The present invention relates to a semiconductor chip comprising a semiconductor element, at least a conducting line and a contact area being arranged on the semiconductor element, the conducting line being connected with the contact area, the contact area being disposed for contacting another electrical contact, characterised in that the semiconductor element comprises at a face of the semiconductor element a flexible arm formed out of the semiconductor element and the contacting area being arranged on the arm.

Conventionally, there are different approaches to provide semiconductor chips of integrated circuits with contact areas. The basic technique is to provide them on the surface of the semiconductor chip as a metal area that is connected by conducting lines with the integrated circuit.
For contacting several semiconductor chips arranged in the stack, it is well known using electrical feed-throughs inside the bulk material to connect the circuitries of the different semiconductor chips via contact pads from the top surface of a semiconductor chip to the bottom surface. The bottom face is also the interface to contact pads of a second chip that adjoins the bottom surface of the first chip with a top face. This approach, however, is disadvantageous since the second semiconductor chip comprises devices or electronic circuits buried underneath the contact pads on the top surface.
In another approach electrical wires are fabricated around the rim of each semiconductor chip of a stack, either along its side face or through a carrier in which the chip is embedded. U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,553 discloses such a stack and the fabrication method for a monolithic electronic module comprising a plurality of stacked planar extending arrays of integrated circuit chips. The fabrication method includes dicing a wafer of integrated circuit chips into a plurality of arrays of integrated circuit chips. The arrays of the integrated circuit chips are then stacked to form an electronic module. A metallization pattern is deposited on a side face of the electronic module to interconnect the various arrays of the integrated circuit chips. This side surface metallization is only used for connecting the semiconductor chips of the stack to each other. This method requires dicing of a wafer into chips in order to continue processing of the wires and other packaging steps, which is typically less cost-effective than a batch fabrication at wafer scale.

Semiconductor chip with flexible contacts at a face


Turbomachines having close-coupling flow guides (CCFGs) that are designed and configured to closely-couple flow fields of adjacent bladed elements. In some embodiments, the CCFGs may be located in regions extending between the adjacent bladed elements, described herein as coupling avoidance zones, where conventional turbomachine design would suggest no structure should be added. In yet other embodiments, CCFGs are located upstream and/or downstream of rows of blades coupled to the bladed elements, including overlapping one of more of the rows of blades, to improve flow coupling and machine performance. Methods of designing turbomachines to incorporate CCFGs are also provided.

Turbomachinery, including compressors, pumps, and turbines, generally include a plurality of rows of bladed elements, often positioned in close proximity to one another, that during use, form passageways for a working fluid. Often, there is relative movement between these adjacent rows, often at very high speeds. Examples include a row of rotating impeller blades coupled to a rotor positioned adjacent to a row of stationary diffuser or nozzle blades or vanes coupled to a stator. Conventional turbomachine design mandates a minimum gap between these adjacent rows of bladed elements to minimize and avoid unwanted interactions between the structures forming these rows, for example, rotor blades and stator vanes. These unwanted interactions include the production of noise and vibration, the latter of which has been known to crack or break rotor blades and/or diffuser vanes.

Structures and methods for forcing coupling of flow fields of adjacent bladed elements of turbomachines, and turbomachines incorporating the same


The present invention provides a cell-specific replication-competent vector system, which does not target normal cells. The vector system is constructed by linking a transcriptional initiation regulatory promoter region upstream of a viral replication-related gene that integrates the linked region into a viral DNA vector. The constructed vector, when introduced into malignant tumor cells, selectively injures only tumor cells or proliferating smooth muscle cells of tumor neovascular tissue due to the selective expression of the regulatory promoter region upstream of a viral replication-related gene. In particular, the present invention relates to a transcriptional initiation regulatory region of the human calponin gene that can selectively express in tumor cells or proliferating smooth muscle cells of tumor neovascular tissue. The present invention also relates to methods of constructing the cell-specific replication-competent vector system and to treatment methods using the vector system by introducing the vector system into particular living tissues or cells such as malignant tumors and the like.

Recently, an ideal treatment method for cancer, with minimal side effects, which does not affect normal cells but can selectively injure only cancer cells, is needed. For example, a gene therapy method that can enhance the selectivity of cancer cells in various levels, such as the cell selectivity of a gene to be inserted into cancer cells, the activity of an expression promoter, the method of introduction and infection of a virus vector, or the like, is regarded as a promising treatment method. However, a common problem of the existing methods is that the therapeutic gene cannot be introduced into all cancer cells.
On the other hand, concerning the immunocytic therapy of cancer, slight expression of a tissue-specific differentiation antigen has also been observed in normal tissue. Unfortunately, the expression in normal cells presents a problem. A cancer antigen based on a mutation has the disadvantage that this mutation is directed to the specific cancer, and it is therefore not appropriate to generalize it as an immunocytic therapy for cancer as a molecular target.
Recently, a clinical study was conducted in the United States and in Great Britain (Gene Ther. 7, 859-866, 2000; Gene Ther. 7, 867-874, 2000), respectively demonstrating gene therapy to treat malignant brain tumors using a replication-competent herpes simplex virus (HSV) vector, which selectively injures only the continuously growing cells by infection and replication. The replication-competent HSV vector is a vector wherein a ribonucleotide reductase (RR) or thymidine kinase (TK), essential to viral replication, is deleted. These enzymes are expressed only at the time of proliferation in normal cells, but are constitutively expressed in tumor cells. Thus, when the HSV vector infects actively proliferating cells, whether it is a normal cell or a tumor cell, the vector is replicated using cell-derived RR or TK, and shows cytolysis activity. Anti-tumor effects of a replication-competent HSV vector, with respect to prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer, have also been reported in animal experiments. (J. Surg. Oncol. 72, 136-141, 1999). However, these also do not have cell selectivity and the safety level is not high. Therefore, it could be used for treating tumor cells in the human brain, which has a blood brain barrier and where the vector does not diffuse into circulating blood. The problem is that this therapy is not appropriate for the treatment of organs other than the brain.
According to the discussion above, it is thought that if it were possible to control the injury activity of the HSV vector to target specific cells, it could be a more effective and safe treatment method. Miyatake and Martuza et al., of the United States, have reported a replication-competent HSV vector selective for liver tumor using an albumin promoter (J. Virol. 71, 5124-5132, 1997). However, when such a vector is used, the expression of the albumin gene decreases in liver cell carcinoma and also injures normal regenerated liver cells. Therefore, this treatment is considered to be inappropriate for clinical application in humans. Furthermore, Martuza and Miyatake have reported the possibility of this clinical application to mesothelioma in U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,379 ("Tumor- or cell-specific herpes simplex virus replication"), patented in March 1998. Notably, there is no description of the possible clinical application to human sarcoma in general, for example, leiomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and the like.
Gene analysis of the cause of disease and the pathology of sarcoma found a mutation of p53 and Rb and the existence of a fusion gene in some of the tumors, but the results are not yet at the stage to be applied widely for treatment. In an animal experiment using nude mice, Milas et al., have introduced the p53 gene into leiomyosarcoma cells, using an adenovirus vector that does not have the ability to replicate, and have reported delayed tumor proliferation (Cancer Gene Ther. 7, 422-429, 2000). Furthermore, a method for introducing and expressing thymidine kinase, a suicide gene, into osteosarcoma using a promoter of osteocalcin gene has been reported (Cancer Gene Ther. 5, 274-280, 1988). However, this method uses a virus vector where the ability to replicate is removed, and the efficiency of introducing the gene is low. Thus, this method cannot be applied to sarcoma other than osteosarcoma.
Especially, in the report of Milas et al., an example using the human smooth muscle cell line SK-LMS-1 is described. However, the number of viral particles used is more than 100 to 1000 times compared to the number of particles of virus vector used in the present invention. Thus, the effect is inferior compared to the example of the present invention. Therefore, the results of Milas, et al. are not preferable since the number of viral particles to be injected into the body should be minimal to reduce side effects.
Moreover, as for a therapy for suppressing vascularization of cancer, Folkman et al. have reported a dramatic anti-tumor effect of peptidergic inhibiting factors such as angiostatin, endostatin or the like, in mice experiments (Cell 79, 315-328, 1994; Cell 88, 277-285, 1997). Nakamura et al. have also reported the action to suppress vascularization of NH4, which is a fragment of a liver cell growth factor molecule (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 279, 846-852, 2000). However, these methods are problematic and have problems such as, for example, a large required number of peptides; low endostatin reproducibility; unknown mechanism of action; and unconfirmed efficacy in humans, or the like. A vascularization inhibitor, now being clinically tested, does not have cell selectivity and has low inhibition efficiency. The peptide inhibiting integrin from acting on the surface of endothelial cells, which Cheresh et al. of the United States has reported, similarly does not have cell selectivity and the inhibition efficiency is low (J. Clin. Invest. 103, 1227-1230, 1999). All of these studies are directed to treatments where the target is a vascular endothelial cell. However, a therapeutic agent having cell selectivity targeting proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells in tumor vessels remains unknown. Actually, the antagonist of a platelet-derived growth factor receptor, which promotes the proliferation and the migration of smooth muscle cells, has been reported to have a strong tumor neovascular suppressing action (Cancer Res. 60, 4152-4160, 2000). The significance of attacking vascular smooth muscle cells to suppress tumor vascularization is being evaluated, but since this method is not cell specific, disadvantages or problems are anticipated.
On the other hand, the calponin gene, which is said to be a differentiated marker of smooth muscle, was found to be expressed in tumor cells of human-derived sarcoma (Int. J. Cancer 79, 245-250, 1998; Sarcoma 3, 107-113, 1999; Intern. J. Cancer 82, 678-686, 1999). Many reports have been subsequently made, indicating that the calponin gene is expressed abnormally in about 20 kinds of human malignant tumors derived from mesenchymal cells, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), salivary gland sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, malignant neurilemmoma and the like, in addition to sarcoma in the bone and soft parts. The calponin gene mentioned above (h1 or basic) has been shown by X-ray crystalography and in vitro and in vivo mechanism analyses to suppress the sliding movement of actin/myosin by binding to the C-terminus of the actin molecule (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 279, 150-157, 2000; J. Physiol. 529, 811-824, 2000). The calponin gene is considered to be selectively expressed in smooth muscle cells of an adult and is a differentiated marker in blood vessels (Physiol. Rev. 75, 487-517, 1995).

Replication vector showing cell-specific expression


An exhaust gas system for an internal combustion engine, comprising an oxidation catalytic converter disposed in a first exhaust gas manifold section with which the exhaust gas outlets of a first portion of the cylinders communicate, and a hydrolysis catalytic converter disposed in a second exhaust gas manifold section with which the exhaust gas outlets of the remaining portion of the cylinders communicate. The hydrolysis catalytic converter, together with the oxidation catalytic converter that annularly surrounds it, are installed in a common housing. A tubular portion of the second exhaust gas manifold section extends into the housing and accommodates the hydrolysis catalytic converter in its end portion. A tubular portion of a first exhaust gas manifold section surrounds the tubular portion of the second exhaust gas manifold section, resulting in an annular in-flow chamber for the oxidation catalytic converter that simultaneously serves as a heating chamber. A reduction agent, from which ammonia can be produced by the hydrolysis catalytic converter, can be introduced by a nozzle into the tubular portion of the second exhaust gas manifold section upstream of the hydrolysis converter.

The present invention relates to an exhaust gas system for an internal combustion engine, especially of a commercial vehicle.
The present application proceeds from DE 103 22 963 A1, FIGS. 2A and 2C of which disclose an exhaust gas system of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, according to which the exhaust gas outlets of a portion of the cylinders communicate with a first exhaust gas manifold section, and the exhaust gas outlets of the other portion of the cylinders communicate with a second exhaust gas manifold section, whereby a catalytic converter is disposed in each of the exhaust gas manifold sections. However, this document provides no discussion regarding the type of catalytic converters that are disposed in the individual exhaust gas manifold sections. DE 101 23 359 A1 discloses in FIG. 21 and the associated text the provision of a muffler in an exhaust gas manifold, whereby a hydrolysis catalytic converter, and at least one oxidation catalytic converter, can have flow through them in parallel in the muffler. A reduction agent is metered into the inlet region of the hydrolysis catalytic converter, with ammonia being produced by the reaction agent. The oxidation catalytic converter serves for the conversion of NO into NO2. This type of adjacent arrangement of two catalytic converters in the muffler, which is a preliminary muffler, can leave undesired, non-uniform flow through the muffler, which can effect either an NO2 production that is too high, or a non-complete conversion of the reduction agent accompanied by harmful separation products such as isocyanic acid or solid cyanuric acid particles.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an exhaust gas post treatment device in an exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine of the aforementioned general type, according to which, due to the selection and arrangement of the catalytic converters, the problems that can occur with the parallel arrangement of the catalytic converters in the muffler of DE 101 23 359 A1 are eliminated.

Exhaust gas system for an internal combustion engine


This invention relates to a rubber composition comprised of at least one conjugated diene-based elastomer containing triglyceride based algae oil and to a tire with a component thereof.

Rubber compositions are often desired for tire components where one or more of uncured rubber processability and cured rubber composition properties are promoted. For example, pneumatic rubber tires are often used for purposes where traction, particularly cold weather traction, and resistance to treadwear are important considerations.
This requires tread rubber compositions which provide the desired good grip, or traction, under cold weather conditions yet also provide good rolling resistance for fuel economy and good resistance to treadwear, or abrasion resistance, for extended tire service life.
Triglycerides are main constituents of plant derived oils which are esters formed from glycerol (a trihydric alcohol containing three hydroxyl groups) and three fatty acid groups.
Algae oil (oil contained within the algae cell and recovered after cell rupture) is comprised of mixed saturated, mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated triglyceride esters of fatty acids. Algae oil triglyderides are primarily comprised of mono-unsaturated triglyceride esters, particularly from fatty acids (fatty acid components) comprised primarily of oleic acid (e.g. 80 percent of the algae oil). It is contemplated that such triglyceride ester based algae oil might promote a combination of improved uncured rubber processing for rubber compositions containing diene-based elastomer(s) because of its high concentration of mono-unsaturation and also might promote various improved cured rubber properties in a sense of the algae oil becoming co-sulfur cured with the diene-based elastomers of the rubber composition. It is therefore desired to evaluate use of algae oil in rubber compositions containing diene-based elastomer(s) for which reinforcing filler for the rubber composition is at least one of rubber reinforcing carbon black and precipitated silica. In one embodiment, at least one of such diene-based elastomers may be a functionalized styrene/butadiene elastomer or functionalized cis 1,4-polybutadiene containing at least one functional group reactive with hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) contained on the precipitated silica reinforcing filler to aid in promoting precipitated silica reinforcement of the rubber composition.
For such evaluation, it is important to appreciate that the triglyceride ester based algae oil is chemically differentiated from petroleum (hydrocarbon) based oils, as well as from other types of plant derived oils, in a sense that the algae oil contains a significant degree of mono-unsaturation (from oleic acid) and is clearly not a linear or an aromatic petroleum based oil.
Such high oleic acid component-based triglyceride oil from algae is also chemically differentiated from more simple synthetic oleic acid based triglyceride in a sense of containing a primary oleic acid component content together with a balance of a minor content of combination of di-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acid components, particularly linoleic and palmitic fatty acids.
The chemical composition of algae oil may be determined by gas chromatographic (GC) analysis according to ASTM D5974. For the gas chromatographic analysis (GC analysis), the triglycerides of the algae are converted into fatty acid methyl esters by reflux in an acidic methanol-toluene azeotrope before the GC analysis. Gas chromatographic analysis of the fatty acid methyl esters from the algae conversion shows the high degree of mono-unsaturation and particularly a high content of tri-mono-unsaturated fatty acid component(s) of the triglyceride ester based algae oil. For informational purposes to illustrate the aforesaid relative mono-unsaturated and di-unsaturated fatty acid components for the triglyceride ester based algae oil evaluated herein and soybean oil, the following Table A is provided.
TABLE AFatty acid component of triglyceride estersAlgae OilSoybean OilOleic acid, (mono-unsaturated fatty acid)87%27%Linoleic acid, (di-unsaturated fatty acid)1.5% 38%Palmitic acid3.6% 10%Stearic acid 3% 4%
Therefore, the triglyceride based algae oil contains a very high content of mono-unsaturated oleic fatty acid component of the triglyceride esters (e.g. at least 80 percent) and minor content of di-unsaturated linoleic acid component of the triglyceride (e.g. from about 1 to about 5 percent). In contrast, the triglyceride ester based soybean oil contains a significant content of di-unsaturated linoleic acid component (e.g. at least about 30 percent). Further, such high mono-unsaturation content of the fatty acid component of the triglyceride ester based algae oil is not present in petroleum based rubber processing oil and is not seen in the triglyceride based soybean oil.
The challenge of combining such high mono-unsaturated triglyceride based algae oil for use as a rubber processing oil instead of and in contrast to petroleum based oil with diene based elastomers with reinforcing filler containing precipitated silica in an internal rubber mixer (e.g. Banbury™ mixer) is to be evaluated with results being unknown until such evaluation is undertaken.
In the description of this invention, the terms "compounded" "rubber compositions" and "compounds", where used, refer to rubber compositions which have been compounded, or blended, with appropriate rubber compounding ingredients. The terms "rubber", "polymer" and "elastomer" may be used interchangeably unless otherwise indicated. The amounts of materials are usually expressed in parts of material per 100 parts of rubber by weight (phr).

Rubber composition containing algae oil and tire with component


A back light module is disclosed. The back light module comprises a frame, a reflecting plate, at least a lamp, a diffusion plate, a plurality of optical films and at least a supporting element. The reflecting plate is set up on the bottom section of the frame. The lamp is set within the frame above the reflecting plate. The diffusion plate is set over the frame above the lamp. The optical films are set over the diffusion plate. The supporting element is set on the reflecting plate. Each supporting element has a first supporting section and a second supporting section. The first supporting section and the second supporting section individually support the diffusion plate and the lamp.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a back light module and a liquid crystal display comprising the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a back light module with special supports for both the diffusion plate and lamp to prevent their deformation and a liquid crystal display comprising the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
To match the life style of modern people, video or imaging equipment is becoming lighter and slimmer. Although the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) display has many advantages, the design of the electron gun renders it heavy and bulky. Moreover, there is always some risk of hurting viewer's eyes due to certain radiation emitted by the CRT. With big leaps in the techniques in manufacturing semiconductor devices and electro-optics devices, flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCD), organic light-emitting displays (OLED) and plasma display panel (PDP) have gradually become mainstream display products.
A liquid crystal display can be roughly classified into three types, namely, reflection LCD, transmissive LCD and transflective LCD. Using a transmission or a transflective LCD as an example, the LCD mainly comprises a liquid crystal panel and a back light module. The liquid crystal panel furthermore comprises a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between two transparent substrates. The back light module provides a surface light source to illuminate the liquid crystal panel for displaying images.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional straight down back light module. As shown in FIG. 1, the back light module 100 comprises a frame 102, a reflecting plate 104, at least a lamp 106, a diffusion plate 108, an optical film 110 and at least a supporting column 112. The reflecting plate 104 is set on the bottom interior surface of the frame 102. The lamp 106 is set within the frame 102. The diffusion plate 108 is positioned over the frame 102. The optical film 110 is set over the diffusion plate 108. The supporting column 112 is positioned within the frame 102 between the diffusion plate 108 and the lamp 106. Through the supporting column 112, the diffusion plate 108 is prevented from twisting deformation that might lead to a change in the optical characteristics of the back light module 100.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of another conventional straight down back light module. As shown in FIG. 2, the back light module 200 comprises a frame 202, a reflecting plate 204, at least a lamp 206, a diffusion plate 208, an optical film 210 and at least a base stand 212. The reflecting plate 204 is set on the bottom interior surface of the frame 202. The lamp 206 is set within the frame 202. The diffusion plate 208 is positioned over the frame 202. The optical film 210 is set over the diffusion plate 208. The base stand 212 is attached to the frame 202 underneath the lamp 206. Using the base stand 212 to support the lamp 206, possible deformation of the lamp 206 that might lead to a change in the optical characteristics of the back light module 200 is prevented.
Although the supporting column 112 inside the back light module 100 in FIG. 1 is able to support the diffusion plate 108 and prevent distortion, the lamp 106 cannot be supported by any elements. When the size of the liquid crystal panel is increased, the dimension of the lamp 106 will also correspondingly increase so that the lamp 106 may sag due to insufficient stiffness. Thus, there will be some possible changes in the optical performance of the back light module 100.
On the other hand, although the base stand 212 within the back light module 200 in FIG. 2 is able to support the lamp 206 against sagging deformation, there is no specific structural support for the diffusion plate 208. When the size of the liquid crystal display panel is increased, dimension of the diffusion plate 208 will also correspondingly increase so that the diffusion plate 208 may warp due to insufficient stiffness or thermal expansion. Hence, there will be some possible changes in the optical performance of the back light module 200.

Back light module and liquid crystal display


Systems relating to thermal activation (or cracking) of ethane to an intermediate, low purity raw ethylene stream in a first stage. The system then mixes this stream with a stream of raw biomass-derived ethanol that may contain more than four volume percent of water. The resulting mixture is reacted over a suitable catalyst at temperatures and pressures suitable to produce gasoline-range and diesel-range blend stock.

Technology advancements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques (or fracking) have boosted efficiency in production of natural gas from shale. These advances have also led to an increase in natural gas liquids (NGLs) production. The NGLs include hydrocarbons such as ethane, butane, and propane, which are valued as raw materials in the petrochemical markets. Ethane is used as the feedstock for production of high purity ethylene (high capital expense process due to purity constraint), which is a valuable feedstock for several chemicals (e.g., polyethylene, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, vinyl chloride monomer, etc.).
While it is easy to liquefy propane/butanes, it is much more energy intensive to liquefy ethane, making economic transportation of ethane challenging and expensive. What is needed are cost-effective processes and systems that can convert ethane into more valuable fuels that are more easily transported.
In the US, government mandates have required increasing quantities of biomass-derived ethanol to be blended into transportation fuels. Due to concurrent reductions in US gasoline production and consumption, the quantity of ethanol blended into gasoline may soon exceed 10%, which may have implications for the operability of certain older vehicles not designed to utilize such fuels. Additionally, blending of increasing quantities of biomass-derived ethanol into fuels increases the overall Reid Vapor pressure to levels that exceed government mandated levels. Accordingly, a need also exists for methods and systems to allow incorporation of increased quantities of biomass-derived ethanol into gasoline, while preserving the ability to utilize the resulting fuel in all gasoline-powered vehicles and maintaining the Reid vapor pressure of the fuel at acceptable levels.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems for converting ethane and ethanol to liquid transportation fuels


A hydraulic system for providing pressure and volume flows in a double-clutch transmission. A first clutch and a second clutch are preceded by at least one changeover valve which, in a first state, guides lubricating flow to the first clutch and cooling flow to the second clutch, and, in a second state, guides lubricating flow to the second clutch and cooling flow to the first clutch. The cooling flow is preferably variable.

The invention relates to a hydraulic system for the provision of pressures and volume flows in a double-clutch transmission, in particular for the provision of a first volume flow for cooling and lubricating a first clutch and for the provision of a second volume flow for cooling and lubricating a second clutch.
In addition to the cooling and lubrication of the clutches, in the double-clutch transmissions known from the prior art the hydraulic system also assumes further tasks. Thus, by means of the hydraulic system, the two clutches can be actuated automatically, and also the selection and deselection of gears of the double-clutch transmission takes place automatically via a plurality of shift actuators.
EP 1413803 describes a method for cooling the two clutches of a double-clutch transmission in a motor vehicle. For carrying out the method, in this case, a hydraulic system by means of which an oil volume flow is provided for each clutch is required. Thus, according to the method, the respective clutch is provided with a volume flow which is dependent on an oil sump temperature, on the temperature of the oil flowing from the respective clutch and on the power which is transmitted by the clutches. A regulating valve or the like must accordingly be provided for each volume flow so that the volume flows can be regulated as a function of the abovementioned factors.
DE 103 06 895 likewise describes a method for cooling the double clutch of a motor vehicle, here the two clutches being jointly acted upon by a single volume flow of a coolant. As compared with cooling by means of two volume flows, this simplifies the construction of the corresponding hydraulic system. However, it is not possible to cool and lubricate a clutch of the double-clutch transmission individually. Thus, in DE 103 06 895, it is proposed to interrupt the overall volume flow of cooling and lubrication, particularly at low temperatures, in order to reduce the drag torque caused by the coolant located in the clutch and therefore to simplify the selection of a gear. In this case, it would be sufficient to interrupt only the volume flow for the clutch which is assigned to that subtransmission of the double-clutch transmission in which a gear is to be selected.
The provision of volume flows for a clutch in each case thus allows a controlled cooling and lubrication of the two clutches with more degrees of freedom. As a rule, however, this leads to a higher number of hydraulic components and, in particular, to a higher number of costly regulating valves. Moreover, the design of the hydraulic system must take into account the fact that, in the event of a failure of one or more of its components, at least an emergency operation of the double-clutch transmission should be possible.

Hydraulic system providing pressure and volume flows in a double-clutch transmission


In the calibration of a vector demodulator, a statistical approach is used for the analysis and correction of received data. The magnitude of each vector, defined by an (I,Q) pair in a received data signal, is examined. If each measured magnitude has a predetermined value, calibration is not necessary. However, if the vector magnitudes differ from this value, a number of samples of the data signal are used to define a linearly transformed circle. The transformation parameters of this model are then calculated, for example using a least squares analysis. These parameters are related to the system errors to be corrected, and hence can be used to determine calibration factors which are employed to adjust the received information and produce actual data values.

The present invention is directed to the calibration of data receivers, and is particularly concerned with the calibration of vector demodulators for receiving data transmitted by means of quadrature modulation format.
Demodulators for data that is transmitted with quadrature modulation, such as phase shift keyed (PSK) data, can introduce losses into the received data as a result of various conditions inherent in the demodulator. Examples of these conditions include gain imbalance in which the in-phase signal is amplified by a different amount than the quadrature signal, quadrature imbalance in which the phase difference between the two signals is not precisely 90.degree., DC offsets in either or both of the in-phase and quadrature channels and scale errors resulting from the net effect of gains and losses in the system. Each of these potential sources of signal loss must be measured to determine calibration factors. Once determined, these factors are used to adjust the system and transform the received data into actual data.
In the past, the determination of the calibration factors is made by transforming the received signal into the frequency domain and analyzing the power spectrum of the received signal. In this approach, each of the calibration factors are separately determined. Typically, the DC offsets of the system are first measured. Once the received signal is adjusted for these offsets, gain imbalance is determined. After adjustment for the gain imbalance, quadrature imbalance is determined. Unfortunately, these various factors are not independent of one another. If one is changed, the others may vary as well. As a result, after an initial determination has been made for each of these factors, they must be successively reevaluated and readjusted. Thus, it is not always possible to have each of the errors converge to zero. Typically, in such a case the calibration process is terminated once the quadrature error has been brought to zero, even if the other errors cannot be completely corrected.
Another drawback associated with the traditional approach of transforming the measurements into the frequency domain and determining calibration factors from the power spectrum relates to the fact that this approach requires two signals of known frequency with continuously varying phase. As such, common signal formats such as 8PSK do not provide sufficient information for calibration to be performed. However, the 8PSK mode of operation is preferred, since it results in an easier and faster generation of vector measurements.
Furthermore, spectral methods of the type traditionally employed to perform calibration measurements are highly sensitive to anomalies in system performance which may be due to random disturbances, e.g. accidental bumping of the equipment or temperature fluctuations. As a result, the calibration factors that are determined may be seriously biased.
It is desirable therefore to provide a method for calibrating data receivers, such as vector demodulators, which avoids these drawbacks. In particular, it is desirable to provide a calibration method that enables all calibration factors to be determined simultaneously, and thereby account for the interdependence of such factors. Along these lines, it is also desirable to provide a calibration technique which enables an 8PSK mode to be used as well as a continuously varying phase, and which can account for aberrations which may be introduced by random disturbances in the system.

Calibration of vector demodulator using statistical analysis


A liquid crystal display panel 10 of the present invention includes an array substrate 11 with a display region in which a pixel electrode is formed in each of the regions enclosed by a plurality of signal lines and scan lines deployed as matrices, a opposed substrate 12 with a common electrode 31, a sealing agent 35 sealing a peripheral portion of the array substrate 11 and the opposed substrate 12, a liquid crystal layer sealed between both substrates, a border region 34 including a reflector 37 and a transparent electrode 38 is formed on an interlayer 23 at a periphery of the display region of the array substrate 11, and at least a part of an outer peripheral side is lacking from the common electrode 31 at a position corresponding to the border region 34. Thanks to such structure, the border region improves the appearance at the periphery of the display region, and the phenomenon of night vision alongside the scan line wiring does not occur.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel. More particularly the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel having an ornamental reflective part (border region) for improving the appearance around the periphery of the display region, wherein dark lines do not appear alongside the scan line wiring in the border region.
2. Related Art
Over recent years the application of liquid crystal display panels has spread rapidly, not only in information and telecommunications equipment but in electrical equipment in general. Since liquid crystal display panels do not themselves emit light, the transmissive type of liquid crystal display panel that is equipped with a backlight is much employed.
However, since backlights consume large amounts of power, the reflective type of liquid crystal display panel which does not need a backlight have been used, especially for portable equipment, in order to reduce power consumption. But reflective liquid crystal display panels use external light as light source and therefore are difficult to view in dark interiors of rooms, etc. Accordingly, in recent times particular progress has been made with the development of liquid crystal display panels of a semi-transmissive type, which possess the capabilities of both the transmissive and reflective types.
Having, in each pixel region, a transmissive part equipped with a pixel electrode and a reflective part equipped with both a pixel electrode and a reflection electrode, in dark places semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panels display images by lighting a backlight and utilizing the transmissive part of the pixel region, and in bright places by utilizing external light via the reflective part, without lighting the backlight. Thus, such panels have the advantages of not needing to light the backlight always, and of being able to drastically reduce power consumption.
A specific example of a related-art semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel is described below using FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a related-art single-terminal type semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel, FIG. 5 is a plan view of one pixel portion of the array substrate in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along VI-VI in FIG. 5. In FIG. 4, the non-display region around the periphery of the display region is depicted in an exaggerated manner for the sake of comprehension of the invention. Also, as used herein the term "display region" refers to the planar region where the pixel electrode is formed and where the alignment of the liquid crystal layer (the liquid crystal molecules) is controlled via the electric field applied to the pixel electrode, while the term "non-display region" refers to the planar region where no pixel electrode is formed and where the alignment of the liquid crystal layer, if present, is not controlled.
A related-art semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10A has an array substrate 11 and a opposed substrate 12 that are opposed to each other and hold a liquid crystal layer between them. On the array substrate 11 there are formed, in the display region 14 on a transparent substrate 13 of glass or the like, parallel and equally-spaced multiple scan lines 17 constituted of aluminum, molybdenum or similar metal. Moreover, the scan lines 17 are coupled, via scan line wiring 171, to a driver circuit placement portion 16 that is provided in the frame region 15 at the periphery of the display region 14. Further, auxiliary capacitance line 18 is formed roughly centrally between adjacent scan lines 17 so as to be parallel to the scan lines 17, and in addition, a gate electrode G for TFTs is drawn out from the scan lines 17. Further, common wiring is provided on the transparent substrate 13, but is omitted from the drawings.
Also, a gate insulator 19 constituted of silicon nitride, silicon oxide or the like is laid over the entire surface of the transparent substrate 13 so as to cover the scan lines 17, auxiliary capacitance line 18 and gate electrode G, and a semiconductor layer 20 constituted of amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon or the like is laid over the gate electrode G, with the gate insulator 19 interposed. Further, a plurality of signal lines 21 constituted of a metal such as aluminum or molybdenum are formed over the gate insulator 19 so as to be orthogonal to the scan lines 17, and the plurality of signal lines 21 are likewise connected, via signal line wiring 211, to the driver circuit placement portion 16. Also, a source electrode S for TFTs is drawn out from these signal lines 21 so as to contact with the semiconductor layer 20, and furthermore, a drain electrode D of the same material as the signal lines 21 and source electrode S are provided on the gate insulator 19, likewise so as to contact with the semiconductor layer 20.
Each region enclosed by the two adjacent scan lines 17 and two adjacent signal lines 21 is equivalent to 1 pixel. TFTs that serve as switching elements are constituted by the gate electrode G, gate insulator 19, semiconductor layer 20, source electrode S and drain electrode D, one TFT being formed for each pixel. The auxiliary capacitance of each pixel is formed by the drain electrode D and auxiliary capacitance line 18.
A protective insulator (also termed passivation film) 22 of for example an inorganic insulating material is deposited over the whole surface of the transparent substrate 13 so as to cover the signal lines 21, TFTs and gate insulator 19. Over this protective insulator 22, an interlayer (also termed a flattening film) 23 constituted of organic insulator is deposited so as to extend over the entire transparent substrate 13. A contact hole 24 is formed in the protective insulator 22 and the interlayer 23 in position corresponding to the drain electrode D of the TFTs. Further, in each pixel a reflector 27 partially constituted of aluminum or similar metal is formed in the TFT and auxiliary capacitance line 18 side, and a pixel electrode 26 constituted of for example ITO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indium zinc oxide) is formed on the surfaces of the reflector 27, contact hole 24 and interlayer 23. An orientation film (not shown in the drawings) is deposited over the surface of the pixel electrode 26 in such a manner as to cover all of the pixels.
The opposed substrate 12 is another transparent substrate 28 constituted of glass plate or the like, for example , on the surface of which a color filter layer 29 composed of red (R), green (G) and blue (B), corresponding to individual pixels, is provided at least in a position corresponding to the display region 14 of the array substrate 11. A top coat layer 30 is deposited on the surface of this color filter layer 29 in at least the position corresponding to the region where the reflector 27 is provided, in other words to the reflective part, of the array substrate 11, and furthermore, a counter electrode 31 and an orientation film (not shown in the drawings) are deposited on the surface of the top coat layer 30 and color filter layer 29. The top coat layer 30 is provided in order to cause the distance (the cell gap) between the pixel electrode 26 and the counter electrode 31 at the reflective part to be approximately ½ the cell gap at the transmissive part where no reflector 27 is provided, and in order that the color tone at the reflective part and at the transmissive part will be equivalent. The color filter layer 29 may, where appropriate, be used in combination with a color filter layer of cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y), etc., while in the case of a monochrome display, it may be that no color filter layer is provided.
The semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10A is then obtained by: positioning opposite each other the array substrate 11 and opposed substrate 12 obtained in the foregoing manner; sealing with sealing agent 35 the peripheries of the array substrate 11 and opposed substrate 12; electrically coupling the common wiring of the array substrate 11 and the common electrode of the counter substrate 12 via a transfer electrode (not shown); injecting liquid crystal into the space between the two substrates through a liquid crystal injection hole (not shown); and sealing the liquid crystal injection hole.
In such semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10A, a backlight (not shown) is deployed on the array substrate 11 side; in dark places the backlight is lighted and the requisite images are displayed by means of light transmitted through the semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10A, while in bright places the requisite images are displayed by utilizing reflected external light, without lighting the backlight. But if the reflector is provided over the entire rear surface of each pixel electrode 26, a reflective liquid crystal display panel will be obtained. In such a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel or reflective liquid crystal display panel, the reflector 27 is in some cases provided on the surface of the pixel electrode 26, and it is common practice, for the sake of achieving good reflection efficiency at the reflective part and also of producing satisfactory white displays, to provide concavoconvexities on the surface of the interlayer 23 at the places where the reflector is provided, with the purpose of making the reflected light into diffuse reflected light.
In a related art semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel or reflective liquid crystal display panel such as described above, the non-display region around the periphery of the display region is covered over by a light-blocking black matrix and an outer cover, so that essentially the display region alone will be visible to viewers. For example, in the related art semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10A shown in FIG. 4, the non-display region 33 has at least the hatched portions covered over by a black matrix and the outer cover, so that the display portion 14 alone is visible to the viewer.
In recent years however, there have come into use liquid crystal display panels in which, in order to improve the appearance, a reflective part that reflects external light is formed in the non-display region around the periphery of the display region, and such non-display region with reflective part formed therein is used for ornament. In a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10B that uses for ornament such non-display region with reflective part formed therein, the non-display area 33 is covered by the black matrix and outer cover and is invisible to the viewer, whereas the portion of the non-display region 34 where the reflective part is formed is visible to the viewer, as shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10B that uses for ornament a non-display region with a reflective part formed therein; here too, the non-display region around the periphery of the display area is depicted in an exaggerated manner. Structural elements in FIG. 7 that are the same as those of semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10A in FIG. 4 are assigned identical reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.
At this portion of the non-display region 34 where the reflective part is formed, no pixel electrode is provided and therefore the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules does not vary. Hence such portion is seen by the viewer as being the same color as the color filter layer, provided on the opposed substrate 12, corresponding to such portion. Usually, the color filter layer provided for such portion will be of the same kind as that formed in the display region 14, so that such portion will effectively appear white in color. To have such portion of the non-display region 34 where the reflective part is formed appear in a satisfactory white color, it is necessary, as in a reflective or semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel, to employ almost the same reflective display structure as in the reflective part of the display region. To that end, concavoconvexities are provided on the surface of the interlayer that underlies the reflectors. Below, such ornamental portion of the non-display region 34 where the reflective part is formed is termed the "border region" and is assigned the same reference numeral "34" when described.
JP-A-2003-228049 discloses a reflective or semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel in which the concavoconvexities provided on the surface of the interlayer at the reflective part of the display region are also provided in the non-display region, with the purpose of lessening display irregularities due to occurrence of unevenness in the cell gap near the boundary between the display region and non-display region. However, no mention is made therein of making part of the non-display region into a border region such as described above.
In a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10B having a border region 34 such as described above, the border region 34, while undergoing no change in display status, nevertheless is able to exert an aesthetic ornamental effect whereby the periphery of the display region 14 appears white at all times, so that the appearance is greatly enhanced. However, detailed investigation by the present inventors revealed that in a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10B having a border region 34 such as described above, dark lines appear alongside the scan line wiring 171 in the areas X enclosed by dashed lines on either side of the display region 14 in FIG. 7.
Upon conducting a series of various investigations into the causes of the occurrence of the night vision phenomenon alongside the scan line wiring 171 of the border region in such a liquid crystal display panel having a border region 34, the present inventors discovered that it was due to causes described below. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the frame region 15 along line VIII-VIII in the semi-transmissive liquid crystal display panel 10B of FIG. 7. In this frame region 15, plural scan line wirings 171 and common wirings 40 are formed on the surface of the transparent substrate 13 on the array substrate 11 side, and the scan line wirings 171 and common wirings 40 are covered by a gate insulator 19 and protective insulator 22. Further, in the border region 34 the surface of the protective insulator 22 is covered by an interlayer 23, and columnar spacers 39 for keeping the cell gap constant are deployed at appropriate intervals around the edge portions. Also, the peripheral portions of the array substrate 11 and opposed substrate 12 are sealed with sealing agent 35.
The region on the opposed substrate 12 where the black matrix 36 is provided forms the non-display region 33, and the area between the non-display region 33 and the display region 14 forms the border region 34. The surface of the interlayer 23 of the border region 34 is formed to have concavoconvexities, and on such concavoconvex surface of the interlayer 23 is formed a reflector 37 constituted of for example aluminum metal; furthermore, a transparent electrode 38 constituted of ITO or IZO is formed on the surface thereof, and the surfaces of both the reflector 37 and the transparent electrode 38 are formed to be concavoconvex. For the sake of balance with the process for producing the dummy electrode for static protection in the related art, the reflector 37 and the transparent electrode 38 are, as shown in FIG. 9, deposited with the same pitch as the reflector 37 and pixel electrode 26 of the display region 14, in an isolated condition such that the reflector 37 and the transparent electrode 38 are not electrically coupled to anything and are in a floating state. A black matrix is formed on the opposed substrate 12 in such a manner as to block light at the positions corresponding to the peripheries of each pixel electrode 26 of the display region 14 and of each transparent electrode 38 in the border region 34 of the array substrate 11, but is omitted in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic view of the top left portion of the array substrate in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of FIG. 7.
Thus, it might be supposed that the portions of the border region 34 alongside the scan line wiring 171 ought not to appear dark, because the liquid crystal molecules present between the transparent electrode 38 and the counter electrode 31 do not move, since there is no electric potential difference between the transparent electrode 38 and the counter electrode 31, as no potential is generated in the transparent electrode 38, which is in a floating state. Yet, since the voltage applied to the scan line wiring 171 is high AC voltage (for example ±15V), the voltage applied between the scan line wiring 171 and the counter electrode 31 is divided and voltage is generated in the transparent electrode 38, so that a voltage VLC is applied between the transparent electrode 38 and the counter electrode 31, and due to such voltage VLC the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules between the transparent electrode 38 and the counter electrode 31 varies, with the result that the phenomenon of dark appearance occurs alongside the scan line wiring 171 in the border region 34. The voltage that is applied to the signal line wiring 211 is far lower than that applied to the scan line wiring 171 and therefore effectively does not exert any influence on the liquid crystal molecules in the border region 34.
The voltage VLC that occurs between the transparent electrode 38 and the opposed electrode 31 will now be described using FIG. 10. The average thickness L1 of the interlayer 23 between the scan line wiring 171 and the transparent electrode 38 is approximately 1.45 μm, and the permittivity ε of the polyimide normally used for the interlayer 23 is 3.4, so that a capacitor CS with the interlayer 23 as dielectric body arises between the scan line wiring 171 and the transparent electrode 38. Further, the average distance L2 between the transparent electrode 38 and the opposed electrode 31 is approximately 2.0 μm, and the permittivity Δε of the liquid crystal layer generally used is approximately 7, so that a capacitor CLC with the liquid crystal layer as dielectric body arises between the transparent electrode 38 and the opposed electrode 31.
This means that the voltage V0 that is applied between the scan line wiring 17i and the opposed electrode 31 is divided by the series circuits of the capacitor CS that arises between the scan line wiring 171 and the transparent electrode 38, and of the capacitor CLC that arises between the transparent electrode 38 and the opposed electrode 31, so that the voltage VLC expressed by equation (1) below is applied between the transparent electrode 3 and the opposed electrode 31. As an example, where the voltage V0 applied between the scan line wiring 171 and the opposed electrode 31 is 15V, VLC will be approximately 6 V.
                              Formula                                                              1                                                                                V          LC                =                                                            C                S                                                              C                  S                                +                                  C                  LC                                                                                V              o                                ≈                      6                                                              [            V            ]                                              (        1        )

Liquid crystal display panel having an ornamental reflector deployed around the periphery of a display region


A method, system and a computer program product for scoring a profile in a social networking system. The method comprises at least one Fan profile, at least one Talent profile and at least one Business profile, comprising a computer that has access to the social networking system. The computer is configured to receive information of the number of sharing actions the profile has introduced to the social networking system; receive information of the number of commercial actions the profile has executed in the social networking system; receive indication of interest from the profile, wherein each indication of interest is an action taken by the profile that shows that the profile has interest in the Talent profile or the Business profile; and calculate based upon the number of sharing actions and the number of commercial actions score metrics representing the profile's influence for the Talent profile or the Business profile.

Current social networking systems enable Businesses to communicate with Talents that they are sponsoring or Fans of the Talent. The problem with social media or social networks is that there are currently not sophisticated means to value the effect of a connection between the Business and the Talent or between the Talent and the Fan or the Business and the Fan. Examples of Talents are athletes, artists, musicians, sports clubs or similar entities, looking for sponsorship.
When a brand sponsors a Talent there is currently not a way to know who the people and businesses are that the sponsorship is targeted towards. There is not a way to gain a direct connection to the people and businesses connected to a sponsorship for marketing opportunities. There are no technical solutions available where a Fan can see how their social media sharing, merchandise and event purchases compare with other Fans of a particular Talent or Group.
One known solution is Facebook, where a Talent and a Business can set up a page. These pages are separate and do not work together to provide a marketing opportunity for the business. It also does not address the case for a business-to-business sales relationship. Once a business is able to gain a "like" on their social media page they can post a "status" but there is no guarantee that anyone will see it. The service provider may request a payment to gain extra visibility, but this still offers no guarantee of visibility and who actually is engaging with the "status" post. There is also no way to know, once a "like" is obtained, how influential that person or business is in bringing new likes to the business or talent.
Another problem in social networking systems is that there are too many things competing for space in the user's screen or timeline. As a result the marketing effect is diminished. User's use social networks mostly for personal sharing of information so any advertisements get easily discarded.
It is difficult for a Business to tell where Fans come from, for example which Talent or Fan attracted them to their business. It is also difficult for a Talent to know who his best fans are.

Method, a system and a computer program product for scoring a profile in social networking system


An engine ground system for increasing the potential of an engine. This is an engine ground system wherein intermediate portions of a ground wire one end of which is electrically connected to the negative electrode terminal of a battery are electrically connected to engine ground points and the other end of the ground wire is grounded to the car body. The engine ground points can be an engine cylinder head, an intake manifold clamping member, a cylinder head cover, and a throttle body (7b). Further, a plug cap ground wire is connected between the plug cap clamping member and the intake manifold clamping member.

The present invention relates to an engine ground system, for example, to an engine ground system that decreases the electric resistance, smooths the flow of electric current, and improves performance characteristics of the engine by directly grounding the ground points of the automotive engine carrying a direct ignition coil of an internal igniter type to a negative electrode terminal of a battery via a ground wire.
A variety of measures have been taken to improve output performance of engines installed on automobiles. For example, a spark tuning system was disclosed in which a mixture inside the combustion chamber of the engine was brought closer to a complete combustion state by connecting the spark plugs by a wire harness having a specific structure and conducting spark tuning of the spark plugs. The applicant has also employed such a spark tuning system in practice. With this technology, engine output is increased by conducting optimum control of the electric current value inputted to the positive electrode terminal side of the spark plug in a state prior to spark plug discharge. On the other hand, the development of a ground system for controlling the minus electric current after a spark plug discharge, that is, after the spark plugs have been activated, is also required.
In the conventional ground system for automobiles, the electric current of a power source is supplied from the positive electrode terminal of a battery to a variety of electric devices such as electronic control devices carried by the automobile, spark plugs, stator motor, instruments on an instrument panel, illumination devices such as lamps, and acoustic devices. Further, after flowing through the electric devices, the electric current flowed through a ground wire connected to the vehicle body and returned to the negative terminal of the battery. As a result, wiring of the wire hardness for electrically connecting various electric devices and the battery was simplified. However, vehicle bodies are usually formed by using steel sheets. Therefore, the conductivity thereof is about one tenth that of copper used for the wire harness, and when the vehicle body is employed for grounding, electric resistance is high. As a result, there is an adverse effect on the spark system of the engine and the engine is greatly hindered from exhibiting its full potential. Another problem is that when the intake flow passes inside the throttle device of an engine intake system, intake air friction causes static electricity, which creates noise hindrance for signal wires of acoustic devices wired in the engine compartment.
Accordingly, the applicant has conducted research and development of an engine ground system for improving the output characteristics of an engine based on the knowledge obtained with the spark plug tuning system that has been heretofore disclosed. As a result, new technology bringing out an engine's full potential has been created.
Thus, with the foregoing in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide an engine ground system that increases an engine's potential by causing the minus electric current after the spark plug discharge to flow smoothly to the ground wire using a constitution wherein the intermediate positions on the ground wire wired between the negative electrode terminal of the battery and the vehicle body are connected to a cylinder head, which is the ground point of the engine, or to a plug cap of a direct ignition coil via this cylinder head.


A multilayer sliding material for high-speed engine, comprising a steel back metal, a Cu or Cu-base alloy plating layer, a Cu-Pb bearing alloy layer, and an overlay, said steel back metal having 155 or more of Vickers hardness and 42 kgf/mm.sup.2 or more of 0.2% yield strength, a Cu-Pb bearing alloy layer containing 15-30 wt % of Pb and 0.5-2.0 wt % of Sn and having 0.25 cal/cm.s..degree. C. or more of thermal conductivity, 75 or more of Vickers hardness and 18 kgf/mm.sup.2 or more of tensile strength, said overlay of a lead base alloy containing 2-8 wt % of Sn and 3-11 wt % of In and having more than 250.degree. C. of melting start temperature. The material has a superior antiseizure property at high speed of engine. In particular, the rising of the melting start temperature of the metal of the overlay and the thermal conductivity of the bearing alloy provides a superior sliding property of plain bearing at high speed of engine.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plain bearing and particularly to a plain bearing showing sufficiently good performance under the conditions of an increase in the temperature of a lubricant oil and an increasing inertia of the bearing applied to a bearing housing both caused by an increased rotational speed of an internal-combustion engine following a recent increased power of the engine.

Multilayer sliding material for high-speed engine and method of producing same


A TFT substrate and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The method includes: providing a substrate; forming a gate electrode on the substrate; forming a first insulation layer and an active layer on the gate electrode in turn; forming a first black matrix on the active layer; forming a source electrode and a drain electrode on the first black matrix; forming a second insulation layer on the source electrode and the drain electrode; and forming a pixel electrode on the second insulation layer. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode via the second insulation layer. In this way, the masking effect of the display panel assembled by the TFT substrate can be ensured. In addition, the coupling capacitance between the data line and the scanning line may be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to liquid crystal display technology, and more particularly to a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate and the manufacturing method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Curved TVs typically are characterized by attributes including better contrastness, a wider viewing angle, and better user experience, and thus are very popular to customers.
As the panel is curved to some degree, displacement may occur between the TFT substrate and the color filter (CF) substrate, which affects masking effects of the black matrix (BM) arranged on the CF substrate. FIG. 1 shows the masking effect of the BM 101 when the panel 100 has not been curved. FIG. 2 shows the masking effect of the BM 101 when the panel 100 has been curved. It can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 that a portion of light beams may emit out from a lateral side of the BM 101 after the panel 100 is curved. The light leakage effect affects the masking effect of the BM 101 such that the contrastness of the panel 100 is lowered down.

TFT substrates and the manufacturing method thereof

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A process is disclosed for dewaxing a hydrocarbon feed to produce a dewaxed lube oil. The feed includes straight chain and slightly branched chain paraffins having 10 or more carbon atoms. In the process the feed is contacted under isomerization conditions with an intermediate pore size molecular sieve having a crystallite size of no more than about 0.5.mu. and pores with a minimum diameter of at least 4.8.ANG. and with a maximum diameter of 7.1.ANG. or less. The catalyst has sufficient acidity so that 0.5 g thereof when positioned in a tube reactor converts at least 50% of hexadecane at 370.degree. C., a pressure of 1200 psig, a hydrogen flow of 160 ml/min, and a feed rate of 1 ml/hr. It also exhibits 40 or greater isomerization selectivity when used under conditions leading to 96% conversion of hexadecane to other chemicals. The catalyst includes at least one Group VIII metal. The contacting is carried out at a pressure from about 15 psig to about 3000 psig.

A large number of molecular sieves are known to have use as catalysts in various hydrocarbon conversion reactions such as one or more of reforming, catalytic cracking, isomerization and dewaxing. Typical intermediate pore size molecular sieves of this nature include ZSM-5, silicalite, generally considered to be a high silica to alumina ratio form of ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, SSZ-32, SAPO-11, SAPO-31, SAPO-41, and the like. Zeolites such as ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-23, ZSM-35 and ZSM-38 have been proposed for use in dewaxing processes and are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,700,585; 3,894,938; 3,849,290; 3,950,241; 4,032,431; 4,141,859 4,176,050; 4,181,598; 4,222,855; 4,229,282; and 4,247,388 and in British Pat. No. 1,469,345. Other zeolitic catalysts of slightly larger pore size, but still of, for example, 7.1.ANG. or less, are also known to catalyze such reactions. L-zeolite and ZSM-12 are examples of such materials.
Attempts to utilize such catalysts as are discussed above for converting an oil which has a relatively high pour point to an oil which has a relatively low pour point have led to a significant portion of the original oil being hydrocracked to form relatively low molecular weight products which must be separated from the product oil thereby leading to a relatively low yield of the desired product.
High-quality lubricating oils are critical for the operation of modern machinery and automobiles. Unfortunately, the supply of natural crude oils having good lubricating properties is not adequate for present demands. Due to uncertainties in world crude oil supplies, high-quality lubricating oils must be produced from ordinary crude feedstocks and can even be produced from paraffinic synthetic polymers. Numerous processes have been proposed for producing lubricating oils that can be converted into other products by upgrading the ordinary and low-quality stocks.
It is desirable to upgrade a crude fraction otherwise unsuitable for lubricant manufacture into one from which good yields of lube oils can be obtained as well as being desirable to dewax more conventional lube oil stock in high yield. Indeed, it is even at times desirable to reduce waxes in relatively light petroleum fractions such as kerosene/jet fuels. Dewaxing is required when highly paraffinic oils are to be used in products which need to remain mobile at low temperatures, e.g., lubricating oils, heating oils and jet fuels. The higher molecular weight straight chain normal and slightly branched paraffins which are present in oils of this kind are waxes which cause high pour points and high cloud points in the oils. If adequately low pour points are to be obtained, these waxes must be wholly or partly removed. In the past, various solvent removal techniques were used such as propane dewaxing and MEK dewaxing but these techniques are costly and time consuming. Catalytic dewaxing processes are more economical and achieve this end by selectively cracking the longer chain n-paraffins to produce lower molecular weight products, some of which may be removed by distillation.
Because of their selectivity, prior art dewaxing catalysts generally comprise an aluminosilicate zeolite having a pore size which admits the straight chain n-paraffins either alone or with only slightly branched chain paraffins (sometimes referred to herein as waxes), but which excludes more highly branched materials, cycloaliphatics and aromatics. Zeolites such as ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-23, ZSM-35 and ZSM-38 have been proposed for this purpose in dewaxing processes. Such processes are used to accomplish dewaxing on feeds which contain relatively low amounts of waxes, generally well below 50%, and they operate by selectively cracking the waxes. These processes are not readily adapted for treating high wax content feeds since, due to the large amount of cracking which occurs, such waxes would tend to be cracked to provide very low molecular weight products.
Since dewaxing processes of this kind function by means of cracking reactions, a number of useful products become degraded to lower molecular weight materials. For example, waxy paraffins may be cracked to butane, propane, ethane and methane as may the lighter n-paraffins which do not contribute to the waxy nature of the oil. Because these lighter products are generally of lower value than the higher molecular weight materials, it would be desirable to limit the degree of cracking which takes place during a catalytic dewaxing process.
Although U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,700,585; 3,894,938; 4,176,050; 4,181,598; 4,222,855; 4,222,282; 4,247,388 and 4,859,311 teach dewaxing of waxy feeds, the processes disclosed therein do not disclose a process for producing high yields of a lube oil having a very low pour point and high viscosity index from feeds containing anywhere from a low to a very high wax content, i.e., greater than 80% wax, such as slack wax, deoiled wax or synthetic liquid polymers such as low molecular weight polyethylene.
Since processes which remove wax by cracking will give a low yield with very waxy feeds, isomerization processes are preferred. U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,539 discloses a method for isomerizing a naphtha feed using an intermediate pore size zeolite catalyst, such as an H-offretite catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,485 discloses a process for dewaxing a hydrocarbon feedstock containing paraffins by a hydrotreating and isomerization process. A method to improve the yield in such processes would be welcome.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,138 discloses an isomerization process for reducing the normal paraffin content of a hydrocarbon oil feedstock using a catalyst comprising an intermediate pore size silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieve containing a Group VIII metal component which is occluded in the crystals during growth. Again, a method which would improve the yield would be welcome.
Lube oils may also be prepared from feeds having a high wax content such as slack wax by an isomerization process. In prior art wax isomerization processes, however, either the yield is low and thus the process is uneconomical, or the feed is not completely dewaxed. When the feed is not completely dewaxed it must be recycled to a dewaxing process, e.g., a solvent dewaxer, which limits the throughput and increases cost. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,283 discloses converting wax to lube. However, the MEK dewaxing following isomerization disclosed therein severely limits pour reduction and thus, very low pour points cannot be achieved. Further, the catalyst disclosed therein is much less selective than the catalysts used in the present invention.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.

Use of modified 5-7 a pore molecular sieves for isomerization of hydrocarbons


Methods and apparatus for regulating the temperature of a component in a plasma-enhanced process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes a process chamber and an RF source to provide RF energy to form a plasma in the process chamber. A component is disposed in the process chamber so as to be heated by the plasma when formed. A heater is configured to heat the component and a heat exchanger is configured to remove heat from the component. A chiller is coupled to the heat exchanger via a first flow conduit having an on/off flow control valve disposed therein and a bypass loop to bypass the flow control valve, wherein the bypass loop has a flow ratio valve disposed therein.

Some processes for fabricating semiconductor devices on a substrate utilize plasma processing chambers in which a showerhead (for example) provided process gases to the processing chamber which may be ignited to form a plasma. Plasma processing, however, tends to increase the temperature of components inside the processing chamber, such as the showerhead. Moreover, for high RF power process conditions, the combination of plasma heating and the duration of the process step typically causes the temperature to undesirably overshoot a desired set point. Such temperature overshoots can impinge on the ability to strike plasmas, delay initiating semiconductor processing recipes, and degrade the quality of processing.
There are some ways to increase the cooling capacity of process chamber components to address the problem, such as to design new hardware to have better heat conductance, or to change the coolant temperature between idle mode and processing modes. However, such designs are undesirable due to inefficiencies and/or cost. For example, the time constant of typical heat exchangers or chillers is close to typical recipe times. Accordingly, merely lowering the coolant temperature will not enable heating of the tool at a constant temperature during idle mode unless a much larger heater is provided. However, implementation of such a design would requires a major tool redesign, as most of heaters are embedded in the tool body.
Thus, there is a need for improved methods and apparatus for heat control in a plasma processing chamber.

Methods and apparatus for rapidly responsive heat control in plasma processing devices


The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for checking the plausibility of an excitation signal. The apparatus is designed with: an input signal device (12) which is designed to provide an input signal (52) on the basis of the excitation signal (51), the plausibility of which is to be checked; an amplitude estimation device (14) which is designed to determine an estimated amplitude value (53) for an amplitude of the excitation signal (51) on the basis of the input signal (52) provided; a phase angle estimation device (16) which is designed to determine an estimated phase angle value (54) for a phase angle of the excitation signal (51) on the basis of the input signal (52) provided; a diagnostic device (18) which is designed to generate a diagnostic signal (55) on the basis of at least the determined estimated amplitude value (53) and the determined estimated phase angle value (54); and a plausibility-checking device (20) which is designed to check the plausibility of the excitation signal (51) on the basis of the diagnostic signal (55) depending on a predetermined range of values for the diagnostic signal (55).

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for checking the plausibility of an excitation signal for a rotary encoder. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for checking the plausibility of an excitation signal for a resolver.
Electric and hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly important. In order to control permanent-magnet synchronous machines (PSM) and electrically excited synchronous machines (ESM) as are used in vehicles of this kind, it is necessary to know the rotor position angle of machines of said kind. Furthermore, it is necessary to know the electrical frequency of the drive in order to control asynchronous machines (ASM). Various kinds of sensor can be used in order to ascertain the rotor position angle or the electrical frequency. For example, sensors based on the eddy current effect, resolvers or digital angle encoder signals are possible.
In this case, a resolver is excited, for example, with a sinusoidal excitation signal. Distorted, amplitude-modulated voltages, from the envelope of which the information about the rotor position can be obtained, are generally received as receiver signals of the resolver in this case. Excitation signals with an amplitude of ten volts and a frequency of the sinusoidal function of ten kilohertz are typically used.
German patent application DE 10 2011 078 583 A1 discloses, for example, evaluation of resolver sensor signals in a vehicle. To this end, a resolver picks up a rotary movement of a rotor, and a processor element processes the sinusoidal or cosinusoidal output signals of the resolver. The excitation signal is supplied to the resolver by means of a power electronics system. If there are deviations between the excitation signal actually supplied (actual excitation signal) and an excitation signal to be supplied (desired excitation signal), this can lead to errors when ascertaining the rotor position angle using the resolver.
Therefore, a method and an apparatus for checking the plausibility of an excitation signal for a rotary encoder, in particular a resolver, are required.

Apparatus and method for checking the plausibility of an excitation signal for a rotary encoder


A magnetic random access memory includes a substrate; a first ferromagnetic layer; a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device provided on a same side of the substrate as the first ferromagnetic layer; and a wiring layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the MTJ device. The MTJ device includes a second ferromagnetic layer opposing to the wiring layer. A first perpendicular projection of the first ferromagnetic layer on the substrate and a second perpendicular projection of the second ferromagnetic layer on the substrate are different in area, and one of the first and second perpendicular projections contains the other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic random access memory (MRAM), and more particularly to a magnetic random access memory which uses a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) which shows a tunnel magnetic resistance effect (TMR effect) as a memory cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
The resistance of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) which is composed of two ferromagnetic layers and a tunnel barrier layer (tunnel insulating layer) put between these ferromagnetic layers changes largely, depending on directions of the magnetizations of the ferromagnetic layers. Such a phenomenon is called a tunnel magnetic resistance effect (TMR effect). Therefore, by detecting the resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction, it is possible to determine the direction of the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer.
The magneto-resistance device containing the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device is applied to a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) which can hold data without being erased. In such an MRAM, memory cells each containing the MTJ devices are arranged in a matrix. The direction of the magnetization of one of the two ferromagnetic layers contained in the magnetic tunnel junction device is fixed (the ferromagnetic layer is called a pinned ferromagnetic layer) and the direction of the magnetization of the other is freely reversible (the ferromagnetic layer is called a free ferromagnetic layer). Data is stored as the direction of the magnetization of the free ferromagnetic layer. A data write operation is carried out by applying a current to the neighborhood of the magnetic tunnel junction device and reversing the direction of the magnetization of the free ferromagnetic layer by the magnetic field generated by the current. A data read operation is carried out by detecting the direction of the magnetization of the free ferromagnetic layer by using the TMR effect.
In the MRAM, it is demanded that the data write operation, i.e., the reversal to the direction of the magnetization can be carried out in as small current as possible. On the other hand, in order to hold data stably, it is preferable that the direction of the magnetization of the free ferromagnetic layer is stable to thermal disturbance. However, generally, these are contradictory. For example, the direction of the magnetization can be reversed in the small current if the coercive of the free ferromagnetic layer is made small, i.e., an anisotropic magnetic field of the free ferromagnetic layer is made small. In this case, however, the decrease of the anisotropic magnetic field is generally accompanied by the reduction of an energy barrier to reverse the direction of the magnetization of the free ferromagnetic layer. Therefore, when the anisotropic magnetic field is decreased, the stability in the MRAM data holding characteristic is lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,396,735A as a first conventional example discloses a conventional MRAM in which the reduction of the write current and the stabilization of the data holding characteristic are achieved at a same time. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional MRAM is composed of a magnetic memory device 101a. The magnetic memory device 101a is composed of a wiring layer 128, an insulating layer 127, an anti-ferromagnetic layer 111, a pinned ferromagnetic layer 112, an insulating layer 113, a free ferromagnetic layer 114, a wiring layer 115 and a ferromagnetic layer 116. The pinned ferromagnetic layer 112 is composed of ferromagnetic layers 120 and 122 and a metal layer 121 put between them. As shown in FIG. 1, the wiring layer 115 extends in parallel to the substrate.
In the MRAM shown in FIG. 1, the data write operation is carried out by applying a write current to a direction parallel to the substrate through the wiring layer 115. When the write current flows through the wiring layer 115, a magnetic field is generated and applied to the second ferromagnetic layer 114 and the third ferromagnetic layer 116, and the directions of the magnetizations of the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 are reversed. Because the directions of the magnetic fields applied to the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 are opposite to each other, the directions of the magnetizations of the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 are opposite. Because the distance between the free ferromagnetic layer 114 or ferromagnetic layer 116 and the wiring layer 115 is short, it is possible to reverse the direction of the magnetization in few currents.
On the other hand, because the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 are magneto-statically combined and the directions of the magnetizations are opposite when a write current does not flows, the directions of the magnetizations of the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116S are stabilized to external disturbance. A technique similar to the first conventional example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,796A.
When the data write operation is carried out by applying a current to the wiring layer 115 put in between the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116, how the wiring layer 115 is connected with a wiring line for supplying the write current is a problem. For solving this problem, it is necessary to provide the free ferromagnetic layer 114 near to the ferromagnetic layer 116, in order to magneto-statically combine the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116. Therefore, it is necessary to pattern the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 so that the ends of them are approximately aligned. In this case, the wiring line for supplying the write current must be drawn out outside the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 to connect with the wiring layer 115. Thus, conventionally, it is necessary to pattern the free ferromagnetic layer 114, the ferromagnetic layer 116 and the wiring layer 115 as a non-magnetic conductive layer separately, resulting in increase of the number of processes.
Also, there is a case that the ends of the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 intersect due to an alignment difference. In such a case, the reversal of the direction of the magnetization cannot be smoothly carried out.
For these reasons, it could be considered that the ferromagnetic material 116 is patterned and then is embedded by an oxide film 124 for flattening, as shown in FIG. 2. By using this method, the end of the free ferromagnetic material 114 does not cover the end of the ferromagnetic material 116, because the ferromagnetic material 116 is embedded in the oxide film 124, even if the alignment difference is caused.
However, in this method, the flattening process gives damage to the ferromagnetic film 116. Moreover, it is necessary to provide a flattening stopper layer on the ferromagnetic layer 116. For this reason, if the distance between the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 is made large, the magneto-statical combination and the exchange combination are weakened. As a result, the stability in the directions of the magnetizations of the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116 is lost in the non-write operation. Moreover, a manufacturing cost increases through the increase of the number of processes by the necessity of the flattening process.
Moreover, the alignment difference is caused through individual patterning of the free ferromagnetic layer 114 and the ferromagnetic layer 116. As a result, the magneto-statical combination between them is weakened and the reverse magnetic field of the free ferromagnetic layer 114 is deviated. Therefore, the value of the write current is deviated for every device.
In conjunction with the above description, a method of manufacturing a magnetic resistance effect head is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 4-255905). In this conventional example, an anti-ferromagnetic layer or a ferromagnetic layer is provided to direct contact a ferromagnetic magnetic resistance effect layer in order to generate a vertical bias magnetic field by exchange combination of the ferromagnetic magnetic resistance effect layer and the anti-ferromagnetic layer or ferromagnetic layer. Ion implantation is carried out a part of the anti-ferromagnetic layer or ferromagnetic layer.
Also, a magnetic resistance effect device is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 10-255231). The magnetic resistance effect device of this conventional example is composed of a ferromagnetic tunnel junction section and magnetic domain control films. The ferromagnetic tunnel junction section is a laminate film of a first ferromagnetic film, an insulating film and a second ferromagnetic film. The magnetic domain control films are provided at ends of one of the first and second ferromagnetic films.
Also, a magnetic tunnel junction device is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 11-161919). The magnetic tunnel junction device of this conventional example is composed of a pinned ferromagnetic multiplayer, a free ferromagnetic multiplayer, and an insulting tunnel layer. The pinned ferromagnetic multiplayer is composed of first and second ferromagnetic films and an anti-ferromagnetic film provided between the first and second ferromagnetic films to contact them. The first and second ferromagnetic films are anti-ferromagnetically combined with each other and have a magnetic moment fixed in a direction under an applied magnetic field. The free ferromagnetic multiplayer is composed of first and second ferromagnetic films and an anti-ferromagnetic film provided between the first and second ferromagnetic films to contact them. The first and second ferromagnetic films are anti-ferromagnetically combined with each other and have a magnetic moment reversible under an applied magnetic field. The insulting tunnel layer is provided between the pinned ferromagnetic multiplayer and the free ferromagnetic multiplayer to contact them, and allows a tunnel current between the pinned ferromagnetic multiplayer and the free ferromagnetic multiplayer.
Also, a magnetic resistance effect head is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-P2001-52316A). The magnetic resistance effect head of this conventional example uses a ferromagnetic tunnel combination film which includes a free layer, a pinned layer, and a barrier layer formed between the free layer and the pinned layer. Oxide or nitride of metal material of the ferromagnetic tunnel combination film exists in a pattern of the he ferromagnetic tunnel combination film.
In addition, a magnetic resistance effect device is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-P2002-176211A). The magnetic resistance effect device of this conventional example includes first and second magnetic layers, and a non-magnetic layer formed between the first and second magnetic layers. A current for sensing change in resistance based on change in an angle between a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer and a magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer flows in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the each layer. The area of the non-magnetic layer is equal to or less than 1 μm2. One selected from the first and second magnetic layers and the non-magnetic layer has a first region and a second region, and the area of the first region is smaller than the area of the non-magnetic layer. The current flows through the first region, and the second region is formed of oxide, nitride or oxidized nitride of material of the first region.

Magnetic random access memory and method of manufacturing the same