A quadrupole mass spectrometer includes means for measuring total ion current having an electron repeller cage disposed about an electron source filament. The electron repeller cage repels electrons emitted by the electron source filament, urging them away from both the repeller and the filament, while also attracting positive ions. When the positive ions contact the electron repeller cage, a current is induced that is measured at the electron repeller cage. The measured current represents total ion current transmitted through the spectrometer. Thus, the need to include a total pressure measurement plate to measure total ion current is eliminated, and since the ion-exposed surface area of the electron repeller cage is greater than the ion-exposed surface area of the total pressure measurement plate, the invention provides improved total pressure measurement sensitivity.

Quadrupole mass spectrometers are known. A portion of a prior art quadrupole mass spectrometer is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. A ground plate 10 supports an electron source filament 12 via two conductive posts 14. The electron source filament 12 carries a current of sufficient magnitude so that electrons having a negative charge are emitted by the electron source filament 12, i.e., the electron source filament 12 serves as a cathode. The electrons are accelerated electrostatically towards an ion source cage 16 by an electric field in the region between an electron repeller cage 18 and the ion source cage 16. Positive ions are produced inside the ion source cage 16 when the accelerated electrons strike neutral gas particles, in the form of atoms and molecules or a mixture thereof, within the cage along the path of the electrons. The positive ions within the ion source cage 16 are accelerated towards a quadrupole mass filter 20 by a focus plate 30. The quadrupole mass filter 20 includes a quadrilaterally symmetric parallel array of four rods 22. Prior to entering the interior of the quadrupole mass filter 20, the positive ions pass through an aperture 24 of a total pressure measurement plate 26 described in greater detail below.
To obtain an indication of the mass spectrum of the ions in the space defined by the ion source cage 16, a constant (DC) and superimposed sinusoidally modulated (RF) voltage is applied to the rods 22 of the quadrupole mass filter 20, and are scanned in tandem such that their ratio remains constant. More specifically, each diametrically opposite pair of rods are connected together. A signal (U+Vcos.omega.t), which includes a positive DC component (U) and a radio frequency (RF) component (Vcos.omega.t), is applied to one pair of rods, while a signal (-U -Vcos.omega.t), which includes a negative DC component (-U) and a radio frequency (RF) component (-Vcos.omega.t) opposite in phase (180.degree.) to the RF component of the first mentioned signal, is applied to other pair of rods. The DC and RF component signals are scanned such that their ratio of amplitudes, U/V, is kept constant. The fraction of the total ion current that exits the quadrupole mass filter 20 is partitioned according to the mass-to-charge ratio of each ion of the ion current. By scanning the RF voltage component from a low to a high value, a plurality of ions, each having a particular mass-to-charge ratio and arriving simultaneously at the entrance to the quadrupole mass filter 20, will arrive sequentially and ordered according to mass-to-charge ratio at the exit of the quadrupole mass filter 20. Generally, by scanning the RF voltage component from a low to a high value, ions having a relatively low mass-to-charge ratio will arrive at the end of the quadrupole mass filter 20 before ions having a relatively high mass-to-charge ratio. The ion current exiting the filter 20 is sensed by a detector (not shown), such as a Farraday cup.
In the prior art device described with respect to FIG. 1, the total pressure plate 26 is used to measure the total pressure of the gas within the device. Since the aperture 24 of the total pressure measurement plate 26 is smaller than the aperture 28 of the focus plate 30, a known fraction of the total ion current provided to the filter 20 is collected by the total pressure measurement plate 26. A current measurement device 29 connected to the pressure measurement plate 26 then provides a current signal as a function of the ion current collected by the total pressure measurement plate 26, and is therefore representative of the total ion current entering the quadrupole mass filter 20. Once the total ion current is known, the total pressure P.sub.T is obtained by multiplying the ion current by an empirically determined constant multiplicative factor. However, error can be introduced into this measurement of total pressure P.sub.T due to fringe field effects at the entrance of the quadrupole mass filter 20, such as "reflection" of ions back towards the plate 26 after they pass through the aperture 24. "Reflection" is a deflection of the original trajectory of the ions due to repulsive forces resulting from the fringe fields.
Accordingly, another known method of measuring total pressure P.sub.T has been developed that allows for the elimination of total pressure plate 26, thereby eliminating the problem created by the fringe field effect at the entrance of the quadrupole mass filter 20. In this prior art method, the DC voltage applied to the quadrupole mass filter 20 is set to 0 volts, and all of the ions that pass through the focus plate 30 will enter the quadrupole mass filter 20, and will be collected and measured at a detector (not shown in FIG. 1) as they exit the quadrupole mass filter 20. The ion current that is measured at the detector as the ions exit the quadrupole mass filter 20 represents the total ion current, from which can be calculated the total pressure P.sub.T. However, in practice, inaccuracies can arise due to lighter ions, such as hydrogen and helium gas ions, failing to arrive at the detector (not shown) at the exit of the quadrupole mass filter 20. Consequently, the value obtained for total pressure P.sub.T is significantly inaccurate.


A low profile unobtrusive occluder device is disclosed which is particularly applicable for occluding blood vessels in minimally invasive beating heart CABG surgical procedures, wherein relatively small surgical openings are provided. At least one flexible member is provided on the occluder, which is placed against the vessel. A suture thread is passed under the vessel to encompass the vessel between the occluder and suture thread. The suture thread is selectively attached to the occluder such that the flexible member, when deformed, applies continuous selected tension on the suture thread to apply a corresponding compression on the vessel which occludes the flow of blood. An applicator is attached to the occluder to enable installation thereof, but is detachable after installation such that only the low profile occluder remains on the heart surface during surgery. The applicator is re-attached to the occluder to facilitate removal of the latter. In an alternative embodiment, the occluder is formed as an adjustable part of a heart contacting member of a thoracotomy stabilizer apparatus.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system affect millions of people each year. A particularly prevalent form of cardiovascular disease is a reduction in the blood supply leading to the heart caused by atherosclerosis or other conditions that create a restriction in blood flow at a critical point in the cardiovascular system that supplies blood to the heart. In many cases, such a blockage or restriction in the blood flow leading to the heart is treated by a surgical procedure known as a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) procedure, which is more commonly known as a "heart bypass" operation. In the CABG procedure, the surgeon "bypasses" the obstruction in, for example, a target coronary artery to restore normal blood flow to the heart by attaching an available source vessel to the obstructed coronary artery or by removing a portion of a vein or artery from another part of the body to use as a graft, and by installing the graft at points between the source vessel and the target artery to restore normal blood flow.
Although the CABG procedure has become common, the procedure itself is lengthy and traumatic and can damage the heart, the cardiovascular system, the central nervous system, and the blood supply itself. In a conventional CABG procedure, the surgeon must cut through the entire length of the sternum (a sternotomy), perform several other procedures necessary to attach the patient to a heart-lung bypass machine, clamp the aorta to stop the blood flow to the coronary arteries and infuse cardioplegia to stop the heart from beating in order to complete the bypass grafts.
In recent years, surgeons have begun performing CABG procedures using surgical techniques especially developed so that the CABG procedure can be performed while the heart is still beating. In such procedures, there is no need for any form of cardiopulmonary bypass, no need to perform the extensive surgical procedures necessary to connect the patient to a cardiopulmonary bypass machine, and no need to stop the heart. As a result, the "beating heart" surgery is much less invasive and the entire procedure can typically be achieved through a small number, typically one or two, comparatively small incisions in the chest.
As noted above, the CABG procedure requires that a fluid connection for restoring the flow of blood be established between two points to "bypass" a diseased or obstructed area to restore blood flow to the heart. Typically, a source vessel, such as a source artery with an unobstructed blood flow, for example, the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), or a bypass-graft having one end sewn to an unobstructed blood source such as the aorta, is anatomosed or sewn to a target occluded coronary artery, such as the left anterior descending (LAD) artery or other vessel, that provides blood flow to the muscles of the heart. Because the beating-heart CABG procedure is performed while the heart muscle is continuing to contract and pump blood, the anastomosis procedure is difficult to perform because the heart continues to move while the surgeons is sewing the anastomosis. However, it is important that the anastomosis be performed as rapidly as possible because the blood flow through the target coronary artery may be temporarily interrupted or reduced to avoid excessive blood loss. Also, the working space and visual access are limited because the surgeon may be working through a small incision in the chest or may be viewing the procedure on a video monitor if the site of the surgery is viewed via a surgical scope.
Accordingly, it is highly desirable to provide a surgeon with surgical instruments and techniques which allow either the sternotomy, or particularly the beating heart surgery, to be performed more rapidly and with as little trauma as possible to the patient. In addition, it is advantageous to provide the surgeon with compact surgical instruments, particularly in minimally invasive surgical procedures such as the beating heart procedures of previous mention, where the space within a surgical opening is very restricted. In a median sternotomy procedure where the chest is opened and a relatively large surgical opening is provided, the need for compact instruments may not be critical. However, compact surgical instruments which also enhance the efficiency of a surgical procedure, while improving upon the space which is available to a surgeon for viewing the surgical site as well as for accommodating the surgeon's hands, are advantageous and of value to the surgeon.
In a surgical procedure for constructing an anastomosis in which the LIMA is sewn to the LAD, it is necessary to pinch-off, or occlude, the LAD proximal to the anastomosic site to substantially reduce or eliminate the flow of blood therein. Typically, a surgeon occludes the artery by threading a silastic suture around the artery once or twice and tightening the suture in selected manner to compress and thus choke the artery until the flow of blood ceases. In another technique and associated occluder device for occluding an artery, a silastic suture is threaded through a choker tube, around the artery and back through the tube. A surgeon occludes the artery by gently pulling on the ends of the suture while pushing the choker tube towards the artery until blood flow ceases, and then clamping the tube walls against the suture via forceps, for example, to secure the occluder device in place. In these procedures, it is difficult to control the degree of tightness when applying the suture, which may result in trauma to the LAD. Further, the silastic suture, once secured, is only capable of applying a continuous preselected compression to the vessel. In addition, it is difficult to remove the tightened silastic suture which generally is embedded in the epicardium as well as in the surrounding tissue.
Other occluder configurations presently are available wherein the occluder is attached to, and thus is an adjunct part of, a stabilizer apparatus which is employed, for example, in a beating heart surgical procedure to maintain the surgical opening, that is, the thoracotomy. Examples of the stabilizer and occluder combination, as well as of such stabilizers alone, are disclosed in a copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/603,758 filed on Feb. 20, 1996 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/789,751 filed on Jan. 27, 1997, both entitled Surgical Instruments and Procedures for Stabilizing the Beating Heart During Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Low profile vessel occluder with and without detachable applicator


A plastic lined concrete tank includes a floor, an upright wall having a lower edge adjacent the floor, a plastic wall lining on an interior surface of the wall, and a plastic waterstop structure inhibiting penetration of water between said floor and said lower edge of the wall. The waterstop includes an anchor embedded in the floor and an upper flange which overlaps the lining. A sealed joint is provided between the upper edge of the flange and the lining. The flange and the lining are fused together to form a supporting structure at a position lower on the wall than the sealed joint, whereby outward bending of the flange away from the wall lining at said joint during shifting of the wall relative to the floor is inhibited and outward bending of the flange away from the wall lining at a location remote from said joint during shifting of the wall relative to the floor is promoted. The tank also includes a plastic floor liner and a floor liner attachment member fused to said anchor. The attachment member is attached in sealing relationship to the floor liner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of ground level concrete tanks which are used primarily to hold water, and in particular the present invention relates to plastic lined concrete tanks equipped with waterstop systems to inhibit penetration and leakage of the contents of the tank between the tank foundation and the bottom edge of an upright wall.
2. The Prior Art Background
Waterstop systems are well known standard materials used in the ground level concrete tank construction industry to prevent the contents such as water, etc. from penetrating through the joints at the base of the tank where the walls meet the floor. Normally, waterstop systems are anchored directly in the concrete or adhered or fastened directly to the surface of the concrete in concrete structures. Known waterstop systems recognize the fact that concrete structures can experience significant movement at the joints, for example, the joint between the bottom edge of an upright wall and the floor, in response to changes in liquid level, climatic cycles, environmental changes and the like, and so waterstop systems are commonly made from various types of plastic and rubber for flexibility. However, in the case of plastic lined concrete tanks, there has been no good solution to problems encountered particularly when a waterstop system is anchored in the concrete floor and then must be permanently sealed to a plastic lining on a tank wall to prevent leakage. The problem is that the tank walls cycle (expand and contract) with changes in temperature and liquid levels in the tank, and the waterstop system must contort to accommodate the resultant movement. Such contortion often ruptures or otherwise violates (i.e., compromises the projected lifespan of) the primary seal between the lining and the waterstop system.
In addition, with known tank lining systems, plastic floor liners must generally be secured at their peripheral edges using bolts or other forms of fastening. This is expensive and often unreliable, since the bolts must be gasketed with another material, generally a foamed rubber, to make them watertight.

Plastic lined concrete tanks equipped with waterstop systems


An air handling unit has a blower configured to selectively move air from an air inlet of the air handling unit to an air outlet of the air handling unit along an airflow direction extending from the blower to the air outlet, a heat exchanger disposed within the air handling unit between the inlet and the outlet, the heat exchanger has a thermal conductor, an evaporator tube thermally conductively joined to the thermal conductor, and a subcooler tube thermally conductively joined to the thermal conductor. An expansion device provides fluid communication between the evaporator tube and the subcooler tube and a drain pan disposed within the air handling unit upstream relative to the at least one subcooler tube and positioned in a geometrical footprint of at least a portion of the drain pan as the drain pan is viewed from an upstream position in the airflow direction.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) defines several tests for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems designed to mimic real-world conditions. The tests are specified in "AHRI 210/240-2008: 2008 Standard for Performance Rating of Unitary Air-Condition and Air-Source Heat Pump Equipment," which is herein incorporated by reference. Of particular interest are two tests for two-speed or variable-speed compressors—the "A" test and the "F" test. The "A" test is a test conducted at a high compressor capacity with 95° F. air entering the outdoor unit, and the "F" test is a test conducted at a low compressor capacity with 67° F. air entering the outdoor unit. These tests are directed to so-called split HVAC systems comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. These tests represent relatively extreme operating conditions for an HVAC cooling system.
One way to achieve a high Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) and thereby affecting the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating for an HVAC system in the AHRI "A" test is to optimize charge for the "A" test. However, as a result of optimizing charge according to the "A" test, there may be a significant loss of subcooling in the AHRI "F" test. Conventionally, in order to remedy this, additional charge may be added to achieve sufficient subcooling for the "F" test. Adding this additional charge to provide sufficient performance for the "F" test presents a problem for the "A" test because charge is no longer optimized for the "A" test and the EER at the "A" test is accordingly decreased. The "A" and "F" tests can thus place competing demands on an HVAC system.


Systems and methods for determining azimuth of a wellbore while drilling. A method of drilling a wellbore that includes rotating a drill bit to extend the wellbore into a subterranean formation. The method may further include measuring magnetic toolface with a first magnetometer while rotating the drill bit. The method may further include obtaining a cross-axial magnetic field measurement. The method may further include determining azimuth at a point in the wellbore using at least the magnetic toolface and the cross-axial magnetic field measurement. The method may further include using the azimuth as feedback in the drilling the wellbore.

Wellbores drilled into subterranean formations may enable recovery of desirable fluids (e.g., hydrocarbons) using a number of different techniques. While drilling the wellbore, it is important to monitor the direction of the wellbore. Accordingly, measurements are often taken during the drilling operation to determine the orientation of the wellbore. These measurements are commonly referred to as surveying and include determination of the inclination and azimuth of the wellbore with respect to the earth's gravity and magnetic fields. Azimuth is the angle between the vertical projection of a wellbore trajectory onto a horizontal surface and true north or magnetic north measured in a horizontal plane. Inclination is the deviation of the wellbore from vertical.
To enable these measurements, a survey instrument may commonly be installed in the bottomhole assembly. The survey instrument may include a number of different sensors, including three-axis accelerometers and three-axis magnetometers. The three-axis accelerometer may measure the Earth's gravitational field vector relative to the survey instrument longitudinal axis. The three-axis accelerometer may also measure gravity (high side) "toolface angle," which is the angle of the borehole survey instrument within the wellbore measured clockwise relative to up (high side) and in the plane perpendicular to the wellbore axis. The three-axis magnetometer may measure the Earth's magnetic field vector. From these measurements, the azimuth, inclination, and magnetic toolface may be determined. Magnetic toolface is the angle of the borehole survey instrument within the wellbore measured clockwise relative to magnetic north and in the plane perpendicular to the wellbore axis.
While survey instruments may be used to determine wellbore orientation, their use while actively drilling may be limited. For example, measurements obtained while the bottomhole assembly is rotating may be inaccurate, for example, due to the stress encountered from drilling the wellbore, thus leading to unreliable determination of wellbore orientation, including azimuth. Accordingly, surveys are often performed at fixed survey points in the wellbore so that intermittent measurements of the Earth's magnetic and gravitational fields are obtained under static conditions, i.e., while the bottomhole assembly is stationary. However, undetected variations in wellbore trajectory between the survey points may be undetected, thus leading to undesirable error in depth and position of the wellbore due to inaccurate steering of the bottomhole assembly.


The container tracking system comprises a computer system for tracking a plurality of container or carriers. For the purpose of easily tracking any individual container or carrier, a transponder is disposed on the body of the container or carrier. The transponder can be inserted into the body of the carrier in a protected and safe manner. The transponder has a memory configured for transmitting and receiving electronic data, like identification codes, location codes etc. The memory of the transponder (first electronic level) exchanges data with read/write units (second electronic level). A plurality of such read/write units is located on a track or a trajectory of the containers, i.e. is disposed relatively close to a track of the transponder. The computer system of the container tracking system is completed by a processing unit disposed remote from the containers (third electronic level). The distant processing unit receives data from the read/write units thereby permitting a monitoring of all data memorized in the transponders.

The invention relates to a container tracking system as disclosed in the German patent application DE 199 50 532.2 filed on Oct. 20, 1999. This disclosure is fully incorporated by reference.
The prior patent application is inter alia directed to an information system comprising at least one information center and a plurality of reusable transportation means, wherein a computer is included in said information center which interrogates at least the locations and some mechanical parameters of said transportation means and which stores that information.
Tracking systems of different kinds based on transponders or electronic tags or radio tags or RFID (radio frequency identification) mounted on containers or carriers of some kind are known, e.g. from the documents DE 43 13 049, EP 412 020, WO96/13015, EP 905 057, EP 507 773, EP 292 236, DE-GM 92 12 243, EP 025 510, WO97/38661, EP 458 722, EP 443 897, EP 411 012, DE 43 34 668 and DE 196 19 851.
The reusable transportation means is for instance a container or a palette. The container or palette comprises a transponder which receives and stores information on a location of said transportation means and in addition information on a mechanical state of readiness of the transportation means and on the condition of a transported merchandise and on a profile of usability of the transportation means.
The object of the instant invention is to further extend the trackability of such reusable containers having transponders.
The solution to this object is given in the patent claims 1 to 9. Claim 1 calls for a container tracking system comprising a trackable container or carrier and a computer tracking system. The trackable container or carrier includes a housing body and a transponder disposed in the housing body, the transponder having a memory and being configured for transmitting and receiving data to and from the memory. The computer tracking system which supplements the container tracking system comprises a plurality of read write units, each unit being configured for transmitting and receiving data to and from the memory of the transponder. The data which are exchanged between the computer tracking system and the memory of the transponder concern at least a location of the container corresponding to a location of each read write unit, and a processing unit disposed at a distance remote from the container and being configured for receiving the data from at least one of said read write units and the transponder, the processing unit thereby permitting a monitoring of the data. The container tracking system comprises three electronic levels:
a transponder having a memory disposed in the housing body of the trackable container,
a plurality of read/write units disposed relatively close to the track of the container transponder, and
a central processing unit disposed remote from the track of the container transponder.
The central processing unit may be configured for interrogating the container transponders, when they are located in the trajectory between two read/write units.
This remote processing unit may be coupled to the Internet and/or to a GPS link so that the data of the container transponder may be online accessible.
The transponder may include a sensors, which is coupled to the memory therein. Thus, the container tracking system is apted for sensing a variable which is pertinent to a container and/or a contents of the container. The sensor is adapted to generate a sensed value for the variable and to transmit the sensed value to the memory of the transponder, the memorized data thereby including the sensed value. The container tracking system is thereby permitted to monitor the data of the sensed variable, for instance a temperature, a humidity level, a luminosity or a radiation variable within the container.
The transponder on the lowest level of the container tracking system may further include a timer coupled to the memory. The timer may record the time between two events to generate a value corresponding to the time elapsed and to transmit the sensed value to the memory. The data may thereby include a time value corresponding to the time elapsed between two events. The start time may be induced by the passing a read write unit and the stop time may be induced by the passing of another read write unit. The two events may also correspond to an indirect starting and/or stopping of the timer when a respective read write unit obtains a command from the central processing unit.
Tracking data like origin, destination, departure from the origin and arrival time at the destination may be memorized in the transponder. It is possible to store a use profile over the life time of a container within the memory of the respective built-in transponder.
The invention is explained in more detail by referring to the incorporated application DE 199 50 532.2 and to some prior art and to the FIGS. 1 to 10.
The invention applies to a reusable transportation means, as for instance a receptacle or a container or a packing or a pallet or a trolley car. Such a kind of transportation means may comprise a transponder (also called: electronic tag), which can receive, store and provide for inquiry information about the location of the transportation means.
A method and a device for commissioning semi-automatically different commodities is known from the German patent specification DE 19526131; it is this kind of a device from which the invention starts. According to DE 19526131, commodities provided for in shelves, are transported by a cargo carrier on a conveyer belt. In the beginning, a commissioning order is edited by the customer computer; this order is transmitted via a transponder teletype writer onto an encodable transponder which is provided on the cargo carrier; thereby, control operations acting upon the conveyer belt are triggered. At a given control station, a movable computer for handling commissions and run by staff members exchanges information with said transponder.
The invention is confronted with the problem of designing the known, reusable transportation means including the transponder in such a manner that it becomes fit for considerably longer routes of transportation and for considerably varying profiles of exploitation. In this context, the trackability must be extended.
The problem is solved by a reusable transportation means in which the transponder is arranged in accordance with an information system, wherein a plurality of such transponders installed in transportation means are inquired by a computer located in an information center.
The reusable transportation means may be configured in the form of a folding chest, in which the transponder may be installed in an invisible and hidden manner.
The invention is explained in more detail on the basis of a preferred of embodiment of a folding chest fitted with a transponder.
Fresh products play an outstanding role in the commerce of foodstuffs. Freshness and quality are the most important shopping criteria for the consumer.
An altered environmental consciousness, which finds expression not only in the products themselves but also in the packaging systems, adds to this criterion. Official regulations regarding the disposal of packaging materials have to be respected, too.
The totality of these requirements is turned into a multiway-packing system which is eco-friendly and economical. The quality of merchandise is ensured during transport, for example in the case of fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat products, sausages, poultry, cheese or fish. Damage in transit is minimized; the cost in logistics is decreased; one-way packages involving respective costs and risks in terms of disposal are avoided.
A xe2x80x9cgreenxe2x80x9d chest for fruit and vegetables has, for instance, the basic dimensions of 60 cmxc3x9740 cm. Yet, the basic format may also have 40 cmxc3x9730 cm. In using a crate unfolder, 850 folding chests can be put open per hour, so that they can accommodate fruit, vegetables, etc. At the end of the transport route and after emptying, the folding chests can be fold up again by means of a collapsing machine.
The cycle of the multiway-transportation packings operates as follows:
A manager of the reusable transportation means including a transponder delivers the chests, containers and boxes, transformed into a volume-saving configuration to producers, wrappers and industries. There, the receptacles are unfolded and pass, when being filled, to the traders respectively the distributors. Thereafter, the empty folding chests return to the store houses and are fetched by the manager of the traders. Finally, they are cleaned, inspected and sorted by types. Thereafter they are ready for re-entering the cycle.
The information system in accordance with the invention can be used in passing beyond borders and countries. For example, a folding chest designed specifically for the distribution of bananas has exploitable inside dimensions of 570 mm in length, 370 mm in width and 199 mm in height; the outside dimensions, when stacked, are respectively 600 mm in length, 400 mm in width and 211 mm in height; the outside dimensions, when folded, are respectively 600 mm in length, 400 mm in width and only 45 mm in height.
Another example of embodiment is given by folding chests for heavy charges. The chests having 301 mm or 352 mm of height are suited for receiving a charge of up to 25 kg of fruit. In the empty state the reduction in volume amounts to about 80%. The closure mechanism of the folding chests is easy to be handled.
Arranged on the chests, or also pallets, in accordance with the invention there are transponders which communicate, for example, with portable data terminals which form read/write units. By the intermediary of such portable data terminals, each moving of the chests and/or pallets can be tracked and, for instance, fed into the Internet system, wherefrom the information can be fetched.
The transponders are installed in the chest or pallet in such a manner that they are not visible from the outside. In this way the danger of fraudulent data manipulation is reduced. The transponders may be incorporated by moulding or fitting. They are insensible to environmental atmospherical influences as for instance air moisture or temperature.
When a packing operation has come to an end, the mobile data terminal inputs the data, arriving from a packing hall of a producer, either into the Internet, or it transmits them to the computer of an information center or directly to the customer by GPS.
The transponder is connected to a sensor which may determine by means of optical, electrical or magnetic scanning whether or not the folding chest is locked in the transport state or is folded into the return transport state. This information about the mechanical state of readiness of the folding chest may be stored in the transponder and is available for being fetched. The folding chest or, more generally speaking, the transporting means may also allow for being mechanically locked into more than two of such states.
In order to monitor the quality of the transported merchandise, a temperature profile or a temperature limit may be stored in the transponder. A temperature sensor, which may also be installed in the folding chest and connected to the transponder sensor, measures the march of temperature to which a piece of perishable food is subjected. The time of filling or the expiry date of the merchandise is information which may be stored in the folding chest without using a special sensor. Said information can be retrieved centrally in order to update the logistical requirements, for example in order to accelerate transportation. It is, however, likewise possible that the transponder transmits by itself an alarm signal on the basis of the stored data and criteria, if the merchandise risks perishing.
In terms of additional information about the folding chest itself, the memory of the transponder may contain: the registration number and/or the owner of the folding chest; the state of load or filling if the folding chest is open; tara, age of date of manufacture of the folding chest; data about the state of cleanliness, humidity or maintenance of the folding chest. Valuable conclusions about the condition of the folding chest can be drawn when several data of this kind would be combined to yield a usability profile which provides information about the use of the chest in the interval between the date of its manufacture and the acute date.
Depending upon the individuality of the merchandise, the following data of information may be additionally contained in the memory of the transponder: type of the charge, length or weight charge, owner of the charges, place of origin and/or place of destination of the merchandise, type of packaging, delivery period, receiver of the merchandise, price of the merchandise, color of the merchandise, consistency of the merchandise, number of items or of bunches, commission number of the merchandise, acoustic emissions or noises of the merchandise.
Apart from the temperature sensor already mentioned, the transponder may be connected also to other sensors, which measure for instance the humidity of air, the air pressure respectively the altitude, the exposition of radiation, the dust, the noise, the luminisity or the vibration of the surroundings.
The present invention relates to a casing preferably made of plastic material and capable of being processed by molding, and used for protectively housing a transponder, which comprises a plane carrier fitted with an enclosed chip and a frame antenna extending along said carrier. It also relates to a container equipped with such a type of casing.
A transponder in this sense is a transmission- reception device operating in accordance with a request-and-answer system. A coded request signal received by the transponder is decoded and evaluated according to the identification and other information of the enquirer. Thereafter, a coded response signal, selectively destined to the enquirer, is transmitted, which contains the desired information, which signal is decoded automatically and evaluated by the enquirer likewise.
Thus, these transponders consist of a chip, which is disposed on a plane carrier, having the shape of a fine-meshed sieve, which carrier supports also the transmit-and-receive antenna. A transponder of this kind is also referred to as xe2x80x9ctagxe2x80x9d by experts in the field. Conventionally, the tag is stuck on the object to be equipped with it, or else, if the object is made of plastic material, the tag is laid, for example, in an injection mold and then embedded by injection molding. Examples of said objects are, e.g. containers or baskets wherein products, for example, provisions, are transported from a whole sale distributor to a chain sales store.
Stuck transponders manufactured in the form of tags may incur damage. In the case of plastic containers which are manufactured in a mold by injection, the transponders may be damaged by the injection itself, and they can also be shifted, so that they are ineffective in use.
This problem is solved in a way is disclosed in EP 996 085.
The advantages obtained consist essentially in the fact that the transponder is entirely enclosed and protected right on from the beginning and that it cannot be displaced during the injection molding procedure.
The transponder is incorporated safely in the container by way of molding.
This part of the invention is explained hereafter in more detail on the basis of drawings which illustrate only one way of implementation.


Disclosed is a method and system for providing call intermediation services. The method for providing the call intermediation services allows a user to automatically make a call with a company if a user inputs only the telephone number on the web. After confirming the company profile of the Internet portal site, a user can speak by telephone with a person in charge of a company without a waiting time for call connection, and the user can rapidly acquire necessary information by means of query and response.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for providing call intermediation services and system therefore. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for providing call intermediation services and system which can allow a user to automatically make a call to a person in charge of a company if a user inputs only a telephone number on the web.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Recently, most Internet portal sites provide the company profile retrieval service for users. The company profile retrieval service means that the firm name, the telephone number, and the information of the position of the searched company are provided to a user computer if a firm name or a category of business of the company which a user tries to search is inputted as a search word. A user can confirm the location of the corresponding company through the searched result. Moreover, a user may telephone the company by using the telephone number and then make inquiries to the person in charge.
In the meantime, in order to telephone the corresponding company by using the company profile provided by the above-described Internet portal sites, a user should confirm a telephone number in the company profile, and then dial by pushing buttons on a telephone or a mobile phone one by one, so inconveniently.
Moreover, there is a problem that a user should wait until the person in charge of a company answers the telephone. Moreover, there is a problem that in case the person in charge of a company does not instantly receive a telephone, a user should wait for several ten seconds without making any conversation by telephone.
In case the line is busy for a long time or a user fails to make a call, it may damage the company image or cause loss on sales. Particularly, in case a company giving the delivery service using a telephone order, it may cause enormous loss on sales.
As an attempt for solving the inconvenience that a user has to input a company telephone number in order to call a company on the telephone, Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-35194 discloses 'Web Service using One Click Auto Dialing'. Concretely, this document suggests a technique using a PC-to-Phone telephone service which automatically dials to a company if a user clicks a banner ad or a telephone number on the web. When using this technique, a user can make a call to a person in charge of a company by clicking with the use of an I/O unit of a computer without any need of inputting a telephone number in a separate telephone terminal. But the technique of the above document has a problem that a user cannot use the service in case an audio input unit (microphone) is not equipped in a computer. Moreover, although the technique of the above document is used, there still remains an inconvenience that the user should wait until receiving a response to the call.
Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-1216 discloses 'The method of the advertisement and call connection according to user's current location in next generation network'. Concretely, this document discloses a method for providing a map of nearby companies in case a subscriber demands a company guideline, and then connecting a call between the subscriber and the company in case a subscriber demands the call connection. But this document shows problems that only profiles of companies existing nearby a current position of the subscriber, and thus the subscriber cannot be connected to other common companies because this technique is linked to a map. Moreover, the above document still shows the problem that a user needs to wait for call connection since the user is an originator, even if the user need not press buttons one by one as in the Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-35194.

Method for providing call intermediation services and system therefore


A laser beam is scanned on a sample while a wavelength of the laser beam is varied. Quantity of fluorescence from the sample is detected. Absorption wavelength spectral characteristic data of fluorescence indicators whose kinds are known and which dye the sample is acquired. The absorption wavelength spectral characteristic data of a site to be discriminated is compared with the absorption wavelength spectral characteristic data of each of the fluorescence indicators of known kinds. The kind of fluorescence indicator dyeing the site to be discriminated is discriminated from a result of the comparison.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a laser scanning microscope capable of scanning a laser beam onto a sample dyed with a fluorescence indicator and detecting fluorescence from the sample, and, an indicator discriminating method for discriminating the kind of fluorescence indicator dyeing the sample by using absorption wavelength spectral characteristics of the detected fluorescence.
2. Description of the Related Art
A laser scanning microscope is disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-56244 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-55284. FIG. 9 shows a structure of the laser scanning microscope of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-56244. The laser scanning microscope comprises a microscope 1 and a scanning device 2. The microscope 1 comprises a light source 3, an illumination lens system 4, a beam splitter 5, an objective 6, a stage 7 over which a sample S is placed, a condenser 8, a light source 9, a transmitted light detector 10, an image-forming lens 11, a beam splitter/mirror 12 and an eyepiece 13.
The scanning device 2 comprises a laser unit 14, a shutter 15, a collimation lens system 16, beam splitters 17 and 18, a scanning means 19, a confocal pinhole 20, a grating 21, image-forming mirrors 22 and 23, a one-dimensional change mirror array (DMD) 24, a converging lens system 25, and a detector 26.
The confocal pinhole 20 is provided at a conjugate position via the objective 6. A monochromator is composed of the grating 21 and the image-forming mirrors 22 and 23. The confocal pinhole 20 serves as an incidence opening of the monochromator. The change mirror array 24 is provided on a focal plane of the grating 21.
The laser unit 14 outputs a laser beam. The laser beam is passed through the shutter 15, the collimation lens system 16 and the beam splitters 17 and 18 and made incident on the scanning means 19. The laser beam is scanned, for example, in a direction X-Y by the scanning means 19. The laser beam scanned in the direction X-Y is reflected by the beam splitter/mirror 12, passed through the image-forming lens 11, the beam splitter 5 and the objective 6, and scanned over the sample S placed on the stage 7.
Fluorescence emitted from the sample S is made incident on the beam splitter/mirror 12 after passing through the objective 6, the beam splitter 5 and the image-forming lens 11. The fluorescence is reflected by the beam splitter/mirror 12, passed through the scanning means 19 and the beam splitter 18, and made to come into a focus on the confocal pinhole 20. The confocal pinhole 20 serves as an incidence opening of the monochromator composed of the grating 21, and the image-forming mirrors 22 and 23. The light beam from the sample S is split into spectral components by the dispersion effect of the monochromator.
The one-dimensional change mirror array 24 which can be arbitrarily programmed is, at least, provided on the focal plane of the grating 21. Thus, an image of the spectral light beam, from the sample S is optically formed on the change mirror array 24, converged by the converging lens system 25 and detected by the detector 26. By programing the change mirror array 24 in the above-described manner, the fluorescence wavelength spectral characteristics of the sample S can be obtained.
FIG. 10 shows a structure of the scanning microscope disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-55284. Laser beam L1 output from a laser light source 30 is spectrally spread by an optical device 31 to be wideband spectral illumination light L2. The spectral illumination light L2 is introduced into an AOTF (acousto-optic tunable filter) 32 and wavelength-selected. The wavelength-selected spectral light L3 is passed through a beam splitter 34, a scanning mirror 35 and an objective 36 and applied onto a sample S. The light beam reflected or emitted from the sample S returns in a direction reverse to the path for irradiation onto the sample S. Thus the light beam is passed through the beam splitter 34 and made incident on a detector 37.
As the optical device 31 outputs wideband spectral illumination light L2, the light quantity needs to be constant by selecting the wavelength. For this reason, an acousto-optically or electro-optically tunable filter (AOTF) may be combined with an acousto-optic or electro-optic deflector (AOD) and an acousto-optic or electro-optic beam splitter (AOBS) disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-124997. The acousto-optic or electro-optic deflector (AOD) and the acousto-optic or electro-optic beam splitter (AOBS) can be employed to select the wavelength and stop down the detected light.
In observation of the sample S dyed with the fluorescence indicator, the kind of the fluorescence indicator needs to be discriminated. In Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-56244, the fluorescence from the sample S is split into spectral contents by the dispersion effect of the monochromator composed of the grating 21 and the image-forming mirrors 22 and 23 and the light quantity in each of the wavelengths of the spectrum is detected by the detector 26. The quantity of the fluorescence from the sample S is small. The quantity of light in each of the wavelengths is further reduced by splitting the fluorescence from the sample S into the spectral contents. The SN ratio of detecting the fluorescence by the detector 26 is smaller. For this reason, the detected quantity of the fluorescence is very small and a fluorescent image becomes dark. If the quantity of the fluorescence is too small, the quantity of light in each of the wavelengths cannot be detected by the detector 26. As a result, the kind of fluorescence indicator dyeing the sample S cannot be discriminated with the fluorescence wavelength spectral characteristics.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-55284 does not suggest anything about discrimination of the kind of fluorescence indicator dyeing the sample S.

Laser scanning microscope and indicator discriminating method


Device for controlling the engine braking power of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle with a compression braking device and an exhaust pressure governor. The device includes a control unit which includes a microprocessor, to which there is fed relevant engine data and vehicle data for computing and continuously varying the degree of charging, so that the retardation of the vehicle during braking can be controlled towards a command value set by the driver.

The present invention relates to a device for regulating the engine braking power of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, which is equipped with a compression braking device, a device for varying the degree of charging during braking, and driver actuated means for activating the compression braking device and the device for varying the degree of charging.

Device for regulating the engine braking power in a turbocharged internal combustion engine


An apparatus (1) for use of carbonized charcoal powder as an electrode is provided. Charcoal is provided as a powder, carbonized, and placed in a container (16) by which compressive pressure is applied to the carbonized-charcoal powder via one or more sides of the container (16). As a result of the compressive pressure the packed-bed (11) of carbonized-charcoal powder manifests a resistivity of less than about 1 ohm-cm and is suitable for use as an electrode in a fuel cell, battery or electrolyzer. The apparatus is adapted with electrical contacts (8, 9, 10) to conduct electric flow to or from the electrode and adapted for communication of an electrolyte with the electrode.

Carbon batteries played an important role in the history of fuel cell research. In 1855 Becquerel attempted to build a fuel cell that generated electricity by the electrochemical combustion of coal.1, 2 However, the electrolyte contained a nitrate that attacked the carbon without producing a current. By the end of the 19th century the increasing demand for electric power in Europe began to consume considerable amounts of coal because the conversion efficiency was very low.3 Contemplating this problem, in 1894 Ostwald3 called for development of a fuel cell that would react coal with oxygen to produce electricity more efficiently than thermo-mechanical equipment. Jacques3 demonstrated a 1.5 kW battery that employed a consumable carbon anode, an iron cathode, and an air-bubbled alkali hydroxide electrolyte to generate 0.9 V at 400-500° C. Operating intermittently, this battery delivered power with an overall efficiency of 32% during a six-month period. The experiment failed because carbonates accumulated in the electrolyte that halted the electrochemistry.3 In 1937 Baur and Preis2 tested a fuel cell that used a coke anode and an electrolyte composed of zirconia stabilized with magnesia or yttria at >1000° C. Summarizing the status of carbon fuel cell research as of 1969, Bockris and Srinivasen2 concluded that carbon fuel cells are impractical because (i) coal is not an electrical conductor, and (ii) graphite is too scarce and expensive to be used as a fuel.
Interest in carbon fuel cells resurfaced during the 1970's, when the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) attempted to develop a coal based fuel cell that employed molten lead at temperatures of 500 to 900° C.4, 5 Gur and Huggins6 demonstrated a high temperature (725 to 955° C.) fuel cell that employed stabilized zirconia as a solid electrolyte and a graphite anode.
Other consumable anodes in carbon fuel cells are disclosed by Pesavento7 and Tao8.
Charcoal is mentioned as an anode material, however raw charcoal is not a conductor of electricity. Charcoal is the carbonaceous residue of biomass pyrolysis (thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen) or starved-air combustion (combustion with insufficient oxygen to permit complete combustion). A good quality charcoal has a fixed-carbon content as measured by ASTM D 1762-84 in excess of about 70%. Fixed-carbon contents above 70% may be realized by heating the charcoal to temperatures of about 400° to 500° C. A representative chemical formula for charcoal is CH0.60O0.13.8a When higher carbon content is desired, charcoal is carbonized by heat treatment in the absence of oxygen at temperatures above 500° C. Carbonized charcoals can have carbon contents in excess of 94 wt. %. Some carbonized charcoals are purer forms of carbon than natural graphites.
It is known that carbonized charcoal can possess very high electrical conductivities. In 1810 carbonized-charcoal electrodes were used in an arc lamp, and in 1830 carbonized charcoal was used as an electrode for primary batteries. These electrodes were made from powdered charcoal or coke bonded with sugar syrup or coal tar, pressed and carbonized at high temperatures.9 Others10-12 have reported extensive studies of biocarbon electrodes manufactured from charcoal particles bonded together by wood tar and subsequently carbonized. However, the high costs associated with molding, bonding, and carbonizing powdered charcoal makes this approach commercially impractical.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to enable carbonized-charcoal powder without bonding or molding to be used as an electrode in a fuel cell, battery or electrolyzer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide carbonized-charcoal powder as the consumable anode of a biocarbon fuel cell.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide carbonized-charcoal powder as an electrode of a hydrogen fuel cell, battery or electrolyzer.
These and other objects and advantages to the present invention will be readily apparent upon reference to the drawing and the following description.


An electronic package having multiple pins may be tested in parallel for output short circuit current by simulating a direct short to ground by simultaneously connecting multiple output pins directly to ground in order to active a current limiter associated with each of the output pins. The pins are then connected to a resistive connection to ground via a set of resistors; the direct ground is then removed, such that the current limiter associated with each of the output pins remains activated. A voltage drop across each of the set of resistors is measured simultaneously. An output short circuit current fault is indicated when the voltage drop across any of the resistors exceeds a threshold value corresponding to a maximum output short circuit current value.

As the performance and complexity of integrated circuits (IC) has increased over the years, the number of input/output (I/O) pin count has also increased significantly. High density devices with high output pin count may have a large number of output pins that may require output short circuit current (IOS) testing. It is a common practice to perform output IOS testing in order to verify the integrity of a device output protective circuit in the event of short on the output pins. IOS test simulate the worst-case loading conditions on the output pin of a device. The test guarantees that whenever output current exceeds the trip point for the IOS detection in the event of a short, the current limiting block would kick in to prevent the device from exceeding its absolute maximum current carrying capability and protect the device from any damage. The IOS test is performed using a test device commonly referred to as ATE (automatic test equipment), which either sources or sinks current to the output pins being tested while simulating a short circuit from the pin to ground by forcing the output pin to 0V. In the absence of a fault condition, the ATE should detect a current flow from the output pin not exceeding the allowable limited current from the device protective circuit. If, however, there is a defect in the current protective circuit and the current limiting failed, a huge amount of current may flow out from the device and thus register a substantial increase in current measurement at the output pin.
IOS test may be performed serially by measuring current on each output pin by pin or it can be performed simultaneously for all the output pins depend on the tester resources capability and availability. Due to the tester current measuring resources capability and availability limitation in ATE environment, IOS testing is commonly performed serially pin by pin, which takes a significant amount of test time.
A chip scale package (CSP) is a type of integrated circuit chip carrier. In order to qualify as chip scale, the package typically has an area no greater than 1.2 times that of the die and it is a single-die, direct surface mountable package. Another criterion that is often applied to qualify these packages as CSPs is their ball pitch should be no more than 1 mm.
The die may be mounted on an interposer upon which pads or balls are formed, like with flip chip ball grid array (BGA) packaging, or the pads may be etched or printed directly onto the silicon wafer, resulting in a package very close to the size of the silicon die. Such a package is called a wafer-level chip-scale package (WL-CSP) or a wafer-level package (WLP).
Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

Testing integrated circuit packaging for output short circuit current


A humidifier heater base assembly has a heater plate with a thermally conductive portion and a perimeter portion around a perimeter of the heater plate. A resilient member has an inner part attached to the perimeter portion and an outer part adapted to provide a resilient perimeter flange around at least part and preferably the whole of the perimeter portion. The resilient member fixes the heater base to the humidifier by the resilient perimeter flange such that the heater plate and the inner part can move relative to the humidifier in a direction substantially transverse to the general plane of the heater plate. At least a portion of the resilient perimeter flange remains stationary relative to the humidifier.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gas humidification apparatus, particularly but not solely for humidifying a gases supply to a patient or user who require a supply of humidified gas for the treatment of diseases such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), snoring, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the like. In particular, this invention relates to the heater base arrangement of a humidification apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices or systems for providing a humidified gases flow to a patient for therapeutic purposes are well known in the art. Systems for providing therapy of this type, for example CPAP therapy, have a structure where gases at the required pressure are delivered from an assisted breathing unit or blower unit to a humidifier chamber downstream from the blower. As the gases are passed through the heated, humidified air in the humidifier chamber, they become saturated with water vapour. The gases are then delivered to a user or patient downstream from the humidifier, via a gases conduit. Humidified gases can be delivered from a modular system that has been assembled from separate units (that is, a system where the humidifier chamber/heater and the breathing unit/blower are separate items) connected in series via conduits. However, it is becoming more common for integrated blower/humidifier systems to be used, as shown schematically in FIG. 1. A typical integrated system consists of a main 'blower' or assisted breathing unit which provides a pressurised gases flow, and a humidifier unit that mates with or is otherwise rigidly connected to the blower unit. This mating occurs for example by a slide on or push connection, so that the humidifier is held firmly in place on the main blower unit. An example of a system of this type is the Fisher and Paykel Healthcare 'slide-on' water chamber system shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,111,624.
Integrated devices are generally more compact and discrete than modular breathing circuit that have been assembled from separate units. A compact and discrete unit is particularly advantageous for home use units, where bedside space is limited, and where a user may also have to transport and set up their own personal unit elsewhere, for example if staying overnight away from home. With compact and integrated units, the set up is generally easier for a user.
Generally, home units are used for the relief of sleep apnoea. A mid-use point will usually be during the night, during a users sleep cycle. If refilling or similar is required during use, a user will need to wake up to perform this operation. Having been woken up, the user is required to refill the humidifier chamber. Problems can arise when filling or cleaning these units, as nearly all of the respiratory humidification systems currently available use water as a humidification medium, and cleaning will almost always be carried out with a water based cleaner. Blower and humidifier units are operated and controlled electrically, and problems can occur if the internal electronic parts are not protected. If the internal parts are not protected, any accidental water spillage that takes place can potentially short-circuit the electronics and disrupt the operation of the system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a breathing assistance apparatus which goes some way to overcoming the abovementioned disadvantages or which at least provides the public or industry with a useful choice.


An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a substrate including a first driving region, a second driving region, and a pixel region, the pixel region including a switching region and a storage region; a first n-type transistor in the first driving region, a second p-type transistor in the second driving region; a third transistor in the switching region, the third transistor including a gate electrode, an active layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; an extension portion in the storage region and extending from the active layer; a metal pattern on the extension portion; a storage line over the metal pattern; and a pixel electrode in the pixel region and contacting the third transistor, wherein the metal pattern, the storage line and the pixel electrode form first, second and third electrodes of a storage capacitor that includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor parallel to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and more particularly, to an array substrate for a liquid crystal display device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the upper and lower substrates. The LCD device uses an optical anisotropy of liquid crystal to produce an image. An electric field is used to control the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer by varying the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules.
One substrate of the LCD device includes a thin film transistor that acts as a switching element. An LCD device, which includes the thin film transistor, is referred to as an active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) device and it has a high resolution and can display an excellent moving image. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is widely used as an active layer of the thin film transistor because the hydrogenated amorphous silicon can be formed on a large, low cost substrate such as glass.
However, the hydrogenated amorphous silicon includes weak Si—Si bonds and dangling bonds due to disordered atomic arrangement. Thus, when light or an electric field is applied, there may be stability problems in the hydrogenated amorphous silicon used as the active layer of the thin film transistor. Additionally, the thin film transistor including the hydrogenated amorphous silicon has a low field effect mobility of about 0.1 to 1.0 cm2/V·s and is difficult to be used for a driver integrated circuit (driver IC) that controls the thin film transistor. The driver IC usually includes CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) transistors that require crystalline silicon as active layers. Because of this, the driver IC is usually connected to the array substrate using a TAB (tape automated bonding) system. This adds significant cost to the LCD device.
To avoid the limitations of amorphous silicon, LCD devices incorporating polycrystalline silicon as an active layer are being researched and developed. Polycrystalline silicon is highly beneficial because it is much better suited for use in the driver IC than amorphous silicon. Thus, polycrystalline silicon has the advantage that the number of fabrication steps could be reduced because a thin film transistor and a driver IC could be formed on the same substrate, eliminating the need for TAB bonding. Furthermore, the field effect mobility of polycrystalline silicon is 100 to 200 times greater than that of amorphous silicon. Polycrystalline silicon is also optically and thermally stable.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an array substrate of a liquid crystal display device having driver integrated circuits (driver ICs) according to the related art. Referring to FIG. 1, the array substrate includes a display region D1 and a non-display region D2 on an insulating substrate 10. In the display region D1, gate lines GL are formed along a first direction, and data lines DL are formed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The gate lines GL and the data lines DL cross each other to define pixel regions P. The pixel regions P form a matrix. In each pixel region P, a switching element T and a pixel electrode 78, which is connected to the switching element T, are formed. In the non-display region D2, gate and data driving portions GP and DP are disposed. The gate driving portion GP is disposed in the left region of the substrate 10 in the context of the figure, and the data driving portion DP is disposed in the top region of the substrate 10 in the context of the figure. The gate driving portion GP, which includes a plurality of driver ICs, supplies an address signal to the gate lines GL, and the data driving portion DP, which also includes a plurality of driver ICs, supplies an image signal to the data lines DL.
The gate driving portion GP and the data driving portion DP are electrically connected to an outer control circuit (not shown) with signal input terminals OL which are formed on one edge of the substrate 10, so that the outer control circuit (not shown) controls the driver ICs of the gate driving portion GP and the data driving portion DP. The outer control circuit (not shown) applies signals to the gate and data driving portions GP and DP through the signal input terminals OL.
The gate driving portion GP and the data driving portion DP include driver ICs having a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) transistor as an inverter which changes a direct current into an alternating current. The CMOS transistor comprises an n-channel MOS transistor (or n-type MOS transistor), in which electrons are the majority carriers, and a p-channel MOS transistor (or p-type MOS transistor), in which holes are the majority carriers. Therefore, in an n-channel MOS transistor, most of the current is carried by negatively charged electrons, and in a p-channel MOS transistor, most of the conduction is carried by positively charged holes. The thin film transistor T of the display region D1 and the CMOS transistor (not shown) of the non-display region D2 may use polycrystalline silicon as an active layer, and thus can be formed on the same substrate 10.
FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a pixel region of an array substrate including a polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor according to the related art. Referring to FIG. 2, a gate line GL is formed along a direction on a substrate 10, and a data line DL crosses the gate line GL to define a pixel region P. A thin film transistor T is formed at the crossing portion of the gate and data lines GL and DL. The thin film transistor T includes an active layer 18 of polycrystalline silicon, a gate electrode 34 over the active layer 18, and source and drain electrodes 70 and 72 contacting the active layer 18. A pixel electrode 78 is formed in the pixel region P and is connected to the drain electrode 72. A storage capacitor CST is also formed in the pixel region P. The storage capacitor CST includes an impurity-doped polycrystalline silicon pattern 20, as a first electrode, and a storage line 36, as a second electrode. The storage line 36 is disposed over the impurity-doped polycrystalline silicon pattern 20 and traverses the pixel region P.
FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of an array substrate including driver ICs according to the related art. FIG. 3A illustrates a CMOS transistor in a driving region, and FIG. 3B illustrates a pixel region including a switching element. FIG. 3B corresponds to a cross-section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a buffer layer 12 is formed on a substrate 10. A CMOS transistor is formed in a driving region including a first driving region A and a second driving region B. The CMOS transistor is composed of an n-type MOS transistor and a p-type MOS transistor in the first and second driving regions A and B, respectively. An n-type thin film transistor, as a switching element, is formed in a switching region C of a pixel region P, and a storage capacitor CST is formed in a storage region ST of the pixel region P. A pixel electrode 78 is also formed in the pixel region P and is connected to the n-type thin film transistor.
More particularly, first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18 are formed in the first driving region A, the second driving region B and the switching region C, respectively. Each of the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18 is formed of polycrystalline silicon and includes an intrinsic portion V1 and doped portions V2. The first and third active patterns 14 and 18 include a lightly doped drain (LDD) portion F between the intrinsic portion V1 and each doped portion V2. The LDD portion F includes impurities of low density and prevents leakage current of an off-state, that is, applying reverse bias to a thin film transistor. An extension portion 20 extends from the third active pattern 18 into the pixel region P.
A gate insulating layer 28 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18. First, second and third gate electrodes 30, 32 and 34 are formed on the gate insulating layer 28. The first, second and third gate electrodes 30, 32 and 34 correspond to the intrinsic portions of the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18, respectively. A storage line 36 traversing the pixel region P is also formed on the gate insulating layer 38. The storage line 36 is disposed over the extension portion 20. The extension portion 20 and the storage line 36 function as a first electrode and a second electrode, respectively, to form the storage capacitor CST. An inter insulating layer 48 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the first, second and third gate electrodes 30, 32 and 34 and the storage line 36. The inter insulating layer 48 and the gate insulating layer 28 include contact holes exposing the doped portions of the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18.
First source and drain electrodes 62 and 64, second source and drain electrodes 66 and 68, and third source and drain electrodes 70 and 72 are formed on the inter insulating layer 48. The first source and drain electrodes 62 and 64 contact the exposed doped portions V2 of the first active pattern 14, the second source and drain electrodes 66 and 68 contact the exposed doped portions V2 of the second active pattern 16, and the third source and drain electrodes 70 and 72 contact the exposed doped portions V2 of the third active pattern 18. A pixel electrode 78 is formed on a passivation layer 74 in the pixel region P and is connected to the third drain electrode 72 in the switching region C. As stated above, the n-type thin film transistor in the switching region C and the CMOS transistor in the driving region are formed on the same substrate through the same processes.
A manufacturing method of an array substrate including driver ICs according to the related art will be explained hereinafter with reference to attached drawings.
FIGS. 4A and 4B to FIGS. 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views illustrating a manufacturing method of an array substrate including driver ICs according to the related art. FIGS. 4B to 12B illustrate a pixel region including a switching element and correspond to cross-sections taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a driving region, which includes a first driving region A and a second driving region B, and a pixel region P, which includes a switching region C and a storage region ST, are defined on a substrate 10. A buffer layer 12 is formed on the substrate 10 by depositing silicon oxide (SiO2).
First, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18 are formed on the buffer layer 12 in the first driving region A, the second driving region B and the switching region C, respectively, through a first mask process. The first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18 are formed of polycrystalline silicon. Each of the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18 includes an intrinsic portion V1 and doped portions V2. The first and third active patterns 14 and 18 further include a lightly doped drain (LDD) portion F between the intrinsic portion V1 and each doped portion V2. An extension portion 20 is also formed on the buffer layer 12 in the storage region ST. The extension portion 20 extends from the third active pattern 18.
In FIGS. 5A and 5B, first, second and third photoresist patterns 22, 24 and 26 are formed on the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18, respectively, by coating a photoresist material on the entire surface of the substrate 10 and then patterning the photoresist material through a second mask process. The extension portion 20 is not covered with the photoresist patterns 22, 24 and 26 and is exposed. Next, n+ or p+ ion doping is performed in the exposed extension portion 20. The doped extension portion 20 functions as an electrode for a storage capacitor. The first, second and third photoresist patterns 22, 24 and 26 are removed.
In FIGS. 6A and 6B, a gate insulating layer 28 is formed on the substrate 10 including the doped extension portion 20 by depositing an inorganic insulating material such as silicon nitride (SiNX) or silicon oxide (SiO2). First, second and third gate electrodes 30, 32 and 34 are formed on the gate insulating layer 28 by sequentially depositing and then patterning aluminum (Al) or an aluminum alloy such as AlNd through a third mask process. The first, second and third gate electrodes 30, 32 and 34 correspond to the intrinsic portions of the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18, respectively. A storage line 36 is also formed on the gate insulating layer 28 over the extension portion 20 in the storage region ST. The extension portion 20 and the storage line 36 form a storage capacitor CST and function as first and second electrodes of the storage capacitor CST, respectively. Subsequently, n− ion doping, in which n-type impurities are lightly doped, is carried out on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the first, second and third gate electrodes 30, 32 and 34. Thus, n-type ions are lightly doped in the LDD portions F of the first and third active patterns 14 and 18 and the doped portions V2 of the first, second and third active patterns 14, 16 and 18.
In FIGS. 7A and 7B, a photoresist material is coated on the entire surface of the substrate 10 where n− ion doping is performed and then is patterned through a fourth mask process, to thereby form fourth, fifth and sixth photoresist patterns 38, 40 and 42. The fourth photoresist pattern 38 covers the first gate electrode 30 and the LDD portions F of the first active pattern 14. The fifth photoresist pattern 40 covers the second gate electrode 32 and the second active pattern 16. The sixth photoresist pattern 42 covers the third gate electrode 34 and the LDD portions F of the third active pattern 18. Here, the doped portions V2 of the first and third active patterns 14 and 18 are exposed. Next, n+ ion doping is performed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the fourth, fifth and sixth photoresist patterns 38, 40 and 42. Therefore, n-type ions are heavily doped in the doped portions V2 of the first and third active patterns 14 and 18. The fourth, fifth and sixth photoresist patterns 38, 40 and 42 are then removed.
In FIGS. 8A and 8B, a photoresist material is coated on the substrate 10 where n+ ion doping is performed. Then, the photoresist material is patterned through a fifth mask process, to thereby form seventh and eighth photoresist patterns 44 and 46. The seventh photoresist pattern 44 covers the first gate electrode 30 and the first active pattern 14, and the eighth photoresist pattern 46 covers the third gate electrode 34 and the third active pattern 18. The eighth photoresist pattern 46 also covers the storage line 36. Subsequently, p+ ion doping is performed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the seventh and eighth photoresist patterns 44 and 46, and p-type ions are heavily doped in the doped portions V2 of the second active pattern 16. The seventh and eighth photoresist patterns 44 and 46 are then removed.
In FIGS. 9A and 9B, an inter insulating layer 48 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 where p+ ion doping is performed. The inter insulating layer 48 is patterned through a sixth mask process to form first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth contact holes 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60. The first and second contact holes 50 and 52 expose the doped portions V2 of the first active pattern 14, the third and fourth contact holes 54 and 56 expose the doped portions V2 of the second active pattern 16, and the fifth and sixth contact holes 58 and 60 expose the doped portions V2 of the third active pattern 18. The inter insulating layer 48 is formed of silicon oxide (SiO2).
In FIGS. 10A and 10B, first source and drain electrodes 62 and 64, second source and drain electrodes 66 and 68, and third source and drain electrodes 70 and 72 are formed on the inter insulating layer 48 by sequentially depositing and then patterning a metallic material mentioned above through a seventh mask process. The first source and drain electrodes 62 and 64 contact the doped portions V2 of the first active pattern 14 through the first and second contact holes 50 and 52. The second source and drain electrodes 66 and 68 contact the doped portions V2 of the second active pattern 16 through the third and fourth contact holes 54 and 56. The third source and drain electrodes 70 and 72 contact the doped portions V2 of the third active pattern 18 through the fifth and sixth contact holes 58 and 60.
In FIGS. 11A and 11B, a passivation layer 74 is formed on the entire surface of the substrate 10 including the source electrodes 62, 66 and 70 and the drain electrodes 64, 68 and 72 thereon. The passivation layer 74 is patterned through an eighth mask process to thereby form a drain contact hole 76. The drain contact hole 76 exposes the third drain electrode 72 in the switching region C.
In FIGS. 12A and 12B, a pixel electrode 78 is formed on the passivation layer 74 in the pixel region P by sequentially depositing and patterning a transparent conductive material through a ninth mask process. The pixel electrode 78 contacts the third drain electrode 72 through the drain contact hole 76.
The array substrate of the related art may be fabricated through the above-mentioned mask processes. However, problems may frequently occur because the related art array substrate is fabricated through a large number of mask processes, each mask process including several steps, such as cleaning, coating a photoresist layer, exposing through a mask, developing the photoresist layer, and etching. In addition, manufacturing time and costs are increased, and productivity of the processes is lowered.

Array substrate for liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same


A method is provided for extracting the position of a particle, e.g., a moving or stationary particle that is excited or is emitting light. The method includes, among other steps, detecting and recording a signal based on, for example, the movement of the particle, a correlation step to eliminate noise and to create a transformed signal, a matching or fitting step to match the transformed signal to a fit function and an extracting or determining step to determine the position of the particle from the fit function. In one form, at least two particle positions are detected so that the distance between the subject particles can be determined.

There is a desire to detect the precise location and/or distance between particles on a micro-scale. One example of this resides in the use of fluorescent tags on linearized DNA strings based on a spatially modulated excitation. A system and method for detecting such particles or tags is described in U.S. Publication No. 2008/0181827 filed on even date herewith and incorporated herein by reference.
In an example of the cited application above, with reference to FIG. 1, a system 10 having a DNA string 12 with fluorescent tags 14 typically moves down a channel 16. The channel 16 guides the string 12 through an excitation stripe pattern 18 of a detection area 20. A detector 22 is suitably positioned relative to the detection area 20. The fluorescent signal resulting from the spatial modulation of the stripe pattern (or other suitable pattern, or technique, or architecture) is recorded vs. time as depicted in FIG. 2. A processing module 21 is also shown and is operative to conduct processing on the signal. The signal has a complex shape and, in one form, may be processed, for example, to resolve the positions of the tags 14. The positions of the tags are meaningful data in the contemplated DNA analysis. However, determining these positions becomes particularly difficult if two tags 14 are within the detection area at the same time (as in FIG. 3) and/or if the signal is noisy (as in FIG. 4).
The desire to determine particle position arises in other experimental environments. For example, the positions of particles are used in particle counting and cell sorting processes. Further, the actual or relative positions of particles on, for example, a microscope slide may be useful for certain diagnostic analyses. Examples of systems that may be used in such environments are also disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2008/0181827 filed on even date herewith and incorporated herein by reference.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for evaluation of signals received from spatially modulated excitation and emission to accurately determine particle positions and distances


A method and apparatus of interleaving memory banks in a multi-layer bus system. The apparatus includes a plurality of slave interface units receiving signals requesting a bus access and generating control signals, and a controller receiving the control signals generated from the plurality of slave interface units and generating signals required to access the memory banks. Accordingly, it is possible to greatly reduce a delay time caused when accessing a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), for example, in a multi-layer bus system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to interleaving of a memory bank, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus of interleaving a memory bank in a multi-layer bus system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A structure of a bus in an embedded System-on-Chip (SoC) depends on the type of a processor installed in the SoC. For instance, an Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) Advanced High-performance Bus (AHB) is used when an ARM processor is included in a SoC. In general, the performance of the SoC varies according to factors, such as the type of a processor, the performance of software and the performance of a bus provided. When a piece of hardware is manufactured using the SoC, connection with a memory or memories is required. The hardware performance is largely affected by that of the memory. Generally, a Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) or a Double Data Rate (DDR) memory is used as the memory. Accordingly, a delay in data transmission may occur based on the performance of the memory.
When a slave device, such as an SDRAM, is shared and simultaneously accessed by a plurality of master devices, such as a processor or a Direct Memory Access (DMA) unit, the performance of a system is not remarkably influenced by the type of bus used. In this case, the performance of the system is affected only by a response delay of the bus. Generally, the AHB bus, for example, is a bus with good performance, which has a clock response delay of 0.
Moreover, when the SDRAM is used as a slave device and reading and/or writing data is performed by accessing the SDRAM, it is possible to reduce a response delay caused when the SDRAM is continuously accessed by using bank interleaving. Bank interleaving is a function of improving speed of data processing by dividing a storage space of a memory into several banks, for example, dividing the storage space of the memory into rooms for storing and/or processing data, and allowing the several banks to process data in response to a processing command.
However, it is impossible to use bank interleaving for an SDRAM connected with an AHB system bus, where sequence of commands and responses to commands are predetermined and, thus, a large delay in data transmission becomes unavoidable.

Method and apparatus of interleaving memory bank in multi-layer bus system


The present technology relates to a gain control circuit, a communication device, an electronic appliance, and a gain control method which aim to provide a technology capable of suppressing intermodulation distortion. The gain control circuit includes a first amplifier for amplifying an input signal, and a signal determination unit for determining an input signal to be input to the first amplifier, and controlling an amplification factor of the first amplifier based on the determination result. The communication device includes a first amplifier for amplifying a received signal, a receiving unit for performing a receiving process based on a signal output from the first amplifier, and a signal determination unit for determining a received signal to be input to the first amplifier, and controlling the amplification factor of the first amplifier based on the determination result. In the gain control method, an input signal to be input to a first amplifier for amplifying an input signal is determined, and the amplification factor of the first amplifier is controlled by a feed forward system based on the determination result.

In an electronic circuit, in a case a plurality of signals at different frequencies are input, so-called intermodulation distortion arises a problem. For example, a case of an amplifier circuit provided at an input stage of a receiving circuit is typical. For example, in a case the difference of two carrier frequencies is present near the frequency of a desired wave, there is a problem of "intermodulation distortion" where an interfering component is also demodulated. Typically, when signals at a plurality of frequencies adjacent to the receiving band of a self station are received, if the linear performance of an amplifier circuit or a frequency mixer circuit is poor, third-order distortion is caused within the receiving band (normally, only a first-order component of a modulated signal has to be taken into account), and the reception quality is significantly reduced.
As a method of preventing the problem of "intermodulation distortion", there is known a method of adding a wavelength selective bandpass filter to an input unit of a receiving circuit, for example. However, this method increases the cost regarding the bandpass filter, or increases the size of the substrate, for example. Also, since generally the bandpass filter acts only with respect to a fixed frequency, using the same while making the corresponding frequency variable is difficult, and the bandpass filter has to be prepared for each communication channel (in other words, a carrier frequency; hereinafter also referred to as a "band").
As another method of preventing the problem of intermodulation distortion, there is also known a method of improving "non-linear operation of a circuit member" which is the cause of occurrence in the first place. This is a method where a circuit member is not added. For example, to improve the linear performance of a circuit, a measure of increasing the bias current or optimizing the DC bias point such that operation is in a linear region as much as possible is effective, but this increases the power supply voltage or increases the consumption power. Or, it is also conceivable to use an expensive circuit member with improved linearity, but even if an expensive circuit member is used, the non-linearity cannot, in principle, be made zero.
In contrast, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-244353 proposes a technology which assumes that occurrence of intermodulation distortion is inevitable, and which includes a gain control circuit (a variable gain amplifier circuit) at an input stage to restrict the gain at the time of large input such that the intermodulation distortion may be suppressed in a use state, to thereby suppress distortion at the gain control circuit or at a frequency conversion circuit (a mixer circuit, a mixer) at a later stage.
However, the technology proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-244353 includes two stages of gain control circuits in a system for input signals, and includes a level detection circuit (a wave detector) for each gain control circuit, and thus, the circuit is complicated.

Gain control circuit, communication device, electronic appliance, and gain control method


A writing implement that prevents flow of air into an ink tank and prevents writing failure while allowing for productivity. The writing implement includes a writing implement refill having: an ink tank composed of films storing ink; a joint connected to a tip of the ink tank; and a writing tip connected to a tip of the joint. An inner circumferential surface of the tip of the ink tank covers an outer circumferential surface of a rear end of the joint. A covering member of a ring shape covers from outside an area where the tip of the ink tank covers the outer circumferential surface of the rear end of the joint.

In the case of a publicly known conventional water-based ballpoint pen including an ink tank filled with low-viscosity ink directly poured therein, air needs to be taken into the ink tank for discharge of the ink during writing. If temperature increases or atmospheric pressure drops rapidly during writing, or if pressure inside the tank increases as a result of temperature increase or drop of atmospheric pressure while a cap is attached and then the cap is removed, the ink may jet out of the tank to soil a sheet of paper being written on or clothes, for example. Hence, action against the jet of ink has been taken by employing a comb-like ink guidance member called a collector or by employing a structure for buffering pressure inside the ink tank. However, these methods increase a number of parts, disadvantageously causing cost increase or complicated assembly process.
Patent literatures listed below disclose techniques of solving the aforementioned problem. According to these techniques, an ink tank is made of a flexible material and a valve (or a spring) is installed on a writing tip portion, thereby making the ink tank shrink in response to writing.
Patent Document 1: JP 2000-177290 A.
Patent Document 2: JP S29-13711 Y.
Patent Document 3: JP S35-25220 Y.

Writing implement refill and writing implement