A synchronous clock phase control circuit includes a T/8 step phase clock generation unit, a phase selection unit, and four synchronous clock generation units. The T/8 step phase clock generation unit generates eight clocks previously delayed in phase by T/8 from an input clock. The phase selection unit selects four control clocks from the eight clocks generated by the phase clock generation unit based on four phase control signals, respectively. The four synchronous clock generation units synchronize the selected clocks with an externally input trigger signal TR using the input clock as a reference, and output the selected clocks when synchronization is established, respectively.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synchronous clock phase control circuit which controls a clock signal to conduct printing control in a color copier, a laser beam printer, or the like.
2) Description of the Related Art
In printing control in a copier, a laser printer or the like, a clock signal synchronized with a trigger signal is used to control a print region on a sheet for each line. FIG. 5 is an input/output signal time chart for a synchronous clock generator which generates a clock signal synchronized with a trigger signal using an input clock. In FIG. 5, the trigger signal is a low active signal. When the trigger signal is of low logical level ("Low"), the trigger signal becomes effective (asserted) to stop the output of a synchronous signal. When the trigger signal is changed (negated) from "Low" to high logical level ("High"), a synchronous signal synchronized with the trigger signal is output after the passage of predetermined synchronous clock start time from a point of this change. Using this synchronous signal, line control over the print region on the sheet is conducted.
Since a monochrome copier or a monochrome printer prints only one color, the print region on the sheet can be controlled using one synchronous clock signal. However, a color copier or a color laser beam printer requires a total of four synchronous clock signals for Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black). According to the printing technique used in the color copier, the color laser beam printer or the like, various colors are realized by the subtractive color mixture of three primary colors of Y, M and C. In principle, all colors can be realized from the three primary colors. However, if a black color is realized by the mixture of the three colors, resultant black becomes somber. Therefore, four colors of three colors of Y, M and C and a color K are used in many cases and these colors are printed in the order of Y, M, C, and K. In addition, since the color copier or the color laser beam printer requires a high degree of image processing, it is necessary that the four synchronous clock signals have different delays (phases) from one synchronous clock in order to control four-color printing. Specifically, if a Y control clock having a cycle T is set as a reference, it is necessary that an M control clock has a delay of T/n, a C control clock has a delay of 2T/n, a K control clock has a delay of 3T/n each having a cycle T. Further, these four clocks should be synchronous clocks synchronized with a trigger signal.
However, it is difficult to obtain four synchronous clock signals having different phases from a single trigger signal asynchronous with an input clock. To do so, conventionally, a trigger signal is set for each color or the fine adjustments of clock delays are conducted using an exterior element. Therefore, a clock control circuit becomes disadvantageously complicated and the number of elements disadvantageously increases.


The disclosure concerns a procedure for insertion of samples representing digital data from a first source having a first bit rate in a digitized signal from a second source having a second bit rate, wherein the second bit rate is greater than the first bit rate, and each data of the first source is associated with at least one sample of a series of samples at the second bit rate, the samples being presented to a polyphase filter for which a set of coefficients is associated with a specific phase error previously introduced by said associations, the filtered samples being included in the digitized signal. The invention also includes a device that implements the above insertion procedure. The invention is applicable notably in the field of insertion of Teletext data into a digitized video signal.

The invention concerns a method and a device for insertion of digital data having a first bit rate into a stream of digital data having a second bit rate greater than the first. The invention is can be used notably for the insertion of Teletext data in a digitized video signal.
Classically, during an "analog" transmission, Teletext data are inserted in the composite analog video signal in the lines of the vertical blanking interval.
In image compression systems, the data corresponding to the image and supplementary data such as Teletext data can be transmitted in different packets. Since some receivers incorporate Teletext decoders, to avoid redundancy in the Teletext function in the compressed signal decoder, an analog video signal containing the Teletext data is fed to the receiver.
The bit rate of the Teletext data is 6.9375 Mbit/s, whereas the frequency of a video source complying with the CCIR 601 digital standard Is 13.5 MHz for the luminance.

Method and device for insertion of asynchronous data in a digital signal


A system and method for discharging condensation from an engine system is disclosed. The system includes a drainage pathway from an upstream body that collects water to a downstream portion of the air intake system. A controller may initiate a draining event upon determining a threshold amount of water has been collected in the upstream body.

Engine systems are prevalent throughout modern life. Engine systems convert other forms of energy into mechanical energy. But engine systems often rely on ambient air as fuel and/or for cooling. However, the composition of ambient or external air may vary based on weather conditions, location, and numerous other factors. Ambient air generally includes some degree of moisture. Too much moisture can be detrimental to engine systems.

Controlled charge air cooler accumulated water draining method by using throttle-plate delta pressure and metering orifice


A memory device for adjusting a write recovery time includes a synchronous write recovery time controlling block which receives a control signal for performing an auto-precharge operation and delays out the control signal as long as a certain clock section of the operational clock corresponding to the write recovery time, an asynchronous write recovery time controlling block for delaying out the control signal coupled thereto as long as a fixed delay time corresponding to the write recovery time, a selecting block for choosing the synchronous write recovery time controlling block or the asynchronous write recovery time controlling block, and an auto-precharge controlling block which outputs as an auto-precharge execution signal used in performing the auto-precharge operation a signal outputted from the synchronous write recovery time controlling block or the asynchronous write recovery time controlling block in response to a write command.

A memory device is required to operate in a high speed and there is a 'write recovery time' in a specification representing the performance of the memory device.
The write recovery time tWR presents a time until an auto-precharge operation is performed after data is stored in a unit cell of the memory device. That is, the write recovery time tWR means a minimum time that data is sufficiently stored in an activated bank without being disturbed by an auto-precharge command.
For instance, in a memory device where the write recovery time tWR is synchronously adjusted, when a burst length is set to 2 at a mode register set (MRS) of the memory device and a write operation is performed, the write recovery time tWR becomes a time from a rising edge of a clock where a second data is inputted to a rising edge of a clock where the auto-precharge command is provided. The burst length is the number of data to be sequentially accessed by one command.
When developing the memory device, as methods for adjusting the write recovery time tWR, there are a synchronous method for performing the auto-precharge operation according to a certain number of operational clocks after the write operation is performed and an internal burst length period is passed, an asynchronous method for executing the auto-precharge operation according to a fixed delay time after the write operation is performed and the internal burst length period is passed, and a compounded method adopting both of the synchronous and the asynchronous methods.
One of the above methods is appropriately selected according to the usage and an operational frequency of the memory device, and the variation of PVT (process, voltage, temperature).
In case that there are lots of manufacturing variation at the beginning of developing a memory device, the write recovery time tWR is adjusted by using the synchronous method. On the other hand, when using a wide operational frequency bandwidth, it is preferable to adjust the write recovery time tWR by using the asynchronous method.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional memory device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional memory device includes a write recovery time controlling block 10 for receiving an auto-precharge control signal apcgpz and delaying the received signal apcgpz as long as a certain time corresponding to a write recovery time, an auto-precharge operation controlling block 20 which outputs an auto-precharge execution signal apcg after receiving the auto-precharge control signal apcgpz in response to a read signal Read when an operation corresponding to a read command is in progress and outputs the auto-precharge execution signal apcg by receiving the auto-precharge control signal apcgpz in response to a write signal Write when an operation corresponding to a write command is in progress, and a memory core 30 which contains a plurality of unit cells, wherein data stored in a selected unit cell is accessed in response to the read/write command, and performs the auto-precharge operation in response to the auto-precharge execution signal apcg outputted from the auto-precharge operation controlling block 20.
Hereinafter, the operation of the conventional memory device is explained in detail with reference to FIG. 1.
At first, the auto-precharge operation controlling block 20 outputs the auto-precharge execution signal apcg by receiving the auto-precharge control signal apcgpz responding to the read signal Read when the operation corresponding to the read command is in progress. The read signal Read is generated by decoding a command, which is inputted to perform the read operation, at a command decoder (not shown). The auto-precharge control signal apcgpz is internally produced to perform the auto-precharge operation that is executed after the memory device accesses data in response to one command.
Meanwhile, the auto-precharge operation controlling block 20 outputs the auto-precharge execution signal apcg by receiving a signal outputted from the write recovery time controlling block 10 responding to the write signal Write when the operation corresponding to the write command is in progress. Herein, the write signal Write is generated by decoding a command, which is inputted to perform the write operation, at the command decoder.
The write recovery time controlling block 10 delays the auto-precharge control signal apcgpz inputted thereto as long as a certain time and outputs a delayed signal to the auto-precharge operation controlling block 20.
If the auto-precharge execution signal apcg is enabled and provided thereto, the memory core 30 performs the auto-precharge operation in response to the enabled auto-precharge execution signal apcg.
The reason why generating the auto-precharge execution signal apcg by using the signal outputted from the write recovery time controlling block 10 during the write operation is that the write recovery time tWR should be secured during the write operation as afore-mentioned. The write recovery time tWR represents a time until performing the auto-precharge operation after accessing data in response to the write command.
The write recovery time controlling block 10 uses a synchronous method or an asynchronous method so as to receive the auto-precharge control signal apcgpz, delay it and output a delayed signal, to thereby secure the write recovery time tWR.
If the write recovery time controlling block 10 uses the synchronous method, it performs the write operation by receiving a clock signal clk and delays the auto-precharge control signal apcgpz as long as a time corresponding to the fixed number of clocks after a period corresponding to the burst length BL is passed, thereby outputting the delayed precharge control signal.
On the other hand, if the write recovery time controlling block 10 adopts the asynchronous method, it delays the auto-precharge control signal apcgpz as long as a certain time after the period corresponding to the burst length BL is passed, and outputs the delayed precharge control signal.
In general, in the early stage of the development of the memory device, the synchronous method is used because there is the great variation in a manufacturing environment. On the other hand, in case that the variation of the manufacturing environment becomes stable, the asynchronous method is utilized since a frequency of the operational clock can be widely used.
However, in order to design a flexible device having various uses as afore-mentioned, there is a problem of increasing the development time and cost of the device according to the application.

Synchronous memory device capable of controlling write recovery time


The present invention relates generally to restraint systems for cargo on cargo transporting vehicles, such as trucks, having designated cargo-carrying space. In particularly, the present invention relates to a system for restraining cargo in the bed of a truck, such as a pick-up truck, or the like; or the interior load-carrying compartment of a van or station wagon. The restraint system contains clamp having two opposing members that are attached a pivot point to form a pair of jaws at one end and a topside at the opposing end. The topside is attached to a rotatable device that is rotated to close or open the jaws depending on the direction of rotation. The rotatable device closes the jaws by urging the topside of the opposing members apart to pivotably close the jaws.

Truck beds are subject to substantial amounts of wear and tear due to the nature of the various types of cargo carried, the lack of care utilized by those placing the cargo in the bed and withdrawing it from the bed, and various environmental effects. Reconstruction of the truck bed is a substantial and costly procedure usually resulting in retirement of the entire vehicle.
Beside wear and tear, transportation of large, unsecured goods or payloads in shipping and transport vehicles such as trucks, vessels and other movable vehicles, also creates a hazard due to object shifting movement during transport. To prevent this hazard, such objects are typically fastened to the walls of the vehicle with straps or ropes, which requires convenient attachment points for both the article transported and on the floor and the wall surface of the transport vehicle. Such strap or rope securing requires multiple fastening points, is tedious, difficult to quickly set up and undo if access to the articles are required. As a result, goods, and especially smaller packages and items are carried unsecured due to the inconvenience of securing the goods.
When a smaller truck, e.g. "pick-up" style truck, is used, the interior floor, or bed, is often lined with a rigidly formed heavy plastic aftermarket bed liner to protect the interior of the truck bed and to add improved aesthetic effects. The most common and least expensive bed liner is a plastic drop-in style that not only protects the truck bed, but is also very light weight. Despite its advantages, the bed liner is often extremely slippery and covers convenient points for anchoring the transported article, discouraging the securing of the goods. Thus, the truck bed liners often exacerbate the pickup truck operators' problems of securing goods, who place a premium on ease of operation while not detracting from the usefulness or esthetics of the aftermarket truck products used. Moreover, movement between the container of a flammable material and the bed liner can generate static electricity which could cause combustion and explosion of flammable material such as from a small gas can, especially in pick-up trucks with enclosed beds.
Various types of cargo restraints have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,270 to Burke et al. discloses a clamp to be placed against cargoes carried in a truck or other vehicle including a corrugated bed liner. The clamp comprises one or more pairs of movable opposing jaws, each pair selectively engaging a rib of the truck bed liner. The clamp jaws are slidebly retained in grooves in a clamp frame, and moved by spirally disposed grooves in a disk rotated by a connected latchable lever to close or open the jaws against the rib of the bed liner. Anchoring apertures can also be included to further secure the cargo with rope or strapping.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,864 to White discloses a clamp for securing objects against a structure adjacent to and on either side of a rib of the structure. The clamp contains first and second arms, which are pivotally coupled to one another at a pivot point. The arms define a pair of opposing jaws that engage the rib and a pair of levers extending away from the opposing jaws on either side of the rib. A threaded member cooperating with each lever is rotated towards the structure. An object is positioned between each threaded member and the structure. In this way, the threaded members press the objects securely against the structure as the opposing jaws grip the rib.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,298 to Bott discloses a cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck. The restraint system contains at least one primary cargo securing element and cargo securing members clampingly engageable with the primary cargo-securing element. The primary element resembles track and is secured on the bed liner by fasteners. The cargo-securing members, slidable on the track provided by the primary cargo-securing element, are clamped to the primary elements to hold the cargo in place.
Other cargo restraint systems for truck beds, vans, and station wagons generally are limited by the nature of the cargo to be utilized. With pick-up trucks and similar load carrying vehicles, cargo is generally variable in size and a multi-faceted, multi-purpose cargo restraint system is highly valuable. With the ever increasing use of pick-up trucks, vans, station wagons, and the like which also have other day-to-day uses, such as commuting to and from work, for which some aesthetic appeal is desirable, a means of retaining aesthetic appeal in the vehicle used is also significant.


The present invention discloses system and method for replacing a texture of a background region in a multimedia. The system is an AI-based multi-media processing system for replacing the original texture of the background of the multimedia with a texture template. The system applies a foreground mask to hide and protect the foreground region and multiple textures of the background. The system uses deep learning to segment specific texture from images or video sequences. The system replaces the texture of the original input image with a texture template to form a processed image.

The goal of texture replacement is to replace some specified texture patterns without changing original lighting, shadows and occlusions in a multimedia such as an image, an animation or a video. Traditionally, all methods are to related classifications based on color constancy, markov random field, and so on. All these methods consider the relationship between pixels but do not consider the semantic information of pixels which leads to inaccurate segmentation results. For example, if a foreground object contains a similar color of background texture, the color classification methods will classify a part of foreground as background texture. This leads to an imperfect or inaccurate multimedia as an outcome.
An issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,309,639 assigned to National Semiconductor Corp. discloses a technology related to ROI selection for texture replacement. Furthermore, the patent discloses a comparison of the color characteristics of the ROI with the other pixels in the frame and pixels with similar color characteristics that are classified into the same texture group. This invention Color provides characteristics based classifications, which leads to inaccurate results. This may affect the completeness of foreground object.
Another U.S. Pat. No. 8,503,767 assigned to Microsoft Corp. discloses a technology related to a texture region segmentation which is only applied to images. Though, the system segments distinctive features in the image. Still, the invention fails to provide its applications in other multimedia.
Another U.S. Pat. Np. 9,503,685 assigned to International Business Machines Corp. provides a solution to replace the background in video conference. Though, the invention is advancement to the prior inventions, still the patent lacks the capability to replace a specific portion of the background and instead replaces the whole background.
A research paper "Texture Replacement in Real Images" assigned to Yanghai Tsin discloses a technology for Texture replacement in real images, such as interior design, digital movie making and computer graphics. Furthermore, the paper discloses a system to replace some specified texture patterns in an image while preserving lighting effects, shadows and occlusions. Though the paper provides specific texture replacement in the background but still lacks the applicability of the texture replacement in any other multimedia.
The present invention seeks to provide an improvement in the field of texture replacement in a multimedia, more specifically, but not exclusively, in the field of deep neural learning texture recognition. Moreover, the invention proposes a semantic based distinctive textures and foreground selection using deep learning. The textures selected are replaced keeping the foreground region exclusive, which maintains the completeness of the foreground when applying texture replacement.
Therefore to overcome the shortcomings of the prior-arts, there is a need to provide an AI-based image processing system. The system is applied for texture region segmentation to images or videos. Moreover, the system uses texture motion tracker to track the movement of the selected texture and refine the region segmentation result from frame to frame. The motion tracking leads to a smoother segmentation result. And the replaced texture will also follow the motion of previous texture, which leads to more realistic looking results. In view of the foregoing inventions, there is a need in the art for a system to overcome or alleviate the before mentioned shortcomings of the prior arts.
It is apparent now that numerous methods and systems are developed in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these inventions may be suitable for the specific purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. Thus, there is a need for an advanced texture replacement system that recognizes textures in the background of the multimedia in real-time using a deep neural network for recognising.

Texture replacement system in a multimedia


The subject invention relates to a method referred to as recombination PCR (RPCR). In the method, the polymerase chain reaction is utilized to add double-stranded homologous ends to DNA. These homologous ends undergo recombination in vivo following transfection of host cells. The placement of these homologous ends, by the amplifying primers permits the rapid cloning of the desired mutant or recombinant, with a minimal number of steps and primers.

1. Technical Field
The subject invention relates to a method in which the polymerase chain reaction is used to add homologous ends to DNA. These homologous ends undergo recombination in vivo following transfection of E. coli with linear PCR products. Therefore, the placement of homologous ends by PCR permits the formation of DNA joints in vivo. If the recombinant construct contains plasmid sequences that permit replication and a selectable phenotype, E. coli can be transformed with the construct of interest. Thus, the method can be used for the rapid generation of recombinant DNA constructs and for the generation of site-specific mutants.
2. Background Information
Two underpinnings of the recombinant DNA revolution are the capacity to recombine DNA, and the capacity to mutate a specific site in a DNA segment. Recently, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has gained use as a rapid means for the site-specific mutagenesis of DNA and for the recombination of DNA.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method by which a specific DNA sequence can be amplified in vitro (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,202, 4,683,195, Mullis et al., Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, Vol. LI: 263-73 (1986), Saiki et al., Science 230:1350-54 (1985)). Prior investigators have used PCR to generate site-specific mutants (Hemsley et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 17:6545-51 (1989), Higuchi et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 16:7535-67 (1988), Ho et al., Gene 77:51-59 (1989), Kadowaki, Gene 76:161-66 (1989), Kammann et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 17:5404 (1989), Nelson et al., Anal. Biochem. 180:147-51 (1989) and Vallette et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 17:723-33 (1989)). PCR has also been used to amplify inserts which later undergo a separate subcloning procedure (Saiki et al., Science 239:487-91 (1988)).
Site-specific mutants are created by introducing mismatches into the oligonucleotides used to prime the PCR amplification. These oligonucleotides, with their mutant sequence, are incorporated into the PCR product. PCR has also been used to join segments of DNA by a method called splicing by overlap extension (Higuchi et al., Nucleic Acids Res. 16:7351-67 (1988), Ho et al., Gene 77:51-59 (1989), Horton et al., Gene 77:61-68 (1989)). This requires two sequential PCR amplifications, and is not designed to generate cohesive ends. Therefore, cloning of the product requires additional in vitro enzymatic manipulations following the PCR amplification.
A recent report describes a method for site-specific mutagenesis based on amplification of the entire plasmid (Hemsley et al., Nucleic Acids Res.. 17:6545-51 (1989)). In that protocol, the ends of the PCR product are treated with the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase 1. Subsequently, these ends are phosphorylated at the 5' terminus with Polynucleotide Kinase prior to an in vitro self-annealing blunt end ligation reaction.
The present inventor recently discovered a method for site-specific mutagenesis and for DNA recombination that requires no enzymatic reaction in vitro apart from DNA amplification (U.S. application Ser. No. 07/432,993 (filed on Nov. 8, 1989), Jones et al., BioTechniques, 8:178-83 (1990) and Jones et al., Nature 344:793-94 (April 1990)). This is accomplished by using separate PCR amplifications to generate products that when combined, denatured and reannealed form double-stranded DNA with discrete cohesive single-stranded ends that are complementary to each other and anneal to form DNA circles suitable for transformation of E. coli. This approach is termed recombinant circle PCR (RCPCR).
Others have used the ability of E. coli to recombine short stretches of homology to generate site-specific mutants in a method called the crossover linker technique. The crossover linker technique generates homologous ends, and the mutation of interest, by ligating a synthetic linker to a restriction enzyme digested plasmid (Sung et al., Gene 47:261-67 (1986) and Sung et al., DNA, 6:373-79 (1987)). This method can readily be distinguished from that of the subject invention.
All U.S. patents and publications referred to herein are hereby incorporated by reference.

Method for in vivo recombination and mutagenesis


A semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the present invention uses a first raw material gas containing Si, a second raw material gas containing a metal element M and an oxidation gas, in which a first step of supplying the oxidation gas onto a substrate to be treated, and a second step of supplying the first raw material gas are sequentially performed. The method further includes, after the first and second steps, a step of supplying the second raw material gas or gas mixture of the first raw material gas and the second raw material gas.

As the size of transistors is miniaturized in high-tech CMOS (complementary MOS) devices, the thickness of gate insulation films is reduced. This induces a problem of increased gate leak current. A technology has been studied to reduce the gate leak current by using a material having a high dielectric constant (high-k material) for the gate insulation film to increase the physical thickness thereof. Oxides containing Hf, Zr, Al, Ta, or the like may be cited as typical examples of the high-k materials. Another technology has recently been studied to improve the mobility of carriers, improve the on-current, and reduce the GIDL (Gate Induced Drain barrier Lowering) by a method in which a high-k material is inserted into an interface between a gate electrode and SiO2 or SiON forming a gate insulation film so that the transistor threshold voltage is adjusted according to a deposition density of the inserted high-k material so as to reduce the impurity concentration in the channel region. In this method, a deposition density of the metal element forming the high-k material required to set the transistor threshold voltage to an appropriate value is desirably 1E14 (or 1×1014) atoms/cm2 or lower.
A film of the above-mentioned high-k material may be formed by diverse film formation methods such as sputtering method, CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method, and atomic layer adsorption/deposition method. However, the sputtering method entails a fear that gate insulation film may be affected by plasma damage during the film formation. The CVD method eliminates the effect of plasma damage being a cause for the problem in the sputtering method, and is suitable for formation of a film of a mixture of the high-k material and silicon. However, there exists in the film formation process an incubation time in which the film thickness and the film formation time are not proportional. This leads to a problem of controllability, in-plane uniformity, and reproducibility of the film thickness. Additionally, it becomes difficult to ensure the in-plane uniformity or reproducibility of the film thickness depending on process conditions such as film formation temperature or raw material gas distribution. As for the atomic layer adsorption/deposition method, in contrast, its film formation mechanism utilizing saturated adsorption of a raw material is able to realize more favorable uniformity and reproducibility in comparison with the CVD method. Further, it is believed that the atomic layer adsorption/deposition method is most suitable for controlling the deposition density of the metal element since, in principle, the film formation in units of molecular layers is possible. However, even in the atomic layer adsorption/deposition method, there exists incubation time in which the film growth rate is low in an initial stage of the film formation. Therefore, the atomic layer adsorption/deposition method requires improvement in the controllability, reproducibility, and in-plane uniformity of the metal element deposition density.
For example, Non-Patent Document 1 (Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 92, No. 12, 15 Dec. 2002, pp. 7168-7174) describes formation of a HfO2 film by an atomic layer adsorption/deposition method, in which the deposition density of Hf element per cycle is 1.26E14 atoms/cm2, and the film formation rate is 0.5 Å per cycle. It also describes that the deposition density of Hf element differs significantly depending on the surface state of a substrate to be treated. For example, comparing the cases in which a silicon substrate has a chemical oxide film and it has a thermal oxide film on the surface thereof, the Hf deposition amount per cycle on the one with the thermal oxide film is about a half of that on the one with the chemical oxide film. This phenomenon is particularly remarkable in the initial stage of the film formation (in a region where the number of cycles is 20 or less) to impair the linearity of the Hf deposition density to the number of cycles, which proves the existence of the incubation time.
Patent Document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-79753) discloses a technique in which atomic-layer adsorption/deposition of HfO2 is performed by using tetrakis(diethylamino)hafnium (Hf[N(C2H5)2]4) as a raw material and O3 as an oxidizing agent and alternately supplying them onto a silicon substrate. In this technique, a film formation rate of 0.8 Å per cycle is realized. An in-plane uniformity of film thickness of about 7% is realized. The in-plane uniformity is computed by (maximum measurement value-minimum measurement value)/(average measurement value×2)×100(%).
Further, Non-Patent Document 2 (Journal of Vacuum Science Technology, A23(3), May/June 2005, L1-L3) reports that atomic-layer adsorption/deposition of HfxSi(1−x)O2 is performed by using tetrakis(ethyl-methyl-amino)hafnium (Hf[N(C2H5) (CH3)]4) as an Hf raw material, tetrakis(ethyl-methyl-amino)silicon (Si[N(C2H5) (CH3)]4)as an Si raw material, and O3 as oxidation gas, and alternately performing a simultaneous supply of the Hf raw material gas and the Si raw material gas and a supply of O3, and a film formation rate of 0.8 Å per cycle has been realized.
Patent Document 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-347297) discloses a technique in which atomic-layer adsorption/deposition of HfxSi(1−x)O2 is performed by using tetrakis(dimethyl-amino)hafnium as an Hf raw material, tetramethoxy-silane (Si(O CH3)4) as an Si raw material, and an oxidizing agent, and supplying the Hf raw material, the oxidizing agent, the Si raw material, and the oxidizing agent sequentially in this order onto the substrate in each cycle. In this case, a film formation rate of 2 Å per cycle is realized.
Patent Document 3 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-151489) discloses an atomic layer adsorption/deposition method for forming a ZrSiO4 film, in which ZrCl4 and SiCl4 are used as raw material gases while H2O is used as an oxidation gas, and a ZrCl4 supply step, a purge step, an H2O supply step, a purge step, an SiCl4 supply step, a purge step, and an H2O supply step are sequentially performed as one cycle to alternately deposit a ZrO2 molecular layer and an SiO2 molecular layer.
However, the film formation techniques above have problems as described below.
In the first place, it is difficult according to the conventional atomic layer adsorption/deposition methods to reduce the deposition density of metal elements per cycle due to their film formation mechanisms. Specifically, according to these conventional methods, one molecular layer is formed per cycle and, therefore, the deposition density cannot be made lower than the deposition density of the molecular layer. For example, the HfO2 film formation rate per cycle in the above-mentioned conventional examples is from 0.5 Å to 0.8 Å. In that case, the Hf deposition density per cycle is from 1.26E14 atoms/cm2 to 1.8E14 atoms/cm2. Accordingly, it is impossible to obtain the above-mentioned favorable deposition density per cycle of 1E14atoms/cm2 or low.
In the second place, according to the conventional atomic layer adsorption/deposition methods, the incubation time exists depending on the surface state or the like of a substrate to be treated, and hence the deposition amount per cycle varies. This induces a problem of difficulty in ensuring the controllability, in-plane uniformity, and reproducibility of the deposition density.
In the third place, according to the conventional CVD methods, the film thickness varies due to the existence of the incubation time, which induces a problem of deterioration of the controllability, in-plane uniformity, and reproducibility of the film thickness.
In the fourth place, the metal element deposition density may be reduced in molecular layer units by a method of forming a film of a mixture of the metal element and Si element by means of the atomic layer adsorption/deposition method. However, for example, when an HfxSi(1−x)O2 is formed by the atomic layer adsorption/deposition method by supplying the Hf raw material and the Si raw material simultaneously, the Hf and Si atoms are deposited on the substrate to be treated by competitive adsorption between them. Therefore, it is difficult to ensure the reproducibility and uniformity of the composition.
In the fifth place, the incubation time exists also when a hafnium silicate film is formed by a method in which an Hf raw material, an oxidizing agent, an Si raw material, and an oxidizing agent are sequentially supplied onto a substrate to be treated to perform atomic-layer adsorption/deposition in one cycle. This makes it difficult to ensure the controllability of deposition density and the reproducibility and in-plane uniformity of film thickness. In addition, the HfO2 and SiO2 layers are formed in a stacked structure on the surface of the substrate to be treated, which causes a problem that the Hf deposition concentration cannot be reduced in the units of molecular layers. Further, according to this supply method, the thickness of the stacked SiO2 film must be increased to reduce the density of Hf element in the film. As a result, the EOT (effective oxide thickness) of the gate insulation film as a whole is increased.
It is an object of the present invention to reduce the incubation time, and to thereby suppress the variation in film thickness, improve the in-plane uniformity and reproducibility, and to enhance the controllability of metal element deposition density.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices


A power electronics assembly for a magnetic resonance device includes a housing and at least one printed circuit board (PCB) arranged in the housing with at least one power electronics component to be cooled. The PCB has an at least one millimeter thick backside layer that may be made of copper. The power electronics assembly also includes a stabilizing cooling plate configured as part of the housing and/or the housing includes at least one coolant channel open on at least one side, so that the PCB mounted on the cooling plate comes into direct contact with coolant guided in the coolant channel in an area of the power electronics components with the backside layer.

The present embodiments relate to a power electronics assembly for a magnetic resonance device.
Magnetic resonance devices according to the prior art have become widely known. In these magnetic resonance devices, a transmitting antenna (e.g., a transmit antenna) that excites spins of an object to be examined that is oriented in a main magnetic field is provided. High frequency, high power pulses are applied to the transmitting antenna. The high power pulses are made available by a transmitting unit (e.g., a transmit unit) to a magnetic resonance device, which includes a power amplifier unit.
The transmit units or power amplifier units of the magnetic resonance device are examples of power electronics assemblies in a magnetic resonance device. Power electronics components, in which a high level of dissipation is to be achieved in a minimal volume, are involved. Effective cooling is to be provided. The requirements are increased if the power electronics units are to be realized to be as structurally compact as possible. A cooling solution should also be immune to the leakage fields of the main magnet of the gradient system and the high frequency transmit antennae. No high frequency fields may be emitted, in order to not negatively influence the magnetic resonance receive signal originating from the object. The cooling system is to work as noiselessly as possible and demonstrate a high level of robustness against coolant pressure fluctuations and different coolant mixtures. If the unit is realized as part of the screened housing, the cooling system should also enable high frequency shield attenuation and voltage protection against the cooling water as well as having a high level of mechanical robustness.
It is known for high frequency-power assemblies (e.g., the high power components) to be cooled with air. This demands large heat sinks or a powerful stream of cooling air from a powerful fan. Liquid cooling systems are also known. In a liquid cooling system, a tubular cooler or a micro channel cooler is arranged in the housing. The tubular cooler or the micro channel is connected to the heat-generating components via a heat dissipation mechanism. Both of the solutions described here pose large space requirements, as, for example, the air-cooled solution calls for the configuration of most of the power components in a utility room; the necessary cooling performance thus cannot be achieved at the magnet. The described water cooling also takes up such a large volume that the water cooling cannot be realized at the magnetic resonance magnet.

Power electronics assembly for a magnetic resonance device


A method for generating halftone images from monochrome original images and, more particularly, to a method for reproducing a monochrome original image using at least two different colorants to create an image having a preselected hue and chroma while substantially maintaining the same lightness as in the monochrome original image.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for generating halftone images from monochrome original images and, more particularly, to a method for reproducing a monochrome original image using at least two different colorants to create an image having a preselected hue and chroma while substantially maintaining the same lightness as in the monochrome original image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In monochrome half-tone image reproduction, various shades of gray appearing in a continuous tone original image are reproduced on paper by a single tone ink. To simulate the multiple shades of gray in the original, the continuous tone image is converted into a half-tone image. Half-tone images comprise a plurality of different size dots of a uniform optical density level. The human eye integrates the dots with the background and is fooled into believing that it sees a multiplicity of continuous tone gray shades, the apparent gray level being a function of the size of the dots per unit area.
Recently, computer implemented methods have been developed, which apply algorithms to digital image data representing a continuous tone image to generate information which correlates the original image optical density values to percent dot area coverage in a halftone system needed to reproduce the original density range, preferably while taking into account the limitations in the optical density reproduction range inherent in a particular reproduction system. There are a number of algorithms available for generating half-tones from continuous tone data; U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,721 issued to Goertzel et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,250 issued to Murai, provide good examples of this technology. The result of these methods may be viewed as a transfer function which is applied to convert input data representing an original continuous tone image optical density to output data representing a percent dot area in the half tone reproduction.
In most applications the generated data is used to drive a recorder which exposes a photosensitive film creating dots sized in accordance with the data. The film after development is used to expose a lithographic plate which is then used on a press to apply a colorant, i.e., a colored ink, usually black in cases of monochromatic reproduction, to reproduce the original image.
The reproduction of full color images, which attempt to faithfully reproduce the color gamut of an original colored image using halftone technology is also well known in the art. Such technology involves a plurality, usually four, of overlapping images printed in juxtaposition, each with a different colorant. Each of those images is a halftone representation of the original representing the original as viewed through a color separation filter. Specific filters and colorants have been developed, and are well known in the art. Typically these filters are red, green and blue, while the colorants used are cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Maintaining color fidelity (i.e., hue, chroma and lightness using the terminology typically used to describe color perception space) from original to reproduction has been the subject of numerous inventions and scientific disclosures. See in general by Michael H. Bruno, published by GAMA Communications, Salem, N.H., 1986 edition, for a good discussion of some of the problems and solutions to faithful color reproduction in the printing industry.
In addition to images reproducing or at least attempting to reproduce the full color gamut of an original multicolored image in halftone, there is another form of color reproduction, in which more than one colorant is used in the reproduction of an image, but where the original image is a monochromatic image, and no attempt is made to generate an image having the appearance of a multicolored image as would be created using the color separation process briefly described above, i.e., an image with a multiplicity of hues and chroma. In this process, the reproduced image has a single hue and chroma but the lightness has been preserved substantially the same as that of the original image.
This type of image reproduction is known in the printing trade as "duotone", "tritone", "quadratone", etc., depending on the number of colorants used. A problem encountered when attempting to make "duotones", "tritones", etc., is that the percent dot areas covered by the colorants cannot be simply added numerically to duplicate the original monochromatic image while maintaining hue, chroma, and lightness. Assume for example that a desirable transfer function has been established which acceptably reproduces in half tone, an original black and white image density range. This density range is the lightness of this image. For each lightness value there is a corresponding percent dot area that will be printed, based on this transfer function. Further assume that we desire to create from the same original monochromatic, black and white image an image having a selected hue and chroma resulting from a combination of two colorants, e.g., a cyan and a black ink, so that the reproduced image has a bluish tint and that we want the bluish tint to be about 10. This means that the reproduction will be created using a combination of two images, a cyan and a black printed one on top of the other in superposition. If we want to maintain the same lightness overall as in the original, each lightness value in the original must be divided into two components one for the cyan image and one for the black. However, if we want to introduce 10% blue in the image, we cannot simply calculate for each original lightness value, a cyan ink dot area equal to 10% of the dot area called for by the monochrome transfer function, and for the black ink 90% of that same dot area. The results after superposition do not reproduce an image with the same lightness as the original.
At present, particularly in the Graphic Arts, there is a need for predictably generating duotones, tritones, quadtones, etc., from monochromatic originals. More particularly, there is need for a method whereby given an original monochrome image, and a particular transfer function selected to reproduce this image in halftone with tone values, that is, lightness, which are desirable, one may readily derive new transfer functions for preselected colorants such that images generated for each colorant using the derived new transfer functions for each colorant will produce an image when combined in superposition as by printing, which image will have a preselected hue and chroma, and in which the tonal range, i.e., lightness, will be the same or substantially the same as in an image produced using the transfer function selected for the original monochromatic reproduction.

Method for creating multicolored halftone reproductions from continuous tone monochrome originals


A spread spectrum communication system for performing spread spectrum communication by superimposing a pseudo noise signal on a transmitted signal. The system comprises traffic detecting means for detecting the traffic of the transmitted signal, and means for changing the clock frequency of the pseudo noise signal in accordance with the output from the traffic detecting means. The system may alternatively comprise transmission quality determining means for determining the transmission quality of the received signal, and means for changing the clock frequency of the pseudo noise signal in accordance with the transmission quality determined by the transmission quality determining means. In operation, the system offers improved S/N ratios where traffic is high or transmission quality is low, saves power where traffic is low or transmission quality is high, and ensures large margins of power control precision for mobile stations near the upper limit of the system's line capacity.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a spread spectrum communication system and a transmitter-receiver based on CDMA (code division multiple access) and, more particularly, to a spread spectrum communication system and a transmitter-receiver capable of adaptively changing the power level of transmitted signals.
2. Description of the Related Art:
The spread spectrum communication system works in principle as follows: The transmitter of the system modulates (spreads) by pseudo noise (PN) a carrier that carries data. The receiver subjects the received carrier to a PN-coded correlation (reverse spread) process, the PN being generated by an encoder structurally identical to the one used by the transmitter. The PN-code correlation process is followed by base band demodulation that restores the transmitted data. Under this spread spectrum communication scheme, the density of power per unit frequency is low. This means that a minor increase in noise level accompanying a higher traffic, insignificant for other kinds of communication, can lead to a degenerated S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio with the spread spectrum communication system. The raised noise level hampers efforts to communicate using a desired signal under the spread spectrum communication scheme.
One prior art solution to the above problem is to widen the frequency band of spread spectrum signals while lowering the power density per unit frequency. This requires enhancing the clock rate of the transmitter, which means greater power dissipation. In that case, even if traffic is low, the clock rate remains unnecessarily high reflecting the increased power consumption.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a modulating portion in a transmitter for use with a conventional direct spread spectrum communication system. In FIG. 1, a carrier generator 201 generates a carrier fc for input to a PSK (phase shift keying) modulator 202. The PSK modulator 202 subjects the carrier fc to bi-phase shift keying modulation using a transmitted signal (binary coded signal) d(t) from an input terminal 203. The PSK-modulated signal from the PSK modulator 202 is supplied to a spread spectrum modulator 204. The spread spectrum modulator 204 is fed with a spread signal p(t) from a PN generator 205 that generates a PN (pseudo noise) code sequence. Using the spread signal p(t), the modulator 204 subjects the PSK-modulated signal to spread spectrum modulation.
FIG. 2A is a view of a typical change in the transmitted signal d(t) used by the modulation portion of FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a view of a frequency spectrum of the PSK-modulated signal output by the PSK modulator 202 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2A, Td is the period of the transmitted signal d(t). The frequency band width Bd is given as EQU Bd=1/Td
FIG. 3A is a view of a typical change in the spread signal p(t) from the PN generator 205. FIG. 3B is a view of a frequency spectrum of the spread spectrum signal output by the spread spectrum modulator 204. In FIG. 3A, Tp is the period of the spread signal p(t). As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the period Tp of the spread signal p(t) changes fast over short time with respect to the period Td of the transmitted signal d(t). This causes the spread spectrum modulator 204 to spread the frequency spectrum over a wide band (frequency band width Bp=1/Tp).
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a demodulating portion of a receiver for use with the direct spread spectrum communication system of FIG. 1. in FIG. 4, the spread spectrum signal received by an antenna or the like, not shown, and admitted through a terminal 211 enters a band-pass filter (BPF) 212. The band-pass filter 212 retains only those components of the signal which constitute the necessary band and discards the rest.
Past the band-pass filter 212, the spread spectrum signal goes into a reverse spread device 213 illustratively made of a multiplier. For its reverse spread operation, the reverse spread device 213 is fed by a PN (pseudo noise) generator 214 with a signal p(t)' identical to the above-mentioned spread signal p(t). In this case, the signal p(t)' from the PN generator 214 is so controlled as to coincide in phase with the spread signal p(t). That is, the relation EQU p(t).multidot.p(t)'=p(t).sup.2 =1
should hold.
The output signal from the reverse spread device 213 goes to a band-pass filter 215 whose center frequency is fc and whose passing band is 2 Bd. The band-pass filter 215 extracts a PSK-modulated signal from the signal received. The PSK-modulated signal is supplied to and demodulated by a PSK demodulator 216. As a result, the original signal d(t) is tapped from an output terminal 217. Spread spectrum communication, as outlined, is a communication method whereby a frequency spectrum is spread over a wide band for communications that ensure security and privacy with high immunity to interference.
To keep the spread spectrum communication system normally operational requires conventionally that the receiving power of the base station remain constant over the communication channels connected to subordinate mobile stations. It is thus necessary to keep constant the transmitting power of each mobile station as it communicates with the base station while moving under varying external conditions. Theoretical calculations put the precision of transmitting power control to within 0.5 dB in the vicinity of the upper limit of the system's circuit capacity. In practice, that kind of precision is difficult to achieve. This has been a major problem with spread spectrum communication systems based on CDMA (code division multiple access).
FIG. 5A is a view of a frequency spectrum of the signal sent from the input terminal 211 to the band-pass filter 212 in FIG. 4. FIG. 5B is a view of a frequency spectrum of the signal sent from the reverse spread device 213 to the band-pass filter 215 in FIG. 4. FIG. 5C is a view of a frequency spectrum of the signal sent from the band-pass filter 215 to the PSK demodulator 216 in FIG. 4. In FIG. 5A, the spread spectrum signal with a band width of 2 Bp mixes with a narrow band interference component. If the power of the signal in FIG. 5A is denoted by PR and that of the interference wave by P.sub.I, the signal-to-interference wave power ratio (S/I).sub.A is given as EQU (S/I).sub.A =Pr/P.sub.I
In FIG. 5B, a reverse relationship of what is given in FIG. 5A holds. That is, the signal passes through the band-pass filter 215 having a band width of 2 Bd. The result is shown in FIG. 5C. In this case, the signal-to-interference wave power ratio (S/I).sub.C is given as ##EQU1## where, G stands for a process gain (G=Bp/Bd). As indicated, subjecting the input signal to spread spectrum modulation improves the signal-to-interference wave power ratio from (S/I).sub.A to (S/I).sub.C, i.e., by the amount of G. Thus the spread spectrum communication scheme enhances the immunity to the adverse effects of interference signal components.
Consider the case where white noise is involved, with no narrow band interference signal component present. In this case, as above, the spectrum patterns of the respective signals in FIG. 4 appear as depicted in FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C. The signal-to-noise ratio (S/N).sub.A of the signal in FIG. 6A is given as EQU (S/N).sub.A =Pr/(No.multidot.2Bp)
where, No is the power of the white noise signal component. Likewise, the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N).sub.C of the signal in FIG. 6C is given as ##EQU2## The case above thus yields the same result as that of the case where the narrow band interference signal component is involved as depicted in FIG. 5.
In the case of communication within one system whose terminals utilize the same PN code, a given terminal regards the communication done by any other terminal as a noise similar to the white noise. That is, when one terminal transmits its signal at a raised power level, the terminal not only dissipates more power than before but also interferes with the communication of other terminals. Communication carried out under schemes other than the spread spectrum communication constitutes a component approximating the narrow band interference signal component. In any case, higher levels of traffic lead to the increase in the noise indicated by the shaded portions in FIGS. 5C and 6C. This is a significant impediment to the normal execution of communication.
One prior art solution to the above impediment is to enlarge the band width Bp of the spread spectrum signal so as to increase the process gain G. This requires boosting the clock rate for reverse spread operation through multiplication of the spread signal p(t)' in FIG. 4. The solution results in more power dissipation of which the level turns out to be disproportionately high where the process gain G need not be very high.

Spread spectrum communication system and transmitter-receiver


In the present invention, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of an image carrying member, while ink having a tack value of not less than one is used as ink in an ink developing device. The ink is held in an ink carrying member. The ink held in the ink carrying member is brought into contact with the surface of the image carrying member to supply the ink to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrying member, to form an ink image on the surface of the image carrying member. The ink image is transferred onto a recording medium from the surface of the image carrying member by a transfer device.

This application is based on applications Nos. 86219/1997 and 89280/1997 filed in Japan, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method in which ink is supplied to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrying member, to form an ink image on the image carrying member, and the ink image is transferred to a recording medium, to form an image on the recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a copying machine, a printer, and so on utilizing an electrophotographic system have been used as an image forming apparatus. In such an image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of an image carrying member, and the electrostatic latent image is developed, and is then transferred to a recording medium such as paper, to form an image on the recording medium.
Known as one of such an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is one using a liquid developer obtained by dispersing colored resin particles (toner particles) in a carrier liquid in order to develop an electrostatic latent image, as disclosed in JP-A-7-271107.
The liquid developer used in the electrophotographic apparatus is generally one obtained by dispersing charged toner particles in an insulating carrier liquid. The toner particles are selectively consumed from the liquid developer as an image is formed. When the liquid developer is thus used, therefore, the density of the toner particles in the carrier liquid must be managed. The management is troublesome. Further, a large part of the carrier liquid is repeatedly used, so that the liquid developer is liable to be degraded.
Furthermore, in the electrophotographic apparatus using the liquid developer, when the image is formed on a recording medium such as copying paper, a fixing device for fixing a toner image transferred onto the recording medium, for example, is required. Therefore, the apparatus is complicated and is increased in size, for example.
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus so constructed that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of an image carrying member, ink held in an ink carrying member is brought into contact with the surface of the image carrying member having the electrostatic latent image thus formed thereon, the ink is made to adhere to a portion of the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrying member, to form an ink image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrying member, and the ink image is transferred onto a recording medium such as paper, an OHP sheet, or the like from the surface of the image carrying member, to form an image has been proposed, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,599.
In the image forming apparatus, however, there are some problems. For example, the ink does not sufficiently adhere on the portion of the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrying member, so that the density of the formed image is decreased, and voids are created in the formed image. Contrary to this, the ink also adheres to a portion having no electrostatic latent image formed thereon in the image carrying member, so that the formed image is fogged.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method


A continuous static mixing apparatus includes mixing disks. Each of the mixing disks has a set of symmetrically distributed nozzles therein that accelerate the flow and that create a mixing turbulence in the flow. Typically, the mixing apparatus combines the outlet flows of the mixing disks to provide a collision therebetween and, thus, increased turbulence and mixing. Communication passageways connect the material supplies to the mixing apparatus and direct the materials through the mixing disk. The materials may be combined either upstream or downstream of the mixing disks. An eductor may be used to combine the materials upstream of the mixing disks.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a device for mixing. More specifically, it is directed to a static mixing apparatus that provides continuous mixing of a plurality of flowable materials.
To provide large scale continuous mixing of flowable materials (i.e. gases, liquids, and powders), materials are generally combined in a mixing chamber where they are then mixed by mechanical stirring, turbulence or other fluid dynamic means. Often, the purpose of the mixing is to achieve a reaction. Inefficiencies in the mixing may result in waste of reactants and, thus, waste of related resources (e.g. money, time, energy, etc.) as well as other complications. Static mixers, those requiring no moving parts to operate, offer lower costs in manufacture, operation, maintenance, and initial costs of chemicals.
2. Related Art
Continuous static mixers are known to the prior art. Illustrative of such mixers are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,617, 4,264,212, 4,647,212 and 4,886,369.
Though the above mentioned mixers may be helpful for the purposes for which they were designed, they can be improved to provide more efficient and thorough mixing.


A semiconductor thin film manufacturing method includes: forming a semiconductor thin film on a substrate; forming a transcriptional body containing a metal element on a part thereof; bringing a part of the transcriptional body into contact with the semiconductor thin film, and transferring the metal element onto the semiconductor thin film; and fusing the semiconductor thin film and crystallizing the semiconductor thin film using the metal element of the solution as crystal producing nucleuses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor thin film, and methods of manufacturing an electronic device and a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly relates to a method of manufacturing a crystalline semiconductor thin film, and methods of manufacturing an electronic device and a liquid crystal display device constituted by the semiconductor thin films manufactured by the foregoing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent publication No. 2004-119,518 (called "Reference 1") discloses a method of manufacturing a crystalline semiconductor thin film assuring high carrier mobility. In the method, an amorphous semiconductor thin film is deposited on an insulating substrate. Energy beams are illuminated onto the amorphous semiconductor thin film in order to change amorphous properties to crystal properties, so that a crystalline semiconductor thin film will be formed. Specifically, the amorphous semiconductor thin film is fused by energy beams, is solidified, and is changed into the crystalline semiconductor thin film.
The foregoing method is applied to manufacturing a thin film transistor (TFT) of a liquid crystal display device (liquid crystal display panel). Specifically, an amorphous Si (silicon) thin film is formed on a transparent quartz substrate via an insulating layer. Laser beams are illuminated onto the amorphous silicon (Si) thin film, which is changed to a polycrystalline Si thin film. The polycrystalline Si thin film is used as a source region, a channel forming region or a drain region of a thin film transistor.
When energy beams are illuminated onto the amorphous Si film placed on the flat transparent quartz substrate, heat generated by the energy beams is uniformly conducted into the quartz substrate. Therefore, it is impossible to control, in the quartz substrate, positions of crystal producing nucleuses, and a speed at which the amorphous Si thin film is solidified. In short, it is impossible to control positions and diameters of Si crystal grains in the crystallized Si thin film.
In the liquid crystal display device, positions of and quantities Si crystal gains are different in source regions, channel forming regions and drain regions of each thin film transistor. This will lead to variations in electric properties such as carrier mobility, threshold voltages, and leak currents. Further, positions, quantity and diameters of Si crystal gains are different in respective source regions, channel forming regions and drain regions of each thin film transistor in each production lot. This also may lead to variations in the electric properties such as carrier mobility values, threshold voltages, and leak currents. The variations of electric properties will adversely affect performance of the liquid crystal display device.
When energy beams are illuminated onto the amorphous Si thin film, a crystalline Si thin film should be made in order to suppress the generation of irregular crystal nucleuses, to promote the generation and growth of crystal nucleuses at predetermined positions, and to have large crystal grains. Japanese Patent No. 3,464,287 (called "Reference 2") describes the method, in which a metal element promoting crystallization is selectively introduced into an amorphous thin film in order to enable a crystalline thin film to be produced at a low temperature. Specifically, a masking material such as an aluminum nitride film is deposited on the amorphous thin film, and a partially porous mask is prepared by the photolithography or the like. Thereafter, a solution containing a metal element is selectively applied onto the amorphous thin film via the pores on the mask. The metal element partially crystallizes the amorphous thin film.
However, the following matters seem to remain unsolved in the crystalline thin film manufacturing method of Reference 2. Specifically, the mask for selectively applying the solution including the metal element has to be made through a plurality of manufacturing processes such as deposition of the masking material, application of a photo-resist film, making, exposure and development of a photo mask, and patterning (etching) of the masking material using the photo mask. This will lead to increases of the manufacturing processes and manufacturing cost, and lowering of a productivity rate and yield.

Methods of manufacturing semiconductor thin film, electronic device and liquid crystal display device


A higher code rate Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) matrix may be designed by concatenating additional matrices to a π-rotation parity check matrix. The concatenated matrix may be selected such that the resultant LDPC matrix exhibits good expansion characteristics to enable the LDPC matrix to be used with variable block length codes. The codes may be designed by generating an ensemble of available codes, encoding them with information vectors of weight 1 and 2 and discarding codes with a low minimum distance. The approximate upper bounds for the remaining codes are then calculated and a small set of codes with the lowest bound under high signal to noise ratio is selected. The girth distributions for the remaining codes are then calculated and the code that has the minimum number of short cycles is selected. The selected code is concatenated to the original π-rotation parity check matrix.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication networks and, more particularly, to algebraic low-density parity check code design for variable block sizes and code rates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data communication networks may include various computers, servers, nodes, routers, switches, bridges, hubs, proxies, and other network devices coupled to and configured to pass data to one another. These devices will be referred to herein as "network elements." Data is communicated through the data communication network by passing protocol data units, such as Internet Protocol packets, Ethernet Frames, data cells, segments, or other logical associations of bits/bytes of data, between the network elements by utilizing one or more communication links between the devices. A particular protocol data unit may be handled by multiple network elements and cross multiple communication links as it travels between its source and its destination over the network.
In wireless networks, especially wireless local area networks, data transmission may occasionally, or frequently, encounter bit errors. In some instances, the transmission errors may be relatively high. To enable accurate transmission of data under these transmission characteristics, it is common to use forward error correction to enable the data to be extracted from the signal even if the signal is corrupted.
Forward error correction is a technique of adding redundancy (parity check bits) to transmitted information so that received information can be recovered even in the presence of noise. Codes that implement forward error correction have varying degrees of complexity and effectiveness.
Depending on the transmission characteristics of the wireless network and the complexity of the code, fewer or greater numbers of parity check bits may need to be inserted into the data stream. The number of data bits out of the total number of transmitted bits will be referred to herein as the "code rate." For example, if 1000 parity bits are injected for every 1000 bits of data, the code rate=1000/(1000+1000)=½. Similarly, if 500 parity bits are injected for every 1000 bits of data, the code rate=1000/(1000+500) or ⅔. Thus, an increased code rate results in the transmission of fewer parity check bits and hence reduces the overhead associated with transmission on the wireless network. On a transmission medium such as a wireless transmission medium, reducing the transmission overhead directly results in an increase in usable available bandwidth on the network. Thus, optimization of the parity check code to enable higher code rates is one way to increase throughput on a wireless network.
Injection of parity bits into the data stream and the use of these parity bits is controlled by an error correction code, the complexity of which depends greatly on the selection of a parity check matrix "H." As the parity check matrix increases in complexity, the processing required on the end systems increases. Low density parity check matrices contain a large number of zeros, and hence may be expected to be relatively less complicated to implement.
Thus, the two goals of error correction code generation may generally be considered to be to generate a higher code rate while maintaining or reducing the complexity of implementing the code. In pursuit of these dual goals, several parity check codes have been developed, each of which have particular limitations. For example, π-rotation codes have been developed for a code rate of up to ½. One advantageous aspect of the π-rotation codes is their relative simplicity to implement in hardware due to the algebraic nature of the technique. Unfortunately, π-rotation codes have a code rate of ≦½, and thus are not relevant for many applications. Other techniques, such as Mutual Orthogonal Latin Rectangles (MOLR) and array codes can be used for rates above ½, but do not perform well for rates below ½. Finite geometry codes exist for high and low rates, but have a structure that is more complex to implement in hardware. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to be able to generate higher rate codes while not increasing the complexity of the codes excessively.
Additionally, different types of transmissions on the wireless network require different block sized transmissions. For example, data transmissions may involve the transmission of a 600-1500 byte block size whereas voice transmissions may involve the transmission of a 100 byte block size. Conventionally, the different block sizes were handled by different sized parity check matrices. This requires the creation and storage of multiple parity check matrices on the network elements for each expected block size.

Algebraic low-density parity check code design for variable block sizes and code rates


A method of obtaining an X-ray image, the method including: obtaining a first image of an object; receiving a determination whether the first image includes an entirety of a region of interest (ROI); and obtaining a second image of the object, the second image including a portion of the ROI which is absent in the first image.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to obtaining an image including a region of interest (ROI) of an object, and more particularly, to obtaining a medical image including an ROI of an object, such as an X-ray image, by combining a first image of the object and a second image including a portion of the ROI of the object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medical apparatuses that use X-rays are used for radiographic medical imaging.
The X-ray process is performed at least once to obtain an X-ray image including organs of interest of an object, i.e., a patient. Thus, if the X-ray process is repeatedly conducted on the entire object a plurality of times, a radiation amount to which the object is exposed increases, and an increase in the radiation exposure may cause side effects resulting in health problems.
Thus, apparatuses and methods are needed for obtaining an image of an ROI of an object by using an X-ray that radiates a small number of times and over a small area.

Method and apparatus for obtaining x-ray image of region of interest of object


An acquisition unit is configured to acquire a measurement value of a first state quantity of a target device. A model determination unit is configured to determine a model for estimating a value of a second state quantity of the target device for each evaluation item for management of the target device. An estimation unit is configured to estimate the value of the second state quantity on the basis of the measurement value using the model determined by the model determination unit. A management unit calculates a value of the evaluation item using the value estimated by the estimation unit.

It is conceivable that, in a plant such as a power generation plant, a monitoring device collects state quantities of a target device such as a temperature and a pressure during the operation of a device constituting the plant, and the collected state quantities be used for the maintenance, monitoring, and the like of the device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Information processing device, information processing method, program, and communication device


A device for sealing the annular gap between a housing and a shaft supported in the housing. The device comprises an inner ring, an outer ring, and an elastomeric sealing member joined to the outer ring. The sealing member has three sealing lips, of which only the first abuts, under prestressing, against the inner ring. The two other sealing lips are configured in such a way that, between their outer ends and the sections of the inner ring lying opposite to their outer ends, gaps are formed which act as a contact-free sealing. In addition, a gap may be provided between a radially extending annular disk portion of the sealing member and an outer flanged section of the inner ring axially opposite the annular disk portion. That gap and the gaps at the ends of the second and third sealing lips form a labyrinth seal.

The invention relates to a device for sealing an annular gap between a housing and a shaft supported in the housing.
German Patent Application DE 38 26 628 shows a prior art example of such a device. The device seals the annular gap both to prevent the escape of lubricants and to prevent the admission of impurities. In the device in German Patent Application DE 38 26 628, a first sealing lip is prestressed radially against an inner ring, in a customary manner. A second sealing lip also abuts against the inner ring, and a third sealing lip strikes against a radial section of the inner ring, the sealing lips acting as a labyrinth seal. The space between the first and the second sealing lips contains a grease packing.
Such devices are also described as cartridge seals, and they are needed when shafts with radial toothing on the front end must be guided axially through a sealing ring already inserted in the housing, and the more cost-effective rotary shaft lip seals (without an inner ring) are not usable because the danger would exist that their sealing lips would be damaged by the shaft during assembly. The comparatively soft sealing members are endangered in the case of a device without an inner ring, especially in the case of a shaft constructed at the front end as a spline shaft.
In the case of a device in accordance with the generic concept as in German Patent Application DE 38 26 628, this danger of damage to the sealing lips does not exist. Nevertheless, such a device still has a number of disadvantages.
Since the second sealing lip abuts against the inner ring only because of its inherent elasticity, the escape of grease from the space between the first and the second sealing lips cannot be completely prevented. By the rotation of the inner ring, the grease is accelerated to move toward the outside via the radial flange section and the shorter generally cylindrical section, without the third sealing lip being able to prevent it to any appreciable extent. The escaping grease not only constitutes irretrievable loss of lubricant from the system, but also pollutes the environment.
When the grease supply is used up, the second and third sealing lips operate without lubrication. This, sooner or later, leads to their destruction, both because of friction and because of heating which occurs to temperatures intolerable for the rubber material of the sealing lips.
A similar effect also occurs when, because of pressure differences developing during operation, the grease supply moves toward the inside via the first sealing lip. In this case, the third sealing lip operates without lubrication from the start, and the second sealing lip operates without lubrication as soon as only a small portion of the grease has moved toward the inside.


A bipolar electrosurgical scalpel comprising a handle having a pair of loop electrodes extending outwardly from the distal end thereof in parallel, spaced relation, such that the spacing defines a dielectric such as an air gap therebetween. When a RF voltage of a predetermined amplitude is applied across the two electrodes and they are drawn across tissue, cutting occurs by virtue of the arc established between the two electrodes. The electrodes may be formed from tungsten wire to withstand high operating temperatures and are sufficiently rigid to withstand the pressure forces encountered during electrosurgery without shorting together across the gap. The electrodes may be formed in various shapes, depending upon the nature of the cutting desired. Possible configurations include open rounded loops, open elongated loops, open triangular-shaped loops, L- or J-shaped hooks. The supporting conductors to which these electrodes are affixed may be straight tubular legs or curved hooks formed from flattened lengths of metal tubing. The loop electrodes may also be ultrasonically vibrated and/or fluid flushed to enhance removal of char and tissue debris during use. To enhance coagulation properties, metal surface electrodes of relatively large area may be embedded in an insulating end cap of the scalpel and the loop cutting electrodes are designed to be retracted therein such that only the surface electrodes are exposed. The instrument is controlled by either a hand switch or a standard surgical foot switch.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the design of an electrosurgical scalpel, and more particularly to a bipolar scalpel having specially designed electrodes for facilitating cutting of tissue without the need for an expensive blade of the type heretofore used in prior art bipolar scalpels.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,950 to Doss, et al., there is described a knife blade for an electrosurgical scalpel which comprises a thin blade substrate whose periphery is honed to a sharp cutting edge and which carries first and second conductive electrodes adjacent to that cutting edge. The substrate is preferably ceramic and the electrode traces are deposited on the ceramic using known metalizing techniques, wherein a metal powder containing slurry is applied to the substrate through a mask and then later fired to bond the metal to the ceramic substrate. Blades of this type suffer from a number of drawbacks, not the least of which is the cost of producing same. The processing steps involved, including forming the blade substrate, honing its edges, depositing metal conductor traces thereon and subsequently selectively coating the blade surfaces with an insulating material, makes the resulting product relatively expensive, especially, and as will be explained more fully hereinbelow, when contrasted with the present invention.
Blade configurations, such as shown in the Doss '950 patent and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,676 to Herzog, suffer from other defects, including breakage and the inability of the electrode foils to withstand the high temperatures resulting when arcing occurs between the active electrode surface and its return electrode.
It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved bipolar electrosurgical scalpel instrument.
Another object is to provide a bipolar electrosurgical scalpel instrument having a low-cost "blade" element which is sufficiently strong to withstand mechanical forces encountered during manufacture, shipping and handling and during use in surgery.
A further object of the invention is to provide a variety of electrosurgical scalpel blade configurations which can withstand elevated temperatures resulting when an arc breakdown occurs between electrodes over prolonged periods of use.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an electrosurgical instrument having both cutting electrodes and coagulating electrodes where the cutting electrodes are retractable and, when retracted, allow the coagulation electrodes to be used.
Another object is to provide an electrosurgical instrument that can be controlled to operate in either a "cut" mode or a "coag" mode, either by a foot switch or by placement of a thumb-operated switch.

Bipolar electrosurgical scalpel with paired loop electrodes


A method for making isolongifolenone involving reaction (−)-isolongifolene with chromium hexacarbonyl and t-butyl hydroperoxide. Also the use of isolongifolenone to repel arthropods by treating an object or area with an arthropod repelling effective amount of isolongifolenone (and optionally a carrier or carrier material).

The present invention relates to a method for making isolongifolenone involving reacting (−)-isolongifolene with chromium hexacarbonyl and t-butyl hydroperoxide. The present invention also relates to the use of isolongifolenone to repel arthropods by treating an object or area with an arthropod repelling effective amount of isolongifolenone (and optionally a carrier or carrier material).
Diseases transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods are a serious threat to public health worldwide. More than 700 million cases of mosquito transmitted disease were reported annually (Shell, E. R., Atlantic Monthly, pp. 45-60, August 1997). Over 3 million people live under the threat of malaria, which kills over a million people each year (WHO World Malaria Report 2005, Roll Back Malaria, World Health Organization, UNICEF, http://rbm.who.int/wmr2005). In the United States, West Nile virus was transmitted by mosquitoes to more than 8,000 people from 1999-2005, resulting in over 780 deaths (DeBiasi, R. L., and K. L. TYLER, Nat. Clin. Pract. Neurol., 2:264-275 (2006)). N,N-Diethyltoluamide (Deet) is considered to be the best insect repellent ever developed and is the most widely used insect repellent worldwide with tens of millions of dollars in annual sales (Osimitz, T. G., and R. H. Grothaus, J. Am. Mosq. Control. Assoc., 11: 274-278 (1995)). However, Deet is a plasticizer and clinical literature reports the association of Deet with neurotoxicity in humans (Robbins, P. J., and M. G. Cherniack. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health, 18: 503-525 (1986)). Thus, there is a great need for effective alternatives to Deet.
We have found that isolongifolenone, which occurs in nature in trace amounts, is more effective than Deet in repelling ticks and deterring feeding mosquitoes. With high repellent efficiency, this compound will allow much wider application by the public and the military. Therefore, isolongifolenone has a great potential to displace Deet in the worldwide repellent marker.
Heretofore, isolongifolenone was most often obtained in large quantities by isomerization of longifolene, an abundant bridged tricyclic sesquiterpene found in turpentine oil from commercially available oleoresin of the Himalayan pine, Pinus longfolia Boxb (Ranganathan, R., et al., Tetrahedron, 26: 621-630 (1970)), to isolongifolene (U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,159) with subsequent oxidation by oxygen, air, or metal oxidants (Dauben, W. G., et al., J. Org. Chem., 34: 3587-3592 (1969); Lala, L. K., and J. B. Hall, J. Org. Chem., 35: 1172-1173 (1970); Mihelich, E. D., and D. J. Eickhoff, J. Org. Chem., 48: 4135-4137 (1983); Mequillin, F. J., and M. Wood, J. Chem. Res. Miniprint, 3: 0755-0757 (1997)). However, these oxidation methods involved long reaction times and gave poor yields and unwanted by-products that were difficult to separate from the desired compound, isolongifolenone, because of the great similarity of their physical and chemical properties to isolongifolenone (Prahlad, J. R., et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 5: 417-427 (1964); Shieh, B. J., et al., Nippon Kagaku Kaishi, 906-908 (1978); U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,739; U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,159).
We have developed a facile and efficient method for producing pure isolongifolenone in a short time and at high yield which will make it less expensive and allow wide availability of this chemical for various industrial and clinical usages and especially for programs aimed at controlling malaria, West Nile virus, Lyme disease, and other diseases by suppressing human blood-feeding by the arthropods that vector these diseases.

Methods for preparing isolongifolenone and its use in repelling arthropods

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


An image forming medium includes a paper substrate and an imaging layer coated on or impregnated into a paper substrate, where the imaging layer is formed of an imaging composition that includes an alkoxy substituted diarylethene photochromic material dissolved or dispersed in a solvent or polymeric binder, and where the imaging composition exhibits a reversible transition between a colorless and a colored state.

Inkjet printing is a well-established market and process, where images are formed by ejecting droplets of ink in an image-wise manner onto a substrate. Inkjet printers are widely used in home and business environments, and particularly in home environments due to the low cost of the inkjet printers. The inkjet printers generally allow for producing high quality images, ranging from black-and-white text to photographic images, on a ride range of substrates such as standard office paper, transparencies, and photographic paper.
However, despite the low printer costs, the cost of replacement inkjet cartridges can be high, and sometimes higher than the cost of the printer itself. These cartridges must be replaced frequently, and thus replacement costs of the ink cartridges is a primary consumer complaint relating to inkjet printing. Reducing ink cartridge replacement costs would thus be a significant enhancement to inkjet printing users.
In addition, many paper documents are promptly discarded after being read. Although paper is inexpensive, the quantity of discarded paper documents is enormous and the disposal of these discarded paper documents raises significant cost and environmental issues. Accordingly, there is a continuing desire for providing a new medium for containing the desired image, and methods for preparing and using such a medium. In aspects thereof it would be desirable to be reusable, to abate the cost and environmental issues, and desirably also is flexible and paper-like to provide a medium that is customarily acceptable to end-users and easy to use and store.
Although there are available technologies for transient image formation and storage, they generally provide less than desirable results for most applications as a paper substitute. For example, alternative technologies include liquid crystal displays, electrophoretics, and gyricon image media. However, these alternative technologies may not in a number of instances provide a document that has the appearance and feel of traditional paper, while providing the desired reimageability.
Imaging techniques employing photochromic materials, that is materials which undergo reversible or irreversible photoinduced color changes are known, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,948 discloses an imaging method based upon visible light induced changes in a photochromic imaging layer containing a dispersion of at least one photochromic material in an organic film forming binder.
These and other photochromic (or reimageable or electric) papers are desirable because they can provide imaging media that can be reused many times, to transiently store images and documents. For example, applications for photochromic based media include reimageable documents such as, for example, electronic paper documents. Reimageable documents allow information to be kept for as long as the user wants, then the information can be erased or the reimageable document can be re-imaged using an imaging system with different information.
Although the above-described approaches have provided reimageable transient documents, there is a desire for reimageable paper designs that provide longer image life-times, and more desirable paper-like appearance and feel. For example, while the known approaches for photochromic paper provide transient visible images, the visible images are very susceptible to UV, such as is present in both ambient interior light and more especially in sun light, as well as visible light. Due to the presence of this UV and visible light, the visible images are susceptible to degradation by the UV light, causing the unimaged areas to darken and thereby decrease the contrast between the desired image and the background or unimaged areas.
That is, a problem associated with transient documents is the sensitivity of the unimaged areas to ambient UV-VIS light (such as <420 nm) where the photochromic molecule absorbs. Unimaged areas become colored after a period of time, decreasing the visual quality of the document, because the contrast between white and colored state is reduced. One approach, described in the above-referenced U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/834,529, is to stabilize the image against light of wavelength <420 nm by creating a band-pass window for the incident light capable of isomerising (i.e. inducing coloration) in the material, centered around 365 nm. However, the unimaged areas of the documents still are sensitive to UV-VIS light of wavelength centered around 365 nm.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,057,054 is a photochromic material having a ring opening quantum yield of 10−3 or lower which does not fade under ambient light. The material comprises a compound belonging to the diheteroarylethene class. The compound has alkoxy group and aryl group on the heteroaryl group.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Inkless reimageable printing paper and method