A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device includes: forming a first layer on a member to be etched; forming a first hard mask that includes a first hard mask pattern, in the first layer; forming a second layer on the first hard mask and on an exposed surface of the member to be etched; removing by selective etching the second layer to form a side wall core that includes a core pattern; forming side wall spacers on side walls of the side wall core; and using the side wall spacers and the first hard mask to remove by etching the member to be etched.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a manufacturing method for a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a manufacturing method for a semiconductor device, including forming a fine pattern of a size smaller than a resolution limit of lithography using side wall spacers as a mask.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photolithography technique in a conventional semiconductor technology generally involves etching a base silicon substrate and a silicon oxide film using as a mask a photoresist pattern obtained by exposure and development through a photomask. However, as the pattern becomes finer, a type of light source used in the exposure has been changed, with the result that an etching resistance of a photoresist suited to the light source has been lowered. Therefore, the following technique is frequently used for pattern formation. That is, the pattern is once transferred by etching to a base film (for example, silicon nitride film) having a thickness that is relatively thin but thick enough to enable the photoresist to endure, using as a mask the photoresist pattern obtained through the photomask. Then, an original layer to be processed (for example, silicon oxide film), which is a base film of the silicon nitride film, is etched using the silicon nitride film as a mask, to thereby form the pattern. A silicon nitride film patterned in this manner is called a hard mask.
In recent years, demands for miniaturization and higher density of a semiconductor memory or the like have surpassed a development speed of a lithography technique concerning, for example, an exposure apparatus or a photoresist. As a result, a method of forming a pattern of a size smaller than a resolution limit of lithography has attracted attention. As an example of such a method, Patent Document 1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,688) discloses a technology of etching a layer under side wall spacers using the side wall spacers as a hard mask, to thereby form a fine pattern of a size smaller than a resolution limit of lithography.
In the method of forming a pattern using the side wall spacers as a hard mask, there are some points to be considered with regard to the side wall spacers. For example, (1) only a pattern having a fixed width that is determined by a film thickness of the side wall spacers may be formed, and thus the side wall spacers may not serve to form a pattern of an arbitrary size. (2) Both in a case where the side wall spacers are formed on outer side walls in an island-like pattern and in a case where the side wall spacers are formed on inner walls of an opening portion formed in an insulating layer, the side wall spacers are formed inevitably in a "loop-like" shape. When a line-and-space pattern is formed, end portions of different lines or end portions of different spaces are connected to each other, which requires to isolate a line pattern or a space pattern. (3) There is no mask pattern in a region in which the hard mask of the side wall spacers is not formed. Therefore, in a case where a space pattern or a hole pattern of a size smaller than a resolution limit of lithography is formed using the side wall spacers as a hard mask, it is necessary to prepare a large pattern that covers an entire surface of a region other than a region in which the above-mentioned fine patterns are formed.
In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, an entire surface of a substrate other than a channel region in which the hard mask of the fine side wall spacers is formed is covered with a photoresist. The substrate is etched using the photoresist and the hard mask of the side wall spacers as masks. In this manner, a fine trench pattern is formed only in the channel region on the substrate.
According to the technology described above, the region other than the channel region is covered with the resist, and hence an unnecessary trench is prevented from being formed. Further, the end portions of different lines or the end portions of different spaces are not connected to each other in the line-and-space pattern of the channel region, to thereby achieve isolating the space pattern.
Meanwhile, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2008-27978) discloses a method of forming a fine pattern of a size smaller than a resolution limit of lithography and, at the same time, forming a pattern of an arbitrary size using side wall spacers as a hard mask.
According to the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, a first core pattern for forming a hard mask of side wall spacers and a second core pattern for forming a pattern of an arbitrary size are formed on a semiconductor substrate in the same photolithography step. Side wall spacers are formed on both side walls of the first core pattern and side walls of the second core pattern. After that, the first core pattern is selectively removed while the second core pattern is left. The second core pattern is also used as a hard mask, to thereby form a hard mask of an arbitrary size.    Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,688    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2008-27978

Manufacturing method of semiconductor device


An embodiment of the invention provides a method for creating a snapshot of a data store. A command to create a snapshot of an original data store, stored to a parent virtual logical unit (VLU), is received. A deferred propagation data structure (DPDS) is associated with the parent VLU. The DPDS is capable of containing data propagation records and separators, each data propagation record contains a previous version of one or more data blocks of the parent VLU, each separator contains a pointer to a particular child VLU storing a snapshot of the original data store and separating the data propagation records pertaining to the particular child VLU. A child VLU to store the copy of the original data store is created. A new separator containing a pointer to the child VLU is created in the DPDS. A search pointer pointing to the DPDS is implemented in the child VLU.

The continued increase in data storage has been accompanied by an increasing need to have an accurate record of the state of particular data stores at specified times. A snapshot is a point-in-time image of a given data store. Snapshots may be created to effect recovery of data upon a catastrophic failure or to maintain a record of the state of the data at given times. Typical data storage systems may have a capacity of a terabyte (TB) or more. Such storage may be organized as a number of storage units of more practical size known as virtual logical units (VLUs). VLUs have their own well-defined virtual block address (VBA) space, and typically range in size upward from several hundred megabytes (MB). A snapshot may be created for an original VLU (parent VLU) at a user-specified time. The snapshot VLU (child VLU) then contains an exact copy of the parent VLU at the specified time. This child VLU can be accessed and modified just like any other VLU.
A basic approach to creating a snapshot is to make an actual copy of the entire VLU. For example, upon receiving a command to snapshot a VLU, all new data access requests (I/O requests—READs and WRITEs) to that VLU are halted, a child VLU of the same size is created, and the entire content of the parent VLU is copied into the child VLU. Both VLUs are then available to the user. Copying the contents of one VLU to another to create a snapshot is both time-consuming and an inefficient use of storage space. For example, a 1 TB VLU may require several hours or even days to completely copy, during which time the parent VLU is unavailable for data access. Moreover, the storage space required for the child VLU is equal to the size of the parent VLU.
Another typical approach is the "copy-on-write" approach, wherein data is not copied immediately when the snapshot command is received. Rather, a new VLU is created without actually allocating to it a full amount of storage space (i.e., an amount of storage space that is equivalent to the size of the parent VLU). In such a system, when a WRITE operation is received, the system first checks to see if the requested data block has already been copied into the child VLU. If the block has not yet been copied to the child VLU, the system explicitly makes the copy before allowing the requested operation to be serviced. A bitmap may be used to keep track of the data blocks that have been copied. A variant of this approach is for the system to initiate a background copying operation when the snapshot command is received without stopping the processing of new data access requests. This approach alleviates the problem of the VLU being inaccessible for long periods, but is still space inefficient.
A typical data storage system contains an array of disk drives, a controller for controlling access to the disk array, and a cache memory for storing recently accessed data so as to provide quick access to data that is likely to be accessed in the near-term without having to access the disk on every occasion. Since a particular file or block of data may be located on the disk or in the cache, the storage device typically includes metadata (MD) that registers all data blocks currently in the cache and, therefore, indicates whether a data block is on the disk or stored in cache. If the data block is in the cache, the MD indicates where the data block is stored in the cache. The MD may also indicate the current state of the data block (e.g., whether or not it has been "flushed" to disk). For such a system, another typical approach to creating a snapshot is to create a copy of the MD of the parent VLU when the snapshot command is received. The new copy of the MD is then assigned to the child VLU. With this approach, data access to the parent VLU is interrupted only long enough to make a copy of the MD. That is, because both copies of the MD point to the same data, the child VLU presents an image that is identical to the parent VLU immediately after the MD is copied. Thus, both the parent VLU and the child VLU can be made available to the user as soon as the MD is copied. Subsequently, if a WRITE is received for either VLU, the system checks to see if the MD of the child VLU and the MD of the parent VLU for the corresponding VBA are still pointing to the same data blocks. If not, the WRITE operation proceeds normally. Otherwise, a copy of the data block involved is made, and linked into the metadata for the child VLU before the WRITE operation is permitted to proceed. A bitmap or scoreboard may be used to keep track of the blocks that have been copied. Alternatively, the MD need not be entirely copied when the snapshot command is received. Instead, space for the MD and the bitmap is allocated, but left empty. A cleared "copied" bit implicitly indicates that a corresponding MD entry in the child VLU is identical to that in the parent VLU. An MD entry for the child VLU is filled in after the corresponding data block is copied. With such an approach, the time during which data access is interrupted is reduced because a relatively small amount of information (i.e., the MD) is copied before the VLUs are made available to the user again. Copying only the MD also has the advantage of needing only as much new disk storage space as the amount of changes made to the VLUs after the snapshot is created.
These solutions are quite efficient when there are a small number of snapshots in the system, but less so when multiple READ-WRITE-enabled snapshots are taken. This is frequently the case for cascaded snapshots of an original VLU. Cascaded snapshots are a succession of snapshots where each subsequent snapshot is a point-in-time copy of the preceding snapshot. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a succession of cascaded snapshots in accordance with the prior art. In FIG. 1, VLU1 is a snapshot of VLU0 created at 9:00 A.M. VLU3 is a snapshot of VLU1 created at 2:00 P.M. Note VLU3 is a snapshot of a snapshot (i.e., VLU1) as opposed to VLU2, which is a later snapshot of the original VLU (i.e., VLU0). A subsequent snapshot VLU created from the same parent VLU is referred to as a sibling VLU. For example, VLU1 and VLU2 are siblings. To continue, VLU4 is a snapshot of VLU3 created at 4:00 P.M. VLUs VLU0, VLU1, VLU3 and VLU4 form a snapshot cascade. Cascaded snapshots are often employed in particular data-use situations that share common characteristics. For example, consider a complex computation or simulation application that takes a long time (e.g., 10 days) to run to completion. At some point it may be desirable to have the simulation branch in several different directions with small variations in one or more parameters. Subsequently it may be desirable to alter different parameters in each of the branches. For these applications, the subsequent child snapshots (i.e., cascaded snapshots) may often be used as original VLUs, on which more simulations are run. In such cases the data access pattern will likely be a mix of READs and WRITEs, and the performance of the active VLU and its children become equally important. The method of creating snapshots should avoid penalizing one or the other. That is, since each VLU may be actively used (receive READs and WRITEs), the performance of the parent and child(ren) VLUs should be optimized, while optimizing capacity is not as critical since there will be changes to the data of the VLUs anyway.


A circuit breaker is disclosed having a toggle mechanism in which a desired overlap between the cam link and the sear pin is conveniently, and automatically, achieved. The toggle mechanism also exhibits a relatively small eccentricity, resulting in a circuit breaker which is significantly more sensitive to overcurrents than previous such circuit breakers.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to circuit breakers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A single pole circuit breaker is a device which serves to interrupt electrical current flow in an electrical circuit path upon the occurrence of an overcurrent in the circuit path. On the other hand, a multipole circuit breaker is a device which includes two or more interconnected, single pole circuit breakers which serve to substantially simultaneously interrupt current flow in two or more circuit paths upon the occurrence of an overcurrent in any one circuit path.
An exemplary, conventional single pole circuit breaker is depicted in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B. As shown, the single pole circuit breaker 10 includes an electrically insulating casing 20 which houses, among other things, stationarily mounted terminals 30 and 40. In use, these terminals are electrically connected to the ends of the electrical circuit which is to be protected against overcurrents.
As is known, the casing 20 also houses a stationary electrical contact 50 mounted on the terminal 40 and an electrical contact 60 mounted on a contact bar 70. Significantly, the contact bar 70 is pivotably connected via a pivot pin 80 to a stationarily mounted frame 100. A helical spring 85, which encircles the pivot pin 80, pivotally biases the contact bar 70 toward the frame 100. A contact bar stop pin 90, mounted on the contact bar 70, limits the pivotal motion of the contact bar relative to the frame. By virtue of the pivotal motion of the contact bar 70, the contact 60 is readily moved into and out of electrical contact with the stationary contact 50.
An electrical coil 110, which encircles a magnetic core 120 topped by a pole piece 130, is positioned adjacent the frame 100. An electrical braid 140 serves to electrically connect the terminal 30 to one end of the coil 110. An electrical braid 150 connects the opposite end of the coil 110 to the contact bar 70. Thus, when the contact bar 70 is pivoted in the clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 1), against the biasing force exerted by the spring 85, to bring the contact 60 into electrical contact with the contact 50, a continuous electrical path extends between the terminals 30 and 40.
The circuit breaker 10 also includes a handle 160 which is pivotably connected to the frame 100 via a pin 170. In addition, a toggle mechanism is provided, which connects the handle 160 to the contact bar 70. As more clearly depicted in FIG. 2A, this toggle mechanism includes a cam link 190 which is pivotably connected to the handle 160 via a pin 180. A significant feature of the cam link 190, shown in expanded view in FIG. 2B, is the presence of a step, formed by the intersection of non-parallel surfaces 194 and 198, in the outer profile of the cam link 190.
With further reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the toggle mechanism of the circuit breaker 10 also includes a link housing 200, to which is connected a projecting arm 205. The link housing is pivotably connected to the cam link 190 by a rivet 210 and pivotably connected to the contact bar 70 by a pin 220.
The toggle mechanism further includes a sear assembly, including a sear pin 230 which extends through an aperture in the link housing 200 to the cam link 190. This sear pin includes a circularly curved surface 232 (see FIG. 2B) which is intersected by a substantially planar surface 233. The sear assembly also includes a leg 235 (see FIG. 2A), connected to the sear pin 230, and a sear striker bar 240, which is connected to the leg 235 and projects into the plane of the paper, as viewed in FIG. 2A. A helical spring 250, which encircles the sear pin 230, pivotally biases the leg 235 of the sear assembly into contact with the leg 205 of the link housing 200. As a consequence, the sear pin 230 engages the step in the cam link 190, i.e., a portion of the surface 194 of the cam link 190 overlaps and contacts a portion of the curved surface 232 of the sear pin 230. Significantly, it is by virtue of this engagement that the toggle mechanism is locked and thus capable of opposing and counteracting the pivotal biasing force exerted by the spring 85 on the contact bar 70, thereby maintaining the electrical connection between the contacts 50 and 60.
By manually pivoting the handle 160 in the counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 1), the toggle mechanism, while remaining locked, is translated and rotated out of alignment with the pivotal biasing force exerted by the spring 85 on the contact bar 70. This biasing force then pivots the contact bar 70 in the counterclockwise direction, toward the frame 100, resulting in the electrical connection between the contacts 50 and 60 being broken. Manually pivoting the handle 160 in the clockwise direction then serves to reverse the process.
As shown in FIG. 1, the single pole circuit breaker 10 also includes an armature 260, pivotably connected to the frame 100. This armature includes a leg 265 which is positioned adjacent the sear striker bar 240. In the event of an overcurrent in the circuit to be protected, this overcurrent will necessarily also flow through the coil 110, producing a magnetic force which induces the armature 260 to pivot toward the pole piece 130. As a consequence, the armature leg 265 will strike the sear striker bar 240, pivoting the sear pin 230 out of engagement with the step in the cam link 190, thereby collapsing the toggle mechanism. In the absence of the opposing force exerted by the toggle mechanism, the biasing force exerted by the spring 85 on the contact bar 70 will pivot the contact bar in the counterclockwise direction, toward the frame 100, resulting in the electrical connection between the contacts 50 and 60 being broken.
Two or more single pole circuit breakers 10 are readily interconnected to form a multipole circuit breaker. In this configuration, each such single pole circuit breaker 10 further includes, as depicted in FIG. 3, a trip lever 270 which is pivotably connected to the frame 100 via a pivot pin 320. The trip lever 270 is generally U-shaped and includes arms 280 (shown in FIG. 3) and 290 (not shown in FIG. 3) which at least partially enfold the frame 100. A helical spring 330, positioned between the frame 100 and the arm 280 and encircling the pin 320, pivotally biases the trip lever toward the frame 100. A projection 300 of the trip lever 270, which, as viewed in FIG. 3, projects out of the plane of the paper, is intended for insertion into a corresponding aperture in the trip lever of an adjacent single pole circuit breaker. Thus, any pivotal motion imparted to the trip lever 270, in opposition to the biasing force exerted by the spring 330, is transmitted to the adjacent trip lever, and vice versa.
In the operation of the single pole circuit breaker 10, when employed in a multipole circuit breaker, if an overcurrent flows through the coil 110, then, as a result, as described above, the single pole circuit breaker 10 will be tripped, i.e., the contact bar 70 will be pivoted in the counterclockwise direction and the electrical connection between the contacts 50 and 60 will be broken. During this pivoting motion, the pin 220, pivotably connecting the link housing 200 to the contact bar 70, will engage a camming surface 285 on the bottom of the arm 280, thereby applying a torque to the trip lever 270. Consequently, the trip lever 270 will be pivoted away from the frame 100 and toward the armature 260. This pivotal motion will also be imparted to the trip lever of the adjacent single pole circuit breaker via the projection 300. Provided the torque applied by the pin 220 is sufficiently large, then the trip lever of the adjacent single pole circuit breaker will depress the corresponding armature, thereby tripping the adjacent single pole circuit breaker.
While single pole circuit breakers of the type described above are definitely useful, there are certain difficulties associated with their manufacture. For example, as more readily understood with reference again to FIGS. 2A and 2B, one such difficulty is associated with achieving an appropriate amount of overlap between the surface 194 of the cam link 190 and the curved surface 232 of the sear pin 230, when the toggle mechanism is in the locked position. As is known, the minimum amount of overlap is dictated by the need to prevent the toggle mechanism from collapsing in the absence of an overcurrent, if the circuit breaker is merely mechanically vibrated. On the other hand, the maximum amount of overlap is dictated by the requirement that the toggle mechanism collapse, upon the occurrence of an overcurrent, no later than the instant the armature 260 strikes the pole piece 130. In fact, it is generally desirable that collapse occur as the armature 260 pivots toward the pole piece 130 but before it actually impacts the pole piece. This is due to the fact that if the overlap is chosen so that collapse occurs only at the point of impact, then manufacturing variability may result in overlaps which are slightly larger than desired, and in corresponding toggle mechanisms which do not collapse even at the point of impact.
Conventionally, to achieve an appropriate amount of overlap., the depth of the step, i.e., the length of the surface 194, of the cam link 190 is made significantly greater than the desired overlap. In addition, during the process of assembling the toggle mechanism, an assembly-line worker bends the leg 205 of the link housing 200 to different test positions, resulting in the biasing spring 250 rotating the curved surface 232 of the sear pin 230 into different overlaps with the surface 194. At each test, position, a shim of specified thickness is inserted between the leg 235 of the sear assembly and the arm 205 of the link housing, which is intended to cause toggle collapse. Once collapse occurs, the correct amount of overlap is assumed to have been achieved. This procedure is also repeated after assembly of the circuit breaker as a whole. The resulting length of the overlap, expressed as a percentage of the length of the surface 194, is, at most, 75 percent, and usually significantly less than 75 percent.
Obviously, the current procedure for achieving appropriate amounts of overlap is time-consuming, requires manual labor and, as a consequence, significantly adds to the cost of manufacturing and assembling circuit breakers.
Yet another difficulty associated with the manufacture of conventional circuit breakers is that of achieving uniform eccentricities. That is, when the toggle mechanism of the circuit breaker 10 is in the locked position, as depicted in FIG. 2A, and an imaginary, straight line 215 is drawn from the center of the pivot pin 180 to the center of the pivot pin 220, then the center of the rivet 210, which pivotably connects the cam link 190 to the link housing 200, should be to the right (as viewed in FIG. 2A) of the imaginary line 215. (If the center of the rivet 210 were to the left of the imaginary straight line 215, then rotating the sear pin 230 out of engagement with the step in the cam link 190 would not lead to the collapse of the toggle mechanism.) The length of a perpendicular 217 extending from the imaginary line 215 to the center of the rivet 210 is defined as the eccentricity of the toggle mechanism. Significantly, the magnitude of the force that must be applied to the sear striker bar 240 to collapse the toggle mechanism is determined by the eccentricity, i.e., the larger the eccentricity, the larger the force, and vice versa.
If the toggle mechanism is initially in the collapsed position, then pivoting the handle 160 in the clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 1) will produce translation and rotation of the toggle mechanism components into the locked position, shown in FIG. 2A. In particular, during this translation and rotation, the cam link 190 initially undergoes a relatively small amount of rotation about the rivet 210 in the clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2A) until the back of the cam link 190 contacts the inner surface of the link housing 200. The length of the perpendicular 217 relative to the line 215, at the point when the cam link 190 achieves its maximum clockwise rotation, is here termed the baseline eccentricity, which is largely determined by the basic geometry of the circuit breaker configuration. After reaching its position of maximum clockwise rotation, the cam link 190 undergoes counterclockwise rotation about the rivet 210 until the surface 194 of the cam link 190 contacts the curved surface 232 of the sear pin 230, thereby locking the toggle mechanism. As a result of this counterclockwise rotation, the baseline eccentricity is increased by an amount here termed the supplemental eccentricity, to arrive at the eccentricity, as defined above. But the amount of counterclockwise rotation is related to the initial amount of clockwise rotation, which is limited by the distance between the back of the cam link 190 and the inner surface of the link housing 200. However, the link housing 200 is formed by bending sheet metal, a relatively imprecise process which introduces considerable variability into the distance between the back of the cam link 190 and the inner surface of the link housing 200, and a corresponding variability into the supplemental eccentricity, and thus into the eccentricity.
To minimize the eccentricity variability, described above, and thereby achieve uniformity of circuit breaker operation, it has been necessary to employ relatively large baseline eccentricities, which has led to relatively large eccentricities. However, the use of these relatively large eccentricities has led to toggle mechanisms which must be impacted by relatively large forces to achieve toggle collapse. Unfortunately, this implies that the corresponding circuit breakers are relatively insensitive to overcurrents.
To achieve meaningful comparisons of the eccentricities employed in circuit breakers having different physical dimensions, it is generally more useful to compare values of the ratio of the length of the imaginary straight line 215 to the corresponding eccentricity, a non-dimensional number hereinafter denoted R. Clearly, the smaller the eccentricity, the larger the value of R, and vice versa. Because of the need to employ relatively large values of eccentricity in conventional circuit breakers, as discussed above, the corresponding values of R have been limited to no more than about 47. Clearly, larger values of R, resulting from smaller eccentricities, are desirable as this would lead to circuit breakers which are more sensitive to overcurrents.
Thus, those engaged in developing circuit breakers have sought, thus far unsuccessfully, circuit breakers in which desired overlaps are more conveniently achieved, and which exhibit relatively large values of R.


A cargo anchoring and protection system particularly is provided for pickup trucks. The system includes six basic contributing components that operate individually or together to multiply their usefulness. These include: a pair of extruded anchor rails are provided to be removably attached to the top surface of the truck bed side walls; a bed liner with an optional separate floor section; a universal anchor beam; a cab guard with optional cargo access doors; a cargo bed enclosure; and a rear bumper.

Accessories such as cab guards, bed liners, protective bed rail caps and cargo enclosures have been used in the past on pickup trucks. They are generally designed and manufactured without consideration being given to the relationship between the accessories. In fact the accessories often conflict with one another. Furthermore, most of the accessories offered today either attempt to protect the truck bed area or enhance cargo carrying capacity, but not both. Accordingly, a need exists for a cargo anchoring and protection system which allows the use of all desired accessories to be used in conjunction with one another. Furthermore a need exists for a system which is capable of dividing the cargo area into more usable compartments, securely carrying a wide variety of cargo, protecting the pickup bed area from damage and protecting the cargo in the truck bed area from the elements, theft, and damage caused by loads moving as the pickup truck travels over rough terrain.

Modular cargo anchoring and protection system for pickup trucks


An objective lens driving device includes a lens holder (3) holding an objective lens (1, 2), a stationary part (5) that supports the lens holder (3) via wires (7a, 7b), an electromagnetic coil (11a-11d, 12a-12d) provided on the lens holder, and a magnet (4a, 4b) provided on the stationary part and magnetized in a multipolar manner so that different magnetic pole surfaces are arranged on a surface of the magnet facing the electromagnetic coil. The lens holder has a convex portion (16a-16d, 17a-17d) on a surface thereof facing the magnet. The convex portion has at least one groove (601-604, 701-704) portion extending parallel to a direction of magnetic flux lines of the magnet facing the convex portion, and at least a surface of the convex portion is formed of material having magnetic property.

Optical discs currently in widespread use include a CD (Compact Disc) and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). Further, a BD (Blu-ray Disc) is becoming in widespread use as a next-generation optical disc, which has an increased disc capacity due to high density technology so as to store image information of higher resolution.
A recording and reproducing device using the optical disc is required to have a function to properly perform recording and reproducing on a plurality of optical discs so that not only the newest BD but also the DVD and CD owned by a user can be used.
In order to respond to a plurality of kinds of optical discs, a technology has been proposed in which a single objective lens has a plurality of focal positions. In this case, for example, objective lenses for reproducing information from three kinds of optical discs, i.e., the BD, DVD and CD, have different focal positions depending on wavelengths of laser beams to be used.
As a result, a working distance (WD) varies depending on the kind of the optical lens to be used.
Here, an object lens actuator is generally configured to generate a driving force in a focusing direction using an electromagnetic force between a coil mounted to a lens holder of a movable part and a magnet provided on a stationary part. If the working distance varies according to the kind of the optical disc to be used as described above, a reference position (i.e., a relative position with respect to the magnet of the stationary part) of the movable part in the focusing direction also varies according to the kind of the optical disc to be used.
If there are a plurality of reference positions of the movable part, it becomes difficult to keep the optical axis of the optical lens perpendicular to a recording surface of the optical disc (i.e., to suppress an angular variation in a radial direction), since a magnetic field distribution varies depending on the reference position.
Here, in order to keep the optical axis of the objective lens perpendicular to the recording surface of the optical disc, there has been proposed an objective lens driving device in which a lens holder is supported using a plurality of wires whose rigidities are different from each other (see, for example, Patent Document No. 1).
In this objective lens driving device, the lens holder is supported using four wires in total, two wires being disposed on each side of the lens holder. Further, upper two wires have higher rigidity than lower two wires, so that an upper part of the lens holder is less mobile than a lower part of the lens holder. This generates a torque in a direction to cancel a torque that causes an inclination of the lens holder, so as to suppress the angular variation of the optical axis of the objective lens.
In addition, there has been proposed another objective lens driving device of the wire-supporting type, in which midpoints of the wires are joined to side surfaces of the lens holder using damper gel, and applying positions of the damper gel differ in the left and right sides of the lens holder (see, for example, Patent Document No. 2). In this case, the inclination of the optical axis of the objective lens has been preliminarily measured, and the damper gel is applied to appropriate positions based on the measured inclination so as to suppress the angular variation of the optical axis of the objective lens.
Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-178479 (FIGS. 11 and 13)
Patent Document No. 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-92949 (FIG. 13)

Objective lens driving device and optical pickup device


A method for automatically setting a time includes receiving a time set by a user and corresponding to a geographic region where a digital broadcast receiver is located, and then determining if a broadcast signal received by the digital broadcast receiver includes time information; if the broadcast signal includes the time information, calculating a difference between the set time and received time information; setting a time zone based on the difference in the digital broadcast receiver; and if a command to display time information is received, applying a time difference corresponding to the set time zone to the time information in the broadcast signal, which is received at the time the command is received, and displaying the resulting time information. A digital broadcast receiver using the method is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to automatically setting a time, and more particularly, to automatically setting a time zone and a daylight saving time (DST) based on a current time previously input to a digital broadcast receiver and a time transmitted to the digital broadcast receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a conventional method for setting a time in a digital television.
Referring to FIG. 1, a command to display time information is first input (S11). That is, a command to display information about a current time is input to the digital television.
A determination is then made as to whether time information is transmitted to and received at the digital television (S13). The determination as to whether the time information is transmitted to the digital television is made based on whether a broadcast signal received by the digital television includes the time information, i.e., whether the broadcast signal includes a packet identification (PID) indicating the time information.
If the digital television receives the broadcast signal including the time information, a determination is made as to whether a time zone is set in the digital television (S15). Here, the time zone refers to a zone (i.e., a geographic region) in which the same time is used. Time zones are generally centered on meridians of a longitude that is a multiple of 15°. Since the time information transmitted to the digital television is a standard time with no time difference corresponding to the time zone applied thereto, a determination as to whether to apply a time difference corresponding to the time zone to the transmitted time information is made based on whether such a time zone is set in the digital television. The time zone is set by a user via a time zone setup menu selected from among function menus of the digital television. Using the time zone setup menu, the user selects a given time zone from among displayed time zones. The time difference corresponding to the selected time zone will be applied to the transmitted time information to thereby calculate a current time.
If the time zone is set, it is applied to calculate the current time (S17). For example, if the time zone is set as Bangkok, the current time is calculated by adding two hours to the transmitted time information since the time difference corresponding to the time zone is −2 hours. If the time zone is not set, a default time zone is applied to calculate the current time (S19).
A determination is then made as to whether information about a daylight saving time (DST) is received by the digital television and the DST is set in the digital television (S21). Here, the DST precedes a standard time of a given zone by one hour to effectively utilize a longer daylight time in summer.
If the information on the DST is received by the digital television and the DST is set in the digital television, a current time is calculated by applying the DST, i.e., by subtracting one hour from a time obtained through application of the time difference corresponding to the time zone (S23).
Subsequently, in response to receiving a command to display time information, the calculated time information is displayed (S25). If the DST is not set in the digital television in S21, time information is displayed to which only the time difference corresponding to the time zone has been applied.
Meanwhile, if the time information is not transmitted to and received at the digital television in S13, a message is displayed indicating that there is no time information, in response to receiving the command to display the time information (S27).
In this conventional time setting method, a user has to manually input the time zone and/or set the DST. If the user does not have sufficient knowledge about the time zone or DST, he or she may set a wrong time zone or DST. Setting the wrong time zone or DST causes the user to continue to obtain time information with the wrong time zone or DST applied thereto.
For example, if a user sets the digital television to be automatically turned on or off, the ON/OFF operation of the digital television is performed based on a time set in the digital television. In this case, setting the wrong time zone or DST causes the ON/OFF operation of the digital television to be performed based on a time different from the current time of a region where the digital television is located. Accordingly, the ON/OFF operation of the digital television is not performed at a time desired by the user.
Similarly, when the user desires to obtain an electronic program guide (EPG), he or she will obtain information about a broadcast program schedule based on the time set in the digital television. Accordingly, setting the incorrect time zone or DST causes a user to obtain an electronic program guide different from a desired broadcast program guide or to obtain no electronic program guide.

Method for automatically setting time and digital broadcast receiving apparatus using the same


The present invention relates to an electrode array for neuromodulation, comprising a first electrode section with more than two electrodes being arranged parallel and densely packed in the first electrode section, further comprising a second electrode section with more electrodes than in the first electrode section, the electrodes in the second electrode section being arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis and transversal offset to each other. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a lead paddle and a neuromodulation system.

Electrode arrays and lead paddles for neuromodulation, especially neurostimulation, are for example known from U.S. Pat. No. 8,108,051 B2, US 2013/0096662 A1, US 2012/0006793 A1 and EP 3 013 411 A1.
For example US 2008/0269854 A1, US 2005/0113878A1 and EP2243510 B1 disclose a device for patient therapy with a specific kind of electrode array, i.e. a lead body suitable for patient implantation; a connection element carried by the lead body and positioned to electrically couple to a pulse generator suitable for patient implantation, and at least three electrical contacts carried by the lead body and positioned relative to the lead body to contact patient tissue and deliver electrical signals to a patient, wherein the spacings between the immediately neighboring contacts of said at least three electrical contacts are at least 8 millimeters.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,358,384 B2 discloses a flexible paddle electrode array which has transverse lines of reduced rigidity or stiffness at these flex or hinge lines, thereby allowing the flexible paddle electrode array to flex or deflect along its length at these hinge lines. Because of the living hinges, the staggered arrangement of the rows of the nonflexible and flexible electrodes, and the flex or hinge lines, the flexible paddle electrode array is able to flex along its length, but to be sufficiently rigid to maintain the nonflexible and flexible electrodes in adequate contact with patient tissue.
It has been found that depending on the implantation site of an electrode array being used and adapted for e.g. spinal cord stimulation, the way of arranging the electrodes influences the neuromodulation, especially the neurostimulation outcome and result.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrode array, a lead paddle and a neuromodulation system, which is more adapted and suitable for the stimulation of the spinal cord, the spinal segments and dorsal roots.
This object is solved according to the present invention by a lead paddle positioning and/or deployment system with the features of an electrode array for neuromodulation.
Accordingly, an example electrode array for neuromodulation, comprises: a first electrode section with more than two electrodes being arranged parallel and densely packed in the first electrode section, and further comprising a second electrode section with more electrodes than in the first electrode section, the electrodes in the second electrode section being arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis and with a transversal offset to each other.
The invention is based on the basic idea that with the combination of the first and the second electrode section two different means for specifically evoking targeted pools of motor neurons are provided. By means of an increased density of electrodes in the first section of electrodes, e.g. positioned in an application for spinal cord stimulation above the sacral level of the spinal cord in spinal cord stimulation, a current steering possibility may be provided to enhance stimulation specificity. In particular, a so-called electrode belt can be established with the more than two electrodes being arranged parallel and densely packed in the first electrode section. The stimulation with an electrode belt allows a well-defined (current steering) stimulation at the sacral level and can potentially target any desired spinal segment located above ("belt array" strategy). The "standard" regular paddle design configuration in the second electrode section is provided with regularly spaced electrodes for targeting dorsal roots at their entry point in spinal segments.
The electrode array may be configured and adapted for implantation into mammals, in particular human patients.
The electrode array be arranged for Central Nervous System (CNS) Stimulation. In particular, the electrode can be designed for the stimulation of the spinal cord.
It is possible to provide neuromodulation and/or neurostimulation with the electrode array to the CNS. CNS Stimulation can be done by Epidural Electrical Stimulation (EES) (or similarly subdural stimulation, hereinafter always to be understood as possible alternative to EES). Epidural Electrical Stimulation (EES) is known to restore motor control in animal and human models and has more particularly been shown to restore locomotion after spinal cord injury by artificially activating the neural networks responsible for locomotion below the spinal cord lesion (Capogrosso, M, et al., A Computational Model for Epidural Electrical Stimulation of Spinal Sensorimotor Circuits, Journal of Neuroscience 4 Dec. 2013, 33 (49) 19326-19340, Courtine et al., Transformation of nonfunctional spinal circuits into functional states after the loss of brain input, Nat Neurosci. 2009 October; 12(10): 1333-1342. Moraud et al, Mechanisms Underlying the Neuromodulation of Spinal Circuits for Correcting Gait and Balance Deficits after Spinal Cord Injury, Neuron Volume 89, Issue 4, p 814-828, 17 Feb. 2016). EES does not directly stimulate motor-neurons but the afferent sensory neurons prior to entering into the spinal cord. In this way, the spinal networks responsible for locomotion are recruited indirectly via those afferents, restoring globally the locomotion movement by activating the required muscle synergies. The produced movement is functional; however, due to relatively poor selectivity (network activation instead of selective targeting of key muscles) the controllability is low, and the imprecisions hinder fluidity and full functionality in the potential space of the movement. For example, neuromodulation and/or neurostimulation of the CNS may be used to enhance and/or restore the capabilities of the patient as regards movement, especially in a way that the existing ways of physiological signal transfer in the patient's body are supported such that the command signals for body movement or the like still are provided by the patient's nervous system and just supported and/or enhanced or translated by the CNS stimulation module.
Furthermore, it is possible that the first electrode section is arranged at a proximal end of the electrode array and/or the second electrode section is arranged at a distal end of the electrode array. The proximal end is especially the end of the electrode array, which is considering the implanted situation or the situation during implantation of the electrode array proximal than the second electrode section, which is then at the distal end or in a more distal position. By arranging the first electrode section close to the proximal end, the belt electrode strategy can be applied close the entry point or channel, where the electrode array and its carrier (e.g. a lead paddle) are positioned at and/or around the spinal cord. A more precise position can be provided with such a design and arrangement.
The electrodes in the first electrode section can be identical. This helps to enhance the effects of the belt array strategy as outlined above. Also, the steering predictability is enhanced as identical electrodes with inter alia identical functionality are used. This increases the predictability of the stimulation capabilities of the electrodes of the first section.
Also, the electrodes in the second electrode section can be identical. Thus, also in the second section the manufacturing is simplified and also the predictability of the stimulation result may be enhanced.
It is possible that electrodes are identical. By providing (only) identical electrodes, the manufacturing process may be simplified. Also, the stimulation behavior becomes more predictable as the electrodes are more comparable to each other when compared with an approach, where different forms of electrodes are used.
The electrodes may have a rectangular stimulation area. The stimulation area shall be understood as the area, which is effectively participating in the stimulation, i.e. the area which can be effectively used to send out stimulation signals and/or receive stimulation signals or other signals.
At least one electrode may have a length that is 2.0-4.0 times of the width. This relationship was found to be beneficial in trials as by this form stiffness in axial direction (i.e. along the longitudinal axis) of the electrode array and its carrier can be enhanced. Especially, the length may be 2.5-3.0 times of the width. An example value for the length could be chosen at around 2.6-2.7 times of the width.
Example dimensions of an electrode, especially of an electrode with rectangular form, can be approx. 4.0-6.0 mm length and approx. 1.3-2.5 mm width.
All electrodes may have the same orientation. Especially, it is possible that all electrodes have an orientation parallel to the longitudinal axis of the electrode array. In case that the electrodes have a form with a longer extension in one direction than the other, e.g. oval form, rectangular form or the like, and by arranging the electrodes all in the same direction, the stiffness and flexibility of the array of electrodes and its carrier can be influenced. If, for example, all electrodes have a form with a longer extension along their longitudinal axis and are oriented all in the same direction of the longitudinal axis, then the stiffness in the longitudinal direction is increased, while in radial direction still more flexibility and elasticity is offered. Such a design is especially beneficial for electrode arrays to be placed in the spinal channel for spinal cord stimulation.
The electrode array may have a length that is of 8-14 times of the length of an electrode, especially approximately 12 times of the length of an electrode. For example, if the length is chosen in a range of 4.00-6.00 mm, then the length of the array may be for example within a range of 50-70 mm. A suitable width of the electrode may then be chosen in a range of 10-13 mm. With such dimensions, sufficient area and volume of the spinal cord may be stimulated. Several segments of the spine and the respective parts of the spinal cord may be covered and stimulated this way.
The first electrode section and the second electrode section can be for example separated by a gap that is larger than the length of an electrode, especially wherein the length of the gap is chosen in a range of approx. 100-160% of the length of an electrode. A possible setup may be chosen such that the length of the gap is chosen in a range of approx. 100%. These dimensions have been found to be beneficial based on the following observations and consideration: The radiation and stimulation sent out from an electrode can also reach and stimulate areas adjacent to the electrode. Thus, also electrodes can be arranged spaced apart from each other without losing possible coverage of the area/volume to be stimulated. By choosing the gap in a range of approx. 130-160% of the length of an electrode still sufficient coverage of the area/volume to be stimulated can be reached. Also, it is possible to increase the overall length of the electrode in the longitudinal direction, which is beneficial especially in the field of spinal cord stimulation. So, a longer segment of the spinal cord can be covered and stimulated with the electrode array.
The electrode array can for example comprise a longitudinal axis in the direction of the longitudinal orientation of the electrodes, wherein the first electrode section is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis and with respect to a radial axis in the first electrode section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Symmetry in this section helps to increase the steering capabilities and the electrode belt stimulation strategy.
Alternatively and/or additionally it is possible that the second electrode section is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis and asymmetrical with respect to a radial axis in the second electrode section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Asymmetry is the second electrode section is helpful to achieve greater coverage of area/volume to be stimulated with the electrodes arranged in the second electrode section.
Although the second electrode section may be in that asymmetrical, the pattern of the electrodes in this section may still be a regular one, i.e. that the distance of neighboring electrodes and the arrangement of neighboring electrodes always stays the same (or more or less the same) in the second electrode section.
The first electrode section can comprise at least 3 columns, preferably at least four or five columns, aligned with the longitudinal axis and/or only one radial row along the radial axis. Three or more columns have found to be sufficient to establish successfully an electrode belt array strategy. Preferred setups comprise four or five columns. No further radial row has been found to be necessary.
The second electrode section can comprise for example at least 3 columns aligned with the longitudinal axis and more than 5 radial rows, preferably more than 7 rows, especially at least 8 rows. With such an arrangement, more coverage in longitudinal direction than in radial direction can be provided. This is especially beneficial in spinal cord stimulation, where in the spinal channel it is desirable to stimulate the spinal cord over a substantial part of the spinal cord and over several segments. In other words, one can say the longer the electrode array, the better it is for spinal cord stimulation.
The distance between electrodes of the first section can be for example less than the width of an electrode chosen in the range of approx. 50% to 95% of the width of an electrode, especially approx. 55-75% of the width of an electrode. A possible setup may be chosen such that the width of an electrode chosen in the range of approx. 55% of an electrode. By this, a dense packing of the electrode can be provided. Also, still the steering of the stimulation and the stimulation overlap can be managed very precisely.
Furthermore, for example in the second electrode section the electrodes in neighboring columns can be arranged to each other with a transversal offset. With such a transversal offset a good stimulation area coverage can be established. Also, in this way more coverage in for example the longitudinal direction with some coverage in radial direction can be provided with less electrodes.
Furthermore, in the second electrode section the distance between neighboring electrodes (or distance between neighboring contacts/electrodes or the distance to the neighboring contact/electrode) arranged in the same column can be for example chosen in the range of 135% to 155% of the length of an electrode, especially in the range of 140% to 150% of the length of an electrode.
Moreover, additionally and/or alternatively in the second electrode section the distance between neighboring rows can be chosen in the range of 130% to 150% of the width of an electrode, especially in the range of 135% to 145% of the width of an electrode.
These ranges have been found to be beneficial to achieve the aim of providing sufficient stimulation coverage in for example the longitudinal direction with some coverage in radial direction with less electrodes.
For example, the electrode array may comprise a number of electrodes chosen in the range of 8-32 electrodes, preferably 14-18 electrodes, most preferably 16 electrodes. It has been found that a number of electrodes chosen in the range of 10-20 electrodes allows sufficient precise stimulation and at the same time is good to handle in terms of complexity of the electronic system. The range of 14-18 electrodes has been found to be advantageous, as in this range steering and precise stimulation is possible. 16 electrodes appear to be the best compromise in steering capabilities, preciseness of the stimulation to be provided and also the area/volume to be stimulated and at the same time still manageable complexity of the necessary electronic system for the electrodes, by at the same time reducing side effect. The effects have been observed during trials (animal tests and clinical trials), which have not yet been published.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a lead paddle comprising at least one electrode array as defined above.
The lead paddle may be a lead paddle of a neuromodulation system, especially of a neurostimulation system.
Also, the present invention relates to a neuromodulation system comprising at least one electrode array as defined above and/or at least one lead paddle as defined above.
The neuromodulation system can be for example a neurostimulation system, especially a neurostimulation system for the stimulation of the spinal cord. In particular, the neurostimulation system may be a system to provide inter alia, but not limited to, EES. It can be a combined system that can provide EES and FES for example.
It will be appreciated that FIGS. 1-5 show example configurations with relative positioning of the various components. Further, the components are shown to scale. If shown directly contacting each other, or directly coupled, then such elements may be referred to as directly contacting or directly coupled, respectively, at least in one example. Similarly, elements shown contiguous or adjacent to one another may be contiguous or adjacent to each other, respectively, at least in one example. As an example, components laying in face-sharing contact with each other may be referred to as in face-sharing contact. As another example, elements positioned apart from each other with only a space there-between and no other components may be referred to as such, in at least one example. As yet another example, elements shown above/below one another, at opposite sides to one another, or to the left/right of one another may be referred to as such, relative to one another. Further, as shown in the figures, a topmost element or point of element may be referred to as a "top" of the component and a bottommost element or point of the element may be referred to as a "bottom" of the component, in at least one example. As used herein, top/bottom, upper/lower, above/below, may be relative to a vertical axis of the figures and used to describe positioning of elements of the figures relative to one another. As such, elements shown above other elements are positioned vertically above the other elements, in one example. As yet another example, shapes of the elements depicted within the figures may be referred to as having those shapes (e.g., such as being circular, straight, planar, curved, rounded, chamfered, angled, or the like). Further, elements shown intersecting one another may be referred to as intersecting elements or intersecting one another, in at least one example. Further still, an element shown within another element or shown outside of another element may be referred as such, in one example.

Electrode array, a lead paddle and a neuromodulation system


The invention provides a spectrum analyzing method, a distortion detector and a distortion compensation amplifying device for performing time/frequency conversion processing at high speed, and reducing a convergent time of a compensation coefficient. The distortion detector for detecting distortion in a frequency area with respect to an input signal includes a time window processing section for multiplying the input signal by a time window; an averaging processing section for averaging an output of the time window processing section; an FFT processing section for converting an output of the averaging processing section from a time area to a frequency area; and a distortion extracting section for extracting a distortion component from an output of the FFT processing section.

An amplifier is required in wireless communication to amplify a transmission signal. The amplifier generates nonlinear distortion as a nonlinear output level and an output phase with respect to an input level. Input vs. output characteristics showing nonlinear distortion have AM-AM characteristics showing the output level with respect to the input level, and AM-PM characteristics showing the output phase with respect to the input level. However, the amplifier is daringly used in an area for generating the nonlinear distortion to improve electric power efficiency. The nonlinear distortion generally causes unnecessary electric power emission over a band three to five times (seven times in a bad case) as much as a band width of the transmission signal. FIG. 11 is a spectrum showing one example of the transmission signal including distortion. The axis of abscissa shows a relative frequency with respect to a carrier frequency, and the axis of ordinate shows a relative level with respect to a desirable wave. In addition to the desirable wave, −IM7 (a seventh order higher harmonic wave of a negative side), −IM5 (a fifth order higher harmonic wave of the negative side), −IM3 (a fifth order higher harmonic wave band of the negative side), +IM3 (a third order higher harmonic wave of a positive side), +IM5 (a fifth order higher harmonic wave of the positive side) and +IM7 (a seventh order higher harmonic wave of the positive side) are shown.
Accordingly, a distortion compensation amplifying device for compensating the nonlinear distortion is required. As a system of signal processing for compensating the nonlinear distortion, there are an FF (Feed Forward) system and an APD (Adaptive Pre-Distortion) system. Each system is embodied at a commercial use level and a trial manufacturing level, and is effective. In the FF system, only distortion of an amplifier output is extracted and is subtracted from the amplifier output. In the APD system, distortion characteristics are given in advance before an amplifier input, and are cancelled with respect to the amplifier. In the APD system, all can be realized in digital signal processing. Therefore, the APD system is promising in compact formation and low cost formation. Further, in the APD system, an adaptive algorithm for following a change in characteristics of the amplifier such as temperature characteristics and a change with the passage of time, etc. is used.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing one example of the construction of a conventional distortion compensation amplifying device. This distortion compensation amplifying device has an amplifying section 1, a distributing section 2, a distortion detector 103, a compensation coefficient arithmetic section 104, an envelope line detecting section 11, a reverse characteristics memory section 12, a delay section 13 and a PD (pre-distorting) section 14.
There are several kinds of adaptive algorithms. For example, there is a method for changing a distortion compensation coefficient while a distortion signal is monitored (e.g., see patent literature 1). The reverse characteristics memory section 12 stores the AM-AM characteristics and reverse characteristics of the AM-PM characteristics provided in the amplifying section 1 in advance. The envelope line detecting section 11 outputs an envelope of the transmission signal as an address of the reverse characteristics memory section 12. The reverse characteristics memory section 12 outputs the reverse characteristics stored to this address to the PD section 14. The PD section 14 gives the reverse characteristics to the transmission signal delayed in the delay section 13. The amplifying section 1 amplifies an output of the PD section 14. The distributing section 2 distributes an output of the amplifying section 2, and outputs one of this output to the exterior and outputs another of this output to the distortion detector 103. The compensation coefficient arithmetic section 104 updates contents of the reverse characteristics memory section 12 by using an adaptive algorithm so as to minimize distortion detected by the distortion detector 103.
For example, patent literature 2 shown below is known as a relative prior art of the present invention. This pulse wave detector can measure an accurate pulse number even when an arithmetic means low in calculation ability is used.
Patent literature 1: JP-A-2004-128921
Patent literature 2: JP-A-2004-121625 (pp. 4-7 and FIG. 1)
Patent literature 3: JP-A-9-138251

Spectrum analyzing method, distortion detector and distortion compensation amplifying device


A method in a first wireless device (WD) supporting wireless communication with a second WD is described. A plurality of wireless packets is received from the second WD including at least a first wireless packet. At least another wireless packet of the plurality of wireless packets is one of a retry packet and a repeat packet of the first packet. Each wireless packet of the plurality of wireless packets includes a plurality of bits and a first group of bits. For each received wireless packet, the plurality of bits corresponding to the received wireless packet is de-spread, and the first group of bits is correlated with a predetermined group of bits. The method further includes performing a majority vote based on the correlation of the first group of bits of each received wireless packet and creating a corrected packet based in part on the majority vote.

The present disclosure relates to communication between devices, where the communication is based upon IEEE 802.11 technology commonly known as Wi-Fi. IEEE Standard 802.11-2016 is used as a reference for some specifications used in the present disclosure. Standard exchange of packets between two stations (STAs), such as between a STA A and STA B, involves the STA A transmitting a packet to STA B and then waiting for an acknowledgment (ACK) packet to be received back from STA B before sending the next packet. In a standard infrastructure network, either STA A or STA B may be an access point (AP). Consider a case where STA A is an AP and STA B is a station, STA. After the AP has transmitted the packet to a STA, the AP will wait for a set timeout period. If the ACK is not received within that timeout period, the AP will assume that the packet failed and will, in most cases, retry the transmission. If, at the STA, the packet is received with errors, then the STA will not transmit an ACK. In the case that successive transmissions of that packet do not receive an ACK within the specified timeout period, then the AP will retry the packet up to a retry limit and, at that point, discard the packet.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a monitoring station 100 receiving a communication packet from a target station 110, e.g., a legacy Wi-Fi station such as a known Wi-Fi station. The monitoring station 100 and the target station 110, e.g., the legacy Wi-Fi station, are at a distance d 150 apart. As the distance d 150 increases, the received signal level and the signal-to-noise ratio, SNR, at the monitoring station 100 lowers, and the point may be reached where the received signal level at the monitoring station 100 is such that the communication packet is received with bit errors and, as discussed above, the packet fails. Any obstruction losses between the target station 110, e.g., the legacy Wi-Fi station, and the monitoring station 100 may also contribute to low SNR.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of a direct sequence spread spectrum, DSSS, packet 200, e.g., a data or management packet, that complies with the Standard. The direct sequence spread spectrum, DSSS, system is described in Clause 15 of the Standard. Each bit is spread with an 11-bit Barker code spreading sequence. A packet comprises a physical layer, PHY, preamble 210, a PHY header 220 and medium access control, MAC, protocol data unit, MPDU, 230. The PHY preamble 210 comprises two subfields, SYNC 211, and start of frame delimiter SFD 212. The PHY header 220 comprises four subfields: Signal 221, Service 222, Length 223, and cyclic redundancy check CRC 224. The MPDU 230 is comprised of the following fields/sub-fields: Frame Control 231, Duration 232, Address 1 233, Address 2 234, Address 3 235, and Sequence Control 236, which together comprise the MAC Header 239, plus the Frame Body 237, and frame check sum FCS 238.
All the bits in the packet 200, e.g., DSSS packet, are scrambled with a polynomial G(z)=Z−7+Z−4+1 before being transmitted. Hence, the raw received bits, after de-spreading, are the scrambled bits which are then de-scrambled in order to reproduce the original bit stream. Any raw bits that are received in error, when de-scrambled, result in 3 out of the next 8 de-scrambled bits also being in error. The CRC 224 is used to protect the contents of the Signal 221, Service 222 and Length 223 fields/subfields. The FCS 238 is a 32-bit field containing a 32-bit CRC. The FCS is calculated over all of the other fields of the MPDU 230. Therefore, in order for a DSSS packet to be successfully received, there must not be any error in any of the raw received bits. If either the CRC or FCS checks are not correct, then the packet is deemed to have failed and no ACK packet is sent in response. The expected behavior is that the packet will then be retransmitted as a "retry" with the Retry bit 241 in the Frame Control 231 set to 1. The Type 242 and Subtype 243 fields in the Frame Control 231, define the type of packet, e.g., data, or management (e.g., probe request or response, association request or response).
A packet may be re-tried up to a "retry limit" which is set by the station transmitting the packet. As the SNR of the received packet decreases, the possibility of a bit being received in error increases. For example, as the range increases, in the general sense, the SNR will decrease, and there exists a limitation to the range at which a packet may be received without bit errors.

System and method for reception of wireless local area network packets with bit errors


Methods and systems for preserving dynamic random access memory content in response to a hung processor condition are disclosed. In order to preserve dynamic random access memory content, a first watchdog timer is initiated and strobed at a predetermined time interval less than its timeout value. If a hung processor condition occurs and the strobing of the first watchdog timer fails, the first watchdog timer generates a non-maskable interrupt to the processor. The non-maskable interrupt triggers the processor to execute an interrupt service routine. If the processor is able to execute the interrupt service routine, the interrupt service routine controls the processor to perform a selective system reset and preserve dynamic random access memory contents. If the processor is not capable of executing the interrupt service routine, a board reset occurs and dynamic random access memory contents are cleared.

Two types of memory currently used in general purpose computer systems are static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Using static random access memory to store data is advantageous because static random access memory does not require periodic refresh signals in order to retain its contents. As a result, static random access memory contents can be preserved even when a computing system resets. One disadvantage to static random access memory is that it requires more transistors and therefore consumes more on-chip area per memory cell than dynamic random access memory. Dynamic random access memory is less expensive than and requires fewer transistors than static random access memory. However, dynamic random access memory requires a periodic refresh signal for the memory to retain its content. If an interruption occurs in the refresh signal, memory contents will be lost or corrupted.
In light of the cost and size advantages of dynamic random access memory, some microprocessors and their associated memory management and I/O controller chip sets are configured only to support dynamic random access memory. For example, the chip sets associated with the Intel Pentium® and Xeon® families of processors are configured to work only with dynamic random access memory. As a result, if the refresh signal from the memory management unit is interrupted, the contents of dynamic random access memory will be lost with these processor types.
One particular example where dynamic random access memory contents may be lost occurs when a processor hangs, the system resets, the memory management unit (MMU) is reinitialized and therefore memory contents are cleared. A hung processor condition may result from the processor executing a sequence of instructions that results in an infinite loop. If such a situation occurs, the processor may become incapable of performing any operations. When this occurs, a system or board reset is usually performed to restart the processor. When the processor restarts, one of the first operations usually performed by the processor is to initialize the MMU. Initialization of the MMU interrupts the refresh signal, thus corrupting the DRAM memory.
In some high performance computing applications, such as telephony computing applications, it may be desirable to preserve DRAM contents over system reset resulting from a hung processor condition. However, because the conventional solution is to corrupt, overwrite, or clear DRAM contents after reset in response to a hung processor condition, the cause of a hung processor condition may be difficult to determine.
Accordingly, there exists a long-felt need for improved methods and systems for detecting a hung processor condition and for preserving DRAM contents in response to the hung processor condition.

Methods and systems for preserving dynamic random access memory contents responsive to hung processor condition


A stick-on, flexible peel and seal, wet wipes package includes a flexible package body having a front surface, a rear surface, and an internal space sized to contain a plurality of removable wet wipes. An elongated opening extends through the package body to the internal space for accessing and permitting dispensing of the removable wet wipes. A substantially self-closing, resealable label flap is positioned on the front surface of the package body to cover the opening formed therein. The label flap has a bottom surface provided with a sealing adhesive that creates a seal entirely around the periphery of the opening and permits repeated application and removal of the label flap relative to the package body. The label flap further has a starting tab non-adhesively positionable in contact with the front surface of the package body. An adhesive layer structure is provided on the rear surface of the package body for adhering the package body to a support surface. A removable peel-off release layer structure covers and protects the adhesive layer structure prior to use thereof. The package body and the adhesive layer structure are removable from the support surface following emptying of the wet wipes from the package body.

Resealable label flaps of peel and seal labels are commonly used with flexible product packages that include packaged sheet-like removable articles or wipes that have been thoroughly wetted with a liquid prior to packaging. The product packages are generally constructed from a thin, liquid-impervious material that has an opening over which the label flap is removably adhered. Typically, the label flap is a strip of flexible film or semi-rigid thermoplastic material having a removable pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to one surface of the label. The removable adhesive creates a generally air-tight seal around the package opening to prevent the packaged wet wipes from drying out during storage.
Although flexible peel and seal packages provide easy and ecologically friendly disposal, such packages can present difficulty in dispensing of the wet wipes and resealing of the label flap. If the label flap is incorrectly positioned or not reapplied, the wet wipes contained within the package are vulnerable to contamination and may eventually dry out thus reducing the product's effective life. Such dispensing and label resealing problems stem, in part, from the fact that the packages are not properly and efficiently fixed or mounted in place during dispensing such that a user must manipulate one's hands to hold the package, open the label flap, extract the wet wipe, and then reseal the label flap.
Accordingly, there remains a need to provide flexible peel and seal dispensing packages with a convenient and strong mounting structure to a support surface in a manner that improves the ease of dispensing, resealing, and locating the wet wipes. Such mounting structure should be designed so that it does not impair the printed graphics and text on the flexible package prior to the mounting process.

Stick-on, flexible, peel and seal package dispenser


A hip harness for supporting upper body armor. The harness includes a hip belt, a frame, and a coupler. The hip belt is securable about the hips of a user of the body armor. The frame provides flexible support and has a lower end secured to the rear portion of the hip belt. The coupler is adjustably securable to the upper end of the frame. It has strips that fit through attachment loops on the back of the body armor to secure the harness to the armor.

Armor plates have been widely adopted for use by armed forces, particularly when in combat situations. The plates may be constructed of various materials, but are usually quite heavy, as they are typically constructed of a thick ceramic material. Thus a standard combination of plates worn in a vest may weigh between 20 to 36 pounds. The plates are held in a vest shell with hook-and-loop style closures holding the plates within the shell. The shell is constructed of a high denier nylon material and includes attachment loops such as "PALS" or "MOLLE" loops for optionally securing other items to the exterior of the vest, such as holsters or pouches. The weight of the armor-plate-loaded vest is primarily borne by the shoulders of the wearer, although a stretch panel may tighten the vest about the abdomen of the wearer to reduce the vest (and armor panels therein) from shifting about during active use. Carrying the weight of the armor vest in this manner can be quite tiring, given the weight and inflexibility of the armor plates.


A vibration detector suitable for field use and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A representative apparatus includes a vibration sensor in contact with the vibrating structure. The vibration sensor can be in contact with the vibration isolators to eliminate the frequencies of the operator's hand. In some embodiments, a contact force between the vibration sensor and the vibrating structure can be measured using, for example, contact resistors. Since the sensitivity of the vibration sensor can be a function of the contact force, the vibration amplitude measurements can be adjusted for a known contact force to improve the precision of the vibration amplitude measurement.

Vibration can be an important consideration when designing, testing, and maintaining machinery. For example, significant levels of vibration can indicate poor design or an impeding failure of the machinery. The presence of unexpected frequency peaks in a vibrating structure may indicate nonlinear interactions among the natural frequencies of the subassemblies, which can cause premature failure of the machinery. In some applications, detecting an increase in vibration amplitude is a trigger for initiating equipment maintenance and/or service.
Vibration detection is often performed in the field by attaching one or more accelerometers or other vibration sensors to the rotating machinery or other vibrating structure. Vibration sensors produce output signals that can be used to determine the amplitude and frequency of vibration. It is known that contact between the vibration sensor and the vibrating structure can be improved by rigidly attaching vibration sensors (i.e., accelerometers) to the rotating machinery. In general, rigidly attaching the vibration sensor improves the transmission of vibrations from the vibrating structure to the sensor. However, such rigid attachment may not be possible or at least not practical with hand held vibration meters, which are preferred for the field use. Instead, a hand held vibration detector is typically kept by hand in contact with rotating machinery in the field to measure the vibrations.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional vibration meter 100. In operation, a wand 3 of the vibration meter 100 contacts a vibrating structure 5. The vibrations are transmitted through the wand 3 to an accelerometer 2 inside a housing 4. When subjected to vibrations, the accelerometer 2 produces an output signal to be routed to electronics within the unit 100 via wires 6. The unit 100 then determines vibration amplitude/frequency based on the signal coming from the accelerometer. The output (i.e., the amplitude and frequency of the vibration) can be displayed using display 7. However, such a conventional device is sensitive to the quality of contact between the device and the vibrating structure. Therefore, the accuracy of reading for the vibration sensor in a hand-held device remains a problem.

Vibration sensor in a portable vibration meter


A casing liner and method for lining a casing affixed in a well bore. The casing liner having a plurality of grooves and ridges arranged longitudinally and in an alternating relationship about the exterior surface of the casing liner to increase stress storage upon the casing liner being radially reduced in size and thereby decrease the expansion rate of the casing liner and facilitate installation of the casing liner into the casing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liner for a well bore, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved apparatus and method for lining a casing affixed within a well bore.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
As the drilling of an oil or gas well progresses, the well bore is lined with a casing that is secured in place by a cement slurry injected between the exterior of the casing and the well bore. The casing commonly consists of steel tubulars joined by couplings and functions to provide a permanent well bore of known diameter through which drilling, production, or injection operations may be conducted. The casing also provides the structure for attaching surface equipment required to control and produce fluids from the well bore or for injecting fluids therein. In addition, the casing prevents the migration of fluids between subterranean formations through the well bore (e.g., the intrusion of water into oil or gas formations or the pollution of fresh water by oil, gas, or salt water).
Heat loss from produced fluids through the steel tubulars and couplings of the casing to the surrounding subterranean formations is relatively high due to the high thermal conductivity of steel and rock. Heat loss from the produced fluids can be problematic during production. For example, if a gas is produced through the steel tubulars, liquids condensing from the gas due to cooling can result in liquid dropout thereby causing a loss of valuable fluids and reducing the flow of the gas through the steel tubulars. Another problem may arise when temperature loss from the produced fluids induces the formation of scales, paraffin, or other deposits on the steel tubulars, thereby creating restrictions, or even a blockage, of the fluid flow through the steel tubulars.
Though vacuum insulated steel tubing offers sufficient insulation, heat loss from the couplings may reduce the total insulation quality significantly. Furthermore, couplings can create discontinuities along the flow path that result in increased friction and turbulence in the flow of produced fluids. Plastic liners have demonstrated insulation benefits and are more consistent than vacuum insulated steel tubing because they do not have couplings. Plastic liners are generally less expensive than vacuum insulated steel tubing; however, current plastic liners are not as effective in insulation benefits per foot as the vacuum insulated steel tubing.
A method of lining a casing with a continuous string of tubular polymeric material has previously been proposed. This method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,419, issued to Jack Vloedman. The method disclosed in the Vloedman '419 patent utilizes a continuous, smooth walled polymeric tubular liner wound on a portable spool. The smooth walled liner has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the casing and is reeled off the spool and through a roller reduction unit to reduce the diameter of the liner so that the liner can be injected into the casing. A weight system connected to the bottom end of the liner maintains the reduced liner in tension so that the liner remains in its reduced state until the liner is positioned at a desired depth. After the liner is run to such depth, the weights are removed thereby allowing the reduced liner to rebound and form a fluid tight seal with the casing and seal any breaches in the casing.
While the method disclosed in the Vloedman '419 patent has successfully met the need for lining and repairing breaches in a casing in an effective and time efficient manner, several inefficiencies have nevertheless been encountered, particularly when attempting to line a casing at depths below about 5,000 feet. In attempting to line a casing at depths below about 5,000 feet, the weight of the weight system coupled with the weight of the liner being run into the casing can cause the liner to plastically deform and exceed the yield strength resulting in permanent deformation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for lining a downhole casing


A method for treating vascular injury, particularly vascular injury resulting from restenosis following angioplasty, and vascular remodeling is provided. The method involves administering to subjects in need of such treatment an effective amount of a Fas ligand molecule.

Arteriosclerosis is a disease that is characterized by a thickening and hardening of regions of an arterial wall. A particular type of arteriosclerosis is atherosclerosis, which affects the large arteries and is often the basis for coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysm, arterial disease of the lower extremities, and cerebrovascular disease. Atherosclerosis is characterized by the formation of fibrous plaques that contain a large number of smooth muscle cells, macrophages, collagen, extracellular lipid, and necrotic cell debris. The accumulation of material in a fibrous plaque results in narrowing of the blood vessel lumen which, in turn, restricts arterial blood flow. When the fibrous plaques become sufficiently large to block blood flow completely, the organs that are supplied by the artery undergo ischemia and necrosis. The accumulation of fibrous plaques also weakens the artery, an event which frequently results in rupture of the intima, aneurysm and hemorrhage. Moreover, fragments of the fibrous plaque may detach and form arterial emboli that can precipitate an aortic aneurysm or arterial disease of the lower extremities.
To date, the most frequently used methods for treating atherosclerosis include surgical procedures, drug therapies, and combinations of the foregoing. In general, the drug therapies for treating atherosclerosis are designed to prevent or reduce the accumulation of plaque material. For example, drugs such as diuretics, anti-adrenergic agents, vasodilators, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, renin inhibitors, and calcium channel antagonists have been used to treat conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia, which contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Surgical methods for treating atherosclerosis include coronary bypass surgery, atherectomy, laser procedures, ultrasonic procedures, and balloon angioplasty. Such methods involve significant risk (e.g., of infection, death) to the patient and, even if successful, fibrous plaque formation frequently occurs at the site of vascular anastomoses, causing reclusion of the surgically-treated vessel.
Balloon angioplasty frequently results in injury to the blood vessel wall. Such vascular injury has been shown to induce proliferation and apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), with the relative amounts of cell proliferation and apoptosis ultimately determining the size of the injury-induced lesion. Although peptide growth factors, receptors and their associated intracellular signaling pathways have been extensively studied in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), little is known about the VSMC nuclear factors that integrate these signals and initiate the regulatory cascades that determine whether a cell will proliferate, alter its state of differentiation, or undergo apoptosis.
Apoptosis is a cell death pathway that is highly conserved throughout evolution (Ameisen J C, et al., Science 1996; 272:1278-1279). Apoptosis is characterized by membrane blebbing and retention of its integrity, cellular and cytoplasmic shrinkage, and chromosomal fragmentation and condensation, endonuclease activation resulting in the characteristic 180 bp DNA ladder (Yang E and Korsmeyer S J, Blood 1996; 88:386-401). A number of stresses can induce apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, including the administration of glucocorticoids, removal of hormones, chemotherapy, mechanical injury, and DNA damage. Apoptosis is also induced by aberrant cell cycle activity, and can be triggered in cells that express the Fas receptor following activation of the Fas receptor by its natural binding partner, the Fas ligand. Cells expressing the Fas ligand (FasL) bind to cells that express the Fas receptor and thereby initiate a cascade that results in apoptosis (Nagata S and Golstein P, Science 1995; 267:1449-1456).
The Fas ligand is expressed in cytotoxic T lymphocytes and in immune privileged tissues such as the eye and testes. Recently, tumors have been reported to express Fas ligand, presumably, to allow tumor cells to protect themselves from cytotoxic T lymphocytes by inducing apoptosis in these cells (Hahne M et al., Science 1996; 274:1363-1366; Strand S et al., Nature Med. 1996; 2:1361-1366; O'Connell J et al., J. Exp. Med. 1996; 184:1075-1082). Several patents disclose the use of the Fas ligand/Fas receptor system for inducing apoptosis in lymphocytes and, thereby, harnessing the ability of these natural molecules to suppress lymphocyte-mediated immune responses such as autoimmune conditions and tissue rejection. For example, PCT Application no. PCT/US95/06742 ("Use of Fas Ligand to Suppress Lymphocyte-mediated Immune Responses", publication no. WO 95/32627) reports that intact and soluble mouse and human Fas ligand polypeptides and/or genes encoding such polypeptides, may be provided to a recipient mammal to suppress T-lymphocyte-mediated transplant or graft rejection. According to WO 95/32627, the compounds are also effective in suppressing and preventing lymphocyte-mediated primary disease, such as juvenile diabetes, and primary disease re-occurrence by, for example, introducing into a mammal a cell which expresses the Fas ligand.
In view of the foregoing, a need still exists to better understanding the molecular processes underlying injury-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and apoptosis, and to develop improved drug therapies to replace or supplement the existing methods for treating atherosclerosis and related conditions that are mediated by excessive smooth muscle cell proliferation. Preferably, such drug therapies would be designed to reduce or prevent plaque formation at its earliest stages.

Fas ligand compositions for treatment of proliferative disorders


A frequency assignment method for selecting a frequency width used on a route connecting between a start point and an end point when the start point and the end point of an optical signal are supplied in a photonic network including an optical node that includes an optical switch for switching the optical signal without electrically terminating the optical signal is disclosed. The frequency assignment method includes steps of: obtaining a correlation amount of use state of wavelength or frequency between adjacent links by referring to a route calculation result; determining a fixed frequency width or variable frequency width to be set for a communication route based on the correlation amount; and assigning the fixed frequency width or the variable frequency width on the route.

An optical path network that supports current backbone networks mainly includes optical communication apparatuses such as wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatuses, optical add/drop apparatuses and optical cross connect apparatuses, transmission routes such as optical fibers connecting the apparatuses, and paths such as wavelengths connecting between optical communication apparatuses by passing through transmission routes. Especially, research and development of a transparent type optical path network is attracting attention, in which the transparent type optical path network is for connecting between optical communication apparatuses of the optical path network from an end to the other end without regenerative relay processing for the optical signal. One of problems for the transparent type optical path network is to determine a route on the network and to determine a wavelength to be assigned on the determined route when receiving a traffic transfer request. These are generally referred to as Routing and Wavelength Assignment (RWA) problem.
A conventional RWA scheme in the transparent type optical path network is described. As shown in FIG. 1, when performing RWA, a route is determined first by routing processing in general. The shortest path algorithm is often used for determining the route. As shown in FIG. 2, as the shortest path algorithm, there are a fewest-hop method, a shortest distance method and the like. The fewest-hop method is a method for minimizing the number of hops between end points of the route, and the shortest distance method is a method for minimizing the physical distance. After determining the route by these methods, a wavelength is assigned by a first-fit method, a most-used method, or the like. In the first-fit method, in a case where there are a plurality of candidates of wavelengths that can be assigned when selecting a wavelength on a route, wavelengths, to which numbers are assigned, are assigned in order from lower number. As to the numbers assigned to wavelengths, wavelengths are numbered in order from the shortest wavelength. Also, wavelengths may be numbered in order from the longest wavelength. In the most-used method, in a case where there are a plurality of candidates of wavelengths when selecting a wavelength on a route, the number of wavelengths used in the whole network is counted for each wavelength, and the most used wavelength is used preferentially (refer to non-patent document 1, for example).
The above-mentioned RWA method is expected to realize economy and power saving of the optical path network by efficiently utilizing limited wavelength resources in the transparent type optical path network.
In addition, recently, an optical network (band variable optical network) for flexibly assigning optical frequency resources is being studied. In a conventional transparent type optical path network, frequency resources are assigned based on fixed frequency bandwidths for the optical path. On the other hand, in the above-mentioned optical network, the network is configured by band variable transponders and band variable cross-connects, in which frequency resources are managed by more segmentalized slots (grids), and frequency resources only as needed are assigned in bands and routes of the optical path, so as to utilize resources efficiently.
By the way, as to terms representing communication resources used in the following explanation, "wavelength" is mainly used in explanation on a path in which the frequency bandwidth is fixed, and "frequency" is mainly used in explanation on a path in which frequency bandwidth is variable.

Frequency assignment method and apparatus

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