A knotter system has a bill hook, a twine receiver, a cutting arm and drive components. The twine receiver is adapted to let the twines slip during a second full rotation of the bill hook so that cutting of the twines is avoided when forming the second knot. The drive components can maintain the cutting arm in the extended position after the second rotation of the bill hook for a predetermined period which is sufficient to allow removal of the second knot from the bill hook.

Rectangular bales are able to maintain their shape by means of a series of parallel extending twine loops, provided lengthwise around the bales. Balers typically use automatic knotters by which e.g. two knots are made on every loop for binding a bale. An example of such a knotter system for a baler is disclosed in EP 1.584.227 in the name of the Applicant, the disclosure of which is included herein by reference. The knotter system disclosed in EP 1.584.227 has the advantage that two consecutive knots can be formed during one operation cycle, without the formation of twine tails.
EP 1 645 509 relates to the holding device which is used in the knotter of a baler to grip hold twines as they are being knotted and cut. To establish a correct gripping and releasing, it is important to align all components to each other. EP 1 645 509 discloses that adjustment of the form of the curved edge of the holding device has a positive effect on the twines when being knotted and cut.
The object of the present invention is to further improve the knotter system of EP 1.584.227, and more in particular to realize a better and easier removal of the second knot from the bill hook at the end of an operation cycle.


A device for radially translating radiation in which a right circular cylinder is provided at each end thereof with conical prism faces. The faces are oppositely extending and the device may be severed in the middle and separated to allow access to the central part of the beam. Radiation entering the input end of the device is radially translated such that radiation entering the input end at the perimeter is concentrated toward the output central axis and radiation at the input central axis is dispersed toward the output perimeter. Devices are disclosed for compressing beam energy to enhance drilling techniques, for beam manipulation of optical spatial frequencies in the Fourier plane and for simplification of dark field and color contrast microscopy. Both refracting and reflecting devices are disclosed.

Optical devices inverting images are not new nor are optical devices for providing low, high or band pass filters for beam manipulation of optical spatial frequencies in the Fourier plane. Nevertheless, in many instances it is very difficult to operate on or otherwise alter the center of a beam of radiation, whether it be optically visible or otherwise, without distorting the beam. This holds true not only in the aforementioned filters for manipulation of the optical spatial frequencies in the Fourier plane but also in such fields as dark field or color contrast microscopy. To this date, although it is old to alter beams of optically visible light and to operate on the periphery of these beams, it has been difficult to reach the center of a beam of substantially parallel radiation without distorting the beam.
Radial translation in the sense of the present invention denotes a phenomenon in which the center of a beam of radiation is moved outwardly toward the periphery or perimeter of the beam and the perimeter or pheriphery of the beam is moved toward the center. The result of this new phenomenon is to concentrate intensity of a beam of substantially parallel radiation toward the center of the radially translated beam as well as to make available on the perimeter or periphery of the beam rays which were heretofore at the center of the beam.
Prior art which is pertinent in one respect or another to the present invention, copies of which are enclosed herewith include the Koester et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,260 directed to optical devices for altering the form and distribution of a laser beam; the Giallorenzi U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,383 directed to a system of prisms for superimposing several laser beams; the Burch et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,082 directed to an optical inverting system; a publication by John H. Mccleod in the August, 1954 edition of the Journal Of The Optical Society Of America, page 592, entitled "The Axicon: A New Type Of Optical Element"; a publication by John H. McCleod in the Journal Of The Optical Society Of America, volume 50, no. 2 February, 1960 entitled "Axicons And Their Uses"; a publication by Bryndahl in the Journal Of The Optical Society Of America, volume 60, no. 7 July 19, 1970 entitled "Reversed-Radial-Shearing Interferometry"; a publication by Peters and Leger in Applied Optics, volume 9, no. 6 published June, 1970, page 1435, entitled "Techniques For Matching Laser TEM Mode To Obscured Circular Aperture"; and a publication by Edmonds in Applied Optics, volume 12, no. 8 published August, 1973, page 1940, entitled "The Reflaxicon, A New Reflective Optical Element, And Some Applications."

Optical device with conical input and output prism faces

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A method for inhibiting the microbial adhesion on surfaces in contact with an aqueous system is disclosed, which comprises adding to the system a treatment comprising an alkylsulfosuccinate surfactant.

Bacterial attachment to surfaces in virtually any non-sterile aquatic environment is a well-established phenomenon. Industrial efforts to prevent colonization or to clean fouled surfaces amount to costly expenditures in a number of industrial sectors. Often, such expenditures are made for cleaning programs that include the use of surfactants. Surfactants are regularly employed in water treatment programs as agents believed to play a role in the removal of organic masses from surfaces, in the enhancement of biocide efficacy or in the assistance in the water miscibility of various biocidal agents. Surfactants are also regularly used in the agrichemical business, particularly to enhance the action of herbicides. This is accomplished by using the surfactants to alter the surface behavior of the applied droplets, maximizing their interaction with the leaf surface.
There are numerous examples of surfactants which are able to inhibit the colonization of surfaces by inhibiting the overall growth of the organisms in the target environment. Most surfactants, regardless of class, show some inhibition of surface colonization when used at concentrations high enough to impede bacterial growth. In the water treatment industry, the most well known surfactants which impart a measure of colonization resistance to submerged surfaces are the cationic quaternary amine surfactants, which also function as biocides. However, even the relatively mild nonionic surfactants can exhibit toxic effects upon microbes, e.g., bacteria or fungi; the concentration of nonionic surfactants necessary to mediate toxicity is typically substantially higher than for cationic surfactants, however.
Examples of nontoxic control of surface colonization typically require the use of high concentrations of surfactants not feasible in water treatment industries where thousands or millions of gallons of water would be treated.
The present invention relates to the use of surfactants which act by inhibiting microbial adhesion to surfaces in contact with an aqueous system. The materials of the present invention have been previously used in areas such as fiber wetting in the textile industry. These materials function to inhibit adhesion at concentrations below which toxicity has been observed for the tested organisms.

Method for inhibiting microbial adhesion on surfaces


A mechanism for dispensing seed or fertilizer, etc., for agricultural row crop implements such as seed drills and precision planters, comprises a resilient rotatable roller which cooperates with a flat vertical glass dispensing plate to dispense seed or fertilizer from a hopper through a nip between the plate and the roller. The roller is of unfoamed polyurethane formed with a honeycomb of axially extending recesses defining a relatively thin outer deflection band of the roller. The recesses give the roller the uniform and high degree of flexibility needed to accommodate a wide range of seed sizes while retaining the durability, consistency of physical characteristics and suitability for precision moulding, of unfoamed polyurethane.

This invention relates to agricultural dispensing mechanisms for dispensing agricultural particulate material, and to agricultural implements incorporating such dispensing mechanisms for delivering to the ground agricultural particulate materials such as seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides, slug pellets and other pesticides. Examples of such implements are seed drills, seed and fertilizer drills, fertilizer dispensers for precision rowcrop planters such as planters for maize, soya beans, potatoes etc., and rotary cultivators adapted to plant row crops.
More particularly, this invention relates to agricultural dispensing mechanisms comprising a resilient dispensing roller to dispense the agricultural particulate material.
Previous proposals relating to dispensing mechanisms having a resilient dispensing roller include proposals to use such a roller in portable hand-operated devices for spreading material such as lawn fertilizer over the entire surface of an area to be treated. The material specified for the roller in these proposals has been foam or sponge rubber, i.e. rubber expanded by gas bubbles. We have found that this material has certain operational disadvantages which are explained below, but since the standard of accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility of performance expected from devices such as portable lawn fertilizer spreaders is low, such disadvantages have not been noticeable in those particular implements.
Where dispensing rollers of expanded rubber have been tested in agricultural row crop implements such as seed drills however, the high standards of accuracy, consistency, and reproducibility of performance expected of such implements have highlighted the operational disadvantages referred to above. These disadvantages include firstly variations in the flexibility and hardness of the expanded rubber inherently arising from the method of expanding the rubber in manufacture, secondly variations in such physical characteristics of the roller as flexibility and hardness with changes in temperature during use (such temperature changes affecting the gas pockets in the rubber), thirdly variations of the physical characteristics of the roller and shrinkage of the roller with time i.e. ageing of the expanded rubber, and fourthly the susceptibility of the expanded rubber to damage by moisture (especially upon freezing) and by abrasive materials such as certain fertilizers and certain sharp seeds.
These variations in the physical characteristics of the dispensing rollers change their performance when dispensing particulate material, which is undesirable.
However, resilient roller dispensing mechanisms of the kind disclosed in British Pat. No. 1,525,566 have such significant inherent technical advantages over alternative mechanisms having rigid rollers of the peg or fluted type that the provision of an improved resilient roller in which some or all of the above mentioned disadvantages are overcome would be a valuable contribution to the art.
Improvement of the quality of the expanded rubber of the rollers itself is expensive and difficult to achieve from a production point of view, and would not remove the disadvantages inherent in the use of foam rubber anyway. Use of an unfoamed solid rubber, even of very soft rubber, nevertheless seriously restricts the versatility of the mechanism making it unsatisfactory for dispensing particles larger than small seeds. This is because the solid rubber has to be displaced by each particle dispensed and in the case of large seeds such displacement seriously distorts the roller making it either jam on adjacent structures or making it locally non-cylindrical thereby interfering with the proper dispensing of adjacent seeds, or else the forces generated by displacement of the rubber damage the seed. It is a very important feature of such a seed dispensing mechanism that it can properly handle a wide range of seed sizes.
Thus it is a broad objective of the present invention to provide an agricultural dispensing mechanism having a resilient dispensing roller for dispensing particulate material such as seed or fertilizer, the roller having better performance or life characteristics than currently available rollers of expanded rubber. More specific objectives include the provision of a roller for such a dispensing mechanism which can be more easily made to a consistent standard of performance, which is more durable in use, and which can be readily formed with an appropriate surface finish.


A method and apparatus for separating material transported by air is disclosed which includes a separator casing having a tangential inlet adapted to receive a stream of air and entrained material and a plurality of exits. One of the exits of the disclosed separator is a material discharge exit which, like the inlet is peripherally attached to the casing. There are also two separate air exits including a first air exhaust conduit peripherally attached to the casing proximate the inlet and a second air exhaust conduit centrally disposed within the interior of the casing. Operatively associated with each of the air exits is a separator means, such as a perforated surface or screen, which removes or separates the entrained material from the air.

A wide variety of separators have been developed that separate and accumulate various objects transported by an air stream, such as paper waste, scrap material, food items, or other products. These separators utilize various configurations which are designed to receive a high velocity stream of air transporting prescribed objects, and subsequently separate the objects from the conveying air. The objects are typically accumulated at or near a designated exit, while the air or other transport gas is directed to a second exit. A problem associated with many separating systems, and particularly in separating systems design for the collection of scrap paper, is that they typically generate a large amount of dust and/or other air-borne contaminants proximate the material exit.
One type of separator that has been extensively used is a cyclone separator wherein the transported objects and a stream of air are introduced into a large cylindrical or cone-shaped device. The transported objects are introduced into the cylindrical housing so that they are thrust against the outer wall by centrifugal forces resulting from the flow of the air stream within the cylinder. The air exits via the top of the cylindrical device while the objects are typically funneled out a bottom exit. Cyclone separators are generally very large and somewhat expensive pieces of mechanical equipment. Cyclone type separators are often so large that it is not feasible to install them inside a building. Consequently, most cyclone type separators are typically situated outside the building and often on the roof of the building. Reducing the dust in these exterior cyclone separators has not been of great concern because the presence of dust outside a building typically does not adversely affect people or equipment.
A prior art cyclone separator system that is concerned with the separation of dust from the transported objects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,238 issued to Van Etten. The '238 patent discloses a modified cyclone type separator that includes the standard central air discharge funnel directing the air from the cyclone separator. It also includes a screen disposed along the outer wall of the separator to facilitate the separation of removal dust and fine particles from the stream of air and conveyed material. While this device attempts to address the problem caused by dust associated with the separating action, there remain several other problems associated with this patented device. Namely, it is still a very large device, and the air maintained within the housing is maintained at a high velocity and thus a relatively high static pressure.
Another type of separator is a tangential separator where the transported objects are recovered on a flat or cylindrical screen and the air which passes through the screen exits the separator in a generally tangential orientation. Tangential separators are typically smaller devices than the cyclone separators and thus are often installed within the confines of a building or factory. For this reason, the air exiting the tangential separator is typically reintroduced into the interior environment of the building or is reused within the air conveying system. In either situation, it becomes increasingly important to filter the exiting air prior to its reuse and to minimize the dust and other contaminants introduced into the environment near the material exit.
Most applications in which tangential air separators are used can be classified either as a positive ("upush type") system, a draw through ("pull type") system, or a hybrid system. As the classification suggests, draw through or "pull type" systems are those in which the air stream and transported objects are pulled into the separator with a fan located downstream of the separator. In such draw through systems, the separator is typically maintained below atmospheric pressure and typically requires an air lock to prevent any back flow of air from the object discharge exit. Positive or "push type" systems, on the other hand, include systems where the air and conveyed objects are blown into the separator with the fan located upstream of the separator. In push type systems, the pressure within the separator is above standard atmospheric pressure. The hybrid systems involve both "pushing" as well as "pulling" of the conveying air stream such that an ideal pressure is maintained within the separator.
Clearly, the static pressure within the tangential separator is an important design consideration. Consider for the moment, a push type paper conveying and separation system where the paper material exits the separator and falls to a baler or compactor. If the static pressure at the material exit of the separator unit is too high, dust and paper scraps tend to swirl around the material exit resulting in a somewhat untidy and very dusty environment proximate the material exit. However, if the static pressure at the air and material inlet in the separator unit is too low, the result is an inefficient conveying system susceptible to clogging.
Pull type systems and hybrid type systems alleviate some of the aforementioned static pressure concerns but are generally more complex and more expensive systems. Moreover, the push type tangential separator systems are often the simplest to design, and are easy to install and maintain.
One related art tangential air separator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,345 issued to Le Jeune which discloses the use of a deformed cylindrical grid in a tangential separator which allows most of the air flow to exit tangentially through the separator. The remainder of the air together with the transported objects presumably exit through a central exit portion of the separator via the spiral nature of the deformed cylindrical grid.
Another related art tangential separator system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,926 issued to Brooks which discloses a separation apparatus adapted to receive a stream of airborne material and which includes a single rear exit screen and a bottom material exit. An adjustable baffle is located near the separator inlet directing the incoming stream to the rear exit screen which allows the air to exit tangentially while the material continues to be transported through separator. The separator is designed with an increasing cross-sectional area for decelerating the transported material as it moves through the duct.
Still another related art system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,843 issued to McGlinsky et al. which shows a multi-chamber pneumatic conveying scrap paper system that also utilizes a flat rear exit screen for passing air and dust while the paper is directed and/or falls downward to a gathering hopper.
While these related art systems may adequately separate the transported material from the air stream, there remains a need to provide an improved tangential separator that is relatively small device, yet simple to install, operate and maintain and more importantly facilitates the relatively clean discharge of material.


A probe adapter for coupling probe tip contacts of a electrical measurement probe to leads of a surface mounted integrated circuit IC device has an insulating housing from which extend first and second flexible electrically conductive leads having a pitch geometry compatible with the leads of the IC device. First and second electrical contacts, respectively coupled to the first and second flexible electrically conductive leads, are disposed in the housing and have a pitch geometry compatible with the probe tip contacts of the electrical measurement probe.

Surface mounted (SMT) integrated circuit devices are fast becoming the dominant type of IC packaging in the electronics industry. These devices come in a wide variety of package configurations and lead pitch geometries. For example, IC packages may be square or rectangular with electrical contact or lead counts from 44 to 232 or higher. A variety of electrical contact or lead types are also being used. Quad flat pack IC's use Gull wing leads or J-leads. Both type of leads extend from the perimeter of the IC package with the former type of leads bending down and outward from the package while the later bend down and fold under the package in a J-shape. The leads are soldered to electrical contact pads formed on a circuit board.
The small pitch geometries of the quad flat pack SMT devices makes these devices very difficult to probe using oscilloscope or logic analyzer probes. The pitch geometries or lead spacing between lead centers varies on these devices. The most commonly used lead spacings for quad flat packs are 0.5 mm, 0.65 mm, 0.8 mm, 1 mm, 0.025 inches and 0.019 inches. Work is progressing on even smaller pitch geometries in the range of 0.010 inch lead spacing. The standards for gap spacing between leads is set out in JEDEC Publication No. 95, MO-104 and varies for the various lead spacings. For example, the minimum gap spacing standard for an 0.025 inch pitch geometry is 0.010 inches and 0.008 inches for a 0.019 inch pitch geometry. Using oscilloscope probes on these types of IC packages can cause the shorting of adjacent leads of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,065, assigned to the assignees of the present invention, describes a twist lock probe tip for use with passive measurement probes. The probe tip has a flat flexible body of insulating material with an electrical conductor embedded or coated on one or both sides of the body. The flexible body has a notch or notches for exposing the embedded electrical conductor and/or for engaging a lead of an electronic component. The flexible body is inserted between the leads of the electronic device and twisted by means of an attached knob or wing lever so that the notches engage adjacent leads and the conductor or conductors contacts the desired lead or leads. As the pitch geometries of electronic devices continue to decrease, the leads on the electronic devices become increasing fragile and susceptible to bending and damage. Further, the chance for shorting adjacent leads together by bending leads increases as the gap between leads decreases. The twist lock probe tip design has the potential for deforming the leads of the electronic device as the probe tip is twisted into position. Additionally, the probe tip becomes increasing fragile as the thickness of the tip is decreased to match the decreasing gap size of the leads, especially where the notches are added for locking the tip between the leads. Further, the thickness of the tip may exceed the leads gaps, especially where electrical conductors are formed on opposite sides of the insulating material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,872, assigned to the assignees of the present invention, describes a positioning aid for directly positioning a hand-held electrical test probe onto leads of a surface mounted integrated circuit device. The positioning aid has a housing made of a polycarbonate material with a central bore therethrough for receiving the probing tip of the test probe. One end of the housing that is normal to the bore has at least four teeth extending therefrom defining slots for engaging the leads of the integrated circuit device. The central bore is exposed in the central slot for exposing the probing tip therein for providing an electrical connection between one of the leads on the integrated circuit device and electrical circuitry in the test probe.
The usefulness of this design is limited by the thickness of the teeth. For pitch geometries less than 0.019 inches, the teeth become to fragile for practical use due to the thickness of the teeth being so small. Further, this design does not lend itself for dual lead probing where adjacent IC leads are probed using a single probe. Modifying this design for such a use requires some sort of internal transition from the pitch spacing of the probe contacts to the pitch spacing of the IC leads. Such a transition is considered expensive and increase the manufacturing costs of such a device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,515 describes a high-frequency probe tip assembly for low-loss microwave frequency operations. The tip assembly includes a semi-rigid coaxial cable that is formed with a semicylindrical recess defining a shelf along which an inner finger and outer pair of fingers are mounted. Each finger is made of a resilient conductive material, such as beryllium copper, so as to form a coplanar transmission line. Cantilevered portions of the fingers extend past the end of the cable to form an air-dielectric transmission path of uniform and stable characteristics. The inner finger is electrically connected to the central conductor of the semi-rigid coaxial cable and the outer pair are electrically coupled to the shield of the semirigid cable.
The probe tip is designed as part of a coaxial transmission line for probing pads of integrated circuit dies. As such, the fingers of the probe tip need to be configured in terms of material composition, cross-sectional geometry and spacial orientation to provide a uniform deflection characteristic relative to each finger for even wearing of the pads and fingers and for stability of transmission characteristics despite contact pressure variations. These requirements result in the use of rigid conductive material for the fingers. Additionally, the design does not require the use of insulating material other than the air gaps between the fingers. Further, this design does lend itself for use with standard electrical measurement probes, such as used in conjunction with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and the like.
What is needed is a probe adapter for electrical measurement probes that are used in conjunction with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and the like for probing closely spaced leads of an electronic device, such as a surface mounted integrated circuit IC. The probe adapter should have electrically conductive elements that are compatible with the pitch geometry of the IC leads and electrical contacts compatible with the pitch geometry of the measurement test probe.


An induction motor control device includes a power conversion circuit, a current sensor, a current component calculation circuit for calculating first and second current components, a magnetic flux command calculation circuit for calculating a magnetic flux command value such that the amplitude ratio between a squared value of the first current component and a squared value of the second current component takes a preset value, a voltage component calculation circuit for calculating a primary voltage component command value, and a primary voltage component command calculation circuit. The current component calculation circuit calculates first and second current components in phase and 90.degree. out of phase with the primary voltage component command value, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device for an induction motor and, more particularly, to a control device with which it is possible to keep the efficiency of an induction motor at the maximum value irrespective of its load condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a conventional control device disclosed, for example, in Japanese Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Gazette No. 89493/87. Reference numeral 1a denotes an inverter, 2 an induction motor, 3 a current sensor, 21 a power rectifying part, 22 a capacitor, 23 a power inverting part, 24 a rectifier, 25 a low-pass filter, 26 an A/D converter, 27 a control circuit formed by a microcomputer, and 28 a PWM (Power Width Modulation) circuit. The inverter 1a provided with the capacitor 22 is combined with the PWM circuit 28 to constitute a known voltage shift PWM inverter which functions to supply a variable voltage variable frequency, three-phase AC voltage to the induction motor 2.
FIG. 2 is a diagram explanatory of the principle of operation of a high-efficiency control scheme in the conventional induction motor control. The amplitudes of an input current (primary current) and an input voltage (primary voltage) of the induction motor bear such a relationship as indicated by a characteristic curve A in FIG. 2 when the on-load torque is constant. With an input voltage raised higher than it needs to be, an exciting current increases, which causes an increase in a primary copper loss or iron loss, hence inevitably impairing the efficiency of the induction motor. Conversely, when the input voltage is lower than it needs to be, slip power increases and a secondary current increases, which causes an increase in primary and secondary copper losses, also decreasing the efficiency of the induction motor. Since the primary current of the induction motor is expressed as the sum of vectors of the exciting current and the secondary current, the loss becomes minimum at the point where the primary current becomes minimum (the point B in FIG. 2). Accordingly, the induction motor can be driven with the maximum efficiency by controlling the amplitude of the primary voltage to minimize the amplitude of the primary current.
Next, the operation of the prior art example will be described.
The primary current detected by the current sensor 3 is applied to the low-pass filter 25, from which is provided the average value of the primary current. The average value is provided via the A/D converter 26 to the control circuit 27. Based on the above-mentioned principle of operation, the control circuit 27 calculates a primary voltage command value which decreases the average value of the primary current, and provides the calculated value to the PWM circuit 28. As a result, the voltage shift PWM inverter formed by the PWM circuit 28 and the inverter 1a supplies the induction motor 2 with a primary voltage that matches the primary voltage command value provided from the control circuit 27.
Since the conventional induction motor control device detects, as described above, the primary current of the induction motor and controls the amplitude of the primary voltage in a manner to minimize the amplitude of the primary current, information necessary for control is the primary current alone, hence permitting control with an inexpensive device configuration. In the case of variable speed driving of the induction motor, however, the amplitude of the primary voltage varies with changes in a frequency command value of the voltage shift PWM inverter, it is impossible to control the amplitude of the primary voltage in such a manner as to minimize the amplitude of the primary current. On this account, the conventional control device is incapable of driving the induction motor with the maximum efficiency during variable speed operation.
Furthermore, during constant speed driving, too, when the induction motor-generated torque goes below the on-load torque due to too rapid changes in the amplitude of the primary voltage and the rotational speed of the induction motor begins to decrease, induced voltage also drops in proportion to the speed of the motor. In consequence, further reduction of the amplitude of the primary voltage leads to a decrease in the amplitude of the primary current, giving rise to a problem that the induction motor stops at the worst. To avoid this, it is necessary to make the amplitude variation of the primary voltage gentle, but in a particular use of the induction motor that involves frequent changes in the on-load torque during fixed speed driving, so it is impossible to achieve maximum efficiency driving that follows in variations in the on-load torque well.


In an unshielded twisted pair cable, a predetermined number of pairs which are twisted by a predetermined lay-length are covered by a protective sheath. Insulations for insulating conductors for the pairs and the protective sheath are wholly or partially of halogen free polymer having a low dielectric loss tangent and flame-retarding properties. The insulations have a dielectric loss tangent of less than 1.times.10.sup.-2 at 150 MHz and a 2% modulus of at least 0.3 kgf/mm.sup.2.

In general, unshielded twisted pair cables each comprising a predetermined number of insulated conductor-pairs (defined "pairs" hereinafter) stranded by a predetermined lay-length and a protective sheath covering the stranded pairs are used in a LAN (Local Area Network) system. The unshielded twisted pair cables are installed in a building vertically floor to floor, or horizontally in spaces of ceilings, that is, plenums without using metal conduits.
In such installation state, there is a possibility in which the unshielded twisted pair cables carry fire in case where a fire spread out in a building. Therefore, the unshielded twisted pair cable is required to have flame-retarding properties.
A conventional unshielded twisted pair cable comprises a predetermined number of pairs insulated with polyethylene or fluorine resin, and a protective sheath of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) covering the pairs, wherein the fluorine resin insulations and the PVC sheath provide flame-retarding properties.
In the conventional unshielded twisted pair cable, however, there are disadvantages in that smoke and harmful gases including halogen gases such as hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, etc. are generated from the insulated pairs and the protective sheath at the time of fire, so that human bodies are badly affected, evacuation and extinguishing activities are obstructed due to the hindered views, and a computer network, a communication equipment, etc. are deteriorated by corrosive gases. There is a further disadvantage in the conventional unshielded twisted pair cable in that a high frequency leakage current flows through the sheath to increase a transmission loss at a high frequency band, because the pairs are not shielded under the situation where the transmission of high speed digital signals ranging 10 Mb/s to 100 Mb/s (TPDDI LAN) is required in accordance with the requirement of high speed LAN systems in recent years. Furthermore, conventional unshielded twisted pair cables have the fluctuation of transmission characteristics, and the difference of laying condition. This problem is caused that these cables are laid in a buildings under various conditions as described above.


2-R.sub.3 RN-3-R.sub.1 R'N-5-PY-6-Q-pyridines (I) or pharmaceutically-acceptable acid-addition salts thereof are useful as intermediates in the preparation of 1- or 3-substituted-1,3-dihydro-5-Q-6-PY-2H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-ones or -2-thiones and also as intermediates for preparing 1- or 3-substituted-5-Q-6-PY-3H(or 1H)-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines, where R.sub.1, R.sub.3, R, R', PY and Q are defined hereinbelow. Also shown are processes for preparing I and the following intermediates used therein: 2-halo-3-nitro-5-PY-6-Q-pyridines (III), 2-R.sub.3 RN-3-nitro-5-PY-6-Q-pyridines (V), 2-halo-5-PY-6-Q-pyridines (VII), 2-R.sub.3 RN-5-PY-6-Q-pyridines (VIII) and 2-R.sub.3 RN-3-halo-5-PY-6-Q-pyridines (IX) or salts thereof. Certain embodiments of II and VIII also are useful as cardiotonics and are shown as active components of cardiac compositions and methods for increasing cardiac contractility.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pyridine-2,3-diamines, their preparation, their salts, their use as intermediates and the use of some of them as cardiotonics.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Baldwin et al. [J. Med. Chem. 20, 1189-1193 (1977)] show the reactions of heating a mixture of 2,3-diaminopyridine and nicotinic acid or a mixture of 2,3-diaminopyridine and isonicotinic acid to prepare, respectively, 2-(3-pyridinyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine or 2-(4-pyridinyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]-pyridine, both of which were reported by Baldwin et al. to be inactive when tested as inhibitors of xanthine oxidase.
Lesher and Gruett British Pat. No. 1,322,318, published July 4, 1973, shows as intermediates for preparing antibacterially-active 1-alkyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-PY-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxylic acids and esters (where PY is 4- or 3-pyridinyl or 4- or 3-pyridinyl having one or two loweralkyl substituents) the following illustrative reaction sequence (Examples 1C through 1G and 2C through 2G): the preparation of 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-6-(4- or 3-pyridinyl)-nicotinonitrile, its hydrolysis and decarboxylation to produce 6-(4- or 3-pyridinyl)-2(1H)-pyridinone, its chlorination with phosphorus oxychloride to produce 2-chloro-6-(4- or 3-pyridinyl)pyridine, its reaction with hydrazine to produce 2-hydrazino-6-(4- or 3-pyridinyl)pyridine and its catalytic hydrogenation using Raney nickel to produce 2-amino-6-(4- or 3-pyridinyl)pyridine, also useful as an intermediate to produce said antibacterially-active 1,8-naphthyridines.
Brundage and Lesher U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,156, issued Sept. 24, 1974, disclose as sequential intermediates for preparing antibacterial agents 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-6-Q"'-nicotinic acids, 2-halo-6-Q"'-nicotinic acids and 2-RNH-6-Q"'-nicotinic acids, where Q"' is 4(or 3)-pyridinyl or 4(or 3)-pyridinyl having one or two lower-alkyl substituents, halo is chloro or bromo and R is lower-alkyl.
Lesher and Opalka U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,746, issued Feb. 7, 1978, discloses the following reaction sequences:
(a) hydrolysis of 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-5-PY-nicotinonitrile to produce 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-5-PY-nicotinic acid, decarboxylation of said nicotinic acid to produce 5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinone, nitration of either said nicotinic acid or said 2(1H)-pyridinone to produce 3-nitro-5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinone and reduction of the 3-nitro compound to produce 3-amino-5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinone; and, (b) the reaction of 5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinone with halogen, preferably bromine or chlorine, to produce 3-halo-5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinone and reacting said halo compound with R.sub.1 R.sub.2 NH to produce 3-R.sub.1 R.sub.2 N-5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinone. In the above two reaction sequences R.sub.1 is lower-alkyl, R.sub.2 is hydrogen or lower-alkyl and PY is 4- or 3- or 2-pyridinyl or 4- or 3- or 2-pyridinyl having one or two lower-alkyl substituents. Of the various compounds in said two sequences, the 3-amino-5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinones, 3-R.sub.1 R.sub.2 N-5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinones, the 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-5-PY-2(1H)-nicotinonitriles and the 5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinones had cardiotonic activity; all others were intermediates as were the 1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-5-PY-2(1H)-nicotinonitriles and 5-PY-2(1H)-pyridinones.

5-(Pyridinyl)pyridine-2,3-diamines, preparation thereof and their cardiotonic use


An apparatus and a method for excavating and pile reinforcing trenches which requires the removal of, and access to, no more top soil than is defined by the actual dimensions of the ditch. A box-like central structure serves as a frame within which excavation by customary means, e.g., externally positioned hoes, takes place. The outside walls of said central structure form temporary trench walls supporting the surrounding dirt. The inside walls of said central structure form a rear section, narrower in width than the front section and set off therefrom in a step-like fashion, behind which flat piling is driven in before the entire unit advances. Advancement is carried out by means of lateral anchoring base and a longitudinal propulsion mechanism both riding on a trolley structure extending from the rear of the box frame and alternatively expanding and contracting periodically. In addition, vertical shafts with cutting teeth are disposed within the front edges of the box frame walls to facilitate tunneling forward during the propulsion cycle.

In most trenching operations in soft soil the cross section of the excavation area turns out to be of generally trapezoidal shape. Although the hoe or similar excavation means will initially remove only a rectangular section of soil, almost invariably the upper edges of the trench so dug will then cave in and leave the trapezoidal form mentioned above. A wider horizontal section of soil is therefore customarily removed from the top than is required by the dimensions of the bottom of the trench. The same phenomenon necessitates the use of substantial areas outside and alongside the trench for positioning pile driving means in order to reinforce the walls of the excavated ditch. Since such piling is usually driven in perpendicular to the bottom of the trench, the top section of each pile is freestanding and not supported by the surrounding soil. It must therefore be driven in a substantial distance beyond the bottom of the trench in order to assure the required structural rigidity for the sidewalls thus formed.
There are many situations, however, where the room for operating trenching and piling equipment is severely restricted, both horizontally and, possibly, even vertically, be it because of problems of access and right-of-way or because of geological conditions. In such circumstances the desirability of digging and reinforcing trenches with truly vertical sidewalls and with a minimum of lateral surface access requirements has long been recognized by the industry. It is the object of the present invention to satisfy this long felt need with the help of a hydraulic self-advancing excavation unit which requires the removal of, and access to, no more soil than is actually defined by the dimension of the trench.


A semiconductor device having a gate electrode structure including at least a metal film and a polysilicon film is disclosed. The polysilicon film of the semiconductor is doped with impurities several times so that an upper portion of the polysilicon film becomes higher in doping level than a lower portion of the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having a CMOS dual-gate electrode structure; that is, a polymetal gate electrode structure which prevents interface resistance from arising between polysilicon and a metal film while suppressing interdiffusion and depletion of polysilicon of the gate electrode, as well as to a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
2. Background Art
In general, a CMOS structure has widely been used in the field of semiconductor devices, because of its low power dissipation characteristic.
FIG. 13 is a top view showing a related-art semiconductor device. The drawing shows an inverter, which is the basic circuit of CMOS structure, wherein an n-channel transistor and a p-channel transistor are fabricated on a single chip. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the inverter taken along line A-Axe2x80x2, and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the inverter taken along line B-Bxe2x80x2.
In these drawings, reference numeral 101 designates a silicon substrate; 105 designates an isolation region; 108 designates an active region; 110 designates a P-well; 115 designates an N-well; 130 designates a gate electrode; 130a designates a polysilicon film; 130b designates a barrier layer; 130d designates a metal film; 140 designates an insulating film formed on top and side of a gate electrode; 150 designates a P+-source/drain electrode; 160 designates an interlayer insulating film; 170 and 175 designate contact holes; and 180 and 180a through 180c designate interconnection.
In order to achieve higher packaging density, the gate electrode 130 is shared between the n-channel transistor and the p-channel transistor. If the gate electrode 130 shared between the n-channel transistor and the p-channel transistor is separated, separated gate electrodes must be interconnected together on an interconnection layer by way of contact holes, thus involving provision of additional space for the contact holes.
Shortening of a channel of a gate electrode has recently been pursued for achieving a higher packaging density. The dominating p-channel transistors are of related-art embedded channel type and cannot sustain a short-channel effect. As in the case of an n-channel transistor, the p-channel transistor must be changed to a surface channel type, and the conductivity type of gate electrodes must be changed as well.
As shown in FIG. 14, before a non-doped polysilicon gate electrode deposited on a gate oxide film is subjected to etching, an n-channel region is doped with n+ ions. Further, a p-channel region is doped with p+ ions. As a result, an n+-type region and a p+-type region coexist in a single gate electrode. A reduction in the length of a channel of the gate electrode; that is, a reduction in the thickness of the gate electrode, involves a rise in the resistance of the polysilicon gate electrode. In order to reduce the resistance of the polysilicon gate electrode, a metal film 130d must be deposited on the polysilicon film 130a.
A structure in which the metal film 130d is laid over the polysilicon film 130a encounters the following problems, and hence a layer called a barrier layer 130b is interposed between the metal film 130d and the polysilicon film 130a. One problem is that a reaction between the metal film 130d and the polysilicon film 130a; that is, a silicide reaction, arises, thereby inducing occurrence of holes in the polysilicon film 130a. Another problem is that impurities doped in the polysilicon film 130a diffuse into metal or into a compound of metal with polysilicon, thereby reducing a net density of impurities doped in one of adjacent transistors of opposite conductivity types.
Forming the barrier layer 130b solves these problems. However, the barrier layer 130b is usually a metal nitride film and deficient in conductivity. A contact hole to be connected to a gate electrode extends to the metal film 130d from above. In fact, a channel is not established unless an electric field is applied to the lower polysilicon film 130a. In this way, if the barrier layer 130b is sandwiched between the polysilicon film 130a and the metal film 130d, high interface resistance arises between the metal film 130d and the polysilicon film 130a. As a result, a delay arises in transfer of a voltage, as shown in FIG. 15. Such a delay is one cause of a delay time in a logic gate typified by an inverter or a NAND.
As mentioned above, a polymetal gate electrode of a related-art semiconductor device is constructed of a three-layer structure consisting of a metal film, a nitrided metal film, and a polysilicon film, where a barrier layer induces a rise in interface resistance between the nitrided metal film and the polysilicon film, thereby reducing the speed of the overall LSI.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device having a new gate electrode structure and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The gate electrode structure according to the present invention reduces interface resistance between a barrier layer and a polysilicon film and to prevent occurrence of a delay in transfer of a voltage in the polymetal gate electrode.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device comprises a gate electrode structure including at least a metal film and a polysilicon film, wherein the polysilicon film is doped with impurities several times. As a result an upper portion of the polysilicon film becomes higher in doping level than a lower portion of the same.
In other aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a polysilicon film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a barrier layer from a plurality of layers on the polysilicon film; and forming a metal film on the barrier layer.
In other aspect of the present invention, a method of forming a semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a polysilicon film on a semiconductor substrate; doping the polysilicon film with impurities a plurality of times; and forming a metal film on the impurity-doped polysilicon film.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


Dried fruit has a coating of microcrystalline cellulose in an amount effective to prevent agglomeration of the dried fruit. Methods of preparing and using the coated dried fruit are also described. The dried fruit pieces of the present invention are less sticky and are readily separated from one another using ordinary gravity feed handling conditions.

Dried fruits, such as raisins, can be difficult to handle in bulk, because the fruit tends to stick together to form large blocks. Blocking of such fruits is particularly problematical in the case of large scale production of combination food products, where a measured amount of a dried fruit is added to other components (such as in the manufacture of ready to eat cereals). When the dried fruit component is delivered to the assembly line suffering from blocking, steps must be taken to separate or "delump" the aggregated fruit before it can be added to other ingredients or otherwise manipulated. Conventionally, dried fruits are delumped by hand screening, or use of a machine. An apparatus for separating blocks of dried fruit is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,086 and also in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,704. Care must be taken to avoid damaging of the fruit in such deagglomeration operations.
Various solutions have been attempted in order to solve this blocking problem. While improvements can be achieved simply by refrigerating the fruit, this approach is quite costly and does not work very effectively. Coatings have been used on raisins, in particular, in order to prevent blocking. For example, raisins have been coated with sucrose, but this product has been subject to complaints regarding unattractive appearance. Further, the flavor of the raisins is noticeably changed due to the sucrose coating and the added sugar. Raisins have been coated with glycerol by spraying or by immersion in order to keep the raisins soft and pliable. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,853,151). A process for improving the bulk handling, transportation and processing of raisins is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,824, wherein raisins are coated with glycerine and oil to enhance bulk handling, transportation and processing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,287 describes an alternative approach, whereby dried fruits are stated to have improved handling and physical properties by coating the fruits with a finely divided, specially prepared calcium citrate reaction product.


Each transmitter transmits temperature/pressure data of an associated tire together with an ID assigned to each transmitter. A pneumatic tire pressure monitoring apparatus receives the temperature/pressure data, and inputs traveling condition specifying data which specifies traveling conditions of the vehicle. Then, the pneumatic tire pressure monitoring apparatus identifies IDs assigned to the transmitters of respective tires actually installed on vehicle wheels of its own vehicle based on the temperature/pressure data and the traveling condition specifying data, and registers the identified IDs into a memory of the pneumatic tire pressure monitoring apparatus.

This invention relates to a method and system for registering transmitter identifications (IDs) in a pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system, also relates to a method and system for identifying transmitters, and further relates to a pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system and its apparatus, and also relates to a pneumatic tire pressure monitoring program.
A pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system is conventionally known as including a plurality of transmitters incorporating pressure sensors attached to respective tires of an automotive vehicle as well as a receiver provided in a vehicle body for receiving a radio signal carrying pressure data transmitted from each transmitter. The conventional pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system has the capability of detecting abnormal reduction in the air pressure of each tire based on the pressure data sent from the associated transmitter. According to this conventional pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system, the receiver stores individual IDs assigned to the transmitters attached to the tires belonging to its own vehicle. When a transmitter signal is received, the receiver executes ID checking for discriminating the signals sent from the transmitters attached to the tires of its own vehicle from signals sent from transmitters attached to tires of other vehicles.
In general, an automotive vehicle is equipped with a total of five tires including a spare tire. Among these five tires, the spare tire requires no monitoring of air pressure to be performed by the pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system. In other words, the monitoring operation by the pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system should be executed for the remaining four tires actually installed on vehicle wheels. To this end, the objectives for ID registration are limited to the tires actually installed on the vehicle wheels. In an event that any one of four actually driven tires is punctured and replaced by the spare tire, the ID assigned to the punctured tire is deleted and withdrawn from registration while the ID assigned to the spare tire is newly registered as one of registered IDs.
Reregistering the IDs is time-consuming and complicated for a worker or a user who replaces the punctured tire by the spare tire. In some cases, the worker may forget or fail to register the transmitter ID of the spare tire to the receiver. In this case, the pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system cannot operate properly due to miss or failure in registering the transmitter ID of the spare tire.
To eliminate this drawback, it may be possible that all of transmitter IDs of five tires including the spare tire is registered in advance in the receiver register. However, in this case, another problem occurs unless the transmitter ID of the punctured tire is deleted from the objectives of the monitoring. Namely, the pneumatic tire pressure monitoring system will continuously generate a warning based on the pressured data sent from the transmitter associated with the punctured tire. Thus, the warning does not stop even after the punctured tire is replaced by the spare tire. In other words, it was inevitably required to reregister the transmitter IDs of the tires actually installed on the vehicle wheels after the exchange of tires is finished.
Japanese Patent No. 2774959, corresponding to the U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,671, discloses a low tire pressure warning system which has a learning capability of automatically registering the transmitter IDs of the tires. According to this system, the receiver has an ID check table listing the transmitter IDs of four tires belonging to its own vehicle. An ID received together with pressure data is compared with the registered IDs in the table to judge whether or not the received pressure data originate from any one of the transmitters attached to the tires of its own vehicle. The presence of any abnormality in the tire pressure is judged based on the received pressure data. And, a warning is generated when the abnormality is found. If a new ID is received together with normal pressure data, the receiver adds the newly received ID into the ID check table. On the contrary, when no signal is received from the transmitter having one of the registered IDs, the ID of this transmitter is deleted from the ID check table.
According to above prior art, the warning system will serve for automatically registering the transmitter IDs of four rotating or driven tires actually installed on vehicle wheels only when a spare tire is accommodated in a trunk room of a sedan-type car because the trunk room can provide sufficient shielding against radio waves. In other words, the system cannot operate as intended when it is installed in an RV-type car which mounts a spare tire on the outer surface (usually, on the rear door) of a vehicle body. If a punctured tire is mounted on the back of the RV-type car, the abnormal pressure signal will be continuously transmitted from the punctured tire to the receiver. According, the warning operation will be erroneously continued.

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REGISTERING ID INFORMATION FOR EACH TRANSMITTER, AND METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IDENTIFYING RESPECTIVE TRANSMITTERS, APPLICABLE TO A PNEUMATIC TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM, A PNEUMATIC TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING APPARATUS, AND RELEVANT PNEUMATIC TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING PROGRAM


A bipolar transistor having an inverse-T emitter electrode is formed in a semiconductor device (10) to reduce hot carrier injection (HCI) damage under reverse-biasing conditions and to increase emitter-base breakdown voltages. The bipolar transistor includes an emitter electrode having a central body portion (26) and shelf portions (38). Beneath the emitter electrode is an emitter region (30) and an active base region (25). Extrinsic base regions (35 and 36) are self-aligned to the shelf edges and are linked to the ative base region by link regions (27 and 28). Having the emitter-base junction beneath the shelf portions, and therefore under direct control of the emitter electrode, decreases the electrical field at the junction, which lessens HCI damage and improves breakdown characteristics. The inverse-T emitter electrode also eliminates the need to etch a polysilicon emitter electrode selective to an underlying silicon substrate.

Bipolar transistors have been used in semiconductor devices for quite some time and are becoming more and more common with an increasing popularity of BiCMOS (bipolar-complementary metal oxide semiconductor) devices. In BiCMOS devices, bipolar transistors and CMOS transistors are fabricated together in a single semiconductor device. To simplify BiCMOS device fabrication, it is advantageous to integrate as many CMOS processing steps with bipolar processing steps as possible.
A bipolar transistor structure which can be easily integrated into a traditional CMOS process is a single polysilicon bipolar transistor with self-aligned base and emitter regions. This bipolar transistor, which will hereinafter be described as an NPN bipolar transistor, includes a polysilicon emitter electrode which is formed on a P.sup.- active base region of a substrate. The polysilicon is doped with N-type impurities such that an N.sup.+ emitter region is formed in the active base region, aligned to the emitter electrode, as a result of out-diffusion. A link implant is performed to form P.sup.- link regions in the substrate which are aligned to edges of the emitter electrode and are contiguous with the active base region. Sidewall spacers are then formed along edges of the emitter electrode, and a P.sup.+ implant is used to form extrinsic base regions which are aligned to the sidewall spacers and are contiguous with the link regions.
The above bipolar transistor is easily incorporated into a CMOS process; however, there are a few disadvantages in using this bipolar transistor. From a fabrication point of view, the single polysilicon bipolar transistor requires a difficult etch process, namely that of etching the polysilicon emitter electrode selective to an underlying silicon substrate. Etching polysilicon selective to silicon is nearly impossible to do with existing technology without trenching portions of the silicon substrate. With respect to electrical performance and reliability, the single polysilicon bipolar transistor has unfavorably low emitter-base breakdown voltages because the N.sup.+ emitter region and P.sup.- link region often laterally diffuse into one another. Another disadvantage is that under reverse-bias conditions, the single polysilicon bipolar transistor is susceptible to HCI (hot carrier injection) damage due to high electric fields at the emitter-base junction, leading to a reduction in gain (also known as .beta. degradation).
A further limitation to the single polysilicon bipolar transistor is a restricted ability to scale the transistor. Following the overall trend in the semiconductor industry, dimensions of bipolar transistors will continue to be reduced. Accordingly, doping levels of the active base, extrinsic base, emitter, and link regions will increase in order to maintain existing levels of performance. However, as doping levels increase, the aforementioned problems will worsen. More specifically, emitter-base breakdown voltages will become lower, while damage due to HCI will increase. Reducing the size of the transistors will cause sidewall spacers used to align the extrinsic base region to be made narrower. The extrinsic base region, as a result, will be brought in closer to the emitter region, thereby further lowering emitter-base breakdown voltages and further increasing electric fields at the emitter-base junction.

Semiconductor device having an inverse-T bipolar transistor


A lighting device including a test device for testing the proper operation of a primary and a secondary power supply alternatively providing electrical power to the light. The test device is attached to a bracket using a single fastener such as a nut and the bracket is attached to a receptacle for the light using a different single fastener, such as a pop-rivet or screw.

Various devices and methods for ensuring proper and continuous operation of lighting fixtures and the power sources that supply power to the lighting fixtures are well known. For example, it is known to connect a fluorescent lighting fixture to an emergency, or backup, power system in addition to a primary power system so the light will remain powered in the event of a failure of the primary power source. It is further known to provide a mechanism to test the proper operation of both the emergency power source as well as the operation of the light when powered by the emergency power source.
One such known device is illustrated in FIG. 6. The device shown in FIG. 6 is for testing a lighting fixture, such as linear fluorescent lighting fixture 600, that has a primary power source (not shown) and a secondary power source (not shown) that is switched-in to provide power to the linear lamps 610 if the primary power source fails. The test device 620 shown in FIG. 6 includes a push-button switch that is connected to both the primary power source and the secondary power source. When the button on the switch is pressed, the primary power source is electrically disconnected from the lighting fixture and the emergency power source is electrically connected. If the emergency power source is operating properly, the light will illuminate.
Additionally, in accordance with this known device, an indicator light, such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED), is also provided in the switch. The LED is wired within the device to illuminate whenever the emergency ballast battery is charging. Thus, by observing the illuminated LED, a user is informed whether the backup emergency battery is charging. Further, when the button is pushed on the switch, the main light will either illuminate or not, thus indicating whether the lighting fixture is properly connected to the emergency power source.
The device described above and shown in FIG. 6, however, is problematic at least because it mounts on the outside of the lighting fixture, is difficult to install and is unattractive.

Indicator test switch for downlight lighting device and bracket therefor


A flow control system allows sampling of refrigerant from a refrigerant recovery inlet of the system or, alternatively, the refrigerant recovery tank. Refrigerant selected from either source is metered and oil is filtered therefrom to provide a clean vapor refrigerant sample to a refrigerant identification detector. Oil separated from the refrigerant is returned to the oil drain of the main system for collection. In a preferred embodiment, a first conduit having a pressure control valve is coupled from a refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant recovery and recharging system. A check valve, a metering orifice, and an oil separator is coupled in the first conduit and to a refrigerant identification detector. The system includes a second conduit coupled to the main refrigerant recovery tank through a solenoid valve also communicating with the orifice and oil separator, with the valves being selectively operable for sampling either incoming refrigerant to the recovery and recharging system from the refrigerant circuit under service or from the recovery tank of the servicing instrument itself. A third conduit couples the collected oil from the oil separator through a check valve and control solenoid to the oil recovery system of the recovery and recharging unit.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for servicing refrigeration systems and particularly to a system which integrally includes a flow control for the sampling of refrigerant type.
When vehicles are brought to a service center for professional servicing of the air conditioning system, frequently the system has had refrigerant leaks and losses in the past and either the vehicle owner or service center that does not have the proper equipment or refrigerant has mixed different types of refrigerant or added the wrong refrigerant to the system. The preferred refrigerant now in use is the environmentally approved R-134. Still available, however, is the previously used R-12 refrigerant and R-22 refrigerant is used in home air conditioning systems. Frequently, a vehicle owner will mix the wrong types of refrigerant or purchase a blend of refrigerants from a retail store in an attempt to recharge the system, which, having needed to be recharged, leaks refrigerant and does not operate satisfactorily with the wrong or blended refrigerant. Thus, when a vehicle finally reaches a service center with proper equipment for professional maintenance of the air conditioning system, frequently refrigerant contained in the system is a mix and of an unknown nature. Thus, it is necessary and desirable to identify whether this problem exists and, if so, completely new refrigerant of the proper type is employed for charging the system.
In order to detect the refrigerant in a vehicle refrigerant circuit, a sample is taken directly from the vehicle coupled to the servicing instrument. Also, it is useful to periodically monitor the recovery tank of the system to make certain it has not become contaminated. In the past, a stand-alone flow control system has been provided which provides a metered orifice and pressure control switch to allow the sampling of refrigerant from the servicing unit to a refrigerant identification instrument, such as a Neutronics ACR2KID, through an oil separator. The oil separator protects the instrument from damage due to oil in the refrigerant being sampled from entering the instrument. The disadvantages of this prior art system is that it is an add-on, stand-alone unit requiring its own power source and is somewhat prone to incorrect installation by the service technician to protect the refrigerant identification unit. Further, this only permits testing of refrigerant on the low side (vapor) of the air conditioning servicing unit.
There remains a need, therefore, for a protection system for refrigerant identification detectors and one which is integrated with the refrigerant recovery and recharging system and one which allows sampling of refrigerant, either from the high or low pressure sides of the recovery system and also from the main refrigerant tank.

Protection system for refrigerant identification detector


A method of lipid assay characterized by assaying the lipids contained in a blood component in the presence of an organic silicon compound. The method can cause specific conditions for direct methods while satisfying requirements such as no influence on precision of assay, no burden on assay apparatus, and easy availability.

Cholesterols, triglycerides, and phospholipids which are major lipids in the living body are combined with apoproteins to form lipoproteins in blood. The lipoproteins are grouped into chylomicron, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and the like according to their physical properties. Among these lipoproteins, it is known that LDL is a causative factor for arteriosclerosis, whereas HDL exhibits an anti-arteriosclerosis effect.
Total cholesterols and total triglycerides in blood have been assayed for the purpose of preventing ischemic heart diseases or evaluating the effects of treatments for such diseases. Epidemiological studies have proved that the cholesterol level in LDL has a positive correlation with the frequency of arteriosclerosis occurrence, whereas the cholesterol level in HDL has a negative correlation with the frequency of arteriosclerosis occurrence. Importance of knowing fluctuations in each lipoprotein fraction such as LDL and HDL has been understood. Nowadays, apoprotein B and apoprotein A-I, which are protein components forming each lipoprotein, or cholesterol in each lipoprotein fraction is assayed.
As mentioned above, as the method of assaying lipids components in blood, a method of determining the total amount of specific lipid contained in all lipoproteins such as total cholesterol and total triglycerides and a method of determining cholesterols in specific lipoproteins such as LDL, HDL, and the like can be given.
Of these, the former method is based on the combination of an enzyme for the lipid component to be assayed and conditions enabling the reaction of the lipid component with the enzyme without regard to the type of lipoproteins (for example, a surfactant with low lipoprotein selectivity such as Triton X-100). The method enables assaying the lipid components to be assayed in all lipoproteins.
The latter method, on the other hand, is based on the combination of an enzyme for the lipid component to be assayed and specific conditions enabling the enzyme to react only with the lipid component to be assayed in specific lipoproteins. The method enables the assay of the lipid components to be assayed in the specific lipoprotein fractions.
These specific conditions have been conventionally established by a method of isolating the lipoproteins to be assayed from a sample by ultra centrifugation, electrophoresis, gel filtration, precipitation using a precipitation agent (precipitation method), or the like (the method is hereinafter referred to as "fractionation method").
In recent years, a number of methods for establishing specific conditions without using the fractionation method (hereinafter referred to as "direct methods") have been developed. Such methods include a method of utilizing the different reaction times of bile acid for each lipoprotein fraction in the determination of HDL cholesterols (Japanese Patent Publication No. 016720/1994), a method of reacting the lipoproteins to be assayed with an enzyme under the condition that the lipoproteins not to be assayed stay aggregated (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 242110/1994), a method of using a sugar compound (Japanese Patent No. 2653755), a method of using a modification enzyme (Japanese Patent No. 2600065), a method of using a surfactant which does not dissolve lipoproteins (Japanese Patent No. 2799835), a method of removing cholesterols in lipoproteins not to be assayed by a previous enzyme reaction (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 000299/1997), a method of using carrageenan (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 121895/1997), a method of using a surfactant having lipoprotein selectivity (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 056395/1999), a method of using Calixarene (WO 98/59068), and a method of using a phosphorus compound (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 116400/2000).
Some of these direct methods are used in practice in daily clinical tests due to their simple procedures as compared with the precipitation method involving complicated procedures. However, even the direct methods which have been put into practice have problems. For example, the method of adding a precipitation agent to the reagent has problems: interference of the aggregates on assay precision and a damage to measuring equipment such as clogged flow passages with the products produced from reaction of the precipitation agent with an alkaline detergent for washing measuring equipment. As for a method of using a modification enzyme, there are problems such as process control in enzyme modification procedures (quality control) and cost increase.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of assaying lipid components in blood and the like using a substance capable of establishing the specific conditions under the direct method while neither affecting assay precision nor damaging assay instruments, and also satisfying other conditions such as easy availability.

Method of lipid assay and reagent for use therein


In a device for the serial exchange of data between two stations, each station has a serial interface which is connected to a common data transmission line. A first specific station has means which, during the reception of data, identify the two possible bit states on the basis of different voltage levels on the data transmission line. In contrast, the second specific station has means which, during the reception of data, identify the two possible bit states on the basis of the presence or absence of a specific current flow via the data transmission line. Furthermore, in another device for the serial exchange of data between two stations, suitable selection of resistors ensures that four different voltage levels are produced on the data transmission line when each station transmits a "1" bit state or a "0" bit state. The voltage levels are evaluated differently by the stations, with the result that simultaneous data transmission in both directions is also possible.

A device for the serial exchange of data between two stations is described in the report by H. E. Schurk, W. Weishaupt and S. Bourauel "BMW On-Board-Diagnose" (BMW On-Board Diagnostics), VDI Berichte (VDI Reports) No. 612, 1986, pp. 387-401. In the concept presented in that report, an exchange of data takes place between a motor vehicle controller fitted in a motor vehicle and an externally connectable service tester. For data transmission, one data transmission line TXO is used for both transmission directions. However, the data transmission from the service tester to the motor vehicle controller and vice versa takes place with a time offset; temporally parallel transmission in both directions is not possible.

Device for the serial exchange of data between two stations


A physical quantity sensor includes a first sensor element, and an outer edge portion arranged in at least part of the outer periphery of the first sensor element, and a first groove extending in a first direction provided in the outer edge portion in a plan view of the outer edge portion.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electronic device, a method of manufacturing an electronic device, a physical quantity sensor, an electronic apparatus, and a moving object.
2. Related Art
In general, a physical quantity sensor is a known type of an electromechanical structure provided with a mechanically movable structure. Examples of known physical quantity sensors include, for example, a capacitance sensor configured to detect a physical quantity (acceleration, angular speed and the like) on the basis of an electrostatic capacity between a movable electrode configured to be displaced in accordance with an action of the physical quantity and a fixed electrode opposing the movable electrode (for example, the semiconductor dynamic sensor described in JP-A-9-211022). The semiconductor dynamic sensor described above includes, for example, a substrate, and a sensor element (fixed electrode, fixed portion (anchor portion), a supporting portion extending from the fixed portion, a movable electrode supported by the supporting portion in a manner floating from the substrate) provided on the substrate. The sensor element is obtained by, for example, performing precision machining such as photo-etching on a semiconductor substrate (such as silicon substrate) bonded to a substrate (such as a glass substrate).
In the capacitance sensor described above, a parasitic capacitance formed in the configuration of the sensor element may lower the sensitivity of the sensor. In contrast, in the semiconductor dynamic sensor described in JP-A-2007-279056, a technology to provide a device (shield electrode) for fixing the potential of an outer peripheral portion arranged on an outer periphery of the sensor element to prevent lowering of the sensor sensitiveness is proposed.
However, with the physical quantity sensor provided with the outer peripheral portion on the outer periphery of the sensor element as the semiconductor dynamic sensor described in JP-A-2007-279056, a detection property of the sensor may vary depending on a temperature of the environment where the sensor is used. Specifically, the problem is that leaked vibrations or a leaked force from a disturbance or the like transmitted from the outer peripheral portion to the movable portion (movable electrode) of the sensor element may affect the displacement of the movable portion (movable electrode) and may vary the detection property.

Physical quantity sensor having an elongated groove, and manufacturing method thereof


Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, including a vector expanding section that sequentially generates a plurality of test vectors; a vector selecting section that selects test vectors that cause a prescribed characteristic of the device under test, which is to be measured when test signals that are each based on one of the test vectors are supplied to the device under test, to fulfill a preset condition; and a judging section that judges pass/fail of the device under test based on measured values of the prescribed characteristic of the device under test supplied with the test signal based on the test vectors selected by the vector selecting section.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a test apparatus, a test vector generating unit, a test method, a program, and a recording medium. In particular, the present invention relates to a test apparatus that tests a device under test such as a semiconductor circuit.
2. Related Art
A conventional method for testing a device under test such as a semiconductor circuit involves measuring a characteristic of the device under test while a logic circuit of the device under test operates according to a prescribed logic pattern. If the device under test includes a CMOS circuit, the device under test is tested by measuring the quiescent current IDDQ or the transient current IDDT flowing to the device under test while changing the logic pattern applied to the CMOS circuit, as in, for example, "IDDX-Based Test Methods: A Survey", SAGAR S. SABADE and DUNCAN M. WALKER, ACM Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems, Vol. 9, No. 2, April 2004, Pages 159-198.
Since one of a pair of transistors in the gate is turned off, the current flowing from the H power supply line to the L power supply line via the CMOS circuit is extremely small. If these transistors are defective, a relatively large leak current might flow through the CMOS circuit depending on the logic state of the CMOS circuit.
This leak current can be detected by observing the quiescent current IDDQ flowing to the device under test. The defective portion of the device under test can be estimated by analyzing test vectors applied to the device under test while a relatively large leak current flows to the device under test.
A certain fluctuation of IDDQ is expected. But if the fluctuation of the IDDQ current exceeds a prescribed value, the device is considered defective.
Since measuring the quiescent current IDDQ involves detecting the current corresponding to the leak current of the CMOS circuit, it is necessary to measure the current with a high degree of accuracy. However, the quiescent current IDDQ flowing to the device under test might change depending on the test vectors.
FIG. 12A shows an exemplary circuit in a device under test 312. The device under test 312 uses CMOS circuits for each of a 2-input AND gate 302, a 2-input OR gate 304, and a 2-input OR gate 306 included therein. The AND gate 302 outputs an AND of an input bit i2 and an input bit i3. The OR gate 304 outputs an OR of the input bit i1 and an output bit of the AND gate 302. The OR gate 306 outputs an OR of an input bit i3 and an input bit i4.
FIG. 12B is a table showing the leak current in the non-defective AND gate 302, OR gate 304, and OR gate 306, for each input logic state. For example, when the device under test 312 is supplied with the input bits {i1, i2, i3, i4}={0, 1, 1, 0}, the leak current of the AND gate 302 is 16 pA, the leak current of the OR gate 304 is 13 pA, and the leak current of the OR gate 306 is 11 pA. Therefore, the leak current of the device under test 312 is 16 pA+13 pA+11 pA=40 pA.
On the other hand, when the device under test 312 is supplied with the input bits {i1, i2, i3, i4}={1, 0, 0, 1}, the leak current of the AND gate 302 is 8 pA, the leak current of the OR gate 304 is 11 pA, and the leak current of the OR gate 306 is 13 pA. Therefore, the leak current of the device under test 312 is 8 pA+11 pA+13 pA=32 pA.
In this way, the leak current in the device under test 312 changes according to the pattern of the input bits. When the leak current changes depending on the input pattern, it becomes difficult to accurately detect the fluctuation of the leak current caused by a defect. Therefore, pass/fail of the device under test 312 cannot be accurately judged.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Test apparatus, test vector generate unit, test method, program, and recording medium


A method and a device are disclosed for managing a contact card of a mobile terminal, belonging to the mobile terminal field. The method includes: for every other preset period of time, extracting a communication event of a specific contact from a communication record of a mobile terminal; counting the number of the communication event of the specific contact according to a type of the communication event; and associating the specific contact with the communication event, so as to simultaneously display the number of the communication event of the contact when displaying the contact. A statistical result is displayed in a mobile phone contact card book, intuitively displaying a latest contact state, so that it is convenient for the user to process and maintain interpersonal communications, thereby enhancing and promoting communication and life for people.

In the modern world, mobile phones are one of the most important tools for intercommunication of people. In addition to conventional calls and short messages, more and more network communication functions are integrated into the mobile phones.
In the prior art, conventional data such as a mobile phone contact card, a call record, and a short message box are independent of each other. When a contact card book is viewed, only an individual contact way on a contact card can be seen. It is impossible to exactly know a state of contacting each contact. Neither is it possible to distinguish a person who is not contacted for a long time, a person who no longer needs to be contacted, and a person who is frequently contacted. It is inconvenient to maintain a mobile phone contact card, thereby having poor performance of contact card management and lacking a business application function.

Method and device for managing contact card of mobile terminal


A refrigeration system is provided including a vapor compression cycle (20) having a condenser (22), and expansion valve (24), and evaporator (26) and a compressor (28). A refrigerant is configured to circulate through the vapor compression cycle. The refrigeration system also includes an absorption refrigeration cycle (30) having an absorber (32) and a desorbed (34) arranged in a generally closed loop configuration. An absorption solution is configured to circulate through the absorption refrigeration cycle. The vapor compression cycle and the absorption refrigeration cycle are substantially integrated. The absorber is fluidly coupled to the compressor and is configured to generate a mixture of refrigerant and absorption solution. The desorber is fluidly coupled to the condenser and is configured to separate the refrigerant from the mixture and increase a pressure of the refrigerant vapor.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate generally to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, and more particularly to HVAC&R system including an integrated vapor compression cycle and absorption refrigeration cycle.
Both absorption refrigerators and mechanical vapor compression (or vapor compression) refrigerators generally use a refrigerant with a very low boiling point. In both refrigerators, when this refrigerant evaporates or boils, it takes some heat away with it, providing a cooling effect. However, absorption refrigeration and vapor compression refrigeration differ in the way the refrigerant is changed from a gas back into a liquid to repeat the cycle. A vapor compression refrigerator uses mechanical work, frequently supplied by an electrically-powered compressor, to increase the pressure and the temperature of the gas, and then condenses the hot, high pressure gas back to a liquid by heat exchange with a cool fluid, such as air or water, as in the case of chillers. An absorption refrigerator changes the pressure and temperature of the gas using a different method that needs only a low-power pump. The gas is first absorbed by an absorbing liquid and the liquid mixture is subsequently heated by an external heat source to generate a hot gas at an elevated pressure. The hot gas is then condensed back to a liquid when cooled. The absorption refrigeration provides a system that can be thermally driven by low grade heat which is generally too expensive to convert to electricity or shaft power to directly drive the compressors.
Conventional refrigeration systems, such as in trucks and trailers for example, use shaft power from an internal combustion engine or electricity from a generator driven by the internal combustion engine. In such applications, the thermal energy from the engine's exhaust and coolant is wasted. In other heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) applications, solar energy has been used to power the refrigeration system. However, photo voltaic systems require additional components, such as power electronics and electricity storage to stabilize their voltage supply, resulting in high system cost. Also, solar thermal has been used to drive conventional absorption chillers. However, the current commercially available absorption chillers require the solar thermal collectors having high temperature lift, resulting in low collection efficiency. Therefore, a system using high efficiency solar thermal collectors, such as flat panel collectors or wasted heat for example, to achieve vapor compression may significantly improve the efficiency of the overall system. Furthermore, a substantially integrated system of an absorption vapor compression and a mechanical vapor compression can have the advantages of both processes.

Combined vapor absorption and mechanical compression cycle design


A device includes a bone cement or a biomaterial and a mesh structure impregnated with the bone cement or the biomaterial. The mesh structure reinforces the bone cement or the biomaterial and reinforces the material's fatigue properties. The mesh structure may be made of a shape memory alloy.

In the field of orthopedic surgery, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is widely used as a cement to anchor artificial joints to bone. The PMMA fills the free spaces between the prosthesis and the bone. A prosthesis fixed with bone cement offers very high primary stability combined with fast remobilization of patients. This is because the cemented-in prosthesis can be fully loaded very soon after the operation, since PMMA achieves the majority of its strength within the first 24 hours. Additionally, bone cement formulations can be modified to include active substances such as antibiotics. The antibiotics are locally released and act against bacteria precisely at the site where they are needed.
PMMA is supplied as a powder with liquid methyl methacrylate (MMA). When these two are combined, a dough is formed which can be used as a grouting agent to affix implants and remodel lost bone. While sticky, it does not bond to either the bone or the implant. Instead, it fills the spaces between the prosthesis and the bone preventing motion.
A disadvantage of bone cement is that the polymerization reaction is highly exothermic, and the bone cement can heat up to 82.5° C. while setting. This can cause thermal necrosis of neighboring tissue. Additionally, PMMA has been shown to cause stress shielding. PMMA has a Young's modulus between 1.8 and 3.1 GPa, which is lower than that of natural cortical bone. This causes the stresses to be loaded into the cement and thus the bone no longer receives the mechanical stimuli to continue bone remodeling. This can cause bone resorption to occur.
Mechanically, PMMA, when fully hardened, is strong but brittle. It is very strong in compression and resists creep; however, it has low ductility and a high susceptibility to stress crazing. This leads to larger cracks, relative motion between the implant and the bone, and eventual failure requiring the implant and PMMA to be removed and replaced. Thus there exists a clinical need for PMMA with improved fatigue resistance and enhanced mechanical properties.
In the field of orthopedics, hydroxyapatite, calcium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate are widely used as a fillers to replace bone or as a coating to promote bone ingrowth. The material is remodeled by bone cells leading to healing. These biomaterials are, however, not load bearing. Screws, plates, and other hardware are used to transmit the load and the hydroxyapatite, calcium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate is used as a space filler.
It has been found that these materials suffer from low crack resistance and low fatigue durability. This precludes them from being used as load bearing materials. Thus there is a clinical need for enhancing the fatigue properties and mechanical properties of these biomaterials in order to use them as structural biomaterials.

Devices for enhancing the fatigue and mechanical properties of bone cement and other biomaterials


A printer in which a rolled recording paper is housed in a recording paper cassette formed integrally with a printer proper and openably with respect thereto, and one of a thermal recording head or a platen roller is disposed at an openable free end of the cassette with the other disposed in the printer proper, whereby printing onto the recording paper is effected by conducting electrical current to the recording head while the recording paper being clamped by the recording head and platen roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for printing a recording paper (web) which is sandwiched in between a thermal recording head and a platen roller and clamped together thereby.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional printer of this type as exemplified in FIG. 1, a thermal head 16 and a platen roller 15 both supported by a head frame 17 are arranged in a printer proper 30 while being pressed together, and a recording paper cassette 11 for housing a recording paper 40 is disposed at an end of the printer proper 30. The mutually pressed state of the thermal recording head 16 and platen roller 15 can be released by causing a push-up member 12a of a release cam 12 integrally mounted on a rotary shaft 14 of the platen roller 15 to push up the head frame 17, and the push-up operation of the release cam 12 can be carried out when the user of the printer rotates a pressing release lever 13 in a direction of El.
When setting the recording paper 40 in the printer, the recording paper 40 is passed through a gap between the thermal recording head 16 now raised by the push-up member 12a of the release cam 12 and the platen roller 15 while keeping the recording paper cassette 11 opened, as shown in FIG. 2, and thereafter the recording paper cassette 11 is closed and the pressing release lever 13 is rotated in a direction of E2 so that as shown in FIG. 1 the recording paper 40 may be clamped by the thermal recording head 16 and platen roller 15, thus completing setting of the recording paper 40.
With the above conventional construction, however, upon setting of the recording paper 40 in the printer, the user of the printer is required to release the mutually pressed state of the thermal recording head 16 and platen roller 15 by operating the pressing release lever 13 and to pass the recording paper 40 through the small gap between the thermal recording head 16 and platen roller 15, raising a problem that the user of the printer is forced to attend to the aforementioned troublesome operation.

Printer with openable paper web cassette mounting a platen roller


There are provided a touch sensing device and a touchscreen device. The touch sensing device includes: a driving circuit applying a driving signal having a predetermined first period to a node capacitor; a buffer circuit converting capacitance of the node capacitor into a voltage signal; a buffer capacitor being charged and discharged depending on an output voltage from the buffer circuit; and an integration circuit integrating voltages charged in the buffer capacitor, wherein, in a normal touch mode, the buffer circuit integrates capacitance of the node capacitor to generate the voltage signal, and, in a proximity touch mode, the buffer circuit generates the voltage signal by following the voltages charged in the node capacitor.

The present disclosure relates to a touch sensing device and a touchscreen device.
A touchscreen device, such as a touchscreen or a touch pad, is a data input device attached to a display device so as to provide an intuitive user interface, and has recently been widely applied to various electronic devices such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), and navigation devices. Particularly, as demand for smartphones has been recently increased, touchscreens have been increasingly employed therein, since they are able to provide users with various data input methods in a limited form factor.
Touchscreens used in portable devices may be mainly divided into resistive type touchscreens and capacitive type touchscreens, depending on the manner in which touches are sensed therein. Among these, capacitive type touchscreens have advantages of a relatively long lifespan and ease in the implementation of various types of data input and gestures therefor, and thus it has been increasingly employed. It is especially easy to implement a multi-touch interfaces with capacitive type touchscreens, as compared to resistive type touchscreens, and thus, capacitive type touchscreens are widely used in smartphones and the like.
Capacitive type touchscreens include a plurality of electrodes having a predetermined pattern and the electrodes form a plurality of nodes in which changes in capacitance are generated due to touches. The nodes provided on a two-dimensional plane generate changes in self-capacitance or changes in mutual-capacitance due to touches. Coordinates of touches may be calculated by applying a weighted average calculation method or the like to changes in the capacitance occurring in the nodes.
Recently, applications allowing touchscreen devices to detect various types of gesture are being developed for increased user convenience. To this end, techniques of forming capacitance in wide areas around electrodes and of detecting minute changes in capacitance are required.

Touch sensing device and touchscreen device