Various methods of inspecting a workpiece for residue are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a conductor layer on a substrate is provided that includes forming an aluminum-copper film on the substrate in a first processing chamber and forming an anti-reflective coating on the aluminum-copper film in a second processing chamber. The substrate is moved from the second processing chamber into a cooling chamber to quench the substrate. A first time interval during which the substrate is in the first processing chamber and second time interval during which the substrate is present in the second processing chamber are measured. The substrate is annealed to restore a uniform equilibrium distribution of copper in the aluminum if the first time interval exceeds about 600 seconds or the second time interval exceeds about 300 seconds. The method substantially reduces the risk of metal comb bridging device failures following etch definition of conductor lines.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to semiconductor processing, and more particularly to a method of fabricating a conductor layer on a semiconductor workpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most of the interconnections for the numerous individual transistors in a modem integrated circuit are provided via one or more metallization layers that serve as global interconnect levels. Each metallization layer is ordinarily deposited on the substrate of the integrated circuit as a single continuous layer that is thereafter patterned lithographically and etched to remove metal from areas where metal lines are not required.
In addition to the one or more metallization layers, modem integrated circuits also incorporate numerous routing-restricted interconnect levels commonly known as local interconnect (xe2x80x9cLIxe2x80x9d). LIs are used for short metallization runs such as those that locally interconnect gates and drains in NMOS and CMOS circuits and those that connect a given metallization layer to a particular structure in the integrated circuit.
Aluminum films have been used as interconnect structures in semiconductor processing for decades. The benefits of aluminum as an interconnect material are legion, including relatively low resistivity, low cost and ease of application. Frequently, aluminum interconnect films are provided with a small percentage of copper to provide increased resistance to electromigration. A typical composition may be about 0.5% to 1% copper.
Most global interconnect films are patterned on an interlevel dielectric layer composed of oxide or some other type of insulating material. In one conventional technique, a titanium seed film is first applied to the interlevel dielectric layer to provide seeding sites for the subsequent physical vapor deposition (xe2x80x9cPVDxe2x80x9d) of the aluminum/copper mixture. The titanium seed layer deposition is followed up with the PVD of the bulk aluminum/copper film. Thereafter, an anti-reflective coating composed of titanium nitride is fabricated on the aluminum film. The anti-reflective coating film is applied in order to facilitate the subsequent photolithographic patterning of mask structures fabricated on the ARC film which are used during etching of the aluminum film into desired interconnect line patterns.
Successful etch definition of the various interconnect lines from the bulk deposited aluminum film relies to a certain extent upon a relatively uniform composition in the aluminum film. Accordingly, the conventional PVD process for laying down the aluminum/copper film is tailored to provide the copper atoms in the aluminum matrix in an equilibrium solution. However, if certain events occur during the processing of the wafer following aluminum deposition, the copper atoms in the aluminum matrix may begin to precipitate out and form a copper rich phase in the aluminum film. This copper rich phase in the aluminum layer is generally more resistant to etching processes used to pattern the aluminum film. Accordingly, so-called xe2x80x9cmetal comb bridgingxe2x80x9d between adjacent interconnect lines following aluminum etch may appear and result in device shorting and poor yields.
As with many aspects of semiconductor processing, the precipitation of copper atoms in the aluminum matrix is queue dependent. One problematic portion of the post aluminum/copper deposition step is the time interval during which the wafer remains in the titanium nitride deposition chamber. If the wafer remains in the titanium nitride deposition chamber for a long enough time interval, the wafer will undergo a slow cool down process. This slow cool down process can produce the aforementioned copper precipitation and the copper rich phase in the aluminum film. A variety of factors may lead to an unacceptably long resident times in the titanium nitride chamber. In modern semiconductor processing lines, the types of fault events that may disturb the normal process flow are numerous, including such things as downstream tool maintenance, downstream tool failure, and software bugs to name just a few.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or reducing the effects of one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a conductor layer on a substrate is provided that includes forming an aluminum-copper film on the substrate in a first processing chamber and forming an anti-reflective coating on the aluminum-copper film in a second processing chamber. The substrate is moved from the second processing chamber into a cooling chamber to quench the substrate. A first time interval during which the substrate is in the first processing chamber and second time interval during which the substrate is present in the second processing chamber are measured. The substrate is annealed to restore a uniform equilibrium distribution of copper in the aluminum if the first time interval exceeds about 600 seconds or the second time interval exceeds about 300 seconds.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a conductor layer on a substrate is provided that includes forming an aluminum-copper film on the substrate in a first processing chamber and forming a titanium nitride anti-reflective coating on the aluminum-copper film in a second processing chamber. The substrate is moved from the second processing chamber into a cooling chamber to quench the substrate. A first time interval during which the substrate is in the first processing chamber and second time interval during which the substrate is present in the second processing chamber are measured. The substrate is annealed to restore a uniform equilibrium distribution of copper in the aluminum if the first time interval exceeds about 600 seconds or the second time interval exceeds about 300 seconds.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a conductor layer on a substrate using a processing system having a first processing chamber, a second processing chamber, a cooling chamber, a load-lock, and a computer controller is provided. An aluminum-copper film is deposited on the substrate in a first processing chamber. The aluminum-copper film has a copper concentration of about 0.5 to 1.0%. A titanium nitride anti-reflective coating film is formed on the aluminum-copper film in a second processing chamber. The substrate is moved from the second processing chamber into the cooling chamber to quench the substrate. A first time interval during which the substrate is in the first processing chamber and second timer interval during which the substrate is in the second processing chamber are measured with the computer controller. The substrate is annealed to restore a uniform equilibrium distribution of copper in the aluminum if the first time interval exceeds about 600 seconds or the second time interval exceeds about 300 seconds.

Method of fabricating conductor structures with metal comb bridging avoidance


A retractable loading ramp for attachment to a cargo vehicle. The retractable loading ramp of the present invention incorporates an articulated hinge consisting of a pivot plate that pivotally connects the ramp structure to the vehicle. The hinge device also permits the loading ramp to slide back and forth along a horizontal path so that one or more ramps may be placed in the desired position. The articulated hinge effectively lengthens the length of the loading ramp, yet permits the ramp to be manipulated to a stored position without contacting the roof or bulkhead of the cargo vehicle. The pivoting hinge is mounted to a transverse rod which allows the ramp to be slideable between the side edges of the cargo vehicle.

Cargo trailers and light utility trailers are generally well known in the art. Such trailers have many recreational and commercial applications and are quite useful for hauling motorcycles, snowmobiles, small tractors, construction equipment and other light cargo. Although some light trailers are open, for a variety of reasons many consumers prefer cargo trailers that are fully enclosed. The floor of most commercially available cargo trailers is typically spaced 18 inches or more above the ground, and thus the cargo is typically rolled, carted, driven or otherwise carried onto the trailer using a loading ramp.
For many consumers, the loading ramp presents somewhat of a problem. Although some trailers come equipped with their own loading ramps, such ramps are typically very cumbersome, difficult to deploy, and are very inconvenient to store. For example, on some enclosed trailers the ramp is integrated into the cargo door. The cargo door is hinged at the bottom, and when folded down the inner surface of the door forms a ramp. These fold down doors are typically very heavy and unwieldy, and therefore must be installed by the manufacturer. On other trailers, the loading ramp is carried by a rack or sling under the trailer, and the user slides the ramp out of the rack and attaches the ramp to the end of the trailer. These ramps, like the integrated door ramps, are unwieldy, difficult to deploy, and are exposed to mud, dirt and road grime and are thus prone to rust and corrosion. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved loading ramp for cargo and utility trailers that is easy to install and easy to operate.
The improved retractable loading ramp of the present invention solves each of the problems referred to above. The present invention provides a hinged loading ramp that is attached to a pivot plate, which in turn is pivotally attached to the frame of the cargo trailer. Further, the entire ramp assembly is mounted on a slide or track assembly, which allows the ramp to slide back and forth along a line generally parallel to the rear or loading end of the trailer. Thus, the loading ramp is pivotable relative to both the pivot plate and the vehicle, and is slidable relative to the vehicle. Consequently, when the ramp is not being used the ramp is stored in a generally upright position secured against the sides of the vehicle. When the ramp is deployed, the user slides the ramp away from the side of the vehicle and pivots the ramp to the ground. The ramp includes a pivot plate, which permits the ramp to pivot over the vehicle bumper, and consequently the present invention can be easily retrofitted to existing vehicles without altering the rear or loading edge of the vehicle. The ramp is easily stowed in a secure, upright position, and includes one or more handles to facilitate fast and easy deployment.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a pivoting loading ramp for use on cargo trailers and other cargo vehicles.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved loading ramp for cargo vehicles that can be placed in a variety of positions.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a loading ramp that can be stored inside the cargo vehicle without interfering with cargo space.
Other objects of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following description.

Retractable loading ramp for a cargo vehicle


The present invention relates to a reproduction regulator enriched in the pituitary of Epinephelus coioides, DNA sequence and use thereof. The present invention also relates to expression vectors comprising the disclosed sequence and the use of the sequence to regulate reproduction, gonad differentiation and sex reversal in fish, including E. coioides.

Epinephelus coioides, a kind of marine coral reef fish, belongs to Serranidae family. For Epinephelus genus, the commercial market is stable and the price thereof is costly. Further, E. coioides is one of the marine fish whose artificial reproduction and breeding technology is the most difficult, and hitherto, the supply of breeding fry has depended on catching the wild juveniles. In the recent years, the large scale artificial reproduction of E. coioides has been developed in Japan, the countries in Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan and the coast of South China. With the development of large-scale artificial reproduction technology for marine fish, nature fries has not been sufficient to satisfy the need of culture production, and the artificial breeding technology has become the key technology for its continuous development. Although some primary studies on reproduction biology have been made, the basis of artificial breeding and regulation of reproduction is only very poorly understood. According to the statistics of 2000 by Qiyong ZHANG et al (QiYong Zhang and WanShu Hong, Status and perspects of artificial propagation and breeding technique of marine fish in China in 1990s. Modern fisheries information, 2000, 15(3):3–6), the Epinephelus species whose fry has been successfully cultivated in China include E. akaara, E. fario, E. malabaricus, E. coioides and the like. However, the yields obtained actually are far from the goal of stable fry batch production.
Difficulties in artificial reproduction and breeding of E. coioides may include the following: (1) E. coioides is hermaphroditic, the female matures first, then sex transformation occurs; (2) the quality of zygotes is not good and the hatching rate is low; (3) fry individuals are tenuous and captious to the bait. There are also other problems, for example, cannibalism behavior between the larvae and the juveniles, diseases, and the like. In particular, the "female to male" sex transformation process in the individual development of E. coioides means that the male parents are all aged, and are generally above 6 years old. The result is a relatively low proportion of juveniles in any population and bait rapidly depleted by the non-reproducing individuals. Even if male parents are caught, the fertilization rate is still very low because the sexual maturity of male and female parents is not synchronous. The present method of fry breeding is to feed, inject or imbed the heterogenous sexual steroid hormone (17a-Methyl-testosterone) to force a sex-reversal of the cultured male parents. However, the molecular mechanism of sex reversal is poorly understood, and administrating greater amounts of heterogenous steroid hormone may have disadvantages. For example, labor and time may be wasted, sea were polluted, the effectiveness of sex transformation may be poor, male sperms are weak after sex transformation, and when administration of the hormone is stopped, sex reversion occurs. Fish treated by imbedding the hormone may not take food or may take little food, and thus is detrimental to their normal development.

Reproduction regulator enriched in the pituitary of


Cigarettes are formed into groups by a device comprising a hopper through which to direct a flow of cigarettes, a conveyor with pockets moving intermittently past a discharge outlet of the hopper, and a reciprocating pusher located on the side of the hopper opposite from the conveyor by which a portion of the flow corresponding to one group is directed with each forward stroke into a respective pocket. To avoid damage of the kind often associated with sliding contact and axial compression, the cigarettes adjacent to those ejected by the pusher are restrained when their cylindrical surfaces are attracted by suction generated through ports located inside the hopper.

The present invention relates to a device for forming groups of cigarettes.
In particular, the present invention relates to a device for the formation of cigarettes into groups, each constituting the contents of one packet. Conventionally, the basic element in a system for feeding cigarettes to a packer consists in a hopper affording a top inlet into which the cigarettes are directed en masse, horizontally and side by side, and a discharge outlet from which the cigarettes are removed in groups made up of a predetermined number.
The groups of cigarettes, appearing as a single layer or a plurality of layers positioned one on top of another, are supplied to a wrapping line by means of an intermittently driven conveyor device furnished with a plurality of uniformly distributed pockets each designed to contain a relative group. The hopper in question comprises two side walls extending parallel to the axes of the cigarettes, interconnected by two transverse walls disposed mutually parallel and separated one from the other by a distance marginally greater than the length of one cigarette. The bottom of the hopper presents at least one outlet enclosed by a horizontal plate and partitioned by substantially vertical and mutually parallel walls into a plurality of channels inside of which the massed contents of the hopper separate and form substantially vertical stacks of single cigarettes.
Considered in relation to the plate, therefore, the cigarettes appear ordered in horizontal layers each consisting in a number of cigarettes equal to the number of channels and disposed at increasing heights departing from the bottom layer, which lies in contact with the plate.
During each pause of the intermittently driven conveyor a horizontal reciprocating pusher, located on the side of the hopper remote from the conveyor, advances axially through an inlet opening afforded by one of the aforementioned transverse walls and enters into contact with one or more layers of the cigarettes, pushing them through an outlet opening afforded by the remaining transverse wall and into a pocket of the conveyor.
In this way, a group of cigarettes is formed in the pocket, consisting in a single layer or in two or more layers disposed one on top of another.
Groups consisting in a plurality of layers can also be formed by directing layers into a pocket singly and in succession, one on top of another, from a hopper with discrete discharge outlets corresponding in number to the number of layers.
In both of the cases mentioned, the cigarettes ejected from the hopper by the reciprocating pusher are caused to slide in contact with the cigarettes inside the hopper positioned immediately above the outlet, which in their turn combine to form another layer.
As a consequence of the friction generated by the sliding contact between the ejected cigarettes, which are displaced at a relatively high velocity, and the stationary cigarettes lying adjacent to them, the stationary cigarettes are urged axially against a restraint afforded by the inside face of the front transverse wall with the result that the ends can be crushed and shreds of tobacco filler lost.
Once the pusher has regained its former position, the cigarettes subjected to this damaging axial compression are free to drop into the outlet of the hopper and their inclusion in the layers displaced during the next cycle of the pusher can result in the formation of a defective group, which will be eliminated during subsequent steps of the process.
Reference has been made thus far to the case of groups consisting in a single layer and of groups consisting in a plurality of layers all comprising an identical number of cigarettes, whereas in the majority of cases the contents of a packet of cigarettes will consist in a plurality of layers comprising dissimilar numbers of cigarettes.
For instance, the contents of a soft packet of twenty cigarettes will consist generally in a group comprising two outer layers of seven cigarettes each and an intermediate layer of six cigarettes. Groups made up in this way present a particularly stable structure since the cigarettes are arranged quincuncially.
Very commonplace likewise are groups of twenty cigarettes including two contiguous layers of seven cigarettes and one outer layer of six cigarettes. Such a group will constitute the typical contents of a rigid packet with a hinged lid, given that the particular geometry enables a faultless closure of this style of packet.
Another reason for using groups formed of layers comprising different numbers of cigarettes is that in the event of an increase in production costs or of taxes, especially in countries where cigarette vending machines are in widespread use, the retail price can be maintained and the adjustment made by changing the contents of the packet, reducing the number of cigarettes in at least one layer of the group as appropriate. This naturally obviates the need to make alterations to the vending machine.
The prior art method of forming irregular groups, that is to say groups made up of layers containing different numbers of cigarettes, involves the use of pushers shaped in such a way that when entering the discharge outlet of the hopper they will engage only the cigarettes destined to make up the group.
Since however this expedient does not preclude the possibility that one or more cigarettes, albeit isolated from the action of the pusher, might be drawn forward by the adjacent cigarettes through friction and find their way into the pocket on the conveyor, the outlet of the hopper is equipped with restraints in the form of projecting fins disposed in alignment with the positions occupied by the excluded cigarettes.
Such a solution thus involves axial compression and the risk of damage to the restrained cigarettes in the same way as described previously.
It will be clear from the foregoing that the drawback described with reference to the formation of a group, whether a single layer or a plurality of layers arranged one on top of the other, all of which comprising an identical number of cigarettes, can become especially serious in the case of groups composed of layers comprising dissimilar numbers of single cigarettes, given the increased number of cigarettes that are subject to the damaging axial compression induced by the restraints.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device for forming groups of cigarettes such as will be free of the aforementioned drawbacks.
The stated object is realized according to the present invention in a device for forming groups of cigarettes, comprising a hopper through which to direct a flow of cigarettes disposed horizontally side by side and advancing each in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis toward at least one discharge outlet of the hopper enclosed at the bottom by a substantially horizontal plate and laterally by two side walls disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis, fitted internally with a plurality of partition walls disposed substantially parallel to the side walls and defining a plurality of channels between the side walls of width equal substantially to the diameter of one cigarette, also a pocket conveyor moving transversely to the direction of the flow, and a reciprocating transfer device capable of movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis through a transfer station coinciding with the outlet, by which a portion of the flow is engaged during each forward stroke and transferred from the hopper to a respective pocket to form a group.
To advantage, the device comprises restraining means designed to prevent a relative axial sliding movement of the cigarettes, acting transversely to the axis and activated during each forward stroke of the transfer device at a location coinciding with at least one of the predetermined positions occupied internally of the hopper by the cigarettes in contact with the portion of the flow engaged by the transfer device.
Another drawback that can be encountered with hoppers of the type in question is that particles of tobacco filler collect on the bottom plate and lodge between the plate and the cigarettes; this occasions incorrect positioning of the cigarettes and thus disallows the correct formation of the group of cigarettes.
A further object of the present invention is to overcome this drawback.


A heat dissipation device includes a plurality of fins connected to each other. Each fin includes a first section with a first surface, a second section with a second surface parallel to the first surface, and a connecting portion. The connecting portion connects the first and second sections and extends along a normal direction thereof. An air passage is formed between the first section and the second section, so that air passes sequentially through the first surface, the air passage and the second surface.

The invention relates to a heat dissipation device and more particularly, to a heat dissipation device with heat dissipation fins for a computer.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional heat dissipation device 10 having a plurality of parallel fins 11. A distance d is maintained between each. According to convention, the distance d is less than 1.0 mm, for matching the safety requirement and preventing entry of foreign material.
However, when the distance d is complies with the standard, the number of fins is very large. For example, if the length of a heat dissipation device 10 is 20 mm, at least 20 fins 11 are required, increasing the overall weight of the device and the resistance of air.


A datacenter with automated robotic maintenance comprises: a plurality of computer systems disposed at different locations therein, each system including: a cabinet rack; and a plurality of system cell units disposed therein for operation of the corresponding computer system; a robotic vehicle operative to move to each of the cabinet racks of the plurality and to perform maintenance on the system cell units thereof; and a central management station operative to communicate with the plurality of computer systems to determine an occurrence of a maintenance event for a system cell unit at one of the computer systems, and operative to direct the robotic vehicle to move to the cabinet rack of the one computer system and to perform maintenance on the system cell unit in accordance with the maintenance event.

A datacenter is generally a room containing a plurality of cabinet racks of computer systems, like computer servers, for example. For high end computer servers, each cabinet rack may comprise from two to sixty-four cell/memory units, which are commonly referred to as boards. Each board may have a unique identification (ID). A exemplary datacenter is described in the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/614,856, filed Jul. 9, 2003 and published Jan. 13, 2005, entitled "Inventory Management of Components" and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application, which application being incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Currently, the higher end computer servers have self-diagnostic capabilities for identifying a failed board. However, maintenance of the failed server remains a manual process. Typically, the failed server sends a failure notification to a system or service administrator which includes the ID of the failed board or unit. The administrator may or may not be local to the datacenter. If remote from the datacenter, the notification may be an email message, for example. For the most part, datacenters do not include a storage inventory of the different types of replacement boards. Accordingly, in such cases, upon receipt of a failure notification, the administrator knowing the ID of the failed board will order a replacement unit and have it shipped to the datacenter. A service technician will take the replacement unit to the failed server for manual replacement. The failed unit may have an indicator light for directing the technician to the failed unit.
Of course, for those servers that do not have self-diagnostics capabilities, the failed server will have to be identified by a service technician, for example. Then, diagnostics will be performed on the identified server to locate the failed board or boards. Thereafter, the manual procedure will remain the same or similar to that described above.
This manual procedure for maintaining the datacenter operational is rather onerous and time consuming, requiring one or more service technicians either on-duty or on-call. The lost operational time resulting from a failed server is also a consequential loss to the datacenter operator. Accordingly, an improvement to the manual operational maintenance of the datacenter is desired for at least the aforementioned reasons.

Datacenter with automated robotic maintenance

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A pivotal bone anchor assembly includes a receiver defining a channel for receiving an elongate rod and a central bore with an internal engagement surface adjacent a bottom opening, as well as a shank having an anchor portion and a capture structure opposite the anchor portion positionable within the central bore through the bottom opening. The pivotal bone anchor assembly further includes a retainer configured to capture and hold the capture structure within the central bore and having an outer surface with a lower portion that is engageable the internal engagement surface of the receiver, together with a compression insert having an upper surface engageable with the elongate rod and a lower surface in overlapping engagement with an upper portion of the outer surface of the retainer, with the compression insert being spaced apart from the capture structure of the shank upon assembly of the separate components within the receiver.

The present invention is directed to polyaxial bone screws for use in bone surgery, particularly spinal surgery.
Bone screws are utilized in many types of spinal surgery, such as for osteosynthesis, in order to secure various implants to vertebrae along the spinal column for the purpose of stabilizing and/or adjusting spinal alignment. Although both closed-ended and open-ended bone screws are known, open-ended screws are particularly well suited for connections to rods and connector arms, because such rods or arms do not need to be passed through a closed bore, but rather can be Laid or urged onto the open receiver channel of an open ended bone screw.
Typical open-ended bone screws include a threaded shank with a pair of parallel projecting branches or arms which form a yoke with a U-shaped slot or channel to receive a rod. Hooks and other types of connectors, as are used in spinal fixation techniques, may also include open ends for receiving rods or portions of other structure.
A common mechanism for providing vertebral support is to implant bone screws into certain bones which then in turn support a longitudinal structure such as a rod, or are supported by such a rod. Bone screws of this type may have a head or receiver that receives the rod or other structure that is fixed relative to a shank thereof. In the fixed bone screws, the fixed receiver cannot be moved relative to the shank and the rod must be favorably positioned in order for it to be placed within the receiver. This is sometimes very difficult or impossible to do. Therefore, polyaxial bone screws are commonly preferred.
Open-ended polyaxial bone screws allow rotation of a rod receiver with respect to the shank until a desired rotational position of the receiver is achieved relative to the shank. A rod is inserted into the receiver and eventually the receiver is locked or fixed in a particular position relative to the shank.
There are a variety of ways in which the rod may be captured within an open polyaxial bone screw. Some sort of closure structure or plug is required so as to block the channel opening once the rod is inserted therein and, also preferably urge the rod into a seated and locked position relative to the receiver. A substantial amount of torque is required to seat the plug against the rod which in turn seats the rod in the receiver channel so as to prevent relative motion between the rod and the bone screw. Consequently, the need to highly torque a plug disposed between the arms of an open bone screw functions counter to the need to prevent the bone screw arms from splaying.
Certain prior art plug type closures have been threadably received between the opposed arms of the bone screw receiver using conventional V-shaped thread forms which has resulted in a significant amount of radially outward pressure or force being applied to the arms of the bone screw receiver. Such outward force may result in splaying of the arms, after which the closure becomes loose which may either result in a failure of the implant by allowing the rod to slip relative to the bone screw or the closure may even come completely out of the receiver of the bone screw for total failure of the implant. In order to help relieve this problem, certain of the prior art has added structure to the rod engaging lower surface of the closure. Such structure has included adding a central or axial point or ring designed to penetrate into the rod and help lock the rod into place. Surface finish on the plug, such as knurling, has also been utilized.
At a side of the rod opposite of the closure plug, various compression spacers or insertable compression structures have been developed that are operably disposed adjacent the rod and within the bone screw receiver. Such compression structures have been used to frictionally link the rod with the bone screw shank and to aid in snugly seating the rod in the open bone screw, thus aiding in preventing relative motion between the rod and the bone screw. Prior art bone screw compression inserts have typically been utilized with top-loaded bone screw shanks, having substantially spherical heads that are integral with the shank body. Such compression inserts include those that contact an upper spherical portion of the bone screw shank and others that extend substantially around such a spherical surface. Such compression inserts may also include a curved upper surface or surfaces for receiving the rod.
Bone screw compression inserts may desirably reduce relative motion between the rod and the bone screw, but may be undesirable in practice as they may also require separate insertion during surgery, after implantation of the bone screw shank, and may be small and thus difficult to handle. Alternatively, compression inserts loaded in a bone screw prior to implantation may obstruct bone screw features utilized for driving the threaded bone screw shank into bone, or require less than desirable modifications in the bone screw, decreasing strength and/or requiring specialized driving tools.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Pivotal bone anchor assembly with bottom loaded shank and insert engaging retainer


A process for fabricating a bipolar transistor on a silicon-on-insulator substrate which includes etching a bipolar transistor area into the substrate, wherein the bipolar transistor area has substantially vertical sidewalls and a bottom, and forming a buried collector in bottom of the bipolar transistor area. Polysilicon sidewalls are formed adjacent to the vertical sidewalls in the bipolar transistor area, wherein the polysilicon sidewalls are connected to the buried collector. The polysilicon sidewalls are oxidized to form a layer of oxidized polysilicon. Oxide sidewalls are formed on the oxidized polysilicon sidewalls, and epitaxial silicon is formed to fill the bipolar transistor area. A base and an emitter are formed for the bipolar transistor, within the epitaxial barrier.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is generally related to integrated circuits and in particular to a process of forming a bipolar transistor structure in an integrated circuit. Still more particularly, the present invention is related to a process for forming a bipolar transistor structure that is compatible for forming CMOS structures using silicon-on-insulator technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
The integration of metal oxide-semiconductor field effect (MOSFET) structures and bipolar transistors on a single substrate has become very desirable. In addition, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology is attractive for high speed complementary metal oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and radiation hardened devices. SOI technology offers the highest performance for a given feature size due to the minimization of parasitic compacitance. In SOI technology, small islands of silicon which contain the individual device are fabricated on an insulating substrate. These islands are then interconnected in the normal way.
As is well known in the art, digital and linear functions are often performed by integrated circuits using either bipolar or metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) technology. Bipolar integrated circuits, of course, generally provide higher speed operation and greater drive currents then the MOS circuits. Recent advances in manufacturing technology have allowed the use of both bipolar and CMOS transistors in the same integrated circuit (commonly referred to as BiCMOS devices). Several merged BiCMOS processes make use of the inherent vertical NPN transistor present in a bulk CMOS process. In a SOI CMOS, such vertical structures do not exist and lateral bipolar transistors may be suitable for sharing fabrication steps with MOSFET's. Unfortunately, lateral bipolar transistors suffer from an inherent performance limitation related to their large base width and the base series resistance. As a result, it would be advantageous to have a process for manufacturing a vertical bipolar transistor with a SOI MOS transistor.

Method of fabricating a bipolar integrated structure


A system for digitally scanning and analyzing x-ray images includes a digital camera and a light box optically coupled to substantially eliminate noise in the digitized image. The digital image is analyzed and compared to baseline digital images to determine characteristics between the two images.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the analysis of images created via an x-ray source. More particularly, the invention relates to digitizing an x-ray film and analyzing its image.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Different solids absorb x-rays, a type of electromagnetic radiation, at different rates. A photographic plate behind an object may record the amount of x-rays passing through the object or scattered by it to create a shadow image. The photographic plate is developed and an x-ray image results on a film having varying gray levels of transparency. Typically, these film are 14 inches by 17 inches.
X-ray films made by the above process serve as invaluable tools for those involved in the scientific, medical, and industrial endeavors. Those people reading the x-ray films typically view and analyze the images using a light box or light table for passing light through the x-ray films.
Some of the endeavors require quantitatively analyzing the x-ray film, for example, measuring tumor size in medical applications and ballistic performance in projectile and explosive development application. This type of analyzing requires measuring the size of each feature and comparing that size with predicted results or charting changes in size over a period of time. Currently such measuring is accomplished by hand. For applications in the development of shaped charges, for example, the film measuring and reduction for a single test firing exceeds one manday.
Recent advances in computer technology allow scanning of x-ray films to create digitized files. Various software tools allow applications of a wide range of image enhancements and analytical tools to the digitized x-ray film. For example, software may "pseudo-color" to the gray scale levels in the digitized x-ray image to aid in visual review of the x-ray image.
Another advantage of digitizing is electronic storage and retrieval of x-rays images. Having x-ray images stored on computer accessible media significantly reduces and replaces the physical space required to store x-ray films. Furthermore, the time necessary to retrieve an x-ray image from computer accessible media is negligible compared to physical retrieval of an x-ray film. Additionally, due to today's ease of computer interconnectivity, the actual physical location of the digitized files may be different from the location where the x-ray image is viewed or analyzed.
Several systems and methods for digitizing x-ray films are known. Typically, these systems capture a video image and then make a conversion from analog to digital. The video image is created by a plurality of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) in either a one dimensional or two dimensional array.
The one dimensional array includes a plurality of CCDs aligned along a single line. In such an arrangement, the linear array or the film must travel relative to each other. This traveling is one source of noise or error in digitizing the film.
The two dimensional array typically assumes a fixed square field of view and so has an N.times.N array of CCDs, where N is the number of CCDs in one direction. Square arrays of CCDs are not conducive to scanning a fourteen by seventeen inch x-ray film.
Since the scanning rate and area for both arrays are fixed, neither array allows users to scan a selected portion of a film in a resolution higher than that for the whole scan area.
These typical scanning systems scan the x-ray films in gray scale via the transmissive characteristics of the films and are thus not suited to multiple applications such as those additionally including multi-color reflective transmission from an object.
There is a need for an x-ray film digitizing system that reliably digitizes x-ray film that is simple and cost effective to build and use.
There is also a need for a x-ray film scanning system that reliably digitizes x-ray films with significant reductions in noise and creates a digitized image allowing processing heretofore not contemplated. There is also need new techniques and methods for analyzing digitized x-ray films to provide significant advantages in older, more time consuming method and techniques.


A multilayer engine bearing (26) includes a steel backing (36) having a liner (38) of bearing metal of either copper-lead or aluminum alloys formed on the backing (36) and a thin layer (44) of either copper or nickel plated on the liner (38) to define a base lining member (40) of the bearing (26). A multilayer overplate (46) is formed on the base lining member (40) and includes an underlayer (48) of a lead-tin-copper alloy having a thickness of about 10 .mu.m and an overlayer (50) of tin having a thickness of about 5 .mu.m. The multilayer overplate (46) exhibits exceptional fatigue resistance under high dynamic loading conditions and retains good conformability and embedibility characteristics.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to plain bearings and to their method of manufacture and more particularly to multilayer engine bearings of the type having a metal backed layer of copper-lead or aluminum alloy lining overplated with a softer bearing metal for use in internal combustion engines.
2. Related Prior Art
Plain engine journal bearings for use in high load engine applications, such as connecting rod, main and accessory or balance crankshaft bearings of high torque diesel or high performance gasoline engines, typically include a base lining member having a lining of either copper-lead or aluminum alloy formed on a surface of a steel backing. The lining is overplated with a softer bearing metal typically comprising a single layer of a lead-tin-copper alloy having a thickness of about 25 .mu.m. Often, a nickel diffusion barrier or copper bonding layer is interposed between the lining and overplate. As a final step, the bearing is typically coated with a micro-thin layer of tin or lead-tin flash plating having a thickness of about 1 .mu.m or less. The flash plating is primarily cosmetic, giving the product a bright, pleasing appearance. It also provides a level of corrosion protection to the steel backing. The micro-thin flash plating applied to the overplate quickly dissipates within the first few hours of engine break-in, and as such does not contribute to the bearing properties of the overplate.
In service, such multilayer crankshaft bearings are subjected to dynamic loads that vary in magnitude and direction due to the inertial loads applied by the piston and connecting rod mechanism and by the cylinder gas. The softer overplate layer enables the bearing surface to continually change and conform under high load forces to any misalignments or changes in profile or loading of the member being journaled, so that the loads are distributed across a greater surface area of the bearing. This property is generally known as "conformability". The overplate also allows any foreign particles of dirt or metal that may come between the bearing surface and the member it journals to become embedded or absorbed into the bearing surface, so as to protect the bearing and journal from excessive wear or damage. This property is known as "embedibility".
It is generally accepted that conformability and embedibility are dependent upon overplate thickess, with a thicker overplate being preferred. It is also generally known that as the thickness of the overplate increases, so does the susceptibility to bearing fatigue (i.e., the fracturing of the bearing surface when under load). Resistance to fatigue cracking requires that the bearing surface exhibit sufficient tensile strength to enable it to undergo minor configuration changes without cracking. Thus, it is necessary to balance the competing properties of conformability/embedibility and fatigue resistance when designing an engine bearing, particularly one that is to be subjected to high dynamic loading.
For many high load engine applications, it has been found that the single layer, 25 .mu.m thick lead-tin-copper overplate described above provides excellent conformability and embedibility characteristics and good fatigue resistance. However, as the output and efficiency of engines continually increases, the dynamic loads placed on the crankshaft bearings also increase, as does the potential for bearing fatigue. It has been found that under extreme loading conditions the conventional bearings described above having a single layer overplate of lead-tin-copper are prone to fatigue. Efforts to alleviate fatigue by simply decreasing the thickness of the lead-tin-copper overplate layer to less than the 25 .mu.m thickness while at the same time preserving an acceptable level of conformability and embedibility have been largely unsuccessful to date.
Thus, there exists a need in the industry for an improved journal bearing that can perform under such extreme high dynamic loading conditions without experiencing fatigue and while maintaining good conformability and embedibility characteristics.

Multi-layer engine bearings and method of manufacture


The present invention is a methodology for assembling a magnet onto a rotor for an energy storage apparatus. The methodology includes the step of mounting a magnet onto a mandrel. The methodology also includes the step of turning an outer diameter of the magnet to a predetermined size. The methodology further includes the step of turning a rim section of the rotor for receiving the magnet to a predetermined size. The methodology still further includes the step of attaching the magnet to the rim section. The methodology includes the step of removing the mandrel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hybrid vehicles, and, more particularly, to an energy storage apparatus for a hybrid motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the invention of powered vehicles, many different powertrain systems have been attempted, including a steam engine with a boiler or an electric motor with a storage battery. It was, however, the four-stroke internal combustion engine invented by Otto in 1876, and the discovery of petroleum in 1859 that provided the impetus for the modern automotive industry.
Although gasoline emerged as the fuel of choice for automotive vehicles, recent concerns regarding fuel availability and increasingly stringent Federal and State emission regulations have renewed interest in alternative fuel powered vehicles. For example, alternative fuel vehicles may be powered by methanol, ethanol, natural gas, electricity or a combination of fuels.
A dedicated electric powered vehicle offers several advantages: electricity is readily available; an electric power distribution system is already in place; and an electric powered vehicle produces virtually zero emissions. There are several technological disadvantages that must be overcome before electric powered vehicles gain acceptance in the marketplace. For instance, the range of an electric powered vehicle is limited to approximately 100 miles, compared to about 300 miles for a gasoline powered vehicle. Further, the top speed is about half that of a similar gasoline powered vehicle. Significant advances in battery technology are required to overcome these technological disadvantages.
A hybrid powered vehicle, powered by electric and a gaseous fuel, overcomes the technical disadvantages of a dedicated electric vehicle while having almost the same environmental benefit as a dedicated electric vehicle. The performance and range characteristics are comparable to a conventional gasoline powered vehicle.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a hybrid powertrain system in an automotive vehicle that is energy efficient, has low emissions, and offers the performance of a conventional gasoline powered vehicle.


A structure, apparatus and method for circuits to minimize sensitivity to latch. The method includes, for example, identifying element density of at least one functional circuit block and element attributes of elements associated with the at least one functional circuit block. An element density function parameterized from the element attributes is formed. The placement of the at least one functional circuit block is modified relative to other functional circuit blocks based on the element density function to substantially eliminate latching effects in a circuit.

As electronic components are becoming smaller and smaller along with the internal structures in integrated circuits, it is becoming easier to either completely destroy or otherwise impair electronic components from latchup. Latchup is when a pnpn structure transitions from a low current/high-voltage state to a high current/low-voltage state through a negative resistance region (i.e., forming an S-Type I-V (current/voltage) characteristic).
Latchup is typically understood as occurring within a pnpn structure, or silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) structure. Interestingly enough, these pnpn structures can be intentionally designed, or even unintentionally formed between structures. Hence, latchup conditions can occur within peripheral circuits or internal circuits, within one circuit (intra-circuit) or between multiple circuits (inter-circuit).
Latchup is typically initiated by an equivalent circuit of a cross-coupled pnp and npn transistor. Parasitic npn and pnp transistors associated with an inverter, with a base and collector regions cross-coupled, current flows from one device leading to the initiation of the second ("regenerative feedback"). These pnp and npn elements can be any diffusions or implanted regions of other circuit elements (e.g., P-channel MOSFETs, N-Channel MOSFETs, resistors, etc.) or actual pnp and npn bipolar transistors. In CMOS, the pnpn structure can be formed with a p-diffusion in an n-well, and an n-diffusion in a p-substrate (parasitic pnpn). In this case, the well and substrate regions are inherently involved in the latchup current exchange between regions.
The condition for triggering a latchup is a function of the current gain of the pnp and npn transistors, and the resistance between the emitter and the base regions. This inherently involves the well and substrate regions. The likelihood or sensitivity of a particular pnpn structure to latchup is a function of spacings (e.g., base width of the npn and base width of the pnp), bipolar current gain of the transistors, substrate sheet resistance and spacings (substrate resistance), the well sheet resistance and spacings (well resistance), and isolation regions.
Latchup can be initiated from internal or external stimulus. For example, latchup is known to occur from single event upsets (SEU). Single event upsets can include terrestrial emissions from nuclear processes, and cosmic ray events, as well as events in space environments. Cosmic ray particles can include proton, and neutron, gamma events, as well as a number of particle types that enter the earth atmosphere. Terrestrial emissions from radioactive events, such as alpha particles, and other radioactive decay emissions can also lead to latchup in semiconductors. Also, latchup can occur from voltage or current pulses that occur on the power supply lines, such as VDD and Vss. Transient pulses on power rails (e.g., substrate or wells) can trigger latchup processes, as well.
Latchup can be initiated by negative transient on the VDD which can lead to a forward biasing of all the n-diffusions and n-well structures and electron injection throughout the semiconductor chip substrate. This produces a "sea of electrons" injected in the chip substrate. Equivalently, a positive transient on the VSS can lead to hole injection, and forward biasing of the substrate-well junction providing a "sea of holes" event. Latchup can also occur from a stimulus to the well or substrate external to the region of the thyristor structure from minority carriers.
In internal circuits and peripheral circuitry, latchup are both a concern. Latchup can also occur as the result of interaction of the ESD (electro static discharge) device, the I/O off-chip driver and adjacent circuitry initiated in the substrate from overshoot and undershoot phenomenon. These can be generated by CMOS off-chip driver circuitry, receiver networks, and ESD devices.
In CMOS I/O circuitry, undershoot and overshoot can lead to injection in the substrate. Hence, both a p-channel MOSFET and n-channel MOSFET can lead to substrate injection. Simultaneous switching of circuitry where overshoot or undershoot injection occurs, leads to injection into the substrate which leads to both noise injection and latchup conditions. Supporting elements in these circuits, such as pass transistors, resistor elements, test functions, over voltage dielectric limiting circuitry, bleed resistors, keeper networks and other elements can be present leading to injection into the substrate. ESD elements connected to the input pad can also lead to latchup. ESD elements that can lead to noise injection, and latchup include MOSFETs, pnpn SCR ESD structures, p+/n-well diodes, n-well-to-substrate diodes, n+ diffusion diodes, and other ESD circuits. ESD circuits can also contribute to noise injection into the substrate and latchup.
In a semiconductor chip environment, there exists a plurality of different stimulus as well a plurality of circuit functions. Peripheral circuits comprise, for example, ESD networks, transmitter and receiver networks, system clocks, phase lock loops, capacitors, decoupling capacitors and fill shapes. Internal circuits can consist of DRAM memory, SRAM memory, gate arrays, and logic circuitry. In this complex environment, the latchup event can be an interaction of inter-circuit interaction or intra-circuit interactions.
Additionally, the interaction of the different circuits can lead to an initiation of a primary latchup event followed by a secondary latchup event. Since the circuits in a complex chip are coupled through the substrate, well, and power rails, circuit blocks and elements within a circuit block can be interactive.
Moreover, latchup vulnerability is a function of the macroscopic local temperature in a region where latchup occurs. Certain regions of a functional chip are hotter than others with a high local temperature. Regions of a chip where the chip is hotter are more likely to initiate latchup concerns. The reason this is true is that the parasitic bipolar gain increases with increased temperature. Additionally, the diffusion coefficient is a function of temperature leading to longer diffusion lengths in the region of higher temperatures in a semiconductor chip.
For external latchup issues, there is two concerns. First the intrinsic latchup parasitic structure is more sensitive to the increased temperature leading to a higher risk of latchup. Second, the diffusion of minority carriers to the triggerable network is easier as the temperature increases as a result of the higher diffusion process. Hence it would be an advantage to place these hotter circuits farther from regions of overshoot and undershoot injection.
Additionally, latchup is a higher risk in regions where the incoming voltage exceeds the native voltage. Regions of semiconductor chips that provide programmable NVRAM power pins which receive voltages that far exceed the native voltage are sources for latchup concern. Mixed voltage off-chip driver circuits, mixed voltage ESD networks, mixed voltage receiver networks, mixed voltage ESD power clamps all have higher power supply voltages than the native power supply voltage of the chip. Placement of circuit blocks and circuit functions with a high density of pnpn devices, or weakly robust networks that are near the high voltage supply are more vulnerable to trigger latchup in a chip.

Methodology for placement based on circuit function and latchup sensitivity

International Business Machines Corporation


A detection system to detect an object in a blowout prevention system of a production system includes a sensor coupled to the blowout prevention system and configured to send an ultrasonic pulse toward the object. The sensor is further configured to receive a signal including the ultrasonic pulse and noise after the ultrasonic pulse interacts with the object. The detection system also includes a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to identify the ultrasonic pulse in the signal using a first cancellation signal at a first time and a second cancellation signal at a second time. The controller is further configured to determine that the first cancellation signal corresponds to the noise in the signal at the first time, and determine that the second cancellation signal corresponds to the noise in the signal at the second time. The controller is configured to determine a characteristic of the object based on the ultrasonic pulse.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to detection systems, and more particularly to a system including a sensor that receives a signal including an ultrasonic pulse and noise.
Many known detection systems include sensors that are configured to detect an object. For example, at least some known detection systems are configured to detect a pipe that extends through a wellbore. In at least some known detection systems, a sensor sends a pulse toward the pipe. After the pulse interacts with the pipe, the sensor receives a signal including the pulse and noise. Examples of noise include sound generated by the self-resonance, i.e., ringing, of the sensor. At least some known detection systems use a pre-recorded signal to cancel out the noise. However, the noise in the signal varies over time and the pre-recorded signal generally does not correspond to the noise in the signal at different times.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a detection system that processes signals as the signals vary over time and improves signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR).

Detection system including sensor and method of operating such


An apparatus is provided according to embodiments of the present invention which includes a reaction chamber having a wall defining an interior of the reaction chamber and an exterior of the reaction chamber; exoelectrogenic bacteria disposed in the interior of the reaction chamber; an aqueous medium having a pH in the range of 3-9, inclusive, the aqueous medium including an organic substrate oxidizable by exoelectrogenic bacteria and the medium disposed in the interior of the reaction chamber. An inventive apparatus further includes an anode at least partially contained within the interior of the reaction chamber; and a brush or mesh cathode including stainless steel, nickel or titanium, the cathode at least partially contained within the interior of the reaction chamber.

Both electricity and hydrogen production result from the degradation of organic matter by microbes, such as exoelectrogenic bacteria. Microbes oxidize organic matter, releasing electrons to a circuit and protons into solution. In an MFC at the cathode, the electrons and protons combine with oxygen to form water. To make hydrogen in an MEC, the MFC is modified by excluding oxygen and adding a small additional voltage. Electrons and protons combine on the cathode in the MEC to form hydrogen gas. MFCs and MECs can be used in various applications, such as a method of wastewater treatment, or as a method for renewable energy production, for example. Examples of MFCs for making electricity are exemplified in Liu and Logan (2004) and Liu et al. (2004). Examples of MECs are given by Liu et al. (2005), Cheng and Logan (2007c), and Call and Logan (2008).
Performance of current MECs and MFCs can be limited by the cathode and current cathodes require expensive materials, such as platinum. Thus, improved cathodes for MECs and MFCs are required.

Cathodes for microbial electrolysis cells and microbial fuel cells


An ejection condition determination method in an image forming apparatus includes: selecting two or more kinds of ejection conditions regarding other recording elements than a specified recording element among plural recording elements; acquiring drawing data representing two or more drawing patterns having different density distributions, the drawing data being acquired by respectively forming same drawing patterns using the selected two or more kinds of ejection conditions in a specified non-ejection state; performing a filter processing corresponding to human visual characteristics on the acquired drawing data so as to obtain visual correction drawing data; and determining the ejection conditions for compensating for a density variation of the image due to the specified non-ejection state based upon evaluation results which are obtained by respectively evaluating two or more drawing patterns represented by the visual correction drawing data and having been subjected to the filter processing according to a predetermined evaluation condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ejection condition determination method of determining an ejection condition of droplets by relatively moving a recording medium only once with respect to a recording head including a plurality of recording elements which eject the droplets in a transport direction crossing an arrangement direction of the plurality of recording elements, so as to form an image formed by a plurality of dots on the recording medium, and an image forming method and an image forming apparatus using the ejection condition determination method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the rapid progress of an ink jet technique, color and large size printing in which high speed and high image quality are compatible has been realized by an ink jet recording type image forming apparatus. In this recording type, droplets of a plurality of kinds of inks (for example, CMYK inks) are ejected onto a recording medium so as to form a plurality of dots, thereby obtaining a printed matter. This kind of apparatus is used for, particularly, a wide field in application to signs and display, and is also applicable to printing of, for example, a storefront point of purchase (POP), wall poster outdoor advertising, a signboard, and the like.
In addition, in this recording type, a single pass type of using a recording head (hereinafter, referred to as a line head) including a plurality of nozzles arranged in a predetermined direction has attracted special attention. This is because an image can be formed by moving a recording medium or a line head only once in a transport direction crossing the predetermined direction, and various specifications (high speed, low power consumption, and high image quality) required in application to signs and display can be all compatible.
Meanwhile, it is most preferable that ejection states of all the nozzles included in the line head be favorable at all times in order to stably obtain high quality printed matters. However, it is realistically very difficult to secure and maintain the above-described ejection states in all line heads in terms of productivity including processing accuracy, costs, and the like. Therefore, various image correction techniques for positively suppressing deterioration in image quality have been proposed on the premise that there may be a defective nozzle in the line head.
JP2011-201121A (Abstract, and FIGS. 3 and 17) has proposed a method and an apparatus in which a correction coefficient for non-ejection correction is determined in view of the fact that patterns of landing interference occurrence are different depending on relative positional relationships between respective nozzles. JP2011-201121A also describes a drawing example of a test chart which is a set of patches formed with various ejection conditions.
JP2006-076086A (claim 2 and FIG. 12) and JP2007-160748A (claim 1, paragraph [0069], and the like) have proposed a method and an apparatus in which density reduction due to non-ejection from a defective nozzle is compensated for using N (where N is an integer of 2 or more) nozzles around the defective nozzle. Particularly, JP2006-076086A (claim 2 and FIG. 12) specifically discloses addition and subtraction of a correction amount becoming smaller as the distance from the defective nozzle increases being repeated alternately for each pixel.

Ejection condition determination method, image forming method, and image forming apparatus


A live bait container includes a flexible, cylindrically shaped fabric mesh body having a side wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, and an interior storage space. A bottom hoop is positioned near the bottom wall. A first access port in one of the walls communicates with the interior storage space. The container also includes a fabric mesh pouch positioned on an outer surface of the side wall.

The present invention relates to live bait containers and, in particular, to a container having a fabric mesh sewn to rigid stays to define displaced walls and an enclosed storage cavity including a resealing access port and a pocket having an access port sewn to the mesh wall.
A longstanding problem of live bait fishermen, who use minnows and other bait that must remain submerged in water, is providing a means for storing the bait while fishing. Varieties of rigid walled bait containers and traps with hinged doors and perforated walls exist. These containers are typically constructed from metallic mesh screen or perforated metal or plastic. These containers can be dragged from a boat or can be mounted inside a solid walled outer container that supports a quantity of water.
Rigid walled, built-in bait wells and/or live wells are also provided on many fishing boats. In lieu of towing the foregoing bait containers and depending upon the size of the live well, many of the foregoing bait containers can be inserted into a live well. The bait is thereby segregated from any fish that are caught and kept. Damage can occur, however, to the bait, captured fish, bait container and/or live well with normal jostling of the bait container during boat operation.
Mesh fabric outfitted with buoyant floats has also been used to store live bait such as leeches and as a holding pen for live wells. The walls of such assemblies, however, can collapse against the contained bait and/or fish and obstruct normal gill movement and breathing, thereby severely effecting bait mortality and storage time.
The present invention was developed to provide an economical mesh fabric, live bait container with resealing access port that can support bait, such as minnows and other aquatic bait or insects (e.g. grasshoppers and crickets). The container and bait can be stored in a live well. The walls are displaced with resilient, flexible stays to define a bait storage space. One or more compartments can be provided to segregate multiple types or different species of bait. One or more buoyant floats can be included to support the container. The stays can flex during the boat movement allowing the walls to collapse and expand. Damage is thereby minimized to the stored bait, fish, bait container and/or live well. The bait container can also be collapsed for storage.


An auto-choke control device maintains good startability at the time of restarting at high temperature without need of a thermostat specific for an auto-choke. An engine temperature detection device is drivably controlled by a control circuit in response to the engine temperature. A switching detection circuit detects ON or OFF operation of a main switch connected to the control circuit. A self-hold circuit automatically holds power to the control circuit when the main switch is changed from an ON state to an OFF state.

An auto-choke has been used to improve startability of an engine. A hot wax type auto-choke is known as such an auto-choke. This hot wax type auto-choke comprises a heater in wax, and the wax is expanded/contracted by ON/OFF operation of the heater so that a valve is opened/closed gradually in response to the expansion/contraction of the wax. Such a hot wax type auto-choke is provided in a bypass passage, which is provided, for example, additionally in a throttle body of a fuel injection engine, and adapted to open a valve at starting of the engine prior to warming up to increase the amount of intake air for the enhancement of startability.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional hot wax type auto-choke control device.
In an engine control unit (ECU) 51 mounted to a vehicle is provided a control circuit 52 constituting a CPU such as a microcomputer, which is connected to a heater 54 of the auto-choke through a drive circuit 53. In the ECU 51 is provided a power circuit 57 connected to a battery 56 through a main switch 55. The power circuit 57 supplies a drive power from the battery 56 to the control circuit 52 and other electronic control parts or electric circuits and the like when the main switch 55 is turned ON.
Between the heater 54 and the battery 56 is connected a thermostat (engine temperature switch) 58 being set ON/OFF in response to the engine temperature, by which energization from the battery 56 to the heater 54 is ON/OFF in response to the engine temperature.
The heater 54, when energized (at the time of ON), expands the wax, causing a valve to be closed and volume increase of intake air to be shut off, and when energization is shut off (at the time of OFF), contracts the wax, causing the valve to be opened and the amount of intake air is increased.
In such an auto-choke described above, before engine starting, the heater 54 is in an OFF state and the valve of the auto-choke is opened.
If the main switch 55 is turned ON at the time of engine starting, a power source voltage is supplied to the control circuit 52. At this time, with the heater 54 kept in an OFF state and the valve opened, the amount of intake air is increased to enhance startability. When the engine is started, the control circuit 52 sets the heater 54 ON through the drive circuit 53 to close the valve gradually to thereby shut off volume increase of intake air, and performs fuel injection by ordinary running control. When the engine temperature is raised as a result of engine operation, the thermostat 58 is set ON.
Here, if after the main switch 55 is turned OFF to stop the engine, the main switch 55 is turned ON again to start the engine while the engine temperature is high, the heater 54 remains ON because of the thermostat 58 being ON, so that the valve of the auto-choke is kept closed without volume increase of intake air and engine starting at high temperature can be performed smoothly (without the thermostat 58, when the main switch is OFF, the heater 54 is also set OFF and the valve is kept open at the time of restarting at high temperature, so that the amount of intake air is increased in spite of high engine temperature, worsening startability).
However, in the conventional auto-choke control device, a special thermostat is required for the start control of an engine at the time of restarting at high temperature and the thermostat is mounted to a body separate from an ECU, so that the number of parts is increased, resulting in a restriction on layout and raising costs.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide an auto-choke control device capable of maintaining a good startability at the time of restarting at high temperature with a simple construction and without need of using a thermostat specific for an auto-choke, and preventing cost increase.


Before playing a digital photo slide show, both required digital photos and a guiding program are burnt on an optical disc in advance. While the disc is loaded into an optical disc play device, the guiding program triggers the optical disc play device to connect with an external network for updating media play effect packages, which are related to the digital photos, and for storing the updated media play effect packages in a preserved database of said optical disc play device. Then a corresponding digital photo slide show is dynamically generated and played according to both the updated media play effect packages, which are stored in the preserved database, and the digital photos burnt on the optical disc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for updating a digital photo slide show, and more particularly, to a method of dynamically updating media play effect packages utilized on a digital photo slide show.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a big party such as a wedding party, photos related to the party are collected for being burning on conventional digital versatile discs (DVD) and for sharing the collected photos with people who joined or did not join the party. Digital photos are popular means for recording such a party and for sharing the procedure of the party with people who joined or did not join the party. Conventionally, a plurality of digital photos taken at the party is collected after the party was over, and a digital photo slide show is generated from the collected plurality of digital photos and is burnt into digital versatile discs for sharing with people who joined or did not join the party. However, there are problems in such conventional means. For example, after sharing digital versatile discs burnt with an original digital photo slide show with people who joined or did not join the party, if there is an updated version of the digital photo slide show, such as increasing or decreasing, i.e. updating, media play effect packages utilized on the original digital photo slide show, an original plurality of digital photos for generating the original digital photo slide show has to be retrieved first, and the updated media play effect packages have to be applied on the retrieved original plurality of media play effect packages so that an updated digital photo slide show can be encoded and generated. The abovementioned circumstance is much unbeneficial for sharing and management of the plurality of digital photos after the original digital photo slide show is burnt into each shared digital versatile discs. Moreover, since data burnt into an optical disc are conventionally unable to be updated, it is also unbeneficial for a user, who retrieves updated media play effect packages from external websites, in management and sharing of digital photos having been burnt on an optical disc.

Method of dynamically updating media play effects utilized on a digital photo slide show


A tire is formed by disposing a cylindrical band member on a forming drum and outer circumferential sides of side portions disposed on both sides of the forming drum in a drum axial direction; expanding in diameter the forming drum and moving the side portions closer together in the drum axial direction; making step portions formed in the band member conform to side surfaces of the forming drum; moving bead members toward the step portions and compression-bonding the bead members to the band member on the side surfaces of the forming drum; and using a turn-up mechanism to wrap the bead members by turning up both end portions of the band member in the drum axial direction to form an intermediate green tire.

Pneumatic tires are manufactured by vulcanizing an unvulcanized green tire. When forming a green tire, for example, an intermediate green tire is formed, the intermediate green tire including a cylindrical band member of a carcass member disposed on the outer circumferential side of an innerliner and a pair of bead members disposed on both end portions of the band member in the cylinder axial direction (see Japan Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-258467, for example). Next, a belt member and the like are bonded on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate green tire and the green tire is formed.
In forming an intermediate green tire, as described in paragraphs [0034] and [0035] of Japan Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-258467, by expanding the diameter of the forming drum around which a ply (band member) is wound, a step is formed at the interface between bladders connected to both ends of the forming drum and the forming drum. Accordingly, a step is also formed in the plies disposed on this step. The bead member is installed by being pushed against the step formed in the ply.
In such a known method, the ply may not sufficiently deform in accordance with the side surface of the expanded forming drum and separate from the side surface. As a result, a gap may form between the step formed between the bladder and the forming drum and the step formed in the ply. This may cause variation in the position where the installed bead member compression-bonds to the ply and may cause the area of the step formed in the ply to be expanded unevenly due to the installed bead member. When these occur, the quality (uniformity, etc.) of the manufactured tire is affected. By using a stitcher in the area of the step formed in the ply to bond together the step, formed between the bladder and the forming drum, to the ply, the gap between both of these steps may be fixed. However, additional work using such a stitcher is required.

Method and device for forming pneumatic tire


An electromagnetic wave absorber is formed by injection-molding a thermoplastic resin blended with approximately 20-60% by volume of soft magnetic material powder, and blended with a molding assistant and a kneading assistant. The electromagnetic wave absorber includes a unit cell having a bore extending from a top face to a bottom face. A portion of the bore located more adjacently to the bottom face than to the top face has a smaller cross-sectional area than the bore at the top face, and a height of the unit cell from the bottom face to the top face is approximately at least 1.2 times and approximately at most 10 times as large as the maximum width of the bore at the top face of the unit cell.

As the number of electronic devices has recently been increased, the individual devices are mutually interfered with electromagnetic waves emitted from the devices, which increasing the risk of their malfunction. In addition, an electronic device may also malfunction due to an electromagnetic wave emitted from the device itself The effect of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the electronic device on a living body is also a matter of concern.
Therefore, an electromagnetic wave absorber for absorbing a harmful electromagnetic wave with high efficiency has increasingly been developed in recent years, and various shapes of the electromagnetic wave absorber and methods of manufacturing the same have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-353610 discloses a method of manufacturing an electromagnetic wave absorber including the steps of blending and kneading a finely-ground soft magnetic material and a thermoplastic binder to produce pellets of a given particle size, which are then heated and pressurized to be injected into a pair of molds having a space corresponding to an electromagnetic wave absorber to be manufactured to provide a compact, baking the compact at approximately 300-600° C. to thermally decompose the contained thermoplastic binder and degreasing the compact, and baking the degreased compact at approximately 1000-1350° C. to sinter the soft magnetic material and provide a sintered compact, in order that a thin-walled, three-dimensional electromagnetic wave absorber having a fairly constant permeability can be manufactured at low costs.
The electromagnetic wave absorbing performance of the electromagnetic wave absorber is mainly determined by its shape and material. Therefore, in the case of the three-dimensional shape as in the electromagnetic wave absorber described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-353610, an electromagnetic wave absorber having a larger height is thought to exhibit higher electromagnetic wave absorbing performance. However, it is difficult to manufacture an electromagnetic wave absorber having a larger height.
The document above does not describe how high an electromagnetic wave absorber is to be made so that the absorber can be manufactured with high yields while its electromagnetic wave absorbing performance is kept high. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain, with high yields, an electromagnetic wave absorber excellent in electromagnetic wave absorbing performance. Furthermore, the method described in the document above tends to cause quenching cracks after sintering, which contributes to the reduction in yield.
For an electromagnetic wave absorber used for an anechoic chamber and others, one made of urethane sponge impregnated with carbon is generally used. However, such an absorber has low strength and is highly flammable, resulting in poor durability. If such an absorber is used for a floor material, it is necessary to reinforce the absorber with another member. Disadvantageously, such an absorber also has a water-absorbing property, which lowers its electromagnetic wave absorbing performance, and has low weather resistance, which makes the same unusable outdoors and under the circumstances of high temperature and high humidity.

Electromagnetic wave absorption complex, and method of producing the same


A removable label is readily attached to a transparent surface, such as a glass window, and has both variable and non-variable printing. A removable adhesive is applied to the front face of a clear plastic film, and a release liner is applied on the adhesive, and reverse non-variable printing is provided on the back face of the film. Variable printing is provided either by putting a toner receptive coating on the back of the film and reverse printing the variable indicia on the toner receptive coating, or by printing onto bond paper with variable indicia, providing a permanent adhesive coat to the back face of the film, and pressing the bond paper into contact with the permanent adhesive so that the variable indicia is visible and readable through the transparent surface.

There are many environments in which it is desirable to put a label on a transparent surface, such as a glass window (like a store window, windshield of a vehicle, etc. ) so that indicia on the label is visible through the glass. It is also often desirable for the label to have both variable information and non-variable information.
According to the present invention, a method is provided for the production of labels, typically removable labels, for use with transparent surfaces, which readily may be provided with non-variable indicia, and then may be sent to a customer or ultimate user site for the printing of variable indicia. The invention also relates to a particular label produced according to the invention. Despite the great utility and versatility of labels produced according to the invention, they are produced in a very simple and straightforward manner with no wasted effort or components.
There are two embodiments of label according to the present invention. In the first embodiment of the label, an adhesive coat is provided on the front face of a clear film (such as polyester, polyethylene, polystyrene, or polypropylene). The adhesive coat is preferably a removable adhesive, such as Franklin Covinax 210-00, or the like. To protect the adhesive coat it preferably is covered with a suitable silicone release liner. On the back face of the film non-variable indicia is reverse printed (that is, printed in mirror image so that the alphanumeric characters thereof are readable through the transparent surface to which the label is to be applied, and through the plastic film). Also on the back face of the film is a toner receptive coating (e.g., such as Water Ink Technology WVL001680 or the like), over the printing on the film. Variable indicia is :reverse printed on the toner receptive coating, so that both the non-variable and variable indicia are readable through the transparent surface, plastic film, and--in the case of the variable indicia--the toner receptive coating. To use the label one merely removes the release liner and presses the removable adhesive into contact with the transparent surface.
In a second embodiment, the basic components are the same, only instead of a toner receptive coating a second adhesive coating (such as a permanent adhesive) is applied to the back face of the film, and a second release liner is placed over the permanent adhesive coat. At the customer or user site, the second release liner is removed and variable indicia is printed on a paper sheet, and the paper sheet is pressed into engagement with the permanent adhesive. When the first release liner is removed and the label is pressed into contact with the transparent surface, both the variable and non-variable alphanumeric characters are readable through the transparent surface, and film, and in the case of the variable data, the permanent adhesive.
According to another aspect of the present invention a method of making a label having variable and non-variable indicia from a plastic film having front and back faces, is provided. The method comprises the following steps: (a) Applying an adhesive to the front face of the transparent film. (b) Printing non-variable indicia on the back face of the film. (c) Applying a coating over the non-variable indicia printed on the back face of the film. And, (d) providing printed variable indicia so that it is in operative contact with the coating on the back face of the film.
Step (b) may be practiced by reverse printing non-variable indicia, and step (d) is practiced so that the variable indicia is visible through the film. There is also typically the further step (e) of applying the adhesive on the front face of the film to a transparent surface so that both the variable and non-variable indicia are visible and readable through the transparent surface and transparent film.
Step (c) may be practiced by applying a toner receptive coating to the back face of the film in which case step (d) is practiced by reverse printing directly on the toner receptive coating. Alternatively, step (c) is practiced by applying an adhesive coat to the back face of the film, in which case step (d) is practiced by printing variable indicia on a bond paper sheet, and applying the sheet to the adhesive coat on the back face of the film.
The invention further comprises a method of creating a label or intermediate, using a web of transparent film having front and back faces, comprising the steps of substantially sequentially: (a) Applying an adhesive coat to the front face of the web of transparent film. (b) Applying a release liner to the adhesive coat on the front face of the film. (c) Reverse printing indicia on the back face of the film. And, (d) cutting the web into sheets or folding it into pads.
The invention also comprises a label of a transparent film having front and back faces, a first adhesive coat (preferably removably adhesive) disposed on the front face, and reverse printed indicia on the back face. When the adhesive is placed in contact with a transparent surface, printed alphanumeric indicia on the back face are readable through the surface, first adhesive coat, and film.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple functional, and versatile label readable through transparent surfaces, and method of production and utilization thereof. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.


Each Multi-domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) pixel structures on a display panel array includes at least two sub-pixels. By adjusting the channel W/L ratios of the transistors in the sub-pixels, the sub-pixels may have different display voltages so as to improve the display quality in a slant vision. A transistor is disposed between one of the sub-pixels and a common line (Vcs) as the dispersion path for remaining electric charges to improve the condition of burn-in.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pixel structure and particularly relates to a multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) pixel structure.
2. Description of Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD), with its good spatial utilization, low power consumption, no radiation, and other distinguished features, has become the mainstream of the market. For better display quality of the LCD, various LCDs with wide view angles have been developed on the market. Some common examples are an in-plane switching (IPS) LCD, a fringe field switching LCD, and an MVA LCD.
The MVA LCD provides an effect of a wide view angle. However, the light transmittance of the MVA LCD varies according to the view angles. That is, the brightness level of the MVA LCD differs in a normal vision and in a slant vision, thereby resulting in problems of color shift and low color saturation in the display image.
The problem of color shift often occurs in a slant vision in that Gamma curves of a normal vision angle and a slant vision angle are different (as illustrated in FIG. 1). FIG. 1 illustrates Gamma curves of normal vision angles and slant vision angles of an MVA LCD, wherein the horizontal axis represents gray level values and the vertical axis represents transmittance rates (T %).
In the current technology for solving the problem of color shift, sub-pixels in the pixels are coupled to different voltages so as to change tilt angles of the liquid crystals and to improve color shift. Two conventional technologies are briefly described hereunder.
Refer to US Patent No. US 2004/0001167 for the first conventional technology. FIG. 2 shows an equivalent circuit of a pixel in this conventional technology. As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional pixel comprises a transistor M21, a storage capacitor Cs21, and a liquid crystal capacitor Clc21, all three of which form a sub-pixel. The conventional pixel also comprises a transistor M22, a storage capacitor Cs22, and a liquid crystal capacitor Clc22, all three of which form another sub-pixel. Furthermore, there exist a parasitic capacitor Cgd21 and a parasitic capacitor Cgd22 in the pixel.
In the first conventional technology, the display voltage difference between the two sub-pixels is described by Formula 1:
                              Δ                                                              Vlc                =                  Vcsp          *                      Ccs            Cpix                                              (        1        )
Cpix refers to the sum of all the capacitance values of the pixel, Ccs refers to the capacitance value of the storage capacitor Cs21 or Cs22, and Vcsp refers to the alternating current (AC) voltage applied to the storage capacitor.
In the conventional technology, the display voltage difference is changed by adjusting a capacitance value Ccs and a voltage Vcsp of the storage capacitor. In other words, each of the two sub-pixels has a different pixel display voltage to improve the Gamma curves in a slant vision. As a result, the conventional technology provides a significant improvement. However, the demand for the RC delay of the Cs signals (i.e. the voltage applied to the storage capacitor, its value being Vcom±(+0.5)*Vcsp or Vcom±(−0.5)*Vcsp) is high. Extra space is required to dispose the conductive line of the Cs in the design of the peripheral area of the panel, which increases the panel area and affects the layout evaluation.
Refer to US Patent No. US 2005/0030439 for the second conventional technology. In this conventional technology, the two sub-pixels have different pixel display voltages to correct the problem of color shift in a slant vision. FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit of a pixel in the second conventional technology. As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional pixel comprises a transistor M31, storage capacitors Cs31 and Cs32, a coupled capacitor Ccp3, and liquid crystal capacitors Clc31 and Clc32.
The ratio of the display voltages of the two sub-pixels are shown in Formula 2:
                                          V                                                                          32                                V                                                                          31                          =                              Ccp                                                                          3                                              Clc                                                                                32                        +                          Ccp                                                                                3                        +                          Cs                                                                                32                                                          (        2        )
However, the display voltage difference ΔVp of the two sub-pixels is inconsistent because of the coupled capacitor Ccp3. As a result, the common voltage Vcom of the two sub-pixels is also inconsistent. Accordingly, this results in an accumulation of electric charges and the condition of burn-in during a long period of display due to the lack of a dispersion path for the remaining electric charges.
Hence, a new pixel structure is provided herein to improve the problem of color shift in a slant vision and reduce the condition of burn-in without the need for special Cs signals.

Multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) pixel structure


The optical pressure-sensing system essentially comprises a light source, a resonant cavity and a detector, where the light source is used for generating a light with a predetermined wavelength, the resonant cavity includes a stationary wall with a stationary plane and a movable wall with a movable plane, and the detector is used for detecting a resonated light generated in the resonant cavity by resonating the light between the stationary plane and the movable plane. According to the present invention, a first light is generated and resonated in a resonant cavity to amplify the interaction between the first light and gas molecules in the resonated cavity. The interaction is measured, and the pressure in the resonant cavity is calculated based on the interaction. The interaction between the light and gas molecules in the resonant cavity may change the polarization angle or the phase of the light.

(A) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pressure-sensing system and a method for sensing pressure, and more particularly, to an optical pressure-sensing system using an optical resonant cavity and a method for sensing pressure.
(B) Description of the Related Art
Many physical properties such as thermal conductivity, frictional resistance and ionization effect of gases in a chamber are properly used to measure the pressure as shown in the prior skills. U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,091 discloses a method for measuring the density of residual gases in a chamber, and more specifically, teaches exciting gases in the chamber by an electron beam, wherein the gases can generate de-excitation radiation which is proportional to the density of the excited gases in the chamber, i.e., proportional to the concentration of the residual gases in the chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,988 discloses an optical vacuum pressure gauge capable of measuring pressure between 760 to 0.1 torr. Since the reflective index of gases inside a cavity varies with pressure therein, and the reflective index can be estimated based on the phase difference between a p-polarized light and s-polarized light due to the total-internal-reflection in the cavity, the pressure or vacuum degree in the cavity can be measured from the estimated reflective index.

Optical pressure-sensing system and method for sensing pressure

Industrial Technology Research Institute