A radio-frequency identification tag and tape applicator. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides an applicator that includes a tag and tape handling system having a base, a tape supply holder attached to the base, a tag supply holder attached to the base, a tag applying mechanism attached to the base for applying a tag to a length of tape and that includes a taping head for applying the tag and the length of tape to an object. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a radio-frequency identification tag applicator that includes a tag supply holder, a carrier roll holder, a carrier path from the supply roll holder to the carrier roll holder, a tag dispensing mechanism along the carrier path between the supply roll holder and the carrier roll holder for applying a tag to an object, and an interrogator for writing information to tags along the carrier path between the tag supply holder and the tag dispensing mechanism. The present invention also relates to methods of applying a radio-frequency identification tag to tape and to a variety of preferred embodiments of a package in combination with a radio-frequency identification tag.

Various radio-frequency identification tags (RFID tags) are known in the art. For example, radio-frequency identification tags are commercially available from Intermec Technologies Corporation located in Everett, Wash. as Intellitag brand RFID tags. RFID tags are also currently available from Rafsec OY, located in Tampere, Finland, and from SCS Corporation located in San Diego, Calif. under the brand named Duralabel. Radio-frequency identification tags are also known as radio-frequency identification inlets or radio-frequency identification transponders.
Radio-frequency identification tag systems have been proposed for use in inventory tracking. In such a system, a radio-frequency identification tag is attached to an item or package or location, and contains a non-volatile memory for storing information identifying the item or package or location and electronic circuitry for interacting with an interrogator. Radio-frequency identification tags may be passive or active. In the case of a passive radio-frequency identification tag, the tag includes circuitry for converting at least a portion of the received RF signals into electrical power needed by the tag for signal processing and transmission. In a typical conventional system, radio-frequency identification tags containing information associated with the identities of inventory items to be tracked are attached to the inventory items. A radio-frequency identification interrogator is used to detect the presence of a radio-frequency identification tag and read the identification information from the tag.
A typical radio-frequency identification interrogator includes a radio-frequency transceiver for transmitting interrogation signals to and receiving response signals from radio-frequency identification tags, one or more antennae connected to the transceiver, and associated decoders and encoders for reading and writing the encoded information in the received and transmitted radio-frequency signals, respectively. The interrogator may be a portable device, which can be brought near the tags to be read; or it may be a stationary device, which reads the tags as they are brought to the interrogator, as in the case of tagged library books being returned to a return station that is fitted with an interrogator.
Various apparatuses and methods for printing labels are known in the art. For example, EP Patent No. 0996 084 A2, "Device for Printing on a Medium," describes a device intended to be used to print on a medium that has a sending-and/or receiving-device, a printer and a write- and or read-device are intended. The printer prints the medium depending on the received print data, and the write- and/or read-device communicates with the sending- and/or receiving device in the medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,482 (Morrissette et al.) "Labeling Machine," in its abstract, describes a labeling machine in which pressure sensitive adhesively backed labels are releasably adhered to a backing strip moving along a path from a dispensing roll to a take-up roll. The labels are removed from the backing strip onto a rotating applicator drum at a first station along said path, and the thus removed labels are transferred from the applicator drum at a first station along said path, and the thus removed labels are transferred from the applicator drum to articles being successively presented at a second station. The improvement comprises a scanning unit, a comparator unit, and a removal unit. The scanning unit is positioned in advance of the first station for reading indicia appearing on the labels adhered to said backing strip. The comparator unit is associated with the scanning unit for comparing the indicia on the labels with a preselected standard and for generating a control signal in the event of a mismatch between the standard and the indicia appearing on an incorrect label. The removal unit is responsive to the control signal for removing the incorrect label from the applicator drum at a location intermediate the first and second station.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,461 (Murphy), "High Speed Continuous Conveyor Printer/Applicator," in its abstract, describes a label printer and applicator system which determines the height and position of moving objects on a conveyor while printing labels and positioning the labels for application on the moving objects. The printer/applicator includes a controllable label buffer, applicator actuator and label ejector to receive and apply the printed label, or eject the label when it has been determined that the application to the object cannot be made. Further embodiments include multiple applicators deployed along the conveyor to permit higher conveyor velocities and avoidance of unlabeled objects due the height/proximity relationships with adjacent packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,587 (Kimura et al.), "Bar Code Label Printer and Bar Code Label Issuing Method," in its abstract, describes a bar code label printer including a label sheet feeding unit for feeding a label sheet on which plural labels are adhered to at regular intervals, a printing unit for printing a bar code on the respective labels, a label peeling unit for peeling the printed labels from the label sheet, a sheet drawing unit for drawing the label sheet after the peeling unit, a bar code verifying unit for verifying the bar code printed on the label to detect an ineffective bar code, a re-printing unit for re-printing the same bar code as the ineffective bar code on the next label when the bar code verifying unit detects the ineffective bar code, and an ineffective bar code label remaining unit for remaining the ineffective bar code label on the label sheet without peeling. A bar code label issuing method uses the above described bar code label printer to issue only effective bar code label in an automatically control manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,539 (Carpenter et al.), "Object Labeling Machine," in its abstract, describes a machine for applying labels to products of various sizes that employs a movable printer-applicator head. Control circuitry responsive to sensors located along a conveyor by which the products are moved toward the machine generates output signals to an electrical motor which drives the printer/applicator head at a speed defined by the processor output signals. Labels to be printed are supplied to the head from a label supply strip wound on a label supply reel mounted on the stationary part of the machine. The portion of the strip extending between the reel and the head is provided with a loop to assure sufficient length of the strip for free movement by the head. The strip is lengthened by an amount less than the length of a label each time a label is removed and is lengthened by an additional amount each time a short-loop condition is detected. A pick plate assembly for removing unwanted labels is maintained in a retracted position along one side of the head when not in use, in order to avoid interference with the products to be labeled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,437 (Sakashita), "Non-contact Type Data Carrier Label," in its abstract, describes a non-contact type data carrier label having a data carrier for storing information and a support member for holding the data carrier, which it is able to attach to a product. The support member has a holding portion for holding the data carrier and paste portion to be pasted on the product in a attachable/detachable manner. A releasable type adhesive layer is formed on the support member. Thus, the data carrier label can be attached to and detached from the product more easily compared with that of conventional one.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,842 (Dlugos, Sr. et al.), "Integrated Circuit Package Label and/or Manifest System," in its abstract, describes an integrated circuit card including a microprocessor, a memory and input and output devices. The card stores information regarding a parcel. The card is secured to the parcel and serves as a label. The card includes a liquid crystal display that displays a bar code. A similar integrated circuit card stores manifest data regarding a group of parcels. The card containing the manifest data is delivered to a carrier together with the group of parcels.
EP patent No. 0673007, "Improvements in or Relating to Article Tagging," in its abstract, describes a tagging material comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive tape incorporating electromagnetic sensor material whose presence can be detected. Tags are cut from the tagging material as the tagging material and articles are conveyed along converging paths and are adhered to the articles by the adhesive of the tape by means of apparatus comprising a tagging material feeding means and an applicator head.
Various apparatuses and methods for attaching tape to articles are known in the art. For example, box-sealing apparatuses are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,507,907, 5,685,814, 5,730,831, 6,067,773, and 6,004,424. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, located in St. Paul, Minn., has sold one example of a box sealing apparatus under the trade name 3M-Matic, as a 700rks Random Case Sealer. Various taping heads for applying tape are also known in the art. For example, taping heads for applying tape are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,140 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,943. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, located in St. Paul Minn., has sold one example of a taping head under the trade name AccuGlide II.
Various apparatuses and methods for printing on tape and applying a length of printed tape to articles are known in the art. For example, apparatuses for printing and applying tape are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,347 (Ewert et al.), "Apparatus for Variable Image Printing on Tape," U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,103 (Ewert et al.) "Apparatus and Process for Variable Image Printing on Tape," and PCT Publication WO 00/34131 (Faust et al.) "Variably Printed Tape And System For Printing And Applying Tape Onto Surfaces." Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company located in St. Paul, Minn. has sold print and apply case sealing applicators and print and apply corner sealing applicators under the brand name 3M-Matic as CA2000 Corner Label Applicator and PS2000 Print & Seal Applicator.

Radio-frequency identification tag and tape applicator, radio-frequency identification tag applicator, and methods of applying radio-frequency identification tags


A semiconductor device includes a memory cell to and from which data is written and read in accordance with voltage supplied, a power supply circuit generating the voltage supplied to the memory cell, a microcomputer, an external terminal, a surge protection circuit clamping at a predetermined voltage value a voltage supplied to the external terminal, and a first switch circuit switching to output to one of the power supply circuit and the microcomputer a voltage having passed through the surge protection circuit. The power supply circuit includes a voltage conversion circuit changing the magnitude of a voltage received from the first switch circuit, and a second switch circuit switching to supply the memory cell with one of the voltage received from the first switch circuit and the voltage changed in magnitude.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and particularly to semiconductor devices including memory cells to and from which data is written and read, respectively, in accordance with voltage supplied.
2. Description of the Background Art
There has been developed a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a floating gate (FG) that can receive electrons or have electrons removed therefrom to store information, such as a semiconductor device having flash memory incorporated therein. Flash memory includes memory cells having a floating gate, a control gate (CG), a source, a drain, and a well or substrate. The memory cell has a threshold voltage, which increases when the floating gate receives electrons, and decreases when the floating gate has electrons removed therefrom (see Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2004-164811 for example.)
Generally, when a memory cell has a threshold voltage falling within the lowest voltage distribution, the memory cell is in an erased state. Furthermore, when the memory cell has a threshold voltage falling within a distribution higher than the erased state, the memory cell is in a written state. For example, if the memory cell stores two bits of data, the threshold voltage distribution lowest in voltage corresponds to a logic level "11" and this state is referred to as an erased state. The memory cell is subjected to a write operation and has a threshold voltage rendered higher than the erased state to obtain threshold voltages corresponding to logic levels "10", "01" and "00". This state is referred to as a written state.
Although it does not have flash memory incorporated therein, Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-350500, for example, discloses such a semiconductor device as follows: More specifically, a charge pump circuit in operation supplies an internal voltage line with negative electrical charge to decrease negative internal voltage. A voltage division circuit generates a control voltage in accordance with a difference in voltage between a first positive voltage received in a test mode externally at an input terminal and internal voltage. A comparison circuit causes the charge pump circuit to operate in accordance with a result of comparing a second positive voltage received in the test mode externally at an input terminal with the control voltage. The second positive voltage is set in accordance with a target negative internal voltage. By such configuration, externally input negative voltage can be prevented by a protection diode from being applied to an internal circuit, and negative voltage can be generated in the internal circuit and used in the test mode.
Flash memory incorporated semiconductor devices have their flash memory modules tested by measuring their memory cells' threshold voltage. More specifically in this test a read voltage is supplied from a pad of the semiconductor device to a memory cell of a flash memory module and the read voltage is gradually increased. A read voltage that allows data stored in the memory cell to be read is the memory cell's threshold voltage.
Furthermore, to be more reliable, semiconductor devices have a surge protection circuit connected to a pad thereof. The semiconductor devices are tested for reliability by measuring surge endurance. If the semiconductor device has a flash memory module sharing a pad with a microcomputer or a similar circuit that requires surge protection, the surge protection circuit is also connected to the pad. In that case, when a memory cell's threshold voltage is to be measured, a read voltage will be supplied to the pad to which the surge protection circuit is connected. The surge protection circuit clamps a voltage exceeding a predetermined value, and if the read voltage exceeds the predetermined value, it cannot be supplied to the memory cell, and the memory cell's threshold voltage cannot be measured. Conventional semiconductor devices thus disallow a surge protection circuit to be connected to a pad required to receive high voltage, and are thus difficult to be enhanced in reliability.
Furthermore, the semiconductor device of Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-350500 requires two external input terminals to generate a negative voltage used in the test mode. The semiconductor device is thus difficult to miniaturize.

Semiconductor device with surge protection circuit


An object of this invention is to provide a data structure description method and processing method, which can present the contents of data to the user in every devices as much as possible. A data processing method of this invention has a parsing step of parsing a structured document having second data which is included in first data described in a first markup language, is described in a second markup language, and is required to present contents corresponding to the first data, and a processing step of executing, if it is determined in a determination step that a part described in the first markup language of the parsed structured document cannot be understood, a process of data on the basis of a part described in the second markup language.

FIG. 1 shows a description example of SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) of an image data format. FIG. 2 shows a description example of HTML used to display in a hypertext format.
However, in order to process and display image data described, as shown in, e.g., FIG. 1, an information processing device must have an application that can understand SVG.
In order to process HTML data described, as shown in, e.g., FIG. 2, and to display hypertext, an information processing device must have an application that can understand HTML.
A device such as a PC (personal computer) having various functions is more likely to have such application programs. However, a poor-spec device such as a portable device, an old-model device, and the like, which do not originally have these application programs, cannot understand these data at all.

Data structure, processing method of structured document described using that data structure, program for implementing the method, and storage medium storing the program


Protection switching of digital signal transmitting and receiving hardware is realized in a "hitless" manner. The hitless switch is obtained by employing hardware switching units which can individually determine the instant to switch from an active state to a standby state and vice versa. A switch is initialized by supplying a switch request signal from a control unit to a hardware switching unit in the active state. The active hardware switching unit, upon detecting a prescribed bit condition, for example, a predetermined bit state, of the digital signal being supplied as an output therefrom, supplies a predetermined synchronization pulse to the standby hardware switching unit. In response to the synchronization pulse, the standby hardware switching unit forces the bit condition of a bit of the digital signal to be supplied as an output therefrom resulting from a current input bit to be in the same bit condition as that detected in the active hardware unit. Output circuits in both the active hardware switching unit and standby hardware switching unit are simultaneously turned OFF and ON, respectively, in the individual units by observing the digital signal being supplied as an input to both units. Upon detection of a predetermined bit condition of the input digital signal individually by each of the hardware switching units, the active unit output circuit is turned OFF and the standby unit output circuit is turned ON at the same instant. The instant of turning OFF and On of the output circuits is determined individually in each hardware switching unit.

It has been the practice to duplicate individual hardware units used in the switching or transmission of digital signals if failure of a single hardware unit could cause the failure of a predetermined number of digital signal channels. That is, there must be a backup hardware unit which can be switched to in the event of such a hardware unit failure. In known hardware protection switching arrangements, the switching of digital signals from one hardware unit to the other is achieved by employing relays. In such arrangements, signal loss is detected and the signal is redirected to a standby unit. A problem with the relay switching arrangement is that the customer communication traffic is interrupted for a significant interval. This interruption could cause calls to be dropped, which is undersirable. Even if the call is not dropped, the relay switching causes so-called glitches or hits in the digital signal transmitting the customer communications traffic which may cause an alarm condition. For example, the glitch could propagate as a bipolar violation or the like.

Digital signal hardware protection switching


An album generating apparatus that stores a plurality of images, sorts the plurality of images stored per event based on image capturing environments, selects a main image that is to be a primary image in the album out of the plurality of images stored per event sorted, selects subsidiary images that are to be images subsidiary to the main image selected in the album out of the plurality of images stored per event sorted based on the contents of the main image and determines a layout of the main image selected and the subsidiary images selected based on the contents of the main image selected and the subsidiary images selected.

There has been known an album generating system for generating an album laid out so as to dispose a map of traveling spot at the center of a screen and so that a user can see a relationship between the map and images disposed around the map by connecting the images and image capturing positions on the map by lines based on tag information such as information on position, image capturing time and others tagged to data of images captured at the traveling spots as disclosed in Japanese Patent laid-Open No. 1998-126731 for example.

Album generating apparatus, album generating method and computer readable medium


An inverting amplifier having variable gain in M discrete steps that are a fixed ratio F apart may be constructed by grounding the non-inverting input of a high gain differential gain element, and connecting the inverting input through a single-pole M-throw switch to the N.sup.th terminal in a ladder network of M cascaded elements. Each element is a series R and X, with X grounded, and their junction being where the next element of the ladder is connected. These junctions are also the aforementioned terminals of the ladder network, and are what are coupled to the M throws of the switch. At an input end of the ladder network is another impedance Z, to which the input V.sub.in is applied. At the other end of the ladder network is a final R in series with another Z that is driven by the V.sub.out obtained from the output of the gain element. Once Z and F are selected R and X may be found according to the relationships R=Z[.sqroot.(1/F)-1]and X=Z[.sqroot.(1/F)]/[.sqroot.(1/F)-1]. FET's may used to provide a make before break switch. The setting of the switch picks N, which determines the variable gain.

Every so often a design calls for an inverting amplifier of gain that is variable in discrete steps related by a constant factor, say two. That is, an inverting amplifier that might have, perhaps eight, nine or ten different gains, with each successive one a factor of two different from its predecessor. The lowest of these gains might be actual amplification, unity gain, or even attenuation. That is, the lowest gain setting might be a gain of 1/8, a gain of unity, or a gain of two. Each higher gain would be a gain of twice as much. Of course, the use of two as the ratio between consecutive steps is merely illustrative. In principle the ratio can be any practical (in the ordinary sense of the word) value, as can be the number of steps of gain.
There are at least two prior art circuits which have been used in this sort of service, and each has at least one disadvantage. For example, the circuit shown in FIG. 1A requires very tight tolerances on the resistors if the gains are to vary by a wide margin, say 2.sup.10. The circuit can only produce gain, and not attenuation. Another disadvantage of this circuit is that it is not naturally inverting, and an additional stage is needed to accomplish inversion. The circuit of FIG. 1B in an inverting circuit, but imposes stringent requirements on the switching network. Field Effect Transistors (FET's) are usually used (arranged as form C switches), and circuit operation is affected by variations in ON resistance and by leakage.
There is yet another prior solution, which is to simply precede a high gain amplifier with an attenuator. This is a very brute force solution that has the disadvantage that the gain of the amplifier must be stable and precise, the amplifier must always operate at maximum gain (which is probably also maximum power dissipation), and there needs to be precision high ratios of resistance values in the attenuator.
The difficulties associated with the issues of resistor tolerance, and of maintaining precise ratios and temperature coefficients for resistors of values over a wide range, become more understandable when it is remembered that it is often necessary to fabricate the resistors using either thin or thick film processes as part of a hybrid integrated circuit process. This type of implementation imposes these constraints today in a way that simply was not as painful back when the designer would (probably could only) use a Teflon rotary switch and hand selected individual precision resistors.
It would be desirable if there were an inverting variable gain amplifier circuit having discrete gains with a constant ratio between adjacent gains, but that did not require high tolerances of the resistances nor heroic performance from the FET switches. Such a circuit would lend itself to economical and reliable production using the available standard fabrication techniques for hybrid integrated circuits.

Discrete step variable gain inverting amplifier with constant ratio between adjacent gains


A bump structure that may be used to interconnect one substrate to another substrate is provided. A conductive pillar is formed on a first substrate such that the conductive pillar has a width different than a contact surface on a second substrate. In an embodiment the conductive pillar of the first substrate has a trapezoidal shape or a shape having tapered sidewalls, thereby providing a conductive pillar having base portion wider than a tip portion. The substrates may each be an integrated circuit die, an interposer, a printed circuit board, a high-density interconnect, or the like.

Since the invention of the integrated circuit, the semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to continuous improvements in the integration density of various electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from repeated reductions in minimum feature size, which allows more components to be integrated into a given area.
These integration improvements are essentially two-dimensional (2D) in nature, in that the volume occupied by the integrated components is essentially on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Although dramatic improvement in lithography has resulted in considerable improvement in 2D integrated circuit (IC) formation, there are physical limits to the density that can be achieved in two dimensions. One of these limits is the minimum size needed to make these components. Also, when more devices are put into one chip, more complex designs are required.
In an attempt to further increase circuit density, three-dimensional (3D) ICs have been investigated. In a typical formation process of a 3D IC, two dies are bonded together and electrical connections are formed between each die and contact pads on a substrate. For example, one attempt involved bonding two dies on top of each other. The stacked dies were then bonded to a carrier substrate and wire bonds electrically coupled contact pads on each die to contact pads on the carrier substrate. This attempt, however, requires a carrier substrate larger than the dies for the wire bonding.
More recent attempts have focused on flip-chip interconnections and the use of conductive balls/bumps to form a connection between the die and the underlying substrate, thereby allowing high-wiring density in a relatively small package. In this situation, a conductive bump is formed on one surface and direct contact is made with a post or pad on the other surface. Misalignment, however, often occurs between the contacts on the opposing surfaces. The misalignment may result in shorts between contacts and/or damage to the devices.
Furthermore, the difference in materials and the respective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values creates stress in the joint region. The stress may cause the joint to crack and/or cause other problems, such as delamination issues of the dielectric layers.

Substrate interconnections having different sizes

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


It is provided a method of manufacturing a display device for which the damage caused to the display panel due to processing at high temperatures is reduced. The method of manufacturing a display device includes: preparing a carrier substrate including a surface treated region; laying a mother substrate on the carrier substrate; progressing a process of forming a thin film on the mother substrate; and separating the carrier substrate from the mother substrate by using the surface treated region as an initial separation point. Bonding is formed between the carrier substrate and the mother substrate during forming the thin film over the areas that are not surface treated. The two substrates may be separated by disposing permeating oil on the surface treated region wherefrom oil permeates through the remaining regions by osmotic pressure. This way damage caused to the display panel during thin film processing is reduced.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a display device.
2. Discussion of the Background
Various electronic components including a thin film transistor (TFT) are manufactured on a substrate formed of glass, and the like, when a flat panel display, for example, a liquid crystal display device and an organic light emitting display device, is manufactured.
Recently, efforts to reduce a thickness of the substrate on which the aforementioned electronic components, and the like, are formed has been made in order to obtain a technology for manufacturing a thin and light display device.
Recently, substantially thin substrates with a decreased thickness, for example, up to 0.1 mm or smaller, have been manufactured. However, when a thin film process, and the like, is progressed on the thin substrate, the substrate may be damaged due to high temperature processing and the like.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art.

Method of manufacturing a display device


An herb vaporizing apparatus includes an herb receiving port, a grinder to grind the herb, and a heating chamber for heating the ground herb to create a vapor. A first end of the heating chamber is positioned closer to a top of the apparatus than a second end of the heating chamber, such that the ground herb generally moves in at least a partially downward direction as it travels through the heating chamber. The apparatus further includes a screw feeder positioned within the heating chamber that rotates and moves the ground herb within the heating chamber. The apparatus further includes an air pump for pumping vapor out of the heating chamber and a valve positioned along an airway between the heating chamber and a vapor output. The valve permits air and the vapor to move from the heating chamber to the vapor output only while the air pump is activated.

Many people use herbs, oils, or other substances along with devices for creating vapors. For example, certain herbs, oils, or other substances may be heated to create vapors that may be used for medicinal purposes, for creating scents in a room, or for any other purpose. The vapors created may, for example, be inhaled by a user.

Standalone herb processing, vaporizing, and administration apparatuses, systems, and methods


A rotary/push button controller is provided herein. The controller includes an outer ring being movable, radially at a rotation angle about a rotation axis, and axially along the rotation axis, the outer rings being integrally formed with a centrally disposed shaft, the shaft includes a connection to an electric switch in response to the axial movement of the shaft; an intermediate space between an inner wall of the outer ring and the shaft; an inner ring being disposed in the intermediate space between the inner wall of the outer ring and the shaft coaxially in relation to the shaft and to the outer ring; and a roller bearing having at least two rows of roller bodies, which are situated between the inner wall of the outer ring and the outer wall of the inner ring.

Rotary/push buttons have a slide bearing and centrally disposed push button activation or a ball bearing having a non-centrally placed push button activation with or without additional gearings.
Since slide bearings require clearance between the guide surfaces, this solution generally causes a wobbling of the rotary button. In the second solution with the ball bearing, the activation of the push button is not centrally placed, which generates a higher frictional torque. For effective feedback and tactile response, minimal friction and a minimal, wobbling of the rotary button, are removed. However, both properties (minimal friction and a minimal wobbling) work in opposition to one another. These two properties are described below:                minimal guide clearance=>minimal wobbling of the rotary button, high friction        large guide clearance=>minimal friction, greater wobbling of the rotary button.
A compromise between these two properties may be pursued. However, the smaller the diameter of the rotary-push button controller and of the resulting installation space, may make it more difficult to minimize the wobbling of the rotary button.
A switch device has a coaxial assembly along the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical core, which extends axially from a core base to a distal end. The core base is fixed to a base plate. An outer knob extends from the knob base to a distal knob top, the knob being rotatable along the longitudinal axis about the cylindrical core. A switching generates an electrical signal dependent on the rotations of the knob. A guiding of the knob in its movement relative to the cylindrical core is also provided. This knob guiding includes an upper-guide in the vicinity of the distal end of the cylindrical core and of the knob-top, as well as a lower-guide in the vicinity of the core base and the knob base. In this configuration, the upper-guide, in turn, includes rolling elements, these rolling elements roll between an inner race of the upper-guide, which is an integral component of the core, and an outer race of the upper-guide, which is an integral component of the knob. With the upper ball bearing arrangement thus provided, friction that occurs as a result of the rotational movement of the knob is prevented.
A rotary control/push-control device for a human-machine interface, in particular, for a vehicle component, such as an air conditioner is known. This rotary control/push-control device includes a rotary/push element, which is rotatable about a guide shaft and axially movable along the guide axis. The rotary/push-control device also includes a roller bearing unit having an outer bearing ring, an inner bearing ring and rollers disposed between outer bearing ring and inner bearing ring. In this configuration, the outer bearing ring—or alternatively, the inner bearing ring—is connected to the rotary/push element and is simultaneously rotatable by the latter. A rotation sensor detects the rotational movement of the rotary/push element. The rotary control/push control device also includes at least one of the two following groups of features, namely, a pressure sensor that responds to an axial movement of the rotary control/push control device along the guide shaft from a starting position to a depressed position, and a return element for automatically moving the rotary/push element to its starting position. The return element in this case acts directly or indirectly on the roller bearing unit. The inner bearing ring—or alternatively, the outer bearing ring—is guided on the guide axis in an axially movable manner and secured on said axis to prevent the bearing ring from rotating.


A sequential polygon approximation apparatus for a contour and a method thereof which are capable of sequentially extracting a vertex in the order of a contour pixel when performing a polygon approximation so as to code a shape information, which includes an error computation unit for obtaining a contour pixel between two contour pixels of the vertex extraction unit from the contour pixel memory and computing an error which is a distance between a straight line between two contour pixels and a pixel from the contour pixel memory, a comparison unit for comparing an error obtained by the error computation unit with a threshold value, and a controller for controlling the vertex extraction unit and the error computation unit in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison unit, setting the pixel just before the final pixel of a first region as a first vertex when the error obtained in the first region which is the region of the contour pixel sequentially determined for the vertex extraction from a fixed one vertex is greater than a given threshold value, outputting the final pixel of a second region as a final vertex when all the errors obtained in the second region which is expanded till a predetermined contour pixel from the first region is smaller than the given threshold value, and outputting the first vertex as the final vertex.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sequential polygon approximation apparatus for a contour and a method thereof, and particularly to an improved sequential polygon approximation apparatus for a contour and a method thereof which are capable of sequentially extracting a vertex in the order of a contour pixel when performing a polygon approximation so as to code a shape information.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
As an international coding standard, there are MPEG-1, MPEG-2, H.261, etc. These coding standards are directed to using a block based coding technique such as a discrete cosine transform (DCT). The motion compensation is processed by the block unit of each image frame with respect to a moving object.
Since the above-described block based coding technique is directed to performing a coding with respect to the entire frames, the amount of the generated information is increased, and it is impossible to transmit a motion picture signal through a channel such as a public telephone network or a wireless communication network which are very slow to communicate to each other, for thus degrading the picture quality.
In order to overcome the above-described problems, an object-oriented coding technique which is not a block based technique has been studied in the industry. An effective coding method of a shape information (a contour) of an object is needed.
The conventional techniques for decreasing the amount of the shape information with respect to the moving object according to the vertex-based coding are as follows.
There are an article "Predictive contour coding for an object-oriented analysis synthesis coder", IEEE International Symposium Information Theory, San Diego, Calif., U.S.A, January 1990, at page 75, made by M. Hotter, and an article "Object-oriented analysis synthesis at low bit rates", IEEE Transaction on Circuits and system for Video Technology, Special Issue on very low-bit rate video coding, vol 4, No. 3, June 1994, at pages 228 through 235.
In accordance with the above-described techniques, the entire contours of the moving object region are approximated, and the motion compensation of the vertexes used for the approximation is predicted, and the error thereof is transmitted.
However, in accordance with the conventional method which is directed to considering the entire shape information, the amount of the entire data which is transmitted is great, for thus degrading the picture quality.
In addition, the polygon approximation method which is directed to approximately expressing the contour of the moving object is used for an object recognition, an image analysis, an image coding, etc, and the applicable range thereof becomes wider.
In particular, since the image coding considering the object or content becomes a major technique for MPEG-4 based on the concept of a video object plane (VOP), the polygon approximation method becomes one of important methods of the shape information together with the shape information transmission of an object.
FIGS. 1A through 1D are views illustrating a conventional polygon approximation process.
First, when there is given an open contour, namely, both ends of the contour are not connected, as shown in FIG. 1A both ends thereof are connected to each other.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 1B, the points in which the distance to a pixel forming a contour in the vertical direction with respect to a straight line is the maximum are computed as a new vertex, and a new vertex is connected to the respective two end points by a straight line.
As shown in FIG. 1C, the straight lines are repeatedly connected until the maximum distance to the contour pixel in the vertical direction with respect to the straight line becomes smaller than the threshold value (hereinafter, referred to `thr-dmax`, and finally a polygonal straight line is obtained as shown in FIG. 1D.
In addition, if the contour is closed, two pixels in which the straight line among the pixels are the maximum are connected. In addition, in the case of the open contour, the above-described processes are repeated, for thus obtaining a polygonal straight line.
Here, the threshold value is given as the maximum error between the contour and the polygonal straight line which are permitted during the polygonal approximation for the contour.
However, in the conventional polygonal approximation, the maximum error in each polygonal straight line range is generated when the maximum error is smaller than the threshold value. In addition, the number of vertexes are disadvantageously increased due to the above-described intervals.
In addition, since the above-described problems increase the amount of the data to be transmitted in the image coding method which is directed to transmitting the position information of the vertex, for thus lowering the coding gain.

Sequential polygon approximation apparatus for contour and method thereof

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


A method of estimating irregular wear of pneumatic tires, in which a deformable paint is coated on the tire tread surface in a regular manner. The wearing degree of the paint is recorded as a plurality of image information at regular time intervals, while running the tire under a loaded condition. A predetermined portion of the respective image information is divided into a number of pixels. Weights are applied to the respective pixels corresponding to painted potions, respectively, such that each weight is inversely proportional to the duration of time during which the paint has been worn. Wear information for the painted portion is converted into a wide range wear information which also covers the respective pixels for the non-painted portion, by calculating the wear level values of the respective pixels including the non-painted portion in view of the weight of the pixels and weights of the periphery pixels. The wear level values are mapped and the mapped information is used to estimate irregular wear occurring state on the tread surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of accurately and reliably estimating irregular wear of pneumatic tires for vehicles, which occurs on the tread surface of tires during a running period until a rolling distance of about 10,000 km is reached.
2. Description of Related Art
An irregular wear that occurs on the tire tread surface exerts a considerable influence and often degrades various kinds of property and performance of the tire. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to accurately and reliably estimate the manner in which irregular wear occurs on existing tires and prototype tires, respectively. This is because the estimation can be reflected to the design, refinement, etc., of the tread pattern so as to improve the durability of tires and achieve the desired maneuverability for a longer use period.
In this context, there have been various proposals regarding the method of estimating the manner in which irregular wear occurs on the tread surface. For example, JP-A-8-29296 discloses a method of estimating the wearing state of tires, which has been developed by the assignee of this application.
According to the wearing state estimating method disclosed in JP-A-8-29296, a paint is coated on a tread surface of a tire in a regular lattice- or dot-manner, in which the paint is distinct in brightness from the tread surface, and can be deformed following the deformation of the tread surface. The manner in which the wear occurs is estimated based on the wearing degree of the paint while running the tire under a loaded condition. With such a method, when the paint is worn due to a pressure contact with the road surface during the running of the tire under a loaded condition, the wear amount of the regularly coated paint increases due to slips and resultant friction force occurring on the surface of the respective ridge portions of the tire. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the irregular wear state of the tread surface, by visual observation and inspection of the wear state of the paint.
The wearing state estimating method disclosed in JP-A-8-29296 requires setting of a relatively large distance between the coated paint dots so that the tread surface is significantly exposed and the friction characteristic of the tread rubber is more accurately reflected to the wear amount of the paint, with a premise that the irregular wear of the entire tread surface is estimated solely by the wear information of the painted portion. Accordingly, it may be difficult to achieve a satisfactory accuracy of estimation of irregular wear of tires. The known method is capable of estimating irregular wear only by two kinds of information obtained before and after the running of the tire under the loaded condition. This means that the progress of wearing degree cannot be grasped in a time sequence. In such a context, it may be difficult to further improve the accuracy of estimation.

Method of estimating irregular wear of tires by recording an amount of wear of painted portions of the tire as image information at multiple regular time intervals


A method and apparatus for prepaid phone card activation and billing is disclosed. Particularly, a method and apparatus for prepaid phone card activation and billing is disclosed, which provides benefits to a phone card client and to a phone card company. An improved phone card is disclosed that has a magnetic strip for encoding prepaid phone card information adapted for reading by a point of sale terminal. At the time an improved phone card is to be sold or otherwise transferred, the card may preferably be read through a point of sale terminal which may be in communication with a centralized computer. The centralized computer may compare information encoded on the card with information stored in a centralized database and with information from the point of sale terminal to verify that the card is being sold or otherwise transferred rightfully. The centralized computer may then authorize or deny activation of the card. Upon activation, the centralized computer or an invoicing computer may then prepare an invoice or automatically debit a client's bank account.

Various methods and systems for the sale and use of prepaid telephone calls are well known in the telecommunications industry. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,275 describes the implementation and operation of a telephone system that allows for prepayment of telephone calls, wherein credit information and a special code for a specific account are stored in memory in special exchanges, and wherein the amount of prepaid minutes in that specific account are debited as a call, made using that special code, progresses. Such systems are well known in the telecommunications industry, and a detailed description is not provided herein. Special codes are typically referred to as Personal Identification Numbers, or PINs.
It is to be understood that the special code, or PIN, which enables an end user to access a specific account can be provided in various forms, such as on a label or a phone card. For example, a phone card company sells a plurality of phone cards with distinct PINs on each of the phone cards to a phone card client, such as a retailer, a vending machine operator, a promotional advertiser, etc. The phone card client will herein be referred to as the "client." These phone cards are then typically re-sold for long distance services at retail, sold as collectibles, or given away as promotional items, by the client to an end user.
Each PIN printed on each individual phone card corresponds to a specific account that is credited with a predetermined number of telephone call units, such as minutes. In some systems, the PIN is actually the account number, which corresponds to a control code that is issued with and identifies a particular phone card. In other words, in a preferred embodiment, each PIN is linked to a predetermined number of minutes of "talk time" and to a control code.
An end user generally purchases or receives a phone card from a client. It is also possible for an end user to purchase a phone card directly from a phone card company. To place a call, the end user typically calls a special phone number, and then enters the PIN along with the phone number the end user is trying to reach. The number of units remaining in a specific account is debited by the number of units spent by the end user on telephone calls.
However, there are significant drawbacks with the way that phone cards are currently being sold and activated. These drawbacks are a concern for both clients and the phone card company that sells the cards. One drawback relates to the procedure by which the client purchases the phone cards from the phone card company.
One method that has been used is for the client to order a shipment of phone cards and pay for the entire wholesale value of the shipment of phone cards when the cards are shipped or received. This method has particularly been used by clients that sell the cards through retail channels or distribute them through promotional giveaways. This method is particularly onerous for clients because they have to pay up front for the cards, even though the actual calls made using the card may not take place for quite some time, if at all.
One alternative to having the client prepay for the cards is described in the parent to this application, Ser. No. 08/410,857. That application discloses one method and apparatus whereby an invoice is sent to the client when individual phone cards are first used by an end user. Using that method and apparatus reduces the financial burden on the clients and ensures that clients are charged for the phone card units received only if the corresponding phone card units are used by an end user.
A second drawback of either of the above described methods for billing for phone cards relates to the activation of the cards. Under present distribution methods, as described above, individual cards are sent out with PINs printed on the cards themselves. These cards can be used immediately by whomever is in possession of them. For example, a person who obtains one of these "active" cards can simply call the phone number printed on the card, enter the PIN, and talk for the number of minutes that have been allocated to that PIN. Effectively, these cards have many of the properties of cash, in that they can be used by anyone in possession of them.
This distribution system has caused a number of problems in accounting for cards. Perhaps the most serious problem relates to the theft or other loss of these cards, and the subsequent unauthorized use of the cards by persons who possess them without having paid for them. For example, in a retail environment, the "active" cards must be carefully handled because of their small size and large value, to minimize theft. This special handling therefore limits the exposure that the cards can get throughout the store, necessarily limiting their sales potential. If it were possible to display these cards throughout the store without risking a significant financial loss, the card's sales potential would likely be enhanced.
Therefore, a better solution is needed to minimize the risk of wrongful use of these cards and the inherent financial burden that wrongful use has on the client and the phone card company. A new method and apparatus are needed that will account for the sale (or other rightful transfer) of cards from the client to the end user, and ensure that the cards are not activated until and unless they are rightfully obtained.

Method and apparatus for prepaid phone card activation and billing


A database management program capable of restoring a use management book indicating allocation/non-allocation of data to individual unit storage regions, without the need to perform physical initialization at the time of reinitialization. When the database is initialized, all allocation flags provided in the use management book and indicative of allocation/non-allocation of data to the respective unit storage regions are set to a non-allocated state, and the value of an initialization counter indicative of the number of times the database has been initialized is updated. Each time data is allocated to one of the unit storage regions in the database, the allocation flag in the use management book corresponding to the data-allocated unit storage region is set to an allocated state, and the value of the initialization counter is set as an allocation-timed counter value associated with the data-allocated unit storage region.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a database management program and a computer-readable recording medium having the database management program recorded thereon, and more particularly, to a database management program for managing the use/nonuse of individual unit storage regions of a database by means of a use management book, and to a recording medium having such a database management program recorded thereon.
(2) Description of the Related Art
There has been a demand for techniques that enable a server computer (database server) associated with a database to efficiently access data. As one of such techniques enabling fast access to a database, there is a method wherein a page management book is used to manage the status of use of individual pages each constituting a unit storage region of the database.
FIG. 17 schematically shows a data structure in a conventional database server. The database server 900 comprises a database 910, a dictionary 920, and a page management book 930.
The database 910 includes a plurality of pages 911 to 918 each constituting an input/output unit storage region. The pages 911 to 918 individually store a plurality of records. The dictionary 920 manages definition information (record information, column information, etc.) and status (data accumulation status or backup status) of the database 910. The page management book 930 manages the status of use (allocation/non-allocation) of the individual pages 911 to 918 in the database 910. Specifically, in the page management book 930, flags indicating whether data is allocated to the respective pages 911 to 918 or not are set in association with the page numbers of the respective pages 911 to 918. In the example shown in FIG. 17, dark circle (●) represents a flag indicating data-allocated state and circle (◯) represents a flag indicating blank state (non-allocated state).
With the database server 900 configured as above, by looking up the page management book 930, it is possible to promptly determine which pages in the database 910 are in use and which pages are blank. As a consequence, the database 910 can be accessed efficiently and at high speed.
In the database server 900 described above, it is probable that the content of the page management book 930 is destroyed due to an input/output fault or the like during operation. If such destruction occurs, all pages in the database 910 are looked up to ascertain their status of use. In the process for ascertaining the use status, those pages storing valid data are judged data-allocated pages, while those pages storing invalid data (e.g., data whose values are all "0") are judged blank pages. The page management book 930 can then be restored in accordance with the results of ascertainment of the contents of data in the individual pages 911 to 918.
Thus, the restoration process for the page management book 930 is executed on the precondition that blank page stores invalid data. To this end, in an initialization process for the database 910, it is essential to physically initialize all pages in the database 910. Physically initializing a page means writing invalid data, as data, into the page. Such physical initialization makes it possible to accurately determine the status of use of the individual pages in the page management book restoration process.
In the initialization process for the conventional database, however, since all pages need to be physically initialized, more and more time is required to initialize the database because the amount of data handled per database server is increasing. Especially, in recent years, the field of business utilizing information communication technology is expanding, entailing an increase in the amount of data handled per database server and consequent enlargement of the scale of databases. As a result, the initialization of a database requires considerable time, and lowers the operation efficiency of the database server.
Among various forms of operation of database server, there is a type wherein operator's operation history is accumulated. For example, in the case of a transaction system for financial institutions, it is necessary that operator's operation history be accumulated in sequence.
A database server for accumulating such operation history generally comprises a plurality of databases. Three databases, for example, are provided such that while the operation history is accumulated in one database, the other two databases are backed up and initialized, respectively. When the initialization of one database is finished, the operation history starts to be accumulated in this database. The database which has been backed up is then reinitialized for the subsequent use, and the database which has accumulated the operation history is backed up upon completion of the accumulation.
Namely, the database server for accumulating the operation history continuously operates in a manner such that the data accumulation, backup, and reinitialization are cyclically carried out with the multiple databases switched. In cases where multiple databases are operated while being switched in this manner, it is necessary that the storage area of the database currently accumulating the operation history should not be exhausted before the initialization of the database which is to accumulate the operation history next is completed.
However, in the case of online transactions conducted in financial business, for example, in which a large amount of operation history is generated, it is difficult to estimate the required capacity of the databases for accumulating the operation history (taking account of time periods needed for the backup operation and the initialization, as well as the operation history generation frequency). Consequently, in order to prevent the storage areas of the databases from being exhausted, a storage capacity much larger than the data capacity actually used needs to be allocated for each of the databases.
Thus, the physical initialization performed at the time of reinitialization of databases lowers the operation efficiency and also constitutes a cause of unnecessary increase in database capacity.
As mentioned above, physical initialization is performed at the time of reinitialization in order that a determination as to whether data has been allocated to the individual pages or not can be made based on the validity of data in the respective pages when the page management book is to be restored. Thus, if the page management book can be restored without checking the validity of data in the individual pages, then physical initialization need not be carried out at the time of reinitialization. If no physical initialization is required at the time of reinitialization, the reinitialization can be completed in a short time even in the case where the scale of databases is enlarged.

Database management program and recording medium


A mobile work system and methods for operationally receiving a work performing and/or energy delivering attachment. A work platform is powered by a power output device and includes a source of electricity for powering the attachment. The platform has a first end and a second end generally opposite the first end. A first attachment interface is connected to the first end, and a second attachment interface, substantially operationally equivalent to the first attachment interface, is connected to the second end. The first end of the platform also includes a first steering mechanism, and the second end includes a second steering mechanism substantially operationally equivalent to the first steering mechanism, whereby the platform is configured to be propelled and steered in a first direction and propelled and steered in a second direction generally opposite the first direction by the first and second steering mechanisms, respectively.

Historically, off-road/on-road work vehicles have been machines driven by steam, coal, diesel-fueled internal combustion engines, on tracks and/or wheels. These vehicles were used for agricultural, industrial, and construction purposes and include machines such as threshers, harvesters, tractors, loaders, bulldozers, forklifts, pavers, graders, dump trucks, boring machines, excavators, and the like (referred to collectively as, "mobile work machines"). The mobile work machines may work with mechanical and/or hydraulic accessories to perform the specific operations for which the mobile work machines were designed. Optimization of the size and design of the engines driving the mobile work machines led to configurations with the engine, operator's station, or cab, and task-specific accessories at fixed locations on the mobile work machine, such as where the engine or a cab was at the front of the mobile work machine, and the task equipment was on the rear; or, where the task equipment was up front and the engine was up front but was behind the task equipment, and the cab was in the rear, etc.
In addition, the historic development of the different uses of the mobile work machines led to specialized designs and single purpose, or sometimes dual purpose, mobile work machines being provided to an end user, sometimes leaving the end user to remove and replace attachments on a customized basis to achieve a different use for a mobile work machine. From an end-user standpoint, the inflexibility of the mobile work machine has often resulted in the necessity to purchase multiple mobile work machines to achieve a broad range of uses, oftentimes resulting in substantial down time when each individual specialized mobile work machine is not needed.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a flexible mobile system that reduces or eliminates the necessity of multiple mobile work machines to achieve a broad range of uses.


A nanometer-sized porous metallic glass and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The porous metallic glass includes Ti (titanium) at 50.0 at % to 70.0 at %, Y (yttrium) at 0.5 at % to 10.0 at %, Al (aluminum) at 10.0 at % to 30.0 at %, Co (cobalt) at 10.0 at % to 30.0 at %, and impurities. Ti +Y+Al+Co+the impurities=100.0 at %.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to metallic glass with nanometer-sized pores and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to metallic glass with nanometer-sized pores that includes two interconnected amorphous phases and a method for manufacturing the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Porous materials contain a plurality of pores. The porous materials are already encountered in almost all fields of everyday life, from hygienic products, textiles, filters, insulating materials, in addition to components in many industrial production processes.
The basic characteristics of the porous materials depend on their porous microstructure which determines macroscopic properties such as thermal conductivity, moisture absorption ability, filtering efficiency, and soundproofing efficiency. Various techniques have been developed to produce materials with pores of a controlled size down to a few Angstroms, such as zeolites that are referred to as microporous materials. In particular, mesoporous materials with a pore size between 2 nm to 50 nm and macroporous materials with a pore size larger than 50 nm have been developed for several years for polymer and ceramic materials.
Particularly, materials with a controlled size of pores at a nanometer range have been developed, which provide distinctive properties. One of the major achievements of nanotechnology is the design of materials with a porous structure to provide a high surface area-to-volume aspect ratio.
Using nanotechnology, attempts have been made for the last ten years to develop porous metallic glass. Metallic glass is a homogeneous material with an aperiodic structure such as grain depletion and segregation. Metallic glass has good properties such as high specific strength, high corrosion resistance, and low thermal conductivity. In contrast to conventional metallic materials, the metallic glass has a regular crystalline structure consisting of single crystal grains of varying sizes that are suitable to form the microstructure.
Porous metallic glass is metallic glass with a plurality of pores. The porous metallic glass is made by combining the advantages of porous materials and metallic glass, i.e., a large surface-to-volume aspect ratio and high strength.
However, the conventional method has encountered difficulty owing to the limitation imposed by the necessary minimum glass forming ability of the alloys. Moreover, the size of the pores could not be reduced thus far below a few micrometers. Particularly, porous metallic materials with a pore size of a nanometer range have not previously been manufactured. Furthermore, the presence of pores results in a significant reduction of the strength of metallic materials and limits their application.

Metallic glass with nanometer-sized pores and method for manufacturing the same

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


A digital-controlled oscillator (DCO) is utilized in an all-digital phase-locked loop for eliminating frequency discontinuities. The DCO includes a tank module and a negative gm cell. The tank module comprises a plurality of cells, at least a portion of the cells comprising a first tracking set and a second tracking set for respectively handling an odd bit or an even bit. The odd bit and the even bit are related to an integer signal, a fractional signal or a combination thereof, the fractional signal is indicated by a primary voltage inputted to the DCO. With the DCO, frequency discontinuities and undesired spurs are eliminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital-controlled oscillator (DCO) and an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) using the same, and more particularly, to a digital-controlled oscillator for eliminating frequency discontinuities and an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) using the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A phase-locked loop (PLL) is an electronic control system that generates a signal that has a fixed relation to the phase of a reference signal. A phase-locked loop circuit responds to both the frequency and the phase of the input signals, and automatically raises or lowers the frequency of a controlled oscillator until it is matched to the reference signal in both frequency and phase. A conventional analog PLL includes a phase detector, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and a feedback path for feeding output signals of the VCO back to an input terminal of the phase detector so as to raise or lower a frequency of input signals of the analog PLL. Therefore, the frequency of the analog PLL may always catch up with a reference frequency of a reference signal applied by the phase detector, i.e., the frequency of the input signals of the analog PLL is always locked by the reference frequency of the reference signal. Moreover, a frequency divider is conventionally applied on the feedback path so that multiples of the reference frequency may always be retrieved. A low-pass filter is conventionally connected after the phase detector so that noises staying at higher frequencies may thus be filtered.
As known by those skilled in the art, the analog PLL easily has errors (or even error propagation) since said analog PLL uses analog operations and analog elements. Therefore, digital phase-locked loops (DPLL), which utilize a counter with a variable divisor on the feedback path, are proposed for relieving the errors with the partial aid of digital operations and digital elements, and moreover, an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) may significantly helps in area reduction and process migration. For example, a digital-controlled oscillator (DCO) may be used for in replace of the conventionally used VCO, which is an analog element. A phase detector may also be replaced with a time-to-digital converter. Therefore, the usage of the ADPLL is becoming a trend in radio communications.

Digital-controlled oscillator for eliminating frequency discontinuities and all-digital phase-locked loop using the same


A power tool has an internal combustion engine with a cylinder. An injection valve supplies fuel to the internal combustion engine. A fuel pump conveys fuel from a fuel tank to the injection valve. A fan wheel is provided that is driven by the internal combustion engine. The cylinder is arranged in a first cooling zone of the power tool and the fan wheel conveys cooling air through the first cooling zone. The fuel pump is arranged in a second cooling zone of the power tool. Between the first cooling zone and the second cooling zone a buffer zone is arranged. The buffer zone is separated by at least one first partition from the first cooling zone and by at least one second petition from the second cooling zone.

The invention relates to a power tool comprising an internal combustion engine to which fuel is supplied by means of an injection valve wherein the fuel is conveyed by a fuel pump from the fuel tank to the injection valve. The power tool has a fan wheel that is driven by the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine comprises a cylinder that is arranged in a first cooling zone of the power tool, wherein the fan wheel conveys cooling air through the first cooling zone and wherein the fuel pump is arranged in a second cooling zone of the power tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,170 discloses a power tool, namely a lawn trimmer, that comprises a fuel pump, an injection valve, and an internal combustion engine. Adjacent to the crankcase the fuel pump is arranged. The injection valve is arranged above a fan and is cooled by the cooling air that is conveyed by the fan.


A leadframe for semiconductor devices, the leadframe comprising a die pad portion having a first planar die-mounting surface and a second planar surface opposed the first surface, the first surface and the second surface having facing peripheral rims jointly defining a peripheral outline of the die pad wherein the die pad comprises at least one package molding compound receiving cavity opening at the periphery of said first planar surface.

IC dies are conventionally enclosed in plastic packages providing protection from the environment and facilitating electrical interconnection between the IC die and an underlying substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB).
In a conventional arrangement, a packaged semiconductor device may include: a metal leadframe; at least one integrated circuit die; material to attach the integrated circuit die to a die pad in the leadframe; bond wires which electrically connect pads on the IC die to individual leads of the leadframe; and a hard plastic encapsulant material, for instance a molding compound plastic resin, which covers the other components and forms the exterior of the package.
The leadframe is the central supporting structure for the IC die, in particular during assembly of such a packaged semiconductor device, is adopted to shape external contactors (leads or pads). A portion of the leadframe may be completely surrounded by the plastic encapsulant. Portions of the leads of the leadframe extend externally from the package or are partially exposed within the encapsulant material for use in electrically connecting the package to another component. In certain packaged semiconductor devices, a portion of the die pad of the leadframe may also remain exposed within the exterior of the package for use as a heat sink.
One type of semiconductor package commonly known in the electronics field is referred to as a quad flat pack (QFP) package. A QFP package may comprises a thin, generally square package body defining four peripheral sides of substantially equal length. Protruding from each of the four peripheral sides of the package body are a plurality of leads which each have a generally gull-wing configuration. Portions of the leads are internal to the package body, and are electrically connected to respective ones of the pads or terminals of a semiconductor die also encapsulated within the package body. The semiconductor die is mounted to a die pad of the QFP package leadframe. In certain types of QFP packages referred to as QFP exposed pad (QFP-ep) packages, one surface of the die pad is exposed within the bottom surface of the package body.
A package may be stressed during reliability evaluation and the adhesion between all the parts can be ascertained for determining package reliability. The leadframe adhesion on the resin is an important figure of merit for the package hermeticity and its reliability.
In QFN, QFP package technology external contactors (leads or pads) can be shaped by photoetching and, as mentioned, a die pad portion of the leadframe sustaining the IC die silicon chip may be exposed to the exterior of the molded body.
In that respect, adhesion/strength is an issue, particularly with a pre-molded leadframe and/or when using ribbon bonding (for high-power applications, for instance).
A molding compound shrinking on a die paddle may result in a compressive stress likely to produce a so-called "crying" warpage leading to resin detachment from the leadframe due to lack of adhesion, that is to delamination between the molding compound and the die pad. Die pad/molding delamination can jeopardize package hermeticity, as the die pad may be pulled out from the molded body when mounted on PCB.
Existing solutions available to leadframe suppliers in order to improve reliability of resin-die pad coupling may comprise surface treatments to the die pad or tailored under (photo) etching of the leadframe.
Reliability tests performed on such arrangements indicate, however, that delamination between mold compound and under etch die pad can still take place, with the resulting gap compromising package hermeticity.
There is a need in the art to contribute in providing improved solutions addressing the issues discussed in the foregoing.

Leadframe for semiconductor devices, corresponding semiconductor product and method


[Problems]

A surface acoustic wave that is a kind of ultrasonic vibrations is utilized for devices such as filters, resonators or the like for communication purpose. Also, extensive studies have been made on applications to sensors, actuators, etc.
As illustrated in FIG. 18, a surface acoustic wave can be generated on a surface of a piezoelectric substrate 2 by applying alternating voltage between interdigital transducers 11 having alternating finger electrodes formed on the piezoelectric substrate 2.
At this time, strains 12 in opposite directions to each other are caused on the piezoelectric substrate 2 at locations near the minus and plus finger electrodes due to electric field 13 at the peripheral areas of such finger electrodes as shown in FIG. 19. The plus/minus polarities of the finger electrodes 11 reverse depending on the alternating voltage and thus orientations of the strains 12 that occur near the finger electrodes 11 periodically reverse, thereby causing a surface acoustic wave on the piezoelectric substrate 2. The frequency of the surface acoustic wave is determined by the geometry (i.e., pitch of the finger electrodes) of the interdigital transducer 11 and the generated surface acoustic wave propagates in the left-right directions in FIG. 18. In other words, the piezoelectric substrate 2 also acts as a medium for propagating the surface acoustic wave. When the surface acoustic wave propagates on the piezoelectric substrate 2, an elliptical movement of particles occurs near the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 2 as graphically illustrated in cross section view in FIG. 20.
In case of communication filters, receiving interdigital transducers having the identical geometry are disposed on the piezoelectric substrate 2 at a distance from the interdigital transducers 11 for converting the surface acoustic wave propagated on the piezoelectric substrate 2 into an electrical signal in the receiving interdigital transducers.
The non-patent document 1 as listed hereinafter discloses "a surface acoustic wave linear motor" utilizing wave-phenomenon of a surface acoustic wave. The motor comprises a slider as a diving member disposed on a piezoelectric substrate on which the surface acoustic wave propagates. Upon pressing the slider onto the piezoelectric substrate, elliptical movement of particles on the surface of the piezoelectric substrate is transmitted to the slider by way of friction, thereby moving the slider in the opposite direction to the direction of propagation of the surface acoustic wave.
The reference document 2 as listed hereunder discloses "a tactile display" utilizing wave phenomenon of a surface acoustic wave. This device is designed to generate a vibration on the surface of a finger skin by utilizing a mechanical vibration of a surface acoustic wave that propagates on a piezoelectric substrate. The device can be attached to a button on a mouse of a PC (personal computer). When the operator traces a non-flat surface displayed on the PC display screen with a cursor using the mouse, a SAW driving signal of the device is modulated in accordance with the cursor position, thereby enabling the operator to feel at his/her finger-tip the roughness of the displayed surface.
A piezoelectric single-crystal substrate such as LiNb03 or the like is widely used as the piezoelectric substrate for efficiently exciting a surface acoustic wave. Discovered more recently are materials having high electromechanical coupling coefficient in the cutting orientation of the crystal such as KNb03 or the like, that are expected to be more useful.
In a device utilizing a surface acoustic wave on a non-piezoelectric material, known is a touch panel that utilizes a surface acoustic wave for detecting touched positions as disclosed in the non-patent document 3 that is listed hereunder. As illustrated in FIG. 21, this device comprises a glass substrate 30 that enables to propagate a SAW, a pair of driving electrodes 31 and a pair of receiving electrodes 32 disposed at the periphery thereof in an opposed relationship to each other. The driving electrodes 31 and the receiving electrodes 32 comprise interdigital transducers 111 that are bent at generally right angles. The interdigital transducers 111 are formed on a piezoelectric thin film 21 that is formed on the electrode area on the glass substrate 30. A surface acoustic wave generated from the driving electrodes 31 propagates on the surface of the glass substrate 30 before being received by the receiving electrodes 32. However, when touched by a finger, the surface acoustic wave propagating on the glass substrate 30 at the touched position is attenuated. Such receiving signal is analyzed for detecting the touched position.
A touch panel utilizing a surface acoustic wave is also disclosed in the patent document 1 as listed hereunder. The touch panel comprises a plurality of piezoelectric plates having interdigital transducers formed thereon and the piezoelectric plates are firmly attached to the peripheral areas of a glass substrate with the interdigital transducers facing the glass plate.
Also disclosed in the patent document 2 as listed hereunder is an ultrasonic transducer comprising a piezoelectric thin plate having the thickness of about 220 micrometer (μm) and interdigital transducers formed thereon and a glass substrate, wherein the piezoelectric thin plate and the glass substrate are adhered to each other using epoxy resin in such a manner to sandwich the interdigital transducers therebetween.
The patent document 3 as listed hereunder also discloses a piezoelectric device comprising about 200 micrometer (μm) thick piezoelectric plate having interdigital transducers formed thereon and a glass substrate having grooves on the surface to contact with the piezoelectric member, wherein the surface of piezoelectric member opposite to the electrodes and the glass substrate are jointed to each other by way of a molten metal layer.    Patent document 1: JP 2002-196876 A    Patent document 2: JP H06-46496 A    Patent document 3: JP 2003-8094 A    Non-patent document 1: http://www.intellect.pe.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/sawmotor/sawmotor-j.html "Surface acoustic wave linear motor"    Non-patent document 2: http://www.intellect.pe.u-tokyo.ac.jp/reserch/saw-tactile/saw-tactile-j.html "Tactile display using surface acoustic wave"    Non-patent document 3: http://pcweb.mycom.co.jp/news/2002/11/26/14. html "Clear touch panel for PDA of 98% light transmissivity"
However, piezoelectric single-crystalline substrates are difficult to fabricate and available maximum wafer size is limited to about 10 cm (or 4 inches) in diameter, thereby making the cost per substrate expensive.
In case of applying mechanical vibration of a surface acoustic wave to electro-mechanics (or mechatronics), it is required to excite surface acoustic wave over a wide range and propagate surface acoustic wave over a long distance. However, such applications are restricted by the size of piezoelectric single-crystalline substrates that excite a surface acoustic wave.
Although a surface acoustic wave is excited on a glass substrate in the touch panel as disclosed in the aforementioned non-patent document 3, the power of the surface acoustic wave propagating on the glass substrate is weak and thus making it impossible to extract the mechanical energy of a surface acoustic wave from such device for electro-mechanics applications.
Similarly, it is impossible to generate a surface acoustic wave having a strong power on the glass substrate in the prior art as disclosed in the aforementioned patent documents 1-3.

Abstract: [Problems]

Abstract: To provide a surface acoustic wave excitation device for efficiently exciting the surface acoustic wave on the surface of a material such as glass having free size and shape for making mechanical vibration available.

Abstract: [Means to Solve the Problems]

Abstract: The surface acoustic wave excitation device according to the present invention comprises a non-piezoelectric member 30 such as glass, a piezoelectric member 20, interdigital transducers 11 interposed between the non-piezoelectric member 30 and the piezoelectric member 20, and pre-pressurizing means 42 for pressing the piezoelectric member 20 onto the non-piezoelectric member 30 by way of the interdigital transducers. Alternating voltage is applied to the interdigital transducers 11 for exciting the surface acoustic wave on the non-piezoelectric member 30. Standing waves are generated in the piezoelectric member 20 by applying alternating voltage to the interdigital transducers 11, thereby allowing alternating strains to propagate to the non-piezoelectric member 30 such as a glass substrate or the like by way of the electrodes 11 and exciting the surface acoustic wave for making mechanical vibration of the non-piezoelectric member 30 available.

National University Corporation Saitama University