A system for selecting an optimal transformation T(G2;G1) between a first ellipsoid E1 (e.g., WGS 84) in a first global coordinate system G1, relative to which the survey measurements are made, and a second ellipsoid E2 (e.g., NAD 27) in a second global coordinate system G2. Location coordinates (x'.sub.m,2,y'.sub.m,2,z'.sub.m,2) for M previously-surveyed locations, numbered m=1, . . . , M (M>1) in the second system, and location coordinates (x'.sub.n,1,y'.sub.n,1,z'.sub.n,1) for N presently-surveyed locations, numbered n=1, . . . , N (M<N), in the first system are provided, where M presently-surveyed locations coincide with the M previously-surveyed locations. The transformation is chose.sub.n so that the images of previously-surveyed locations in the first system under the transformation T are as close as possible to the corresponding [previously-surveyed] locations in the second system. Give.sub.n an ellipsoid and a selected survey plane .tau.0 that is tangent to the ellipsoid, a set of selected locations can be surveyed with reference to the ellipsoid, and the location coordinates of each such surveyed location can be mapped into a corresponding "survey location," defined by reference to a local coordinate system that uses the survey plane .tau.0 as its base. These transformations and projections are determined and optimized in real time, at the time a surveyor is measuring the presently-surveyed locations in the field. The instruments used for surveying may be part of a location determination system, such as GPS, GLONASS or Loran.

A survey of locations at a survey site may involve use of location coordinates from previously-surveyed locations, such as recognizable landmarks and other survey monuments, together with generation of location coordinates for newly-surveyed locations. Even where location coordinates for only newly-surveyed locations are used, these coordinates may not be fully consistent with each other when corrections are made for any errors introduced by use of a local coordinate system. The location coordinates of these locations, representing newly-surveyed locations and/or previously-surveyed locations, must be made consistent with each other in some "best fit" sense. Several workers have considered the problems of representation of locations on a map or chart display and/or adjustment of location coordinates.
Maps and charts have been prepared and used in connection with various location determination systems (LDSs), such as GPS, GLONASS, Loran, Tacan, Decca, Omega, VOR, DME, JTIDS, PLRS and an FM subcarrier system. Potter et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,085, disclose use of a computer for determining the location of objects in a chosen coordinate system. A mobile station in an aircraft, marine vessel or land vehicle, moving relative to the local landscape, transmits pulse signals to a large number of signal receiving stations, all linked to a central computer. Time of signal arrival, trilateralization, differential time of arrival or other techniques are used to solve for the present location of the mobile station, based on receipt of the transmitted signals and weighting of received signals to minimize some associated errors. Iterative computations are used to determine the optimum weighting.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,190, DiMatteo et al disclose a navigational plotter system including a geographical map with location lines prepared with the aid of a Loran or Omega LDS. Intersections of location lines with coordinate baselines located on the map are recorded in coded form for direct readout of a selected location, for tracking of location and/or movement of a vehicle or vessel across the two-dimensional surface represented by the map.
A navigation display that provides a continuous pictorial or graphical display of the present location of a movable vehicle or vessel, using an LDS such as VOR, Loran, ADF, DME or Tacan, is disclosed by Scovill in U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,150. The charts are stored on photographic fllm, and the portion of the film displayed is varied to include the present location. This system can be used to provide readout of present ground speed of the vehicle or vessel, bearing, and estimated time to reach a waypoint or the destination. Most of the discussion is concerned with positioning of the portion of the film displayed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,052, Robinson et al disclose a navigational aid and autopilot system that includes display of a selected portion of a chart showing the location of a vehicle or vessel being tracked. The vehicle or vessel location may be shown at the center or near an edge of the portion of the chart displayed. Water and nearby land masses may be displayed on the selected portion of the chart, as well as relevant information such as the depth of the water at a location near a land mass.
Setliff et al disclose an electronic chart system that stores and visually displays a plurality of charts or maps digitally, where the charts have been prepared using a location determination system, such as Loran, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,057. The visually displayed image can be compressed or expanded to meet the current needs of the viewer. Each point on the chart is given an index, indicating whether that point is "land" or "water." Navigation information, such as location and bearing for a moving object, is available.
A navigation system, including an integrated electronic display for charts or maps prepared by a location determination system such as Loran or Decca, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,569, issued to Rogoff et al. A plurality of charts is stored digitally and displayed as needed, together with alphanumeric data such as location coordinates, bearing, waypoints, and estimated time before arrival at a waypoint or destination. Radar return signals are received from nearby land masses, and this information is superimposed on the stored images in some situations. If the object tracked is located off-shore, the off-shore LDS receives (Loran) offset data from a plurality of on-shore LDS monitors to periodically correct the location of the off-shore object.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,068, issued to Greco et al, discloses a map digitization and feature extraction system that uses pattern recognition to add editable features, such as terrain elevation, vegetation, water storage and transport facilities, and electrical communication lines, to an electronic map that is being assembled. The added features are drawn from one or more separate databases, and features of the same class can be given the same color for display. A first visual display monitor for an interim or working display and a second monitor for final display, are preferably positioned adjacent to each other. A paper map, used for feature placement or details, is cut or sectioned into rectangles of length a few km on a side, and the sections are scanned into a computer for storage and subsequent use.
Green et al disclose a method for accurately displaying location information, obtained from a Loran system, on a map in U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,572. The actual locations of various Loran antenna monuments are determined and used together with Loran data to enhance the accuracy of a location on the map, by distorting map grid lines if necessary. Reconciliation of a location shown on two different maps is not provided.
A map-aided navigation system that uses TERCOM-SITAN control signals is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,304, issued to Baird. An aircraft flies over terrain to be mapped and estimates aircraft location and altitude at a sequence of sampling points. These data are Kalman filtered, and the resulting filtered data are used to determine elevation and slope for this terrain. On a subsequent flight over this terrain, an aircraft uses altimeter sensing and the terrain map to determine the most likely flight path actually followed by the aircraft.
A system for calibrating the locations of non-contact measurement sensors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,460, issued to Dewar et al. A target is positioned within the measuring zone of one or more sensors and with the measuring zone of an external location determination system (LDS). Each sensor, together with the LDS, determines the location coordinates of the target within the reference frame of the measuring instrument, and transform matrices are used to relate these location coordinates in the different frames to a selected coordinate system. The sensors are calibrated by requiring that the different location coordinates for the target agree with each other, when expressed in the selected coordinate system.
Gray et al disclose a method for accurately updating location information contained in a digital map, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,761. A vehicle is dispatched to a neighborhood of an unknown location, which may be a landmark that has not yet been surveyed. The vehicle moves along a segment between a known landmark, such as an already-surveyed intersection and the unknown location and transmits location information to a central station to produce an updated digital map.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,161, issued to Morin et al, discloses a coordinate conversion system for air traffic control applications. Radar observable variables, such as target slant range, azimuth angle and altitude are transformed to a selected coordinate system centered at the target. The system converts from geodetic coordinates to ellipsoidal or conformal spherical coordinates, then to target location coordinates, followed by stereographic projection that preserves azimuthal angles for display of the target-aircraft spatial relationship. Elevation information is not available after stereographic projection is implemented.
A method for representing digitized image data for forming cross-sectional images of an object is disclosed by Essinger et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,646. This method is useful in computer-assisted tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and other fields where three-dimensional representations are needed. A two-dimensional "slice" of a three-dimensional object is limited by a boundary curve, and image features within this curve are represented as locations in polar coordinates. A locus of points equidistant from and lying within the boundary curve is used for feature location and placement.
Another method of digitizing two-dimensional sections of a three-dimensional object is disclosed by Koch in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,470.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,661, issued to Barker et al, a marine navigation system that represents locations in cells that cumulatively cover an entire region is disclosed . Only those cells that contain a portion of a coastline have much associated location data.
A vehicle navigation system that uses local topographical maps to correct an aircraft flight path is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,663, issued to Baird. During flight, local altitude measurements are made and used with a digital database containing local elevation (above a ground reference surface) of the Earth's surface. The location of the aircraft is sampled separately and is compared with the local elevation contour corresponding to the altimeter measurement; a location correction is determined that places the aircraft location over the elevation contour. Here, the local altitude coordinate of the aircraft is determined exclusively by the altimeter measurement, and the other two aircraft position coordinates are determined approximately by independent position sampling, which may use aircraft dead reckoning.
Evans et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,833, disclose a method for converting GPS-determined location coordinates, expressed in a natural coordinate frame involving geodetic azimuth, to a coordinate system involving astronomical azimuth. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,957, Evans discloses a method for simultaneously measuring height in two coordinate systems, orthometric and geometric, using GPS receiver antennas attached to the top of survey leveling rods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,332, issued to Saito et al, discloses a road data generating system is disclosed for use in an on-board vehicle navigation system. Locations of points on roads on a map are determined and stored, by reference of each such point to a nearest road intersection based on location data sensed by the moving vehicle. These data are compared with any extant location data for that road, and extant data are replaced on the map by new data at a given location that are believed to be more accurate than the extant data near that location.
A method for compensating for errors in determination of location coordinates of a plurality of selected locations is disclosed by Soderberg et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,504. One or more reference locations, whose coordinates are assumed to be known with high accuracy, are introduced. A location determination probe or tool is moved to one of these reference locations and location measurements are taken at location near to but displaced from the reference location(s) and compared with computed location coordinates for these locations displaced from the reference location. Errors found in these comparisons are used, in a manner not filly discussed by the inventor, to correct the measured location coordinates for other locations.
Dedieu et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,212, disclose a method of representing a geographical map as an assembly of curvilinear trapezoids that fit together along their common edges, in a manner that approximates sections that occur on a globe surface of the Earth. The map sections are deformed and rotated and fitted together to provide a representation of a region of interest.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,647, Rapiejko et al disclose an inertial transformation matrix generator that generates a sequence of successive incremental Euler transformation matrices to follow the motion of a moving aircraft. Rate-sensing gyros, mounted on the housing of the craft, independently sense the motion of the craft in three mutually orthogonal directions. The present spatial orientation of the craft is periodically corrected by independent measurements made by an inertial navigation system mounted on the craft.
A map and text display system for aircraft navigation is disclosed by Factor et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,835. The system stores terrain elevation information for regions adjacent to a flight path and compares the presently measured aircraft altitude with the maximum terrain elevation for the local region over which the aircraft is positioned, to determine if the aircraft altitude is above a safety threshold for that region. Aircraft latitude, longitude and altitude are determined conventionally, and no second source of aircraft altitude information is used to vary or improve the altitude estimate.
Moroto et al disclose a display system for a user of land vehicle or aircraft navigation apparatus, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,326. An on-board database contains map data for the local terrain, including roads, road intersections and selected landmarks, in a chosen location coordinate system. These map data are transformed to a display coordinate system that moves with the user and is visibly displayed on a screen for the user. The transformations include rotations and translations of the stored map data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,684, issued to Brown, discloses use of a system of spaced apart sensors for correlating detected sensor events in space and time. These sensors may, for example, detect radar signals or echoes to determine target tracks of a radar target. Present angular locations and rates of change of angle, as sensed at each sensor, are correlated with each other using a trigonometric scoring function and assigning the moving target location to one of a plurality of fixed spatial bins with selected volumes.
A system for perspective display of part of a topographic map for a moving vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,886, issued to De Jong et al. The system uses coordinate transformations that create and display the region surrounding the present location of the vehicle on a chosen local surface, which moves with the vehicle. The direction of motion of the vehicle determines the orientation of the displayed portion of the map.
Currin et al disclose a method for forming a composite terrain map from a mosaic of component images in U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,734. Digitized two-dimensional orthographic projections of the component images are formed, high-pass filtered and merged with a digitized, low-pass filtered overview map to form a composite map. Warping, using two-dimensional warping polynomials, is employed to map the component images onto a common set of spatial coordinates on a larger map.
Surveying satellite apparatus that compares sensor measurements with an on-board database to determine misorientation or translation errors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,818, issued to Landecker et al. The database provides time-dependent upgrades for predicted reference locations, whose locations relative to the satellite change as the satellite moves across a region. The sensor measurements and upgrades can be transmitted to a ground-based user.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,757, issued to Appriou et al, an on-board system for determination of the location of an airborne vessel, such as an aircraft, is disclosed. The spatial coordinates of discrete landmarks on the terrain below are entered into a computer memory. As the vessel flies over a landmark, the known location of this landmark is used to correct the location given by another navigation means that uses images of small portions of the terrain below for location determination. Kalman filtering is applied to the location of the vessel relative to the terrain.
Hong et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,763, disclose a system for determining location and orientation of a workpiece, using location sensors installed on a machine that handles and processes the workpiece. Location coordinates of selected points on surfaces of the workpiece are measured. A geometric transformation, involving only translations and rotations, is determined, with transformation parameters that are chosen to minimize a mean square error function, depending on the squares of the distances from each selected points to locations of that selected points under the geometric transformation. A similar approach, where the workpiece is an excavator blade used for construction work, is disclosed by Awano et al in U.S. Patent No. 5,363,304.
An interactive automated mapping system that uses location information determined using a GPS is disclosed by Mauney et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,757. Attributes related to location information can be entered, stored and subsequently displayed. The system creates new maps and/or annotates existing maps but does not provide reconciliation between an existing map and a new map.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,066, issued to Leonard, discloses apparatus for determining two-dimensional spatial coordinates on a map, using a viewing mechanism that allows scanning and digitization of designated points on the underlying map. An associated scanner can be rotated relative to the underlying map. Another rotatable scanner for capture of image data is disclosed by Faust et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,370.
Interpolation image processing of a digital map is employed to determine pixel color is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,300, issued to Femal et al. Interpolation of pixel color or related data, for a plurality of pixels with spatial locations adjacent to the spatial location of a target pixel, is used to compute to compute the pixel data for the target pixel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,797, issued to Morton, a system for performing coordinate transformations using stored data is disclosed that interpolates between stored transformed coordinate to determine a suitable transformation for the present location of a user. The quantized and stored location coordinate transformations may be nonlinear functions of selected input variables, such as angles. Input variables are selected by linear interpolation to produce output location coordinates that approximate the user's present location.
Bormans, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,482, discloses a system for adding new network data to an existing electronic map, stored in memory. A new map, containing only the new data, is superimposed on the existing map, and corresponding reference points on each map are incrementally moved until they coincide. A third electronic map is then prepared, combining the existing map features with the new data features. Interpolation of reference point locations is sometimes performed.
A system for correcting a compass heading for a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,246, issued to Kao. Two or more magnetic compass heading readings are sensed, and a GPS-determined compensation factor is computed to adjust a magnetic heading value to a true heading as indicated by the GPS. The magnetic compass heading and GPS heading values are referenced to a single map.
Wescott et al disclose a polygon-based map display system in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,463. The system user selects any map center, and a database is used to geometrically describe and display nearby land and water areas as polygons with an arbitrary number of vertices. Calculation of latitude and longitude coordinates for any point on the map are asserted to be determined directly, without requiring any inverse transformations between coordinate systems.
A relative aircraft guidance system using GPS signals is disclosed by Youhannaie in U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,105. First and second airborne vehicles, positioned close together, each carry a GPS antenna and receiver/processor and receives GPS signals from the same group of GPS satellites. Using a selected GPS satellite constellation, the first vehicle locates a target, converts the target location to a reference frame of the selected satellite constellation, and communicates the target location in this reference frame and identity of the selected satellite constellation to the second vehicle, for guidance purposes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,086, Bertram discloses an automatic map compilation system that extracts three-dimensional surveying or similar information from a plurality of two-dimensional maps. A pair of stereoscopic maps, showing data on terrain and/or associated altitude(s), is scanned into a computer, and altitudes for topographic sections are determined, if desired. An orthographic image projection is prepared from the scanned-in data and may be displayed as a photograph or orthophoto. Three-dimensional coordinates of a point are determined two or more from two-dimensional views.
These patents usually assume that the coordinates for locations of interest in a coordinate system, or in two or more associated coordinate systems, are consistent with each other. Further, the computations and coordinate manipulations are usually performed in a post-processing environment, rather than in a real time environment in the field at the time the survey measurements are made. What is needed is an approach that allows real time processing, preferably at a time contemporaneous with the survey in the field, to optimally determine any adjustments in location coordinates required to reconcile location coordinates for different survey locations with each other. Preferably, two or more approaches for these coordinate adjustments should be available so that a selection of approach can be made a based upon the desired accuracy and/or the particular constraints that are present.

Survey coordinate transformation optimization


A panel having positioning function includes a body covering an opening on an extrusion casing, and a positioning mechanism having at least one position set. The position set includes a first rib disposed on a first side of the body, a first contact portion disposed on the first rib and contacting against an inner surface of the extrusion casing, a second rib disposed on a second side of the body, and a second contact portion disposed on the second rib and contacting against the other inner surface of the extrusion casing. A position of the second rib on the second side is symmetrized to a position of the first rib on the first side, so that the panel can align with the extrusion casing due to deformation of the position set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device including a casing and a panel, and more particularly, to a panel having positioning function, so that the panel can automatically align with the casing to form an artistic electronic device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional apparatus, such as a server, includes a metal casing, a plurality of electronic components and a plastic panel. The plurality of electronic components is disposed inside the metal casing, and the plastic panel covers an opening on the metal casing for preventing dust from falling. The plastic panel is disposed on the metal casing in a detachable manner, so a user can disassemble the plastic panel from the metal casing to replace and to repair the electronic components. Generally, the conventional metal casing is made by metal pressing technology, and can provide preferred contour stability. A plurality of holes is formed on the metal casing. When the plastic panel is disposed on the metal casing, a positioning bolt of the plastic panel inserts into the hole to fix the plastic panel on the metal casing.
For decreasing manufacturing cost and advancing aesthetic of the product, the metal casing can be further made by metal extruding technology, such as aluminum extrusion casing. However, dimensional variation of the metal casing made by the extruding technology is unstable, and a contour of the extrusion casing is varied and difficult to match dimensions of the panel, so the conventional positioning bolt and the conventional hole can not be utilized to fix the panel on the extrusion casing. For example, please refer to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a diagram of an apparatus 50 in the prior art. The apparatus 50 includes an aluminum extrusion casing 52 and a plastic panel 54. The contour of the casing 52 does not perfectly match dimensions of the panel 54 due to the metal extruding technology. A body of the panel 54 is compressed by the conventional positioning mechanism, which can not be applied to the metal extrusion casing for aligning with the casing 52. A gap is formed between the casing 52 and the panel 54, and aesthetic of the apparatus 50 is decreased. Therefore, design of an positioning mechanism which can overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and is suitable for assembling components with unmatched dimensions is an important issue in the mechanism industry.

Panel having positioning function and related electronic device


The present invention comprises a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process for removing tungsten from the surface of a dielectric layer of a semiconductor wafer. The CMP process of the present invention removes tungsten from the surface of the dielectric layer while planarizing the dielectric surface. The system of the present invention places a wafer onto a pad of a CMP machine. The wafer includes an overlying layer of tungsten and an underlying layer of dielectric material. Slurry is dispensed onto the polishing pad and the wafer is polished by the CMP machine. The CMP machine polishes the wafer such that the CMP process has a substantially equal amount of tungsten to dielectric selectivity. This allows the CMP process to remove excess tungsten from the surface of the dielectric layer while simultaneously planarizing the dielectric layer. When the dielectric layer is sufficiently planarized and the excess tungsten has been removed, the wafer is removed from the CMP machine.

Most of the power and usefulness of today's digital IC devices can be attributed to the increasing levels of integration. More and more components (resistors, diodes, transistors, and the like) are continually being integrated into the underlying chip, or IC. The starting material for typical ICs is very high purity silicon. The material is grown as a single crystal. It takes the shape of a solid cylinder. This crystal is then sawed (like a loaf of bread) to produce wafers typically 10 to 30 cm in diameter and 250 microns thick.
The geometry of the features of the IC components are commonly defined photographically through a process known as photolithography. Very fine surface geometries can be reproduced accurately using this technique. The photolithography process is used to define component regions and build up electronic components one layer on top of another. Complex ICs can often have many different built up layers, each layer having numerous electronic components, each layer having differing interconnections, and each layer stacked on top of the previous layer. The resulting topography of these complex IC's often resemble familiar terrestrial "mountain ranges", with many "hills" and "valleys" as the components are built up on the underlying surface.
In the photolithography process, a mask image, or pattern, defining the various components, is focused onto a photosensitive layer using ultraviolet light. The image is focused onto the surface using the optical means of the photolithography tool, and is imprinted into the photosensitive layer. To build ever smaller features, increasingly fine images must be focused onto the surface of the photosensitive layer, i.e. optical resolution must increase. As optical resolution increases, the depth of focus of the mask image correspondingly narrows. This is due to the narrow range in depth of focus imposed by the high numerical aperture lenses in the photolithography tool. This narrowing depth of focus is often the limiting factor in the degree of resolution obtainable, and thus, the smallest components obtainable using the photolithography tool. The extreme topography of complex ICs, the "hills" and "valleys," exaggerate the effects of decreasing depth of focus. Thus, in order to properly focus the mask image defining sub-micron geometries onto the photosensitive layer, a precisely flat surface is desired. The precisely flat (i.e. fully planarized) surface will allow for extremely small depths of focus, which in turn, allows the definition and subsequent fabrication of extremely small components.
Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) is the preferred method of obtaining full planarization of a wafer. It involves removing a sacrificial layer of dielectric material using mechanical contact between the wafer and a moving polishing pad saturated with slurry. Polishing flattens out height differences, since areas of high topography (hills) are removed faster than areas of low topography (valleys).
Prior Art FIG. 1A shows a top view of a CMP machine 100 and Prior Art FIG. 1B shows a side section view of the CMP machine 100 taken through line AA. CMP machine 100 is fed wafers to be polished. CMP machine 100 picks up the wafers with an arm 101 and places them onto a rotating polishing pad 102. Polishing pad 102 is made of a resilient material and is textured, often with a plurality of predetermined groves, to aid the polishing process. Polishing pad 102 rotates on a platen 104, or turn table located beneath polishing pad 102, at a predetermined speed. A wafer 105 is held in place on polishing pad 102 by arm 101. The lower surface of wafer 105 rests against polishing pad 102. The upper surface of wafer 105 is against the lower surface of a wafer carrier 106 of arm 101. As polishing pad 102 rotates, arm 101 rotates wafer 105 at a predetermined rate. Arm 101 forces wafer 105 into polishing pad 102 with a predetermined amount of down force. CMP machine 100 also includes a slurry dispense arm 107 extending across the radius of polishing pad 102. Slurry dispense arm 107 dispenses a flow of slurry onto polishing pad 102.
CMP is increasingly being used for planarizing dielectrics and other layers, particularly for applications using 0.35 .mu.m and smaller semiconductor fabrication processes. Effective CMP planarization techniques have led to the fabrication of many complex multi-layer electronic components. Electronic interconnections are built into the components to interconnect the circuits on differing layers. These interconnections include structures referred to as "plugs", and are typically fabricated using tungsten. For the reasons described above (e.g., lithography), the underlying dielectric layer needs to be planarized prior to subsequent fabrication processing.
CMP is widely accepted as the preferred process for planarizing tungsten plugs, particularly for the emerging field of 0.25 .mu.m and below fabrication technologies. In accordance with prior art CMP processes, an oxide layer of a component is etched to include openings for vias and plugs. An overlying layer of tungsten is subsequently deposited onto the oxide layer and the openings are filled with tungsten. The overlying tungsten layer is then removed from the underlying oxide surface such that after removal, tungsten is only present within the plugs. The tungsten is removed down to the underlying dielectric surface. The underlying dielectric surface in which the tungsten plugs are formed is partially planarized using a spin-on glass etchback process. Prior to tungsten deposition, the oxide surface is at least partially planarized to aid lithography. There is a problem, however, in that tungsten CMP in accordance with the prior art is regarded as being incompatible with widely used partial planarization techniques (e.g., spin-on glass etchback).
Prior Art FIG. 2A shows a portion of a semiconductor component 200. Component 200 includes an overlying tungsten layer 201, an underlying dielectric layer 202, an underlying metal line 203, and an underlying metal line 205. A tungsten plug 204 is formed prom the tungsten layer 201. The surface of underlying layer 202 includes a groove 206.
Tungsten plug 204 is formed by etching an opening in dielectric layer 202 and subsequently depositing tungsten layer 201. Tungsten is deposited across the surface of component 200. In the process, the openings, grooves, etched patterns, and the like, across the surface are filled in by tungsten layer 201. In the process, tungsten plug 204 is filled, along with a groove 206. Groove 206 is an inadvertent by-product of the spin-on-glass (SOG) etchback planarization technique.
SOG etchback is a widely used and well known technique for depositing dielectric layers and then partially planarizing them. Although SOG etchback is widely used, it does not provide the global planarity obtained with the more recent CMP techniques. However, since SOG etchback is very well known, it is still widely used within the semiconductor fabrication industry for depositing and partially planarizing dielectric layers (e.g., dielectric layer 202). Hence, dielectric layer 202 is deposited and partially planarized using an SOG etchback process, leaving behind groove 206. Dielectric layer 202 is then covered with tungsten layer 201, as described above.
Prior Art FIG. 2B shows component 200 after a prior art CMP process. The SOG etchback process leaves behind groove 206 in which tungsten layer 202 fills in. Surface 207 is the planarized surface of component 200 after the prior art CMP process. Thus, even after the prior art CMP process, tungsten remains within groove 206. This results in "stringers" which can lead to electrical shorts between the patterned metal circuits of component 200, or other such defects.
Additionally, in a typical prior art CMP process, the thickness of the underlying dielectric layer (e.g., dielectric layer 202) needs to be closely controlled. As such, it is expected that the underlying dielectric layer will have very little material removed. The prior art CMP process is adjusted to remove more tungsten than dielectric material (e.g., a high selectivity of tungsten in relation to oxide is used). However, the high selectivity of tungsten is unable to solve the problems posed by planarity defects such as groove 206. As a result, CMP in accordance with the prior art is widely considered incompatible with the partial planarization techniques used in typical tungsten component fabrication technology.
Thus, what is required is a system which improves the performance of the tungsten CMP process and is still compatible with the partial planarization techniques used in tungsten component fabrication. The required solution should provide a planarization process which can be utilized subsequent to tungsten deposition on a partially planarized surface. The required solution should be compatible with partial planarization techniques (e.g., SOG and the like) and not lead to the formation of component surface defects such as stringers and shorted circuits. The present invention provides a novel solution to the above requirements.

Method and system for tungsten chemical mechanical polishing for unplanarized dielectric surfaces


The invention provides a method wherein a treating solution containing a compound (A) of specific structure having a C10 to C22 hydrocarbon group at a concentration of 1 to 1000 ppm is applied at least once in a period of from germination of a fruit vegetable to planting in a field and applied at least once after planting in the field.

An attempt to increase the yield by promoting the growth of crops and increasing the yield per unit area is a task important in agricultural production. Usually, major three elements essential for plant growth, that is, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and nutrient elements such as trace metal elements, are incorporated into a fertilizer and an additional fertilizer and supplied to plants, but the amount and yield of grown crops are generally limited even if the concentration of the nutrient elements in the fertilizer is increased, and by using the fertilizer in a larger amount, the nutrient elements come to be in excess in the soil thus worsening the balance of absorption and causing a reduction in plant growth, resulting in problems such as failure to achieve the intended increase in yield and failure to improve qualities such as sugar degree (Brix value) and freshness (greenness). Under these circumstances, combined use of various plant growth regulators has been carried out.
As the plant growth regulator, plant growth regulators represented by gibberellin and auxin are used in regulation of growth and morphogenetic reaction such as germination, rooting, elongation, flowering and fruit setting. Further, there are known techniques wherein a leaf spray using an oligosaccharide (JP-A 9-322647) or a liquid fertilizer containing sugars, minerals, amino acids, a seaweed extract or a microbial fermentation extract is sprayed onto leaves or applied in the form of a solution. JP-A 55-40674 discloses use of a C30 alcohol as a plant growth promoter. JP-A 2000-198703 discloses a plant activating agent containing a C12 to C24 monovalent alcohol. JP-A 2002-265305 discloses an agent for increasing the yield of crops, which contains a specific compound such as a C12 to 24 monovalent alcohol.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of cultivating fruit vegetables in an increased yield


A rapid method for the quantitation of various live cell types is described. This new cell fluorescence method correlates with other methods of enumerating cells such as the standard plate count, the methylene blue method and the slide viability technique. The method is particularly useful in several applications such as: a) quantitating bacteria in milk, yogurt, cheese, meat and other foods, b) quantitating yeast cells in brewing, fermentation and bread making, c) quantitating mammalian cells in research, food and clinical settings. The method is especially useful when both total and viable cell counts are required such as in the brewing industry. The method can also be employed to determine the metabolic activity of cells in a sample. The apparatus, device, and/or system used for cell quantitation is also disclosed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to methods for the rapid quantitation of both viable and nonviable cells. More specifically, the invention involves incubating cells with a metabolically activated visible fluorescent dye and measuring the fluorescence generated by viable cells. Total cell populations (viable+nonviable) are separately determined by measuring the native UV fluorescence of the cells. The two fluorescence readings are directly related to the number of viable and nonviable cells. This permits the user to determine the percent viability of a mixed population of live and dead cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to quantify living cells is vitally important to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, environmental, manufacturing and clinical industries. Several methods are currently employed by these industries to quantify prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. These methods include, but are not limited to, the standard plate count, dye reduction and exclusion methods, electrometric techniques, microscopy, flow cytometry, bioluminescence and turbidity.
The standard plate count permits the quantitation of living cells (or clumps of cells) also known as colony forming units (cfu) when the cells are grown on the appropriate medium under optimal growth conditions (Microbial Ecology, Atlas, R. M. and Bartha, R., Addison Wesley, Longman, New York, 1998). Current standards of viable organism counts are often based on the standard plate count, particularly in the food industry. However, colony counts are difficult to interpret since bacteria often clump or form chains that can give rise to significantly inaccurate estimations of the total number of viable organisms in a sample. Also, bacteria, for example, can be in a "metabolically damaged" state and not form countable colonies on a given medium. This problem is more severe when selective media are used. Thus, the standard plate count does not provide a definitive count of viable cells in a sample, which may be very important for certain purposes. Given these factors, such testing also requires skilled technicians who can distinguish individual colony forming units and who can aid in selecting appropriate growth medium. Moreover, the technique is not useful when rapid determination of cell counts is required, since it often requires over 24 hours to obtain results.
Other tests, such as dye reduction tests, rely on the ability of cells to oxidize or reduce a particular dye (Harrington, 1998). Such methods are used to measure the activity of metabolically active organisms rather than provide a measure of the total number of viable cells in a sample. Dyes, such as methylene blue, coupled with microscopic counting, are routinely employed to determine the relative number of microorganisms. The technique is widely employed but nevertheless suffers from factors that must be held constant during the assay, e.g., medium used, chemical conditions, temperature and the types of cells being examined. Also, dye reduction tests that incorporate microscopic counting techniques require trained technical personnel and often depend on subjective interpretations.
Dye exclusion methods of cell quantitation depend on the living cells having the ability to pump the dye out of the cell and into the surrounding fluid medium. While the dye may enter the interior of both living and dead cells, dead cells are not capable of actively pumping the dye out under the conditions normally used. Dye exclusion is commonly employed to enumerate animal, fungal and yeast cells. It is a method requiring skill, correct timing and proper choice of dye. It is not applicable to certain microbes and it yields incorrect viable counts with stressed cells.
An accurate estimation of the number of viable yeast cells in a sample can be obtained by the slide viability technique (Gilliland, 1959). The yeast cells are suspended in a growth medium containing 6% gelatin and the suspension is placed in a hemacytometer slide. The cell suspension is incubated for approximately 20 hours and the numbers of micro colonies are counted. Cells that form micro colonies are viable and dead cells remain as single cells. This technique is considered by the brewing industry to be the most definitive test for counting the number of viable yeast cells. Unfortunately, the long incubation time makes it unacceptable as a routine method.
Microscopic techniques typically involve counting a dilution of cells on a calibrated microscopic grid, such as a hemacytometer. A recent improvement in this technique is the direct epifluorescent filter technique (DEFT) (Pettipher et al, 1989). In this technique, samples are filtered through a membrane filter that traps the cells to be counted. A fluorescent dye is attached to the cells, which are illuminated with ultraviolet light and counted. Unfortunately, the technique requires the use of an expensive microscope and a trained individual or an expensive automated system (Pettipher et al., 1989).
Yet other methods of quantitation use flow cytometry, which involves the differential fluorescent staining of cells suspended in a relatively clear fluid stream of low viscosity. The cell suspension is mixed with the fluorescent dye and illuminated in a flow cell by a laser or other light source. The labeled cells are automatically detected with the use of a fluorescence detector focused on the cells (Brailsford and Gatley, 1993 and Pinder et al., 1993). The technique requires, and is limited by, expensive equipment. Some flow cytometric devices have been used by the food and dairy industry, but their application has been limited by the high cost of instrumentation.
Bioluminescence has been routinely employed in the food sanitation industry to detect and quantify viable organisms and cells. The method involves the use of luciferin-luciferase to detect the presence of ATP (Harrington, 1998 and Griffith et al., 1994). When used to quantify cells, the technique depends on the assumption that there is a constant amount of ATP in a living cell. ATP levels vary in a single cell over more than two orders of magnitude, making this method a relatively inaccurate technique for the enumeration of viable organisms in a sample.
Turbidity of a liquid sample can also be measured as an indication of the concentration of cells due to the light scattering and absorbing qualities of suspended cells (Harrington, 1998). The method is old but it is still employed to estimate the bacterial concentration in a sample. The method is rapid and simple but is highly inaccurate since all cells, particles and substances, including non-living particulate matter, interfere with the interpretation of the results.
The present invention for the quantitation of both viable and nonviable cells is designed to overcome at least five problems that have been identified within the field. First, the new technology circumvents the need for training personnel in how to plate, grow and count viable cells from colonies on agar plates. It also eliminates nearly all training and maintenance costs associated with most of the other methods. Second, the invention substantially decreases the time needed to determine concentrations of cells such as yeast and bacteria. Under current methodologies, quantification requires from 24-72 hours (plate count and enrichment cultures), while the present invention permits accurate quantitation in less than 15 minutes. The methylene blue test is rapid; however, the accuracy is unacceptable for cultures that are less than 90% viable. The slide viability test is accurate for large viability ranges but the time required for results is not suitable for routine use. Third, the new test is accurate over wide ranges of viability and has precision similar to the slide viability test. Fourth, the instant invention offers substantial cost savings over existing methods of cell quantitation. Fifth, the invention permits the simultaneous determination of both viable and total cells in a sample. This allows the user to accurately establish the percent viability of a cell sample (the number of viable cells to total cells). Percent viability is a crucial measurement in many industries such as the dairy and beer brewing industries and is currently carried out by the methylene blue test.

Method and apparatus for viable and nonviable prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell quantitation


An operating device for a cooktop has a cover with a control panel with a plurality of operating areas. Below the panel, several FSR sensors are positioned. When a control panel is pushed down by a process of operation, the FSR sensor changes its electrical resistance resulting in change of a signals that can be detected and interpreted as operation of the appliance by a user.

It is for example known from the prior art of DE-A-19645678 or DE-A-19811372 to provide for an electrical appliance or domestic appliance an operating panel below which is positioned at a specific location forming a so-called operating field, a pressure-sensitive piezoelectric element. If pressure is applied to the cover, which can be made from thin high-grade steel or aluminum, this pressing action can be evaluated as a desired operation by the piezoelectric element. An associated evaluation or control circuit supplies a signal to the electrical appliance. It is considered disadvantageous in this situation, because the use of piezoelectric elements leads to certain disadvantages, particularly in view of the fact that they are in part mechanically fault-prone and cannot be easily installed into an appliance. It is often frequently necessary to use special manufactures or special components of piezoelectric elements, which have a negative influence on expenditure, particularly manufacturing costs and availability at short notice. The use of other sensor elements such as capacitive or optical sensor elements suffers from the disadvantage that they cannot, or can only with very considerable expenditure, be used behind metallic operating panels or for an optical system optical transparency is vital.

Operating device for an electrical appliance having a control panel and subadjacent sensor element and method of operating such an operating device


An applicator (1) for fluid substances for medical and/or cosmetic use comprises a container (2), which is divided by a transverse breakable partition (3) into a first chamber (4) for containing a fluid substance and a second chamber (5), which is spaced in an axial direction from the first chamber (4) and is provided with an opening (6), a piercing element (7), which is associated with the opening substantially hermetically with respect to the substance and so that it can slide axially between a first configuration, in which it does not interfere with the partition (3), and a second configuration, in which it interferes with the partition (3) in order to break it, an axial hole (8) formed through the piercing element (7), a porous pad (9), which is associated with the end of the piercing element (7) that is directed toward the outside of the container (2), and a cap (10) for covering the pad (9), which is detachably associated with the piercing element (7).

Applicators for medical and/or cosmetic substances are known which are substantially constituted by a container divided by a transverse breakable membrane into two chambers, which are mutually spaced in an axial direction: a first chamber for containing the substance to be applied and a second chamber provided with an opening with which a sponge-like pad is associated.
A plurality of radial slots of reduced thickness are formed in the membrane and break under the action of a radial compression applied from the outside to the walls of the container at the height of the membrane, forming a corresponding plurality of triangular sectors.
Under the action of the external pressure, the triangular sectors tend to move mutually apart, clearing, at the center of the area occupied by the membrane, an opening for the passage of the substance from the first chamber to the second chamber; the substance can thus be applied.
The size of the opening that is formed varies depending on the amount of pressure applied to the container.
A protrusion is formed on the outer lateral surface of the container, at the height of the membrane, and indicates the point where pressure is to be applied.
However, these known containers are susceptible of further improvements aimed in particular at improving the hygiene of the sponge-like pad both before the first application and between successive applications of the substance contained therein.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost.

Applicator for fluid substances for medical and/or cosmetic use


The center-to-center spacing of pens containing a "problematic" combination of inks is increased to introduce a relatively small additional time-delay in which those particular constituents are applied to the same or adjacent areas during a single pass, thereby providing a substantial improvement in print qualities (such as Halo or Bleed) on plain (untreated) and special purpose (matt, glossy, transparent) print media, without substantially increasing the throughput rate. The center-to-center spacing of a critical combination of pens is substantially greater than the width of a single pen, thereby providing an increased delay that is equal to the increased spacing divided by the traverse speed. Different delays are provided for different combinations of ink by arranging at least three pens in a fixed sequence with different fixed spacings between different combinations of pens, such that a greater spacing and thus a longer delay is associated with one or more combinations of inks which interact adversely on print quality, and a shorter delay with at least one combination of inks which interacts less adversely on print quality. In particular, if a particular pair of two pens is a "problematic" combination requiring a longer delay and other pairs are "safe" combinations requiring a shorter delay, the pair requiring the longer delay may be held in two non-adjacent compartments, possibly separated by one or more other pens. In one particular example, the order is KMCY, which provides an effective center-to-center spacing of 2 pen widths for the two "problematic" combinations of KC and YM, and a center-to-center spacing of at least 1 pen width for the four safe combinations, thereby providing an economic solution to improve print qualities such as Halo and Bleed by increasing the center-to-center spacing of the pens associated with one or more "problematic" combinations of inks, without any noticeable change in throughput rate.

When more than one type or color of liquid ink is used to print a color image, various print quality issues must be addressed relating to how the different types of ink interact on the print medium. This is particularly the case in ink jet printers in which different types of liquid ink from different "pens" (ink cartridges, nozzles, or other ink delivery devices) are sequentially applied onto the same location or contiguous locations of the print medium during the same traverse of the carriage across the print medium.
Two commonly encountered image defects are "Halo" and "Bleed". A stylized representation of "Halo" is depicted in exaggerated form in FIG. 1, and typically occurs at the boundaries between adjacent colored areas producing a white gleam (H) at the interfaces (I). When Halo occurs, it is believed that the ink shrinks away from the boundary of each region dries, leaving an exposed line of bare print medium in the boundary region.
A stylized representation of "Bleed" is depicted in exaggerated form in FIG. 2, and typically occurs on the edges of lines or boxes, where one color of ink is applied next to another color of ink. When Bleed occurs, it is believed that there is a migration of colorant into adjacent regions causing rough or expanded boundaries (B).
Both problems of Bleed and Halo can be mitigated by increasing the time delay of the deposition between the inks. However, it is not always practical to wait for one type of ink to dry completely before applying another. Not only would such an expedient result in a much longer printing process, it actually can produce other unwanted image artifacts. For example, in a typical ink jet printer, the ink is applied in horizontal swaths; if the ink in one swath is completely dry before the next swath is applied, there will be a noticeable line at the boundary between the two swaths. There are a number of other image quality defects that can be impacted by changes in time-delay such as mottle, gloss uniformity. Moreover, a certain amount of mixing of two different colors is desirable when printing a large area of a secondary color made from more than one color.
By introducing modifications to the colorant and/or by adding or modifying surfactant, penetrant, inorganic ion, polymeric and/or other chemical components of the ink formulation, physical properties (for example, viscosity, surface tension, and boiling point) and chemical properties (for example, film forming ability and binding ability) can be altered to change the chemical interactions within the same type of ink, between the different inks, and between each ink and the underlying media, thereby changing the manner a particular type of ink spreads and interacts with other inks and with the print media. By appropriate manipulation of the compositions of each of two types of ink, it is possible to form a defined boundary free of Halo or Bleed artifacts, as taught for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,023 (Stoffel--Cationic Dyes With Added Multi-Valent Cations To Reduce Bleed In Thermal Ink-Jet Inks) which is hereby incorporated by reference.
However, a typical subtractive color printing process requires not just two, but up to four types of ink (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow), which results in 4.times.3/2=6 possible pairings (4.times.3=12, if order is critical), or up to 6+4+1=11 combinations (12+24+24=60 combinations, if order is critical) if more than 2 types are applied to the same location. Thus, ink formulations that rely on composition to produce a desirable interaction between a particular pair of inks may produce an unintended (and unwanted) interaction with other combinations of inks. For example, if the interactions are based on the ionic polarity (+ or -) of polyelectrolytes with two types of ink being cationic (+) and two being anionic (-), four of the six possible pair types will have opposing charges (+- or -+) and a resultant well-defined interface and two will have the same charge (++ or --) with significant resultant Bleed or Halo. Careful optimization of print medium and surface coatings interacting with the inks will typically produce a substantial improvement to image quality; however, use of special purpose print media materially adds to the cost per page and is therefore not practical for many applications. Moreover, specially formulated inks and print media typically require modification of other printing variables such as nozzle temperature, firing energy, drying time and temperature, with the result that the reformulated materials may not be suitable for use with existing printers.
Providing a heater or increasing the power of an existing heater can increase the ink drying rate and decrease the mobility of the ink, thus lessening the propensity for Halo and Bleed effects; however, excessive heater power can cause dry cockle, paper browning and paper curl. Moreover, heaters are not practical in energy sensitive portable printers and in ink jet printers designed for office use the heater power is already set to a practical maximum in order to maximize throughput.

Ink jet printer with controlled time-delay between application of different types of liquid inks


A hand held coagulating device exhibiting superior radiation transfer characteristics and providing a cooled handle for improved user comfort. An exemplary embodiment includes an outer shell housing internal components of the device and providing a surface at which a user of the device can hold the device during a surgical procedure. A contact element positioned in an opening in a forward end of the shell is placed against an area of tissue or blood to be coagulated, and radiation produced by a radiation source, such as an incandescent lamp, is transmitted through the contact element to the tissue or blood for an appropriate period of time. In one embodiment, a curved reflector is disposed near the radiation source to direct the radiation toward the contact element, and a conical collector is situated between the radiation source and the contact element to focus the radiation through the contact element. In another embodiment, a heat sink is positioned in an opening in an aft end of the shell for conducting heat to the surrounding environment. An adiabatic heat pipe is connected between the radiation source and the heat sink so that heat is transferred directly from the radiation source to the outside air while the surface used for holding the device remains cool.

Medical treatments today often require that areas of organic tissue be cauterized or coagulated quickly, efficiently, and safely during the course of a surgical procedure. For example, surface tissue on a highly vascularized organ such as the human liver may be cauterized immediately following the making of a surgical incision in order to prevent excessive bleeding. Alternatively, retinal tissue in a human eye may be photocoagulated during opthalmic surgery to correct injury, or skin tissue on a human scalp may be coagulated during hair transplant surgery to prevent bleeding resulting from graft incisions. Many prior art devices have been developed to perform cauterization or coagulation as appropriate for such varied applications. Known devices range from simple direct-contact cauteries, employing a heated wire element to burn or sear relatively large areas of tissue, to more complex laser photocoagulators using highly coherent, monochromatic laser light to perform pin-point coagulation of delicate tissue.
One particular class of coagulator, of primary interest in the present application, includes devices employing noncoherent, broadband radiation, such as that produced by an incandescent light source, to achieve tissue coagulation. Such devices are extremely beneficial in that noncoherent radiation can be used effectively to coagulate tissue or blood in a wide variety of surgical applications. However, physical limitations associated with known devices in this class tend to limit their practical usefulness.
For example, because the intense heat generated by an incandescent light source can create discomfort, or even danger, for a user of such a device, typical prior art devices are configured to physically isolate a user's hand from the light source. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,493 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,568. Such devices tend to be bulky, and therefore awkward, from the perspective of a user attempting to perform a precise or lengthy surgical procedure. Other prior art devices rely on a combination of short-duration coagulation pulses and thick, heat sinking contact elements positioned between the light source and the tissue being coagulated to prevent over-heating. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,987. While such devices are more compact, the limitations imposed in order to prevent over-heating render these devices ineffective for many applications.
Additionally, each of the above cited prior art devices provides less than optimal efficiency in terms of transferring radiation from the light source to the tissue being coagulated. As a result, relatively high power levels must be used to achieve coagulation in a given context. This not only results in undue power consumption, but also adds to the over-heating problem just described. Thus, there is a need for a coagulating device providing improved radiation transfer characteristics and enabling a user to comfortably hold and manipulate the device during a surgical procedure.


Provided herein are methods and compositions comprising a bacterium or a metabolite thereof for enhancing mitochondrial and/or peroxisomal function.

Mitochondria play a crucial role in ATP generation, fatty acid β-oxidation, catabolism of amino acids, ketogenesis, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and calcium homeostasis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with a number of human diseases, including neurological and muscular degeneration, cardiovascular disorders, obesity, diabetes, and conditions such as aging. Mitochondria contribute to aging through decreased ATP production, increased ROS production, and activation of apoptotic pathways. Decreases in mitochondrial energy production combined with increased oxidative stress, play a causal role in several neurodegenerative disease including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Also, aging is by far the greatest risk factor for several of these neurodegenerative diseases. Regardless of whether a primary or secondary cause, mitochondrial dysfunction holds promise as a target for identifying therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. With the increasing average life expectancy worldwide, the number of people affected by aging related decline in mitochondrial function will rise considerably in the near future. Thus, there is a significant clinical unmet need for new therapeutic approaches that not only can be used to slow neurodegenerative diseases but also as preventive measures for protecting or improving mitochondrial function in the aging population.

Compositions and methods for improving mitochondrial function


An antenna can include a dielectric substance (130), a radiator element (105) and a radio frequency feed point (135). As an example, the radiator element (105) can have at least a first portion (110) and a second portion (115) coupled to one another and folded about the dielectric substance (130). In one arrangement, the radiator element (105) can be split into a plurality of radiator branches (120, 125) in at least one of the first portion (110) and the second portion (115) of the radiator element (105).

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna and a communication device that includes the antenna. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna in a communication device.
2. Description Related Art
In recent years, portable communication devices have become very popular. In view of their ubiquity, such devices may be very useful in contacting emergency personnel, as it is likely that a person owning such a unit will be present at the scene of an accident or crime. As such, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated certain standards for reliable operation of GPS applications in portable communications devices.
Although almost all portable communications devices meet or will meet the FCC standards, the reception associated with most GPS antenna is sometimes poor. In many cases, the problem is caused by difficulties associated with synthesizing an antenna pattern optimized for GPS satellite reception. In particular, many portable communications devices rely on the main subscriber antenna to capture GPS signals. Unfortunately, if the communication device is in a typical vertical position, such as clam-shell cellular phone, the main lobe of the GPS radiation pattern is generally pointed downward, which reduces the link margin with GPS satellites transmitting from the upper hemisphere. In fact, in many cases, the GPS radiation pattern features a null pointing upward towards the GPS satellites. Radio frequency (RF) currents flowing on the phone chassis, particularly the lower portion of a clam-shell handset, are generally seen as the root of this problem.


A system has a fuel cell with an anode, a membrane, and a cathode. A source of fuel passes along the anode and a source of an oxygen containing gas passes along the cathode. A downstream line captures fuel downstream of the anode and a separator separates impurities from the fuel on the downstream line, and recirculates fuel downstream of the separator for passage across the anode. A method of mixing air with an oxygen concentrated gas is also disclosed.

This application relates to a fuel cell for use in an enclosed environment, wherein impurities are removed from a fuel stream.
Fuel cells are known. One type includes a cathode and an anode separated by a proton-exchange membrane. In one widely used type of such a fuel cell, a fuel source, such as hydrogen (H2), is passed across the anode. Oxygen or an oxygen containing gas is passed across the cathode. The cathode and anode interact such that electricity is generated.
In one application for fuel cells, the fuel sources are contained and sustainable for a long period of time. As an example, in underwater vehicles and, in particular, unmanned underwater vehicles, the fuel cell must be operable to provide power for lengths of time. Thus, a source of hydrogen and a source of oxygen or a gas containing oxygen are provided on the vehicle.
Fuel, such as hydrogen or hydrogen mixed with other gases, is recycled after having passed across the anode and is therefore not used with 100 per cent efficiency. Thus, downstream of the anode, the unused hydrogen or fuel gas is captured and sent for passage back across the anode to improve overall system efficiency.
However, the fuel stream or hydrogen may contain impurities and the percentage of impurities may build up on the anode as the hydrogen or fuel gas is consumed. Further, the oxygen supply may also contain significant non-reactant gas as an impurity. Any non-reactant gases such as nitrogen or other diluent on the cathode would exacerbate the problem on the anode, since the nitrogen or other diluent will pass through or "cross-over" the proton-exchange membrane and become entrained in the fuel. Over time, the amount of nitrogen or other impurities within the fuel would increase and this would prove problematic.
If a fuel cell initially developed for use in an air environment is also used in underwater vehicles, it may be desirable to supply air or dilute oxygen to the cathode rather than concentrated or pure oxygen. This presents two problems in addition to the aforementioned issue of non-reactant gas cross-over into the fuel stream. First, the storage volume required for air or dilute oxygen will be much greater than for concentrated or pure oxygen.
Second, as circumstances may prohibit the venting of diluents such as nitrogen from the cathode exhaust, additional storage volume may be required for the diluents in the cathode exhaust. On the other hand, if the cathode exhaust is simply recycled and mixed with the incoming air or to dilute oxygen, or if the impurities in the source oxygen build in concentration, the cathode performance will quickly plummet as the oxygen is diluted even further.


A seed film and methods incorporating the seed film in semiconductor applications is provided. The seed film includes one or more noble metal layers, where each layer of the one or more noble metal layers is no greater than a monolayer. The seed film also includes either one or more conductive metal oxide layers or one or more silicon oxide layers, where either layer is no greater than a monolayer. The seed film can be used in plating, including electroplating, conductive layers, over at least a portion of the seed film. Conductive layers formed with the seed film can be used in fabricating an integrated circuit, including fabricating capacitor structures in the integrated circuit.

Formation of conductive materials is an important fabrication process in integrated circuit (IC) production. Thin conductive films are used in creating any number of IC structures. Examples of these structures include, for example, interconnects, capacitor electrodes (e.g., metal-insulator-metal (MIM) electrodes), etc.
The requirements of a conductive material formation process can be demanding. In many cases, for example, conductive films need to be deposited at reasonably low temperatures tolerated by other materials used in integrated circuits. In addition, for example, the conductive films need to be high quality conformal films formed over a substrate surface, e.g., openings, deep trenches, container capacitor openings, etc. Furthermore, such films need to be formed with high throughput.
Various processes can be used to form such films. For example, physical processes (e.g., physical vapor deposition (PVD), evaporation, sputtering) or chemical processes (e.g., chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or plating) may be used. In addition, electroplating has been advantageously used in forming conductive and conformal films at high throughput.
In the electroplating process, a seed film can be initially applied to IC structures during processing. The seed film can then be used as a conductive surface on which the electroplating process can then take place. The seed films are typically formed by either the physical or chemical film forming process mentioned above. Typical processes for forming seed films used in electroplating conductive films, however, have various disadvantages. For example, seed films produced by either CVD or PVD in many circumstances require an overabundance of seed film to be deposited to ensure film continuity. The result of this overabundance is that certain areas of the seed film have thicker deposits as compared to other areas. This is especially true for high aspect ratio structures, such as openings or trenches (e.g., container capacitor openings), which typically require a thick deposit in order to yield sufficient seed layer on the side of the walls of the structure for successful plating therein. Further, for example, adhesion of an electroplated layer to seed films deposited by PVD may only be marginal.
In a specific example, electroplated platinum is an attractive candidate for a bottom MIM electrode because of the high quality conformal films that can be deposited at high throughput. The typical PVD platinum seed layer, however, could be improved since it requires a thick deposit in order to yield sufficient platinum on the sidewalls of the container for successful plating. Also, adhesion is only marginal with the PVD platinum seed layer.
Thus, a need exists for creating uniform seed films for use in the electroplating process.


Provided is a superior method of producing reduced glutathione by electroreduction of oxidized glutathione. In a method of producing reduced glutathione by electroreduction of oxidized glutathione using a cathode cell and an anode cell separated from each other by a separating membrane, oxidized glutathione is produced using an aqueous oxidized glutathione solution with pH 2.0-3.0 comprising a conducting agent other than acid as a solution in the cathode cell.

As a method of electroreduction of a disulfide compound, a method using an alloy consisting of two or more kinds of particular metals as a cathode is known (patent document 1). In addition, as a method of producing L-cysteine by electroreduction of L-cystine, which is one kind of disulfide compound, a method using a cation exchange membrane as a separating membrane, and an L-cystine solution acidified by adding a mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid and the like to a cathode side electrolytic cell is known (patent document 2). As a method of producing reduced glutathione by electroreduction of oxidized glutathione, a method using an aqueous oxidized glutathione solution acidified by adding a mineral acid such as concentrated hydrochloric acid and the like to a cathode side electrolytic cell is also known (patent document 3).
However, the above-mentioned electroreduction methods of a disulfide compound require use of an expensive electrode. When oxidized glutathione is electroreduced under L-cystine electroreduction conditions described in patent document 2, reduced glutathione cannot be produced in a sufficient yield, since it is unstable under strong acidity and high temperature, as compared to L-cysteine. The method described in patent document 3 also uses, similar to the method described in patent document 2, aqueous oxidized glutathione solution strongly acidified to pH 0.6-1.0 by adding a mineral acid, and therefore, it is associated with the problems of corrosion of cathode and decomposition of reduced glutathione. To minimize the decomposition of reduced glutathione under strong acidity, it is necessary to lower the electric current density. In this case, however, reduction efficiency per electrode area decreases, and therefore, efficient production of reduced glutathione cannot be achieved unless the electrode area is increased instead. That is, production of reduced glutathione in an industrial scale by electroreduction of aqueous oxidized glutathione solution strongly acidified with a mineral acid requires huge electroreduction facility corresponding to the sizes of ion exchange membrane and electrode, as well as a special electrode capable of resisting corrosion. Therefore, a production method of reduced glutathione by conventional electroreduction is not entirely a realistic method in terms of production efficiency and facility.

Process for production of reduced glutathione


An electric power steering control system comprising: an electric motor disposed in a vehicle to apply torque to a steerable wheel; a torque sensor disposed in the vehicle for detecting a steering wheel torque and generating a torque signal indicative thereof; a vehicle speed sensor, the vehicle speed sensor generating a vehicle speed signal; a controller coupled to the torque sensor, the vehicle speed sensor and the electric motor. The controller generates a scheduled compensated torque command to the electric motor. The scheduled compensated torque command is based on at least one of: a torque command signal responsive to the torque signal; a compensated torque command signal; and a blend of the torque command signal and the compensated torque command signal. At least one of the torque command signal, the compensated torque command signal and the blend is based the vehicle speed signal.

Existing compensation structures for Electric Power Steering (EPS) systems often use torque loop compensation for an electric motor control system. In such existing EPS systems, a torque compensator, commonly a notch filter, is employed in the torque path to provide phase lead to ensure that the system remains stable. However, application of a torque compensator may make the EPS system sensitive to disturbances that include frequency content near the notch frequency. The compensator may also cause the on-center feel (torque gradient) to feel less precise.
While well suited for its intended purposes, the torque compensator may not provide desired characteristics under all operating conditions. For example, such a system may not provide desired characteristics under all vehicle speed conditions. With the aforementioned considerations, it may be difficult to apply torque compensation in some vehicles and tune the control system to achieve acceptable performance. Therefore, what is needed is a method for modifying the compensation utilized as a function of vehicle operating parameters.

Vehicle speed dependent compensator for electric steering systems


At an inner circumference side of a lower ring and an upper ring, flange pars are formed respectively, and a ring-shaped clamp device is arranged at the inner circumference side, and separated at four points, into a front side, back side, left side, and right side, and divided into four divided clamps. At the separation points of front and back sides, the left and right divided clamps are rotatably connected with each other, and at the separation points of left and right sides, the front and back divided clamps are connected to cylinders respectively. By the extension/contraction operation, the front and back clamps move between joint and separation positions, and if the front and back clamps position at the joint points, predetermined spaces are formed between the divided clamps. Lock blocks to be inserted into the spaces for regulating return of the divided clamps to the separation positions are provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a working machine such as a crane or hydraulic shovel which includes an upper/lower part joining device for detachably joining a lower traveling body and an upper rotating body.
2. Description of the Related Art
To convey a working machine such as a large crawler crane by a trailer, by weight regulations on roads, it is required to separate a lower traveling body and an upper rotating body. With this view, upper/lower part joining devices for detachably joining a lower traveling body and an upper rotating body by placing an upper ring of the upper rotating body on a lower ring of the lower traveling body, and sandwiching flange parts formed in the both rings respectively with a clamp device have been known.
With respect to the upper/lower part joining devices, for example, Japanese Examined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 63-23422 discloses a structure that while a flange part is formed to protrude to the outer circumference side of a lower ring and an upper ring, a ring-shaped clamp device is provided to the outer circumference side of the lower ring and the upper ring and divided into two divided clamps. To an opposite end part outer circumference side of the each divided clamp, a bracket is provided respectively, and between the opposite brackets, fluid pressure cylinders for moving the divided clamp to a joint position where the divided clamps come close each other to sandwich flange parts and to a separation position where the clamps are away each other are provided. Further, bolts for rigidly joining and fixing the divided clamps each other when the divided clamps are moved to the joint position by the fluid pressure cylinders, and extend in parallel with the fluid pressure cylinders are detachably attached. In such a case, only two fluid pressure cylinders are necessary and the device can be simplified. Moreover, because the divided clamps are jointed each other with the bolts which are fixation means different from the fluid pressure cylinders, the flange parts are credibly sandwiched by the clamp devices and even if a fluid leak occurs in the fluid pressure cylinders, the clamp devices are prevented from opening and releasing the joints.
However, in this case, although the space between the lower traveling body and the upper rotating body where the device is to be installed is narrow, the divided clamps are joined by the bolts as the fixation means different from the fluid pressure cylinders. The fastening and detachment of the bolts is not easy and operationality is not good. Especially, if the bolt is arranged at a position closer to the clamp device than the fluid pressure cylinder, that is, inside, to increase the strength of joint with the bolt, the fluid pressure cylinder interrupts the fastening of the bolt, or the like, and the operationality becomes worse.


Methods, devices, and systems for generating a plurality of network addresses for a plurality of communication devices communicating over a network. One method includes receiving, with an electronic processor included in a server, geographical coordinates of the network, generating, with the electronic processor, a first set of bits based on the geographical coordinates, generating, with the electronic processor, a second set of bits based on a random number, and generating, with the electronic processor, a baseline address including the first set of bits and the second set of bits. The method also includes generating the plurality of network addresses, wherein each of the plurality of network addresses includes the baseline address and a unique offset. In addition, the method includes assigning one of the plurality of network addresses to one of the plurality of communication devices.

Communication devices communicating over a network are assigned a unique network address. For example, in internet protocol (IP) networks, a server assigns an internet protocol address from a plurality of internet protocol (IP) addresses (sometimes referred to as a "pool" of addresses) to each communication device (sometimes referred to as a client). In internet protocol networks, addresses may be assigned using dynamic assignment or static assignment. Regardless of the method used, however, the server assigns each communication device a unique address to prevent address conflicts. However, during a handover process or when a communication network is merged with another communication network, there is a risk of address conflicts when the pools of addresses for networks overlap. Address conflicts cause delays and communication errors, which are undesirable in all types of networks and are especially undesirable in public safety networks.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.


A head suspension for supporting a read/write head of a rotary data storage device combines an actuator arm and load beam in a longitudinally compact construction. The construction includes overlapping laminae with one laminae extending over a hole provided in the other laminae, resulting in a monocoque construction of the head suspension that minimizes rotational inertia while maintaining desirable levels of shock, resonance and deflection performance of the head suspension.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a head uspension for supporting a read/write head adjacent a rotary data storage device, and in particular to a head suspension having an actuator arm and load beam connected in a laminate, monocoque construction that minimizes mass and rotational inertia of the head suspension while maintaining or improving the head suspension stiffness, shock, resonance and deflection performance.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Most personal computer systems today employ direct access storage devices (DASD) or rigid disk drives for data storage. A conventional disk drive 210, such as shown in FIG. 15, contains a disk spindle that is rotated by an electric motor at several thousand revolutions per minute (RPM) while the disk drive is turned on. A plurality of magnetically coated recording disks 206 are mounted on the spindle for rotation therewith at axially spaced positions along the spindle. The number of disks and the composition of their magnetic material coating determines, in part, the data storage capacity of the disk drive.
Positioned adjacent the peripheries of the rotating disk 206 is a head actuator column 212. The head actuator column has a plurality of actuator arms 214 thereon, and each actuator arm supports one or more head suspensions 230 that extend in cantilever fashion from the actuator arm to distal ends of the head suspensions. In dynamic storage devices optical or magnetic read/write heads are supported on sliders, referered to collectively as 208, at the distal ends of each of the head suspensions 230. The plurality of actuator arms and their associated head suspensions support the read/write heads adjacent the top and bottom surfaces of each of the plurality of disks supported by the spindle.
Typically, the load beam of each head suspension is welded or secured in an equivalent manner to a base plate, and the base plate in turn is secured to the head actuator column.
In the pursuit of improving head suspension designs, the prime objective is to optimally balance low mass with a high enough rigidity or stiffness for any given head suspension design. Competing with the need for rigidity in the head suspension is the need to give the head suspension as low a mass as possible to minimize rotational inertia of the head suspension created by its rapid positioning movements and to reduce sensitivity to shock. This is especially true in the reduced size rigid disk drives employed in notebook and laptop computers where the disks are smaller and their data storage density is increased.
FIG. 1 shows one prior art design of a head suspension which achieves a reduction in the overall mass of the head suspension while maintaining desirable levels of rigidity and stiffness. In this prior art design, a load beam 2 is assembled directly to an actuator arm 3. The mass of the head suspension is reduced by eliminating the base plate and its mass.
The actuator arm is provided with mass reduction holes 6 and the forward or distal most mass reduction hole 6 in the distal region 5 of the actuator arm may also be employed as a tooling aperture that aligns with a tooling aperture 7 provided in the proximal region of the load beam 2 when assembling the load beam to the actuator arm. The proximal region 4 of the load beam, when assembled to the actuator arm distal region 5, runs along a lateral side of the actuator arm 3 adjacent but spaced from the weight reduction apertures 6 of the actuator arm. The projecting proximal portion of the load beam 4 is secured to the distal region 5 of the actuator arm by spot welds, adhesives or other equivalent methods.
In an effort to further improve the balance between reduced mass and increased rigidity or stiffness of a head suspension, the design concept of the present invention was arrived at where the head suspension is constructed as a laminate of a load beam and actuator arm that contains hollow cavities within the laminate construction giving the suspension a monocoque construction with enhanced stiffness and reduced mass.

Head suspension with connected actuator arm and load beam in a laminate, monocoque construction


An air purifier, an air filter and a method of manufacturing an air filter for an air purifier are provided. The air purifier includes a base assembly, a filter assembly and a grill. A fan is mounted to the base assembly, and draws air through the filter assembly. The base and filter assemblies include adjoining walls having openings which are substantially smaller in area than the areas of the adjoining walls and area through which air is drawn in through the filter assembly. A resilient gasket having a passage approximately the size of these openings is positioned between the adjoining walls. The filter assembly is drawn towards the base assembly when the fan is operated, thereby enhancing the seal formed by the gasket against the adjoining walls. Unfiltered air is accordingly unlikely to bypass the filter assembly. The air filter is manufactured in an efficient manner through the use of a back plate having oblique end portions. A pleated HEPA filter is positioned in a U-shaped configuration and the ends thereof adhered to the oblique end portions. Top and bottom walls are then applied to the resulting structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to air purifiers, particularly to portable air purifiers including HEPA filters, and methods of manufacture of air filters therefor.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Portable air purifiers for removing airborne particles are used in many homes and offices. Such purifiers often include a fine particle high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. In addition to a HEPA filter, some purifiers include a carbon filter to remove odors. The carbon may be incorporated within a fibrous matrix. A filter for trapping relatively large particulates may also be found in portable air purifiers. In operation, one or more fans cause air to be drawn through the filter(s) and emitted through an outlet.
HEPA filters have gained increasing acceptance for use in purifiers directed to consumers as they remove 99.97% of particulates having a size equal to or greater than 0.3 microns. In order to take full advantage of a HEPA filter or any other type of filter used in an air purifier, it is important to ensure that substantially all of the air emitted by the air purifier has indeed first passed through the filter(s) provided in the purifier.
As the filter(s) employed in air purifiers require replacement when spent, the ability to easily remove and replace the filter(s) is important. A replaced filter must be properly installed if it is to function properly. Disposable filter assemblies have accordingly been designed to facilitate user convenience.
A number of patents have issued which disclose air purifiers including HEPA filters, carbon filters, and/or other filters. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,928,008; 4,629,482; 4,737,173; 4,778,496; 5,078,764; 5,102,435; 5,131,932; 5,230,723; 5,259,854; 5,290,330; and 5,512,086 disclose air purifiers of various constructions.

Air purifier and filter assembly therefor


The invention relates to crosslinked (meth)acrylate-based resin particles having an average particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm, containing monomer components containing a monomer having a carboxyl group and at least one monomer selected from an acrylate and a methacrylate copolymerized therein, the particles having a surface coated with a surfactant having a sulfonic acid group or a sulfonate group, and a process for producing the same.

As makeup powder-containing cosmetics, body cosmetics such as body powder, makeup cosmetics such as foundation cream, and lotions such as body lotion are commercially available. For the purpose of conferring functions such as improvement in extendability on the skin, improvement in feeling and a wrinkle-hiding effect, these makeup powder-containing cosmetics are blended with resin particles such as polymethyl methacrylate particles, crosslinked polystyrene particles and polyethylene particles.
JP-A 2000-186017 discloses resin particles of crosslinked (meth)acrylate-based resin particles having a compression strength of 0.05 to 0.6 kgf/mm2, wherein the surface of the resin particles is coated with an inorganic powder.
JP-A 2002-265620 discloses wetted resin particles containing an aqueous solution of an organic solvent in crosslinked (meth)acrylate-based resin particles having a compression strength of 0.01 to 0.6 kgf/mm2 upon 10% deformation.
JP-A 2000-302624 discloses (meth)acrylate-based resin particles adhering an organic resin fine particles to the surfaces of the resin particles.

Resin particles comprising a (meth)acrylate copolymer and a surfactant having a sulfonic-acid or sulfonate group


The invention relates to plant transcription factor polypeptides, polynucleotides that encode them, homologs from a variety of plant species, and methods of using the polynucleotides and polypeptides to produce transgenic plants having advantageous properties compared to a reference plant. Sequence information related to these polynucleotides and polypeptides can also be used in bioinformatic search methods and is also disclosed.

A plant's traits, such as its biochemical, developmental, or phenotypic characteristics, may be controlled through a number of cellular processes. One important way to manipulate that control is through transcription factors—proteins that influence the expression of a particular gene or sets of genes. Transformed and transgenic plants that comprise cells having altered levels of at least one selected transcription factor, for example, possess advantageous or desirable traits. Strategies for manipulating traits by altering a plant cell's transcription factor content can therefore result in plants and crops with new and/or improved commercially valuable properties.
Transcription factors can modulate gene expression, either increasing or decreasing (inducing or repressing) the rate of transcription. This modulation results in differential levels of gene expression at various developmental stages, in different tissues and cell types, and in response to different exogenous (e.g., environmental) and endogenous stimuli throughout the life cycle of the organism.
Because transcription factors are key controlling elements of biological pathways, altering the expression levels of one or more transcription factors can change entire biological pathways in an organism. For example, manipulation of the levels of selected transcription factors may result in increased expression of economically useful proteins or biomolecules in plants or improvement in other agriculturally relevant characteristics. Conversely, blocked or reduced expression of a transcription factor may reduce biosynthesis of unwanted compounds or remove an undesirable trait. Therefore, manipulating transcription factor levels in a plant offers tremendous potential in agricultural biotechnology for modifying a plant's traits. A number of the agriculturally relevant characteristics of plants, and desirable traits that may be imbued by gene expression are listed below.
We have identified polynucleotides encoding transcription factors, developed numerous transgenic plants using these polynucleotides, and have analyzed the plants for a variety of important traits. In so doing, we have identified important polynucleotide and polypeptide sequences for producing commercially valuable plants and crops as well as the methods for making them and using them. Other aspects and embodiments of the invention are described below and can be derived from the teachings of this disclosure as a whole.

Polynucleotides and polypeptides in plants