A patient lateral repositioning system to move a patient positioned on a patient support of a bed. The system includes a mounting and a pulling system. To enable strength and compactness of the entire system, the mounting is a constructive element removably attached to the support surface to form an integrated structure able to withstand a pulling force to move the patient on any type of a bed positioned apart and independent from the patient lateral repositioning system and the support surface. The pulling system is a set of components including at least one retainer, a guiding element, a drive, a gripper and at least one flexible pulling cable supported by the guiding element and connecting the drive with the gripper.

This application and its disclosure generally relate to the field of patient repositioning mechanisms and methods.
Safe patient handling is one of important aspects of the medical service provided to immobile or limited mobility patients. Where space around the patient's bed is unrestricted, repositioning of a patient from surface to surface is a standard operation. Such repositioning can be performed, for example, by lifting the patient above the transfer surface and then moving him/her to a new position or by performing a lateral transfer, where the patient lying on a sheet is pulled into a new position by a lateral transfer device. Moving a patient in a direction toward a headboard of the patient's bed, however, is a more challenging operation, especially where space and access to the patient's bed are limited.
All currently known lifting devices are heavy and bulky in construction because they have to support a patient's weight in a suspended position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,321,398 B1 ("Wang") and U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,325 ("Tesch") and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0301873 ("White") disclose such known lifting devices.
Lateral transfer devices which are supported by or attached to a transfer surface are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,323. Such devices can be used for transferring patients from surface to surface, when space around the transfer surface (e.g., patient's bed) is not limited, and when these devices do not obstruct patient service. However, in a typical patient environment, such devices can interfere with patient service and become impediments for medical personnel.
Using the known lifting devices for the sole purpose of transferring a patient towards a headboard is also inefficient because of their cost and difficult because the patient has to be lifted before transfer. Further, when it comes to moving a patient toward the bed's headboard, the existing lateral transfer devices have several major limitations. Specifically, (1) existing devices attached to the bed or existing free standing devices are bulky and need space for positioning and operation behind the headboard; in situations, where space is very limited these devices obstruct service and, as a result, limit the ability to use existing transfer devices; (2) special attachment is needed to connect the transfer device to the bed; (3) transfer device must be quickly removed from the bed to have access to the patient from the side of the headboard in medical emergency situations; (4) operation of a lateral transfer device can be obstructed by other medical equipment typically positioned around the headboard of the bed.
In a typical medical facility, the bed's headboard is positioned against the wall, and space on either side of the bed is often taken by medical equipment and furniture. These space limitations impose special requirements on the construction and method of operating of the patient transfer devices. Specifically, such devices should take the minimum of space and should be available for operation with minimal interference with patient care.
There are several known systems partially solving the problem of repositioning the patient toward the headboard of the bed. For example, one known solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,156,582 teaching an electro-mechanical system which is attached to the headboard of the bed and is operated by a remote control. An advantage of attaching the power unit to the bed is the achieved space saving in front and on the side of the bed. However, this system has several significant disadvantages. Specifically, this system is complicated, expensive and must be modified for various types of attachment to different beds depending on the beds' construction. In a typical medical environment, the repositioning device has to be designed for a fast and easy removal from the bed in case of emergency.
Another example of a patient repositioning system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,323. This system includes manually operated devices attached to the headboard of the bed. While this system is economical, simple, and easy to install and remove from the bed, it also has several disadvantages. Namely, this system requires free space behind the headboard or on a side of the bed for the operator. Where such space is not available, operation of the disclosed devices can be obstructed or limited. Attaching manual or powered transfer devices to the existing mobile and multi-functional beds makes such beds more complicated in operation that is a big disadvantage for a bed with an attached transfer device.
Another patient adjustment, device is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0053698 which describes a transfer system secured to the wall adjacent to the bed. Thus, this system solves one of the above-described problems by disengaging the bed from being directly attached to the transfer device. However, the described system is very bulky and includes a complicated and expensive mounting mechanism specifically adapted to fit the disclosed bulky electromechanical transfer system. Further, this system requires a lot of space between the headboard and the wall, and its complexity is clearly illustrated in the patent drawings and description.

Patient lateral repositioning system and method


A polymeric fastener for use in the construction industry for fastening wood and other basic materials together. The polymeric fastener can be formed in the basic shape of a nail and/or a staple-like fastener. Preferred embodiments of the polymeric fastener include a hardened binder embedded with a filler and/or a core for adequate strength as required for use with a delivery device powered by pneumatics, hydraulics, or other mechanical systems.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Fasteners are commonly used in the construction industry to fasten buildings together. Examples of fasteners include nails and staples. Such fasteners are typically made of a single material such as steel or some other type of metal. However, there are some low force requirement fasteners where the single material forming the fastener is a non-ferrous material, such as plastic. Known fasteners made of a non-ferrous material are not suitable for the construction industry because they typically do not have sufficient strength to hold building components together.


In gas-cooled electric machines having a stator (3) and a rotor (6) on which an axial ventilator (9) is arranged, the cooling gas flows unevenly into the end-winding cavity (13) seen in the circumferential direction. By providing upstream of the axial ventilator (9), when seen in the direction of flow of the cooling gas, and coaxially with said ventilator an annular air guide member (1) having baffles (17), and reducing the flow cross section for the cooling gas flowing through the air guide member (1) in the main direction of the approach flow on a part of the outer circumference of the air guide member (1) by means of a covering (23), the cooling effects becomes more even and the axial ventilator (9) is better utilized.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a gas-cooled electric machine; in this case, fresh gas is sucked in from below, passes into an inlet chamber and is conveyed by means of an axial ventilator into the end-winding cavity of the stator, where it splits up into a plurality of component streams for cooling the stator and rotor.
2. Discussion of Background
In gas-cooled turbogenerators, the cooling is ensured by axial ventilators which are normally mounted on both sides of the rotor on the shaft thereof and deliver the required quantity of cooling gas and a specific pressure head (cf. company publication "Turbogeneratoren fur 18 . . . 230 MVA mit Luftkuhlung WX und WY" ["Turbogenerators of 18 . . . 230 MVA having WX and WY air cooling"], Printed Publication No. CH-KW 160887, in particular the longitudinal section on page 9).
In the known air guides upstream and downstream of the axial ventilator, the prescribed sense of rotation of the rotor generates an inlet spin in the sense of rotation. The approach flow to the axial ventilator takes place as a rule only from one side, for example from below from the coolers arranged under the machine and not--as would be desirable--from all sides. These two circumstances mean that different air speeds prevail at the circumference in the end-winding cavity, as a result of which the cooling effect is uneven. This in turn means poor utilization of the machine.


Disclosed is a semiconductor device having a plurality of memory cells arranged in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each memory cell comprising a first insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate, a floating gate formed on the first insulating film, a second insulating film which includes a first portion formed on a top surface of the floating gate and a second portion formed on that side surface of the floating gate which is parallel to the first direction, and a control gate which covers the first and second portions of the second insulating film, a width in the second direction of the floating gate increasing with increasing distance from its bottom, and a width in the second direction of the second portion of the second insulating film decreasing with increasing distance from its bottom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electrically erasable nonvolatile semiconductor storage devices (nonvolatile memories), such as EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROMs), have been in increasing demand. Each memory cell in the nonvolatile memory is structured such that a tunnel insulating film, a floating gate, an inter-electrode insulating film and a control gate are stacked in sequence on a semiconductor substrate.
With the nonvolatile memory, to lower the operating voltage of each memory cell, it is important to increase the ratio C2/ (C1+C2), where C2 is the capacitance of the upper capacitor formed between the floating gate and the control gate and C1 is the capacitance of the lower capacitor formed between the semiconductor substrate and the floating gate.
To increase the capacitance ratio (coupling ratio), a structure such that the floating gate is made larger in the width of the top surface than in the width of the bottom surface (reverse tapered structure) and a structure such that the floating gate is covered on top and side surfaces with an inter-electrode insulating film have been proposed. However, combining these structures results in the following problems.
To obtain the abovementioned structures, it is required to form the control gate film between adjacent floating gate films processed into the reverse tapered form. However, it is difficult to completely form the control gate film in the area between the floating gate films because of their reverse tapered structure. This will lead to degraded device characteristics and lowered reliability.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. 8-316348 and 2002-22008 describe nonvolatile semiconductor storage devices having floating gates of the reverse tapered structure but disclose no solution to the above problems.
As described above, in order to increase the coupling ratio (C2/(C1+C2)) of the upper capacitor and the lower capacitor there have been proposals to form the floating gate into the reverse tapered shape or cover the floating gate with the inter-electrode insulating film on the top and side surfaces. However, difficulties are involved in completely forming the control gate in the area between floating gates, causing degraded device characteristics and lowered reliability.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A docking station is comprised of a body member having one or more steps leading to a platform. A protective wall is positioned on one side of the steps and around the platform, save for a single opening. A guide rail is positioned on the device on the same side as the opening. The guide rail receives a shopping cart such that the seating portion of the shopping cart is aligned with the opening. A safety rail extends from the guide rail to the platform protective wall opposite the stairs protective wall.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a docking station for shopping carts so that small children may safely and easily ascend the station and position themselves within the seat portion of the shopping cart.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Placing a child into the seating portion at the back of a standard shopping cart can be a difficult task. The child, especially a relatively large and heavier child, can prove too much for a person of modest strength to lift up and place into seat. Even when strength is not a problem, a person's hands may be preoccupied with a baby, thus not allowing that person to lift the other child. The result is a seating attempt that is fraught with danger.
The person may attempt to lift that child even though the child is beyond the person's strength capacity. The person may cause injury to himself or the child in the awkward lift. Alternately, the person may encourage the child to climb up the front of the shopping cart, into the shopping cart and finally into the seat portion of the cart. As the cart was not designed for a child to scale the front of the cart, such a maneuver can result in toppling of the cart and injury to the child. Another favorite for seating a child within the cart is to place the cart near an object such as a bench or stacked cartons of groceries and have the child climb onto the object and into the seat. In such a maneuver, the cart can roll away from the child as he attempts to seat himself in the cart or the object onto which he climbed can collapse, again resulting in injury.
In order to provide a safer means for a child's ascension into the seating portion of shopping cart, a shopping cart docking station has been proposed by Hubbell in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,087. This device provides a docking station that corrals the shopping cart within the device and permits a child's use of the device only during shopping cart presence. A remote release lever must be activated in order to release the shopping cart from the device's hold. Although achieving the desired goal, the device, by having several moving components, is very complex in design, in manufacture, and in maintenance. Such a drawback increases the costs associated with the device. The device has a large footprint which curtails its presence in many shopping establishments where available interior real estate is at a premium. As the device is large and requires device activation from the user, many people will be discouraged from using the device due to lack of understanding of device operation.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a device that permits quick and safe child ascension and access to the seating portion of a shopping cart. The device must overcome the drawbacks of the prior art in that the device must be relatively simple in design, manufacture, and maintenance. The device must be relatively simple and straightforward to use and will, ideally, have no moving parts or other manipulations required of the user. The device should occupy a relatively small amount of real estate.


A system and method for scheduling pre-admission testing (PAT) appointments and accessing PAT reports through an on-line interface. The system and method allows the input of patient demographic and medical information from a remote location. PAT physicians can access scheduling information and input patient information using an electronic medical record module.

Pre-Admission Testing (PAT), sometimes referred to as PreOperative Clearance is a common process in use at hospitals and surgery centers across the nation. When a surgeon sees a patient and determines that surgery is needed, the surgeon will schedule a PAT to make sure that the patient is healthy enough for the surgery and to determine any medication or therapy changes the patient needs prior to surgery (i.e. prophylactic antibiotics or stopping blood thinners). Usually, the surgeon is not qualified to do the PAT. PATs are typically done by physicians with Internal Medicine or Family Practice specialties, since they are trained to look at the patient's entire medical history and current therapies with a much broader perspective than a surgeon who might be focusing on the required surgery for the patient.
PATs serve multiple purposes, including:                1) Making sure the patient is medically ready for the surgery and if the results are inconclusive, to order the necessary follow up tests to determine if the patient is medically ready for the surgery.        2) Making sure that the patient has all the required lab work completed for their surgery and past medical history before the day of surgery.        3) Change medical therapy to prepare the patient for surgery (i.e. stop blood thinners, preoperative antibiotics).        4) Prevent same day surgery cancellations by the anesthesiologist or surgeon due to the patient not being medically ready for the surgery.
When a surgeon determines that a patient needs surgery, the surgeon will try to schedule a PAT. This is often done through the patient's primary care physician (PCP) or through the hospital or surgery center where the surgery will be performed. Either option can be very difficult for the surgeon and patient. If the surgeon tries to schedule the surgery through the patient's PCP, they can have a hard time getting the patient scheduled for the PAT before the surgery date. Also, the patient's PCP is rarely aware of all the testing requirements of the hospital or surgery center. If the surgeon is lucky enough to get the PCP to see the patient in time, they are often given a PAT from the PCP that will not be accepted by the surgery center or hospital due to the PCP's unfamiliarity with surgery center or hospital's PAT requirements. Even when the PCP can get the patient scheduled in time and delivers a complete PAT, the burden is on the surgeon's office to make sure that the PCP's PAT report and all necessary lab results are forwarded to the surgery center or hospital.
If the patient's PCP is unable or unwilling to do the PAT, the surgeon can sometimes turn to the hospital's PAT department to have a physician supplied by the hospital complete the patient's PAT (surgery centers typically do not have a high enough volume to make supplying their own PAT clinic feasible). Unfortunately, most hospitals PAT clinics are designed around the hospital's needs and not the surgeon's or patient's. This can result in a cumbersome PAT scheduling process where the surgeon's office calls the PAT clinic only to have to leave a voicemail. When the PAT clinic calls back, the patient is no longer in the surgeon's office and now the surgeon's office is forced to play "phone tag" with the patient and act as an unnecessary middle man to schedule the patient for their PAT. The PAT clinic's report is rarely in an easy to read format for the surgeon and the responsibility for follow up testing is often left to the surgeon instead of the PAT clinic. Finally, if the surgeon operates at multiple hospitals, they have multiple PAT clinics and procedures that they need to deal with.
The present system is designed to streamline the PAT process for the surgeon, patient, and surgical facility. The components of the system preferably support multiple surgical specialties and surgical facilities and are aware of requirements unique to each surgeon and/or surgical facility. The system can be utilized by a PAT clinic to significantly improve the PAT experience for all stakeholders.
When a surgeon decides to utilize a PAT clinic that uses the invention of the present invention, their experience is vastly improved. First, when the surgeon decides to schedule a patient for surgery, they preferably go to an on-line web site such as www.patclinic.com to enter basic demographic information about the patient and their surgery as well as schedule a PAT time. In some cases, the PAT must be done that day (i.e. the patient is from out of town and doesn't want to make a special trip back or the surgery is scheduled within the next few days). If the PAT must be done the same day, the system text pages the PAT physician and ancillary staff to prepare them for the patient's arrival. At the completion of the PAT scheduling process, the web site prepares patient handouts describing how to get to the PAT clinic and a medical history form for the patient to fill out. The medical history form also gives the patient an access key so they can fill out the medical history form on-line if they so choose.
Every day, the PAT clinic staff log into the on-line web interface of the system where it provides them with an appointment confirmation call list so they can call patients on the PAT schedule for the next business day so they can confirm their appointment and answer any questions they might have. The staff can enter any comments and the disposition of their call attempts (i.e. confirmed, left message, no answer).
When the patient enters the PAT clinic, the physician can utilize a PAT electronic medical record (EMR) tool or module to look up all available information about the patient. If the patient completed their medical history questionnaire online, that information can be accessed through the physician's PAT EMR module. If the patient did not complete the medical history questionnaire online, the physician or their designee manually enters it into the PAT EMR module. At this point, the physician can determine if the patient needs an EKG. If they do, ancillary staff perform the EKG and electronically transfer it to the PAT EMR module. At this point, the physician examines the patient and uses the tools provided by the EMR module to order the required lab tests and clear the patient for surgery based on the latest evidence based guidelines.
At the end of the visit, the EMR preferably prints a list of lab test prescriptions for the patient along with instructions as to where they can have the testing performed. The patient has their blood drawn and any other required testing completed. In the preferred embodiment, the lab results are automatically sent by the lab electronically to the PAT EMR system via Internet based web services.
Once all the lab tests are back, the PAT physician can: 1) Clear the patient for surgery or 2) Order more follow up tests if the first round of testing revealed significant abnormalities or 3) Cancel the patient's surgery. Once the PAT physician has made the final determination, they mark the visit complete at which point, the system automatically prepares reports that are faxed to the surgery center. These same reports are available to the surgeon's office via www.patclinic.com. The completed visit is also automatically submitted for billing to the patient's insurance carrier.
These and other advantages of the present invention are provided by: a system for scheduling pre-admission testing, comprising: an on-line interface adapted to allow scheduling of pre-admission testing (PAT) and access of PAT reports; a database for storing PAT scheduling information; an electronic module adapted to retrieve information stored on the system including PAT scheduling information, the electronic module also adapted to input patient information for storage in the system; and wherein the system allows users to connect to the on-line interface from remote locations and is adapted to allow surgeons or their offices to schedule PAT appointments and to access said PAT reports through the on-line interface.
In the preferred embodiment, the on-line interface is adapted to allow the input of patient demographic and medical information from a remote location for storage in the system prior to the PAT appointment. The system is preferably adapted to allow retrieval of the patient demographic and medical information from the physician's electronic module. The system is preferably adapted to provide an access key to users for use in inputting patient demographic and medical information from a remote location.
Obvious modifications to the present invention are expected to fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention. The above stated and other advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s).

System and method for pre-admission testing


A Schottky diode having a series of stacked layers starting with a conventional substrate having a semi-insulating GaAs layer and an un-doped GaAs buffer layer. An n-type Si--GaAs channel layer is grown on the GaAs buffer layer. A low-temperature-grown GaAs barrier layer covers the center portion of the upper surface of the n-type channel layer. The Schottky diode comprises two terminals. One diode terminal comprises a ohmic contact deposited on the upper surface of the channel layer. This ohmic contact, which is ring-shaped, encircles the barrier layer. The other diode terminal includes a metal layer that forms a Schottky contact with the upper surface of the barrier layer. The Ga-to-As ratio in the low-temperature-grown GaAs barrier layer is adjusted so that the barrier layer contains a sufficient number of free electrons to support current flow for bias voltages above the Schottky barrier height. Under reverse bias, the barrier layer acts as an insulator, preventing diode breakdown at relatively high reverse bias voltages.

Schottky diodes, used extensively in discrete digital and analog semiconductor devices and integrated circuits, comprise a solid-state junction formed by metal-semiconductor contact. Such diodes are typically fabricated from n-type or p-type material and metal. The metal is normally evaporated or sputtered onto the doped material at low temperatures to form a Schottky-diode junction at the metal-semiconductor interface. Conventional Schottky diodes are characterized by extremely rapid switching capability and have been used at high and ultrahigh frequencies as mixers, harmonic generators, detectors and the like. Schottky-diode junctions are also used in the manufacture of depletion- and enhancement-mode field effect transistors.
Schottky diodes normally have relatively low turn-on voltages, low breakdown voltages and significant forward leakage currents at only a few tenths of a volt (V). These features, while satisfactory in some applications, limit the usefulness of conventional Schottky diodes in electrical and optical applications where high power, low-leakage current and/or low noise are required. Those concerned with the development and application of Schottky diodes have long recognized the need to improve their high-power, low-noise performance characteristics. The present invention fulfills this need.

Semiconductor diode with high turn on and breakdown voltages

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


There is provided a manifold for use in a medicament dispenser device for the delivery of medicament powder from an open blister pocket of a blister pack. The manifold comprises a body, the body defining a chimney having a chimney inlet and a chimney exit for directing airflow from the chimney inlet to the chimney exit; the body further defining a chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber exit. The chimney exit and said chamber inlet lie side-by-side each other such that when said open blister pocket of said blister pack is positioned adjacent thereto said airflow may be directed from the chimney exit to the chamber inlet via the open blister pocket to entrain said medicament powder and enable transport thereof in the airflow from the chamber inlet to said chamber outlet. The manifold is arranged such as to delay the emptying of the medicament powder from the blister pocket.

The use of inhalation devices in the administration of medicaments, for example in bronchodilation therapy is well known. Such devices generally comprise a body or housing within which a medicament carrier is located. Known inhalation devices include those in which the medicament carrier is a blister pack containing a number of blister pockets for containment of medicament in dry powder form. Such devices typically contain a mechanism for accessing a medicament dose by opening one or more blister pockets. The mechanism for example, comprises either piercing means or peeling means to peel a lid sheet away from a base sheet of the blister pack. The powdered medicament is then liberated from the opened blister pocket(s) for inhaled delivery to the patient.
Inhalation devices of the type described above comprise an element, generally referred to as a manifold, for guiding airflow towards one or more opened blister pocket(s) for liberating the powder contained therein; and subsequently guiding that liberated powder to a mouthpiece for inhalation by a patient. It is appreciated that the characteristics of the manifold are important in both ensuring effective liberation of powder and in subsequent guiding that liberated powder to the mouthpiece.
The Applicant has now appreciated that the form of the manifold can affect the particle size characteristics of the liberated medicament powder, which characteristics are known to be pharmaceutically important. In particular, the Applicant has appreciated that fine particle fraction can be influenced by the form of the manifold. As known in the art, "fine particle fraction" or FP Fraction generally refers to the percentage of particles within a given dose of aerosolized medicament that is of "respirable" size. It is desirable that the form of the manifold acts such as to increase the FP Fraction of the liberated powder that is made available at the mouthpiece for inhalation by the patient.
In one aspect, the Applicant has now found that manifold performance, and potentially FP fraction performance, is enhanced if the manifold is arranged such as to delay the emptying of the medicament powder from the blister pocket. Suitably, emptying of the medicament powder from the blister pocket is delayed until one or more regions of differential force (e.g. high shear) are established in a chamber of the manifold through which the medicament powder is subsequently transported (e.g. entrained in an airflow).

Manifold for use in medicament dispenser


An enclosure for housing various components of a computing device is provided herein, which contains at least three L-shaped corner members, at least three elongated wall members, a top cover member, and a bottom cover member. The corner members and the wall members are interleaved and joined to form a polygonal circumference for the enclosure. The top and bottom cover members are fixed to the top and bottom of the circumference respectively into a closed, polygonal-shaped enclosure so that a component of the computing device such as the motherboard, optical disk drive, hard disk drive, etc., could be housed therewithin.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to enclosures, and more particularly to an enclosure for housing the components of a computing device.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional computing device such as the commonly seen desktop computer or the like usually has its components such as the motherboard, power supply, hard disk drive, etc., housed in a single enclosure, and the input/output devices such as the keyboard, display, etc., are externally connected to the computing device.
This single-enclosure approach has a number of shortcomings. No matter how the appearance of the enclosure is designed, the conventional enclosure is a hollow case providing enough internal space for accommodating the components of the computing device and some reserved space for future expansion. In addition, as the enclosure is usually assembled by welding or riveting a number of metallic plates and cannot be dismantled and re-assembled easily, the manufacturer's storage and transportation effort and cost for the conventional enclosures are significant. Secondly, the fixed dimension and appearance of the conventional enclosures confine their flexibility to satisfy the different requirements from various users.


A method for testing for gas leaks in plasma reactors and gas lines introducing gas into the reactor, includes: measuring the intensity of the plasma reactor light emission; introducing known increments of a test gas into the reactor; measuring the intensity of the plasma reactor light emission after each introduction of an increment of test gas into the reactor; producing a curve resulting from the intensity readings vs increments of introduced gas; and performing a regression analysis on the curve to determine a value of gas at which the intensity is equal to zero, which value of gas is the amount of gas that has been leaked into the reactor.

Gas leaks into the main body of a plasma reactor are simple to detect. A "leakback" test will measure the leakage of gases into the evacuated process chamber. If all other gas sources are disconnected, it is obvious that the leak is due to air. But, a N.sub.2 or air leak into the gas lines, the lines bringing the process gases to the reactor chamber, is a more difficult problem to diagnose and measure.
When such a problem is suspected, the appropriate gases are shut off at the source, the gas lines are evacuated and a "leakback" measurement is made on the "system" all the way back to the source. The problem with this technique is that gas supply lines, in a typical wafer fabrication lab, can be fifty to one hundred feet long. A complete evacuation and degassing of such a line can take many hours. Even then, it is sometimes difficult to determine if a particular leakback value on an evacuated line is due to a real leak, or a virtual leak due to the continued degassing of the line.
There are technical ways to analyze this problem. An RGA (Residual Gas Analyzer) will detect the concentration of O.sub.2 or N.sub.2 in any process gas. However, such apparatus is expensive, and is not routinely available in wafer fabrication labs, and has to be specifically hooked into the reactor.
Spectrophotometric techniques are other methods of testing. It is known that different species of gases, when excited by the plasma of the reactor, emit at specific wavelengths. In principle, the measurement of the intensity of the specific wavelength can be used to determine the amount of that species. In practice, spectral intensity measurements are readily obtained on most plasma reactors, as they are all equipped with "endpoint detectors". These are full spectrometers, or single-wavelength band-pass filters that are connected appropriately to measure the intensity of a specific wavelength.
While spectral intensity measurements are readily available, the determination of the concentration of species [X], from the intensity of the wavelength of X (I[X]), is not a straight forward matter. The problem is, that in addition to the concentration of [X], the value of I[X] at any particular time is a function of: the gain setting of the detector; the spectral transmittance of the window through which the I[X] measurement is made, this changes with the state of the reactor (residue buildup on the windows; and the other gases and pressure and RF conditions in the plasma so that there is no way to have a "standard calibration curve" of I[X] vs [X], and thus determine the magnitude of the leak of gas X into the process gas(es).

Measurement of gas leaks into gas lines of a plasma reactor


A system and method of supporting packet-switched handover of a mobile station (MS) from a GERAN/UTRAN cell to a Generic Access Network (GAN) cell within a GAN. If the MS is within coverage of the GAN cell, the MS registers within the GAN, triggering initiation of the packet-switched handover from the GERAN/UTRAN cell to the GAN cell. A preparation phase is then conducted for executing the packet-switched handover. The preparation phase includes identifying the MS context as part of the preparation phase and activating the GA-PSR TC towards the MS. Next, the packet-switched handover is executed, resulting in the MS switching to GAN mode. The MS then begins transferring packets via the GAN cell. The system and method also supports a packet-switched handover from the GAN cell to the GERAN/UTRAN cell.

This invention relates to communication systems. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the invention is directed to a system and method of supporting packet-switched handover.
Provisions for packet-switched (PS) handover are included in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)/GERAN specifications. These provisions allow for PS handover between GPRS/EDGE radio access network (GERAN) and UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) cells. PS handover principles are defined in 3GPP TS 43.129 in 3GPP Release-6.
A 3GPP work item, "Evolved UTRA and UTRAN" (E-UTRA and E-UTRAN respectively), defines Long-Term Evolution (LTE), designed to improve efficiency, lower costs and improve services for 3GPP-based access technology. LTE will use Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) radio technology in the downlink and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) for the uplink, allowing at least 100 Mbps peak data rate for downlink data rate and 50 Mbps for uplink data rate. LTE radio can operate in different frequency bands and is therefore very flexible for deployment in different regions of the world, where different frequency bands might be licensed.
In addition to the Radio Access Network (RAN) standardization, a 3GPP System Architecture Evolution (SAE) work item is being worked on to develop an evolved core network (CN) for LTE networks. The SAE core network is made up of core nodes, which may be further split into Control Plane (Mobility Management Entity, MME) nodes and User Plane Gateway (Serving Gateway and Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway) nodes. In this application, the term Access Gateway (AGW) is used to depict both the Serving Gateway and the PDN Gateway nodes and functions. In the terminology currently used, AGW contains both User Plane Entity (UPE) and Inter-Access Anchor (IASA) functionality. The MME is connected to an E-UTRAN NodeB (eNodeB) via a S1-MME interface, and the AGW (i.e. the Serving Gateway) is connected to an eNodeB via an S1-U interface.
Currently, PS handover procedures allow for minimal service interruptions at network-controlled cell change by utilizing the principle of make-before-break meaning that the radio resources in the target cell are allocated before the mobile station (MS) moves to the target cell. In addition, the Location Area Updating (LAU) and Routing Area Updating (RAU) procedures as defined in 3GPP TS 24.008 are performed in parallel with the flow of user plane PS data during the PS handover execution phase to help minimize the interruption to user plane PS data flow experienced during PS handover.
However, currently there are no provisions for PS handover between a GERAN/UTRAN and a Generic Access Network (GAN) cell, between a GERAN and an Enhanced-UTRAN (i.e., LTE) cell, or between a LTE and a GAN cell. Specifically, there are no systems or methods for allowing PS handover between GERAN and GAN cells or between UTRAN and GAN cells or between LTE and GAN cells. Generic Access to the A and Gb interfaces is defined in 3GPP TSs 43.318 and 44.318. Vocabulary for 3GPP specifications is also defined in 3GPP TS 21.905 and is also utilized in the following description.
Without the capability of a PS handover procedure during a cell change to or from a GAN cell, service interruptions are increased and are determined by the time required to first complete the LAU and RAU procedures in the new cell (or relevant other similar procedures for LTE and SAE, for example Tracking Area Updates (TAU)) as well as by the time required to establish the necessary radio resources in the new cell. In the case where the MS also changes SGSN when performing cell change to or from a GAN cell, performing the RAU procedure means that the relevant information for the MS is retrieved from the previous (source) SGSN and forwarded to the new current (i.e., target) SGSN, which further increases the service interruption time. In addition, radio resource establishment time is an issue when a mobile station (MS) moves into a GERAN cell, given the nature of temporary block flow (TBF) establishment procedures.
Additionally, without a PS handover procedure for use during cell change to and from GAN cells, TBFs in a GERAN cell (and Radio Access Bearers (RABs) in a UTRAN cell) would need to be dropped prior to GAN rove-in (where rove-in implies a cell change procedure performed without using the PS handover procedure). The equivalent GAN radio resource, Generic Access-Packet-Switched Resources (GA-PSR) Transport Channel (GA-PSR TC), would then also need to be established after the rove-in, both of which (i.e. dropping of radio resources in the GERAN/UTRAN and allocating radio resources in the GAN cell) would add to the service interruption experienced by active PS services. If voice over IP (VoIP) is supported on one of the TBFs/RABs prior to cell change, then releasing the TBF/RAB prior to rove-in forces Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) signaling to be once again invoked in order to set up the VoIP session after rove-in to the new cell, thereby causing a corresponding delay.
A system and method of supporting PS handover between a GERAN or UTRAN cell or LTE cell and a GAN cell is needed to allow packet data transfer to occur while LAU and RAU procedures are ongoing and to avoid incurring delays in performing SIP signaling after cell change. This is particularly important since GERAN specifications are moving toward fully supporting VoIP service (e.g., with the specification of reduced transmission times and fast acknowledgement/no acknowledgement reporting as part of the Latency Reduction work effort) which makes avoidance of additional SIP signaling in the new cell (i.e. prior to PS service resumption) even more important.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a system and method of supporting PS handover between GERAN or UTRAN cells and GAN cells. The present invention provides such a system and method.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method of supporting packet-switched handover


A method for producing an aluminum nitride powder includes mixing an alumina powder having an average particle diameter of not more than 5 μm; an eutectic melting agent; and a carbon powder are mixed to obtain a mixture thereof, and reductively nitriding the mixture by firing at a higher temperature than a melting point of the eutectic melting agent, while maintaining a nitrogen ratio within a range of 60 to 85 vol % in an atmosphere of mixed gases of nitrogen and carbon monoxide until a nitriding ratio of the alumina powder reaches at least 50%.

The aluminum nitride has a high thermal conductivity and an excellent electrical insulating property and it has been used as a high thermal conductive substrate, a heat radiating component, and an insulating/heat radiating filler. Recently, semiconductor electronic components such as IC and CPU mounted on high-performance electronic devices, represented by a notebook computer, an information terminal and the like, are downsized and highly integrated. In line with that, downsizing has become essential for heat radiating members. Examples of the heat radiating member include a heat radiating sheet and a film-like spacer in which a high thermal conductive filler is filled in the matrix such as resin and rubber (Patent Document 1), a heat radiating grease in which a high thermal conductive filler is filled in silicone oil to have fluidity (Patent Document 2), and a heat radiating adhesive in which a high thermal conductive filler is filled in an epoxy resin (Patent Document 3). Further, examples of the high thermal conductive filler include aluminum nitride, boron nitride, alumina, magnesium oxide, silica, graphite, and various metal powders.
In order to improve the thermal conductivity of the heat radiating materials, it is important that a filler having a high thermal conductivity is highly densely filled. For this purpose, it has been urged to provide an aluminum nitride powder of a spherical shape having a particle diameter of from about several microns to several tens of microns.
Usually, the aluminum nitride powder has been produced by a reduction-nitridation method which fires alumina and carbon in a nitrogen atmosphere, a direct nitridation method which reacts metal aluminum directly with nitrogen, and a gas-phase method which reacts alkylaluminum with ammonia, and thereafter heats them.
However, the aluminum nitride powders obtained by the reduction-nitridation method and by the gas-phase method have shapes close to a sphere but their particle diameters are about submicron size.
On the other hand, according to the direct nitridation method, the aluminum nitride powder is obtained through the pulverization and classification, thereby it enables relatively easily to control the particle size and also enables to obtain the aluminum nitride powder having a particle diameter of from about several microns to several tens of microns. However, the pulverization step is essential in this method, therefore the particles of the obtained aluminum nitride powder have an angular shape and that causes a decrease in fluidity, with the result that it is difficult to highly densely fill the aluminum nitride powder obtained by this method as a filler in the resin.
In view of the above, a variety of methods have been studied in order to obtain the aluminum nitride powder of a spherical shape having a desired average particle diameter.
For example, a Patent Document 4 discloses a method for obtaining an aluminum nitride powder of a rounded shape having an average particle diameter of not less than 3 μm by firing a mixture of an alumina powder and a carbon powder in an inert atmosphere to form an aluminum oxide allowing particles thereof to grow and then firing (nitriding) the particles thereof in a non-oxidizing atmosphere containing nitrogen. However, there is a problem that the aluminum nitride powder obtained by this method has an elliptic shape and exhibits low sphericalness.
Further, Patent Document 5 discloses a method for producing an aluminum nitride powder by using a mixed powder of an aluminum oxide powder, a carbon powder and a rare earth compound as a starting material. With this method, compared with the general reduction-nitridation method, it enables to obtain the aluminum nitride powder having a relatively large average particle diameter. However, the average particle diameter is approximately 3 μm, and it is difficult to obtain the aluminum nitride powder having an average particle diameter exceeding 5 μm.
Further, a Patent Document 6 discloses a method for producing an aluminum nitride powder by developing an amorphous aluminum nitride powder in a flux comprising compounds of alkaline earth metals, rare earth metals and the like so as to assume a spherical shape, and thereafter, dissolving the flux to isolate the aluminum nitride powder. With this method, it enables to obtain the aluminum nitride powder having an excellent fluidity and filling property. However, there is a problem that impurities such as oxygen and the like easily infiltrate into the aluminum nitride powder during the heat treatment process.

Method for producing aluminum nitride powder


A directive, instantaneous wide bandwidth antenna is disclosed. The antenna can include a ground plane having a recess with a tapered region accessible by an electromagnetic field via a radiating aperture at a forward end of the recess. The antenna can also include an elongate dielectric feed disposed in the recess. The dielectric feed can have a tapered portion proximate the tapered region to guide the electromagnetic field into the recess through the radiating aperture and influence pattern directivity. The antenna can further include a conductive plating disposed at least partially about the dielectric feed in a wedge configuration to influence pattern beam width. The conductive plating can have a taper to facilitate propagation of the electromagnetic field over a range of frequencies. The conductive plating can be disposed toward a rearward end of the recess relative to the radiating aperture.

Antennas are utilized in a wide range of applications. Many applications drive ever-increasing antenna performance, such as higher gains and wider frequency bandwidths. High performance antennas are often found in vehicles, such as missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.

Directive, instantaneous wide bandwidth antenna


The present invention is related to a video signal processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program which are suitably for use in determining whether an input video signal is standard or nonstandard. In synchronization with the edge of an advance vertical sync signal xAVD, a free-running vertical sync edge counter 31 increments by 1 the count value which cycles between 0 through 7 and outputs the count value to a free-running field ID edge counter 32 and a comparator 33. In synchronization with the rising and falling edges of a field ID signal AFD, the free-running field ID edge counter 32 increments the count value by 1. The comparator 33 generates a nonstandard signal detection signal in correspondence with the FD edge count value with the V count value being 7 and a vertical sync signal xVD being at L level. The present invention is applicable to TV receivers for example.

For noise reduction circuits for reducing noise in digital signals, so-called recursive noise reduction circuits are known in which a memory is used. Especially, these recursive noise reduction circuits are widely used when performing noise reduction on digital video signals.
General conventional recursive noise reduction circuits process the interlace video signals each configured by even-numbered field images and odd-numbered field images typified by NTSC and PAL schemes.
For example, the analog VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) is capable of not only providing normal speed playback but also providing irregular playback operations such as fast-forward, rewind, and picture search.
In the case of interlace video signals, a signal which is reproduced at the normal speed has a shift by 0.5 line between the horizontal sync pulses of the video signals of the even-numbered field and the odd-numbered field with reference to the vertical sync pulse. Such a signal is hereafter referred to as a standard signal.
On the other hand, in a video signal which is reproduced by an irregular playback operation such as fast-forward, the horizontal sync pulses of the video signals of the even-numbered field and the odd-number field are in phase with reference to the vertical sync pulse. Such a signal is hereafter referred to as a nonstandard signal. It should be noted that the nonstandard signal sometimes includes those standard signals which are low in S/N and video signals which are outputted from game machines.
Now, it is assumed that a general recursive noise reduction circuit be installed on a television receiver or the like in which not only the standard signal but also the nonstandard signal outputted from an analog VCR or the like mentioned above is inputted.
In this case, the noise component of each inputted standard signal is normally reduced by the installed general recursive noise reduction circuit.
However, because the horizontal sync pulses of the video signals of the even-numbered field and the odd-numbered field are in phase in the inputted nonstandard signal, the recursive noise reduction circuit cannot correctly determine whether the current field is the even-numbered field or the odd-numbered field. And, if a noise reducing operation including the interpolation processing by an interpolation filter 2 and an interpolation filter 5 is executed in this state, the effective reduction of noise cannot sometimes be achieved.
As one of examples of the above-mentioned inappropriate noise reducing operation, the noise to be reduced looks moving upward or downward on the display screen. When the noise to be reduced by executing a noise reducing operation moves, the noise becomes more conspicuous than the case in which no noise reducing operation is executed, leaving noise unmoved, thereby making the video image visually undesirable.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, a circuit for determining whether an inputted signal is the standard signal or the nonstandard signal may be added to a general recursive noise reduction apparatus to execute a noise reducing operation only when the inputted signal is the standard signal.
However, such a circuit having a simple circuit configuration and capable of determining with stability whether an inputted signal is the standard signal or the nonstandard signal has not been available.

Video signal processing device and method, recording medium, and program


An orthodontic appliance such as a bracket is made of a polymeric material with reinforcing fiber structure embedded in the polymeric material. The reinforcing fiber structure includes relatively long filaments that extend about the perimeter of the bracket including the periphery of an archwire slot. In one embodiment, a method for making the bracket includes the steps of placing a tubular fiber preform in a mold assembly in an orientation aligned with a mesial-distal axis of the resultant bracket, and then closing the mold assembly in directions toward a central axis of the preform.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an orthodontic appliance and a method for manufacturing an orthodontic appliance that is made of polymeric material and reinforcing fiber embedded in the polymeric material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Orthodontic treatment concerns movement of improperly aligned or malpositioned teeth to desired orientations. Orthodontic treatment often involves the use of small appliances known as brackets that are secured to incisor, bicuspid and cuspid teeth, and buccal tubes that are secured to molar teeth. The brackets and buccal tubes have small slots or passages that receive a resilient, metallic archwire. The archwire forms a track to guide movement of the teeth, and the teeth are urged toward desired positions by bends or twists placed in the archwire, or by the use of other devices such as elastomeric modules.
Many brackets and buccal tubes have been made of stainless steel because stainless steel is strong, non-absorbent, weldable and relatively easy to form and machine. However, adults and older children undergoing orthodontic treatment are sometimes embarrassed by the "metallic smile" appearance of such brackets. Further, certain patients are allergic to nickel and chromium that are often present in stainless steel appliances.
Orthodontic appliances are sometimes made of materials other than alloys containing nickel and chromium and can be used for patients sensitive to these elements. For example, orthodontic appliances may be made of a ceramic such as monocrystalline or polycrystalline alumina. U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,080 describes orthodontic appliances made of a polycrystalline ceramic having a translucency which minimizes visibility of the appliance when mounted on a tooth so that the problem of a "metallic smile" is largely avoided.
However, ceramic brackets are known to present a greater resistance to movement of the bracket relative to the archwire as compared to metal brackets. Resistance to movement is considered a disadvantage because the resistance slows movement of the teeth to positions desired by the orthodontist and can lengthen treatment time.
Orthodontic appliances have also been made of a plastic material that in some instances is translucent and neutral in color. Preferably, the selected plastic material is relatively resistant to staining by food and beverages such as mustard, spaghetti sauce and grape juice. It is also desired that the plastic material be relatively resistant to creep so that the sides of the archwire slot do not unduly deform.
Attempts have also been made to strengthen plastic orthodontic appliances by use of reinforcing fibers or whiskers. For example, plastic brackets containing fibers were promoted by American Orthodontics of Sheboygan, Wisconsin as early as 1985. U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,596 discloses an orthodontic bracket made of polycarbonate and translucent glass or ceramic fibers. It has been suggested that brackets may be made by injecting both resin and chopped fibers into a mold assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,341 describes an orthodontic bracket produced from glass-filled polycarbonate composite material by injection into a heated aluminum mold. An opening to the mold is placed in the base directly under the center of the slot apparently in an attempt to achieve a certain orientation of the fibers.
There is a continuing interest in making orthodontic appliances as small as practicable so that for aesthetic reasons the visibility of the appliance is reduced. However, it is important that the appliance have sufficient strength to resist breakage during ordinary use. Orthodontic appliances are often subject to significant stress during mastication when the bracket may contact hard food portions, occluding teeth or appliances mounted on occluding teeth.
In addition, certain smaller sections of appliances need to withstand relatively strong forces that may be intentionally induced during orthodontic treatment. For example, brackets often have tiny tiewings shaped like hooks on opposite sides of the archwire slot for receiving a wire or elastic ligature that is used to bind the archwire to the bracket. Such tiewings, if weak, may break apart from the body of the bracket when an attempt is made to firmly seat the archwire in the bottom of the slot. As can be understood, replacement of fractured brackets is a nuisance for both the orthodontist and patient.
There is a continuing need in the art for a plastic orthodontic appliance that is relatively small and yet has sufficient strength and stiffness, particularly in regions of the tiewings and sections near the archwire slot. Preferably, such a bracket would be made according to a method that is relatively inexpensive, adaptable for automation and yet provides consistent, satisfactory results.

Fiber reinforced orthodontic appliance and method of manufacture

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A real image mode variable magnification finder optical system comprising an objective lens system including a rotatable prism, an image erecting optical system for erecting an image formed by the objective lens system and an eyepiece lens system having a positive refractive power. The prism is rotated 180.degree. for changing the finder optical system between a wide angle condition and a telephoto condition. This variable magnification finder optical system permits minimizing a space required for operating an optical member for changing a magnification thereof and composing the objective lens system compactly of a small number of component parts.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a real image mode variable magnification finder optical system which is to be used with photographic cameras, video cameras, still video cameras and so on.
b) Description of the Prior Art
For a camera composed of an imaging optical system and a finder optical system which are generally separated from each other, it is necessary to change a magnification of the finder optical system for adequate display of a photographic range the moment that a focal length of the imaging optical system is changed. The magnification of the finder optical system is changed, for example, in the manners described below:
First, in case of a finder optical system disclosed by Japanese Patent Preliminary Publication No. Hei 1-255825 disposed on the object side of an objective lens system is an auxiliary afocal lens system so as to be removable from an effective optical path of the finder optical system, and the magnification of the finder optical system is changed by inserting and removing this auxiliary lens system into and out of the optical path depending on a selected imaging magnification.
Further, in a finder optical system disclosed by Japanese Patent Preliminary Publication No. Sho 62-7107, an objective lens system is composed of three lens components having negative, positive and positive refractive powers respectively in order from the object side and the magnification of the finder optical system is changed by moving the second lens component in a direction along an optical system.
In a finder optical system disclosed by Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 2-146793 which was proposed by the inventor, in contrast, two objective lens systems having magnifications different from each other are fixed in parallel with each other and an optical path of one objective lens systems coincides with that of the other objective lens system by using two reflecting members. The magnification of the finder optical system is changed by rotating one of the reflecting members so as to change the optical path of one of these objective lens systems.
In a finder optical system disclosed by Japanese Patent Preliminary Publication No. Hei 1-255825 wherein the auxiliary lens system is inserted and removed into and out of the effective optical path of the finder optical system, however, it is necessary to reserve a space for disposing the auxiliary lens system and an additional space for allowing the insertion and removal of the auxiliary lens system. Therefore, this finder optical system has a remarkably long total length and has a thickness which can hardly be reduced. This fact poses an important problem in view of a fact that the finder optical system of this type is adopted frequently for various types of small cameras such as compact cameras. Further, since the auxiliary lens system which is to be disposed on the object side of the objective lens system must be of an afocal lens system, this auxiliary lens system must comprise at least one positive lens element and a negative lens element, thereby delimiting reduction of number of parts to be used for composing the finder optical system.
In the case of the finder optical system disclosed by Japanese Patent Preliminary Publication No. Sho 62-7017, a total length of the finder optical system is not varied by changing the magnification thereof. However, the objective lens system is composed, in order from the object side, of the negative, positive and positive lens components, a distance as measured from the first lens component to a focal point of the objective lens system is longer than a focal length of the first lens component, thereby posing a problem that a total length of the objective lens system can not be shortened inherently.
In case of the finder optical system disclosed by Japanesee Patent Application No. Hei 2-146793 wherein the magnification of the finder optical system is changed by rotating the reflecting member while the two objective lens systems are kept fixed, in contrast, the finder optical system has a total length which cannot be varied by changing the magnification thereof and the objective lens systems can independently be composed compact at magnification levels thereof, whereby the finder optical system can prevent cameras from being enlarged or permits designing the cameras compact. However, this finder optical system has a defect that it requires an increased number of parts since the two reflecting members are used in a pair for changing the magnification of the finder optical system.

Real image mode variable magnification finder optical system


A torque limiting device includes a base configured to reside in a fixed position relative to a drive unit, an input shaft assembly configured to receive a torque load from the drive unit, and an output shaft assembly which is capable of rotating about an axis. The torque limiting device further includes detent members disposed adjacent to the input shaft assembly and the output shaft assembly. The detent members are configured to transition the torque limiting device between (i) a drive state in which the input shaft assembly rotates the output shaft assembly about the axis and (ii) a tripped state in which the input shaft assembly does not rotate the output shaft assembly about the axis depending on forces provided to the detent members, by the input shaft assembly, in respective radial directions away from the axis and toward the base.

A torque limiter typically transfers torque from a power source to a driven device when the torque limiter encounters a normal torque load, but disengages the power source from the driven device when the torque limiter encounters overloading. Accordingly, such operation avoids overstressing or damaging various components such as the power source, the driven device, and the interconnecting power train linkage downstream.
One conventional torque limiter (hereinafter referred to as a conventional friction plate torque brake) includes a stator, an input shaft having rotor friction plates, and an output shaft. In response to a torque overloading event, the rotor friction plates of the input shaft drag against frictional surfaces of the stator to prevent passing further torque load onto the output shaft. As a result, the conventional friction plate torque brake avoids damaging parts downstream from the output shaft.
Another conventional torque limiter (hereinafter referred to as a conventional face gear torque brake) includes an input actuator, an output gear, and a face gear. Here, if a torque overloading event occurs, the face gear engages with the input actuator to stop the input actuator thus preventing passage of further torque load onto the output shaft.

Techniques for controlling transfer of torque using detent members responsive to radial force


A filter for filtering electrical signals comprises a substrate and a plurality of resonators formed circularly to surround the center of the substrate. Each resonator has an arcuate part at a radially outermost part and a pair of linear parts extending from ends of the arcuate part in a radially inward direction. The arcuate part is located at the same distance from the center of the substrate. The linear parts of each resonator have different lengths from each other thereby to provide a sharp decrease of gain at ends of the frequency passband in a filtering response.

This application relates to and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-122857 filed on Apr. 24, 2000.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter in which a plurality of resonators are formed circularly around the center of a substrate.
2. Related Art
In some conventional filters, resonators are formed in a hairpin pattern or forward-coupled pattern. The hairpin type is disclosed in, for instance, IEICE Transactions on Electronics, Vol. E82-C No. Jul. 7, 1999, xe2x80x9cHigh-temperature Superconducting Receiving Filtering Subsystem for Mobile Telecommunication Base Stationxe2x80x9d of Appl. Phys. Lett. 71(26), Dec. 29, 1997, xe2x80x9cMicrowave intermodulation in thin film high-Tc superconducting microstrip hairpin resonators : Experiment and theory.xe2x80x9d The forward-coupled type is disclosed in, for instance, Appl. Phys. Lett. 69(4), Jul. 22, 1996, xe2x80x9cHigh power failure of superconducting microwave filters: Investigation by means of thermal imaging.xe2x80x9d
The filters formed with the above resonator patterns require large substrates which extend in a lateral direction, when formed in multiple stages, or have only a limited number of stages in a fixed area. Further, it is difficult to regulate the coefficient or ratio of cross coupling which occurs between resonators other than the adjacent resonators in the above resonator patterns.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a filter in which a plurality of resonators can be formed in a limited area of a substrate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a filter in which the coefficient of coupling between resonators can be regulated with ease.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a filter in which notches are provided at both edges of a passband for a sharp filtering or cut-off response.
According to the present invention, a filter for filtering electrical signals comprises a substrate and a plurality of resonators formed circularly on the substrate to surround the center of the substrate.
Each resonator has an arcuate part at a radially outermost part and a pair of linear parts extending from ends of the arcuate part in a radially inward direction and the arcuate part is located at the same distance from the center of the substrate. Thus, the number of the resonators provided in a limited area may be increased. Further, the linear parts of each resonator have different lengths from each other thereby to provide a sharp decrease of gain at edges of the passband in a filtering response.

Signal filter having circularly arranged resonators


An apparatus for fabrication of a multiple memory material including: a feeding assembly for feeding shape memory material; a processing station aligned with the feeding assembly to receive the shape memory material to be processed; at least one energy source aligned with an energy source aperture to provide energy to the shape memory material; a shielding gas provider attached to a shielding gas engagement portion to provide shielding gas; and a controller configured to control the feeding assembly, the shielding gas provider and the energy source according to predetermined parameters to form the multiple memory material. A method for fabricating a multiple memory material including: determining process parameters for the shape memory material, via a controller; receiving shape memory material at a feeding assembly; feeding the shape memory material, via the feed assembly, to a processing station; providing shielding gas to the processing station, via a shielding gas provider; and providing energy to the shape memory material, via at least one energy source, based on the process parameters to produce the multiple memory material.

Generally speaking, shape memory materials are materials that are malleable at a lower temperature and can be trained to hold and return to a particular shape when at a higher temperature. Even if bent into a different shape when at the lower temperature, the material returns to the trained shape when the temperature is raised. The temperature at which the material reverts to the trained high temperature configuration is typically referred to as the transformation temperature. The shape memory effect that occurs in these materials is related to a reversible solid state phase transition in which the material transforms between an austenitic state and a martensitic state with a change in temperature. In the martensitic state, the shape memory material becomes more easily deformed and is typically able to accommodate significant plastic deformation at an almost constant stress level. When the shape memory material is in the martensitic state and is heated and the metal returns to the austenitic state. The transformation may occur at a particular temperature or over a range of temperature.
Shape memory materials can be generally divided into shape memory metals/alloys (SMAs) and shape memory polymers (SMPs). Many alloys may be manipulated into a shape memory material, including some magnetic materials and alloys. Three main types of SMAs include:
1) Nickel-titanium (NiTi)
2) Copper-Zinc-Aluminum-Nickel
3) Copper-Aluminum-Nickel
Other SMAs include, but are not limited to, the following:
1) Ag—Cd 44/49 at. % Cd
2) Au—Cd 46.5/50 at. % Cd
3) Cu—Al—Ni 14/14.5 wt. % Al and 3/4.5 wt. % Ni
4) Cu—Sn approx. 15 at. % Sn
5) Cu—Zn 38.5/41.5 wt. % Zn
6) Cu—Zn—X (X=Si, Al, Sn)
7) Fe—Pt approx. 25 at. % Pt
8) Mn—Cu 5/35 at. % Cu
9) Fe—Mn—Si
10) Pt alloys
11) Co—Ni—Al
12) Co—Ni—Ga
13) Ni—Fe—Ga
14) Ti—Pd in various concentrations
15) Ni—Ti (˜55% Ni)
(at. %=atomic percent)
Examples of SMPs include, but are not limited to, the following:
1) Polyurethane-based shape-memory polymers with ionic or mesogenic components
2) Polyethylene-terephthalate-Polyethyleneoxide (PET-PEO) block copolymer crosslinked using Maleic Anhydride
One of the most common shape memory materials is nitinol (sometimes referred to as NiTi), an alloy of nickel and titanium. This application focuses on SMAs and nitinol in particular, however, similar principles can apply to other SMAs, SMPs or shape memory materials, as will be understood by one skilled in the art upon reading the present document.
An application of shape memory materials is to exploit the force profile of the material when the shape memory material is heated and the shape memory material transitions from the martensitic state to the austenitic state. However, conventional shape memory materials are limited to the extent and preciseness at which these forces may be fabricated and tailored.
In order to process shape memory materials, conventional processing methods and systems require near constant manual manipulation by an operator. These processing techniques can be typically slow and inefficient. As well, conventional processing methods and systems may require processing under a sealed workstation when working with a shielding gas for the safety of the operator. Without a shielding gas, there is a risk of having unwanted levels of impurities, for example high levels of oxygen, present in the treated material.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for improved methods and systems for processing or treating shape memory materials in order to overcome or alleviate at least one of the concerns described above.

Multiple memory materials and systems, methods and applications therefor


A wafer cassette conveying system is capable of reducing a communication amount between a conveying device and a control device, further shortening the time period required for a movement of the conveying device. A control device 15, when receiving both of a lot carrying-in request signal outputted from a first treating device 11 and an empty cassette carrying-out request signal outputted from a second treating device 12, outputs a lot carrying-in command signal. A conveying device 20, when receiving this lot carrying-in command signal, conveys an actual cassette of the first treating device 11 to the second treating device 12 and also conveys an empty cassette of the second treating device 12 to an empty cassette space 14.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wafer cassette conveying system in a semiconductor producing apparatus.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Conventionally, there is disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (Kokai) 2-39450, a wafer cassette conveying system comprising trays on which are temporarily placed wafers, disposed respectively on a carrying-in port and a carrying-out port of a treating room disposed in a sheet treating device, thereby improving an efficiency of conveying the wafer cassette to the sheet treating device. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration view of the wafer cassette conveying system in the sheet treating device which is provided with one treating room. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 designates the sheet treating device which is provided with a first wafer cassette space 2a, a first tray 3a, a treating room 4, a second tray 3b, and a second wafer cassette space 2b in the order named. Untreated wafers and treated wafers are placed temporarily on the first tray 3a and the second tray 3b mentioned above. Hereinafter, the wafer cassette which stores the wafers and the wafer cassette which does not store the wafers are referred to as "the actual cassette" and "the empty cassette", respectively.
In the above-described construction, the actual cassettes (two actual cassettes in FIG. 4), which store untreated wafers, are carried therein, then conveyed to the first cassette space 2a. The untreated wafers stored in one of the actual cassettes are transferred to the treating room 4 to be treated thereat, and then transferred to the second tray 3b in order. During this treatment, the other untreated wafers are transferred to the first tray 3a from the other of the actual cassettes placed on the first cassette space 2a. The above-mentioned two of the actual cassettes, from which the untreated wafers stored therein are taken out, become the empty cassettes. These two of the empty cassettes are transferred to the second wafer cassette space 2b. The treated wafers placed on the second tray 3b are stored in one of the empty cassettes. The untreated wafers placed on the first tray 3a are loaded into the treating room 4 to be treated thereat, then stored in the other of the empty cassettes through the second tray 3b.
As mentioned above, the description is made to a wafer cassette conveying system comprising trays on which are temporarily placed wafers, disposed respectively on a carrying-in port and a carrying-out port of a treating room disposed in a sheet treating device, thereby improving an efficiency of conveying the wafer cassette to the sheet treating device. There will be described hereinbelow a wafer cassette conveying system having a plurality of treating rooms. FIG. 5 is a configuration view of a conventional wafer cassette conveying system having a plurality of treating rooms. In FIG. 5, reference numerals 11, 12 and 13 designate a first treating device, a second treating device and a third treating device, respectively.
The first treating device 11 has a carrying-in cassette space 11a on which are temporarily placed a wafer cassette to be carried therein and a carrying-out cassette space 11b on which are temporarily placed an actual cassette storing the treated wafers therein. The first treating device 11 is comprised of, for example, a stocker, an inspection receiving stand, a cleaning device and an etching device and so on. Also, the first treating device 11 outputs a lot carrying-out request signal, indicative of carrying the wafer cassette into the second treating device 12 when the actual cassette storing the treated wafers is placed on the carrying-out cassette space 11b.
The second treating device 12 is provided with a plurality of treating portions 12-1 to 12-3. There are carried out at these treating portions 12-1 to 12-3, for example, a first cleaning treatment, a drying treatment, a second cleaning treatment and the like. Also, there are arranged at the second treating device 12 a carrying-in cassette space 12a on which are temporarily placed the carried-in wafer cassette and a carrying-out cassette space 12b temporarily placed the empty cassette which has stored the wafers having completed the respective treatments at the treating portions 12-1 to 12-3. At the second treating device 12, the wafers are transferred from the actual cassette placed on the carrying-in cassette space 12a to the respective treating portions 12-1 to 12-3 to thereby be treated thereat. Therefore, after all the wafers has been transferred, the above-mentioned actual cassette becomes empty. Also, when the treatment of the treating portion 12-3 is being carried out, the empty cassette must be placed on the carrying-out cassette space 12b previously, in order to store therein the wafers having completed the treatment at the treating portion 12-3.
Further, the second treating device 12 outputs an empty cassette carrying-out request signal indicative of carrying-out the empty cassette, when the actual cassette placed on the carrying-in cassette space 12a from which all the wafers have been transferred becomes the empty cassette, and also outputs a cassette carrying-in request signal indicative of carrying the empty cassette into the carrying-out cassette space 12b, when the actual cassette on the carrying-out cassette space 12b are carried out. Besides, the second treating device 12 outputs a lot carrying-out request signal, when the empty cassette placed on the carrying-out cassette space 12b becomes the actual cassette to which have been stored the wafers having completed the treatment at the treating portion 12-3.
Reference numeral 14 designates a cassette space arranged in the vicinity of the second treating device 12, on which the empty cassette is temporarily placed, when the actual cassette placed on the carrying-in cassette space 12a in the second treating device 12, from which all the wafers have been loaded to the treating portion 12-1, becomes the empty cassette. The empty cassette space 14 is provided with an empty cassette stand 14a on which can be placed several units of one or two cassettes, and on which can be delivered an empty cassette between operations by a conveying device 16 which will be described later.
Reference numeral 13 designates the third treating device such as, for example, a stocker, an inspection stand, a cleaning device, an etching device and the like. The third treating device 13 is provided with a carrying-in cassette space 13a on which the carried-in cassette is temporarily placed and a carrying-out cassette space 13b on which the cassette having completed treatment is temporarily placed. Further, the respective time periods required for the treatment in the first treating device 11, the second treating device 12, and the third treating device 13 are different from one another.
Reference numeral 15 designates a control device 15, being comprised of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory) and the like, which controls the conveying device 16 based on a program stored in the ROM, the lot carrying-out request signal outputted from the first treating device 11, and the empty cassette carrying-out request signal, the lot carrying-in request signal, the empty cassette carrying-in request signal and the lot carrying-out request signal outputted from the second treating device 12. The conveying device 16 is provided with an arm for seizing the wafer cassette, and moves along a rail 17 to convey the wafer cassette. It takes a moving time period t1 for the conveying device 16 to move between the carrying-out cassette space 11b in the first treating device 11 and the empty cassette stand 14a on the cassette space 14, a moving time period t.sub.2 between the empty cassette stand 14a on the cassette space 14 and the carrying-in cassette space 12a in the second treating device 12, a moving time period t.sub.3 between the carrying-in cassette space 12a in the second treating device 12 and the carrying-out cassette space 12b in the second treating device 12, and a moving time period t.sub.4 between the carrying-out cassette space 12b in the second treating device 12 and the carrying-in cassette space 13a in the third treating device 13.
An operation of the wafer cassette conveying system having the above-described construction will now be described with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view for an operation of the conveying device 16 according to the conventional wafer cassette conveying system, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a communicating condition between the control device 15 and the conveying device 16. Firstly, in an initial state, it is assumed that all of the first treating device 11, the second treating device 12, and the third treating device 13 perform treatments of the wafer, respectively, the actual cassettes are placed on the carrying-in cassette space 11a, 12a and 13a in the respective treating devices, and that the empty cassettes are placed on the carrying-out cassette space 11b, 12b and 13b in the same. Further, it is also assumed that the conveying device 16 is on standby at a location of the carrying-in cassette space 12a in the second treating device 12.
In the second treating device 12, when all the wafers are loaded to the treating portion 12-1 from the actual cassette placed on the carrying-in cassette space 12a, the second treating device 12 outputs the empty cassette carrying-out request signal to the control device 15 (step SA1). The control device 15, when receiving this empty cassette carrying-out request signal, outputs an empty cassette conveying command signal to the conveying device 16 (step SA2). The conveying device 16, when receiving this empty cassette conveying command signal, moves at a location of the empty cassette stand 14a while seizing the empty cassette placed on the carrying-in cassette space 12a and then places the empty cassette seized by itself on the empty cassette stand 14a, during which movement is required a time period t.sub.2. The conveying device 16, when having completed this treatment, outputs a treatment completion signal to the control device 15 (step SA3). After this process, the conveying device 16 is on standby until the next command signal is outputted from the control device 15. The second treating device 12 outputs the lot carrying-in request signal to the control device 15, when the empty cassette is carried-out from the carrying-in cassette space 12a (step SA4).
Next, when the first treating device 11 has completed the treatment, then the empty cassette placed on the carrying-out cassette space 11b becomes the actual cassette to which have been stored the treated wafers, the first treating device 11 outputs the lot carrying-out request signal. The control device 15, when receiving this lot carrying-out request signal, outputs a lot carrying-in command signal to the conveying device 16 (step SA5). The conveying device 16, when receiving the lot carrying-in command signal, moves from a location of the empty cassette stand 14a to a location of the carrying-out cassette space 11b in the first treating device 11, during which movement is required a time period t.sub.1. The conveying device 16, while seizing the actual cassette placed on the carrying-out cassette space 11b, moves to the carrying-in cassette space 12a in the second treating device 12, during which movement is required a time period t.sub.1 +t.sub.2. The conveying device 16 places the actual cassette seized by itself on the carrying-in cassette space 12a in the second treating device 12. The conveying device 16, after having completed this treatment, is on standby at space 12b until the next command signal is outputted from the control device 15. The movement from space 12a to space 12b is time period t.sub.3.
In the second treating device 12, the wafers stored in the actual cassette placed on the carrying-in cassette space 12a are loaded to the treating portion 12-1, and the last wafers, which have been loaded from the actual cassette placed on the carrying-in cassette space 12a to the treating portion 12-1 and treated in the treating portions 12-2 and 12-3, are stored in the empty cassette placed on the carrying-out cassette space 12b. The second treating device 12 outputs a lot carrying-out request signal, when all these wafers are stored in the empty cassette (step SA6). The control device 15, when receiving the lot carrying-out request signal, outputs the lot carrying-out command signal to the conveying device 16 (step SA7), then the conveying device 16, while seizing the actual cassette placed on the carrying-out cassette space 12b, moves to a location of the carrying-in cassette space 13a in the third treating device 13, during which movement is required a time period t.sub.4. The conveying device 16, when having completed the movement, places the actual cassette seized by itself on the carrying-in cassette space 13a. The second treating device 12, after having completed the treatment, outputs the empty cassette carrying-in request signal (step SA8).
The control device 15, when receiving the above empty cassette carrying-in request signal, outputs an empty cassette carrying-in command signal to the conveying device 16 (step SA9). The conveying device 16, when receiving this empty cassette carrying-in command signal, moves to a location of the empty cassette stand 14a, during which movement is required a time period t.sub.2 +t.sub.3 +t.sub.4. The conveying device 16, while seizing the empty cassette placed on the empty cassette stand 14a, moves to a location of the carrying-out cassette space 12b in the second treating device 12 and places the empty cassette seized by itself thereon. The conveying device 16, after having completed this treatment, moves to a location of the carrying-in cassette space 12a in the second treating device 12, whereby the operation of the one cycle has been completed.
In the operation of the one cycle mentioned above, the control device 15 outputs four time-commands to the conveying device 16, so that the time period required for the movement of the conveying device 16 is calculated by the use of the following equation: EQU t.sub.2 +t.sub.1 +(t.sub.1 +t.sub.2)+t.sub.3 +t.sub.4 +(t.sub.2 +t.sub.3 +t.sub.4)+t.sub.2 +t.sub.3 =2t.sub.1 +4t.sub.2 +3t.sub.3 +2t.sub.4.
As described above, according to the conventional wafer cassette conveying system, the conveying device 16 conveys the empty cassette or the actual cassette while seizing the same. When the conveying device 16 carries in and carries out the empty cassette to the second treating device 12, the second treating device 12 outputs the empty cassette carrying-in request signal and the empty cassette carrying-out request signal, respectively, and then the control device 15 outputs the empty cassette carrying-in command signal and the empty cassette carrying-out command signal to the conveying device 16. After receiving these signals, the conveying device 16, when conveying the empty cassette to the second treating device 12, has to move to a location of the empty cassette stand 14a, seize the empty cassette and carry-in the same into the second treating device 12, also, when carrying-out the empty cassette from the second treating device 12, has to convey the empty cassette in the second treating device 12 to a location of the empty cassette stand 14a. Therefore, there are problems that the communications between the control device 15 and the conveying device 16 are generated too frequently, and that the time period required for the movement of the conveying device 16 is made long.
Also, there is disclosed in the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open (Kokai) No. 7-283093 a technique which improves the conveying efficiency. In the technique described in the above gazette, there is no empty cassette between respective treating devices, a plurality of treating devices are concentrated and conveying passages for exclusive use of carrying vehicles are disposed between the respective treating devices. In this technique, the wafer cassette travels depending on the condition of the treatments in the respective treating devices. Also, there are problems in this technique that the conveying passages for exclusive use, a conveying/moving mechanism and a conveying passage controlling mechanism are required, so the system is increased in cost and the respective treating devices cannot be used unless they are not suitable for the above conveying passage controlling mechanism, compared with the above-mentioned case where the empty cassette space is provided.


A method for downloading HTML formatted Web pages is provided. The method includes the steps of writing a URL of a Web page to be downloaded to an XQuery script; analyzing the XQuery script to obtain the URL of the HTML Web page and saving the downloaded Web page in a database as the local Web page; analyzing the contents of the local Web page to obtain target contents; converting the relative URLs of all image files to the absolute URLs; downloading all the image files according to the absolute URLs; replacing the absolute URLs of the image files with an local image file path; converting the relative URLs of the embedded links to the absolute URLs of the embedded links; saving all the converted absolute URLs in the database, creating identifiers; replacing the converted absolute URLs of the embedded links with an embedded link local path. A related system is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for downloading Hypertext Markup Language formatted Web pages.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally speaking, when a computer connects to the Internet, a traditional Web page browser in the computer needs to first download data of a Web page from a Web server before the Web browser can display the Web page. The Web page contains contents, such as image files, texts, embedded links, and advertisements. However, if a computer is not connected to the Internet, users are unable to use the computer to browse the Web page, causing users much inconvenience.
What is needed, therefore, is a system for downloading Hypertext Markup Language formatted Web pages, the system that can download Hypertext Markup Language formatted Web pages to a local Web server and display the Web page from the local Web server.
Similarly, what is also needed is a method for downloading Hypertext Markup Language formatted Web pages, the method that is used for downloading Hypertext Markup Language formatted Web pages to a local Web server and display the Web page from the local Web server.

System and method for downloading hypertext markup language formatted web pages

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.