The present invention is a method to rapidly lock a type II phase locked loop (PLL) after a frequency jump without degrading the output signal much. The method to decrease the settling time and improve the quality of the output clock during the settling disclosed herein comprises of the following broad steps: Estimate new frequency offset with a separate circuit outside the PLL loop to measure the frequency of the input signal accurately. Ramp integrator to the new frequency offset. Do phase build out or phase pull-in. The remaining phase offset is build out when no edge to edge alignment is required. Otherwise, the remaining phase offset is pulled in while the integrator in the PLL's loop filter is disabled. Reduce the PLL bandwidth and/or lower damping to let the PLL settle. Switch the PLL to final bandwidth and damping required by the application.

One of the. characteristics of a phase locked loop (PLL) is the locking or settling time; i.e. the time it takes the PLL to lock to a certain input signal or to respond to frequency and phase steps. In general, the locking time is dependent on the PLL's loop bandwidth, the lower the loop bandwidth the longer it takes the PLL to lock. It is generally accepted in the art that the term "settle" is defined as arriving within a certain relative or absolute accuracy.
PLLs are not only used in telecommunications applications, but also in measurement technology (for instance optical telemetry), control of motors, medical equipment and the like. Also in those applications, the phase and frequency step responses are important design considerations.
One of the most widely used types of PLL is the type II PLL. A type II PLL will lock with zero frequency offset and zero phase offset while a type I PLL will only achieve zero frequency offset when in lock.
FIG. 1 shows a typical type II PLL, consisting of a phase detector, a loop filter, a controlled oscillator and a feedback loop with a divider. In FIG. 1, a phase detector 10 is connected to a pair of multipliers 12, 18. The multiplier 12 is connected to the input of a controlled oscillator 16, for example a digital controlled oscillator. The loop filter of a type II PLL has an integrator 20 to achieve the zero phase offset when the PLL is in lock. The output of the multiplier 18 is connected to the integrator 20. The multipliers introduce the P factor and the I factor in a manner known per se. A feedback loop is provided from the output of the controlled oscillator 16 through proportional unit 30 to the second input of the phase detector 10.
When the PLL is locking to the input signal, the phase detector's output signal is integrated in the loop filter's integrator and the integrator's output signal is combined with the phase detector's output signal to the control signal of the controlled oscillator. The path from the phase detector to adder where the integrator value is added is often called the proportional path. The integrating path and the proportional path have separate scaling factors. The proportional path factor mainly determines the loop filter bandwidth while the ratio of proportional path and the integrating path factor determines the damping of the PLL.
The use of I and P factors are known in the art and control the performance of the PLL. The output of the integrator is added to the output of the phase detector multiplied by the P factor to determine the frequency of the controlled oscillator. When the phase difference is zero, i.e. on a phase hit, the frequency of the controlled oscillator is determined by the output of the integrator.
When the type II PLL is locked with a zero phase offset, the phase detector generates a zero output value. If the PLL's input signal has a frequency offset with respect to the PLL's centre frequency, then the integrator in the loop filter must generate the control signal that offsets the controlled oscillator from the PLL's centre frequency. So when the type II PLL is locked, the integrator in the loop filter contains the frequency offset.
The ratio of the proportional and integrator path factors determines the damping and thereby the response of the PLL with respect to phase and frequency transients. If the PLL has a small damping i.e. is underdamped, the integrating path factor is relatively large, it will respond to input transients with large overshoots in the time domain and it will show peaking in the jitter transfer function in the frequency domain. If the PLL has a large damping i.e. is overdamped, the integrating path factor is relatively small, it will respond to input transients with no or barely any overshoot in the time domain and has practically no peaking in the frequency domain jitter transfer function.
The amount of overshoot and peaking that can be tolerated is usually determined by the application. In many applications, relatively large overshoot and peaking is simply not acceptable. In the case of PLL's for telecommunications applications, telecom standards define how much peaking is allowed, for example 2% or 0.2 dB. These numbers are quite small.
When a frequency step is applied to a type II PLL, the damping determines how fast the integrator in the loop filter will settle to the value corresponding to the new frequency offset. The larger the damping, the longer the settling time of the integrator and thereby the longer it takes the PLL to achieve lock. U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,706 to Van Der Valk issued on Aug. 31, 2004 describes the relationship between the locking time, the bandwidth and the damping for type II PLLs. From this analysis follows that PLL's with a low bandwidth and a damping that limits the peaking to 0.2 dB take a long time to lock if no special measures are taken.
Various telecom standards restrict the maximum locking time of PLL with a very low bandwidth. For example Telcordia GR-1244-CORE states that the locking time of a Sonet Minimum Clock (SMC) compliant PLL with a bandwidth of 0.1 Hz must be locked within 100 seconds. A Stratum 3E compliant PLL with a bandwidth of 1 mHz must be locked within 700 seconds. These numbers cannot be met without special measures like temporarily increasing the bandwidth, decreasing the damping or both.
A common method to decrease the locking time is to temporarily increase the PLL's bandwidth and decrease the damping. Several PLL circuits for telecom applications use this approach. The disadvantage of increasing the PLL's bandwidth is that more phase noise that may be present on the input signal is not attenuated as much before propagating to the output of the PLL. Decreasing the damping of the PLL will cause a larger overshoot on the output signal. These effects degrade the quality of the output signal or may even cause disruptions in the network and are therefore undesirable.
The method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,706 monitors the phase offset during the locking process. When the phase offset is zero just before the PLL's output clock frequency overshoots the target frequency, the proportional value is added to the integrator and in principle the PLL is (close to) lock. However, this method is sensitive to wander and jitter on the input reference clock and can therefore copy a relatively large frequency error to the integrator.
Phase noise (wander and jitter) on the measured reference can degrade the accuracy of the measured frequency offset. If the PLL uses the same local oscillator clock to generate its output clock, the accuracy of the local clock is a common mode error for both the reference monitor's frequency estimate and the PLL's frequency offset.
In FIG. 7 the line represents the normal phase response, which shows some overshoot and thus carries quite a lot of settling.


A conveyor arrangement, a conveyor system and a method for determining a load estimate in a people conveyor arrangement, such as an escalator arrangement or horizontal or inclined autowalk arrangement include using a power model of the people conveyor arrangement, which power model includes e.g. motor model components and/or people conveyor model components, having at least a friction monitoring mode, and determining in the friction monitoring mode a friction estimate of the conveyor arrangement based at least in part on the measured or determined motor power, the power model of the people conveyor arrangement, and a speed of the step or pallet chain and/or a speed of the handrail.

People conveyor systems, such as escalator systems and moving walk systems are used in many environments. In order to ensuring that the system works as designed in different circumstances and conditions it's important to monitor the people conveyor system and its components. It's also advantageous to obtain different kind of information relating to the usage of the conveyor device, e.g. how many passengers are using the conveyor device.
In the past the condition monitoring of the escalator and moving walk systems has been mainly the responsibility of the installation or service personnel who have determined whether the condition of the escalator, relating e.g. to friction, is acceptable or not. This kind of solution creates problems because condition monitoring is based on the professional know-how of the service personnel and thus the determined condition can be based on the opinion of an individual service person. Continuous condition monitoring is also not possible because it requires presence of service personnel.
In the prior art people monitoring in escalators and autowalks has been implemented by photodetectors which are arranged on the entry area of an escalator or autowalk so that they are able to recognize passengers entering the escalator or autowalk.
The problem with these prior art passenger monitoring solutions based on photodetectors is that they are not able to accurately determine the number of passenger entering the escalator or autowalk especially in crowded situations, e.g. when people are standing next to each other or when people are walking at the same time through the gate of the photodetector.
There are also some camera-based passenger monitoring solutions which provide more accuracy in monitoring passenger load, especially in the above described crowded situations. But these kind of solutions are expensive and they are external systems which require extra maintenance compared to more traditional systems based on photodetectors.

Monitoring arrangement and method for a people conveyor


Provided is a voltage regulator capable of suppressing excessive overshoot at the output terminal when the power supply fluctuates in a non-regulate state. The voltage regulator includes: an error amplification circuit that amplifies a difference between reference voltage and divided voltage, thus controlling a gate of an output transistor; an amplifier that compares the reference voltage and the divided voltage to detect overshoot at the output voltage; a first transistor that lets current that is proportional to current flowing through the output transistor pass therethrough; a current mirror circuit that mirrors current that is proportional to the current flowing through the output transistor; and a first bias circuit connected to the amplifier via the current mirror circuit, the first bias circuit increasing bias current of the amplifier to increase a response speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an overshoot suppression circuit for voltage regulator.
2. Background Art
The following describes a conventional voltage regulator. FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a conventional voltage regulator.
The conventional voltage regulator includes: an error amplification circuit 104; an amplifier 110, bias circuits 108 and 111, a reference voltage circuit 109, PMOS transistors 114 and 105 and resistors 106 and 107.
The PMOS transistor 105 is connected between a power supply terminal 101 and an output terminal 103. The resistors 106 and 107 outputting feedback voltage are connected between the output terminal 103 and a ground terminal 100. The error amplification circuit 104 has an inverting input terminal, to which the reference voltage circuit 109 is connected, a non-inverting terminal, to which the feedback voltage is input, and an output terminal, to which a gate of the PMOS transistor 105 is connected. The bias circuit 108 supplies operating current to the error amplification circuit 104. The PMOS transistor 114 is connected between the power supply terminal 101 and the gate of the PMOS transistor 105. The amplifier 110 has a non-inverting terminal, to which the reference voltage circuit 109 is connected, an inverting terminal, to which the feedback voltage is input and an output terminal connected to a gate of the PMOS transistor 114. The bias circuit 111 supplies operating current to the amplifier 110.
The amplifier 110 compares the input feedback voltage and a reference voltage generated at the reference voltage circuit 109. When the feedback voltage is lower than the reference voltage, the amplifier 110 outputs a Hi signal, thus turning the PMOS transistor 114 OFF. If overshoot generated at the voltage of the output terminal 103 makes the feedback voltage higher than the reference voltage, then the amplifier 110 outputs a Lo signal, thus turning the PMOS transistor 114 ON.
The conventional voltage regulator is operated in this way, thus preventing an increase of the overshoot of the voltage of the output terminal 103 (see Patent Document 1, for example).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-301439


A lever, in its gooseneck-shaped top part, has a non-circular, curvilinear internal configuration with a wide gap toward the outside and a perpendicular anchoring ridge in the widest part oriented toward the inside to work together with a span ring made of an elastomer material arranged on an end piece of the receiving end of the mandrel of a spool of material, and a counterweight device, comprising a counterweight cam that works together with the lever with each turn of a drum.

The invention relates to the technical field of dispensing machines for wipe materials made of cellulose wadding, for example for hand wipes, toilet paper, general-purpose wipes and similar uses.
The dispensing machine (1) is of the type comprising in a housing (1a) with a protective cover (1b), internal end pieces (2-3) that are perpendicular relative to the back wall (1c) of said housing, each pair of end pieces being parallel to each other but at different heights. The lower end pieces (2) support a drum (4) that includes the cutting device (5) which is familiar from the Applicant's various patents. The end pieces (3) located on a plane above the above-mentioned end pieces support the wound reel of material. The reel (B) is not in contact with the drum. The lower part (1d) of the housing is designed with a longitudinal opening (1e) through which the emerging strip of material can pass and be gripped and pulled. The lateral end pieces (2) that support the drum are designed with known means making it possible to eject the cutting blade from the drum towards the rear of the machine. The end of the drum has shafts (4a) that rest against and are centred in holes in the above-mentioned end pieces (2). Means of exerting pressure (6) may push against the drum in the manner described in the Applicant's patents. One revolution of the drum is equivalent to one piece of material cut to size.
In practice and because the reel of material is not in contact with the drum, depending on the pulling force (FT) exerted by the user, kinking of the strip of material may occur between the drum and the reel after the drum has rotated one revolution which is equivalent to a piece of wipe material of the predefined size being detached.
In order to overcome this drawback of kinking that can cause the machine to become unserviceable due to jamming, the Applicant has developed very specific anti-kink devices that are described, for instance, in French Patents 2870702, 2860967, 2828083 and 2778902.
In French Patent document number 2870702, transverse pressure rolls are arranged obliquely and come into contact with the lateral edge of the reel in order to fulfil a braking function. However, if the strip is pulled quickly very hard, kinking still occurs because of the inertia of the reel of material (which weighs up to 2 kg).
In French Patent document number 2860967, the anti-kink device which hence brakes the reel of material operates through the hinge pin of the cover relative to the housing acting through a cam mounted on this pin on a swivelling lever that comes into contact against the reel of material.
In French Patent document number 2828083, it is the reel-holder end piece that accommodates a stub support shaft, the stub accommodating an O-ring that penetrates into the reel spool. Means of return as well as geared means are involved in the operation of the device, but in a complex embodiment that is not in use.
Another problem was the fact that it is difficult to separate the last central attached area of the sheet grasped by the user from the reel due to the piece of material between the drum and the reel being insufficiently tensioned during cutting.
The Applicant therefore proposed, in French Patent 2778902, a device, to prevent kinking of a strip of material coming from a reel, which includes a mechanism that acts on the reel holder by locking the latter in position and is actuated by a counterweight device integrated into the movement of the drum to ensure locking or no locking of the reel holder.
In this embodiment, the counterweight device only intervenes if the strip of material is pulled hard.
In this embodiment, the position of the lever locking device underneath the disc that accommodates the stub is random and the locking pin does not necessarily penetrate into one of the indentations formed on the accommodating disc. In addition, this patent also describes the use of a stub that accommodates the spool of the wipe-material reel designed with a central opening that forms a recess accommodating two half thrust flanges that can expand due to the action of means of rolling and are driven by a belt that acts as a brake. As said flanges move apart, they cause the belt to come into contact with the inner part of the spool, thereby locking it.
In practice, additional experiments conducted by the Applicant showed that all these suggested improvements based on the prior art as described above proved inadequate in operation in terms of controlling braking of the reel holder spool because pressure was converted into potential slipping that allowed the braked strip of material to be unwound.
In Patent FR 2778902, the belt surrounding the flanges was not sufficiently reliable and tended to come off when the roll was fitted.
The Applicant's approach was therefore to rethink a new solution that used some of the means described in previous solutions but with different layouts and after optimising certain configurations and components.
The solution devised by the Applicant thus makes it possible to optimise operation of the machine by obtaining complete, instantaneous locking of the reel of wipe material, for every revolution of the drum, without any possibility of slippage due to unpredictable contact pressure, regardless of the pulling force exerted by the user on the strip of material that is to be dispensed. This solution is also advantageous in order to cut the strip of material when a slow, continuous pulling force is exerted.
The Applicant's approach was therefore to propose a device of simple design that achieved particularly effective results compared with the various solutions previously suggested, regardless of the nature of the wipe material used, given the fact that such materials differ enormously in terms of their use and properties, depending on the original manufacturer of the reel of wipe material.

Anti-lock device and dynamic brake control in a machine automatically distributing cut wiping cloths


An electrical connector assembly is disposed in a mobile terminal comprising a first body coupled to a second body by a hinge portion, and the electrical connector assembly comprises a fixed member disposed in the hinge portion, having at least one first contact. The electrical connector assembly also comprises a rotating member disposed in the hinge portion, rotatably connected to the fixed member, the rotating member comprising at least one second contact that electrically connected to the at least one first contact of the first member. The electrical connector assembly may further comprise a first flexible printed circuit board configured to electrically connect the fixed member to a first printed circuit board of the first body, and a second flexible printed circuit board configured to electrically connect the rotating member to a second printed circuit board of the second body.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a related art mobile terminal. FIG. 2 is a perspective projection illustrating an installation structure of a flexible printed circuit board of a hinge portion of the related art mobile terminal. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the flexible printed circuit board of the related art mobile terminal.
Referring to FIGS. 1–3, the related art mobile terminal 10 includes a plurality of selection buttons 11, a first body 13 installed with a first printed circuit board (PCB) 12 electrically connected to the selection buttons 11, and a second body 16 provided with a screen window 15 and rotatably installed at one side of the first body 13 so as to be openable or closable by a hinge portion 14.
Furthermore, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) 17 is installed inside the hinge portion 14. The FPCB 17 electrically connects a second printed circuit board installed inside the second body 16 to the first PCB 12 installed inside the first body 13.
As shown in FIG. 3, regarding the FPCB 17, when a user opens or closes the second body 16, bending and extension occur at a bent region "II", and torsion occurs at a torsion region "III" indicated by a torsion distance "d" and a torsion width "w". Furthermore, breakage occurs at a region "IV" contacting with the hinge portion 14.
Additionally, when the second body 16 is opened to a 90 degree angle or greater, the stress of the FPCB 17 is zero. However, when the second body is closed, the stress of the FPCB 17 becomes excessive, thereby breaking or damaging the FPCB 17.
Thus, in the mobile terminal, when the user opens or closes the second body, torsion, bending, extension and breakage may occur at the FPCB, thereby breaking or damaging the FPCB.

Electrical connector assembly for mobile terminal


A method of preparing a polymer, the method comprising: metalating an organophosphine compound in the substantial absence of monomer to form a metalated organophosphine; and introducing the metalated organophosphine to monomer including conjugated diene monomer to form a reactive polymer.

Anionic polymerization techniques have been used to synthesize polymers that are useful in the manufacture of tires. Using these techniques, certain organometallic compounds can be used to initiate the polymerization of monomer such as conjugated diene monomer. Due to the mechanism by which the initiation and polymerization proceeds, the organometallic compound adds to monomer to form a polymer chain wherein the organo substituent of the initiator is attached as the head group of the polymer. Common initiators include organo lithium species such as n-butyl lithium.
Certain initiators impart a functional group to the polymer. These functional groups may include a heteroatom or metal that can have a desirable impact on the polymer or compositions containing the polymer. For example, where the polymers are employed in the manufacture of tire treads, the functional group can lower the hysteresis loss of the tread vulcanizate. This lowering of hysteresis loss may result from interaction between the functional group and the filler, although other mechanisms have also been proposed.
Tributyl tin lithium compounds have been used to initiate conjugated dienes (optionally together with copolymerizable monomer) to form vulcanizable polymers (i.e., rubber) that, when used in treads, has a desirable impact on the performance of the tread. Likewise, lithiated cyclic imines (e.g., lithio hexamethyleneimine) have also been used to initiate the polymerization of similar polymers and provide rubber with desirable performance in tire treads. Still other examples include lithiated thioacetals (e.g., 2-lithio-1,3-dithianes). Still further, the use of lithium dialkylphosphines in conjunction with phosphine oxide modifiers have been proposed.
The selection of useful initiator compounds, however, is not trivial. This is especially true where there is a desire to select initiator compounds that have a desirable impact on filled rubber compositions or vulcanizates, such as tire treads. Indeed, the prior art only includes a few types of compounds that are useful. This difficulty derives from several factors. For example, the anionic polymerization of conjugated dienes is sensitive, and many compounds or substituents can poison the polymerization system. And, the selection of substituents or functional groups that can impact filled compositions, such as tire treads, is difficult to predict.
Because functional initiators remain desirable, particularly for the synthesis for functionalized polymers that are used in the manufacture of tires, there is a continued desire to identify initiators that can lead to technologically useful polymers and that have desirable impact on filled rubber compositions and/or vulcanizates.

Preparation of functional polymers using phosphide initiators


An insert retention gas tight seal for an electrical connector is disclosed. The insert retention, gas tight seal includes an annular groove defined by the interior surface of the connector housing within the receptacle and the plug, an annular ring of soft metal, and a tool to force the ring into the annular groove into a sealing, locked position within the connector housing of the receptacle and the plug. A method of fabrication for the insert retention, gas tight seal for an electrical connector is also described.

The present invention relates to an insert retention, gas tight seal for an electrical connector and more particularly to a solid metal annular ring gas tight seal which becomes an integral part of the connector housing for both the receptacle and the plug.
Expanding ring retainers for use in electrical connectors which provide limited movement and limited vibration deterioration of the connector insert are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,323, issued Jul. 11, 1978 to A. J. Bouvier, entitled "Method of Making Electrical Connector", describes an electrical connector having a ribbon-like laminate deformed in the space between the connector shell and an insert member and between the connector shell and a wafer to maintain the insert member and the wafer assembled one to another within the shell.
As disclosed in the Bouvier patent, this insert member is a thin laminate which can be mechanically deformed until it substantially fills the space between the shell and the insert. The laminate member is made of a matrix of screen-like material, for example a wire screen, impregnated with an epoxy or other thermal setting material. Specific embodiments of the Bouvier device comprise a matrix material having a bronze screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,799, issued Apr. 26, 1977 also to A. J. Bouvier, entitled "Electrical Connector", discloses wrapping a deformable laminate around the members within an electrical connector housing and inserting the assembled members with the laminate into a shell thereby affixing the connector inserts immovable in this application. In the second patent to Bouvier, the laminate is a screen-like material impregnated with an epoxy. The Bouvier device describes a laminate deformed wherein it substantially fills the space including an annular groove within the insert of the housing. The laminate is deformed prior to the insertion of terminals using a pressure tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,987 issued Nov. 3, 1987 to David O. Gallusser et al. entitled "Apparatus and Method for Retaining an Insert in an Electrical Connector", describes a deformable plastic strip longitudinally deformed and slotted within a longitudinal column of an electrical connector. The Gallusser et al. patent discloses an annular groove on the inner wall and the dielectric insert having an outer periphery disposed within the connector shell so that an annular passageway is provided between the shell and the insert thereby providing a retention arrangement for retaining the insert in the shell.
Further, this insert retention member in the Gallusser et al. patent, incorporates an insert tool to insert and maintain the insert between the connector shell and the dielectric insert. The Gallusser et al. device incorporates the use of a dielectric material such as a plastic because of the conductive path which occurs between the insert assembly and the shell when a copper mesh epoxy laminate or metal ring staking is used.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,832, entitled "Retaining an Insert in an Electrical Connector", issued Jul. 28, 1987 to Stephen Punako et al., discloses a tubular sleeve of deformable plastic longitudinally slotted defining longitudinal columns having leading edges. The annular passageway formed between the connector insert and shell allows the longitudinal columns to collapse accordion style thereby radially wedging and locking in the columns in the passage and retaining the insert within the shell.
In the Punako et al. device, an electrical connector having a metal shell includes an annular groove within the interior wall of the shell, wherein the dielectric insert has an outer periphery disposed within the shell so that there is an annular passageway between the shell and the insert.
The Punako et al. retention arrangement includes a thermoplastic material retention member longitudinally slotted along its front face providing a plurality of axially weakened columns that terminate in a leading edge such that each column can curl back 180.degree. upon themselves to lock the forward end portion of each respective column. Each axially weakened column is forward of the respective column medium portion such that each column is weakened to collapsibly fold and stack in accordion-like fashion forming radial folds. These columns are then curled and folded after the leading edges have engaged in an axial wall of the annular groove at the end of the passageway, and the curled folded column portions interface and wedge in the passageway around the annular passageway thereby retaining the insert within the shell.
It is a long held industry problem of the insulating insert moving within the electrical connector, thereby causing a deterioration of the insert and a loss of electrical interface connection due to the heavy vibration of equipment supporting the connectors.
Connectors which are necessary for use in heavy construction, for example, require a retaining system which can maintain the integrity of the connector insert without movement because movement of the inserts or deterioration of the inserts results in a misalignment of the fully mated connector.

Insert retention gas tight seal for electrical connector and method of making same


A structure of modem shell with round sound suppression comprises: a box formed by opposite upper and lower half shell bodies, wherein a concave spacing the opening of which is directed outwards is installed thereon, while within the spacing is installed with a line output hole; a covering plate the size of which is enough to cover the opening of the spacing, and a plurality of through holes is installed on the covering surface thereof; and a buckling mechanism is formed by at least two pairs of buckling holes and a pillar; thereby, the spacing is used to locate a trumpet and then is covered by a covering plate so to effectively suppress the round sound generated by the modem.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention is related to an improvement of the modem shell, especially to a novel modem shell structure within which the trumpet and the box is isolated so to effectively suppress the generated round sound.
2. Description of the prior art
The prior modem has a low transmission rate and performs only one function for transmitting information. But since the technology is progressive, the data transmission rate has been improved greatly and a multi-function product is more and more popular, for example, it is also used as a recorder or a facsimile, even during data transmission, the sound and image may transmit simultaneously, thus it is a needed tool in the information network. However, although the new type modem has a high speed and superior functions, the structure of the modem shell has no improvement for a long time, thus this has dramatically affected the communication of sound. In usage, it is easy to generate a round sound within the box as a record player. A prior modem shell is shown in FIG. 1, in assembling, in the inner part thereof has only a circular flange for locating trumpet. In design, only basic location and fixedness effects are existed, but the sound effect within the shell has not programmed effectively and the back of the trumpet faces to the enclosed shell body, thus during talking, the sound will round within the shell body, therefore, it has an ill effect and is not matched with the compact high transmission rate and other practical functions. Accordingly, it is needed to improve the structure thereof.
Accordingly, since the prior modem shell has some defects described hereinabove, the inventor of the present invention has made a great effort to improve the prior structure and finally, the present invention is invented.

Structure of modem shell with round sound suppression


The present disclosure relates to a systemically administered peptide delivery platform that biodistributes to the kidney or urinary tract. The disclosure further relates to methods of treating a disease of the kidney or urinary tract in a subject in need thereof.

Diseases of the kidney and urinary tract cause significant morbidity and mortality. For example, urothelial carcinoma, the most common type of bladder cancer (BC), is one of the leading cancers in the United States. Most BCs are non-muscle invasive and superficial in nature. The standard treatments involve instillation of chemotherapeutic/immunotherapeutic agents in the bladder after initial surgical resection of the tumor. These drugs are often administered via catheterization of the urethra into the bladder, also known as intravesical therapy (ITT). Despite evidence of ITT's clinical efficacy, disease recurrence rate remains high, up to 50%. This can be caused by incomplete drug delivery, as the administered drug can only be retained in the bladder for a limited time. Furthermore, urothelial carcinoma can recur throughout the entire urothelium (renal pelvis, ureter, and bladder). Since ITT only delivers drugs to the bladder, any tumors in the ureter or renal pelvis cannot be reached. ITT also requires invasive catheterization, which can cause pain, infection, urinary symptoms, poor patient compliance, and ultimately lead to treatment discontinuation. There remains a need to identify systems that overcome the drug delivery barriers of current ITT for treatment of diseases of the kidney and urinary tract without requiring an invasive procedure or surgery. Such systems should deliver systemically administered therapies to the urinary system without systemic toxicity and result in prolonging the contact time between the drug and the urinary system, providing a more effective treatment for diseases such as urothelial carcinoma.


A database management system (DBMS) is modified to provide improved concurrent usage of database objects, particularly when the system is executing long lived transactions. A subset of the transactions access database objects using parameterized read and parameterized write access modes. Each transaction using a parameterized write mode of access for a database object specifies a write access mode, and a write access mode parameter, where the parameter indicates a data reliability classification. Each transaction using a parameterized read mode of access for a database object specifies a read access mode, and a read access mode parameter, where the parameter indicates one or more reliability classifications that are acceptable to the transaction. Whenever a transaction requests access to a specified database object, the DBMS generates a corresponding lock request for the object. If the lock request is a parameterized lock request, a corresponding parameterized lock request is generated. A lock manager processes each lock request by checking to see if any outstanding, previously granted lock is unconditionally conflicting or conditionally conflicting with the requested lock. Two lock requests are unconditionally conflicting if their resource range overlaps and the access modes of the two requests are incompatible. Two requests are conditionally conflicting if analysis of their read/write parameters is necessary to determine whether a conflict exists. A conditional conflict is resolved by determining whether the write parameters for the write lock in question are a subset of the read parameters for the read lock in question.

The present invention is directed at the management of transactions in database management systems so as to enable greater concurrency, and therefore more efficient transaction execution, than is allowed by DBMS's requiring strict adherence to the traditional "ACID" properties of transactions. More specifically, the present invention is directed at solving the "serializability" problems introduced by long lived transactions (LLT's). In addition to DBMS's and transaction processing monitors, the present invention may also be used in persistent programming languages as well as to concurrency control services for object resource brokerage systems. For simplicity, the present invention will be described with respect to DBMS's.
The idea of revising or redefining the ACID properties of transactions to enable more efficient execution of transactions in systems that support LLT's is not new. However, the present invention provides a new methodology of "parameterized lock management" that is relatively simple to implement and that allows applications to explicitly control the degree to which they can tolerate diminished isolation between concurrent transactions.

Parameterized lock management system and method for conditional conflict serializability of transactions


The invention relates to the field of devices for measuring a nonreciprocal effect and especially to the field of fiber-optic gyrometers. Disclosed a device for measuring a nonreciprocal effect comprising a light source, a monomode spatial filter, a Sagnac ring having two branches, a light splitter, and a light detector. The splitter is a polarization splitter. The filter is nonpolarizing. The detector includes a system for analyzing the polarization state. The light splitter devides the light over branches of the ring. The invention can be applied to other devices for measuring a nonreciprocal effect, especially fiber-optic magnetometers.

In the field of devices for measuring a nonreciprocal effect in general and in the field of fiber-optic gyrometers in particular, one prior art document consists of an article incorporated by reference into the present patent application. This article, entitled "Gyromètre à fibre optique: principes et technologies" [Fiber-optic gyrometer: principles and technologies] authored by H. J. Arditty, Ph. Graindorge and H. C. Lefevre from the THOMSON-CSF Central Research Laboratory, was published in Revue technique THOMSON-CSF, Vol. 15, No. 3, pages 777 to 807, in September 1983. This article describes in particular a "minimal" configuration of a fiber-optic gyrometer and gives a few illustrative examples thereof. This minimal fiber-optic gyrometer configuration is based on the use of a phase modulator placed in one of the branches of the Sagnac ring of the fiber-optic gyrometer.
More precisely, the fiber-optic gyrometer of this prior art comprises several optical components among which are: a light source, a light detector, a monomode spatial filter, a Sagnac ring having two branches, two light splitters, said optical elements being placed so that, on the one hand, a first portion of the light emitted by the source can pass in succession through the first splitter, through the filter, through the second splitter, to enter the first branch of the ring and emerge via the second branch of the ring, pass through the second splitter, through the filter and through the first splitter and arrive at the detector, and on the other hand, a second portion of the light emitted by the source can pass in succession through the first splitter, through the filter, through the second splitter, to enter via the second branch of the ring and emerge via the first branch of the ring, pass through the second splitter, through the filter and through the first splitter and arrive at the detector, said optical elements being structured and placed in such a way that the light, that emanates from the source and arrives at the second splitter before having passed into the Sagnac ring, is polarized light. The second splitter is a semireflecting plate. The monomode spatial filter is polarizing, being formed by the combination of an actual monomode spatial filter and a polarizer.
More precisely still, FIG. 1 shows schematically an example of a fiber-optic gyrometer according to the prior art. The path of the light beams is indicated in the FIG. 1 by means of arrows. A laser light source 1 emits a laser beam. This laser beam arrives at a first light splitter 4, which is a semireflecting plate, only one portion of the light beam passing through the first light splitter 4 toward the polarizer 51. The light beam then passes through the polarizer 51 and emerges therefrom polarized in a given polarization direction. The light beam is then focused by a lens L onto an entrance of an optical fiber 52 constituting the actual monomode spatial filter. At the exit of the optical fiber 52, the light beam passes through a lens L before arriving at a second light splitter 6, which is a semireflecting plate. The laser beam is divided into two approximately equal portions, each portion being focused onto one of the entrances 81 or 82 of the Sagnac ring 8, which is a reel of optical fiber. The direction of circulation of the light from the branch 81 toward the branch 82 is called cw (standing for clockwise) and the direction of circulation of the light from the branch 82 toward the branch 81 is called ccw (standing for counterclockwise). The branch 82, for example, includes a phase modulator 9. After having emerged from the Sagnac ring 8, the two laser beam portions pass through the second splitter 6, only partly, to be superposed as a laser beam focused by a lens L onto one end of the optical fiber 52. On leaving the optical fiber 52, the laser beam passes through a lens L and then the polarizer 51, the combination of the optical fiber 52 and the polarizer 51 constituting a polarizing monomode spatial filter 5. One portion of the laser beam, which is now again polarized in the initial given polarization direction, is reflected by the first splitter 4 onto the detector 2. Thanks to the phase modulation effected by the phase modulator 9, the signal detected by the detector 2 is representative of the Sagnac effect, and therefore of the speed of rotation to which the fiber-optic gyrometer is subjected, and can be exploited.
One of the drawbacks that this prior art has is that the phase modulator 9 used in the fiber-optic gyrometer of this prior art is too complex and too expensive.

Device for measuring a non-reciprocal effect, in particular fiber-optic gyro


This invention relates to a coupler for the exhaust pipes of automobile. The preferred coupler includes a conduit sleeve (10); a conduit cover member (20) generally covering the sleeve (10); a guiding member (30) extended from the end of the cover member (20), the guiding member serving to accommodate a bending articulation or radial displacement of the coupler; an inner retainer pocket (40) having a rim (41) engaged in the outer surface of said sleeve (10), wherein said rim is extended circumferentially and forms a first pocket (42) with said guiding member (30); an outer retainer member (50) having an enlarged diameter area (40) and forming a second pocket (52) with said guiding member (30); buffering members (60) (61) located in the pockets (42) (52); and a bellows (70) fixably engaged between said inner retainer member (40) and said cover member (20), wherein said bellows (70) prevents leakage of gas therein and absorbs the elastic and bending displacement, to allow said guiding member (30) to slide during bending articulation of buffering members (60) (61). Moreover, the present invention can minimize the effect of bending displacement on the engine because the invented coupler absorbs vibration and accomodates bending displacement. In addition, the present invention can increase parts life and riding comfort.

1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an exhaust coupler system for motor vehicles, and more particularly, to novel systems and methods for effectively absorbing bending and elastic displacement during running of a motor vehicle in order to minimize the effect of displacements to the engine on the exhaust system and for prolonging the useful life of vehicle parts.
2. The Background Art
There is a recent trend toward manufacture of vehicles with larger engines. Use of a larger engine in a vehicle increases engine roll vibration. Engine roll vibration is particularly severe when starting the engine, when shifting gears, and when the vehicle is suddenly stopped or started. These vibrations are directly delivered to the exhaust pipe which can be easily damaged if a proper coupling device is not used. Moreover, the exhaust pipe itself also exposed to distortion and stress caused by the road conditions.
Typically, a coupler (D) is installed to reduce and to absorb vibration, stress and heat expansion. As shown in FIG. 1, the coupler D is usually installed between the engine (1) and the exhaust pipe (2), the exhaust pipe (2) being connected to a muffler (3) in order to emit the exhaust gas. However, the coupler and the exhaust pipe are often supported by a minimum number of lightweight hanger mounts. Therefore, the coupler installed between the engine and the exhaust pipe should have enough strength to support the coupler itself and the weight of the exhaust pipe, and also should have enough flexibility to absorb displacement between the engine and the exhaust pipe. In addition, the coupler also must be compact in order to be inserted between the engine and the exhaust pipe.
A number of attempts have been made in the prior art to design an effective coupler. One attempt to solve the problems of the prior art was demonstrated by an English patent, GB2,277,969A which forcefully determines a bending center to absorb bending stress. As shown in FIG. 6, an inner sleeve (6) is overlapped with an outer sleeve (6) with a space therebetween. The outer sleeve (5) has a wider diameter than the inner sleeve and the edge of the outer sleeve is bent inwardly. Meanwhile, the inner sleeve (6) has a circular notch (7) which has a smaller diameter than the wider diameter of the outer sleeve. A buffering member (8) is engaged in the pocket formed on both sides of the notch (7). A bellows (9) surrounds the cylindrical area of the inner sleeve (6). One side of the bellows (9) is attached to the surface between the bent area of the outer sleeve and the buffering member. The other side of the bellowS is attached to the surface of the inner sleeve. The bending center (C) is formed approximately at the center of the overlapping area. The buffering members and the bellows are designed to absorb axial displacement and bending displacement. Typically, axial displacement is caused by vibration of the engine or impact due to road conditions. Bending displacement is generally caused when the axis of the inner sleeve and the axis of the outer sleeve cross each other at an angle.
The prior art has some disadvantages which are generally recognized in the industry. The bellows (9) of the previous technology is exposed to the open air, so it can easily be damaged when a rock or other loose object hits it. And high temperature of the bellows, due to exposure to exhaust gases, accelerates oxidation of the bellows. Consequently, the prior art has low durability and a short lifetime.
Moreover, allowable bending displacement in prior art devices is very narrow because the displacement center (C) is positioned at the middle of the buffering member (8). The allowable displacement is limited by the height of the notch and the gap formed between the bent area of the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve below the bent area. When a sudden strong stress requiring large displacement is imposed, the inner sleeve (6) has to strike either the tip of the bent area or the outer sleeve. As a consequence, the area experiencing the collision become weak, causing shape deformation of the part or a hole in the structure. Moreover, the process of corrosion is accelerated because of the high temperature of the exhaust gas passing inside of the sleeves.
In addition, in the prior art, bellows (9) is easily damaged by impacts of the tip of bent area, resulting in a significantly shortened lifetime of the structure. Because the applicable range of motion of the prior art coupler is limited, a different size coupler was needed each different automobile model.
Those skilled in the art have also tried to increase the number of pleats in the bellows, consequently increasing the length of the coupler, therefore requiring use of high quality materials in order to achieve a durable part. Such structures have not been economically feasible, however.


A wear indicator for a friction clutch which is located in the drive train in a housing between an engine and a transmission. The wear indicator includes a marking which is stationary relative to the housing during operation of the friction clutch, and a marking which is movable during the engagement and/or disengagement movement of the clutch during operation. When observed in a pre-determined limit position, in particular when the clutch is engaged or released as far as possible, the two markings move closer to one another as clutch wear increases. A distance between the two markings which has been essentially reduced to zero indicates that the clutch has reached its maximum allowable wear. It thus becomes possible to easily and unambiguously check the wear of the clutch, even in situations were access to the clutch is difficult.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device for indicating the wear of a friction clutch which is located in the drive train of a motor vehicle between its engine and its transmission, which friction clutch, including a release system which can be moved by an actuator mechanism between two defined limit positions relative to the transmission, is enclosed by a housing which is stationary relative to the transmission.
2. Background Information
WO 95/09311 discloses a device of the type described above in which an indicator element, which indicator element is coupled to the release piston of a release piston cylinder unit oriented coaxial to the clutch, projects outward through an opening in the housing. The back-and-forth movement of the release piston is indicated on the outside of the housing. However, the magnitude of the movement of the display element does not indicate directly, or not without a more exact measurement, whether the clutch is completely worn or not.
Friction clutches are used in motor vehicles as starter clutches or as lock-up clutches for hydraulic torque converters and are located between the internal combustion engine and the downstream transmission of the motor vehicle. For maintenance purposes, the service technician must be able to quickly and easily determine the extent to which the clutch is worn, even under the less-than-favorable and cramped conditions it which the clutch is installed, and in which conditions clear and unobstructed visibility is difficult. In particular, the technician must be able to determine whether the clutch has become worn to the point where it must be replaced. The device described in WO 95/09311 indicates only the relative wear condition. To determine whether the clutch has or has not reached the maximum allowable wear limit, the service technician must either measure the inclination of the indicator element relative to the surface of the housing, although that can be extremely difficult given the cramped and inaccessible conditions in which the clutch housing is installed, or the wear must be indicated by using an electrical display which is connected to the indicator element. The electrical indicator is complex and expensive.

Friction clutch assembly with a device for indicating wear on a friction clutch and a device for indicating wear on a friction clutch for a friction clutch assembly


A switch mode power amplifier includes a transistor responsive to input signals above 1.0 GHz and which includes one terminal coupled to ground and another terminal conductively coupled to a power source. A resonant circuit coupled the second terminal to an output with a resistive load coupled across the output and ground. When the transistor is turned on the second terminal is coupled to ground and when the transistor is turned off, current from the power supply to the second terminal is steered into internal capacitance of the transistor and causes voltage on the second terminal to rise to a maximum value and then decrease, the voltage at the second terminal being coupled to the output terminal through the resonant circuit. In preferred embodiments, the transistor comprises a compound semiconductor field effect transistor with the first terminal being a source terminal and the second terminal being a drain terminal. The field effect transistor is preferably a compound high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) or compound MESFET, but in other embodiments the transistor can be the compound LDMOS, compound bipolar transistor, or compound MOSFET.

Switch-mode power amplifiers have attracted a significant amount of interest for use in applications requiring highly efficient power amplification of high frequency signals. Examples of applications of such devices include power amplifiers for wireless communications systems, satellite communications systems, and advanced radar systems. In particular, high power, high frequency power amplifiers are needed for digital communication systems such as 3G and 4G PCS systems, WiFi, WiMax and digital video broadcast systems. For applications requiring high output power, the power amplifier accounts for a significant portion of the overall power consumed by the system. Thus, it is desirable to maximize the efficiency of the power amplifier circuit in a communication system.
Switch-mode amplifiers, for example amplifiers operating in Class D, E, F or S, provide high efficiency amplification by minimizing the amount of power dissipated in the transistor. Since switch-mode amplifiers are highly non-linear, they are particularly suitable for use in connection with digital systems which employ constant-envelope modulation schemes. However, switch-mode amplifiers can also be used in other applications by providing additional circuitry for extracting amplitude information from the input signal and restoring the amplitude information to the output signal.
In a Class E amplifier, the transistor operates as an on-off switch whose state is driven by a time-varying input signal. The binary output of the transistor is applied to a reactive load network which filters out harmonic components of the transistor output signal, resulting in a narrow bandwidth, amplified output signal. In the Class E configuration, the transistor drain current is minimized (ideally zero) whenever a drain voltage is present on the device, and the drain voltage is minimized (ideally zero) whenever there is a drain current passing through the device. Since the power dissipated in the transistor is equal to the instantaneous product of the drain current and the drain voltage averaged over a period, the power loss in a Class E device is ideally zero. Thus, a Class E device can theoretically operate at 100% drain efficiency. The efficiency of actual devices is lower than 100%. Nevertheless, very high efficiencies can be realized in Class E amplifiers.
To date, Class E amplifiers have been realized primarily using narrow bandgap (silicon and GaAs) bipolar, MOSFET and MESFET technology. Bipolar and MOSFET devices have demonstrated high power output at frequencies below 1.0 GHz. However, such devices are unsuitable for higher frequency applications which demand higher transistor switching speeds. High frequency amplifiers (i.e. amplifiers capable of operating at frequencies at or above 1.0 GHz) have been realized using GaAs MESFETs. However, the resulting amplifiers are not capable of high power output desired for communications applications (particularly base station applications), and the efficiencies of such devices are less than ideal. In particular, GaAs MESFET devices have limited power density and limited drain voltage, which limits the amount of power they can produce.
Accordingly, there is a continued need for a single-stage switch-mode amplifier circuit capable of producing in excess of 10W of output power at frequencies exceeding 1.0 GHz. Furthermore, there is a need for a switch-mode amplifier circuit capable of power added efficiency in excess of 75% at frequencies exceeding 1.0 GHz.

High efficiency switch-mode power amplifier


High-capacity extrusion die assemblies (20, 90, 130, 140, 180, 252) each having a tubular sections (44, 146, 162, 268) and an elongated, axially rotatable, helically flighted screw section (56, 56a, 152, 168, 276, 278) which cooperatively define frustoconical, outwardly diverging material flow paths (75, 160, 291) at constant or differing divergence angles of from about 1-11°. The use of diverging tubular sections (44, 146, 162, 268) and screw sections (56, 56a, 152, 168, 276, 278) permits the use of larger die plates (76, 118, 292) with an increased number of die openings (80, 124, 296). This allows significant increases in extrusion production rates. The die assemblies (20, 90, 130, 140, 180, 252) can be used in the production of a wide number of human foods or animal feeds, and particularly aquatic feeds of the floating or sinking variety. In another aspect of the invention, an extruder (210) is provided having diverging and converging sections (212, 214) along the length thereof and defining corresponding flow paths (230, 246).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with improved, high capacity die assemblies for use with single or twin extruders. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such die assemblies, extruders including the die assemblies, and corresponding methods wherein the die assemblies preferably include a tubular section having a progressively diverging bore, an axially rotatable flighted screw section also progressively diverging within the tubular section, and a die unit associated with the head and screw sections. The diverging construction of tubular and screw sections allows the use of larger area dies having a greater number of die openings therein to thus increase extrusion rates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Extrusion processing of comestible products such as human foods and animal feeds has long been practiced and is a highly developed art. In general terms, food extruders of the single or twin screw variety are employed, having elongated, tubular barrels with inputs adjacent one end thereof and restricted orifice dies at the outlet thereof, and one or two helically flighted, rotatable screws within the barrel. In many instances steam is injected into the barrel during processing. An apertured die plate is operably coupled with the outlet end of the barrel in order to form the product as it emerges from the extruder. Depending upon the selected extrusion conditions, the final products may be fully or partially cooked, and can have varying degrees of expansion.
Many commercial extruders are designed with converging terminal screw sections sometimes referred to as "cone nose" sections. These screw sections are housed within a complementally converging barrel section. These converging extruder end assemblies are provided in order to increase the pressure and shear conditions within the extruder just upstream of the final extrusion die. Typical examples of these designs are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,118,164 (single screw) and 4,875,847 (twin screw).
Referring to FIG. 18, conventional prior art food extrusion assemblies are generally made up of a serially interconnected preconditioner 10 and extruder 11, the latter having a multiple section barrel 12 terminating in a restricted orifice die 13, and one or two internal, helically flighted, axially rotatable screw(s) 14. The screw 14 include an elongated central shaft 15 with helical flighting 16 along the length thereof. In many cases, the terminal head and screw sections 17 and 18 are of converging, frustoconical design in order to increase the pressure and shear conditions within the barrel just upstream of die 13.
In operation, a comestible material (usually a mixture of ingredients including quantities of protein, starch and fat) is fed into preconditioner 12 where it is initially moisturized by the addition of steam and/or water and heated to partially cook the material. The preconditioned material is then delivered to the extruder 11 where the action of the rotating screws(s) 14 serves to convey the material toward and through die 13. During this conveyance, the material is subjected to increasing levels of temperature, pressure and shear, in order to cook the material to the desired degree. As the material emerges from the die 13, it is formed as a final product and may undergo expansion as a result of flash-off of moisture from the material. The degree of expansion is a controlled phenomenon, and is influenced by the amount of energy imparted to the material within the barrel 12 and the geometry of the final die 13.
These food extruder systems have been used for decades to produce a wide variety of human foods and animal feeds. However, it has been found that the frustoconical end configuration of the terminal barrel and screw sections 17 and 18 may limit the rate of production achievable with such extrusion assemblies. Specifically, owing to the fact that the terminal barrel and screw sections converge, the die 13 necessarily has a reduced surface area, and hence can only have a certain number of restricted die openings therein. Indeed, this limitation on the number of available die openings is the limiting factor in production rates for some products such as small diameter or micro-aquatic feeds.
For example, using a typical Wenger Model X165 single screw extruder for the production of micro-aquatic feeds having a diameter of up to 2 mm., the maximum throughput is on the order of 1-1.5 tons/hr., and this rate limitation is attributable to the presence of only a small number of die holes.
Other conventional extruder designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,728,053; 3,904,341; 4,346,652; 4,352,650; 4,400,218; 4,422,839; 4,836,460; 5,458,836; 6,074,084; 6,331,069; 6,491,510; 7,101,166; Japanese Patent No. JP 55013147; Non-Patent Literature: Effects of Die Dimensions on Extruder Performance; Sokhey A S; Ali Y; Hanna M A; Foodline; Influence of Extrusion Conditions on Extrusion Speed, Temperature, and Pressure in the Extruder and on Pasta Quality; Abecassis, J.; Abbou, R; Food Sci.&Tech. Abs; and Barrel-Valve Assembly: Its Influence of Residence Time Distribution and Flow Pattern in a Twin-screw Extruder; Liang, M.; Hsieh, F; AGRICOLA.


The photosensitive resin film in an uncured state of the invention comprises (A) a specific alkali-soluble copolymer, (B) a compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated double bond and (C) a radiation-sensitive radical polymerization initiator by the use of which a coating film having a dry film thickness of 70 μm in an uncured state has a 365 nm radiation transmittance of not less than 10% and a 405 nm radiation transmittance of not less than 60%, contains the radiation-sensitive radical polymerization initiator (C) in an amount of 20 to 40 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the component (A), and has a dry film thickness of not less than 50 μm. According to the photosensitive resin film, a high bump having a height of not less than 50 μm can be readily formed on a chip substrate with high precision though formation of such a high bump is difficult by the conventional technique. Moreover, connection failure of an element can be inhibited, and reliability of an element can be enhanced.

Photo-application is a general term of technology to manufacture various precision parts by a process comprising applying a radiation-sensitive resin composition to a surface of a workpiece, then patterning the coating film by photolithography and performing electroforming techniques, such as chemical etching, electrolytic etching and electroplating, singly or in combination, using the patterned film as a mask. This photo-application is the main stream of precision fine work technology at present.
In recent years, with downsizing of electronic instruments such as cellular phones, high integration and multilayer metallization of LSI have been rapidly advanced, and application of a multipin mounting method to boards (printed wiring boards, referred to as "board(s)" simply hereinafter) that are used for mounting LSI on electronic instruments has been desired. For example, bear chip mounting by TAB system or flip chip system has been paid attention. In such a multipin mounting method, a protruded electrode called a bump that is a connecting terminal needs to be arranged on a LSI chip with high precision, and it is thought that formation of a bump with much higher precision will be further required in the future to cope with further downsizing of LSI chips.
There are bumps of various shapes, such as ball bump, mushroom bump and straight bump, and in the conventional bumps, the height is mainly not less than 15 μm, more specifically about 20 to 30 μm.
With respect to a material to form a bump of such a height, the present inventors have already proposed a radiation-sensitive resin composition that is preferable as a bump-forming or wiring-forming material improved in adhesion to a substrate in the development stage of photolithography, wettability with a plating solution and plating solution resistance (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 39709/2000). If this radiation-sensitive resin composition is used in the photo-application, a bump-forming material that exhibits excellent developability with an alkali developing solution, sufficient resolution in a film thickness of not less than 20 μm, adhesion to a substrate in the development stage, wettability with a plating solution and plating solution resistance can be obtained, and hence, formation of a bump having a height of about 20 to 30 μm with high precision becomes feasible.
By the way, when a LSI chip and a board are connected by a bump as described above, a stress is brought about by a difference in a coefficient of thermal linear expansion between the LSI chip and the board, and they are sometimes disconnected. To inhibit such connection failure and to enhance reliability of an element, it is desirable to increase the amount of gold or solder of the bump that is a connecting part to thereby relax the stress. In this case, if a distance (also referred to as a "pitch" hereinafter) between bumps is relatively wide as in the conventional LSI chips, an area of the gold or solder portion can be increased to assure the amount of gold or solder. However, if the pitch is narrowed because of higher precision of bumps, the area of the gold or solder portion cannot be increased, and therefore, the height of the bump needs to be increased to assure the amount of gold or solder.
However, if an attempt to form a bump of a greater height (also referred to as a "high bump" hereinafter) on a LSI chip (also referred to as a "chip" simply hereinafter) with high precision by means of photo-application is made using a material comprising a radiation-sensitive resin composition that is used in the usual bump formation, the following problem is brought about.
That is to say, it is difficult to form, on a chip substrate, a coating film having a film thickness necessary for forming a high bump, and even if a coating film of such a film thickness can be formed, the film has a low transmittance. Therefore, when the film is irradiated with a radiation, the surface of the film is cured but the portion near the chip substrate is not sufficiently cured, and consequently, a desired pattern cannot be obtained with high precision.

Photosensitive resin film and cured film made therefrom


First of all, a given logic circuit is divided into a combinational circuit portion and a register portion. The combinational circuit portion obtained by division is divided into a plurality of partial circuits having high connectivity. Each partial circuit is converted into a circuit having the transistor level. Then, a layout cell of the partial circuit having the transistor level is generated. Thereafter, arrangement and wiring are performed by using, as unit cells, a layout cell which corresponds to each register included in the register portion and the layout cell for each partial circuit in the combinational circuit so that a block layout is created. Accordingly, a layout having excellent characteristics can be created by a few kinds of cells in both circuits having the CMOS logic and the pass-transistor logic. In particular, the partial circuits having high connectivity are arranged in a cell in the circuit using the pass-transistor logic. Consequently, the optimum driving capability can be obtained and the layout having stable characteristics can be created. In addition, it is possible to ensure the superiority such as a reduction in area, the low consumed power, high-speed operation and the like.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the improvement of a method for designing a layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit by the cell-based automatic arrangement and wiring and a method for verifying the timing of the designed semiconductor integrated circuit, and more particularly to a layout designing method and a timing verifying method which are also suitable for circuits using the pass-transistor logic as well as the CMOS logic, a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a circuit using the pass-transistor logic and a circuit using the CMOS logic are provided together, a layout designing method which utilizes the cell-based automatic arrangement and wiring of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and a semiconductor integrated circuit which is the most suitable for a reduction in voltage.
2. Background of the Art
In the prior art, the cell-based layout technique has been used as a method for designing the layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit and a method for verifying a timing. For the same cell-based layout technique, there are methods which are referred to as a gate array and a standard cell. In these methods, layouts having high density which are manually created are prepared for individual cells in advance, the connection between the cells is defined, and arrangement and wiring are performed on the cell level according to the connection so that the desired block layout of a logic circuit is created.
Referring to the timing verifying technique for the layout created on the cell base, a delay value for each cell is obtained by a circuit simulator or the like in advance, and is assigned to each logic gate to verify a timing.
In the cell-based designing technique according to the prior art described above, a cell which is based on a CMOS circuit is used very often for the following reason. In the CMOS circuit, the input signal of the cell is sent to only the gate terminal of a MOS transistor, and the gate terminal is divided into a source terminal and a drain terminal on a current basis. Consequently, the CMOS circuit is easily operated independently on a cell unit as electrical characteristics. Accordingly, the electrical characteristics can be held on the cell unit when performing layout design and timing verification.
Recently, a circuit using the pass-transistor logic which performs logical operation by sending an input signal to the drain terminal of a MOS transistor as well as the gate terminal thereof has been used in place of a complete CMOS circuit. In some cases, the circuit having the pass-transistor logic is superior to the complete CMOS circuit in respect of a decrease in area, a reduction in consumed power, an increase in speed and the like. These cases have been disclosed in Document 1: K. Yano, et al., "A 2.8-ns CMOS 16.times.16-b Multiplier Using Complementary Pass-Transistor Logic" (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 388-395, April 1990), and Document 2: A. Parameswar, et al., "A High Speed, Low Power, Swing Restored Pass-Transistor Logic Based Multiply and Accumulate Circuit for Multimedia Applications" (Proceeding of IEEE 1994 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, pp. 278 to 281) and the like.
The technique for designing the layout of the circuit using the pass-transistor logic has been disclosed in Document 3: K. Yano, et al., "Lean Integration: Achieving a Quantum Leap in Performance and Cost of Logic LSIs" (Proceeding of IEEE 1994 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, pp. 603-606), Document 4: Y. Sasaki, et al., "Pass Transistor Based Gate Array Architecture" (1995 Symposium on VLSI Circuits Digest of Technical Papers, pp. 123-124), and the like. The designing method which has been proposed in the Document 3 utilizes the cell-based layout designing technique according to the prior art. More specifically, three kinds of cells of circuits using the pass-transistor logic which have a plurality of input pins are prepared, the assignment of each input pin (the form of signal application) is changed in the cell of each circuit using the pass-transistor logic to generate a lot of logics therein. The logics of the circuits which are given are assigned to the cells to be arranged and wired by an automatic arrangement and wiring tool according to the prior art. Thus, a block layout is obtained. The technique which has been proposed in the Document 4 uses the gate array technique. A pair of P- and N-channel type MOS transistors are laid all over the gate array according to the prior art. On the other hand, a substrate cell is used in which the number of N-channel type MOS transistors is greater than that of P-channel type MOS transistors based on the average pass-transistor logic, and the numbers of N- and P-channel type MOS transistors which are required for the amplifier of an output portion and a memory cell.
However, the layout designing technique of the circuit using the pass-transistor logic which has been disclosed in the Document 3 utilizes plural kinds (three kinds) of unit cells in which a small number of transistors form a cell. Consequently, various kinds of logics can be generated by the combination of the plural kinds of unit cells so that the degree of freedom of a logic type can be enhanced. However, the type of the unit cell is restricted to plural kinds (three kinds). For this reason, there is a case where the driving capability, the area and the like which are suitable for the circuit cannot be obtained when completing the layout so that circuit characteristics become unstable and the superiority such as a decrease in area, a reduction in consumed power, an increase in speed or the like of the pass-transistor logic is impeded.
It can be supposed that a lot of transistors form a cell so as to ensure the stabilization of the circuit characteristics and the superiority of the pass-transistor logic, for example. In this case, there is a defect that many kinds of cells should be prepared in advance so as to enhance the degree of freedom of the logic type. Not only the circuit using the pass-transistor logic but also the logic circuit using the complete CMOS circuit has the defect that many kinds of cells should be prepared. In other words, many kinds of cells should be prepared for the driving capability and the logic classification to create the optimum layout in the cell-based layout design of the logic circuit using the complete CMOS circuit.
In the logic circuit using the pass-transistor logic, when the load capacity in the circuit is changed depending on the self cell state, the delay characteristics of the circuit are varied. Furthermore, when the source and drain terminals of the transistor are connected to other cells through signal paths respectively, the delay characteristics of the circuit are varied depending on the state of the other cells. According to the circuit using the pass-transistor logic, consequently, in the case where it is verified whether or not the created block layout satisfies the desired timing characteristics, correct timing verification cannot be performed even though the delay characteristics for each cell are given to the logic timing verifying circuit having the gate level according to the prior art so as to perform verification. On the other hand, in the case where the created layout is wholly verified by a circuit simulation, a very long computation time and a very large storage region are necessary, which is not practical.
The semiconductor integrated circuits using the pass-transistor logic according to the prior art which have been described in the Document 1 and the Document 2 are applied to specific arithmetic units such as an adder, a multiplier and the like so as to create a layout by manual design (custom design). Consequently, it is difficult to automatically design the random logic by using general logic synthesis and the like.
By the layout designing technique which has been disclosed in the Document 3 and the Document 4, the random logic can automatically be designed. However, in the case where all circuits are designed based on the pass-transistor logic by using the layout designing technique according to the prior art, the following defects are caused. In the pass-transistor logic, a signal is propagated between the drain and the source of the transistor. Consequently, a voltage drop which is equivalent to the threshold voltage of the transistor is generated. For this reason, it is necessary to use an amplifier for signal amplification which amplifies the signal having a voltage drop so as to have an original voltage. It is desirable that the amplifier should be formed by a small number of transistors. On the other hand, in the case where the basic logic such as an AND circuit, an OR circuit or the like is provided to enhance the degree of freedom of the logic, the following defect is caused. More specifically, if the cell having the basic logic is formed by the circuit using the pass-transistor logic, the amplifier for signal amplification is added every basic logic to form a cell so that the number of transistors which form the cell and the area are increased. Consequently, the superiority in area to the cell having the CMOS logic is eliminated. In the case where the composite logic which is obtained by combining a plurality of AND circuits, a plurality of OR circuits and the like forms a cell so as to increase the number of the transistors using the pass-transistor logic for an amplifier for signal amplification and to reduce the overhead of the amplifier for signal amplification, the degree of freedom of the logic is lowered. As a result, many kinds of cells should be prepared in advance in order to obtain a desired semiconductor integrated circuit.

Method for designing layout of semiconductor integrated circuit, semiconductor integrated circuit obtained by the same method, and method for verifying timing thereof

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A spinal implant for an osteosynthesis device has a vertebral connecting rod for interconnecting adjacent vertebral bodies and comprises an implant body including a head section having a threaded portion, a rod retaining recess opening outward for retaining the connecting rod therein and a slanted engagement surface formed on a bottom wall of the rod retaining recess. The spinal implant further includes a nut member and a rod movement stabilizing device to preserve mobility to the connecting rod.

The present invention relates to spinal implants for osteosynthesis devices and, more particularly, to a spinal implant, a driver tool specifically suited for the spinal implant, and a nut guide suited for the spinal implant.
In recent years, various research and development have been attempted to provide a spinal implant that is designed to achieve adaptation to differences in alignment, augulation and depth of penetration of adjacent spinal implants anchored to vertebral bodies which are spaced from one another.
One of such implants is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,719. This device includes a head portion having a pair of upright branches which are internally threaded and which has a U-shaped recess, and a screw portion projecting from the head portion. A connecting rod is received in the two branches, which are fixed in place by means of a ring member. During this operating step, there exist some difficulties in precisely adjusting the orientation of the U-shaped recesses of the spaced spinal implants anchored in vertebral bodies, angulation of the spinal implants and depth of the spinal implants, with a resultant undesirable fixation of the implants and the connecting rod. Since, further, the screw portion is composed of a solid material and the screw portion is merely anchored in the vertebral body. Accordingly, after the spinal implant penetrates in the vertebral body, fixation of the spinal implant is unstable and is liable to be undesirably affected with external forces when they are applied to the spinal implants.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,351 discloses a spinal osteosynthesis device comprising at least one vertebral rod, pedicle screws and deformable connectors. In this prior art, each of the pedicle screws is composed of the same solid material as in the prior art discussed above, and a difficulty is similarly encountered in reliably fixing the pedicle screw in the vertebral body. Further, each of the deformable connectors has an oblong opening through which a head portion of the screw extends and each connector is resiliently supported between a cylindrical base and a nut, with a given space being provided for permitting relative movement of the vertebral rod. With such a structure, the spinal implant is caused to have a large number of component parts, resulting in a complicated structure and an increased cost.
In known techniques, it has been a usual practice to lock a plug into the spinal implant by means of a tool holder. In practice, there are two types of head section formed with two upright branches, that is, a first type of head section having an internally formed thread, and a second type of head section having an outwardly formed thread. In the first type, the plug is screwed in the internal thread of the head section. In this event, the two branches are loosened, thereby providing a difficulty in tightly locking the connecting rod in the spinal implant. On the contrary, in the second type, the plug is screwed onto the outer thread of the head section. In this event, an outer periphery of the plug has a hexagonal profile, and a driver tool having a hexagonal groove is brought into engagement with the outer hexagonal wall of the plug for rotating the plug. In this event, since the driver tool has an outer diameter larger than that of the plug, increasing an occupying space for rotating the driver tool. Under these conditions, when two spinal implants are anchored in adjacent vertebral bodies in a relationship closer to one another, the outer periphery of the driver tool is liable to interfere with the adjacent plug of the spinal implant, causing difficulties in rotating operation of the driver tool.
The present invention has been made with a view to overcoming the various disadvantages encountered in prior art devices and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a spinal implant for an osteosynthesis device, a driver tool for rotating the spinal implant, and a nut guide for guiding the implant body and the driver tool.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spinal implant for an osteosynthesis device having a vertebral connecting rod for interconnecting vertebral bodies spaced from one another. The spinal implant comprises an implant body including a head section having a threaded portion and a rod retaining recess opening outward for retaining the connecting rod therein, and an anchoring screw section longitudinally extending from the head section and adapted to be screwed into the vertebral body, a retaining plug coupled to the head section of the implant body to maintain the connecting rod in place, and rod movement stabilizing means directly located in at least one of the rod retaining recess and the retaining plug for allowing pivotal movement of the connecting rod in the retaining recess, thereby preserving mobility to the connecting rod.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driver tool for a spinal implant having an implant body and an anchoring screw portion, and a nut member screwed onto a head portion of the implant body and having an upper wall formed with a tool engagement groove. The driver tool comprises an elongated shaft, and a tubular tool end having substantially the same diameter as that of the nut member, the tubular tool end having an engaging segment adapted to engage with the engagement groove formed on the upper wall of the nut member.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nut guide for guiding a nut member of a spinal implant having an implant body and an anchoring screw section, and for guiding a driver tool having a lower end formed with a nut engagement tip, wherein a vertebral connecting rod is retained with a pair of the spinal implant to be anchored into vertebral bodies. The nut guide comprises a grip section, and a hollow cylindrical shaft extending from the grip section and adapted to permit insertion of the driver tool therein, the cylindrical shaft having a lower distal end formed with a rod engaging segment for engaging with and retaining the connecting rod to place the lower distal end in a fixed place, and a threaded bore formed rearward of the rod engaging segment for momentarily receiving the nut member therein. The cylindrical shaft allows the driver tool to pass therein such that the nut engagement tip is brought into engagement with the nut member guided with the cylindrical shaft to move the nut member from the threaded bore to the implant body of the spinal body.
Other aspect and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

Spinal implant, driver tool and nut guide


At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to a zoom lens system, which can have a diffractive optical element, achieves high optical performance over a wide zoom range. The zoom lens system includes a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, and a rear lens component including at least one lens unit having positive optical power. The first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the rear lens component are arranged in that order from an object side towards an image side of the zoom lens system. The diffractive optical element is included in the first lens unit. The rear lens component is provided with a positive lens element having extraordinary dispersion characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to zoom lens systems and image pickup apparatuses equipped with such systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Compact, high-resolution zoom lens systems having a wide angle of view to be used as photographic optical systems in image pickup apparatuses that apply solid-state image sensors have been, in recent years, in great demand. Such image pickup apparatuses can be, for example, a video camera, a digital still camera, a broadcast camera, or a silver film camera, or other image pickup apparatus as known by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art or equivalents. For example, in video cameras, the demand for recording high-definition still images in addition to moving pictures is growing, and therefore, a compact lens system with high optical performance is in great demand.
To meet these demands, there are conventional rear-focusing zoom lens systems (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 11-305124 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,864), 8-5913 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,882), and 2000-267005). Such systems perform focusing by moving a lens unit other than a first lens unit disposed most proximate to an object.
Generally, in comparison to zoom lens systems that perform focusing by moving the first lens unit, the first lens unit in a rear-focusing zoom lens system has a smaller effective diameter. For this reason, the entire lens system is readily reduced in size. Moreover, rear-focusing zoom lens systems are more suitable for close-up photography and macro-photography. Furthermore, rear-focusing zoom lens systems can require only a small amount of driving force for moving the lens unit for focusing since the lens unit can be small and lightweight. Therefore, a focusing operation in rear-focusing zoom lens systems can be performed very quickly.
According to the zoom lens systems discussed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 11-305124 and 8-5913, the degree of axial chromatic aberration (longitudinal chromatic aberration) and transverse chromatic aberration (lateral chromatic aberration) is large especially at the telephoto end. For this reason, if these zoom lens systems are to be used in apparatuses that require high resolution and high image quality, such as a digital still camera, these chromatic aberrations become visible.
On the other hand, according to the zoom lens system discussed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-267005, these chromatic aberrations are properly corrected or the error reduced by providing the first lens unit with a lens composed of extraordinary dispersion glass.
Recently, techniques for reducing chromatic aberration in an optical system have been discussed where reduction can be achieved by providing a diffractive optical element in the optical system (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-324262 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,321), U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,790, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-52238 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,200), and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-305126 (corresponding to US AA2003076591)).
If a diffractive optical element is to be used in a photographic system (optical system), a sufficient diffraction efficiency can be attained over the entire visible range. Generally, with only a single-layer diffraction grating, the diffraction efficiency is lowered at wavelengths other than the design wavelength, thus producing undesired diffraction rays of orders other than the design order. This can induce color flare. In view of this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-127322 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,157,488), for example, discusses a diffractive optical element that includes a plurality of diffraction gratings. Specifically, a material of each diffraction grating and the thickness of each diffraction grating are optimally selected so that a diffractive optical element with high diffraction efficiency over the entire visible range is achieved.
Generally, by increasing the refractive power of each lens unit of a zoom lens system, the entire lens system can be reduced in size and be given a high zoom ratio due to a reduced moving amount of each lens unit for a zooming operation. However, it can be difficult to attain high optical performance since the displacement amount of each aberration, especially the chromatic aberration, increases during the zooming or focusing operation.
For example, in a zoom lens system having a high zoom ratio of 10× or more, if a diffractive optical element is incorporated into the first lens unit to correct the chromatic aberration, there are cases where the angle of light incident on the diffractive optical element changes significantly in response to a change in the angle of view or the focal length. Therefore, it can be necessary in some circumstances to consider the appropriate positioning of the diffractive optical element in order to reduce undesired diffraction rays.
Furthermore, if the chromatic aberration of the entire lens system is to be corrected or reduced solely with a diffractive optical element, it can be difficult to correct the chromatic aberration over the entire zoom range to achieve high quality images while still attaining a high zoom ratio.
Therefore, in order to achieve high optical performance by having the ability to properly correct the chromatic aberration over the entire zoom range from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end while attaining a high zoom ratio, it can be useful to select the appropriate position of the diffractive optical element in the optical system and appropriate materials of optical elements included in the optical system.

Zoom lens system and image pickup apparatus with the system