Novel polymeric compounds having pendent fluoroaliphatic groups, pendent organic-solubilizing groups, and pendent groups capable of reacting with an epoxy silane; which have been reacted with an epoxy silane have been discovered. These compounds are easy to apply, abrasion and impact resistant, and provide durable, low surface energy, streak reducing surfaces on coating dies, edge guides, and other coating and fluid contacting surfaces.

The process of applying or coating liquids onto substrates or webs is well known. However, the process can be complex depending on the liquid and the substrate used, on the performance objectives of the end product, and on the process itself. Many coating apparatus and coating process variations have been developed to address specific coating needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,294 discloses a vacuum method for stabilizing the coating bead for direct extrusion and slide types of metered coating systems. Such stabilization enhances the coating capability of these systems. However, these coating systems lack sufficient overall capability to provide the thin wet layers required for some coated products, even at very low liquid viscosities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,458 discloses an extrusion type bead-coating die with a beveled draw-down surface to impose a boundary force on the downstream side of the coating bead and to reduce the amount of vacuum necessary to maintain the bead. Reduction of the vacuum is noted to minimize chatter, streaks, and other coating defects. Coating quality is noted to be further improved by optimizing the obtuse angle of the beveled surface with respect to the slot axis and the position along the slot axis of the bevel toward the moving web (overhang) and away from the moving web (underhang). The optimization results in the high quality desired for coating photosensitive emulsions. However, the thin-layer performance capability desired for some coated products is lacking.
A common problem encountered with extrusion die coaters and with slide coaters has been the occurrence of streaking of the liquid when applied to the substrate. One cause of streaking is dried liquid residue on the die lips near the coating bead. This cause and the resulting streaking problem are especially prevalent for low-viscosity liquids containing a highly-volatile solvent.
European Laid Open Patent Application EP 0 581 962 A1 describes one approach for reducing coating defects. A eutectoid dispersion of a fluorine-containing resin (such as Teflon.TM.) and nickel is plated onto the die faces and lips of the coating apparatus. Upon curing, this surface is reported to provide the hardness and dimensional stability necessary for a coating die while also keeping the water-repelling property of a fluorinated surface. This treatment is noted to prevent wetting of the die surface by the coating liquid and reduces streaking, dripping, and edge waviness in the coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,365 describes covering or coating a surface of a slide coating die adjacent to and below the coating bead with a low energy material, such as a fluorinated polyethylene. The covering starts 0.05-5.00 mm below the coating lip tip and extends away from the coating bead. The low surface energy covering is separated from the coating lip tip by a bare metal strip. This locates the bead static contact line. The low energy covering is noted to eliminate coating streaks and to facilitate die cleanup.
A number of known compounds are described in such patents as U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,351 (Olson). This patent describes oligomers containing fluoroaliphatic groups and poly(oxyalkylene) solubilizing groups. These oligomers are said to be useful as wetting agents in order to improve the mechanical properties of shaped articles of filled resin composites, e.g., glass-reinforced polyester or epoxy resin composites. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,615 (Esmay et al.) discloses the use of some of the oligomers of U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,351 as surfactants in the preparation of cellular pressure-sensitive adhesives in order to produce a uniform cell structure.
Non-fluorinated polymerizable surfactants have been described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,599 (Regen). That patent describes a method for direct stepwise coating of a solid substrate with a polyfunctional polymerizable surfactant. Among the polymerizable surfactants used are methacrylate-functional phosphatidyl cholines and phosphate esters.
Zh. Fiz. Khim., 1982, 56, 2898 (Abstract) describes fluorine-containing acrylates of the formula CH.sub.2 .dbd.CHCO.sub.2 CH.sub.2 (CF.sub.2 CF.sub.2).sub.n R, wherein R is H or F, and n is 1 to 4, as being useful for imparting hydrophobicity and chemical resistance to the surface of polymers by copolymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,812 (Muggli et al.) describes polymeric, oligomeric fluorochemical surfactant compositions having at least two pendent fluoroaliphatic groups, at least two organic-solubilizing groups, and a pendent polymerizable olefinic group (prepared from a bifunctional monomer). The compositions reduce the surface energy of acrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesives. They can be used in preparing acrylate-based pressure-sensitive adhesives that coat well due to the presence of the surfactant and maintain adhesive performance upon aging.
However, a need remains for a streak-reducing material which withstands the abrasion and/or the impact which occur during normal working conditions. Abrasion resistance can be particularly important when the liquid being coated has an abrasive quality and when clean-up involves wiping surfaces with cloths, brushes, and the like. Impact resistance can be particularly important when the coating process can include instances when the web or substrate breaks and strikes the material.
The durable streak-reducing material should be easily, quickly, and cost-effectively applied. The application process should not require that the coating apparatus be taken off-line for a significant duration to apply the material. Preferably, the application process is relatively quick and can be accomplished at or near the coating site, rather than requiring the coating apparatus to be shipped to a facility which has highly specialized capabilities.
In addition, the process of applying the streak-reducing material should not involve a significant risk of detrimentally affecting the coating apparatus. For example, the process should not run the risk of dimensionally distorting the coating apparatus by requiring the coating apparatus to be raised to a temperature above a critical level.
The process of applying the streaking-reducing material also should involve no more than a moderate capital investment, and the process and the material itself should provide for only a moderate cost to actually apply the material to the coating apparatus.

Durable, low surface energy compounds and articles, apparatuses, and methods for using the same


Method, apparatus, computer program and data carrier for modeling a multidimensional, heterogeneous structure using a digital processing unit, by means of a grid built up of stacks of multidimensional cells. A cell is bounded by boundary surfaces and represents at least one property of the structure. The composition of a stack, the position of the stacks in the grid and the properties represented by cells are stored in memory means by the processing unit. For modeling a discontinuity, a respective stack is divided into two or more substacks separated by separating surfaces. The composition and the position of the substacks in a respective stack are stored in the memory means. The modeling method enables an accurate and fast computation of properties of the modeled structure or space.

A technique of the above kind is used in practice for modeling asymmetrical spaces or structures and the processes that take place in said spaces or structures. Examples of this are the simulation of the flow of heterogeneous media in apparatuses, the flow of air in a three-dimensional space surrounding objects, the calculation of electrical fields or the modeling of oil reserves and the flow of fluids through the subsurface of the earth.
Generally, a tetrahedral grid is used for a continuous three-dimensional space or structure, which grid is very flexible as regards its shape and which can be adapted to practically any space or structure. A drawback, however, is the arbitrary nature of said grid, which makes it necessary to store a large amount of information. Said arbitrary nature also leads to complicated algorithms for modeling the grid. As a result of the enormous amount of information and the resulting relatively long processing time by a digital processing unit, such as a computer or a processor, it is necessary in practice to limit the resolution of such a three-dimensional grid. As a result, discontinuities in the structure or space, i.e. discontinuous transitions in properties within the space or structure, such as material transitions caused by shifts in layers of the subsurface of the earth, cannot be modeled with sufficient accuracy and flexibility.
Accordingly, various kinds of regular multidimensional, generally three-dimensional, grids for modeling the subsurface of the earth, for example, have been developed in practice. The simplest grid is the so-called "voxel" model, which is a regular three-dimensional grid built up of cells having fixed dimensions and a fixed number of cells in each of the three directions. The cells are specified by three indices: I, J, K, one for each direction. It will be understood that this grid can only provide a very crude approximation of the complexity of the subsurface of the earth in which layers have shifted and folded or broken relative to each other as a result of the movement of the earth's crust. The advantage of this model is that such a grid can be defined with a limited number of parameters, as a result of which the amount of information to be processed, and consequently the computational time, are significantly reduced in comparison with the aforesaid flexible grid.
A better approximation of the actual geometry of the geological layers is possible by using an improved version of the simplified model, in which stacks of multidimensional cells are used and the stacks in question can be shifted relative to each other in a grid. In that case the geometry of the cells must be such that the cells fill the entire three-dimensional space as much as possible in a regular manner. Also when this improved model is used, problems arise when modeling discontinuities that extend at an angle through the geological layers, for example.
Further improvements of this grid model comprise the arranging of the stacks along a discontinuity, which leads to problems near the transitions of a discontinuity, however, for example in the case of geological layers that have shifted relative to each other along slanted fault lines. The fact is that cells having strongly deviating shapes and a relatively small volume, sometimes practically equal to zero, are formed at the transitions of the discontinuities as a result of stacks being collapsed. This leads to modeling artefacts, resulting in a distorted picture of the actual situation.
An example of such a technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,095, in which a stack of cells is adapted to a discontinuity, which leads to distorted or deformed cells or stacks of deformed cells, which makes it necessary to carry out complicated and time-consuming calculations and which leads to modeling errors and artefacts.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,561 there is known a so-called "corner point grid" calculation, in which the cells or stacks of cells are aligned with discontinuities, which eventually leads to deformed cells as well, with the same drawbacks as described above.
In the article "One More Step in Gocad Stratigraphic Grid Generation: Taking into Account Faults and Pinchouts", by Bennis, C. et al. in Proceedings of the NPF/SPE European 3-D Reservoir Modeling Conference, Stavanger, NORWAY, 16-17 Apr. 1996, pages 307-316, a technique is described wherein separate, closed spaces between discontinuities are defined, which spaces are individually provided with grids. Subsequently, the grids are coupled together on the discontinuities. Said coupling necessitates the introduction of artificial boundaries, which will likewise result in an irregular modeled structure.

Method, device, computer program and data carrier for modeling a multidimensional heterogeneous structure, using a digital processing unit


A double superheterodyne type receiving circuit having a first local oscillating circuit for converting a received signal into a first intermediate frequency signal and a second local oscillating circuit for converting the first intermediate frequency signal into a second intermediate frequency signal, comprising an oscillator 16 composing the first local oscillating circuit, a first variable frequency divider 17 composing the second oscillating circuit for dividing the frequency of an output signal of the first oscillator, a second variable frequency divider 18 for dividing the frequency of an output signal of the first variable frequency divider, a variable frequency dividing controlling circuit 23 for controlling frequency dividing values of the first and second variable frequency dividers on the base of an exponential function relation, at least one fixed frequency divider 19 for dividing the frequency of an output signal of the second variable frequency divider 18, a reference oscillator 20 for outputting a signal with a predetermined frequency, and a phase comparator 22 for comparing an output signal of the fixed frequency divider 19 and an output signal of the reference oscillator 20 and controlling an oscillation frequency of the oscillator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a double superheterodyne type radio frequency receiving circuit, in particular, to a PLL frequency synthesizer type receiving circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a radio frequency receiving circuit for use with a GPS (Global Positioning System), a double superheterodyne system that converts a received signal into a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal and a second intermediate frequency (IF) signal is most popularly used. On the other hand, the first IF frequency may accord with or be close to a frequency of a local FM broadcast in some regions. As mentioned later, a leakage of the first IF frequency of GPS receiver or an intrusion of an FM broadcast radio wave causes an intermodulation, resulting in degrading the accuracy of the received signal. In particular, since a GPS receiver has a high gain amplifier for the second intermediate frequency, the problem may need to change the frequency to another frequency. Thus, a conventional GPS receiver is operated with a fixed different frequency that depends on the region where the receiver is used. Consequently, it is difficult to accomplish a GPS receiver using identical IF frequency in the world wide.
FIG. 6 shows an example of the structure of such a GPS receiver as described in "Paper Machine .mu.PB1001GR" issued by NEC. An RF received signal (frequency: fRF) is supplied to an RF amplifier 11. The RF amplifier 11 amplifies the RF received signal. A first mixer 12 mixes the amplified RF received signal with an oscillation frequency f1LO of a voltage controlling oscillator (VCO) 16 that composes a first local oscillator (LO) and outputs a first IF signal (frequency: f1IF). The first IF signal is amplified by a first IF amplifier 13. A second mixer 14 mixes the amplified first IF signal with a frequency f2LO of a second LO and outputs a second IF signal (frequency: f2IF). The second IF signal is amplified by a second IF amplifier 15. The second IF signal is output to a demodulator or the like (not shown). The second LO is composed of a plurality of fixed frequency dividers (in this example, six frequency dividers) 24 to 29. By selecting one of output signals of the fixed frequency dividers, the frequency f2LO of the relevant second LO is obtained. An output signal of the fixed frequency divider 29 on the last stage is supplied to a phase comparator 22. The phase comparator 22 compares the output signal of the fixed frequency divider with an oscillation frequency fREF of a reference oscillator 20. With a compared result of an output signal of the reference oscillator 20 and the output signal of the fixed frequency divider 29, the oscillation frequency of the VCO 16 is controlled. In such a structure, a PLL synthesizer is accomplished.
In this structure, when the oscillation frequency of the VCO 16 is varied, the frequency f1LO of the first LO can be varied. Thus, the frequency f1IF of the first IF signal can be varied. However, to vary the oscillation frequency of the VCO 16, the oscillation frequency fRF of the reference oscillator 20 should be also varied. In addition, as the frequency f1IF of the first IF signal is varied, the frequency f2IF of the second IF signal is also varied. Thus, when one of the output signals of the fixed frequency dividers 24 to 28 is selected as an output signal of the second LO, the frequency f2IF of the second IF signal can not be fixed.
As another example of the structure of which a variable frequency divider is composed of a pulse swallow type counter is known. FIG. 7 shows such a structure. In this structure, instead of the fixed frequency dividers 24 to 29 shown in FIG. 6, two variable frequency dividers 30 and 31 are used. A VCO 16 outputs a signal with an oscillation frequency of a first LO. In addition, the oscillation frequency of the VCO 16 is divided by the first variable frequency divider 30. The reference oscillator 20 outputs a signal with an oscillation frequency of a second LO. In addition, the oscillation frequency of the reference oscillator 20 is divided by the second variable frequency divider 31. These frequencies of the output signals of the first and second variable frequency dividers 30 and 31 are compared by a phase comparator 22. Thus, the VCO is controlled. The frequency dividing values of the first and second variable frequency dividers 30 and 31 are controlled by a variable frequency controlling circuit 32. A variable frequency controlling circuit 32 can set a continuous integral dividing value to dividers 30 and 31 and can not set without the continuous integral dividing value.
By varying the oscillation frequency of the VCO 16, the frequency f1IF of the first IF signal can be varied. By controlling the frequency dividing value of the variable frequency divider 30 corresponding to the variation of the frequency of the first IF signal, the frequency f2IF of the second IF can be fixed. However, since the frequency of the second LO is fixed, as the frequency of the first IF signal is varied, the frequency fRF of the received signal is also varied. Thus, a signal with a desired frequency can not be received.
In the structure shown in FIG. 6, to vary the oscillation frequency of the VCO that is the first LO, the oscillation frequency of the reference oscillator should be varied at the same time. In addition, since the frequency f2IF of the second IF signal is fixed regardless of the variation of the frequency of the first IF signal, one of output signals of a plurality of fixed frequency dividers should be selected. However, actually, when an output signal of a small number of fixed frequency dividers is selected, the second IF frequency cannot be fixed to a predetermined constant frequency. Thus, the structure shown in FIG. 6 has a practical problem.
On the other hand, in the structure shown in FIG. 7, since the frequency f2LO of the second LO is fixed, if the frequency f1IF of the first IF signal is compulsorily varied, the frequency fRF of the received signal is varied. Thus, such a structure cannot be applied to a GPS receiver or the like. In this case, to vary the frequency of the first IF signal without varying the frequency of the received signal, as with the structure shown in FIG. 6, the reference oscillator side should be structured so that it can vary the frequency as a PLL synthesizer. As a result, two PLL synthesizers are required. Thus, the structure becomes complicated. In addition, the frequency dividing value of the variable frequency divider should be controlled corresponding to the variation of the oscillation frequency of the reference oscillator. Consequently, an institution of the dividing value is complicated and troublesome.
Further, a radio frequency receiver represented by GPS leaks the first IF signal of the radio receiver and causes intermodulations with induced FM broadband radio at near FM broadband stations and nearly frequency band area. Therefore, each other of the radio frequency receiver and other equipments may give an impediment to a receive precision. In particular, since the GPS receiver is composed by a high gain second IF amplifier for the second IF, the problem is remarkable. Therefore, the GPS receiver is currently operated each of areas. However, the GPS receiver can not operate at a special area toward the namely world wide global positioning system. Thus, the GPS receiver should be changed and needed the system composing frequency each by area for taking off the broadband frequency band. Further,a current RF frequency receiver has a problem that a first IF frequency can not independently be varied without unvaried RF frequency and second IF frequency interfacial of the GPS system.

Double superheterodyne type receiving circuit


In one embodiment, a method to analyze a semiconductor wafer comprises extracting inline defect data from a data source, counting a total number of inline defects and end-of-line defects, terminating the analysis when the total number of inline defects and end-of-line defects exceeds a threshold, and mapping the inline defects onto the end-of-line defects when the total number of inline defects and end-of-line defects is less than a threshold.

The subject matter described herein relates generally to semiconductor processing, and more particularly to defect analysis.
Semiconductor technology has been following Moore's law for more than three decades. The number of transistors doubles per technology generation by continuous shrink of critical dimensions. As a result, the complexity of manufacturing process increases due to increase in number of process steps, reduced technology development window and the need to develop a profitable product. Yield analysis engineers play a critical rule in ensuring process technology development is optimized by providing a quick learning to process engineers. Yield engineers are also responsible in high volume manufacturing for ensuring manufacturing line is healthy and by preventing any problems that can cause excursions.


A method and control circuit for an electronic switch, and more particularly the high side switch in a bridge circuit. Control is established by continuous and/or the combination of continuous and pulsed signals. Fail safe undervoltage protection is provided for the high side switch based on the adequacy of both high side and low side control voltages.

The present invention relates to a control circuit for an electronic switch, and more particularly to the control circuit for the high side switches of a bridge such as an H bridge, a half bridge, a three-chase bridge, or a full bridge. Such a bridge is typically used in a situation where the high side and low side switches alternatively conduct in counterposition to one another. Such bridges are especially useful to transfer direct current power from a bus to alternating current power in a load element or vice versa, as well as for performing full or half wave rectification. These bridges are also used extensively in audio amplifiers, motor controllers, DC/DC converters, noise cancellation systems, electronic lamp ballasts, and Uninterruptible Power Supply systems (UPS) applications.
As indicated, bridge circuits are well known and, as schematically illustrated for a H-bridge circuit in FIG. 1A, a half bridge circuit in FIG. 1B and a 3-phase bridge in FIG. 1C, include a circuit in which direct current from a source V may be selectively passed through a load through the operation of various high side and low side switches.
With reference to FIG. 1A by way of example, switches SW 1 and SW 4 in one direction and alternatively, through switches SW 3 and SW 2 in the opposite direction, thus alternating the current through the load. In such circuits, the operation of the switches SW 1-SW 4 are typically controlled by a relatively low voltage control circuit 10 illustrated in FIG. 1A for switch SW 1.
The control circuit 10 is typically provided with one or more sources of power from a power supply 12 and receives operating instructions from a logic circuit 14. In general, the control circuits for the two high side switches SW 1 and SW 3 are identical, as are the control circuits for the low side switches SW 2 and SW 4. However, the control circuits for the high side switches are not necessarily identical to the control circuits for the low side switches. The power supplies for the control circuits may be shared and a common logic circuit is conventional for ensuring that the switches SW 1-SW 4 operate simultaneously and in pairs.
One of the main design issues of the bridge topology is control of the high side switch since it is not ground referenced. With reference to FIG. 1A, the high side switch is referenced to VS which floats between values dependant upon which switches are conducting.
The design issues for the high side switch control circuit include power dissipation, noise immunity, propagation delay, and undervoltage protection. Power dissipation is important because even microamperes of current at the high side voltages can result is high power dissipation. Because of the desirability of controlling power dissipation in the control circuits, the output signals from the control circuits typically "latch" pending a further instruction from the associated logic circuit, and are hereinafter sometimes referenced as "pulse" control signals. Known latching circuits may be implemented with discrete components or on an integrated circuit ("IC").
While power is thus conserved, circuits which latch are susceptible to latching in an undesirable state under the influence of an external event such as transient noise or lightning, generally resulting in the destruction of the bridge circuit.
The lack of noise immunity is a concern because the large voltage transients associated with switching, ESD events, and even supply voltage transients can disrupt control of the bridge. In control circuits using discrete components, it is known to accept the power dissipation of continuous non-latching control signals (hereinafter sometimes referenced as "continuous" control signals) to control the operation of the high side switches. This technique is not used in ICs because it requires large IC devices, high power dissipation, and it results in slow switching speeds.
Propagation delay is also important because of the desirability of high frequency operation, and, more importantly, to be able to match the propagation delay of the high and low sides of the bridge to achieve balance across the load. The present invention, by initiating switching with short duration pulse signals, permits precise control of the timing without consuming excessive power.
Undervoltage protection circuitry is also required for the control circuits to insure switch operation, for high side switch conduction when there is inadequate power to control the low side switches can destruct the bridge. In the known prior art, the failure of the low side power supply results in the sending of a turn off or inhibit signal from the low side to the high side when a low side undervoltage condition existed. However, such solutions presumed that there was sufficient voltage to send the turn off signal, and were not fail safe.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to obviate many of the foregoing problems and to provide a novel switch control circuit and method.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and integrated circuit for the non-latching, continuous control of the conduction of a high side switch.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel bridge with IC control circuitry for high side switch conduction control using continuous control signals.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and circuit for controlling the high side switches of a bridge by a combination of pulse and continuous control signals, all without effecting a latch.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and fail safe undervoltage protection circuit.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel bridge with undervoltage protection for the circuits which control switch conduction.
These and many ocher objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the claims and from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.


A light fixture includes a housing and at least one adjustable light assembly coupled thereto. Each light assembly includes a light source and an optic lens that is disposed over at least a portion of the light source. At least a portion of the lens is positioned external to the housing. The lens is rotatably adjustable about an axis extending perpendicular from the lens and includes a portion of the light source. The lens emits an asymmetrical light output. A light source holder may be included as part of the light assembly and is used to couple the light assembly to the housing. The light source holder includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an aperture extending therethrough. The light source is positioned adjacent the first surface over the aperture while the lens is positioned adjacent the second surface over the aperture.

Emergency lighting is typically used to illuminate a path of egress away from an area experiencing power failure or during other emergency conditions. Conventional emergency lighting fixtures include either a fixed optic or an adjustable lighting head that can be adjusted to aim the light emitted therefrom to the designated path of egress. These adjustable lighting heads typically emit a symmetrical beam of light and have two adjustment axes for aiming the emitted light in a particular direction. One of the adjustment axes allows for the adjustable lighting head to be rotated 360 degrees about a vertical axis, while the other adjustment axes allows for the adjustable lighting head to be adjustable, or tiltable, less than ninety degrees about a horizontal axis. However, there are some adjustable lighting heads that emit an asymmetrical beam, but they do not provide additional adjustment mechanisms, such as an additional adjustment axis, for refining the emitting direction of the asymmetrical beam.
The drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, as the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary embodiments. Additionally, certain dimensions or positionings may be exaggerated to help visually convey such principles.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Single axis adjustment for emergency lights emitting an asymmetric beam pattern to illuminate a path of egress


A fuel supply controller includes a passage connecting an engine and a fuel tank. An electromagnetic valve is provided in the passage to open and close the passage in stages. The controller controls the electric current flowing through the electromagnetic valve based on information related to the amount of fuel flowing from the fuel tank to the engine.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes a fuel passage.
A compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle uses natural gas as fuel. The fuel gas is mixed with air and burned to obtain power. A CNG vehicle is provided with a fuel tank that is charged with pressurized fuel gas. The fuel is sent to the vehicle engine through a fuel passage. The fuel tank is provided with a valve to open and close the fuel passage. A manual type valve, which has a handle to manually move a valve body and open or close the fuel passage, is often employed in CNG vehicles. However, recently, an electromagnetic type valve, which uses electromagnetic force to open and close the fuel passage, has been widely used. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-241341 describes a typical electromagnetic type valve. In the electromagnetic valve, which includes a valve body for opening and closing the fuel passage, a spring and the gas pressure in the tank urges the valve body in a direction closing the fuel passage. An electromagnetic solenoid moves the valve body in a direction opening the fuel passage when actuated.
In a CNG vehicle that employs the electromagnetic type valve, a predetermined amount of electric current flows through the electromagnetic solenoid when the engine is started. The predetermined amount of current is set at a value that moves the valve body and opens the fuel passage even if the difference between the pressure inside the fuel tank and the pressure outside the fuel tank is high. The actuation of the solenoid moves the valve body against the force of a spring and the gas pressure in the tank. This permits the natural gas in the fuel tank to be supplied to the engine through the fuel passage. The electromagnetic solenoid is de-actuated when the engine is stopped. This causes the force of the spring and the force resulting from the pressure of the natural gas to move the valve body in a direction that closes the fuel passage. A rubber seal, which is attached to the valve body to enhance the sealing of the valve, abuts against a seat of the valve. This closes the fuel passage and stops the supply of natural gas to the engine.
It is required that the electromagnetic valve be provided with a leakage prevention function that prevents the fuel from leaking out into the atmosphere when a fuel passage component is punctured or damaged. To fulfill this requirement, in the prior art, a mechanical leakage prevention valve is provided in the fuel pipe. An example of a prior art leakage prevention valve is shown in FIG. 14. The prior art leakage prevention valve is attached to the upstream end of an electromagnetic type valve (not shown). The leakage prevention valve includes a case 100, a valve body 101, and a compression spring 102. The case 100 has a plurality of apertures 100a that permit fuel to enter the case 100 from the tank (not shown) and to enter the tank through the case 100 when fuel is charged from a fuel fill line (not shown). The valve body 101 has a plurality of communication holes 101a and an outlet sleeve 101b. The compression spring 102 urges the valve body 101 in a direction that opens the communication holes 101a. In this state, the fuel tank is constantly communicated with a fuel passage (conduit 26) through the communication holes 101a, the apertures 100a, and the outlet sleeve 101b.
The action of the valve body 101 differs when the fuel passage is in a normal state (no damage to the fuel passage component) and when the fuel passage is in an abnormal state (damage existing). In the normal state, the valve body 101 opens the communication holes 101a. In the abnormal state, the flow rate of the fuel increases. Thus, the difference between the pressure in the fuel tank and the pressure in the fuel passage (conduit 26) increases. The pressure difference closes the communication holes 101a by causing the valve body 101 to enter the conduit 26. However, the urging force of the spring 102 is strong enough to keep the communication holes 101a opened during the normal state, even if the pressure difference or the flow rate of the fuel reaches a level that is a maximum for the normal state. In the abnormal state, the pressure difference increases beyond the maximum pressure difference for the normal state. The urging force of the spring 102 is not strong enough to keep the communication holes 101a opened when the pressure difference reaches such a high value. As a result, the communication holes 101a are closed.
In the prior art electromagnetic valve, to positively move the valve body to a position that opens the fuel passage and to maintain the valve body at that position, even when the pressure difference between the fuel tank and the fuel passage is high, a large relatively high current must flow through the electromagnetic valve. In other words, a relatively high current must flow through the electromagnetic valve regardless of the actual pressure difference. As a result, if the pressure difference is smaller than the maximum value (which is usually the cases), an unnecessary amount of current flows through the electromagnetic valve and consumes electric power in a wasteful manner. In addition, the actuation of the electromagnetic solenoid generates a large amount of heat. The heat raises the temperature of the components arranged about the valve body. Thus, the rubber seal is heated to a high temperature. This may deteriorate the rubber seal and degrade the durability of the seal.
Furthermore, when employing the prior art mechanical leakage prevention valve, the prevention valve must be installed on the electromagnetic valve for complete leakage prevention of the fuel passage. This results in a fuel supply system having a complicated structure. In addition, the prevention valve uses a spring provided with a relatively strong urging force. Thus, the valve body does not close the fuel passage unless the pressure difference becomes very high. In other words, the valve body does not move immediately unless the leakage and the pressure difference becomes very high. Additionally, when servicing the fuel passage or other parts in the fuel supply system, the pressure in the pipe is lowered to atmospheric pressure. Thus, servicing may lead to erroneous functioning of the leakage prevention valve.


A memory allowing reduction of a memory cell size is obtained. This memory comprises a first conductive type first impurity region formed on the main surface of a semiconductor substrate for functioning as a first electrode of a diode included in a memory cell and a word line, a plurality of second conductive type second impurity regions formed on the surface of the first impurity region at a prescribed interval, each functioning as a second electrode of the diode, a bit line formed on the semiconductor substrate and connected to the second impurity regions and a wire provided above the bit line and connected to the first impurity region every prescribed interval.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory, and more particularly, it relates to a memory such as a mask ROM.
2. Description of the Background Art
A mask ROM is generally known as an exemplary memory, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-275656 (1993), for example. In the exemplary conventional mask ROM disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-275656, a transistor including a source region and a drain region is provided every memory cell. This exemplary conventional mask ROM sets data stored in each memory cell in response to whether or not a second-layer contact hole is provided for connecting the drain region of the memory cell with a wire.
In the exemplary conventional mask ROM disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-275656, however, the memory cell size is disadvantageously increased due to the transistor provided every memory cell.


A system and method of tracking individuals divided into flocks by means of radio communication and positioning systems is disclosed. A flock leader is provided with a first electronic device (1) comprising a first transceiver (2) operating in a public radio communication network, e.g. GSM or GPRS, a position tracker (3), e.g. a GPS-receiver, and a second transceiver (4) operating in a short distance radio communication system, e.g. Bluetooth®. Each of the remaining individuals in the flock is provided with a second electronic device (6) comprising at least a third transceiver (7) also operating in the short distance radio communication system. The second electronic device (6) periodically transmits data identifying the associated individual to the first electronic device (1), so that the flock leader knows that the individual is localized in the flock (i.e. within the coverage area of the short distance radio communication system) as long as it receives the data. The first electronic device (1) communicates with a system controller through a public radio communication network managing the system and keeping track of the individuals in each flock.

As long as livestock farming has existed, it has always been necessary to herd animals, protecting them against predators and accidents, and keeping them together for making the loss of animals as low as possible.
Even today, traditional herding, which has been used for thousands of years where one or more persons always follow the flock as long as they are on free pasture, is the most common.
Naturally, this old fashioned herding is very expensive as it continuously occupies human recourses in a very ineffective way. This is the reason why many farmers have decided to skip herding, but, as a consequence, by the end of the season the loss of animals has been considerable. However, there is an increasing demand in the public opinion for high food quality, but also for a good treatment of the animals in their lifetime.
One way of remotely tracking animals is to place a VHF radio transmitter on the individual animals of interest and determining their approximate positions based upon the signal strength of the radio signals from the transmitter at a receiver. This solution has traditionally been used for scientific purposes on wild individual animals. It is not designed for collecting data other than for an approximate position, and each monitored individual animal must be provided with a long distance transmitter, which will be relatively expensive for a whole flock. Besides, a transmitter also transmitting additional condition data, e.g., body temperature and humidity, would be rather heavy.
From U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,868,100 and 5,791,294, U.S. patent application 2002/0021219 and European patent application EP 945060 there are known a number of more or less similar systems for tracking and monitoring animals. Each monitored animal is wearing an electronic device comprising communication and positioning equipment. The positioning equipment is a GPS unit. Such devices tend to become heavy and are therefore not suited for young animals. In addition, the devices are costly. Thus, such systems are less applicable for tracking and monitoring flocks of livestock; they are used nearly exclusively for monitoring single individual animals for scientific purposes.
Consequently, there is a need for a system remotely tracking animals in a flock with a minimum of heavy equipment and with the possibility of monitoring the condition and health of the animals.

System and method for tracking individuals


During damascene formation of local interconnects in a semiconductor wafer, a punch-through region can be formed into the substrate as a result of exposing the oxide spacers that are adjacent to a transistor gate to one or more etching plasmas that are used to etch one or more overlying dielectric layers. A punch-through region can damage the transistor circuit. In order to prevent punch-through, the oxide spacers are removed prior to forming an overlying dielectric layer.

A continuing trend in semiconductor technology is to build integrated circuits with more and/or faster semiconductor devices. The drive toward this ultra large-scale integration (ULSI) has resulted in continued shrinking of device and circuit features. To take advantage of increasing number of devices and to form them into one or more circuits, the various devices need to be interconnected.
To accomplish interconnection on such a small scale, a local interconnect is typically used within an integrated circuit to provide an electrical connection between two or more conducting or semi-conducting regions (e.g., active regions of one or more devices). For example, a plurality of transistors can be connected to form an inverting logical circuit using a local interconnect.
The local interconnect is typically a relatively low-resistance material, such as a conductor or doped semiconductor, that is formed to electrically couple the selected regions. For example, in certain arrangements, damascene techniques are used to provide local interconnects made of tungsten (W), or a like conductor, which is deposited within an etched opening, such as a via or trench that connects the selected regions together. The use of local interconnects reduces the coupling burden on the subsequently formed higher layers to provide such connectivity, which reduces the overall circuit size and as such tends to increase the circuit'performance. Accordingly, as the density of the circuits increase there is a continuing need for more efficient, effective and precise processes for forming smaller local interconnects.
With this in mind, FIG. 1 depicts a cross-section of a portion 10 of a prior-art semiconductor wafer having a stop layer 22 and a dielectric layer 26 as prepared for local interconnect processing using conventional deposition processes. As shown, portion 10 includes a substrate 12 in which one or more devices have been formed. By way of example, portion 10 includes a gate 16 that is part of a field effect transistor having a source region 24a and a drain region 24b formed within substrate 12, as is known in the art. Gate 16 is typically a conductive material or a semiconductive material, such as, for example, a doped polycrystalline silicon (referred to hereinafter as polysilicon), which has been formed on a gate oxide 14 (e.g., silicon dioxide SiO.sub.2) on top of substrate 12. A dielectric spacer 20 has been added to each of the vertical sidewalls of gate 16 and the exposed top surface of gate 16 has a conductive silicide 18 formed thereon. Stop layer 22, which is a dielectric material, such as, for example, silicon nitride (e.g., Si.sub.3 N.sub.4), has been deposited over the exposed surfaces of portion 10 using a stop layer deposition process. Dielectric layer 26, such as, for example, tetraethlorthosilicate (TEOS) oxide, has been deposited over stop layer 22 using a conventional deposition process.
Although stop layer 22 and dielectric layer 26 are both dielectric materials, preferably they are different enough in composition such that subsequent etching processes are capable of etching through dielectric layer 26 while essentially stopping on stop layer 22, thereby avoiding the possibility of etching into substrate 12 and the device regions formed therein. In this manner, stop layer 22 tends to provide improved process control in the formation of local interconnects that are formed using damascene techniques.
The continued shrinkage of the critical dimensions of the various components, layers and film, for example in portion 10 of FIG. 1, places new challenges on those seeking to maintain process control. One of these challenges is to maintain control over the dielectric etching process during local interconnect formation, and in particular effectively stopping on stop layer 22.
To help address this problem improved materials and/or etching processes have been developed, and continue to be developed, so as to increase the selectivity of the dielectric etching process to stop layer 22. Unfortunately, these improvements have yet to lead to a process that exhibits perfect selectivity between the dielectric layer 26 and stop layer 22. Consequently, it is possible to over-etch portions of stop layer 22 and "punch-through" to substrate 12 during the dielectric etching process, especially if stop layer 22 is very thin.
This is especially true for high aspect ratio local interconnect trenches/vias that are formed over a non-planar underlying topology. The high aspect ratios (e.g., a ratio of the trench's height to width) and uneven topology of these types of local interconnects usually requires an etching process that is longer in duration so as to effectively etch away dielectric layer 26. For example, if a local interconnect is formed to electrically connect drain region 24b and gate 16, the comer of gate 16 and the curvature of spacer 20 form an uneven topology. Consequently, during the local interconnect etching process, the newly exposed portions of stop layer 22 over the comer of gate 16 and over spacer 18 will be exposed to the etching materials while the remaining areas of dielectric layer 26 are etched away to reveal substrate 12/drain region 24b. In this example, over-etching and/or punch-through occurs if stop layer 22 is breached during the etching of dielectric layer 26 and spacer 18 is etched wholly or partially away as a result. This problem is exacerbated by further dimensional reductions that tend to further reduce the thickness of stop layer 22 and spacer 18 while increasing the aspect ratio of the local interconnect trench/via.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improved methods that increase the process control and prevent over-etching or punch-through during the formation of local interconnects.

Methods for preventing deleterious punch-through during local interconnect formation


A process for routing a call between an ingress point and an egress point is based on an identifier, such as a number, assigned to the egress point and a registry in which identifiers are stored. A routing component receives the call from the ingress point and consults the registry to determine if an entry with the identifier of the egress point being called is stored therein. If a corresponding entry exists, a delivery route for routing the call to the egress point is determined. The delivery route may be a first path to the egress point if available. If the first path is not available, one or more secondary paths are determined, where one is utilized for sending the call to the egress point. The utilized secondary path may be the most optimal path for the call based upon established preferences and call features.

One or more intermediary networks and/or exchanges is encountered in the conventional routing of calls between two devices. For example, a call is typically terminated by a service provider to the public switch telephone network (PSTN). The call is then routed based on such factors as area code and exchange, providing for the call to be terminated at a local exchange carrier (LEC) before being delivered to the end user by the end user's service provider.
There are several disadvantages associated with the call routing structure described above. First, the call routing structure is costly. As there are multiple termination points along the call route between the calling party (i.e., the ingress point) and the called party (i.e., the egress point), there is naturally a cost associated with each termination point for maintenance and profitability purposes. Reducing or eliminating one or more termination points would accordingly reduce the cost associated with a call.
A second disadvantage relates to the porting of a number associated with a device. When a user of a device enlists a service provider to provide communication services for the device, a number is typically assigned to the device to serve as an identifier. The assigned number is then "ported" with that particular service provider. If a user wishes to switch service providers, the user is typically required to either obtain a new number, or in certain circumstances, the user may be able to port their number with the new service provider, however, this process is generally an inconvenience to the user and not available in all situations in any event.
Time issues are another disadvantage with the existing call routing structure. The incorporation of one or more termination points results in a time delay for the call to be routed to the egress point. A more direct route would reduce the time delay that results from the PSTN and LEC terminations.
Further disadvantages with the existing call routing structure include poor voice quality and termination quality and the inability for devices that utilize different signaling protocols to communicate with one another.
Accordingly, there is a need and desire for an improved call routing and delivery implementation.

Optimized path call routing with device identifier


Techniques described herein allow for mobile positioning (i.e., the determination of the position of the UE) to be performed when the UE is in Idle mode. In some implementations, assistance data, that is used by the UE as part of the mobile positioning procedure, may be broadcast to the UE or transmitted to the UE within paging messages. The assistance data can potentially be sent to the UE in a number of time slots. In some implementations, the UE may perform measurements needed for mobile positioning only within discontinuous reception (DRX) occasions. Alternatively, in some implementations, the UE may perform measurements needed for mobile positioning outside of DRX occasions.

The Location Position Protocol (LPP) in the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards for cellular communications use Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA) of certain downlink (DL) signals to determine a position of a UE. The LPP may use multilateration techniques in which User Equipment (UE) measures the time of arrival (TOA) of signals received from multiple base stations. Based on the TOAs and the known locations of the base stations, the location of the UE may be calculated. As part of position determination suing OTDOA, the network may transmit assistance data to the UE. The assistance data may include configuration information describing when positioning signals, such as Positioning Reference Signals (PRS), are expected to arrive at the UE.
For some types of UEs, such as Internet of Things (IoT) UEs, operating in a low power mode, for extended periods, may be an important consideration in the design of the UEs. Such UEs may frequently be in an Idle state. In general, an Idle state UE, in contrast to being in the Connected state, may not have an active radio link with the network. Instead, an Idle state UE may be in a long discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle for monitoring downlink signals without transmitting to the network. Existing UEs, when in Idle mode, may not be capable of performing OTDOA positioning. For example, the Idle state may complicate the ability of the UE to receive the assistance data.

Location positioning protocol based positioning for UEs in idle mode


The present invention relates to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal transmitting and receiving device, in which a peak to average power ratio characteristic is improved without reducing a data transmission speed. The OFDM signal transmitting device separates a digital modulated symbol as a real part and an imaginary part, and performs discrete cosine transform (DCT) and discrete sine transform (DST) operations respectively for real and imaginary part symbols, performs an inverse fast Fourier transform operation, and generates an OFDM symbol. The OFDM signal receiving device performs a fast Fourier transform operation for the OFDM symbol, and performs an inverse DCT operation and an inverse DST operation, performs a digital demodulating operation, and generates a final binary data symbol.

Since a paradigm of a wireless communication service has been changed from a voice service to a multimedia service, the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme and the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA) scheme using the OFDM scheme has received a great deal of attention. Since the OFDM scheme has a good bandwidth-efficiency and characteristics that are robust against multipath fading, it is widely used in a fourth generation mobile communication system, a digital multimedia broadcasting TV, and a wireless local area network (WLAN).
A signal transmitting device and a signal receiving device in a conventional OFDM scheme will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a signal transmitting device 10 and a signal receiving device 20 in the conventional OFDM scheme.
As shown in FIG. 1, the signal transmitting device 10 in the conventional OFDM scheme includes a digital modulating unit 11, a serial to parallel converter (SPC) 12, an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) unit 13, a parallel to serial converter (PSC) 14, a cyclic prefix (CP) adder 15, a digital to analog converter (DAC) 16, a transmitting unit 17, and a transmitting antenna 18.
The digital modulating unit 11 performs digital modulating operations including binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 16-QAM, and 64-QAM for a data symbol that is binary data to be transmitted to a channel, and generates a digital-modulated symbol. The digital modulating unit 11 may be referred to as a "symbol mapping unit".
The SPC 12 serially receives a plurality of digital-modulated symbols from the digital modulating unit 11 and outputs them in parallel.
The IFFT unit 13 performs an IFFT operation for the plurality of parallel digital-modulated symbols output from the SPC 12, and generates a plurality of IFFT symbols.
The PSC 14 serially outputs the plurality of parallel IFFT symbols output from the IFFT unit 13.
The CP adder 15 adds a signal, which is referred as a cyclic prefix, to a former part of the plurality of serial IFFT symbols, which is output from the PSC 14, and generates a symbol group including the CP signal. Here, the CP is a part of symbols in a latter part of the plurality of IFFT symbols.
The DAC 16 receives the symbol group including the CP from the CP adder 15, and converts the symbol group into one analog OFDM symbol.
The transmitting unit 17 amplifies the generated OFDM symbol to a radio frequency (RF) signal, and transmits the RF signal to a channel through the transmitting antenna 18.
As shown in FIG. 1, the signal receiving device 20 in the conventional OFDM scheme includes a receiving antenna 21, a receiving unit 22, an analog to digital converter (ADC) 23, a cyclic prefix (CP) eliminating unit 24, an SPC 25, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) unit 26, a PSC 27, and a digital demodulating unit 28.
The receiving unit 22 receives the OFDM symbol from the channel through the receiving antenna 21.
The ADC 23 converts the OFDM symbol into a plurality of digital symbols.
The CP eliminating unit 24 eliminates the CP from the plurality of digital symbols.
The SPC 25 serially receives the plurality of CP-eliminated digital symbols, and outputs them in parallel.
The FFT unit 26 receives the plurality of parallel symbols from the SPC 25, performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) operation, and generates a plurality of frequency domain symbols.
The PSC 27 receives the plurality of symbols from the FFT unit 26 in parallel, and serially outputs them.
The digital demodulating unit 28 digitally demodulates the plurality of symbols serially output from the PSC 27, and generates a final data symbol.
The above OFDM symbol problematically has a large peak to average power ratio (PAPR). A signal is distorted in the OFDM symbol having the large PAPR while it is amplified by nonlinear devices including a high power amplifier (HPF).
Accordingly, various studies have been ongoing to improve the PAPR characteristic. However, since a part of subcarriers are used to improve the PAPR in suggested methods, the data transmission speed is reduced.

Apparatus for creating, demodulating, transmitting and receiving orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A pencil sharpener has a waste case, a blade base, a blocking chunk, a blade, a rotating knob and an adjusting shaft. The waste case has a mounting hole and multiple positioning segments formed on the inner wall of the mounting hole. The blocking chunk is moveably mounted on the bottom of the blade base along an axial direction of the blade base. The blade is mounted securely on the blade base. The rotating knob is mounted rotatably in the mounting hole in the waste case and has at least one engaging segment selectively engaging the positioning segments of the waste case. The adjusting shaft is connected securely with the rotating knob and is disposed on the blocking chunk. When the rotating knob is rotated, the adjusting shaft is rotated to push the blocking chunk to move along the axial direction of the blade base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pencil sharpener, and more particularly to an adjustable pencil sharpener having capabilities of adjusting degrees of sharpness of a pencil tip and providing a user with a clear signal when the adjusting process is completed.
2. Description of Related Art
A pencil sharpener can sharpen a pencil to expose and sharpen the pencil core for writing. To fit with different needs, an adjustable pencil sharpener is provided to adjust degrees of sharpness of pencil tips. With reference to FIG. 7, a conventional pencil sharpener disclosed in Taiwan Utility Model No. M384109, entitled "Pencil Lead Sharpener Having Two Operation Stages", comprises a waste case 70, a first blade base 71, a second blade base 72, a cam 73 and a rotating board 74. The first blade base 71, the second blade base 72 and the cam 73 are mounted in the waste case 70. The second blade base 72 is mounted on and axially moveable relative to a bottom of the first blade base 71. The cam 73 has multiple pushing protrusions 731 in different longitudinal heights formed on and protruding from a top of the cam 73, and the second blade base 72 has a bottom abutting one of the pushing protrusions 731 on the cam 73. The rotating board 74 is mounted on and exposed from a bottom of the waste case 70 and is connected with the cam 73. When the rotating board 74 is rotated, the cam 73 can be rotated to push the second blade base 72 to move axially relative to the first blade base 71. Accordingly, the relative axial distance between the first and second blade bases 71,72 can be changed, and the tip of the pencil can be sharpened into varying degrees of sharpness.
However, the conventional pencil sharpener has the following drawback. When the rotating board 74 is rotating to adjust the sharpness of the pencil tips, the conventional pencil sharpener cannot provide the user with a clear feedback signal to show that the adjusting process is completed by positioning the blade bases 71,72. The rotating board 74 may be over-rotated or the user gests confused about the direction in which the rotating board 74 should be rotated, so the conventional pencil sharpener is inconvenient in use.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a pencil sharpener to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A 1:2 or 2:1 audio sampling rate conversion filter converts audio signals from a first sampled rate to a second sampled rate has a multi-coefficient subfilter for receiving a plurality of audio signal samples from buffer memory obtained by sampling at the first sampled rate, and for performing convolution on the plurality of audio signal samples to generate a multi-coefficient based convolution product. In combination with the multicoefficient subfilter, the audio sampling rate conversion filter has a single coefficient subfilter for only receiving a middle sample from the buffer memory and for performing convolution on the middle sample using a single middle coefficient to generate a single middle coefficient based convolution product. The multi-coefficient based convolution product and the single middle coefficient based convolution product are used to convert the audio signal samples obtained at the first sampled rate to audio signal samples corresponding to signal samples obtained as if sampled at the second sampled rate. A commutator in combination with the multicoefficient and single coefficient subfilters is used to achieve a reduction in the number of multiplications required by the filter to obtain suitable rate converted signal samples.

The invention relates generally to audio sampling rate conversion FIR filters and more particularly to low pass audio sampling rate conversion FIR filters that perform interpolation and/or decimation by a factor of two such as 1:2 interpolation and/or 2:1 decimation.
The trend in multimedia computer systems is to have numerous audio sources, such as CD's, DVD's, stored audio files and digital satellite broadcast signals that can be mixed and need to be output through the computer to speakers. The audio signal to the speakers is typically specified at a different sampling rate than the audio sampling rate from the sources. In digital audio applications, standard sampling rates and conversions may be as shown below in Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ original sampling rate (kHz) new sampling rate (kHz) ______________________________________ 11.025 22.05 22.05 44.1 8 16 16 32 ______________________________________
The individual data stream must each be converted to a common sampling rate of typically 48 kwps (kilowords per second). Mixing of these streams from the various sources may generally be accomplished by taking a stream at 8 kwps and converting it by a factor of two to 16 kwps and mixing the data with the stream at 16 kwps. In the same way, a 16 kwps stream is converted by a factor of two to 32 kwps stream and can be mixed with a stream at 32 kwps. The rate may also be in bytes per second or other suitable data size.
For example, where audio from a source or channel has been sampled at 8 kwps and the signal must be mixed with audio from another source that outputs sampled signals at a rate twice as much, such as 16 kwps, the audio signal must undergo 1:2 interpolation to provide twice as many samples for the same signal. Conversely, where the source audio has been sampled at twice the rate than audio it is to be mixed with, the signal must undergo filtering and be decimated to provide one-half as many samples for the same signal.
With many audio sources and a limited amount of computer processing capability and memory in multimedia systems (and audio telecommunication systems), efficient sampling rate conversion is necessary. Generally, during interpolation or decimation, a digital filter must perform multiplications for each filter coefficient to determine a corresponding signal value. Each multiplication step requires processing time. A typical sampling rate converter uses a half-band FIR filter for performing all of the interpolation and decimation. Such filters, as known in the art, use nearly one-half the number of filter coefficients compared to a normal FIR filter while providing a similar signal to noise quality level. For example, where a 96 dB S/N ratio is desired, a normal FIR filter may require the use of 60 filter coefficients whereas the halfband FIR filter may only require about 30 coefficients. However, such filters still require input samples with zero values inserted so the number of multiplication operations is still higher than desired. Operation of a standard half band filter is shown in FIG. 1.
Another type of rate converter uses a poly-phase FIR filter (or filters) to perform all interpolation or decimation. The poly-phase FIR filter is more efficient than a conventional FIR filter because it skips the zero values inserted. However, such filters still require a large number of coefficients so that additional audio conversion will be slower than necessary to accommodate mixing of numerous audio sources.
Consequently, there exists a need for an improved audio sampling rate conversion filter that performs interpolation and/or decimation by a factor of two such as 1:2 interpolation and/or 2:1 decimation. It would be advantageous if such a filter required fewer coefficients and processing time to convert audio signals.


This invention is generally directed towards a system designed to assist the rig operator by alerting him/her that the air pressure is too low to be using the drum clutch, to provide a log for studies on rig operation technique, and to provide a training tool for rig operators. If the pressure on the clutch bladder is above a predetermined range, the clutch is allowed to engage. If the signal is below the range, the clutch is assumed to have not been engaged. If the signal is within the range, the clutch is not allowed to engage and the rig operator is notified of the problem.

After an oil rig drills a well and installs the well casing, the rig is dismantled and removed from the site. From that point on, a mobile repair unit is typically used to service the well. Servicing includes installing and removing inner tubing strings, sucker rods, and pumps. The variety of work requires a myriad of tools.
One piece of equipment that is found on almost every well service rig is a hoist system for controlling the movement of a cable attached to a traveling block. The hoist winds and unwinds a cable that is attached to a traveling block, which is ultimately used to raise and lower heavy objects, such as rods and tubing, into and out of oil and gas wells. The hoist is usually driven by a variable speed engine coupled in part to the hoist. The prime mover (engine) drives the hoist, usually utilizing a chain driven compound and an air actuated friction clutch, the drum clutch being a critical component of the overall hoist system. The clutch is frequently the most often abused component of the overall drum system. For the most part, the abuse comes from unwanted slippage, which leads to excessive wear on the clutch assembly, leading to a reduced load size the well service rig can lift, and ultimately leading to a total breakdown of the rig.
The coupling effect of a clutch is a function of both the frictional component of the clutch (coefficient of friction and cross sectional area) and the total force between the drum and the compound plates. Naturally, higher hook loads supported by the well service rig require increased coupling between the compound and the drum, thereby requiring a stronger clutch. Since well service rig clutches are commonly air actuated, the amount of air pressure being exerted on the clutch assembly is critical to it operating properly.
The life of a drum clutch on a well service rig varies in accordance to usage and operator technique. On some rigs, clutches can last over 5 years, while on others they are replaced at intervals less than 1 year. This leads to costly rig repairs and even costlier rig down time. Therefore, this industry needs a system to assist the rig operator in operating the drum clutch so as to reduce the wear on the clutch caused by operator technique.

Warning device and method to prevent clutch burning


An endoscope includes an insertion portion provided with a controllable curved tube. The controllable curved tube includes a plurality of circular tube sections connected in series. A first C-shaped engaging portion is arranged at one end of each tube section. A first included angle is formed between the opening direction of the first C-shaped engaging portion and the axial direction of the tube section to which the first C-shaped engaging portion belongs. A first C-shaped notch is arranged around the outside of the first C-shaped engaging portion. The other end of the tube section is provided with a second C-shaped engaging portion that is engaged with the first C-shaped notch of another tube section. The inner side of the second C-shaped engaging portion is provided with a second C-shaped notch and a spherical protrusion which are engaged with a first C-shaped engaging portion of another tube section.

Endoscopes used in industry or medical treatment are provided with an insertion portion to be inserted into a living body or a tube. Generally, for an endoscope having flexible insertion portion, there is a controllable curved portion arranged at the front end of the insertion portion. The curved portion can be bent as need by means of an operation device. Therefore, in an endoscope having curved portion, the direction of the observation portion arranged at the front end can be oriented to a desired direction by the operation device.
Patent CN 200510076111.1 discloses a bendable portion. The bendable portion is arranged at the distal end of the insertion tube of the endoscope and includes a plurality of tube sections, each of the plurality of tube sections is provided with a connecting device, and the connecting device cooperates with a connecting device of an adjacent tube section. The bendable portion further includes a control line, and the control line can control the bendable portion to bend. Each connecting device of the plurality of tube sections is arranged in a manner that each connecting device axially protrudes from the respective surfaces and is positioned in the housing of the tube section. The thickness of each connecting device is smaller than or equal to the thickness of the housing. The connecting devices, which are arranged on the respective surfaces of the adjacent tube sections and positioned opposite to one another, are complementary to one another in a hinge-type connection manner.
Patent CN 201280041664.1 discloses a curved portion. The curved portion includes a group of bending pieces in which a plurality of bending pieces are successively arranged in a freely rotatable manner. The bending piece group is composed of the plurality of bending pieces and engaging portions, wherein the plurality of bending pieces are formed by cutting a rigid tube, two sides of each bending piece are respectively provided with a convex portion and a concave portion where the engaging portion is arranged, and the plurality of bending pieces are rotatably connected by the engaging portions. The engaging portion includes a first engaging portion, and the first engaging portion includes a first convex portion formed on one side of the bending piece by cutting and a first concave portion that is formed on the other side of the bending piece and allows the first convex portion to slide therein. The engaging portion further includes a second engaging portion, and the second engaging portion is formed by a pair of second convex portions formed on the other side of the bending piece and separated from the first concave portion by cutting and a pair of second concave portions which are formed on one side of the bending piece and allow the pair of second convex portions to slide therein. The bending piece is provided with any one of a first reinforcing portion that cuts out a portion of the bottom of the first concave portion and widens the bending piece end on one end side and a second reinforcing portion that widens the bending piece end on the other end side from the bottom surface of the pair of second concave portions.
Patent CN201580047959.3 discloses an endoscope device provided with a curved tube having an enhanced resistance to an external force, the external force is applied to a plurality of bending pieces that are formed and connected by laser drawing, and the external force includes pulling, bending and twisting. In order to achieve the above objective, the curved tube according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first bending piece, configured to form a bendable curved tube; a second bending piece, configured to rotate relative to the first bending piece; a connecting rod, formed on the first bending piece and having a rotating shaft around which the second bending piece rotates; an engaging portion, formed on the second bending piece and having a sliding surface that is substantially parallel to the rotating shaft and slides relative to the connecting rod, wherein the engaging portion is rotatably engaged with the connecting rod; and a receiving portion, formed adjacent to the connecting rod in the first bending piece and having a vertical surface, wherein the vertical surface abuts the engaging portion when the engaging portion engaged with the connecting rod rotates and the vertical surface is formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotating shaft.
However, in the above-mentioned curved tube structures disclosed in the prior art, the structures for connecting the bending pieces or tube sections that form the curved tube are notches and protrusions that are engaged with one another, the opening direction of the notch is consistent with the axial direction of the curved tube, and the protrusion is engaged with the notch along the axial direction of the curved tube to connect the bending pieces or tube sections in series. In such a design, the bending piece or the tube section is prone to disengagement, which poses a potential safety risk to the surgery and affects the service life of the instrument.


A double container includes an outer layer body constituting an outer shell; an inner layer body including an upper opening communicating with a containing space, accommodated in the outer layer body, and deformable to undergo volume reduction; an inside plug including a tubular wall extending toward the containing space, a spherical body serving as a valve body being disposed inside the tubular wall; and a dispensing plug fitted to a mouth portion of the outer layer body and including a dispensing tube connected to the tubular wall. The tubular wall includes an inclined wall having a diameter decreasing toward the containing space and configured to abut against the spherical body over an entire circumference and including a protruding wall protruding from the inclined wall to the containing space. The protruding wall includes a liquid holding member holding a pool of liquid medium of the content formed below the spherical body.

As a container for containing cosmetics such as face lotion, shampoo, rinse, liquid soap, food seasoning, or the like, a double container (which is also called delamination container) including an outer layer body that constitutes an outer shell of the container and an inner layer body that is accommodated in the inner layer body and that is deformable to undergo volume reduction has been known. In such a double container, an ambient air introducing hole is provided in communication between the inside and the outside of the outer layer body, and only the inner layer body undergoes volume reduction in response to dispensing of the content.
Ways of dispensing the content include using a pump fitted to a mouth portion of the outer layer body and squeezing a trunk portion of the outer layer body. Another possible way that may be adopted when the content has a relatively low viscosity is to tilt or invert the container and allows the content to be dispensed by its own weight. In connection with this, Patent Literature 1 discloses a double container in which a spherical body (ball valve) is disposed in a dispensing plug that is fitted to a mouth portion of the container, the spherical body being displaceable by its own weight in response to a change in position of the container. When the container is in an upright position, the spherical body is in abutment with an inclined wall of the dispensing plug, thereby preventing ambient air from entering a containing space of a content. On the other hand, when the container is brought into a tilted or an inverted position, the spherical body is displaced off the inclined wall of the dispensing plug, thereby allowing the content to be dispensed by its own weight.


A semiconductor device and a method of operating the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a memory block including a plurality of pages having a plurality of first cells and a plurality of second cells, a circuit group configured to read first cells and second cells of a selected page of the pages a strobe signal control circuit configured to store source bouncing information generated during a read operation of the first cells of the selected page and output a strobe signal based on stored information, and a control circuit configured to control the circuit group in response to the strobe signal during a read operation of the second cells of the selected page.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and an operating method thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to a read operation of a semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor devices generally include a memory cell array for storing data.
The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory blocks. In NAND flash type memory, the memory blocks include a plurality of cell strings connected between bit lines and a source line. For example, each cell string includes a source select transistor, a plurality of memory cells and a drain select transistor connected in series between the bit line and the source line.
In a read operation (or, a verification operation) of the semiconductor device, bit lines are precharged, and a source line is grounded. At this time, a read voltage is applied to a selected word line and it is determined, based on variation in potentials of the bit lines whether, selected memory cells are programmed.
Because the source line is commonly connected to the plurality of cell strings, the potential of the source line may be temporarily increased in the read operation by a variety of complex causes, such as degradation of the source line or current flowing in the cell string, etc. The above-mentioned phenomenon is called source bouncing.
In particular, when source bouncing occurs during a read operation, the threshold voltage of the selected memory cells may be higher than the read voltage, although the threshold voltage of the selected memory cells should be lower than the read voltage. That is, the threshold voltage of the memory cells may be higher than the actual threshold voltage thereof. Thus, the reliability of read operations may be degraded.
Therefore, research for decreasing source bouncing has been actively studied. However, source bouncing has not been eliminated.

Semiconductor device and operating method thereof


A construction machine (1) with a machine frame (2) and lifting columns (8) carrying crawler track units (4). The lifting columns (8) include consoles (10) coupled in pairs to the machine frame (2) by articulations (20, 22, 24, 26) and a coupling rod (18). The mutual distance of the articulations (20, 24; 22, 26) on a console (10) is of a length and/or the coupling rod (18) is of a shape that, when the crawler track units (4) swivel between limit positions of a swivel gear (14), the coupling rod (18) maintains a distance to the articulations (20, 22) facing the machine frame and/or to the lifting columns (8) over a swivelling angle range in excess of 90°, starting from the working position. The swivel gear (14) effects both the steering and the swivelling movements respectively in and from a transport position (5) to the working position and back.

The invention relates to construction machinery, as well as a pivoting device.
Such construction machinery is known, for instance, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,165. In such construction machinery, the machine frame is supported by a chassis with several wheels or crawler track units that are coupled with the machine frame via lifting columns. The lower part of the lifting column is extendable in order to raise the machine frame to a pre-determined plane. Each lifting column can be adjusted in height individually or together with other lifting columns. The machine frame shows a width that is suitable for transport on a transport vehicle. In longitudinal direction, the machine frame shows a length that is a multiple of the width. As used herein, when it is said that one structure "shows" a certain feature, it is meant that the structure includes that feature.
In the known construction machine, the swivel support of each crawler track unit is mounted coaxially below one lifting column, with a slewing ring being arranged at the crawler track unit that enables steering of the crawler track unit by means of a steering cylinder which supports itself at the machine frame. Several articulated brackets are provided at the slewing ring which make it possible, by way of remounting the steering cylinder to other articulated brackets, to swivel a crawler track unit from a transport position parallel to the longitudinal direction of the machine frame to a working position transverse to the longitudinal direction in several work steps.
In transport position, the construction machine is capable of being driven from a transport vehicle and of being steered, whereas in working position, the machine is capable of bridging a carriageway width of up to, for instance, 18 m depending on the length of the machine frame.
Of disadvantage in this design are the great installation effort required on all crawler track units and the risk of accident and injury during the installation work.
The installation effort is caused by the fact that the steering cylinder is suitable for enabling a swivelling angle of approx. 45° only. Additional articulated brackets must therefore be provided at the slewing ring in order to enable the steering cylinder to be remounted for further swivelling of the crawler track unit and to enable it to be coupled to a different articulated bracket. In the process, it causes difficulty to bring the piston rod of the steering cylinder into an aligned position with a different articulated bracket at the slewing ring for the purpose of articulated locking.
In a different embodiment without additional articulated brackets, a coupling rod enables the steering function of the crawler track unit in transport position to be transmitted to the crawler track unit arranged on the other side of the machine frame.

Construction machinery and pivoting device


An object of this invention is to provide a semiconductor device having a monitor pattern which can more strictly ensure the precise finish dimension of a semiconductor integrated circuit device. According to this invention, in a semiconductor device in which a first monitor pattern for monitoring a variation in the dimension of the pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit device is formed on a semiconductor substrate, the first monitor pattern includes a first SDG region pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate a second SDG region pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate, at least one first gate wiring pattern formed on the first and second SDG region patterns a third SDG region pattern having an area different from the area of the first SDG region pattern and formed on the semiconductor substrate a fourth SDG region pattern having an area different from the area of the first SDG region pattern and formed on the semiconductor substrate and at least one second gate wiring pattern formed on the third and fourth SDG region patterns.

This invention relates to a semiconductor device in which a monitor pattern for monitoring a variation in the patterning dimension of a resist film used for forming a semiconductor integrated circuit device (LSI device) and for monitoring a precise finish dimension of the LSI device is formed.
Further, this invention relates to a method for manufacturing the above semiconductor device.
A monitor pattern formed in a semiconductor device is used particularly for ensuring the precise finish dimension of an LSI device during a fine patterning process using lithography technology.
As is well known in the art of semiconductor device manufacturing processes, and in particular, in the fine patterning process using the lithography technology, it is known that even if the dimension of a resist film pattern used for forming elements in an LSI device defined by the mask is constant, some portions of the resist film pattern will be formed with different finish dimensions, for example, by the standing wave effect of light caused by a variation in the film thickness of a resist film due to a difference in level of the background layer, the microloading effect caused by a variation in the supply amount of an etchant due to a difference in the density of the mask pattern, or the proximity effect caused by a variation in the exposure light amount due to a variation in the density (dense or sparse arrangement) of the mask pattern.
That is, a variation occurs in the dimension of the resist film in principle by patterning.
However, conventionally, for example, a quality control (QC) or monitor pattern having a specified pattern dimension is formed on the scribe line of a wafer. Whether the pattern dimension of the monitor pattern is set within a specified range or not is determined by monitoring the dimension thereof so as to ensure the precise finish dimension of the LSI device even though a difference in level of the background layer randomly exists in the actual LSI device.
Therefore, with the conventional monitor pattern, a variation in the finish dimension of the entire portion of the LSI device cannot be monitored and the precise finish dimension of the LSI device cannot always be ensured.
Particularly, the dimension of the LSI device is finally determined by the finish dimension obtained after the etching process, but the difference between the dimension of the resist film pattern and the finish dimension, that is, the etching conversion difference is largely dependent on a difference in the density (dense or sparse arrangement) of the resist film pattern.
Therefore, the etching conversion difference determined by use of the conventional QC pattern formed with the specified pattern dimension cannot be applied to the entire portion of the resist film pattern in the LSI device, and strictly speaking, the precise finish dimension of the LSI device is not ensured at all in the prior art.
As described above, conventionally, a variation in the dimension of the resist film pattern in the actual LSI device cannot be monitored and there occurs a problem that the precise finish dimension of the LSI device is not always ensured.
This invention has been made in consideration of the above condition, and an object of this invention is to provide a semiconductor device having a monitor pattern with which variations in the dimensions of all of the element forming patterns in an actual semiconductor integrated circuit device can be monitored and in which the precise finish dimension of the semiconductor integrated circuit device can be more strictly ensured.
Further, an object of this invention is to provide a method for manufacturing the above semiconductor device.

Semiconductor device having monitor pattern formed therein


The present disclosure relates to a handle assembly (100) for arrangement on a double-walled door (200) comprising a first door wall (220) and a second door wall (230), and a space (210) between the two door walls. The handle assembly comprises a shaft (130) having a first and a second end and arranged for extending through the two door walls (220, 230), a first handle part (110) for arrangement to the first end of the shaft (130) such that the first handle part abuts an outer side of the first door wall, and a second handle part (120) for arrangement to the second end of the shaft (130) such that the second handle part abuts an outer side of the second door wall. The handle assembly (100) further comprises a distance tube through which the shaft extends, the distance tube comprising a first tube part (150) and a second tube part (160). The first handle part (110), when arranged to the shaft (130), contacts the first tube part (150) such that the first tube part is pressed towards an inner side (231) of the second door wall (230). Further, the second handle part (120), when arranged to the shaft (130), contacts the second tube part (160) such that the second tube part is pressed towards an inner side (221) of the first door wall (220).

Handle assemblies that may be arranged on a double-walled door, for instance used in air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration or cabinet applications, comprising two walls arranged with a distance between each other, forming a door inner space between the walls, are known. Such assemblies may comprise a first handle part and a second handle part arranged on respective sides of the door. The two handle parts are connected via a shaft extending through the door, through the inner space between the two door walls. To firmly attach each of the handle parts to the shaft and to the door, the handle parts will be pressed against the two door walls respectively with a considerable amount of force. Since the space between the two door walls may be empty, or filled with any porous material, the door may be deformed by the two door walls being pressed towards each other when the handle assembly is attached to the door.
A known way of solving the above problem is to arrange a distance tube between the two door walls such that the distance tube abuts the inner sides of both door walls. The shaft extending through the door extends through the distance tube. When the handle parts are attached to the shaft and pressed against the door walls, the distance tube will keep the door walls from being pressed towards each other, thereby avoiding that the door is deformed. However, the length of the distance tube must in such solution exactly correspond to the distance between the door walls in order to prevent the door walls from being pressed towards each other. If the distance tube is slightly too long or too short the door will be deformed. Further, since the cross-section of the distance tube must be larger than an opening in the door walls through which opening the shaft extends, the distance tube must be inserted between the door walls before the door is assembled. When a handle is to be arranged on a preassembled door, it is not possible to insert the distance tube between the door walls.
Consequently, there is a need for a handle assembly for a double-walled door that prevents the door walls from being pressed towards each other. Further, there is a need for a handle assembly that is flexible for the distance between the door walls. Further, there is a need for such a handle assembly that may be arranged on a preassembled door.


A washing machine including a water tub, a housing and a water vacuum break. The water tub is mounted in the housing. The housing includes an outer wall having a plurality of slots therein. The water vacuum break partially extends over a portion of the water tub. The vacuum break includes at least one retaining protrusion and at least one retaining snap associated with the at least one retaining protrusion. The at least one retaining protrusion extends over a portion of the outer wall and the at least one retaining snap has an edge that engages a portion of one of the plurality of slots.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water vacuum break, and, more particularly, to a water vacuum break utilized in a washing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water inlet devices are used to provide a vacuum break in the inlet water supply that disperses water from an inlet supply hose into the tub of a washing machine. The water is directed to a load of clothes, which are located in the bottom of the tub or along the sidewall of the tub.
The typical automatic clothes washer or dishwasher for home use is equipped to carry on a series of operations in sequence. The series of operation is most commonly referred to as a cycle. A typical cycle includes fill and rinse elements, each of which utilize a water inlet device, such as a vacuum break, to supply water to the washer. A washing machine includes a housing in which the mechanical operating devices are mounted. It is typical to include a motor assembly for causing motion within the washing device and water control valves for turning on the hot and cold water as necessary under the control of a controller. The water control valves may be associated with the water vacuum break
The desirability of a vacuum break prevents water from re-entering the water supply source, thereby preventing the contamination of the water source.
What is needed in the art is a simple cost effective way of mounting a vacuum water break for the easy installation and removal thereof.

Mounting and method for mounting a water vacuum break