A fat suction and graft syringe includes a negative pressure adjustment mechanism. The negative pressure state in a barrel can be maintained during a procedure only by pulling and releasing a plunger, and only by slightly rotating the plunger. The plunger can be pushed inside the barrel without being constrained by a multi-level holding plate and a single-surface rotation clip, whereby the syringe has enhanced convenience in the use and production thereof so that many practitioners accustomed to using a normal syringe can easily use the syringe without separately learning how to manipulate the syringe.

Recently, as interest in beauty and desire for anti-aging has increased, demand for various cosmetic procedures such as fat suction and grafting is increasing.
In the case of such cosmetic procedures, the individual competence of a medical practitioner performing the procedure was relied upon in the past, but in recent years, demand has been increasing for various instruments that can improve the convenience and efficiency of the procedure such that a medical practitioner performing the procedure can promote the safety of a person being treated.
In particular, in the case of a syringe used for fat suction, unlike a syringe used only for injecting drugs, a plunger of a syringe is moved rearward to create space in which fat can be filled inside a barrel, and while a medical practitioner manipulates the syringe to suction fat from a person's body, the state of negative pressure inside the syringe allowing the fat to be suctioned into the syringe is required to be maintained.
In this case, the forcible suction of the fat may be performed by a separate suction means, but in that case, surrounding tissues may be damaged due to excessive suction power. Accordingly, it is preferable to naturally suction fat due to pressure difference while the state of negative pressure is maintained inside a fat suction and graft syringe.
To this end, during fat suction, the state of negative pressure is required to be maintained while the plunger is prevented from being pulled inside due to the pressure difference, so while the plunger pulled rearward is held with palms and fingers, a needle is positioned.
However, for small syringes of 10 cc or 30 cc, the negative pressure of an inner space defined between the end of a plunger and the end of a barrel is not large, so during fat suction, a medical practitioner may hold the plunger without difficulty. However, for large syringes of 50 cc or 100 cc, negative pressure produced in an inner space between the end of a plunger and the end of a barrel is increased significantly, so it is not easy to manipulate a syringe while the barrel is held with one hand and the plunger is held with the other hand during fat suction.
Accordingly, to solve the inconvenience that a medical practitioner is required to use his or her physical power to maintain the state of negative pressure of the syringe during fat suction, there have been various attempts maintaining the state of negative pressure in inner space between the end of the plunger and the end of the barrel by maintaining the state of the plunger pulled rearward such that fat is easily suctioned into the space.
As a part of these attempts, there is proposed a disposable syringe for fine needle aspiration cytology in Korean Patent No. 10-1742905. The disposable syringe for fine needle aspiration cytology includes a position holding means provided with a plurality of holding protrusions holding a relative position of the plunger to the barrel, and a stopper determining a position. However, the position holding means having considerable volume, which is proposed in Korean Patent No. 10-1742905, is required to be coupled to the barrel, so the appearance of the syringe is changed considerably, and the manipulating method of the syringe for holding the position of the plunger is different from the method of using a normal syringe, thereby causing medical practitioners inconvenience when using the syringe.
In addition, there is proposed a syringe for collecting thyroid tissue cell in Korean Patent No. 10-1113752, wherein multiple stopper holding grooves are formed in a piston rod, and stopper members which can be held in such stopper holding grooves are coupled to the barrel so that the stopper members are held in the stopper holding grooves and hold the position of the piston rod. However, as for the syringe proposed in Korean Patent No. 10-1113752, an elastic piece is required to be used such that the stopper members are coupled to or removed from the stopper holding grooves at a desired position. Additionally, the syringe is difficult to be applied to an actual syringe due to the difficulty of injection design for the elaborate formation of the stopper holding grooves. Furthermore, the stopper members are coupled integrally to the piston rod to have the same directionality, so the vertical position manipulation of the piston rod is difficult.
Accordingly, it is necessary to have a new fat suction and graft syringe which has no big difference from a normal syringe in appearance and size, and minimizes the manipulation of a medical practitioner required to maintain negative pressure inside the barrel while the plunger is moved rearward and to push the plunger forward for the grafting of suctioned fat so that the usability of the syringe used by the medical practitioner is improved.

Fat suction and graft syringe having negative pressure adjustment means


A gas turbine control system includes a controller that is coupled to actuator systems that govern operation of the gas turbine. The controller includes a processor for generating respective actuator control signals in correspondence with a plurality of turbine operating condition signals; the controller includes at least one neural network estimator that is trained to generate an estimated turbine operating condition signal. The neural network estimator typically has one or more hidden neuron layers that are coupled together in a feedforward structure, a recurrent neural network architecture. The estimated turbine operating condition signal generated by the neural network estimator typically, but not necessarily, represents a turbine internal cycle operating parameter for which the turbine has no corresponding operating parameter sensor.

The present invention relates generally to gas turbines, and more particularly to a control system for a gas turbine that includes a neural network for determining certain turbine operating parameters of importance for effective control of the gas turbine.
Gas turbines are commonly used as a power source to drive electrical generating equipment (such as in an electrical power station) or for propulsion (e.g., for aircraft, marine vessels, or military equipment such as tanks). A combustion type gas turbine has a gas path which typically includes, in a serial-flow relationship, an air intake (or inlet), a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, and a gas outlet (or exhaust nozzle). Control of the power generated by the gas turbine is typically exercised through control of fuel flow and air flow into the combustor.
Efficient operation of the gas turbine--e.g., to obtain desired fuel economy, to establish and maintain a desired power output that is stable within defined limits, and to reduce the level of emissions--requires that a number of critical turbine operating parameters be processed to determine optimal settings for controllable parameters, such as fuel flow and distribution, and intake air flow. Examples of such turbine operating parameters include compressor inlet and outlet temperatures and pressures, exhaust temperatures and pressures, and the like.
Certain turbine operating parameters cannot be directly measured reliably; hence estimates of the values of such parameters are made based on the available sensor data. One example of an important operating parameter in a power-generation gas turbine that cannot be directly measured is the combustion reference temperature (TTRF). While not representing a particular physical temperature in the turbine, this parameter is nevertheless an important control variable that governs a number of critical functions. For example, dynamically the TTRF correlates well with the average fuel-air-ratio in the combustor and hence is used to control the division of fuel going to various parts of the combustor. Efficient operation of the turbine requires that accurate information about this parameter be available to the controller at all times.
Calculation of values of TTRF conventionally is achieved by processing selected sensor measurements through a model having simplified aero-thermal equations for the turbine. The model for TTRF is usually represented in the controller as a set of nonlinear equations, with sensed parameters such as the compressor discharge pressure, turbine exhaust temperature, exhaust air flow, ambient temperature, and guide vane angle, serving as inputs. Because the modeled system is nonlinear, even complex models can estimate this parameter only over a limited range of operating points. Even so, estimation of this parameter requires significant computing power given the number of mathematical steps that must be completed to make the estimate; the time taken to accomplish these processing steps further places limitations on conventional controllers.
It is desirable that a gas turbine controller provide effective control over a wide range of turbine operating conditions. To achieve such performance, an effective controller advantageously is adapted to rapidly and accurately generate values for calculated (or modeled) turbine operating parameters over the wide range of turbine performance.

Controller with neural network for estimating gas turbine internal cycle parameters


A demultiplexer 630 routes only one or more transport stream packets with a single packet identifier value to each physical layer pipe. A header compression unit 620 replaces the packet identifier of the transport stream packet with a short packet identifier of one bit length indicating at least whether the transport stream packet is a NULL packet.

Digital broadcast networks enable the unidirectional transmission of data such as audio, video, subtitling text, applications, etc. In broadcast networks, there is typically no return channel from the receiver to the transmitter and thus adaptive techniques cannot be employed. At present, there are several families of digital broadcast standards around the world. For instance, in Europe, Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standards have been adopted. In general, these standards define the physical layer and the data layer of the broadcast distribution system. The definition of the physical and data link layer depends on the transport medium, which can be for instance a satellite, cable, or terrestrial channel. Correspondingly, the family of DVB standards includes DVB-S and DVB-S2 for satellite transmission, DVB-C and DVB-C2 for cable transmission, DVB-T and DVB-T2 for terrestrial transmission, and DVB-H for terrestrial transmission to handheld devices.
The recent terrestrial digital broadcast standard DVB-T2 is an extended version of the widely used DVB-T standard. The specifications of these two standards can be found in Non Patent Literatures 1 and 2, respectively. Other than the DVB-T standard, the DVB-T2 standard introduces, for instance, the concept of physical layer pipes (PLP), provides new forward error correction schemes, modulation constellations, larger OFDM symbol sizes and more pilot configurations.
Video streams are typically encoded using a compression standard such as MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 part 10 (H.264) and encapsulated into an MPEG transport stream. Details on the MPEG transport stream (TS) can be found in Non Patent Literatures 3 and 4. These specifications define a mechanism for multiplexing and synchronization of audio, video and meta-data streams. In particular, the following functions are supported: (i) multiplexing of multiple streams in a constant bitrate stream, (ii) synchronization of the streams on decoding, and (iii) decoder buffer management.
In general, digital broadcast networks may carry multiple transport streams. Each transport stream may carry a multiplex of services (programs). Each service may be further composed of service components, which are transported in elementary streams.
For transmitting the coded stream of broadcast data over the broadcast network, the transport stream has a constant bitrate and may include several elementary streams such as audio, video, and data streams. The constant bitrate transport stream comprises fixed size packets carrying the data of the elementary streams and the signaling information necessary for identifying the programs and the program components within the transport stream. Such signaling data includes, for instance, program specific information (PSI) tables enabling the receiver/decoder to demultiplex the elementary streams. For instance, the MPEG transport stream specification defines a program association table (PAT) and a program mapping table (PMT). There is one PAT per transport stream multiplex. PAT provides the correspondence between each program, identified through a program number, and the packets carrying the PMT associated with that program. There is one PMT per program. The PMT provides the mapping between the program and its elementary streams and may contain program and elementary stream descriptors. In addition to the PSI tables defined by the transport stream specifications, further tables are defined by various digital broadcasting standards supporting transport streams. In the DVB family of standards they are referred to as system information (SI) tables. Some system information tables are mandatory in DVB standards, for instance, the network information table (NIT) conveying information regarding the digital broadcast network and the physical organization of the transport streams carried.
FIG. 1 illustrates the format of a transport stream packet 110. The transport stream packet 110 contains a 4-byte header 120 and a 184-byte payload 130. The 4-byte header 120 includes 8 bits for a synchronization sequence 121, one bit for a transport error indicator 122, one bit for a payload unit start indicator 123, one bit for transport priority 124, 13 bits for a packet identifier (PID) 125, 2 bits for transport scrambling control 126, 2 bits for adaptation field control 127, and 4 bits for a continuity counter 128.
The synchronization byte (sync byte) 121 is a fixed sequence of 8 bits with a value "01000111" (0x47). This sequence is used to detect the boundaries between packets in systems that have no other means of signaling them.
The transport error indicator 122 is typically set at the receiver by the demodulator when the error correction mechanism fails in order to indicate to the decoder that the packet is corrupt. The payload unit start indicator 123 indicates that a new packetized elementary stream packet or a PSI/SI table starts in that transport stream packet. The transport priority indicator 124 enables higher and lower priority packets to be distinguished among packets with the same packet identifier (PID).
The PID field 125 identifies the data source of the transport stream packet. Each transport stream packet may only carry data from a single elementary stream or PSI/SI table. Each elementary stream and PSI/SI table is uniquely associated with a PID. Thus, the PID field is used by the decoder to extract the PSI/SI tables and the desired elementary streams from the multiplexed transport stream. The PID values from 0x0000 to 0x000F are reserved. The PID value of 0x1FFF indicates NULL packets. The NULL packets are a special type of stuffing packets, which carry no data but are needed, for instance, for asynchronously multiplexing the elementary streams and PSI/SI tables into a constant-bitrate transport stream.
The transport scrambling control 126 signalizes whether and what kind of scrambling is applied. The adaptation field control 127 indicates whether there is an adaptation field and/or payload in the transport stream packet.
The continuity counter 128 is a transport stream packet sequence number. The value of the continuity counter is incremented for each transport stream packet with the same PID. The transport stream syntax allows the transmission of duplicated packets and the continuity counter enables the identification of such duplicated packets having the same PID by assigning to the duplicated packets the same continuity counter value. Here, the "duplicated packet" means a repetition of a previous packet with the same ID value. The continuity counter counts modulo 16, i.e., it rolls over to zero after reaching its maximum value 15.
In general, digital video broadcast networks may carry multiple transport streams. Each transport stream may carry a multiplex of digital video broadcast services (programs). Each service may be further composed of service components, which are transported in elementary streams wherein an elementary stream is identified by the packet identifier PID. All transport stream packets belonging to the same elementary stream have the same PID value. The broadcast service may be, for instance, a TV program, which may include one or more audio components and one or more video components. The multiple audio components may carry speech in different languages. Alternatively, the multiple audio components and the multiple video components may carry the same audio and video content respectively, but coded with different robustness levels.
The synchronization byte in the transport stream packet header is only transmitted in systems whose underlying layers do not have any means for distinguishing the boundaries between packets. However, in systems where such means are available, such as DVB-T2, the synchronization byte is not transmitted. In some other cases, further signaling fields may become redundant since they can be derived, for instance, from signaling information provided in the lower layers. Transmitting such signaling fields unnecessarily reduces the efficiency of the digital broadcast network.

Transport stream packet header compression

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


A thermoplastic composition comprises a polycarbonate having repeating structural carbonate units of the formula (1):

This disclosure relates to polycarbonate compositions, and in particular to endcapped polycarbonate compositions, methods of manufacture, and uses thereof.
Polycarbonate is a high-performance plastic with good impact strength (ductility). However, polycarbonate often has relatively limited flow properties, which is needed in the manufacture of thin walled articles. Medium to high flow polycarbonate grades suffer from the fact that the low temperature ductility is sacrificed for a better flow. Furthermore, polycarbonate compositions often require the use of flame retardants to find successful use in the manufacture of a variety of articles and components.
A widely used method to increase low temperature impact resistance is the addition of impact modifiers, for example, methacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS) rubbers or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) rubbers, to the polycarbonate compositions. In addition, flame retardants are often added to improve the flame retardant properties of the polycarbonate compositions.
There accordingly remains a need in the art for high flow polycarbonate compositions and articles made from them that are flame retardant.

Thermoplastic compositions, methods of making, and articles formed therefrom

Abstract: wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of R1 groups contain aromatic organic groups and the balance thereof are aliphatic, alicyclic, or aromatic groups; and wherein the polycarbonate comprises terminal groups derived from reaction with a cyanophenol of the formula

Abstract: wherein Y is a halogen, C1-3 alkyl group, C1-3 alkoxy group, C7-12 arylalkyl, C7-12 alkylaryl, or nitro group, y is 0 to 4, and c is 1 to 5, provided that y+c is 1 to 5; optionally a branching agent; an impact modifier; and a flame retardant. The compositions are useful in the manufacture of a wide variety of parts, particularly those having a thin wall.


In a proxy server, variable length URLs are digested and thereby homogenized, such that each URL is converted to a URL fingerprint that has a unique identity and a same fixed size. The URL fingerprint is used to map the URL to a proxy server cache directory structure. A unique file name may also be generated from the URL fingerprint for each URL. The same bits are used in the file name, such that any given file can be remapped later to a directory structure that had been expanded or collapsed, so that the first bits are not unique to a particular hierarchy. A unique cache information file is included in the directory to store document-related information for each other file in the directory for quick access. Accordingly, the invention provides an addressing and cache organization scheme that allows quick access to documents that contain all the relevant information for each of the URLs.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to the exchange of information over an electronic network. More particularly, the invention relates to a proxy server caching mechanism that provides a file directory structure and a mapping mechanism within the file directory structure in an electronic network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern information networks, e.g. the Internet, use servers to store documents. In the World Wide Web (Web), these documents are addressed by uniform resource locators (URLs). URLs specify the protocol by a prefix in the URL, such as http:// for HyperText Transfer Protocol, the host in the Internet where the document is stored, and the address of the document within that host. The Web is thus not a single protocol, but a combination of several protocols united by a common addressing scheme, i.e. the URL.
The tremendous continuing growth of the Web makes it necessary to have intermediate servers which perform caching (store documents locally, such that the documents may be quickly accessed from the local file system, instead of being retransferred again from the original server. Such servers (see, for example A. Luotonen, K. Altis, World wide Web Proxies, Proceedings of First International World-Wide Web Conference, Geneva 1994) are referred to as caching proxy servers, or proxies for short. See, also A. Chakhuntod, P. Danzig, C. Neerdaels, M. Schwartz, K. Worrell, A Hierarchical Internet Object Cache, USENIX 1996 ANNUAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE, http://usenix.org/publications/library/proceedings/sd96/danzig.html). Proxies reduce network load, and shorten response times to the user.
FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of a proxy server 14. When a client 12 requests a new document from the proxy server 14, the proxy server copies the document from the origin server 16 to its local file system in addition to sending the document to the client 12. When another request comes for the same document, the proxy server returns the document from the cache 15 if the cached copy is still up to date. If the proxy server determines that the document may be out of date, it performs an up-to-date check from the remote origin server and refreshes the document, if necessary, before sending it to the client 12.
Within a proxy server, an internal addressing mechanism is necessary to map the URLs to their location in the cache of the proxy server. Historically, the first caching proxy server, the "CERN httpd," mapped the URL directly to a UNIX file system path such that, for example:
http://home.netscape.com/some/file.html would become: PA1 /cache-root/http/home.netscape.com/some/file.html. PA1 The path names for cached files could get extensively long and thus the file itself was time-consuming to located in the file system; PA1 The directory holding the subdirectories corresponding to the second part of the URL (the host names) could get extensively large (i.e. thousands of entries). This is not very efficient in most commonly used operating systems, such as UNIX, because such operating systems must perform a time-consuming sequential searching through the directory to actually locate the desired file; and PA1 The maintenance of such a cache becomes extensively hard because the contents of the cache are location-dependent, and the material at a given location in the cache is not "average." Thus, deciding which files should be kept in the cache and which removed therefrom is difficult. PA1 It is slow to start up the proxy server because it has to load the map file into the memory. Such process typically takes several minutes, thus exacerbating system latency; PA1 It is wasteful of the RAM (main memory of the computer) because such central map file can get very big; and PA1 It is fragile because the entire cache becomes unusable if the map file is lost or damaged.
This, however, was inefficient in several ways, including:
Another caching proxy server, the Harvest Cache Daemon (see A. Chakhuntod, P. Danzig, C. Neerdaels, M. Schwartz, K. Worrell, A Hierarchical Internet Object Cache, ibid.), does not use the URL as part of the mapping scheme, but simply assigns a random file name to each URL, and maintains a central file containing the mappings from URLs to file names. This approach also has limitations, such as for example:
The ability to locate documents in the cache without latency induced by long path names and large directories is very important. There is also another important aspect of the cache design, that is to make it easy to clean up old cache documents that are no longer necessary (i.e. garbage collection).
As described above, the "CERN httpd" proxy server cache has the undesired quality of being very location specific, i.e. each directory could contain entirely different types of documents, and no given directory could be considered "average." For example, some directories might contain only GIF images, whereas others would contain only HTML files (HyperText Markup Language), or Postscript files. Thus, when the "garbage collector" is traversing the cache structure, it is impossible to know beforehand how much data and how many documents are in the cache because the structure of the cache is not known until the cache is entirely traversed. Therefore, it is hard to make effective decisions about which documents should be kept and which should be removed.
It would be advantageous to provide a proxy server cache structure that stores and accesses documents in an optimum manner in a storage hierarchy that is easily managed.

Proxy server caching mechanism that provides a file directory structure and a mapping mechanism within the file directory structure


A sensor-responsive control method for use on a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: measuring a vehicle yaw rate; measuring a vehicle lateral acceleration; responsive to the measured yaw rate and lateral acceleration, estimating a steering wheel angle; determining an error signal responsive to the difference between the estimated steering wheel angle and an adaptive steering position signal; and updating the adaptive steering position signal responsive to the error signal, wherein the adaptive steering position signal is quickly determined after the vehicle begins to move.

Certain chassis control systems for motor vehicles utilize information such as steering wheel position as measured by a steering wheel position sensor. Many known steering wheel position sensors have limited accuracy and thus cannot be used with controls requiring high accuracy steering information. Other steering wheel position sensors have high precision, but no signal indicating when the steering wheel in "on center," that is, there is no signal indicating when the steering wheel is in the position directing the vehicle in a straight line forward direction. There are several reasons for this, including that if a sensor provided with an "on center" signal, once the sensor was installed in the vehicle, the "on center" signal might be inaccurate due to tolerances in the manufacture and/or assembly of the vehicle, or due to changes in the vehicle as the vehicle ages.

Sensor-responsive control method and apparatus


A fixture for use in the final machining operation of the integral bladed rotor (IBR) of a gas turbine engine comprises a rigid ring for surrounding the outer periphery of the IBR and supporting tapered pins that fit into the space between the blades and then molded therein with a plaster or plastic medium for securing the unit to the IBR for enhancing its structural integrity. The method of finishing the airfoils of the IBR includes inserting the pins in alternate spaces and working half of the blade surfaces in the pinless spaces and then removing the pins and inserting pins in the previously worked spaces and then molding the pins in place. The other half of the bladed surface is then worked in the pinless spaces until the airfoils are finally contoured. The unit is removed and heated to melt the residual cast medium to produce the finished product.

As one skilled in the aeronautical art appreciates the integral bladed rotor formed from superalloy materials which sometimes is referred to as a blisk or IBR is a relatively new concept for fabricating axial flow turbine and/or compressor rotors utilized in the gas turbine engines. Heretofore, the blades and disk of the rotors were individually formed and the blades were typically attached to the rim of the disk with a well known dovetail or fir tree root attachment assembly. The IBRs are formed by forging the blades and disk into a rough finished form and machining the airfoil of the blades in the final configuration. The blades of the IBR are either forged integrally with the disk or the blades are metallurgically bonded to the disk.
Examples of methods of fabricating and repairing IBRs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,273 granted to Miller et al on Oct. 30, 1984 and entitled "Process For Fabricating Integrally Bladed Bimettallic Rotors", U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,583 granted to Jenkel et al on May 19, 1992 entitled "Integrally Bladed Rotor Fabrication" and U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,606 granted to DeMichael et al on May 5, 1992, all being assigned to the assignee common to this patent application and being incorporated herein by reference.
Whether the blades and disks are integrally formed or the blades are metallurgically attached to the disk or for that matter regardless of the method of forming the IBR into the rough or unfinished form, problems have arisen during the final machining operation. Namely, because of the metal utilized and the thinness, of the airfoil section of the blades, the structure has the propensity of flexing in the machining process. Typically, the airfoils are machined to the final configuration by a computerized milling machine. The cutting tool or tools in a multiple cutting operation exert a force on the blades being machined which has a tendency of causing the blades to deflect. This deflection is acerbated when the cutter(s) moves in a radially outward direction. Obviously, any deflection during the machining operation will adversely affect the final dimensions of the airfoil and consequently, the tolerances required are adversely affected. It is imperative that the tolerances of these engine components, particularly when used in aircraft powered by gas turbine engines, are held to a minimum.
It is well known and common practice for these machining operation to cast into the cavity or spaces between each of the blades a low temperature casting material such as a plaster or plastic to add rigidity to the blades and reduce and minimize the deflection of the airfoils during the machining process. While this practice is acceptable in certain applications it is not acceptable in the gas turbine engine applications.
This invention obviates the problems alluded to in the above paragraphs by incorporating a fixture that enhances the rigidity of the airfoils and hence, minimizes or eliminates the deflections heretofore occasioned by the finished machining operation. A ring fixture surrounding and spaced from the tips of the airfoil is fitted with a plurality of circumferentially spaced pins that are inserted into the space between blades. A suitable plaster or plastic material is cast into the space and the combination of the ring, pins and cast material adequately support the rotor during the final cutting of the airfoil configuration. In accordance with the method taught in this invention, the pins are discretely formed with a large diameter head, a threaded shank portion and a tapered shank portion. The pin is secured to the ring and the tapered shank is embedded into the cast material. Alternate spaces are outfitted with the pins in preparation of the first machining operation. The cast material is poured between all of the blades and then cured. The entire assembly including the hardened cast material and the ring/pin arrangement are then mounted on the milling machine for the cutting of the surfaces of the airfoil where no pins are located. The pins are then removed and pins are installed in between blades. The unit is then casted with a plastic or plaster medium, curd so that the solidfified medium supports the fixture to the IBR and then returned to the milling machine where the remaining airfoil surfaces are cut to the final configuration. The fixture and rotor with the finished machined airfoils are removed from the cutting machine and heated to a temperature to melt the cast material which inherently releases the pins and the fixture from the IBR.
In an actual test of machining the IBR into its final configuration by utilizing this invention, it was found that an IBR made from a titanium alloy allowed the machining operation to feed at 5.25 inches per minute (ipm) in the machining operation. The feed rate of the heretofore machining operation was 3.0 ipm. This resulted in a 75% increase in feed rate. The machining of the finished IBR required 168 hours which was a 11.2% reduction in time. Obviously, this resulted in a considerable savings in machining time. Using a shop rate at $100 an hour, the use of this invention compared to heretofore known methods resulted in a savings of $16,800.00 per IBR. Also, of importance, was the fact that the structural integrity during the machining operation remained in tact so that the end product achieved its specified tolerances.


A method of optimally filling a through via within a through wafer via structure with a conductive metal such as, for example, W is provided. The inventive method includes providing a structure including a substrate having at least one aperture at least partially formed through the substrate. The at least one aperture of the structure has an aspect ratio of at least 20:1 or greater. Next, a refractory metal-containing liner such as, for example, Ti/TiN, is formed on bare sidewalls of the substrate within the at least one aperture. A conductive metal seed layer is then formed on the refractory metal-containing liner. In the invention, the conductive metal seed layer formed is enriched with silicon and has a grain size of about 5 nm or less. Next, a conductive metal nucleation layer is formed on the conductive metal seed layer. The conductive metal nucleation layer is also enriched with silicon and has a grain size of about 20 nm or greater. Next, a conductive metal is formed on the conductive metal nucleation layer. After performing the above processing steps, a backside planarization process is performed to convert the at least one aperture into at least one through via that is now optimally filled with a conductive metal.

Microelectronic structures, and in particular semiconductor structures, include microelectronic devices such as semiconductor devices. The microelectronic devices are located and formed over a microelectronic substrate, such as a semiconductor substrate. The microelectronic devices are connected and interconnected using patterned conductor layers that are separated by dielectric layers.
In addition to the connection and interconnection of microelectronic devices within a microelectronic structure while using patterned conductor layers that are separated by dielectric layers, microelectronic structures, and in particular semiconductor structures, also frequently use through wafer (or substrate) via structures that provide an electrical connection from a top side to a bottom side of a microelectronic substrate, such as a semiconductor substrate.
Through wafer vias when used within microelectronic substrates may serve functions that include, but are not necessarily limited to, microelectronic substrate grounding functions and microelectronic substrate electrical biasing functions.
While through wafer vias within microelectronic substrates serve valuable functions, through wafer vias within microelectronic substrates are not entirely without problems. In particular, through wafer vias are often difficult to efficiently fabricate and effectively fill with a comparatively narrow linewidth (i.e., in a range from about 5 to about 0.1 microns), while substantially or completely penetrating through a microelectronic substrate having an increased thickness.
Various aspects of vias in general, potentially including but not limited to through wafer vias, are known in the microelectronic fabrication art.
For example, Jang et al., in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001/0007797, teaches a method for forming a tungsten via over a titanium containing barrier layer within a contact aperture to form a contact structure within a semiconductor structure absent delamination of the contact structure. The method includes forming and annealing a tungsten seed layer, while using a fluorine containing source gas, over the titanium containing barrier layer prior to forming the tungsten via over the titanium containing barrier layer.
In addition, Lim in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0115929, teaches a method for forming a tungsten via within a contact aperture within a semiconductor structure with enhanced step coverage. The method includes first forming within the contact aperture a tungsten nitride barrier layer while using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method.
Further, Nishimura et al., in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0023702, teaches a method for forming a tungsten via within a contact aperture within a semiconductor structure, absent a void within the tungsten via. The method includes a two-step deposition of the tungsten via, where the crystal grains within the tungsten deposited within the first step are 30 nm or less.
Still further, Ogasawara et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,109, teaches a method for forming a tungsten via within an aperture within a semiconductor structure with comparatively low resistance and high reliability. The method includes treating the aperture with a fluorine containing gas prior to filling the aperture with the tungsten via.
Still yet further, An, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0046456, teaches a dual damascene method for forming a dual damascene structure with enhanced performance within a semiconductor structure. The dual damascene structure includes a tungsten via within a via portion of the dual damascene structure and a copper interconnect within an interconnect portion of the dual damascene aperture.
Yet still further, Tanaka, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0046457, teaches a method for forming a tungsten via within an aperture within a semiconductor structure. The method uses a post deposition purge of fluorine from a tungsten via deposited using a tungsten fluoride deposition material.
In addition, Jung et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,601, teaches a method for forming a tungsten via within an aperture within a semiconductor structure absent of defects. The method uses a barrier layer comprising a tungsten-silicon-nitride material deposited prior to the tungsten via.
Finally, Zhu et al., in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0252252, teaches a method for forming a contact layer contacting a tungsten via with enhanced performance within a semiconductor structure. The method provides for first cleaning a tungsten oxide from the tungsten via prior to forming the contact layer contacting the tungsten via.
The use of through wafer vias is likely to be of continued prominence and importance as microelectronic device and microelectronic structure dimensions decrease, and as microelectronic circuit functionality and performance requirements increase. To that end, desirable are through wafer via structures having enhanced performance, and methods for fabricating those through wafer via structures. In particular, there is a need for providing a method that can be used to optimally fill through wafer via structures with a conductive metal, such as tungsten, W, while retaining excellent conductive metal to dielectric adhesion.

Optimal tungsten through wafer via and process of fabricating same

International Business Machines Corporation


An parametric speech codec; such as a CELP, RELP, or VSELP codec; is integrated with an echo canceler to provide the functions of parametric speech encoding, decoding, and echo cancellation in a single unit. The echo canceler includes a convolution processor or transversal filter that is connected to receive the synthesized parametric components, or codebook basis functions, of respective send and receive signals being decoded and encoded by respective decoding and encoding processors. The convolution processor produces and estimated echo signal for subtraction from the send signal. In order to process the synthesized parametric components having distinct basis functions in the convolution processor, conversion means are provided for providing the receive-side parametric component to the processor, or for providing the estimated echo signal, in terms of the send-side parameter. Plural convolution processors are provided for processing respective parametric components of the desired coding scheme.

A desirable objective in the operation of a digital telecommunication network is to reduce the bit rate required to transmit speech signals. In a typical telephone network, speech signals are limited to a band of frequencies that is about 4 kHz wide. In order to digitally encode such speech signals, a sampling rate of 8 kHz is required by the Nyquist criterion. For acceptable fidelity, a resolution of about 16 bits per sample is required. Thus, a bit rate of about 128 kb/s would be needed to digitize telephonic speech.
In order to provide a maximum number of speech channels that can be transmitted through a band-limited medium, considerable efforts have been made to reduce the bit rate allocated to each channel. For example, by using a logarithmic quantization scale, such as in .mu.-Law PCM encoding, high quality speech can be encoded and transmitted at 64 kb/s. One variation of such an encoding method, adaptive .mu.-Law PCM (ADPCM) encoding, can reduce the required bit rate to 32 kb/s.
Further advances in speech coding have exploited characteristic properties of speech signals and of human auditory perception in order to reduce the quantity of data that needs to be transmitted in order to acceptably reproduce an input speech signal at a remote location for perception by a human listener. For example, a voiced speech signal such as a vowel sound is characterized by a highly regular short-term wave form (having a period of about 10 ms) which changes its shape relatively slowly. Such speech can be viewed as consisting of an excitation signal (i.e., the vibratory action of vocal chords) that is modified by a combination of time varying filters (i.e., the changing shape of the vocal tract and mouth of the speaker). Hence, coding schemes have been developed wherein an encoder transmits data identifying one of several predetermined excitation signals and one or more modifying filter coefficients, rather than a direct digital representation of the speech signal. At the receiving end, a decoder interprets the transmitted data in order to synthesize a speech signal for the remote listener. In general, such speech coding systems are referred to as a parametric coders, since the transmitted data represents a parametric description of the original speech signal.
Parametric speech coders can achieve bit rates of approximately 8-16 kb/s, which is a considerable improvement over PCM or ADPCM. In one class of speech coders, code-excited linear predictive (CELP) coders, the parameters describing the speech are established by an analysis-by-synthesis process. In essence, one or more excitation signals are selected from among a finite number of excitation signals; a synthetic speech signal is generated by combining the excitation signals; the synthetic speech is compared to the actual speech; and the selection of excitation signals is iteratively updated on the basis of the comparison to achieve a "best match" to the original speech on a continuous basis. Such coders are also known as stochastic coders or vector-excited speech coders.
Telecommunication signals are typically subjected to other signal processing functions in addition to speech coding. One such function is echo cancellation. In an echo canceler, an adaptive transversal filter is provided for estimating the impulse response of an echo path between a received signal and a transmitted signal. The received signal is convolved with the estimated impulse response to provide an estimated echo signal. The estimated echo signal is then subtracted from the transmitted signal to remove the echo component of the original transmitted signal.
When echo cancellation is performed in conjunction with speech coding, the performance of echo cancellation is impaired by the mismatch, at any given moment, between the excitation signals characterizing the encoded near-end speech and the excitation signals characterizing the far-end speech. While PCM-based echo cancelers can achieve an echo return loss enhancement of 30 dB or more, the use of CELP coding can reduce the performance of the canceler to an echo return loss enhancement of about 20 dB or less. One reason for such reduction in performance is that the estimated echo signal is determined as a function of the received signal, which is expressed in terms of the far-end excitation signal selected by the far-end CELP coder. The estimated echo signal is then subtracted from the transmitted signal, which, in turn, is based upon the current near-end excitation signal selected by the near-end CELP coder. Hence, the resulting echo-canceled signal will include a noise component attributable to differences between the near-end and far-end excitation signals.


A method for preparing a specimen block for TEM analysis that uses target point breaking of an original specimen block into two separate blocks with one block containing the point targeted for analysis. Hence, over-polishing can be avoided and polishing time is saved. Furthermore, polishing is carried out by sandwiching the specimen block between sacrificial blocks supported by polish-resistant blocks below. With the polish-resistant blocks acting as a polishing stop layer, a fixed thickness instead of variable thickness will remain after the specimen is polished.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of shaping a specimen block with cutting and grinding operations. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of shaping a specimen block with cutting and grinding operations so that the specimen block is ready for observation in a transmission electron microscope (TEM).
2. Description of Related Art
In analyzing the failure of VLSI device, cross-sectional analysis of a particular target point is an effective technique. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a convenient tool for observing the cross-section of a target point. However, because the SEM has a poor resolution for high-density materials, the SEM is now being replaced by a transmission electron microscope (TEM) as the means of performing failure analysis ever since the semiconductor manufacturing industry has shifted towards producing more ULSI devices. As the popularity of the TEM increase, convenient methods for preparing a specimen block of suitable thickness for observation have become an important issue. A specimen must have a thickness smaller than 0.25 .mu.m before it is transparent enough for TEM observation. Therefore, a focus on ion beam (FIB) method has been developed for removing additional material from the cutout block so that a very thin section is obtained. FIG. 1 shows the ultimate shape of a specimen for TEM observation after a series of preparatory steps. The method of preparation includes first cutting out a specimen block 100 from a marked portion of the wafer. The specimen block 100 has a thickness d of about 30 .mu.m. Next, the specimen block 100 is further ground in a top-down direction 102 using a focused ion beam so that the marked portion 104 of the specimen has a very thin section. Now, the marked section 104 can be observed using a TEM from a direction 106.
FIGS. 2A through 2G are a series of views showing a conventional method of preparing a specimen block, wherein the cross-mark contains a portion of the defective device that needs to be observed by a TEM. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, a laser is used to form a mark 202 locating the position of a failed device on a specimen block 200. The mark 202 is the so-called target point 202. Next, the specimen block 200 is ground, starting from one end 204 of the specimen block 200. The grinding only stops when the surface has come within 30 .mu.m of the target point 202 as shown in FIG. 2B. Due the lack of any labels for assessing distance from the target point, the grinding machine has to be stopped frequently, especially near the end of the grinding operation. Therefore, if one is not careful enough, over-grinding can easily occur leading to destruction of the target point 202.
Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, the final specimen block 200 as shown in FIG. 2B is placed on a jig 206. The jig 206 is made by attaching the backs of two unwanted wafer chips 206a and 206b together. The specimen block 200 is placed on the exposed surface of the wafer chip 206a. The location of the target point 202 must not be too far away from the end 204 as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2D so as to avoid the possibility of breaking the target point 202. Next, as show in FIG. 2E, the specimen block 200 and the wafer chip 206a are simultaneously ground in a direction 207 so that a portion of the unwanted specimen block 200 is removed. The wafer chip 206a of the jig is a sacrificial material. Finally, a specimen block 200 having a thickness of about 30 .mu.m is obtained. Thereafter, the specimen block 200 is placed on a copper grid 208 as shown in FIG. 2F, and then the copper grid 208 is placed on a base block 210 as shown in FIG. 2G. The specimen block 200 is further ground by a focused ion beam 212 so that the target point 202 becomes a very thin section similar to the one shown in FIG. 1. Now, the specimen block 200 is ready for observation by a TEM from direction 214.
In the above procedure of cutting and grinding to obtain a specimen block, over-polishing of the specimen can easily happen, resulting in a damaged target point. This is because polishing thickness is difficult to control. On the other hand, if the specimen block is only polished a little to avoid damaging the target point, the specimen block will be too thick for the focused ion beam to operate. Therefore, the processing time for the focused ion beam will be considerable.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need to improve the method of preparing specimen blocks.

Specimen block preparation for TEM analysis


An equipment module, a module retention device, as well as a system and a method for mounting equipment modules are disclosed. The modules can be installed without tools, using the retention device. Each module includes a chassis unit which slides into a unit rack, which is in turn attached to a mounting frame. The entire assembly may be mounted to an instrument panel. The module retention device is attached to the chassis unit, typically engaging a slot on the rack. A rotating fastener secures the retention device in the engaged position. The method includes inserting an electronic module into the open end of a unit rack, sliding an engagement lug attached to a cam lever into engagement with a slot on the rack, electrically coupling a connector on the module with a connector on the rack, and attaching the rack to the mounting frame.

Electronic equipment and devices in general can be incorporated into increasingly smaller packages. In the aviation industry, instrumentation and other electronic equipment operates in an increasingly integrated and autonomous fashion. Such equipment, termed "avionics", or the electronic instrumentation devices used in an aviation setting, including electronic sensors, communications equipment, navigation equipment, and displays, is therefore also subject to trends in miniaturization and integration, as used in aircraft of all sizes.
Pricing of electronic equipment for aircraft is competitive, and not all aircraft require the same combination of instrumentation options. To lower costs and increase the number of end user options, more flexibility in avionic equipment is needed. In response to the need for flexibility, avionics have moved toward modular installations. For example, a communication system, a transponder, and a navigation system can each be manufactured as separate modules, which are individually selected for an aircraft based on cost and the needs of the particular application. Modular designs are individually replaceable, which facilitates aftermarket upgrades, and inexpensive replacement/repair operations.
Because of the limited space available on any given aircraft, designers and manufacturers tend to locate avionics modules in areas of the aircraft where space is at less of a premium. Areas commonly used for avionics installation include the rear of the aircraft, or the nose compartment. Because the pilot or other operator is typically located remotely from the modules, controls and data displays for the modules mounted to the aircraft instrument panel must typically be linked to the operator through various communications media, such as wires, fiber optics, and the like.
Space constraints are eased by locating electronic modules in remote areas of the aircraft. However, such locations make installation, repair, and replacement more difficult, and more expensive. Additionally, when avionics modules are located remotely from the aircraft instrument panel, longer communication lines are needed to exchange data and commands with the operator in the cockpit. Longer communication lines increase the difficulty of installation, as well as the risk of communication line failure due to vibration, physical movement, and other factors.
In some aircraft, the avionics modules are mounted directly to the instrument panel, with displays and controls located on the front of the module, similar to the way stereo equipment is installed in an automobile. Such configurations reduce problems due to long communication lines, however, other limitations arise.
When avionics modules are mounted directly to the instrument panel, space considerations become more significant due to the presence of aircraft controls directly behind the panel, such as yoke controls and ventilation ducts, for example. Displays and controls for the modules must also be located in a relatively limited space below the top of the instrument panel, so as not to impair the pilot's vision. Additionally, other items mounted to the instrument panel must be avoided when mounting displays and controls. Thus, fitting a group of modules, displays, and controls within a given area on the instrument panel requires a flexibility in mounting configurations that is lacking in current designs.
Another difficulty is encountered when electronic equipment contained within avionics modules requires repair/replacement. Each avionics module is typically of a different size and shape, and involves a different mounting apparatus. The technician is never sure of what he will find until viewing the aircraft in person, and even then, it is almost guaranteed that removing modules will be a time-consuming, labor-intensive process. Usually, several fasteners must be removed, cables re-routed, and other modules may also need removal to access desired portions of the particular module in need of repair.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for apparatus, modules, methods, and systems which lend themselves to facilitating repair and replacement of electric equipment modules, such as the avionics modules used in aircraft. A mounting approach for these modules which requires no special tools would be especially valuable. Such an approach should also provide enhanced mounting system consistency, and flexibility with respect to locating displays and controls associated with various modules.

Electronic equipment module mounting apparatus and method


A mattress including a core foam layer having a first indentation force deflection at twenty five percent compression, a first density and a first thickness. The top outer foam layer has a second indentation force deflection at twenty five percent compression, a second density and a second thickness. The first intermediate foam layer is intermediate and coextensive with the core layer and the top outer layer, and has a third indentation force deflection at twenty five percent compression, a third density and a third intermediate thickness. The first indentation force deflection is greater than the third indentation force deflection and the third indentation force deflection is greater than the second indentation force deflection.

Approximately 400 billion dollars is spent each year in treatment of back pain and sleep disorders. Of the top 100 physician prescribed and over the counter medications 75 are for spine and muscle pain or inflammation and for muscle tension or sleep disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control, anti-inflammatories, anti-spasmodic muscle relaxants and sleep inducing sedatives are responsible for over 100,000 deaths from overdose each year. It is widely believed that these medicines and related deaths can be reduced significantly if improved posture, alignment, sleep quality and fitness were improved. Since twenty five to forty percent of our lives are spent in bed (6-9.6 hours), there is a need for a mattress or Body Support Apparatus that provides softness for desirable comfort while at the same time provides necessary firmness for proper support.
Many types of mattresses, cushions and other therapeutic pads have been developed to treat back pain and poor sleep by attempting to provide both comfort and support for the user and spine with a variety of systems. One such system uses steel springs. A shortfall created by springs is that they create zones of pressure relief with points of peak pressure where the springs meet the user's body. Elaborate attempts to cover up the springs with overlays, padding, ticking, gels, water, foam and multiple layers of additional material have been attempted. However, spring-based mattresses are generally uncomfortable, costly, noisy, heavy or fragile. Another type of mattress is the air mattress. One such embodiment has an air pump necessary to maintain pressure and or to change the firmness of the mattress by adding or removing air. One short fall of such a system is that as pressure is decreased for comfort, support is lost. Alternately, if more support is desired, comfort is lost as the mattress fills with air and becomes harder.
Other mattresses use water, gels, foam or combinations of each in attempt to achieve optimal comfort and support. Foam mattresses include those made from latex (rubber) and polyurethane (petroleum) and viscoelastic (chemically altered polyurethane) being one of the most popular at this time. Viscoelastic mattresses tend to be highly conforming. Viscoelastic foams also retain much body heat, are highly conforming, may have strong off-gassing, fluctuate in resiliency with changes in ambient temperature and are relatively heavy and expensive. Latex mattresses are highly resilient but lack support and are expensive.
Foam is generally available in a range of resiliencies, weights (Density) and Thicknesses (Layer height). The Polyurethane Foam Association's (PFA) Section 4 defines the support characteristics of foam on an Indention Force Deflection (IFD) scale. This scale grades or rates the support characteristics of foam. In particular Section 4.2.2 defines the general standard by which indentation force deflection is measured.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Tension relieving body support apparatus


An electromagnetic stirring device of melted metallic materials inside a cooling chamber of a casting machine having a retaining body of induction coils that is a body composed of at least two reciprocally different portions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic stirring device (1) of melted metallic material inside a cooling chamber (30) of a casting machine (18) according to the characteristics of the pre-characterizing part of claim 1.
This invention relates also to a casting machine (18) according to the characteristics of the pre-characterizing part of claim 17.
The present invention also relates to a casting process for the production of metallic material bars (16) according to the characteristics of the pre-characterizing part of claim 20.
Definitions
Herein description and in the appended claims the following terms must be intended according to the definitions given in the following.
With the expression "metallic bar" it is intended to include all types of products of a casting machine, e.g. billets, blooms or flat blooms with different shapes in section e.g. with square, rectangular, round, polygonal section.
With the expression "casting machine" it is intended to include both vertical casting machines and casting machines provided with bending.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
In the field of the execution of continuous casting plants of metallic materials, in general steels and metallic alloys, the recourse to electromagnetic stirring devices of the melted metallic material generally known with the name of stirrers, is known.
The stirrer produces a magnetic field generating a force inside the die or mould within which there is the melted metallic material inducing a rotating flow inside the melted bath obtaining a stirring effect of the same. In the die or mould occurs the cooling of the surface or skin of the metal bar that is generated in the die itself and, in correspondence with the outlet of the metal bar from the die or mould, it presents a solidified perimetrical zone or shell having a 10-30 mm thickness inside which there is a nucleus in which the metallic material is still at the melted state and that is progressively solidified when the metallic bar advances within a cooling chamber of the casting machine in which it is subject to the action of cooling groups that in general consist of sets of water sprayers. Applications of the stirrers both in correspondence with the die or mould within which the introduction of the melted metallic material occurs and applications of the stirrer at the cooling chamber of the casting machine to obtain qualitative improvements of the metallic bar structure to reduce the occurrence of deficiencies during the solidifying phase are known. The stirrer consists of a housing inside which some electrical windings are placed for the passage of the current that induces the electromagnetic stirring field and the housing presents an open duct within which the incandescent metallic bar in the formation process passes. For example the recourse to the stirrers contributes to reduce inclusions and surface and subcutaneous blowholes, cracks, porosity, segregation and contributes to improve the solidifying structures.
The prior art stirrers are usually mounted in fixed position determined on the basis of the characteristics of the casting machine and of the process according to a solution of compromise between the optimal different positions that would be required according to the process variations and to the sections of the cast metallic bars.
The Patent Application EP 2127783 A1 describes an electromagnetic stirrer that is intended to be installed around the steel discharger from the tundish to the mould of a continuous casting machine, in which the electromagnetic stirrer including a nucleus composed of two different circumferential portions around which a plurality of windings is wound.
The Patent Application US 2008/164004 A1 describes an electromagnetic stirrer that is intended to be installed along different billet portions in the process of production in a continuous casting machine.


The method and apparatus provides a parity bit for every m multiples of b bits, a group of b bits being the smallest number of bits that can be manipulated by the CPU. The parity bit is computed for the entire m x b bits during a write operation, even if only a subset of the m multiples of b bits is being stored. The write operation is implemented as a read-modify-write operation of the entire m x b bits, with parity error reporting suppressed for the read portion of the operation. However, the parity bit is set factoring in whether a parity error is detected during the read portion of the operation. The parity bit for the entire m x b bits is checked during a read operation, even if only a subset of the m multiples of b bits is needed. Any detected parity error is reported to the CPU. As a result, hardware cost is substantially reduced with minimal degradation to data integrity. Furthermore, the method and apparatus is completely transparent to the CPU and the operating system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of computer systems. More particularly, the present invention is a method and apparatus for providing non-atomic level parity protection for storing data in a random access memory.
2. Art Background
Traditionally, the smallest amount of data stored in the random access memory (RAM) 16 that can be manipulated directly by the central processing unit (CPU) (not shown) of a computer system 10, is a byte, i.e. eight bits, 22a, 22b, 22c or 22d (FIG. 1a), even though there are machine instructions available for a programmer to read or write in bytes, half-words, i.e. two bytes, full-words, i.e. four bytes, or double-words, i.e. eight bytes. That is why, typically parity protection provided for storing data in the RAM 16 is provided at this atomic level, i.e. the byte level. An additional ninth bit, 24a, 24b, 24c, or 24d is provided for every byte 22a, 22b, 22c, or 22d, to be used as the parity bit. Thus, for a "thirty-two bit computer system", the data path 18 between the RAM 16 and the RAM controller 14 is typical thirty-six bits, even though the four parity bits 24a, 24b, 24c, or 24d are not accessible to the user.
The parity bit of each byte is set or reset by the random access memory controller during each write operation. Typically the RAM controller receives the data from the CPU, block 32 (FIG. 1b). The RAM controller determines which byte or bytes need to be written, block 34. The RAM controller then generates the corresponding parity bits for the bytes to be written, block 36. Each parity bit is set or reset so that the total number of 1 bits for each byte is always odd or even, depending on whether odd parity or even parity is used by the computer system. After generating the parity bits, the RAM controller writes the appropriate byte or bytes into the RAM along with their parity bits, block 38.
The parity bit in turn is checked by the RAM controller during each read operation. Typically, the RAM controller retrieves the whole word from the RAM, block 42 (FIG. 1c). The RAM controller determines which byte or bytes are being fetched 44 and returns only what is needed to the CPU 46. At the same time, the RAM controller checks the parity bit of each byte being returned for error 48, and reports the parity error to the CPU 49 if detected.
The traditional way of providing parity protection is costly, particularly in terms of hardware space for microcomputers. One ninth of the random access memory is used for parity protection. As will be discussed, the present invention overcomes the disadvantage of the prior art and provides a method and apparatus for providing non-atomic level parity protection for storing data in random access memory.

Method and apparatus for non-atomic level parity protection for storing data in a random access memory


A basement vent includes a frame and a screened opening. A plurality of louvers cover said frame. The louvers each include tabs which slide within slots in the frame. The tabs each include a detent section that permit the louvers to be held in an open position for use in the summer months and permit the louvers to be closed during the winter months.

It is a common practice for buildings with subgrade level, enclosed spaces such as crawl spaces and/or basements to provide venting. This permits moisture to escape from the basement during warm summer months. However, it is generally unnecessary to vent these spaces during the colder winter months when the air is dryer and less moisture is seeping into the basement. Accordingly, it is preferable to close off these vents during the winter months.
To close off vents for the winter, it is generally necessary to place a cover over the vent opening. Although this is not particularly difficult, it is very easy to lose the cover. Even if the vent cover is not lost, one must store it while not in use. Also, it does generally take more time than desired to cover the vent and subsequently uncover it during the summer months.


A video decoding apparatus according to one aspect of the disclosure performs a decoding process, on a process block basis, using a motion vector of the process block and prediction information candidates of the motion vector. The video decoding apparatus includes a first prediction information candidate generating part configured to acquire the prediction information of the adjacent block to generate the prediction information candidate if motion compensation of the block is performed using the same prediction information as the prediction information of the adjacent block; and a second prediction information candidate generating part configured to add prediction information to the prediction information candidates if the number of the prediction information candidates is less than a predetermined number and two prediction information items of the prediction information candidates have the reference picture identifiers indicating the same picture, the added prediction information including an averaged motion vector of two motion vectors.

A recent video coding technique achieves high compression rate by dividing an image into plural blocks, predicting pixels included in the blocks and encoding the predicted differentials. A prediction mode in which prediction pixels are generated from pixels in a picture to be encoded is referred to as an intra prediction, and a prediction mode in which prediction pixels are generated from a reference image called motion compensation which was encoded in the past is referred to as an inter prediction.
In the video coding apparatus, to perform the inter prediction, a region which is referred to as prediction pixels is expressed by a motion vector which is two-dimensional data with a horizontal component and a vertical component, and the motion vector and predicted differential data of the pixels are coded. In order to reduce a code amount of the motion vector, a prediction vector is generated based on the motion vector of a block which is adjacent to a block to be coded, and a differential vector between the motion vector and the prediction vector is coded. Because an allocation is performed such that the smaller the differential vector is, the smaller the code amount is allocated, it is possible to reduce the code amount of the motion vector and improve coding efficiency.
Further, in general, there are many cases where a motion of a certain block is completely the same as those of its adjacent blocks. For this reason, it is also possible to reduce the code amount of the motion vector by using the motion vector of the adjacent block as the prediction vector, regarding the differential vector as 0 to inherit it as it is, and encoding index information which indicates the adjacent block whose motion vector is inherited.
The video decoding apparatus determines the same prediction vector as the video coding apparatus for the respective blocks, and adds the coded differential vector to the prediction vector to decode the motion vector. For this reason, the video coding apparatus and the video decoding apparatus have the same motion vector predicting part.
In the video decoding apparatus, in general, the respective blocks are decoded in a raster scan or a z-scan from the upper left to the lower right of the image. For this reason, the motion vectors which may be utilized for prediction by the motion vector predicting parts of the video coding apparatus and the video decoding apparatus are motion vectors of the blocks which are adjacent to a process block at left and upper sides of the process block and have already been decoded when the video decoding apparatus decodes the process block.
Further, according to MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)-4 AVC/H.264 (also referred to as H.264, hereinafter), there is a case where the prediction vector is determined using the motion vector of the reference picture which was subject to the coding process and the decoding process in past instead of the picture to be processed.
Known techniques for determining the prediction vector include HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) which ISO/IEC and ITU-T are aiming at standardization in cooperation. Further, HM Software (version 4.0) is known as reference software.
In the following, an overview of HEVC is described. According HEVC, there are two lists L0 and L1 as a list of referable pictures (also referred to as reference picture lists). For the respective blocks, with the motion vectors corresponding to L0 and L1, a maximum of two reference picture regions can be used for the inter prediction.
In general, L0 and L1 correspond to directions of display time. L0 is a reference list of the past pictures with respect to the picture to be processed. L1 is a reference list of future pictures. The respective entries of the reference picture list have information including stored locations of the corresponding image data and display time information of POC (Picture Order Count) values of the corresponding pictures.
POC is represented by an integer value which indicates display order of the respective pictures and relative display times. Assuming the display time of the picture whose POC value becomes 0 is 0, the display time of a certain picture can be expressed by multiples of the POC value of the picture by a constant.
For example, when a display frequency of a frame is fr (Hz), the display time of the picture whose POC value is p is given by an equation (1). Thus, POC can be regarded as a display time using a certain constant as a unit.Display time=p×(fr/2)  equation (1)
If there are two or more entries of a reference picture list, the respective motion vectors specify which reference picture is to be referred to by an index number (also referred to as reference index) in the reference picture list. In particular, if the number of the entries of a reference picture list is only one, the reference index of the motion vector corresponding to the list is automatically 0th, and thus it is not necessary to explicitly specify the reference index.
In other word, the motion vector of the block includes an L0/L1 list identifier, the reference index, and vector data (Vx, Vy). The reference picture is specified by the L0/L1 list identifier and the reference index. The region in the reference picture is specified by the (Vx, Vy). Vx and Vy are the difference between coordinates of the reference region and the coordinates of the process block (also referred to as the current block) in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. For example, Vx and Vy are expressed in units of one-fourth pixels. The L0/L1 list identifier and the reference index are referred to as a reference picture identifier, (Vx, Vy) is referred to as vector data, and (0, 0) is referred to as a zero vector.
A merge mode according to HEVC is described. At first, a way of determining the merge mode according to HEVC is described. According to HEVC, a way of determining the prediction vector has two modes which are referred to as a merge mode and a MVP mode, respectively. In the following, the merge mode in particular is described.
According to the merge mode, a set of prediction information which blocks adjacent to the process block in a spatial direction or a time direction have, is used as it is. The set of prediction information includes a prediction flag which indicates whether L0 is valid and whether L1 is valid, the respective indexes of L0 and L1, and the motion vectors of L0 and L1.
If the prediction flag of L0 is valid and the prediction flag of L1 is invalid, it means uni-prediction of L0. If the prediction flag of L0 is invalid and the prediction flag of L1 is valid, it means uni-prediction of L1. If the prediction flag of L0 and the prediction flag of L1 are valid, it means bi-prediction.
Further, if the prediction flag of L0 and the prediction flag of L1 are invalid, it means the block of the intra prediction. Alternatively, instead of using the prediction flag, if the reference picture identifier is the reference index out of the range of the reference picture list, it may express an invalid status, and if the reference picture identifier is the reference index within the range of the reference picture list, it may express a valid status.
A candidate list of the prediction information (also referred to as a prediction information candidate list, hereinafter) is generated. The index in the candidate list designates which prediction information is to be used. Thus, the motion compensation of the process blocks can be performed using the same prediction information as that of the adjacent blocks. Therefore, without coding the motion vector, etc., only by coding the index in the list, the prediction information used for the process block can be sent to the decoding apparatus, thereby reducing the code amount. A flag called merge flag indicates whether the merge mode is valid, and index information called a merge index indicates the index in the prediction information candidate list.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for illustrating an example of a positional relationship between the process block and adjacent blocks. The adjacent blocks are adjacent to the process block in a spatial direction or a time direction. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the blocks A0, A1, B0, B1 and B2 are included in the same picture as the process block and are adjacent to the process block in a spatial direction. The block Col is included in the picture which was previously processed and is adjacent to the process block in a spatial direction.
According to HM4, among these adjacent blocks, the candidates are listed up to five as the prediction information candidate list. If there is the intra prediction block among the adjacent blocks, the intra prediction block is not included in the prediction information candidate list. Further, if there are plural prediction information items whose reference picture identifiers and vector information, etc., are all the same, these duplicated prediction information items are deleted because of redundancy.
The deletion of the redundant candidates causes the change of the number of the candidates, leading to the change in a way of allocating the codes. FIG. 2 is a diagram for illustrating an example of allocating the codes according to the number of the candidates. As illustrated in FIG. 2, if the number of the candidates is reduced from "5" to "3", the allocated codes and bit numbers are changed.
At that time, it is assumed that there is an error in a predetermined picture because of the data break, etc., and the vector values are not correctly decoded. In this case, even a picture, which refers to the block of the predetermined picture as the Col picture which is adjacent in a time direction, cannot have the adjacent vector values correctly decoded.
Thus, a mismatch occurs by deleting the redundant candidates in the coder and the decoder, as the number of the candidates differs between the coder and the decoder. For this reason, even the picture which uses an error occurring picture as the Col picture has a mismatch of the number of the candidates, and the data cannot be correctly decoded from the block for which the index is not correctly decoded. In this way, the error is propagated. Thus, it is desirable to fix the number of the candidates and not to change the way of allocating the codes, or derive only from the coding information of the picture.
However, if the number of the candidates is fixed and the valid number of the candidates of the prediction information candidate list is less than a predetermined number of the candidates, and the codes are allocated using the predetermined number as a maximum number, the code is also allocated to an invalid useless index, which causes the redundancy and reduction of the coding efficiency.
According to the HEVC, in order to the reduce the redundancy even if the number of the candidates is fixed, the candidate is generated from the previously listed prediction information by the following three processes and is added to the prediction information candidate list if the number the candidates of the prediction information candidate list is less than the predetermined number of the candidates.
<Combined Bi-Predictive Merge>
(1) The prediction information candidate for bi-prediction is generated from two prediction information candidates previously listed. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the Combined Bi-predictive Merge.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, at first, two prediction information candidates, which are to be a source of generation, are selected from the prediction information candidate list previously listed. Two prediction information candidates are A and B, respectively. If the L0 prediction flag of A is valid and the L1 prediction flag of B is valid, the prediction information candidate is generated as follows.
The reference index of L0 of the generated prediction information candidate is the reference index of L0 of A.
The motion vector mvL0Cand of L0 of the generated prediction information candidate is the motion vector mvL0 [A] of A.
The reference index of L1 of the generated prediction information candidate is the reference index of L1 of B.
The motion vector mvL1Cand of L1 of the generated prediction information candidate is the motion vector mvL1 [B] of L1 of B.
If the generated prediction information candidate is not included in the prediction information candidate list, it is added to the candidate list.
If the predetermined number of the candidates is not reached by the generation of the prediction information candidate, new prediction information candidates are generated in the same manner from L1 of A or L0 of B by exchanging the reference lists. If the predetermined number of the candidates is not reached even by new prediction information candidates, prediction information candidates are generated until the predetermined number of the candidates is reached by selecting different pairs of the prediction information candidates from the prediction information candidate list and repeating the same process.
<Non Scaled Predictive Merge>
(2) The prediction information candidate for bi-prediction is generated from a prediction information candidate previously listed. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the Non Scaled Predictive Merge.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, at first, a prediction information candidate, which is to be a source of generation, is selected from the prediction information candidate list previously listed. The selected one is A. If the prediction flag of LX of A with respect to the list X (X=0, 1) is valid, the following process is performed.
It is assumed that LY is the reference list other than LX (i.e., Y=1−X). If a difference T between the process picture including the process block and the reference picture of LX indicated by the reference index of LX of A is equal to a difference T′ between the process picture and the reference picture of LY indicated by the reference index of LX of A, the prediction information candidate is generated as follows.
The reference index of LX of the generated prediction information candidate is the reference index of LX of A.
The motion vector mvLXCand of LX of the generated prediction information candidate is mvLX [A] of LX of A.
The reference index of LY of the generated prediction information candidate is the reference index of LX of A.
The motion vector mvLYCand of LY of the generated prediction information candidate is a minus motion vector (−mvLX [A]) of LX of A.
If the generated prediction information candidate is not included in the prediction information candidate list, it is added to the candidate list.
If the predetermined number of the candidates is not reached even by a generation of the prediction information candidate, prediction information candidates are generated until the predetermined number of the candidates is reached by changing the prediction information candidate as a source of generation and repeating the same process.
<Zero Vector Addition Process>
If the predetermined number of the candidates is not reached even by these two processes described above, zero vectors are added and the reference indexes of L0 and L1 are incremented.
According to the known HEVC, if the number of the merge candidates does not reach the predetermined number of the candidates, these two processes other than (3) zero vector addition process, among the processes to generate new prediction information candidates in order to fill the candidate list, only generate the bi-predictive vectors. For this reason, in the case of the P picture which is limited to the vector of L0, there is a problem that the candidate other than zero vector cannot be added.
[Non-Patent Document 1] ISO/IEC 14496-10 (MPEG-4 Part 10)/ITU-T Rec.H.264
[non-Patent Document 2] Thomas Wiegand, Woo-Jin Han, Benjamin Bross, Jens-Rainer Ohm, Gary J. Sullivan, "WD4: Working Draft 4 of High-Efficiency Video Coding" JCTVC-F803, JCT-VC 6th Meeting, July, 2011


This lighting apparatus consists of an elongated double bulb mounted to a flash unit and extending through two reflector devices. The first of these reflectors is conical and upwardly directed and the second of these reflectors is curved and forwardly directed. The extended bulb comprises a pair of short bulbs joined by a connector forming an electrical and mechanical connection.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lighting for photography, such as a photo flash. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in the control of the direction and the intensity of light from flash units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior flash units for photography have presented limited means for controlling the direction or intensity of the light. Conical reflectors with bulbs are unidirectional and require additional lighting to be effective and to eliminate shadows. Popular electronic flashes present the same problem, and while some provide limited diffusion, they do not adequately illuminate the photographed object.


A method of forming an n-p junction in a body (44, 44a, 44b) formed of Group II and Group VI elements. The body (44, 44a, 44b) initially is of p-type conductivity characteristic, and a dry reactive etching process is employed for forming a via (60, 60a, 60b) in the body by a chemical reaction which is also effective to type convert a portion of the body adjacent the via. An n-doped region (64, 64a, 64b) is thereby formed within the body around the via and between the via and the remaining, p-doped region of the body, thereby defining an n-p junction. In one embodiment, the body is mounted on an electrical device (50, 50a, 50b) having an input contact pad (58, 58a, 58b), and an electrically conductive layer (62, 46a, 90) is formed in connection with the contact pad and the n-doped region adjacent the via. In one application, a plurality of the n-p doped via junctions are formed in laterally spaced orientation for providing an array of infrared radiation sensitive photodiodes (24, 24a, 24b), the n-doped region of each diode having electrical connection with a respective contact pad of the electrical device.

Semiconductors having elements from Group II and Group VI of the periodic table, such as mercury cadmium telluride, have been advantageously used in the fabrication of infrared radiation detectors and imagers which operate in the lower infrared frequency band down to the limits of the available long wave length atmospheric window, i.e., at wave lengths of 8-12 microns. The detection of such long wave length radiation, if it is to be done using a detector at only moderate cryogenic temperatures, e.g., at liquid nitrogen rather than liquid helium temperatures, is preferably done using a very narrow bandgap semiconductor, such as Hg.sub.1-x Cd.sub.x Te. Such alloys are referred to generically as "HgCdTe". This pseudo-binary alloy, if it has a composition such as X=0.2, will have a bandgap small enough, e.g., 0.1 V, to be bridged by 12 micron photons. In conventional methods for forming detector arrays, photodiodes have been used as optical detectors and have been interconnected with various forms of image processing circuitry. In the formation of such arrays of photodiodes, vias have been formed within the surface of a HgCdTe substrate, and diodes, each formed at a junction of n-type and p-type semiconductor material, have been associated with each via for forming individual photodetectors, each photodetector forming a pixel within the photodetector array.
In the formation of such detectors, it is important that the vias are precisely formed and that their maximum diameters are limited so that the resulting photodetectors can be closely spaced to enhance the resolution of the resulting photodetector array. Such photodetector structures may be formed of bodies or wafers including compounds of the Group II and Group VI elemental groups of the periodic table, such as HgCdTe, and normally have a zinc sulfide (ZnS) or cadmium telluride (CdTe) layer deposited on the HgCdTe wafer to act as a passivation layer and an insulator for the detector. A photoresist pattern is typically formed above the insulating layer, the photoresist pattern having a plurality of openings mutually spaced in accordance with the desired photodetector array pattern, and in accordance with the resolution desired. Vertically integrated detectors forming such infrared focal plane arrays require that, for each pixel, a via is extended through the HgCdTe wafer.
In the past, various forms of etching and drilling processes have been used to form such vias. In vacancy-doped p-HgCdTe, the vias are generally separate, and spaced from the active (diode) area, and they have been formed using a wet etch process in order to avoid unwanted type conversion. However, the isotropic nature of wet etch processes severely limits the resolution and minimum pixel size obtainable. In order to reduce pixel size, dry etching has been used to form the vias. For example, dry etching techniques utilized for etching HgCdTe and ZnS wafers have, in some applications, used energy from a remote microwave plasma discharge apparatus for activating an etchant to reactively remove selected portions of HgCdTe and ZnS wafers. In other applications, dry etching of a wafer made of Group II and Group VI elements is accomplished by placing the wafer on a substrate in a reaction vessel, evacuating the vessel, and generating an in situ plasma in a gap between two parallel plates within the vessel by applying an electric field across the plates, causing electrons to traverse the gap. The continuous activity of electrons within a hydrocarbon and/or hydrogen gas, such as methane, held at a constant pressure within the reactor causes activation of the gas to disassociated and ionized species, which then etch the exposed areas of the substrate to form the vias. In the past, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,000, such dry etching processes have been performed on compounds of Group II and Group VI elements, and subsequent procedures such as milling and ion implant processes have been required to form the necessary n/p junctions for forming diodes.
In another process (U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,732), type conversion of a HgCdTe substrate is accomplished by the use of an ion-beam milling process to form photovoltaic infrared detector devices having n/p junctions as the photosensitive junctions. A passivating layer of zinc sulphide is deposited on the upper surface of a material having p-type conductivity characteristics, and at least a portion of the surface of the body is bombarded with ions at very high energy levels, e.g., 500V, to etch away a portion of the body. For example, energetic argon ions or atoms may be directed at the surface at high energy levels. Such high energy ion bombardment disturbs and breaks up the crystal lattice within the substrate, loosening some of the mercury atoms, and thereby produces a sufficient excess concentration of mercury from the etched-away portion of the structure to act as a dopant source for converting an adjacent part of the body into material having n-type conductivity characteristics, thereby forming the n/p junction. Ion bombardment milling processes thus produce a physical, rather than chemical, reaction with the lattice of the substrate, damaging the lattice in order to free the mercury and cause type conversion within the adjacent regions. Such ion milling processes entail several inherent limitations and disadvantages. For example, the high energy bombardment of the Group II-Group VI lattice may not be selective in its reactance with various elements, and although highly anisotropic, redeposition occurs, producing vias of low aspect ratios and thus limiting the pixel size and resolution of the resulting photodiode array. Such ion milling procedures thus entail limitations and disadvantages in that: (1) they are not as flexible as desired for controlling the extent of type converted material, (2) they do not produce vias having sufficiently high aspect ratios for achieving the small pixel size desired for high resolution photodetector arrays, and (3) they are not selective in their milling action against successive layers of various types of materials.

Method for via formation and type conversion in group II and group VI materials


A method of making a filament wound pressure vessel. A thermoplastic liner is filament wound with a commingled roving containing thermoplastic and reinforcing filaments. The wound tank is partially filled with a cooling liquid and the wound tank is heated to a temperature which is sufficient to vaporize a portion of the liquid to pressurize the liner at a preselected set pressure and sufficient to fuse the thermoplastic matrix, but insufficient to significantly soften the liner.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing hollow, reinforced plastic composite articles, and, more particularly, to a method of prestressing a filament wound pressure vessel having a thermoplastic matrix.
Composite pressure vessels have typically been fabricated by a filament winding process which utilizes thermoset plastic resins such as epoxies, polyesters and vinylesters. A thermoplastic liner serves as a winding mandrel and the liner is mounted in a filament winding machine. Reinforcing filaments, usually glass, are trained through a liquid thermosetting resin bath and are wound in a helical pattern on the liner. The composite is cured at ambient temperatures or with heat and the liner becomes an integral part of the finished vessel.
Thermosetting resins have long served to meet the performance requirements of a wide range of pressure vessel products. However, these resin systems have well known drawbacks which may include their limited temperature capabilities, unsatisfactory finished product aesthetics, lack of extended durability, lack of appropriateness for recycling and manufacturing related issues such as down time due to clean-up and material handling costs.
Thermoplastic resins are becoming increasingly popular as matrix material in a composite because of better control over the reinforcement/matrix ratio, scrap materials which can be effectively recycled, diminished regulation issues caused by emissions, higher processing speeds for filament winding, and faster changeover, startup and clean up times.
Problems are associated with filament winding commingled thermoplastic and reinforcing materials on a thermoplastic liner to produce a filament wound, thermoplastic pressure vessel. One such problem is associated with the heating operation following the winding procedure. During that operation the wound liner is placed in a fixture and rotated about its longitudinal axis. Heat is applied at a temperature between the melting point range of the wound thermoplastic matrix and the melting point of the liner to fuse the matrix and soften the liner. During the heating operation the liner tends to soften and become distorted.
In some applications that do not require a thermoplastic liner an inflatable rubberized core is coated with a release agent and is filament wound with commingled thermoplastic and reinforcing materials. After the winding and heating operations the core is deflated and removed from the wound pressure vessel.
The inflatable rubberized core is typically made from neoprene or silicone and the heating process may lead to deterioration of the core. The core may become brittle, less resilient, and deformed. When the core is removed from the tank and reused, it exhibits a reduced life cycle and is more prone to failure during use, thus increasing the risk of a faulty finished article.