One or more systems are disclosed for controlling dampening forces provided by a shock absorber by means of a piston face and an additional dampening shim underneath the piston face in the shock absorber. The piston face is coupled to a piston and the dampening shim is positioned beneath a bottom surface of the piston face. The piston face includes a first set of openings and a second set of openings on the piston face that have differing sizes and diameters. The dampening shim has a diameter that is less than the diameter of the piston face. When fluid pressure is applied against the underside of the dampening shim, the dampening shim partially blocks the first set of openings and fully blocks the second set of openings on the piston face from the bottom of the piston face, which thereby affects the overall dampening of the shock absorber.

Hydraulic shock absorbers are hydraulic oil pump like devices that help to control the impact and rebound movement of a vehicle's springs and suspension. The shock absorber is a device used to dampen shock and vibration, and mainly controls and absorbs suspension movement on a vehicle. Along with smoothing out bumps and vibrations and controlling the suspension system of a vehicle, one of the key roles of the shock absorbers on a vehicle is to ensure that the vehicle's tires remain in contact with the road surface at all times, which ensures the safest control and braking response from a vehicle. At rest or in motion, the bottom surface of one's tires is the only part of a vehicle in contact with the road, which means that any time that a tire's contact with the ground is broken or reduced, the ability to drive, steer and brake is severely compromised.
When a vehicle is in motion, the components within the shock absorber dampen the energy of the movement of the vehicle's suspension system (which includes springs) by forcing oil through orifices and holes of a piston in the shock absorber. The shock absorber regulates how quickly the suspension moves through its travel in compression and rebound. Compression—also known as bump—describes the shock absorber's behavior when the suspension system of a vehicle is compressed. The rebound phase—also known as jounce—occurs when the suspension system of a vehicle is not compressed and extends.
Shock absorbers dampen the suspension's motions by converting the kinetic energy of the up and down movements of the suspension system's springs into heat energy. Without shock absorbers, the springs of the suspension system would be allowed to oscillate uncontrollably and would cause the tires of the vehicle to lose contact with the road surface and the vehicle's performance to behave erratically.
Shock absorbers are tuned to improve the timing of the suspension movements and give the driver more control, which is particularly useful in dirt track racing. The elastic movement of a vehicle's suspension can be modulated and adjusted based on the dampening forces applied by the shock absorber, thereby considerably improving safety, comfort, and speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is in use.
A shock absorber can provide high speed and low speed damping. The terms high speed damping and low speed damping refer to how fast the piston rod or shaft of a shock absorber is moving within the shock absorber, as well as how fast the fluid velocity is moving in the shock absorber because the speed of the piston rod matches the speed of the fluid in the shock absorber.
Low-speed damping or dampening of the shock absorber usually occurs when the surface on which a vehicle is driving is relatively smooth and does not include a great deal of obstacles or roughness. There is less resistance by the shock absorber and less resistance applied to the suspension when the road surface or track surface is smooth. Accordingly, even if the racing vehicle or another vehicle is moving quickly, the suspension system is moving up and down somewhat slowly.
High speed damping or dampening of a shock absorber often occurs when the surface is rough and uneven and affects how a vehicle reacts to surface irregularities, such as potholes, road bumps, or the rough terrain of a dirt track surface. High speed dampening of a shock absorber is often overlooked but is very critical because high speed damping of a shock absorber gives strength to low speed damping and the balance of the two together becomes more important as the grip level of the racetrack goes down. On dirt track racing, in particular, where the terrain varies greatly, low speed and high speed dampening by the shock absorber becomes more important and more dependent on each other because of the tires sudden lack of grip and quick changes in the conditions of the surface of the racetrack.
In a shock absorber, a piston is attached to the end of the piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid in the pressure tube of the shock absorber. As the connected suspension system of the vehicle travels up and down, the hydraulic fluid (which is usually oil) is forced through tiny holes, called orifices, inside the piston. The shock absorber's shaft or piston rod and internal piston are designed to move in two directions, which is in and out, which as noted before is called compression and rebound.
Compression damping is typically used to maximize the chassis' grip and control the unsprung weight of the vehicle. Track surfaces or road surfaces that require more grip can require more compression damping, while slick conditions call for much less compression damping. Compression becomes more important when the speed required at a particular racetrack is factored in as well as the spring rates of the suspension system of a vehicle and the total amount of weight moving in the racing vehicle.
While their inner workings are hidden from view, the impact of shock absorbers on the performance of a vehicle is significant. While it is important in any type of driving of any type of vehicle to have properly functioning shock absorbers, for racing vehicles that race on dirt tracks or other racetracks, it is critical for the proper shock absorbers to be included on a racing vehicle and that the shock absorber is properly configured and tuned to respond to the particular road conditions for a particular course or track that the racing vehicle will encounter.
Race car drivers and drivers of other types of racing vehicles (including but not limited to motorcycles or utility terrain vehicle (UTVs)), must be able to maintain control of their vehicles at all times while also being able to drive very fast over rough terrain. It is imperative to provide balance to the weight of the race car and control over a track's surface. Having the proper amount of dampening to accommodate the conditions a racing vehicle may encounter is very important because providing too much dampening or too little dampening from the shock absorber will change everything in how the vehicle performs and may cause the vehicle driver to lose a race.
Further, if a race track is a dirt track as is used in dirt racing, the tuning of shock absorbers is particularly more cumbersome to the technician responsible for the shock absorbers as multiple shock absorbers are typically changed during the course of a race on a dirt track to accommodate stretches of terrain on the dirt track that are smooth and even which require different shock absorbers than when stretches of terrain on a dirt track include more obstacles, such as hills, potholes, bumps, or other types of uneven surfaces. Changing out the shock absorbers to accommodate varying types of track surfaces becomes time consuming and expensive. Typically, a race team purchases dozens of shock absorbers, as well as the components included (e.g., pistons, piston faces, shims) and must replace the shock absorbers and/or internal components of the shock absorbers throughout a race or race weekend as the suspension system of a vehicle is modified and adjusted for optimal performance.
It is desirable if a single shock absorber has the ability to vary the dampening conditions to properly respond to varying road conditions. Accordingly, there is still an unsolved need for an improved shock absorber and dampening system that may be suitable in particular for when a driver requires higher dampening forces for rougher terrain road conditions and lower dampening forces for when the road conditions are smooth and slick, especially when used in a racing vehicle.

System and method for using a piston face and shim in a shock absorber with varying port configurations


Embodiments are directed towards mobile application development in a cloud-based architecture. Mobile applications may be designed to communicate with a cloud platform over a network. Mobile application developers may be enabled to submit cloud code to cloud platforms for use by mobile applications. If cloud code is provided to a cloud platform, the cloud platform may perform one or more actions to authenticate the cloud code, such as, ensuring that that the user providing the cloud code is authorized to provide the cloud code. If the cloud code is authenticated the cloud platform may perform one or more actions to validate the cloud code. If validated, the cloud code may be activated for use by mobile applications and/or mobile application developers. Activation of the cloud code may include associating the cloud code with one or more function calls and/or with one or more trigger points.

As the popularity and complexity of mobile applications has increased, more mobile applications use application platforms to provide scalable functionality for their mobile applications. Application platforms may provide remote functionality, remote storage, or the like, that mobile applications may interact with over a network. In some cases, networks linking mobile applications and application platforms may be slow and/or unreliable. As a result, mobile application performance may suffer if interactions between mobile applications and application platforms increase in number and complexity.
Furthermore, as the complexity of mobile applications increases some may require custom services that may be difficult for an application platform to provide. If an application platform lacks sufficient features, mobile applications may be required to implement the feature locally on the mobile devices. Performing the additional tasks that may be required for complex applications at the mobile devices may require the use of more resources on the mobile device and increased network transactions between the mobile device and the application platform. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present innovations have been made.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mobile development platform in a cloud based architecture


An improved chain conveyor includes drive sprockets for the chain, and second sprockets for guiding the pallets between the upper and lower runs. The second sprockets rotate at a different rate of speed than the drive sprockets to adjust for misalignment between the pallet and the second sprocket as the pallet approaches the turns. The pallet includes an alignment groove which connects onto a link on the chain to properly position the pallet relative to the chain, and a plurality of teeth which are then engaged by the second sprocket. The second sprocket and the alignment groove thus provide plural positive engagement points between the pallet and the conveyor as the pallet moves between the upper and lower runs. This is an improvement over prior art systems which relied on frictional contact for such turning. In a further feature of the present invention, the chain and pallet are dimensioned such that the pallet is unlikely to jam as it is being turned.

This application relates to an improved pallet for use with an over and under conveyor, wherein there is structure on the pallet and conveyor to positively drive the pallet between upper and lower runs.
Conveyors are known wherein a pallet moves frictionally along a pair of spaced endless members. The pallet runs along an upper run, where it typically carries a part, from one end of a conveyor path to the other. At the end of the conveyor path the pallet is turned from the upper run to a lower run where it is returned to its origination point. At the end of the lower run, the pallet is again turned back up to the upper run. In such systems the pallets typically move with the endless member through frictional contact. The pallets typically rest on the endless members on both the upper and lower runs, and move with the endless members, which are driven. In the prior art there has been some difficulties, however, turning the pallets between the upper and lower runs.
In one prior art system the pallet has chamfered surfaces at each end of a lower run support surface. These chamfered surfaces are intended to provide contact between the endless members and the pallet while the pallet is being turned between the upper and lower runs. Such systems do not have any actual positive engagement between the pallet and the endless member, however, instead they rely upon frictional contact. As the chain loosens, or as the pallet begins to wear, the adequacy of this frictional contact decreases. Thus, with such prior art systems, pallets may sometimes not turn properly between the upper and lower runs. This is undesirable.

Pallet guidance structure for over and under conveyor


A slack-forming mechanism for stator coils that is able to impart slack of appropriate size to the stator coil without imposing an excessively heavy burden on the coiling machine. The slack-forming mechanism includes a coiling machine attachment jig having a protruding member that passes through a clearance formed between a stator body and connector, and has a top edge positioned higher than a clearance pass-through part of a stator coil. As it is possible to form slack in the stator coil without changing the configuration of the coiling machine, deficiencies in prior art slack-forming mechanisms are overcome such as the difficulty of maintaining uniform slack amounts, and unreliability. Moreover, since design-related restrictions are few, an adequately large slack is imparted to the stator coil to adequately suppress breakage of the stator coil induced by temperature change.

A VR resolver (variable reluctance resolver) which is one example of a rotating machine, is shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the VR resolver 1 is roughly configured by providing a plurality of magnetic teeth 4 on the inside of the annular stator stack 3 of the stator 2, winding a stator coil 5 onto the plurality of magnetic teeth 4, and providing a rotor (not illustrated in the drawing) inside the stator 2. The stator stack 3 consists of a core part (not illustrated in the drawing) and an insulator 6 (insulation) that is provided to cover the core part. The stator 2 consists of the stator stack 3, stator coil 5, and a resin connector 10 that is provided with two attachment pins 8, 9 that are enwrapped by the terminal part 7 of the stator coil 5 and connect to outside wiring (not illustrated in the drawing). The connector 10 is integrally formed with the insulator 6 of the stator stack 3.
In the slack-forming mechanism shown in FIG. 4, a circular rod 11 that is provided in the coiling machine (not illustrated in the drawing) is disposed on the connector 10 between the magnetic teeth 4 and the attachment pins 8, 9. The stator coil 5 contacts the circular rod 11 and crosses over it, and the terminal part 7 of the stator coil 5 wraps around the attachment pins 8, 9. Because the stator coil 5 contacts the circular rod 11 and crosses over it, a slack is imparted (formed) in the stator coil 5, and breakage of the stator coil 5 due to temperature change is impeded.
Another example of a mechanism that forms slack 12 in the stator coil 5 (a slack-forming mechanism for stator coils) is shown in FIG. 5. This slack-forming mechanism for stator coils is provided in a VR resolver configured similarly to the VR resolver shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, in the vicinity of the connector 10, two resin pins (bypass pins 15) are installed as the slack-forming mechanism for stator coils. In the slack-forming mechanism for stator coils shown in FIG. 5, the terminal parts 7 of the stator coils 5 wrap around the attachment pins 8, 9 in a state where the stator coils 5 pass around the outside of the two by-pass pins 15.
In the slack-forming mechanism for stator coils shown in FIG. 4, as the pertinent slack-forming mechanism is provided in the coiling machine (circular rod 11), it adds to the complexity of the coiling machine, and in this connection it is difficult to guarantee the stable operation of the slack-forming mechanism for stator coils and consequently, it becomes difficult to uniformly control the slack amount, and reliability tends to decline.
With the slack-forming mechanism for stator coils shown in FIG. 5, there are restrictions on the attachment positions and the like of the by-pass pins 15, it is not able to impart an adequate slack 12, and there is the danger that it is not able to adequately inhibit breakage of the stator coils 5 induced by temperature change.


An apparatus in one example comprises an originating mobile switching center and a serving mobile switching center that serve to connect a call from a communication device to a mobile device that is supported by the serving mobile switching center. The mobile device is associated with an established telephone number. The serving mobile switching center is associated with an identification number. The originating mobile switching center employs the identification number to connect the call with the serving mobile switching center. The serving mobile switching center employs the established telephone number to connect the call to the mobile device.

In mobile telecommunication networks, a serving mobile switching center ("S-MSC") and an originating mobile switching center ("O-MSC") serve to connect a call from a communication device to a mobile device that is supported by the serving mobile switching center. For example, the mobile device comprises a roaming mobile device. The originating mobile switching center supports call delivery to the serving mobile switching center and the serving mobile switching center supports an air interface connection with the mobile device.
To initiate the call to the mobile device, the communication device initiates a call setup message to the originating mobile switching center. In one example, the mobile telecommunication network comprises an American National Standards Institute ("ANSI-41") network. The originating mobile switching center sends a location request invoke operation/message ("LOCREQ") to a home location register ("HLR") to determine the location of the mobile device. The home location register checks a record associated with the mobile device and in one example determines that the mobile device is registered at the serving mobile switching center. Therefore, the home location register sends a routing request invoke message/operation ("ROUTREQ") to the serving mobile switching center. In another example, the mobile telecommunication network comprises a Global System for Mobile Communications ("GSM") network and employs GSM mobile application part ("MAP") messages for call delivery. For example, the GSM network employs a send routing information ("SRI") message and a provide roaming number ("PRN") message to initiate delivery of the call to the mobile device.
Upon receipt of the routing request invoke message, the serving mobile switching center allocates a temporary roaming number for the call from a pool of available temporary roaming numbers. In one example, the mobile telecommunication network comprises an ANSI-41 network and the temporary roaming number comprises a temporary local directory number ("TLDN"). In another example, the mobile telecommunication network comprises a GSM network and the temporary roaming number comprises a mobile subscriber roaming number ("MSRN"). The serving mobile switching center sends the temporary roaming number to the home location register in a routing request return result operation/message ("routreq"). The home location register sends the temporary roaming number to the originating mobile switching center in a location request return result operation/message ("locreq"). The GSM network employs a provide roaming number acknowledgement message and a send routing information acknowledgement message to return the temporary roaming number.
The serving mobile switching center associates the temporary roaming number with the mobile device and awaits an incoming call that indicates the temporary roaming number as a called party number. Upon receipt of the temporary roaming number, the originating mobile switching center sends the call to the serving mobile switching center over a trunk. In one example, the trunk signaling comprises Integrated Services Digital Network User Part ("ISUP") signaling. Thus, the originating mobile switching center sets the called party number of an initial address message ("IAM") to the temporary roaming number. The originating mobile switching center sends the initial address message to the serving mobile switching center to pass the call to the serving mobile switching center.
Upon receipt of the initial address message, the serving mobile switching center searches for the mobile device that is associated with the temporary roaming number in a list of active temporary roaming numbers. Upon finding the mobile device, the serving mobile switching center proceeds with call termination processing, which may include paging the mobile device to indicate the incoming call. Upon connection of the call with the mobile device, the serving mobile switching center returns the temporary roaming number to the pool of available temporary roaming numbers.
The serving mobile switching center must keep a pool of available temporary roaming numbers that is large enough to handle incoming calls to roaming mobile devices. For example, the pool of available temporary roaming numbers may comprise one thousand telephone numbers reserved for incoming call delivery to the roaming mobile devices. As one shortcoming, the pool of available temporary roaming numbers are unavailable for other uses. For example, the pool of available temporary roaming numbers may contribute to a shortage of telephone numbers. As another shortcoming, if the pool of available temporary roaming numbers are all assigned at a given time, then the serving mobile switching center is unable to handle new incoming calls to the roaming mobile devices. As yet another shortcoming, the serving mobile switching center must have storage space available to keep a record of the assignment of temporary roaming numbers.
Thus, a need exists for a delivery system for incoming calls to roaming mobile devices that promotes a reduction in a number of reserved temporary roaming numbers.

Employment of established telephone number of mobile device supported by serving mobile switching center to connect a call to the mobile device


An x-ray mask blank and an x-ray mask wherein, assuming that Ramax and Ramin are defined as a maximum value of Ra and a minimum value of Ra of a surface roughness (Ra: center-line average roughness) on a plurality of points within a predetermined area on an x-ray membrane 12, respectively, the surface of the x-ray membrane 12 has a surface condition so that it may satisfy an expression: (Ramax−Ramin)/(Ramax+Ramin)≦0.15.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an x-ray mask for use in an x-ray lithography method and an x-ray mask blank which is part of the x-ray mask.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the semiconductor industry, the technique of forming an integrated circuit constituted of a fine pattern on a silicon substrate or the like using a photolithography method for transferring the fine pattern by the use of a visible light and an ultraviolet light as an exposing electromagnetic wave, is well known. However, a recent advance in semiconductor technique greatly promotes the high integration of a semiconductor device such as a VLSI. This results in a requirement for the technique for transferring the fine pattern of high accuracy beyond the transfer limit (a principled limit due to wavelength) of the visible light and the ultraviolet light used in the conventional photolithography method. In order to transfer such a fine pattern, an x-ray lithography method, using an x-ray whose wavelength is shorter than the wavelength of the visible light and the ultraviolet light, is attempted.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing a structure of an x-ray mask for use in the x-ray lithography. FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the structure of an example of an x-ray mask blank as an intermediate product obtained in an intermediate step during manufacturing the x-ray mask.
As shown in FIG. 1, an x-ray mask 1 comprises an x-ray membrane 12 for transmitting the x-ray and an x-ray absorbing film pattern 13a formed on the x-ray membrane 12. The x-ray membrane 12 is supported by a silicon frame body 11a which is formed by removing a portion so that the periphery alone of the silicon substrate may remain. When this x-ray mask 1 is manufactured, the x-ray mask blank intermediate product is manufactured in the intermediate step. This x-ray mask blank is further processed, so that the x-ray mask is obtained. In this industry, while, the x-ray mask is a finished product which is dealt the x-ray mask blank, which is the intermediate product, is also often independently dealt.
As shown in FIG. 2, an x-ray mask blank 2 comprises the x-ray membrane 12 formed on a silicon substrate 11 and an x-ray absorbing film 13 formed on the x-ray membrane 12.
Silicon nitride, silicon carbide, diamond or the like is generally used as the x-ray membrane 12. An amorphous material, including tantalum (Ta), having an excellent resistance to x-ray radiation, is often used as the x-ray absorbing film 13.
One example of a process of manufacturing the x-ray mask 1 from the x-ray mask blank 2, is the following example. A resist film on which a desired pattern is formed is arranged on the x-ray mask blank 2 shown in FIG. 2. This pattern is then used as a mask so as to perform a dry etching, so that the x-ray absorbing film pattern is formed. After that, a center area, formed on a rear surface and to be a window area of the x-ray membrane 12, is removed by a reactive ion etching (RIE) using 4-fluorocarbon (CF4) as etching gas. The remaining film (12a: see FIG. 1) is then used as the mask to etch the silicon substrate 11 using an etching liquid constituted of a mixed liquid of fluoric acid and nitric acid, and whereby the x-ray mask 1 (see FIG. 1) is obtained. In this case, an electron beam (EB) resist is generally used as the resist, and the pattern is formed by means of an EB lithography.
For the x-ray membrane 12, a high transmittance to the x-ray, a high Youngis modulus of elasticity, a proper tensile stress, a resistance to x-ray radiation, the high transmittance within a visible light range, and the like are required. These characteristics will be described below. The transmittance to the x-ray is required during an exposure. The higher the transmittance is, the shorter the time required for the exposure. This is effective for improving throughput. The Youngis modulus of elasticity has an influence on strength of the film and deformation of an absorber pattern. The higher the Youngis modulus of elasticity is, the higher the film strength. This is effective for suppressing misalignment. The proper tensile stress is needed so that the film is self-supported. Since the x-ray membrane is irradiated with the x-ray during the exposure, it is necessary to not have damage due to this x-ray radiation, and thus the resistance to x-ray radiation is required. Since an alignment of the mask attached to an x-ray stepper and a wafer is accomplished by the use of a light source within the visible light range, high transmittance to an alignment light source (the visible light) is needed in order to achieve a highly accurate alignment. Furthermore, the film surface is required to be smooth. Surface smoothness is needed for highly accurate pattern formation on the absorber.
In order to satisfy these requirements, various materials and manufacturing methods have been studied. Since it is confirmed that the silicon carbide has damage due to the x-ray in the silicon nitride, the silicon carbide (SiC) and the diamond which have been heretofore used as the x-ray membrane, it may safely be said that the silicon carbide is the most promising material. However, since the SiC film generally has a polycrystalline structure, it has the film surface which is rougher than 6 nm (Ra: a center-line average roughness). To smooth the surface of this SiC film, an etch back method and a mechanical polishing method are carried out after the film formation. In etch back method, the rough SiC film is coated with the resist, and the thus obtained smooth resist surface is transferred onto SiC film by the dry etching. For mechanical polishing, a hard grain such as the diamond and alumina is used as an abrasive material so as to physically grind the unevenness on the surface of the SiC film. For example, according to Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-75219, a surface roughness of 20 nm or less is obtained by the etch back and the mechanical polishing. Although the definition of the surface roughness is not clear in this publication, this roughness is expected to be a maximum height (Rmax) and corresponds to about 2 nm or less in terms of Ra.
Recently, due to the advance in photolithography technique, introduction of the x-ray lithography has been performed later. At present, introduction from a generation of 1G bit-DRAM (design rule: 0.18 μm) is anticipated. Even if the x-ray lithography is introduced from 1G, the x-ray lithography is characterized in that it can be used through a plurality of generations up to 4G, 16G and 64G. Assuming that the x-ray lithography is used for 64G, the position precision required for the x-ray mask becomes severer, and is required to be as high as 10 nm. The inventor has already found that, in order to suppress such a position precision, it is effective to equalize an internal stress in an area in which a mask pattern is formed on the x-ray absorbing film (Japanese Patent Application No. 8-233402). As a result of a further study, the inventor has found that the surface roughness of the x-ray membrane has a sensitive influence on a stress distribution of the x-ray absorbing film formed on the x-ray membrane.


In order to provide a semiconductor device having a circuit for operating normally even when the amplitude of a signal voltage is smaller than the amplitude of a power source voltage, a correcting circuit is provided before a digital circuit to be operated normally. As for a signal outputted from the correcting circuit, when a transistor in the objective digital circuit is required to be turned OFF, the correcting circuit outputs a corresponding signal, namely a first power source potential. At this time, the transistor is turned OFF. On the other hand, when the transistor is required to be turned ON, the correcting circuit outputs a first input potential. Consequently, the objective digital circuit is turned OFF when it is required to be in an OFF state while turned ON when it is required to be in an ON state. Thereby, the objective digital circuit can be normally operated.

A logical circuit processing a digital signal (hereinafter referred to as a digital circuit) is configured with a single or a plurality of logic elements as a basic unit. The logic element is a circuit which provides one output corresponding to a single input or a plurality of inputs. The logic elements correspond to an inverter, an AND, an OR, a NOT, a NAND, a NOR, a clocked inverter, and a transmission gate (analog switch) and the like, for example.
The logic element is configured with a single circuit element or a plurality of circuit elements such as transistors, resistors and capacitor elements. By operating each of the plurality of circuit elements in accordance with a digital signal inputted to the logic element, a signal potential or a current which is to be supplied to a subsequent circuit is controlled.
Given as an example is an inverter as one of the logic elements. A configuration and operation thereof are explained concretely.
A circuit diagram of a general inverter is shown in FIG. 16. In FIG. 16, IN means an inputted signal (input signal), and OUT means an outputted signal (output signal). Further, VDD and VSS mean power source potentials and VDD>VSS is satisfied.
The inverter shown in FIG. 16 includes a p-channel type TFT 1301 and an n-channel type TFT 1302. A gate (G) of the p-channel type TFT 1301 and a gate of the n-channel type TFT 1302 are connected to each other, and the input signal IN is inputted to these two gates. In addition, VDD is supplied to a first terminal of the p-channel type TFT 1301, and VSS is supplied to a first terminal of the n-channel type TFT 1302. Further, a second terminal of the p-channel type TFT 1301 and a second terminal of the n-channel type TFT 1302 are connected to each other and the output signal OUT is outputted from these two second terminals to a subsequent circuit.
Note that, either of the first terminal or the second terminal corresponds to a source and the other corresponds to a drain. In the case of a p-channel type TFT, a terminal having a higher potential is a source and a terminal having a lower potential is a drain, and in the case of an n-channel type TFT, a terminal having a lower potential is a source and a terminal having a higher potential is a drain. Therefore, the first terminals of the TFTs correspond to sources (S) and the second terminals thereof correspond to drains (D) in FIG. 16.
Generally, for an input signal, a digital signal having binary potentials is utilized. Two circuit elements of the inverter operate in accordance with a potential of the input signal IN, thereby controlling a potential of the output signal OUT.
When VDD or VSS is inputted as the input signal IN, the potential of the output signal OUT becomes VSS or VDD respectively, in which the signal logic is inverted.
Even in the case where VDD′ or VSS′ each having the amplitude larger than the amplitude of the power source voltage is inputted as the input signal IN, each circuit element operates similarly to the case where VDD or VSS is inputted and the potential of the output signal OUT becomes VSS or VDD respectively so that an output signal OUT having a desired potential can be obtained.
In this manner, each circuit element operates in accordance with the potential of the input signal IN generally, thereby controlling the potential of the output signal OUT.
However, in the case where VDD′ or VSS′ each having the amplitude smaller than the amplitude of the power source voltage is inputted as the input signal IN, each circuit element does not operate normally, so that a desired output signal may not be obtained.
Hereinafter verified are operations of an inverter in the case where it is assumed that binary potentials of the input signal IN, VDD′ and VSS′, satisfy VDD′<VDD and VSS′>VSS respectively. Note that VSS′<VDD′ is satisfied.
First, FIG. 16A shows an operating state of each circuit element in the case where the input signal IN has a potential on the high potential side VDD′ (DD′<VDD). Here, it is assumed to simplify the explanation that a threshold voltage VTHn of an n-channel type TFT satisfies VTHn≧0 and a threshold voltage VTHp of a p-channel type TFT satisfies VTHp≦0.
When the potential on the high potential side VDD′ is inputted as the input signal IN, a gate-source voltage VGS of the n-channel type TFT 1302 becomes (VDD′−VSS)>0. (VDD′−VSS) is higher than the threshold voltage VTHn of the n-channel type TFT 1302 generally, thus the n-channel type TFT 1302 is turned ON.
On the other hand, when the potential on the high potential side VDD′ is inputted as the input signal IN, a gate-source voltage VGS of the p-channel type TFT 1301 satisfies (VDD′−VDD)<0. In the case where the gate-source voltage VGS of the p-channel type TFT 1301 is equal to or higher than the threshold voltage VTHp of the p-channel type TFT 1301, the p-channel type TFT 1301 is turned OFF and consequently, a potential VSS supplied to the n-channel type TFT 1302 is outputted so that signal logic is inverted. However, in the case where the gate-source voltage VGS of the p-channel type TFT 1301 is lower than the threshold voltage VTHp of the p-channel type TFT 1301, the p-channel type TFT 1301 is turned ON. Because the gate-source voltage VCS satisfies (VDD′−VDD)<0 and the threshold voltage satisfies VTHp<0, in case that the absolute values of them are compared with each other, when |VGS|≦|VTHp|, the p-channel type TFT 1301 is turned OFF while when |VGS|>|VTHp|, that is |VDD′−VDD|>|VTHp|, the p-channel type TFT 1301 is turned ON.
As mentioned above, when the potential VDD′ is supplied to a gate of the p-channel type TFT 1301, the gate-source voltage satisfies VGS<0 because VDD′<VDD is satisfied. Therefore, when |VGS|>|VTHp|, that is |VDD′−VDD|>|VTHp|, the p-channel type TFT 1301 is turned ON.
Therefore, both the p-channel type TFT 1301 and the n-channel type TFT 1302 are turned ON depending on values of VDD, VDD′, and VTHp. In this case, a potential of an output signal OUT does not become VSS even in the case where an input signal has a potential on the high potential side VDD′.
A potential of the output signal OUT when both the p-channel type TFT 1301 and the n-channel type TFT 1302 are turned ON is determined by the current flowing in each transistor, that is on-resistance (or a source-drain voltage). In FIG. 16A with an input signal of a potential on the high potential side VDD′, when VGS of the n-channel type transistor TFT is referred to as VGSn and VGS of the p-channel type TFT is referred to as VGSp, |VGSn|>|VGSp|. Therefore, the potential of the output signal OUT approaches closer to VSS than VDD when there is almost no difference between transistors as to the characteristics and a ratio of a channel width W to a channel length L. However, the potential of the output signal OUT can approach closer to VDD than VSS depending on the mobility, the threshold voltage, and the ratio of the channel width to the channel length of each TFT. In this case, the digital circuit does not operate normally, leading to a high possibility of malfunction Further, it may cause a sequential malfunction in the subsequent digital circuit.
FIG. 16B shows an operating state of each circuit element in the case where the input signal IN has a potential on the low potential side VSS′ (VSS′>VSS). It is assumed to simplify the explanation that a threshold voltage of the n-channel type TFT VTHn satisfies VTHn≧0 and a threshold voltage of the p-channel type TFT VTHp satisfies VTHp≦0.
When the potential on the low potential side VSS′ is inputted as the input signal IN, a gate-source voltage VGS of the p-channel type TFT 1301 becomes (VSS′−VDD)<0. (VSS′−VDD) is lower than the threshold voltage VTHp of the p-channel type TFT 1301 generally, thus the p-channel type TFT 1301 is turned ON.
On the other hand, when the potential on the low potential side VSS′ is inputted as the input signal IN, a gate-source voltage VGS of the n-channel type TFT 1302 satisfies (VSS′−VSS)>0. In the case where the gate-source voltage VGS of the n-channel type TFT 1302 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage VTHn of the n-channel type TFT 1302, the n-channel type TFT 1302 is turned OFF. Consequently, a potential VDD supplied to the p-channel type TFT 1301 is outputted, so that signal logic is inverted. However, in the case where the gate-source voltage VGS of the n-channel type TFT 1302 is higher than the threshold voltage VTHn of the n-channel type TFT 1302, the n-channel type TFT 1302 is turned ON. Because the gate-source voltage VGS satisfies (VSS′−VSS)>0 and the threshold voltage satisfies VTHn≧0, in case that the absolute values of them are compared with each other, when |VGS|≦|VTHn|, the n-channel type TFT 1302 is turned OFF while when |VGS|>|VTHn|, that is |VSS′−VSS|>|VTHn|, the n-channel type TFT 1302 is turned ON.
As mentioned above, when the potential VSS′ is supplied to a gate of the n-channel type TFT 1302, the gate-source voltage satisfies VGS>0 because VSS′>VSS is satisfied. Therefore, when |VGS|>|VTHn|, that is |VSS′−VSS|>|VTHn|, the n-channel type TFT 1302 is turned ON.
Therefore, both the p-channel type TFT 1301 and the n-channel type TFT 1302 are turned ON depending on values of VSS, VSS′, and VTHn. In this case, a potential of an output signal OUT does not become VDD even in the case where an input signal has a potential on the low potential side VSS′.
A potential of the output signal OUT when both the p-channel type TFT 1301 and the n-channel type TFT 1302 are turned ON is determined by the current flowing in each transistor, that is on-resistance (or a source-drain voltage). In FIG. 16B with an input signal of a potential on the low potential side VSS′, |VGSn|<|VGSp| is satisfied. Therefore, the potential of the output signal OUT approaches closer to VDD than VSS when there is almost no difference between transistors as to the characteristics and a ratio of a channel width W to a channel length L. However, the potential of the output signal OUT may approach closer to VSS than VDD depending on the mobility, the threshold voltage, and the ratio of the channel width W to the channel length L of each TFT. In this case, the digital circuit does not operate normally, leading to a high possibility of malfunction. Further, it may cause a sequential malfunction in the subsequent digital circuit.
As described above, in the inverters shown in FIG. 16, an output signal OUT having a desired potential is obtained when the binary potentials VDD′ and VSS′ of the input signal IN satisfy that VDD′≧VDD and VSS′≦VSS respectively, thereby a normal operation is obtained. However, when the binary potentials VDD′ and VSS′ of the input signal IN satisfy that VDD′<VDD and VSS′>VSS respectively, the output signal OUT having a desired potential is not obtained, thereby the inverter may not operate normally.
The above is not exclusively limited to the inverter, but can be applied to other digital circuits. That is, when binary potentials of an input signal are out of the predetermined range, the circuit elements of the digital circuit malfunction. Therefore, an output signal OUT having a desired potential can not be obtained and the digital circuit does not function normally.
A potential of the input signal supplied from a circuit of a prior stage or a wiring is not always such a value as to operate the digital circuit normally. In this case, by adjusting the potential of the input signal by a level shifter, the digital circuit can operate normally. However, a high-speed operation of the semiconductor device is frequently hindered by using the level shifter, because level shifters generally have disadvantages in that the speed of rising and falling of the potential of the output signal is slow as each of the circuit elements operates in conjunction such that an operation of one circuit element triggers the operations of other circuit elements.
In addition, the problem of increasing current consumption arises since the n-channel type TFT 1302 and the p-channel type TFT 1301 are simultaneously turned ON to flow a penetrating current.
In view of the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digital circuit which can operate normally regardless of binary potentials of an input signal. In more detail it is an object to provide a digital circuit which can operate normally even in the case where the amplitude of an input signal is smaller than the amplitude of a power source voltage.

Semiconductor device and display appliance using the semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


The present application relates to the field of media processing and more particularly to audio and video processing. The present application addresses the problem that videos collected by fans at concerts and other events generally have poor sound quality and provides a solution that matches a high quality sound to the video.

Concerts and other events have changed dramatically in recent years. There was a time where a fan would have nothing by which to remember the concert they went to other than perhaps a t-shirt purchased at the door. Now days, most mobile device have an in built video camera which allows users to capture the atmosphere of the concert as they experienced it. The recorded clips may readily be uploaded to a host of social networking websites or video sharing websites such as for example YouTube™ or VIMEO™.
Unfortunately, the sound quality of these video cameras is described at best as poor with the net result that the videos are generally only of interest to those who recorded them. To make matters worse, fans tend only to capture a small instance of the concert meaning that viewers are presented perhaps with just half a song. At the same time, artists and bands are not gaining advantage since their performances equally appear poor by virtue of the poor sound and short sequences.
The present application seeks to address these shortcomings.

Method and system for matching audio and video


A solids-stabilized oil-in-water emulsion and a method for preparing the solids-stabilized oil-in-water emulsion. The oil-in-water emulsion is formed by combining oil, water, solid particles and a pH enhancing agent and mixing until the solid-stabilized oil-in-water emulsion is formed. The low viscosity oil-in-water emulsion can be used to enhance production of oil from subterranean reservoirs. The low viscosity oil-in-water emulsion can also be used to enhance the transportation of oil through a pipeline.

Recovery of oil from a reservoir usually results in simultaneous production of water with the oil. In many cases the oil and water are subject to mixing and shearing in subsurface pumps, and this results in the formation of water-in-oil or oil-external emulsions having a viscosity that is substantially higher than that of the original, "dry oil". Because of wellbore hydraulics, the production of this oil-external emulsion, with its higher viscosity, increases lifting costs (larger pumps and more electrical power requirements) and often limits the production rate from the well, which reduces economic profitability. Often, demulsifier chemicals are added to the subterranean formation to either prevent emulsion formation or to break the oil-external, high viscosity emulsion. The added demulsifier chemicals are expensive specialty products and need to be customized to the oil, emulsion and reservoir characteristics in order for the desired performance to be achieved. What is needed is a simple, economic method for reducing the viscosity of the oil-water mixture.
Moreover, in some cases the original oil is so viscous, such as with some heavy oils, that even if no water is produced from the reservoir and no oil-external emulsion is formed, the production rate of the oil is nonetheless limited because of its high viscosity. Accordingly, a simple, economic method for reducing the effective viscosity of highly viscous oil is also needed.
A related problem in the production of oil is a need to obtain an increased flowrate of the oil through a pipeline, for example, a pipeline used to transport oil from the point of production to points of collection, transportation, or sale. The viscosity of the oil is a limiting factor in the efficient transportation of oil. As the viscosity of the oil increases, so do the related costs of transportation, such as pumping costs. Existing methods for increasing pipeline capacity are to heat the oil, dilute the oil with less-viscous hydrocarbon diluents, treat the oil with drag reducers, transport the oil in a core annular flow, or convert the oil into an oil-in-water (or water-external) emulsion having a viscosity lower than that of the dry oil. Methods for making water-external emulsions include adding expensive surfactants or adding surfactants simultaneously with raising the pH of the water-oil mixture by adding base such as sodium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide. However, for many oils, these treatments do not result in emulsions that remain sufficiently stable for the long times needed to transport the oil to market. A need exists for an inexpensive method for making a water-external emulsion that remains stable for long periods of time, and can be easily and economically demulsified and separated into the constituent oil and water.

Solids-stabilized oil-in-water emulsion and a method for preparing same


A system and method for anticipating and controlling overspeed in a combined cycle turbine of the type having a gas turbine with a fuel flow control valve and a steam turbine with at least one steam control valve both disposed on a single shaft and having a heat recovery steam generator heated by said gas turbine and connected to supply steam to the steam control valve, the combined cycle turbine having a unified control system and driving a load. Below a preselected shaft speed the gas turbine fuel command signal controls power. Above the preselected shaft speed the steam turbine speed signal also controls power. Anticipation of overspeed under severe transient load changes, such as loss of electrical load, is provided by a power load unbalance system, wherein gas turbine power and steam turbine power responsive signals are summed after proportionately scaled power responsive signals exceed load by a preselected amount, whereby appropriate action is taken to reduce power before significant overspeed can occur.

This invention relates generally to an improved system and method for anticipating and controlling overspeed in a combined cycle turbine of the type having a gas turbine and steam turbine on a single shaft. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved system and method for limiting overspeed during transient load conditions in a combined cycle turbine driving a generator which is synchronized to an electrical load grid, including guarding against overspeed in event of electrical load loss. Such a combined cycle turbine and a method for starting up and synchronizing it with a unified control system was disclosed pending application in Ser. No. 431,892, filed Nov. 6, 1989 and assigned to the present assignee.
In some large combined cycle power plants the steam turbine and gas turbine are solidly coupled on a single shaft to drive a single electrical generator. The primary source of energy input to the rotating machine is the fuel which is burned in the gas turbine combustors. This shows up almost immediately as power delivered by the gas turbine. The waste heat from the gas turbine generates steam. This steam, which is generated by a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), is utilized by a steam turbine as a secondary source of power input to the rotating shaft train. While there is some time lag before heat from the gas turbine exhaust gas manifests itself as a power input source in the form of steam available at the turbine control valves, the control of the two sources of energy must be coordinated in order to properly control and protect the rotating machinery.
When synchronized with the electrical grid the speed of the machine is determined by the frequency of the grid. Of the total mechanical power produced from the fuel to drive the generator, approximately two-thirds is produced by the gas turbine and one-third by the steam turbine from the thermal energy recovered from the gas turbine exhaust. In most cases, all of the steam produced by the heat of the gas turbine exhaust is expanded through the steam turbine. In other cases, some of the steam is extracted from the power cycle for process uses. If all of the steam produced by the gas turbine exhaust is expanded through the steam turbine, and the unit is synchronized, the steady state control of electrical output, is achieved entirely by controlling gas turbine fuel flow, with the steam control valve or valves maintained in the fully open position. When not synchronized, on the other hand, either fuel flow to the gas turbine, steam flow to the steam turbine, or both, must be controlled to control speed, and there is not always a direct relationship between the two.
Gas turbines and steam turbines control speed (or load) by increasing and decreasing fuel flow and steam flow, respectively, in response to an error signal generated in the control system. An error signal is the difference between a reference (desired value) of an operating condition and the actual measured value of the operating condition. The gas turbine control system utilizes several such error signals to develop several fuel command signals which are applied to a "minimum value gate". The smallest fuel command signal generated by the startup fuel schedule is selected by the minimum value gate unless temperature or other limitations have a smaller fuel command signal. As speed approaches the governor set point, the speed error requires the smallest fuel command signal and becomes the controlling signal. An integrated gas turbine control system providing for open loop programmed start-up control with a number of closed loop constraints simultaneously controlling the gas turbine in accordance with operating conditions such as temperature, speed and acceleration is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,133 issued Jul. 14, 1970 to Daniel Johnson and Arne Loft. Once the unit is at rated speed and synchronized, load is controlled by adjusting the fuel flow in accordance with the setting of the governor load set point.
A steam turbine is self-starting as soon as steam is admitted through the control valve, but due to need to allow temperatures to equalize in the rotor and shell, startup programs have been developed for starting and loading a steam turbine. Combining acceleration and speed control through the use of a "minimum value gate" are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,883--Peternel, issued Sep. 12, 1967. Once a steam turbine is synchronized, the load is controlled by adjusting steam flow through the control valve in accordance with the setting of a load set point, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,097,488 issued to M. A. Eggenberger et al on Jul. 16, 1963.
Unified control systems have been proposed for single shaft combined cycle plants with supplemental firing of fuel in the heat recovery steam generator which attempted to force a programmed load split between the gas turbine and the steam turbine, such a system being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,811 to F. A. Underwood issued Apr. 14, 1970. However, improved thermodynamic performance can be achieved by designing the system so that the steam valve remains in the fully open position. In this way, the steam turbine accepts the total generation capacity of the steam generator over the entire load range without responding to small or slow speed variations which would require steam valve adjustment.
As load is increased on the gas turbine, more heat energy will flow with the exhaust gas to the HRSG where it will cause an increase in steam flow to the steam turbine. This will cause the steam pressure to rise so that the steam turbine will absorb this flow without any control action. A reduction in gas turbine load will, in similar manner, result in a reduced steam flow to the steam turbine. Thus, the steam turbine will follow the load changes on the gas turbine with some time delay. Hence, normal control of a combined cycle plant on a single shaft under slowly varying load conditions is by means of increasing or decreasing rate of fuel flow with change in load.
While this provides optimum thermodynamic performance under steady state or slowly varying load changes, disturbances in steady or quasi-steady operation may occur. It would be desirable to provide for proportional control of both fuel flow and steam flow above rated speed. Although, a gradual rise in shaft speed above rated speed will cause the gas turbine speed control to reduce fuel flow and hence power to the shaft in a proportional manner with speed rise, this may not be adequate during transient load change. It would be desirable to have a system in which, as long as the shaft speed was below a preset value, the steam turbine would only respond by a reduced output as the steam flow from the HRSG is reduced, but in which a rise in combined shaft speed above the preset value would cause the steam valves to go closed in a manner proportional to the speed rise. This would reduce the steam flow to minimum flow level and hence shut off the steam flow as a contributor to excessive overspeed.
Under more severe, transient conditions, such as in the event of sudden loss of full electrical load, the above described proportional action of both fuel flow and steam flow may not occur fast enough to limit the speed rise of the unit to a value that will not cause the overspeed trip to activate, typically at 110% rated speed. Modern fossil fired steam turbines use a power-load unbalance system to control overspeed to a value below that of the setting of the overspeed trip. This permits the unit to experience a load rejection, yet remain running under speed control at or near synchronous speed. Thus, the unit can, if desired, continue to carry station auxiliary load and also be in a condition for prompt resynchronizing with the system. Such power load unbalance systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,954 in the name of M. A. Eggenberger et al issued Aug. 3, 1965 or in U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,617 to DeMello et al issued Aug. 24, 1971.
The prior art power-load unbalance systems in steam turbine generators only provide for one power input. The anticipation of overspeed is more complex and difficult in a combined cycle having both steam turbine and gas turbine on a single shaft.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for controlling and preventing overspeed in a single shaft combined cycle turbine during transient load disturbances.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved power load unbalance control system for anticipating and preventing overspeed in a combined cycle turbine.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved unified control system for anticipating and preventing overspeed in a single shaft combined cycle plant, including proportional control between steam turbine and gas turbine during transient load conditions.

Overspeed anticipation and control system for single shaft combined cycle gas and steam turbine unit


A milling head particularly useful for cutting sharp interior corners in a workpiece, includes a rotary shaft coupleable to the rotary drive of a milling machine so as to be rotatable about the shaft longitudinal axis; and a conical cutter member coupled to the rotary shaft so as to be rotated thereby about a rotary axis at an angle with respect to the shaft longitudinal axis. Preferably, the conical cutter member defines a cone angle of 70 degrees, and its rotary axis is 55 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The conical cutter member is disposed within a case and is aligned with an opening in the case, such that the external surface of the case, engageable with the workpiece, is effective to align the conical cutter member with respect to the surface of the workpiece to be milled, and to enable the conical cutter member to cut sharp internal corners in all three dimensions.

The present invention relates to milling heads for milling machines used for machining workpieces, and particularly to milling heads useful for cutting sharp internal corners in workpieces.
Milling machines, both the vertical type and horizontal type, are used for machining workpieces according to a large number of complex operations, such as slotting, planing, drilling, rebating, routing, etc. However, the conventional milling machine is not capable of making certain types of cuts, such as keyways and slots having sharp interior corners, and therefore when such a cutting operation is required, another tool, e.g. a laser tool, is needed for the particular machining operation.

Milling head particularly useful for cutting sharp interior corners


Homo- and copolymers of ethylene endowed with very high molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions are obtainable by carrying out the polymerization reaction in the presence of a metallocene-based catalyst wherein the metallocene is stereorigid and it is in its meso isomeric form.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of olefin polymers. In particular, it relates to a process for the preparation of ethylene homo- and copolymers having very high molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions.
2. Description of the prior art
It is known that the properties of ethylene homopolymers and of copolymers of ethylene with one or more alpha-olefin comonomers depend on their molecular weight. The use of these polymers in fields such as, for example, the production of films, generally requires that they be endowed with high molecular weights.
The above mentioned ethylene polymers are generally prepared in the presence of catalysts of Ziegler-Natta type. The polymer thus obtained have a wide molecular weight distribution.
More recently, in processes for the preparation of polymers of ethylene, homogeneous catalysts based on metallocene compounds have been used. The polymers obtained by working in the presence of these catalysts, have a narrow molecular weight distribution, but their molecular weights are not always industrially acceptable.
Only when working under particular conditions and in the presence of particular metallocene catalysts such as, for example, metallocene compounds of hafnium, it is possible to obtain ethylene polymers having higher molecular weights.
In the international patent application WO 91/02012, for example, there is described a process for the preparation of high density linear polyethylene having high molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution, in the presence of bis(cyclopentadienyl)hafnium compounds and a tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate salt. However, in this application only the preparation of ethylene homopolymers is exemplified.
Metallocene compounds wherein the ligands consist of two substituted cyclopentadienyls linked between them by a bridging group which gives steric rigidity to the molecule, are known to be stereospecific catalyst components for the preparation of isotactic polyolefins. These metallocenes can exist in two sterical configurations, that is the racemic and the meso isomeric form. As the chiral racemic form only is stereospecific, the meso form is generally removed by separation from the rac/meso mixtures obtained from the metallocene synthesis.

Elastomeric copolymers of ethylene with at least one alpha-olefin


Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring a performance of mechanical joints. Methods may include receiving, from a first plurality of sensors, a first plurality of measurements associated with a first mechanical joint included in the plurality of mechanical joints. The methods may also include generating, at a trend engine, at least one failure detection metric based on the first plurality of measurements. The failure detection metric may characterize a prediction of an operational failure associated with the first mechanical joint.

Mechanical assemblies included in various operational environments may often be utilized to mechanically couple different components with each other. For example, a mechanical joint may be used to couple a motor with another component that is to be moved by the motor. Accordingly, the motor may generate a mechanical force, which may be a rotational force, which is transferred to the other component via the mechanical joint. Such mechanical assemblies may be implemented in relatively extreme operational environments. For example, such mechanical assemblies may be implemented in operational environments in space, as may be found on a space station. In such a situation, maintenance and repair of one or more components of a mechanical assembly may be complicated and difficult, and conventional techniques are not able to effectively monitor mechanical assembly performance and predict the occurrence of failures. Accordingly, techniques for effectively monitoring a performance of such mechanical assemblies remain limited.

Systems, methods, and devices for performance monitoring of mechanical assemblies


A TFT that provides an efficient layout, a fabrication method thereof, an LCD device having the TFT, and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The TFT has a gate electrode and source/drain electrodes with an active layer interposed. The source electrodes and the drain electrodes are alternated in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction. Thus, the same source electrodes and the same drain electrodes are arranged in a diagonal direction. Source lines are connected with the source electrodes arranged in a diagonal direction and drain lines are connected with the drain electrodes arranged in a diagonal direction. Since a channel width is formed between the source electrode and adjacent drain electrodes, the channel width can be maximized within a limited area. Also, the source lines and the drain lines are arranged in a diagonal direction, so that an area use rate is maximized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor (TFT), and more particularly, to a TFT that has an efficient layout, a fabrication method thereof, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having the TFT, and a fabrication method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An LCD device is spot-lighted as a next-generation display device of light weight, slim profile, and low power consumption that is convenient to carry with, technology-concentrated, and a high value-added product.
With liquid crystal (LC) interposed between two substrates, the LCD device displays a predetermined image using a difference in refractive index of light due to anisotropy of the LC.
An active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) device in which TFTs and pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix has excellent resolution and an excellent moving-image realization capability, and thus is becoming more prevalent in the market.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the related art LCD device.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, driver integrated circuits (ICs) 108 and 112 are mounted in a tape automated bonding (TAB) type. That is, gate driver ICs 112 are mounted on gate tape carrier packages (TCPs) 114 and data driver ICs 108 are mounted on data TCPs 110.
A gate printed circuit board (PCB) 104 is connected with an LC panel 102 by the gate TCP 114 and a data PCB 106 is connected with the LC panel 102 by the data TCP 110.
The data PCB 106 generates a data control signal for controlling the data driver IC 108 and supplies the data control signal and predetermined video data to the data driver IC 108. For that purpose, the data PCB 106 has a signal pad 118. The signal pad is a terminal for receiving video data and vertical/horizontal synchronization signals (Vsync, Hsync) from an outside. The data control signal is generated by the Vsync and Hsync.
The data PCB 106 is electrically connected with the gate PCB 104 by a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 116.
The gate PCB 104 generates a gate control signal for controlling the gate driver IC 112 using Vsync/Hsync signals inputted from the signal pad 118 of the data PCB 106 to supply the generated gate control signal to the gate driver IC 112.
As described above, because the gate PCB and the data PCB are separately provided in the related art LCD device and because the gate driver IC and the data driver IC are a chip that must be mounted on the TCP separately, the number of parts in the display increases, manufacturing costs increase, and the process becomes more complicated.
In the related art LCD device, as resolution increases, the size of the pitch of a pad connecting the TCP with gate lines or data lines decreases, causing a problem in that bonding between a TCP metal line and the pad is not easy achieved.
Therefore, technology for mounting a driver circuit for driving an LC panel in the inside of the LC panel has been developed.
The driver circuit has a plurality of TFTs. For example, a gate driver mounted within the LC panel has a plurality of shift registers and a plurality of TFTs for controlling respective outputs of the shift registers.
In this case, for the driver circuit to be reliable, each TFT should have an exact and swift switching function. For that purpose, the TFT should have good charge mobility and a good current-driving ability. To meet these requirements, a channel of the TFT should be widened as much as possible.
However, when the channel width of the TFT is widened, because the area occupied by the driver circuit becomes large and the size of a bezel area at the outer edge of a screen becomes large, a screen's display area is reduced. Therefore, to secure a screen of the same size, the size of the LC panel should increase.

Thin film transistor, fabrication method thereof, liquid crystal display panel device having the same, and fabrication method thereof


A disclosed digital display is mounted within a vehicle steering wheel and displays a selectively touch actuateable tell tales. The digital display is actuateable responsive to touching a specific designated location on the display corresponding to an actuated telltale. A controller is operable for actuating the digital display to change the display to communicate information relating to the actuated telltale.

Vehicles include instrument panels to communicate information indicative of operation to an operator. Motor vehicles include instrument panels with several gauges and dials that communicate vehicle conditions such as speed, engine rpm, temperature, oil pressure along with many other operational parameters. The instrument panels also include images that illuminate to alert an operator to specific conditions of the vehicle. These images are known as tell tales and are activated to alert a driver of a condition that requires attention such as a check engine light, or a light that indicates that the tires require attention.
The tell tales typically communicate little information, but are intended to simply alert the drive that something requires additional attention. For example, in the case of a check engine light, the operator is simply prompted to have a vehicle service department check the vehicle. The operator is not provided any further information as to the urgency of any corrective action. Typical instrument panels include limited space and therefore are not capable of displaying all the different levels of information that would fully communicate vehicle conditions to an operator. Moreover, much information is only required when a vehicle operating parameter is outside of desired operating ranges.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting a context of this disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.


A computer program implemented method controls interruption of execution of tasks running in a multi-processing computer system to permit user intervention. The system includes a repository of data identifying preselected tasks for interruption and identifying the user defined circumstances for such interruption. It also has a plurality of task caches for storing subsets of the repository data for respective tasks. According to the method, the repository is scanned during an initiation phase of any task for data relevant to the task. Any such relevant data is stored in the respective task cache. The task is then executed and if a defined circumstance for the task arises by reference to the task cache, the task is interrupted to enable user intervention. This can include updating the repository to redefine the circumstances for interruption. Execution is then resumed and the respective task cache refreshed with any relevant repository updates.

Frequently, in the development of computer programs, there is a need to halt execution of the program in order to allow user intervention. Commonly, this is useful when debugging the program for errors. It may also be useful for performance analysis, turning on of tracing applications or profiling.
One example of a program in connection with which such operations are used is CICS Transaction Server for z/OS™ (CICS TS), available from IBM Corporation ("CICS" and "z/OS" are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation), but techniques generally apply to all multi-processing environments, with special emphasis on distributed systems. A multi-processing environment is one in which multiple activities occur on behalf of many users. This environment is typically found in computers that act as Servers. CICS Transaction Server is one example of such a multi-processing environment which supports application programs, written by users of CICS, which typically include newly written or pre-supplied CICS transactions. The current discussion is concerned solely with the debugging of these user written application programs.
The term distributed refers to a collection of computers which are all linked together to form a distinct unit. In the case of CICS TS, multiple instances of CICS can run in multiple CICS TS regions executing within a mainframe running the z/OS operating system to form a distributed system. Several linked mainframe computers each running the IBM z/OS operating system can also participate in a distributed arrangement called a sysplex (also referred to in the case of CICS as a CICSPlex) in which the various components communicate through a coupling facility.
The term debugging means the act of stopping the execution of a computer program when a given set of circumstances occur, together with the investigation of the execution environment for that program when stopped.
The places where execution is halted are called breakpoints. Breakpoints can, for example, cause execution to stop:                at a specific place in execution (for example: at instruction 45 in program XX);        whenever a generic event occurs (for example: variable Y contains 57);        whenever a specific event occurs (for example: program YY is executed).
When a breakpoint is reached, program execution is halted and the user has the opportunity to examine the execution environment (for example: by inspecting the current settings of variables) and change it (for example: by altering the contents of a variable) before permitting execution to continue. This is called amending the State of the program execution instance. Execution continues until another breakpoint is encountered or execution terminates. Whilst execution of the program is halted at a breakpoint, the plurality of breakpoints can be manipulated (for example: by adding a new breakpoint) which will alter the subsequent execution of the program (for example: by halting at additional locations).
When using debugging techniques in a multi-processing environment, the plurality of breakpoints applies not merely to a single user acting on a single program, but to all users running all programs. So, for example, any user can encounter a breakpoint which stops execution at, say, instruction 42 in program XX, because access to program XX is available to all users in the multi-processing environment. In turn, this means the plurality of breakpoints have to be available to all activities in the multi-processing environment. Consequently, the debugging information (which includes the breakpoint information) must be held in a repository which is shared and accessible to all activities within the multi-processing environment. This repository can be a simple file, an indexed file or a database: the crucial thing is that it is shared between all activities.
Breakpoints fall into several general types within the CICS TS environment:                a breakpoint can be very specific: 'Stop at instruction 42 in program PROGA when executed by a transaction called PEOH for user RAH';        alternatively, it can be generically specified: 'Stop at instruction 42 in program PROGA when executed by a transaction called PEO* for any user';        or it can have wide applicability: 'Stop at instruction 42 in program PROGA when executed by any transaction for any user';        a generic definition uses wildcards to specific items. PEO* means apply to any item whose 1st three characters start with PEO and the 4th (and last) character can be anything (as indicated by the *)
In the case of CICS TS, a separate program, known as the IBM Debug Tool, runs simultaneously when given CICS TS regions are in a "Debug On" state. The general interaction of this debugging tool with CICS TS is illustrated in FIG. 1.
With reference to FIG. 1 consider the relationship between the debugging tool (110) and the item undergoing analysis. In the illustrated environment of CICS TS, the item being debugged is a program (150) which is being executed under the ambit of a CICS transaction instance (140).
When the CICS transaction (140) is not being debugged:
                the user initiates the transaction (140) from a terminal (130);        input (161) is sent to the program        execution proceeds (163) into the relevant program (150) which executes its instructions;        The results (164) are returned to the user (130).
However, when the CICS region (101) is enabled for debugging, the transaction (161) has an additional processing step (162) which determines whether or not the transaction instance itself (140) is to be debugged. If it is not, then the detection step (162) does not alter the aforementioned logical flow.
The debugging logic (110) consists of several logical (but not necessarily physical) components:                an interface (111) with the user which controls the debugging activity;        an instruction stepper (114) which physically executes a program being debugged;        a breakpoint manager (112) which determines the breakpoints of interest to the instruction stepper (114);        some control logic (113) for the environment—which in this preferred implementation is CICS TS.
Pieces of information relevant to the operation of the debugger (110) are held externally in a repository (120). This repository may be physically implemented in a number of sub-components, but these are logically managed in one group.
If the Transaction is to be debugged, the additional processing step (162) returns a result which alters the execution of the program (150). Instead of execution proceeding directly (163), each instruction of the program (150) is executed under the control of the debugging logic (110). In particular, each instruction of the program (150) is executed within the ambit of the debugger (110). Consequently, each 'real' instruction in the program (150) is physically preceded by an instruction execution logical flow (171) and the corresponding result (172) after the execution of that instruction. These flows (171,172) are associated with the debugging logic (110) and in particular with the instruction stepper sub-component (114).
In effect, the user does not send a single input (161) and receive a single output (164) when the transaction (140) is being debugged. Additional flows (173, 174) to the user are presented according to the debugging logic. In particular, (173) results from a breakpoint halting execution. In the time period which occurs between flows (173) and (174)) the user (130) can inspect the state of the executing transaction and generally modify (131) the breakpoint information. After these actions, the user will continue execution (174) of the program (150). These interactions continue until the end of the program (150) is reached.
This present invention is concerned with novel processing during the period between flows 173 and 174 The detailed functioning of the IBM Debug Tool plays no part in the invention but further details can be found in a publication "Introduction to the IBM Problem Determination Tools" (Ref SG246296) available from IBM Corporation.
Particular problems associated with multi-processing aspects of debugging are illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, (210) is the multi-processing environment, such as CICS Transaction Server for z/OS, which is running multiple activities (221,222,223). Each of these activities is initiated and owned by a specific user (231,232,233). Activity 1 (221) and activity 3 (223) are both executing program PROGA (251). In CICS TS terms, these activities (221,222,223) are instances of CICS transactions. Consequently, the act of debugging program PROGA (251) will affect the execution of both transactions 1 (221) and 3 (223) when a breakpoint (such as 'Halt on instruction 56') is encountered.
However, the transaction instance represented by activity 2 (222) is not being debugged, and so has no interest in the breakpoints (it does not access program PROGA (251)).
The plurality of breakpoints themselves (270) is located in a shared repository (260) which is accessible by all activities (221,222,223). For example, a breakpoint entry (271) could control the execution of program PROGA (251) by stopping execution whenever instruction 56 is encountered. Of course, if instruction 56 is not met (for example: a branch in program code avoids reaching instruction 56), execution will not halt.
In a multi-processing environment, the repository (260) has to be frequently accessed and the contents (270) read in order to garner the breakpoints (271) which determine whether or not execution is to be halted. This involves a considerable quantity of processing and has the major drawback that physically reading the repository (260) takes a long elapsed time compared to that spent actually executing the program. This performance impact is unacceptable. A more sophisticated (quicker) solution is required to satisfy response time criteria for the user.
The great majority of prior-art simply ignores this performance problem: users have to suffer greater elapsed time leading to discontent and dissatisfaction.
Some prior-art solutions involve maintaining local copies of the repository for each activity so that, at best, the performance penalty only occurs whilst the copy is being taken
Both of these solutions are unacceptable. In the latter case, local copies have to be kept up to date with the accurate representation held in the repository. This technique is often called caching. This caching implies that processing has to observe when the repository (260) gets changed (entries (270) can be added, deleted or altered) and then has to send a notification to all activities (221,222,223) that the repository (260) has changed, so causing these activities to take actions to update their local copies. This has, obviously, the same performance overhead as for the initial copy, and so is unacceptable.
There is an additional performance overhead in implementing the change notification communication from the repository (260) to the activities (221,222,223). This functionality requires the existence of a Repository Manger to manage these notifications. This mechanism is often called Publish and Subscribe in prior art and the activity is known as Push technology. The additional processing, and additional functionality, associated with the provision of a Repository Manager is not required by this present invention which embodies a more sophisticated, more elegant, and more efficient approach.
As mentioned above, in considering performance issues associated with debugging, the software (and hardware) involved in actually executing debugging operations will not be considered in detail. The primary area of focus is rather with the setting and control of breakpoints, as performance issues in the control of the breakpoints are a major concern. The act of controlling breakpoints in a wide network of computers (a sysplex) has significant implications on the activity of items not being debugged.
In itself, prior art mostly ignores performance issues for items physically being debugged. These issues are largely concerned with:                setting up the debugging environment;        controlling the debugging environment;        debugging activities on executing items.
The setting up and controlling of the debugging environment are activities that have a system-level scope thus affecting all activities, not just those eligible for debugging activity.
The time spent debugging an execution instance is long compared with the actual time of program execution as the human activities involved in the debugging operation comprise most of the elapsed time spent during debugging. Prior art techniques ignore the performance and elapsed time issues involved in setting up and controlling the debugging environment.
Because prior art techniques suffer these penalties only in a localised environment, the effects are limited and perceived by humans as part of the penalty of doing debugging. In the sysplex environment, the performance penalty has a hugely wider scope and so becomes unacceptable in a large scale environment.
The present invention addresses these problems and aims to provide novel techniques for limiting these performance issues in a large scale environment and for minimising the impact of debugging or similar operations upon activities that are not undergoing debugging activity.

Controlling user intervention in a multi-processing computer system


A switched reluctance motor drive includes a noise reduction circuit configured to control the decay of current when a motor phase is switched from active to inactive. The current decay is controlled to occur in two stages: a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is controlled by alternately activating and deactivating one of the two switches in the two switch drive topology to obtain a current profile conforming to a predetermined profile. The current decay in the second portion of the inactive interval occurs by keeping both switches off so that it decays naturally. The duration of the first portion of the inactive interval is different for each motor phase, as is the duty cycle of the switch gating signal driving the switch that is alternately activated and deactivated. The scheme reduces the acoustic noise generated during operation of the motor.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a system for controlling a switched reluctance (SR) motor, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for reducing acoustic noise generated by an SR electric motor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Switched Reluctance Machines (SRMs) have been the subject of increased investigation due to their many advantages, which makes them suitable for use in a wide variety of situations. A SR machine operates on the basis of varying reluctance in its several magnetic circuits. In particular, such machines are generally doubly salient--that is, they have teeth or poles on both the stator and the rotor. The stator poles have windings wound therearound which form machine phases of the motor. In a common configuration, stator windings on diametrically opposite poles are connected in series to form one machine phase.
When a machine phase is energized, the closest rotor pole pair is attracted towards the stator pole pair having the energized stator winding, thus minimizing the reluctance of the magnetic path. By energizing consecutive stator windings (i.e., machine phases) in succession, in a cyclical fashion, it is possible to develop torque, and thus rotation of the rotor in either a clockwise, or counter-clockwise direction.
One problem with the operation of conventional switched reluctance motors is acoustic noise. The noise is caused by an abrupt change in current through the phase winding when the phase transitions from an active state (i.e., current being supplied from a power supply to the phase winding), to an inactive state (i.e., when residual current existing in the winding is either returned to the power supply or dissipated). The abrupt change in the current results in forces that manifests itself in acoustic noise. One approach taken in the art at reducing the acoustic noise involves a two stage decay of the residual current to lessen the abruptness in the change in current. During a first stage, which commences immediately after the phase is switched off, the residual current is decayed using a zero voltage decay technique (i.e., the current circulates through the winding, a switch, and a diode) for a duration equal to one-half the resonant time period of the motor. During the second stage, the remaining current is decayed to zero using a forced commutation technique (e.g., for a two-switch drive topology, the current circulates through both diodes and back through the power supply). A disadvantage with this approach is that in each stage, the current decays "naturally" and, further, the duration of each stage is the same for all the phases of the motor. While partially effective at reducing acoustic noise, the lack of control over the decay profile leaves substantial room for improvement in reducing acoustic noise.
Another approach taken in the art includes the "control" of the residual current from the start of the inactive part of the phase until the phase current is decayed to substantially zero. A disadvantage of this approach is that it may be required or desired to decay the current to zero more quickly than possible with a controlled approach over the entire inactive part of the phase.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved system for controlling a switched reluctance machine that minimizes or eliminates one or more of the problems set forth above.

Method and apparatus of reducing acoustic noise in switched reluctance electric motor