Provided are a mold die for molding a chip array, molding equipment including such a mold die and a molding method utilizing such molding equipment. The mold die provides for the selective injection of mold resin through a corner gate controlled by a gate block whereby the flow of the mold resin is neither perpendicular nor parallel to the side surfaces of the semiconductor chips arranged in the chip array. In this manner failures associated with the sweeping effects of the mold resin flowing past the bonding wires on the semiconductor chips may be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to equipment and a method for molding a semiconductor device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mold die for molding a chip array, molding equipment including the same, and a method for molding a chip array.
2. Description of the Related Art
Molding processes are typically used for sealing semiconductor chips after wire-bonding has been completed, by encapsulating the chips and the bonding wires with a chemical resin. The molding process is typically performed in a mold die, which is incorporated into a larger molding apparatus. A typical mold die comprises a pot for holding the mold resin, a cavity block for defining one or more cavities, a paddle, a runner block, and a gate block for defining and controlling a gate through which the resin may enter a cavity. A typical molding apparatus may include 2, 4, 6, or more separate cavity blocks symmetrically disposed in a mold die and connected to a common pot through one or more runner blocks and gate blocks.
Molding processes can be broadly categorized into single molding processes and chip-array molding processes, depending on the number of semiconductor chips loaded in one cavity block. While only a single semiconductor chip is loaded in each cavity in a single molding process, a plurality of semiconductor chips are loaded to form a matrix in each cavity in a chip-array molding process. Since a chip-array molding process typically requires a greater amount of mold resin than a single molding process, the mold die gate for single molding processes may be relatively narrow, while the mold die gate for chip-array molding process will tend to be considerably wider to increase the rate at which the mold resin enters the cavity.
Chip-array molding processes, which are highly productive and which can be much more economical than a single molding processes, are widely used. Chip-array molding processes are typically utilized more frequently in conjunction with certain packaging methods, such as multi-chip package (MCP) and system in package (SIP) configurations, but as the demand for chip-scale packages (CSP) increases, chip-array molding processes are becoming more widely used.
FIG. 1A shows a schematic arrangement of a cavity and a gate of a conventional mold die for molding a chip array with FIG. 1B illustrating a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 1A.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a mold die for molding a chip array includes a cavity block 100 and a gate block 110. Although not shown in the drawings, a runner block is typically disposed adjacent the gate block 110 for defining a resin flow path between the pot and the gate block
A recessed surface is provided in the cavity block 100 to define the cavity 105 that will be filled with mold resin that flows from the pot, through the runner block and through the gate 115 during the molding process. A plurality of semiconductor chips 12 on which the wire-bonding process has been completed may be arranged in cavity 105. The semiconductor chips 12 may be attached to, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB) or other suitable substrate 10. In a typical mold die for molding a chip array, a regular array of, for example, four, six, or nine semiconductor chips are attached and wire-bonded to a printed circuit board 10 using conventional assembly processes before being placed in the cavity 105.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the gate 115 of the gate block 110 included in the mold die for molding a semiconductor array has a width only slightly less than the width of a side of the cavity 105 to allow the cavity to be filled more easily with mold resin before the mold resin is hardened. FIGS. 2A through 2D illustrate a series of sequential images from a simulation of mold resin filling a cavity of a conventional mold die for molding a chip array having an arrangement of a cavity 105 and a gate 115 as illustrated in FIG. 1A.
Referring to FIGS. 2A through 2D, as the mold resin, which is entering the cavity 105 at a substantially constant rate, meets a first semiconductor chip 12 disposed in the first row, its flow is impeded by the front surface of the semiconductor chip. In other words, the mold resin starts to flow more slowly at a portion where a semiconductor chip 12 is disposed (see FIGS. 2B and 2D) within the cavity 105 and tends to separate and flow around the semiconductor chip.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of a unit chip of a chip array indicating in more detail the general direction of the flow(s) of the mold resin as it fills the cavity of FIG. 1A. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the semiconductor chips 12 may be a type of multi-chip package (MCP) having an upper semiconductor chip 12a and a lower semiconductor chip 12b. The semiconductor chips and/or the substrate typically include bonding pads 16 and wire-bonding terminals 18 with bonding wires 20 providing electrical connection between designated bond pads and terminals.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, when mold resin is injected perpendicularly to one side of the semiconductor chip 12, the resin will slow as it meets the front side chip surface and will begin to flow around the lateral sides of the chip. Thus, while the mold resin flows past the lateral side of the semiconductor chip 12 at a relatively high rate, its flow past the front side is at a relatively low rate. This results in a flow of the mold resin bypassing the entire semiconductor chip 12 or, in a case of a stack-type multi-chip package (MCP), the entire upper semiconductor chip 12a. Mold resin that has bypassed the semiconductor chip(s) and reached a portion of the cavity where no semiconductor chip 12 is disposed starts again to flow again in all directions at the same rate. As a result, the bypass flow of the mold resin around both lateral sides of the semiconductor chip 12 tend to meet at a rear central region A of the semiconductor chip 12.
In a typical molding process, a sweeping phenomenon occurs. That is, the bonding wires 20 tend to be displaced in the flow direction due to the friction of flow of mold resin flowing past the bonding wire. The sweeping phenomenon is inevitable as mold resin flows past bonding wires with the sweeping force being generally proportional to the length and orientation of the bonding wires exposed to the flow.
However, in semiconductor packages, such as MCP and SIP, where a plurality of semiconductor chips are assembled, the length of the bonding wires 20 tends to increase. As the length of the bonding wires 20 increases, the sweeping forces tend to become more severe and the occurrence of failures increases. Accordingly, when an MCP or SIP is used, the position, spacing and orientation of the bonding wires should be designed with consideration of the sweeping phenomenon in order to provide increased resistance to such failures. Then, as long as the sweeping forces are generally within the limits anticipated by the design, shorts between adjacent wires and the resultant failures will be reduced.
Unlike cases in which the sweeping forces are applied in only one direction, the chip-array molding process must typically be carried out with sweeping forces applied in a plurality of directions while still accommodating demanding requirements for the positioning of bonding wires, the pitch between adjacent bonding wires, and the like. As described above with regard to FIG. 3, the mold resin flowing along both sides of the semiconductor chip 12 will tend to meet behind the rear side of the semiconductor chip 12. As a result, on the rear side of the semiconductor chip 12, bonding wires 20 on either side of region A are swept in opposite directions that tend to force the bonding wires toward each other.
Accordingly, if the positioning of the bonding wires and the pitch between wires are designed with consideration of sweeping forces that are applied in only one direction, the bonding wires, when swept in opposite directions, may be forced into contact with each other near the region A, thus causing a short. In particular, because the length of bonding wires is relatively large in MCP and SIP mounting techniques, the risk of such wire shorts may be increased relative to other package configurations.
To prevent the formation of such shorts, the positions of wires may be changed or the pitch between the wires may be increased. However, as these remedial methods must be incorporated into the layout and a fabrication process of an integrated circuit, they are difficult and complicated to achieve while still maintaining the desired device dimensions.

Mold die for molding chip array, molding equipment including the same, and method for molding chip array


Embodiments of methods and apparatus to operate a wireless electronic device based on usage pattern are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

As technology advances to provide greater mobility, more and more people are carrying and using multiple wireless electronic devices (i.e., an ensemble) for a variety of reasons such as work, education, and/or entertainment. For example, a person may carry and use an ensemble of portable wireless electronic devices including a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a tablet computer, a wireless (e.g., cordless or cellular) telephone, a pager, an audio and/or video player (e.g., an MP3 player or a digital video disc (DVD) player), a game device, a digital camera, a navigation device (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) device), and/or wireless peripherals (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a printer, etc.).
Many of the wireless electronic devices mentioned above may operate in various modes that require different amount of power. In particular, a wireless electronic device may operate in an active mode, which requires a greater amount of power relative to other operating modes (i.e., high power consumption level). In the active mode, the wireless electronic device may execute an application or a program to generate a visual output on a display screen and/or an audio output via a speaker, to receive a user input via a human interface device, to read and/or write to a memory, and/or to transmit and/or receive communication information for an individual to converse in voice calls, to participate in instant messaging (IM) sessions, to retrieve e-mail or voice messages, to browse the Internet, etc. The wireless electronic device may also operate in an idle or standby mode when an individual is not actively operating the wireless electronic device but the wireless electronic device is readily available to operate in the active mode when necessary. For example, a cellular telephone may operate in the idle mode to monitor for incoming communication such as a voice call, a text message, streaming media, etc. Accordingly, the cellular telephone may require less power to operate in the idle mode than in the active mode (i.e., medium power consumption level). To further reduce power consumption, the wireless electronic device may operate in a sleep mode (i.e., low power consumption level) by disabling or shutting down unnecessary components. For example, the wireless electronic device may automatically operate in the sleep mode when the wireless electronic device is unused for a predefined time period. Alternatively, the individual may manually enable the sleep mode.
As noted above, wireless electronic devices may provide a variety of services and/or a combination thereof. In particular, some of the wireless electronic devices may provide synchronous communication services (e.g., two-way communication occurring at the same time). For example, an individual may participate in a real-time or near real-time communication such as a voice call and/or an IM session provided by a cellular telephone and/or a handheld computer. Alternatively or in addition, some wireless electronic devices may provide asynchronous communication services (e.g., two-way communication occurring at different times). For example, the wireless electronic device may receive a time-delayed message such as an e-mail message and/or a voice message. However, the individual may be asleep, on vacation, or participating in other activities such that the wireless electronic device is inaccessible to the individual and/or the individual is unavailable to use the wireless electronic device. Although existing wireless electronic devices may operate in a sleep mode to reduce power consumption, the sleep mode may not be enabled at the proper time or even at all. In one example, a handheld computer configured to provide asynchronous communication services may continue to consume power throughout the night by operating in an idle mode to receive and provide incoming e-mail messages even though the individual may be asleep and unavailable to receive and/or respond to any of the incoming e-mail messages. Thus, existing wireless electronic devices may consume power even when individuals are not using the devices for various reasons.

Methods and apparatus for operating a wireless electronic device based on usage pattern


A method and system for quantitatively evaluating bone fracture risk in a living being are provided that generate a value for an index indicative of a degree of bone fracture risk. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of acquiring values for a height H, a weight W, and a bone mineral density BMD of the living being. The method further includes the step of calculating a quantitative bone fracture risk index QI associated with the living being in accordance with the formula QI=Hα*Wβ/BMDγ where α, β, and γ are constants selected based on previously obtained data indicative of bone fracture risk.

a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to assessment of bone fracture risk and, in particular, to a method and system for quantitatively evaluating bone fracture risk in a living being that implement an improved index of bone fracture risk.
b. Background Art
Bone tissue breaks down and rebuilds within living beings. In humans, bone tissue initially forms faster than it is lost when a human is young. At a certain age, however, humans begin to lose bone tissue at a greater rate than it is replenished. As bone mass diminishes, bones have a greater risk of fracture. The risk is particularly acute in individuals who have osteopenia, or low bone mass, or suffer from the bone thinning disease osteoporosis.
Because bone fractures can negatively impact overall health, methods and systems have been developed to evaluate bone fracture risk with a particular emphasis on individuals having osteopenia or osteoporosis. Conventional methods and systems rely on bone mass and body mass index (BMI). The use of BMI, however, does not appropriately account for the nature of an individual's height, weight and bone mass.
The inventors herein have recognized a need for a method and system for quantitatively evaluating bone fracture risk in a living being that will overcome one or more of the above-identified deficiencies.

Method and system for bone fracture risk assessment


A non-linear phase correction method is provided. For the non-linear phase correction method, image information is acquired by gradient echo echo planar imaging (EPI). Reference information is acquired by spin echo EPI. The image information is corrected based on the reference information.

1. Field
This document relates to a phase correction method, and more particularly, to a non-linear phase correction method.
2. Related Art
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to acquire an accurate image of interior parts of a human body. MRI is based on a field of physics in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Nuclei including an odd number of neutrons or an odd number of protons usually have a net magnetic moment, and are NMR active.
Echo planar imaging (EPI), which is a high-speed MRI technique, is widely used in various fields including functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which is used to find out the position and direction of white matter fibrous tissues, cardiac function measuring imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and perfusion-weighted imaging.
EPI is generally classified into two types, a spin echo and gradient echo, depending on a method of obtaining an echo signal.
Typically, gradient echo EPI is used to acquire images related to fMRI and cardiac functions, while spin echo EPI is used to acquire images related to DTI, DWI, and PWI.
EPI needs to be used up to a critical value of hardware because of the fast signal acquisition. Also, since a signal is acquired by a shingle shot, EPI is sensitive to uniformity in a main magnetic field, variation in magnetic susceptibility, and chemical transition. Due to the above limitation and characteristics, various artifacts such as Nyquist ghost and geometric distortion may be produced in finally reconstructed images.
A correction method of removing artifacts inherent in high-speed EPI is commonly classified into a linear phase correction method and a non-linear phase correction method.
For a linear phase correction method, there is one widely applied approach that a phase is first found using a navigator echo signal, which is additionally acquired to use reference information suggested in an article by Heid O., entitled "Robust EPI Phase Correction," In Proceedings of the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, p. 2014, 1997, and an acquired signal is corrected based on a phase found from the first found phase. Another widely applied approach for the linear phase correction method includes reconstructing an image by drawing even and odd numbers of signals individually as suggested in an article by Buonocore M. H. and Gao L., entitled "Ghost Artifact Reduction for Echo Planar Imaging Using Image Phase Correction," Magn. Reson. Med., 38, pp. 89-100, 1997, generating two-dimensional phase images, selecting one row of the images, and applying the selected row to all of the signals for the correction.
For a non-linear phase correction method, there is one approach that sampled points of signals acquired by EPI, which applies a phase gradient magnetic field, are individually corrected using a phase of an additional reference information signal acquired by EPI, which is removed of a phase gradient magnetic field. Such a non-linear phase correction method contains more information than the linear phase correction method, and thus, the non-linear phase correction method is considered effective to remove artifacts produced in high-speed EPI.
However, when the non-linear phase correction method is applied, in gradient echo EPI, numerous echo signals acquired from a certain sectional plane often have different levels of Dephasing due to variations in uniformity of a main magnetic field and magnetic susceptibility. The Dephasing of the echo signals may generate a streak artifact.

Method of obtaining a magnetic resonance image in which the streak artifacts are corrected using non-linear phase correction

Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology


The present invention provides a state monitoring device which make it possible to certainly deliver, to the maintenance staff side, state monitoring information of an apparatus to be monitored which is disposed in a distant place with a bad communication environment. A state monitoring device 300 is provided with a communication unit 301 which performs communication using a first communication line for transmitting operating information of an apparatus to be monitored to a server device, and a second communication line for transmitting the operating information to the server device via wireless communication provided by a mobile object if the first communication line is not communicable.

In recent years, a system constituted of various devices or a plurality of devices is connected to an Internet communication (including a cloud), and thus, a maintenance worker is able to remotely monitor an operation state of the system. During a fault of the system, the maintenance worker can perform a primary analysis of a cause of the fault by checking, via the cloud, information on or an operation log of the faulty device, without going to an installation place of the device. Consequently, even when needing to go to the installation place for repair, the maintenance worker can prepare information needed for the repair in advance.
As a related technique, PTL 1 discloses a technique for monitoring and determining deterioration of a power storage system. PTL 2 discloses a technique of causing a user to perform selection regarding a trouble state of a home appliance via a portable terminal, and analyzing a trouble on a server side, based on a result of the selection. PTL 3 discloses a technique of sensing an abnormality in an air examination device in consideration of a state.

State monitoring device, state monitoring system, and state monitoring method


A method and a device for producing slots in workpieces are disclosed. An oscillatory drive is provided, on the output shaft of which a saw blade is accommodated by one end, and at the other end of which a cutting edge is provided. The oscillatory drive is positioned on a workpiece with a defined angle between the workpiece surface and the saw blade, the saw blade being driven in an oscillating manner and moved along a guide in a direction extending radially in relation to the output shaft. Connecting elements can be inserted into slots produced on two workpieces in this way so that they match and can be adhesively bonded to the two workpieces, in order to produce a permanent and precise connection between the workpieces.

The invention relates to a method of producing slots in workpieces. The invention also relates to a method of connecting two workpieces. Finally, the invention relates to a device for producing slots in workpieces.
For connecting workpieces, in wood-frame construction in particular, a system referred to as the Lamello jointing system is known. This involves using a circular saw blade to cut slots in the form of segments of a circle into two parts made of wood that are to be connected to each other, inserting into these slots small flat, approximately lenticular wooden plates which are also known as biscuits, and gluing them with wood glue. The biscuits swell under the effect of the wood glue and in this way lead to a permanent, solid connection between the two components.
Although connections of this type are very strong as a result of the gluing, there is the disadvantage that it is scarcely possible for relatively small workpieces to be connected in confined spaces because of the segmental slots.
Metal connectors for connecting adjacent workpieces by means of wood glue are indeed also known, disclosed by DE 102 50 096 A1, the connecting elements being coated with a wood veneer. In this way, the connecting elements inserted into assigned slots can likewise be connected to one another by means of wood glue.
However, here there is also the problem that, because the slots are produced by means of circular saw blades, a segmental shape is obtained, precluding connections in a confined space.
Furthermore, DE 199 38 106 C1 discloses a portable power tool with a stop, which has an oscillatory drive for intermittently driving the tool about a longitudinal axis of the output shaft and is provided with an adjustable stop for maintaining a minimum distance between the portable tool and a workpiece.
Although grinding or sawing work can in principle be carried out with such a tool, it does not allow precision slots to be produced in workpieces.

Method and device for producing slots in workpieces


A container holder of a vehicle includes a holder body and a support assembly. The holder body includes a container housing space. The support assembly includes a first support and a second support. The first support is rotatably coupled to the holder body and is adapted to support a container at a first position of a side wall of the container when the container is positioned in the container housing space. The second support is rotatably coupled to the first support and is adapted to support the container at a second position, different in position from the first position in a vertical direction, of the side wall of the container when the container is positioned in the container housing space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container holder of a vehicle. The container may, for example, be a cup, a bottle, a can, a portable telephone, an umbrella, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
In a case where a container holder is a cup holder, following cup holders of a vehicle are known:    (i) A first cup holder disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication 2002-104050 includes a support constructed of a single support, for holding a cup. The support is rotatably biased from a receding position where the support recedes to a side wall of a holder body to a forwarding position where the support is rotated to protrude into a cup housing space defined by the side wall of the holder body.    (ii) A second cup holder disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication HEI 10-86734 has a support having opposite ends. When a cup is inserted to a cup housing space and one end of the support is pushed by weight of the cup, the other end of the support protrudes into the cup housing space to hold the cup.
With the above-described cup holders, there are the following problems:
With the cup holder of above (i), as illustrated in FIG. 12, since the support is designed so as to support the cup at a position of the cup holder as high as possible, when a large lateral force acts on the cup, the cup C is inclined because the cup is not supported at its bottom, so that there is a risk that liquid in the cup will spill out.
With the cup holder of above (ii), when there is no or little liquid in the cup, the support does not operate and the cup is not supported by the support.


In an optical fiber spool, an optical fiber is wound around a barrel, a resilient pad covers the outer surface of the barrel, for relieving impacts, and two flanges face each other to support the barrel. A reinforcing rib is fixed on each of the flanges, for supporting the wound optical fiber, and an auxiliary winding portion is disposed on the outer surface of one flange, for winding a beginning portion of the optical fiber. An optical fiber drawing slot is positioned on the one flange, spaced apart from an inner circumference toward the flange in the direction of an outer circumference thereof by a predetermined distance, and has an upper surface spaced apart from the inner circumference of flange by a distance 2t, the thickness of the pad being t.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber spool, and in particular, to an optical fiber spool and a spool cover for use in storing and transporting an optical fiber.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical fiber is generally used as an intermediate product for a cable or a completed product in itself. Recently, there has been a drastically increasing demand for optical fibers to establish a superhigh-speed information communications network.
When optical fibers are to come onto the market in the form of cables, they are protected by a multi-protection layer so that their optical and mechanical characteristics can be well maintained. On the other hand, when optical fibers are shipped as a completed product, an additional mechanism should be prepared to maintain their characteristics. As user demand shifts to a long optical fiber, a spool capable of winding a long optical fiber is necessary.
An earlier optical fiber spool has been designed to wind an optical fiber of a short length of about 15-20 km. This spool has a cylindrical barrel and two flanges facing each other with the barrel in between. The spool is easy to handle because the difference between diameters of the barrel and the flanges is narrow, about 83-88 mm, and an optical fiber wound around the spool is lightweight.
However, as user demand shifts to a long optical fiber, the earlier spool has limitations in winding the long optical fiber. Even if a long length of optical fiber is forcedly wound around the spool, end portions of the flanges are warped, thereby collapsing the optical fiber. Especially, the spool is seriously deformed depending on temperature due to the increase in the weight of the optical fiber and difficult to handle. As a result, characteristics of the spool are changed.
The difference between the height of an optical fiber drawing slot and the thickness of a pad brings about several problems including the increase of nonlinearity of the optical fiber. That is, when the optical fiber is drawn through the slot from a shock-absorbing sponge pad, the optical fiber may be caught between the pad and an inner side surface of the flange or forcedly drawn around an auxiliary winding portion, thereby bending the optical fiber. This is a cause of optical fiber failures.
The above problems can be summarized as follows:
(1) it is difficult to wind a long length of optical fiber around the earlier spool because the spool is designed to wind an optical fiber of a 15-20 km length; PA1 (2) the flanges of the spool are warped and the spool is seriously deformed depending on temperature when it is used for a long length winding; PA1 (3) because the optical fiber is non-linear due to the difference between the height of the optical fiber drawing slot and the thickness of the pad, an accurate loss value is difficult to obtain; and PA1 (4) when a long length of optical fiber is wound around the spool, the weight of the spool is increased, causing difficulty in transporting and storing the spool and protecting the optical and mechanical characteristics of the optical fiber from an external environment.
The following patents each disclose features in common with the present invention but do not teach or suggest the specifically recited optical fiber spool and spool cover of the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,388 to Osojnak, entitled Tape Canister, U.S. Pat. No. 1,488,322 to Doty, entitled Film Reel Cover, U.S. Pat. No. 1,702,242 to Bureau, entitled Reel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,789 to Webb, entitled Locking Mechanism For Magnetic Tape, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,789 to Milburn, entitled Dispensing Package For A Fiber-Optic Device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,066 to Hurst et al., entitled Optical Fiber Spool And Method Of Loading Spool, U.S. Pat. No. 1,981,139 to Bureau, entitled Reel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,879 to Le Bus Sr., entitled Non-Crushing Multi-Layer Cable Spooling Method And Apparatus Therefor, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,441 to Le Bus Sr., entitled Method And Apparatus Of Cross-Over Cable Spooling.


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus including mask pattern formed on a mask substrate. A plurality of spatial radiation modulators may be vertically displaced from the mask pattern, and distributed across a two-dimensional area. Each of the plurality of spatial radiation modulators may be adjustable between a first transparent state and a second transparent state to control whether radiation transmitted through the mask pattern passes through each of the plurality of spatial radiation modulators.

Photoresist layers, which are used in photolithography to transfer a design pattern onto a semiconductor wafer, are a fundamental component for defining and varying the structure of an integrated circuit (IC) during manufacture. To form a pattern in photoresist layer, a mask (often called a "photomask," "master mask," etc.) with a fixed shape is created based on a desired photoresist layer. By focusing radiation through the mask, then through reduction optics, a photoresist layer is patterned on a wafer to a much smaller scale than the size of the mask. Photoresist layers also may be specially-tailored to hide the location of circuits and create unique complex chip level signatures, but providing such features conventionally requires building a prohibitive number of masks to create the varying photoresist layers. Building multiple designs and mask sets to create multiple versions of a device is possible, but this is costly and in many cases does not provide robust variation nor end-user security from unit-to-unit.

Apparatus and related method to control radiation transmission through mask pattern


A method and system for measuring the temporal response of a micromirror array to a variety of driving signals. A micromirror array is illuminated with a coherent light source so that a diffraction pattern is reflected from the micromirror array. One or more photodetectors are aligned with spots of light in the diffraction pattern that correspond to orders of the diffraction pattern. Diffraction pattern theory predicts that the intensity of these spots of light will vary as the tilt angle of the micromirrors is changed. Thus, by measuring the relative intensity of the spots of light as the micromirror array is provided with a variety of driving signals, many performance characteristics of the micromirror array can be measured. Some of these characteristics include the impulse response, the forced resonant frequency (i.e. the natural frequency), the damped resonant frequency, the quality factor of the micromirror response, the damping factor of the micromirror response, and the frequency transfer function. According to another aspect of the invention, the electromechanical compliance of the micromirrors in the micromirror array can also be measured. It is further contemplated that all of these measurements can be localized to specific regions on the surface of the micromirror array so that the variance of different characteristics across its surface can be analyzed. Another aspect of the disclosed invention is the measurement of the tilt angle of the micromirror array at a non-biased state.

Micromechanical devices are small structures typically fabricated on a semiconductor wafer using techniques such as optical lithography, metal sputtering, plasma oxide deposition, and plasma etching that have been developed for the fabrication of integrated circuits. Digital micromirror devices (DMDs), sometimes referred to as deformable mirror devices, are a type of micromechanical device. Other types of micromechanical devices include accelerometers, pressure and flow sensors, gears and motors. Digital micromirror devices are primarily used in optical display systems. In display systems, the DMD is a light modulator that uses digital image data to modulate a beam of light by selectively reflecting portions of the beam of light to a display screen. While analog modes of operation are possible, DMDs are often operated in a digital bistable mode of operation and as such are the core of true digital full-color image projection systems.
Many different kinds of micromirror devices exist, including torsion beam devices, and hidden-hinge devices. All micromirror devices, however, are usually operated in one of two modes of operation. The first mode of operation is an analog mode, sometimes called beam steering, wherein the address electrode is charged to a voltage corresponding to the desired deflection of the mirror. Light striking the micromirror device is reflected by the mirror at an angle determined by the deflection of the mirror. Depending on the voltage applied to the address electrode, the cone of light reflected by an individual mirror is directed to fall outside the aperture of a projection lens, partially within the aperture, or completely within the aperture of the lens. The reflected light is focused by the lens onto an image plane, with each individual mirror corresponding to a pixel on the image plane. As the cone of reflected light is moved from completely within the aperture to completely outside the aperture, the image location corresponding to the mirror dims, creating continuous brightness levels.
The second mode of operation is a digital mode. When operated digitally, each micromirror is fully deflected in either of the two directions about the torsion hinge axis. Digital operation uses a relatively large address voltage to ensure the mirror is fully deflected. The address electrodes are driven using standard logic voltage levels and a bias voltage, typically a positive voltage, is applied to the mirror metal layer to control the voltage difference between the address electrodes and the mirrors. Use of a sufficiently large mirror bias voltage, a voltage above what is termed the threshold voltage of the device, ensures the mirror will fully deflect toward the address electrode—even in the absence of an address voltage. The use of a large mirror bias voltage enables the use of low address voltages since the address voltages need only slightly deflect the mirror prior to the application of the large mirror bias voltage.
To create an image using the micromirror device, the light source is positioned at an angle relative to the device normal that is twice the angle of rotation so that mirrors rotated toward the light source reflect light in a direction normal to the surface of the micromirror device and into the aperture of a projection lens—creating a bright pixel on the image plane. Mirrors rotated away from the light source reflect light away from the projection lens—leaving the corresponding pixel dark. Intermediate brightness levels are created by pulse width modulation techniques in which the mirror rapidly is rotated on and off to vary the quantity of light reaching the image plane. The human eye integrates the light pulses and the brain perceives a flicker-free intermediate brightness level.
As can be appreciated, the temporal response of micromirrors in the micromirror array to input signals is an important metric of the performance of the micromirrors. Indeed, the temporal response characteristics can be used to determine if the micromirrors are operating properly or improperly. More specifically, the temporal response characteristics can detect manufacturing defects in the micromirrors at a macroscopic scale. The characteristics can also measure imperfections and performance variations across the surface of a micromirror array.
Existing systems for measuring the temporal response of micromirror arrays utilize devices that measure the performance of individual micromirrors in the micromirror array. For example, one method for measuring the temporal response of a micromirror uses a micromirror device characterization unit (MMDCU) or Nanospec measuring tool. These measurement tools have significant drawbacks though. In particular, the tools are expensive, highly sensitive, and require precise alignment with the micromirror array in order to produce accurate measurements. Furthermore, these tools can only measure one mirror at a time, thus producing measurement that have a relatively low signal to noise ratio.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a relatively simple and inexpensive method and apparatus for measuring the temporal response characteristics of a micromirror array. There is also a need in the art for a measuring device and method that can simultaneously measure the temporal response of a plurality of micromirrors thereby increasing the signal to noise ratio, and rendering a statistical ensemble-averaged response. There is also a need for a measuring device and method that can measure the temporal response of micromirrors without using sensitive microscopic and micro-positioning equipment.

Method and apparatus for measuring temporal response characteristics of digital mirror devices


A system for shopping in a store is provided that includes a multi-network for communications in a store, a shopping cart that weighs items placed therein and then transmits that weight information through the multi-network, and a wireless end device that may be handheld and/or releasably attached to the shopping cart whereby a shopper uses the wireless end device to send and receive information to the store though the multi-network.

The prior art is rife with attempts to enhance the shopping experience between a shopper and a store. These attempts are oriented to move a shopper through a store faster, help a shopper find items on a store shelf, keep track of the shopper moving throughout the store and aid a shopper to check-out quickly. Unfortunately, many of these attempts have been highly complex, labor intensive, extremely expensive to implement, maintain and/or replace. Often, these attempts have negatively impacted store profits, caused higher store costs passed onto the shopper and have been deemed unreliable and undependable in the day-to-day operation of a store's fast-paced environment.
Enhancing a shopper's experience in a store and establishing faster methods of check-out are laudable goals. However, the high cost of such systems and their impact on a store's bottom line has been greatly overlooked by the prior art. In the grocery industry, in particular, profit margins are thin (e.g., often no more than 2% of total store sales) and are highly susceptible to fluctuations in rising fuel costs, commodity costs, labor costs and many other costs related to daily operations. Such fluctuations can raise incremental store costs in expected and unexpected ways.
As a result of its thin profit margins, the grocery industry, by and large, continually works to contain its operational costs; i.e., the daily costs to keep open and maintain a store. Controlling operational costs for a grocery store is important and bears directly upon either the size of its profit margin, increased costs to its customers or both. The prior art scantily, if at all, addresses this issue.
For example, Coveley (U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,206) describes the combination of a shopping cart that weighs items placed therein and a handheld device to which the shopping cart communicates this weight information. Coveley does not provide an in-store wireless network. Instead, Coveley conducts financial transactions wirelessly from the handheld device out beyond the physical limits of the store. Like most executions of this type, Coveley's cashier-less shopping store requires a handheld device of vast complexity, cost and sophistication to perform complex technological functions. Coveley's handheld device is a highly expensive solution which costs are borne by the store itself and potentially passed onto store shoppers. While potentially convenient to a shopper, such an execution as Coveley's adds significant capital costs, replacement costs, maintenance costs, increased insurance costs, and others to the daily operational costs of a store.
Schkolnick, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,127) provides an "intelligent" shopping cart that uses radio frequency (RF) fields created within the shopping cart that can identify items placed within the shopping cart by the RF tags of items so equipped. Like Coveley, Schkolnick provides a highly sophisticated, complex and expensive way to identify and catalog items placed within a shopping cart. The shopping cart is equipped with a cart computer, computer programs and cart memory. These additions to a shopping cart can cause the cost per cart to rise dramatically in comparison to shopping carts not so equipped. As a result replacement costs and maintenance costs may sky rocket and directly, negatively impact a store's profit margin.
Yoshihisa (JP Application No. 01130949) provides a process that allows a customer to register articles by a scanner fixed to a cart, transmit the registered contents to a host computer through radio waves and then transmit information about the shopping cart's contents to a cash register. The shopping cart comprises a scale that weighs items placed therein. The shopping cart records and retains the weight information until check-out when it is compared to an expected weight based upon the items scanned into the cart.
As has been noted hereinabove, a myriad of attempts to create a shopper-friendly, enjoyable and speedy shopping experience have been tried. However, a cursory review of one's favorite grocery store readily affirms that few, if any, of these attempts have received any large scale use or application in the United States or worldwide. The impediments to the implementation of these attempts are several. First, per unit cost of each handheld device of the prior art are quite high, ranging in price from between several hundred dollars to as high as one-thousand dollars or more. Such costs bear directly upon a store's profitability, its prices to customers or both. As mentioned, this is due to the highly sophisticated components, software, and programming expertise used to construct these handheld devices. Such high-cost devices are also highly susceptible to theft and therefore high insurance and replacement costs can ensue.
In addition, at several hundred dollars or more per unit and per store deployment of the handheld devices ranging from several dozen to several hundred, initial entry costs for use of the handheld devices can be staggering. These initial costs can either reduce a store's profit margins, increase store costs directly to a shopper (i.e., through cost pass-through) or both.
Another impediment to implementation is the replacement costs of the handheld devices due to either theft or damage. Initial costs notwithstanding, replacement costs for the use of the handheld devices described herein can be as costly over time as their initial introduction by the hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands across a retail chain and in particular a grocery store chain. Additionally, given the complexity of the handheld devices described hereinabove, technical support for the handheld devices and technologically complex shopping carts would be required and therefore could add significantly to overall store operational costs.
Similarly, the shopping carts described in the prior art and hereinabove can be cost prohibitive too. They are, as has been noted herein concerning the handheld devices, highly complex, comprise expensive components, have high replacement costs and can be expensive to use and maintain. Given that a certain percentage of shopping carts from nearly every store disappears each year without recovery, it is a virtual guarantee that higher replacement costs per store for such shopping carts will serve to either erode a store's profits or erode that store's customer base as higher grocery prices are passed onto its customers.
What is therefore needed is a low cost, highly effective, highly reliable shopping system for a shopper that serves to enhance, simplify and expedite a shopper's experience with very little, if any, cost pass-through by higher store prices due to expensive end-user components and very little, if any, negative impact to a store's profit margin. This has been achieved through one or more of the embodiments enclosed hereinbelow and will now be explained with greater detail and particularity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method of operating a selective combustible sensor having a pump cell and a sensor cell includes the steps of immersing the sensor in a gaseous atmosphere having at least two combustible gases and oxygen gas and allowing the gaseous atmosphere to enter a region between the pump cell and the sensor cell, applying a pumping current to the pump cell, sensing an e.m.f. (V.sub.s), across the sensor cell, varying at least either the V.sub.s or temperature to make the sensor insensitive to one of the combustible gases, and detecting the other combustible gases present in the gaseous atmosphere.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to combustible sensors and, more particularly, to a selective combustible sensor and method for measuring the concentration of combustibles in a gaseous atmosphere.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solid-state electrochemical cells based on oxygen-ion conducting zirconium dioxide (ZrO.sub.2) have found extensive use as oxygen sensors in many applications. One of these is in the automotive vehicle industry, where the oxygen sensor is used to control the air-to-fuel (A/F) ratio of an engine by measuring oxygen partial pressure in engine exhaust. Typical automotive oxygen sensors consist of a single ZrO.sub.2 cell operated in an open-circuit mode (Nernst cell) and are used for stoichiometric A/F ratio control. Oxygen sensors more sensitive than the Nernst cell are based on the oxygen-pumping principle, i.e., the application of an external current to transfer (pump) oxygen from a negative potential side to a positive potential side of the ZrO.sub.2 cell. Automotive oxygen sensors of this type are designed for operation with lean A/F ratio mixtures. These sensors are commonly called lean exhaust gas oxygen, LEGO, sensors.
Examples of such LEGO sensors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,272,329, 4,272,330 and 4,272,331 to Hetrick et al. and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. These patented LEGO sensors, which are immersed in a gaseous atmosphere, are constructed to define an enclosed volume which communicates with the atmosphere by way of a small aperture. The above-referenced patented LEGO sensors include two electrochemical cells which define the enclosed volume. One cell is called the pump cell while the other cell is called the sensor cell. When attached to an external power supply, a current (Ip) through the pump cell either adds or removes (from or to the atmosphere) gaseous oxygen from the enclosed volume. As a result of the pumping action, an electromotive force or e.m.f. (V.sub.s) develops across the sensor cell which can be used to measure the change in oxygen partial pressure in the enclosed volume relative to the atmosphere.
Although the above LEGO sensors have worked well, they have been used at constant temperature and V.sub.s. As a result, these sensors have not been used to selectively detect combustible gases in a gaseous atmosphere. Also, these sensors have not been used to detect one combustible gas in the presence of other combustible gases in a gaseous atmosphere.


Alignment parameters determination method with less overlay error after exposure without tremendous expending time and cost is provided. Provision is made of a fetching unit performing position measurement and statistical processing to obtain reference computation results. Another fetching unit obtains reference processing results by positioning and exposing shots at a predetermined exposure apparatus based on the reference computation results, then measuring overlay error for the shots. Another fetching unit changes at least parts of the predetermined alignment parameters and performs position measurement and statistical processing to obtain comparative computation results. A controller 650 calculates estimated overlay error when assuming positioning and exposure of shots at a predetermined exposure apparatus based on the comparative computation results using the reference computation results, comparative computation results, and reference processing results.

A semiconductor device, liquid crystal display element, image capturing device (CCD: Charge Coupled Device etc.), thin film magnetic head, and various other types of devices are mostly produced by using an exposure apparatus to transfer by exposure multiple layers of patterns overlaid on a substrate. For this reason, when transferring by exposure the second layer and later layers of patterns on a substrate, the shot areas already formed with patterns on the substrate and the pattern images of the mask must be aligned, that is, the substrate and reticle must be aligned. The substrate on which the first layer of patterns has been transferred by exposure is formed with a plurality of shot areas (chip patterns) provided with positioning marks called alignment marks. These shot areas are regularly arranged based on array coordinates set in advance on the substrate.
However, even if stepping a substrate based on the designed array coordinate values of a plurality of shot areas (shot array) on a substrate, the substrate will not always be accurately positioned due to the four factors (six error parameters) of the (a) residual rotational error Θ of the substrate, (b) orthogonality error Ω of the stage coordinate system (or shot array), (c) scalings Γ x, Γy of the substrate, (d) offsets (parallel movements) Ox, Oy of the substrate (center position).
Therefore, in the past, an enhanced global alignment (EGA) system has been used which statistically processed the measurement values obtained from a plurality of shot areas (sample shots) selected from a substrate to find the array of all of the shot areas on the substrate and positioned the shot areas in accordance with this array.
An EGA system uses the least square method to determine a conversion matrix to minimize the average error between array coordinate values obtained by actual measurement of sample shots and calculated array coordinate values obtained by entering designed array coordinate values of the shot areas into a predetermined model equation, calculates the calculated array coordinate values of positions for actual positioning based on this determined conversion matrix and the designed array coordinate values, and positions the shot areas of the substrate based on the calculated coordinate values.
Further, in addition to array error of shot areas on a substrate, shot areas suffer from overlay error in the shot areas due to the three factors of (a) residual rotational error θ of the shot area, (b) orthogonality error ω in the shot area, and (c) scalings γx, γy of the shot area.
Therefore, an EGA system is also known which uses a conversion matrix using a total of 10 error parameters including these three amounts of error (four error parameters) so as to find the array coordinate values for each shot area and the amounts of correction for overlay error for each shot area.
When employing this type of EGA system for alignment, which sample shots (number and positions) are measured or which measuring device is used when there are a plurality of types of measuring devices (detectors) has a great effect on the computation results, so these are preferably optimized. As such optimization technology, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3313543, it is known to successively change the positions of the marks to be measured (sample shots) and the detector for EGA computation and select the combination of the mark positions and detector giving the smallest residual error component (random component) according to the plurality of EGA computation results as the optimal alignment parameters.
However, optimalization of such alignment parameters is designed to enable circuit patterns actually transferred by exposure to a substrate to be overlaid over previously formed circuit patterns with a high precision.
However, in the conventional art for optimization of the alignment parameters, the alignment parameters giving the smallest residual error component from the design values in the processing are selected as the optimal alignment parameters, so the overlay of the circuit patterns actually transferred by exposure on the substrate is not necessarily optimized. Even if the residual error component in the computation is the smallest, sometimes the overlay of circuit patterns is actually not sufficient. Even if the residual error component is not the smallest, there is a possibility of alignment parameters with higher precision of overlay of the circuit patterns.
Here, regarding the combination of the various types of alignment parameters, it may be considered to actually transfer by exposure and develop circuit patterns on a substrate, then measure the results of overlay of the circuit patterns (overlay error) and determine the best alignment parameters of the overlay results as the optimal alignment parameters. However, there are a huge number of combinations of alignment parameters. Measuring the overlay for all of these would require tremendous time and cost etc., so employing this technique is de facto difficult.

Alignment condition determination method and apparatus of the same, and exposure method and apparatus of the same


A weighing apparatus adapted for use in an existing conveyor, and a method for attaching a weighing apparatus to an existing conveyor without removing components or modifying the conveyor. The apparatus comprises a roller, a load cell, a vertical support and a cross member. The cross member is secured to adjacent existing idlers or alternatively to the frame supporting the existing conveyor via non-invasive means that do not require the existing conveyor or components to be removed or modified by cutting, drilling or welding. The roller is capable of precise adjustment both horizontally and vertically relative to the conveyor to ensure levelness and accuracy without the use of tools.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mechanical/electrical belt scale frame used on belt conveyors for the purpose of monitoring the amount of material that is delivered by the conveyor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It can be appreciated that belt scales have been used for many years for the purpose of recording and monitoring the amount of material that goes across a conveyor. Typically, these belt scale frames have been manufactured in many different configurations to incorporate existing idlers on the conveyor or to use a supplied idler. The weight detecting electrical sensor, referred to as a load cell or strain gauge, was also attached to the belt scale frame in many different ways. Some frames even incorporated linear variable differential transformers (LVDT) instead of load cells. In all previous belt scale frames, it was necessary to attach these frames directly to the main conveyor frame where the existing conveyor idlers were also attached.
The main problem with a conventional belt scale frame is that its installation would require existing conveyor idlers to be removed and/or modified by cutting, drilling or welding. More than that, in a conventional belt scale frame with a supplied idler, an existing conveyor idler would still have to be removed. Another problem with the current belt scale frames is that once the frame is installed on the conveyor, it would be necessary to shim the existing idlers before and after the scale frame so as to make all the idlers level with one another. Still another problem is the time it takes to actually install a belt scale frame, let alone move the belt scale frame from one conveyor to another.
While all of these devices and circumstances of mounting may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they are applied, they are not as convenient as the present invention. There are many problems that arise when a conventional belt scale frame is to be installed. One problem is that a skilled person is required for cutting or welding an existing conveyor idler to be used on the belt scale frame. Another problem arises if holes need to be drilled in the conveyor frame for the belt scale frame. Yet another problem is removing existing idlers for the purpose of leveling.
Maintenance raises additional problems. For example, due to normal wear and tear, present frames would require removal of the idler. Furthermore, if the belt scale frame were to be removed from the conveyor, a new or used idler that was not modified would need to be re-installed where the belt scale frame had been. Another problem arises where cross supports on the conveyor may need to be removed so that the belt scale frame could set in. Finally, a problem arises if the conveyor on which a belt scale frame was to be installed had a continuous cover between the troughing and return side of the belt, such cover may have to be removed for the belt scale frame to fit.
In these respects, the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides a simpler belt scale apparatus and a simpler method of installing a belt scale on a conveyor.


An automatically gain-controlled analog received signal is AD converted to a digital signal, which is subjected to quadrature demodulation processing through operation. The quadrature demodulation result is subjected to low-pass filter processing through operation, that is, a digital detection is performed by software processing to a variable in each software processing in accordance with changes in the modulation method of the received signal and in the symbol transmission rate.

The present invention relates to a digital signal detecting method which permits the reception of signals modulated by different modulation schemes and send signals of various symbol transmission rates and a detector therefor.
To realize future multimedia communications, there is a demand for techniques of transmitting data, speech and images over the same digital radio channel. One possible means for effectively transmitting data, speech and images by digital radio communication is to use symbol transmission rates and modulation/demodulation schemes optimum for the objects to be transmitted. In the field of mobile communication, for instance, it is to be wished that the base station offer a service of providing still pictures of television, data bank or the like, whereas the mobile station be capable of receiving such still pictures from the base station by simple operation with simple equipment as well as conducting usual voice communications. In this instance, a QPSK modulation scheme is usually employed for the voice communication but a QAM or similar multilevel modulation scheme is needed for the transmission of still pictures because of the necessity for transmitting a larger amount of information than that required for the voice communication. This requirement could be met by providing independent transmitters and receivers each corresponding to a particular modulation/demodulation scheme as shown in FIG. 1A, in which the transmitting station is provided with a transmitter group 10 consisting of, for example, QAM, PSK and FSK modulating transmitters 11, 12 and 13 and the receiving station is provided with a receiver group 20 consisting of QAM, PSK and FSK receivers. Another method is common to the above in the provision of the independent transmitters 11, 12 and 13 at the transmitting side but differs therefrom in that the receiving station is equipped with a Single receiver 21 with QAM, PSK and FSK detectors 22, 23 and 24 built therein as shown in FIG. 1B. One possible method for providing a plurality of detectors in the same radio as shown in FIG. 1B is to build therein independent detectors each designed specifically for one modulation/demodulation scheme.
At present, mobile communication services are allocated 800 and 1500 MHz bands but cannot be switched back and forth between them. If the bands can be switched by a simple operation with a simple structure, however, cochannel interference can be reduced by using the 800 MHz band outdoors and the 1500 MHz band indoors and in closed spaces through utilization of a property that the linearity of electric waves in the 1500 MHz band is higher than in the 800 MHz band.
The device configuration depicted in FIG. 1B has a plurality of independent detectors built-in, and hence it is inevitably bulky and complex. Furthermore, in the digital radio communication for transmitting data, speech and images, it is hard to instantaneously switch the independent detectors by dynamically changing the demodulating scheme and the carrier frequency. The receiver 21 quadrature-demodulates the received signal, for which it is necessary to generate a local oscillation signal synchronized with the carrier of the input received signal. In this instance, if the carrier frequency of the received signal varies from f.sub.1 to f.sub.2, f.sub.3, and f.sub.4 with the lapse of time as shown in FIG. 2A, the frequency of the local oscillation signal also needs to vary correspondingly. To meet this requirement, it is general practice in the prior art to employ such a method as shown in FIG. 2B, in which the oscillation frequency of a PLL local oscillator 25 is switched by switching means 17 to f.sub.1, f.sub.2, f.sub.3 and f.sub.4 one after another as indicated by local oscillators 25.sub.1, 25.sub.2, 25.sub.3 and 25.sub.4, then the output from the switched local oscillator and the input modulated signal are multiplied by a multiplier 18 and the multiplied output is applied to a filter 19 to obtain a base band signal. The frequency switching speed in the PLL local oscillator 25 is several milliseconds at the highest even by the use of a digital loop preset type frequency synthesizer. With such a low response speed, it is impossible to fully respond to the frequency switching during communication.
For example, when the symbol transmission rate of the received signal varies from B.sub.1 to B.sub.2, B.sub.3, and B.sub.4 with the lapse of time as shown in FIG. 2C, it is conventional that filters 26.sub.1, 26.sub.2, 26.sub.3 and 26.sub.4 for filtering the output from a quadrature demodulator are switched one after another by switching means 27 and 28 in response to the variation in the transmission rate of the received signal as depicted in FIG. 2D. Since the filters are formed by hardware, the filter switching speed cannot be increased because of transient characteristics of the filters.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a digital signal detecting method and a detector therefor which enable digital communication equipment having a plurality of detecting means built-in to be used in common to pluralities of modulation/demodulation schemes, local oscillation frequencies and symbol transmission rates.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a digital signal detecting method and a detector therefor which are capable of responding fast to the switching of the modulation schemes and a change in the symbol transmission rate.

Digital signal detecting method and detector


In one embodiment, a non-transitory processor-readable medium stores code representing instructions that when executed cause a processor to receive a first signal including a performance datum associated with a first mobile application resident at a mobile device. The code can further represent instructions that when executed cause the processor to receive a second signal including a performance datum associated with a second mobile application resident at the mobile device. The code can further represent instructions that when executed cause the processor to send, based on the first signal and the second signal, a third signal including at least one performance metric based at least in part on the performance datum associated with the first mobile application and the performance datum associated with the second mobile application.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to software performance analysis and management, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for mobile device application performance analysis and management.
Developers of mobile device software applications generally seek to optimize the end-user experience to make an application more desirable to consumers. A key part of this optimization is improving application execution speeds and minimizing performance anomalies and errors. Many software developers perform a series of tests on their applications to discover such errors, often through one or more rounds of user testing of limited-release "alpha" or "beta" versions of an application. However, results of such tests are often insufficiently robust given their relatively limited scope and scale. Thus, many performance anomalies and errors often go undiscovered by mobile application developers, resulting in suboptimal application performance.
Thus, a need exists for methods and apparatus that programmatically gather mobile application performance and error information, correlate the information with other relevant data about the mobile device on which the application is being executed and report the information for subsequent developer analysis. A need further exists for methods and apparatus that gather, correlate and report such information in a manner that minimizes strain on the limited computation hardware and battery resources present in most mobile devices. Such functionality can inform updates and improvements to mobile device applications issued by the developer.

Mobile application performance management


A methodology for configuring the connection of adapters to bus controllers or other possibly failing components (PFCs) in a logically partitioned environment. The present invention comprises an Adapter Placement Program (APP), two Adapter Threshold Programs (ATPs), three Sequential Ranking Programs (SRPs), and three Weighting Factor Programs (WFPs). The APP determines the criteria the administrator desires to use to place the adapters on the bus controllers or other PFCs and selects the appropriate program to execute the adapter placement. The ATPs classify the adapters as either “hot” or “not hot” based on a traffic intensity threshold and place the adapters to the bus controllers or other PFCs. The SRPs rank the adapters and place the adapters to the bus controllers or other PFCs based on their rank. The WFPs assign weighting factors to the adapters and place the adapters to bus controllers or other PFCs based on the adapters' weighting factors.

A computer system is a collection of computer components, such as adapters, which work together to perform a specific task, and is well known in the art. The computer systems may be located in a single computer, such as a server, or in a plurality of computers, such as computer network. System administrators (hereinafter, administrators) are people who setup and manage computer systems. One of the tools used by administrators to increase the performance of a computer system is physical partitioning. Administrators physically partition a managed system by dedicating buses and predefined physical modules within the system to assist in creating the smaller partitioned systems, referred to as virtual systems. Each virtual system in a managed system appears to the end user as a completely separate system. In addition, virtual systems improve administrative flexibility and application performance.
Another method used by administrators to increase system performance is logical partitioning. Logical partitioning is a process which creates logical partitions within the managed system. Logical partitioning is distinct from physical partitioning in that there are no physically separated buses, memory, or adapters in a logically partitioned system. Instead, the virtual systems are separated only by the system software. Similar to the physically partitioned system, each individual virtual system created by logical partitioning appears to the end user as a completely separate system. One advantage of logical partitioning is that logical partitioning permits much finer granularity in virtual system creation, such that any processor, memory, or adapter may be easily added to or removed from a virtual system. Logical partitioning is generally controlled by a hardware management console outside of the managed system. The hardware management console controls the division of the managed system into the virtual systems and, if necessary, the reallocation of resources amongst the various virtual systems.
Recently, administrators have been able to move system hardware resources within the managed system with increased flexibility. When the reallocation occurs without having to reboot the managed system, the logical partitioning is known as dynamic logical partitioning. The prior art methods of dynamic reallocation require the system administrator to recognize the need for reallocation, and then manually reallocate the resources. For example, in a system comprising a first logical partition having two fibre channel storage adapters and a second logical partition having two fibre channel storage adapters, the system administrator may observe that during a peak processing period, the first logical partition is experiencing a heavy wait time and the second logical partition is not. Upon observing the disparity in wait time, the administrator may manually move one or more adapters from the second logical partition to the first logical partition to improve system performance during the peak processing period. Therefore, a need exists for a system and method to automate the control and movement of resources in a dynamic logical partitioning environment.
Furthermore, when designing the initial layout of virtual systems, it is preferable if the adapters within a virtual system are not dependent on a single bus controller or other possibly failing component (PFC). The need for redundancy within adapter connections to bus controllers and other PFCs extends to the situation where adapters are reallocated amongst virtual systems as well. The prior art methods of initial adapter placement and connection to bus controllers and other PFCs involve a great deal of artisan knowledge of the hardware architecture and implementation in order to achieve optimal adapter configuration. However, the prior art methods do not always minimize the risk of loss of a bus controller or other PFC amongst the maximum number of adapters, and vice-versa. Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for an automated method of optimizing initial adapter placement and connection to bus controllers and other PFCs such that the managed system experiences a minimal loss of adapters when a bus controller or other PFC fails.
The need for automation within the initial adapter configuration and subsequent reallocation process has been addressed by the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,382 (the '382 patent) entitled "Dynamic Buffer Reallocation" discloses a method for dynamically reallocating data storage segments within a storage device. The '382 patent monitors the properties of the data storage device and reallocates the buffer segments when they exceed a predefined threshold. U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,464 (the '464 patent) entitled "Computer System with Private and Shared Partitions in Cache" discloses a partitioned cache memory buffer which monitors the allocation of tasks. The memory buffer of the '464 patent reallocates the tasks when necessary. U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,583 (the '583 patent) discloses a method of reallocating applications during the course of their execution. The method disclosed in the '583 patent monitors the applications and redistributes the applications when necessary based on various criteria. U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,945 (the '945 patent) entitled "Flexible Dynamic Partitioning of Resources in a Cluster Computing Environment" discloses a method for dynamic partitioning of a computer network. The method of the '945 patent monitors the resources within the virtual networks and moves resources among networks when required. However, the '945 patent is limited in that it does not disclose a method for initial adapter configuration or subsequent dynamic logical partitioning of a managed network. Consequently, what is needed beyond the '382, '464, '583, and '945 patents is a method and system for initial adapter configuration of a managed system. Furthermore, a need exists for a method and system for the subsequent reallocation of resources among the computers within a virtual system.

Services heuristics for computer adapter placement in logical partitioning operations

International Business Machines Corporation


A camera module (1) which includes a lens (3); a spring member (9a, 9b) which elastically urges the lens (3) toward an initial position along an optical axis direction; an electromagnetic drive means (11) capable of driving the lens (3) along the optical axis direction by producing an electromagnetic force against an urging force of the spring member (9a, 9b); and a control means (12) configured to control a drive current supplied to the electromagnetic drive means (11), wherein the spring member (pa, 9b) contains 2.9% to 3.5% by mass of Ti, with the balance being copper and inevitable impurities, and has a Vickers hardness equal to or greater than 350.

A technique to perform an automatic focusing operation by moving a lens by an electromagnetic force acting against an urging force of a spring member is known as a lens drive method for a camera module incorporated in a small electronic appliance such as a portable telephone (see, for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
A camera module using this kind of lens drive method is provided with a spring member such as a compression coil spring or a plate spring which elastically urges a lens toward an initial position along an optical axis direction, electromagnetic drive means capable of driving the lens along the optical axis direction by producing an electromagnetic force against the urging force of the spring member, the electromagnetic drive means including a coil and a magnet, and control means which moves the lens to a predetermined position by controlling a drive current supplied to the electromagnetic drive means. The principle of the operation of the camera module will be briefly described. When the coil in the electromagnetic drive means is not energized, the spring member holds the lens at the initial position. When the drive current is supplied from a power supply to the coil in the electromagnetic drive means, an electromagnetic force against the urging force of the spring member is produced and the coil moves along the optical axis direction integrally with the lens. Thus, an automatic focusing operation to move the lens to a desired position on the optical axis can be performed by the control means controlling the magnitude of the drive current.


Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for delivering an interactively updated application to a browser without requiring end users to install software locally are provided. Browser capabilities are detected. Bi-directional communication is established between a browser and server based on the capabilities. Representations of images are streamed to the browser. Human input device events associated with the representations are received. The representations are interactively updated.

Several methods for virtualizing desktop sessions or applications through Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) channels have been developed. These methods allow users to connect to a remote server via a user device and run a desktop session or application on that server as if it were running locally on the device. For example, Citrix, VMware, and others build such virtualization platforms the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Unfortunately, these methods require users desiring to run the virtual desktop sessions or applications to install and manage additional software or codecs. Not only does this present potential security issues for various users, particularly corporate users, but it also dramatically increases the total cost of ownership because licensing fees must be paid to the technology suppliers.
In a health care setting, clinicians often do not have the access to information technology (IT) personnel to assist with installing and managing a virtualization platform on the clinician's device. Furthermore, such use of a personal device may violate security policy for a particular health care facility, especially for nonemployees (e.g. a physician with privileges at a hospital). Consequently, unless the clinician is able to convince the health care facility to install and manage the required applications and open the necessary holes in the firewall to allow access for the clinician's device, the clinician is unable to access a particular application for that facility.

Zero footprint application virtualization


A liquid crystal display device (LCD) includes a liquid crystal panel having a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of common voltage supply lines, the liquid crystal panel being divided into a plurality of blocks, a plurality of gate driver integrated circuits (ICs) connected to the plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data driver ICs connected to the plurality of data lines, and a plurality of common voltage compensators to supply compensated common voltages to the common voltage supply lines the corresponding blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device capable of minimizing a distortion of a common voltage and a method of driving the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display devices (LCDs) display an image by controlling a light transmittance of liquid crystal cells in accordance with video signals. An active matrix type LCD having thin film transistors (TFTs) at each liquid crystal cell is suited for displaying moving images.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a related art LCD. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the related art LCD includes a liquid crystal panel 2, a plurality of data tape carrier packages (TCPs) 4 connected between the liquid crystal panel 2 and a data printed circuit board (PCB) 8, a plurality of data driver integrated circuits (ICs) 6 mounted on each of data TCPs, a timing controller 16 built in the data PCB 8, a plurality of gate TCPs 10 connected to another side of the liquid crystal panel 2, and a plurality of gate driver ICs 12 integrated in each of the gate TCPs 10.
A pixel region of the liquid crystal panel 2 is defined at each intersection of a plurality of gate lines GL0 to GLn and a plurality of data lines DL1 to DLm. The TFTs and pixel electrodes are formed on the pixel regions. A display region 17 is defined by the plurality of pixel regions, and a non-display region 19 is defined by regions outside the display region 17. A data pad (not shown) connected to the data TCP 4 and a data link (not shown) for connecting the data pad with the corresponding data line are disposed in an outer region of the display region 17, namely, the non-display region 19. Additionally, a gate pad (not shown) connected to the gate TCP 10 and a gate link (not shown) for connecting the gate pad with the corresponding gate line are disposed in the non-display region 19. Common voltage (Vcom) supply lines 13 are disposed in parallel to the respective gate lines GL0 to GLn on the display region 17.
The liquid crystal panel 2 includes a lower substrate 1 and an upper substrate 3 each having a transparent insulating substrate, and liquid crystal (not shown) injected between the lower substrate 1 and the upper substrate 3. A LOG-type signal line group 14 is formed on the lower substrate 1 to connect in series a gate driver IC 12 mounted on the gate TCP 10 to a data TCP 4 in the non-display region 19. More specifically, the LOG-type signal line group 14 is disposed between a first data TCP 4 and a first gate TCP 10 to supply gate control signals and gate voltages supplied from an external source to the first gate TCP 10 through the data PCB 8 and the first data TCP 4.
Each of the gate driver ICs 12 supplies a gate high voltage VGH to the corresponding gate lines GL1 to GLn sequentially in response to a gate control signal supplied from the timing controller 16. Each of the data driver ICs 6 supplies a data voltage of corresponding data lines DL1 to DLm at each horizontal period H1 to Hm in response to a data control signal from the timing controller 16. The timing controller 16 generates the gate control signal controlling the gate driver ICs 12 and the data control signal controlling the data driver ICs 6.
A common voltage generator 18 generates a common voltage Vcom to drive the liquid crystal panel 2 using a power voltage Vdd generated from a DC/DC converter (not shown). The common voltage Vcom is supplied to the common voltage supply lines 13 on the liquid crystal panel 2. The common voltage supply lines 13 and gate lines GL0 to GLn are formed on the same layer, and then a gate insulating layer is formed over the lines. The data lines DL1 to DLm are then formed on the gate insulating layer. As a result, a capacitance is formed between the common voltage supply lines 13 and the data lines DL1 to DLm due to the presence of the gate insulating layer between the common voltage supply lines 13 and the data lines DL1 to DLm.
Accordingly, when a data signal value between the data lines DL1 to DLm changes drastically, a ripple is generated in the common voltage Vcom that is supplied to the common voltage supply lines 13 by the capacitance. A crosstalk phenomenon is generated on the liquid crystal panel 2 due to the common voltage Vcom distorted by the ripple. Therefore, a common voltage Vcom compensator 20 is configured to prevent this crosstalk phenomenon.
The common voltage Vcom compensator 20 compensates the distorted common voltage and supplies a compensated common voltage to the liquid crystal panel 2 in the following manner. When the common voltage Vcom is supplied to the liquid crystal panel 2 during one frame, the common voltage Vcom becomes distorted by the capacitance between the common voltage supply line 13 and the data lines DL1 to DLm, thereby causing a ripple in the common voltage Vcom. During the next frame, the common voltage Vcom compensator 20 receives the distorted common voltage in a feedback loop on the liquid crystal panel 2, compensates the distorted common voltage, and supplies the compensated common voltage to the liquid crystal panel 2.
However, the amount of distortion of the common voltage Vcom generated is different in the top, middle, and bottom sections of the liquid crystal panel 2 due to load characteristics of the liquid crystal panel 2. That is, the degree of distortion of the common voltage Vcom in the top, middle, and bottom sections of the liquid crystal panel 2 changes as the size of the liquid crystal panel 2 or the line resistance of the common voltage supply lines 13 increases. Therefore, the distortion of the common voltage Vcom cannot be reduced in all sections of the liquid crystal panel 2 (i.e., the top, middle, and bottom sections of liquid crystal panel 2). Accordingly, although the related art LCD partially compensates for the distortion of the common voltage Vcom supplied to the liquid crystal panel 2, the distortion of the common voltage Vcom cannot be compensated for the entire region of the liquid crystal panel 2. Consequently, the image quality of the related art LCD suffers.

Liquid crystal display device for compensating a common voltage and the method of driving the same


An aqueous solution is provided for removing undesirable "heat discoloration" characteristics from a mold surface, the solution consisting essentially of about 17% to 21% by weight phosphoric acid and about 1% of non-ionic surfactant, the remaining portion being substantially water, with a small amount of colorant and/or fragrance being optionally added as desired. The method of use includes applying the solution to a mold surface of a mold half, the mold surface having undesirable "heat discoloration" characteristics thereon caused while heating the mold half for repair, and removing any residue after about 30 seconds or less thereafter. In particular, the undesirable "heat discoloration" characteristics normally occur after heating the mold half during the process of repairing a damaged mold surface or reworking a mold surface requiring an engineering change. The undesirable "heat discoloration" characteristics require removal to prevent blemishes from being formed on a plastic part during molding of the plastic part, or non-uniform release caused by sticking of the plastic molded part to the mold surface during molding. Optimally, the solution is manually brushed on so that it can be applied as desired to particular mold areas such as those including crevices, depressions and/or mold shutoff areas, and wiped off after several seconds.

The present invention concerns a solution and method to expedite reworking molds for molding plastic parts, and in particular concerns a chemical solution and method for treating a mold half having mold surfaces to remove undesirable "heat discoloration" characteristics caused by heating the mold half while repairing or reworking the mold surfaces. Use of this solution and method reduces the time required for the repair or rework to a small fraction of that normally required, and also reduces the opportunity for human error.
Molded plastic parts offer a number of advantages over more traditionally manufactured sheet metal parts. For example, a complete part can often be made in a near finished condition including desired surface finishes in a single press cycle at very competitive costs. Further, plastic materials having special properties can be used Still further, the molds for making the parts can often be made with comparatively short lead times, and engineering changes can be made in the molds either before or after the molds are completed without the need to change an entire series of dies.
Molds for the plastic parts are characterized by a cover half and a corresponding ejector half adapted to open and close against each other, which ejector half and cover half include mold surfaces that cooperatively define a cavity in the shape of a part. These mold surfaces may be damaged if the mold halves are closed on a sharp object or on a previously formed part. Further, these mold surfaces wear and require maintenance, or may fracture over time with fatigue. Still further, engineering changes often need to be made for product improvement or fixes. Where the mold surface rework or repair requires adding material to one of the mold halves, the rework or repair can become unacceptably long, labor intensive, and expensive, as noted below.
In particular, adding material involves welding material to the mold surface, removing the excess material, and then "benching" and polishing the mold surface finish back to a desired surface finish. In order to minimize or eliminate weld lines, the mold half to be reworked is preheated before welding. However, during the process of heating the mold half, undesirable characteristics occur on the mold surface due to the particular steels used in making molds. These undesirable characteristics are visible as bluish haze known in the trade as "heat discoloration". These undesirable characteristics cannot be tolerated since they cause blemishes on the finished surface of a molded part, and further since they can cause non-uniform adhesion of the plastic to the mold surface, thus resulting in mold release problems as the molded plastic part is ejected from the mold.
Historically, these undesirable "heat discoloration" characteristics have been removed by many hours of tedious work in the form of "benching" and manually polishing to delicately abrasively bring the mold surface back to the required surface finish. This required surface finish is comparable to that of jewelry, and often must be accurate to within thousandths of an inch or better. This benching method of removal can actually take hours and even days of skilled labor time since it requires careful tedious polishing of the mold surfaces, including areas that were not repaired or reworked. Further, damage can occur by over-polishing sensitive areas of the molds, such as by over-polishing shutoff areas on the mold (i.e. areas that prevent plastic from leaking out of the cavity during the molding process) thus causing flash, or by over-polishing details on the mold surface thus causing the details to become "washed out". Further, ribs and other deep crevices or sharp corners may be difficult to properly polish, or even impossible to reach, such that the heat discoloration characteristics cannot adequately be removed, leading to manufacturing problems or unresolvable part defects. Yet, such tedious, costly benching and polishing is believed to be universally practiced in high quality tool and die shops and generally through the tool and die industry.
Thus, a method and solution is desired to solve the aforementioned problems to avoid a substantial amount of tedious and costly benching and polishing.

Die discoloration remover solution and method


The present invention relates to methods for producing Saccharomyces strains that are capable of growth on xylose as a sole carbon source at a desired growth rate, (such as at least one generation per 48 hours), strains made by such methods, and Saccharomyces strains that grow at a growth rate of at least one generation per 48 hours using xylose as a sole carbon source for growth made by non-recombinant methods.

All references, including any patents or patent applications, cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or in any other country.
One of the most important economic groups of yeasts are of the genus Saccharomyces, strains of which are employed in the brewing, baking, winemaking, distilling and various other yeast-dependent industries. Species of Saccharomyces are as defined phylogenetically by Kurtzman (2003) FEMS Yeast Research 3:417-432, and include S. cerevisiae, S. paradoxus, S. mikatae, S. cariocanus, S. kudriavzevii, S. pastorianus and S. bayanus.
Saccharomyces spp. are some of the most effective microorganisms for converting sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose to biomass, and for fermenting these sugars to ethanol.
As a consequence, Saccharomyces spp., and in particular Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is one of the most widely used microorganisms in industrial processes. For example, in the beer brewing, distilling and wine industries, Saccharomyces are used to ferment sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and/or maltose into ethanol. In the fuel ethanol industry, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are chosen for their ability to rapidly convert high concentrations of sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose into high amounts of ethanol. In the baking industry, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are used primarily for their ability to produce carbon dioxide from sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, and/or maltose in order to leaven bread. Other applications of Saccharomyces cerevisiae include production of yeast extracts and other flavour and aroma products, sources of enzymes such as invertase, production of various biochemicals, intermediates, proteins, amino acids, ribonucleic acid and nucleotides co-factors and vitamins.
Millions of tonnes of yeast are grown each year in industrial processes. Therefore, the ability of Saccharomyces to grow on abundant and renewable carbon sources is important in terms of economic production of yeast biomass for industrial purposes and for economic production of byproducts from yeast metabolism. In particular the ability of Saccharomyces to grow on waste byproducts of other industrial processes is of environmental and economic value. Thus, for example, baker's yeast biomass is often produced by growing yeast on molasses which is a waste product of the sugar production process, or on glucose- and maltose-rich syrups derived from starch hydrolysis industry.