An inkjet printing radiation curable inkjet ink for forming a protective layer during an etching process includes at least 70 percent by weight of a polymerizable composition based on the total weight of radiation curable inkjet ink, wherein the polymerizable composition has an oxygen fraction OFR>0.250 and a weighted polymerizable functionality WPF≧0.0050, and the polymerizable composition contains no polymerizable compound with an ethylenic double bond and including a phosphoester group or a carboxylic acid group in the molecule thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to inkjet printing of radiation curable inkjet inks that are etch resistant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Etching is the process of using a chemical, usually a strong acid or mordant, to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface in order to create a conductive pattern, e.g. a printed circuit board, or a design for decorative purposes.
Printed circuit boards are generally made by bonding a layer of copper over the entire substrate, applying a temporary mask and removing by etching unwanted copper leaving only the desired conductive copper pattern.
The temporary mask can be made by screen printing etch resistant ink onto the copper foil. The screen printing method by nature has low resolution and requires a relatively high viscosity for avoiding adverse phenomena such as bleeding and smudges.
Another method to provide a temporary mask is photoengraving. A photomask is usually prepared by laser-printing an image onto a transparent film using computer-aided manufacturing software. After exposing the photoresist coating on the copper foil through the photomask, a developer removes the non-exposed photoresist coating. Although high-resolution conductive patterns can be made, this method results in extra cost and chemical waste. Direct laser imaging techniques were developed which reduced the chemical waste.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,368 (VIDEOJET) discloses a UV curable, etch-resistant ink for inkjet printing circuit boards comprising a resin formulation having at least two acrylate components, one of which is an aromatic acrylate having a pendant carboxyl group and one of which is an acrylated epoxy monomer or dimer, a photoinitiator and an organic carrier. The preferred organic carrier of methanol and methyl ethyl ketone is employed in a range of 40% to 90% by weight of the ink composition. These volatile organic solvents lead to latency problems of inkjet print heads making reliable inkjet printing in an industrial environment process problematic. Reducing the amount of organic solvent leads to a too high ink viscosity, because some aromatic acrylate compounds traditionally used for preparing photoresist coatings have very high viscosity. For example, the bisphenol A ethoxylated diacrylate (Photomer™ 4028) used in all the examples of U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,368 (VIDEOJET) has a viscosity of 800 to 1200 mPa·s at 25° C. These aromatic acrylate compounds are essential for having a good balance in adhesion so that the printed ink layer is etch resistant yet easily removable after etching, especially since many different etching conditions and etchants are used in industry.
In another approach, polymerizable acidic compounds are included in the radiation curable ink to promote adhesion to the metal surface. For example US 2011024392 A (NISSHIN STEEL & TOKYO PRINTING INK MFG CO) discloses an etch resist inkjet ink having excellent adhesion to metallic plates by including a specific polymerizable phosphoric ester compound, a polyfunctional monomer having two or more ethylenic double-bond groups per molecule and having no phosphoric ester group and a monofunctional monomer having one ethylenic double-bond group per molecule and having neither phosphoric ester group nor carboxy group.
WO 2004106437 A1 (AVECIA) discloses a process for etching a metal or alloy surface which comprises applying an etchresistant ink by ink jet printing to selected areas of the metal or alloy, exposing the etch-resistant ink to actinic radiation and/or particle beam radiation to effect polymerisation, optionally thermally treating the etch-resistant ink and then removing the exposed metal or alloy by a chemical etching process wherein the etch-resistant ink is substantially solvent-free. All the disclosed etch-resistant inks include an acidic polymerizable compound.
WO 2004462260 A2 (MARKEM) discloses a radiation-curable hot melt ink composition comprising: a colorant; a polymerizable monomer; and a photoinitiating system comprising 0.5-1.5% by weight of an aromatic ketone photoinitiator, 2-10% by weight of an amine synergist, 3-8% by weight of an alpha-cleavage type photoinitiator, and 0.5-1.5% by weight of a photosensitizer.
However, the inclusion of acidic polymerizable compounds has some undesirable side effects such as increased viscosity and decreased ink stability and curing speed.
Hence, there remains a need for improved low viscous radiation curable inkjet inks suitable for reliable inkjet printing in an (industrial) etching process and applicable to a wide range of etchants and etching conditions.

Radiation curable etch resistant inkjet ink printing


The distance computation represents a central, constantly recurrent task in sample and speech recognition. It is used in speech recognition as a degree of similarity between a part of a speech utterance and a speech reference. In picture processing and sample recognition, it is used for data compression. The distance computation requires the longest computation time so that a reduction of the computation time results in a considerable efficiency improvement. A reduction of the computation time is achieved by the integration of the distance computation in a memory module in which particularly the reference data are stored. Due to this integration, the other components of the overall system are relieved of this constantly recurrent task and are available for more complex processes in this period of time. This integration makes the distance computation essentially shorter because the communication between memory sections and computation unit takes place directly without utilizing a busy system.

The invention relates to a speech recognition computer comprising a microprocessor, input and output interfaces and a data bus, in which incoming test signals converted into a digital form are subdivided into segments, and test vectors are assigned to properties of the segments, for which test vectors a distance with reference to reference vectors is computed.
The distance computation is used in speech recognition as a degree of similarity between a part of a speech utterance and a speech reference and represents a central, constantly recurrent task in sample and speech recognition. It requires the longest computation time so that a reduction of the computation time yields a considerable efficiency improvement. In picture processing and sample recognition, it is used for data compression (MPEG).
Up to now, additional, special hardware modules have been used for speech recognition. These modules are used for converting the incoming analog speech signals into digital signals, and for feature extraction in which the characteristic properties of the segmented incoming digitized speech signal are assigned to corresponding vector components. For the test vectors thus formed, the distance to the reference vectors is computed by means of a digital signal processor.
On the other hand, there are software-based speech recognition systems in which the recognition process is performed without any special hardware, i.e. with the system components of a universal computer. The incoming test signals are digitized on, for example, the sound card. The elaborate distance computation is performed on the main processor of the system. This presupposes the use of a very powerful processor and also requires a considerable part of its computation power which is then no longer available for other processes. Generally, the recognition of the spoken text is, however, realized in an off-line mode because a sufficiently powerful processor is not often available.
It is an object of the invention to provide a (universal) arrangement which allows a faster computation of the distances.
This object is solved in that a distance computer and a memory module are provided which are integrated on a common module having at least a data terminal for supplying test vectors and reference vectors and for providing computed distances.
This universal computer system according to the invention allows speech recognition with a conventional microprocessor and its customary peripheral equipment by combination with a memory and an integrated distance computer. The microprocessor is thereby relieved from the elaborate distance computation and its computing power is available for other processes.
To this end, analog data are applied to the computer system via the input and output interfaces, which data, after having been prepared for distance computation, are applied to the memory module with the integrated distance computer.
An additional advantage is the short communication path. Since the data to be compared are directly supplied from the relevant memories to the distance computer, no valuable computation time is lost. The system transfers the test vectors and receives the computed distances. Since the distance computation is locally performed within a memory module, all components of the system, with the exception of the relevant memory module, are available to the system processor for other processes.
Moreover, this integration does not require any data transfers via an external data or address bus for performing the distance computation, i.e. the memory accesses are limited to the internal local memory ranges so that the distance computation is performed directly and within a significantly shorter time. The reference data are loaded into the reference data memory before or at least not during a recognition process step. Also a possible update of this reference data file is performed at non-critical points of time.
A further advantage of this computer system is the possible reconstruction of a computer conceived for normal purposes. A conventional memory module is exchanged for a memory module with an integrated distance computer. This enables the computer system to perform speech recognition processes without any serious limitation of its efficiency.
The integration of a distance computer in a memory module involves further advantages of the optimized memory manufacturing process. Memory modules are produced as logic modules with a higher density of components, resulting in a more optimal utilization of space.
The effectiveness of this integration will be shown by way of an example. In a typical case, the distances of a test vector to, for example, 2000 reference vectors are required every 16 ms. Approximately a data rate of at least 3 Mbyte per second is required for this purpose. A standard signal processor with a clock frequency of 20 MHz would need approximately 12 ms for this purpose. A standard microprocessor requires much more time for this purpose. By integrating the distance computation, this task, performed at the same clock frequency, is reduced to approximately one tenth, i.e. approximately 1.2 ms. The speed gain relates to the optimized addressing, the compact data storage and the shorter data path.
These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Memory having speech recognition support, by integrated local distance-computation/reference-vector-storage, for applications with general-purpose microprocessor systems


A process for making a polymeric, porous hollow fibre (21) by heating a mixture of a thermoplastic polymer and a solvent to a temperature and for a time for the polymer and solvent to mutually dissolve, then introducing the molten mixture into an extrusion head (FIG. 1) adapted to shape the hollow fibre. The shaped fibre is then cooled in the extrusion head to a temperature so that non-equilibrium liquid-liquid phase separation takes place to form a bi-continuous matrix of the polymer and solvent in which the polymer and solvent form two intermingled separate phases of large interfacial surface area. Finally, the solvent is removed from the polymer.. The extrusion head for forming the abovementioned polymeric, porous hollow fibre has an elongated body (17, 18) defining an axial passageway (11) for receiving a lumen-forming fluid (14) and a first annular passage (12) therearound for receiving the molten mixture (15) from which the hollow fibre (21) is formed. A second annular passageway (13) is radially outward of the first annular passageway (12) and receives a coating fluid (16). A third annular passageway (19) receives a cooling fluid and has means (20) for directing the cooling fluid towards the outer surface of the coating fluid (16). The porous polymeric material of the fibre produced by the abovementioned process has a lacey or filamentous structure consisting of a plurality of polymer strands connected together at spaced apart locations along each strand.

Porous polymeric structures having pores in the range of 0.01 to 10 microns are commonly used for microfiltration. Such membrane structures may be prepared from thermoplastic polymers using precipitation techniques and formed into various shapes including hollow fibres or flat sheets.
The thermal precipitation technique for membrane formation commences with the formation of a solution of a thermoplastic polymer in a solvent at an elevated temperature. The solution is then cooled and, at a specific temperature which depends on the polymer, the solvent, the concentration of the polymer in the solvent and the rate of cooling, phase separation occurs and the liquid polymer separates from the solvent.
True solutions require that there be a solvent and a solute. The solvent constitutes a continuous phase, and the solute is distributed randomly in the solvent at a molecular level. Such a situation is almost unknown with polymer solutions. Long polymer chains tend to bend back on themselves and form temporary interactions or bonds with other polymer chains with which they come into contact. These interactions are continually forming and breaking, and new ones are formed. Polymer solutions are thus rarely true solutions but lie somewhere between true solutions and mixtures.
In many cases it is also difficult to state which is the solvent and which is the solute. In the art, it is accepted practice to call a mixture of polymer and a solvent a solution if it is optically clear without obvious inclusions of either phase in the other. Phase separation is usually then taken to be that point where there is an optically detectable separation.
There is yet another case where the heated mixture of polymer, solvent, and other components if present, if neither a solution nor a mixture in the usual sense of the words. This is the case where a surface-active agent is present in sufficient concentration to form ordered structures such as micelles.
A hollow fibre forming installation disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,799 includes a vessel containing a heated solution of a polymer and a liquid which is inert relative to the polymer which is delivered to an extrusion die by a pump. The hollow fibre is extruded through a nozzle into a spinning tube containing inert liquid of the solution. The fibre and the inert liquid pass through an atmospheric gap to a spinning tube in the same direction and at substantially the same linear velocity.
In that installation, the hollow fibre is extruded in the molten state and formed in the spinning tube. The application of the inert liquid to the molten fibre has an adverse effect on the porosity of the surface of the fibre. Furthermore, the use of a spinning tube is cumbersome and costly.

Extrusion head for forming polymeric hollow fiber


A new method of etching AlCu or AlSiCu lines is described. Semiconductor device structures are provided in and on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structures are covered with an insulating layer. A layer of AlCu or AlSiCu is deposited overlying insulating layer. A silicon nitride or titanium nitride/silicon dioxide layer is deposited overlying the metal layer wherein a hard mask is formed. The hard mask is covered with a layer of photoresist which is exposed to actinic light wherein the hard mask prevents reflection of the actinic light from its surface. The photoresist layer is developed and patterned to form the desired photoresist mask. The hard mask is etched away where it is not covered by the photoresist mask leaving a patterned hard mask. The AlCu or AlSiCu layer and the barrier layer not covered by the patterned hard mask are etched away to form metal lines having an outwardly tapered profile.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of photolithographic etching of AlCu lines, and more particularly, to a method of photolithographic etching of AlCu lines having excellent critical dimension control and resulting in a tapered profile of the AlCu lines in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Due to the limitation of poor etch rate selectivity to photoresist, a thick photoresist mask is often needed during AlCu etching. As a result, the depth of focus in photolithography processes becomes even more challenging. Conventionally, a layer of titanium nitride is deposited over the AlCu layer as a barrier and anti-reflective coating layer (BARC). Conventional etchant gases are BCl.sub.3 and Cl.sub.2. These gases have been found to be insufficient in producing polymer on the sidewalls of the AlCu lines which would prevent undercutting during ethching.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,779 assigned to Motorola uses a protective oxide layer over AlCu and etches both the oxide and the AlCu layers under vacuum. U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,639 to Wei et al teaches the use of a disposable titanium nitride anti-reflective coating in etching an underlying metal layer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,885 to Wang et al shows a method of etching an Al layer using BCl.sub.3 and Cl.sub.2 with a dopant gas containing oxygen and a fluorocarbon. U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,429 to Mizutani et al teaches dry etching of Al using a hydrogen-containing gas. U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,748 to Bredbenner et al shows a method for tapered etching of metal layers using chlorine and trifluoromethane gases.

Method of dry etching A1Cu using SiN hard mask

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


A semiconductor device constituting a liquid ejection head for ejecting a liquid such as an ink, comprising a segment having a plurality of pairs of recording element and driving element, wherein a first wiring for mutually connecting a first terminal of each driving element arranged within the same segment is formed on a first wiring layer on a semiconductor substrate, and a second terminal of the driving element and a first terminal of the recording element are connected on one for one base, and a second terminal of the recording element is connected to a power source wiring formed by the wiring layer different from the first wiring layer, and an auxiliary wiring for mutually connecting the second terminal of the recording element with the same segment is formed by the first wiring layer, thereby eliminating and suitably adjusting the irregularity of wiring resistance values within the segment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device for a liquid ejection head used for constituting a liquid ejection head for ejecting a liquid such as, for example, ink, and a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus using such a semiconductor device for a liquid ejection head.
2. Related Background Art
A liquid ejection head for ejecting a liquid from an ejection orifice issued as a recording head of an ink jet system by using, for example, ink as a liquid and controlling an ejection of ink according to recording signals and adhering the ink on a recording medium. Further, the liquid ejection apparatus comprising such a liquid ejection head is, for example, applied as an ink jet recording apparatus.
Here, describing a recording method of the ink jet system, the ink jet recording method (liquid jetting recording method) is capable of a high speed recording to the extent that a generation of noises at an operating time is extremely small to be negligible, and moreover, it is extremely excellent to the extent that a recording can be made on a so-called plain paper without requiring special processing such as a fixing and the like, and therefore, recently it is becoming a mainstream of the printing system. In particular, in an ink jet recording head using thermal energy, heat energy generated by electrothermic exchanger (heater) is given to a liquid to selectively induce a bubbling phenomenon in the liquid, thereby allowing an ink liquid droplet to eject from the ejection orifice by its bubbling energy.
FIG. 13 shows a circuit structure of the recording head to be mounted on the ink jet system recording apparatus, which represents the conventional liquid ejection head. An electrothermic exchanging element (heater) and its drive circuit of this type of the recording head as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H05-185594 can be formed on the same silicon semiconductor substrate by using a semiconductor processing technology.
As shown in FIG. 13, on the semiconductor substrate, there are provided a plurality of heaters (electrothermic exchanging elements) 101 for generating heat for ejecting an ink, and an n type power transistor 102 is connected to each heater 101 in order to supply a desired current to the heater 101. The one end of each heater 101 is commonly connected to a heater power source line VH, and the other end of each heater 101 is connected to a drain of the corresponding n type power transistor 102. The source of each n type power transistor 102 is connected to a ground line GNDH, respectively. Further, a shift register 116 is commonly provided for a plurality of these heaters 101 for supplying the current to each heater 101 and temporarily storing an image data to decide whether or not the ink is ejected from a nozzle (ejection orifice) of the recording head. The shift register 116 is provided with an input terminal to be inputted with a transfer clock signal CLK and an image data input terminal in which an image data DATA to turn ON and OFF the heater 101 is inputted in serial form. Each stage of the shift resister 116 corresponds to one each heater 101, respectively, and the output of each stage of the shift resister 116 is connected to a latch circuit 115 for recording and maintaining the image data for each heater 101 for every heater. Each latch circuit 115 inputs the output of the shift resistor 116, and at the same time, comprises a latch signal input terminal for inputting a latch signal LT for controlling latch timing. The latch signal LT is commonly inputted to each latch circuit 115. On the output side of each latch circuit 115, there is provided an AND circuit 114, respectively. The AND circuit 114 takes the output of the latch circuit 115 and a heat signal HE for deciding a timing to let the current flow to the heater 101 as an input. The heat signal HE is commonly inputted to each of the AND circuit 114, respectively. The output of the AND circuit 114 is inputted to the gate of the power transistor 102 connected to the corresponding heater 101 through a level conversion circuit 103. The level conversion circuit 103 is a circuit which converts the signal of a so-called theoretical level into a signal of amplitude of voltage capable of controlling the gate of the power transistor 102.
Here, the n type power transistor is a field-effect transistor, and for example, it is an nMOS transistor or a n type DMOS (Double Diffused MOS}.
Describing a circuit structure of the level conversion circuit 103, there are provided a first inverter circuit 208 for inverting the image data from the AND circuit 114 and a second inverter circuit 207 for further inverting a signal outputted from the first inverter circuit 208. The level conversion circuit 103 is supplied with a power from an inner power source line VHTM outputted from a voltage generating circuit 117. Further, in the level conversion circuit 103, the output of the second inverter circuit 207 is inputted to a first CMOS inverter circuit comprising a pMOS transistor 202 and an nMOS transistor 203. The source of the pMOS transistor 202 is connected to a first buffer pMOS transistor 201 for dividing a voltage supplied from the inner power source line VHTM to enable a first CMOS inverter circuit to be driven by a signal below 5V (a power source voltage of a logic unit is generally below 5V) which is an output voltage of the AND circuit 114. Similarly, there is provided a second CMOS inverter circuit, which comprises a pMOS transistor 205 and an nMOS transistor and is inputted with the output of the first inverter circuit 208, and the source of the pMOS transistor 205 is connected to a second buffer pMOS transistor 204. Here, the gate of the first buffer pMOS transistor 201 is connected to a connecting portion of a pair of transistors 205 and 206 which is the output portion of the second CMOS inverter circuit. Similarly, the gate of the second buffer pMOS transistor 204 is also connected to a connecting portion of a pair of transistors 202 and 203 which is the output portion of the first CMOS inverter circuit. The connecting portion of the transistors 205 and 206 is connected to the gate of the corresponding power transistor 102 as the output of the level conversion circuit 103.
It is desirable that an output voltage VHTM of the voltage generating circuit 117 does not exceed a breakdown withstand pressure of the CMOS inverter and the gate withstand pressure of the MOS transistor, but is set as much high as possible. If possible, the output voltage VHTM may be shared with the power source line VH for each heater 101. However, in an ordinary case, the driving voltage to each heater 101 is often set at a high value of 20V or more, while, on the other hand, the CMOS inverter is often fabricated by a semiconductor processing such as having its breakdown withstand voltage up to 15V. Further, since the gate withstand pressure of the MOS transistor depends on the thickness of a gate oxide film, the voltage applied to the gate of the MOS transistor is required to be a voltage sufficiently lower than the insulated withstand voltage of the gate oxide film. Therefore, it is difficult to match the optimum power source voltage (that is, the voltage VHTM) in the level conversion circuit 103 to the driving voltage (the voltage VH) of each heater 101. As a matter of fact, the additional provision of the power source line of the level conversion circuit 103 is conductive to a cost up of the whole system.
Hence, the conventional technology realizes the voltage generating circuit 117, for example, by a circuit structure as shown in FIG. 14. The circuit shown in FIG. 14 is constituted such that resistors R3 and R1 are connected in series between the power source line VH and a ground point, and an arbitrary voltage is prepared from the power line VH of the heater by a ratio of partial pressure of the resistors R3 and R1, to which a source follower circuit consisting of the nMOS transistor T1 as a buffer and a resistor R2 is connected, and the source of the nMOS transistor T1 is taken as an output end of the voltage generating circuit 117.
The circuit structure and the like as described above are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-129479. As described above, the heater 101, the drive circuit and the like for driving the heater 101 are integrally provided, for example, on a silicon semiconductor substrate. Hence, the arrangement and the layout of each circuit portion on the silicon semiconductor substrate which constitutes the recording head will be described. FIG. 15 is a view to show one example of the layout of each circuit portion on the silicon semiconductor substrate. This is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-108536.
In the silicon semiconductor substrate 150 having an approximate rectangular shape, there are arranged a plurality of heaters 101 so as to be alongside the one long side of the substrate, and each heater 101 is connected to the power transistor 102, respectively. In the drawing, the whole of the forming region of a plurality of power transistors 102 provided in such a manner is shown by a rectangular region 122. As illustrated, adjacent to the forming region (heater unit) of the heaters 101, the forming region 122 of the power transistors is arranged. Further, a drive logic circuit unit 123 in which a group of logic circuits including the level conversion circuits 103 and the shift resistor 116 shown in FIG. 13 are provided is provided adjacent to the forming region 122 of the power transistors at the side opposite to the forming region of the heaters 101. Though not illustrated, the drive logic circuit unit 123 is also connected to a wiring for supplying the transfer clock signal CLK, the image data DATA, the latch signal LT, and the heat signal HE.
The forming region 122 of the power transistors is connected to a power source line (power source wiring) 105 for applying a predetermined voltage to the heater 101, and the drive logic circuit unit 123 is connected to a GND (ground) line (GND wiring) 110 in which the current from the power transistor is let flow. Consequently, the power source line 105 corresponds to the power source line of the VH in FIG. 13, and the GND line 110 corresponds to the GNDH line. Though not illustrated, the drive logic circuit group 123 is also connected to the wiring for supplying the transfer clock signal CLK, the image data DATA, the latch signal LT, and the heat signal HE. Here, the power source line 105 is formed in such a manner as to be arranged on the element of each power transistor 102 by an aluminum wiring in a second layer in the semiconductor substrate 150 formed by a multi-layer wiring technology. On the other hand, a signal line and the like connected to the power transistor 102 are formed by the aluminum wiring in a first layer in the semiconductor substrate 150, and are electrically insulated from the power source line 105. In the present specification, the terminology of the aluminum wiring includes a wiring layer comprising an alloy including aluminum in addition to a wiring layer comprising a pure aluminum according to the common practice in the field of the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device. The terminology of the first layer and the second layer is used in such a manner as to define a layer close to the main body of the silicon semiconductor substrate as the first layer with the surface side defined as the second layer.
A wiring 106 is a wiring to connect the power source line 105 and the heater 101, and is directly connected by the aluminum wiring of the second layer in the semiconductor substrate 150. Further, a wiring 107 is a wiring to connect the heater 101 and the power transistor 102, and is formed by the aluminum wiring of the first layer of the semiconductor substrate 150. By providing the wirings 106 and 107 in this manner, the wiring 107 is passed through the underside of the power source line 105 which is the aluminum wiring of the second layer, and the power transistor 102 and the heater 101 can be directly connected. On the other hand, the GND line 110 is formed by the aluminum wiring of the second layer in the semiconductor substrate 150, and is arranged on each element constituting the drive logic circuit unit 123. On the other hand, the signal line and the like within the drive logic circuit unit 123 are formed by the aluminum wiring of the first layer, and is electrically insulated from the GND line 110. On the end portion of the power source line 105, there is provided a power source bonding pad 111, and on the end portion of the GND line 110, there is providing a GND bonding pad 112. In the example shown here, any of the power source line 105 and the GND line 110 is allowed to be pulled out to both of the left and right end sides of the semiconductor substrate 150, and at both of the left and right end sides, there are formed bonding pads 111 and 112.
However, in the above described recording head, when all the heaters 101 and power transistors 102 are connected to the VH wiring (power source line 105) and the GNDH wiring (GND line 110), with respect to the heaters arranged at the end of the heater unit and the heaters arranged at the center of the heat unit, a wiring resistance reaching those heaters is different. That is, depending on the position in the heater unit, the wiring resistance reaching that heater is different, and assuming that the driving voltage of the heater is constant, it is sometimes not possible to supply the same power to all the heaters. When a sum of the resistance between the VH wiring and the GND wiring, the wiring resistance, the heater resistance, and the ON resistance of the power transistor is different depending on the location of the heater, it is not possible to supply the same current value to all the heaters. Although a predetermined calorific value needs to be obtained even in the heater where the current to be supplied becomes the smallest, if the driving condition is set in such a manner, an excessive drive current is let flow in other heaters, and this ends up shortening the life of those heaters.
Further, the problem arising from the wiring resistance being not uniform noticeably emerges when the number of heaters arranged on the semiconductor substrate is increased with the recording head continuously lengthened or when the width of the power source line and the GND line are made small so as to shorten the length of the short side portion of the recording head.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection head semiconductor device, which is a semiconductor device for constituting the liquid ejection head represented by an ink jet recording head, wherein the irregularity of wiring resistance for each of a plurality of recording elements (for example, heaters) provided within this semiconductor device is made small, thereby preventing an excessive drive current from occurring in the recording elements.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection head and a liquid ejection apparatus using such a liquid ejection head semiconductor device.

Semiconductor device for liquid ejection head, liquid ejection head, and liquid ejection apparatus


A method of specifically amplifying desired regions of nucleic acid from a sample is provided. The method uses a plurality of first and second PCR primers, each having a region of fixed nucleotide sequence identical or complementary to a consensus sequence of interest and a region of randomized nucleotide sequence located 5′ to, 3′ to, anywhere within, or flanking the region of fixed nucleotide sequence; and then amplifying the nucleic acid present in the sample via PCR using the plurality of first and second PCR primers; whereby a subset of the first primers binds to the consensus sequence of interest wherever it occurs in the sample, and a subset of the second primers binds to the sample at locations removed from the first primers such that DNA regions flanked by the first primer and the second primer are specifically amplified.

DNA fingerprinting methods have been used for detecting DNA markers in a variety of applications. Examples include detecting DNA markers linked to genetic traits, diagnostic markers for pathogen-borne diseases, forensic genotyping, parentage analysis, and molecular taxonomy. These methods apply to the entire DNA sample, with no specific focus on the functional regions of the DNA. For example, restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) and amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) methods rely on the sequences of restriction enzyme recognition sites. See, for example, Mueller & Wolfenbarger (1999) "AFLP Genotyping and Fingerprinting," TREE, 14:389-394. These sites occur randomly throughout the human genome, including the intergenic and genic regions, and within the exons and introns of genes, without discrimination. These methods detect variations in DNA found randomly throughout the entire DNA sample, with no focus on the functional regions within a given genome. Similarly, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) methods rely on arbitrary sequence primers whose complementary sequences also occur randomly in genomic DNA. See Welsh & McClelland (1990), Nucleic Acid Research, 18:7213; and Welsh, Petersen, & McClelland (1991) Nucleic Acid Research, 19:303.
It is estimated that approximately 98-99% of human and eukaryotic DNA is non-functional. Variations that occur within the non-functional regions of the genome are not useful for diagnosing or discovering gene defects, or informative variations or mutations. The functional regions of a genome, such as the exons, promoters, and poly A sites, constitute only slightly more than 1% of the human genome. However, current methods of genomic analysis do not specifically target these critically important functional regions of a genome. Thus there remains a long-felt and unmet meet for a method of analyzing, on a genome-wide level, those specific portions of a genome that encode functional DNA sequences.
The human genome harbors the genetic variations for a large number of Mendelian disorders. Many of these disorders have been localized in the genome through linkage studies, and the genes for these disorders are being isolated by different methods. The techniques currently used for isolating genes include: cDNA selection (Lovett, M., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 88:9628-32 (1991)), exon trapping (Duyk, G. M., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 87:8995-9 (1990)), CpG island identification (Estivill, X. and Williamson, R., Nucleic Acids Res., 15:1415-25 (1987)), hybridization using genomic fragments as probes against cDNA libraries (Rommerns, et al., Science, 245:1059-80 (1989)), cloning and sequencing of genomic DNA followed by computer analysis of the possible coding regions (Wilson, R., et al., Nature, 368:32-38 (1994)), Alu-splice PCR (Fuentes, J. J., et al., Hum. Genet. 101:346-50 (1997)), and Alu-promoter PCR (Jendraschak, E. and Kaminski, W. E., Genomics, 50:53-60 (1998)).
These techniques have several limitations. For example, many require analyzing large numbers of subclones to yield meaningful results. Both cDNA selection and hybridization using genomic fragments depend upon gene expression patterns using cDNA or mRNA libraries. Exon trapping requires specialized vectors and cell culture materials; whilst cDNA selection results only in enriching expressed sequences from a specific RNA source and requires much time and effort to determine the origin of the selected cDNAs. Alu-splice PCR also has limitations; it can only identify a few putative exons out of a larger number of true exons, even in a YAC clone. Because none of these methods permit the isolation of all the genes in a given region, usually several of the above methods are used in conjunction to complement one another, thereby achieving more complete results.
Furthermore, these methods are most usually only applied to DNA regions included in vectors such as yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs), bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), plasmids, and cosmids. They cannot be applied directly to whole genomic DNA to isolate a majority of the exons of genes contained in the genome. A method for isolating the majority of the flanking regions to a signal sequence, such as the 3′ or the 5′ splice junction or the promoters, present at numerous locations in a genome with a consensus sequence, would be very advantageous in a variety of genetic studies for discovering and treating major illnesses.
In essence, current methods for specifically amplifying exons present in an unknown genomic DNA are limited in their abilities. The isolation of only exon sequences from a gene will be advantageous for a variety of applications including comparative analysis between individuals. Attempts have been made to use the above methods to accomplish this purpose using genomic DNA fragments cloned into vectors.
For example, the Alu-splice PCR method attempts to isolate exon-containing fragments from cloned genomic DNA. This method utilizes the consensus sequence of splice junctions linked to a restriction enzyme recognition sequence as one primer and the consensus sequence of Alu repeat elements as the other primer to amplify any potential exon sequence that may be present between these primer binding sites in a cloned YAC DNA. However, this method has yielded poor results. For example, in one study, from a total of 128 colonies picked, only ten contained putative exons. Further, out of the few genes present in the two YACs analyzed, none of the nine exons present in one of the genes was isolated. Further still, most of the exons from among the five new genes that possibly existed in these YACs were not isolated except for one or two exons. From among the ten putative exon sequences isolated, six were shorter than 350 nucleotides. As the authors of this study agree, not all genes in a given sample will be identified by Alu-splice PCR, and not all the exons within a given gene will be identified by Alu-splice PCR. There are at least two reasons that explain this outcome: 1) the paucity of conveniently placed Alu repetitive elements; and 2) the limiting factor of specificity of the 5′ and 3′ splice-site primers; in the best of cases, primer specificity is only eight nucleotides. These inadequate results, even with a relatively short template DNA (YAC) compared to genomic DNA, indicate that this method is not applicable to isolate, in multiplex fashion, the exons of many genes from whole genomic DNA.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of genome-wide nucleic acid fingerprinting of functional regions


Systems, methods and computer readable media can operate to protect against non-functional software updates. Some implementations can provide for storing both a new load and a previous load in non-volatile memory of a customer premise equipment (CPE) device. After storing both loads, a software update can be applied to the CPE device, the software update comprising the new load to be used as a primary load replacing the previous load used by the CPE device. The device can then be rebooted using the new load as the primary load and a determination can be made whether the CPE device is operating correctly using the new load as the primary load. If the CPE device fails to operate correctly using the new load as the primary load, the CPE device can revert to the previous load as the primary load.

The Data-Over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) was established by cable television network operators to facilitate transporting data traffic, primarily Internet traffic, over existing community antenna television (CATV) networks. In addition to transporting data traffic, as well as television content signals over a CATV network, multiple services operators (MSO) also use their CATV network infrastructure for carrying voice, video on demand (VoD) and video conferencing traffic signals, among other types. Similarly, telecommunications companies (telcos) have expanded their offerings into high speed data and video offerings.
These services typically involve specialized customer premise equipment (CPE) devices (e.g., cable modems (CMs), set top boxes (STBs), multimedia terminal adapters (MTAs), digital subscriber line (DSL) modems, integrated services digital networks (ISDN) modems, etc.). Similarly to many hardware devices, these CPE devices occasionally receive software updates. These software updates can resolve issues or problems discovered after the sale or release of the CPE device or the last software update. However, sometimes these updates can themselves be a source of problems. Such problems may be impossible or difficult to detect prior to release and can be expensive to resolve on a large scale.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Automatic recovery from non-functional download


A gravel pack screen assembly includes a bit or sub having a flow passage which may accept a wash pipe. The wash pipe may be inserted past a flapper-type closure member which moves to a closed position upon withdrawal of the wash pipe after completion of the installation of the gravel pack assembly. The closure member can be formed of a porous material to permit the flow of liquid through the bit or sub flow passage into the interior of the gravel pack screen but to prevent flow of gravel packing or produced sand into the interior of the screen. The closure member may serve as a backup to a conventional one-way valve and permit additional gravel pack material to be placed in the flow passage upon completion of the gravel pack installation and in the event of early or late failure of the one-way valve.

Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a gravel pack screen assembly wherein an auger bit or tailpipe portion has a passage which is closeable by a permeable check valve closure member, or by a solids flow restricting member, both provided for allowing a sand plug to be established in the passage.


A control system for determining a line pull of a winch. The system comprises a first sensor configured to measure a torque generated by the winch to retract a cable and a second sensor configured to measure a number of layers of the cable retracted by the winch, wherein a layer of the cable is formed by a single wrap of the cable onto a container. The system further comprises a monitoring circuit coupled to the first and second sensors, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to determine the line pull of the winch based on the torque generated by the winch and the number of layers of cable retracted onto the container.

Various types of winches are used in conjunction with mobile lift devices to engage and support loads in a wide variety of environments. The primary purpose of many mobile lift devices is to move a load from a first position to a second position, whether by sliding or lifting the load. In particular, mobile lift devices may be used for hoisting, towing, and/or manipulating a load, such as a disabled vehicle, a container, or any other type of load. Mobile lift devices incorporating a load moving device, such as wreckers having a rotatable boom assembly, generally include devices for stabilizing the mobile lift device during operation of the load moving device. In using a winch in conjunction with a mobile lift device, it is typically useful to monitor the line pull of the winch while manipulating the load. However, in certain cases, it is difficult to determine the line pull of a winch when multiple winches are being used to manipulate the load (e.g., one winch is being used to tie-off the load moving device and another winch is being used to recover the load). It would be advantageous to develop a monitoring system for determining a line pull of a winch when the load moving device is engaging a load.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved mobile lift device having a monitoring system for monitoring the line pull of a winch. There is also a need for an improved mobile lift device having one or more sensors coupled to a monitoring system, in order to generate a signal representative of a torque generated by a motor of the winch, in order to retract the cable onto a drum of the winch. There is also a need for an improved mobile lift device having one or more sensors coupled to a monitoring system, in order to generate a signal representative of a number of layers of the cable retracted onto the drum, wherein a layer of the cable is formed by a single wrap of the cable onto the drum. There is also a need for an improved mobile lift device having a load moving device with one or more sheaves supported at the distal end of the load moving rotatable in at least two axis. There is also a need for an improved mobile lift device having a load moving device that is coupled to a rotator to permit the load moving device to rotate about at least two axis relative to the mobile lift device.
It would be desirable to provide a monitoring system for a mobile lift device that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features as may be apparent to those reviewing this disclosure. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned needs.

System and method for measuring winch line pull


An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter system is provided that compensates for operating variations associated with one or more passive components of the A/D converter. In one aspect of the present invention, the A/D converter system comprises a sigma delta modulator having at least one passive component and a feedback path that includes at least one switched digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and a tracking reference generator that provides compensated reference signals to the at least one switched DAC for providing feedback to the sigma delta modulator. The compensated reference signals include inverse variations that cancel operating variations associated with the at least one passive component.

Analog-to-digital (A/D) converters are electrical circuit devices that convert continuous signals, such as voltages or currents, from the analog domain to the digital domain, in which the signals are represented by numbers. A variety of A/D converter types exist, including flash A/Ds, sub-ranging A/Ds, successive approximation A/Ds, and integrating A/Ds. Another type is known as a sigma delta (e.g., ΣΔ) or delta sigma A/D converter, which includes a sigma delta modulator that samples an analog signal at a very high sampling rate (oversampling) in order to perform a noise shaping function. The oversampling is commonly performed at a multiple of the Nyquist rate (FN) for a given input signal frequency content (e.g., sampling frequency FS is 10 to 1000 times FN), wherein quantization noise power is spread over a bandwidth equal to the sampling frequency, thereby reducing the noise density in the band of interest. Digital filtering is then employed on the digital output to achieve a high resolution. Decimation may then be employed to reduce the effective sampling rate back to the "Nyquist" rate. Sigma delta data converters also typically include a loop filter in the forward signal path that operates to push some of the quantization noise into the higher frequency spectrum beyond the band of interest.

Tracking reference system for analog-to-digital converter systems


An example of the invention is a test support system for supporting testing of a function of a program that works depending on a position of a mobile object in map information. A storage device holds event generation requirements information defining requirements for generation of an event in the program. The requirements specify a position designated in the map information and requirements on movement of the mobile object with respect to the designated position. A processor creates a plurality of test cases to be referred to in creating test data to be input to the program for checking whether the event is generated in accordance with the requirements with reference to the map information and the requirements. Each of the plurality of test cases specifies the designated position in the map information and movement of the mobile object with respect to the designated position.

This invention relates to a test support system, a test support method, and a program. In particular, this invention relates to a technique to support testing of a program for performing a function in a mobile object, such as a mobile information terminal or a car navigation terminal.
In testing a program, a program developer runs a subject program under various conditions to check whether the program works properly as required under the various conditions. The testing may take 50% of the overall time to develop a program and is burdensome.
For example, JP 2007-52703 A discloses a test scenario generation program that makes a computer execute a test scenario generation method that generates a test scenario for use in verification of an application involving screen change.
This program makes a computer execute a design information acquisition step that acquires design information of the application, a test scenario template information generation step that generates test scenario template information having a part of information of the test scenario based on the design information and a previously set generation rule, and a test scenario setting step that sets the result of the setting that has been made for the test scenario template information based on the design information as the test scenario.
In the meanwhile, there exist functions using the GPS (Global Positioning System) or other position measurement system utilizing WiFi™ (Wireless Fidelity) base stations or mobile-phone base stations to perform a certain operation when a mobile phone or a car navigation terminal is positioned at a specific geographic point or is in a specific moving state. For example, functions such as generating an alarm about a dangerous spot and delivering an advertisement are known.
In the technology of car navigation systems, it is demanded to provide a car navigation system customized in accordance with user requirements. Various functions are implemented to meet various user requirements; each of the various functions needs to be tested.
In testing such functions, it is difficult to take a mobile phone or a car navigation terminal to a specific place to conduct the testing under various conditions. For this reason, the testing of a program function prepares dummy data of positional information to emulate the behavior at the position and inputs the dummy data to the subject program.
However, in the circumstance where developers individually create dummy data necessary for the testing, the developers have to study all possible test cases and further, have to create test cases to create necessary and sufficient dummy data; their workloads are heavy. The method of generating a test scenario according to the aforementioned JP 2007-52703 A does not consider the conditions related to geographic positions; consequently, a program configured to execute certain processing depending on the geographic position might perform a different operation from the actual one during the testing.

Testing system for a mobile object in a navigation map


An electronic device with a replaceable plug is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a main body, a fixing element and a plug. The main body has an upper casing and a lower casing, and a plug-receiving portion is disposed at the bottom of the lower casing. The fixing element has a hook portion and a press portion, in which the hook portion is protruded in the plug-receiving portion, and the press portion is disposed on the surface of the upper casing. The plug has plural conducting terminals and an engaging plate. Via the engagement between the engaging plate of the plug and the hook portion of the fixing element, the plug can be assembled in the plug-receiving portion of the main body. Furthermore, the plug can be easily dissembled from the main body by pressing the press portion.

With the progress of technology, various electronic equipments become indispensable tools in our daily life. The power converter functions to convert the commercial AC power into DC power to be utilized by the electronic equipments. For example, the adapter of a notebook, or the charger of a cellphone or a digital camera, is a kind of power converter.
The power converter includes a plug for plugging into a socket to receive the commercial power. Since the international business is well developed and the leisure life quality is much valued nowadays, people frequently and frequently go abroad for business or travel, and usually carry the portable electronic products, such as notebooks, cellphones and digital cameras, when they go abroad. However, there are various kinds of socket standards in the world, so the power converter is usually connected with a connector having different forms of conductive terminals to adapt to different socket standards.
Currently, there are some universal plugs available in the market, but they just simply connect with the power converter without providing the securing function. However, while using the connector, if the connector cannot be effectively secured on the power converter, the connector may be remained on the socket when pulling out the power converter, which may cause a danger of electric shock. In addition, the power converter may be loosened and dissembled from the connector, which may cause power failure of the electronic equipment or data loss.
To overcome the disadvantages of the prior art described above, the present invention provides a power converter with a detachable plug, which can be designed according to different socket standards and has an engaging structure corresponding to the power converter so as to be effectively secured on the power converter and can be easily assembled with or disassembled from the power converter.


A coupler assembly for a pressure pump includes a vertical stand and a sheave mounted rotatably on the stand. The sheave includes a main shaft which is hollowed partially adjacent to one end of the same to define a recess and which has a through hole formed in an external surface to communicate the recess and an exterior of the main shaft. An enclosed casing is fixed in the recess and has a circular plate that is disposed opposite to a bottom of the recess. The circular plate has a pressure gauge communicated with an interior of the enclosed casing, a plurality of coupling members and a release valve to release pressure from within the enclosed casing to an exterior of the enclosed casing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a coupler assembly, more particularly to a coupler assembly for a pressure pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional coupler assembly (9) for a pressure pump is shown to comprise a plurality of quick-release coupling members (90). A connecting gas pipe (91) is connected to a pressure pump and supplies pressure to the coupling members (90). Pressure operated units, such as a nailing gun, a drilling machine or an inflating tube with an inflating valve can be connected detachably to the quick-release coupling members (90) for use.
One drawback of the conventional coupler assembly is that a user cannot know the exact pressure that is supplied by the coupler assembly (9), thus inconveniencing the user. In addition, the conventional coupler assembly does not include a releasing means for releasing moisture which accumulates within the conventional coupler assembly (9) and which can reduce the efficiency of pressure output of the coupler assembly (9).


The present invention is directed to thin film composite membrane (TFC membrane) comprising a substrate layer (S) based on a sulfonated polymer, e.g. a sulfonated polyarylether, and a polyamide film layer (F) and further to a method for their preparation. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to osmosis processes, in particular to forward osmosis (FO) processes, using said membrane.

The present invention is directed to thin film composite membranes (TFC membranes) comprising a substrate layer (S) based on a sulfonated polymer, e.g. a sulfonated polyarylether, and a polyamide film layer (F) and further to a method for their preparation. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to osmosis processes, in particular to forward osmosis (FO) processes, using said membrane.
The development and application of membrane technologies (e.g. dialysis, membrane filtration such as nano-, ultra- and micro-filtration and osmosis processes) is one of the most significant recent advances in chemical, environmental, and biological process engineering.
In view of global water scarcity, particularly in drought-prone and environmentally polluted areas, one of the most important applications of osmosis processes using semi-permeable osmosis membrane is the purification of waste water or seawater. Considerable efforts have been put in providing novel methods of purifying wastewater or seawater at lower expenditure with less energy consumption. In this context, membrane based purification and separation processes have become more attractive in comparison to distillation processes.
Generally, the term osmosis describes a diffusion process, wherein solvent molecules move through a selectively permeable membrane (i.e. permeable to solvent but not to solute), which is separating at least two solutions of different solute concentration, into a solution with higher solute concentration. This diffusion process aims for equalization of the solute concentrations. The selectively permeable membrane used in osmosis process is also referred to as "semi-permeable" membrane or osmosis membrane.
Normally, osmosis membranes exhibit a molecular weight cut off (MWCO) in the range from 10 to 500 Da. The molecular weight cut off (MWCO) refers to the lowest molecular weight (given in Daltons) in which al least 80%, preferably at least 90%, of solute molecules are retained by the membrane.
In general, there are two osmosis process modes used in technical applications, namely the reversed osmosis (RO) and the forward osmosis (FO), wherein both osmosis processes utilize a selectively permeable membrane to separate water from dissolved solute molecules or ions.
In the case of reversed osmosis (RO), a hydraulic pressure as the driving force for the separation is employed, wherein the solute retains on the pressurized side of the membrane and the solvent passes through the membrane to the other side. The forward osmosis (FO) employs the osmotic pressure as a driving force generated by a highly concentrated solution (so called "draw solution") to allow water to diffuse through a semi-permeable membrane from the so called "feed solution" (e.g. brackish water or seawater), which has a relatively lower salt concentration.
Forward osmosis (FO) offers some advantages over the reversed osmosis (RO) and thermal separation processes. For example, forward osmosis (FO) can operate without high hydraulic pressures which are necessary in the reverse osmosis process and high temperatures which are necessary in the distillation and may be detrimental to the feed solution. Less energy is required for the FO process compared to other separation processes. The forward osmosis also offers the advantages of high rejection of a wide range of contaminants and lower membrane-fouling than traditional reversed osmosis processes.
It is known in the state of art that FO membranes can be utilized for example for water reuses, seawater desalination and concentration of pharmaceutical solution. The major problems in use of forward osmosis today are e.g. the limited number of commercially available FO membranes, insufficient water permeation and separation performance of known FO membranes and the lack of desirable draw solutions depended on the intended use of osmosis product.
Membranes, which are designed for reversed osmosis processes can often not be applied in the forward osmosis process due to their thick and dense support layer, which is necessitated to withstand high pressure in the reversed osmosis process and which causes decreased water flux and high salt leakage in the FO process. In this regard, an effective support layer (substrate layer) for FO membranes should be as thin as possible, highly porous, and provide a direct path from the draw solution to the active surface of the membrane.
In state of art several flat several sheet membranes based on cellulose triacetate (CTA) suitable for forward osmosis are known. They are used in applications of water purification for military, emergency relief, and recreational purposes (see T. Y. Cath, A. E. Childress, M. Elimelech, "Forward osmosis: Principles, applications, and recent developments". J. Membr. Sci. 281 (2006) 70). These cellulose triacetate membranes exhibit a low pure water permeability and salt rejection.
The publication Yip et al. (M. Elimelech, "High Performance thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes", Environ. Sci. Technol. 44 (3812) 2010) describes thin film composite (TFC) membranes comprising a polysulfone support for forward osmosis application. However, said support layer substrate consists of finger like macrovoid which may reduce the membrane integrity in the long term process of use in osmosis processes, in particular in forward osmosis processes.
The use of polyarylethers and sulfonated polyarylethers for the production of membranes, such as dialysis membranes or membranes in fuel cells, is described in the state of art. Document WO 2009/030620 describes blends of branched polyarylethers and hydrophilic polymers for production of hollow fiber membranes used as dialysis filters. The document WO 2010/142585 describes aromatic polyarylenether block copolymers and their use for the production of polyelectrolyte membranes for fuel cells or for water treatment.
However, there is a high permanent need of novel, superior forward osmosis membrane systems suitable for several applications, which shows high water flux, sufficient salt rejection and excellent chemical and mechanical resistance. Also long-term stability is an important feature.

Composite membranes comprising a sulfonated polyarylether and their use in forward osmosis processes


The present invention provides systems and methods to initiate, facilitate, process and/or perform money transfers. One such method includes establishing a money transfer record (310) and receiving, from a vendor location, a money transfer activation request (320) associated with the money transfer record. The method includes receiving a fulfillment request (330) associated with the money transfer record, collecting a customer data set, and authorizing a money transfer (340) associated with the money transfer record. The money transfer is facilitated by the creation of a money transfer record, which may occur prior to the money transfer activation request. The customer then can initiate the money transfer while at the vendor location using, for example, money transfer cards available for purchase from the vendor.

The present invention relates generally to the field of money transfers, and in particular to money transfer cards, systems and methods to initiate, facilitate, process and/or perform money transfers.
Present money transfer procedures typically involve an individual going to a money transfer location, such as a Western Union location, and giving the customer service agent a variety of personal information. This personal information may include the names and addresses of the sender and recipient, proof of identification, and the amount to be transferred. This information is entered into a money transfer system, and used to create a record of the money transfer. Once the money to be transferred has been collected from the sender, the recipient then proceeds to a separate money transfer location, such as another Western Union location, to pick up the money. The recipient may be required to provide a money transfer number and/or proof of identification, prior to picking up the money. Typically, this procedure is followed for each subsequent money transfer, even when the sender and recipient are the same. As a result, people who frequently send money using money transfer systems are repeatedly providing much of the same information, and making trips to offices or locations designated for money transfers. Further, money transfers typically must be initiated and completed by direct interaction between the customer and the money transfer organization. Improvements are desired.

Money transfer cards, systems and methods


A dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus is provided with an interconnected handpiece having a nozzle arrangement which is supplied with a dental powder as stored in a powder reservoir and delivered under pressure by a gaseous carrier medium via a powder supply line together with a fluid that is supplied via a separate fluid supply line. The apparatus is provided with a separate fluid receptacle or bottle which is filled with a flushing or rinsing liquid for being selectively supplied to the nozzle arrangement of the handpiece via a branch line having a change-over directional valve downstream of a suction pump for supplying the flushing or rinsing liquid to the portion of the fluid supply line that is directly connected with the handpiece.

The present invention relates to a dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus of the kind comprising a powder reservoir for storing a dental powder which in common with a gaseous carrier medium is supplied to a nozzle arrangement of a handpiece together with a fluid via two separate supply lines leading to the handpiece which is operatively connected with the apparatus.
A prior art dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus of the kind as herein referred is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,575. The powder which is used with such an apparatus for prophylactic measures is stored in a receptacle inside of a casing of the apparatus. The receptacle is interconnected with a supply line for compressed air which takes up the dental powder that is stored in this receptacle for being transported as a mixture with air to a nozzle arrangement of an interconnected handpiece. The nozzle arrangement is further interconnected with a fluid supply line which supplies normal tap water to the handpiece accordingly in common with the powder and air mixture. The supply line for compressed air is provided upstream of the powder receptacle with a junction for a branch line. The branch line leads to a pinch valve which is arranged for squeezing of powder supply line to thereby interrupt a supply of the powder and air mixture to the nozzle arrangement of the handpiece. The air feeding line of this pinch valve is controlled by a solenoid control valve as arranged in the branch line. A further solenoid control valve is arranged upstream of a junction of the branch line. The two control valves are controlled such that when the air supply to the powder receptacle is interrupted the air supply to the pinch valve will then as well be interrupted for squeezing the powder supply line leading to the nozzle arrangement of the handpiece.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,210 describes a closure means for a fluid receptacle or bottle which may be screw-connected with a fitting on the exterior of the casing of a dental apparatus. The receptacle or bottle is therefore exchangeably mounted on the apparatus by such a combination of a closure means and a fitting.
The European Patent EP 0 395 557 B1 discloses a dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus which is designed as an autonomous unit by its accommodation in a case. The case also accommodates a compressor for supplying compressed air via a three-way-valve alternatively to two bottles which are filled with a dental powder and a fluid, respectively. Depending on the switch or control position of the three-way-valve either a powder and air mixture in common with the fluid or simply the fluid may be supplied via two separate supply lines to an interconnected jet arrangement of a handpiece. As fluid with which the one bottle is filled it is suggested to use either tap or distilled water or to alternatively use an aqueous solution of an antiseptic or a medicinal component.
An object of the present invention is to provide a dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus which in the field of dental treatment will allow a broader application of the apparatus by making use not only of normal tap water but alternatively also of other fluids.
The present invention accordingly provides a dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus which is characterised by the features as outlined in the claims.
A dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus in accordance with the present invention therefore provides a rather simple measure as to how a dental apparatus of the kind referred may be either used with normal tap water for a powder blasting of dental surfaces in order to remove plaque and discolorations, for polishing and cleaning or purifying tooth surfaces or in general for a prophylaxis treatment of tooth surfaces. The apparatus according to the present invention may instead alternatively also be used for a blasting of different fluids against the tooth surfaces.
By the provision of an exchangeable arrangement of a separate fluid receptacle or bottle on the exterior of the apparatus there namely could be used demineralised water as a flushing or rinsing liquid alternatively to the use of a prophylactic flushing or rinsing liquid with which a different receptacle or bottle is filled whereby the liquid may comprise antimicrobiological or bacteriostatic additives that contribute to a remineralisation of teeth when added with an amount acting non-toxic on the human organism. Such additives could be selected from variable groups of chemical components as well as vegetable extracts etc. whereby all of such different flushing or rinsing liquids will be stored in separate bottles having all a closure means on a refillable bottle opening which is designed for a screw connection with the same fitting on the exterior of the apparatus.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of a dental apparatus according to the present invention.

Dental abrasive blasting or jet apparatus


There is provided a vehicle seat including a seat cushion configured to support a weight of a sitting passenger from below, and a seat back configured to support an upper body of the sitting passenger from a back side thereof. The seat back includes a seat back fixing part including a back frame which configures a frame of the seat back, and a seat back moving part configured to support the upper body of the passenger at a passenger sitting surface side of the seat back fixing part. The seat back moving part is supported to the seat back fixing part so as to be rotatable about an upper part thereof in a left-right direction which corresponds to lateral sides of the sitting passenger.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle seat including a seat cushion configured to support a weight of a sitting passenger from below and a seat back configured to support an upper body of the sitting passenger from a back side thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
When turning a vehicle, a driver operates a steering wheel to the left or right side. Therefore, an upper body of the driver is inclined inwardly in a turning direction of the vehicle according to the steering wheel operation. FIG. 6 shows a movement of an upper body of a driver as seen from a back side of the driver when the driver of a vehicle operates a steering wheel to the left side so as to turn the vehicle leftwards. Here, a shoulder line PS of the driver is lowered at the left from a position shown with a broken line to a position shown with a solid line, and a waist line PL is raised at the left from a position shown with the broken line to a position shown with the solid line, so that the upper body is bent. That is, as the steering wheel is operated leftwards, the upper body (shown with a triangle in FIG. 6) of the driver is inclined leftwards about the waist part, so that it forms a tilted L shape, when seen from the back side. In FIG. 6, a reference numeral PH indicates a position of a head of the driver. Also, it has been empirically known that a passenger other than the driver also tilts the upper body in the turning direction of the vehicle against a centrifugal force resulting from the turning of the vehicle. At this time, since both the driver and the other passenger lean the upper bodies against the seat backs, they raise the upper bodies from the leaning state against the seat backs to reduce friction between the upper bodies and the seat backs or tilt the upper bodies against a frictional force such that the upper bodies are separated from the seat backs so as to tilt the upper bodies, as described above. Accordingly, the passenger cannot smoothly tilt the upper body in a left-right direction.
Although a technical object is different from that explained above, there has been developed a technique in which a seat back and a seat cushion are rotated in a vehicle roll direction with respect to a traveling direction of a vehicle so as to cope with the centrifugal force occurring at the turning of the vehicle such that a posture of a passenger is stable at the turning (refer to JP-A-S57-126734).
The seat of JP-A-S57-126734 is applied with a counter measure against the problem occurring at the turning of the vehicle. However, it is not possible to solve the technical object that the passenger can smoothly tilt the upper body in the left-right direction at the turning of the vehicle. That is, according to JP-A-S57-126734, the seat is rotated by the centrifugal force at the turning of the vehicle. However, since the upper body is tilted in the left-right direction at the turning of the vehicle before the centrifugal force is applied, the configuration of rotating the seat by the applied centrifugal force cannot solve the technical object that the passenger can smoothly tilt the upper body in the left-right direction at the turning of the vehicle.


A modified bipolar transistor defined for providing a larger emitter current than a basic emitter current from a basic bipolar transistor is provided. The modified transistor has an improved emitter structure comprising plural divided sub-emitter regions electrically isolated and spatially separated from each other. The plural divided sub-emitter regions may typically have a uniform emitter size identical with a basic emitter size of the basic bipolar transistor. A set of the plural divided sub-emitter regions provides an intended emitter current distinctly larger than the basic emitter current by a highly accurate direct current amplification factor corresponding to an intended emitter-size magnification factor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for design of the same, and more particularly to a semiconductor device including a bipolar transistor with an improved emitter region for a large emitter current output as well as a method for design of an emitter region of a bipolar transistor for a large emitter current output.
All of patents, patent applications, patent publications, scientific articles and the like, which will hereinafter be cited or identified in the present application, will, hereby, be incorporated by references in their entirety in order to describe more fully the state of the art, to which the present invention pertains.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device may include plural bipolar transistors which may be classified into different two types, for example, a first type bipolar transistor designed for a high speed performance with a low current output, and a second type bipolar transistor designed for a high current output.
In general, such first type bipolar transistors have a basic emitter size as a unit emitter size of an emitter region. The second type bipolar transistors may have one or more emitter sizes, which are larger than the basic emitter size of the first type bipolar transistors for providing larger current outputs than the first type bipolar transistors. The above larger emitter sizes allow the second type bipolar transistors to operate in wider direct current regions than the first type bipolar transistors.
In the present specification, the term "emitter size" is used and defined to be a size of the emitter region in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to a first direction along which the emitter region is distanced from a base electrode contact region. In some cases, the emitter regions have a rectangle shape in plan view having a longitudinal direction, which is parallel to the second horizontal direction, for which reason the second horizontal direction will, hereinafter, sometime, be referred to as a longitudinal direction.
The above-described second type bipolar transistors have generally been designed based on the above-described first type bipolar transistors, wherein the emitter size of the second type bipolar transistor is decided with reference to the basic emitter size of the first type bipolar transistor in consideration of an intended or required emitter current of the second type bipolar transistor with reference to a basic emitter current as an unit current defined by the basic emitter size of the first type bipolar transistor. On the other hand, the second type bipolar transistors have been designed to have one or more modified emitter sizes which are larger by an intended or desired direct magnification factor than the basic emitter size. A ratio of the modified emitter size of the second type bipolar transistor to the basic emitter size of the first type bipolar transistor will, hereinafter, be referred to as "magnification factor" or "emitter-size magnification factor". A ratio of the emitter current from the second type bipolar transistor to the basic emitter current from the first type bipolar transistor will, hereinafter, be referred to as "direct current amplification factor". In the design viewpoint, it is ideal or desirable that the direct current amplification factor would correspond to the magnification factor.
In conclusion, the above-described one or more modified emitter sizes of the second type bipolar transistors may be decided on the basis of the basic emitter size of the first type bipolar transistors. In view of the design process, the first type bipolar transistor may be considered as a basic bipolar transistor with the basic emitter size for output of the basic emitter current as a unit emitter current, while the above-described one or more second type bipolar transistors may be considered to be one or more modified bipolar transistors having one or more modified emitter sizes for outputs of one or more increased emitter currents which are larger than the basic emitter current. The following descriptions with reference to drawings of FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIGS. 2A and 2B will be concerned with typical conventional first type and second type bipolar transistors.
FIG. 1A is a fragmentary plan view illustrative of a conventional typical example of a second type bipolar transistor as a modified bipolar transistor in the prior art. FIG. 1B is a fragmentary cross sectional elevation view, taken along a C—C line shown in FIG. 1A. In these drawings, illustrations of various structures, which are irrelevant to the subject matter of the present invention, are omitted.
In FIGS. 1A and 1B, a bipolar transistor 100 corresponds to the above-described second type bipolar transistor which is designed for output of a larger emitter current. The second type bipolar transistor 100 has the following typical structure. An n+-type buried region 3 is selectively formed over part of a p-type semiconductor substrate 2. An n-type collector region 104 is also selectively formed over both part of the p-type semiconductor substrate 2 and entirety of the n+-type buried region 3. A p-type isolation region 5 is selectively formed over part of the p-type semiconductor substrate 2 to surround and define the n-type collector region 104 in a rectangle region in the plan view. A p-type base region 106 is selectively formed in an upper region of the n-type collector region 104 in a rectangle shape in the plan view. An n+-type emitter region 107 is also selectively formed in the p-type base region 106. A base electrode contact region 61 is also selectively formed in the p-type base region 106, wherein the base electrode contact region 61 is separated from the n+-type emitter region 107 by the p-type base region 106. A collector electrode contact region 41 is also selectively formed in the n-type collector region 104, so that the collector electrode contact region 41 is separated from the p-type base region 106 by the n-type collector region 104.
The n+-type emitter region 107 has a rectangle shape in plan view, which has a longitudinal direction represented by an arrow mark in FIG. 1A. An emitter size in the longitudinal direction of the n+-type emitter region 107 is 2L. The emitter current generally depends on this emitter size 2L. Increase in the emitter size of the n+-type emitter region 107 causes increase in the emitter current. Namely, the second type bipolar transistor 100 has the emitter size of 2L.
FIG. 2A is a fragmentary plan view illustrative of a conventional typical example of a first type bipolar transistor as a basic bipolar transistor in the prior art. FIG. 2B is a fragmentary cross sectional elevation view, taken along a D—D line shown in FIG. 2A. Similarly to FIGS. 1A and 1B, in these drawings, various structures, which are irrelevant to the subject matter of the present invention, are also omitted.
In FIGS. 2A and 2B, a bipolar transistor 200 corresponds to the above-described first type bipolar transistor which is designed for a high speed performance with a low current output. The first type bipolar transistor 200 is different from the above-described second type bipolar transistor 100 only in respective sizes of the emitter, base and collector regions as well as collector and base electrode contact regions in the second horizontal direction represented by an arrow mark.
The emitter size of the first type bipolar transistor 200 is "L" as illustrated in FIG. 2A, which is just one half of the above emitter size "2L" of the second type bipolar transistor 100 shown in FIG. 1A. Respective sizes in the second horizontal direction of the emitter, base and collector regions as well as collector and base electrode contact regions of the first type bipolar transistor 200 are half of the respective sizes of the emitter, base and collector regions as well as collector and base electrode contact regions in the second horizontal direction of the second type bipolar transistor 100.
As described above, in the design viewpoint, the first type bipolar transistor 200 is the basic bipolar transistor for allowing the second type bipolar transistor 100 to be deigned on the basis of or modified from the first type bipolar transistor 200 by a two times enlargement or magnification of the above respective sizes in the second horizontal direction, so that the increased emitter current defined by the modified or enlarged emitter size of the second type bipolar transistor 100 is larger by almost two times than the basic emitter current as a unit emitter current defined by the basic emitter size of the first type bipolar transistor 200.
In the above conventional typical example illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the magnification factor is only 2. The semiconductor device may, of course, include further modified bipolar transistors in addition to the above-described modified bipolar transistors. The further modified bipolar transistors may have one or more further modified or enlarged emitter sizes different from or larger than the above-described modified and enlarged emitter size, provided that the one or more further modified or enlarged emitter sizes are, of course, larger than the basic emitter size.
The above-described conventional design method would be efficient in designing a large number of various modified bipolar transistors with reference to the basic bipolar transistor. The conventional design method may, however, be effectively applicable as long as the intended or desired emitter-size magnification factor is relatively low. Namely, the conventional method may be inapplicable if the intended or desired emitter-size magnification factor is relatively high.
Increase in the intended or desired emitter-size magnification factor causes decrease in a direct current amplification factor "Hfe". Namely, if a high value of the magnification factor is intended or desired, then the direct current amplification factor "Hfe" may be dropped and does not correspond to the magnification factor. This undesired decrease in the direct current amplification factor "Hfe" would give rise to a deteriorated accuracy of or a certain decrease of the actually obtained emitter current as compared to the intended or desired emitter current from the second type bipolar transistor. In this case, the modified or enlarged bipolar transistors will exhibit an undesired output of emitter current lower than the intended or required value.
In order to avoid or eliminate the last-described problem or disadvantages, it may be suggested in design processes to make compensation to the influence by the drop of the direct current amplification factor "Hfe". This compensation is likely to be complicated and difficult, resulting in a remarkable increase in the load to the design work.
In the above circumstances, it is desired that the above-described one or more modified bipolar transistors with the improved emitter region would be free from any substantive drop of the direct current amplification factor "Hfe" upon taking large value of the emitter-size magnification factor. It is, therefore, desired to develop an improved emitter region of the modified bipolar transistors, wherein the improved emitter region is capable of preventing or suppressing any substantive drop of the direct current amplification factor "Hfe" upon taking large value of the emitter-size magnification factor. It is also desired to develop an improved design method for an emitter region of the modified bipolar transistor without any need to make compensation to the influence by the drop of the direct current amplification factor "Hfe" in the designed process.
The followings are the applicant's admitted prior arts which are believed to be informative to describe the state of the art that emitter regions are modified. Each emitter region is divided into plural sub-emitter regions which are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the second horizontal direction for the purpose of avoiding an undesirable concentration of the emitter current. These conventional techniques are, however, incapable of preventing or suppressing any substantive drop of the direct current amplification factor "Hfe" upon taking large value of the magnification factor.
Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 60-227471 discloses a semiconductor integrated circuit device including bipolar transistors, wherein plural emitter first electrode layers have common electrical connection through emitter first and second interconnection layers, while plural base first electrode layers have common electrical connection through a base first electrode layer. This conventional technique is to provide desired interconnection structures for connecting respective electrodes of the bipolar transistors. The interconnection structures are suitable for increasing the density of integration of the semiconductor integrated circuit as well as for preventing such a high current concentration as to cause an undesired secondary breakdown of a power transistor. This conventional technique is irrelevant to the above issue and is incapable of solving the above problem.
Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 61-194774 discloses a high frequency and high output bipolar transistor which includes base regions, emitter regions, base contact regions, emitter metal conductors, and base contact metal conductors, wherein a periphery length of a center-positioned emitter region is shorter than a periphery length of a side-positioned emitter region. This conventional technique is capable of preventing a thermal concentration at a center position of the transistor for allowing the transistor to exhibit a desired stability of operation. This conventional technique is also irrelevant to the above issue and is incapable of solving the above problem.
Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2-5431 discloses a high frequency and high output semiconductor device, wherein a peripheral-positioned active device region positioned in a peripheral region of a pellet is lower in a total value of respective stabilized resistances than a center-positioned active device region positioned in a center region of the pellet. This conventional technique is to keep a desired uniformity of temperature increase over the respective active device regions for taking a desired thermal balance over positions. This conventional technique is also irrelevant to the above issue and is incapable of solving the above problem.

Bipolar transistor with divided base and emitter regions