The present invention provides a resist substrate treating solution and a method for pattern formation using that treating solution, and thereby problems such as foreign substances on the substrate surface, pattern collapse and pattern roughness can be easily solved at the same time. The treating solution comprises water and an alkylene oxide adduct of a primary amine having a hydrocarbon group of 11 to 30 carbon atoms or of ammonia. The method for pattern formation according to the invention comprises a step of treating the developed pattern with that treating solution.

In extensive fields including the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits such as LSIs, the preparation of FPD screens, and the production of circuit boards for color filters, thermal heads and the like, photolithography has hitherto been used for formation of fine elements or microfabrication. In the photolithography, a positive- or negative-working photosensitive resin composition is used for resist pattern formation. In these photosensitive resin compositions, as the positive-working photoresist, a photosensitive resin composition comprising an alkali-soluble resin and a photosensitive substance of quinonediazide compound, for example, is widely used.
Meanwhile, in recent years in manufacturing fine electronic devices, increased integration density and highly accelerated processing speed in LSIs have led to design rules requiring quarter-micron- or finer-scale fabrication rather than half-micron-scale fabrication, which the design rules formerly required. Since conventional light for exposure such as visible light or near UV light (wavelength: 400 to 300 nm) cannot fully cope with the design rules requiring finer fabrication, it is necessary to use radiation of shorter wavelength such as far UV light emitted from a KrF excimer laser (248 nm), an ArF excimer laser (193 nm) or the like, an X-ray or an electron beam. Accordingly, lithographic processes using the radiation of shorter wavelength have been proposed and gradually getting used in practice. To cope with the design rules requiring finer fabrication, the photoresist used in microfabrication must be a photosensitive resin composition capable of giving a pattern of high resolution. Further, it is also desired that the photosensitive resin composition be improved not only in resolution but also in sensitivity and in accuracy on shape and dimension of the pattern. In view of this, as a radiation-sensitive resin composition having sensitivity to the radiation of short wavelength and giving a pattern of high resolution, a "chemically amplified photosensitive resin composition" has been proposed. The chemically amplified photosensitive resin composition comprises a compound that generates an acid when exposed to radiation, and hence when the radiation is applied, the compound generates an acid and the acid serves as a catalyst in image-formation to improve sensitivity. Since the chemically amplified photosensitive resin composition is thus advantageous, it has been getting popularly used in place of conventional photosensitive resin compositions.
However, in accordance with increasing the fineness in fabrication as described above, problems such as foreign substances remaining on the substrate surface, pattern collapse and pattern roughness have been getting apparent. To cope with those problems, various methods have been studied. For example, it is studied to improve resist compositions.
When the developed pattern is washed with pure water, surface tension of the pure water brings negative pressure among lines of the pattern. This negative pressure is presumed to cause pattern collapse. Accordingly, to solve the problem, it is proposed to wash the pattern with a lithographic rinse solution containing a particular nonionic surfactant (see, patent documents 1 and 2).
However, each of the above methods individually improves each of the problems such as foreign substances remaining on the substrate surface, pattern collapse and pattern roughness, and therefore in order to solve all the problems at the same time it is necessary to perform all the methods at the same time. In practice, however, it is difficult to perform all the methods at the same time because complicated operations are required.    [Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-184648    [Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-107744

Processing liquid for resist substrate and method of processing resist substrate using the same


In a semiconductor device such as MOSFET, a single crystal semiconductor substrate is provided. An epitaxitial layer is formed on the single crystal semiconductor substrate. A p-well regions are formed on the epitaxitial layer, respectively, and n+ source regions are formed on the p-well regions, respectively. A gate electrode is formed through a gate insulation film on a part of each p-well region and that of each n+ source region. The gate electrode is covered with an insulation film. On the insulation film, a source electrode is formed so that the n-channel MOSFET includes body diodes BD imbedded therein. A drain electrode is formed on the single crystal semiconductor substrate. A cluster-containing layer is implanted in the single crystal semiconductor substrate as a gettering layer so that the cluster-containing layer contains a cluster of nitrogen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional processes aiming at gettering effects include intrinsic gettering (hereinafter, referred to "IG") which uses oxygen precipitate defects 100 in a semiconductor substrate 101 of a semiconductor device, for example, an n-channel vertical MOSFET, as shown in FIG. 30. The oxygen precipitate defects 100 are served as a gettering layer which can getter defects in an element formation region 102.
In the IG, in order to improve the gettering effects to make better the quality of gate film of the semiconductor device and the reliabilities of elements formed therein, it is necessary to increase the oxygen concentration in the semiconductor substrate.
This method, however, as shown in FIG. 31, causes the resistance rate of the substrate to increase with the growth of the oxygen concentration of the substrate. This increase of the resistance rate makes increase the on-resistance of the vertical power semiconductor device, the substrate of which is served as a current path, causing the loss of the device to be increased.


One aspect of the present invention increases or reduces an amplitude or amplitudes of a steering angle sensor output signal and/or a motor rotational angle signal, and outputs a motor instruction signal based on a substitute signal for a torque sensor output signal that is calculated based on at least one of the steering angle sensor output signal and the motor rotational angle signal that is subjected to the adjustment of the amplitude thereof, and the other of the steering angle sensor output signal and the motor rotational angle signal, when an abnormality is detected in the torque sensor output signal.

As this kind of technique, there is disclosed a technique discussed in PTL 1, which will be listed below. PTL 1 discusses an electric power steering apparatus that controls a motor for providing a steering assist force to a steering mechanism according to a steering torque detected by a torque sensor. This electric power steering apparatus controls the motor with use of a detection value of a steering angle sensor that detects a rotational angle of a steering wheel, and a detection value of a motor rotational angle sensor that detects a rotational angle of a motor when an abnormality has occurred in the detection of the steering torque.

Control apparatus for vehicle-mounted apparatus and power steering apparatus


A riser assembly is disclosed comprising: a main tube; two flanges coupled to the main tube, each flange comprising: a central lumen configured to be in fluid communication with the main tube; at least one choke/kill hole configured to receive a choke/kill line; at least one booster hole configured to receive a booster line; and a plurality of bolt holes, each bolt hole comprising a tapered portion and a dowel slot, where each bolt hole is configured to receive a nut, a bolt, and a dowel. In certain embodiments, riser strings comprising at least two riser assemblies coupled to each other are disclosed.

Flanged connections have a wide variety of industrial uses including connecting structural members that will be subjected to critical external loads and in sealing high pressure vessels. The flanges used in such applications must be maintained in face-to-face contact to ensure proper operation. This face-to-face contact is maintained by the plurality of fasteners that are tightened to a high percentage of their yield strength. It is well known in the art that such flanges bend in an axial or meridional direction during this tightening procedure. This meridional bending is transmitted to the fasteners, contributes significantly to the stress in the fasteners, and reduces the amount of tightening to which the fasteners can be safely subjected. As a consequence, the bending reduces the face-to-face contact between the flanges and therefore also the load to which the flanged connections can be subjected.
Flanged connections play a particularly significant role in the oil and gas industry where large diameter tubular members with flanged end connections, called "risers" or "riser joints," are used. These risers are used in offshore drilling and production operations and extend from the wellhead at the ocean floor to a surface vessel. A drawback of conventional flanged connections that is specific to risers is that flanged connections often dictate the manner in which risers are connected, commonly referred to as either "pin up" or "box up." Conventional flanges are designed to either be a bottom flange or a top flange, and are designed to either connect risers in a pin up or a box up configuration, but not both. As a consequence, this lack of robustness from conventional flanged connections hinders riser connection innovation. Because flanged connections between adjacent riser joints must contain internal pressure along with enormous external loads due to environmental conditions, it is critical that these flanged connections, and the fasteners holding them together, function flawlessly and enable innovative riser connection designs.


A display device is provided. The display device including a display panel including a display area, a frame area; a plurality of pixel electrodes in the display area; a plurality of share electrodes in the display area; a display function layer controlled by the pixel electrodes and the share electrodes; a plurality of touch detect electrodes forming capacitors with the plurality of the share electrodes; a circuit for generating signals to apply to the share electrodes; and a plurality of wirings coupled to the circuit and the share electrodes in the frame area, wherein the longer a path including each of the share electrodes and each of the wirings is, the shorter pulses of each of the signals become.

The present invention relates to technique for a touch-sensor devices, which are also referred to as touch panels, display devices provided with a touch-sensor function, electronic devices, etc.
In various electronic devices and display devices such as smartphones, touch-sensor devices are mounted as input means. Examples of the touch-sensor devices include touch-sensor devices dedicated to a touch-sensor function, touch-sensor-equipped display devices of an external type or a cover-integrated type, and touch-sensor-equipped display devices in which electrodes constituting a touch-sensor device are built in a display panel. The touch-sensor-equipped display devices of the external type or the cover-integrated type are also referred to as on-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display devices. The touch-sensor-equipped display devices in which the electrodes of the touch sensor are built in the display panel are also referred to as in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display devices. Examples of the touch-sensor-equipped display devices include liquid-crystal touch panel modules used in liquid-crystal display devices.
A touch-sensor device of an electrostatic capacitance type has touch drive electrodes (also referred to as transmitter electrodes) and touch detection electrodes (also referred to as receiver electrodes). A unit of touch detection is formed by intersections of electrode pairs of the touch drive electrodes and the touch detection electrodes. For example, the plurality of touch drive electrodes are parallel to an in-plane horizontal direction in a surface serving as a touch detection area, and the plurality of touch detection electrodes are parallel to an in-plane perpendicular direction. The unit of touch detection is formed by a capacitor formed in the vicinity of, for example, intersecting parts, of electrode pairs of the touch drive electrodes and the touch detection electrodes. In the surface of the touch detection area, the plurality of units of touch detection are formed in matrix. The touch-sensor device has a circuit unit coupled to the electrode pairs of the above-described touch drive electrodes and the touch detection electrodes. When the capacitance of the capacitor is changed when an electrical conductor such as a finger is close to or in contact with the surface of the touch detection area, the circuit unit detects the change in the capacitance as an electric signal. By virtue of this, the touch-sensor device detects the presence/absence, position, etc. of a touch to the touch detection area.
The on-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device has, for example, a configuration in which a touch-sensor device or a touch-sensitive layer is externally coupled to a front surface side in which a display area of a liquid-crystal panel unit is formed. Alternatively, the on-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device has a configuration in which electrodes of a touch sensor are integrally formed on a cover composed of glass, plastic, or the like provided in the front surface side of a liquid-crystal display panel unit.
The in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device has, for example, a configuration in which at least one of the touch drive electrodes and the touch detection electrodes serving as the electrodes composing the above-described touch sensor, for example, the touch drive electrodes are built in a liquid-crystal display panel unit. The in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped display device having this configuration has, for example, a configuration in which shared electrodes integrating a common electrode of the liquid-crystal display device and the above-described touch drive electrodes are provided on a TFT board side serving as a first board structure, and the above-described touch detection electrodes are provided on a color filter board side serving as a second board structure.
Examples of conventional techniques about the above-described touch sensor include Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-244958 (Patent Literature 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-258935 (Patent Literature 2).
Patent Literature 1 describes configuration examples of an in-cell-type touch-sensor-equipped liquid-crystal display device.
Patent Literature 2 describes configuration examples of electrodes and wirings relating to a touch sensor. Patent Literature 2 describes the example in which, as a configuration example of routed wirings between electrodes of circuit-side connection terminals, a connecting side, and a touch detection area, the wiring lengths thereof are mutually different. Patent Literature 2 also describes a configuration example in which the widths of the routed wirings are mutually different.


A suturing device includes a first needle retaining member for causing the basal end part of an arcuate needle to be held in place at the leading end of an insertion lever, a second needle retaining member capable of holding the leading end part of said needle, open-close mechanism swingably supporting the first needle retaining member and the second needle retaining member and switching the needle retaining members between the "close" posture in which the leading end of the needle is abutted against the leading end of the second needle retaining member and the "open" posture in which the abutting leading ends are separated to allow insertion of the needle through a trocar, and rotary mechanism for rotating the two needle retaining members in each of the "open" and "close" postures. The insertion lever is provided at the basal end thereof with a manipulating part for effecting remote control of the rotary means and the open-close means.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a suturing device to be used mainly for surgical operations under a peritoneoscope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, regarding the surgical operations for the excision of the appendix and the gallbladder, the operation performed under a peritoneoscope and allowed to obviate the necessity for laparotomy has been attracting attention in recent years as a prospective alternative to the conventional laparotomy. This operation under a peritoneoscope is carried out by inserting a plurality of communicating tubes called trocars through the abdominal wall into the abdominal cavity, displaying on a monitor screen the image of the interior of the abdominal cavity with the aid of a miniature camera inserted via one of the trocars, and enabling the surgeon to study the image on the screen and perform a desired surgical treatment by manipulating suitably a forceps, a scissors, an electric scalpel, and needle holder, or the like inserted via the other trocars.
In the surgical operation for suturing vital tissue under a peritoneoscope, since no suturing device has been developed for exclusive use in the surgical operation under a peritoneoscope, the surgeon has no alternative but to hold an arcuately curved needle by the use of the standard needle holder and suture the tissue under treatment with the needle. The suturing work, therefore, consumes much time and labor.
Particularly, the standard needle holder which is holding a needle therein is not allowed to change its posture. When it is fixed in a posture for holding an arcuate needle readied for suturing vital tissue so that the leading end of the needle may be directed perpendicularly to the vital tissue to be pierced therewith, this needle holder in that posture is not easily passed through the small trocar. For this reason, the arcuate needle is required to have a small radius at a sacrifice of the efficiency of the suturing operation and therefore limit sutures to those of narrow pitches. This limitation poses an obstacle to the proper performance of sutures.
Frequently, the needle holder permits no free change in the angle with which it holds a given needle and fails to plunge the needle at a proper angle into the vital tissue. In this case, the suture cannot be accurately carried out. Further, since the needle is small and deficient in operational efficiency as described above, it entrains the possibility that the needle point will not easily pierce the vital tissue and the needle will break within the vital tissue when the vital tissue to be pierced therewith is relatively tough or when the depth of piercing is large, for example. After the needle has been thrust into the vital tissue, a separately prepared forceps or the like is used to hold the leading end of the needle fast in position and allow passage of a thread therethrough. This work necessitates a change in the posture of the forceps at the cost of time and labor.


A numerically controlled grinding machine 60 for plate glass, comprising a table 3 for supporting the glass plate 5; a motor 35 connected to a grooved grinding wheel 38 that grinds by rotation thereof the periphery edge of the plate glass 5 supported by the table 3 to rotate the grooved grinding wheel; motors 11 and 53 for moving the grooved grinding wheel 38 relative to the plate glass in a direction X parallel to the surface of the plate glass as well as in a direction Y parallel to the surface of the plate glass and perpendicular to the first direction; a motor 40 for moving the grooved grinding wheel relative to the plate glass in a direction Z perpendicular to the surface of the plate glass 5; and a numerical control device connected to the motors 11, 53 and 40.

In a conventional grinding machine for plate glass, when the periphery edge of plate glass is to be chamfered or ground round, a grinding wheel for chamfering is prepared and used for chamfering purposes, or a grinding wheel for forming a round edge is prepared and used for rounding purposes.
When a plate glass like a car pane is ground round in a part of the periphery edge thereof, and is chamfered in the other part of the periphery edge thereof, for example, a specified part of the periphery edge is firstly ground by a grinding wheel for forming a round edge, and then the remaining part of the periphery edge is ground by a chamfering wheel replacing the grinding one. However, such a means is very inefficient in working because it will take time to replace the grinding wheel and the grinding program must be run twice.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a numerically controlled grinding machine for plate glass which is capable of forming a round edge and a chamfered edge on required parts of plate glass by running the grinding program once without replacing the wheel.

Numerically controlled grinding machine for plate glass


A system and method for identifying seats within a mobile platform such as an aircraft, bus, ship, train, etc. A sensor subsystem detects when a door of the mobile platform is opened and transmits a wireless signal to each one of a plurality of projector subsystems. Each of the projector subsystems are disposed adjacent an associated seat of the mobile platform. Each projector subsystem projects an enlarged, optical signal with seat identifying information onto the seatback of its associated seat.

In a number of applications, such as in sports stadiums, theatres, and even inside mobile platforms such as aircraft, ships, busses, trains, etc., it would be desirable to more prominently display a seat number or other identifying information to help an individual locate his/her specific seat from within a plurality of seats. Presently, in many venues seat information is often provided in the form of relatively small printed information disposed on some portion of the seat. In mobile platforms such as aircraft, the seat identifying information is often disposed above the seats and underneath the overhead storage bins.
It would be highly desirable to provide some form of device that can provide information directly on the seat itself in larger print, to better identify each seat within a large plurality of seats to thus aid an individual in locating a specific seat.

Apparatus and method for projecting identifying information onto seats


A contact block has a plurality of contact units each formed by two U-shaped strips inserted one inside the other. The strips have base portions connected with one another and with a support member by rivets. Each strip has two lateral portions each provided with a slot extending over a part of the length thereof so as to form two resilient tongues in each lateral portion. Thereby, each contact unit has eight tongues forming four contacts. The contacts are separated from one another by a grid of insulating material.

The present invention relates to a contact block forming a part of an experimental construction kit for assembling circuits from electrical and electronic construction elements.
Contact blocks of the above-mentioned general type are known in the art. A known contact block has a plurality of contacts which are arranged at regular intervals from one another, and leads can be brought into contact with these contacts. In the known contact block, the contacts of each contact junction point or contact unit are arranged in line, one behind the other, and at relatively large distances from one another. A great number of contact units is necessary in such a construction, in order to produce a versatile contact block. This results in that a very large contact block is required because of the widely spaced arrangement of the contact units. Also, the functional clarity of a circuit which begins on the contact block, suffers because of the wide spacing of the contacts of the contact unit and thereby the spacing of the leads of the electrical construction elements, which leads are arranged at the same contact units. As the construction process of the circuit progresses, it becomes more and more difficult, despite the respective marking of the associated contacts, to locate the region of a contact unit and thus the available connection point for further leads of the construction elements.
Insertion of several leads into a single contact which is made correspondingly larger, is not possible because of the varying cross-sectional dimensions of the leads. In addition, the leads may be twisted during previous application. The known contacts usually are composed of two spring tongues which are resiliently directed toward one another, and the leads of the electrical or electronic construction elements are introduced therebetween. Even a small deviation in the cross-sectional dimension of the lead of one construction element from that of another construction element impairs the contact of the lead with the smaller cross sectional dimension. Especially in electronic circuits, it is particularly important that the electrical contact guarantee an efficient transmission of current in order to avoid disruptive influences on the circuit.

Contact block with resilient socket contacts


An omnidirectional skimmer for removing debris from the surface of a liquid includes a first flotation member, a second flotation member, first and second hollow cross-members and a net operatively connected to the first and second hollow cross-members. The first and second hollow cross-members have open ends such that in operation one of the cross-members is submerged in water and therefore filled with water, while the other cross-member is above the surface of the water and therefore empty. The hollow open cross-members and an omnidirectional pulling element allow the pool skimmer to be operated in any direction regardless of orientation. For example, the pool skimmer can be flipped over and still operated, or the net of the pool skimmer can be inverted while the pool skimmer maintains operational effectiveness.

The invention relates to skimmers for use in cleaning debris from, at or near the surface of a liquid. In particular, the invention is useful as a pool skimmer for skimming debris off the surface of water contained within a swimming pool.
Conventional swimming pool skimmers are either too small, and therefore labor intensive, or large and bulky, and thus designed to be pulled in only one direction. Such skimmers are therefore difficult to maneuver within a swimming pool, and are especially difficult to operate when one cleans debris from inside the skimmer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,495, issued to Harding, provides one form of conventional skimmer. Harding's pool skimmer can only be pulled in one direction. Also, if Harding's pool skimmer is flipped over, it will no longer be operational.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,060, issued to Brennan, provides another form of conventional pool skimmer. Brennan's skimmer has three elongated connecting members. Two of these connecting members are at the front of the skimmer. These two connecting members are filled with air and sealed to allow Brennan's skimmer to float. Brennan's third connecting member, which is at the back of the skimmer, has a plurality of apertures, allowing it to sink in water. Like Harding's skimmer, Brennan's skimmer is designed to be pulled only in the direction it is facing. Further, if the net in Brennan's skimmer is inverted, Brennan's skimmer will no longer be operational.
It is an object of the invention to provide a swimming pool skimmer which is omnidirectional in nature, i.e., it can be pulled in multiple directions or upside down.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a pool skimmer containing a net which can be inverted in order to clean debris therefrom, and which, when the net is inverted, can be immediately used as a pool skimmer without returning the net to its previous uninverted configuration.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a pool skimmer which is easy to assemble and disassemble, preferably without the need for tools.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a pool skimmer which is light weight and has soft outer surfaces, such that the outer surfaces will not damage a pool when dragged against the pool during a cleaning operation or cause injury to users or people in the pool when the pool skimmer is operated.


Emulsion comprising a lipoid as a hydrophobic phase dispersed in a hydrophilic phase, a poorly water-soluble photosensitizing compound, surfactant, and as a cosurfactant a salt of a bile acid is provided that is suitable for administering to a patient.

Photoreactive drugs are unique compounds which are inactive until exposed to light of a specific wavelength. Photodynamic therapy begins with the intravenous administration of a selected photoreactive drug to a patient. At first, the drug disperses throughout the body and is taken up by most cells, whether normal or not. After a period of time usually between 3 and 48 hours, the drug clears from most normal tissue and is retained to a greater degree by hyperproliferating or otherwise abnormal cells.
Photodynamic activity begins when the photosensitizer is exposed to light of a specific wavelength. This light, usually but not necessarily generated by a laser and transmitted through a specially designed fiber optic, activates the intracellular drug. Activation results in the formation of cytotoxic species (free radicals and/or singlet oxygen) which rapidly and selectively destroy the cells in which the photosensitizer is located. Certain wavelengths of light are optimal for therapeutic destruction of rapidly proliferating cells, while other wavelengths induce a visible fluorescence and are therefore ideal for diagnostic identification of these cells.
A new generation of photosensitizers is currently under investigation or development for use in photodynamic therapy. These include chlorins (such as benzoporphyrin derivatives), purpurins, and phthalocyanines, all of which have strong hydrophobic characteristics. Extensive animal studies have shown that such poorly water-soluble pyrrole-derived macrocycles tend to maximize both diagnostic and therapeutic specificity by virtue of a high retention differential between abnormal and normal cells. While the water solubility of porphyrins can be enhanced by suitable derivatization, a significant loss of tissue specificity may occur. Therefore, simple aqueous/alcohol solutions of relatively water-soluble pyrrole-based macrocycles have proven to be much less useful.
These new generation photosensitizers often pose serious challenges to achieving suitable formulation. For more lipophilic porphyrins, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)/water solutions are suitable for preliminary studies either in vitro or in vivo. However, for clinical applications, dimethylsulfoxide is not considered to be an appropriate vehicle. Micellar preparations of poorly water-soluble porphyrin derivatives may be made, using the non-ionic surfactant Cremophor EL (polyoxyethylated castor oil), but serious anaphalactoid reactions have been reported and premedication with steroids may be required. Various organic solvent mixtures (e.g. polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, t-butanol, dimethylacetamide)will also solubilize certain lipophilic porphyrin derivatives. However, such systems are often associated with pain on injection and phlebitis, due in part to local vein irritation by the solvent and to drug precipitation upon dilution in the bloodstream. In addition, these solvents are poorly metabolizable and are associated with other undesirable toxic side effects.
In addition to hydrophobic character, these new generation porphyrins often exhibit a high tendency to form aggregates due to "sandwich style" interactions between their planar rings. Molecular aggregates hinder solubilization of crystalline drug and complicate efforts to produce particle-free formulations with adequate storage stability.
Yet another formulation difficulty is the well-documented sensitivity of many pyrrole-based macrocycles to photooxidation.
Several liposomal porphyrin formulations are in human clinical trials. These include benzoporphyrin derivative (Quadra Logic Technologies, Inc., Vancouver, B.C., Canada) and Zn-phthalocyanine (CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basel, Switzerland). Liposomes are submicron, hollow vesicles consisting of hydrated, synthetic phospholipids arranged in a bilayer structure. However, to the best of applicant's knowledge, there are no heat-stable oil-in-water emulsions available that are suitable for injecting poorly water-soluble photosensitizing drugs. An oil-in-water emulsion is a microscopic dispersion of oil droplets in a continuous aqueous phase with a surfactant used to stabilize the dispersed droplets.

Emulsioin suitable for administering a poorly water-soluble photosensitizing compound and use thereof


The present invention provides a technique that reduces color non-uniformity in a color image projected and displayed by a projector. The projector that projects and displays the color image includes an illumination optical system, a color light separation optical system, first through third electro-optical devices, a color light synthesizing optical system, and a projection optical system. The projector generally has one or a plurality of light bundle adjustment optical systems provided in one or some of three optical paths, which respectively connect the color light separation optical system with the first through the third electro-optical devices. Each light bundle adjustment optical system regulates size of a light bundle of a selected color light. The technique of the present invention adjusts specific one or plural image signals according to pixel positions of a color image, so that cross sectional luminance distributions of first through the third modulated lights on a light-exiting side of the color light synthesizing optical system have substantially the same gradients at least when the image of interest to be projected and displayed is a white image. This arrangement effectively reduces color non-uniformity in the resulting color image, due to the presence of the light bundle adjustment optical system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projector that projects and displays color images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal panel projectors typically have an illumination optical system for emitting illumination light, a color light separation system for separating the illumination light into three color lights, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), three liquid crystal light valves for modulating the respective color lights in response to image information (image signals), a color light synthesizing optical system for synthesizing the three modulated color lights with one another to synthesized light, and a projection optical system for projecting the synthesized light on a screen.
A relay optical system including a lens is generally provided in at least one optical path among three optical paths of the three color lights, in order to cause the light bundles (bundles of rays) of the respective color lights entering the three liquid crystal light valves to have substantially equal sizes. The presence of the relay optical system, however, leads to color non-uniformity in the resulting color image projected and displayed on the screen.
The relay optical system converges and re-diverges the light bundle (bundle of rays) of the color light passing through the relay optical system. The relay optical system accordingly turns the cross sectional luminance distribution of the color light upside down and left-side right. In the case where the color lights emitted from the illumination optical system and illuminate the respective liquid crystal light valves have non-uniform cross sectional luminance distributions, the synthesized light, which is obtained by synthesizing the modulated color light passing through the relay optical system with the other modulated color lights not passing through the relay optical system, includes the modulated color light having the inverted cross sectional luminance distribution. This undesirably causes color non-uniformity in the resulting color image projected and displayed on the screen.
The object of the present invention is thus to provide a technique that reduces color non-uniformity in a color image projected and displayed by a projector.
At least part of the above and the other related objects is attained by a first projector that projects and displays a color image. The first projector includes: an illumination optical system that emits illumination light; a color light separation optical system that divides the illumination light emitted from the illumination optical system into first through third color lights, which respectively have three different color components; first through third electro-optical devices that respectively modulate the first through the third color lights, which are separated by the color light separation optical system, in response to first through third image signals and thereby generate first through third modulated lights; a color light synthesizing optical system that synthesizes the first through the third modulated lights with one another and emits synthesized light; a projection optical system that projects the synthesized light emitted from the color light synthesizing optical system; a relay optical system that is provided in one optical path selected out of three optical paths, which respectively connect the color light separation optical system with the first through the third electro-optical devices, the relay optical system regulating a size of a light bundle of a selected color light entering the corresponding electro-optical device; and an adjustment section that adjusts a specific image signal, which is one out of the first through the third image signals and corresponds to the electro-optical device that receives the selected color light passing through the relay optical system, a degree of the adjustment being depend on pixel positions of a color image so that cross sectional luminance distributions of the first through the third modulated lights on a light-exiting side of the color light synthesizing optical system have substantially same gradients at least when the first through the third image signals reproduce a white image.
The first projector of the present invention has the adjustment section that carries out the adjustment, so that cross sectional luminance distributions of the first through the third modulated lights on a light-exiting side of the color light synthesizing optical system have substantially same gradients at least when the first through the third image signals reproduce a white image. The adjustment section functions to reduce color non-uniformity in the white image even when the light bundle of the color light passing through the relay optical system is converged and re-diverged. This arrangement thus effectively reduces the color non-uniformity in the color image projected and displayed by the projector.
The first projector advantageously reduces the color non-uniformity by simply adjusting only one image signal corresponding to the electro-optical device that receives one color light passing through the relay optical system.
In the first projector, it is preferable that the selected color light passing through the relay optical system is a color light having the highest luminance among the first through the third color lights.
The cross sectional luminance distribution of one color light having the highest luminance is accordingly reverse both vertically and horizontally to the cross sectional luminance distributions of the two residual color lights. The arrangement substantially equalizes the luminance of each modulated color light by adjusting only the image signal corresponding to the electro-optical device that receives the one color light having the highest luminance. This ensures the accurate reproduction of the hue of the color image.
It is here assumed that a color light having a relatively low luminance is set to the selected color light passing through the relay optical system. In this case, the adjustment lowers the luminance of the other color lights, in order to attain the accurate reproduction of the hue of the color image. This, however, darkens the resulting image. The advantage of the above arrangement is accordingly to attain the accurate reproduction of the hue of the color image without significantly lowering the brightness of the image.
The present invention is also directed to a second projector that projects and displays a color image. The second projector includes: an illumination optical system that emits illumination light; a color light separation optical system that divides the illumination light emitted from the illumination optical system into first through third color lights, which respectively have three different color components; first through third electro-optical devices that respectively modulate the first through the third color lights, which are separated by the color light separation optical system, in response to first through third image signals and thereby generate first through third modulated lights; a color light synthesizing optical system that synthesizes the first through the third modulated lights with one another and emits synthesized light; a projection optical system that projects the synthesized light emitted from the color light synthesizing optical system; a relay optical system that is provided in one optical path selected out of three optical paths, which respectively connect the color light separation optical system with the first through the third electro-optical devices, the relay optical system regulating a size of a light bundle of a selected color light entering the corresponding electro-optical device; and an adjustment section that adjusts specific image signals, which are two out of the first through the third image signals and correspond to the electro-optical devices that receive two residual color lights not passing through the relay optical system, a degree of the adjustment being depend on pixel positions of a color image so that cross sectional luminance distributions of the first through the third modulated lights on a light-exiting side of the color light synthesizing optical system have substantially same gradients at least when the first through the third image signals reproduce a white image.
The second projector of the present invention exerts the similar functions and advantages to those of the first projector discussed above. This arrangement reduces color non-uniformity in the white image even when the light bundle of the color light passing through the relay optical system is converged and re-diverged, thus effectively reducing the color non-uniformity in the color image projected and displayed by the projector.
The present invention is further directed to a third projector that projects and displays a color image. The third projector includes: an illumination optical system that emits illumination light; a color light separation optical system that divides the illumination light emitted from the illumination optical system into first through third color lights, which respectively have three different color components; first through third electro-optical devices that respectively modulate the first through the third color lights, which are separated by the color light separation optical system, in response to first through third image signals and thereby generate first through third modulated lights; a color light synthesizing optical system that synthesizes the first through the third modulated lights with one another and emits synthesized light; a projection optical system that projects the synthesized light emitted from the color light synthesizing optical system; relay optical systems that are respectively provided in two optical paths selected out of three optical paths, which respectively connect the color light separation optical system with the first through the third electro-optical devices, each relay optical system regulating a size of a light bundle of a selected color light entering the corresponding electro-optical device; and an adjustment section that adjusts a specific image signal, which is one out of the first through the third image signals and corresponds to the electro-optical device that receives one residual color light not passing through the relay optical system, a degree of the adjustment being depend on pixel positions of a color image so that cross sectional luminance distributions of the first through the third modulated lights on a light-exiting side of the color light synthesizing optical system have substantially same gradients at least when the first through the third image signals reproduce a white image.
The third projector of the present invention exerts the similar functions and advantages to those of the first projector discussed above. This arrangement reduces color non-uniformity in the white image even when the light bundle of the color light passing through the relay optical system is converged and re-diverged, thus effectively reducing the color non-uniformity in the color image projected and displayed by the projector.
The third projector advantageously reduces the color non-uniformity by simply adjusting only one image signal corresponding to the electro-optical device that receives one color light not passing through the relay optical system.
The present invention is also directed to a fourth projector that projects and displays a color image. The fourth projector includes: an illumination optical system that emits illumination light; a color light separation optical system that divides the illumination light emitted from the illumination optical system into first through third color lights, which respectively have three different color components; first through third electro-optical devices that respectively modulate the first through the third color lights, which are separated by the color light separation optical system, in response to first through third image signals and thereby generate first through third modulated lights; a color light synthesizing optical system that synthesizes the first through the third modulated lights with one another and emits synthesized light; a projection optical system that projects the synthesized light emitted from the color light synthesizing optical system; relay optical systems that are respectively provided in two optical paths selected out of three optical paths, which respectively connect the color light separation optical system with the first through the third electro-optical devices, each relay optical system regulating a size of a light bundle of a selected color light entering the corresponding electro-optical device; and an adjustment section that adjusts specific image signals, which are two out of the first through the third image signals and correspond to the electro-optical devices that receive the two selected color lights passing through the relay optical systems, a degree of the adjustment being depend on pixel positions of a color image so that cross sectional luminance distributions of the first through the third modulated lights on a light-exiting side of the color light synthesizing optical system have substantially same gradients at least when the first through the third image signals reproduce a white image.
The fourth projector of the present invention exerts the similar functions and advantages to those of the first projector discussed above. This arrangement reduces color non-uniformity in the white image even when the light bundle of the color light passing through the relay optical system is converged and re-diverged, thus effectively reducing the color non-uniformity in the color image projected and displayed by the projector.
In any of the first through the fourth projectors discussed above, the adjustment section may carry out the adjustment according to the pixel positions of an image only when values of pixels constituting the specific image signal of interest are within a preset range of relatively high luminance.
This arrangement reduces the color non-uniformity in the projected and displayed image that is at least a practically white image, thus effectively reducing the color non-uniformity in the resulting color image projected and displayed by the projector.
In accordance with one preferable embodiment of any of the first through the fourth projectors discussed above, the illumination optical system includes: a light source; a lens array that divides a light bundle emitted from the light source into a plurality of sub-beams; and a superimposing lens that causes the plurality of sub-beams output from the lens array to be superimposed in the first through the third electro-optical devices.
The illumination optical system of such configuration does not attain the uniform cross sectional luminance distributions of the respective color lights that illuminate the corresponding electro-optical devices. Application of the present invention thus exerts the significant advantages on the projector including this illumination optical system.
These and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with the accompanying drawings.


Disclosed is multi-media switching apparatus for performing digital, analog, and/or optical communications amongst multiple nodes over switching networks. The key aspect of the present invention is the full parallel aspect of the switching apparatus which supports n simultaneously, low-latency connections, where n is the number of functional elements interconnected by the switching network. Any of the n simultaneous transmissions can be digital, analog, or optical in any proportion. In addition, the present invention can also serve as a high-speed distributed controller for the purpose of of selecting analog or optical switches for information transfer between elements of the system.

In the field of parallel processing, the ability of fast and parallel communication amongst processors working on the same task is an important consideration. It is also important to be able to transmit data of various types, such as digital, analog, and optical efficiently amongst processors.
This application is directed to parallel processing, parallel switching networks, and particularly to an improved adaption of serial fiber or analog wire transmission media to parallel switching networks for the purpose of interconnecting large numbers of processors with a minimal interface. The processors can be interconnected to form a shared processing resource--a "farm" of processors--to provide either massive joint computional power for a single task or individual processors assignable to individual tasks. Corporations are beginning to view this type of "farm" approach as being very valuable. Individual workstations can be purchased and given to individual employees to support their work effort during the day. However, in the evenings or on weekends, the workstations are networked together to form a massive processing base for performing batch jobs or parallel processing. Industry is becoming aware that massive processing power can be obtained at a lower cost by investing in less expensive workstations, rather than in the traditional single large mainframe processor.
The state-of-the-art switches do not effectively meet the requirements of the versatile "farm" systems. First, they are inflexible and dictate that a single homogeneous serial transmission media and protocol be employed throughout the entire system. Secondly, they are generally switching systems designed to switch high bandwidth serial transfers or analog transmissions without regard for latency. They attack only half the problem in that they provide parallel data communication, but they do not provide for parallel path set-up through the switch. Therefore, they do not provide a full parallel network capability. Instead, all network paths share a central matrix controller function that operates in serial. If a processing node wishes to use a path through the switch, it must first arbitrate for the facilities of the central matrix controller. The matrix controller services one request at a time, causing parallel requests to wait their turn. The central matrix controller acknowledges one switch set-up request at a time. It receives a short message indicating the switch connection desired. The central matrix controller checks a matrix map stored in the central matrix controller's memory and determines whether the requested connection can be established or not. If it can, the central matrix controller sends a command to the switching element (usually referred to as the switch fabric) to make the requested connection. Then the central matrix controller responds to the requesting node telling it whether the desired connection has been made or is not available. The processing node then uses the established connection and transmits data to or from the desired destination through the switch fabric, while the central matrix controller works on establishing the next serial connection. The processing node must go through a similar procedure to break the switch fabric connection using the central matrix controller, when it is finished using a given switch path. Thus, the latency of the central matrix controller approach in regards to establishing and breaking switch paths is very poor. In existing products, this type of approach has been adequate connect DASD's and other I/O devices to computer complexes, or to send batch information between processors. These types of applications transfer long disc records or large batch data at a high bandwidth. The poor latency is amertised over the large transfer and has a small effect on the overall performance. However, this is not the case for the modern "farm" approach, where messages can be short and latency becomes as important, if not more so, as bandwith. Harold S. Stone in his book "High-Performance Computer Architecture" (Addison-Wesley 1990, pg.309) states that the performance benefits of parallel processing depends strongly on the ratio R/C, where R is the run-time of the processing (the computational work to be done) and C is the communication overhead required amongst n parallel processors jointly working on the job. The value C includes latency as well as bandwidth, and to keep C small and make parallel processing efficient, the switch latency must also be kept small.
Thirdly, another drawback of the central matrix controller switching approach is the limited number of processors that a single central controller can manage. Systems have been built to interconnect 8, 16, 32, and possibly as many as 64 processors, but that appears to be approaching the the limit of the concept. The central matrix controller approach also has a reliability problem in that a failure in the central controller can fail the entire communication system and render the whole parallel system useless.
We have solved some of the problems encountered in the prior art which we referred to above. A distributed switch controller approach, rather than a centralized approach, appears to be a better solution for parallel processing because of its inherent low latency, its ability to withstand failures, and its ability to expand to interconnecting massively parallel systems. The distributed and fully parallel switch utilized herein to solve the "farm" interconnect problem efficiently is the ALLNODE Switch (Asynchronous, Low Latency, inter-NODE switch), which is disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 07/677,543 and adapted by the present invention to perform the switching of serial data lines at low latency and high bandwidths. The ALLNODE switch provides a circuit switching capability at high bandwidths similar to the switch fabric in the central matrix controlled switches; however, the ALLNODE switch includes distributed switch path connection set-up and tear-down controls individually within each switch--thus providing parallel set-up, low latency, and elimination of central point failures. We will further describe in the detailed description a way whereby the ALLNODE switch and the present invention can be used to solve the "farm" problem effectively.
This application builds on the basic ALLNODE Switch invention as disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 07/677,543, which is adapted by the present invention to perform the low latency switching of analog and optical data lines, as well as standard digital data lines.

Multi-media analog/digital/optical switching apparatus


Methods for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of semiconductor substrates, and more particularly to temperature control during such chemical mechanical polishing are provided. In one aspect, the method comprises polishing the substrate with a polishing surface during a polishing process to remove a portion of the conductive material, repeatedly monitoring a temperature of the polishing surface during the polishing process, and exposing the polishing surface to a rate quench process in response to the monitored temperature so as to achieve a target value for the monitored temperature during the polishing process.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of semiconductor substrates, and more particularly to temperature control during such chemical mechanical polishing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits are typically formed on substrates, such as silicon wafers, by the sequential deposition of various layers such as conductive, semiconductor or insulating layers. After a layer is deposited, a photoresist coating can be applied on top of the layer. A photolithographic apparatus, which operates by focusing a light image on the coating, can be used to remove portions of the coating, leaving the photoresist coating on areas where circuitry features are to be formed. The substrate can then be etched to remove the uncoated portions of the layer, leaving the desired circuitry features.
As a series of layers are sequentially deposited and etched, the outer or uppermost surface of the substrate tends to become increasingly non-planar. This non-planar surface presents problems in the photolithographic steps of the integrated circuit fabrication process. For example, the ability to focus the light image on the photoresist layer using the photolithographic apparatus may be impaired if the maximum height difference between the peaks and valleys of the non-planar surface exceeds the depth of focus of the apparatus. Therefore, there is a need to periodically planarize the substrate surface.
Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is one accepted method of planarization. Chemical mechanical polishing typically includes mechanically abrading the substrate in a slurry that contains a chemically reactive agent. During polishing, the substrate is typically held against a polishing pad by a carrier head. The polishing pad may rotate. The carrier head may also rotate and move the substrate relative to the polishing pad. As a result of the motion between the carrier head and the polishing pad, chemicals, which can include a chemical solution or chemical slurry, planarize the non-planar substrate surface by chemical mechanical polishing.
The CMP process, designed to remove nonplanarity, nevertheless can lead to non-planar artifacts. For example, the fluid dynamics of the slurry, coupled with the mechanical aspects of the system can lead to turbulence variations across the polishing pad/substrate, proportional to the relative speed of rotation. These turbulence variations are believed to lead to erosion in the substrate which can result in deviations from planarity, contrary to the goal of the CMP. This erosion can be countered in part by also moving the substrate in relation to the CMP polishing pad, but such erosion is not entirely eliminated. Another defect or deviation in planarity which can arise from CMP is "dishing" or differential polishing and/or erosion which occurs between different material layers, typically material layers of different hardness. For example, when CMP breaks through an overlying hard layer (e.g., an oxide), an underlying layer of softer metal can be "dished." Consequently, there is a need in the art to improve the ability of CMP to planarize a substrate and to reduce non-planar side-effects of CMP such as erosion and dishing.

Temperature control of chemical mechanical polishing


An object of the invention is to provide an escape apparatus which enables persons to promptly escape from an elevated place such as a building and an aircraft, and is easy to handle. An aerial floating flier such as airfoil or a parachute is folded and contained in a case, and by throwing out such a case or an aerial floating flier in folded state into the air, the aerial floating flier is spread in the air, thereby allowing to escape from a site of an accident by hanging from the aerial floating flier and descend slowly on the ground.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floating and flying type escape apparatus in the air effectively utilized for escaping and descending from the site of fire or the like in a building, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the event of a fire in a building or the like, delay in escape from the site is a fatal problem. When an aircraft falls in trouble during flight, it is demanded to escape earlier than the crash.
Hitherto, when a fire or the like occurs in a building, people in the building take dangerous measures such as running downstairs to escape from the site. Further, in case of an accident of an aircraft crash, a large number of lives are lost. To descend slowly from an elevated place, a parachute has been conventionally used, but to handle is very difficult for general people inexperienced in handling it. Additionally, it is relatively large in size, which makes it more difficult to handle.


An improved control method that utilizes active brake controls to provide vehicle control during conditions of carriage motion tendency about a longitudinal vehicle axis. Accordingly, the control may be integrated with known active brake controls that regulate yaw rate and/or slip angle or traction controls that regulate front wheel slippage, thereby significantly improving the functionality of the respective control for little or no additional cost. A measure of vehicle carriage motion tendency is determined by computing a control parameter based on the roll angle of the vehicle and the rate of change of roll angle. If the computed control parameter exceeds a first calibrated threshold, a condition of carriage motion tendency is detected and the active brake control actuators are activated to reduce the velocity of the front wheels of the vehicle by a delta velocity command determined as a function of the roll angle and roll angle rate. When the computed control parameter falls below a second calibrated threshold, the delta velocity command is gradually decayed to exit the control.

Active brake controls (ABC) have been used to improve vehicle handling under conditions of non-linear wheel operation (i.e., lateral wheel movement relative to a road surface) by applying differential braking forces to left and right wheels of the vehicle with the objective of bringing the vehicle yaw rate and/or slip angle into conformance with desired values provided by a linear reference model. See, for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,533 to Pastor et al., issued on Feb. 24, 1998, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference.


A surgical instrument for creating a tissue canal in which to seat a sleeve has a shaft tube with a knife blade at its distal end to form an incision and an insert to transform the incision into the tissue canal. The knife blade is formed as an axially projecting portion of the distal edge of the shaft tube and has a ground edge for cutting in the circumferential direction of the shaft tube. The insert is slidable mounted in the shaft tube and has a distal blunt end located adjacent the distal end of the shaft tube.

Instruments of this general type are used in the course of laparoscopic penetration into, for example, the abdominal cavity. In such penetration, first the abdominal wall is pierced in a suitable area using a thin cannula and then the abdominal space is filled through the cannula with gas.
Thereafter, one or more apertures are created in the abdominal wall above the target of intervention. So-called trocar sleeves are inserted into these apertures. These trocar sleeves are fitted with gas valves and through them the required laparoscopic instruments can be inserted during the intervention into the abdominal cavity.
To assure suitable hermetic sealing, the apertures made in the abdominal wall must have as constant as possible a cross-section over their length. Such apertures allow snug seating of the trocar sleeves with gas-tight sealing.
As a rule, so-called trocars having triangular ground cutting edges at their ends are used to make the apertures. The trocars are pushed through the abdominal wall and the aperture so made is expanded, where called for, by means of dilators.
Disadvantageously, however, the surgeon must exert a relatively large force on the trocar to pierce the abdominal wall. Fine control of the piercing or fine control of the advance is impossible. This may lead to fatal consequences if the surgeon selects a part of the abdominal wall for piercing that may cling to organs.
Some surgeons prefer opening the abdominal wall in the manner of the so-called "mini-laparoscopy" in which a scalpel is made to enter the abdominal wall in short and carefully guided cuts. This technique only calls for slight force, but it has the drawback that the aperture so made is comparatively undefined and thereby may be unsuitable to hermetically seat a trocar sleeve.
Reference is made to the German patent document 34 03 962 C2 which discloses an instrument of the above type to create a tissue canal and which comprises a shaft bearing at its distal end an axially cutting knife. When the shaft is advanced through the tissue, a plane cutting surface of constant width is generated over the entire length of advance and, by laterally displacing the tissue zones adjoining the cutting surface, can be widened into the desired canal without requiring force. However, this instrument also raises the question whether the canal so made can ensure hermeticity for an installed sleeve.

Medical instrument for creating a tissue canal


An edge enhancer for enhancing edges within a video image, forms an edge enhancement signal of odd harmonics of a sinusoid representative of the edge content in an incoming signal. The edge enhancement signal may be added to a version of the incoming signal, thereby sharpening the edge in the incoming signal. This allows edges to be enhanced, increasing the image's rise-time without adding overshoot. Sharper edges are thus produced in much the same way as a square wave may be formed of odd harmonics of a sinusoid.

Today, television is in the midst of a transformation. Standard television receivers capable of receiving and presenting signals broadcast since the 1940s are being replaced by televisions capable of presenting higher definition signals (so called high definition (HD) signals). HD signals are typically broadcast as digital signals, and currently result in images having resolutions of up to 1920×1080 pixels. This is a vast improvement over conventional standard definition (SD) signals that typically result in images having between 480 and 525 lines, each equivalent to between about 640 to 720 pixels. HD signals thus allow for images having greater image detail and sharpness, allowing for an enhanced viewing experience. As an added benefit, television images may be presented on larger and larger displays.
As many existing television broadcasts are still in SD format, and as many existing programs have been stored and recorded in SD format, newer HD televisions are typically capable of presenting both HD and SD images. SD images are simply enlarged or scaled to fit available space on an HD display.
However, any time an SD image is scaled to HD, a relatively low content signal is converted for presentation into a display format that has more pixels and allows for more rapid image transitions. The scaled SD image is thus far less sharp than a true HD image.
To address deficiencies in scaled SD signals, edge enhancers are often used to enhance edges within the up-scaled image. Good edge enhancement is difficult to achieve, because it simultaneously requires actively speeding up slower edges without causing ringing. Ringing arises because edge-enhancing adds high-frequency components to signals which tend to ring when scaled.
Known edge enhancers add the incoming signal to a differentiated, amplified, and clipped version of this signal. Such enhancers were initially designed to enhance VCR images with frequency responses well below that of broadcast television. Early edge enhancers operated only on the colour (or UV) portion of the signal. The techniques have since been extended to the luminance portion of the signal.
Differentiation, however, inherently emphasizes high frequency noise. Thus, these conventional edge enhancers basically enhance the low frequencies that are already there—they do not really modify the edge and add new high frequencies, except possibly by non-linear clipping. This leads to the "edge around the object" type of sharpness enhancement that is commonly observed on existing TVs.
Further, these edge enhancers often require a circuit which must explicitly decide when an edge is present using a logic circuit. Such decision circuits often fail on complicated source images. Methods which alter the time scale to move the regions before or after an edge are typical of those which require this type of decision. Further, the decision circuits are confused by thin or multiple or close edges. To alleviate this problem, complex and often ineffective circuits may alter how edges are processed in regions of close multiple edges.
Accordingly, there is a need for new edge enhancement techniques and circuits.

Harmonic edge synthesizer, enhancer and methods


An integrated electronic device including an electronic component and a temperature transducer formed in a first die. The temperature transducer including a first diode and a second diode which are connected in antiparallel.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an integrated electronic device comprising a temperature transducer. In addition, the present disclosure regards a method for determining an estimate of a difference of temperature.
Description of the Related Art
As is known, today there exist semiconductor devices that each include an electronic component and at least one temperature transducer, which enables detection of a gradient (i.e., a difference) of temperature between two different points of the semiconductor device. In this way, during use of the electronic component, it is possible to determine whether it is necessary to implement strategies that prevent any damage to the semiconductor device.
For instance, illustrated in FIG. 1 are a temperature transducer 1 and an electronic component 3, which form an integrated electronic device 6; for example, the electronic component 3 is a power MOSFET.
The temperature transducer 1 includes a first diode 2 and a second diode 4, which are formed within a die 5, formed inside which is the integrated electronic device 6.
The first and second diodes 2, 4 may be of polysilicon. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the die 5 includes an epitaxial region 8, for example of an N type, extending on which is a body region 10, for example of a P type. Extending on the body region 10 is a dielectric region 12, made for example of thermal oxide. This having been said, the first diode 2 is formed by a first anode region 16, of polysilicon and with doping of a P+ type, and by a first cathode region 18, of polysilicon and with doping of an N+ type. The first anode region 16 and the first cathode region 18 extend on the dielectric region 12. A top region 20, made for example of a phosphosilicate glass, extends on the dielectric region 12 and part of the first diode 2. An anode metallization 22 and a cathode metallization 24 extend through the top region 20 for contacting the first anode region 16 and the first cathode region 18, respectively.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the second diode 4 is formed by a second anode region 26 and by a second cathode region 28. Furthermore, the first and second anode regions 16, 26 are electrically connected, respectively, to a first pad 30 and a second pad 32 of conductive material, whereas the first and second cathode regions 18, 28 are electrically connected to a third pad 34. In addition, the first diode 2 is arranged within the active area 37 of the electronic component 3, i.e., in a central area of the die 5, whereas the second diode 4 is arranged in the proximity of an edge 40 of the die 5, i.e., in a peripheral area of the die 5, outside the active area 37. By way of example, FIG. 1 likewise shows a so-called "gate pad" 41 of the electronic component 3, as well as the so-called "gate finger" 43. Further, the electrical connections between the first and second diodes 2, 4 and the first, second, and third pads 30, 32, 34 are illustrated qualitatively. FIG. 3 shows, instead, an equivalent electrical diagram of the temperature transducer 1.
In use, the first, second, and third pads 30, 32, 34 may be electrically connected to a controller (not illustrated) designed to inject in the first and second pads 30, 32 a first current IH and a second current Ic respectively. The controller is thus designed to forward bias the first and second diodes 2, 4. In addition, the controller collects on the third pad 34, a current equal to IH+IC. In addition, albeit not illustrated, the controller is electrically coupled to the first and second diodes 2, 4 for detecting a first voltage VF1, across the first diode 2, and a second voltage VF2, across the second diode 4. Assuming that the first and second diodes 2, 4 operate in the proximity of the respective threshold voltages, each of the first and second voltages VF1, VF2 decreases by approximately 2 mV per degree centigrade.
Since the first and second voltages VF1, VF2 depend upon the temperature of the first and second diodes 2, 4, respectively, the controller may detect onset of situations that are potentially dangerous for operation of the electronic component 3, on the basis of the first and second voltages VF1, VF2. In particular, assuming, for example, that the integrated electronic device 6 is shorted, there is a rapid increase in temperature of the first diode 2, while the temperature of the second diode 4 increases more slowly. A difference is thus created between the temperatures of the first and second diodes 2, 4, which tends to increase over time. In other words, a temperature gradient presents within the die 5 and may be detected by the controller, on the basis of the first and second voltages VF1, VF2. Once an anomalous condition of use of the electronic component 3 is detected, the controller may co-operate with the driving circuit (not illustrated) of the electronic component 3 in order to implement a technique of protection or the electronic component 3. For example, it is possible for the electronic component 3 to be turned off.
In practice, the temperature transducer 1 transduces a difference of temperature into a voltage difference. In this connection, it is possible to show that detection of a temperature gradient, instead of detection of the absolute temperature of a single point of the integrated electronic device 6, enables reduction of the time that elapses between onset of an anomalous condition of use of the electronic component 3 and subsequent implementation of a protection technique. However, the temperature transducer 1 requires three pads, and thus entails a certain consumption of area of the die 5.

Integrated electronic device comprising a temperature transducer and method for determining an estimate of a temperature difference


A method for designing a system on a target device includes placing the system on the target device. Timing analysis is performed on the placed system to model delays by using a plurality of localized functions that overlap.

Target devices such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), structured application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and ASICs are used to implement large systems that may include million of gates and megabits of embedded memory. The complexity of a large system often requires the use of electronic design automation (EDA) tools to create and optimize a design for the system onto physical target devices. Among the procedures performed by EDA tools in a computer aided design (CAD) compilation flow is hardware description language (HDL) compilation. HDL compilation involves performing synthesis, placement, routing, and timing analysis of the system on the target device.
Static timing analysis is one approach that may be used to analyze timing of a system on a target device where an expected timing of a digital circuit is computed without requiring the simulation of the full circuit. Static timing analysis may be performed for more than one set of conditions in order to qualify a design across many conditions. If the design operates at each extreme condition, then under the assumption of monatomic behavior, the design should also be qualified for all intermediate points.

Method and apparatus for performing symbolic timing analysis with spatial variation


In an infrastructure equipment forming part of a mobile communications network, a controller is configured in combination with a receiver and transmitter to receive from one or more communications devices a channel state report for each of one or more predefined candidate channels within a frequency range, each of the candidate channels representing a minimum unit of communications resource usable to receive data on a downlink. The controller is configured to select, from the one or more candidate carriers, one or more component carriers for use in transmitting signals to the communications devices within the second frequency range to form a downlink providing a secondary cell, based on the received channel state reports, and to transmit an indication identifying the selected one or more component carriers to the one or more communications devices for use in transmitting signals to the one or more communications devices via the frequency range.

Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to mobile communications networks and methods for communicating data using mobile communications networks, infrastructure equipment for mobile communications networks, communications devices for communicating data via mobile communications networks and methods of communicating via mobile communications networks.
Description of Related Art
The "background" description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
It is well known in the field of wireless telecommunications for regions of the radio spectrum to be assigned to different mobile network operators (MNO) for their exclusive use through a license. A license typically grants an MNO exclusive use over a number of years of a predefined portion of the radio frequency spectrum in which to deploy a mobile communications network (e.g. GSM, WCDMA/HSPA, LTE/LTE-A). As a result of this approach, an operator has guarantees of no other radio services interfering with the radio resources that have been assigned to the operator, and within the limitations of the license conditions it has exclusive control over what radio technology it deploys in the network. Consequently, a wireless telecommunications system that is primarily designed to operate using radio resources that have been licensed for exclusive use by the wireless telecommunications system can operate with a degree of centralised control and coordination to help make most efficient use of the available radio resources. Such a wireless telecommunication system also manages all the interference internally, based on standard specifications, since the licence grants it good immunity from external interference sources. Coexistence of different devices deployed on an MNO's licensed band is managed through conformance to relevant radio standards. Licensed spectrum is today usually assigned to operators via government-organised auctions, but so-called "beauty contests" continue also to be in use.
It is also well known in the field of wireless telecommunications for regions of the available radio spectrum to remain unlicensed. Unlicensed (licence exempt) radio spectrum may, at least to some extent, be freely used by a number of different technologies, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and other non-3GPP radio access technologies. Operating parameters for devices using unlicensed spectrum bands are typically stipulated by technical regulatory requirements such as e.g. the FCC Part 15 rule for 2.4 GHz ISM band. Coexistence of different devices deployed on unlicensed band, due to the lack of centralised coordination and control, is usually based on such technical rules and various politeness protocols.
The use of wireless telecommunications system technologies designed for operation on licensed radio spectrum, such as LTE, is becoming more and more prevalent, both in terms of increasing take-up of established uses for wireless telecommunications technologies, and also the introduction of new uses, e.g., in the developing field of machine-type communications (MTC). In order to help provide more bandwidth to support this increased use of wireless telecommunications technologies, it has recently been proposed to use unlicensed radio spectrum resources to support operations on licensed radio spectrum.
However, in contrast to licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum can be shared and used among different technologies, or different networks using the same technology, without any co-ordinated/centralised control, for example to provide protection against interference. As a consequence of this, the use of wireless technologies in unlicensed spectrum can be subject to unpredictable interference and has no guarantees of spectrum resources, i.e. the radio connection takes place on a best effort basis. This means that wireless network technologies, such as LTE, which are generally designed to operate using licensed radio resources, require modified approaches to allow them to efficiently use unlicensed radio resources, and in particular to co-exist reliably and fairly with other radio access technologies that may be simultaneously operating in the unlicensed spectrum band.
Therefore, deploying a mobile radio access technology system primarily designed to operate in licensed spectrum bands (i.e. having exclusive access to, and hence a level of control over, the relevant radio resources) in a manner which is required by operation in unlicensed spectrum bands (i.e. without having exclusive access to at least some of the relevant radio resources), gives rise to new technical challenges.

Communications device, infrastructure equipment, mobile communications network and methods


An adaptive, analog filter system of a PRML [PARTIAL RESPONSE MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ] read channel of a disc drive comprising an adaptive, analog transversal equator connected in series with an adaptive, analog prefilter. The prefilter is comprised of a plurality of serially connected, adaptive, analog filter stages having variable transfer functions determined by adaptive parameter signals received by the filter stages. The transversal equalizer is comprised of a delay circuit, comprised of a plurality of serially connected, adaptive, analog sixth order low pass filters, that is tapped to either side of each low pass filter, a plurality of analog multipliers that receive signals at the tap locations of the delay circuit, and a summing circuit that receives the outputs of the multipliers. The transfer functions of the sixth order low pass filters are continuously variable in relation to adaptive parameter signals received by the low pass filters and the gains of the multipliers are continuously variable in relation to tap weights received by the multipliers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in electronic filters, and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation to improvements in electronic filters suitable for use in a disc drive PRML read channels.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In disc drives used to store computer files, the files are stored along concentric data tracks defined in magnetizable coatings on the surfaces of rotating discs. To this end, write heads are positioned adjacent the disc surfaces and are radially movable to align with a track selected to store a file so that the track can be magnetized by passing a current through the write head. The direction in which the data track is magnetized is determined by the direction of the current through the write head so that a file can be stored by magnetizing the track in a pattern that is derived from the file. More particularly, the write head current is supplied by a write driver to which a sequence of bits derived from the file is clocked and the direction of the current in each clock period is determined by the logic values of bits received by the write driver. Consequently, successive segments of the data track will be magnetized in a pattern that reflects the contents of the file. The magnetized track segments, or data elements, in turn, produce a magnetic field that can be sensed by a read head to generate an electrical signal that varies with time in a way that reflects the sequence of data elements along the data track to permit retrieval of the file.
In a conventional disc drive, the write driver reverses the direction of the current through the write head each time a logical 1 occurs in the sequence of bits received by the write driver to, in turn, reverse the direction of magnetization of the magnetic medium along the track each time a logical 1 occurs in the sequence. During subsequent reading, each reversal in the magnetization of the data track, a so-called flux transition, gives rise to a peak in the signal generated by the read head and peak detection circuitry is used to place the peaks within "read windows" established by a phase locked loop that receives signals from the peak detection circuitry to establish a read clock that is synchronized with the passage of flux transitions by the read head. More particularly, the occurrence of a signal peak within a read window is an indicator of a flux transition along the data track. Consequently, since the flux transitions are generated by logical 1's in the encoded user file, the occurrence of a signal peak indicates a logical 1 in the sequence of data bits that were received by the write driver. The read phase locked loop is then used to clock logical 1's for those read windows in which peaks are detected, and logical 0's for those read windows in which peaks are not detected, to circuitry which regenerates the stored file.
While conventional disc drives which make use of the above scheme are able to operate reliably to store large quantities of data, it has become increasingly difficult to raise the data storage capacity of disc drives of this type to higher and higher levels that are demanded by users of disc drives. More particularly, the data storage capacity of a disc drive depends upon the transfer rate of data bits between the write head and a data track and between the data track and a read head and problems have arisen with increasing the transfer rates of drives of the generic type.
Several effects tend to limit transfer rate in conventional disc drives. The synchronization between the read clock and the passage of flux transitions by the read head depends upon the correspondence between peaks in the signal induced in the read head and passage of individual flux transitions by the read head. However, the magnetic field from which the read head signal is derived is a superposition of the magnetic fields produced by all of the flux transitions on the disc. Consequently, as the transfer rate is increased, to decrease the spacing of flux transitions along a data track, so-called "intersymbol interference"; that is, significant superposition of magnetic fields from successive flux transitions on a data track, causes peaks in the read head to be shifted in time from the times that such peaks would occur for an isolated flux transition. While the effects of peak shift can be minimized; for example, by pulse slimming, encoding of user data and prewrite compensation, it remains a problem with peak detect disc drives that limits the transfer rate of data in such a disc drive.
Moreover, the superposition of magnetic fields of successive flux transitions gives rise to a second problem. The fields produced by adjacent flux transitions superpose destructively so that the magnitude of the signal induced in a read head by passage of a flux transition decreases with increasing transfer rate. Consequently, the signal to noise ratio of the output of the read head decreases with increasing transfer rate to increase the number of errors that occur during the reading of data. While, as in the case of peak shift, corrective measures; for example, adaptive signal filtering and the use of error detection and correction circuitry, can be taken, it becomes increasingly difficult to employ these measures as the transfer rate is increased. The net result is that, while room for improvement of disc drives that make use of peak detection circuitry may still exist, the improvements are achieved only by measures that are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to employ.
Because of this difficulty in increasing the data transfer rate in disc drives employing peak detection in the read channel, practitioners have, in recent years, turned to the use of so-called PRML read channels in disc drives. In disc drives of this type, partial response signaling is utilized to control, rather than to suppress, intersymbol interference and the effect of noise is minimized by the use of maximum likelihood detection of the magnetization of sequences of segments of the data track. To this end, signals corresponding to individual flux transitions are filtered to a signal which, in the absence of noise, would have a nominal form and the signals are then sampled at times determined in relation to this nonfinal form for maximum likelihood detection in which each bit of encoded data is recovered in the context of the sequence of bits that were written to the disc to limit the effect of noise.
The use of partial response signaling and maximum likelihood detection in a disc drive places especially stringent requirements on filtering of the signal induced in the read head prior to maximum likelihood detection. While maximum likelihood detection limits the effect of random noise in the reading of a block of data from a disc, variances between the nominal form to which signals induced in the read head are ideally filtered and the actual filtered signal constitute systematic noise which can generate errors in the data that is eventually recovered from a data track. Consequently, electronic filtering of the signal induced in the read head plays an important role in the operation of a disc drive that makes use of PRML.
A complicating factor in the filtering of the signal induced in a disc drive read head to a nominal form is that the form of the signal induced in the read head, even disregarding noise, varies with the radius of the data track upon which data being read is stored. Such variation, which is related to the increase of track circumference with track radius, arises from the use of the magnetic interaction between the read head and the magnetization of data track that enables the data track to be read and is, consequently, an inherent characteristic of signals induced in a read head. Thus, the filter in a PRML read channel must not only be capable of filtering the signal induced in a read head to a reasonable approximation of a specific wave form but must be able to do so adaptively in relation to track radius.
In the past, the favored approach to effecting the adaptive filtering required in a disc drive that employs partial response signaling and maximum likelihood detection has been to employ digital electronics in the construction of the filter. More particularly, the filter contains a digital to analog converter that digitizes the signal after partial filtering has taken place and a transversal equalizer that employs registers as delay elements so that filtering can be effected by adding successive sample values with appropriate weighting of the sample values. However, the use of digital electronics in the filter gives rise to another problem. Since clocked registers are used as delay elements, a delay is introduced between the times at which the signal is sampled and the time the filtered signal is received by circuitry used to time the taking of samples and the shifting of the registers in the filter. Further, since the operation of such circuitry is based on variances between actual sample values and sample values that are determined for specific sample moments referred to the nominal wave form, the delay introduced by the filter limits the extent to which a read clock, used to effect sampling and shifting of the registers in the equalizer, can be synchronized with the passage of flux transitions by the read head to cause the samples to be taken at sampling moments defined in relation to the nominal wave form. As a result, while the extent to which the filtered signal approximates the nominal wave form can be increased by increasing the number of delay elements, the added delay in the generation of the filtered signal that arises from the increase in delay elements increases errors in the times at which the wave form is sampled. Consequently, the use of digital filtering requires that compromises be effected between the extent to which the filtered signal approximates the nominal wave form and the appropriateness of the moments at which the filtered signal is sampled.

Communication channel with adaptive analog transversal equalizer