplying the tentative set value by a conversion coefficient xe2x80x98xcex1xe2x80x99 obtained by the impurity quantity comparison means according to the following expression:   α  =                                          sum                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                    impurity                                      xe2x80x83                                    quantities                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                                                          C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          held                                                  xe2x80x83                                    by                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question                                                                                sum                                            xe2x80x83                                          of                                            xe2x80x83                                          impurity                                            xe2x80x83                                          quantities                                            xe2x80x83                                          in                                                  xe2x80x83                                                                                C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          triangles                                                  xe2x80x83                                    containing                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question
In another preferred construction, the impurity quantity setting means
takes an impurity concentration obtained by the linear interpolation based on an impurity concentration of each vertex of mesh elements on the first mesh as a tentative set value of an impurity concentration at the control volume in question, and
determines, as an impurity concentration at the control volume in question, a value obtained by multiplying the tentative set value by a conversion coefficient xe2x80x98xcex1xe2x80x99 obtained by the impurity quantity comparison means according to the following expression:   α  =                                          sum                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                    impurity                                      xe2x80x83                                    quantities                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                                                          C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          held                                                  xe2x80x83                                    by                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question                                                                                sum                                            xe2x80x83                                          of                                            xe2x80x83                                          impurity                                            xe2x80x83                                          quantities                                            xe2x80x83                                          in                                                  xe2x80x83                                                                                C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          triangles                                                  xe2x80x83                                    containing                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question
the impurity quantity transfer means divides a calculated impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh by an area of a grid-based control volume on the second mesh to determine an impurity concentration corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh.
In another preferred construction, the impurity quantity transfer device further comprises
error calculation means for calculating an error caused by pseudo diffusion in integral interpolation by using an impurity concentration determined by the impurity quantity setting means, and
local mesh generation means for generating, when determination is made that the error calculated by the error calculation means will be not less than a predetermined value, a local mesh so as to reduce the error.
In another preferred construction, the impurity quantity transfer device further comprises
error calculation means for calculating an error caused by pseudo diffusion in integral interpolation by using an impurity concentration determined by the impurity quantity setting means, and
local mesh generation means for generating, when determination is made that the error calculated by the error calculation means will be not less than a predetermined value, a local mesh so as to reduce the error, wherein
the impurity quantity transfer means divides a calculated impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh by an area of a grid-based control volume on the second mesh to determine an impurity concentration corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh.
In another preferred construction, the impurity quantity transfer device further comprises
error calculation means for calculating an error caused by pseudo diffusion in integral interpolation by using an impurity concentration determined by the impurity quantity setting means, and
local mesh generation means for generating, when determination is made that the error calculated by the error calculation means will be not less than a predetermined value, a local mesh so as to reduce the error, wherein
the impurity quantity setting means
takes an impurity concentration obtained by the linear interpolation based on an impurity concentration of each vertex of mesh elements on the first mesh as a tentative set value of an impurity concentration at the control volume in question, and
determines, as an impurity concentration at the control volume in question, a value obtained by multiplying the tentative set value by a conversion coefficient xe2x80x98xcex1xe2x80x99 obtained by the impurity quantity comparison means according to the following expression:   α  =                                          sum                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                    impurity                                      xe2x80x83                                    quantities                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                                                          C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          held                                                  xe2x80x83                                    by                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question                                                                                sum                                            xe2x80x83                                          of                                            xe2x80x83                                          impurity                                            xe2x80x83                                          quantities                                            xe2x80x83                                          in                                                  xe2x80x83                                                                                C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          triangles                                                  xe2x80x83                                    containing                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question
According to the second aspect of the invention, in semiconductor device process simulation, an impurity interpolation method of transferring, according to deformation of a semiconductor device, an impurity value defined on a first mesh generated on the semiconductor device before the deformation to a second mesh generated on the semiconductor device after the deformation, comprising the steps of generating, on the second mesh, a grid-based control volume region bridging a plurality of mesh elements,
generating, on the first mesh, a mesh-based control volume subdivisional on a mesh element basis,
calculating a sum of impurity quantities corresponding to each grid point on the first mesh based on a total area of the mesh-based control volume surrounding the grid point and an impurity concentration at the grid,
tentatively setting, with respect to the mesh-based control volume, an impurity concentration of the control volume by using an impurity concentration of each vertex of mesh elements on the first mesh covering the control volume,
based on an area of each the mesh-based control volume connected to a grid point on the first mesh and the tentatively set impurity concentration, accumulating impurity quantities corresponding to the grid point on the first mesh,
comparing a sum of impurity quantities calculated at the impurity quantity calculation step and the accumulated impurity quantities to obtain a conversion coefficient allowing the compared values to agree with each other,
determining an impurity concentration of each the mesh-based control volume by using the tentative set value and the conversion coefficient,
calculating, with respect to each the mesh-based control volume, an area of an overlap region between the mesh-based control volume and the grid-based control volume region on the second mesh, and
transferring an impurity quantity of the mesh-based control volume to the grid-based control volume region on the second mesh according to a calculated area to calculate an impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh.
In the preferred construction, the impurity interpolation method further comprising
a step of dividing an impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh calculated at the impurity quantity transfer step by an area of a grid-based control volume on the second mesh to determine an impurity concentration corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh.
In the preferred construction, at the impurity quantity tentative setting step,
an impurity concentration obtained by the linear interpolation based on an impurity concentration of each vertex of mesh elements on the first mesh is taken as a tentative set value of an impurity concentration at the control volume in question, and
at the impurity quantity determination step,
a value obtained by multiplying the tentative set value by a conversion coefficient xe2x80x98xcex1xe2x80x99 obtained by the impurity quantity comparison step according to the following expression is determined as an impurity concentration at the control volume in question:   α  =                                          sum                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                    impurity                                      xe2x80x83                                    quantities                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                                                          C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          held                                                  xe2x80x83                                    by                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question                                                                                sum                                            xe2x80x83                                          of                                            xe2x80x83                                          impurity                                            xe2x80x83                                          quantities                                            xe2x80x83                                          in                                                  xe2x80x83                                                                                C              .              V              .                              xe2x80x83                                          triangles                                                  xe2x80x83                                    containing                                      xe2x80x83                                    the                                      xe2x80x83                                    grid                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                    question
In another preferred construction, the impurity interpolation method further comprising the steps of
calculating an error caused by pseudo diffusion in integral interpolation by using an impurity concentration determined at the impurity quantity determination step, and
generating, when determination is made that the error calculated at the error calculation step will be not less than a predetermined value, a local mesh so as to reduce the error, wherein
at the overlap area calculation step, targeting each the mesh-based control volume on which the local mesh has been generated, an area of an overlap region is calculated between the mesh-based control volume and the grid-based control volume region on the second mesh, and
the error calculation step, the local mesh generation step, the overlap area calculation step and the impurity quantity transfer step are repeated until the error calculated at the error calculation step goes below the predetermined value.
According to another aspect of the invention, in semiconductor device process simulation, a computer j readable memory storing a computer program for controlling an impurity quantity transfer device which transfers, according to deformation of a semiconductor device, an impurity value defined on a first mesh generated on the semiconductor device before the deformation to a second mesh generated on the semiconductor device after the deformation, the computer program comprising the steps of
generating, on the second mesh, a grid-based control volume region bridging a plurality of mesh elements,
generating, on the first mesh, a mesh-based control volume subdivisional on a mesh element basis,
calculating a sum of impurity quantities corresponding to each grid point on the first mesh based on a total area of the mesh-based control volume surrounding the grid point and an impurity concentration at the grid,
tentatively setting, with respect to the mesh-based control volume, an impurity concentration of the control volume by using an impurity concentration of each vertex of mesh elements on the first mesh covering the control volume,
based on an area of each the mesh-based control volume connected to a grid point on the first mesh and the tentatively set impurity concentration, accumulating impurity quantities corresponding to the grid point on the first mesh,
comparing a sum of impurity quantities calculated at the impurity quantity calculation step and the accumulated impurity quantities to obtain a conversion coefficient allowing the compared values to agree with each other,
determining an impurity concentration of each the mesh-based control volume by using the tentative set value and the conversion coefficient,
calculating, with respect to each the mesh-based control volume, an area of an overlap region between the mesh-based control volume and the grid-based control volume region on the second mesh, and
transferring an impurity quantity of the mesh-based based control volume to the grid-based control volume region on the second mesh according to a calculated area to calculate an impurity quantity corresponding to each grid point on the second mesh.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the detailed description given herebelow.

Impurity quantity transfer device enabling reduction in pseudo diffusion error generated at integral interpolation of impurity quantities and impurity interpolation method thereof


Identification information for identifying each network out of a plurality of wireless networks is received. A wireless network identified by arbitrary identification information is wirelessly connected. Whether a printer in the wirelessly connected wireless network has a function of connecting a digital camera and performing output processing is inquired of the printer. Connection to the printer is controlled in accordance with a response to the inquiry. The digital camera performs output processing together with the connected printer. An information output apparatus having a function of connecting an information storage terminal apparatus by simple operation and performing output processing can be wirelessly connected.

Information storage terminals such as a digital camera and information output apparatuses such as a printer are conventionally peripheral devices for personal computers (PCs). Data of such peripheral device is loaded to a PC, processed, and then output.
However, not everyone can handle a PC, so a "direct print" method of directly connecting a digital camera and printer via a cable to print is proposed (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-239312).
In recent years, wireless LANs defined by IEEE 802.11 has spread. The wireless LAN can wirelessly connect a computer and network at high speed.
In this situation, the direct print method also requires wireless connection instead of cumbersome cable connection. Wireless connection by a wireless LAN defined by IEEE 802.11 has become popular and can be implemented at relatively low cost. Wireless connection can connect a peripheral device and digital camera, and can also easily connect a digital camera to the Internet.
When the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN is applied to a computer, the user can designate a wireless network to be connected by using its identifier. For a user who uses direct printing, wireless connection by simple operation is desirable because the operation unit of a digital camera or printer has poor operability.
Several parameters must be essentially set for wireless connection. The IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN can establish wireless connection by receiving a wireless network identifier contained in a beacon frame periodically transmitted from an access point, and using the received wireless network identifier for wireless connection, without setting any parameter. The wireless LAN enables the user to attain wireless connection without any special operation.
However, wireless connection suffers the following problems:
(1) A direct print type printer does not always exist in a connected wireless network; and
(2) In order to solve problem (1), the user may be prompted to input various pieces of information or perform various operations. However, a wireless connection cannot be realized by simple operation.

Information processing apparatus and connection control method for searching for a printer having a predetermined function identified by identification information included in a beacon signal and sending a print request directly to the printer which is operating as an access point without going through an external access point


A multilayer film characterized by having excellent oxygen permeability and thermoformable properties comprising a sealant layer and a heat resistant layer is disclosed. The sealant layer contains an ethylene based polymer or copolymer. The heat resistant layer has a melting point greater than that of the polymeric composition of the sealing layer. Internal layers also can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multilayer films useful as packaging materials, particularly to packaging films that are oxygen permeable and thermoformable such as might be used in the packaging of products such as, for example, fresh poultry, frozen red meat, and certain produce.
2. Background of the Invention
Numerous film products are employed for packaging and for delivery of food products. These films were developed to have particular properties and often employ multiple layers to obtain the desired properties. For example, use of polyolefin based films characterized by high strength, excellent moisture and water vapor resistance, fair chemical resistance, and variable processability is well known.
Polyolefins often are used in combination with other polymers. No single polymer or copolymer can possess all the desired properties, however. Thus, films made from blends of polymers as well as multilayered structures have been developed. These have been found to provide a good balance of properties depending on the end use of the film. Many films designed for packaging applications in the food industry incorporate "barrier" polymers to prevent the passage of, for example, oxygen. The present invention, however, is directed to films to be used for packaging certain food products such as fresh poultry which must necessarily possess high oxygen permeability.
For many such packaging applications, thermoforming an oxygen permeable film is desirable. Most typically, a non-thermoforming film or web is used in combination with a thermoforming film or web to produce a final package. In a typical operation, a forming film is formed into a mold to provide a cavity in which a food product is placed. A non-forming film can be placed over the cavity and vacuum sealed, by means known in the art, to the periphery of the forming web. Many meat products are packaged in this manner.
Heretofore, only one commercially available thermoformable film having good oxygen permeability properties has been available. That is, thermoformable monolayer ionomer films are known to provide high oxygen permeability. Generally speaking, ionomers are metal neutralized salts of ethylene/acrylic acid or ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymers, commercially available from DuPont de Nemours (Wilmington, Del.). Although monolayer ionomeric films produced by a blown or cast process provide oxygen permeability and thermoformability, their failure rate is high because the periphery of the film must be heated to its softening point for sealing to occur. Thus, burn through (i.e., rupture of the film due to heat) is common.
Thus, a need in the art exists for a heat-sealable, thermoformable, oxygen permeable film or web which does not degrade upon sealing.


A memory controller such as for use with a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) wherein an active row at the end of each transfer can either be left active or closed by precharging the row. The memory controller uses a history register to keep track of the results of a number of prior accesses to each memory bank, remembering whether the access was to the same row as an immediately prior access. For each new memory access, the memory controller either asserts or deasserts a precharge enable signal depending on the state of the history bits. As a result, the memory controller is more likely to have a correct row open on a subsequent access, and less likely to have a wrong row open.

Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs) have long been a popular choice for use as main memory in computer systems, especially for low cost computer systems such as personal computers (PCs) and workstations. This is largely because DRAMs use a simple memory cell geometry that permits implementation of large memory arrays at minimum cost and power consumption on a single semiconductor chip.
However, as processor speeds increase beyond a certain point, DRAM technology has been found to have significant access time incompatibilities. This is because the switching speed within a conventional DRAM memory cell is not as fast as the switching speeds now common in central processing units (CPUs). As a result, when using high speed processors with conventional DRAMs, the processor must frequently wait for memory accesses to be completed.
DRAMs support a type of access known as page mode wherein adjacent locations can be accessed sequentially at high speed. This feature is particularly effective in memory intensive applications in which it is common for groups of memory locations to be read or written in sequential order.
In addition, in a DRAM, all of the cells in a given group of memory locations, or a so-called "row," are activated at the same time. Multiple read or write operations can thus be performed with various cells within the row, but only while it is active. If a new access is to be made to a different row, a precharge operation must be completed to close the presently active row prior to accessing a different row. Therefore, a delay equal to the precharge time is experienced whenever a different row must be accessed on a subsequent transaction. However, the precharge operation is only necessary if the row address changes; if the row address does not change on the subsequent access, the precharge operation has been unnecessarily executed and the device unnecessarily placed in an idle state.
A new type of DRAM, called a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), is rapidly becoming a popular option for use as main memory. SDRAMs use the same memory cell technology as DRAMs, which is to say they use a single complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistor switch coupled to a storage capacitor. There are, however, several differences in the internal structure of an SDRAM that provide certain speed advantages.
The first such difference is that the operation of an SDRAM is synchronous. In particular, read/write access and refresh cycles occur synchronously with a master clock signal. Therefore, a computer system can be designed using SDRAMs, knowing the exact timing of events within the memory.
Second, being synchronous, SDRAM arrays can be split into two or more independent memory banks, and two or more rows can therefore be active simultaneously, with one open row per independent bank. If a computer system is designed to support interleaved accesses to multiple rows, SDRAMs make it possible to complete these accesses without intervening precharge operations, provided that the rows to be accessed are all in separate SDRAM banks.

Adaptive precharge management for synchronous DRAM


Generation, use, and treatment of new and unique process waters in or for wet-process phosphoric acid manufacturing to substantially eliminate discharge of contaminants to the environment. Acid pond water from conventional wet-process phosphoric acid manufacturing, contaminated with compositions containing fluorine, heavy metals, and radioactive elements such as radium-226, plus residual P.sub.2 O.sub.5, is superseded. Substantially all contaminants from the wet-process are insolubilized and removed, whereas P.sub.2 O.sub.5 normally lost is recovered. Decontaminated gypsum stack water with a mildly acidic pH results from stepwise raising of wastewater pH, with clarification, and subsequent re-acidification, to provide a decontaminated process water with slightly acidic pH adapted to match the pH of environmental ground water. The process is made more economical, while enhancing protection of surrounding air, soil, and water from contaminants.

Wet-process manufacturing of phosphoric acid is so standardized that its procedures are well known and are described as conventional in authoritative texts. An accepted reputable authority upon this subject is Pierre Becker, PHOSPHATES AND PHOSPHORIC ACID--Raw Materials, Technology, and Economics of the Wet Process, published by Marcel Dekker, Inc. (New York, 1983). Of particular interest is chapter 9 thereof, entitled "What to Do with Gypsum" (pp. 471-496). The present inventors consider Becker's identified treatise as the authority on conventional wet-process phosphoric acid practice, from which the present invention departs as described below.
Such conventional processing produces by-product gypsum stacks from which very acidic water drains into extensive cooling ponds, often measuring several hundred acres each. Conventional gyp[sum] pond water is extremely acid, usually having a pH of about 1.8-2.0, and is composed of weak phosphoric acid, as in a range from 1.3-2.5% P.sub.2 O.sub.5, fluosilicic acid and soluble fluorides ranging from 0.5-1.8%, sulfuric acid and soluble sulfates ranging from 0.5-1.6%, plus soluble metal salts and radioactive compositions. It retains in solution--and therefore pollutes ground water with--residual phosphoric acid and soluble fluorides, dissolved metal impurities and radioactive compounds, and it emits fluoride-containing gases, all derived from conventional wet-process phosphoric acid manufacturing.
Attempts to limit resulting air, water, and soil contamination have had limited degrees of success. Even those inventors who have wrestled with the problem have undertaken to ameliorate one or another bad aspect thereof instead of attacking pond waters head-on.
Randolph in U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,648 proposed a rather diffuse range of neutralization of acidic gypsum pond waters effective to reduce some contaminants by precipitation. The present inventors undertook to reduce fluoride contamination, Palm as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,212 and Hartig as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,757, and jointly they subsequently developed a two-stage neutralization of recirculated acid waters, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,012.
Other examples of ameliorative efforts include treating gypsum pond waters to remove metallic ions as in Mills U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,532; to recover calcium fluoride as in Hirka & Mills U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,342 or O'Neill U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,810; or to remove calcium fluoride so as to provide a reduced fluoride solution for use in wet ball-milling of phosphate rock as in O'Neill et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,368. Hirko et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,342; Zibrida in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,657,680 and 4,698,163; and Murray et al. in U.S. Pat. No.5,112,499.
The industry and the inventors, despite such efforts, have not successfully eliminated the dependency of conventional wet-process phosphoric acid manufacturing upon acid pond water with its load of contaminants threatening pollution of adjacent air, soil, and water.
The present invention, while retaining benefits of the present inventors' identified joint invention, is directed to modifying the wet-process manufacturing of phosphoric acid with the result of substantially eliminating pollution attributable to conventional gypsum pond waters and minimizing the loss of P.sub.2 O.sub.5 while doing so.

Phosphoric acid manufacturing with converted waters


Provided is a display substrate including: a base substrate, a plurality of micro light-emitting diodes and a plurality of touch electrodes; wherein the micro light-emitting diode comprises: a first electrode, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode that are sequentially arranged in a direction distal from the base substrate; and the touch electrode is disposed on a side of the micro LED distal from the base substrate. A manufacturing method of manufacturing a display substrate, a display panel, and a display device are also provided.

With the development of display technologies, various display panels have emerged, such as liquid crystal display panels, organic micro light-emitting diode display panels, and micro light-emitting diode display panels. The micro light-emitting diode display panel is regarded as the next-generation display panel due to its advantages of high brightness, high luminous efficiency, and low power consumption.

Display substrate and manufacturing method t'hereof, display panel and display device


The invention includes a necktie fastener system capable of restraining the bottom portion of the necktie close to the shirt of a wearer, and thereby controlling the entire necktie so that it won't fly in the wind, or while leaning over a table. The invention is for use when wearing a shirt having buttons located near the center of the front of the shirt. There is an H shape which is attached to the back of the apron of the necktie by simply hot ironing it. The H shape is relatively flexible allowing easy formation of the various necktie knots. Once the necktie has been tied and adjusted, the wearer inserts the a elongated placket under the horizontal bar and attaches the placket to two adjacent shirt buttons. The resulting combination slidably secures the end of the necktie nearest the bottom of the tie to stay near the shirt of the wearer. This gives control of the entire length of the tie from flying away in the wind or falling down when reaching over a table.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention teaches a new category of ultra-low profile, easily attached necktie holders which are capable of controlling the apron of the tie at a point near the belt line of the waist of the person wearing the necktie. The field of search for prior art concerning the invention includes both metal tie holders and non-metallic tie holders. The invention has equal application to both wide and narrow clip-on neckties as well as to neckties secured with a Windsor, Pratt, Shelby, or a Four-in-hand knot. The specific problems solved by the invention include the following: 1. The invention, as presently being produced, has a ultra-low profile of 0.064 inches (1.6 millimeters) resulting in the least bulge and least change in the natural drape of men's ties. The invention operates between the spaced buttons on the wearer's shirt rather than on top of the buttons. 2. The invention gives control over the lowest portion of the necktie, as it is worn, and thus achieves the best appearance and best control of the entire necktie. 3. The invention does the least damage the necktie during attachment of the invention to the tie. 4. The invention allows a close match of the modulus of elasticity of the invention's material and the typical men's necktie. 5. The invention permits steel rule die mass production of both parts of the invention. 6. The invention permits near infinite shelf-life both before sale and after installation on the necktie. 7. The invention also permits maximum automation of the process of installing the invention on neckties as they are manufactured because the invention can be made and transferred to the ties on wax paper transfer rolls. 8. With no change in tooling, the invention permits easy variation in color of the material so as to match the shirt and/or tie in order to better conceal the use of the invention by the person wearing the necktie. 9. The invention makes it practical to cut off the excess end of the tail of the necktie which would otherwise need to be tucked into the shirt or pants, yet to still control the necktie along nearly its entire length.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are several existing categories of prior art. The first, and oldest category, involves mechanical devices made of metal or plastic used as gripping or clipping means to hold onto the parts of the wearer's shirt and the wearer's necktie. Representative of this category is U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,933, issued Dec. 26, 2000, to Albert Smith. The patent discloses a necktie retaining device which includes two parts: The first attached to the shirt and the second attaches mechanically to the tie. The first part includes a pair of opposed, laterally projecting barbs, and an eyelet, and the barbs pierce a portion of the tie. The second part is a retainer clip for connecting to either a button on a shirt or to the centerline of the shirt to secure the retainer clip to the shirt. The two parts connect together by means of the eyelet interfitting with part of the clip mounted on the shirt.
This patent is typical of "high profile" tie holders, characterized by requiring 0.375 inches (9 millimeters) or more to permit the metal clip to connect with the barbed metal tie clip. This patent is also representative of the use of piercing the back of the apron of the necktie in order to obtain sufficient mechanical connection to the tie. This patent is also typical of the bulge caused by the high profile of the tie holder. The high profile interferes with the drape of the tie.
Another representative of the metal tie clip category is U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,301, issued Dec. 27, 1994, to Gabriel Schindler. That patent discloses a tie clip having two clips. The first clip is spring biased to grip the designer label of the tie. The second clip grips the placket of a shirt. The "placket" of a shirt is the button edge of the user's shirt front. Schindler's patent '301 is useful for its detailed description of many variations of the "tie tack" and "tie bar" disclosed by prior art. But the device taught by '301 has the disadvantage of high profile, and the further disadvantage of high tensile spring wire wound to close the clips. Such wire always will tend to rust, and to later fail suddenly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,460, issued Nov. 8, 1994, to Chih-Teng Pan discloses a device which is representative of another category of tie restraint devices involving chains as connectors between the tie and the user's shirt. The patent describes a tie clip mounted behind a tie. There is a clip formed by bending metal into a outer plate and an inner plate. Two chains are sewed to the back side of the tie. The chains attach to two ends of the metal clip. The clip is attached to to a front opening of the user's shirt. This category of tie clips has every failing which the present invention overcomes. The category has a high profile clip on the shirt, as opposed to the present invention which has a ultra-low profile of 0.064 inches (1.6 millimeters) resulting in the least bulge and least change in the natural drape of men's ties. 2. The chain category does not give control over the lowest portion of the tie, as it is worn. Indeed, the purpose of the chain is to allow considerable looseness of the tie. 3. The chain category requires the chain to be sewed in two places to the tie. Thus the tie is damaged during attachment of the chain in the sense that stitches will loosen and fail over time simply due to the thousands of vibrations the tie undergoes throughout each day of use. 4. The chain category tends to deform the tie because it pulls at the tie in two places, causing it to curl in an unsightly manner. This is particularly a problem with wider ties. 5. The chain category requires expensive steel punch and forming dies to mass produce the parts, which must then be laboriously hand assembled in jigs. 6. The chain category requires metal parts, and thus has a limited shelf-life both before sale and after installation on the tie because the metal parts will tarnish over time. 7. The chain category requires several production lines for the manufacture of the different parts, and then laborious assembly. The use of automation using transfer rolls is precluded by the hand work of sewing the chains to the tie. 8. The chain category does not permit ease of variation in color to match the shirt and/or tie in order to better conceal the use of the invention by the person wearing the tie. 9. The chain category does not permit the excess end of the portion of the tie to be cut off. Instead, the chain category requires considerable precision is tying the tie to make both ends of the tie come to a similar length in front of the user's shirt.
A third category of tie holder is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,713, issued May 31, 1994, to Vincent Pileggi. This involves attachment to one or more buttons of the shirt of the wearer of some device which in turn controls the position of the necktie. Quoting the Pileggi patent, from Column 4, line 67: "In this embodiement, the tie restraining apparatus of the [Pileggi] invention includes a tail attachment means in the form of a lower attachment loop 24 and an upper attachment loop 26. Each of the loops 24, 26 are attached to the back 18 of the tie apron in such a manner that the tail 14 can be easily slid down through them in the manner shown. As is explained below, the tail attachment means of the [Pileggi] invention can take any suitable form and may be either permanently or temporarily attach the the back 18 of the apron 12.″
The Pileggi patent continues, "The loops 24, 26 of this embodiment of the [Pileggi] invention are formed from a flexible cloth material, preferably similar or identical to the tie in texture and color. These loops should be attached far enough apart to comfortably span at least two buttons 28 on a dress shirt. . . . "
The Pileggi patent continues, at column 5, line 63: "A horizontal member 32 is provided with one or more button holes 34a, 34b adapted to attach to one of the buttons 28 on the wearer's shirt. Once the tie is tied and properly adjusted, the wearer then slides the tail 14 through upper loop 26. At this stage, the horizontal member 32 is slid onto the tail 14, positioned immediately below the upper loop 26, and the tail 14 is then attached through the lower loop 24 to secure the horizontal member 32 intermediate the ends of the tail 14. In this manner, the horizontal member is slidably mounted to tail 14 between the two loops 24, 26, permitting the restraint apparatus 30 to self-adjust.
Pileggi then describes horizontal member 32 to be, in so many words, a fabric sleeve through which the tail of the necktie passes. The sleeve has one or more button holes which, somehow, despite it being a sleeve, is buttoned onto a shirt. The tail 14, passes through the sleeve. Pileggi then describes at column 6, line 63, "To achieve far better operation of the [Pileggi] invention, it is preferred that the horizontal member 32 and/or the tail 14 of the tie is treated with a stiffener to decrease the tendency of the horizontal member to snag along the tail. Although the stiffener may take any form, such as starch or plastic coating of the tie, preferably such stiffener comprises a fusion cloth, . . . "
Pileggi then describes a clip shown in FIG. 4 of Pileggi's patent. That figure discloses the need to sew the clip to the tie in four places. The clip is described to be 1¾ inches (about 40 millimeters) by 1 inch (25.4 millimeters) and has "removable anchoring means (e.g. alligator clips)." Apparently this clip is utilized in place of loops 24 and 26.
Summarizing the Pileggi device: 1. A button hole on the shirt has a sleeve attached to it. 2. Through the sleeve passes the "tail" of the tie. The tail of the tie in turn is secured to the back of the apron of the tie through two additional loops. Those additional loops apparently are sewed to the back of the apron of the tie, and in place of the loops might be a plastic or metal clip which is sewed in four places to the tie.
Viewing the Pileggi device in light of the requirements of tying a "Four-in-hand" knot, or a "Pratt" or "Shelby knot, or a "Windsor" knot, in each case, it is not clear from the Pileggi patent how one gets the 1¾ inch wide clips 24, 26 through the knot, without considerable difficulty. Indeed, the Pileggi device inherently has the ":widest" profile of all the tie restraining devices. It also requires the greatest amount of skilled work to be done to install it.
Another representative of this category of necktie restraints involving attachment of part of the device to a button on the shirt of the wearer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,547 issued on May 5, 1992, to Iman 'al-Amin Abdallah. Like the Pileggi device, there is a sleeve 12 shown in FIG. 2 of the '547 patent. The sleeve has a button hole to secure the sleeve to the wearer's shirt. But then, a tough plastic part, number 11, fits through the sleeve and attaches to the tie by means of sewing or by pressure sensitive strip 17. A major disadvantage of of the device shown in patent '547 is that the apron of the necktie becomes stiffened by the tough plastic part 11 in a way which affects the drape of the tie. As with the Pileggi device, the presence of the tough plastic part 11 greatly interferes with the ease with which the various necktie knots can be formed accurately and quickly by the wearer. Plus, the '547 device has a high profile, both in thickness of the plastic part 11, and in the stacking on the button, and then the sleeve on top of the button, and then the tough plastic part 11, and then the otherside of the sleeve. Finally, there is a real risk that the sleeve 12 will become stuck when it is inevitably wedged against the threads through holes 14 shown in FIG. 2 of '547, or wedged against the stickum 16 shown in FIG. 3 of '547.
Another representative of this category of necktie restraints attached to buttons on the wearer's shirt is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,785 issued on Jun. 8, 1993, to John Graef. Paraphrasing the abstract of that patent, '785 teaches a tie fastener for securing a necktie to a shirt which includes three strips of flexible material joined together at one end. Each strip is identical to the others. An inner strip is buttoned to a shirt and an outer strip is fed through the loop-label of the tie. An intermediate strip is interposed between the inner and outer strips and serves to cover a shirt button and prevent the loop-label from catching on the button. The Graef patent thereby limits itself to the position of the loop-label on the back of the apron of the tie. Typically, this is too high up to control the movement of the apron of the tie near the belt line of the wearer. It thus does not accomplish what the present invention accomplishes.
Another representative of this category of tie holder is U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,457 issued Aug. 16, 1994, to Kenneth Chennault. This patent appears to have expired for failure to pay maintenance fees. The Abstract of Patent '457 discloses "A neckware anchoring device (10) for retaining neckties (23) and the like in their intended position along the front portion of the wearer's garment (12). The anchoring device is received tie loop (22) and attaches to the button threads of selected buttons (24 and 26) on the shirt or bouse of the wearer. The device (10) engages the button threads by sliding behind the button without the need for inserting the button through a button hole. The device (10) is easily installed and removed by the wearer." FIG. 2 shows the tough plastic structure which functions as a dual clip. As with the Graef device in '785 described above, the use of the "tie loop" or as Graef describes it, the "label-loop," controls only the middle and upper portion of the apron of the tie and does not control the bottom of the tie, nearest the belt line. Thus, '785 does not accomplish a central goal of the present invention.


A dispensing structure is provided for a container which has first and second storage compartments and first and second discharge openings each separately communicating with one of the first and second storage compartments, respectively. The dispensing structure includes a body for extending from the container. The body has a peripheral wall that defines first and second discharge conduits for communicating with the first and second discharge openings, respectively. The dispensing structure also includes first and second dispensing conduits mounted in the body peripheral wall for tilting movement between (1) a dispensing position in which the first and second dispensing conduits are in fluid communication with the first and second discharge conduits, respectively, and (2) a non-dispensing position. The first and second conduits include, respectively, first and second sealing plugs therein for occluding flow from the first and second discharge conduits, respectively, when the first and second dispensing conduits are in the closed position and for permitting flow from the first and second discharge conduits when the first and second dispensing conduits are in the open position.

A variety of packages that include dispensing systems on containers have been developed for household products, personal care products, and other products. It would be desirable to provide an improved dispensing structure for use with such systems.
In some potential product applications, it may be advantageous to provide two different materials which are mixed together to form a useful composition, but which are preferably stored separately prior to use. Separation may be required because of chemical reactivity or physical incompatibility during the storage period. Such compositions may include health and beauty aids, cleaning compositions, and dental formulas.
It might also be desirable to provide a single container, having two internal compartments, which can dispense different food products simultaneously or separately. For example, it might be desirable to have a single container from which ketchup can be dispensed as well as mustard.
Double barrel dispensing containers may be employed for storing different reactive ingredients, such as an epoxy resin in one barrel and a curing agent in the other barrel. Generally equal portions of the epoxy resin and curing agent can then be simultaneously dispensed for immediate mixing, and no measuring of the separate ingredients is necessary.
A variety of closure designs have been provided for containers which hold two different materials. However, there is a need to provide a dispensing structure for such containers which is very easy to operate. Preferably, such an improved dispensing structure should provide an integral mechanism that eliminates removable caps or other parts which have to be set aside during use of the container and which may become misplaced or damaged.
Further, such an improved dispensing structure should provide a very effective seal when the dispensing structure is closed so as to avoid subjecting the materials in the container to prolonged exposure to air and so as to avoid contamination of the materials within the container owing to contaminant ingress.
Such an improved dispensing structure should also accommodate designs which permit incorporation of the dispensing structure as a unitary part, or extension, of the container and which accommodate the separate mounting of the dispensing structure on the container in a secure manner.
Preferably, the dispensing structure should operate to maintain the two materials being dispensed in separate streams until the streams exit the dispensing structure. The dispensing structure should preferably be able to dispense the streams of the two different materials substantially simultaneously.
It would also be beneficial if such an improved dispensing structure could readily accommodate its manufacture from a variety of different materials.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved dispensing structure could be provided with a design that would accommodate efficient, high quality, large volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate.
Preferably, the improved dispensing structure should also accommodate high speed manufacturing techniques that produce products having consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit with high reliability.
The present invention provides an improved dispensing structure which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.


Apparatus for determining the level of fluid in a vessel comprises a fixed optical emitter for emitting light into the vessel, a light steering means for steering light emitted by the fixed optical emitter, the light steering means for steering the light to reflect from a surface of one of the vessel and a substance within the vessel, a window for receiving the steered light prior to transmission to the vessel, a detector for receiving light from the vessel, and a processing system for determining distance from the vessel or substance in accordance with a predetermined geometric relationship. The apparatus may additionally comprise a level for determining a number of degrees out of plumb of the vessel. Also, the apparatus may comprise an acoustic transmitter and receiver for determining the depths of first and second liquids in the vessel which are immiscible in one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The method and apparatus of the invention relate generally to the field of measuring and/or interacting with relationships between or among a plurality of media and/or spatial materials, by way of example, to the measurement of quantity of fluid in a container. Sensors which garner naturally inherent, virtual and/or artificially generated frequency/energy emissions are directed toward each media of interest in a constellation of relatively proximate objects. Emitters of focused or non-focused, collimated or non collimated, pulsed or continuous beams of electromagnetic energy may be aimed or directed at one or more of such media and the resultant reflections or returns captured by the same or different sensors. The data and/or images thus obtained can be monitored, verified, processed, manipulated, stored, displayed, communicated and reproduced as desired or required.
2. Related Background Art
The advent of the modem computer has greatly enhanced the fields of absolute and relative measurement and increased the speed at which spatial, geometric and temporal relationships, whether natural, virtual or artificial, may be calculated. Display technology now permits large scale visual reproduction of data and images representing multi-dimensional relative proximity. However, current art does not provide useful, often badly needed, sometimes critical information.
For instance, oil companies may not be cognizant of leaks in storage facilities until serious environmental damage has already occurred. The leak may be so slow from a storage tank in terms of fluid loss over time that the leak is not detectable through available monitoring techniques. Most devices for measuring the contents of containers are incapable of accurately measuring the quantity of material inside the structure. If sufficiently accurate means is provided by the application of currently available technology, then costs may become prohibitive for providing such means. Transport, storage and other functional housings of materials produced by the oil and gas industry are presented here as prime examples of devices where the relationship of cost to accuracy of measurement may contribute to an undesirable and otherwise untenable definition of politically and socially acceptable, albeit, dangerous risks. Anyone experienced in the oil and gas industry knows that a used petroleum storage tank is never really safe. In fact, the incidence of welding accidents and maintenance personnel deaths when such tanks are inspected, cleaned or otherwise maintained are numerous. Even when so-called nitrogen "blankets" are applied to such tanks to prevent accidents from occurring, the accidents can and do occur. Equally devastating, as indicated above, are the environmentally damaging petroleum spills and leaks which are not detected until too late by current methods of content(s) monitoring.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,903 describes the application of a strain gauge sensor to the exterior wall of a tank. The greater the volume of a substance within the tank, the greater the force pushing on the tank walls. The greater the force pushing on the tank walls, the greater the deformation of the walls which is translated into a strain gauge reading. An exterior storage tank, however, is not subjected to uniform temperatures and pressures due to weather conditions and the like which can alter the readings over time of day and season. While simple, the solution is not particularly accurate nor does it solve the problem of measuring the contents of underground or otherwise enclosed storage facilities.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,300 describes the use of a pressure sensor connected to the opening of a tank for indicating the pressure of the liquid in the tank. A processor translates the pressure signal to a level signal. There may, however, be sludge or other measurement distorting material at the opening of the tank where the pressure sensor is located that can clog the opening and distort or interfere with the accuracy of the level reading.
Other known techniques for level detection include using a manual dip stick. However, the use of a dip stick requires that the stick be inserted perpendicularly to the bottom of the container. If the stick is inserted at an angle, the reading will be artificially high. Of course, use of a dip stick is not automatic in that it requires a person's presence to take the reading. Moreover, the person taking the reading, depending on the contents of the container, may have to wear a gas mask or other safety apparatus to prevent inhaling dangerous fumes.
Still other efforts to measure container contents have focused on the use of "pulse radar level measurement" such as various products produced by the Ohmart Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio. However, such devices are less accurate, generally more expensive and pose difficult installation problems. Further, they lack many features of the current invention including off-site interactive telemetric communication and control.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,403 describes a position measuring device using a triangulation scheme for position sensing. According to the invention, a laser light beam is reflected off the surface of container contents differently from when light is reflected off the bottom surface of the container. A lens of a sensor deflects the received light to different locations of a CCD linear array. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,289 discloses an acoustic surface mapping system useful in mapping the contours of solid container contents.
Current methods do not delineate between the petroleum and water content, particularly in lease storage tanks and even in the tanks located at refineries. Nor do they give early warning of the theft of petroleum products from tanks, many of which are in remote locations. This is particularly problematic in underdeveloped countries where the additional hazard of intentional sabotage may greatly increase the incidence of severe environmental damage and product loss and where many industrialized nations now expend a large portion of their exploration and production budgets. Consequently, it is clear from the prior art that there exists a need for an improved means of acquiring container content information and promptly responding to such information via telemetric directives or other means available in various embodiments of the current invention to avoid the severe consequences that may result from having inaccurate or unreliable measurements.

Method for measuring the relative proximity of and interacting with a plurality of media/molecular structures


A system captures or otherwise receives a video and uses the video to create an electronic file corresponding to a multi-faceted printed artifact, such as a multi-page document. When the system receives the video, it selects a set of some or all of the video's image frames, determines a frame quality for each frame in the set, and identifies a subset of the frames such that the frame quality of each frame in the subset satisfies one or more image quality criteria. The subset will include at least one frame for each facet of the multi-faceted printed artifact, such as a page of the document. The processor then automatically combines the subset of frames into a single electronic file.

Mobile electronic devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers, and other portable electronic computing devices, are increasingly being used for capturing and processing data. Typically, a mobile electronic device includes a high quality camera that includes both still photo and video image capture capabilities.
Mobile electronic device applications are available that capture images of printed artifacts, such as documents or other items that contain printed material on a substrate. However, such applications only permit the capture or one page of the document at a time. In addition, for printed artifacts that have a large physical size or a high image density, the camera may not be able to capture an image of the entire artifact with sufficient detail to enable capture of text or other fine details of the image.
This document describes methods and systems that are directed to solving at least some of the issues described above, and/or additional issues.

Video capture of multi-faceted documents


An electrical connector includes a housing member and a number of contacts attached to the housing member. The contacts include a number of first contacts and second contacts arranged side by side along a transverse direction, respectively. The second contacts include a first pair of differential contacts, a second pair of differential contacts and a grounding contact disposed therebetween, the first contacts and the first and the second pairs of differential contacts are used for being soldered to the PCB while the grounding contact needn't be soldered to the PCB. The grounding contact includes a grounding tab to attach to the metal shell for grounding purpose. As a result, a much integral space between the first and the second contacts can be provided for receiving a fiber optical lens module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, more particularly to electrical connectors with improved grounding contact in order to provide reasonable space for easily receiving a fiber optical lens module.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,666 discloses an electrical connector including an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts retained in the housing and a metal shield received in the housing. The contacts include contact portions and bending portions extending downwardly from rear ends of the contact portions. The bending portions are perpendicular to the contact portions and include contractive tail portions for being soldered to a PCB. The metal shield encloses the contact portions for EMI protection. The bending portions are arranged side by side at a rear wall of the housing. The bending portions occupy much area of the rear wall of the housing as a result that the rear wall of the housing doesn't have reasonable area for mounting additional components from a rear-to-front direction.
Hence, an improved electrical connector is desired to overcome the above problems.

Electrical connector with improved grounding contact


A compact motion sensitive reminder device that is readily attachable to almost any movable item that emits an audio signal when the item is initially moved from a stationary condition and then remains silent during the item's use, and emits the audio signal again only after a certain amount of time that the movable item has remained stationary.

The following U.S. Patents disclose motion detection alerting devices, such as those used on vehicles, bicycles and children's toys.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,667 (Ames) discloses a bicycle alarm device for audibly warning the bicycle owner that his/her bicycle is being moved impermissibly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,914 (Dallas) discloses a bicycle helmet warning system to alert the seated rider that the helmet stowed in a helmet holder of the bicycle is not being worn.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,538 (Miller) discloses a safety device for a motorcycle which includes a device that actuates the horn of a motorcycle if the side stand is down, the ignition is on, and the motorcycle is in the driving position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,515 (Hyman et al.) discloses a child's toy that is worn by the child and includes, among other things, a motion switch for detecting movements of the toy and for generating sounds responsive to the movements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,397 (Taylor) discloses a two-sensitivity level kinetic sensor that activates an alarm circuit whenever the surface, upon which the sensor is disposed, is moved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,663 (Sibley) discloses a device for sensing vehicular mechanical motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,205 (Von Kemenczky) discloses a switch device for use on an illuminated article worn by a user that illuminates when certain motions are made by the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,289 (Fuller et al.) discloses an interactive protective system that includes a protective garment worn by the operator and includes sensors which detect respective conditions for alerting the operator about nearby dangers.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,870,818 (Barton et al.) and 4,933,852 (Lemelson) disclose apparatus for indicating operational characteristics of a machine, such as a motor vehicle, that utilizes among other things synthetic speech to advise the operator of appropriate action to be taken.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,726 (Dentz) discloses a hood actuated warning device for motor vehicles that warns the operator in the event that the hood of the vehicle is not fully closed at such times when the vehicle is being operated.
However, there remains a need for a compact device that is readily attachable to almost any movable item that provides an advisory statement to the person who initially moves the item and then remains silent during the item's use, and emits the advisory statement again only after a certain amount of time that the item remains stationary.


A system for sending selected up-to-date information in a television signal from a sender located at a network head-end or television station to a receiver co-located with a television viewer. The television viewer subscribes to an information service by telephoning a customer service center affiliated with the sender. The customer service center informs the sender of the subscription and the sender sends data packets of information individually targeted for the television viewer in the vertical blanking interval of the television signal. The television viewer's receiver accepts the data packets identified for it and on viewer command displays information included therein on the television screen. The data packets may include information relating to news, sports results, financial market updates, television programming guides, and the like. Information is displayed to the viewer in a menu format, allowing for ease of use in controlling presentation of various types of information.

The general public has an ever increasing desire for obtaining up-to-date information relating to a variety of events and activities. For example, consumers like to be informed of current events such as international, national and local news, financial market news, sports results, and entertainment guides, in a real-time manner, without having to wait to see the next day's newspaper or the nightly evening news. Consumers also desire to control the timing of the receipt of the information so it can be available when the consumer wants to be informed. Furthermore, consumers want to receive only the information that interests them, without having to wade through other, unwanted information.
Recently, on-line computer services have provided such information to consumers in a controlled, selectable manner. However, the on-line services require the use of expensive specialized equipment such as personal computers, modems, and software, and require a certain level of sophistication and experience using the equipment. Many households do not have or cannot afford such equipment. Additionally, when a consumer is watching television and desires to receive selected up-to-date information, it is awkward and time-consuming for the consumer to go to the consumer's personal computer, initialize it, log on to an on-line information service, and request the desired information (possibly paging through many other screens of information in order to locate the desired data).
A more useful information delivery system is needed that combines the real-time information distribution features of an on-line information service with the ease of use, low cost, and existing broadcasting infrastructure of a television system.

Television system and method for subscription of information services


A wire/wireless communication system includes two units for wire/wireless communication of information using a telephone network between two locations which are far away from each other. One of the two units is a data transmitting unit, such as a computer terminal, which is positioned at a first location and the other is a data receiving unit. To the units, infrared transceivers are coupled to transmit information as infrared radiation and receive the infrared radiation. Also, to the data transmitting and receiving units, telephones are connected. These telephones are interconnected by the telephone network therebetween and are respectively connected to transceivers. Wireless communication between the computer terminal of the data transmitting unit and the telephone which are positioned at the first location may be accomplished by the transceivers respectively coupled to them. The electrical signal corresponding to the information from the computer terminal is supplied through the telephone network to the telephone which is positioned adjacent to the computer terminal at the second location.

In general, wire data communication between two terminals is accomplished by using a data modem embodied in each of the terminals or by using a LAN (local area network) system. Particularly, a data modem is provided to support data-communication between personal computers. A typical personal computer is capable of supporting a variety of computer communication techniques such as serial communication using a serial port of an input/output device, parallel communication using a parallel port, LAN (local area network) communication using a LAN network system and the like.
Also wireless data communication between a plurality of pieces of computer equipment including computers, computer terminals, scanners, computer peripherals and the like, may be accomplished by a sort of radio receiver called a pager, or wireless communication modules which are positioned at both locations.
Since data communication between a computer terminal and an associated computer peripheral may be accomplished only within a cable connection range or an infrared radiation range, it cannot be accomplished if the computer terminal and the peripheral are located beyond the range of infrared radiation from each other.
Both the Harrison et al. and Freitas et al. patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,068,916 and 5,321,542, respectively entitled Coordination Of Wireless Medium Among A Plurality Of Base Stations, and Control Method And Apparatus For Wireless Data Link, disclose arrangements for connecting mobile units to a base station through infrared radiation channels and then connecting the base station to other stations through a wired LAN.
The following additional patents each disclose features in common with the present invention but are not as pertinent as the references noted above.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,346 to Lee et al., entitled Infrared Communications Network, U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,283 to Vinel et al., entitled Optical System For connecting Customer Premises Networks To a Switching Center OF A Telecommunication Network Providing Interactive And Non-Interactive Services, U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,665 to Asako, entitled Optical Transmitting/Receiving Apparatus For Bidirectional Communication Systems, U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,608 to Suzuki et al., entitled Communication Apparatus And Method U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,353 to Borras et al., entitled Communication system And Apparatus, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,111 to Kwa, entitled Full-Duplex Optical Transmission System.

Wire/wireless communication system for communicating between two locations using telephone network


A device for applying a bubble of a substance to a tissue surface, the device comprising a cannula, a distal tip at the distal end portion of the cannula, the distal tip having a bubble support surface and an exit port extending through the bubble support surface, an expansion fluid passageway extending through the cannula to the exit port, a source of an expansion fluid and an actuator therefor. In some arrangements, the distal tip can be configured to support a layer of the substance thereon over the distal port and the device can be configured such that the advancement of the expansion fluid from the fluid source through the exit port causes at least one bubble of the substance to form on the distal tip, wherein the at least a portion of the bubble can be transferred to the tissue surface to treat a defect on the tissue surface.

Existing methods for fixing macular holes and retinal detachments, associated with retinal discontinuities such as tears and holes, include perfluorocarbon, laser, cryotherapy, gas bubble injection, and the use of silicone oil. The use of perfluorocarbon for displacement of fluid out of the subretinal space may result in inadvertent migration of perfluorocarbon liquid into the subretinal space which can result in vision loss if it is located in the central macula. Incomplete removal of perfluorocarbon liquid from the vitreous cavity may result in associated visual phenomena that patients may find annoying. Use of laser and cryotherapy results in permanent retinal scar tissue formation and may contribute to epiretinal membrane and epiretinal scar tissue formation. Use of gas bubble injection results in limitations on activities of the patient and can cause complications such as elevated intraocular pressure and cataracts. Likewise, silicone oil can be problematic because it sometimes causes complications such as elevation of intraocular pressure, requires a second surgery for removal, and frequently leaves behind residual oil bubbles after attempted removal that patients may find visually distracting.
Existing methods for fixing leaking eye wall discontinuities such as incisions, sclerotomies, and lacerations include sutures and commercially available bioadhesives. Sometimes sutured discontinuities continue to leak. Sutures cause ocular irritation, pain, tearing, and sometimes local tissue reactions that included edema and inflammation of the episclera and conjunctiva.
One difficulty with some bioadhesives is that they may induce toxicity. Another difficulty is that bioadhesive can be difficult to apply to non-dependent ocular surfaces, both inside and outside the eye, due to the effect of gravity on the bioadhesive as it leaves the tip of the bioadhesive delivery device and other factors. For example, in an eye with a retinal tear that is located on the lateral or superior aspect of the eye, gravity may make it difficult to apply the bioadhesive to the retinal tear since gravity may cause dripping or drooping of the bioadhesive as soon as the adhesive is expelled from the applicator device, preventing the accurate application of the adhesive over the retinal discontinuity. The same problem occurs when attempting to apply liquid or viscous materials to lateral and inferior outer eye surfaces. Another difficulty with bioadhesives is that they can be difficult to apply to large discontinuities of retina and other ocular surfaces, as well as tissue discontinuities that have an irregularly shaped margin or margins that are at different elevations from one another. Challenges in applying bioadhesives to retinal discontinuities can be even more difficult if attempted using a transcleral, subretinal approach.

Devices and methods for targeted delivery of a substance


A steam flow meter provided with a steam flow rate detecting device and a steam pressure and temperature detecting device. In order to accurately maintain the heating temperature of the material to be heated without provision of any further measuring device, and detect a change in the efficiency of heat transmission of the steam heating apparatus with a low-priced and simple construction, the flow meter is further provided with a device for detecting the temperature of the material to be heated and an arithmetic unit which connects the material temperature detecting device, the steam flow rate detecting device and the steam pressure and temperature detecting device, whereby the efficiency of the heat transmission of the apparatus to be measured is calculated from the temperature of the material measured by the material temperature detecting device and from the quantity of heat of the steam which has passed through calculated on the basis of the signals from the steam flow rate detecting device and the steam pressure and temperature detecting device.

This invention relates to a steam flow meter for measuring a flow rate of steam which performs heating or drying in various kinds of apparatuses.
A steam heating apparatus is generally provided with a steam flow meter at the inlet side of the apparatus. The flow meters are based on different principles, however, at any rate, each of them allows the amount of steam consumed to be grasped and, at the same time, allows a proper amount of steam for the material to be heated to be supplied to the apparatus. Furthermore, it is important to correctly understand the property of steam in question to supply a proper amount of steam.
In a conventional manner, for example, a corresponding flow rate is determined by measuring a differential pressure to correspond to the steam flowing through a supply tube, and separately the actual temperature and pressure of the steam in question are measured, and in the end, the flow rate to the correct flow rate of the steam is revised on the basis of the measurements of the temperature and pressure. However, since a conventional flow meter based on the measurement of a differential pressure only has a function of measuring an actual differential pressure, in addition to the flow meter, a thermometer and a pressure gauge are provided to carry out a required revision in the case where a correct amount of steam is determined. This increases the cost of equipment and construction. In order to solve such a problem, JP-A Hei-4(1992)-50620 discloses a flow meter which, in addition to measuring the differential pressure of flow rates in the measuring process, simultaneously measures the static pressure and the temperature to carry out the revision of the temperature and pressure of the flow rate in the measuring Process. This provides an added value to the flow meter per se, and at the same time, dispenses with the separate provision of any measuring means or arithmetic correction unit, thereby allowing the reduction in cost of both the equipment and construction to be planned.
Furthermore, separately providing a means for detection of an amount of material to be heated, such as a flow meter or the like, at the supply side of the material to be heated, and grasping the amount of supply of the material to be heated so as to rationalize the amount of supply, are also widely carried out.
For most of the materials to be heated, by such a rationalization of both the amounts of the supply of steam and the material to be heated, the quantity of heat given from the steam is controlled in a predetermined range with respect to the constant amount of material to be heated, so that the degree of heating of the material to be heated is adjusted.
However, there is a problem in that dust, scales, rust and the like contained within the steam adhere to the heating surface of the steam heating apparatus over time, and therefore, the efficiency of heat transmission to the material to be heated is lowered. A large quantity of heat of the steam exceeding a theoretical quantity is required to carry out a required heating, thus lowering the productivity per unit energy. Moreover, in the case where the lowering of the efficiency of heat transmission can not be correctly grasped, unevenness in heat transmission to the material to be heated occurs, resulting in the lowering of the quality of the products.
Depending upon the kinds of materials to be heated, it is required to maintain a heating temperature which changes little and is highly accurate. For example, food stuffs, medical supplies, chemical articles or the like are deteriorated in quality due to changes in temperature during heating, and therefore, prevention of such deterioration is required.
Accordingly, in the steam heating apparatus in the prior art, measurements of the pressure, temperature and flow rate of steam supplied to the steam heating apparatus, and measurements of the temperatures of the material to be heated before and after heating are carried out in order to precisely detect the lowering of the efficiency of heat transmission. That is, a quantity of heat which can be supplied to the material to be heated is calculated from the pressure, temperature and flow rate of the supplied steam, and then the lowering of the efficiency of heat transmission is detected from a rise in the temperature of the material due to the quantity of the supplied heat.
To that end, even if the flow meter disclosed in the above-described JP-A Hei-4(1992)-50620 is used in order to precisely detect the lowering of the efficiency of heat transmission and to maintain the heating temperature of the material more correctly, the separate provision of a thermometer for measuring temperatures before and after heating of the material to be heated is necessary, and furthermore, operations for performing calculations from their measuring data and adjusting the quantity of supply of the steam or material to be heated are indispensable.
In the prior art described above, since it is necessary to separately provide a measuring unit or arithmetic unit in addition to the steam flow meter, there is a problem in that the total expense for the apparatus using steam is increased, and further, the construction of the apparatus becomes complicated.