The invention relates to a process for forming chain extended polymers and graft and block polymers and copolymers which comprises the steps of: (a) forming an intimate mixture of one or more polymers and one or more effective phosphorus (III) chain extension reagent compounds; wherein at least one of said effective chain extension reagents has bonded to the phosphorus (III) atom at least one group which is a nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic moiety that is bonded through a nitrogen of the heteroaromatic moiety to the phosphorus (III) atom by a single bond; and (b) heating said mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form said extended chain polymer or copolymer. Further embodiments relate to polymers and copolymers prepared in accordance with the process of this invention as well as articles formed from these polymers and polymer compositions comprising the polymeric materials of this invention.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the process for coupling polymeric materials. More particularly, this invention relates to a process for preparing chain extended polymers and graft and/or block polymers and copolymers. Useful polymer reactants include polyamides and polyesters as well as other polymers as described herein. The process involves coupling the polymeric materials. Coupling as described above is referred to herein as a chain extension process. The polymers of this invention have increased molecular weights and/or melt viscosities. Polymers prepared in accordance with the process of this invention are capable of being fabricated into useful shaped articles of manufacture, e.g. filaments, both mono- and multifilament, films, tapes, ribbons, rods, containers, laminates and the like.
2. Description Of the .Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,720 to Aharoni discloses a process for preparing extended chain polyesters, and block or graft polyester or copolyesters by forming an intimate mixture of one or more polyesters and an effective amount of one or more chain extension reagent compounds, and thereafter heating the intimate mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to form the desired amount of the desired polyester or copolyester. Other patents such as 4,417,031; 4,433,116; 4,390,667; 4,963,311 and 4,946,909 disclose chain extension, graft, and block polymers containing polyamides, polyesters and other related polymers.

Process for preparing chain extended polymers and graft and block copolymers


In a method to enhance the contrast of spatially-localized phenomena in an image such as microcalcifications in a mammogram, a multi-scale decomposition is applied to a digital signal representation of the image thereby generating a number of detail images at different scales, the detail signals pertaining to the spatially-localized phenomena having a common polarity (either negative or positive) being modified at at least one scale.

Computer-aided detection and enhancement of microcalcifications in mammogram images is described by Gürcan et. al. in "Automated Detection and Enhancement of Microcalcifications in Mammograms Using Nonlinear Subband Decomposition," Icassp, vol. 4, pp. 3069, 1997 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP'97)-Volume 4, 1997.
Also in US patent application 2005/0135695 a similar approach is described.
The general idea of the described method is a 3-step process to create an enhanced mammogram image: 1. detection of microcalcifications in the image, 2. segmentation of the microcalcifications in the image and 3. enhancing the microcalcifications in an image.
The prior art proposes two approaches to create an enhanced version of the mammogram: the amplification technique and the superposition technique.
In the amplification technique the pixel values of the original image are amplified by an amplification factor at the locations of microcalcifications which are provided e.g. by a computer aided detection system. The amplification factor can be fixed or may depend on the characteristics of the segmented microcalcification and its surrounding tissue.
In the superposition technique segmented microcalcifications are superimposed on the original mammogram image at the locations of the microcalcifications.
For both techniques the enhancement of the microcalcifications in the processed result image strongly depends on the accuracy of the segmentation of the individual microcalcifications. This can lead to abrupt transitions and an artificial enhancement at the boundaries of the segmented regions. Image enhancement based on an inaccurate segmentation can possibly change the shape of the microcalcifications.
An accurate delineation of microcalcifications in a mammogram image is difficult, especially in a mammogram generated with computed radiography technology because of the poor contrast-to-noise ratio of the microcalcifications in the image.
Another technique to optimize the visualization in a subsection of a mammogram image is used by Heinlein et. al. in US patent application 2009/0174727, entitled "Method and apparatus for improved display of digital mammographic images".
The idea described in this patent application is to optimize the contrast in a subsection of the image by applying a spreading function to the range of values of the pixels in the subsection and by decreasing the contrast optimization towards the boundary of the subsection by applying a weighing function in order to create a gradual transition of the contrast between the subsection and the rest of the image.

Method and system for enhancing contrast of spatially-localized phenomena in mammography image


A splash plate dome assembly for a combustion liner of a turbine engine is disclosed. The splash plate may include an outer periphery having a plurality of corners and an inner periphery defining an aperture and an annular flange. The splash plate may include a plurality of first flow guides extending from the outer periphery to the inner periphery. The splash plate may further include a plurality of second flow guides extending from the outer periphery to a location intermediate the inner periphery and the outer periphery. The splash plate, annular flange, first flow guides, and second flow guides may be integrally formed by casting. The splash plate may be mounted to a combustion dome having a plurality of distributed through holes for forming impingement jets on an upstream face of the splash plate.

Gas turbine engines are often used as a power source for industrial machines, such as those used in the mining, manufacturing, gas, and oil industries, as well as for back-up power generation in utility or commercial applications. Typical gas turbine engines may use a compressor to provide compressed air to a combustion section. In some turbine engines, combustion sections may include a plurality of combustors (i.e., "can combustors") arranged annularly about a central shaft of the engine, each combustor having at least one fuel injector. Alternatively, a combustion section may include an annular combustor having a plurality of injectors disposed about an annular dome of the combustor. Compressed air may be mixed with fuel from the fuel injectors in the combustor and may be ignited by conventional means to generate combustion gases. The combustion gases may be discharged from the combustor into a turbine, which may extract energy from the gases to power various components of the engine and/or machine.
During operation, temperatures within the combustor may increase due to the exothermic combustion of the fuel/air mixture. The highest temperatures may be experienced by components located proximate the fuel injector. Accordingly, attempts have been made at providing cooling, coatings, and/or heat shields in the combustor liner for protecting combustor components from the thermal effects of combustion. Combustor components have also been cooled through impingement cooling methods wherein jets of cooling air are directed onto hot components of the combustor, or through film cooling.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,389 to Harrison et al. ("the '389 patent") describes a combustor having a fuel injector disposed in the center of a heat shield mounted to a bulkhead or dome of the combustor. The bulkhead has a plurality of holes for providing a flow of air between the bulkhead and the heat shield, which creates an outwardly circulating flow of air. The heat shield has a plurality of angled cooling holes for directing some of the cooling air through the heat shield, and outward, across its downstream face in order to film cool the heat shield. The heat shield is also cooled by a plurality of pedestals mounted to its upstream face.
Although the '389 patent provides for some cooling of the heat shield, and creates an outwardly circulating flow of air, its ability to provide sufficient cooling with reduced emissions may be limited. In particular, the outward flow between the bulkhead and heat shield may be insufficient. Moreover, the holes in the heat shield may result in flame extinction and increased emissions, especially in a lean pre-mix system. Finally, the heat shield of the '389 patent may be expensive and difficult to manufacture, due to the numerous pedestals and holes.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,105 to Stastny ("the '105 patent") describes a combustor having a heat shield mounted to a bulkhead or dome of the combustor. Cooling air is directed from an annular gap around the fuel injector to the gap between the heat shield and the bulkhead. The heat shield has a plurality of holes for directing pressurized cooling air through the shield into the combustor chamber, in order to cool the bulkhead and heat shield. The heat shield also has a plurality of pins and inner and outer ridges extending outwardly away from the shield plate for increasing air contacting surfaces and forming air channels, respectively.
Although the '105 patent provides for some cooling of the heat shield, its ability to provide sufficient cooling with reduced emissions may be limited. Specifically, because cooling air is not directed from the periphery of the heat shield, and because the holes may allow cooling air to directly enter the combustion chamber, flame extinction may occur. Also, the numerous pins, ridges, and holes of the heat shield may require expensive and time consuming manufacturing techniques.

Splash plate dome assembly for a turbine engine


An apparatus configured to estimate a position of a part of an object in an image includes: an image receiver configured to receive the image; a reference point setter configured to set a reference point in the image; a controller configured to generate information about the reference point by repeating a process a predetermined number of times, the process comprising obtaining one piece of direction information about a probability and a direction that the reference point is to be moved to the part of the object by a classifier, and resetting the reference point by moving the reference point a predetermined distance based on the one piece of direction information; and a location estimator configured to estimate a position of the part of the object in the image by using the information about the reference point as the reference point is reset the predetermined number of times.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a method and an apparatus for estimating a position of a part of an object in an image.
2. Related Art
Currently, there is a need for technology for estimating a pose of a body by using a depth camera that generates information about a target object in a three-dimensional (3D) space to obtain a life-like user interface (UI). A pose of a body may be estimated in real time by using computer vision technology and a depth camera. The pose of a body may consist of positions of body parts such as a head, a neck, a hand, an elbow, or a foot, and the estimation of the pose of a body may be used to control a UI or a game.
Technologies for estimating the position of a part of a body are used to estimate positions of each parts of a human body in an image captured by a depth camera.
However, a lot of calculation time is needed to classify a part of a body, and it may be difficult to adjust a time for classifying a particular part of a body.

Method and apparatus for estimating position of part of object


A forward error correction decoder for packing error information of a codeword in the space that was previously occupied by the parity symbols in the decoder output is presented. Specifically, the decoder summarizes error information of the codeword in a summary vector having the size no greater than the total size of the parity symbols. The decoder then outputs the message symbols from the codeword and the summary error vector, which provides the error information of the received codeword but only requires a bandwidth that is no greater than the bandwidth previously used for transmitting the parity symbols.

Reed-Solomon (RS) codes have been widely used in communications systems as block error-correcting codes. An RS encoder appends a set of parity symbols (also referred to as check symbols) to a fixed block of input symbols to form a codeword for transmission. An RS decoder uses the parity symbols to detect and correct errors in the received codeword. For diagnostic and monitoring use, the RS decoder sometimes provides information on the number of errors that were corrected. Some existing FEC decoders generate an error vector to be provided for analysis. However, the generated error vector has the same size as the codeword itself, and reporting the error vector together with the codeword requires almost twice as much as the output bandwidth of the FEC decoder.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and useful to provide resource-efficient error reporting in an FEC decoder.

System and method for a forward error correction decoder with error reporting


A gasket for an electrical junction box of a railcar is fitted in a groove portion formed on a contact surface of a side wall portion or a contact surface of a cover in the electrical junction box including: a box main body having the side wall portion defining an opening communicating with an outer space; and the cover closing the opening. Further, the gasket for the electrical junction box of the railcar includes: small width portions, a width of each of the small width portions being smaller than a width of the groove portion; and large width portions each having projections projecting toward both respective sides of the small width portion in a width direction and having a larger width than the width of the small width portions. The small width portions and the large width portions are alternately provided.

In railcars, power supply from a carbody to a motor and power collection from a third rail (power supply rail) to the carbody by a current collector provided at a bogie are performed through electric cables. Since the carbody and the bogie are separated from each other at the time of maintenance, the electric cable is configured to be disconnectable at a connector or an electrical junction box. The connector or the electrical junction box is attached to a bogie frame of the bogie, and all of these components are exposed to an outer space.
Therefore, if the electrical junction box is exposed to rain water or car washing water at the time of car washing (hereinafter simply referred to as "water"), the water may intrude into an inside of the electrical junction box. For example, to prevent the water from intruding through a cable introducing portion into which the electric cable is inserted, known as a waterproofing measure of the electrical junction box is a configuration including: an elastic member having a through hole through which the electric cable penetrates; and divided press casings covering the elastic member (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2011-171617, for example).
Known as one example of the electrical junction box is an electrical junction box including: a box main body which is open upward; and a cover covering the box main body from above. According to this electrical junction box, if the waterproofing between the box main body and the cover is incomplete, the water easily intrudes into the inside of the electrical junction box from outside. One example of a waterproofing structure is a structure in which a gasket made of rubber is provided in a groove formed at a coupling portion between the box main body and the cover. However, if the gasket is fitted in the groove which includes not only straight portions but also curved and/or meandering portions, a contact state between the box main body and the cover may become unstable, and the water may intrude into the inside of the electrical junction box.
If the gasket is attached to the cover, the gasket may fall off from the cover when attaching the cover to the box main body.
To prevent the contact state of the gasket from becoming unstable and also prevent the gasket from falling off, the gasket needs to be provided in the groove without any gap. However, the electrical junction box is exposed to the outer space, so that there is a possibility that when the electrical junction box is placed under a high-temperature circumstance during the operation of the railcar or the like, the gasket made of rubber expands by heat, and pressure generated by the heat expansion of the gasket is applied to the box main body or the cover, and as a result, the box main body or the cover deforms.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a gasket for an electrical junction box of a railcar, the gasket being capable of securing water-tightness between a box main body and a cover, preventing the gasket from falling off when attaching the cover, and reducing pressure applied to the box main body or the cover by the heat expansion of the gasket, and the electrical junction box of the railcar.

Gasket for electrical junction box of railcar and electrical junction box of railcar


A spa enabled to permit a user to conduct hands-free mobile telephone calls while immersed in the spa, comprising a Bluetooth enabled audio system contained in one or more watertight compartments, including a microphone and one or more speakers, whereby the Bluetooth enabled audio system is adapted to be paired with and wirelessly communicate with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to permit hands-free use in the spa.

Hot tubs or spas (collectively "spas") are widely installed in residences, hotels, fitness facilities and the like for relaxation, entertainment and therapeutic reasons. It is not uncommon currently for such spas to include built-in audio and speaker systems so that occupants of the spa can listen to music or television. See for example published U.S. patent applications 2004/0047484, 2004/0068787 and 2010/0046785. However, in the past if a person wished to make a cellular telephone call while immersed in the spa there was a risk of damaging the telephone due to moisture. There is therefore a need for a spa design which permits a person to make a hands-free cellular telephone call while immersed in the spa.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Hands-free cellular telephone enabled spa


An ultrasonic robotic cleaner freely movable back and forth inside a blood vessel, having an elongated shell, electrical driving mechanisms, a storage battery, and a high frequency ultrasonic vibration unit; each electrical driving mechanism is formed by propellers, an ultra-micro motor, and a gear assembly; the high frequency ultrasonic vibration unit and the storage battery are mounted inside the elongated shell; the high frequency ultrasonic vibration unit and the ultra-micro motor are electrically connected with the storage battery; the electrical driving mechanisms are disposed at two ends of the elongated shell respectively. The robotic cleaner moves inside the blood vessel and achieves blood cavitation so that blood lipids are fragmented into finer particles which are eventually burnt due to peroxidation and metabolism and transformed into energy, water and CO2.

The present invention relates to the field of cleaning apparatus that cleans intravascular blood lipids, and more specifically relates to an ultra-micro robotic cleaner that moves back and forth inside a blood vessel to clean intravascular blood lipids.
Aging and hardening of blood vessels may easily happen when we get older, and blood lipids will accumulate anywhere in blood vessels and obstruct normal blood flow. Blood vessels are clogged mainly because in certain areas of the blood vessels, vessel walls are gradually being thickened due to continuous accumulation of undesired substances on the vessel walls such as intravascular lipids and cholesterols, thereby narrowing the blood vessels and slowing down the blood flow. When blood flow slows down, lipids and cholesterols can more easily accumulate on the vessel walls. Such a vicious cycle may finally result in the blood vessels being completely clogged. In some cases, the undesired substances inside the blood vessels may fall off from the vessel walls and constitute an obstruction which are then carried by the blood flow to some other blood vessels of the body and clog the same. Especially in autumn and winter times, viscous blood may undermine blood flow; also, when weather gets drier and cooler, blood vessels may easily contract, and this is one of the reasons why cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are more common during autumn and winter. Blood vessels are the passage ways that transport the blood of the entire body. If blood vessels are clogged, body health and even the life of a person may be put at grave risk.
Many methods have been used to solve the problem of clogged blood vessels, including medicinal therapy and physical cleaning therapy. Physical cleaning therapy mainly concerns development of various kinds of ultra-micro robotic devices for intravascular use. Blood vessels are cleaned and the clogging is mitigated by moving the ultra-micro robotic devices inside the blood vessels. Prior art literatures of ultra-micro robotic devices include the following:
1. CN102151162A disclosed Magnetic control blood vessel robot for cleaning thrombus. The robot consists of a miniature robot and an external driver; a liquid pump and a cylindrical pump body made by an elastic film connected inside the liquid pump in series are arranged in the miniature robot body; a plurality of permanent magnets provided with central holes are circumferentially and uniformly distributed on the outer wall of the pump body; guide rods are respectively arranged on the inner wall of a cavity of the miniature robot body at positions corresponding to the permanent magnets; each guide rod extends into the central hole of the corresponding permanent magnet; a spiral spring is sleeved on each guide rod; the external driver is provided with an annular supporting frame; and direct current electromagnets in the same quantity as the permanent magnets are uniformly distributed on the annular supporting frame. During operation, by moving the external driver, magnetic force of the external driver will drive the miniature robot inside the blood vessels to move, thereby achieving thrombus cleaning by the miniature robot inside the blood vessels.
2. CN101961261A disclosed a Jet flow-driven blood vessel robot, which consists of a capsule-shaped shell, a liquid flow control device, a wireless receiving control block and an operating device; the liquid flow control device, the wireless receiving control block and the operating device are arranged in the shell; the liquid flow control device uses blood as a medium; the liquid flow control device consists of a variable pump, 12 suction and spray nozzles and 24 two-way electromagnetic valves; the inlet and outlet of each suction and spray nozzle are connected with two pipes respectively; the two pipes are each connected with a two-position two-way electromagnetic valve in series respectively, one of the two pipes is connected with the inlet of the variable pump, and the other one of the two pipes is connected with the outlet of the variable pump; the 12 suction and spray nozzles are embedded on the wall of the shell, and their openings are configured to face outwardly from the shell. By using the variable pump, the 12 suction and spray nozzles and the 21 two-way electromagnetic valves, the blood vessel robot can move inside the blood vessel to achieve cleaning of the blood vessel.
In the above disclosed prior arts, regardless of how the robot is driven to move inside the blood vessel, a common feature in these prior art blood vessel cleaning robots is that the robot will move or flow inside the blood vessel to achieve cleaning of the blood vessel, thereby preventing clogged blood vessel. Prior art blood vessel cleaning robots cannot perform cavitation in blood vessels and fragmentation of thrombus and blood lipids, and do not have the therapeutic effect of burning intravascular lipids. Therefore, prior art blood vessel cleaning robots can only clear the blood vessels, but cannot achieve the physiotherapeutic effects of reducing blood viscosity and diluting blood. Accordingly, prior art blood vessel cleaning robots have poor therapeutic effects disadvantaged by repeated and arbitrary growth of intravascular blood lipids. In view of the above, prior art blood vessel cleaning robots are not the optimal solutions. The market desperately needs a technical solution that achieves better therapeutic effects.

Ultrasonic robotic cleaner freely movable back and forth inside a blood vessel


A conductive plug is formed in an interlayer insulation film and on an isolating layer which isolates semiconductor elements on a semiconductor substrate. The conductive plug electrically connects a pair of active regions of the semiconductor elements formed on the different sides of the isolating layer. Alternatively, a conductive plug is formed in an interlayer insulation film and on a conducive line formed on an isolating layer which isolates semiconductor elements on a semiconductor substrate. The conductive plug electrically connects the conductive line and an active region of the semiconductor element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a conductive plug embedded in a contact hole (corresponding to an interconnection hole) and an interconnect utilizing a trench are formed simultaneously, as well as to a semiconductor device manufactured by the method.
2. Background Art
With tendency toward a rapid reduction in size of a semiconductor element, minute contacts and interconnections are ever demanded. In a conventional semiconductor device with low integration level, contact holes or interconnection holes are formed in a dielectric film to establish electrical contact between active regions. Further, a wafer is etched after deposition of material for interconnections.
In recent years, a mixed-manufacturing process has become dominant for manufacturing a memory device, typified by dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and a logic device on a single wafer. In such a DRAM, a thickness of an interlayer insulating film is increased to fabricate an internal capacitor, so that a deep contact hole or an interconnection hole must be formed. Thus, difficulty is imposed in the process of forming contacts and interconnections.
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a principal structure of a conventional semiconductor device. In a conventional semiconductor device 100C in which a DRAM and a logic device are formed in a same device, a thick interlayer oxide film is needed for manufacturing a capacitor. However, contact holes or interconnection holes could not be formed in the thick interlayer oxide film in a single process. For instance, as shown in FIG. 20, a first conductive plug 40 is connected to a second conductive plug 6, and the plug 6 is connected to a gate electrode 5 of a MOSFET which is isolated by an isolation oxide film 2 provided in a semiconductor substrate or a silicon substrate 1. Thus, a two-layer configuration of the plug 6 and the plug 40 is needed in the manufacturing process.
A lower interconnecting layer 50 provided between the first conductive plug 40 and the second conductive plugs 6 establishes local electrical connection. When the same material is used for the second conductive plugs 6 and the lower interconnecting layer 50, a certain minimum distance must be ensured between adjacent lower interconnecting layers 50, resulting in deterioration of the packing density of the integrated circuit. In order to avoid such deterioration in packing density, the lower interconnecting layer 50 must be formed from material differing from that of the second conductive plugs 6.
An upper interconnecting layer 51 establishes local electrical connection, as does the lower interconnecting layer 50. When the same material is used for the first conductive plug 40 and the upper interconnecting layer 51, a certain minimum distance must be ensured between the adjacent upper interconnecting layers 51, thus deteriorating the packing density of the integrated circuit. In order to avoid such deterioration in packing density, the upper interconnecting layer 51 must be formed from material differing from that of the first conductive plug 40.
The present invention has been conceived to solve the problem as set forth and is aimed at providing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device which enables facilitated formation of a plug and an interconnection simultaneously in a minute pattern when forming a conductive plug in a contact hole and forming an interconnection in a trench. Thus, a high-integration semiconductor device is manufactured.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor element having a first gate electrode and a pair of active regions by the gate electrode, an a second semiconductor element having a second gate electrode and a pair of active regions by the gate electrode. An isolating layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate to isolate the first and second semiconductor elements. An interlayer insulating film is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A first conductive plug is formed in the interlayer insulation film and on the isolating layer, and the first conductive plug electrically connects one of the active regions of the first semiconductor element and one of the active regions of the second semiconductor element.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor element having a first gate electrode and a pair of active regions by the gate electrode, and a second semiconductor element having a second gate electrode and a pair of active regions by the gate electrode. An isolating layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate to isolate the first and second semiconductor elements. A conductive line is formed on said isolating layer. An interlayer insulating film is formed on the semiconductor substrate. Further, a first conductive plug is formed in the interlayer insulating film and on the isolating layer, and the first conductive plug electrically connects said conductive line and at least one of the active regions of the first semiconductor element or the second semiconductor element.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the following description.

Semiconductor device having an improved plug structure and method of manufacturing the same


The present invention provides a solid-state image pickup apparatus which is able to easily discharge signal charges in a signal accumulating section and which is free from reduction in the dynamic range of the element, thermal noise in a dark state, an image-lag and so forth even if the pixel size of the MOS solid-state image pickup apparatus is reduced, the voltage of a reading gate is lowered and the concentration in the well is raised. The solid-state image pickup apparatus according to the present invention incorporates a p-type silicon substrate having a surface on which a p+ diffusion layer for constituting a photoelectric conversion region and a drain of a reading MOS field effect transistor are formed. A signal accumulating section formed by an n-type diffusion layer is formed below the p+ diffusion layer. A gate electrode of the MOS field effect transistor is, on the surface of the substrate, formed between the p+ diffusion layer and the drain. The position of an end of the signal accumulating section adjacent to the gate electrode of the MOS transistor extends over the end of the reading gate electrode of the p+ diffusion layer to a position below the gate electrode.

The present invention relates a solid-state image pickup apparatus, and more particularly to a solid-state image pickup apparatus which is capable of preventing reduction in dynamic ranges of signals, thermal noise, image-lags and the like and enabling a high-quality reproduced image to be obtained.
A MOS solid-state image pickup apparatus (a MOS image sensor) has attracted attention in recent years because of its advantages that the size can be reduce and only a single power source is required to operate the MOS solid-state image pickup apparatus. Moreover, all elements including the image pickup section or peripheral circuits can be manufactured by MOS processes so that a chip is formed as one integrated circuit.
A variety of techniques have been suggested about the amplifier-type MOS solid-state image pickup apparatus (an amplifier-type MOS image sensor) having pixels each including an amplifying function. The foregoing amplifier-type MOS sensor has been expected to enable the number of pixels to be enlarged to improve the image quality and the size of each pixel to be reduced to reduce the image size.
As compared with the CCD image sensor, the amplifier-type MOS image sensor requires only small power consumption and permits unification with other peripheral circuits which are formed by the same CMOS process as the sensor section. Therefore, an advantage can be realized in that cost reduction is permitted.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a part of a cross sectional structure of a unit pixel disposed two-dimensionally in an image pickup region of the solid-state image pickup apparatus called an amplifier-type MOS image sensor.
Referring to FIG. 1, a p-type (although p-type is shown in the drawing, N-type is permitted) well region 4 is formed on a p-type silicon substrate 2. A light receiving region 10 composed of a p+ diffusion layer 6 which is provided on the surface of the light receiving substrate and an n-type diffusion layer 8 which serves as a signal accumulating section, a signal detecting section 12 and an amplifying transistor 18 having a drain 14 and a source 16 are formed on the surface of the well region 4.
A gate electrode 20 of a reading MOS field effect transistor (hereinafter abbreviated as "reading MOS transistor") is, on the well region 4, disposed between the light receiving region 10 and the signal detecting section 12. An electric wire 24 is connected to the signal detecting section 12 and a gate electrode 22 of the amplifying transistor 18 to establishing the connection between the signal detecting section 12 and the gate electrode 22. Moreover, a signal reading line 26 is connected to a source 16 of the amplifying transistor 18.
The operation of the image pickup element having the above-mentioned pixel structure is as follows.
Light beams made incident on the light receiving region 10 in the photoelectric conversion region during a signal accumulating period generates signal charges. The signal charges are accumulated in the signal accumulating section (the n-type diffusion layer) 8. After the signal accumulating period has been completed, the reading MOS transistor is turned on so that the signal charge is discharged from the signal accumulating section 8 to the signal detecting section 12 through the channel of the MOS transistor. In the signal detecting section 12, the signal charge is converted into a signal voltage. The charge of the signal voltage is introduced into the gate electrode 22 of the amplifying transistor through the wire 24. The signal charge is read from the signal reading line 26 connected to the source 16 of the amplifying transistor.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing a state in which a signal charge is read when the signal charge is discharged from the signal accumulating section 8 to the signal detecting section 12.
When the reading gate has been turned on, the potential of the MOS channel is raised. Thus, the signal charge accumulated in the signal accumulating section 8 is read through the channel of the MOS transistor as indicated with an arrow A shown in FIG. 2A.
However, the above-mentioned conventional pixel structure suffers from the following problems.
That is, when a signal charge is read, the potential of the channel of the MOS transistor is raised. Therefore, the potential of an end of the signal accumulating section adjacent to the reading gate is modulated so that the signal charge is read from the signal accumulating section. However, if a p+ layer for preventing a dark current exists, the potential of the end of the signal accumulating section adjacent to the reading gate cannot easily be modulated with the gate potential because the potential of the p+ layer is fixed to a reference potential. Therefore, a potential barrier for the signal charge is formed, as shown in FIG. 2B. As a result, reading of a signal indicated with the arrow A cannot completely be performed.
If reading of a signal from the signal accumulating section 8 cannot completely be performed, the reproduced image encounters problems in that the dynamic range of the element is reduced, thermal noise increases in a dark state and an image-lag is formed. Therefore, there arises a problem in that the quality of the reproduced image excessively deteriorates. Moreover, the above-mentioned problem becomes furthermore critical as the pixel size is reduced.
To meet requirement for improving the quality of a reproduced image or reducing the element size, the size of each unit pixel has been reduced from year to year. Although the size of the MOS transistor is reduced as the size of the unit pixel is reduced, the foregoing reduction in the element size usually causes reduction in the applied voltage and rise in the concentration of impurities in the well to occur in accordance with a rule of scale down.
However, if the scale down is performed, the region, the potential of which can be modulated by the MOS gate is narrowed and limited to only a shallow part adjacent to the gate. Therefore, modulation of the potential of the end of the signal accumulating section adjacent to the reading gate formed deeper than the p+ layer in the surface of the substrate cannot easily be performed. As a result, the foregoing potential barrier is easily formed in the fined pixel. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems peculiar to the amplifier-type MOS sensor becomes furthermore critical.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An antiplaque and antigingivitis effective oral composition containing a stabilized N.sup..alpha. -acyl acidic amino acid ester salt is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for inhibiting plaque buildup in the oral cavity with an oral composition containing the stabilized N.sup..alpha. -acyl acidic amino acid ester salt.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to antiplaque and antigingivitis effective oral compositions containing stabilized N.sup..alpha. -alkyl-L-arginine alkyl ester salts. The invention is also directed to a method for inhibiting plaque in the oral cavity.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that dental plaque results from the adsorption and propagation of specific oral bacteria on the surface of the teeth. It is also known that the build up of dental plaque on the tooth surface is implicated in the formation of dental caries, as well as gingivitis and alveolar pyorrhea. Therefore, good oral health is critically dependent on the prevention or removal of dental plaque. Brushing the teeth is the most common means employed to reduce plaque build up. However, the effectiveness of brushing has limitations.
Various oral compositions have been formulated in an attempt to control plaque. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,306 describes an oral composition containing cetylpyridinium chloride as an antibacterial in combination with an N.sup..alpha. -cocoyl acyl basic amino acid lower alkyl ester or salt thereof that is said to promote adsorption of cetylpyridinium chloride. Exemplary adsorption promoters include N.sup..alpha. -cocoyI-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, N.sup..alpha. -cocoyl-L-arginine methyl ester pyrrolidone carboxylate and N.sup..alpha. -cocoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester pyrrolidone carboxylate.
GB 1352420 describes lower alkyl esters of mono-N-higher aliphatic acyl arginine having the formula ##STR1## wherein RCO is a higher aliphatic acyl radical containing at least 6 carbon atoms and R.sup.1 is a lower alkyl radical containing up to 4 carbon atoms, or salts of the esters, that have antimicrobial or germicidal activity. In particular it is disclosed that N.sup..alpha. -cocoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester pyrrolidone carboxylate and N.sup..alpha. -cocoyl-L-arginine methyl ester pyrrolidone carboxylate provide bactericidal activity against Escherichia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgarus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus substilis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. It is further asserted that the arginine derivatives provided disinfectant activity against bacterium belonging to the genus Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus. However, this reference neither exemplifies a mouthwash composition nor suggests that the arginine derivatives would be effective against the specific bacterium associated with the formation of plaque.
Arginine esters have been employed in mouthwash compositions as surfactants. JP 04-005221 is directed to mouthwash compositions containing nonwater-soluble components, hydrophilic surfactants, ethanol and water. In particular, this publication describes a mouthwash composition containing vitamin E, N-cocoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester DL-pyrrolidone carboxylate, saccharin, flavor, ethanol and water that is diluted with additional water to give a homogeneous emulsion with an average particle size of 0.44 mm. Such an emulsion would be cloudy. However, mouthwash compositions that are cloudy are disadvantageous since consumers generally require clear single phase mouthwash compositions.
International Publication No. WO 93/11738 describes a dentifrice composition containing a bacteriocin (i.e. an antibacterial agent) such as nisin in combination with a cationic, amphoteric or nonionic surfactant. The D,L-2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid salt of ethyl-N-cocoyl L arginate is disclosed as a suitable surfactant. JP 57-165305 describes a method for improving the bacteriocidal effect of surfactant type disinfectants such as chlorohexidine digluconate by the addition of N.sup..alpha. -cocoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester DL-pyrrolidine carboxylate. The arginine ester is said to have weak bacteriocidal activity, but brings about a synergistic improvement in the bacteriocidal effect of the surfactant type disinfectants.
Ethyl N.sup..alpha. -cocoyl-L-arginate pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid salt, sold under the tradename CAE.RTM., ethyl N.sup..alpha. -lauryl-L-arginate pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid salt (hereinafter "LAE") and iso-propyl N.sup..alpha. -lauryl-L-arginate pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid salt (hereinafter "LAIP") are available from Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Tokyo, Japan. They are said to be useful as disinfectants or bactericidally active ingredients. There is, however, no suggestion or disclosure in the prior art that N.sup..alpha. -acyl amino acid ester salts would be effective against the specific microorganisms associated with plaque buildup.
However, aqueous compositions containing salts of N.sup..alpha.- alkyl-L-arginine alkyl esters generally undergo hydrolysis reactions typical of esters. Thus, an antiplaque and antigingivitis effective oral composition that contained a stabilized N.sup..alpha. -acyl amino acid ester salt would be highly desirable.

Stabilized antiplaque and antigingivitis oral compositions containing N.sup..alpha. -alkyl-L-arginine alkyl ester salts


Acne is treated or prevented by the topical application of compositions containing an alkanolamine such as dimethylaminoethanol, tyrosine, and a sulfur ingredient such as lipoic acid or glutathione. Adjunct ingredients such as fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid, e.g., ascorbyl palmitate and α-hydroxy acids may be included in the formulations. Compositions of the invention may be used alone, or, in many preferable embodiments, in combination with conventional acne medications such as anti-acne products containing salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or a retinoid. In these embodiments, alkanolamine compositions of the invention are applied to affected skin areas first, and then a conventional acne medication is applied. This maximizes the efficacy of the treatment while minimizing skin irritation caused by conventional medications.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved compositions and methods for the treatment and prevention of acne, and the promotion of clear skin.
2. Description of Related Art
This invention relates primarily to methods and compositions for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Acne is the most common pustular condition of the skin, disfiguring afflicted persons with inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions (including pustules, papules and comedones) during the active phase, and with atrophic scars afterwards. It occurs most commonly in teenagers, but is not confined to adolescents, as increasing numbers of persons aged >20 years are seeking advice on treatment for acne (Brogden, R. N., and Goa, K. L., Drugs, 1997, 53 511–519; this reference and others cited below are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties by reference). Although acne is generally considered to be self-limiting, its social effects can be substantial, and it may have its most severe effects on the psyche (ibid). In about 60% of teenagers, disease severity and embarrassment are sufficient for them to self-medicate with proprietary preparations and/or seek medical advice.
Acne is a multifactorial disease affecting the pilosebaceous units of the skin. Each unit consists of a large, multilobed sebaceous gland, a rudimentary hair and a wide follicular canal lined with stratefied squamous epithelium. They are found over most of the body surface but are largest and most numerous on the face, chest, and upper back. Normally, desquamated follicular cells are carried to the surface by the flow of sebum. Under the abnormal circumstances of acne vulgaris, an abnormal desquamination process provokes increased sloughing of the epithelium, which becomes more cohesive because of defective keratinization. This process causes blockage of the follicular orifice with accumulation of dead cells. Androgen stimulates the undifferentiated hormonally responsive cells making up the outer layer of the sebaceous gland lobule to divide and differentiate. Sebum production favors proliferation of the anaerobe Propionibacterium acnes, which is a normal commensal to the pilosebaceous unit, which can elicit hypersensitivity responses in acne.
The basic lesion of acne is the microcomedo. Accumulation of sebum and keratinous debris results in a visible closed comedo, or whitehead, and its continued distension causes an open comedo, or blackhead. The dark color of blackheads is due to oxidized melanin. Blackheads and microcysts are noninflammatory lesions of acne, but some comedones evolve into inflammatory papules, pustules, or nodules, and can become chronic granulomatous lesions. The initial inflammatory cell in an acute acne papule is the CD4+T lumphocyte. Duct rupture is not a prerequisite for inflammation, which is due to the release of pro-inflammatory substances from the duct. When inflammation develops, neutrophil chemotaxis occurs. These neutrophils secrete hydrolytic enzymes that cause further damage and increased permeability of the follicular wall. In pustules, neutrophils are present much earlier. More persistent lesions exhibit granulomatous histology that can lead to scarring.
The aims of treating acne are to minimize the number and severity of lesions, prevent scarring, limit disease duration, and reduce the social and psychological stress that affects many patients, particularly teenagers. Conventional treatment is directed at correcting the three major factors that seem to cause acne: (1) androgenic stimulation of the sebaceous glands and increased sebum production; (2) abnormal keratinization and impaction in the pilosebaceous canal causing obstruction to sebum flow; and (3) proliferation of P. acnes. Thus, topical agents that remove comedones, such as topical retinoids are particularly effective because they normalize desquamination within the follicular orifice, which allows the sebum to flow freely onto the surface of the skin; adalpalene, tretinoin, and tazarotene have been shown to have efficacy in treating mild to moderate acne, but all three have reported to have skin-irritating side effects including erythema, pruritis, burning/stinging, and scaling/flaking (Physicians' Desk Reference®, 56th ed. 2002, p. 2523, hereinafter referred to as "PDR"). The side effects of retinoid use are so extreme that many individuals cannot tolerate topical application of these agents at all.
Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide have been used to treat acne for some time. Both agents dry the skin, which helps in acne management, but they cause some skin irritation in perilesional skin areas of acne patients, especially patients with sensitive skin, and in some cases the erythema is extreme. Moreover, it has been recently reported that benzoyl peroxide seems to induce free radical production that can produce skin changes that qualitatively resemble ultraviolet B damage, e.g., increases in epidermal thickness, and deleterious changes in elastin and glycosaminoglycan content (Ibbotson, S. H., et al., J. Inves. Derm., 1999, 112: 933–938). Topical and oral antibiotics (especially tetracycline, erythromycin, and clindamycin) are sometimes prescribed for patients with inflammatory papules and pustules, but, in addition to the undesirability of antibiotic overuse in general, which can lead to enhanced susceptibility to infection, disadvantages to such treatments include phototoxicity and interactions with other medications. Other factors that play a role in exacerbating acne, including oil-based cosmetics and some drugs (e.g., androgenic hormones, high-progestin birth control pills, systemic corticosteroids, and iodide- and bromide-containing agents) are often minimized during acne treatment.
Human sebum contains an unusual mixture of lipids, with the major lipid classes being triacylglycerides (TAG, conventional fat, ≈40 to 60%), wax esters (≈19 to 26%), and squalene (≈11 to 15%), but at least 15 different neutral and polar lipids have been identified in human sebaceous gland tissue (Downie, M. M. T., and Kealey, T., J. Invest Derm., 1998, 111: 199–205). Recent studies have shown that people with acne have abnormal sebum secretions in that the ratios of essential fatty acids in sebaceous triacylglycerides (TAG, conventional fat) are skewed, as are the proportions of TAG, squalene and wax esters. It has been hypothesized that the viscosity and irritant level of these substances contribute to sebum obstruction and rupture of pilosebaceous units observed in acne. Lipogenesis in human sebaceous glands varies depending upon the metabolic state of the cells, glandular fluctuations, and the presence or absence of different substrates or other substances effecting competitition between sterol and TAG pathways (Downie and Kealey, cited above). It would be desirable to utilize this biochemical information to devise alternate treatments for acne.
It would be desirable to treat and prevent acne vulgaris manifested by the symptoms of pustule, papule, and comedone formation described above, minimizing the number and severity of lesions. It would also be desirable to provide a homogeneous skin complexion, while simultaneously reducing pore size, evening out skin texture, minimizing scar formation, treating acneform scars left after resolution of the active phase, promoting clear and firm skin tone, and providing a healthier look. It would also be desirable to have topical compositions that are effective in ameliorating skin irritation caused by conventional acne formulations so that more efficacious therapies can be devised for individual patients based on their different medical needs, including therapies that combine different treatments.

Treatment of acne using alkonolamine compositions


A speed controller for motor vehicles having an input device for the input of a desired speed Vset by the driver, and having a plurality of operating modes which are able to be activated in different speed ranges and differ in their functional scope. A change in the operating mode, which results in the loss of a safety-relevant function, is provided or enabled by a command of the driver, characterized by a decision unit, which, in the light of predefined criteria, determines whether a change in the desired speed Vset, which is input by the driver, is to be interpreted as a command for changing the operating mode.

German Published Patent Application No. 199 58 120 refers to a speed controller that is operable in a so-called ACC mode (adaptive cruise control), and in a stop and go mode.
In the ACC mode, the speed of the vehicle is regulated to a desired speed selected by the driver, provided the roadway ahead of his own vehicle is clear. A distance gap sensor, such as a radar sensor, permits detecting vehicles traveling ahead on his own traffic lane and other obstacles, and adjusting speed, if necessary, in such a way that the immediately preceding vehicle is followed at an appropriate safety distance. The ACC mode is provided, in general, for travel on express highways or well developed highways having flowing traffic, and also for traffic situations characterized by relatively low dynamics and relatively large vehicle separations. Under these conditions, a long-range tracking radar, having comparatively low depth resolution, is sufficient for recording the traffic surroundings. The relative speed of the tracked object is directly measurable with the aid of the Doppler effect. In order to avoid frequent faulty reactions of the system, only moving radar objects are generally considered as relevant target objects, since, in general, it is not to be expected that there are standing objects on the roadway. However, in traffic situations having greater dynamics, such as in slow-moving traffic or stop and go traffic, or even in city traffic, standing targets should also be included in the evaluation. Moreover, in this case, because of the generally shorter vehicle separations, a more detailed detection and evaluation of the traffic situation is also desirable. The ACC mode is unsuitable for these traffic situations and is therefore only able to be activated when the speed of one's own vehicle is above a certain limiting speed, such as above 30 km/h.
Alternatively, the stop and go mode is provided for the lower speed range and affords functions that are not available in the ACC mode, in particular the function of braking one's own vehicle to a standstill, such as when driving upon a traffic jam. Under certain circumstances an automatic restart-up is then also possible, when the preceding vehicle is also set in motion again. These conditions are satisfied, for example, when one's own vehicle has stood still for a relatively short time, and when the target object followed up to the present, that is, the preceding vehicle, has constantly remained in the tracking range of the distance sensor. On the other hand, under other conditions, it may be expedient to deactivate the system altogether, or simply to have it emit a start-up prompt to the driver when the preceding vehicle starts up, and to leave the last decision up to him. For an expanded functionality in the stop and go mode, not only is the detection of standing targets required, but in general an additional close-range sensor system is also desirable, such as in the form of a video system having electronic image evaluation, a close-range radar or a light-optical distance sensor for the close range including the left and right roadway edges, so that suddenly-appearing obstacles may also be detected in time. This more complex detection and evaluation of the traffic environment, which may be required in the stop and go mode, can lead, at high speeds, to faulty reactions or to an overload of the system. For this reason, the stop and go mode is typically only activatable at speeds up to an upper limiting speed, such as up to 40 km/h.
In the overlapping zone between the speed ranges for ACC and Stop and Go modes, that is, in the exemplary systems described, between 30 and 40 km/h, both modes can be activated and the selection of the mode is left to the driver. Special mode selection keys are provided in the known system for selecting the operating mode, using which, the driver is able to activate either the ACC mode or the Stop & Go mode. The active participation of the driver in the selection of the operating mode is regarded as efficacious, because in this way it is made clear to the driver in which mode the system happens to be, and which functions of the speed controller are available. Thus, if the preceding vehicle suddenly stops, and the driver mistakenly assumes that the speed controller is in the Stop & Go mode and relies on the speed controller automatic braking to a standstill may be prevented. However, some drivers feel that the necessity of having to select the operating modes themselves is an impairment of their operating convenience, and that the command keys needed for this purpose make the operating system more involved and complex.

Speed controller having several operating modes


The present invention is a liquid crystal material including a base crystal material, a compound represented by the following general formula (I) and/or a compound represented by the following general formula (II) ##STR1## (where n is an integer of 0 to 10, m is an integer of 0 to 15, and x is cyano group or halogen).

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal material and a liquid crystal display device using the same.
In recent years, technologies for applying a liquid crystal display device to a color display have been developed. In case of applying a liquid crystal display device to a color display, the display device needs to be fast in response speed and, furthermore, low in threshold voltage (Vth).
It is known that a response time is in proportion to the product of a viscosity of a liquid crystal material and a square of a cell gap, and in order to make the response time shorter it is necessary to lower the viscosity of the liquid crystal material. On the other hand, the Vth is influenced by three kinds of basic transformational distortion (splay distortion, twist distortion, and bend distortion) of a liquid crystal material. Namely, the less the coefficients of elasticity (splay elasticity (K11), twist elasticity (K22), and bend elasticity (K33)) representing relation between distortion and stress are, the lower the Vth is, and therefore the coefficients of elasticity need to be lowered.
However, it is the present situation that a liquid crystal material according to the prior art is not low enough in viscosity and elasticity to make the response speed faster and the Vth lower, and the prior art cannot make a liquid crystal material low enough in viscosity and elasticity.

Liquid crystal material and liquid crystal display device


Disclosed herein are a power module package and a method of manufacturing the same. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power module package includes: a lead frame on which a power device and a control IC electrically connected to the power device and controlling the power device are mounted; and a thermal sheet bonded to one surface of the lead frame, wherein the thermal sheet includes first and second resin layers which include a thermal conductive inorganic filler and are added with a mixture of phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) and alkyl glycidyl ether (Alkyl (C12 to C14) glycidyl ether), and a thermal spreader of a metal material disposed at a bonded interface which is formed between the first and second resin layers. Therefore, it is possible to easily improve a thermal property of the power module package by a thermal spreading effect due to the thermal spreader.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a power module package and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a power module is an electronic component which is mounted on a lead frame and has adopted a structure in which a power device and a control IC are bonded to each other and then molded. Therefore, since heat radiation of the power device is mainly performed by the lead frame and an epoxy molding compound (EMC) having low thermal conductivity, thermal property required in the power module may not be satisfied.
Meanwhile, according to a power module package published in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 1 discloses that thermal capability may be improved by bonding a ceramic substrate to the lead frame. However, the structure has a problem in that all the devices are mounted on the lead frame and thus thermal property is limited and the thermal property totally relies on thermal property of the ceramic substrate. That is, the ceramic substrate has a limitation of a usable thickness due to material properties.
On the other hand, according to a power module package published in Patent Document 2, Patent Document 2 discloses that devices are bonded to a direct bonding copper (DBC) substrate having excellent thermal property to be able to implement high heat radiation. However, the DBC substrate is generally more expensive than a thermal substrate and is thus expensive in proportion to improvement in the thermal property.

Power module package and method of manufacturing the same


A redundancy circuit for activating redundant memory cells when a semiconductor memory device is found to have defective memory cells, which redundancy circuit comprises, in order to overcome the problems of an address reset and a precharging of the first node which determines the redundancy addressing output signal of the redundancy circuit, additional switching circuit which is controlled by a clock signal of the memory device being made to be connected between a ground node and a switching circuit connected to a plurality of fuses, and a precharging circuit for precharging the first node to a high voltage level being made to also controlled by the clock signal.

As well known in the art, a semiconductor memory device has awfully many memory cells arranged in rows and columns, and the memory cells are grouped into a number of memory arrays. With the increase of the integration of electronic systems, the density of the memory device is also increased. Accordingly, an area that can be occupied by a single memory cell becomes smaller. In the high density memory device, a redundancy technology is commonly utilized to improve production yield.
The redundancy technology is to provide spare or redundant memory cells which can replace any defective elements in regular memory cell arrays. During electrical tests of a memory device, the defective memory cells are identified and the redundant cells, which are also arranged in rows and columns, are activated in place of the defective elements. In case of a column redundancy circuit, a defective cell in the regular memory cells can be replaced by decoding column address associated with the defective element and by activating only a redundant memory cell. Whether the redundant cells are to be activated or the regular nondefective memory cells are to be activated can be determined by using a fuse circuit (or a redundancy circuit), which is divided into two: a dynamic type fuse circuit as shown in FIG. 1, and a static type as shown in FIG. 3.
In present, the dynamic fuse circuit has been used as a row redundancy circuit for repairing any defective memory cells by decoding row addresses in a synchronous memory device as well as an asynchronous device (though in this device, the row addresses are activated synchronously with a reference signal or Row Address Strobe signal). On the other hand, the latter static fuse has been used in both a column and a row redundancy circuits.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional dynamic fuse circuit used in a memory device. Referring to FIG. 1, the dynamic fuse circuit comprises two P-channel type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistors 1.sub.-- 1 and 1.sub.-- 2, and an inverter 3.sub.-- 1, a plurality of fuses f1 to fn, a switching circuit and an output driving circuit. The PMOS transistors 1.sub.-- 1 and 1.sub.-- 2 together with the inverter 3.sub.-- 1 act as a precharging element for precharging a node ND1 to a high voltage level (Vcc) when an external clock signal CLK in a synchronous memory device (or RAS in case of an asynchronous device) remains in a low voltage level. Each of the fuses f1 to fn is connected in parallel to the node ND1 at its one end. The switching circuit comprises a corresponding number of NMOS transistors to the fuses, each of NMOS transistors has a source connected to a ground voltage Vss, a drain connected to the other end of each of the fuses, and a gate electrode to which row address signal A1, /A1, A2, /A2, . . . , Am and /Am are applied, where `/` presents a complementary signal, i.e., if A1 is high, then /A1 must be low, and vice verse. The output driving circuit provided with two serially connected inverters 3.sub.-- 2 and 3.sub.-- 3 is to buffer or amplify the voltage signal placed on node ND1 and to output a row redundancy addressing signal REDn for activating a selected redundant memory cell.
FIG. 2 shows a timing diagram of the conventional dynamic fuse circuit of FIG. 1. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation of the dynamic fuse circuit will be described in detail.
When the clock signal CLK or RAS is in low voltage level, the PMOS transistor 1.sub.-- 1 conducts, which allows the node ND1 to go high its precharing level Vcc. If a memory cell is found to be defective, some fuses corresponding to the address of the defective memory cell must be opened or cut-off by using, e.g., a laser cutting method. As an example, if the defective memory cell has a row address of A1, A2, A3, . . . ,Am-1 and Am being `011 . . . 11`, among the fuses, f2 and f3, f5, f7, . . . ,f(n-1) must be cut off. In other word, the fuses connected NMOS transistors receiving address bits including the complementary signals which have logical value of `1` (i.e., high voltage level) must be cut off. This is to make the node ND1 and ground Vss be disconnected, resulting in the high voltage level of ND1. When the address signal is active, the clock signal CLK remains high, which causes the PMOS transistor 1.sub.-- 1 to turn off. However, the high voltage level of ND1 can be maintained by a latch circuit consisted of the inverter 3.sub.-- 1 and the PMOS transistor 1.sub.-- 2, because the positive electrical charges are continuously supplied to ND1 through the conduction of PMOS transistor 1.sub.-- 2. When the ND1 remains high, the row redundancy addressing signal REDn outputs high voltage signal, so that the defective row is deactivated and the redundancy row is addressed.
Of course, if there is no defective memory cell, the fuse cutting will not be done. At this time, because at least one of the NMOS transistors 2.sub.-- 1 to 2.sub.-- n turn on, the node ND1 is discharged to Vss. As a result, from the output driving circuit 3.sub.-- 2 and 3.sub.-- 3 is out a low redundancy addressing signal REDn, so that no redundancy memory cell is selected.
The dynamic fuse circuit explained above has a relatively small layout area, but the precharging action of the node ND1 should be followed by each of address reset operation after CLK goes low. This inevitably limits the application of the dynamic fuse circuit to such a memory device having high speed address input, i.e., having a very short or no address reset time as in asynchronous memory devices.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a conventional static type fuse circuit used in memory devices. The static fuse circuit comprises a number of fuses f1-fn, of which two adjacent fuses are connected together, COMS transmission gates, a transmission gate control circuit, a switching circuit, and an output logic circuit. The COMS transmission gates 11.sub.-- 1/12.sub.-- 1, 11.sub.-- 2/12.sub.-- 2, . . . , 11.sub.-- n/12.sub.-- n have conduction paths between the fuses and address input nodes A1, /A1, A2, /A2, . . . , Am and /Am. The transmission gate control circuit comprises a master fuse fm, a PMOS transistor 14, NMOS transistors 16.sub.-- 1 and 16.sub.-- 2, and inverters 14.sub.-- 1 to 14.sub.-- 4. The switching circuit is a plurality of NMOS transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m, each having a gate electrode connected to node ND2, and a source and a drain connected to a pair of fuses (i.e., two adjacently connected fuses) and to the ground terminal Vss, respectively. The output logic circuit comprises NAND gates 18.sub.-- 1, 18.sub.-- 2 and 18.sub.-- 3, NOR gates 19.sub.-- 1 and 19.sub.-- 2, and an inverter 14.sub.-- 5. Inputs of the output logic circuit are connected to drains of the switching circuits 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m, so that if all of the drains are high voltage levels, an output signal REDn goes high, while if any one of the drains goes low the output REDn of the output logic circuit is converted to a low voltage. When the output REDn remains high, a row or a column redundancy addressing signal is active, and therefore corresponding word line or bit line of redundant memory cells is activated. Of two adjacent CMOS transmission gates, PMOS transistors (e.g., 11.sub.-- 1 and 11.sub.-- 2) have gate electrodes commonly connected to node ND2, and NMOS transistors (e.g., 12.sub.-- 1 and 12.sub.-- 2) have gate electrodes connected to an output of an inverter 14.sub.-- 4 which reverts the voltage level of node ND2.
With this structure of static fuse circuit, when the redundant memory cells are to be used in place of defective memory cells, the fuses associated with low `0` address signals of the defective address bits (A1, /A1, . . . , Am and /Am) must be cut off on the contrary to the dynamic fuse circuit. For example, if the row address bits of a defective memory cell is `01 . . . 11`, then fuse f1 and fuses f4, f6, f8, . . . , and fn (i.e., fuses having even numbered subscripts) must be cut off, while the fuses f2, f3, f5, f7, . . . and f(n-1) are not opened. That is to say, what is to be cut off are fuses connected to the transmission gates which receive address bits of `0` including the complementary address signals.
The master fuse fm prevents the collision of two complementary signals (e.g., A1 and /A1) through two adjacently connected transmission gates when the redundant memory cells activated by the static fuse circuit are not to be used, i.e., when there are no defective memory cells.
When the static fuse circuit is not to be used, all of the fuses f1 to fn (here-in-after referred to as `slave fuses`) and the master fuse fm are in closed states. Therefore, if an initiating signal V.sub.INIT is supplied, the node ND2 goes high through the conduction of PMOS transistor 14 of the transmission gate control circuit. This causes the transmission gates 11.sub.-- 1 to 11.sub.-- n and 12.sub.-- 1 and 12.sub.-- n to turn off, and the switching transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m to turn on. As a result, drain nodes of all of the switching transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m go low, which allows the output logic circuit to output a low leveled redundancy addressing signal REDn.
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram of various signals used in the conventional static fuse circuit.
As explained before, when the redundant memory cells are to be used half the slave fuses connected to the transmission gates and the master fuse fm are opened by e.g., a laser cutting method. If the initiating signal V.sub.INIT remains low, NMOS transistors 16.sub.-- 1 and 16.sub.-- 2 of the transmission gate control circuit turn on, and hence the node ND2 goes low. Accordingly, all of the transmission gates turn on, while the NMOS switching transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m turn off.
On the other hand, if an address signal for normal non-defective memory cell (e.g., `10 . . . 01`) is input, at least one low address bit is placed on a corresponding drain node of the NMOS transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m through a non-opened fuse. Accordingly, the output logic circuit supplies low leveled, i.e., inactive row redundancy addressing signal REDn, so that the normal word line corresponding to the input address signal is activated.
When defective address signal (e.g., `01 . . . 11`) is supplied, high address bits (e.g., `/A1, A2, A3, , Am) place high voltage on all of the drain nodes of the NMOS transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m, which causes all of the NAND gates 18.sub.-- 1 to 18.sub.-- m to receive high inputs, so that the output of the output logic circuit REDn becomes active high.
Next, when the initiating signal V.sub.INIT goes high, NMOS transistors 16.sub.-- 1 and 16.sub.-- 2 of the transmission gate control circuit turn off, but the node ND2 still remains low due to the cut off master fuse fm together with the latching action of the transistor 16.sub.-- 2 and the inverter 14.sub.-- 2. Accordingly, the transmission gates are all turned on and on the contrary the switching NMOS transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m are all turned off. In this state, if the defective address signal URA for redundant memory cell is input, at least one of the drain nodes of the NMOS transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m receives high address bit through the closed fuse, which causes the output logic circuit to output low redundancy addressing signal REDn.
On the other hand, when defective address signal (`01 . . . 11`) is input with maintaining the signal V.sub.INIT to be high, high address bits (`/A1, A2, A3, . . . , Am`) are delivered to all of the drain nodes of the switching transistors 17.sub.-- 1 to 17.sub.-- m, and hence the redundancy addressing signal REDn goes high.
As explained so far, because the static fuse circuit dislike the dynamic fuse circuit need not to reset the address signal or to precharge a certain node which determines the voltage value of the redundancy addressing signal, it can be properly used in high speed memory devices such as synchronous DRAM and SRAM in which the addressing is preformed at high frequency. However, it has critical drawback in that the layout is much larger than the dynamic fuse circuit.

Redundancy circuit for memory devices having high frequency addressing cycles


A turbomachine having variable angle diffuser vanes wed with a centrifugal pump. The performance of a diffuser is greatly enhanced by the use of adjustable angle diffuser vanes which can be set to a wide range of vane angles to provide a variable size of an opening between adjacent vanes. The demonstrated pumping system has a significantly wider operating range than that in conventional pumping systems over a wide flow rate, and is particularly effective in the low flow rate range in which known diffuser vane arrangements would lead to surge in the entire system and other serious operational problems.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates in general to turbomachineries such as centrifugal and mixed flow pumps, gas blowers and compressors, and relates in particular to turbomachinery having a variable angle flow guiding device.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Turbomachines, generally referred to as pumps hereinbelow, are sometimes provided with diffusers for converting the dynamic energy of flowing fluid discharged from an impeller efficiently into a static pressure. The diffuser can be formed with or without vanes, but those with vanes are mostly designed simply to utilize the flow passages between the adjacent vanes as expanding flow passages.
A report entitled "Low-Solidity Cascade Diffuser" (Transaction of The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vol 45, No. 396, S54-8) described an improvement in pump performance when the pitch of the vanes is increased by making the vane chard length less than a value obtained by dividing the circumferential length by the number of vanes. However, the vanes in this report are fixed vanes. Experiments in which vane angles are varied have been reported in "Experimental Results on a Rotatable Low Solidity Vaned Diffuser", ASME, paper 92-GT-19.
Furthermore, when the conventional centrifugal or mixed flow pump is operated at a flow rate much less than a design flow rate, flow separation occurs at the impeller, diffuser and other locations in the operating system, causing a drop in the pressure rise to a value below the maximum pressure of the pump, thereby leading to instability in the pump system (such a phenomenon as termed "surge") eventually disabling a stable operation of the pumping system.
The instability phenomenon is examined in more detail in the following.
The velocity vectors of the flow discharged from the impeller can be divided into radial components and peripheral velocity components, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Assuming that there is no loss in the diffuser and that the fluid is incompressible, then the quantity r.sub.2 V.theta..sub.2, which is a product of the radius at the diffuser entrance r.sub.2 and the peripheral velocity components V.theta..sub.2, is maintained to the diffuser exit according to the law of conservation of angular momentum, therefore, the peripheral velocity components V.theta..sub.3 is given by: EQU V.theta..sub.3 =V.theta..sub.2 .multidot.(r.sub.2 /r.sub.3).
where r.sub.3 is the radius at the diffuser exit. It can be seen that the velocity is reduced by the ratio of the inlet and exit radii of a diffuser.
On the other hand, the area A.sub.2 of the diffuser inlet is given by: EQU A.sub.2 =2.pi.b.sub.2 r.sub.2
where b is the width of the diffuser.
Similarly, the area A.sub.3 of the diffuser exit is given by: EQU A.sub.3 =2.pi.b.sub.3 r.sub.3
If the diffuser is a parallel-wall vaneless type diffuser, then the ratio of the areas A.sub.2 /A.sub.3 is the same as the ratio of the radii r.sub.2 /r.sub.3. Assuming that there is no loss within the diffuser and that the fluid is incompressible, the radial velocity V.sub.r3 at the diffuser exit is given by the law of conservation of mass flow as follows: EQU V.sub.r3 =V.sub.r2 .multidot.(r.sub.2 /r.sub.3)
It follows that the radial velocity component is also reduced by the ratio of the inlet/exit radii of the diffuser, and the inlet flow angle .alpha..sub.2 becomes equal to the exit flow angle .alpha..sub.3, and the flow pattern becomes a logarithmic spiral flow.
Assuming that the slip effect of the flow inside the impeller is approximately constant regardless of the flow rate, when the flow rate is progressively lowered, although the velocity component in the peripheral direction hardly changes, the radial velocity component decreases nearly proportionally to the flow rate, and the flow angle decreases.
When the flow rate is reduced even further, the flow which maintained the radial velocity component at the diffuser inlet also decreases due to the diffuser area expansion, and the radial velocity component at the diffuser exit becomes small in accordance with the law of conservation of mass flow.
It should be noted that a boundary layer exists at the diffuser wall surface, in which both the flow velocity and the energy values are less than those in the main flow, therefore, even if the radial velocity component is positive at the main flow, flow separation can occur within the boundary layer, and a negative velocity component is generated, and eventually develops into a large-scale reverse flow.
It is becoming clear through various investigations that the reverse flow region becomes a propagating stall accompanied by cyclic fluctuation in flow velocity and acts as a trigger to generate a large scale surge phenomenon in the entire operating system.
In the conventional pumps having a fixed diffuser, it is not possible to prevent flow separation within the boundary layer or the reverse flow caused by low flow rate through the pump. To improve on such conditions, there are several known techniques based on variable diffuser width disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,194; U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,964; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S58-594; and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S58-12240. In other techniques, diffuser vane angles can be varied as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S53-113308; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S54-119111; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S54-133611; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S55-123399; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S55-125400; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S57-56699; and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. H3-37397.
Although the method based on decreasing the diffuser width attempts to address the above mentioned problem, the frictional loss at the diffuser wall increases, causing the efficiency of the diffuser to be greatly diminished. Therefore, this type of approach presents a problem that it is applicable only to a narrow range of flow rates.
Another approach based on variable angle diffuser vanes presents a problem that because the diffuser vanes are long, the diffuser vanes touch each other at some finite angle, and therefore, it is not possible to control the flow rate down to the shut-off flow rate.
The other approach disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,392 is based on divided diffuser vanes where only an upstream portion thereof is movable, however, it is not possible to control the flow rate down to the shut-off flow rate.
Another problem presented by the variable angle diffuser vanes is that because the purpose is to optimize the performance near some design flow rate, it is not possible to control the pumping operation at or below a flow rate to cause surge. Furthermore, none of these references discloses a clear method of determining the diffuser vane angle, and therefore, they have not contributed to solving the problems of surge in a practical and useful way.
For example, a method of determining the diffuser vane angle has been discussed in a Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. H4-81598, but this reference also discloses only a conceptual guide to determining the vane angle near a design flow rate, and there is no clear disclosure related to a concrete method of determining a suitable vane angle for flow rates to the shut-off flow rate.
There are other methods known to prevent instability, for example, based on providing a separate bypass pipe (blow-off for blowers and compressors) so that when a low flow rate to the pump threatens instability in the operation of the pump, a bypass pipe can be opened to maintain the flow to the pump for maintaining the stable operation and reduce the flow to the equipment.
However, according to this method, it is necessary beforehand to estimate the flow rate to cause an instability in the operation of the pump, and to take a step to open a valve for the bypass pipe when this flow rate is reached. Therefore, according to this method, the entire fluid system cannot be controlled accurately unless the flow rate to cause the instability is accurately known. Also, it is necessary to know the operating characteristics of the turbomachinery correctly at various rotational speeds of the pump in order to properly control the entire fluid system. Therefore, if the operation involves continuous changes in rotational speed of the pump, such a control technique is unable to keep up with the changing conditions of the pump operation.
Furthermore, even if the instability point is avoided by activating the valve on the bypass pipe, the operating conditions of the pump itself do not change, and the pump operates ineffectively, and it presents a wasteful energy consumption. Further, this type of approach requires installation of bypass pipes and valves, and the cost of the system becomes high.

Turbomachinery having variable angle flow guiding device


A product for displaying an image or object (e.g., printed photo or a print, etc.) according to at least one implementation includes a first sheet having a front face and a rear face. An image or object is formed along the rear face. The product also includes an adhesive coated substrate, such as a ferrous metal substrate, to which the first sheet is adhesively affixed.

Prints and photographs are used in a vast number of consumer products including framed wall displays and other products that are intended to be displayed, such as on a table or desk, etc. Prints and photographs can be formed on a number of different mediums including but not limited to different types of paper substrates, including photograph paper, etc.
One other type of medium on which a print can be formed is a metal substrate. As one can imagine, printing on a metal substrate (e.g., an aluminum sheet) raises certain challenges. One conventional technique comprises a roller printing process in which a metal substrate is fed into a special printer without bending the metal substrate. The metal substrate has previously undergone a process in which it is specially coated and the print dyes infuse directly into this specially coated aluminum sheet. This is a direct pass-thru process in which the metal sheet is fed through the roll-fed printer. One deficiency of this technique is that in the final product, the printed image is exposed (formed on the fascia) and can thus be scratched and it is easy to impart smudges on the printed front surface of the product. In addition, many printers do not have a direct sheet pass-thru option.
Another technique for transferring a print onto a metal substrate is a process in which the print is transferred onto the front surface of a plastic substrate (e.g., sheet) which includes an adhesive layer along its back surface. The plastic substrate is then mated to the metal substrate by bonding the adhesive back layer of the plastic sheet to a front surface of the metal substrate. As with the previously described technique, a main deficiency of this technique is that in the final product (display article), the printed image is exposed and thus can be scratched and it is easy to impart smudges on the printed front surface of the product. In addition, another deficiency with this technique is that it is very difficult to laminate the film with adhesive without the use of expensive and large laminators. Misregistration and air bubbles are two major issues.
There is therefore a need and desire to provide a system and method for forming a print on a substrate, such as a metal substrate, that overcomes the deficiencies noted above with respect to the conventional techniques.

System and method for applying an image to a substrate to form a display article


A microprocessor capable of supplying a stable internal clock signal even at the time of mode switching. A clock supply control circuit is connected between a clock generator circuit (PLL) and synchronous circuits (integer unit, instruction cache, data cache). The clock supply control circuit includes a bus interface unit, OR gates, and first and second delay circuits. With this microprocessor, when operations of the synchronous circuits are to be started, the supply of the internal clock signal from the PLL to the synchronous circuits is started in a time-staggered manner in order of the integer unit, the instruction cache, and the data cache. This serves to suppress noise at the start of operation and to keep the PLL locked, and as a result, the supply of the internal clock signal can be stabilized even at the time of mode switching.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microprocessor and an operation mode switching method for the microprocessor, and more particularly, to a microprocessor having a function of mode switching between normal operation mode and low power consumption mode, and to an operation mode switching method for such a microprocessor.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Currently, microprocessors are packaged in various electronic devices such as digital cameras and printers. Operations of such electronic devices are controlled by the microprocessors incorporated therein. In the case of a digital camera, image data acquired by a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) is compressed into a predetermined data format and recorded in memory under the control of the microprocessor. The microprocessor also controls the auto-focusing function of the digital camera.
Among such microprocessors, there is a type of microprocessor having a function of mode switching between normal operation mode and low power consumption mode. While the electronic device is used normally, for example, the microprocessor operates in the normal operation mode, whereby all functions of the electronic device can be performed under the control of the microprocessor. On the other hand, if the user leaves the electronic device unmanipulated over a fixed period, the electronic device is set in the low power consumption mode. In this case, the microprocessor suspends other functions than the function of detecting the user's input operation, so that the consumption of electric power can be restrained. In the following, the low power consumption mode for restraining the consumption of electric power by the processor is referred to as sleep mode.
FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a conventional microprocessor. As shown in FIG. 9, the microprocessor includes a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) 210, a bus interface unit 220, an integer unit 230, an instruction cache 240, and a data cache 250.
The PLL 210 is input with a system clock signal and outputs an internal clock signal, which is supplied to the bus interface unit 220 as well as to three OR gates 261 to 263. The bus interface unit 220 is further input with a wakeup signal and outputs a sleep signal, which is supplied to the three OR gates 261 to 263. Outputs from the three OR gates 261 to 263 are supplied to the integer unit 230, the instruction cache 240 and the data cache 250, respectively.
In the microprocessor configured as described above, the wakeup signal is normally fixed at high level. When the operation mode is switched from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode, the wakeup signal is set to low level (asserted) for a predetermined period.
On detecting the assertion of the wakeup signal, the bus interface unit 220 determines the timing for transition from the sleep mode to the normal operation mode. During the normal operation mode, the sleep signal is negated (set to low level) by the bus interface unit 220. While the sleep signal is negated, the internal clock signal output from the PLL 210 is supplied directly to the integer unit 230, the instruction cache 240 and the data cache 250.
When supplied with a predetermined input (e.g., "1" is set in a sleep mode register), the microprocessor switches the operation mode to the sleep mode. During the sleep mode, the sleep signal is asserted (set to high level) by the bus interface unit 220. Accordingly, the high-level sleep signal is constantly supplied to the integer unit 230, the instruction cache 240 and the data cache 250. As a result, the internal circuits of the integer unit 230, instruction cache 240 and data cache 250 stop operating. After the operations of the integer unit 230, instruction cache 240 and data cache 250 are stopped, no current flows to these elements, so that the power consumption can be restrained.
Thus, by switching the operation mode of the microprocessor from the normal operation mode to the sleep mode, it is possible to restrain the power consumption.
In the conventional microprocessor, however, when the operation mode is restored to the normal operation mode from the sleep mode, the internal clock signal is supplied simultaneously to the individual circuits in accordance with the input timing of the wakeup signal. Consequently, the overall amount of current flowing through the microprocessor greatly varies, with the result that the ground level changes, causing excessive noise. Such noise can possibly unlock the PLL, which has been operating stably until then, causing malfunction of the microprocessor.
This phenomenon also occurs at the time of transition from the normal operation mode to the sleep mode. If the wakeup signal is input while the PLL is unlocked, the microprocessor malfunctions.

Microprocessor and operation mode switching method for the microprocessor


A process for preparing carboxylic acid derivatives of the formula I ##STR1## where X is OR.sup.2 or NH.sub.2,. R.sup.1 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 -alkyl, C.sub.l -C.sub.20 -hydroxyalkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 -cycloalkyl, C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 -alkylcycloalkyl, C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 -cycloalkylalkyl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.20 -alkylcycloalkylalkyl, aryl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.20 -aralkyl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.20 -alkylaryl, a heteroaliphatic or heteroaromatic ring with 5 to 8 carbon atoms and PA1 R.sup.2 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 -alkyl,. from carbonitriles of the formula II EQU R.sup.1 --C.tbd.N (II),. where R.sup.1 has the abovementioned meanings, and alcohols of the formula III EQU R.sup.2 --OH (III),. where R.sup.2 has the abovementioned meanings, at from 50 to 300.degree. C. under from 0.1 to 350 bar in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, wherein the reaction is carried out in liquid phase.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for preparing carboxylic acid derivatives from carbonitriles and alcohols at elevated temperatures on titanium oxide catalysts.
2. Description of the Related Art
DE-A 27 14 767 discloses a process for preparing carboxylic acid derivatives by gas-phase reaction of nitrites with alcohols and water on solid, metal-containing catalysts such as copper, zinc, chromium, bismuth, manganese, iron, nickel, cadmium on carriers such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2 or TiO.sub.2. Dehydration and etherification are found as side reactions.
EP-A 412 310, for example, discloses a process for preparing carboxamides by hydration of nitrites with water on manganese-containing catalysts, which can subsequently be reacted with alcohols by acid catalysis, in the presence of metal salts, eg. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,684, or in the gas phase on solid catalysts, eg. as disclosed in EP-A 561 614, or with formic ester resulting in formamide formation, eg. as disclosed in EP-A 392 361, on metal oxides to give the carboxylic acid derivatives.
The disadvantages for industrial application are the two stages and the formation of byproducts, such as production of salt or formamide formation.
DE-A 43 39 648 discloses a process for preparing caprolactam (a cyclic amide) by reacting aminocapronitrile with water in an ethanolic solution on a titanium oxide catalyst.

Carboxylic acid derivative preparation process