Multichip graphics processing subsystems include at least three distinct graphics devices (e.g., expansion cards) coupled to a high-speed bus (e.g., a PCI Express bus) and operable in a distributed rendering mode. One of the graphics devices provides pixel data to a display device, and at least one of the other graphics devices transfers the pixel data it generates to another of the devices via the bus to be displayed. Where the high-speed bus provides data transfer lanes, allocation of lanes among the graphics devices can be optimized.

The present invention relates in general to graphics processing systems, and in particular to graphics processing subsystems that include at least three bus devices.
Graphics processing subsystems are designed to render realistic animated images in real time, e.g., at 30 or more frames per second. These subsystems are most often implemented on expansion cards that can be inserted into appropriately configured slots on a motherboard of a computer system and generally include a dedicated graphics processing unit (GPU) and dedicated graphics memory. The typical GPU is a highly complex integrated circuit device optimized to perform graphics computations (e.g., matrix transformations, scan-conversion and/or other rasterization techniques, texture blending, etc.), write the resulting pixels to the graphics memory, and deliver the pixels in real time to a display device. The GPU is a "slave" processor that operates in response to commands received from a driver program executing on a "master" processor, generally the central processing unit (CPU) of the system.
To meet the demands for realism and speed, some GPUs include more transistors than typical CPUs. In addition, graphics memories have become quite large in order to improve speed by reducing traffic on the system bus; some graphics cards now include as much as 256 MB of memory. But despite these advances, a demand for even greater realism and faster rendering persists.
As one approach to meeting this demand, some manufacturers have begun to develop "multi-chip" (or multi-processor) graphics processing subsystems in which two or more GPUs, usually on the same card, operate in parallel. Parallel operation substantially increases the number of rendering operations that can be carried out per second without requiring significant advances in GPU design. To minimize resource conflicts between the GPUs, each GPU is generally provided with its own dedicated memory area, including a display buffer to which the GPU writes pixel data it renders.
In a multi-chip system, two or more GPUs can be operated to render images cooperatively for the same display device; in this "distributed" rendering mode, rendering tasks are distributed among the GPUs. Tasks may be distributed in various ways. For example, in a "split frame rendering" (SFR) mode, each GPU is instructed to render pixel data for a different portion of the displayable image, such as a number of lines of a raster-based display. The image is displayed by scanning out the pixel data from each GPU's display buffer in an appropriate sequence. As another example, in an "alternate frame rendering" (AFR) mode, each GPU is instructed to render pixel data for a different image in a temporal sequence (e.g., different frames of an animated image such as a 3D video game). In this mode, a smooth animation speed of about 30 frames per second can be provided by two GPUs that each render images at 15 Hz.
Multi-chip graphics systems present a variety of problems, among which is providing the pixel data generated by different chips to a display device in a coherent manner. Existing display devices are generally configured to receive data for each screen pixel serially through one interface. Consequently, the multichip graphics system generally needs to route all of the pixel data to a single path for delivery. Where the different graphics processors are located on different bus devices (e.g., different expansion cards), at most one of the devices can be connected to the display interface. Other devices would need to transfer their data to the directly connected card. Efficient techniques for making such data transfers are therefore desirable.

Graphics processing system including at least three bus devices


The oxygen sensor of the present invention has excellent durability capable of effectively preventing contamination with lead or the like for a detection electrode even in low temperature exhaust gases, and having stable response over a long period of time. The contamination preventive layer provided in the sensor device comprises composite powders having coarse powders covered therearound with fine powders, and hollows not filled with fine powders are scattered in gaps among the composite powders. Both the coarse and fine powders comprise ceramic powders. Further, it is particularly preferred that the ceramic powders are powders of a titania powder having a peak at 1 μm or less and a composite ceramic powder containing alumina such as spinel having a peak at 10 μm or more. The contamination preventive layer can be formed by coating a slurry containing ceramic powders of different specific surface areas, an organic binder and a solvent such as methanol on the surface of the electrode protection layer followed by drying.

When a oxygen sensor comprising a sensor device is exposed as an air/fuel ratio sensor to an exhaust gas upon using lead-containing fuels, electrodes are contaminated with lead, phosphorus, silicon or the like and degraded with lapse of time to no more provide sufficient electromotive force. Sensors coping with the problem of deterioration for the durability of electrodes are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 90176/1994 and Japanese Laid-Open No. 113480/1997. However, a sensor capable of completely preventing contamination to electrodes in a low temperature region which is most likely to undergo the effect of lead or the like contained in exhaust gases has not yet been obtained.
This invention intends to provide an oxygen sensor having a sensor device capable of preventing an electrode from contamination by lead or the like and having excellent durability even in contact with exhaust gases at a relatively low temperature, as well as a method of manufacturing such a sensor device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Oxygen sensor and a manufacturing method of the sensor device


Methods and systems are provided for communicating with a vehicle. In one embodiment, a portable communication device for communicating with a vehicle is provided. The portable communication device includes memory that stores vehicle specific information. The portable communication device further includes at least one processor that executes instructions that cause the portable communication device to enable a secure communication between a wireless end device and the vehicle based on the vehicle specific information.

The use of wireless end devices such as smart phones, tablets, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) gadgets, and other devices has become increasingly popular. Such devices may include applications that may communicate with a vehicle. In order to communicate with a particular vehicle, the wireless end devices must know vehicle specific information. Storing such vehicle specific information on a wireless end device makes the information vulnerable to hackers, malware, viruses, etc. and thus, causes the vehicle to be unsecure.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for providing secure communications between a wireless end device and a vehicle. In addition, it is desirable to provide methods and systems for providing secure communications between a wireless end device and a vehicle without storing vehicle information on the wireless end device. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Methods and systems for secure communication between wireless electronic devices and vehicles


An embodiment of a semiconductor device may include a transistor having a first doped region and a second doped region that extend laterally underlying the source, body, and drain of the transistor. The transistor may have an embodiment that includes an additional bias contact to apply a bias potential to the first doped region and or alternately the second doped region.

The present invention relates, in general, to electronics, and more particularly, to semiconductors, structures thereof, and methods of forming semiconductor devices.
In the past, the semiconductor industry utilized various methods and structures to form high voltage transistors that had a high breakdown voltage and that had a high switching rate. The high voltage transistors generally had to withstand drain-to-source voltages that were up to approximately two hundred volts (200V) or greater. It was also desirable that the high voltage transistor had a low on-resistance (Rdson). Typically, the transistor was formed with various doped regions to achieve the desired operation.
In some applications, the transistors sometimes had power losses during switching operations. Additionally, some applications desired a greater breakdown voltage. Some manufacturing methods were not compatible with established manufacturing operations.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a high voltage transistor with an improved breakdown voltage and/or that has reduced power loss during switching operations.
For simplicity and clarity of the illustration(s), elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale, some of the elements may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes, and the same reference numbers in different figures denote the same elements, unless stated otherwise. Additionally, descriptions and details of well-known steps and elements may be omitted for simplicity of the description. As used herein current carrying element or current carrying electrode means an element of a device that carries current through the device such as a source or a drain of a transistor such as an MOS transistor or a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), or an emitter or a collector of a bipolar transistor, or a cathode or anode of a diode, and a control element or control electrode means an element of the device that controls current through the device such as a gate of an MOS transistor, a gate of a HEMT, or a base of a bipolar transistor. Additionally, one current carrying element may carry current in one direction through a device, such as carry current entering the device, and a second current carrying element may carry current in an opposite direction through the device, such as carry current leaving the device. Although the devices may be explained herein as certain N-channel or P-channel devices, or certain N-type or P-type doped regions, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that complementary devices are also possible in accordance with the present invention. One of ordinary skill in the art understands that the conductivity type refers to the mechanism through which conduction occurs such as through conduction of holes or electrons, therefore, that conductivity type does not refer to the doping concentration but the doping type, such as P-type or N-type. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein relating to circuit operation are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay(s), such as various propagation delays, between the reaction that is initiated by the initial action. Additionally, the term while means that a certain action occurs at least within some portion of a duration of the initiating action. The use of the word approximately or substantially means that a value of an element has a parameter that is expected to be close to a stated value or position. However, as is well known in the art there are always minor variances that prevent the values or positions from being exactly as stated. It is well established in the art that variances of up to at least ten percent (10%) (and up to twenty percent (20%) for some elements including semiconductor doping concentrations) are reasonable variances from the ideal goal of exactly as described. The terms first, second, third and the like in the claims or/and in the Detailed Description of the Drawings, as used in a portion of a name of an element are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein. Reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but in some cases it may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, in one or more embodiments. For clarity of the drawings, doped regions of device structures are illustrated as having generally straight line edges and precise angular corners. However, those skilled in the art understand that due to the diffusion and activation of dopants the edges of doped regions generally may not be straight lines and the corners may not be precise angles.
In addition, the description illustrates a cellular design (where the body regions are a plurality of cellular regions) instead of a single body design (where the body region is comprised of a single region formed in an elongated pattern, in some embodiments in a serpentine pattern). However, it is intended that the description is applicable to both a cellular implementation and a single base implementation.
The embodiments illustrated and described hereinafter may have embodiments and/or may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


An image reader is provided with a display changing signal input means for inputting a signal to change the display of the display panel, wherein the control unit is provided with a function of, when a display changing signal is inputted from the display changing signal input means and an image data of the operation keys described by closed areas in the layout of the operation keys written on the document is read by the image reading means, analyzing the image data and determining display operation keys to be displayed on the display panel in correspondence with the operation keys, a function of displaying the display operation keys on the display panel, a function of displaying a function selection screen used to allot functions to the display operation keys after the display operation keys are displayed on the display panel, and a function of allotting the functions selected from a function list on the function selection screen to the display operation keys.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reader for reading an image information, a copier, a printer, a facsimile or like image forming apparatus provided with the image reader, and a storage medium storing a control program of the image reader.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, image forming apparatuses such as copiers are provided with an operation unit including various operation keys such as functions keys, a tenkey, a start button and a cancel key and a display screen for displaying various messages in order to enable a user to input various data. Functions are allotted to various touch-operable operation keys displayed on this display screen at the time of shipment from a factory.
Some of the operation keys on the display screen are designed to enable a user to allot optional functions and the like prepared in advance. Desired functions are suitably allotted to these operation keys by the user operating the operation keys of the operation unit designed to allot the functions.
However, the conventional image forming apparatuses are not designed to enable the user to change the shapes, sizes and positions of various operation keys on the display screen as he will and, accordingly, have not been necessarily convenient to all the users. Further, recent image forming apparatuses provided with a multitude of functions are more strongly required to have an operation unit constructed to conform to used modes of users.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image reader and an image forming apparatus provided with such an image reader in which the arrangement of operation keys on a display screen (display panel) of an operation unit and the construction of the display screen can approximate to those desired by users themselves. Another object of the present invention is to provide a control program of the image reader which program enables the construction of the display screen to approximate to the one desired by users themselves.

Image reader, image forming apparatus and storage medium storing control program of the image reader


In order to simplify and reduce the cost of an electronic device, the size of a first non-volatile memory associated with an integrated circuit is significantly reduced. Instead of using the first non-volatile memory, a second non-volatile memory associated with a processor in the electronic device is used to store an embedded operating system of the integrated circuit, as well as associated data and a configuration of the integrated circuit. To reduce the security risks associated with using this remote second non-volatile memory, the first non-volatile memory may store authorization information and anti-replay information. During a secure boot of the integrated circuit, the authorization information is used to verify that the embedded operating system, the data and the configuration are authorized. In addition, the anti-replay information is used to determine that the embedded operating system, the data and the configuration are different than previously received versions of these items.

Field
The described embodiments relate to techniques for securely booting an integrated circuit in an electronic device. More specifically, the described embodiments relate to techniques for securely booting a wireless-communication integrated circuit in an electronic device using a remote, non-secure memory.
Related Art
Many modern electronic devices include a networking subsystem that is used to wirelessly communicate with other electronic devices. For example, these electronic devices can include a networking subsystem with a cellular network interface (UMTS, LTE, etc.), a wireless local area network interface (e.g., a wireless network such as described in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (which is sometimes referred to as 'Wi-Fi®') or Bluetooth® from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group of Kirkland, Wash.), and/or another type of wireless interface.
Many of the functions of the integrated circuit in the networking subsystem are performed by an embedded operating system. In existing electronic devices, this embedded operating system and the associated data is stored in memory that is associated with (and is proximate to) the integrated circuit. When the integrated circuit is turned on, the embedded operating system and the associated data are installed in the integrated circuit.
The use of dedicated memory associated with the integrated circuit can prevent security problems, such as the installation of corrupted or malicious code. However, the dedicated memory increases the cost and complexity of the electronic device.

Baseband secure boot with remote storage


A memory device with improved heat transfer characteristics. The device first includes a dielectric material layer; first and second electrodes, vertically separated and having mutually opposed contact surfaces. A phase change memory element is encased within the dielectric material layer, including a phase-change layer positioned between and in electrical contact with the electrodes, wherein the lateral extent of the phase change layer is less than the lateral extent of the electrodes. An isolation material is positioned between the phase change layer and the dielectric layer, wherein the thermal conductivity of the isolation material is lower than the thermal conductivity of the dielectric material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high density memory devices based on phase change based memory materials, including chalcogenide based materials and other materials, and to methods for manufacturing such devices, and most particularly to a phase change memory element having lowered current and improved heat control characteristics.
2. Description of Related Art
Phase change based memory materials are widely used in nonvolatile random access memory cells. Such materials, such as chalcogenides and similar materials, can be caused to change phase between an amorphous state and a crystalline state by application of electrical current at levels suitable for implementation in integrated circuits. The generally amorphous state is characterized by higher resistivity than the generally crystalline state, which can be readily sensed to indicate data.
The change from the amorphous to the crystalline state is generally a low current operation. The change from crystalline to amorphous, referred to as reset herein, is generally a higher current operation, which includes a short high current density pulse to melt or breakdown the crystalline structure, after which the phase change material cools quickly, quenching the phase change process, allowing at least a portion of the phase change structure to stabilize in the amorphous state. It is desirable to minimize the magnitude of the reset current used to cause transition of phase change material from a crystalline state to amorphous state. The magnitude of the reset current needed for reset can be reduced by reducing the size of the phase change material element in the cell and of the contact area between electrodes and the phase change material, so that higher current densities are achieved with small absolute current values through the phase change material element.
One direction of development has been toward forming small pores in an integrated circuit structure, and using small quantities of programmable resistive material to fill the small pores. Patents illustrating development toward small pores include: Ovshinsky, "Multibit Single Cell Memory Element Having Tapered Contact," U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,112, issued 11 Nov. 1997; Zahorik et al., "Method of Making Chalogenide [sic] Memory Device," U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,277, issued 04 Aug. 1998; Doan et al., "Controllable Ovonic Phase-Change Semiconductor Memory Device and Methods of Fabricating the Same," U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,253, issued 21 Nov. 2000.
A particular problem encountered in the prior art has been controlling the operating current, and the heat generated by that current. The phase change process proceeds by joule heating of the phase change material, which produces two problems. First is controlling the current required by a memory unit that has billions of individual memory cells (as a unit offering storage capacity in the gigabyte range clearly does). Second, the heat generated by that number of cells has the potential at least to degrade a memory unit, if not destroy it altogether.
It is desirable therefore to provide a memory cell structure having a reduced heat profile and low reset current, and a method for manufacturing such structure that meets tight process variation specifications needed for large-scale memory devices. It is further desirable to provide a manufacturing process and a structure, which are compatible with manufacturing of peripheral circuits on the same integrated circuit.

Thermally contained/insulated phase change memory device and method (combined)


A tennis training apparatus and method of use thereof, for improving a forehand and/or backhand of a tennis player. The apparatus includes a wristband, an “L”-shaped bracket attached to the racket, and an inflexible strap linking the L-shaped bracket to the wristband. When the strap is tightened, it causes the wrist to bend backwards in extension at an approximately ninety degree angle to the forearm. A second component of the training aid is a restraining plate in the form of a torso attachment worn by the player, wherein the torso attachment retains alignment of the player's hand, hips and shoulders; thereby, forcing the player to rotate his hips to perform a stroke. The torso attachment may be subsequently employed or removed during two-handed backhand strokes. The tennis training apparatus significantly improves the power and control of strokes, and also reduces and/or prevents the risk of developing tennis elbow.

It is widely recognized that proper handling of a tennis racket requires a steady wrist to control the racket face and allow for a more precise hit, thereby resulting in more consistency of stroke and less vibration of the racket. Indeed, maintaining a steady wrist may reduce the likelihood of developing tennis elbow.
Accordingly, many training devices have been developed to assist in preventing a player's wrist from bending during certain tennis strokes. Notably, training device designs which limit wrist movement also keep the player from snapping his hand at the ball, an action that may create significant inconsistency at the point where the racket face hits the ball. In other words, keeping the wrist still, keeps the racket face relatively still, which consequently reduces and/or eliminates mis-hits and mis-timing problems.
Many available tennis training devices, in particular those for the prevention of tennis elbow, function by maintaining the user's arm and hand in a selected position. However, most such devices attempt to fix the hand position alone, rather than constraining the hand in relation to the forearm or restraining flexural movement of the hand, and further do not maintain hand position in the fully backward-extended state. Additionally, most available devices do not provide for positioning of the body relative to the hand in which the tennis racket is held, as such devices do not maintain the player's hand, hips and shoulders in an aligned configuration.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,257 to Bobby teaches a rigid restraint that attaches to the top of the tennis racket. The device of Bobby '257 permits attachment of the rigid restraint to the arm above or below the elbow; however, it does not provide a means for keeping the player's hand, hips and shoulders aligned, wherein such alignment requires the desired hip rotation to accomplish a full and proper tennis swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,169 to Roberts discloses a wrist-to-racket angulation aid for tennis players, comprising a wristband, a racket-handle band, and interconnectable strap segments separately attached to such bands, for tethering the racket handle to the player's wrist. This forces the player to hold the head of the racket above the wrist; thereby, forcing the handle of the racket to assume a selected angle with respect to the player's forearm. However, the Roberts '169 device maintains a hand position approximately midway between fully flexed and fully extended, wherein extension is backward positioning of the hand and flexion is forward positioning of the hand. However, the desired position for a proper tennis stroke is to have the hand in a fully extended orientation. Furthermore, Roberts '169 does not provide a means for maintaining alignment of the player's hand, hips and shoulders, so as to promote the desired hip rotation for accomplishing a full and proper tennis swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,040 to Parten discloses a tennis aid for improving the stroke of a tennis player, comprising a wristband and an associated elastic cord attached thereto. The cord is attached to the wristband near its midpoint, wherein the opposite ends of the cord may be attached to the head of a tennis racket. When the handle of the racket is properly held by the tennis player, tension in the cord will tend to prevent the player from bending the wrist in flexion or extension during a tennis stroke. However, the device of Parten '040 requires connection at two points of the racket, instead of a less-complicated single point, and further does not restrain the position of the hand at a ninety-degree angle relative to the forearm. Furthermore, the device of Parten '040 does not provide a means for maintaining the player's hand, hips and shoulders in an aligned position, wherein such alignment requires the desired hip rotation to accomplish a full and proper tennis swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,106 to Bickham teaches a vibration dampening device comprising a rigid support member that projects outwardly from the back of the racket. However, such a rigid support may interfere with backhand tennis strokes. Furthermore, the device of Bickham '106 does not restrain the hand in a backward position, nor does Bickham '106 provide a means for maintaining the player's hand, hips and shoulders in an aligned position, wherein such alignment requires the desired hip rotation to accomplish a full tennis swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,686 to Daugherty discloses a rigid device that is attached to both a tennis racket and a player's forearm, wherein the device restrains the hand position relative to the forearm throughout a tennis stroke. However, the device of Daugherty '686 maintains the hand midway between flexion and extension and further comprises a rigid member that appears to transfer the shock and stress of a tennis stroke from the racket to the hand and forearm; thereby, causing the player to tire quickly. Furthermore, the device of Daugherty '686 does not facilitate maintenance of the player's hand, hips and shoulders aligned together to best provide the desired hip rotation for a full and proper tennis stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,881 to Hurwitz teaches a device for maintaining a selected angle between the racket and the forearm in order to prevent 'tennis elbow'. The device secures to a band around the forearm and is secured around the midpoint of the handle of the racket. Unfortunately, however, the device is elastic and, as such, does not provide a rigid restraint fixing the angle between the racket and the forearm. Further, the position of the forearm band at the midpoint of the forearm may disadvantageously allow the band to move along the arm under the stresses and flexures of tennis play; thereby, reducing the device's effectiveness. Furthermore, the device of Hurwitz '881 does not provide a means for keeping the player's, hand, hips and shoulders aligned, wherein such alignment requires the desired hip rotation to accomplish a full tennis swing.
None of the above-referenced training devices restrain the player's wrist to form an angle of approximately ninety degrees between the hand and the forearm. Moreover, none utilize an L-shaped bracket for attachment to the tennis racket to provide support, and none include a means for maintaining the player's, hand, hips and shoulders in an aligned configuration or position.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for a tennis training apparatus and method of use thereof, for forcing or constraining a player to hold the racket in the correct position throughout his/her swing, and for reducing exercise-induced muscle strain and/or injury. There is a further need for such a device that maintains the player's hand, hips and shoulders in an aligned position.

Tennis training apparatus and method of use thereof


The present invention relates generally to a system and method for verifying, settling, guaranteeing and printing checks at a remote location, preferably an electronic retailer's facilities, via a network, preferably the Internet. The preferred method for verifying, settling, guaranteeing and printing checks over a network at a remote location comprises the following steps. A client computer is connected to a merchant server at a location remote from the client computer. An order is transmitted from the client computer to the merchant server. Payment by check is selected. The client computer is connected to a check server. Customer data is input to the client computer. The customer data is transmitted from the client computer to the check server. The customer data is transmitted from the check server to a check verification server. The check verification server transmits an approval, preferably comprising the customer data and a guarantee of payment to a merchant, to the client computer and the check server. The merchant server confirms the client computer's order by electronic mail message to both the client computer and the check server. The approval from the check verification server is stored in a merchant file in the check server. The merchant file is downloaded from the check server to a check printing station at the location remote from the client computer. A secure printer, preferably a magnetic ink character recognition-enabled printer, connected to the check printing station prints a check. The merchant can then cash the check as a standard bank draft.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for verifying, guaranteeing and printing checks at a remote location, preferably an electronic retailer's facilities, via a network, preferably the Internet or the ACH network.
2. Background Art
Numerous consumers have checking accounts with no credit cards. These consumers may prefer the security of receiving a canceled check draft for record purposes and for the purpose of disputing unauthorized drafts. These consumers may be precluded from making purchases from electronic retailers. Even among those that do pursue check purchases from electronic retailers, these consumers may not promptly receive their purchases.
The prior art comprises several devices and methods for processing checks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,988 to Hills, et al, describes a check-writing point of sale system. However, this system is a merchant driven system used to process a transaction at the point of sale, namely a store. The system is used on a public switched telephone network and may not provide sufficient security for use over the Internet. Moreover, the system does not produce a paper check draft.
A system is required which is easy to use, provides security to both the electronic customer and retailer, and that maintains the use of a paper check draft.

System and method for verifying, setting, printing and guaranteeing checks at a remote location


An improved joint construction for commercial metal doors is disclosed which utilizes a novel force transfer block. The force transfer block has spaced-apart flanges which engage corresponding reglets in a door stile. The inner faces of the flanges bear against the inner walls of the reglets. The flanges of the force transfer block are configured such that they will retain the block on the stile by way of an interference fit with the walls of the reglet. Thus the block does not have to be separately fastened to the stile. A rail abuts the stile and has a recessed portion into which the block is received. A threaded rod extends through the rail and into the stile, and tightening a threaded fastener onto each end of the rod clamps the rail securely between two stiles. The recessed portion of the rail has surfaces bearing snugly against at least two sides of the block such that twisting forces applied to the rail are transferred to the block. Twisting forces transferred to the block from the rail are transferred by the inner faces of the flanges to the inner walls of the reglets.

Commercial metal doors are typically comprised of vertical stiles interconnected by top and bottom rails. Optionally an intermediate rail can be used to provide additional structural rigidity. Infill panels such as glass lites are set in the rectangular openings defined by the stiles and rails.
The stiles and rails are typically comprised of hollow frame members of aluminum or other suitable material. One problem associated with conventional metal commercial doors concerns the joints between stiles and rails. Commercial doors are typically subject to heavy use and abuse, which cause the door to be twisted and racked. This twisting and racking exerts substantial force on the corner joints. While many prior art commercial doors have corner joints which can withstand these forces, manufacture of the corner joint components is expensive, and the doors can be time-consuming and labor-intensive to assemble. Prior art efforts to provide a corner joint design with lower cost components and which can be assembled more quickly and with less labor have resulted in corner joints which are subject to failure from the twisting and racking which result from heavy use.
Thus there is a need for an improved commercial metal door having corner joints which employ less expensive components, can be assembled quickly and with a minimum of labor, and yet will exhibit structural integrity to withstand the rigors of heavy use.
Corner joints for prior art commercial doors have typically fallen into one of two categories. In a first category, shear blocks are anchored to the glazing face of each door stile with threaded fasteners. The open ends of the rails are then advanced over the shear blocks, and screws are inserted through a glazing face of the rails and into the respective shear blocks. Tightening the screws draws the rails snugly against each stile and anchors the rails to the stiles. While this arrangement makes for a sturdy joint, the shear blocks must be designed to withstand heavy forces, as the shear block provides the sole structural connection between the stiles and the rails. In addition, the requirement that the shear block be screwed to the stile and that the rail be screwed to the shear block makes assembly labor-intensive.
The second category consists of tie-rod doors. A clip is mounted within a track on the glazing face of the stile. The block has a circular bore which overlies a similar bore in the glazing face of the stile. A threaded rod extends longitudinally through each rail and project from each end. The projecting ends of the tie rod are inserted through the clips and into the stiles. The clip fits snugly within the open end of the rail. Threaded fasteners within the stiles are threaded onto the ends of each rod to draw the rail against the stiles and to connect the rail to the stiles. The engagement of the clip within its track prevents the clip from rotating. In turn, the clip fits snugly within the open end of the rail to prevent the rail from turning.
Since the tie-rod, and not the clip, is the primary structural connection between the rail and the stiles, and since the only purpose of the clip is to prevent the rail from twisting, the clip need not exhibit the structural strength of a shear block and can thus be fabricated from lighter weight, less expensive materials. In addition, since the track holds the clip in place without the need for screwing the clip to the door stile, and since the threaded rod holds the rail against the door stile without the need for screwing the rail to a shear block, installation requires less labor.
However, prior art tie-rod doors have been found to provide joints having less than optimal structural integrity. As the door is twisted or racked, causing the rail to exert a rotational force against the clip, the corners of the clip impart these forces against the outer wall of the stile. Because these forces are concentrated on a relatively small area of the wall of the stile, and because the outer walls of the stile are not designed to withstand such concentrated forces, the stile over time will begin to deform. The result is that the clip has more "play" to rotate within its track, and the rail in turn begins to exhibit a certain degree of rotation with respect to the stile. As the joint loses its integrity, the door frame deforms as it is subjected to twisting and racking.
Thus there is a need for an improved corner joint for tie-rod doors which exhibits improved resistance to twisting.

Door corner joint with force transfer block


Disclosed is a frequency doubling and mixing circuit capable of effecting frequency doubling operation and mixing operation with one unit of circuit. It includes a first set of differential transistor-pair which have emitters connected in common and an emitter size ratio of K:1 (K is larger than 1), and a second set of differential transistor-pair which similarly have emitters connected in common and an emitter size ratio of K:1. These two sets of differential transistor-pairs have respective constant electric currents supplied. In addition, it has a differential amplifying circuit which is driven by a differential current between the common collector output of one transistor of the first set of differential transistor-pair and one transistor of the second set of differential transistor-pair and the common collector output between the other transistor of the first set of differential transistor-pair and the other transistor of the second set of differential transistor-pair. A signal to be doubled is supplied across the common base connecting points of the transistors which are different in emitter size, a mixing signal is supplied from a differential input terminal of said differential amplifying circuit, and a circuit output is taken out from an output terminal or said differential amplifying circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a frequency doubling and mixing circuit effecting a frequency doubling operation and a frequency mixing operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In case of effecting a frequency doubling operation and mixing operation, conventionally, an input signal frequency (local osillator frequency in this example) is doubled by a frequency doubler 51 and sent through a band-pass filter 52 to a mixer 53 as shown in FIG. 1. The signal thus sent to the mixer 53 is mixed with another signal inputted thereto. With the arrangement as shown above, however, it is required that the frequency doubler 51 and the frequency mixer 53 are structured independently of each other and the filter 52 is provided therebetween as shown in FIG. 1. Consequently, a problem exists such that the frequency characteristic cannot be provided on broad-band basis, and it is difficult to integrate the entire circuit. In addition, reduction in power consumption is difficult due to the fact that the number of circuit elements to be used becomes large, and the number of terminals is unavoidably increased because the filter is to be provided outside.
In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, an object of this invention is to provide a frequency doubling and mixing circuit in which the frequency doubling and mixing operations can be achieved by one unit of circuit.


A radio-controlled timepiece is shown including the following. A receiving unit receives a transmitting radio wave including date/time information from a positioning satellite. A date/time information obtaining unit obtains a week number and elapsed time within a week as the date/time information. An operating unit receives operation. A term obtaining unit obtains a value of a 10 year digit of a present date and time. A first term setting unit sets a first date/time specified range including 10 years corresponding to the obtained value of the 10 year digit and a term adjacent to the 10 years with a predetermined length. A first date/time calculating unit calculates the present date and time within the set first date/time specified range. A date/time correcting unit corrects the date and time of a timekeeping unit based on the present date and time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio-controlled timepiece which receives a radio wave from a positioning satellite and corrects date and time.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been an electronic timepiece (radio-controlled timepiece) which receives a radio wave from a satellite (positioning satellite) used in a positioning system of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) to obtain date/time information. Such radio-controlled timepieces have a large reception area and are able to obtain date/time information within a short period of time compared to radio-controlled timepieces which are able to use other radio waves to obtain date/time information, such as a standard radio wave which transmits date/time information by a long wave band radio wave.
Conventionally, in order to obtain such date/time information, a positioning satellite (GPS satellite) of GPS (Global Positioning System) operated by the United States is widely used. Each of the GPS satellites include an atomic timepiece. According to the value calculated by the atomic timepiece, information showing week number from Jan. 6, 1980 (which is the starting timing of the calculating) and elapsed time within the week is calculated and transmitted. Therefore, the radio-controlled timepiece converts the received week number and elapsed time within the week to obtain the present date and time.
The week number is a 10 bit value, and one lap is 1024 weeks, in other words about 19.6 years. Therefore, at present, the week number is in the second lap. Typically, the radio-controlled timepiece calculates the date and time individually, and as long as the calculation is normally performed, a difference of nearly 20 years does not occur by the error (for example, about 0.5 seconds per day) of the oscillating circuit usually used in such radio-controlled timepieces. Therefore, it is possible to judge which lap the week number belongs to based on the calculated value. However, when the battery of the radio-controlled timepiece is consumed and the operation cannot be maintained, or the battery is temporarily detached for replacement, even if the radio-controlled timepiece is restarted after replacing the battery, the entire operation and storage is reset. This means there is no date/time information to refer to. Therefore, if the radio wave is received from the GPS satellite in such state, there is a problem that the radio-controlled timepiece is not able to determine the lap of the week number. Moreover, it is rare that the user of the radio-controlled timepiece knows the term of each lap of the week number. Therefore, the user needs to perform the troublesome task of searching the term to directly set the radio-controlled timepiece.
In view of the above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-64486 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 8,264,914B2) describes the following technique. A specific value showing a part of a date such as "day" input manually and a candidate of the specific value calculated from the obtained week number and the elapsed time within the week are compared, and the date within a predetermined range from a predetermined reference date is identified. Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-90441 describes the following technique. The date/time information is obtained from outside by other methods such as a standard radio wave to identify the lap to which the week number of the GPS satellite belongs.
However, according to conventional methods, other radio waves cannot always be received, or the lap of the week number cannot be specified outside the first set term. Moreover, even within the set term, it is necessary to refer to the table data and determine the result, and this leads to increase of the configuration and the processing becoming troublesome.


A device is provided which includes a single-crystal semiconductor region disposed in a substrate. The single-crystal region includes a first semiconductor material and a diode disposed in the single-crystal region. The diode includes an anode region including a first alloy region, being an alloy of the first semiconductor material with a second semiconductor material, and a second region which consists essentially of the first semiconductor material, the diode further including a cathode region.

The present invention relates to the structure and fabrication of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to the structure and fabrication of diodes and field effect transistors of integrated circuits.
Diodes are frequently used in integrated circuits such as those provided in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits which utilize n-type and p-type field effect transistors, i.e., NFETs and PFETs, as basic circuit elements. Diodes are used for numerous applications including sensing temperature and for providing precision voltage references such as bandgap reference circuits. In many applications, diodes are required to have an ideality which is close to unity.
In many processing sequences used to fabricate transistors in CMOS technology, pre-amorphization implants (PAI) are utilized prior to performing implants to form extension and/or source/drain regions. The PAI can be performed using a variety of different species, germanium (Ge), silicon (Si) and xenon (Xe) being examples. PAIs create end-of-range (EOR) defects in the silicon which can be beneficial in forming FETs in certain applications, especially for countering floating body effects in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistor technology. However, EOR defects are incompatible with retaining high diode ideality. As a result, CMOS processing sequences need a specialized process flow which is simultaneously required to produce both optimized FETs and high diode ideality.
One example of a diode according to the prior art is illustrated in a sectional view in FIG. 1. The diode shown in FIG. 1 is suitable for fabrication on a CMOS integrated circuit. The diode is fabricated by steps in which PFETs and NFETs of the chip are formed simultaneously. Processing steps that are used to form the NFETs and the PFETs of the integrated circuit are also utilized to form the diode. This results in the diodes having structures similar to gate conductors of FETs, such structures appearing to incorporate half of a gate conductor of a PFET and half of a gate conductor of an NFET. On one half of the gate conductor structure 14, the NFET half, thin spacers 16 are disposed. As particularly shown in FIG. 1, the location of the anode 10 is determined by thick spacers 12 which are disposed on sidewalls of the PFET half of the gate conductor structure 14. The thick spacers of the diode are provided in regions where a p-type dopant is implanted (the anode). This results because the same design level is used to form p-doped regions of PFETs and PFETs require thick spacers for design reasons.

International Business Machines Corporation


The device comprises an injection system, which is made up of a rigid external tubular body (1) that enables it to be inserted into the abdominal cavity of a sow. This body is, in turn, covered by a sterile sleeve (2) that enables it to be used in different animals. A flexible duct (3) runs coaxially and its distal end connects with a bevelled needle (4) that permits insertion in the oviduct (12) at an angle of 45°. The proximal end of the flexible tube connects with a device (6) that includes a sheath (7) closed at the other end by a piston (8) that slides along the inside of the sheath and that enables the precision insertion of low-volume liquids.

No method exists in pig farming for the successful insemination with very low number of spermatozoids or the transfer of embryos in the oviduct, except for a surgical approach by laparotomy. Even so, this is an impracticable method in livestock production. The laparoscopic approach to the genital organs is a technique which has been used since the decade of the 1970's in human beings, when there are disturbances in the passage of spermatozoids through the uterus, or in animal species when there are technical problems in the passage of catheters through the cervix. Among domesticated animals, it is the sheep where the greatest development has occurred. In this context, it has been demonstrated that the depositing of spermatozoids diluted to doses as low as 1 million and 10 million, inseminated in the uterus, makes it possible to achieve good fertility results. Besides reproductive efficiency, in terms of the small number of spermatozoids to be inseminated, laparoscopic insemination offers other advantages. Among these is the possibility of performing explorations of the genital organs at the same time as the insemination, making it possible to visualize the functional changes which are occurring, in particular changes in the ovaries, and being able to detect in this way pathologies which could not be handled by nonsurgical systems. It also makes it possible to homogenize the fertility results over the course of the year, which is not always possible when using other insemination procedures.
In the case of the pig, the nonsurgical procedure of deep intrauterine insemination allows one to successfully deposit spermatozoids in the uterus of a sow down to levels as low as 50 million spermatozoids. There have also been attempts to perform laparoscopic insemination in the uterine horn with at least 20 million spermatozoids, achieving variable fertility results, owing to the characteristics of the uterine wall in this species. Furthermore, this quantity of spermatozoids prevents the insemination of spermatozoids selected by flow cytometry or treated by other technologies where the number of spermatozoids produced per unit of time is extremely low.
Other similar devices are known from the prior art, such as that described in EP 1177776 B1 of the University of Murcia, although the invention presented here has many differences and advantages over the known prior art. The device described in document EP 1177776 B1 is a nonsurgical device that is introduced via the vagina, cervix, and body of the uterus until it reaches the depths of the uterine horn as the deepest anatomical location. The number of spermatozoids inseminated should be at least 50 million spermatozoids in order to achieve success in the fecundation.

Device and method for inserting or obtaining a fluid with gametes, embryos or any other type of solution in the oviduct of a sow


The present invention relates to a synthesis of a 7-membered carbocyclic compound having diexomethylene groups, more particularly to a synthesis of a 7-membered carbocyclic compound having diexomethylene groups, a novel compound having the structure represented by the following Chemical Formula 1, from trimethylsilanylmethyl-allenol derivative by the intramolecular Prins cyclization using Lewis acid. The 7-membered carbocyclic compound is a useful intermediate for synthesis of other multicyclic compounds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synthesis of a 7-membered carbocarbocyclic compound having diexomethylene groups, more particularly to a synthesis of a 7-membered carbocyclic compound having diexomethylene groups, a novel compound having the structure represented by the following Chemical Formula 1, from trimethylsilanylmethyl-allenol derivative by the intramolecular Prins cyclization using Lewis acid. The 7-membered cyclic compound is a useful intermediate for synthesis of other multicyclic compounds.

In Chemical Formula 1, R1 is a C1 to C6 alkyl group, and R2 and R3 is respectively a hydrogen atom, or R1, R2 and R3 may be connected with neighboring substituents to form a 5 to 10-membered aliphatic or aromatic ring.
2. Description of the Related Art
7-membered carbocyclic compounds are important ingredients of biologically active natural substances and medicines. Recently, they are gaining interest in genetics because they are known to take part in cell division. For example, colchicine, which is known to be effective in treating gout [J. Org. Chem. 1985, 50, 3425–3427], is a tricyclic compound having a 7-membered ring. According to a recent report, colchicine derivatives have high cell toxicity against general cancer cells and their resistant MDRs.
Since 7-membered carbocyclic compounds have good biological activity, development of a 7-membered carbocyclic compound with a new structure is a prerequisite for drug researches.
A cyclic compound having diexomethylene groups can be expanded to other multicyclic compounds through Diels-Alder reactions. Therefore, the compound represented by Chemical Formula 1, which has diexomethylene groups, is a very useful intermediate in synthesizing a multicyclic compound via Diels-Alder reactions.

Synthesis of 7-membered carbocyclic compound having diexomethylene groups

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


A computer-implemented method includes: receiving, by a computing device, input from a sender of an email, the input defining the email as having a task associated with it; inserting, by the computing device, code into the email, the code defining a selectable object in the email; sending, by the computing device, the email to one or more recipients; receiving, by the computing device, input indicating a selection of the selectable object by one of the one or more recipients; assigning, by the computing device, the one of the one or more recipients as an owner of the task; and sending, by the computing device, a notification email to the sender and the one or more recipients, the notification email indicating the owner of the task.

Aspects of the present invention relate generally to email systems and, more particularly, to email systems having action required and follow-up features.
Email is an important method of business communication that is fast, inexpensive, accessible, and easily replicated. Using email can greatly benefit businesses because it provides efficient and effective ways to transmit many kinds of electronic data. One of the main advantages of email is that a user can quickly and easily send electronic files such as text documents, photos, and data sheets to several contacts simultaneously by attaching a file to an email.

Email system with action required and follow-up features


A perfusion pump system for providing perfusate to an organ of a human body includes an actuator coupled to a pump to provide an actuating force to the pump. The pump includes an outlet for providing a perfusate to an organ coupled to the pump and an inlet for receiving the perfusate. The pump is configured to provide a pulsatile pumping force to the perfusate via a pumping stroke in response to the actuating force. The pumping stroke is followed by a return stroke. The pumping stroke causes the pump to collapse to force a flow of the perfusate through the outlet to the organ. The pump collapses in the direction of the flow of the perfusate. The return stroke allows the perfusate to enter the pump through the inlet and the return stroke of ways providing the perfusate through the outlet.

The transplantation of an organ from one person to another often requires that the organ be evaluated and preserved from the time of its removal from a body (e.g., a deceased human body) and transplantation into a second body (e.g., a recipient). Once the organ has been removed, it is generally preserved for a short period by washout with a standard organ preservation solution and aseptic storage on ice. The organ, depending on the protocol of the center involved, can be preserved and transported prior to transplantation on a system which holds the organ in a container, cools the organ (e.g., to about 3-5 degrees C), and provides the organ with a perfusate to continually washout and preserve the organ. The system may also provide oxygenated perfusate and precursors for energy production to the organ to aid in its preservation. The system is further designed to mimic human perfusion physiology whereas a pulsatile pump replicates the pumping action of the human heart by forcing (or ejecting) a stroke volume of perfusate under an established pressure set by the operator. This set pressure is, in effect, the same type of pressure generated by the human heart in the contraction phase (or systolic phase). As the pump resets or recoils, the pressure decreases to a diastolic (or resting) pressure. A pressure monitoring system in the device measures both the systolic, diastolic and also calculates a mean pressure for evaluation by the operator.
It is important to note that after the removal of an organ (e.g., kidney) from a human body, the arteries of the organ may become vasoconstricted due to the cold preservation solution used to washout the organ during the recovery procedure from the donor such that it is necessary to provide a pulsed force to the arteries to re-open them prior to the organ being transplanted into a second human body. Such a pulsed force is believed to be most effective when initially delivered in a low frequency, low volume, low pressure system. The force can be gradually increased during the preservation period prior to transplantation of the organ. The perfusate is therefore provided in a pulsed manner by a pump which is designed to deliver the perfusate within a set of controlled specifications. An organ may only be able to tolerate a certain pressure and/or volume of perfusate from such pump at a given time. The pump specifications must be monitored because if the pressure or volume exceeds a set pressure or volume threshold, damage may be sustained to the organ.
With this background in mind, a need exists for a system and method to preserve an organ prior to transplantation which includes a pump that may be regulated to inhibit damage to an organ due to excess pressure, fluid volume, or temperature such that the organ is preserved and is not damaged while being preserved for transplantation.

Systems and methods for preserving a human organ for transplantation


This invention provides a driving circuit for a display device, for accomplishing low power consumption by use of a level shifter capable of reliably converting signals having low voltage amplitude. A source signal line driving circuit is divided into a plurality of units. Pulses outputted from a shift register, etc, are used to execute ON/OFF control of the operation of a current supply source to the level shifter of each divided unit. The supply of the current to the level shifter is suspended in the stage not containing the circuit that outputs the pulses, but is made to only the unit including the shift register of the operating stage. In consequence, low power consumption can be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display device and a driving circuit of the display device. More particularly, this invention relates to an active matrix type display device having thin film transistors formed on an insulating body, and to a driving circuit of the active matrix type display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The progress of miniaturization in semiconductor fabrication technologies has in turn brought forth miniaturization of LSI. As the application of such miniature LSI to small appliances such as hand-held terminals has made a progress, lower power consumption has now become a requisite. Therefore, LSI of a low voltage driving type such as 3.3 V has become predominant at present. In LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) the demand for which has been remarkably increasing nowadays in the application as a monitor for hand-held terminals and computers, on the other hand, driving of the liquid crystal is made by signals having a voltage amplitude of 10V to 20V in most cases. Therefore, at least a circuit portion driven at a high power source voltage corresponding to this driving circuit coexists. For this reason, it is essentially necessary to connect the controller LSI driven at the low voltage described above and the liquid crystal driving circuit driven at the high power source voltage by a level shifter that changes the voltage amplitude of signals.
Besides the LCD, displays using electroluminescence devices (which will be hereinafter called "EL devices" and define both single-term emission and triple-term emission as EL) have been developed recently, and the requirement for low power consumption is also strong in this field.
FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings illustrates an example of a source signal line driving circuit of the display device. Here, a start pulse, a clock signal, a digital image signal, etc, are those signals that are inputted from outside the display device. Since these signals are supplied from the controller LSI described above, the voltage amplitude is generally low voltage amplitude of 3.3 V, or the like. Therefore, in the driving circuit shown in FIG. 9, the digital image signal is subjected to voltage amplitude conversion (level conversion) by a level shifter 905 immediately after it is inputted. The signals inputted from the external controller LSI such as the clock signal and the start pulse are likewise subjected to level conversion though not specifically shown in the drawing.
The circuit operation will be explained. The shift register 901 outputs pulses in accordance with the clock signal and the start pulse, and the pulses of two adjacent stages are inputted to a NAND circuit 903. The NAND circuit 903 outputs a pulse having a low (Lo) potential from its output terminal only when a pulse having a high (Hi) potential is inputted to both of two-input terminals. After passing though a buffer (abbreviated as "Buf.") of a subsequent stage, the pulse changes to a first latch pulse. The pulse is then inputted to a first latch circuit 906. The digital image signal subjected to level conversion by the level shifter 905 is latched in accordance with the input timing of this first latch pulse. After this latch operation is conducted from the first stage to the final stage, the second latch pulse is inputted to a terminal 19 within a retrace line period, and the digital image signals for one horizontal period that are held by the first latch circuit 906 are altogether transferred to the second latch circuit 907. Thereafter, a gate signal line writes signals to pixels of the selected row to display the images.
FIGS. 10(A), 10(C) and 10(D) show an example where the level shifter 905 shown in FIG. 9 is constituted by a conventional level shifter. When voltage amplitude of the input signals (In, Inb) is as small as about 3.3 V, the level shifter having such a construction sometimes fails to normally conduct level conversion owing to influences of the threshold values of the TFT constituting the level shifter.
Therefore, a level shifter having a construction shown in FIGS. 10(B) and 10(E) to 10(H) is employed. The level shifter shown in FIGS. 10(B) and 10(E) to 10(H) conducts level conversion by means of a differential amplifier, and can accomplish a reliable level conversion function even when voltage amplitude of the input signals is small. Therefore, this is an extremely effective circuit for achieving low voltage driving of the circuit. The level shifter using the differential amplifier is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-193498.
On the other hand, the level shifter shown in FIGS. 10(B) and 10(E) to 10(H) needs a current source. In other words, since a constant current is always supplied during driving of the circuit (regardless of driving or stop of the level shifter), this current impedes low power consumption of the display device as a whole.
Lowering of the driving voltage of the driving circuit, etc, is originally directed to achieve low power consumption with the progress of hand-held terminals, etc, and it is technically meaningless if the circuit purposely employed to lower the driving voltage increases power consumption.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A mixture of electronic component chips 2 and media 3 is placed in a planar state on a transport surface 4 of a conveyor 5. Only the media 3 are collected onto a first circulating circumferential surface 18 by a magnetic force provided by a first collection member 12 and are thereafter collected by a media collecting box 22. Then, only electronic component chips 2 having a plating film of a proper thickness formed thereon are attracted onto a second circumferential surface 28 by a magnetic force provided by a second collection member 23 and are thereafter collected by a good product collecting box 31. Electronic component chips 2a having a plating film of an insufficient thickness formed thereon are collected by a defective product collecting box 32.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a separator and a separation method utilizing magnetism. For example, the present invention relates to a separator and a separation method which can be advantageously applied to processing steps which may be carried out during the manufacture of electronic components such as separation of media for electro-plating and electronic component chips and screening of good and defective electronic component chips based on whether or not the thickness of metal films formed on the surface thereof is proper.
2. Description of the Related Art
The manufacture of electronic components may involve an electro-plating process and a polishing process on electronic component chips, and such processes are normally performed with media mixed with the electronic component chips. This results in a need for separating the media from the electronic component chips after the processes. A mesh basket may be used during such separation of media and electronic component chips. This is to separate media and electronic component chips utilizing a difference between their dimensions by choosing a mesh size that allows only either media or electronic component chips which are smaller in dimensions to pass.
Further, when a metal film such as an electrode is to be formed on the surface of electronic component chips, barrel plating may be used to process a great number of electronic component chips at one time. However, some chips may not have a plating film of sufficient thickness formed thereon. Electronic component chips having such a plating film of an improper thickness must be eliminated. It is therefore necessary to determine whether or not a plating film has been formed to a sufficient thickness. However, heretofore there has been no efficient way to determine for an entire lot of electronic components whether or not the thickness of the plating films is proper. Instead, what has been done is only to sample several electronic component chips and observe their sections using a microscope or the like.
However, the separation of media and electronic component chips and the screening of good and defective electronic component chips based on whether or not the thickness of metal films formed on the surface thereof is proper as described above present a problem in that, in either case, troublesome and inefficient processes are involved and the certainty and reliability of separation is low.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a separator and a separation method which can solve the above-described problem.


The described method and system provide for synchronizing a mobile application on a mobile device with a DRx (discontinuous receive) schedule of a vehicle. When the vehicle ignition is turned off, a telecommunications unit on the vehicle sends a synchronization message to the mobile device, which allows the mobile application to synchronize with the DRx schedule of the vehicle. The DRx schedule includes a standby mode, a cyclic mode, and a powered down mode for the vehicle, and user requests inputted into the mobile application will be processed according to the mobile application's determination of vehicle availability during those modes. The mobile application is thus able to inform the user of the vehicle status at any point during the vehicle's DRx schedule without requiring any further information from the vehicle after the synchronization message.

Wireless communication services available for mobile vehicles, such as navigation and roadside assistance, have increased rapidly in recent years. Services that may be requested while the vehicle ignition is off may include maintenance and diagnostic functions, system updates, vehicle position determination, unlocking of the doors, or vehicle alarm silencing. At the same time, the popularity of smartphones, netbooks, tablet computing devices, laptops and other portable electronics devices has also continued to grow. One area experiencing extremely rapid growth is the development of mobile applications, as mobile phones and tablets now have the capabilities to provide consumers with increasingly sophisticated programs suitable for a broad range of tasks. These mobile applications, accessible from a consumer's phone or tablet, may now be used to provide these wireless communication services available for mobile vehicles from wherever the consumer may be.
When the ignition of the mobile vehicle is off, the vehicle is placed into a powered-down discontinuous-receive (DRx) or standby state (also called a sleep cycle). Vehicle hardware, such as a telematics unit, may be placed into the standby state or DRx cycle to minimize power drain on the vehicle battery. Even while vehicle hardware is in the standby state or DRx cycle, a network access device (NAD) of the vehicle may consume power while searching for signal or waiting for a command, draining the vehicle's battery. Thus, after a certain amount of time, the vehicle may end the standby period or the DRx cycle and switch to an off mode. During certain periods of the DRx cycle and after the vehicle hardware is switched to an off mode, the vehicle hardware may be unable to communicate with a consumer's mobile application.
Thus, it is an object in part to provide a system and method for synchronizing the mobile applications used by consumers with vehicle hardware such that the consumer knows when the vehicle hardware will be available for the performance of requests through the mobile application when the vehicle ignition is off. However, while this is an object underlying certain implementations of the invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to systems that solve the problems noted herein. Moreover, the inventors have created the above body of information for the convenience of the reader and expressly disclaim all of the foregoing as prior art; the foregoing is a discussion of problems discovered and/or appreciated by the inventors, and is not an attempt to review or catalog the prior art.

Mobile application DRx synchronization with embedded vehicle hardware


The present invention provides a mutant alkaline cellulase having enhanced anti-redeposition ability. The present invention provides a mutant alkaline cellulase having an amino acid sequence in which at least amino acid residue selected from the amino acid residues at the positions corresponding to positions 58, 45, 52, 56, 60, 64, 66, 71, 103, 119, 122, 123, 124, 125, 127, 130, 140, 161, 164, 175, 176, 178, 179, 181, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 199, 202, 203, 217, 225, 227, 228, 251, 267, 272, 276, 277, 280, 282, 297, 310, 312, 318, 324, 345, 354, 356, 357, 360, 363, 368, 418, 419, 420, 421, 422, 453, 454, 455, 457, 458, 459, 494, 495, 496, 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 550, 551, 552, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 640, 641, 642, 644, 645, 646, 683, 684, 685, 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 739, 740, and 741 of the amino acid sequence of an alkaline cellulase set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 or of the amino acid sequence of an alkaline cellulase having at least 70% identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, is substituted with other amino acid residue.

For effective washing of clothing products and the like, it is important to sufficiently detach dirt materials from the object to be washed or to rapidly remove dirt materials through enzymatic degradation or the like, as well as seriously important to prevent reattachment of dirt materials that have been once detached from the object to be washed (preventing of redeposition). Particularly, with regard to minute dirt materials such as soot, it is known that if the dirt materials are once diffused in washing water and then are reattached to the object to be washed, it is very difficult to remove the dirt materials. Accordingly, various anti-redeposition agents have been conventionally incorporated into, for example, detergents for clothing products. Examples of the anti-redeposition agents that may be used include cellulose-based compounds such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, and hydroxybutylmethyl cellulose; nonionic polymers such as polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinylpyrrolidone; and amino acid polymers. However, there have been needs for development of the anti-redeposition agent having a further enhanced effect.
Meanwhile, it has been a traditional practice to incorporate hydrolases such as proteases, lipases and amylases as cleaning aids, into cleaning agents. Cellulases, which constitute one class of hydrolases, are originally known as enzymes that function in neutral to acidic condition, and it has been conventionally considered that cellulases are not suitable to be incorporated into alkaline cleaning agents for clothing. However, in recent years, alkaline cellulases or variants thereof are obtained from plural organisms including thermophilic or alkalophilic bacteria of the genus Bacillus, and the cellulases or variants thereof may also be incorporated into alkaline detergents for clothing (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 6).
Cellulases are enzymes which hydrolyze glycoside bond within β-1,4-glucans including cellulose. Cellulases are mainly produced by bacteria or plants and are available in various kingdoms. Cellulases are classified into endoglucanases (EC188.8.131.52) that degrade cellulose from the interior of the molecule, and exoglucanases (cellobiohydrolases) (EC126.96.36.199) that degrade cellulose from the reduced ends or non-reduced ends of the sugar chain, and release cellobiose. On the other hand, glycoside hydrolases including cellulases are classified into one glycoside hydrolase family, and that family is currently further classified into subfamily 1 to subfamily 108. Cellulases are classified, based on their structures, into families 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 44, 45, 48, 51, 61, and 74 of the glycoside hydrolase family, and it is also known that the amino acid sequence identity between those families is very low.
However, in recent years, it has been found by analyses of amino acid sequences or three-dimensional structures that cellulases have a common domain having catalytic activity (catalytic domain; CD) and another common functional domain that are linked to each other through a linker. A representative example of the other functional domain is a cellulose binding region having cellulose binding properties (also referred to as cellulose binding module: CBM) (see FIG. 1A). Cellulases usually have plural CBMs. Since cellulose is basically water-insoluble, a cellulase binds to the cellulose surface through the CBMs, and thereby relatively increases the substrate concentration. CBMs are also classified into 40 or more families based on the amino acid sequence identity. In regard to these CBMs, identification of amino acid residues that directly participate in binding to the cellulose has also been carried out (Non-Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1 discloses a Bacillus sp. strain KSM-S237-derived alkaline cellulase having heat resistance, Patent Document 2 discloses a mutant alkaline cellulase having an optimum pH increased to near pH 10.5, and Patent Document 3 discloses a mutant alkaline cellulase having enhanced productivity. Furthermore, Patent Documents 4 and 6 describe that some of these cellulases show anti-redeposition activity.


A caulk tube adapter for allowing mixing of coloring compositions into caulk is provided. The caulk tube includes baffles on the inside surface of the tube for facilitating mixing of the caulk and coloring composition. An adapter for allowing the caulk tubes to be positioned into a paint mixer is also provided.

The present invention relates to a caulk tube useful for facilitating the mixing of dyes or tint into a caulk composition. In one embodiment of the invention, the caulk tube includes one or more baffles on the inner surface of the tube. In another embodiment, a static mixing device is secured to the outlet end of a caulk tube for mixing the tint or dye with the caulk as it is expelled from the tube. The invention also includes an adapter device for mixing a dye or tint with the caulk in a caulk tube using a paint shaker apparatus.


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first wiring layer including a plurality of first dummy metals provided inside an inductor wiring, a plurality of second dummy metals provided outside the inductor wiring, and a plurality of third dummy metals provided to overlap the inductor wiring in a plan view, and a second wiring layer provided between the semiconductor substrate and the first wiring layer. The second wiring layer includes the inductor wiring formed in the second wiring layer, a first region surrounding the inductor wiring which includes a plurality of fourth dummy metals, and a second region surrounding the first region which includes a plurality of fifth dummy metals. A density of the fourth dummy metals is lower than a density of the fifth dummy metals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and more particularly to a semiconductor device that includes a high frequency wiring.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a well-known technique that forms a multilayer wiring structure by forming at first such recesses as wiring grooves, via-holes, etc. in an interlayer insulation film, then by filling the recesses with a metal material and by removing the metal material exposed outside the recesses by a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process or the like, thereby forming wirings and via-holes. In case of such a technique, if any density difference exists among those formed wirings and via-holes, then hollows and dents referred to as erosion and dishing often come to appear in the CMP process. And this might result in variation of the in-plane film thickness in the CMP process. In order to prevent the occurrence of such erosion and dishing in the CMP process, dummy metals are used. The dummy metals are disposed at a fixed density and of electrically floating state. The dummy metals are thus provided as layers other than wirings provided to flow a current. Providing such dummy metals makes it easier to manufacture semiconductor devices.
When dummy metals are placed between a high frequency wiring of an inductor, transformer, or the like and the semiconductor substrate, however, the capacitance between the semiconductor substrate and the high frequency wiring increases in accordance with the thickness of the dummy metals, since the capacitance is determined by the series of the capacitance determined by a distance between the high frequency wiring and the dummy metals and the capacitance determined by a distance between the dummy metals and the semiconductor substrate. Consequently, the characteristics of the inductor and the transformer are degraded. This has been a problem.
The patent document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-110908) describes a configuration having a convex portion formed in a region except for the region just under a spiral linear conductor layer. The convex portion constitutes a dummy element region.
The patent document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-285970) describes a configuration that does not dispose any conductive pattern in a region having such functional elements as an inductor. The structure can avoid the influence by the conductive pattern to be exerted on those functional elements. Moreover, dummy patterns are disposed in a region surrounding the functional elements disposed region. by using such structures, the flatness of the surface after a CMP process can be improved.
The patent document 3 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-37111) describes a configuration having a metal film that has a specific pattern formed in a no-real-wiring-provided region on a semiconductor device. In a region having two metal wirings formed in parallel, the metal film is disposed so as to be separated from the region by a distance longer than a predetermined distance.

Semiconductor device having high frequency wiring and dummy metal layer at multilayer wiring structure


A substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of substrate processing modules connected to a substrate transport. The substrate transport has a housing and a substrate transport mechanism. The housing forms a substantially closed main transport chamber with doorways into the main transport chamber for the substrate processing modules. The transport mechanism has a substrate holder movably located in the transport chamber. The housing includes a front end extension that is connected to load locks. The front end extension has an aligner, a cooler, and a buffer directly connected to the housing and located in the front end extension in part of the main transport chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to substrate processing and, more particularly, to movements of substrates with a substrate transport.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,013,385 and 5,512,320 disclose substrate processing modules attached to a substrate transport having a main vacuum transport chamber. It is known in the art to attach a substrate cooling module to a side of the substrate transport outside of the main transport chamber. It is known in the art to attach a substrate aligner to the substrate transport outside of the main transport chamber. It is known in the art to provide a substrate buffer in an atmospheric load/unload section outside of the main transport chamber. It is also known in the art to use substrates inside a substrate processing module during a cleaning operation of the module to cover a substrate chuck in the module.

Substrate processing apparatus having a substrate transport with a front end extension and an internal substrate buffer


The present invention relates to a method for motion compensation and state-of-motion specific attenuation correction of positron tomography images by using a small number of low-radiation-dose computer tomography images. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: acquiring respiration-specific PET data; acquiring CT images from at least 2 different respirations, and using same to generate a virtual 4D CT image; matching the 4D CT image and the respiration-specific PET data, and selecting 3D CT images accurately corresponding to specific respirations; using the selected results to extract respiration motion displacement field information between respiration-specific PET data; using the selected CT images to subject the respiration-specific PET data to respiration-specific attenuation and scattering correction; and using the corrected respiration-specific PET data items and the extracted respiration motion displacement field information items to carry out respiration compensation and reconstruction.

A PET image may be a molecular picture that provides functional information such as metabolism of the body and may be helpfully used for the early detection of cancer and the treatment. Since a long time (e.g., about tens of minutes) is taken to obtain data of whole-body PET images, the scan is conducted while breathing freely. At this time, motions of chest/abdomen organs due to respirations may make the quality of PET images deteriorate due to blurring.
Meanwhile, various image distortion corrections may be subjected to construct good PET images. In case of attenuation correction, in general, correction may be made using X-ray CT images obtained by the same system (e.g., PET/CT system), just before PET image scanning. In case of a CT image, it is possible to obtain data quickly, for example, within a few seconds. For this reason, scanning may be made without breathing around a specific breathing. The attenuation correction may not be exactly performed due to a respiratory difference between the CT images and the PET image, thereby making the attenuation correction distorted. The distortion may act as a factor of hindering quantitative analysis of PET images and may make the PET images blurred. Deterioration of the quality of the PET images due to the above-described causes must be solved because hindering exact diagnosis and treatment.
To solve the above-described problems, there is widely used a respiratory gating PET imaging method that uses respiratory gating equipment upon obtaining PET images and classifies PET data according to respirations to obtain various respiratory states of PET images of which the respiratory motion is improved. However, to construct PET images of respective respirations effectively, an attenuation correction may be performed using a phase-matched CT image exactly corresponding to each respiratory state. Moreover, the quality of phase-matched PET images may be considerably lowered in terms of the signal to noise ratio (SNR). To improve the deterioration of the quality of PET images, there may be performed motion compensation in which motion information between phase-matched PET images is well estimated and other phase-matched PET images are converted into one respiration state using the estimated motion information.
As a study for phase-matched attenuation correction and respiratory motion estimation and compensation, first, there is proposed a method in which a CT image acquired using a respiratory gating CT imaging (4D CT imaging) method is used as upon acquiring PET images. This method is useful because the phase-matched attenuation correction is performed using the obtained phase-matched CT images and respiratory motion information is relatively exactly obtained from the acquired 4D images. However, the 4D CT imaging method is problematic in that radiation exposure is significantly increased as compared with the CT scanning. For this reason, the 4D CT imaging method is being rejected according to the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) rule recommended by the ICRP from 1965. Moreover, the problem that a respiration of a phase-matched PET image is not identical to that of a phase-matched CT image frequently occurs. In this case, respiratory information obtained from the CT can be erroneously applied, thereby lowering correction and compensation effects. To correct this, there is an inconvenience that a user revises the lowering of the correction and compensation effects manually for a long time.
Another method is a method in which a CT image corresponding to one respiration is obtained as at CT acquisition of a conventional PET/CT and PET images by the respiration are used. Respiratory motion may be estimated through registration between phase-matched PET images. However, since the phase-matched PET image includes a lot of noise and activity concentration distributions of phase-matched PET images are different from each other, it is difficult to have confidence in the motion information through the registration. Also, since phase-matched PET images not experiencing the attenuation correction are low in a characteristic capable of being used for the registration, it is difficult to expect high registration performance. Also, for the phase-matched attenuation correction, it is necessary to convert the previously obtained CT image of a specific respiration according to each respiratory state using motion information obtained through the registration between phase-matched PET images. It is also difficult to have confidence in the accuracy. Rather, the probability that an incorrectly converted CT image makes the PET images distorted may be high.

Method for subjecting PET image to motion compensation and attenuation correction by using small number of low-radiation-dose CT images

KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A mobile terminal composed of relatively movable first and second bodies has a display unit that displays an image and is provided on the first body and a touch panel that displays an image, detects contact made thereon, and is provided on the second body. When the mobile terminal switches from an open state to a closed state, if the touch panel has detected contact between the most recent switching from the closed state to the open state and the switching from the open state to the closed state, the display unit displays the image that has been displayed on the touch panel prior to the detection, the open state being a state in which the touch panel is viewable, the closed state being a state in which the display unit is viewable and at least part of the touch panel is covered by the first body.

Mobile terminals equipped with two displays are known.
There are also flip-type or sliding-type mobile terminals that can be opened and closed. Such a mobile terminal can be small, or compact in size, when closed.
In the case where a mobile terminal having two displays A and B is realized with a flip-type terminal, for example, the displays may be arranged such that the two displays A and B are viewable when the terminal is in its open state, but only the display A is viewable and the display B is hidden behind when the terminal is in its closed state.
If a user, however, wishes to continue seeing images displayed on the display B, the mobile terminal cannot be closed to be compact.
As an approach to solve this problem, there has been known a scheme of causing the display A to show a screen that has been displayed on the hidden display B when the mobile phone in its closed state receives a predetermined user operation (For example, Patent Literature 1).

Portable terminal, display control program and display control method


Disclosed is a lane keeping control system, including: a target distance calculator configured to calculate a target distance by receiving a speed of a vehicle; and a target trace generator configured to generate coordinates of a target point separated by the target distance by receiving vehicle information and camera image information and generate a target trace to the target point as a circular trace. Accordingly, by variably calculating a target distance according to a speed of a vehicle, generating a target trace of a vehicle according to the target distance as a profile (curvature) in a form of a circular trace, and applying the generated profile (curvature) to a lane keeping control, smooth lane keeping control may be achieved and a sense of steering difference of a driver may be minimized.

Recently, various types of intelligent robots have been developed. A personal service robot among the intelligent robots means a robot providing a user with services by using a function of a robot in an environment, such as at home or at work. Some service robots, such as a cleaning robot and an educational robot, have been presently released and used, but a meaningful market has not been established yet.
A lane keeping control system is a system configured to sense a lane by using image information obtained from a camera sensor and control a vehicle based on a lane sensing result so as to prevent lane deviation of a vehicle.
The lane keeping control system performs control so as to prevent lane deviation of a vehicle while driving by generating an auxiliary steering torque to a steering control apparatus and controls the steering.
Among the lane keeping control systems, a lane centering control system configured to control lane keeping by controlling steering of a vehicle so as to keep a center of a lane has been developed.
However, the lane keeping control system in the related art sets a reference keeping position which a vehicle has to keep by reflecting a driving tendency of a driver, so that the lane keeping control system is considerably affected by a condition of a lane or a driver. Otherwise, when a vehicle leaves a reference keeping position, the lane keeping control system rapidly performs a control so as to keep a vehicle within the reference keeping position, thereby causing a driver to feel a sense of difference in control of a vehicle.
The lane keeping control system in the related art controls a vehicle by calculating an error in a transverse direction by using a preset target distance, however, the lane keeping control system fails to sensitively respond to a state of a vehicle or compensates for only the error in the transverse direction of a calculated target trace, and thus there is a problem in that a transient response may be generated due to a sharp control input when determining a risk of lane deviation.