A digital locked loop circuit having a synchronous delay line, an input node for receiving an external clock signal, and an internal clock node for generating an internal clock signal synchronized with the external clock signal. The digital locked loop circuit includes; a delay buffer for generating a first clock signal by delaying the external clock signal by a predetermined time; a main delay for generating a second clock signal by delaying the first clock signal by a predetermined time; a first delay line consisting of a plurality of serially connected first unit delays, each of the plurality of first unit delays generating a first unit delay output signal by delaying the second clock signal by a predetermined unit length; a second delay line consisting of a plurality of serially connected second unit delays, each of the plurality of second unit delays generating a second unit delay output signal by delaying the first clock signal by a predetermined unit length; switching means for coupling the first clock signal to the internal clock node in response to an enable signal, the switching means having a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of switches connected between an output node of a corresponding second unit delay of the second delay line and the internal clock node; and phase comparing means for generating the enable signal for a predetermined switch of the plurality of switches when the first clock signal is in phase with at least one first unit delay output signal, the phase comparing means being connected between an output node of a first unit delay and an enable port of a corresponding switch of the plurality of switches of the switching means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clock synchronizing circuits and, more particularly, to a digital delay locked loop circuit for synchronizing an internal clock to an external system clock in a synchronous semiconductor memory device.
The present application is based on Korean Application No. 59445/1995 which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a synchronous semiconductor memory device includes an external system clock signal CLK and a clock buffer circuit for generating internal clock signal PCLK. Internal clock PCLK is supplied to each circuit of the semiconductor memory device. The clock buffer circuit simply buffers external system clock CLK to produce internal clock PCLK. Inevitably, a phase difference between external system clock CLK and internal clock PCLK is created.
The phase difference between external system clock CLK and internal clock PCLK results in a corresponding response delay in the semiconductor memory device. Accordingly, a need remains for a semiconductor memory device having an internal clock synchronized with an external system clock CLK to thereby eliminate undue delay.
A variety of approaches have been taken to solve this problem. One approach developed to minimize the phase difference between external system clock CLK and internal clock PCLK involves using a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit. A second approach involves using a delay locked loop (DLL) circuit.
The operation of a PLL synchronizing circuit will be explained below with reference to FIG. 1. The PLL circuit shown in FIG. 1 comprises a phase detector 12, a loop filter 14, and a voltage controlled oscillator 16. When external system clock CLK and internal clock PCLK are applied to phase detector 12, it detects the phase difference and supplies a phase difference detection signal to loop filter 14. Loop filter 14 is a low-pass filter which generates a direct current control voltage V(t) by filtering the phase difference detection signal. Loop filter 14 supplies control voltage V(t) to voltage controlled oscillator 16 connected, in turn, to the output port. Voltage controlled oscillator 16 generates internal clock PCLK having a frequency corresponding to the level of control voltage V(t) output from loop filter 14.
Consequently, if the phase difference between external system clock CLK and internal clock PCLK has a positive value, control voltage V(t) is increased. By doing so, the cycle of internal clock PCLK output from voltage controlled oscillator 16 is reduced, and thus the phase difference between external system clock CLK and internal clock PCLK is reduced. On the other hand, if the phase difference between the external clock CLK and internal clock PCLK has a negative value, control voltage V(t) is decreased resulting in an increase in the cycle of internal clock PCLK output from voltage controlled oscillator 16 and a decrease in the phase difference between external system clock CLK and internal clock PCLK.
The operation of a DLL synchronizing circuit is similar to that described above. In the case of a DLL circuit, voltage controlled oscillator 16 is replaced by a voltage controlled delay circuit. The delay produced by the voltage controlled delay circuit varies according to control voltage V(t).
PLL and DLL synchronizing circuits have several disadvantages. The locking time, i.e., the time required to synchronize the internal clock PCLK with the external system clock CLK, is long. Increased locking time results in increased data access time, and thus, slower acquisition times. Additionally, the synchronizing circuit must be operated at all times and during all device states, including standby, increasing the standby current and the consequent power consumption.

Digital delay locked loop circuit using synchronous delay line


An electronic device includes a cover substrate defining a first surface and a second surface. A polarizer is coupled to the second surface of the cover substrate and an electro-optic element. A light source is coupled to the electro-optic element. A concealment layer extends proximate a perimeter of the electro-optic element. The concealment layer is positioned between the polarizer and the electro-optic element.

Conventional electro-optic displays are constructed with a mask layer disposed over a polarizing layer on the electro-optic display. Such an arrangement may lead effectively hide non-aesthetically pleasing construction of the display, but often leads to high contrast between the display and the mask layer due to a discontinuity in the visibility of the polarizing layer. The high contrast between the mask layer and the display may be readily seen by a viewer while the display is in an off state.


Described herein are compositions comprising a BMP-2 derived peptide conjugated to albumin for use in bone grafts. The composition may further include bone matrix, such as demineralized bone matrix (DBM).

Bone heals better than any other organ system, but in the case of severe injuries, it still can benefit from additional therapeutic interventions. Bone can heal gaps up to about 1 mm wide; beyond that there is a risk that the bone will be replaced by fibrous tissue resulting in a non-union. The typical approach is to add a material (scaffold) to the defect that bone cells adhere to and grow on. With such a strategy, gaps of 10 to 20 mm or more can be bridged and healed. However, bone healing using just a synthetic scaffold or even Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM) can be quite slow. In order to speed up healing, one strategy is to add a growth factor (BMP-2) that stimulates the activity of the bone-forming cells to speed the formation of bone as well as encourage the disappearance (resorption) of the scaffold.
A commercially available example of a product containing a manufactured BMP-2 growth factor is INFUSE from Medtronic. This product contains recombinant bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP-2) that is combined with a collagen sponge (bovine tendon source). The BMP-2 is made using recombinant technologies wherein a gene for BMP-2 is inserted into mammalian cells which then are induced to produce large quantities of the protein into the surrounding solution. Application in high concentrations of BMP-2 (INFUSE) can cause a dramatic increase in the rate of bone healing (up to a five-fold factor). But it is not bound to the scaffold, and so is free to migrate away after implantation. This has led to unwanted side effects such as bone growing in surrounding tissues which, in turn, has caused injury or even death to some patients. Other side effects include inflammation, seroma, swelling and radiculopathy.
What is needed is a synthetic peptide, bound to the scaffold that can be collagen but is preferably DBM, as the signaling molecule. Disclosed herein is a peptide that may comprise only an active part of the BMP-2 growth factor protein, and a chemical group attached to the peptide that will bond the peptide to the collagen carrier or the collagen in the DBM scaffold. Because it is immobilized on the surface of the carrier, the peptide cannot leave the graft site—it is intrinsically part of the scaffold. This, combined with the completely synthetic origin of the peptide gives it a substantially improved safety profile compared to the existing product (INFUSE). Furthermore, unlike the intrinsic BMPs in demineralized bone alone, the amount of bound active peptide can be increased to a high level so that bone healing performance will be many times faster than what can be obtained with un-augmented demineralized bone. In addition, the product should be easy to use, requiring no special preparation or surgical procedures on the part of the user.

Surface enhanced demineralized bone graft material


The invention discloses a method of measuring the rough frequency deviation in digital communication transmissions with echo propagation, particularly in the short-wave domain. A repeatedly transmitted PN sequence serves as the preamble of a data block. This PN sequence is compressed at the receiving end in matched filters provided in each one of a plurality of simultaneous, frequency offset Doppler channels. The Doppler channel having the greatest amplitude in the quadrature signal is selected for a determination of the rough frequency deviation. To detect a pattern in the preamble, the quadrature signals are examined for similarities by an amplitude comparison or in a cross-correlation process.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of detecting the frequency position in digital communication transmissions utilizing a preamble of a repeatedly transmitted pseudo random number sequence. Such a known method is disclosed in German Patent Document DE-C2-2,822,874.
2. Description of Related Art
The known method is used, in particular, for high-speed serial telegraphy in the short-wave domain. Heavy linear distortions, phase shifts and frequency offsets of the signals occur on the transmission path. The received signal is usually a mixture of several "echoes". Therefore, all these effects must be detected in the receiver and must be utilized to correct the signal. The known method employs a repeatedly transmitted PN sequence (PN=pseudo noise, that is a pseudo noise sequence) of, preferably, 31 bits in length as a preamble to the individual data blocks. At the receiving end, the preamble is compressed in a quadrature procedure by transverse filters. Preamble and data blocks are processed separately in that filter settings are obtained from an examination of the preamble, and they are employed in the data path to correct the echoes.
FIG. 1 shows the known arrangement for ("quadrature") demodulation of the transmitted carrier-added signal at the receiving end. The arrangement corresponds to that of a coherent receiver. Correction takes place in the base band. Two channels--a sine channel and a cosine channel--are necessary for the "quadrature" demodulation, in which the linearly distorted carrier-added received signal is multiplicatively mixed with a carrier signal made available by a local oscillator, directly in one case and after a carrier phase shift of 90.degree. in the other case. Since thus two channels (the sine channel and the cosine channel) must be processed in the echo correction processor, the pulse response in both channels must also be determined. In order to be able to utilize all of the energy of the useful signal available in a channel, the sine channel and the cosine channel each include a so-called matched filter M. F. which is inverse in time relative to the respective channel and is configured as a transverse filter arrangement. The weights of the transverse filters correspond to the time-inverse pulse response of the two channels. Due to the use of these matched filters, non-linear squaring is avoided (since the method is intended to operate in a linear manner). The transverse filter outputs in the matched filter are combined by adders so that two output signals result which are fed to a reciprocal filter R. F. (quadrature lowpass equalizer). The corrected data are available at the output of the reciprocal filter.
Instead of the double-sideband modulation employed here, it is also possible to employ residual sideband modulation. In this modulation process, the evaluation of the signals in the reciprocal filter can be limited to the output signal of the cosine branch of the matched filter, that is, to the real component of the complex signal.
For this case, the transverse filter arrangement in the matched filter can be simplified accordingly.
The frequency difference (frequency deviation) between the received signal and the receiver may reach up to 60 Hz since the frequency accuracy standard in simple transmitting and receiving devices lies at about 10.sup.-6 and the frequency range extends up to 30 MHz.
With a modulation rate of 3000 Bd, a 31 bit PN sequence lasts T.sub.PN =31/V.sub.T =10.3 msec, where T.sub.PN is the duration of the PN sequence and V.sub.T is the modulation rate (baud rate). With simple correlation techniques, that is, pulse compres-sion with the aid of a transverse filter whose weightings (+ and - ones) are inverse in time with respect to the PN sequence (matched filter in the time domain, sine and cosine channel) it is possible to operate with a frequency dif-ference that corresponds to a 90.degree. shift for the length of the sequence. For 10 msec, this is approximately 25 Hz. If the frequency difference is greater, the so-called ambiguity function results in a considerable reduction of the excess compression at the output of the correlation filter.

Method of detecting the frequency deviation in digital communication transmissions


Superior hydroxyls are provided which have effects on organic and inorganic compounds and/or pollutants over substantial periods of time and/or at substantial distances from where the superior hydroxyls are generated. Also provided is a hydroxyl generator, in which UV lamps are positioned such that the coronas which they produce when emitting UV radiation fill substantially all the interior space of the hydroxyl generator. The coronas overlap each other by a maximum amount of between 5% and 25% of the radius of each corona.

Hydroxyls are ions of chemical formula O—H which exist in nature and typically are formed by the interaction of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and atmospheric water vapor:H2O+UV radiation H+OH
Hydroxyls are very reactive, and therefore are usually short-lived, as they react with compounds around them. This reactivity makes hydroxyls excellent "scavengers" for compounds which act as pollutants, such as bacteria, viruses, mold, radon, odorous compounds, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), poisonous gases, and thousands of other compounds.
In nature, hydroxyls are formed by solar generated UV radiation, and therefore are only formed outdoors. Hydroxyls can also be created indoors by artificially generated UV radiation having wavelengths of 170-270 nm. UV radiation of these wavelengths is also capable of independently decontaminating airstreams of certain particles. Therefore, prior art devices have been constructed which funnel airstreams through banks of UV radiation for the purpose of cleansing the air. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,525, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0043887, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference.
Such devices are taught to be useful for purifying air. However, they suffer from the drawback that they can only purify air which is drawn or blown through the device—that is, in direct proximity to the UV radiation sources—which limits their effectiveness in large indoor settings, such as in a warehouse. Moreover, the need to bring the dirty air in close proximity to the UV radiation source, limits the ability of the devices to disinfect the surfaces of objects located even short distances away from them. For example, prior art devices, if operating in a warehouse suffering from fire damage, would not be able to deodorize cardboard boxes which had absorbed smoke from the fire.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved device which generates hydroxyls which are, and whose effects are, relatively long-lived, and which can be used to purify large volumes of air and objects which come into contact with that air.


A control arrangement for a lawn mower that selectively prevents operation of the lawn mower in the reverse direction with the lawn mowing mechanism operating. The arrangement includes structure (e.g., a bypass switch) actuatable by a lawn mower operator to permit the operation of the lawn mowing mechanism while the mower is propelled in the reverse direction as a bypass mode. Circuitry interacts with engine operation circuit to cause the operation circuit to selectively terminate operation of the engine when the lawn mowing mechanism is operating, as indicated by a lawn mowing mechanism switch, and the motive drive arrangement is selected to propel the lawn mower in a reverse direction, as indicated by a motive drive arrangement switch, except when the bypass mode is established. The circuitry also terminates the bypass mode when the lawn mower operator is absent as indicated by a operator present switch.

Lawn mowers are machines for cutting vegetation, such as grass. Often, lawn mowers are referred to as turf mowers. In general, an operator is in close proximity to the lawn mower to control operation of the lawn mower. In one example type, the lawn mower includes a seat upon which the operator rides during operation. However, there are various other lawn mower types in which the operator is in close proximity to the lawn mower to control operation of the lawn mower.
For the lawn mowers, the ability to perform a mowing action while the lawn mower is operated in a reverse direction has certain benefit. However, there may be some circumstances in which performance of the mowing action while the lawn mower is operated in the reverse direction is not wanted.


An electrical connector includes an insulating housing having a front frame and a rear frame engaged with the front frame. The front frame defines at least two receiving grooves at a top portion and a bottom portion thereof respectively. The rear frame defines at least one fixing groove passing through a front portion thereof. At least one latch member has a hollowed bearing portion extending from both distal ends thereof to form two resilient arms. The bearing portion and the resilient arms are received in the fixing groove of the rear frame. A tip end of each resilient arm extending into the corresponding receiving groove protrudes to form a limiting portion which is exposed out of the receiving groove of the front frame, and a plurality of terminals is disposed in the insulating housing respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with latch means capable of being conveniently assembled in the electrical connector.
2. The Related Art
Nowadays, an electrical connector is widely used in many electric apparatus for connecting with a mating connector so as to transmit signals or power therebetween. The electrical connector generally includes an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals received in the insulating housing respectively and latch means assembled in the insulating housing in order to increase the connection stability between the electrical connector and the mating connector.
For example, an electrical connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,183 issued on May 6, 2003. It has a casing, a mating portion and a latch means. The latch means includes a pair of lock members and a pair of release buttons. Each lock member includes a resilient lock arm, a pawl formed on one end of the lock arm and a fixing foot formed on the other end of the lock arm. The lock members are respectively disposed at lateral sides of the electrical connector and the release buttons are disposed at outer sides of the lock members correspondingly. To disengage the electrical connector from a mating connector, the release buttons are inwardly depressed such that the lock arms are deflected appropriately, so that the pawls are depressed and the electrical connector is released from the mating connector.
However, the operation of assembling the latch means in the electrical connector and disengaging the electrical connector from the mating connector is complicated and inconvenient. Then, an improved electrical connector with latch means capable of being conveniently assembled in the electrical connector is intensely desired.

Electrical connector with latching member


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include: forming an interlayer insulating layer having openings on a substrate; forming a metal layer in the openings and on the interlayer insulating layer, the metal layer including a sidewall portion on a sidewall of each of the openings and a bottom portion on a bottom surface of each of the openings, wherein the bottom portion is thicker than the sidewall portion; reflowing the metal layer to form metal patterns in the openings, the metal patterns having top surfaces at a level lower than a topmost surface of the interlayer insulating layer; and/or forming capping patterns covering the metal patterns in the openings.

1. Field
Some example embodiments of the inventive concepts may relate to semiconductor devices. Some example embodiments of the inventive concepts may relate to semiconductor devices including air gaps between metal patterns. Some example embodiments of the inventive concepts may relate to methods of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
As semiconductor devices have been fine and highly integrated, pitches of metal interconnections of semiconductor devices may have been narrowed. Thus, parasitic capacitance of semiconductor devices may have been increased such that operating speeds of semiconductor devices may be reduced. Various research may have been conducted for low-resistance copper interconnections and/or low-dielectric constant (low-k) dielectrics in order to reduce the parasitic capacitance of semiconductor devices.

Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices including capped metal patterns with air gaps in-between for parasitic capacitance reduction


Disclosed is an apparatus for mounting a driver-side airbag module in a vehicle, capable of easily assembling the driver-side airbag module with a steering wheel by using a link, a hook and a bolt without rotating the driver-side airbag module. The apparatus includes a module bracket installed on a base plate of a steering wheel, a link movably coupled with the module bracket in such a manner that the link moves in a left or right direction at an upper portion of the module bracket, a hook hinged to one side of the module bracket and the link, a bolt coupling unit installed in opposition to the hook in order to control a movement of the link in the left or right direction, and a mounting plate mounted on the module bracket by means of the hook and the bolt coupling unit.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a driver-side airbag module in a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting a driver-side airbag module in a vehicle, which can easily assemble the driver-bag side airbag module with a steering wheel without forming a gap therebetween.

Apparatus for mounting driver-side airbag module in vehicle


The activation of neurons in specific areas of a mammalian brain are determined by measurement of levels of mRNA following administration of an agent that potentially affects neuronal activity. Differential levels of mRNA caused by an agent can be measured, as can the specific distribution of the alteration of neuronal activity. Many mental disorders are associated with the abnormal function of a particular area of the brain. The present invention allows the determination of which area of the brain, if any, is affected by an administered agent. Accordingly, the invention provides a valuable tool for assaying compounds as potential therapeutic agents.

Neuronal activation has been associated with a number of normal biological processes, such as the use of memory in learning behaviors and responsiveness to sensory stimuli (Sharp et. al. (1989) J. Comp. Neurol. 284: 621-36). Identification of changes in neuronal activation has allowed the association of behavioral and physiological activity with certain regions of the mammalian brain. This technique has been used to identify brain regions active in normal biological processes such as male sexual behavior (Bialy and Kaczmarek (1996) Acta. Neurobiol. Exp. 56: 567-77), activation of neuroendocrine systems (Hoffman et. al. (1993) Front. Neuroendocrinol. 14: 173-213), and the physiological response to injury (Dubner and Ruda (1992) Trends Neurosci 15: 96-103).
Neuronal activation has also been implicated in abnormal biological processes. The ability to measure neuronal activity in mammalian brain tissue has allowed the association of regions of the brain with particular disorders. For example, characteristic patterns of neuronal activation in specific frontal lobe and basal ganglia circuits are observed in obsessive compulsive disorder (Otto (1992) Psychiatr. Clin. North Am. 15: 825-48). Studies examining mammalian models for Parkinson's disease have found that neuronal activities of the caudate nucleus decreased, activity of the pars reticula of the substantia nigra and the internal segment of the globus pallidus increased, and neurons of the ventromedial nucleus of the thalamus depressed markedly (Yoshida M (1993) Adv Neurol 60: 71-77). Imaging studies and pathological reports suggest that neuronal activity may be altered in certain temporal limbic regions (Reynolds G. P. (1989) Br. J. Psychiatry 155: 305-16).
A great deal of evidence has linked neuronal activation events to the regulation of gene expression. The expression of certain genes has been found to vary dramatically upon neuronal activation. Detecting levels of expression of these genes may therefore be useful as an indirect determination of neuronal activity in brain tissue.

Assay for determination of neuronal activity in brain tissue

The Regents of the University of California


Disclosed is a method for operating a code division multiple access communications system, and a system that operates in accordance with the method. The method operates within a coverage area of a base station by assigning a set of spreading codes to individual ones of a plurality of subscriber stations and then, during transmissions within the cell, by periodically hopping amongst spreading code within the set of spreading codes such that at any given time no two subscriber stations operate with the same spreading code. The set of spreading codes may include the all one's spreading code. The step of periodically hopping preferably changes from a currently used spreading code to a next spreading code at a symbol rate or at a multiple of the symbol rate. The set of spreading codes may be a hopped sub-set of a larger set of spreading codes, and in this case the method further operates to assign a non-hopped sub-set of the larger set of spreading codes to individual ones of the plurality of subscriber stations for use on a system access channel and/or on a system control channel or, more generally, for use on a non-traffic channel. The system may be a fixed data rate system or a variable data rate system. In the latter case the step of periodically hopping may change from a currently used spreading code to a next spreading code at the symbol rate, or at a multiple of the symbol rate of the lowest or the highest symbol rate users.

In a synchronous direct-sequence code division multiple access (S-CDMA) system, users communicate simultaneously using the same frequency band via orthogonal modulation or spread spectrum. The number of orthogonal spreading codes (>1) establishes the maximum capacity of the system.
In a fixed wireless loop (FWL) S-CDMA system the chipping rate may be held constant to maintain the orthogonality of the PN codes. This implies that for higher data rates the processing gain (PG) is reduced. When the processing gain is reduced, it may become difficult or even impossible to design the short PN codes such that, for some data patterns and offsets, the adjacent cell PN codes are not highly correlated, or even perfectly correlated if the PG becomes sufficiently small.
Related to the foregoing, it is further noted that a common method to increase the data rate of a DS-CDMA system operating with a fixed chipping rate is to implement variable rate spreading codes. In this approach just a few chips modulate the each symbol in order to increase the effective symbol rate. As the spreading gain decreases, the design of the code sets having good cross-correlation properties with other code sets becomes more difficult. In cellular deployments, adjacent cells using a common frequency band must have code sets that have low cross-correlation values in order to minimize adjacent channel interference. For spreading gains on the order of 8 or 16 chips/symbol, code sets exhibiting low cross-correlation properties are very difficult to design.
This problem can be especially troublesome if the base stations, also referred to as radio base units (RBUs), are semi-synchronized, that is, if one base station maintains the same relative timing offset to other base stations. In this case if a subscriber system or unit, which may be simply referred to as a user, is operating with a PN code with high interference, the user could remain in the high interference condition and experience a much reduced signal to noise ratio (SNR) until the interferor's or the user's transmission is terminated.
Conventional orthogonal DS-CDMA systems that use a cover code, i.e., a code that is used to scramble individual codes of a code set), typically require that all CDMA channels, including control and random access channels, must use the cover code. This can cause problems, as when a long cover code is used on a random access channel, new users may require a significant amount of time to acquire the system as the phase of the cover code must be recovered. Reference with regard to the use of a cover code can be had to U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,761 by Gilhousen.
However, the use of cover codes constructed using long period linear feedback shift registers (LFSR) results in unbalanced spreading codes. For example, and referring to FIG. 6, orthogonal code sets constructed using well-known Walsh-Hadamard matrices may have P−1 balanced codes and one completely unbalanced code, typically referred to as the all one's code. In the illustrated 4×4 Walsh-Hadamard matrix there are three balanced codes (equal numbers of plus and minus codes) and the unbalanced all one's code. Without a cover code, the all one's code would be unused due to DC bias problems and large correlation with adjacent cell codes. The omission of the all one's code thus serves to reduce the capacity (i.e., the number of allowable active users) in a cell.
One technique for mitigating interference between users is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,462, Fixed Wireless Loop System that Ranks Non-Assigned PN Codes to Reduce Interference, by L. L. Nieczyporowicz, P. L. Stephenson, T. R. Giallorenzi and R. W. Steagall, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Spreading code hopping for synchronous DS-CDMA system to mitigate interference effects


Curable compositions, such as benzoxazine-based ones, are useful in applications within the aerospace industry, such as for example as a heat curable composition for use as a matrix resin or an adhesive, and form the basis of the present invention.

1. Field of the Invention
Curable compositions, such as benzoxazine-based ones, are useful in applications within the aerospace industry, such as for example as a heat curable composition for use as a matrix resin or an adhesive, and form the basis of the present invention.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
Epoxy resins with various hardeners have been used extensively in the aerospace and electronics industries both as adhesives and as matrix resins for use in prepreg assembly with a variety of substrates.
Benzoxazines themselves have been reported in the literature as generally having a high glass transition temperature, good electrical properties (e.g., dielectric constant), and low flammability.
Blends of epoxy resins and benzoxazines are known. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,091 (Schreiber), U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,484 (Schreiber), U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,452 (Schreiber), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,911 (Schreiber). These blends appear to be potentially useful in the electronics industry, as the epoxy resins can reduce the melt viscosity of benzoxazines allowing for the use of higher filler loading while maintaining a processable viscosity. However, epoxy resins oftentimes undesirably increase the temperature at which benzoxazines polymerize.
Ternary blends of epoxy resins, benzoxazine and phenolic resins are also known. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,786 (Ishida), and S. Rimdusit and H. Ishida, "Development of new class of electronic packaging materials based on ternary system of benzoxazine, epoxy, and phenolic resin," Polymer, 41, 7941-49 (2000).
Other resins, such as reactive monomers, polymers and oxazolines, polyimide/siloxane co-polymers and cyanate esters, are too known. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,267 (Culbertson), in connection with oxazolines and J. McGrath et al., "Synthesis and Characterization of Segmented Polyimide-Polyorganosiloxane Copolymers", Advances in Polym. Sci., Vol. 140, Springer-Verlag, Berlin 61-105 (1999) in connection with polybenzoxazine polyimide-polyorganosiloxane co-polymers.
Moreover, in J. Jang et al., "Performance Improvement of Rubber Modified Polybenzoxazine", J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 67, 1-10 (1998), the authors report the use of polybenzoxazine modified with amine-terminated, butadiene acrylonitrile rubber and with carboxyl-terminated, butadiene acrylonitrile rubber to improve mechanical properties. The polybenzoxazine chosen was synthesized from bisphenol A, formaldehyde and the aromatic amine, aniline.
Notwithstanding the state of the technology, there has been no disclosure, teaching or suggestion to prepare a heat curable composition based on the combination of a benzoxazine prepared from bisphenol A, formaldehyde and alkyl amines, and amine-terminated, butadiene acrylonitrile rubber, let alone one with improved performance properties.


An apparatus includes a hydraulic circuit that is configured to selectively open fluid communication between one portion of the hydraulic circuit and another portion of the hydraulic circuit, such as a reservoir, based on the flow of the hydraulic fluid in the one portion. When the flow of hydraulic fluid exceeds a selected threshold in the one portion of the hydraulic circuit, the flow of fluid urges the opening of a hydraulic component of the hydraulic circuit to allow fluid communication between the one portion and the reservoir to discharge fluid from the one portion.

The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic valve and control system that can be used, for example, in a patient handling apparatus, such as emergency cot, medical bed, stretcher, stair chair, or other apparatuses that support a patient where increased speed of a component, such as a hydraulic cylinder used to move the base of a patient handling apparatus, is desired.
For example, when a patient handling apparatus, such as an emergency cot, is to be loaded into an emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance, the patient handling apparatus is moved to the rear of the emergency vehicle where it is then at least partially inserted into the compartment so that it is initially supported on one end, for example, by its head end wheels resting on the compartment floor. Alternately, the cot may be moved onto a loading arm or arms, which extend from the emergency vehicle into the cot and fully support the cot, but do not interfere with the lifting mechanism. In any case, once the cot is supported (either by the head end wheels or a loading arm or loading arm(s)), the base can be raised to allow the cot to then be fully loaded in to the emergency vehicle. The faster the base can be raised, the faster the patient handling apparatus can be loaded into the vehicle, and the quicker the patient weight can be unloaded from a caregiver and transferred to the emergency vehicle, which significantly reduces the stress and strain on a caregiver. The increase speed also increases the speed at which the patient can be handled and delivered to the medical facility, typically an emergency room. Therefore, quick retraction of the base can be significant to the caregiver in all cases and even more significant to the patient in some cases.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a patient handling apparatus with a hydraulic valve and control system that can quickly move one component relative to another component, such as an emergency cot's base relative to the cot's frame without inducing an unacceptable increase in pressure in the hydraulic cylinder that is doing the work.


A map display device which scroll-displays a travel route simply scroll-displays a route from a current driving location to a destination on an entire screen. The map display device of the present invention is a map display device which displays a map regarding a travel route of a mobile object, and is configured of: a display unit; a route calculation unit and a map information storage unit which obtain map information concerning a current position of the mobile object and the travel route; a current position detection unit, a current position storage unit and a display area determination unit which allow a map indicated by the obtained map information concerning the current position of the mobile object to be displayed entirely on a display screen; and a partial map display area storage unit and a partial map display position determination unit which display a map indicated by the obtained map information with regard to the travel route of the mobile object on a partial display area which is a part of the display screen, in which the partial map display position determination unit displays, on the partial display area, a partial map which is a map regarding a part of the travel route while allowing the partial map to be scrolled along the travel route.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a map display device and a map display method for scroll displaying the following for a user's easy viewing in the case where a travel route is set through destination setting: a destination; a map showing a route to the destination; commercial information; and traffic information.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, devices which scroll-display a map showing a travel route include a device which displays a route from a current position to a destination on a scroll screen (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 3412164 (see p.5, FIG. 1)). FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional display example of scrolling a route map, which is described in the Patent Document 1.
31 in FIG. 1 denotes a current display screen while a vehicle position 21 shows a current driving state. FIG. 1 further shows a destination 23 that is set through destination setting, and an optimal road 22 to the destination. Since the route from the current position to the destination cannot be entirely displayed on the current display screen 31, the conventional map display device displays the optimal road 22 to the destination on a main screen by scrolling from a scroll screen 1 (32 in FIG. 1) to a scroll screen 2 (33 in FIG. 1), and then to a scroll screen 3 (34 in FIG. 1) so as to display the route to the destination.

Map display device and map display method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An extrusion blow molding process for a filled, liquid crystalline polymer is provided. By the process, molten polymer having improved melt strength, is vertically extruded downward into space through a parison-forming, annular gap. Sag resistant parisons are formed. Beneficially, the parisons may be formed periodically. Advantageously, large-sized parts or structures may be produced.

Extrusion blow molding is useful for making hollow parts or structures having a variety of uses. Containers such as tanks, pressure vessels, cylinders and bottles, which may be used for pressurized or compressed gases and cryogenic gases, may be conveniently formed by extrusion blow molding.
Liquid crystal or crystalline polymers (LCPs) are beneficially characterized by gas barrier properties, chemical resistance or inertness, high creep resistance, excellent retention of properties over a broad temperature range including lack of embrittlement at cryogenic temperatures, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. However, liquid crystalline polymers are difficult to process by extrusion blow molding.
According to Plastics World, p. 11, July 1988 and Adv. Mater., 10 (10), p. 2, Jun. 27, 1988, a moldable LCP is known. The LCP may be crystalline and moldable in 30% and 50% glass-reinforced formulations, or may be amorphous and extrudable, blow moldable and injection moldable in neat, glass-reinforced and glass/mineral formulations.
In continuous extrusion blow molding, parisons are continually formed and molds move into place to accept tubes of molten polymer. Continuous extrusion blow molding to impart biaxial orientation to a part made from an unfilled copolyester LCP (hydroxybenzoic acid and 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid), has been attempted. In this regard, Blizard and Baird, Intern. Polymer Processing, 4: 72-178 (1989), report forming a small part having no observed biaxial orientation, and rapid solidification to be a processing limitation. However, they report success and the benefit of relatively slow crystallization for a copolyester made from hydroxybenzoic acid and polyethylene terephthalate using a lower die temperature than was needed for processing the unfilled copolyester LCP.
Processing difficulties are accentuated when a large-sized part is desired, and also when a part or structure is desired for its gas barrier properties and uniformity of wall thickness becomes paramount. Therefore, there is a need for an improved process for extrusion blow molding liquid crystalline polymers, and in particular for forming a liquid crystalline polymer into a part or structure to be used for its gas barrier properties.

Extrusion blow molding of filled liquid crystal polymers


A semiconductor component and method of making a semiconductor component is disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor component includes a drift region of a first conductivity type, a body region of a second conductivity type, and a trench extending into the body region. A semiconductor region of the first conductivity type is in contact with the drift region and the body region and is arranged at a distance from the trench.

Power components are defined below as elements which are used, for example, in automotive and industrial electronics and have at least one component provided for the switching of voltages and currents. The voltage and current range of such power or high-power components is in a range of 5 V to 6500 V per component and current intensities of a few milliamperes to hundreds of amperes per component.
The present invention relates to an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), which usually at least includes a zone of a second conduction type (collector layer), a region (drift zone) of the first conduction type, a body region of the second conduction type, into which well zones of the first conduction type are embedded, and a gate electrode above the well zone, the gate electrode being spaced apart by means of an insulating layer. Here and hereinafter an IGBT shall also be understood to mean an IEGT (IEGT=Injection Enhanced Gates Transistor).
The present invention relates in particular to a trench IGBT that is used at higher voltages from approximately 600 V upward.
The basic structure of such an IGBT is illustrated in FIG. 1a.
A semiconductor body has a p-conducting collector zone 1 provided with a metallization 13, on which collector zone a first, n-conducting body zone (drift zone) 2 and a second, p-conducting body zone 3 are provided successively. An n-conducting emitter zone 4 is embedded into the p-conducting body zone 3. IGBT cells are illustrated in the present example, so that two emitter zones 4 are correspondingly present.
Trenches 5, 6 penetrate through the emitter zone 4 and the p-conducting body zone 3, and reach right into the n-conducting body zone. Said trenches 5, 6 are lined with an insulating layer 7 made of silicon dioxide for example, the insulating layer acting as gate oxide. The interior of the trenches 5, 6 is filled with a polycrystalline silicon that forms a gate electrode 8. The gate electrode 8 is covered with an insulating layer 10 made of, for example, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or made of amorphous silicon carbide, with the result that the conductive material 8 is electrically isolated from a metallization serving as emitter contact 11 on a main surface 9.
Dopings can be configured oppositely in each case, so that the p-type collector layer 1 designated for example in FIG. 1a can also become an n-type collector layer, in this case the drift zone 2 having p-doping, the body zone 3 being n-doped and the wells 4 incorporated into the body zone 3 being p-doped.
As is illustrated in FIG. 1b, a semiconductor component includes an insulated gate trench IGBT including many, generally many hundreds of, IGBT cells connected in parallel. One cell is illustrated in FIG. 1a, while FIG. 1b represents a plurality of such cells in plan view which are arranged in a cell array. IGBTs and IEGTs are particularly suitable for higher voltages, as has already been mentioned, and three examples of said IGBTs and IEGTs are shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4.
In the example of FIG. 2, the distance between two cells is extended by an optional additional trench 14 without an emitter zone, while in the examples of FIGS. 3 and 4 a relatively wide p-conducting zone 15 (p-float) is located between the corresponding two cells, which zone may overlap the trench edge with a bulge 17. In the example of FIG. 4, additionally relative to the example of FIG. 3, the conductive materials 8 in the trenches 5, 6 of the adjacent cells are also connected to one another by means of a conductor layer 16. The insulating layer 7 may, if appropriate, also be made thicker at the side remote from the emitter zone 4.
High-voltage switches in power electronics, such as IGBTs and the like, are usually designed in such a way that their reverse voltage lies significantly above the typical operating voltage predefined by the application. If the operating voltage lies within the range of 600-850 V, for example, then a switch module (e.g. IGBT) made available for this is designed for example in such a way that it has a rated reverse voltage of 1200 V. As has been illustrated, such a large safety margin is necessary in order to absorb the high overvoltages that occur when the high-voltage switches are turned off, in order that destruction of the IGBT is reliably avoided. The high overvoltages are caused by high rates of current change di/dt and the always present (including parasitic) inductances ("leakage inductances"). Particularly high overvoltages occur primarily when a multiple of the rated current is to be switched off, as in the so-called overcurrent or short-circuit case.
In this regard, primarily the modern high-voltage switches which switch (off) very rapidly have proved to be problematic, which switches tend toward very high overvoltages at high leakage inductances. Examples of such modern rapidly switching IGBTs are described in T. Laska et al. "The Field Stop IGBT (FS IGBT)—A New Power Device Concept with a Great Improvement Potential", Proceedings of the 12th ISPSD, pages 355-358, 2000; M. Otsuki et al. "Investigation of the Short-Circuit Capability of 1200V Trench Gate Field-Stop IGBTs, Proceedings of the 14th ISPSD, pages 281-284, 2002; S. Dewar et al. "Soft Punch Through (SPT)—Setting New Standards in 1200V IGBT", Proc. PCIM Europe, 2000; K. Nakamura et al. "Advanced Wide Cell Pitch CSTBTs Having Light Punch-Through (LPT) Structures", Proceedings of the 14th ISPSD, pages 277-280, 2002. An FS-IGBT differs from the IGBT illustrated in FIG. 1 by virtue of the fact that a more highly defined n-type field stop layer is arranged between the p-conducting region 1 and the n-conducting layer of the base or drift zone 2. Moreover, further variations of an IGBT are known, such as e.g. a punch-through IGBT (PT-IGBT), which involve the drift zone being subdivided into a plurality of differently doped n-type regions.
FIG. 5 represents a V/t diagram in which the voltages V that occur during switch-off are plotted as a function of the time t. As can be gathered from FIG. 5, during the switching operation of a conventional IGBT, without regulating measures, the overvoltage would rise above the breakdown voltage (cf. for example "1200 V") and possibly destroy the component (curve a). When using conventional IGBTs, therefore, it is necessary to comply with a sufficient safety margin between the intermediate circuit voltage and the static breakdown voltage of the component.
In order that the overvoltage is always kept below the breakdown voltages, the switching speed is reduced in the conventional IGBTs to an extent such that the overvoltage generated at leakage inductances reliably remains below the specific breakdown voltage (e.g. 1200 V) in every conceivable operating and disturbance case. A curve b shows the behavior of an IGBT in which the switching speed has been reduced to an extent such that the breakdown voltage of 1200 V is not reached. However, high switching losses are accepted in the case of this concept.
One possibility for minimizing the switching losses consists in limiting the overvoltage by means of active intervention in the switching operation with e.g. reactivation of the switch or "clamping" with zener diodes. This switching operation is represented by a curve c in FIG. 5. However, the concept used in this case requires an additional outlay on the driving and circuitry. In both cases, the specified breakdown voltage (e.g. 1200 V) lies significantly above the usable intermediate circuit voltage range of e.g. 650-850 V.
The components are ideally intended to have the property of dynamically limiting the overvoltage. In this case, the level of the dynamic limiting voltage should lie in the region of the previously used and specified breakdown voltage of 1200 V, for example, in order to achieve low switching losses. The dynamic limiting would have the advantage that the static breakdown voltage of the components can lie below the voltage in this case. The static breakdown voltage is in this case intended to lie scarcely above the maximum intermediate circuit voltage of 1000 V, for example. The voltages of such a component which occur during the switching operation are shown by a curve d in FIG. 5. Such a component could be designed for a low breakdown voltage. Both the on-state losses and switching losses can be reduced by means of the small thickness of the component. In operating cases in which the component dynamically limits its overvoltage, the minimum possible switching losses for this case (leakage inductance and current intensity) arise.
This possibility of limiting overvoltages in IGBTs has recently been discussed as the dynamic "self-clamping property" (dynamic clamping) of an IGBT, which is based on the changes in the net space charge density of the drift region on account of an avalanche current, depleted charge carriers of the neutral region and the collector-side injection of holes (see e.g. B. M. Takei et al. "Analysis on the Self-Clamp Phenomena of IGBTs" in Proc. 11th ISPSD, Poster Session, Paper 7.1, 1999 and M. Otsuka "1200V FS-IGBT module with enhanced dynamic clamping capability", Proceedings of the 2004 ISPSD, pages 339-342, 2004).
If it is accordingly possible to configure a high-voltage switch such that, despite the presence of high leakage inductances and high rates of current change, it is able to dynamically limit a high overvoltage occurring during turn-off by means of self-clamping ("dynamic clamping") and, in the case of this loading (which may amount to as much as a multiple of the rated current at the rated voltage, for instance), upon the overshooting of a critical reverse voltage (clamping voltage), to have the ability to carry a high current of the order of magnitude of the rated current and above momentarily over many hundred ns to a few μs without splitting or destruction of the component occurring, such components would enable a reduced driving outlay in this way. In this case, the dynamically occurring overvoltage spikes are reliably kept below the maximum permissible static voltage of the component since, when the clamping voltage is overshot, the cause of the overvoltage is removed by a lengthened or increased current flow.
Therefore, significantly more freedoms for configuration, in particular with regard to a converter design, would be available to the user (minimized driving outlay and/or minimized outlay with regard to the leakage inductances). What is more, this would be very advantageous for the component manufacturer since the chips could be designed to switch even faster and thus with fewer losses without increasing the risk of excessively high overvoltages during turn-off under extreme conditions (overcurrent or short-circuit case).
In order to achieve this, the design of an IGBT chip should also be devised in a particular manner. Thus, inter alia, the rear side emitter efficiency and the field stop layer are to be dimensioned in a suitable way (see, for example, M. Otsuki et al. "1200 V FS-IGBT module with enhanced clamping capability"; Proceedings of the 2004 ISPSD, pages 339-342, 2004). For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.


The invention proposes a new and novel method to collect fees (or tolls) for road-usage and to make toll-booths unnecessary and obsolete. Monies thus collected by this invention can be used for maintenance and construction of all highways, bridges, tunnels, roads and city streets. The invention re-designs the method of toll-collection which insures a more equitable sharing by all owners of vehicles who use these roads under a variety of conditions.

Federal, state and local road transportation and highway departments have depended in large measure on the use of collected tolls for road maintenance and construction.
The efforts to collect road-use fees at bridges and tunnels in the form of tolls has resulted in traffic back-up at tollbooths with adverse effects to the environment, personal safety, and business enterprise. In municipalities, the parking meter has served as a passive toll taker, but this method of fee collecting has not been fully successful. Evidence of this is the recent, trial innovation of print-out time-parking receipts which are to be placed on a vehicle's dashboard.
Parking meters have proved to have labor intensive costs. Ill-prepared meter readers have often written inaccurate license numbers and street locations. Arguments in face-to-face confrontations between meter readers and motorists is common. Coin box theft and severe damage to meters caused by automobiles and vandals demands expensive repairs and maintenance.
Under the current methods employed by authorized toll collection agencies, a motor vehicle operator must subscribe to a transponder-type fee collection system or queue-up to pay the required fee in cash. Utilization of the "cash-only" process necessitates a toll collector who must complete the collection which involves a time-consuming event adding to delays and traffic congestion and untoward accidents. Transponder-type fee collections have been largely unsuccessful since a majority of motorists do not subscribe to this type of system.
In the matter of parking meters, the motorist has often been unduly punished and the municipality cheated of revenue. False coins put into meters and pilfering, and destruction of coin boxes are serious problems with the unguarded equipment.
Inclement weather may preclude the meter man's/maid's attention to the routine surveillance assigned to them in street parking areas, and often times, hard-pressed, in the hastily written summons, the meter reader may incorrectly cite an erroneous vehicle license number, and location, and the infraction concerning metered parking.
In large municipalities, the capital investment in equipment for towing and the cost for maintenance of a storage area for towed cars added to the needed salaried personnel may make the towing of cars a money-losing proposition. The traffic problems caused by double-parking in certain congested business areas of a municipality and the caravans of huge delivery trucks moving through the streets and parking on both curb-sides creates the difficulty of a single passage for traffic. The horde of leviathan trucks create the frenetic and hostile character of urban downtown business areas during daylight hours.
In municipalities, truck owners will receive fee-exemption credits if they utilize city streets during evening hours or can be afforded other incentives for time-sensitive vehicular activity.
Using proposed fixed and mobile scanning devices, this invention aims to construct a new and unique method for collecting road-use fees or tolls from all owners of registered vehicles regardless of the country or state that issued that vehicle's registration.
The invention relates to a method of collecting fees associated with vehicles for road usage wherein every vehicle contains its own unique identification code—similar or in concert with the known vehicle identification number (VIN)—comprised of a number, letter or symbol or combinations thereof.
Vehicle code readers (fixed or mobile) that transfer data to a central agency, or other appropriate means, are placed in selected area: entrances and exits to specified bridges, tunnels and highways. Municipalities will issue hand-held and auto-mounted vehicle-code-readers to police traffic managers who will in their normal course of activity scan designated streets to charge a fee for legal overnight parking, as well as for illegal double parking or standing, identifying the vehicle from its implanted I.D. code. The scanner is equipped to give full readings of date and time, and other relevant data as desired, to be programmed by the motor vehicle department, as well as the local police traffic manager. Traffic accidents can be immediately and easily recorded via the scanner and digital camera, verifying vehicle titles, insurance and the validity of licensed drivers. All these data can be instantly secured from stationery or mobile information capturing devices on moving or fixed I.D. codes.
Trucks and extended limousines can be assessed an additional road-use fee according to the number of axles and the approved laden weight, which incurs wear and tear of roads; and the limos will be assessed extended occupation of road and street space.
Most importantly, no current method provides for a passive, universal road-use system of collection of all vehicles.
The inventor is aware of the following U.S. patents which show efforts made to solve some of the problems described above: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,097,292; 6,075,466; 6,010,074; 5,969,641; 5,955,970.

System and method for collecting vehicle road-use and parking fees and for monitoring vehicular regulatory compliance


A material spreader having a hopper for containing material and a liquid tank containing liquid adjacent the hopper. The liquid tank has a passage extending from the hopper through the tank with a discharge opening. An auger extends through the hopper and passage for conveying material to the outlet for delivery to a spinner for distributing the material. At least one nozzle is mounted in the passage for spraying liquid onto the material as it is being conveyed through the passage.

Pre-wetting is the process of for example spraying deicing salt with a solution of liquid chemical before spreading the salt on a roadway. Pre-wetting the salt helps it work more effectively as a deicing agent for two reasons: Firsts wet salt clings to the road instead of bouncing off or being swept off by traffic. The result is that less salt is spread, saving money and minimizing the threat to the environment. Second, to be effective as a deicing agent, salt requires moisture. Moisture dissolves the salt, releasing heat and thereby melting the ice and snow, as well as breaking the ice-road bond. When temperatures drop below freezing there is no moisture on the road, and salt alone is ineffective. Pre-wetting the salt ensures that there will be enough moisture to facilitate the melting process. There are several chemicals used to pre-wet salt. The most inexpensive is the use of sodium chloride and water or salt brine which is a salt and water solution. See Semisequicentennial Transportation Conference Proceedings, May 1996, Iowa State University.
Since brine is what actually melts snow and ice, solid rock salt must first create brine before it goes to work. In the absence of heat, sunlight, friction, or in low available moisture levels, solid salt is slower to go to brine and then to work. Road salt (sodium chloride) has an effective temperature range above 20-25 degrees Fahrenheit. When temperatures drop to around 10 degrees F. or below, road salt has significantly reduced melting capacity. The addition of a liquid chemical to salt enhances its ability to provide safe levels of service by increasing the speed at which salt creates brine to melt snow or ice. Greater chloride efficiency is achieved when liquid chemicals are added to salt by lowering the "effective" temperature range of the salt.
There are many methods in place to pre-wet salt. Some agencies have sprayed liquid chemicals over loads in the spreaders creating a "hot load". This method does not uniformly coat all the salt in the spreader and often runs out the back. Some liquid chemicals can "fuse" the salt in the spreader if not emptied, thereby adding to maintenance headaches and clumps in the salt. Others apply a given amount to each loader bucket prior to loading in the spreader. This method is somewhat more effective than direct over the top applications. See Mark Cornwell, Ice Control Engineering, Syntech Products Corporation.
Another method of wetting the salt is to spray the salt with sodium chloride or salt brine as it is leaving the spreader. Nozzles are mounted adjacent the spinner and spray the salt as it is being spread onto the surface. The problem with pre-wetting in this way is over spraying of the chemical which is uneconomical and provides an uneven application of the pre-wetting solution to the salt which results in the salt bouncing off the surface and the salt not being effective to melt the snow and ice. Additionally, there is the problem of evaporation and drifting of product which are corrosive when put into the air.

Material spreader with integrated wetting system


An antenna suited for a communications satellite includes two separately located, mutually orthogonally polarized feed antennas such as vertically and horizontally polarized linear horns. The horns feed an active reflector antenna array. The array includes a plurality of mutually orthogonally polarized antenna elements such as crossed dipoles or square patch antenna with cross feeds for two independent orthogonal polarizations. The feeds of the antenna elements are coupled to amplifier modules. Each module includes a circulator for each polarization, coupled to a processor including a low noise amplifier, controlled phase shifter, variable gain amplifier and power amplifier. The output of the power amplifier feeds the antenna element through the circulator. The large number of radiating elements allows high power using power amplifier with relatively modest capabilities. The phase shifters of each module independently control the reradiation phase of the vertical and horizontal signals, so that a collimated beam can be independently focused to the two feed points, one for each polarization.

This invention relates to antennas, and more particularly to satellites with dual-polarization antennas including a separate feed for each polarization.
Communication satellites are in widespread use for communicating data, video and other forms of information between widely spaced locations on the earth's surface. It is well known that communication satellites are expensive, and that they have a lifetime which is limited by consumption of expendables, notably consumption of propellant which is used for attitude control and for North-South stationkeeping. In order to provide as much propellant as possible at the beginning of a spacecraft's life, the weight of every portion of the spacecraft is scrutinized, and costly tradeoffs are made to save weight to allow on-loading of additional propellant to extend the life of the satellite. The value of a single month of additional operation of a satellite can be millions of dollars, so a weight saving of even a few pounds, for which propellant can be substituted, may result in tens of millions of dollars of savings.
Among the larger structures on the spacecraft are the solar panels, which require a relatively large surface facing the sun in order to intercept sufficient energy to generate electricity for the spacecraft's operation, and the transmitting and receiving antennas.
The antennas are transducers between transmission lines and free space. A general rule in antenna design is that, in order to "focus" the available energy to be transmitted into a narrow beam, a relatively large "aperture" is necessary. The aperture may be provided by a broadside array, a longitudinal array, an actual radiating aperture such as a horn, or by a reflector antenna which, in a receive mode, receives a collimated beam of energy and focuses the energy into a converging beam directed toward a feed antenna, or which, in a transmit mode, focuses the diverging energy from a feed antenna into a collimated beam.
Those skilled in the art know that antennas are reciprocal devices, in which the transmitting and receiving characteristics are equivalent. Generally, antenna operation is referred to in terms of either transmission or reception, with the other mode being understood therefrom.
For various reasons relating to reliability, light weight and cost, many current communication satellites employ "frequency re-use" communications systems. Such a system is described, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/772,207, filed Oct. 7, 1991 in the name of Wolkstein. In a frequency re-use system, independent signals are transmitted from a earth station over a plurality of band limited "channels" which partially overlap in frequency. At the transmitting earth station, mutually adjacent channels are cross-polarized. In this context, cross-polarization means that the signals of a particular channel are transmitted with a particular first polarization, while the signals of the two adjacent channels are transmitted at a second polarization orthogonal to the first. Ordinarily, each of the two orthogonal polarizations are two linear polarizations, which may be referred to as "vertical" and "horizontal", although, as known, precipitation causes rotation of the polarization. In principle, the two orthogonal channels could be right and left circular polarizations, but linear vertical and horizontal are more easily controlled. At the satellite, the vertically and horizontally polarized signals are separated by polarization-sensitive antennas and applied to separate transmission lines. This has the result which, in each channel, tends to suppress the signals relating to the two adjacent channels. Thus, even though the frequencies of the signals in each channel partially overlap, the overlapping frequency adjacent-channel signals are suppressed, which tends to reduce interchannel interference.
In the satellite, the received signals from the vertically and horizontally polarized antennas are converted to a different frequency range, filtered, and amplified by an amplifier within each channel, to produce independent signals in adjacent channels with partially overlapping frequencies within the converted frequency range, which independent signals are then combined or demultiplexed, and every other (or alternate) channels are applied to one polarization of a dual polarization antenna for retransmission back to the earth. As in the case of the receiving or uplink antenna, the transmitting or downlink antenna tends to maintain a degree of isolation between each channel and its immediate neighbors.
A prior art antenna which has been used for communication satellites includes a first reflector made up of mutually parallel, "vertically" polarized conductors lying along a surface having the shape of a parabola of revolution, and having a focus at which a vertically polarized feed antenna structure is located. Vertically polarized signals are reflected by the first reflector acting as a parabolic reflector, to collimate diverging signals radiated by the feed antenna to form a collimated beam which is directed toward the ground station, and for receiving collimated signals from the ground station and focusing the collimated signals onto the feed antenna. Horizontally-polarized signals, however, pass unimpeded through the vertically polarized conductive elements of the first reflector. A second reflector, located immediately before or immediately after the first reflector, consists of a plurality of mutually parallel, "horizontally" polarized conductive elements, forming a second parabolic reflector having a focal point at a second location different from that of the first focal point. A horizontally polarized feed antenna structure is located at the second focal point.
The above-described prior art antenna requires two separate parabolic reflectors, each formed from a elongated conductive grid, and each with a different focal point. The fabrication of the supports which lie between the two reflectors is difficult, and its presence tends to distort the radiation pattern of the rearmost reflector.
The weight demands on spacecraft militate against large antennas in favor of small antennas, which tend to require greater available transmitter power to achieve the desired carrier-to-noise (C/N) ratio, which in turn tends to require larger solar panels to energize more powerful amplifiers. As an alternative, smaller antennas can be used to achieve a given gain and C/N, if a higher operating frequency is used.
The demands for improved and lower-cost communications have driven communication satellites toward higher transmitted power and longer life. The long life and reliability considerations tend to favor use of solid-state amplifiers, while the high power and high frequency considerations favor the use of travelling-wave tube amplifiers. A way to achieve high power by paralleling solid state amplifiers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,106, issued Feb. 3, 1987 in the name of Belohoubek et al. Such schemes may be difficult to implement and may not achieve as much output power as a single travelling-wave tube. Another paralleling scheme is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,233, issued Apr. 7, 1992 in the name of Gallagher et al. In the Gallagher et al scheme, an active array antenna includes radiating elements (radiators) on a radiating face of the antenna. Each of the antenna elements is driven by an amplifier of a transmit-receive module in a transmit mode, and, in a receive mode, drives a low-noise amplifier of the module. The phase distribution of the array is established in part by the distribution of an interior feed antenna which radiates to and from a second set of antenna elements on the interior of the array. Phase shifters associated with each transmit-receive module divert or steer the beam relative to broadside. This system may be difficult to implement in a lightweight system.

Active reflectarray antenna for communication satellite frequency re-use


A nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device having a power control function improves a sensing margin by stably controlling a power applied to a cell capacitor. In the nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device, an operating voltage of the cell is controlled depending on an external supply voltage in order to apply the highest voltage to the cell capacitor, and a power voltage obtained by dropping an external power voltage is applied to adjacent circuits in order to apply a lower voltage to adjacent circuits. Additionally, different ESD (Electro Static Discharge) circuits for performing an electrostatic discharge function in an input/output unit are embodied depending on the supplied voltage level, thereby stabilizing power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device, and more specifically, to a technology of stably controlling a power source applied to a cell capacitor, thereby improving a sensing margin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a ferroelectric random access memory (hereinafter, referred to as 'FeRAM') has attracted considerable attention as next generation memory device because it has a data processing speed as fast as a Dynamic Random Access Memory DRAM and conserves data even after the power is turned off.
The FeRAM having structures similar to the DRAM includes the capacitors made of a ferroelectric substance, so that it utilizes the characteristic of a high residual polarization of the ferroelectric substance in which data is not deleted even after an electric field is eliminated.
The technical contents on the above FeRAM are disclosed in the Korean Patent Application No. 2002-85533 by the same inventor of the present invention. Therefore, the basic structure and the operation on the FeRAM are not described herein.
Meanwhile, a semiconductor memory chip requires various operating powers ranging from 1V to 5V depending on configuration and characteristics of the system. Specifically, as a pattern of the semiconductor memory device becomes microscopic, the operating voltage of a CMOS device drops at the same ratio. When the operating voltage of the CMOS device is dropped, power consumption also decreases.
In general, a capacitor included in the conventional FeRAM cell corresponds to a device which requires a relatively higher voltage. As a result, when the FeRAM cell is operated, a power voltage VCC is pumped to rise to an external power voltage VEXT level.
However, since the external power voltage VEXT having a high voltage level is also applied to adjacent circuits which do not require the high voltage except a cell capacitor, the power consumption of the semiconductor memory device increases. In addition, the area of the whole system board also increases because an additional power supply circuit for controlling power of the memory cell is included in the outside of a chip.

Nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device having power control function


An improved hermetically sealed case for enclosing an electronic element, wherein the case has an upper portion and a lower portion connected together by atomic bonding. The upper portion includes through holes. Each hole forms a lead to provide a connection from the outside of the case to the element within the case. Each lead is arranged in the through hole to seal the hole hermetically and yet provide an electrical contact for the element. The sealed case prevents the electronic element from being deteriorated by hazardous gas generated by the conventional welding process used to seal such cases.

This invention relates to an electronic component, especially to a structure of packaging an electronic element and a method of fabricating the same.
For some electronic elements, for example, surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters, it is necessary to package the filters in outer cases with some space between the filters and the inside of the case. Conventionally, a surface acoustic wave filter has been packaged in a case consisting of upper and lower cases welded together, keeping a small space upon or over the filter. The container for the filter was made from upper and lower cases of metal, for example kovar (well known alloy of Fe, Ni and Co) plated with gold, nickel, or the like. The cases were provided with brims. A pair of electric welding electrodes pressed the brims of the cases from both sides to flow a strong current to melt and fix them together. The heat from the welding caused small parts of the metal to be evaporated, and cover the surface of the aluminum of the SAW filter. Further, in the prior art, the substrate supporting the SAW filter was often fixed in the case by a silicon resin. This silicon resin was heated to fix the substrate in place. As a result, some of the resin evaporated and was deposited on the aluminum surface of the SAW element.
The deposits of metal and resin on the SAW filter often had adverse effects on the operating characteristics of the filter. For example, the frequency of the SAW filter was caused to shift adversely. The present invention prevents the adverse effects of these deposits on the elements housed in the package described in further detail hereinafter.

Electronic component and method of fabricating same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The invention provides a double pivot tilt joint for connecting two shafts for synchronous rotation and for tilting movement relative to one another. The double pivot tilt joint includes a first shaft member and a first pivot pin extending at least partially through the first shaft member. The double pivot tilt joint also includes a pivot block receiving the first pivot pin such that the first shaft member and the pivot block are pivotally coupled to one another about the first pivot pin. The double pivot tilt joint also includes a second pivot pin extending at least partially through the pivot block transverse to the first pivot pin. The double pivot tilt joint also includes a second shaft member receiving the second pivot pin such that the pivot block and the second shaft member are pivotally coupled to one another about the second pivot pin. The double pivot tilt joint also includes a groove defined by the first pivot pin and receiving the second pivot pin.

The steering apparatus of a vehicle often includes a steering wheel, a steering gear that steers the vehicle's wheels, and a steering shaft that provides a linkage between the steering wheel and the steering gear. It is common to use a plurality of shafts coupled together axially by universal joints because there is limited chance for locating the steering gear on the central axial line of the steering wheel. These shafts are coupled for concurrent or synchronous rotation and for pivoting movement relative to one another. A Cardan joint can be used to couple two shafts together. A Cardan joint includes a crosspiece inserted in a freely oscillatory manner between a pair of joint yokes. Another example of a joint for connecting two shafts is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,724.


A laser includes first and second feedback elements defining a laser cavity, and a gain medium within the laser cavity. The gain medium has first and second facets and an optical waveguide for guiding optical radiation between said first and second facets. The second feedback element is wavelength selective, and the optical waveguide is configured to direct optical radiation at an angle .theta. to the normal of the second facet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser.
2. Related Art
There is a requirement, for example in optical telecommunications networks, for lasers having a narrow linewidth output. Such lasers can be used in, for example, wavelength division multiplex systems where closely spaced, different wavelengths are utilised to carry different communications channels, or in high bit rate systems which require narrow linewidth optical sources in order to avoid the effects of dispersion. DFB (distributed feedback) semiconductor lasers, having a diffraction grating within the semiconductor gain material, have been utilised for these applications. A disadvantage of these DFB lasers is that, due to the temperature dependence of the refractive index of the semiconductor material, their output wavelength varies as their temperature varies. This generally necessitates the use of a temperature controller, and associated electronics, to stabilise the temperature, and thus output wavelength, of DFB lasers.
This problem has been overcome, to some extent, in fibre grating lasers (FGL), in which a lensed fibre, comprising a fibre grating, is aligned with a semiconductor laser diode to form a short external cavity laser, see for example "Narrow Line Semiconductor Laser Using Fibre Grating", Bird et al, Electronics Letters, Jun. 20, 1991, Vol. 27, No. 13, pp1115-1116. In this device, the laser diode facet closest to the lensed fibre end is anti-reflection coated so that lasing occurs between the back facet of the laser diode and the grating within the fibre. Since the majority of the laser cavity, including the grating, is now within the fibre, rather than the semiconductor material, the change in output wavelength of the FGL, with temperature, is far lower than that of a DFB laser.
The present applicants have found that known FGLs are not suitable for use in practical optical telecommunication networks due lo instabilities in both their output wavelength, and their output power, as either the drive current, or the temperature, of the FGL is varied.

British Telecommunications public limited company


A field emission display device and a field emission type backlight device having a sealing structure for a vacuum exhaust are provided. The field emission display device is constructed with a cathode substrate and an anode substrate attached to each other and facing each other and a vacuum-exhausted panel space formed therebetween to generated a visual image. Also, the field emission display device is constructed with a sealing member disposed along edges of the cathode substrate and the anode substrate to seal the panel space. At least one inlet exposed to the panel space and an exhaust passage through which the inlet communicates with an outside of the field emission display device are formed in the sealing member. The field emission display device and the field emission type backlight device according to the present invention has a reduced number of manufacturing processes and is suitable for a compact, slim and lightweight design, and a large screen by having the sealing structure for the vacuum exhaust.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a field emission display device and a field emission type backlight device, and more particularly, to a field emission display device and a field emission type backlight device in which a sealing structure for hermetically sealing a vacuum-exhausted panel space is provided as an exhaust path for an impure gas in the panel space.
2. Description of the Related Art
A field emission display device is a self-luminous display device that directly reproduces a full color image by concentrating a high electric field on an emitter that is an electron emission source to induce an emission of cold electrons and directing the electrons accelerated by a voltage difference between a cathode electrode and an anode electrode to collide with red, green, and blue phosphors. A field emission type backlight device is a backlight device that uses the aforementioned field emission, and does not form an image by itself but is mounted on a rear surface of a separate image-forming device, such as a liquid crystal display panel to supply a uniform surface light to the image-forming device.
In the field emission display device and the field emission type backlight device, a cathode substrate and an anode substrate are disposed facing each other and spaced apart from each other. A cathode electrode and a gate electrode crossing the cathode electrode are disposed on the cathode substrate, and the emitter, which is the electron emission source, is disposed at a crossing portion of the cathode electrode and the gate electrode. An anode electrode and a phosphor emitting a light by colliding with the electrons emitted from the electron emission source and accelerated by the anode electrode, are disposed on the anode substrate. The cathode substrate and the anode substrate are attached to each other by a sealant sealing a panel space therebetween. The panel space should be kept in a high vacuum state so as not to disturb the movement of the emitted electrons, and particularly to prevent charged particles from being generated by collision between an impure gas in the panel space and the accelerated electrons. Accordingly, a method for manufacturing the foregoing devices necessarily includes a vacuum exhaust process for sucking an impure gas, such as vapor, from the panel space with a vacuum pump and discharging the impure gas to the outside. According to the related art, an exhaust hole is perforated in a portion adjacent to an edge of the cathode substrate deviating from a display region, and an exhaust pipe is attached to a rear surface of the cathode substrate so as to communicate with the exhaust hole, and then the exhaust pipe is connected to the vacuum pump so that the impure gas in the panel is pumped out until the inside of the panel reaches a vacuum. In attaching the exhaust pipe, a frit paste is coated around the exhaust pipe located at the rear surface of the cathode substrate, and then the cathode substrate is heated to about the melting temperature of the frit paste in a heating chamber.
According to the related art, since the exhaust hole is perforated and the exhaust pipe is attached prior to the exhaust process, the number of processes increases. Also, when fine particles generated during the perforation of the exhaust hole through the panel, the particles may obstruct normal operation and result in a defective product. In addition, since the exhaust pipe is attached to protrude from a rear surface of the cathode substrate, the presence of the exhaust pipe restricts the amenability to reduce the thickness of the display device and to thereby manufacturing a thin type display device; moreover, the rear space of the display device occupied by the exhaust pipe is not suitable for use for another purpose, thus concomitantly decreasing space utilization.
Meanwhile, a portion adjacent to the edge of the cathode substrate is a region provided to perforate the exhaust hole, and thus cannot be used as an effective display region where a visual video image is displayed. Therefore, according to the related art, an ineffective region is necessarily generated due to the necessity for a perforation of the exhaust hole.
An impure gas generally remains in the panel space after the vacuum exhaust process. Therefore, a getter material that reacts well with an impure gas is injected into the panel, and is activated. The activated getter adsorbs the impure gas in the panel, and induces an internal space to a high vacuous state. According to the related art, the getter is dispersedly disposed in the exhaust pipe or an empty space in the panel except for a display region where electrodes are arranged. At this point, since the getter is exposed to an emission space of electron beams, a portion of electrons emitted from an emitter may be distorted in an unexpected path by interacting with the getter material. Also, since the getter after absorbing the impure gas becomes useless but still remains in the panel, a blank space for carrying the getter is separately required, and a separate supporting structure for fixedly supporting the getter is required. Consequently, according to the related art, the panel structure is complicated, and the degree of freedom of the design is restricted in the intensively designed panel structure.

Field emission display device and field emission type backlight device having a sealing structure for vacuum exhaust


A timepiece is presented that is adapted for recording the times of important events throughout the day. The timepiece comprises a primary display for viewing the current time of day and a secondary display for sequentially viewing one of a plurality times logged throughout the day corresponding with the important event. Interactive buttons on the timepiece facilitate the viewing and logging of the times displayed on the secondary display. A first button is a push button mechanism that records a time within the memory of the timepiece. A second button facilitates the scrolling of times on the secondary display for viewing by an individual. The timepiece can be utilized for recording the times of meaningful events throughout the day. For instance, the present invention may be utilized for recording how often a loved one is thought of or for when medication was last taken.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for recording the times throughout the day in which a memorable event occurs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a timepiece that includes a first display for observing the current time and a second display for viewing a series of logged times corresponding to a specific event.
Watches, clocks, and other timepieces have been used in the past for keeping a constant record of time throughout the day. Over the years the traditional watch has evolved to include the ability to record and keep track of supplemental data. Current watches are capable of keeping a record of the seconds, hours, days, weeks, and months of a given calendar year. Some specialized watches are also adapted for use in keeping data for fitness or can comprise a means for recording the speed of cars, boats, and/or planes. These features and more can be incorporated into analog and digital watches in order to provide different functionality to suit the needs of an individual.
While the known watch varieties each can comprise features that fit certain needs, there lacks a sufficient means marking the times that important events happen during a given day. Most watches include an audible or vibratory alarm that serves as a reminder to an individual that a task must be completed, such as waking up or taking medication. These alarms, however, fail to provide a means for reminding an individual if an event has occurred. For example, if an individual has previously taken their medication but has forgotten when, there does not exist a timepiece that comprises a means for recording a plurality of individual times for reviewing at a later time.
The present invention, however, provides a timepiece that comprises a means for recording instances in which important events occur throughout the day. The present invention enables an individual to press a button on the timepiece in order to timestamp a moment in time corresponding to a given event, thereby providing the individual with a log or series of references that correspond to the event occurrence over a specified period. The timepiece logging button can serve as a reference point for, inter alia, how often a loved one is thought of, a reminder for when medication was last taken, or may serve as a mechanism that indicates when an event has begun or ended.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to timepieces. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to watches that include specialized additions that are directed for supplying data that relates to sports parameters. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such prior art device, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0311544 to Robinette provides a wristband assembly having an opening for receiving a USB-type device therein. The connectable device includes a means for recording the distance traversed by an athlete while wearing the device. While the prior art device is suitable for its own purposes, it fails to provide a means for enabling an individual to timestamp any of a variety of important occurrences throughout the day.
Another prior art device, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0277014 to Caldwell provides an athletic monitoring watch. The watch includes a wrist strap, memory, an accelerometer, and a sensor that responds to movements of the wrist. The components of the prior art device are configured to provide a training device for improving golf swings. The prior art device utilizes audible and/or visual alarms that alerts the golfer to an event, such as an improper swing that departs from previous swings that are stored in the memory of the watch. Although the prior art device provides an alarm that signifies an event in time, the prior art device fails to provide a timestamp that is manually determined by the user.
Yet another prior art device, U.S. Pat. No. 8,260,405 to Aarts provides a monitoring apparatus for tracking the heart rate of an individual. The device includes a wrist strap, a capacitor, and a data processor for determining the heart rate and/or heart rate variation based on changes in the capacitance of the capacitor. The device further comprises an alarm that is generated when it is determined that the heart rate is out of a predetermined range that is stored in memory. Another device, Patent Publication No. 2008/0051667 to Goldreich provides a wrist-worn device adapted for measuring physiological parameters, including that of heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, body temperature and other parameters. When the parameters pass a predetermined threshold an alarm is signaled that indicates an emergency situation. Alternatively, the individual may press a panic button on the device when an adverse situation arises. While the prior art comprises a means of recording and comparing events in time, the prior art fails to provide a user controlled time reference for a passed event as a reminder for what has happened previously in the day.
Finally, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0234600 to March provides a hydration monitor that includes a temperature sensor for measuring body temperature. A processor receives signals from the sensor and then compare the received signals and signal an alarm if the signals are outside of safe parameters. While the device of the prior art is similar in nature and relevant to the present invention, it fails to provide a manually actuated button that is adapted for recording a time of day.
The present invention provides a timepiece that is utilized for providing a timestamp for making note of one or more events during a day. These events can be related to how often you think of someone or something and/or as a reference of when a task or goal has been completed. The timepiece can comprise the form of a watch, pendant, or clock, whereby each of the timepiece designs include a primary and a secondary display. The primary display resembles the traditional display of timepieces, and can include analog or digital time display mechanisms, whereas the secondary display comprises a digital display. The present invention includes three user control buttons that are adapted for setting the time of the device and for recording and displaying a plurality of times throughout the day. A first button is a push actuated button that records a time within the memory of the present invention when the button is pressed. Thereafter, the second button may be turned in order to facilitate the scrolling through the times that were previously recorded. Finally, a crown may be actuated in order to set the time on the digital or analog display of the timepiece.
In view of the drawbacks of the prior art devices, it is shown that the prior art has several known setbacks and that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art and subsequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing timepieces. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

Timepiece with secondary display for showing logged event times