A compound represented by the formula:

Predominant symptom of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, is extrapyramidal dysfunction resulted from dopamine depletion in the basal ganglia following degenaration of nigrostriatal projection. Due to apparent therapeutic potentials of dopamine replacement, combined application of L-DOPA (levodopa, a dopamine precursor) and dopaminergic agents has been a major strategy in the treatment for Parkinson's disease. Therapeutic drugs for Parkinson's disease launched or on the development include L-DOPA, dopamine agonists, dopamine release enhancers (amantadine), anti-cholinergic drugs, L-DOPA metabolic inhibitors (MAO-B, COMT inhibitors) and norepinephrine precursors. The order of priority for using these drugs is: (amantadine and anti-cholinergic drugs), dopamine agonists and (L-DOPA, or L-DOPA+MAO-B, COMT inhibitors). L-DOPA is the most popular drug, but its long-term application leads to loss of drug efficacy such as "wearing-off" and "on-off" and the onset of dyskinesia. Therefore, the dosage of L-DOPA should be as low as possible through combined application with other drugs. In addition, since L-DOPA is an oral agent, considering the "QOL" of patients, co-administrated drugs are desirable to be of the same type.
L-pyroglutamyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide (p-Glu-His-Pro-NH2) known as TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) is a hormone discovered in the hypothalamus and consisting of 3 amino acid residues. This hormone is suggested to act through TRH receptors. TRH is known not only to promote the secretion of TSH (tyrotoropin stimulating hormone) and prolactin, but also to have cerebral nerve activation (stimulation of motor function and the like), effects on sympathetic nervous system (elevation of blood pressure, stimulation of respiratory and the like), effects on spinal function (stimulation of spinal motoneuron and the like), effects on central nervous system (antidepressant activity and the like) and peripheral actions (suppression of gastric acid secretion, stimulation of glucagon secretion and the like). Having such various activities, TRH has been investigated for the clinical use, and is being used as an intravenous injection for treating spinocerebellar degeneration for purposes of improvement of motility disturbance and cognitive disturbance accompanied by brain functional disturbance (Sofue, Kanazawa, Ogawa, "Neuropeptide" '91, Medicalreview).
The structure of TRH derivatives with more enhanced activities for central nervous system generally consists of 3 amino acid residues as well as TRH or their derivatives. Most of the derivatives have a molecular weight of about 370 to 430. For example, they are described in the following documents: J. Med. Chem, 33, 2130–2137 (1990) and JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 86/33197 (e.g.: Taltirelin; TA-0910); Biomedical Research 14 (5) 317–328 (1993) and ZA7505956 (montirelin; CG3703); Arzneim.-Forsch/Drug Res., 39, 297–303 (1989) and JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 81/8354 (posatirelin; RGH2202); Eur. J. Pharmacol. 276, 177–182 (1995) and JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 91/236397 (e.g.: JTP-2942); JP Patent-Publication (Kokoku) No. 90/36574 (e.g.:1-methyl-L-4,5-dihydroorotyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide): JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 77/116465 (e.g.: 2,3,4, 5-tetrahydro-2-oxo-L-5-furancarbonyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide); JP Patent-Publication (Kokoku) No. 91/236397 (e.g.: (1S,2R)-2-methyl-4-oxocyclopentylcarbonyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide); JP Patent-Publication (Kokoku) No. 84/36612 (e.g.: orotyl-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide); Eur. J. Pharmacol., 271, 357 (1994) (e.g.: TRH-SR); JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 77/3080; Eur. J. Pharmacol. 277, 63–69 (1995) and JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 85/27982 (e.g.: azetirelin; YM14673); JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 85/23326 (e.g.: DN1417); JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 87/234029; JP Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 81/8354; WO96/11209; WO98/08867, and the like. Compounds exemplified in examples in the present invention are described in WO98/08867.
It is described in "Journal of the Neurological Science 159 (1998) 135–139" that an intraperitoneal injection of TRH-SH (sustained release microspheres of TRH, Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.) increased striatal dopamine levels in Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)-induced post-encephalitic parkinsonism mice compared with untreated group. However, it is described in the paper that mechanisms underlying post-encephalitic parkinsonism were different from that for Parkinson's disease. Further it is described that TRH-SH may be used as a supportive drug of L-DOPA, without mentioning the increase of L-DOPA activities or the synergistic action in combination use. Furthermore, TRH-SH is essentially a drug for injection and the possibility of oral administration is not mentioned there.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula:

Abstract: wherein A is thiazolyl or the like, X is a bond or the like, m is an integer of 0 to 4, Y is optionally substituted alkyl or the like, Z is a substituent represented by the formula:

Abstract: wherein R3 is hydrogen atom or the like, R4 and R5 are each independently hydrogen atom or the like, W is —(CH2)n— (n is 0, 1, 2 or 3) or the like, a prodrug thereof, its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, or its solvate is useful as a composition for prevention or treatment of Parkinson's disease.


This invention provides a thermally processable imaging element comprising a support and a thermographic or photothermographic imaging layer, said imaging layer comprising a sulfenimide compound represented by the formula: ##STR1## wherein M represents the atoms necessary to form, with R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, a five or six-membered ring or a multiple ring system; w is 1 or 0, wherein when w is 0, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic groups, and when w is 1, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently carbonyl or sulfonyl groups; R.sup.3 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic group and x is 0 or 1.. In one embodiment the thermally processable imaging element comprises:. (a) photographic silver halide, and PA1 (b) an image-forming combination comprising. (i) an organic silver salt oxidizing agent, with PA2 (ii) a reducing agent for the organic silver salt oxidizing agent.

Thermally processable imaging elements, including films and papers, for producing images by thermal processing are well known. These elements include photothermographic elements in which an image is formed by imagewise exposure of the element to light followed by development by uniformly heating the element. These elements also include thermographic elements in which an image is formed by imagewise heating the element. Such elements are described in, for example, Research Disclosure, June 1978, Item No. 17029 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,080,254, 3,457,075 and 3,933,508.
One common photothermographic element comprises an oxidation-reduction image forming composition containing an organic silver salt oxidizing agent, a photocatalyst such as silver halide, and a reducing agent. The element is stable at ambient temperature, however, after exposure to light, the organic silver salt oxidizing agent and the reducing agent, when heated, undergo an oxidation-reduction reaction due to the catalytic action of the photocatalyst and form silver. The silver formed darkens the exposed areas of the photosensitive layer and creates an image.
A problem which frequently occurs with these types of elements is unintentional darkening of the unexposed areas of the photosensitive layer. This may be caused by reducing agent impurities in the coated element. This darkening is often referred to as fog. One compound which has been commonly used to suppress fog is mercuric ion. However it is known that mercury is detrimental to the environment.
Sulfenimide compounds containing an inhibitor fragment which is released during a conventional wet development process have been described in JP 04-194922, JP 04-186346, JP 04-157457, JP 04-350845, JP 63-163337 and DD 251 411. Phthalimide and various substituted phthalimides have been used widely as image tone modifiers and/or development accelerators in photothermographic or thermographic elements, for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,041. Phthalimides when substituted with electronegative groups, such as in 4-bromophthalimide or 4-cyanophthalimide, and incorporated into a photothermographic or thermographic film, have been described as reducing heat fog in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,530. Certain N-substituted phthalimides (where N is a halogen atom) have been described as fog inhibitors in photothermographic films, U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,491. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,790 describes the use of phthalimide blocked compounds of the general structure below for releasing a post processing stabilizer in a photothermographic film, where the A moiety can be, for example, a triazine or tetrazole group. ##STR2##
There is still, however, a continuing need in the industry for practical and environmentally benign stabilizers and fog preventers which do not otherwise adversely affect the performance of the thermographic element. The inventors herein have discovered that certain sulfenimide compounds are particularly useful as fog restrainers for such elements.

Thermally processable imaging element comprising sulfenimide compounds


When displaying a scene on a display screen in which a translucent object and a background object of the translucent object overlap in a virtual space, data of a background object stored in a storage device is continuously read, a translucent calculation is performed between data of the background object and data of the translucent object overlapping the background object, and data of the result of the translucent calculation is continuously written into the storage device. Here, read of the background object data and the translucent calculation, or the translucent calculation and write of data of the translucent calculation result can be simultaneously performed. Further, the translucent calculation can be divided into a plurality of calculations, and the plurality of calculations can be performed simultaneously. With this method, translucent calculation can be performed in a short time.

This application is based on Patent Application No. 10-248281 filed on Sep. 2, 1998 in Japan, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus and an image formation method, more specifically to an image formation apparatus and an image formation method for performing a translucent calculation in a short time when displaying a scene on a display screen in which a translucent object and a background object of the translucent object overlap in a virtual space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the progress of image depiction technology in three-dimensional computer graphics, a variety of techniques are developed for depicting objects in a virtual space such as used in a three-dimensional game apparatus and the like. In this kind of technology, since formation of a translucent object is useful, there is known a translucent depiction technology as described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laying-open Nos. 10-187951(1998) (corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/142,658) and 8-185543(1996). The disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/142,658 is incorporated herein by reference. In the following, translucent depiction and a prior art translucent depiction technology will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining translucent depiction in a virtual space.
In the virtual space of FIG. 1, three objects exist which are represented as a polygon A600, a polygon B610 and a translucent polygon T620, respectively. Here, the object represented by the polygon T620 is a translucent object. The polygon A600 and the polygon B610 are present in a background of the translucent polygon T620. The scene in the virtual space is depicted on a two-dimensional screen 650. A pattern corresponding to the polygon A600 is a polygon A660 in the two dimensional pattern. A pattern corresponding to the polygon B610 is a polygon B670 in the two-dimensional pattern, and a pattern corresponding to the translucent polygon T620 is a translucent polygon T680 of the two-dimensional pattern. Since the translucent polygon T620 is translucent, when viewed from the screen 650 side, the polygon A600 and the polygon B610 present in the background can be seen through. Therefore, on the screen 650, the two-dimensional polygon A660 and the two-dimensional polygon B670 present in the background of the two-dimensional translucent polygon T680 are required to be depicted to be seen through. As described above, depiction of a polygon present in the background of a translucent polygon or the like or another object in a virtual space to be seen through is referred to as translucent depiction.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a frame buffer (memory) 130 storing a depiction data depicted on the screen 650 of FIG. 1.
In FIG. 2, the depiction data corresponding to the two-dimensional polygon A660 is data 760 of the polygon A660, the depiction data corresponding to the two-dimensional polygon B670 is data 770 of the polygon B670, and the depiction data corresponding to the two-dimensional translucent polygon T680 is data 780 of the translucent polygon T680. The respective depiction data are stored in a unit of pixel 700, 710 or the like. In the data 780 of the translucent polygon T, there are a background polygon A reference part 720 which is necessary to be referred to for performing translucent depiction and a background polygon B reference part 730 which overlaps with the data of the polygon B670 present in the background and is necessary to be referred to for performing translucent depiction. For these overlapping parts, after pixel data in the data 760 of the polygon A660 is read, and calculation for translucent depiction is performed between the pixel data and a corresponding pixel data in the data 780 of the translucent polygon T680, and then it is necessary to write depiction data of the calculation result at the position of the above-described pixel. This is the same as for the data 770 of the polygon B670 and a background B reference part 730.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a construction example of a prior art image formation apparatus for performing translucent depiction.
In FIG. 3, as described in the following, a depiction part 100 shown by the dotted line for performing depiction processing has the frame buffer 130, a translucent calculation part 105, a controller 125, a pre-depiction processing part 101, a texture memory 120 and the like. The frame buffer 130 is a data holding circuit (storage device) for storing the depiction data, and is composed, for example, of a DRAM. The controller 125 performs switching or the like between read from the frame buffer 130 and write to the frame buffer 130. The depiction part 100 reads a depiction data (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cbackground dataxe2x80x9d) 108 of background object necessary for translucent calculation from the frame buffer 130 through the controller 125 and outputs it to the translucent calculation part 105 for performing translucent calculation. The translucent calculation includes various color calculations necessary for translucent depiction. The pre-depiction processing part 101 inputs polygon data 102 of translucent object from the CPU part 140, and then performs pre-depiction processing including texture mapping, and outputs a pixel data 104 resulting from pre-depiction processing to the translucent calculation part 105. The translucent calculation part 105 executes translucent calculation on inputted background data 108 and pixel data 104, and writes the resulting depiction data 106 in the frame buffer 130 for each pixel through the controller 125. The CPU part 140 inputs as necessary an instruction of an operator (not shown) from an operation part 150, and outputs as necessary a sound data to a sound output part 160. The texture memory 120 connecting to the pre-depiction processing part 101 is a data holding circuit holding circuit storing data of the result of performing texture mapping on polygons and the like. Data of the frame buffer 130 is outputted to a picture output part 170 through the controller 125, and finally displayed on a screen of a display apparatus such as a CRT 180.
FIG. 4 shows an example of time chart schematically showing read of background data 108 in the translucent calculation part 105 of FIG. 3 from the frame buffer 130, translucent calculation, and write of depiction data 106 after calculation into the frame buffer 130.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the translucent calculation part 105 of the prior art image formation apparatus, read of background data Dn (R(Dn)) was performed, then translucent calculation (F(Dn)) was performed, and finally write of depiction data Dn* (W(Dn*)) was performed. That is, any of read of background data from the frame buffer 130, and write of depiction data to the frame buffer 130 is not performed continuously, but performed pixel by pixel. Therefore, an overhead due to switching occurs between read of background data and write of depiction data at each pixel. Read from the frame buffer 130 and write to the frame buffer 130 is high in efficiency when it is performed continuously, however, is low in efficiency when it is performed for each pixel. That is, a total processing time when performing for each pixel is longer than a total processing time when performing continuously. Therefore, the prior art image formation apparatus in which read from the frame buffer 130 and write to the frame buffer 130 are performed for each pixel required a longer processing time.
Further, a total T=TR+TF+TW of a time TR required for read of background data, a time TF required for translucent calculation, and a time TW required for write of depiction data for each pixel is required and it is repeated for each pixel. That is, in the prior art image formation apparatus, background data is read pixel by pixel from the frame buffer 130, translucent calculation is performed to the background data and pixel data of translucent object, and the calculation result is written pixel by pixel into the frame buffer 130. For this reason, at every time when depiction of translucent object is necessary, a cycle time T for read of background data, translucent calculation and write of depiction data is required, and a longer processing time is required. Further, when complicated calculations, for example, a plurality of interpolation calculations for blend and filter and the like are necessary for translucent calculation, the time TF required for translucent calculation becomes longer, which has a problem of requiring even longer processing time. Therefore, translucent calculation has been limited to a simple calculation not requiring a long processing time.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image formation apparatus and an image formation method for performing translucent calculation in a short time when displaying a scene on a display screen in which a translucent object and a background object of the translucent object overlap in a virtual space.
In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image formation apparatus for displaying a scene on a display screen in which a translucent object and a background object of the translucent object overlap in a virtual space, comprising storage means for storing data of the background object, and translucent calculation means for continuously reading data of the background object stored in the storage means, performing translucent calculation between data of the background object and data of the translucent object overlapping the background object, and continuously writing data of the result of the translucent calculation to the storage means.
Here, the translucent calculation means can simultaneously perform read of the background object data and the translucent calculation, or the translucent calculation and write of data of the translucent calculation result.
The translucent calculation can be divided into a plurality of calculations, and the translucent calculation means can simultaneously perform the plurality of calculations.
In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image formation method according to the present invention is an image formation method for displaying a scene on a display screen in which a translucent object and a background object of the translucent object overlap in a virtual space, comprising a storage step for storing data of the background object in storage means, a translucent calculation step for continuously reading data of the background object stored in the storage means, performing translucent calculation between data of the background object and data of the translucent object overlapping the background object, and continuously writing data of the result of the translucent calculation to the storage means.
Here, the translucent calculation step can simultaneously perform read of the background object data and the translucent calculation, or the translucent calculation and write of data of the translucent calculation result.
The translucent calculation can be divided into a plurality of calculations, and the translucent calculation step can simultaneously perform the plurality of calculations.
With the above construction, translucent calculation can be performed in a short time, when displaying a scene on a display screen in which a translucent object and a background object of the translucent object overlap in a virtual space.
The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Image formation apparatus and image formation method


An apparatus for analyzing a fluid comprises a chamber to receive a fluid sample. A pump reduces a pressure in the chamber below a vapor pressure of a component of the fluid sample. At least one light system provides a light at a predetermined modulation frequency to the fluid sample. An acoustic sensor detects an acoustic signal caused by the interaction of the light and the fluid sample. A controller relates the acoustic signal to at least one chemical component of the fluid sample.

The present invention relates generally to the determination of the composition of a fluid sample. More specifically, the present invention relates to the determination of the composition of a multi-component fluid using detected acoustical signals related to the various components of the fluid sample.
It is of interest to know the both composition and concentration of materials in a fluid extracted from a reservoir or a fluid stream. In the case of reservoirs, the analysis may comprise extracting fluid from the native formation by pumping with a formation test tool, flowing the well in a drill stem test or examining the drill cuttings circulated to surface during drilling. The examination of the samples may be accomplished by transporting a quantity of the fluids to a laboratory and the separating the fluid into its constituent parts by distillation and/or by chromatographic methods. Another method relies on the measurement of light transmitted through a sample. This approach places a windowed cell within the fluid flow path of a formation testing tool. In one example, this method may require the determination of the amount of power delivered to the sample and the amount of power that is transmitted through the sample. The care and maintenance of the optical receiver can be difficult. High downhole temperatures can adversely effect a photodiode used as a receiver.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Apparatus and method for analysis of a fluid sample


A connector for joining two tubular members together includes inner and out concentric rings that are joined together in a manner that permits the outer ring to turn relative to the inner ring. The inner side of the inner ring has two seats to engage the ends of the tubular members that are to be joined together. The outer side of the inner ring and the inner side of the outer ring have camming members that when engaged cause the outer ring to exert compressive forces on the inner ring that in turn causes the inner ring to firmly grip the tubular members. The inner ring preferably has a gasket-like material in each of the seats that firmly engages the ends of the tubular members. When the camming members are disengaged, the ends of the tubular members may be inserted into or removed from the connector so as to separate the parts from one another.

This invention relates to cage systems for small animals and more particularly relates to connectors used to join various parts of the system together.
A number of small animal cage systems are presently available to house such animals as hamsters, ferrets, gerbils etc. One of the best known and most popular of these systems is sold under the trademark HABITRAIL by Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. of Montreal, Canada and its United States subsidiary Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. of Mansfield, Mass. That system includes a large number of different items including cages, plastic enclosures such as living quarters, play stations, exercise and eating compartments, towers etc that are joined together by tubes of different length and connectors that couple the tubes and various items of the system with one another. Competitive systems have somewhat similar arrangements.
One object of the present invention is to provide a connector that is easy to use and operates effectively to join the various parts of the system together.
Another more specific object of the invention is to provide a connector that does not require a specific circumferential orientation between the connector and either of the parts of the system to be joined by the connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector that creates a strong and secure connection between the two parts of the system that are joined together by it.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an object is to provide a connector that is easy to handle and has a good gripping surface so that it may be attached to and removed from any item to which it is joined.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an object is to provide a connector that accommodates a wide range of dimensional tolerances in the objects to which it is to be connected.
To accomplish these and other objects, the connector of the present invention includes an outer ring and an inner ring that are circumferentially movable with respect to one another. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the inner ring is discontinuous, composed of two or more sections with their adjacent ends closely spaced to form a substantially continuous ring. The discontinuity of the inner ring enables the effective diameter of the inner ring to be easily reduced so as to firmly grip a tube or other item that is to be engaged by the connector and greatly reduces manufacturing tool costs. The inner ring has a pair of parallel grooves on its inner surface that are designed to receive the ends of the members that are to be joined together by the connector. The ends of the members to be joined are essentially round so that they may fit within the inner rings and seat in the grooves. The connector and the mating ends of members to be joined by the connector may take many different forms that allow the connector to grip the members when the connector is in the locked position.
The outer surface of the inner ring and the inner surface of the outer ring carry a plurality of camming surfaces that are spaced apart a circumferential distance that is greater than that of the surfaces so that the rings can be moved relative to one another between a first position (unlocked) wherein the surfaces are disengaged in which case no compressive forces are applied to the inner ring by the outer ring, and a second position (locked) wherein they are engaged causing the outer ring to compress the inner ring to reduce its effective diameter so that it firmly grips the members. In the first position the inner ring is sized to receive the ends of the members that are to be joined together while in the second position the connector is locked onto the members so that they can not be pulled apart or otherwise separate from one another.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, separate camming surfaces are provided on both the inner and outer rings for each side of the connector that receives one of the members that are to be joined together. The camming surfaces on one side of the connector are axially aligned with the spaces between the cam surfaces on the other side so that the compression exerted on the inner ring by the outer ring when the camming surfaces are engaged is spread evenly about the connector.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the inner ring is co-injected or insert molded with a gasket made of a yieldable material so as to more firmly engage the ends of the members coupled by the connector.


A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type having first and second main surfaces, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type selectively formed on the first main surface of the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer including a first region having a relatively high injection efficiency and a second region having a relatively low injection efficiency and the first region being surrounded by the second region, a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type formed on the second main surface of the first semiconductor layer, a first electrode selectively formed on the second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type and connected to at least the first region, and a second electrode formed on the third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a high-withstand voltage diode, IGBT, thyristor, and more particularly to a high-withstand voltage semiconductor device in which the breakdown strength and power loss are improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a high-withstand voltage semiconductor device such as a high-withstand voltage diode, IGBT, thyristor is widely used and the performance thereof is required to be further enhanced as the performance of devices in the power electronics field such as the inverter- or motor-control is further enhanced and the systemization thereof is further advanced.
For example, the high-withstand voltage diode is formed of a high-resistance N.sup.- -type base layer which is formed of N.sup.- -type silicon, an anode electrode formed on one surface of the base layer with a P.sup.+ -type anode layer disposed therebetween, and a cathode electrode formed on the other surface of the base layer with an N.sup.+ -type cathode layer disposed therebetween.
In the case of a high-withstand voltage diode with a blocking voltage of 4500 V class, the impurity concentrations and the dimensions of the respective portions are set such that the impurity concentration of the N.sup.- -type base layer is set to 1.0.times.10.sup.13 to 1.8.times.10.sup.13 /cm.sup.3 and the thickness thereof is set to 450 to 900 .mu.m, and the surface impurity concentration of each of the P.sup.+ -type anode layer and N.sup.+ -type cathode layer is set to 1.0.times.10.sup.19 /cm.sup.3 and the thickness thereof is set to 14 and 70 .mu.m, respectively.
With the above high-withstand voltage diode, an ON-voltage of approx. 2.6 V can be obtained by a current of approx. 100 A/cm.sup.2. The high-withstand voltage characteristic is attained by forming the junction edge portion in a bevel structure.
In the high-withstand voltage diode with the above structure, a large amount of carriers are stored in the N.sup.- -type base layer in a highly injected state. The carrier concentration becomes high in portions near the N.sup.+ -type cathode layer and P.sup.+ -type anode layer from which electrons and holes are injected.
Since a large amount of carriers are thus stored, a large reverse recovery current flows when a reverse bias voltage is applied to set an OFF state. For example, in a case where the above-described device parameters are used, a large reverse recovery current of approx. 100 A/cm.sup.2 flows when the OFF state is set by a reverse bias voltage of 1000 V and current variation rate di/dt=-200 A/cm.sup.2. Therefore, large electric power is consumed by the reverse recovery current and a large amount of heat is generated. This may prevent the high-speed switching.
As a method for improving the reverse recovery characteristic of the high-withstand voltage diode, it is well known in the art that it is effective to lower the surface impurity concentration of the P.sup.+ -type anode layer and reduce the thickness thereof (for example, refer to IEEE TRANSACTIONS OF ELECTRON DEVICES. VOL-23, NO.8 pp. 945-949, 1976, M. Naito et al., "High Current Characteristics of Asymmetrical P-i-N Diodes Having Low Forward Voltage Drops"). This is considered to be because that the carriers in a portion near the junction whose depletion layer extends at the initial time of the reverse recovery process can be suppressed to a small amount by lowering the hole injection efficiency on the P.sup.+ -type anode layer side.
However, if the surface impurity concentration of the P.sup.+ -type anode layer is lowered, it becomes difficult to sufficiently lower the ohmic contact with the anode electrode, thereby degrading ON characteristic. In order to attain a good ohmic contact which is required to be used for large electric power, it is required to set the surface impurity concentration of the P.sup.+ -type anode layer to approx. 1.times.10.sup.19 /cm.sup.3.
Further, if the impurity concentration of the P.sup.+ -type anode layer is lowered and the thickness thereof is reduced, the depletion layer which extends into the P.sup.+ -type anode layer at the time of application of the reverse bias voltage may almost reach the anode electrode, thereby making it impossible to attain a sufficiently high-withstand voltage characteristic.
Thus, the high-withstand voltage diode has a problem that a large reverse recovery current is caused to flow at the OFF time by the carriers stored in the high-resistance N.sup.- -type base layer to generate a great power loss and heat, thereby destroying the device at the worst case. If an attempt is made to improve the reverse recovery characteristic, a problem that the ON and high-withstand voltage characteristics are deteriorated occurs.
On the other hand, in a field in which a withstand voltage of 2000 V class is required, a planar type high-withstand voltage diode in which the end portion of the junction is formed on the substrate surface by use of a thin anode layer (P-type anode layer) is used instead of the conventional high-withstand voltage diode with bevel structure. This is because the high-withstand voltage diode which is used together with an IGBT with MOS structure may be set in the same package together with the IGBT in some cases and it is required to permit the method for connection of the lead wires or terminals and the electrode structure to be commonly used for those of the IGBT. In the planar type structure, a current is concentrated on the junction edge portion (the bent portion of the junction) and the junction edge portion is set into the high electric field/high current density state at the time of change from the ON state to the OFF state (at the reverse recovery time). At this time, there occurs a problem that the remaining carriers in the periphery (rim) portion of the main element are concentrated in a portion near the end portion of the P-type anode layer so as to cause an avalanche current to partially flow, thereby destroying the device. Further, the withstand voltage of the IGBT is further rapidly enhanced and it is strongly required to enhance the reverse recovery characteristic of the planar type high-withstand voltage diode.

High withstand voltage semiconductor device


An isolated lubrication system for a drill bit is disclosed. The system comprises a body having a cutting arm with a journal and a rotary cutter mounted on the journal. The system also comprises a reservoir in a body to contain a fluid lubricant that isolated from communication outside the body. The system also comprises multiple conduits in communication with the reservoir and with respect to each other. The multiple conduits facilitate lubrication between the journal and the rotary cutter, including the bearings, by means of a gravitational force and/or a centrifugal force acting of the fluid lubricant. Further, the system comprises a sealing system. The sealing system includes a sealing cap provided to the reservoir, a seal provided between the journal and the rotary cutter, and a stepped passageway provided in a clearance between the rotary cutter and a cutting arm of the body.

Conventional roller cone drill bits include a body having two or more cutting arms. Each cutting arm defines an angular journal upon which a rotating disk or a roller cone is mounted. A roller cone drill bit, such as a "Tricone" drill bit for example, includes the body having three cutting arms defining three angular journals and three roller cones mounted on the three angular journals respectively. The roller cone may have multiple protrusions or teeth to cut through different rock formations. Further, the roller cone may be mounted on the angular journal with one or more bearing elements, such as, for example, ball bearings and rolling element bearings. The bearing elements facilitate rotation of the roller cone around an axis of the roller cone and the angular journal. During operation, an application of feed force and rotation to the body further enables the rotation of the roller cone by means of the ball bearings and the roller element bearings. The rotation of the teeth along with the rotation of the roller cone further enables the cutting of rocks.
Typically, the bearing elements in the roller cone drill bits are lubricated by means of a lubricant such as grease. However, grease as a lubricant may have limited flowability and may not lubricate different regions, such as crevices, edges, corners, and grooves, in and/or around different geometries of the bearing elements in an effective manner. As a result, a lifespan and performance of the roller cone drill bit may be affected over prolonged usage of the roller cone drill bit. Further, complex lubricant reservoirs with diaphragms and lubricant delivery systems may be needed in order to supply the grease to the bearing elements of the roller cone drill bits. In some instances, equalization of a pressure outside the roller cone drill bit and a pressure inside a lubricant reservoir of the roller cone drill bit may also be needed in order to squeeze the grease from the lubricant reservoir to the different regions in and/or around the bearing elements. The pressure equalization may further require additional parts and/or features in the roller cone drill bit to facilitate movement of the grease as desired.
In addition, the grease may also get contaminated with debris resulting from the cutting of the rocks. During operation, debris may accumulate around a lubricant seal provided between the roller cone and the angular journal of the roller cone drill bit. Continuous accumulation of the debris during operation results in wear and tear of the lubricant seal. The wear and tear may further result in seepage of the debris through annular spaces around the lubricant seal, and thereby result in the contamination of the grease lubricant. The contamination of grease further affects the lubrication of the bearing elements and hence, reduces the lifespan and performance of the roller cone drill bits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,442 relates to a rock bit lubrication system having a pressurized air chamber and a central container of a lubricating liquid. Further, the rock bit lubrication system includes conduits that extend from an interior of the central container to an opening that allows air under pressure from the pressurized air chamber to entrain the lubricating liquid in measured amounts. The air under pressure also directs the lubricating liquid into openings leading to bearings formed between the roller cone and the journal. As is apparent, the rock bit lubrication system requires a complex arrangement of the central container, the pressurized air chamber, and the conduits to ensure sufficient circulation of the grease around the bearings. Further, debris from the rock cuttings may also seep through openings around the roller cone and contaminate the grease.

Isolated lubrication system for drill bits


Certain embodiments provide a method of updating a security. The method can include monitoring a bearer that includes first and second radio accesses according to different radio technologies between user equipment and a communications network. One or more properties of the monitored bearer can be determined. An update of a security key utilized for securing communications over at least one of the radio accesses can be triggered in response to determining that the determined properties meet at least one triggering condition capable of indicating a need for the update.

Wireless communication may be conducted using, in general, cellular and/or non-cellular technologies. Cellular technologies include, for example, wideband code division multiple access, WCDMA, long term evolution, LTE, and 5G. Non-cellular technologies include, for example, wireless local area network, WLAN, and worldwide interoperability for microwave access, WiMAX. The WLAN typically is used to refer to WLANs that are compliant to IEEE 802.11 family of standards.
In wireless communication, a wireless connection between user equipment, UE, and a base station, or access point, may be arranged to convey information in the uplink and downlink. The uplink direction proceeds from the user equipment toward the network, and the downlink direction proceeds from the network toward the user equipment. A base station is a term used in connection with cellular technologies, while access point is a term employed frequently when discussing non-cellular technologies.
Some user equipment, such as smartphones, has the ability to select a technology to use from a plurality of available choices. For example, to download a large file, a smartphone may choose to select a non-cellular technology, and to place a voice call the same smartphone may choose to select a cellular technology. Non-cellular technologies may offer high data rates, while cellular technologies may be designed to support mobility and guaranteed quality of service.
Information communicated over cellular or non-cellular connections may be ciphered. Ciphering may alternatively be referred to as encryption. Ciphering may take place at one or more processing layers, for example, an application may employ end-to-end ciphering, a network transport protocol may employ ciphering, an intermediate protocol layer may employ ciphering and an air interface may employ a further, separate ciphering, resulting in data communicated over the air interface that may be ciphered more than once, using different algorithms and keys. In wireless links of transmission, ciphering cannot be compromised, despite of possible other levels of security provided for communication.
Ciphering keys should be updated in order to maintain sufficient security in communications. Frequent updating of the security keys may cause interruptions to the communications, but on the other hand infrequent updating of the keys makes the communications vulnerable to attacks. Moreover, ciphering practices may depend on the wireless communications technology utilized on the air interface and for each wireless communications there may be various ciphering practices available.
In communications, where more than one wireless communications technology is utilized on wireless links over the air interface, security key updating can interrupt communications of all the wireless links. Therefore, updating ciphering keys involving different wireless communications technologies is particularly important


The invention discloses a method for preparing leather for cases, which comprises: a. selecting cow leather, which comprises dermis layer and subcutaneous tissue layer; b. uniformly cutting the subcutaneous tissue layer as an lamellar layer, and holding it in the inner side of the cow leather; c. sculpturing the cut lamellar subcutaneous tissue layer as a desired embossed pattern, and removing its peripheral portion; d. placing the cow leather sculptured with embossed pattern in a three-dimensional mold, and pressing the embossed pattern portion towards the inner side of the dermis layer so that the raised pattern structure same with the embossed pattern is formed on the outer surface of the dermis layer; e. performing antiseptic treatment; f. performing rubber injection treatment; g. inlaying metal trim parts. With the above processing, the present invention can produce leather for cases with aesthetic style, good visual effect and noticeable feeling of touch.

The invention relates to the technical field of leather processing, in particular to a method for preparing leather for cases.
As daily necessities for carrying items, cases are widely used in daily life, and especially for women, they have not been only limited to functions for carrying items, but increasingly play a role in dressing functions.
For high quality cases, cow leather is the main material used. Along with the increasing requirements for cases, dramatic changes in the styles of leather for cases have been involved and traditional single genuine leather cases are gradually unable to meet the requirements of consumers.
Printing, spraying and other ways are mainly used for forming embossed pattern on leather surface in conventional methods, this embossed pattern formed in these manners are not really formed in the genuine leather, and the pattern is unrealistic, easy to fall off and unaesthetic.


A wheelbarrow contains a tray, a frame, two legs, two handles, two axle brackets, a wheel axle, and a wheel. The wheelbarrow also contains two spaced apart roll bars extending from the frame in a forward and downward direction to a point forward of the forward edge of the tray, then curving upward and extending vertically for a distance of at least about six inches. The upward curve of the roll bar is located below the wheel axle. The upward curve of the roll bar contacts the ground and forms a fulcrum when the wheelbarrow is raised at an angle of not greater than about 40.degree. and so that the wheelbarrow will balance in a vertical resting position on the vertical extensions of the roll bars if the wheelbarrow is released after being raised at an angle of not greater than about 70.degree..

A wheelbarrow is a device that is used to transport heavy loads by hand. A wheelbarrow consists of a tray mounted on a wheel and two legs with handles that extend to the rear. A wheelbarrow is moved by lifting its handles to raise the legs off the ground, balancing the loaded wheelbarrow on its wheel, and walking. A wheelbarrow is typically unloaded by dumping, i.e., lifting the handles to tip the tray into a vertical position where the load slides or pours out the sloped front end of the tray. A wheelbarrow is an example of a second-class lever in which the axle of the wheel forms the fulcrum and the handles form the effort arms.
Wheelbarrows are especially useful in moving loads across soft or uneven ground because the single wheel provides high maneuverability and also because the user can keep the load balanced by raising or lowering one or both of the handles. Wheelbarrows are also especially useful because of their ability to easily dump the load. However, as the weight of the load increases, it becomes more difficult to balance the wheelbarrow during movement and dumping. Dumping a heavy load is particularly difficult because the user must change from lifting the handles with an underhanded grip to pushing the handles with an overhanded grip while simultaneously balancing the wheelbarrow on a single wheel as the load rapidly shifts position. If the user loses balance of the wheelbarrow, the load is spilled at an undesired location and property damage and/or physical injury can occur.
Because of the difficulty in balancing a conventional wheelbarrow during dumping, many different modifications have been suggested. For example, Donze et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,079, issued Jun. 25, 1991, discloses a wheelbarrow having multiple wheels and a horizontal abutment bar positioned in front of the wheels. The wheels are positioned in vertical alignment with the center of gravity of the tray so that the force required to lift the handles is minimized. The abutment bar is in horizontal alignment with the axles of the wheels and is in vertical alignment with the straight front edge of the tray. The abutment bar serves as a fulcrum for tipping the wheelbarrow and also enables the wheelbarrow to be balanced in a vertical storage position resting on the abutment bar and the straight front edge of the tray. The multiple wheels of the Donze et al. wheelbarrow provide improved stability during movement and dumping, but at the cost of decreased maneuverability and increased weight.
Broeske, U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,737, issued Nov. 26, 1991, discloses a wheelbarrow whose tray is in the form of a box having vertical side walls. The wheel is recessed into the bottom of the tray to provide a low center of gravity. However, the recessed wheel also reduces clearance, making the wheelbarrow unsuitable for use over uneven ground. When the Broeske wheelbarrow is tipped, the bottom front of the tray makes contact with the ground at an early point to form the fulcrum. However, the steep front of the tray requires the handles to be lifted well over vertical to empty the tray. Dumping rods are attached to the top front of the tray to raise the lid of the tray off the ground during dumping.
Several companies, including Kelley Manufacturing Company, sell a concrete cart having two large diameter wheels straddling the tray. When dumping, the cart tips forward on curved rocker arms. The concrete cart is not as maneuverable as a conventional wheelbarrow and has minimal ground clearance, making it suitable only for use on relatively flat and smooth ground.
Accordingly, a demand exists for a wheelbarrow that is as maneuverable as a conventional wheelbarrow, but is easier to dump and whose tray does not contact the ground during dumping.


A road surface friction coefficient μ is calculated based on a detected lateral acceleration and a front-rear acceleration, and a roll angle is calculated using a roll rate. Further, a maximum engine torque value that can be applied to a drive wheel without causing slipping thereof is calculated based on the road surface friction coefficient μ and a gear ratio. A torque transmission rate that indicates a reduction rate for engine output is set so as to reduce in accordance with a roll angle, and a target engine torque value is calculated by correcting the maximum engine torque value using the torque transmission rate. Accordingly, adjustment is executed such that the engine output is made smaller as the roll angle increases. Thus, abrupt changes in vehicle behavior are not caused by sudden starting of control, and it is possible to inhibit drive feeling from deteriorating.

Related art has been disclosed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-254992) that aims to inhibit rollover of a vehicle by reducing a lateral acceleration thereof. In the case that there is an indication that rollover may occur, namely, a rollover tendency, when a vehicle is turning sharply, the lateral acceleration is reduced by causing vehicle speed to be slowed by executing automatic reduction of engine output and applying a brake.
With this related art, it is determined whether the vehicle has a rollover tendency based on whether or not (1) a wheel speed of a drive wheel that is positioned at the inside of a turn direction of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined value, or (2) an acceleration of this drive wheel is greater than a predetermined value. When it is determined that the vehicle has the rollover tendency, namely, that the wheel speed of the drive wheel at the inside of the turn direction, or the acceleration thereof, exceeds the predetermined value, engine output is reduced and the brake is applied.
However, with this related art, reduction of engine output and application of the brake is not executed unless the wheel speed of the drive wheel at the inside of the turn direction, or the acceleration thereof, exceeds the predetermined value. Accordingly, reduction of engine output and application of the brake is executed suddenly at the point when the wheel speed or acceleration thereof has increased enough to exceed the threshold value. Thus, control of vehicle speed change and lateral acceleration change is started abruptly, which causes vehicle posture to change substantially, thus having a detrimental impact on driving feeling.


An automatic offset and gain control method for use in an electronic high quality scanning apparatus, operating on the source signal values outputted preferably in digitized form when the scanning apparatus scans a given source document and which represent on a pixel-related basis the density values of such source segment, produces corrected signal values representative of the full range of black and white or colors of the original. In the control method, first, a minimum density value relative to the source document is determined. Then, a high density value and a low density value are identified by reference to calibrated high and low density values and from these three values the control unit calculates and stores in a memory corrections for offset and gain. These corrections are applied to the source values to continuously correct the same and thus reproduce a corrected version of the source document.

In an opto-electronic input-scanner apparatus a source document is scanned line by line by a narrowly focused light beam. The light reflected from the scanned document is collected by a suitable photosensor to produce a corresponding video signal whose voltage is representative of the shade of darkness or lightness of the document, hereinafter called "source signal".
However, the actual offset and amplitude of the source signal is subject to variations in accordance with such factors as variations in the intensity of the illuminating light beam, drift of the photosensors due to aging or temperature change, drift in the electronic circuits, and many other factors.
Failure to correct possible offsets and amplitude variations of the source signal results in reduction of accuracy of reproduction of both background and contrast in the recorded image.
In the prior art, a calibration scan is executed, in which the unit acquires black and white samples of the source signal produced by the photosensors in response to the illumination of a black-white scanning calibration strip by the scanning beam.
Black and white are designated by the reflectance signal obtained from a "calibration strip", also called "target", and located mostly adjacent to the image scanning area. It may be remarked that in the case of a feedthrough scanner, a calibration strip may be as well throughput in the form of a calibration sheet, or it may be temporarily turned in the optical scanning path of the apparatus (as e.g. published by Hanna and Melamud, in IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 21. no. 4, september 1978, p. 1410).
The first half of the strip may be imprinted black, or may be absent but replaced by a control signal which turns the lighting beam off e.g. by closing the lens aperture. The second half of the strip may be imprinted white or be apertured with a clear open gate to expose a nominally white background area of the document; or a so-called "Dmin" filter, which is a filter having a density corresponding to a calibrated white reference density, may be introduced in the optical path of the scan-apparatus.
One specific solution to the above-mentioned problem regarding the signal fluctuations, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,144 and makes preliminary calibrating scans in which sequentially a known black area and a known white area are scanned, and during which a so-called "automatic background and contrast control unit" in the transmitter stores a sample of the uncorrected video input signal at a time when the known black area is being scanned, and also stores a second sample of the uncorrected video input signal at a time when the known white area is being scanned. Thereafter, during the subsequent scanning of the source document the control unit produces voltages representing the stored black and white samples and combines these voltages to correct the video input signal received during the scanning of the source document.
However, when the real density extremes are outside the range physically incorporated by the calibration strip, said correction method does not guarantee accurate and reliable reproduction of all shades of grey that are available in the source original.

Automatic offset and gain control in a document scanner


A layer of photoresist provides a stress relief (or cushion) layer between a lift-off polymer layer and a barrier of multi-level lift-off structures. When multiple evaporation steps are required using the same lift-off pattern, the adhesion between organosilicon and organic film is stressed by a first blanked metal film. To prevent delamination between the lift-off polymer layer and RIE barrier photoresist is applied on top of the lift-off polymer and sandwiched between the organosilicon and organic materials. This photoresist acts as a cushion and as an adhesion promoter to reduce delamination after the metal deposition(s).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the fabrication of semiconductor components such as integrated circuits. More particularly, the invention relates to (1) processes for fabricating delamination resistant multi-layer lift-off stencils; (2) delamination resistant multi-layer lift-off stencils per se, whether a product of the aforementioned processes or created by alternative techniques; and (3) methods for applying metalized interconnections to a lift-off structure that includes a stress relief (or "cushioning") layer as part of the lift-off stencil.
The invention is particularly useful in situations where it is desirable to deposit several microns of metal on a substrate, where high stress metals (like nickel) are to be deposited and/or in situations where multiple evaporation steps are required to fabricate a semiconductor component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many recent patents and technical articles have been directed to advances in the field of semiconductor component fabrication using improved materials and processes. Such improved materials and processes have been useful in meeting increasingly demanding requirements for advanced integrated circuit fabrication, particularly those integrated circuits that include high density interconnective multi-level metallurgy systems.
As an example of the aforementioned advances, U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,205, to Sachdev et al, issued Sep. 28, 1987, assigned to the International Business Machines Corporation, teaches the use of what was then a new material, silicon-containing polyimides, as an oxygen etch barrier in a metal lift-off process and as an oxygen etch stop in the fabrication of multi-layer metal structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,205 is hereby incorporated by reference, not only for the its specific teaching of silicon-containing polyimides as an oxygen etch barrier, etc., but also for its review of lift-off processes in general and its teaching of exemplary commercially available chemicals that may be used in fabricating various layers of the stencil structure to be described hereinafter.
More particularly, the aforementioned reference describes a lift-off method for fabricating fine metal lines in a process that requires contacting films to maintain mechanical and interfacial integrity. However, the processes described in the incorporated reference do not maintain the desired mechanical and interfacial integrity of film layers in stencils used to fabricate semiconductor components in situations where high stress metals (such as nickel) are used, or in situations where multiple step metallization processes need to be performed. Multiple step metallization processes are, for example, often performed when multi-level metallurgy systems require different metal thickness on the same substrate.
A specific problem encountered in semiconductor component fabrication processes utilizing high stress metals and/or multiple step metallization processes, is the delamination of interfacing films. Such delamination destroys the stencil structure being used to fabricate a semiconductor component and can significantly decrease the yield of acceptable components, making delamination an undesirable characteristic of prior art lift-off techniques in general (including the one taught in the incorporated reference), for which it is presently desirable to find a remedy.
To be more specific, well known lift-off methods for forming metallized structures, such as the one taught in the incorporated reference, involve the fabrication of a multi-layer stencil comprising a solvent removable polymer film as the base or lift-off layer on a substrate. This lift-off layer is sequentially overcoated with a thin oxygen reactive ion etch (RIE) barrier and a resist layer.
The desired pattern in the resist layer can be delineated by standard lithographic techniques and then replicated into the underlying RIE barrier layer by the RIE process using carbon tetrafluoride (CF.sub.4) ambient, followed by an oxygen plasma to etch the pattern into the lift-off layer. Subsequent blanket metal evaporation and solvent soak (e.g., N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP)) is employed to accomplish the removal of the lift-off stencil, leaving the desired metal pattern intact on the substrate surface.
Conventional oxygen RIE barrier films, such as plasma polymerized organosilicon HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) suffer adhesion problems when high stress metal is (or metals are) evaporated and/or multiple evaporation steps are used to have different metal thickness deposited on the substrates.
When multiple evaporation steps are used the lift-off stencil is thermally stressed even more because, for example, a stencil covered with high stress blanket metal is heated and cooled in an evaporator during each subsequent evaporation step to achieve a desired metal thickness. Adhesion between the RIE barrier and the organic polymer is then sometimes insufficient to withstand process induced stress and thermal stress created by the difference of thermal coefficient of evaporated metal/RIE barrier and organic polymer.
The result is that the interfacial integrity of film layers in stencils used to fabricate semiconductor components in situations where high stress metals and/or multiple step metallization processes are used are prone to suffer from the aforementioned undesirable delamination characteristic.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a multi-layer delamination resistant lift off stencil that can withstand the stresses induced by high stress metals, the deposition of relatively "thick" (several micron) layers of metal, and thermal stress introduced by multiple evaporation steps.
Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide processes for fabricating such a stencil as part of a novel lift-off structure and to provide methods for utilizing such a structure to perform both single and multiple step metallization processes in general.
Still further, it would be desirable to provide improved materials and processes for depositing different thickness of metal on a substrate to facilitate the fabrication of advanced integrated circuits that specifically include high density interconnective multi-level metallurgy systems.

Methods and apparatus for relieving stress and resisting stencil delamination when performing lift-off processes that utilize high stress metals and/or multiple evaporation steps


A metal-wood golf club head having a metallic acoustic adjustment member installed on the inside surface of a sole shell part of the head main body. The acoustic adjustment member is installed so as not to be in contact with the face shell part, crown shell part and peripheral wall shell part that form the head main body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wood golf club head and more particularly to a metal-wood golf club head which has a hollow shell structure.
2. Prior Art
Recently, wood golf club heads are mostly made of metal and called "metal-wood" heads. Some metal-wood heads have a plurality of reinforcing ribs inside head main bodies which are formed by casting, for example, an aluminum alloy; and other metal-wood heads, such as the one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication (Kokoku) No. S61-33970, are formed by press-molding titanium (Ti) or a titanium alloy into a plurality of shell parts and then joining these respective shell parts into an integral unit by welding, etc. with an L-shaped reinforcing member installed inside the head main body.
However, in the metal-wood heads with the reinforcing ribs, the respective reinforcing ribs installed inside the head main body formed by casting an aluminum alloy are continuously formed around the entire circumference of each shell part, i. e., a face shell part, a crown shell part, a peripheral shell part and a sole shell part; thus, the ribs are to reinforce particularly the face shell part and crown shell part. On the other hand, the L-shaped reinforcing member is customarily installed in the head main body which is formed by molding titanium (Ti) or a titanium alloy into a plurality of shell parts by press molding and then joining these shell parts into an integral unit by welding, etc.; and such an L-shaped reinforcing member is provided between the back surface of the face shell part and the inside surface of the sole shell part; thus, the L-shaped reinforcing member is to reinforce the weld between the face shell part and sole shell part.
As a result, in the respective metal-wood heads described above, the acoustic effect obtained when the ball is hit is suppressed by the reinforcing ribs and the L-shaped reinforcing member; as a result, the club is inferior in terms of the ball-striking sound and the feel of striking the ball. They do not give the impression of a "good-hit".


In an integrated circuit that includes a signal path for carrying an analog signal, a test voltage from a test voltage node (V+) is applied (S2, S3) to the signal path, and the test voltage is maintained (AOA, VME) on the signal path independently of the test voltage node.

Boundary scan testing is very well known in the art and is supported by an IEEE standard (IEEE 1149.1) which details its implementation and operation modes. FIG. 1 illustrates the logic arrangement of a prior art boundary scan cell for use in boundary scan testing at IC outputs. The boundary scan cell contains an input multiplexer (Mux1), a capture/shift memory (Mem1) such as a flip-flop or other latch circuit, an output memory (Mem2) such as a flip-flop or other latch circuit, and an output multiplexer (Mux2). Mux1 is controlled by a select signal (Select 1) to allow Mem1 to load data from either the serial data input or the system data output by the IC core logic. Mem1 loads data in response to a control signal (Control 1). The output of Mem1 is input to Mem2 and is output as serial data. Mem2 loads data from Mem1 in response to a control signal (Control 2). Mux2 is controlled by a select input (Select 2) to allow it to output to the IC's output buffer either the output of Mem2 or the system data from the IC core logic. A plurality of these boundary scan cells can be connected serially, via the serial input and output lines, to form a boundary scan register .
FIG. 1, the output boundary scan cell logic is enclosed in dotted lines. The boundary scan cell connects an output from the IC's core logic to the IC's output buffer. The output buffer outputs a high (V+) or low (G) voltage in response to the logic level it receives from Mux2. The boundary scan cell is realized in the same region of the IC as the core logic, i.e., the core region. In most instances, i.e. when implemented in accordance with the rules stated in the IEEE 1149.1 standard, the boundary scan cell logic is dedicated for test purposes and is not shared with system logic functions. In this way, the boundary scan cell can be accessed for non-intrusive test operations without disturbing the IC's normal functional operation.
The IEEE 1149.1 standard defines three types of test operations for boundary scan cells, a sample test operation (Sample), an external test (Extest) and internal test (Intest). Sample is a required test mode for 1149.1. During Sample, the IC is in normal operation (i.e. IC's core logic is connected to the output buffers via Mux2) and Mux1 and Mem1 are operated to capture and shift out normal IC output data. Extest is another required test mode for 1149.1. During Extest, output boundary scan cells are used to drive test data from IC outputs onto wiring interconnects, and input boundary scan cells are used to capture the driven test data at IC inputs. In this way, Extest can be used to test wiring interconnects between IC inputs and outputs on a board. Intest is an optional test mode for 1149.1. During Intest, input boundary scan cells are used to drive test data to the IC's core logic, and output boundary scan cells are used to capture the response from the core logic. In this way, Intest can be used to test IC core logic.
During normal IC operation, the output of the IC's core logic passes through Mux2, to the output buffer, and is driven off the IC by the output buffer. Therefore, during normal mode, the IC output function is not effected by the boundary scan cell, except for the delay introduced by Mux2. If, during normal operation, a Sample is performed, the boundary scan cell receives Select 1 and Control 1 input to capture system data and shift it out for inspection via the serial output.
During test operation, the output of the ICs core logic is received by the boundary scan cell for capturing and shifting, but Mux2 is controlled by Select 2 to output the test data stored in Mem2 to the output buffer. Therefore, during test mode, the IC core logic output function is disabled by the boundary scan cell. If, during test operation, an Extest or Intest is performed, the boundary scan cell receives Select 1 and Control 1 inputs to capture system data into Mem1 and shift it out for inspection via the serial output. While Mem1 is capturing and shifting data, Mem2 outputs stable test data to the output pin. After Mem1 has completed its capture and shift operation in Extest it contains new test data to be loaded into Mem2. Mem2 loads the new test data from Mem1 in response to a signal on Control 2. After Mem2 receives the new test data, it is output from the IC via Mux2 and the output buffer. The purpose for Mem2 is to latch the IC's output at a desired test logic state while Mem1 is capturing and shifting data. Without Mem2, i.e. if the output of Mem1 were connected to Mux2 directly, the IC's output would transition between logic (i.e. ripple) states as data is captured into and shifted through Mem1.
Examples of the boundary scan cell of FIG. 1 performing Sample, Extest and Intest operations are illustrated in the timing diagram of FIG. 1A. In the timing diagram of FIG. 1A and all following timing diagrams, "C" indications on the Control 1 and Control 2 signals indicate a low-high-low signal sequence which, in the example circuits shown, provides the control to store data into Mem1 and Mem2, respectively. Logic zero and one levels on the Select 1 and Select 2 signals indicate logic levels used to control the operation of Mux1 and Mux2, respectively. Also, seven Control 1 "C" signals are used in all example timing diagrams. The first Control 1 "C" signal indicates the capture of data into Mem1, and the following six Control "C" signals represent the shifting of data through six serially connected boundary scan cell circuits.
In FIG. 2, a known improvement to the boundary scan cell of FIG. 1 is shown. The improvement is brought about by realizing Mux2 in the buffer region of the IC's output buffer. Relocating test logic in the IC buffer region frees up area in the IC's core logic for system (non-test) logic functions. The logic required in the IC's core region is reduced by the size of Mux2 for each required output boundary scan cell. This leaves only the boundary scan cell's Mux1, Mem1, and Mem2 as test logic overhead in the IC's core region. The amount of boundary scan cell logic that needs to be placed and routed in the IC's core region is reduced. The boundary scan cell of FIG. 2 operates exactly like the one of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 illustrates another known improvement to the boundary scan cell of FIG. 1. This improvement was described in 1990 by D. Bhavsar on pages 183-189 of IEEE Society Press Publication "Cell Designs that Help Test Interconnection Shorts". The improvement allows the logic output from the output buffer to be captured and shifted out of Mem1 during Extest. This feature allows detecting shorts between pins or to supply voltages or ground that conflict with the logic level attempting to be driven out of the output buffer. For example, during Extest, if a logic one is driven from Mem2 the output buffer will attempt to drive out a logic one. However, if the output of the output buffer is shorted to ground a high current (or low impedance) path exists in the output buffer from V+ through the top transistor to ground, which can result in a damaged or destroyed output buffer. Similarly if Mem2 is driving out a logic zero and the output of the output buffer is shorted to a supply voltage, a high current (low impedance) path exists through the bottom transistor to ground (G), again resulting in a damaged or destroyed output buffer. The boundary scan cell of FIG. 3 allows detecting these short circuit conditions by the addition of a third multiplexer (Mux3), a third select input (Select3), and an input buffer. The input buffer inputs the logic state at the output of the output buffer. Mux3 inputs the system data and the logic state of the output buffer, via the input buffer, and outputs a selected one of these signals to one input of Mux1. In this example, Mux3 selects the system logic if Select 3 is low (Intest) or the output buffer state if Select 3 is high (Extest). In this way, Mem1 captures and shifts system data from the IC's core logic during Sample and Intest, and test data from the input buffer during Extest.
Examples of the boundary scan cell of FIG. 3 in Sample, Extest, and Intest operation are illustrated in the timing diagram of FIG. 3A. The boundary scan cell of FIG. 3 also allows reducing the time that an output can be shorted. In the timing diagram of FIG. 3B, it is seen that after a full Extest operation, Extest 1 (i.e. the Capture & Shift of Mem1 and the Updating of Mem2), a short Extest operation, Extest 2 (i.e. the Capture Only of Mem1 (no shift) and Update of the captured data to Mem2), can be performed. The Extest 2 operation allows test data from the output to be updated into Mem2 to correct any voltage conflict on the output. For example, if the Extest 1 operation had attempted to output a logic one on the output buffer, with the IC output shorted to ground, and the Extest 2 operation captured and updated a logic zero (due to the short to ground), the amount of time the output buffer was in the high current situation (V+ to G through top transistor) is reduced to the number of TCK periods it takes to go from the update step of Extest 1 to the update step of Extest 2, TCK being, for example, the test clock of IEEE 1149.1. The next full Extest operation (Extest 3) captures and shifts out the logic zero to indicate the short to ground and the resulting change in state of Mem2, brought about by the short Extest operation (Extest 2). If no short to ground existed, then the Extest 2 operation would have reloaded Mem2 with the logic one from the Extest 1 operation, and the Extest 3 operation would have verified the logic one at the IC output.
While this approach reduces the amount of time a voltage conflict can exist at an IC output, the time it takes to execute the corrective Extest scan operations, i.e. Extest 1 to Extest 2 update times in FIG. 3B, may still endanger the output buffer. Also when the IC is first powered up in its normal mode, output conflicts due to shorts can exist for an extended amount of time before a test mode is entered, if entered at all. So while the boundary scan cell of FIG. 3 does provide short circuit detection and correction improvements over the one in FIG. 1, it requires time to make the corrections and does not provide protection at power up where the IC immediately enters its normal operation. Also the boundary scan cell of FIG. 3 requires an additional Mux3, Select 3 signal, and input buffer to achieve the short circuit detection and correction feature.
It is desirable in view of the foregoing to implement at least the functionality of the prior art boundary scan cells using less of the IC core area. To this end, the present invention: provides a boundary scan cell that requires less logic in the IC core region than prior art boundary scan cells; utilizes the IC output buffer as part of output boundary scan cells, and the IC input buffer as part of input boundary scan cells; provides latchable input and output buffer circuits that serve the function of Mem2 in the prior art boundary scan cells; integrates the functions of Mux2 and Mem2 into IC input and output buffers to facilitate boundary scan cell logic reduction in the IC core region; provides a boundary scan cell and output buffer combination that can immediately and asynchronously detect and correct short circuit conditions on output pins during Extest operation; provides a boundary scan cell and output buffer combination that can immediately and asynchronously detect and correct short circuit conditions on output pins when the IC is initially powered up in its normal mode; and provides an IC power up method and procedure that prevents IC output buffers from being damaged or destroyed by short circuits.

IC with isolated analog signal path for testing


A system and method for making efficient use of fuse ROM redundancy to increase yield and security. Some embodiments provide a memory repair system including a non-volatile memory component and a controller coupled to the non-volatile memory component. The non-volatile memory component includes a plurality of memory locations. The plurality of memory locations includes a replacement memory location to replace a faulty memory location and a replacement indicia memory location to store replacement memory location indicia. The controller coupled to the non-volatile memory component reads replacement memory location indicia from the replacement indicia memory location, determines an address for the replacement memory location using the indicia, reads the replacement memory location, and transfers a data value contained in the replacement memory location to a second memory component to repair a defective memory location of the second memory component.

As integrated circuit feature sizes shrink, memories embedded within an integrated circuit increase in density, and become more prone to failure. These failures reduce yield, resulting in higher cost per unit produced. One method of improving embedded memory yield involves including spare memory cells in the integrated circuit to replace memory cells found to be defective when the chip is tested. Employing redundancy in this manner can significantly improve the yield of embedded memories with minimal investment in die area.
"Fuse farms" are utilized as part of a system of embedded memory redundancy. A non-volatile memory in the fuse farm stores all the information necessary to repair embedded memories by replacing faulty memory cells with spare cells. During device initialization, a controller in the fuse farm reads the repair information from the fuse farm non-volatile memory ("fuse ROM") and loads the repair information into the on-chip embedded memories.
Being a form of embedded memory, the fuse ROM is itself subject to an increased rate of failure with reduced feature size. Because the fuse farm supplies repair information for the on chip memories, a fault in the fuse farm memory may result in a die that must be discarded. Moreover, users may be permitted to store limited information, such as serial numbers or part identifiers in fuse ROM after the part leaves the manufacturing facility. The fuse ROM may be implemented in a non-erasable memory technology, making pre-shipment testing of the fuse ROM impossible, and subjecting the manufacturer to an increased risk of loss of customer goodwill if the device is discarded due to an in-field fuse ROM programming failure.


A modified Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system with reduced sensitivity to range ambiguities, and which uses secondary receiver channels to detect the range ambiguous signals and subtract them from the signal received by the main channel. Both desired and range ambiguous signals are detected by a main receiver and by one or more identical secondary receivers. All receivers are connected to a common antenna with two or more feed systems offset in elevation (e.g., a reflector antenna with multiple feed horns or a phased array with multiple phase shift networks. The secondary receiver output(s) is (are) then subtracted from the main receiver output in such a way as to cancel the ambiguous signals while only slightly attenuating the desired signal and slightly increasing the noise in the main channel, and thus does not significantly affect the desired signal. This subtraction may be done in real time, or the outputs of the receivers may be recorded separately and combined during signal processing.

The present invention relates to radar and sonar systems, particularly to reducing range ambiguity in radar and sonar systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for reducing range ambiguity in a side-looking or synthetic aperture radar by the use of a main receiver and one or more secondary receivers and subtracting the secondary receiver outputs from the main receiver output so as to cancel the ambiguous signals.
Over the years various radar systems have been developed for different applications. One such radar system now under development at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is the satellite-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system being developed for military, strategic, or earth/environmental resources applications. The LLNL SAR system is being designed to have the capability of meeting specified parameters over a wide target area. One of the design constraints on the LLNL-SAR and other SAR systems is the need to keep range ambiguous signals below a specified level. The main source of range-ambiguous signals is the reflection of pulses preceding and following the pulse of interest; i.e., signals from pulses N.+-.1 when pulse N is being reflected from the desired range R.
Normally, range-ambiguous signals are rejected primarily by the response of the SAR antenna(s) as a function of elevation angle. Because the SAR beam is not parallel to the ground, but intersects it at some angle (the grazing angle), different ranges correspond to different elevations as seen by the SAR. The SAR antenna gain is maximum at the center of the target area, and decreases at greater or lesser elevations (and at longer and shorter ranges). Thus, the range ambiguous signal is attenuated both on transmission and reception. Typically, this attenuation is -10 dB or more in each direction. However, to provide this level of attenuation, the interval between pulses must be significantly (typically 2.times.) longer than the theoretical minimum interval set by (2.times. width of the target 1C, where C is the speed of light); i.e., pulse N-1 must be well beyond the "far" edge of the target when pulse N reaches the "near" edge of the target.
This problem is exacerbated if the transmitted beam is much broader than the beam defined by the receive antenna. In this case, ambiguous signal are attenuated primarily by the falloff of the receiver antenna gain, and not by the transmit antenna pattern. Thus, there is a need for a way to effectively reduce range ambiguity without significantly affecting the desired signal.
The present invention is directed to the solution of the above mentioned need, and provides a modified Synthetic Aperture Radar system with reduced sensitivity to range ambiguities. The invention uses secondary receiver channels to detect the range-ambiguous signals and subtract them from the signal received by the main channel without significantly affecting the desired signal. Both desired and range-ambiguous signals are detected by a main receiver and by one or more identical secondary receivers, all connected to a common antenna with two or more feed systems offset in elevation. The subtraction of signals may be done in real time, or the outputs of the receivers may be recorded separately and combined during signal processing. Thus, the present invention relates to radar and sonar systems, particularly to reducing range ambiguity in radar and sonar systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for reducing range ambiguity in radar or sonar systems in which the intended target is viewed obliquely, as in side-looking or synthetic aperture radar systems.

Method and apparatus for reducing range ambiguity in synthetic aperture radar

The Regents of the University of California


A mobile telephone is used to control the routing of an incoming or outgoing call in a mobile communications network. A number of registration devices having low energy transmitters are strategically located throughout the coverage area of the mobile communications network. Each registration device is associated with a number of nearby fixed telephones. As the mobile terminal enters the coverage area of a registration device, the mobile telephone receives a registration signal from the registration device. At the onset of a call, the mobile terminal displays a list of the fixed telephones to a user. The user inputs a preference to the mobile terminal to receive or make the incoming or outgoing call via one of the nearby fixed telephones or the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal transmits the preference to a service node, which sets up and appropriately routes the call. The mobile terminal thus remotely controls the routing of the incoming or outgoing call.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the telecommunications field and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for routing calls in a mobile communications network to a fixed telephone or mobile terminal by remote control.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless and fixed telecommunications networks are rapidly becoming the primary means of communicating throughout the world. However, there are a number of disadvantages associated with the co-existence of these two technologies. For example, it has become increasingly common for users to subscribe for services from different mobile and fixed telephone networks. Consequently, because of dissimilarities in the operations of these networks and their user interfaces, it has become inconvenient for the user who desires to access these services in a consistent and cost-effective manner.
Additionally, many businesses now realize that their communications costs have multiplied since the advent of the mobile phone. For example, many employees prefer to make mobile phone calls, which are relatively expensive in comparison with fixed network calls. In fact, it has become a common practice for employees to make their office telephone number their "personal" number, by diverting incoming calls from their office phones to their mobile phones. Although this increased employee mobility has its obvious advantages, the associated costs are substantial. As a result, many companies have severely restricted their employees' business use of mobile telephones.
Most conventional fixed and mobile telephone networks provide a call forwarding capability, which allows a user to route incoming calls to an alternate phone or terminal. For example, an article entitled: "A Distributed Location System For The Active Office" published in the IEEE Network, January/February 1994 Volume, discloses a method and apparatus for providing localized communications services to individuals with mobile phones. An infrared transmitter in the form of a badge is attached to each individual and to mobile computer equipment in a work facility (e.g., building). A plurality of infrared sensors (receivers) are interconnected by a wired network and strategically placed at fixed locations throughout the facility. The system of transmitters and sensors define a user interface that can be dynamically mapped to the surrounding computer and communications resources. Therefore, an incoming call can be routed directly to the telephone nearest a specific individual or computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,907 discloses an arrangement composed of a telepoint and mobile radio terminal. The user of the mobile terminal reports the identity of the telepoint to a location storage device (memory) in a fixed telephone network. The fixed network forwards incoming calls to the mobile terminal via the telepoint.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,912 discloses a method whereby a calling party's mobile terminal is registered with a telepoint. When the calling party initiates a call, a paging message is transmitted that contains the address of the telepoint to which the calling party has registered. The paging message is received by the called party's terminal. The called party's terminal is registered with a second telepoint. The address of the calling party's telepoint is downloaded to the called party's telepoint, the two telepoints are connected, and the call is routed to the called party.
Call forwarding is provided as an optional service by existing mobile and fixed networks. However, once the service is initiated, the user typically turns it "on" or "off". Consequently, all (or just a preselected type) of the incoming calls are forwarded while the service is tuned "on", and no calls are forwarded when the service is turned "off". In other words, the user in a mobile communications network does not have the option of screening and forwarding individual incoming calls.
Known solutions to routing problems are primarily concerned with techniques of routing incoming calls to a user. These solutions can increase the mobility of a user. However, with regard to outgoing calls, a user will not experience a similar increase in mobility. In order to avoid using costly mobile connections in certain situations, a user may have to borrow someone else's fixed telephone. The owner of the fixed telephone may be reluctant to let someone else use the phone, and especially for costly long distance calls.

Method and apparatus for routing calls by remote control