A surgical instrument having a first assembly with a first radio-opaque portion providing a profile of a first portion of an intramedullary implant or canal in a bone, and a second assembly having a second radio-opaque portion providing a profile of a second portion of the intramedullary implant or canal. The surgical instrument may also include a third radio-opaque portion providing an alignment feature to provide a fluoroscopic planar check for the surgical instrument.

Total joint replacement prostheses typically include a specially designed jig or fixture to enable a surgeon to make accurate and precise bone resections in and around the joint being prepared to accept the prosthesis. The ultimate goal with any total joint prosthesis is to approximate the function and structure of the natural, healthy structures that the prosthesis is replacing. Should the prosthesis not be properly attached to the joint or not properly aligned, discomfort to the patient, gait problems, or degradation of the prosthesis may result.
Many surgical procedures employ the use of intra-operative fluoroscopy to check the alignment of the intramedullary cavities that are prepared to receive the joint replacement prosthesis; however, the use of intra-operative fluoroscopy may have drawbacks. One such drawback is that the use of fluoroscopy to check the alignment of intramedullary cavities formed during surgery may increase the overall length of the surgical procedure as time is taken to acquire and evaluate the fluoroscopic images. Long surgery times may lead to increased tourniquet time for the patient and may therefore increase recovery time.
Another drawback of fluoroscopy is exposing the patient and others in the operating room to the ionized radiation. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has issued several articles and public health advisories concerning the use of the fluoroscopy during surgical procedures. Consequently, even though steps are taken to protect the patient and other from the ionized radiation, it is virtually impossible to eliminate all risk associated with the ionized radiation.
Thus, it is desirable to overcome the limitations of the prior art and provide an efficient fluoroscopic check of the implant or prostheses and/or of the intramedullary cavities with or without the assistance of a preoperative plan or assessment.

Instrument for intra-operative implant templating using fluoroscopy


A command register recognizes a batch-write test mode and outputs to a clock generating circuit signals indicating the recognition of the mode. In the batch-write test mode, the clock generating circuit generates a clock signal having a longer cycle than a clock signal generated in a normal operation mode. The clock signal is supplied to a row decoder (word line potential control circuit) to control the operation of the row decoder, so that the row decoder supplies a sufficient write potential to all word lines.

The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor memory and more particularly to a semiconductor memory for use in a test of a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a flash EEPROM.
FIG. 8 shows a structure of a conventional non-volatile semiconductor memory.
A memory cell array 11 of the conventional non-volatile semiconductor memory, though not shown in detail in FIG. 8, comprises a plurality of electrically programmable memory cells arranged in a matrix. A row decoder 12 includes a decode circuit for decoding row address signals and a word line potential control circuit for determining word line potentials. The decode circuit selects, on the basis of row address signals, a word line and memory cells connected to the selected word line for which data erase, write or read is executed. The word line potential control circuit supplies a predetermined potential to a control gate of the memory cells.
A clock generating circuit 13 generates a clock signal OSC for driving the row decoder 12. A sense amplifier/bitline potential control circuit 14, for example, senses data or controls bitline potentials in respective modes of erase, write and read-out.
A column decoder 15 turns on a column select transistor 16 existing on a predetermined select column on the basis of a column address signal, and leads data of the predetermined select column to an input/output buffer 17 or leads data from the input/output buffer 17 to the predetermined select column.
In these years, attention has been paid to a NAND type EEPROM as a non-volatile semiconductor memory. A memory cell array of the NAND type EEPROM comprises a plurality of NAND cells. The NAND cells include a plurality of series-connected memory cells and two select gate transistors connected respectively to both ends of the series circuit of the memory cells.
FIG. 9 shows an example of a structure comprising the memory cell array 11 (shown in detail) of the NAND type EEPROM and the word line potential control circuit (shown by a block) 12-1, 12-2, . . . , of the row decoder (excluding the decode circuit). FIG. 10 shows in detail the word line potential control circuit 12-1, 12-2, . . . , shown in FIG. 9.
The memory cell array 11 comprises a plurality of NAND cell units each including four series-connected memory cells and select gate transistors connected to both ends of the series-circuit of the memory cells. In each cell unit, a select gate transistor is connected to one end of the series circuit on the bitline BLi (i=1 to 4223) side, and similarly another select gate transistor is connected to the other end of the series circuit on the source line (source terminal VS) side.
One block is constituted by 4224 NAND cell units arranged in the row direction (i.e. the direction of extension of word lines). A page is a unit of memory cells permitting simultaneous read/write.
The number of memory cells of each NAND cell unit is not limited to four, and may be eight, 16, etc. In addition, the number of NAND cell units (bitlines) arranged in the row direction is not limited to 4224, and may be, e.g. 2112.
The word line potential control circuits 12-1, 12-2, . . . , are provided for the respective blocks, as shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 10, signals Pi (i=0 to Np), Qi (I=0 to Nq) and Ri (i=0 to Nr) are block address signals. Only one signal selected from Np+1 signals Pi is set at power supply potential VCC. Only one signal selected from Nq+1 signals Qi is set at power supply potential VCC. Only one signal selected from Nr+1 signals Ri is set at power supply potential VCC. When Np=7, Nq=7 and Nr=15, it is possible to select Np+1.times.Nq+1.times.Nr+1=1024 blocks.
In the word line potential control circuit corresponding to the selected block, all signals Pi, Qi and Ri are set at H (High) level. The signal Pi is input to an n-channel MOS transistor Qn25 and a p-channel MOS transistor Qp5. The signal Qi is input to an n-channel MOS transistor Qn26 and a p-channel MOS transistor Qp6. The signal Ri is input to an n-channel MOS transistor Qn27 and a p-channel MOS transistor Qp7. In the selected block in which all signals Pi, Qi and Ri are at "H" level, an input signal to an inverter I2 is set at "L" level.
In the word line potential control circuit corresponding to the block having a defective memory cell, a fuse F1 is cut off in order to prevent selection of this block. If the fuse F1 is cut off, the input signal level of the inverter I2 is kept at "H" even if all signals Pi, Qi and Ri are at "H". The reason is that the input terminal potential of the inverter I2 is fixed at "H" by the inverter I2 and a p-channel MOS transistor Qp8.
In the word line potential control circuit corresponding to the selected block, an output signal of the inverter I2 is at "H". The output signal of the inverter I2 is delivered to the gates of n-channel MOS transistors (transfer gates) Qn28 to Qn31 via a depletion type n-channel MOS transistor Qnd1.
Thus, a signal GSGD passes through the MOS transistor Qn28 and becomes a signal SGDm. The signal SGDm is applied to the gate of the drain-side (bitline-side) select gate transistor of the selected block. A signal GSGS passes through the MOS transistor Qn31 and becomes a signal SGSm. The signal SGSm is applied to the gate of the source-side select gate transistor of the selected block.
Similarly, signals GWL0 to GWL3 obtained by decoding low address signals pass through MOS transistors Qn29 to Qn30 and become signals WL0m to WL3m. The signals WL0m to WL3m are applied to the gates of the memory cells of each NAND cell of the selected block.
The potentials of the signals GSGD, GSGS and WL0m to WL3m are set at predetermined values in accordance with the respective modes of erase, write and read.
N-channel MOS transistors Qn22 to Qn24, capacitors C1 and C2, an inverter I1 and a NAND logic circuit G1 constitute a circuit for transferring a potential VPPRW, which is higher than power supply potential VCC, to the gates of the n-channel MOS transistors Qn28 to Qn31 of the selected block.
In the word line potential control circuit corresponding to the selected block, a signal Rm is at "H" level. Thus, a high-voltage switch comprising the transistors Qn22 to Qn24, capacitor C1 and NAND logic circuit G1 is positive-feedback-operated by the clock signal OSC, and the gate potentials of MOS transistors Qn28 to Qn31 increase.
In the word line potential control circuit corresponding to a non-selected block, the signal Rm is at "L" level. Thus, if a signal WLGNDB is at "L" level, an output signal of a NOR logic circuit G2 becomes at "H" level and n-channel MOS transistors Qn32 to Qn34 are rendered conductive. As a result, the signals SGDm and signals WL0m to WL3m are set at "L" level (ground potential).
When the voltage VPPRW is to be transferred to the MOS transistors Qn28 to Qn31, the signal BWLHB is set at 0V. The reason is that the depletion type n-channel MOS transistor Qnd1 is able to transmit the power supply potential VCC from its drain to source when its gate is set at power supply potential VCC and is unable to transmit the potential VCC from its drain to source when its gate is at 0V.
The operations of the erase, write and read modes of the NAND type EEPROM are described, for example, in IEEE Journal of Slid-State Circuits, Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 1157-64, Nov. 1995.
The write-mode operation of the NAND type EEPROM, in particular, will now be described.
FIG. 11 shows operational waveforms in the write mode.
Date write is successively effected in plural memory cells constituting the NAND cell unit, from the source-line-side memory cell M3 to the bitline-side memory cell M0. An increased write voltage VPP (=about 20V) is applied to the control gate of the selected memory cell, and an intermediate potential VM10 (=about 10V) is applied to the control gate of the non-selected memory cell. An intermediate potential, e.g. power supply potential VCC, is applied to the gate of the bitline-side select gate transistor S1. The gate of the source-line-side select gate transistor S2 is set at 0V. A zero voltage ("0" write) or an intermediate potential ("1" write) is applied to the bitline in accordance with data.
At this time, the bitline potential is transmitted to the selected memory cell. At the time of "0" write, a high voltage is applied between the floating gate of the selected memory cell and the substrate and electrons are tunnel-injected from the substrate into the floating gate. Thus, a threshold voltage of the selected memory cell is shifted to the positive side. At the time of "1" write, electrons do not move and the threshold voltage of the selected memory cell does not change.
FIG. 12 shows power supply lines for supplying power supply potentials VCC and VSS to the word line potential control circuits 12-1, 12-2, . . . , of the row decoder 12. FIG. 13 shows operational waveforms in a batch-write test mode.
The cycle T of the clock signal OSC is generally set in a range of from several-ten nsec to one-hundred several-ten nsec. Since the signal Rm (FIG. 10) in the word line potential control circuit corresponding to the non-selected block is at "L" level, the clock signal OSC does not drive the capacitor C1 (FIG. 10). Thus, 0V is applied to the gates of MOS transistors (transfer gates) Qn28 to Qn31 shown in FIG. 10.
In the batch-write test mode, data write is effected in all memory cells at a time. At this time, in all word line potential control circuits, the signal Rm is set at "H" level and the clock signal OSC drives the capacitor C1. The increased potential VPPRW is applied to the gates of the MOS transistors (transfer gates) Qn28 to Qn31 shown in FIG. 10.
In addition, an increased write voltage VPP (=about 20V) is applied to the control gates of all memory cells. An intermediate potential, e.g. a power supply potential VCC, is applied to the gate of the bitline-side select gate transistor, and 0V is applied to the gate of the source-line-side select gate transistor. Besides, 0V ("0" write) is applied to the bitline.
At this time, parasitic resistance R occurs in the power supply lines for supplying power supply potentials VCC and VSS from power supply pads 18 and 19 to the word line potential control circuits 12-1, . . . ,12-n. Consequently, power supply potentials VCC11, . . . ,VCC1n supplied to the word line potential control circuits 12-1, . . . ,12-n are lower than the power supply potential VCC applied to the power supply pad 18. Similarly, power supply potentials VSS11, . . . ,VSS1n are lower than the power supply potential VSS applied to the power supply pad 19.
Accordingly, the capacitors of the word line potential control circuits 12-1, . . . ,12-n are driven at an amplitude between the power supply potential VCCi (i=1 to n) and power supply potential VSSi. This amplitude is less than the normal amplitude (VCC-VSS).
Consequently, the gate potentials of the MOS transistors (transfer gates) Qn28 to Qn31 become lower than the increased potential VPPRW which is to be normally applied. A potential VQQ, which is lower than the predetermined write potential VPP, is applied to all word lines, and a satisfactory batch-write test cannot be performed.


Described herein are systems and methods for expanding upon the single-distance-based background denotation to seamlessly replace unwanted image information in a captured image derived from an imaging application so as to account for a selected object's spatial orientation to maintain an image of the selected object in the captured image.

Videoconferencing, or video calling, has been used to supplement, and in some instances, to replace the traditional face-to-face meeting between people from different physical sites or locations. When properly implemented, videoconferencing can reduce real and opportunity costs to businesses because it cuts down on the travel time and cost required to bring personnel from different locations together for a face-to-face meeting.
As known in the art, videoconferencing or video calling includes the transmission of captured video images between the parties involved. Typically, a captured video image includes two portions: a) a foreground portion that shows the intended object of interest, such as a person or a business presentation involved in the videoconference; and b) a background portion that shows the surrounding environment, such as an office or a location, in which the object of interest is situated. In some instances, videoconferencing parties may be concerned about the improper disclosure of their surrounding environment for security and/or aesthetic reasons. There is also a technology concern of having to maintain an expensive video image transmission bandwidth that may be wasted in transmitting unnecessary background information in a captured image or risk a slow down in the image transmission that may affect the quality of a videoconferencing session.
To remedy the aforementioned problems of capturing unwanted background image information for transmission, typical videoconferencing or video communication systems employ a single distance threshold or color distributions to determine where the background and foreground portions of video images are. The background portion of each video image is then replaced as desired. However, with the use of a single distance threshold, there are instances where one or more parties involved in an imaging application, such as a videoconference or a video call, may be considered part of the background and removed from the video image of the video call. For example, consider a scenario where a person is sitting in a reclining chair while participating in a video call, and a single distance threshold is set behind the chair. Then the resulting virtual depth surface partitioning a transmitted foreground portion and an image-removal background portion of the image would typically be a plane perpendicular to the floor and ceiling, behind the chair. If the person reclines in the chair at a 45-degree angle to the floor, the resulting video image presented to other remote parties involved in the video call would include only the part of the chair and the part of the person that is in the transmitted foreground portion in front of the capture plane. The rest of the chair and the person would be replaced with alternative image information.
Likewise, with the use of color distributions to determine where the where the background and foreground portions of video images are, if the person involved in the video call happens to wear clothing with a color distribution that matches the color distribution of the background, a part or an entire image of the person may be replaced with alternative image information.
Accordingly, there is a desire to effectively replace the background of images in an imaging application, such as a video call, while allowing a call participant to move freely about the camera without the risk of blending the call participants into the background portion and partly or completely eliminating such call participants from the ongoing video image in the video call.

Replacing image information in a captured image


A method for dynamic content filtering includes accessing, by a processing unit, a media content that includes several content portions. The method further includes determining a rating tag associated with each content portion from the media content, and a user profile of a user requesting the media content to be rendered. The user profile contains a permission level for the user. The method further includes filtering the content portions from the media content based on the permission level, wherein, in response to the rating tag of a particular content portion exceeding the permission level in the user profile, filtering out the particular content portion. The method further includes rendering content portions that were not filtered out.

The present invention relates to computing technology, and particularly to filtering sections of electronic media content for specific users.
Presently, media content is rated by external committee(s), not a content provider, in accordance with a static rating system. Typically, the rating system uses age recommendations in an advisory or restrictive capacity ranging up to adulthood, and are often given to aid censorship of the content. Additionally, most content delivery services support some type of parental control defined at a coarse-level (e.g., application level, site level, etc.).

Dynamic tag-based parental control for media consumption

International Business Machines Corporation


A device for generating microwave signals, e.g., for use in a distance and speed sensor in a motor vehicle, is provided. To this end, two laser sources are operated, whose emitted radiations are distinguished from each other by a set difference in wavelength. The two lasers are arranged in such a manner that the emitted laser beams overlap spatially. A photodiode is arranged in this region in which the two laser beams interfere. From the superimposition product of the two laser beams, this photodiode generates an electrical output signal that has the differential frequency of the two superimposed laser beams. In this context, the frequency difference of the two lasers is selected so that the frequency of the generated microwave radiation lies in the range of the radar beam to be generated.

From the publication "Optical Millimeter-Wave Systems for Broadband Mobile Communication, Devices and Techniques" by R.-P. Braun and G. Grokopf, published at the "International Zurich Seminar of Broadband Communications-Accessing, Transmission, Networking" at the ETH Zürich in February 1998, it is known that microwave frequencies may be generated by the superimposition of optical waves of semiconductor lasers of different wavelength in a transmitter, modulated, and transmitted.


The present invention is directed to a seismic isolation bearing having an ultimate translational distance and capacity for supporting an upper structure on a lower structure, comprising a load bearing core for absorbing forces which causes a horizontal sliding movement between the upper structure and the lower structure, an upper load bearing plate positioned on top of the uppermost load bearing body and a lower load bearing plate positioned beneath the lowermost load bearing body. The bearing further includes a tension damping device comprising a matrix material and a reinforcement material disposed therewithin and having an activation point and range. Each tension damping device is adapted to be connected between the upper load bearing plate and the lower load bearing plate for damping and stiffening the sliding movement between the upper and lower structures.

Translation type isolation bearings, or bearings that are relatively rigid in one direction and relatively flexible in the two orthogonal directions, consist of at least a core of horizontally sliding or translating surfaces or materials that reduce the transmitted vibration energy. At the same time, the core is also capable of carrying the vertical gravity loads of the structure.
In the case of seismic isolation bearings, movement at the base of the bearing is associated with earthquake ground motion. The maximum possible translation that might be imposed on the isolation devices is not well understood because there is disagreement on the maximum potential ground motions. It is believed that the worst case ground motion would be adjacent to the terminating end of a slipping fault line. But incomplete understanding of the potential effects of geologic factors, such as fault size and type, as well as limited localized information, such as fault locations or soft soil conditions, reduce the accuracy of maximum bearing displacement estimates at a specific site. Therefore, it is considered prudent to guard against unexpected bearing failure, caused by unexpectedly high bearing displacements, that may lead to sudden loss of structure support.
At present, control of maximum bearing displacements is accomplished by utilizing a variety of means, including: (1) designing overly stiff bearings; (2) relying on increasing elastomer stiffness with strain; (3) adding hydraulic type dampers or pistons in parallel with the bearings; (4) providing metal chains, cables or rods to stop the bearings; (5) providing auxiliary friction sliding devices that provide increasing friction resistance with bearing translation; and, (6) providing stabilizing columns that "catch" the building if the bearings should fail.
Representative bearings having maximum bearing displacement control include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,910,930 (Way) and 5,014,474 (Fyfe et al.). Way discloses a seismic isolation structure comprised of a high damping elastomeric bearing and a restraint means mounted between a building's footings and support columns. This restraint means is comprised of a curled steel rod located outside the bearing core. Fyfe discloses an apparatus having a low friction elastomeric load bearing pad disposed between an upper and lower load bearing plate and a freely disposed restraining means, such as a steel cable or chain, in an axial bore through the center of an elastomeric bearing and attached to the upper and lower load bearing plates.
Although capable of handling unexpected inputs, conventional displacement controlled bearings do not exhibit an optimized design capable of handling expected inputs. In the case of a displacement controlled seismic isolation bearing, an optimum bearing design would entail one in which structure accelerations are reduced as much as possible for typical, expected ground motions ranging in scale from Richter Magnitude 5 to 7, and failure is prevented in extreme, unexpected ground motions, or those greater than Richter Magnitude 8.
Bearings having displacement control, to date, are deficient in their design and function for a number of reasons, including: (1) overly stiff bearing cores reduce isolation effectiveness in the expected input range; (2) elastomer stiffness increase with strain is too slow to prevent displacement bearing failure; (3) hydraulic or similar viscous systems are expensive and overly stiffen the bearing, reducing its effectiveness; (4) friction sliding devices tend to be unreliable because they depend on long-term, consistent stick-slip action at the sliding surfaces and are sensitive to normal or vertical force which varies in a dynamic and complicated way; and (5) steel cables, chains, springs or rods generate a sudden impact load on the structure when they become taut and typically do not return to their initial configuration after becoming taut.

Seismic isolation bearing having a tension damping device


An image sensing apparatus capable of reducing degradation of a signal-to-noise ratio property occurring when a driving frequency of an image sensing element is high, depending on a state of an operation mode. An information table is stored in a memory section, which includes information on a timing of a horizontal transfer driving signal for performing charge transfer in the horizontal direction in an image sensing element, information on a timing of a reset gate signal for performing charge sweep per pixel, and information on a timing of a feed-through sample-hold signal for sample-holding a feed-through section of the output signal of the image sensing element which becomes a black reference per pixel, in association with an operation mode of an image sensing apparatus. The information table associated with the set operation mode is selected from the memory section, and the element is driven based on the information table.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensing apparatus which performs image sensing with an image sensing element in which charges can be sequentially transferred in a horizontal direction, and a control method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an image sensing apparatus such as an electronic camera which records/plays still images or moving images sensed by an image sensing element such as a CCD, with a memory card having a memory element as a recording medium has been actively developed and commercially available. Here, a common configuration and an operation example of an image input section of a conventional digital camera will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image input section of the conventional digital camera. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a horizontal transfer final stage section of a CCD 1001 in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a control timing of a sample-hold circuit. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a CDS circuit 1002 in FIG. 10.
In FIG. 10, the digital camera is provided with the CCD 1001 which is the image sensing element, a correlated double sampling (hereinafter referred to as "CDS") circuit 1002, an amplifier 1003, an analog-digital converter (hereinafter referred to as "ADC") 1004 and a CCD driving section 1005. The CCD 1001 is driven by respective driving pulse signals such as a horizontal transfer pulse, a reset gate pulse, a vertical transfer pulse and an electronic shutter pulse which are outputted from the CCD driving section 1005, and converts an optical image of an object into an electrical signal.
Within the CCD 1001 which performs horizontal charge transfer driving in a three-phase driving manner, charges exposed and accumulated by a light receiving element are sequentially transferred on a pixel by pixel basis in a horizontal direction by the horizontal transfer pulse. As shown in FIG. 11, the charges are eventually transferred from a horizontal transfer pulse H2 section 1100 to a horizontal transfer pulse H3 section 1101, and to a horizontal transfer pulse H1 section 1102. Subsequently, the charges pass through a horizontal final stage 1103, and are transferred to a floating diffusion (FD) section 1104, then converted into a voltage signal, and sequentially outputted as a video signal per pixel. After being converted into the voltage signal, the charges are swept (discarded) into a drain section 1106 by turning ON a reset gate 105.
In this way, the signal outputted from the CCD 1001 requires a reset operation per pixel. This reset operation causes a reset flaw to be generated in the output signal of the CCD 1001.
FIG. 12 shows a relationship between the reset gate pulse (RG) and the reset flaw, and the control timing of the sample-hold circuit for extracting a level of a feed-through section and a level of an optical output signal section, respectively, in one pixel cycle of the output signal of the CCD 1001. The output signal of the CCD 1001 is basically composed of the reset flaw generated from the reset gate pulse, the feed-through level which becomes a black reference per pixel, and the optical output signal level proportional to an amount of light.
Returning to FIG. 10, the CDS circuit 1002 is a noise removal circuit for removing a co-related noise component from the output signal by obtaining a difference between the level of the feed-through section and the level of the optical output signal section in the output signal of the CCD 1001.
As shown in FIG. 13, a common CDS circuit is configured with sample-hold circuits 1301 and 1302 which are connected in series, a sample-hold circuit 1303, and a differential amplifier 1304. An SHP is a pulse signal for sample-holding a feed-through period for retaining a reset level. An SHD is a pulse signal for sample-holding an optical output signal period. The CDS circuit is configured to sample-hold the output signal of the CCD with the SHP and the SHD by the sample-hold circuits 1301, 1302 and 1303, and to take a difference between respective outputs of the sample-hold circuits 1302 and 1303 by the differential amplifier 1304.
Returning to FIG. 10, an output signal of the CDS circuit 1002 is amplified to a specified signal level in accordance with an input range of the ADC 1004 by the amplifier 1003. An output signal of the amplifier 1003 is converted into a digital signal by the ADC 1004, and subsequently further transmitted to a digital signal processing circuit (not shown) at a subsequent stage.
The image sensing apparatus such as the above described digital camera has tended to increase resolutions or an operating speed related to shooting year by year in response to market needs for higher image quality for enhancing the quality of images or increase in the number of pixels for increasing the pixels. Most models of the image sensing apparatus with increased resolutions or operating speed have a high-speed continuous shooting function, a live view function (function of focusing or the like while displaying a sensed image in real time), and further a moving image function. Thus, a high CCD driving frequency is required for satisfying these functions (specifications).
On the other hand, the high CCD driving frequency set in the image sensing apparatus causes a harmful effect in which timing margins of the feed-through period (TP) and the optical output signal period (TD) shown in FIG. 12 are reduced. Thus, stability of the sample-hold of each signal is decreased, and a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) property may be degraded.
As a countermeasure against the degradation of the S/N property, there is a method of setting phases and pulse widths so as to increase the timing margin of the feed-through period or the optical output signal period. For example, it becomes possible to take a large timing margin of the feed-through period (TP) or the optical output signal period (TD) by setting a small pulse width of the reset gate pulse among the respective CCD driving pulse signals (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2006-42261).
However, as the above described conventional art, as the countermeasure against the degradation of the S/N property, if the phases and the pulse widths have been set so that the timing margins of the feed-through period and the optical output signal period can be secured, the following problem occurs. In other words, as a harmful effect of the countermeasure against the degradation of the S/N property, a defective reset may be generated in the case of handling a large charge at a horizontal final stage section of the CCD. A reason thereof will be described by using FIGS. 12, 3 and 6.
FIGS. 6A to 6C show charge transfer states at the horizontal transfer final stage section of the three-phase driving in the CCD. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a phase relationship between a horizontal transfer pulse H3 and the reset gate pulse which are CCD driving pulse signals in a still image recording operation mode of the digital camera, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a waveform of the CCD output signal. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a phase relationship among a horizontal transfer pulse H1, the horizontal transfer pulse H3 and a horizontal transfer pulse H2 which are the CCD driving pulse signals. In other words, FIG. 3A shows the phase relationship between a horizontal transfer pulse HS 303 and a reset gate pulse (RG) 301, and FIG. 3C shows the phase relationship among a horizontal transfer pulse H1 302, the horizontal transfer pulse H3 303 and a horizontal transfer pulse H2 304.
In order to secure the timing margins of the feed-through period and the optical output signal period, it is necessary to minimize effects of the reset flaw generated from the reset gate pulse. To that end, generally, a reset flaw period is shortened by reducing the pulse width of the reset gate pulse (RG) of FIG. 12. However, in the pulse width of the reset gate pulse, it is necessary to secure a minimum time required for sweeping the charges into the drain section.
If only the reset gate pulse width has been shortened without changing other pulse widths, as shown in FIG. 3A, a timing may be generated in which an OFF timing of the reset gate pulse 301 has phase-advanced with respect to an OFF timing of the horizontal transfer pulse H3 303.
In the case of the above described phase-advanced timing, as shown in FIG. 6B, a period for sweeping the charges by the reset gate pulse is insufficient. Thus, if a charge handled at a horizontal transfer pulse H1 section 602 is large, the defective reset is generated in which charges that cannot be discarded into a drain section 606 are left in an FD section 604. The charges left in the FD section 604 is generated as aliasing in the feed-through period, and if the CDS with the optical output signal period has been performed, image darkening in which an image is darkened more than its original brightness is generated.

Image sensing apparatus including charge transfer operation and control method therefor


An optical fiber connector (30) includes a housing defining a cavity (314) and a receiving space (364) therein, an optical element (34) received in the cavity and a protecting member received in the receiving space. The protecting member includes a door (32) defining an aperture (322) therein and a spring member (33) assembled to the door. The spring member is deformable in the cavity along a front-to-back direction when a fiber plug (40) is inserted/withdrawn. The protecting member occupies a small inner space of the optical fiber connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical fiber connector, and more particular to an optical fiber connector having a protecting member.
2. Description of Prior Art
Present telecommunication technology develops, to an increasing extent, optical fiber for signal transmission. The use of optical fibers, in turn, requires numerous collateral components especially adapted to handle the light or optical transmission, among which are optical fiber connectors.
Optical fiber connector for connecting digital systems mostly use a transmitting rod for alignment and support the fiber. Examples of optical fiber connector that uses a plastic fiber within a ferrule include: i) the F07 Duplex Plastic Fiber System from AMP; ii) the SMI (small Muti-media Interface) Connector from Sony Corporation; and iii) the HFBR series of plastic fiber connector from Hewlett Packard. For assuring performance of the optical connector, it is necessary that a door prevents dust and vapor in the air from entering the optical fiber connectors.
As shown in FIG 1, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-331859 discloses an optical fiber connector, which comprises a housing 1 holding an optical element 11 therein, a rotatable door 13 assembled to the housing 1. The housing 1 defines a cavity 12 therein for receiving a complementary optical fiber plug 2 with a mating portion 21. Once the complementary optical fiber plug 2 is inserted into the housing 1, the rotatable door 13 is rotated to an open position. When the optical fiber plug 2 is withdrawn from the optical fiber connector, the rotatable door 13 is closed to avoid entry of dust into the optical fiber connector. However, the rotatable door 13 is outside the housing 1 when the fiber plug 2 is received in the cavity 12 of the housing 1, which is easy to be damaged arid increases the space occupied by the optical fiber connector.
FIG. 2 shows another optical fiber connector, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,152. The optical fiber connector comprises an elastic door 101 and a housing 10. A fiber 201 is embedded in a fiber plug 20. The elastic door 101 is elastically pushed inwardly in a cavity 102 of the housing 10 by an external force when insertion a mating portion 202 of the fiber plug 20 and restores back to original state when the fiber plug 20 is withdrawn from the optical fiber connector. However, the cavity 102 has to provide enough space for receiving the inwardly rotated elastic door 101 therein, which is adverse to minimization of the optical fiber connector. Moreover, the elastic door 101 should be opened by a knock of the fiber plug 20, which consequently leads to abrasion of the fiber 201 after repeated insertion/withdrawal of the fiber plug 20.
Hence, an optical fiber connector having a protecting member is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.


A low glossiness-metallic luster decorative sheet with a low glossiness feeling added to a metallic luster feeling, and a laminated body thereof. Glossiness change at the time of molding is reduced. In a configuration with a metallic luster layer, and a low glossiness-resin layer containing a delustering agent provided to a substrate sheet in the order of the low glossiness-resin layer and the metallic luster layer from the closer side when viewed from one side, the low glossiness-resin layer has a large number of minute opening parts such that the metallic luster layer can be observed in the minute opening parts without the low glossiness-resin layer. By laminating the same onto the substrate by such as a molding method, a laminated body can be provided. The metallic luster layer viewed in the minute opening parts realizes a high brilliance metallic luster feeling while providing low glossiness.

Conventionally, as a metallic luster decorative sheet for providing a metallic luster feeling such as a metallic tone, those provided with a bright resin layer of a bright ink or paint containing a bright pigment such as a metal powder, or with a metal thin film layer are known. Furthermore, with the decorative sheet surface of a low glossiness, a low glossiness-metallic luster decorative sheet with a sedate metallic luster feeling can be provided.
As such a low glossiness-metallic luster decorative sheet, various configurations have been proposed.
Examples thereof include:
(1) one using a resin film prepared by forming a film of a resin composition with a delustering agent added as a component of a resin film material by a T-die extrusion method,
(2) one using a resin film prepared by further forming a white spot pattern with an emboss roll on the resin film containing a delustering agent of the above item (1), and
(3) one using a resin film with no delustering agent added to form a low glossiness-resin layer thereon by printing or coating a delustering ink containing a delustering agent.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 5-39583

Low glossiness-metallic luster decorative sheet, and laminated body laminating same


On a machine for bending rod-shaped or tubular workpieces, which includes a bending head having a bending mandrel mounted on a rotational axis and rotatable by means of a rotary drive, and having a clamping device for pressing the workpiece to be bent against a forming groove on the bending mandrel and also a feeding device for the workpiece to be processed, whereby the clamping device is positionable relative to the bending mandrel and can is also pivotable concentrically to the rotational axis of the bending mandrel, the clamping device is attached to two mutually independent rotary drives, one of which performs its pivoting movement about the rotational axis of the bending mandrel, and via the other of which it can be moved with respect to the bending mandrel by using an interposed conversion transmission that converts a rotary motion to a linear motion, whereby the bending head includes three concentrically nested rotary shafts for transmitting the drive of the three rotary drives to the bending mandrel, to the conversion transmission and to the clamping device, each of which is connected to one of the rotary drives.

Such bending apparatus are used in modern bending machines for rod-like workpieces and for prefabricated conduits primarily having larger cross sections.
In such cases the bending apparatus constitutes a plurality of units whose interaction makes good bending results possible, especially in the case of tubular workpieces with thin walls.
A bending apparatus should ideally be able to satisfy a majority of particular requirements in that it should be able to perform the following functions: right-hand and left-hand bending, draw bending and curling, coiling, producing a bend directly after a different bend without an intervening straight segment, producing bends with different radii, bending pipes of different diameters, preventing wrinkling, three-dimensional bending, and enabling simple retooling.
Bending devices are known with bending heads that must be e.g. pivoted to convert from left to right coiling (see EP 1 226 887 B1, EP 1 291 094 B1 and EP 1 350 578 A1), or which are constructed symmetrically (WO 03/053 606 A1). Likewise, the possibility of exchanging a bending head for such a conversion is also known.
Also prior art is the use of multi-stage dies for producing different bending radii and for processing workpieces of different diameters, as well as the use of forming jaws for producing sequential bends without an intervening straight segment (see EP 1 350 578 A1 and WO 03/053 606 A1). The use of a slide rail to support and track the material is also known (see EP 1 291 094, EP 0 963 800 B1 und U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,475).
WO 2004/000479 A1 describes a bending apparatus of the type named at the beginning that can be used both for left-hand and for right-hand bending, without the bending mandrel having to be changed. It is essentially circular in design and has two circular forming grooves arranged on it that are axially offset from one another, one of which is used for left-hand bending and the other for right-hand bending. However, positioned on each of the forming grooves, at the place where the free end of the bent pipe again emerges tangentially from the ring groove when bending pipe, is a corresponding forming piece that itself has a straight-line forming segment that branches off tangentially from the corresponding forming groove, so that an end piece of the pipe to be bent that diverges in a straight line tangentially from the bend lies in this section of the forming groove. For bending, the pipe delivered by a feed device is placed and pressed against the corresponding forming groove section of the forming piece that diverges tangentially from the forming groove in question, by means of a clamping device that can be moved relative to the bending mandrel, after which, when the pipe is clamped in place, the clamping device is pivoted together with the bending mandrel concentrically to the rotational axis of the latter, until behind the straight-line section of the forming groove, in the adjacent ring groove, the pipe is bent accordingly during the rotation. The clamping device is then separated from the bending mandrel, and the bent area of the bent pipe is removed from the forming groove of the bending mandrel and its straight-running end area is removed from the forming groove section of the forming piece.
If the same pipe is then to receive e.g. another bend in the other direction, which is to be e.g. directly adjacent to the first bend, the piece of pipe that has already been bent is moved to the other side of the bending mandrel, to the elevation of the other forming groove on the bending mandrel. At the same time, the clamping device is pivoted about the rotational axis of the bending mandrel relative to the latter so that it is positioned on the other side of the mandrel, and the pipe is again present between it and the bending mandrel. The pipe is then re-clamped between the clamping device and the bending mandrel (there again in a forming piece mounted correspondingly on the other forming groove, having a segment of forming groove that runs in a straight line, emerging tangentially from the forming groove of the bending mandrel), and the new bend in the pipe is then produced by rotating both the clamping device and the bending mandrel about the rotational axis of the bending mandrel, this time in the opposite direction.
Since there are two forming grooves on the bending mandrel, axially offset to one another, for left-hand and right-hand bending, each of which has an associated fitting with the straight-line segment of forming groove, and since (because of the difference in bending direction) the two fittings protrude linearly from the bending mandrel in opposite directions, albeit by different amounts, accordingly the clamping device, since in each of its pivoted positions for the two bending directions it must cooperate with one of the forming grooves and the associated forming segment at different heights, must also have forming grooves positioned corresponding to the difference in level to press the pipe against the bending mandrel and its forming segments. This requires geometrically that the corresponding forming grooves, as well as the fittings on the bending mandrel, must also be adjacent to one another, which results in a complicated structure and a relatively great width of the clamping device, but which is not favorable in view of the desired compact construction of such bending devices. The same is also true of the wrinkle smoother utilized there in the form of relatively long guide strips immediately upstream of the clamping device in the feeding direction of the pipe, with a corresponding forming groove for placing the wire. Here too, because of the difference in height of the forming grooves on the bending mandrel with respect to left-hand and right-hand bending, two different smoothing strips must be used that point in opposite directions, where each embodies a forming groove, and that must also be moved by corresponding travel distances next to the sliding mandrel. This too takes up more space than desired. The publication says nothing about how the movement of the clamping device relative to the bending mandrel is realized, but it can be seen from the illustrative figures in the publication that a shifting occurs along a guide strip that is mounted on the underside of the clamping device and is overlapped and positively gripped by the latter, for which it is quite obvious that a linear drive must be used, although this is not described in further detail there.
Starting from this basis, the object of the invention is now to improve such a bending device such that the clamping device gets by with an especially small space requirement and a separate linear positioning motor is not needed for the linear movement of the clamping device.

Machine for bending rod-shaped or tubular workpieces


In one embodiment, an LED current control circuit is configured with a sample and hold circuit that samples an error signal of an error amplifier during one time and holds the sampled value during a second time.

The present invention relates, in general, to electronics, and more particularly, to methods of forming semiconductor devices and structure.
In the past, the semiconductor industry utilized various methods and structures to build boost mode driving circuits for light emitting diodes (LEDs). The boost mode driving circuit was used to regulate the current through the LED in order to control the light intensity of the LED. For some applications, the boost mode driving circuit had a control pin that was pulsed in order to control the current, thus, the light intensity of the LED. During the operation, there were current spikes or inrush current. In some cases, the in-rush current disturbed the control circuit operation and reduced the accuracy of the current control. The in-rush current increased the power dissipation of the system and could also cause undesirable electromagnetic radiation (EMI).
Accordingly, it is desirable to have an LED controller that minimizes inrush current, that minimizes EMI, and that more accurately controls the current through the LED.
For simplicity and clarity of the illustration, elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale, and the same reference numbers in different figures denote the same elements. Additionally, descriptions and details of well-known steps and elements are omitted for simplicity of the description. As used herein current carrying electrode means an element of a device that carries current through the device such as a source or a drain of an MOS transistor or an emitter or a collector of a bipolar transistor or a cathode or anode of a diode, and a control electrode means an element of the device that controls current through the device such as a gate of an MOS transistor or a base of a bipolar transistor. Although the devices are explained herein as certain N-channel or P-Channel devices, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that complementary devices are also possible in accordance with the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a propagation delay, between the reaction that is initiated by the initial action.

LED current controller and method therefor

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC


Ampholyte terpolymer conditioning additives for hair care products are disclosed which improve wet and dry hair combability, especially detangling and reduced static flyaway, sheen, and fixative properties, especially curl retention. The ampholyte terpolymers may have a weight average molecular weight of from about 10 thousand to 10 million, and comprise (a) from at least 1 to as much as 95 weight percent of the nonionic monomer acrylamide (AM), (b) from at least 5 to as much as 80 weight percent of the cationic monomer dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (DMDAAC), and (c) from at least 1 to as much as 75 weight percent of the anionic monomer acrylic acid (AA). In a preferred embodiment, the amount of the cationic and anionic components is such that the overall % net charge of the ampholyte terpolymer is between -5.0 and +5.0. The ampholyte terpolymers are added to hair care product formulations in amounts ranging from 0.1-10% by weight. They are particularly compatible with anionic surfactant shampoos, providing clear formulations without the loss of conditioning properties described above.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating hair in which a cosmetically acceptable medium is used which contains from 0.1-10% by weight of an ampholyte terpolymer. In particular, the cosmetically acceptable medium is an anionic surfactant-containing shampoo, and the ampholyte terpolymer exhibits good compatibility therewith in that the final solution is clear.
The surface properties of human hair are, of course, of basic interest in cosmetic science, and there has thus been a long-standing desire to discover ingredients which will beneficially affect the topical and bulk condition of this keratinous substrate. Such ingredients must have adequate adherent properties, so that they are not only adsorbed initially, but are also retained on exposure to water. This property is referred to as "substantivity", i.e., the ability of a material to be adsorbed onto the keratin of the hair and to resist removal by water rinse-off.
As indicated, human hair is composed of keratin, a sulfur-containing fibrous protein. The isoelectric point of keratin, and thus of the hair of which it is composed, is in the pH range of 3.2-4. Thus, at the pH of typical shampoo conditions, hair carries a net negative charge. Consequently, cationic polymers have long been used as conditioners in shampoo formulations, or as a separate treatment, in order to improve the wet and dry combability of the hair. The substantivity of the cationic polymers for negatively charged hair leads to film formation that facilitates detangling in wet hair combing and a reduction in static flyaway in dry hair combing. The cationic polymers also impart softness and suppleness to the hair.
When cationic polymers are added to shampoos containing anionic surfactants, formation of highly surface active association complexes takes place which imparts improved foam stability to the shampoo. Maximum surface activity and foam stability, or lather, are achieved at near stoichiometric ratios of anionic surfactant:cationic polymer, where the complex is least water soluble. All cationic conditioners exhibit some incompatibility at some of these ratios. Compatibility gives a commercially more desirable clear formulation, while incompatibility leads to a haze or precipitation, which is aesthetically less desirable.
Hair fixative properties such as curl retention, are directly related to the film forming properties of the cationic monomers, as well as to molecular weight, with performance increasing with increasing molecular weight. However, the fixative properties conferred by the cationic monomers tend to have a reciprocal relationship to the other conditioning properties, i.e., good curl retention means that wet combability, for example, will suffer, and vice versa.
Surprisingly, it has been found that it is possible, by adjusting the weight proportions of the components of the ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention, to retain a desired balance of the beneficial conditioning properties conferred by each of those components. Thus, it is possible to keep the desired properties of substantivity, combability and feel, while at the same time improving anionic surfactant compatibility, curl retention, sheen, and static reduction properties. It is also possible to selectively optimize one or a subset of these conditioning properties, by proper proportioning of the components and their molecular weights. This may be a desired course of action responsive to an expression of consumer group preference for one or another of these various conditioning properties, depending on the makeup of that consumer group.
As already indicated, it is a preferred embodiment of the present invention to add the ampholyte terpolymers directly to an anionic surfactant-containing shampoo. Other embodiments are contemplated, however. Thus, excellent results have been achieved with treatments usually followed by rinsing, such as shampooing, but have also been achieved with treatments with lotions or creams followed by rinsing, which are used to obtain hair-conditioning effects and are applied before or after coloring, bleaching, shampooing, perming or straightening.
Thus, the compositions according to the present invention can also be used in the form of coloring products, setting lotions, blow-drying lotions, restructuring lotions or bleaching, perming or straightening products.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, hair conditioning additives have been largely of three different types: cationic polymers, proteins or protein derivatives, and fatty quaternary ammonium compounds. Commonly used cationic polymers include: quaternary nitrogen-containing hydroxyethyl cellulose compounds, copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone and dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate, and amino functional polydimethylsiloxane. Hydrolyzed animal protein has been frequently used as a hair conditioner. Also used are natural products such as collagen and casein. Suitable quaternary ammonium compounds include such products as stearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.
Conditioning additives comprising copolymers of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride and other monomers are well known; see, e.g., EP 308189 (with acrylamide); EP 0 308 190 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,071 (with hydroxyethyl cellulose). The use of such polymers in cosmetics is also described in Sykes et al., Drug Cosmet. Ind., 126(2), 62, 64, 66, 68, 136 (1980). Amphoteric betaines have also been employed in cosmetic compositions; see GB 2,113,245 which discloses use of betainized dialkylaminoalkyl(meth)acrylate together with a cationic polymer.
The use of polymers of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride alone in hair treatment compositions is also known. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,175,572 and 3,986,825.
While the use of various combinations of cationic, anionic and/or nonionic polymers as additives for hair conditioning compositions has been suggested heretofore, there has been no appreciation that a significant improvement in all of the desired hair conditioning properties could be obtained by employing an ampholyte terpolymer of the type used in the compositions and methods of the present invention.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,458 discloses hair conditioning polymers containing alkoxylated nitrogen salts of sulfonic acid which may also include additional monomers that may be neutral, anionic and/or cationic. While these include acrylamide, acrylic acid and dimethyldiallylammonium chloride, there is no suggestion of the ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention.
EP 0 353 987 discloses polymers for water-rinsable personal care products including conditioning shampoos, comprising a cationic monomer including dimethyldiallylammonium chloride, a monomer that carries a pendant group A.sub.n R where n is 0 or a positive integer, A is ethyleneoxy and R is a hydrocarbyl group of 8 to 30 carbon atoms, and optionally a nonionic and/or an anionic monomer. However, there is no suggestion of the ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,374 discloses compositions suitable for treating the hair comprising a cationic polymer including poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride), and an anionic latex, but there is no suggestion of the ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,849 discloses compositions suitable for treating the hair comprising at least one cationic polymer including poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride), and at least one anionic polymer containing vinylsulfonic groups, optionally copolymerized with acrylamide. The cationic polymer may be an amphoteric polymer as defined, but none of these combinations suggest the ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention.
EP 0 080 976 discloses aqueous hair-cosmetic compositions containing a surface active polymeric acrylic-based quaternary ammonium salt, a monomeric or oligomeric ammonium salt, and a surface active nonionic, anionic or zwitterionic component. The ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention are not suggested.
The ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention are regarded as novel compositions of matter because of their unique properties, and their use as hair conditioning additives has not heretofore been suggested.
Terpolymers of acrylamide/dimethyldiallylammonium chloride/acrylic acid are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,455,240; 4,460,477; 4,484,631; and 4,533,708; however, nowhere is there a suggestion that those terpolymers might be used as conditioning additives for hair products.
A graft copolymer of acrylamide/acrylic acid/amylopectin/dimethyldiallylammonium chloride is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,576, but is only suggested for use as a pigment retention agent in papermaking.
The ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention represent a significant advance in the state of the hair conditioning art and afford properties which are a surprising improvement over those possessed by the hair conditioning additives in the prior art described above. In contrast to such additives, the ampholyte terpolymers of the present invention provide either an optimized combination of all hair conditioning properties, or else an optimized subset of such properties, which include: detangling, wet combability, wet feel, dry combability, dry feel, sheen, static flyaway control, and curl retention. A detailed demonstration of the dramatic improvement in these properties is set out further below.

Ampholyte terpolymers providing superior conditioning properties in shampoos and other hair care products


Circulating equilibrium catalyst (ECAT) in a fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) is gently attrited in an internal or closely coupled attriter to produce fines and attrited catalyst which is recycled to the FCC unit for fines removal. Average particle size of the circulating ECAT is slightly reduced coupled with some fines formation, improving fluidization. Some metals removal is possible as metals tend to accumulate on the surface of the ECAT. The existing fines removal equipment in the FCC is used to remove produced fines, though operating conditions may be altered to reduce particulates emissions during periods of catalyst attrition. A dual orifice plate attriter closely coupled with and discharging into the FCC regenerator is preferred, but a high velocity gas jet within the FCC regenerator may also be used. The process operates without a magnetic catalyst separation unit.

I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC).
II. Description of the Prior Art
Two significant, and somewhat related, problems that exist today in many FCC units are particulates emissions and fluidization. Particulate emissions are to a great extent a legislatively created problem. FCC's on average emit fewer particulates today than they did even a decade ago. Particulate emissions occur because the FCC process inherently produces catalyst fines, submicron and less than 5 micron sized particles which cannot be effectively captured even by modem high efficiency cyclones. Some of the fines end up in various products, typically as the slurry in the FCC slurry oil. Particulates there cause scouring in diesel engines which burn this oil as fuel, and cause quality control problems in plants which convert slurry oil into carbon black. At least no laws are broken if heavy liquid products have trace amounts of micron and submicron sized particulates.
Most fines produced in an FCC exit the unit with the flue gas from the regenerator. Many units use third stage separators, typically hundreds of small diameter cyclones, to capture the extremely fine particulates. Some FCC units employ wet scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators, or even baghouses to reduce particulates emissions. Thus modem FCC units are pretty good at removing fines produced by the FCC unit.
Much of the reduction of particulates emissions is due to the talents of people making the catalyst. Catalyst manufacturers have increased the durability of the catalyst used in the FCC process over the last fifty years, significantly reducing the amount of fines inherent from the use of such material. These advances, however, have not always been sufficient to meet ever more stringent limits set by law in many areas on particulates emissions. In further responding to this problem, many FCC catalyst manufacturers have increased the size of the FCC catalyst. The theory is that larger size particles are easier to retain in the system. The size of FCC catalyst, both as supplied by the manufacturer, and as it exists in inventory in the FCC unit, has gradually increased over the last 10 to 15 years. The average particle (APS) size of FCC catalyst has increased from an average particle size of perhaps 70 microns in the period 1983-1985, to a particle size in the range of 85-90 microns (1988-1990). Some units now run with an APS well above 90 microns.
The increased particulate size, or perhaps the more durable catalyst formulations, have helped to reduce particulates emissions. Unfortunately, the coarser, tougher catalysts were also making the FCC units harder to control and to run. The catalyst just does not fluidize and flow from reactor to regenerator and so on.
The problem was severe in some units. Some improvement in fluidization was achieved by addition of fluidization aids, material of 20-40 micron size whose primary function is to help coarse FCC catalyst circulate in the unit. Catalyst vendors sell this material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,412 taught a "triangular" approach to catalyst management, taking some of the circulating ECAT out of the unit and preferably subjecting to classifying, attrition, and magnetic separation.
The magnetic separation, attrition, and screening approach of '412 patent gave refiners a way to change ECAT physical properties, but required a significant amount of processing of catalyst in attrition and separation means, in addition to magnetic separation. The '412 patent recognized the difficulty caused by coarse materials (burping of the bed and poor oil contact) and the beneficial effect of some fine particles. It summarized the state of the FCC art by stating:
"further it has been established by experience over many years by many refiners, that a particle distribution most preferably in the 40-80 micron range, as mentioned above, gives best overall performance."
While the approach disclosed in '412 will help significantly, it requires a significant capital and operating expense. This can be justified when processing a heavy, metals laden feed, but can not be justified when processing a clean feed. Refiners frequently just need a way to improve fluidization, especially on short notice if a batch of makeup catalyst is unusually coarse or if some unit upset causes a significant loss of fines causing fluidization difficulties.
Another concern with the "triangle" approach is that this expensive equipment is used fairly aggressively on a small fraction of the catalyst inventory. It takes months to turn over the inventory of an FCC in a magnetic separation unit, so there is a tendency to somewhat overtreat the modest fraction passed each day through the external processing facility. While this is probably the best use of the capital and operating expense of the external magnetic separation/grinding/sieving unit, it is probably overkill for the fraction removed and treated. Thus the grinding operation probably takes off an excessive amount of catalyst structure. If ECAT were children playing in mud, the triangle approach is akin to giving them a thorough scrubbing one a month or so when they can be found, whereas more frequent and milder treatment would be better for the individuals being subjected to such treatment.
I wanted to be able to treat a larger fraction of the catalyst inventory than is practical in most magnetic separation operations, but do less to each catalyst particle. For optimum handling and use of catalyst, my philosophy was roughly, treat more catalyst, but do less to each particle per treatment.
I discovered a gentler way to treat more of the ECAT. This new approach allows refiners to create fines, in situ, and on demand, so that FCC catalyst will have better catalyst circulation properties. This approach can be used to reduce average FCC catalyst particle size and even increase conversion to a limited extent. In units running with modest amounts of metals in the feed, the gentle approach provided a measure of demetallization of the catalyst by preferentially removing metals. Most of the metals, except for mobile vanadium species, deposit on the exterior of the catalyst. Abraiding off just a thin metals laden shell produces a metals enriched fines fraction which can be removed from the unit with the flue gas or the slurry oil and a smaller more readily fluidizable and somewhat demetallized ECAT. The metals rich fines will be then recovered using the technology already in place for fines recovery.

Control of particle size distribution in an FCC unit


The formation of test probe structures is described. One test probe structure includes a tip portion and a handle portion spaced a distance away from the tip portion. The test probe structure also includes a body bend portion positioned between the tip portion and the handle portion, and an intermediate portion positioned between the body bend portion and the handle portion. The body bend portion may include a curved shape extending from the intermediate portion to the tip portion. The tip portion may be formed to be offset from a longitudinal axis defined by the intermediate portion. The test probe structure defines a length and includes a cross-sectional area that is different at a plurality of positions along the length. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Test probes are typically used to provide an electrical path between a test system and circuits on a wafer or die, thereby permitting the testing and validation of the circuits thereon, before they are packaged. The test probes are often long and narrow, and are fit within a test head that holds the probes in place. Up to thousands of test probes may fit within a test head. The device to be tested is moved relative to the test head to bring the pads on the device to be tested into contact with the probes. Test probes are becoming more difficult to manufacture due to the continued scaling of Moore's law for interconnect pitch and the complexity of electrical and mechanical requirements for high volume manufacturing testing.

Test probe structures and methods including positioning test probe structures in a test head


A semiconductor device includes a channel layer including a sidewall having protrusions and depressions alternating with each other in a direction in which the channel layer extends, a tunnel insulating layer surrounding the channel layer, first charge storage patterns surrounding the tunnel insulating layer formed in the depressions, blocking insulation patterns surrounding the first charge patterns formed in the depressions, wherein the blocking insulating patterns include connecting portions coupled to the tunnel insulating layer, and second charge storage patterns surrounding the tunnel insulating layer formed in the protrusions.

Field of Invention
Various exemplary embodiments relate generally to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a three-dimensional semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same.
Description of Related Art
A semiconductor device may include a memory device capable of storing data. The memory device may include memory cell strings. Each of the memory cell strings may include memory cells.
Recently, to increase the degree of integration in semiconductor devices, three-dimensional (3D) memory devices have been proposed in which memory cells forming memory strings are stacked in a plurality of layers over a substrate. The 3D memory device may include a stacked structure including word lines and interlayer insulating layers which are stacked alternately with each other, a channel layer passing through the stacked structure, and a charge storage layer formed between the stacked structure and the channel layer. Memory cells may be formed at intersections between the word lines and the channel layer. The memory cells may store charges in portions of the charge storage layer which are formed at the intersections between the word lines and the channel layer. The charges stored in the portions of the charge storage layer may move in a vertical direction along the charge storage layer. Therefore, the reliability of the 3D memory device may deteriorate.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A monitoring system includes a data input/output device, a processing device, a memory device and a transmission device. The data input/output device is coupled electrically to a host and a managing system for handling data transmission therebetween. The processing device is used to verify data that is transmitted to the data input/output device. The memory device is used to store the data verified by the processing device therein. The transmission device is adapted to establish a network connection with the managing system, and is operable so as to selectively route the data verified by the processing device to the network connection for reception by the managing system. A method for monitoring and processing screen data transmitted between a host and a managing system is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a monitoring system and method for monitoring and processing data transmitted between a host and a managing system, more particularly to a monitoring system and method for monitoring and processing screen data transmitted between a host and a managing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Usually, when a computer crashes, the operating system will show an error status on a computer screen. The information shown generally includes contents of CPU registers, hardware error messages, etc. Thus, maintenance personnel or system administrators can analyze the error status to locate the source of the system crash.
As the whole computer system stops after the operating system shows the error status, it is not possible to record the error status by merely using software applications. Moreover, since servers and computer systems are currently provided with a function of automatic restarting after a system crash, the error status is undesirably lost when the system is restarted, thereby preventing the maintenance personnel or system administrators from locating the source of the system crash.
To solve the aforesaid problem, a remote diagnosis card has been proposed heretofore for plugging into a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interface so as to record contents of CPU registers and hardware error messages when a server or computer system encounters a fatal error or crash. In use, the remote diagnosis card monitors signals present in the PCI bus, and records image signals present in the PCI bus. As such, when a server or computer system crashes, the last screen data can be stored or sent to a remote server or computer system for further analysis. However, the aforesaid remote diagnosis card suffers from the following drawbacks:
First, the remote diagnosis card must occupy a PCI slot in the computer system. Because servers and computer systems require connection with different peripheral devices, and because the allotted number of PCI slots is generally limited to a maximum of two, the presence of the remote diagnosis card will have an adverse effect on expansion of the functionality of the server or computer system. Furthermore, the remote diagnosis card must be located on the same PCI bus as the VGA integrated circuit chip used for image processing in the server or computer system. If the VGA integrated circuit chip is located on another PCI bus or on an accelerated graphic port (AGP) bus, the remote diagnosis card will not be able to work. Moreover, the cost of the remote diagnosis card is rather high. The remote diagnosis card is hence not suitable and may be unaffordable to many ordinary computer users.
Aside from installing a remote diagnosis card in a server or computer system, there is another known solution to the aforesaid problem. FIG. 1 illustrates the specification of an Emergency Management Service (EMS) 10 proposed by Microsoft. The specification requires the operating system 11 of a computer system to send out messages in case of an emergency so that information relevant to a system crash can be recorded. Under this framework, a service processor 12 is connected to a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) interface 13 so that the operating system 11 can transmit error messages generated during system crash to the service processor 12 through the UART interface 13. Thereafter, the error message is further transmitted to a remote managing system 15 for analysis and processing through an external serial port 14 and a virtual modem 16 interconnecting the service processor 12 and the remote managing system 15.
Although the foregoing framework provides a way to store system crash screen data, there are still some drawbacks. First, to support the framework in accordance with the aforesaid EMS specification, an extra UART interface must be provided on the main board of a server or computer system. However, the UART interface is not a popular design in computer components. For example, widely used integrated service processors, such as Philip 87C652, Winbond 83910F, etc., are provided with serial ports, but not with UART interfaces. Therefore, if the aforesaid EMS specification is to be implemented on a server or computer system that does not incorporate a UART interface, the entire logic circuit must be redesigned, which is not only time-consuming, but is also costly. Moreover, the framework requires a virtual modem connected to a dedicated managing system, which incurs higher operating expenses.
There is thus a need to provide a monitoring system and method for effectively recording error messages generated during system crash without altering the design of existing servers or computer systems and without requiring the use of dedicated managing systems that would undesirably increase the operating costs.

Monitoring system and method for monitoring and processing data transmitted between a host and a managing system


The control electrode unit including an insulative layer, a reference electrode on one surface of the insulative layer and at least one segment control electrode on an opposite surface of the insulative layer to which an image signal is applied. The control electrode unit has at least one row of apertures which pass through the segment control electrode, the insulative layer and the reference electrode, so that the charged particles pass through the apertures. The image recording apparatus includes a plurality of carrying units for carrying charged particles of different colors, and a moving unit for moving one of the carrying unit to the position disposed confronting the recording medium through the position confronting the medium through the control electrode unit. One of the carrying units is disposed at a position confronting the medium through the control electrode unit so that the charged particles carried by the carrying unit are carried toward the recording medium through the apertures. Thus, the image recording apparatus has a single control electrode unit, even though the image recording apparatus has the plurality of carrying units. Two levels of vibration are applied to the control electrode unit. A first level, in the recording mode, prevents particles from adhering to the electrode. A second level, in a non-recording mode is at a higher level to remove particles from the electrode. In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of carrying units are fixed in position and each has a corresponding control electrode. Image formation occurs by controlling movement of the recording medium relative to the carrying units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image recording apparatus which is employed in a copy machine, a plotter, a printer and a facsimile machine and, more particularly to a color image recording apparatus which directly controls a flow of toner particles and records a color image on a recording medium with color toner particles.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been proposed, for example, an image recording apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,935. The image recording apparatus has an image recording unit which charges toner particles and forms a mist of the charged toner particles. The image recording unit generates an electric field between a control electrode having apertures through which the charged toner particles can pass and a back electrode, and records an image on a support member inserted between both the electrodes, by directly controlling the charged toner particles.
However, when the image is recorded using the above mentioned image recording apparatus, an image of only a single, predetermined color (monochromatic) is formed on a recording medium, because the image recording apparatus has only a single image recording unit which includes toner particles having the predetermined monochromatic color. Further, another problem occurs in that the apertures of the control electrode become clogged with the toner particles.

Color image recording apparatus for recording a color image on a recording medium with color particles with a vibrating print head


A geophysical sensor cable has one or more sensor cable sections. Each of the sensor cable sections is provided with seismic and electromagnetic sensors arranged along said cable. The seismic sensors include a hydrophone and a seismic component receiver for seismic vector measurements while the sensor cable is at the sea-floor. The electromagnetic sensors include both E-field sensors and H-field sensors. The E-field sensors include pairs of first and second electrodes arranged with different positions along the cable and connected to a voltage amplifier. The H-field sensors include three mutually orthogonally arranged H-field component sensors.

A combined seismic and electromagnetic marine streamer is disclosed in GB2421800 Johnstad. The UK patent describes a system of a seismic source in the sea providing seismic signals propagating to be picked up in acoustic sensors arranged along the streamer cable, and an electromagnetic source analogically emitting electromagnetic waves for being picked up at electromagnetic sensors arranged along the same streamer cable.
Due to towing of the cable through the sea, the water turbulence formed by the streamer cable running through the water gives rise to acoustic noise. Similarly, the fact that mutually electrically connected electrodes are towed through the geomagnetic field in the sea will induce an electrical voltage to be considered as noise with respect to CSEM data acquisition. Further, the fact that the electrodes move through ion-containing water will also induce electrical noise in the measured data.
The propagating electromagnetic field will be a wave with two components, an electrical field component E and a magnetic field component H which is orthogonal to this electrical field. The magnitude of the components depends on the electromagnetic impedance Z in the medium of which the wave propagates. In marine CSEM-geophysical prospecting an EM source is usually arranged in the sea and the EM field will propagate partly downward through the sea-floor and through the rocks, and will be reflected or refracted back to the surface and may be detected by EM-sensors in the sea. The direction of propagation along a Poynting vector P=E×H may be determined by the mutual angles of the components. Thus the direction of propagation of the electromagnetic wave may be used for wavefield separation purposes in order to separate an upcoming field from the underground, which is relevant for geophysical measurements, from a downwards propagating field which may be due to an undesired air wave or a reflection from the sea surface. The relative size of the E- and H-fields as measured in the sea may also be used for calculating the electromagnetic impedance of the seafloor and the geological layers below the sea-bed.
Thus it is relevant to use an EM-sensor cable which can measure both the in-line E field and a cross-line H-field relative to the cable. At the same time it is useful to have integrated acoustic sensors in the cable in order to collect both EM and seismic measurements simultaneously. This saves time and money and provides improved correlation according to GB2421800.

Electromagnetic and seismic streamer cable and method for using such a streamer cable


A method of fabricating a thin-film transistor, the method including: film-forming an active layer, that contains as a main component thereof an oxide semiconductor structured by O and at least two elements among In, Ga and Zn, in a film formation chamber into which at least oxygen is introduced, and b) heat treating the active layer at less than 300° C. in a dry atmosphere, wherein the film-forming a) and the heat treating are carried out such that, given that an oxygen partial pressure with respect to an entire pressure of an atmosphere within the film formation chamber in the film-forming is PO2depo (%), and an oxygen partial pressure with respect to an entire pressure of an atmosphere during the heat treating is PO2anneal (%), the oxygen partial pressure PO2anneal (%) at the time of the heat treating b) satisfies a relationship: −20/3PO2depo+40/3≦PO2anneal≦−800/43PO2depo+5900/43.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a thin-film transistor, a thin-film transistor, a display device, a sensor, and an X-ray digital imaging device.
2. Related Art
The research and development of thin-film transistors that use an In—Ga—Zn—O (hereinafter called IGZO) oxide semiconductor thin film at the active layer (channel layer) has been flourishing in recent years. Oxide semiconductor thin films can be formed at low temperatures, and exhibit higher mobility than amorphous silicon, and further, are transparent with respect to visible light. Therefore, a flexible thin-film transistor can be formed on a substrate such as a plastic plate or a film or the like.
Here, a comparative table of the field effect mobilities, process temperatures and the like, that are characteristics of respective types of transistors, is shown as Table 1.
TABLE 1LTPSlowtemperatureOrganic-Oxide-polysilicona-Si:HμC—Si:HTFTTFTmobility100<12~3<1~53~50stability   VTH<11001~2301~2 uniformityΔ◯◯?Δ◯?film formation450300300RT~100RT~350temperature
As shown in Table 1, at a thin-film transistor whose active layer is polysilicon, a mobility of around 100 cm2/Vs can be obtained, but the process temperature is greater than or equal to 450° C. which is extremely high. Therefore, a thin-film transistor whose active layer is polysilicon can only be formed on substrates having high heat resistance, and is not suited to low costs, large surface areas, and making structures flexible. Further, because a thin-film transistor whose active layer is amorphous silicon can be formed at a relatively low temperature of around 300° C., the selectivity of substrates is broad as compared with polysilicon, but only a mobility of around 1 cm2/Vs at best can be obtained, and a thin-film transistor whose active layer is amorphous silicon is not suited to high-definition display applications. On the other hand, from the standpoint of low-temperature film formation, thin-film transistors whose active layer is an organic substance can be formed at less than or equal to 100° C., and therefore, application to flexible display applications using a plastic film substrate or the like that has low heat resistance, or the like, is anticipated, but with regard to the mobility, only effects that are of the same extent as those of amorphous silicon can be obtained.
In the fabrication process, carrying out a heat treatment (post-annealing processing) after element formation in order to improve the electrical characteristics of the transistor is often seen. At a thin-film transistor using an oxide semiconductor thin film at the active layer, a device exhibiting high mobility and high reliability can be formed even by low-temperature formation as described above, and lowering of the temperature at the time of the heat treatment is anticipated.
In a thin-film transistor using an IGZO oxide semiconductor thin film at the active layer, several methods for controlling to the desired electrical characteristics by a heat treatment have been reported.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-53356 discloses, in a thin-film transistor whose active layer is IGZO, carrying out a heat treatment in a temperature range of 250° C. to 450° C. after active layer formation. Further, carrying out a heat treatment in a temperature range of 150° C. to 450° C. while irradiating oxygen radicals and ozone is also disclosed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-238770 discloses, in a thin-film transistor whose active layer is IGZO, carrying out a heat treatment in a temperature range of 200° C. to 500° C. after active layer formation. Further, as an example of this method, in Example 3 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-238770, there is disclosed film forming an active layer that is formed from IGZO in a mixed gas atmosphere of oxygen and argon having an oxygen concentration of 1%, and thereafter, carrying out a heat treatment at 300° C. in an atmosphere of 100%.
However, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-53356 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-238770, when carrying out a heat treatment at a high temperature of 300° C. or more, there is the problem that, from the standpoint of heat resistance, it is difficult to use such methods for transistors that are formed on flexible substrates such as plastic substrates or the like. Further, when carrying out a heat treatment at a low temperature of less than 300° C., lowering of the resistance may occur, and therefore, it is difficult to obtain a normally-off transistor merely by simply adjusting the heat treatment temperature. Moreover, when carrying out a heat treatment at a low temperature of less than 300° C., the electric field mobility is, for example, around 7.1 cm2/Vs (refer to Experimental Example 3 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-238770), and is not greater than or equal to 10 cm2/Vs. Still further, when carrying out a heat treatment while irradiating oxygen radicals and ozone as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-53356, high stability at a temperature range of 150° C. to 450° C. is obtained, but the process becomes complex.

Method of manufacturing thin-film transistor, thin-film transistor, display apparatus, sensor, and digital X-ray image-capturing apparatus


According to one embodiment, a medical image processing apparatus includes an X-ray image obtaining unit, a marker detection unit, a contrast image generation unit and a display image generation unit. The X-ray image obtaining unit obtains X-ray contrast image data and X-ray fluoroscopic image data. The marker detection unit detects positions of a marker from the X-ray contrast image data, or the X-ray contrast image data and the X-ray fluoroscopic image data. The marker is attached to a device. The contrast image generation unit generates X-ray contrast image data for a combination with a movement correction making the positions of the marker be positions which can be regarded as a same position. The display image generation unit generates X-ray image data for a display by combining the X-ray contrast image data for the combination with the X-ray fluoroscopic image data.

In recent years, TAVI (Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Implantation) also referred as TAVR (Trans-catheter Aortic Valve Replacement) using a catheter attracts attention. The procedure in TAVI is performed in the operating room equipped with an X-ray imaging apparatus. That is, TAVI is the technique of placing an artificial valve in the heart of an object, with observing X-ray fluoroscopic images acquired in real time by an X-ray imaging apparatus.
In TAVI, it is important to place an artificial valve on an exact position with referring to X-ray fluoroscopic images. Specifically, it becomes a target to place an artificial valve so that the lower end of the artificial valve lies under the bottom of the original valve while the upper end of the artificial valve lies above the leaflet tip of the original valve and under the coronary arteries.
Then, a technique by which road map images of an object are displayed with an X-ray imaging apparatus is proposed as a technique which supports such TAVI. A road map image is an image made by overlapping a previously acquired X-ray contrast image of blood vessels with an X-ray fluoroscopic image acquired in real time.
In TAVI, contrast medium is generally injected into a blood vessel in advance of placing an artificial valve. Then, X-ray contrast images, on which blood vessels are enhanced blackly, are acquired. Next, in a state where a device such as a guide wire for blood vessel has been inserted, X-ray fluoroscopic images are acquired in real time as live images. Although a device can be seen on these X-ray fluoroscopic images, it is difficult to sight blood vessels.
Accordingly, an X-ray contrast image is used as a mask image, and road map images which are derived by combining the mask image with each of the live images by subtraction processing between the mask image and each of the live images can be generated and displayed. Consequently, a doctor can operate a device to place an artificial valve with referring to contrast blood vessels on the road map images.
Note that, road map images include 2D (two dimensional) road map images and 3D (three dimensional) road map images. A 2D road map image is displayed as a 2D image by 2D data acquisition to generate a 2D intermediate image. On the other hand, a 3D road map image is displayed as a 2D image by 2D data acquisition to generate a 3D intermediate image.
When road map images are generated as represented by imaging for TAVI, it is important to generate a more suitable mask image to display an image with an improved image quality. Note that, a road map image can be also generated by a medical image processing apparatus connected to an X-ray imaging apparatus as well as an image processing function provided with an X-ray imaging apparatus.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a medical image processing apparatus, a medical image processing method, and an X-ray imaging apparatus which can display compound images with a more improved image quality using X-ray contrast image data and X-ray fluoroscopic image data of an object.

Medical image processing apparatus, medical image processing method and x-ray imaging apparatus