A method for manufacturing a composite metal material combined with a nanocarbon material comprises heating a metal alloy to a half-melted state in which both liquid and solid phases are present. Next, a nongraphitized nanocarbon material is added to the half-melted metal alloy and stirred to form a composite metal material combined with a nanocarbon.

Composite metal materials are obtained by mixing single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, nanocarbon fiber, fullerenes, or other nano-sized carbon materials (referred to below as "nanocarbon materials") into metal alloys. Composite metal materials are thought to be capable of having enhanced mechanical and thermal properties relative to simple metal alloys.
However, nanocarbon materials have poor wettability in relation to metal alloys. The two materials will therefore separate if a nanocarbon material is simply stirred together with a metal alloy. Once separation has occurred, a composite metal material having the desired mechanical and thermal properties will not be able to be obtained. Techniques for preventing separation have already been proposed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-136363 (JP-A-2004-136363).
In claim 1 of JP-A-2004-136363, there is defined the invention "a method for molding a composite of a nanocarbon material and a metal alloy having a low melting point, comprising: cooling the melted metal alloy having a low melting point so that a liquid phase and a solid phase coexist and a thixotropic half-melted state is obtained; mixing the metal alloy having a low melting point and the nanocarbon material in this state and making a composite material; maintaining the thixotropy of the composite material and injecting the composite 1 material to fill a mold using a molding machine provided with heating means; and molding a composite metal article using the mold."
In other words, a nanocarbon material is mixed into a metal alloy in a state in which both liquid and solid phases are present, and movement of the nanocarbon material is therefore limited. Since movement is limited, the nanocarbon material will not float up or precipitate out, and improvements in dispersibility can be achieved.
However, the metal alloy does not adhere to the nanocarbon material. Gaps may arise between the metal alloy and the nanocarbon material when repeated loads are applied to the composite metal material. When gaps arise, the mechanical and thermal properties deteriorate.
Further improvements in wettability have been needed as a counter measure, because the metal alloy can be made to adhere to the nanocarbon material if the wettability is good.
Techniques for further improving wettability have been proposed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-176244 (JP-A-2004-176244).
JP-A-2004-176244 is characterized in that a nanocarbon material to be added to a metal matrix is graphitized.
In order to verify the technique of JP-A-2004-176244, the present inventors performed an experiment for obtaining composite-metal molded articles in which a graphitized nanocarbon material was mixed into a metal alloy. The conditions and results of the experiment are as below.
Materials:
Metal alloy: ASTM AZ91D (magnesium alloy die-cast, equivalent to JISH 5303 MDC1D). The composition of a material specified as AZ91D is approximately 9% by mass of Al, 1% by mass of Zn, with the remainder being Mg and small amounts of other elements and unavoidable impurities.
Nanocarbon material: Graphitized nanocarbon material.
Mixing ratio: Shown in the following table.
Stirring: Three to five hours with a stirrer.
Injection Molding:
Size of the mold cavity:JIS 5 piece(65-mm length×27-mm width×3-mm thickness)
Injector type: Metal molding machine
Injection pressure: 20 MPa
Melting temperature: 590 to 600° C.
Injection rate: 1.5 m/s
Tensile Testing Machine:
Testing machine made by Shimadzu Corporation (AUTOGRAPH AG-250KNIS)
The tensile yield strengths (the value defined by JIS K7113 as "the tensile stress at the first point on a load/elongation curve at which an increase in length is recognized without an increase in load") obtained using the tensile testing machine are shown in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1Composite materialGraphitizednanocarbonTensile yieldSample No.AZ91DmaterialstrengthSample 1 100%  0%190 MPaSample 299.9%0.1%190.2 MPa  Sample 399.5%0.5%191 MPaSample 499.0%1.0%192 MPaSample 598.5%1.5%206 MPaSample 698.3%1.7%198 MPaSample 798.0%2.0%192 MPa
The test piece in Sample 1 was manufactured using only AZ91D (magnesium alloy). The tensile yield strength was 190 MPa.
The test piece in Sample 2 was manufactured by mixing 0.1% by mass of nanocarbon material into 99.9% by mass of AZ91D (magnesium alloy). The tensile yield strength was 190.2 MPa.
The test pieces in Samples 3 and 4 were manufactured by mixing 0.5% and 1.0% by mass of nanocarbon material into 99.5% and 99.0% by mass of AZ91D (magnesium alloy). The tensile yield strengths were 191 MPa and 192 MPa.
The test piece in Sample 5 was manufactured by mixing 1.5% by mass of nanocarbon material into 98.5% by mass of AZ91D (magnesium alloy). The tensile yield strength was 206 MPa.
The test pieces in Samples 6 and 7 were manufactured by mixing 1.7% and 2.0% by mass of nanocarbon material into 98.3% and 98.0% by mass of AZ91D (magnesium alloy). The tensile yield strengths were 198 MPa and 192 MPa.
The tensile yield strength obtained using Sample 1 (190 MPa) will be used as a standard. Since the goal of adding a nanocarbon material and making a composite is to improve strength, an improvement in strength of at least 5%, and preferably 10% or more, is expected. 190 MPa (Sample 1) multiplied by a factor of 1.05 is 200 MPa, and 190 MPa (Sample 1) multiplied by a factor of 1.1 is 210 MPa.
The results were that Samples 2 through 4, 6, and 7 were less than 200 MPa. Sample 5 exceeded 200 MPa but was less than 210 MPa.
It should be noted that nanocarbon materials are extremely expensive.
The tensile yield strengths of Samples 2 through 7 are too low for the proportions of expensive nanocarbon material that were mixed. A technique that can yield a stronger molded article is needed to make effective use of expensive nanocarbon material.
The present inventors once again investigated graphitized nanocarbon materials, the use of which has become common knowledge. Specifically, nanocarbon materials are composed of regular six-membered rings (annular structures composed of six carbon atoms) or five-membered rings (annular structures composed of five carbon atoms). Nanocarbon materials having few defects can be obtained by graphitization. However, wettability is poor when graphitized materials having few defects are combined with a metal. The graphitized nanocarbon material may be further processed in order to resolve this drawback, but manufacturing costs will increase in proportion to the number of additional steps.
The present inventors therefore devoted themselves to developing a manufacturing method for providing a high-strength metal-composite molded article without raising manufacturing costs.
The inventors first observed the surface of a graphitized nanocarbon material using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This revealed that the surface of the graphitized nanocarbon material is smooth. A further analysis using an X-ray diffraction apparatus revealed that the graphitized nanocarbon material has high crystallinity. Since it is smooth and has high crystallinity, the graphitized nanocarbon material is assumed to have low wettability with metal alloys. It is presumed that bonding between the metal alloy and the nanocarbon material will be incomplete if wettability is low, and improving strength will be difficult.
In order to improve wettability, the inventors observed a nongraphitized nanocarbon material using scanning electron microscopy while investigating various techniques for processing the surface of the nanocarbon material. The surface of the nongraphitized nanocarbon material was recognized as being rough. A further analysis using an X-ray diffraction apparatus revealed that the nanocarbon material is amorphous.
The strength of the nongraphitized nanocarbon material is low. Hence, such nongraphtized nanocarbon materials had not been considered as reinforcing materials. However, since they are amorphous and their surfaces are rough, such nongraphitized nanocarbon materials are assumed to have high wettability and their bondability with a metal alloy is expected to be adequate.
Adequately high strength was obtained when a nongraphitized nanocarbon material was stirred together with a metal alloy in accordance with the perspective above. This has lead to the present invention as summarized below.

Method for manufacturing composite metal material and method for manufacturing composite-metal molded article


A bonding layer of a first wafer article is thermally treated and a bonding layer of a second wafer article is thermally treated in accordance with first and second process parameters, respectively prior to bonding the first wafer article with the second wafer article. First and second grid distortion in the first and second wafer articles is measured and a difference is determined between the first and second grid distortions. A prediction is made for maintaining the difference within a prescribed tolerance. At least one of the first process parameters and the second process parameters is conditionally varied in accordance with the prediction. The thermal treating of the first and second wafer articles can then be performed with respect to another pair of the first and second wafer articles prior to bonding to one another through their respective bonding layers.

The present disclosure relates generally to microelectronic packaging, three-dimensional integration (3Di), and more specifically to fabrication of stacked semiconductor chip assemblies including bonding of first and second wafer articles to one another through bonding layers provided at respective surfaces thereof.
In the fabrication of stacked semiconductor chip assemblies, it can be advantageous to bond first and second wafers to one another through bonding layers provided at the respective surfaces of each wafer to form a wafer-level stacked assembly. Through silicon vias can provide vertical interconnects between conductive features of each wafer such as landing pads, traces, conductive pads or posts or traces and conductive features such as bond pads at one or more surfaces of the wafer-level assembly. Portions of the wafer-level assembly containing laterally adjacent semiconductor chips can then be severed from one another along saw lanes or "scribe lines" between the portions so as to form a plurality of assemblies each containing a plurality of vertically stacked chips.

Reducing wafer bonding misalignment by varying thermal treatment prior to bonding


Gene therapy methods and compositions for high level expression of anti-sickling globin proteins in erythroid cells for treating Sickle Cell disease are described.

The sickling of erythrocytes in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the result of a single amino-acid mutation, .beta.6 Glu to Val!, which leads to the polymerization of hemoglobin S (.alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.S.sub.2) in the tense (T), deoxygenated state. Long, multi-stranded fibers form within red blood cells (RBCs) of patients with SCD. The main fibers are made of 14 twisted strands associated by pairs (the Whisher-Lowe double-strand). The .beta.6 Val mutation is required to initiate stable lateral contacts with another tetramer in the double-stranded unit. Only one .beta.6 Val mutation per .alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.S.sub.2 tetramer is involved in inter-tetramer contact, although many other amino-acid residues participate in lateral and axial contacts within the double-strand as well as between double-strands (Bunn, H. F. and Forget, B. G. (1986) Hemoglobin: Molecular, Genetic and Clinical Aspects, (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia); Bunn, H. F. (1994) in The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases, Second Edition, eds. Stamatoyannopoulos, G., Nienhuis, A., W., Majerus, P. W. and Varmus, H. (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia), pp. 207-256; Dickerson, R. E. and Geis, I. (1983) Hemoglobin: Structure, Function, Evolution, and Pathology (The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif.);. Schechter, A. N., Noguchi, C. T. and Rodgers, G. P. (1987) in The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases, eds. Stamatoyannopoulos, G., Nienhuis, A., W., Leder, P. and Majerus, P. W. (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia), pp. 179-218).
Mixing .beta..sup.S with the other normal human .beta.-like globin chains (.beta..sup.X), i.e. .beta.-, .delta.- or or .gamma.-, results in an equilibrium between symmetrical (.alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.S.sub.2 and .alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.X.sub.2) and hybrid (.alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.S .beta..sup.X) tetramers, because interactions at .alpha./.beta. subunit interfaces within the same hemoglobin tetramer (packing and lateral contacts) are similar among .beta.-like globin chains. Symmetrical tetramers that do not have the .beta.6 Val mutation (.alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.X.sub.2) are incorporated into the fibers very poorly. The .alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.S .beta. hybrid tetramers are capable of copolymerizing with hemoglobin S, because only one .beta.6 Val residue per tetramer is required for inter-tetramer contact, and the other lateral and axial contacts are formed efficiently with the trans .beta. subunit. In contrast, .alpha..sub.2 .beta..sup.S .gamma. and .alpha..sup.2 .beta..sup.S .delta. hybrid tetramers are poorly if at all incorporated, because trans .delta.- and .gamma.- globin chains are unable to form important contacts within the S fiber even when the .beta.6 Val residue of the .beta..sup.S subunit is aligned appropriately. This phenomenon is believed to explain why .gamma.- and .delta.- globins are much stronger inhibitors of sickling than .beta.-globin, in vitro. In addition, interaction of these hybrid tetramers with hemoglobin S without successful copolymerization is expected to delay the polymerization process in vivo, so that RBCs return to the lung to get reoxygenated before significant sickling has occurred (Benesch, R. E., Edalji, R., Benesch, R. and Kwong, S. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 77, 5130-5134; Cheetham, R. C., Huehns, E. R. and Rosemeyer, M. A. (1979) J Mol. Biol., 129, 45-61; Sunshine, H. R., Hofrichter, J. and Eaton, W. A. (1979) J. Mol. Biol., 133, 435-467; Bunn, H. F. and Forget, B. G. (1986) Hemoglobin: Molecular, Genetic and Clinical Aspects, (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia); Bunn, H. F. (1994) in The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases, Second Edition, eds. Stamatoyannopoulos, G., Nienhuis, A., W., Majerus, P. W. and Varmus, H. (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia), pp. 207-256; Dickerson, R. E. and Geis, I. (1983) Hemoglobin: Structure, Function, Evolution, and Pathology (The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif.) Schechter, A. N., Noguchi, C. T. and Rodgers, G. P. (1987) in The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases, eds. Stamatoyannopoulos, G., Nienhuis, A., W., Leder, P. and Majerus, P. W. (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia), pp. 179-218).
The actual inhibitory effect of .delta. chains has not yet been assessed in vivo, because the .delta.-globin gene is always expressed at very low levels in human RBCs. In contrast, there is a strong correlation between high expression levels of .gamma. chains and a lower propensity for sickling in vivo, as observed for instance in certain forms of SCD associated with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) (Bunn, H. F. and Forget, B. G. (1986) Hemoglobin: Molecular, Genetic and Clinical Aspects, (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia); Bunn, H. F. (1994) in The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases, Second Edition, eds. Stamatoyannopoulos, G., Nienhuis, A., W., Majerus, P. W. and Varmus, H. (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia), pp. 207-256; Dickerson, R. E. and Geis, I. (1983) Hemoglobin: Structure, Function, Evolution, and Pathology (The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif.);. Schechter, A. N., Noguchi, C. T. and Rodgers, G. P. (1987) in The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases, eds. Stamatoyannopoulos, G., Nienhuis, A., W., Leder, P. and Majerus, P. W. (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia), pp. 179-218).
In addition, drugs known to derepress partially .gamma.-globin gene expression, such as hydroxyurea and butyrate derivatives, are clearly beneficial to SCD patients. However, these approaches do not represent a definitive cure and have raised legitimate concerns regarding their potential long-term consequences, which include teratogenic and oncogenic effects for hydroxyurea and neurotoxicity and multiorgan damage for butyrate. In addition, drug induced .gamma.-globin expression might be largely restricted to F cells, so that non-F cells may still sickle in SCD (Stamatoyannopoulos, G. and Nienhuis, A., W., (1994) in The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases, Second Edition, eds. Stamatoyannopoulos, G., Nienhuis, A. W., Majerus, P. W. and Varmus, H. (W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia), pp. 107-155).
New therapies for treating a subject afflicted with sickle cell disease are needed.

Compositions and methods for treating sickle cell disease


Various systems and methods for implementing automatic image metatagging are described herein. A system for metatagging media content comprises a camera system; a user input module to receive user input from a user to capture media content via the camera system; a camera control module to: activate the camera system to capture a scene, and obtain an image with at least a portion of a face of the user; a user identification module to identify the user based on the image; and a metatagging module to tag the scene with the user as an author of the scene.

Smart phones and tablets may be used to capture images and videos. After an image or video is captured, the content may be uploaded to a social media platform. Metadata is data about the content. Some metadata may be obtained or determined and stored with the content at the time the content is captured (e.g., when the picture is taken). Other metadata may be manually added later with image archive software, for example.


The invention relates to an effect paint for objects to be painted, as well as to a process for making the effect paint, wherein the effect paint comprises pigments. The pigments, produced by fragmenting a wiped and cross-linked film, are added to a starting paint of a paint coat of the object and result in a color effect which depends on the viewing angle, and are also provided with a marking used to recognize and characterize the object.

The present invention relates to a marking for objects painted with an effect paint which contains pigments, wherein the pigments are produced by fragmenting a wiped and cross-linked film and are added to at least one starting paint of a paint coat of the object, to result in a color effect which depends on the viewing angle. The present invention also relates to a process for marking objects to be painted with an effect paint, in which a liquid-crystalline polymer film is wiped onto a smooth base and cross-linked, the film is subsequently detached from the base and fragmented to form pigments which have a color effect depending on the viewing angle, and the pigments are added to a starting paint of the paint coat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,315 (counterpart of Published German Patent Application DE 42 40 743 A1) discloses a process for producing pigments which result in a color effect dependent on the viewing angle. However, this document does not disclose the marking of vehicles with such a paint coat.
Published German Patent Application DE 43 35 308 A1 (counterpart of U.S. Ser. No. 08/324,476, filed Oct. 17, 1994) discloses a marking for vehicles, wherein pigments are arranged in a multi-layer paint coat. Marking is accomplished by applying a code which is either applied to the pigments and/or formed by the pigments themselves. However, according to this method, the application of such a coding to the pigments is costly.
It is an object of the present invention to develop a marking for objects utilizing an effect paint coat such that the marking of the object is simplified. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a process for marking the object.
One of the objects of the present invention is achieved by providing an effect paint comprising pigments which carry a marking which is recognized and which characterizes the object so marked. A further object of the present invention is achieved by a process for painting an object with an effect paint comprising pigments which are provided with a marking having a code, which thereby marks the painted object. As a result of the coding of the pigments which occurs during production, it becomes possible to apply a vehicle-specific marking with a paint coat in a simple manner during production of the pigments. Furthermore, it is possible, as a result of the pigmentation, to provide paint with the correct marking for re-painting or touchup painting.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Marking for objects painted with an effect paint and process for producing the marking


A quick-release steering wheel for a work vehicle is configured to engage with and quickly release from one or more steering posts in an operator compartment of a vehicle. The operator compartment has two operator stations, each station having a steering post to which the steering wheel can be quickly and releasably attached. In use, the operator can pivot the operator seat in the operator compartment to face one or another of the two steering stations. The operator can quickly move the steering wheel from one operator station to the other without tools by depressing a spring-loaded pin. By removing the wheel from one station and moving it to the other, the operator makes additional room into which he can pivot or slide the seat. This arrangement permits the operator compartment to be made smaller and more compact by positioning the two steering posts and operator stations closer together.

Tractors and other work vehicles typically operate in a forward-facing mode, with one steering wheel located immediately in front of the operator. The steering wheel is used in conjunction with accelerator pedal, brake pedal and other transmission controls to drive the vehicle over the work terrain. Occasionally, it is necessary to drive the vehicle in a reverse direction, and the vehicle operator will turn his head and look behind to do this.
For some tasks, it is necessary to operate the vehicle in a reverse direction for prolonged periods of time. It has been common practice to have a second steering location for this purpose, whereby the operator moves to the second (rear-facing) steering location to operate the vehicle in reverse. Having multiple operator stations or steering wheels on a vehicle to allow prolonged reverse operation is not uncommon.
The prior art teaches an arrangement of two steering locations on a tractor, with all steering location equipment duplicated: seat, steering post, steering wheel, pedals and associated transmission controls. This requires considerable space on the tractor, and duplicated equipment increases the manufacturing cost and time.
It is much less common for two steering locations to share a seat and be in an enclosed operator compartment. The prior art teaches an arrangement of two steering locations on a tractor, with a shared seat and all other equipment, including the steering wheel and steering post duplicated. There are drawbacks to this arrangement, however. The size of the steering wheels, and the necessity to have them far enough away from the operator so as not to restrict operator movement, still requires considerable space on the tractor. The operator compartment is relatively large as compared to a single steering location tractor. Also, the duplicated equipment increases manufacturing cost and time.
The prior art also teaches a pivoting seat with two steering wheels in an enclosed operator compartment, whereby the rear steering wheel is smaller or offset to the side for one-handed operation. These methods offer less accurate control and require the operator to learn a different steering method for reverse steering.
The prior art also teaches various pivoting arrangements of seat and operating controls to accomplish the task of forward-facing and rear-facing tractor operation. These arrangements fit into an operator compartment, but require extra parts to accomplish the pivoting function. This method also needs more space to the sides to allow the controls to pivot around the seat, resulting in an operator compartment that is larger than that on a single steering location tractor.
The prior art also teaches methods of moving operator controls from one steering location to another that require tools. Using tools to move the steering controls takes significant time from the operator's otherwise productive work day. Further, the operator may lose such tools. Additionally, the operator would need training in the procedure.
What is needed is a two steering station method that fits into a minimal space, similar to the space found in a single steering station operator compartment. What is also needed is a quick and easy means of switching from forward-facing operation to rear-facing operation, with no tools and minimal training required for the operator. What is further needed is a two steering location method that minimizes the number of duplicated parts. What is also needed is a method whereby the operator has an identical operating style whether operating in forward-facing or rear-facing mode, with a large comfortable steering wheel and a steering controls arrangement that allows the operator to look directly over the steering wheel. What is further needed is a retrofit kit to modify a single steering station or two steering station vehicle to have the aforesaid benefits.


An apparatus, for determining a relative direction of a movement of an encoder object depending on a magnetic field which is generated or influenced by the encoder object. A magnetic field sensor generates two sensor signals based on the magnetic field, that indicate a profile of the magnetic field in the event of a relative movement between the encoder object and the magnetic field sensor, that fluctuate around a mean value and are phase-shifted 90° to one another. The processing circuit calculates an angle based on the two sensor signals, and determines the relative direction of the movement of the encoder object based on a gradient of the angle between a switch-on time of the apparatus and a threshold value angle which is reached thereafter or based on a gradient of the angle between the situation of two successive threshold value angles being reached.

Magnetic field sensors are used in order to measure magnetic fields. Examples of magnetic field sensors include AMR sensors (AMR=anisotropic magnetoresistance), GMR sensors (GMR=giant magnetoresistance), TMR sensors (TMR=tunnel magnetoresistance) or Hall sensors. These sensors produce an output signal which is proportional to an applied magnetic field. Magnetic field sensors are used in a large number of fields in order to detect relative movements between the magnetic field sensor and a magnet element. The magnet element can have, for example, one or more pole pairs, so that the magnetic field sensor produces an oscillation signal, which fluctuates around a mean value, in the event of a relative movement between the magnetic field sensor and the magnet element.
An example of magnetic field sensors of this kind is wheel speed sensors which detect a wheel speed. In wheel speed sensors of this kind, a pole wheel with one or a plurality of pole pairs can be arranged on an axle about which the wheel rotates, so that the pole wheel, when the wheel rotates, produces a varying magnetic field which is detected by the magnetic field sensor. Magnetic field sensors can generate, for example on the basis of the magnetic field which is generated by the pole wheel, output signals which are phase-shifted through 90° in relation to one another and on the basis of which an angle can in turn be calculated, it being possible for both the rotation speed and also the rotation direction of the pole wheel to be determined on the basis of the angle.
In general, magnetic field sensors can output an output signal in accordance with a signal protocol based on the detected signal. In the case of a so-called AK protocol (workshop protocol), a pulse sequence is generated at each zero crossing of the oscillation signal, wherein a first pulse with a first pulse height indicates the zero crossing and succeeding pulses with a second, lower height represent information bits which can indicate further information. In the case of another, so-called PWM protocol (PWM=pulse width modulation), an individual pulse is generated at each zero crossing of the oscillation signal. The width of the pulse can be modulated in order to contain information; for example, the pulses can have a first width when the wheel rotates in a first direction, and the pulses can have a second width when the wheel rotates in a second direction.
Autonomous driving applications can produce new requirements for wheel speed sensors. For example, a higher resolution may be necessary so as to enable autonomous parking applications.

Determining a relative movement direction


It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device to further raise the stability of a silicon wafer by providing a better hydrogen termination on the silicon wafer after completion of chemical and pure water cleaning treatments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device to be used with semiconductor fabrication equipment and the like, and more particularly to a rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device making possible substantial quality improvements in the products by stabilizing the outer surface of the silicon wafer through the improved hydrogen treatment of the outer surface of the silicon wafer through the drying process after cleaning is completed.
2. Background of the Invention
The fabrication of semiconductor elements generally starts with a cleaning treatment of a silicon wafer, and then various treatments such as the formation of a SiO film and the like on the silicon wafer are applied after the cleaning treatment.
For cleaning treatment for silicon wafers, the so-called rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device has been broadly employed, in that a silicon wafer placed on the rotation disc installed inside the device body is rotated at high speed (approximately 2000 RPM), and chemical cleaning agents such as hydrofluoric acid and the like are dispersed thereon. After the acid cleaning treatment, a cleaning treatment with pure water is added, and lastly the silicon wafer is dried while rotating at the high speed.
On the outer surface of a silicon wafer treated for cleaning with the afore-mentioned conventional rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device, Si on the so-called surface layer is exposed and hydrogen atoms are bonded with the exposed Si atoms, thus putting the outer surface in a condition wherein the so-called hydrogen termination treatment has been performed. The aim is to obtain a highly stable cleaned surface without impure atoms and the like deposited directly onto Si. As the result, it has been said that there will not occur the so-called natural oxidation on the surface layer even when it is left in the air over a long period of time.
However, even with a silicon wafer treated for cleaning with this kind of rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device, it is observed that an oxide film is naturally formed on the outer surface with the lapse of time after a cleaning is performed. This makes it difficult to prevent the natural formation of the afore-mentioned oxide film no matter how well environmental conditions are presented for the maintenance of the wafer.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a rotation type silicon wafer cleaning device has a silicon wafer support/rotation driving mechanism inside the case body for cleaning the silicon wafer at the post chemical cleaning with pure water, drying and hydrogen termination treatments on the outer surface of a silicon wafer is performed by means of installing a silicon wafer drying device comprising a gas supply panel attached to a case body to supply a mixed gas of the hydrogen gas and inactive gas containing a hydrogen gas of more than 0.05%, a mixed gas supply pipe coupled to a gas mixer of the afore-mentioned gas supply panel at one end, a mixed gas heating device to heat the mixed gas in the afore-mentioned gas supply pipe, and a hydrogen radical formation apparatus equipped with a platinum coating film to form hydrogen radical at the gas contacting part where to a high temperature gas heated with the afore-mentioned mixed gas heating device touches, thus to gush out the mixed gas containing hydrogen radical formed with the afore-mentioned radical formation apparatus onto the rotating silicon wafer after cleaning is completed.


Disclosed herein are memory cell arrays, semiconductor devices, and methods for fabricating semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, a memory cell array includes first, second, third, and fourth memory cells each having a first transistor and a second transistor. First and second word-lines are coupled with the gates of the first transistors of the first and second memory cells. The second and a third word-line are coupled with the gates of the second transistors of the third and fourth memory cells.

Non-volatile memory or non-volatile storage is computer memory that is capable of storing digital data when not powered. Non-volatile memory includes read-only memory, flash memory, ferroelectric RAM (F-RAM), some types of magnetic computer storage devices (e.g. hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape), and optical discs, among others. One typical type of non-volatile memory utilizes one transistor and one resister (1T1R) per memory cell. These 1T1R designs typically have an increased transistor width to accommodate the drive current required to operate the memory cell. Such increased widths restrict the number of memory cells that may be fabricated on one semiconductor wafer.
Another type of non-volatile memory cell utilizes two transistors and one resistor (2T1R) per memory cell. In a typical 2T1R memory cell array, each pair of word lines operates on the same row of memory cells. These rows of memory cells are aligned in a grid pattern so that adjacent rows of memory cells have storage elements that are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the rows of memory cells. Such alignment has been shown to result in substantial electrical interference such as crosstalk and disturb phenomena, as will be appreciated by those with skill in the art. In order to reduce such interference, a distance between storage elements is typically increased, resulting in fewer memory cells per semiconductor wafer. Although these typical 2T1R memory cells and arrays are suitable for their intended purpose, the need for reduced size and increased performance is essentially constant.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a memory cell array that has a reduced size and interference relative to existing memory cell arrays. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the memory cell arrays and methods of storing data will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, brief summary, and this background.

Non-volatile memory cell arrays and methods of fabricating semiconductor devices


Alternative notification methods for a portable wireless receiver that is able to receive paging objects (i.e., data objects) in addition to conventional alphanumeric page messages. When a paging object is received, the user may be notified of the receipt of the paging object using a visual alert or an audible alert. The user can selectively determine whether the sender of the page object will be allowed to determine the type of audible and/or visual notification provided the user. Various parameters associated with each type of directory in which page objects are stored and with the page objects indicate the preferences of the user and the sender for notifying the user of the receipt of the page object. The invention is also applicable to other types of portable wireless data receivers, such as a cell phone.

Personal information managers (PIMs) are tools that greatly enhance access to information required in various social and business activities. The personal information may include lists of important telephone numbers, scheduled events or meetings, addresses, important dates, things to be done, items to be purchased--in short, almost any type of data that might be needed by a person. To facilitate entry and storage of data into such tools, they are generally made sufficiently large to incorporate a QWERTY keyboard. However, including a full keyboard within a PIM results in a package that tends to be too large to be conveniently carried on one's person. Clearly, a smaller package and a different approach for entering the data are required if the device is to be readily accessible at all times. Any device that cannot easily be carried within a pocket, or attached to a person's body or clothing is likely to be left behind and will thus be unavailable when needed.
One solution to this problem that has already been developed is the Timex Corporation DATA LINK.TM. wristwatch. This wristwatch includes a microprocessor and non-volatile memory used to store data that can subsequently be recalled to appear on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen of the watch. Data are entered on a personal computer, for example, using Microsoft Corporation's SCHEDULE+.TM. or Lotus' ORGANIZER.TM. personal scheduling software. To store selected data within the non-volatile memory of the wristwatch, an "export to DATA LINK.TM. wristwatch" feature is executed in the software running on the personal computer that causes lines on the computer display to flash in a manner that encodes the selected data. A sensor on the wristwatch detects the flashing lines on the computer monitor, and the data encoded and conveyed thereby are decoded and stored in the memory of the wristwatch for subsequent recall by the user.
While a wristwatch that stores data for access by a user is a significant step forward in making the data available when required, it has several limitations. The LCD of the watch is relatively small and only a few lines of text can be continuously displayed. Further, the memory of the wristwatch is also limited by size and cost restraints. Further, real editing of the data stored in the wristwatch is impractical. Unless the wristwatch is brought to the personal computer, the data stored in the memory of the watch cannot be changed.
What is required to achieve a better solution to the problem is a different type of package for a data management system that is sufficiently small to be readily transportable, but is capable of displaying more data, and includes additional functions that are not practical in the DATA LINK.TM. wristwatch. For example, it would be desirable to be able to execute simple software routines on the device. It would be desirable to be able to transmit the code required to implement the software routines to the device for storage in its memory, even when the device is not in the vicinity of a personal computer, just as it should be possible to remotely modify the other types of data stored by the device. Furthermore, while paging devices can typically be set by the user to provide either a visual, audio, or vibratory signal (or combination thereof) to notify that a page message has been received, it would be desirable to enable greater versatility in determining the manner in which a person using the device that stores personal information data is notified of a change in the data or of the receipt of page objects conveying other types of data. For example, if the data being transmitted relate to a schedule change to which the recipient must respond immediately, the user might prefer to be provided with a specific type of notification indicating that high priority data have been received by the device. In contrast, the user may prefer that information not requiring immediate action be sent with a different type of notification indicating that the recipient need not react immediately. It would also be desirable for the user to selectively enable the party sending a change in the data to determine the type of notification provided the user, or alternatively, to restrict the type of notification for a particular type of data received by the device.


A method for determining the shape of a rough surface of an object comprises the steps of providing an object having a given roughness related height variation; providing an interferometer for wave front measurement comprising a measurement beam of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength λ not exceeding 10 times of the roughness related height variation of the object surface, which measurement beam comprises an incoming wave for illuminating the object surface and an outgoing wave comprising radiation from the incoming wave reflected off the object surface; directing the incoming wave of the measurement beam onto the object surface at least two different probing locations, thereby illuminating an areal element of the object surface at each of the probing locations; and measuring the respective phase distribution of the outgoing wave by means of the interferometer of each of the at least two different probing locations.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and to means for determining the shape of a rough surface of an object. The invention further relates to a coordinate measurement machine comprising such means. Additionally the invention relates to an optical element and a mandrel for manufacturing an optical element. Further, the invention relates to a method for calibrating means for determining the shape of a rough surface of an object.
A rough or a matt surface in this context is in contrast to a smooth surface a surface, which appears matt when being illuminated from at least one angle of incidence with light having a given wavelength λ. The roughness related height variation of such a surface is typically around λ/4 or more. Light reflected off the surface then has a phase shift variation of λ/2, causing destructive interference in the reflected light. Rough or matt surfaces referred to in this application can be ground, abraded or lapped pre-stages of polished surfaces, as used in optical systems. Also optical devices in their final from, like scattering discs, diffusors or visual displays can have rough surfaces. Materials used for such objects can be glasses, including fused silica, crystals like calcium fluoride or glass ceramics like Zerodur, ULE or Sital.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art to measure the shape of smooth metallic surfaces using laser interferometric methods. However, this method cannot be used for determining the shape of a rough surface due to a large amount of speckle appearing when illuminating a rough surface with highly coherent light. In another previously known method, the shape of a rough surface is determined by so called white-light interferometry. According to this method, light having a short coherence length is used for interferometric measurement of the shape of a rough surface (see for example WO 1994018521 A1). However, the measurement accuracy of white-light interferometry is considered insufficient. The measurement uncertainty of this method has been found to be on the order of the roughness related height variation of the test object (Theoretical measurement uncertainty of white-light interferometry on rough surfaces, Pavel Pavlicek and Jan Soubusta, 1 Apr. 2003, Vol. 42, No. 10, Applied Optics, pages 1809-1813).

Method and means for determining the shape of a rough surface of an object


A toothbrush assembly is disclosed which includes an articulating head portion for releasable supporting a brushhead, and which is configured to releasably mount a plurality of interchangeable dental accessory tools. A spring biased actuation member having a plurality of sprockets associated therewith is provided for effectuating incremental articulated movements of the brushhead supporting portion with respect to the handle of the toothbrush assembly to position the brushhead in a desired angular orientation.

1. Technical Field
The subject invention is directed to an articulating structural assembly, and more particularly, to a toothbrush assembly having an articulating brushhead that is selectively movable into a plurality of angular orientations with respect to the toothbrush handle.
2. Background of the Related Art
Proper oral hygiene requires that when brushing one's teeth all parts of the mouth are accessed so that each tooth is adequately cleaned. In the past, a variety of toothbrushes having pivoting brushheads were introduced in an attempt to provide a suitable mechanism to access remote areas of the mouth when brushing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,896 to de La Tour discloses a toothbrush having an adjustable brushhead portion. The toothbrush has a jointed section with an integral gear and socket mechanism configured to facilitate indexed movement of the brushhead relative to the toothbrush handle. Although constructed in a useful manner, the entire de La Tour toothbrush must be discarded when the bristles have become worm. Other examples of toothbrushes having articulating brushheads are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,154 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,135.
Proper oral hygiene also requires the use of such items as dental floss to remove debris from areas between the teeth and gums that are not easily reached with a toothbrush, and gum massagers to stimulate the gums and enhance blood flow and the growth of healthy tissue. Often these items are maintained in a location separate from a toothbrush. However, toothbrushes have been devised which incorporate oral hygiene tools in their handles, as shown for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,906 to Preciutti.
In view of the prior art, it would be beneficial to provide an articulating toothbrush assembly having a removable brushhead that can be easily replaced when it becomes worn, and which is configured to support a plurality of interchangeable dental appliances that can be employed to improve the overall dental hygiene of the user.


A network device may comprise storage media configured to store traffic, instructions for a lookup engine, a map manager, a traffic forwarder, and a map. The map may comprise rules associating IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. The traffic forwarder may be configured to forward outbound traffic to the second device. The lookup engine may comprise instructions to cause the processor to check the map to determine whether the map comprises a rule associating the second address of the second device and the first address of the first device. If so, the instructions may cause the processor to forward the inbound traffic from the second device to the first device. If the map does not comprise this rule, the instructions may cause the processor to send a query to a second network device asking whether the second network device comprises a rule associating the first and second address.

The current version of internet protocol, IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4), is running out of address space to deploy new addresses. A new version, IPv6, has been developed with a much larger address space and is in the early phase of deployment. During this period of utilization of IPv4 and IPv6, one method of achieving deployment has been to run "Dual-stack," an approach featuring a node having both an IPv4 and an IPv6 address. This approach allows a node to reach IPv4-only destinations, but ultimately does not save any IPv4 address space. Alternatively, use of non-unique private IPv4 addresses (also called RFC 1918 (Request for Comment) addresses) along with public IPv6 addresses has been developed, but such an approach may require a standard IPv4 NAT (Network Address Translation) in the network along with all the usual methods for distributing and managing those private addresses at the hosts.
Another approach, called "Dual-stack lite" or "DS-lite" has been developed and standardized in RFC 6333 (http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6333 on May 24, 2012). For DS-Lite, the host uses an IPv6 transport to reach an AFTR (Address Family Translator), which connects to IPv4 addresses (and potentially also acts as a NAT). The Address Family Translator may be an independent device but may also function within a network device (e.g. a router) already deployed in the network. When a DS-lite encapsulated packet reaches the AFTR, it removes the encapsulation and forwards the internal packet after performing any network address translation required.


Using feedback by a system controller from wireless handsets to determine sub-areas which do not have coverage within a wireless telecommunication system. A system controller is responsive to the inability of a wireless handset to handoff to a base station, to record this fact, and requests that the wireless handset continue to monitor for a base station with sufficient transmission power. Note, the active call is lost when the handoff did not occur. When the wireless handset finds a base station that has sufficient transmission power on which to register, the wireless handset registers on this base station and sends a message to the system controller advising it of the failed handoff and the duration that occurred before a new base station was found. The system controller is responsive to this information to maintain a table for each base station from which a successful handoff could not be performed due to the lack of coverage. The system controller also instructs inactive wireless handsets to measure the transmission strength of base stations as the wireless handset moves from location to location. The wireless handset is responsive to the inability to detect a base station of sufficient strength to report this fact to the system controller once the wireless handset comes in contact with a base station that it can register on. The system controller records this information in the same table as is utilized for failed handoffs.

During the installation of prior art wireless communication systems, several tools can be used to predict the correct placement of cells with each cell having a base station. After the system is installed, traffic measurements can show cells with high call rates. These cells may need additional channels. The tools do not show sub-areas within a cell where no service is provided. With prior art installation techniques, it is common that after installation for a technician using a hand-held instrument to roam the entire coverage areas to verify completeness of coverage. However, for a large wireless communication system, this is not completely feasible or is extremely difficult. An additional problem is that after installation, there may be sub-areas within a large coverage area which are obscured by barriers or simply cannot be reached due to the distance from the nearest cell. The service provider is then left waiting for customer complaints before knowing the areas to check. Even if the original installation is perfect, the expansion of the coverage area or the addition of walls or machinery to a coverage area can create these sub-areas in which there is no coverage.


The present invention discloses a gate drive circuit and a shift register. The gate drive circuit comprises a plurality of shift register circuits which are cascade connected, and each of the shift register circuits comprises a clock control transmission circuit and a NOR gate latch circuit, wherein the clock control transmission circuit is triggered by a first clock pulse of a clock signal to transmit a gate drive pulse of a former stage to the NOR gate latch circuit, and the NOR gate latch circuit performs latch, and the NOR gate latch circuit is further triggered by a second clock pulse following the first clock pulse to output the gate drive pulse. With the aforesaid arrangement, the gate drive circuit of the present invention is applicable to CMOS process, and the power consumption is low and the noise margin is wide.

The GOA (Gate Drive On Array) circuit is to manufacture the gate scan drive circuit on the array substrate by utilizing the present liquid crystal display array process for achieving the driving method of scanning row by row. It possesses merits of the production cost decrease and the narrow frame design, and is utilized by many kinds of displays. The GOA circuit possesses two fundamental functions: one is to input the gate drive pulse to drive the gate line in the panel, and to activate the TFT (Thin Film Transistor) in the display area for charging the pixel via the gate line; two is for the shift register, and as the output of the nth gate drive pulse is accomplished, the output of the n+1th gate drive pulse can be performed with clock control and so on.
The GOA circuit comprises a Pull-up circuit, a Pull-up control circuit, a Pull-down circuit, a Pull-down control and a Boost circuit in charge of boosting voltage level. Specifically, the pull-up circuit is mainly in charge of outputting the inputted clock signal (Clock) to the gate of the thin film transistor as being the driving signals of the liquid crystal display. The pull-up control circuit is in charge of activating the pull-up circuit, and is generally functioned by the signal transferred from the GOA circuit of the former stage. The Pull-down circuit is in charge of rapidly pulling down the scan signal to low voltage level after outputting the scan signal. That is, the voltage level of the gate of the thin film transistor is pulled down to be low voltage level; the Pull-down holding circuit is in charge of keeping the scan signal and the signal of the Pull-up circuit (Q point in general) in off state (i.e. the set negative voltage level), and generally, two Pull-down holding circuits function, alternately. The boost circuit is in charge of a second boost to the voltage level of the Q point for ensuring the G(N) normal output of the pull-up circuit.
Different GOA circuits can utilize different processes. The Low Temperature Poly-Silicon (LTPS) process possesses advantages of higher electron mobility and mutual technology, which is widely utilized in the small and medium displays. The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) LTPS process possesses advantages of low power consumption, higher electron mobility and wide noise margin, and thus is gradually utilized by panel makers. Therefore, there is a need to develop the GOA circuit corresponding to the CMOS LTPS process.

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


Tall, lightweight folding shopping cart (FIG. 1) provides high-level detachable basket (44U) for easy basket transfers down to checkout counter, car trunk and home counter or table. Basket-support ledges (43U and 43L) on cart enable transfer of basket weight by sliding leverage rather than by lifting. Additional container (44L) increases cart capacity and flexibility in use. With baskets removed, cart serves as an all-purpose vehicle, ready to carry a strapped-on golf bag, luggage (FIG. 6), garden materials, furniture and other household burdens. Its lightweight folding character encourages new uses where carts have rarely gone before. On a family camping trip, for example, it can carry a folded tent to the campsite, and later deliver an ice chest of drinks and a food basket to the beach. Wheels (36L and 36R) are mounted for quick detachment to increase the storage compactness of an unloaded cart.

Shopping carts are designed for storeowners, not shoppers. Storeowners choose carts to move maximum tonnage at minimum cost. They cleverly force shoppers into merchandise-handling labor cost-free to stores.
Shoppers' excessive labor starts with wresting a heavy steel cart from a nest. (Parking-lot cart jockeys ram ever-larger carts into ever-larger nests in ever-larger stores: grocery, hardware, drug, and department.) She or he then propels the cart on too-small wheels, sometimes fighting a jammed caster all through store and parking lot. The shopper must stoop to lower each choice from display shelf to a cart basket bottom below her knees. Steering and pushing grow harder as the basket grows heavier. She must stoop again to hoist each item to a checkout counter usually several inches above normal table height. She heaves and stoops again to lower everything back from checkout height to basket bottom. Wal-Mart, the nation's leading retailer and grocer, requires shoppers to perform additional work. Their cashiers drop purchases from high checkout counter to knee-level bag carousel, demanding an extra stoop and lift: over the cart's wall, before shopper can stoop again to return it to basket floor.
Next, unloading into his car trunk, a shopper stoops yet again to raise and lower each item. At home he stoops to lift purchases from the car trunk. Home may offer a carrier better suited for the next lap, such as a baby carriage, light wheelbarrow, garden cart, or child's wagon. Into such a carrier he lifts each item once again. Then his last lap: lifting it all up to his kitchen table or pantry counter.
Picture his labor during his six-lap transport of a gallon jug of milk, and every other purchase he makes:
1) shelf to cart2) cart to checkout3) checkout to cart4) cart to car trunk5) trunk to home carrier6) carrier to kitchen counterCarts Consumers Can Buy
Try to buy a cart more convenient and useful than store carts. There are plenty of folding wire-basket types on the-market today. A typical offering is the Polsteins Super Shopping Cart on the CatalogCity.com website in March, 2004. Four small wheels carry consumer purchases near the floor. Try garden carts, utility carts, small folding hand trucks, and luggage carts. All are designed to carry small loads near the floor, usually on small wheels.
Prior Art Attempts at Improvement
A small basket a shopper could carry home appears in U.S. Pat. No. 2,121,756 to Heckert (1938). Heckert, however, requires that both basket and cart remain in the store.
Detachable baskets appear in U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,701 to Balland (1989), with the usual deep single basket split into two or more shallow ones. But his complex lever systems and multiple sets of different-sized wheels may make his designs costly to fabricate and complex to use. Similar problems appear in the cart in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0149176 A1 by Miller (2002).
A cart folding into the shopper's car trunk is offered in U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,150 to Al-Toukhi (2000). But his wheels are smaller than usual on store carts, and his shallow basket holds less merchandise. Similar small sizes appear in U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,553 to Rosenzweig (1964).
A crank-and-pulleys system elevates the shopping basket to car-trunk level in U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,527 to Soriano (2000). He suggests the cranking be done by an electric motor. Car-trunk loading of heavy business machines is done by overhead rail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,178 to Bourgraf et al (1981), but a 50-pound basket of groceries might have limited clearance beneath his rail.
U.K. Patent GB 2,364,026A to Kowssari (2002) spares the consumer the checkout-counter lifting work. The cart's capacity is smaller than average, and the store is required to rebuild its checkout counters. Another attempt at reducing checkout-counter labor appears in German Patent DE3611738 to Flier (1987). A vibrating slide returns merchandise to the side-wall-dropped cart. The cart's usual knee-level merchandise floor remains unimproved here.
The smallest of cart capacities found in our search appears in Japanese Patent JP2002234443 to Kitagawa (2002).

Shopping cart and hand truck and golf bag cart and garden cart


A projectile defense system uses a rocket exhaust generator to generate a rocket exhaust after an approaching projectile is detected/sensed. The rocket exhaust generator directs the rocket exhaust therefrom in a region that intercepts the trajectory of the approaching projectile.

In a variety of world conflicts today, vehicles and structures are vulnerable to attack from inexpensive shoulder-launched projectiles/munitions such as rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and their variants. Propulsion for these projectiles/munitions is typically generated by either rocket motors or Davis-guns. Some have sustainer rockets to maintain or enhance flight velocity. Many have multiple warhead options designed for various threats. The most common types of warheads are shape-charge based anti-armor warheads for attacking tanks and armored vehicles, dual mode warheads for bunkers and lightly armored vehicles, thermobaric warheads for buildings and confined spaces, and some sophisticated threats containing shape charges and fragmenting grenades. Most are designed to impact the target at speeds ranging from 400-1200 feet per second. They have effective ranges from 50-600 meters depending on the system and projectiles used.
A passive defense strategy for RPGs involves the use of some type of armor attached to a vehicle or other target to be protected. Unfortunately, turning every vehicle into an improvised tank (or structure into a fortress) is not practical or cost effective. An example of an active defense strategy for RPGs is a reduced-size missile system. For example, one anti-missile system uses radar to detect and locate incoming missiles, and then aims and fires a rapid machine gun burst at the missile threat. However, this type of system can be expensive since it must possess precise target acquisition and aiming capabilities. Furthermore, this type of system can be a threat to friendly forces and noncombatants as any missed intercepts could result in bullets entering a nearby population.
Whether passive or active in nature, initiating an RPG (even at a distance) is not necessarily the optimal defeat mechanism. Ideally, the threat would be defeated without incurring a detonation event that generates the resulting jet and/or shrapnel associated with it in the vicinity of the target or nearby personnel.

Rocket exhaust defense system and method

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


The grinder is generally composed of a cantilever having one end supported by a stand and the other end of which being connected with a spindle, perpendicularly. A grinding means is secured to the bottom end of the spindle adopted to grind and to mix articles evenly.

There is a restricted requirement in the field of chemical industry that material such as paint, or dye is to be ground to a very fine quality. The grinding machine of the prior art uses shot peening machine, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, which includes generally a cylindrical barrel A having a spindle B rotatably attached therein. A plurality of blades C is equally spaced along the spindle B adopted to roll glass balls enclosed within the barrel A to grind material being feeded into the barrel A through feeding entrance D. The material after grinding flown out through exits F, G.
However, the machine utilizes an instant strike of any two balls to grind the material that will take times to reach the fine requirement. Further, the spinning of the spindle will create a high speed to the glass balls that may break the balls. Sometimes, the quality of grinding is poor, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8.
In view of this, the inventor has invented the present invention which takes less time to process the grinding procedure and which produce a better quality.


A memory BIST architecture provides an efficient communication interface between external agents, e.g., external tester and a memory BIST module. The memory BIST architecture reduces diagnostics efforts by dividing the search space and allowing the test and debug to be concentrated on the failing memory. The memory BIST architecture is divided into two levels, a memory BIST sequencer level and a satellite memory BIST module. The memory BIST sequencer level includes a set of registers that provide an interface between external agents attempting to communicate with the MBIST module and the Satellite MBIST module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processors having embedded memories and more particularly to exposing and debugging defects within embedded memories of processors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital systems include data paths, control paths and memories. Many known digital systems, such as microprocessors, include embedded memories. One challenge associated with embedded memories relates to identifying defects within the embedded memory. Defects in memories may be due to shorts and opens in memory cells of the embedded memories, address decoder(s) and read/write logic. These defects may be modeled as Stuck-at Faults (SAF), Transition Faults (TF), Stuck Open Faults (SOF), Address Decoder Faults (AF), Coupling Faults (CF) and Neighborhood Pattern Sensitive Faults (NPSF) in the memory cells.
Pluralities of classes of test algorithms have been proposed for detection of the memory faults. The pluralities of classes of test algorithms include deterministic test algorithms, pseudo random test algorithms and pseudo exhaustive test algorithms. A known deterministic test algorithm is a march test algorithm. A march test algorithm involves applying a finite sequence of march elements to each cell in the memory in either ascending or descending order before proceeding to the next memory cell. Different types of march tests are used to detect faults in single-port memories and recently in multi-port memories have been proposed.
The memory test algorithms can be applied to the memory under test via memory testers. Testing via a memory tester involves providing a test bus from the input/output pins of the memory to the boundary of the integrated circuit in which the memory is embedded. Testing via a memory tester has known drawbacks including the wiring overhead of the test bus to access the memory under test and the cost of memory testers. Advantages of testing via a memory tester include the level of controllability and observability on the memory under test and the fact that the memory under test is tested at speed or at the speed that the I/O can allow it. To overcome the wiring overhead, serial-to-parallel interfaces have been included within an integrated circuit in which memory is embedded. Thus, the test bus is reduced in width; however, the delay for serial-to-parallel conversion becomes a bottle neck for at speed memory test.
A typical high performance microprocessor has approximately 100-150 embedded memories. Considering complexity of these devices and the fact that the Input/Output (I/O) connections are much slower than their core clock rate, the external tester method is often an ineffective and inefficient method to test the memories embedded within large scale integrated circuits such as microprocessors.
A known method for testing embedded memories is by providing an embedded memory built in self test (MBIST) module to apply memory test patterns to the embedded memories. An MBIST module includes different components including a memory BIST controller. The memory BIST controller realizes the memory test algorithm. Known memory BIST controllers have been designed as Finite State Machine (FSM) based controllers or as microcode-based controllers. The FSM based memory BIST controller is efficient but lacks the flexibility necessary to accommodate changes in a memory test algorithm. The ability to change the memory test algorithm is desirable for devices fabricated using new technologies as well as debugging a field return part. Microcode-based controllers are flexible and can apply different test algorithms. However, the efficiency and effectiveness of a microcode based controller depends on the architecture of the controller.
Regardless of the capabilities of the memory BIST module, it is desirable for the memory BIST module to be activated and for test algorithm to be customized in different levels of test, e.g., manufacturing-level, board-level and system-level test. This implies that the memory BIST module should be able to communicate with different interfaces using different protocols. Furthermore, the status of the test should be made available and should be readily extractable.
Known embedded memories undergo different levels of test during the course of their design and fabrication. For example, a memory BIST is activated and run as a part of manufacturing-level, board-level and system-level tests. Often each level of test requires a different type of interface and protocol. For example, during a manufacturing level test, the pins of the chip are accessible and used to communicate with the memory BIST while during a system level test, a service processor access is used to communicate to the memory BIST.
It is desirable to provide a memory BIST with complete communication interface with an activation interface, a status interface and a customization interface. However, depending on the size of the integrated circuit in which the memory BIST is embedded and the number of the memories that are tested via the memory BIST and because it is desirable for the memory BIST module to be placed close to the memories under test, the cost associated with creating this communication interface for each instantiation of a memory BIST module in a design with high number of embedded memories is high. A memory BIST architecture that provides an efficient communication interface would result in lower area overhead and easier verification.

Method and apparatus for an efficient memory built-in self test architecture for high performance microprocessors


A new Bidens plant named ‘Bidolbe’ particularly distinguished by its very compact plant habit, short internodes, golden yellow flowers, and hardly any seed set.

The present invention relates to a new distinct cultivar of Bidens, botanically known as Bidens ferulifolia, native to South USA and Mexico.
The new cultivar is propagated by cuttings resulting from a seedling from Bidens ferulifolia cv. 'Bidtis 1' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,280). Seed of 'Bidtis 1,' resulting from open pollination, was harvested in 2000 and the new variety 'Bidolbe' was selected in 2001 as one of the plants of this population. This new plant is an annual.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a compact Bidens variety without seed set. 'Bidolbe' was asexually reproduced by cuttings for 5 years now and trialled under different conditions in Europe on Syngenta trial ground properties. The new variety is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Bidens ferulifolia plant named ‘Bidolbe’


A material for harmonic generation has been made by substitutional changes to the crystal LaCa4(BO3)3 also known as LaCOB in the form Re1xRe2yRe3zCa4(B03)3O where Re1 and Re2, (rare earth ion 1 and rare earth ion 2) are selected from the group consisting of Sc, Yttrium, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu; Re3 is Lanthanum; and x+y+z=1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solid-state laser materials, and specifically to noncritical phase matching laser materials capable of non-linear harmonic conversion of a specific wavelength.
2. State of Technology
Ytterbium doped laser hosts emit in the wavelength range between 970 nm and 1047 nm. Some examples of these crystals are Ytterbium doped strontium fluoro-apatite (i.e., Yb:SFAP), Ytterbium doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG), Ytterbium aluminum garnet (YbAG), Yb doped glass (Yb:glass), Yb doped potassium gadolinium tungstate (Yb:KGd(WO4)2), and Ytterbium doped fused silica (Yb:SiO2). Each host has specific application and utility. Collectively, these lasers emit in the range of 970-1045 nm. For example, Yb:SFAP emits at several specific wavelengths, such as 1047 and 985 nm. As another example, Yb:YAG has a tunable laser emission between 1020 and 1045 nm, with a peak emission occurring at 1030 nm.
Frequency conversion of such lasers discussed above has been found to be useful for many applications. For example, frequency doubling of the 1029-nm emission of Yb:YAG leads to laser light at the wavelength of 514.5 nm. This specific wavelength is emitted by the Argon-ion laser and is a wavelength that has many beneficial and useful applications. For example, the 514.5-nm wavelength is useful in the biotechnology field for cell sorting of biological compounds. By utilizing frequency conversion, a solid-state frequency converted laser has the potential to replace the Ar-ion gas laser for this specific wavelength.
Background information on improved frequency mixing crystals for harmonic generation of laser beams is contained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,022 entitled "Frequency Mixing Crystal," to Ebbers et al., patented Jun. 16, 1992 including the following: "The improvement of said means of harmonic generation comprising a crystal having the chemical formula X2Y(NO3)5.2nZ2O wherein X is selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and Tl; Y is selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, La, Ce, Nd, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, and In; Z is selected from the group consisting of H and D; and n ranges from 0 to 4."
Background information on frequency mixing crystals by congruently melted compositions including a lanthanide is contained in international application No. WO 96/26464 entitled "Non-linear Crystals And Uses Thereof," to Gerard et al., patented Feb. 16, 1996, including the following: "The crystals are prepared by crystallizing a congruent melting composition of general formula: M2LnO(BO3)3, wherein M is Ca or Ca partially substituted by Sr or Ba, and Ln is a lanthanide from the group which includes Y, Gd, La and Lu. Said crystals are useful as frequency doublers and mixers, as an optical parametric oscillator or, when partially substituted by Nd3+, as a frequency doubling crystal.
Accordingly, a need exists to improve solid-state frequency materials for specific wavelengths. An ideal crystal is not difficult to grow, has a high nonlinear optical coefficient, has a high optical damage threshold, and birefringence and contains dispersion properties that allow for noncritical phasematching at specific wavelengths. The present invention involves such a crystal.

Nonlinear optical crystal optimized for ytterbium laser host wavelengths

The Regents of the University of California


The invention relates to a self-boosting disk brake. In case of failure, in order to enable releasing the disk brake or putting it out of operation, the invention proposes embodying a self-boosting device so that it is movable in the direction of rotation of a brake disk and is fixable with a releasable fixation device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved self-boosting vehicle brake.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One vehicle brake in the form of a disk brake known, from German Published Patent Disclosure DE 102 01 555 A1, has a brake disk which is braked by means of a friction brake lining and an actuating device with which the friction brake lining can be pressed against the brake disk that forms the brake body. The known vehicle brake furthermore has a self-boosting device, which when the brake is actuated converts a frictional force, exerted by the rotating brake body onto the friction brake lining pressed against it, into a contact pressure, which, in addition to a contact pressure exerted by the actuating device, presses the friction brake lining against the brake body and as a result boosts the braking force of the vehicle brake.
The self-boosting device of the known vehicle brake has a wedge mechanism, which guides the friction brake lining displaceably at an angle and in the circumferential direction to the brake disk. The bracing of the friction brake lining on a wedge face, extending at an angle to the brake disk, brings about the additional contact pressure on the principle of a wedge and thus brings about the braking force boosting. To attain self-boosting for both directions of rotation of the brake disk, the vehicle brake can have two wedge faces, extending oppositely to one another or in pairs obliquely to the brake disk, whose slope need not necessarily be the same. The wedge angle may also vary over the length of the wedge face, particularly in order at the onset of the actuation to attain a long positioning distance and a high positioning speed of the friction brake lining and at the end of the displacement of the friction brake lining, at a high braking force, to attain high self-boosting. In that case, the term ramp mechanism is used.
The self-boosting device is intended in particular for a disk brake, but in principle it can be used for other forms of brakes as well, such as a drum brake. In that case, the brake body is a brake drum.
With the wedge mechanism, the known vehicle brake has a mechanical self-boosting device; other mechanical self-boosting devices are possible and are known, such as support lever constructions that brace the friction brake lining at a support angle to the brake disk. The support angle corresponds to the wedge angle; it is a mechanical analogue. Still other self-boosting devices, for instance hydraulic ones, are known and are possible.
When high self-boosting actions are sought, the problem of self-locking arises; the vehicle brake can lock. To protect against locking, the actuating device of the known vehicle brake is embodied as self-locking against an independent motion of the friction brake lining; the friction brake lining can be moved only with the actuating device. As a result, the braking force of the actuated vehicle brake does not increase independently from the self-boosting; instead, the braking force can be changed only with the actuating device.
Another known disk brake, also mechanically self-boosting by means of a wedge mechanism, is known from German Patent DE 101 56 348 C1. In this disk brake, two contrarily acting actuating devices are provided, which keep the friction brake lining free of play and prevent a displacement of the friction brake lining and hence any change in the braking force from the friction between the rotating brake disk and the brake body pressed against it when the disk brake has been actuated.


An improved article and method for making and installing a bridge deck replacement system. Subsystem articles include a plurality of precast slabs which contain features, notably projections and plates which depend from the underside thereof, which are used to form both haunch forms/molds and grout engaging devices. When used in conjunction with the conventional and preestablished supporting structure subsystem, the slabs, though use of the various devices included and/or depending therefrom, non-shrink grouting and the improved method of installation, are securable thereto and, yet, may be severally and/or discretely removed at a later time and replaced with new slabs. The replacement facility is obtained concomitant with the attainment of an overall system having a truly composite action in that slabs and support structure subsystems function as a singular unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of prefabricated structural members and, specifically, to structural slabs which are used as surface and bridge deckings that are attachable to, and removable from structural inposts and supports such as steel beams or girders. The methods and articles of this invention include methods for prefabricating slabs, the articles themselves containing novel attachment means, and methods for acquiring a physical coupling of these slabs to supporting beams or girders.
2. Description of the Background and Relevant Art
It has been common in the road and bridge construction industry to build roadway surfaces and bridges by use of (concrete) deck slabs that have been cast in situ and are used to span, and are supported by, other structural steel or concrete supports girders. Improvement to the above method has been had by attaching the slabs in a manner by which they cooperate structurally with the supporting members. This improvement is termed "composite construction" and has proven to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the supporting members. The cast in situ method of bridge deck construction, with all of its advantages, carries with it some significant disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the method requires a great deal of time in order to build forms, pour and cure the concrete. Another obvious disadvantage is that field conditions such as inclement weather, make it difficult to achieve a high degree of quality, durability and expediency.
Precast concrete slabs have long been viewed as desirable elements to use in bridge deck construction. Such slabs are generally prefabricated off-site, under factory controlled conditions, and result in the production of high quality concrete decks. Since they may be generally produced well in advance of the use requirement, they may be stock-piled and prepositioned at the site of construction. During actual roadway/bridge construction with the precast concrete slabs, traffic time is interrupted only for a relatively short period while the deck units are placed into position.
Slab interconnection does not prove as great a problem as connection of the slab to the underlying structure. Where the slabs or deck portions (if gratings rather than slabs are used) have had extensions or protrusions from the margins thereof, connection means are not a problem. As early as 1939, U.S. Pat. No. 2,162,742, was issued to H. Nagin for a flooring construction. Nagin taught a metal grid structure which was used as deck surface for a bridge. He showed the use of (elongate) thin metal (strips) plates to construct a form for a grout receiving region atop an underlying girder. Although it did not appear to be Nagin's intent to provide a form for grout which would effect actual connection between the deck sections, his formation of a grout receiving area presaged the modern use of grout to provide support and mechanical coupling between deck slabs or gratings and the supporting structure. Further to Nagin's credit was the use of metal strips, slotted to fit between grid stringers, to form the sides of the grout receiving mold. The strips are held by friction and thus are not rigidly attached (nor attachable), to the grid or deck. Unfortunately, Nagin went no further with the grout form of his disclosure and it would appear to have little application to today's precast concrete or composite slab. Further, the Nagin grouting concept did not entertain use of the grout as a support for the deck system and a means for securing the deck slabs to the underlying support structure. Thus, a cost-effective, structurally sound and versatile method of attaching slabs to supporting members has been a long-sought goal in the construction industry.
Many methods of attachment have been devised for securing bridge deck slabs, in particular, to underlying support structures. These methods range from simply bolting the slabs to the girders to more sophisticated welded type connectors. King, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,636 teaches a bridge support system in which a cap member is used in combination with a temporary base support surface to form an enclosed area between a bridge deck and a support column. The enclosed region inwardly receives reinforcing rods and is eventually filled with concrete as it is poured over the deck structure. Thus, the deck structure or slab members are actually an underlayment and would not themselves serve as a traffic-contacting road surface. Yet, the King teaching clearly provides a non-adjustable haunch region that is a corollary of the earlier Nagin art. In this instance, however, the original deck slabs (underlayment) are physically coupled to their supporting structure and each other by a continuous concrete extension of the roadway surface. Significant disadvantages are realized in the King embodiment in that: firstly, a special support surface form must be constructed to receive the concrete; and secondly, some of the support surface must be removed thereafter.
A patent issued to Slaw, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,537, disclosed, in late 1990, a composite prefabricated deck panel and a method of construction therefor. Slaw, Sr. discloses the use of metal connecting rods to secure prefabricated deck panels to an underlying support structure. Haunch type enclosed areas are formed between the underside of the panels and the top of each of several girder support members. Located within each enclosed area is a plurality of metal connectors. Once the panels are properly positioned, grout is pumped into the enclosed areas to permanently secure the panels to the support members. According to the Slaw, Sr. teaching, the sides are preformed in the deck sections and rest atop a girder with a flexible seal therebetween. Nonadjustable, preformed concrete shoulders serve as the sides of a haunch mold and depend from the deck panels proper. As in the case of King, Slaw, Sr. does not provide, in the prefabricated panels, a means for acquiring an adjustable haunch mold. Instead, the aforesaid concrete shoulders rest ontop the supporting girder or beam and require a seal therebetween in order to ensure containment of the grout that is to be pumped into the haunch region.
Final to this discussion of relevant art is the patent issued to Eskew et al. in mid 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,522. Essentially, these patentees teach a bridge deck panel support system and method for supporting precast bridge deck panels on a bridge girder. The deck panels are initially supported through a grout layer that is located between the bottom of the panel and the top of the structural support member. An elongate anchor plate atop, and partially girdling, the beam top surface bears an ascending flange, termed "a plate", by Eskew et al., and which, on each side thereof, anchors a grade bar. A continuous seal between the grade bar completes, with a grout filler (placed between the bar and beam), an enclosure or haunch region that is to be filled with concrete. An alternate embodiment eliminates the grade bar and uses the ascending plate or flange member only. Once the panel members have been properly positioned, they rest on a seal means placed between (preferably) the grade bar and the undersurface of the panels. Concrete from an overlay then fills the enclosed (haunch) area between the adjacent plate members and their support. As with the preceding art, a most notable disadvantage of the Eskew et al. teaching is the lack of an easily made mold or form that may be used to create a haunch region that is defined by the top surface of the support member (girder), adjustable form sides and the overlaying and haunch filling with concrete.
Some of the aforesaid attachment methods have been successful from an attachment standpoint, but most, if not all, methods have failed to provide a method of attachment which allows the top or the bottom of the panel to be attached to match a predetermined grade or elevation. To compensate for this deficiency, a concrete topping is generally poured over the slab to provide a uniform surface which meets predetermined grade and elevation requirements. This cast in situ topping requires a significant amount of cure time before the structure may be used.
Additional to the aforementioned grading problem, most of the previous attachment methods have also failed to allow the slab and structural support member to act cooperatively as a composite structure. Some methods do achieve partial composite action, as may be seen in the discussion of relevant art; but, they fail to adequately convince bridge construction engineers that full composite action is developed. In compensation for this deficiency, larger structural support members are currently being used. Still, a further disadvantage of presently used support systems is recognized in relation to the structural supporting members themselves. These members deflect significantly when loads are placed upon them and their final geometry is not realized until all of the precast slabs are situated in final position. Thus, the top surface of the structural supporting members, and therefore the surface of the tops of all of the slabs, is not defined until all of the slabs have been placed on the structural members. I am unaware of any modern and reliable system that offers postplacement adjustment of the tops of the slabs (roadway surface) to the proper elevation.

Deck replacement system with improved haunch lock


A three contact pieces type contact comprises first and second contact pieces facing each other and adapted to clamp a lead pin of an IC, and a third contact piece disposed between the first and second contact pieces at one side thereof such that the third contact piece can contact one side of the lead pin. A tangle-preventive mechanism is provided in the three contact pieces type contact and includes a pair of tangle-preventive pieces formed on opposite sides of the third contact piece and projecting into slits formed between the first contact piece and the third contact piece and between the second contact piece and the third contact piece so that no other contacts enter the slits.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tangle-preventive mechanism in a three contact pieces type contact suited to be used for a socket such as a PGA type IC.
2. Brief Description of the Drawings
The PGA type IC has a plurality of lead pins projecting downwardly from a lower surface of a thin IC body. Widely used as contacts on the socket side to be contacted with such lead pins are three contact pieces type contacts as typically disclosed by Japanese Patent Publication No. 75417/1994.
Each contact has a first contact piece and a second contact piece disposed opposite to each other, and a third contact piece disposed between the first and second contact pieces at one side thereof. The lead pin is inserted between the first and second contact pieces from the other side. By laterally moving the lead pin towards the third contact pin from the insert position, the pin is resiliently clamped between the first and second contact pieces with one side of the lead pin allowed to contact the third contact piece. The third contact piece acts as means for increasing a contact surface. In addition, the third contact piece serves to prevent the lead pin from overly laterally moving and help the first and second contact pieces clamp the lead pin.
However, the above contact has the following shortcomings. Since the first, second and third contact pieces are arranged in a generally U-shaped construction in plan view, a slits is formed between the first contact piece and the third contact piece and a slits is formed between the second contact piece and the third contact piece, and component parts of other contacts tend to enter the slits. Particularly, when male terminals of other contacts to be connected to a wiring board enter the slits, tangling can occur and the male terminals can be deformed. This is apparently inconvenient when the contact is automatically implanted in a socket board. As a consequence, yield of the contact itself or the socket with the contact implanted therein is degraded.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above situation.

Tangle-preventive mechanism in three contact pieces type contact