An automatic inspecting system for detecting the presence of and identifying whether the proper replacement container has been installed at a work station in a processing line, which automatic container checking system is capable of reading identifying information on the container, e.g., a bar-code, and comparing the information read with stored information indicative of a desired identification to determine whether there is a match. In the absence of a match, an alarm or other means can be used, by way of notification of a problem or to automatically stop the processing line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for inspecting replacement components in a processing line, and more particularly to a checking system for sensing the presence of and identifying whether the proper replacement component has been installed at a work station to ensure better process reliability.
2. Prior Art
In processing lines, such as those for semiconductor fabrication, various components are used at work stations in the line that contain exhaustible supplies of processing materials, such as photo-resist in the case of the semiconductor fabrication line. When, frequently during the process, it is time to replace a container in which the material has become exhausted with a container having a new supply, it is important that the replacement container be properly placed at the station and that it actually hold the appropriate material intended for the process. As the replacement operation is subject to human error, incidents have occurred where due to a faulty installation or of the installing of a container with the wrong material, large amounts of process product has been contaminated and lost.
3. Problem to be Solved
It is therefore a problem in the art to ensure that a replacement component in a processing line is the proper one and properly installed for the process being carried out.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a a system and method for reliably inspecting replacement components in a processing line.
It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic checking system for sensing the presence of and identifying whether the proper replacement component has been installed at a work station in a processing line to ensure better process reliability.
It is also a particular object of the invention to provide a method and means for confirming that a replacement container with a new supply of photo-resist is the intended one for use in a semiconductor fabrication line in which it is installed.
The present invention involves an inspecting system for detecting the presence of and identifying whether the proper replacement component has been installed at a work station in a processing line, and particularly an exemplary automatic container checking system which is capable of reading identifying information on the container indicative of a characteristic thereof and comparing the information read with stored information indicative of a desired characteristic to determine whether there is a match. In the absence of a match, an alarm or other means can be used, by way of notification of a problem or to automatically stop the processing line.
In a preferred embodiment, the container is provided with a suitable detectable marker, such as a label marked with chracteristic identifying information, e.g., a bar-code, or a color, or with a magnetic card, indicating the type or contents of the container, and, if desired, positioning information to indicate a proper location and/or orientation. The container is mounted in position on a machine or other support for supplying material, such as photo-resist, for use in a semiconductor fabrication process. A sensing device, e.g., a bar-code reader or magnetic card, is provided for reading the label information and communicating it to a control device such as a computer, which has an associated memory including a suitable database that is pre-loaded with selected identification information in keeping with the contents and position appropriate for the station at which the sensing device is disposed. The machine or processing line is normally inactive when a replacement container, filled with photo-resist, is placed in position at the station. If the contents and/or the position information detected on the label matches the selected related information stored in the database, when the machine and line are actuated, the processing will continue. If there is a mismatch, an alarm may be set off, or the machine or line automatically stopped by a signal from the computer, to permit a close inspection of the container and removal, if appropriate, to avoid contamination and loss of the processed product, e.g., scrapping of a considerable number of valuable semiconductor wafers. Accordingly, the invention by sensing the presence of and identifying whether the proper replacement component has been installed at a work station in a processing line and by stopping the processing when appropriate, ensures better process reliability and increased product yield rate.

Container inspection system and method of using in semiconductor manufacturing

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd


A module latching arrangement for mounting and dismounting on a generally U-shaped support rail at least two module base bodies arranged orthogonally above and extending transversely across the support rail, each of the base bodies having a pair of bottom corner portions arranged on opposite sides of the support rail. At least one foot member is connected for horizontal longitudinal sliding movement relative to one of the base body corner portions relative to the adjacent support rail horizontal flange portion. A lateral displacement arrangement on the foot member is operable, when the foot member is displaced from a locked position toward an unlocked position relative to the support rail, to displace the first base body laterally away from an adjacent second base body mounted on the support rail. The foot member is latched in either a locked or an unlocked position relative to the base member.

1. Field of the Invention
A module latching arrangement for mounting and dismounting on a generally U-shaped support rail at least two module base bodies arranged orthogonally above and extending transversely across the support rail, a foot member being connected with a first base body for horizontal longitudinal sliding movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to the adjacent support rail horizontal flange portion. A lateral displacement arrangement on the foot member is operable, when the foot member is displaced from a locked position toward an unlocked position relative to the support rail, to displace the first base body laterally away from an adjacent second base body mounted on the support rail.
2. Description of Related Art
For wiring electrical subassemblies, for example, electrical conductors and/or bus systems and/or modules of complex electronic equipment, one frequently provides panel boxes and switch cabinets in which one can align the electrical subassemblies next to each other on a mounting rail. Such electrical subassemblies, for example, are so-called connection modules or blocks that are used not only in production engineering but also for the interfacing of complex networks. By virtue of this modular alignment, the connection modules can be rearranged in many different ways despite their complexity even after installation with a comparatively minor effort and individual electrical subassemblies are exchangeable.
In such especially standardized panel boxes and switch cabinets, it is also necessary to displace the electrical subassemblies so that they will directly rest against each other.
In this connection, the electrical subassemblies should, on the one hand, be separable from each other as easily and as quickly as possible. On the other hand, they should not by themselves separate from each other, especially in a vibration-stressed environment such as it is often found, for example, in the field of production engineering.
The German patent No. DE 299 16 303 U1 discloses a connection module where the electrical subassemblies that are lined up parallel with respect to each other on the mounting rail can be separated from each other in that their mutual parallelism is canceled out. But it takes a lot of structural space to push these units apart from each other so that there must be a longer part of the mounting rail for the mutual separation of the electrical subassemblies, which means that no additional electrical subassemblies can be mounted there.
Furthermore, it is possibly advantageous in the mutually adjoining walls of mutually adjoining electrical subassemblies in each case to provide electrical contacts that contact with each other when the electrical subassemblies are arranged mutually resting against each other. The cancellation of parallelism and therefore an oblique separation of mutually adjoining electrical subassemblies from each other, however, depending on the particular model of the electrical contacts provided in mutually adjoining walls, for example, in the case of electrical contacts that are made in the form of plug and socket systems, is no longer readily possible. This is because, depending on the structural shape of the contacts, there is the danger that the electrical contacts might be jammed against each other, causing short-circuits, or that the electrical contacts in the process might be damaged or even destroyed.
The present invention was developed to create a subassembly, in particular, an electrical subassembly that can be mutually lined up on a mounting rail which, in a simple manner, quickly, without damage and using as little structural space as possible, can be separated from an adjoining subassembly even if on mutually adjoining side walls there are provided lined-up adjoining subassemblies, in particular, electrical contacts, whereby the subassembly facilitates a secure line-up, in particular, in vibration-stressed environments, so that there will be no danger of a self-actuated mutual separation of several lined-up subassemblies, and whereby the subassembly can be made at reasonable cost.

Mounting rail and module latching system


A system includes a critical signature library for storing critical signature databases of chip design layouts in semiconductor manufacturing and a statistical model creator for creating statistical models based on the known problematic circuit patterns stored in the critical signature databases and a target specification based on deviation between physical measurement and simulation data or design data associated with the known problematic circuit patterns. The system further has a statistical model based predictor for predicting and discovering unknown problematic circuit patterns by applying the statistical models to a large number of candidate circuit patterns generated from a random layout generator, or extracted from the chip design layout based on hot spot sites determined by extended lithographic process check on the chip design layout or inspecting wafers manufactured with the chip design layout with an aggressive sensitivity setting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor device fabrication, and more specifically to a system and method for discovering unknown problematic circuit patterns in chip design layout for semiconductor device manufacturing.
2. Description of Related Art
The following description and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Semiconductor devices are manufactured by fabricating many layers of circuit patterns on wafers to form a massive number of transistors for integration as complicated circuits. In the manufacturing flow of semiconductor devices, lithographic process (LP) is responsible for transferring circuit patterns created by circuit designers onto wafers.
Photomasks/reticles with opaque and clear patterns according to the circuit patterns are used for patterning device layers on wafers. Distortion of the patterns can result from the effect of the neighboring patterns on the photomask and optical diffraction, photoresist development and etching, chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) on adjacent layers of the wafer, and geometric and overlaying relationships between patterns of adjacent layers fabricated on the wafer. As the component density of the integrated circuits (ICs) has increased the complexity of the IC patterns and layouts, distortion of the patterns often results in systematic defects that fail the device fabricated on the wafer or critical dimension (CD) errors that degrade the device performance.
FIG. 1 shows a typical flow in initial setup and on-going tune-up for optimizing the lithography process of manufacturing semiconductor devices. Circuit patterns for manufacturing the photomask of a device layer is described in a design data file generated by the circuit designer shown in block 101 that contains design data in GDS or OASIS format. The design data may be random layout circuit patterns generated from a random layout generator (RLG) or product qualification vehicle (PQV) from vendors or pilot customers. Block 102 shows optical proximity correction (OPC) creation that generates the required OPC by using the OPC model and recipe from block 103. After OPC creation, block 102 also performs OPC verification and lithographic process check (LPC) verification based on models of OPC and design for manufacturing (DFM).
OPC and LPC verification also predicts potential yield limiting hot spots caused by specific layout and patterns. As shown in block 104, wafers manufactured by the lithography process using the OPC photomask are examined by either optical or e-beam inspection and metrology tool to detect defects and measure critical dimensions in the hot spots. Inspection and metrology data of the predicted hot spots are fed back to block 103 to tune the models and recipes of OPC and DFM. In general, it is not easy to achieve perfect OPC/DFM models/recipes because the patterning errors come from various proximity and underneath effects including optical, chemical, etching, CMP and other processes as well as photomask/reticle errors. Even worse, some effects are short range and some are long range.
OPC is effective in achieving linewidth control if optical conditions during lithography match the simulated optical conditions used to arrive at the OPC solution. Defocus and exposure dose variations result in linewidth variation even after OPC. Focus variation during lithography is caused by changes in resist thickness, wafer topography and relative distance between wafer plane and the lens system. The dose variation typically comes from the scanner or from the illumination in the optical lithography system. Depth of focus and exposure latitude define the process window of a lithography system. Latest advances in process window aware OPC guarantee acceptable lithography quality but linewidth still varies within the process window. Linewidth variation has a direct impact on timing and leakage of designs.
Lithographic process simulation is typically used to simulate the circuit patterns and predict hot spots that are likely to cause pattern distortion. OPC and LPC are important techniques commonly used for correcting the pattern distortion. CMP simulation may also be performed on the circuit layout to determine hot spots. Alternatively, physical failure analysis (PFA) may be performed on the devices to identify hot spots. Process monitoring by sampling and inspecting wafers using the predicted or identified hot spots is necessary to ensure that systematic defects are identified and eliminated for manufacturing the semiconductor devices with high yield.
One approach commonly used in process monitoring is to collect scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images from a significant number of hot spots by sampling dies and wafers in the manufacturing flow. The hot spots may be predicted by LPC, CMP and other experience and a priori knowledge, or identified by PFA. Ideally, the more predicted hot spots, the less chance of missing critical defects. In practice, however, the number of hot spots used in process monitoring cannot overload the wafer inspectors and many of the predicted hot spots may also turn out to be non-systematic or non-critical because of modelling errors. How to predict the hot spots with most accuracy and good thoroughness has been a big challenge to the semiconductor manufacturers.
There is another drawback in the existing approaches to predicting the hot spots based on LP or CMP simulation of the chip design layout. Because the hot spots are predicted by applying LP or CMP model on the known chip design layout, the circuit patterns predicted as hot spots are limited within the available circuit patterns in the known chip design layout. A catastrophic systematic defect may occur in a revision of the chip design that includes new circuit patterns not covered by the hot spots. In addition, a well-qualified process line in the semiconductor fab may still run the risk of missing yield limiting defects when the semiconductor device of a new chip design is fabricated.

System and method for discovering unknown problematic patterns in chip design layout for semiconductor manufacturing


A duty detection circuit includes discharge transistors, charge transistors, detection lines, and a comparator circuit that detects a potential difference of these detection lines, and also includes a gate circuit that controls the discharge transistors and the charge transistors in response to the internal clock signal of an even cycle. As a result, the detection lines are charged and discharged in response to the internal clock signal of the even cycle. Consequently, the duty detection circuit can be applied to a multi-phase DLL circuit, and a potential difference appearing in the detection line can be sufficiently secured.

In the DDL synchronous DRAM, a DLL (Delay Locked Loop) circuit is used to synchronize data input-and-output timings with an external clock signal. In many cases, the DLL circuit is provided with a duty detection circuit so that a duty of the internal clock signal becomes 50% (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-303553).
FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of a conventional duty detection circuit.
The duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 9 includes a detection line LDUTYHB connected to a contact node between a discharge transistor TR1 and a charge transistor TR3, a detection line LDUTYLB connected to a contact node between a discharge transistor TR2 and a charge transistor TR4, and a comparator circuit COMP that detects a potential difference of these detection lines LDUTYHB and LDUTYLB. Capacitances C1 and C2 are connected to the detection line LDUTYHB, and capacitances C3 and C4 are connected to the detection line LDUTYLB.
The discharge transistor TR1 and the charge transistor TR3 are controlled by gate circuits G1 and G3, respectively, and are brought into on state in response to an internal clock signal LCLKOET and a selection signal LDCSMT, respectively. On the other hand, the discharge transistor TR2 and the charge transistor TR4 are controlled by gate circuits G2 and G4, respectively, and are brought into on state in response to an internal clock signal LCLKOEB and a selection signal LDCSMB, respectively. The internal clock signal LCLKOET and the internal clock signal LCLKOEB are internal clock signals for duty detection, and are mutually complementary signals.
Sources of the discharge transistors TR1 and TR2 are connected in common to a discharge node BIASND. The discharge node BIASND is connected to a ground potential via a bias transistor N1. On the other hand, a precharge circuit P0 operating based on a precharge signal PRE is connected to the charge transistors TR3 and TR4.
FIG. 10 is an operation waveform diagram of the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 9.
As shown in FIG. 10, the selection signal LDCSMT is activated during a period of a clock edge 0 to a clock edge 4, and the selection signal LDCSMB is activated during a period of a clock edge 1 to a clock edge 5. That is, these selection signals are activated with a half cycle deviation of the internal clock signal.
Based on the above, the detection line LDUTYHB is discharged when the internal clock signal LCLKOET becomes at a high level and is charged when the internal clock signal LCLKOET becomes at a low level, during a period while the selection signal LDCSMT is activated. Similarly, the detection line LDUTYLB is discharged when the internal clock signal LCLKOEB becomes at a high level and is charged when the internal clock signal LCLKOEB becomes at a low level, during a period while the selection signal LDCSMB is activated.
As a result, when the duty of the internal clock signal LCLKOET is large, the potential of the detection line LDUTYHB becomes low, and the potential of the detection line LDUTYLB becomes high. On the other hand, when the duty of the internal clock signal LCLKOET is small, the potential of the detection line LDUTYHB becomes high, and the potential of the detection line LDUTYLB becomes low. The comparator circuit COMP detects a potential difference ΔV obtained in this way, and generates a duty detection signal LUPDCT.
However, the conventional duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 9 has a problem in that discharge speeds of the discharge transistors TR1 and TR2 are different at the detection starting time. That is, while the discharge transistor TR1 is turned on at the clock edge 0, both the discharge transistors TR1 and TR2 are off during a preceding period. Therefore, a discharge node BIASND at the detection starting time is substantially at a ground potential. On the other hand, because the discharge transistor TR2 is turned on at the clock edge 1, the discharge node BIASND already increases at the detection starting time. Consequently, a difference occurs between the discharge speeds of the discharge transistors TR1 and TR2, and an accurate detection of duty cannot be performed.
Further, the conventional duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 9 has continuous two cycles as a detection period. Therefore, only an average value of the duty in an even cycle and the duty in an odd cycle can be obtained. For example, when the duty in the even cycle is 60% and when the duty of the odd cycle is 40%, the average value becomes 50%. As a result, duty correction is not performed.
When a so-called "two-phase DLL circuit" is used, the duty in the even cycle is different from the duty in the odd cycle. The two-phase DLL is a system that generates two frequency-divided signals by dividing an external clock signal into two, and generates an internal clock signal by combining the two frequency-divided signals after adjusting a delay amount of the frequency-divided signals. This type of DLL circuit is often used when the frequency of the external clock signal is high.
However, according to the two-phase DLL circuit, because the control of the internal clock signal in the even cycle is independent of the control of the internal clock signal in the odd cycle, the duty in the even cycle does not coincide with the duty in the odd cycle is some cases. In this case, the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 9 cannot perform accurate detection.
As a method of solving the above problems, the present inventors have proposed an improved duty detection circuit in the past (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-121114).
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of the improved duty detection circuit.
The duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 11 additionally includes a delay circuit D1 that delays the output of the gate circuit G2 while deleting the charge transistors TR3 and TR4 and the gate circuits G3 and G4 that control these charge transistors, in the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 9.
FIG. 12 is an operation waveform diagram of the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 11.
As shown in FIG. 12, in the present example, the selection signal LDCSMT is activated by dividing the period into a period of the clock edges 0 to 2 and a period of the clock edges 4 to 6, and the selection signal LDCSMB is activated by dividing the period into a period of the clock edges 1 to 3 and a period of the clock edges 5 to 7. As a result, the selection signal as an output of the gate circuits G1 and G2 has a waveform corresponding to only the even cycle of the internal clock signal.
Therefore, the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 11 can detect a duty by extracting only the duty in the even cycle (or the odd cycle). Consequently, by providing the duty detection circuit for the even cycle and the duty detection circuit for the odd cycle, these duty detection circuits can be applied to the two-phase DLL circuit.
Further, because the output of the gate circuit G2 can be supplied to the discharge transistor TR2 after being delayed by the delay circuit D1, a period during which both transistors are turned off are inserted into between the on period of the discharge transistor TR1 and the on period of the discharge transistor TR2. Consequently, when the discharge transistors TR1 and TR2 change from off to on, the potential of the discharge node BIASND is precharged to about a ground potential, and there arises no difference in discharge speeds.
However, because the charge transistors TR3 and TR4 are omitted in the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 11, the potential difference ΔV appearing in the detection lines LDUTYHB and LDUTYLB is smaller than that in the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 9. This problem is considered to be solved by adding the charge transistors TR3 and TR4 to the duty detection circuit shown in FIG. 11. However, when only the charge transistors TR3 and TR4 are added, other problems occur such as a variation between the control at the charge side and the control at the discharge side, and a variation between the control at the detection line LDUTYHB side and the control at the detection line LDUTYLB side.

Duty detection circuit, DLL circuit using the same, semiconductor memory circuit, and data processing system


An implantable drug delivery system including: a biocompatible or bio-inert housing containing a drug infusion pump, a drug chamber from which a liquid drug is dispensed when the pump applies a force to the drug chamber, and an internal controller actuating the pump; a delivery catheter extending from the housing to one or more drug delivery treatment sites in a target tissue, wherein the catheter includes a lumen having an inlet to receive a drug pumped from the drug chamber and an outlet are positioned at the target tissue, wherein the drug flows through the outlet to the target tissue, and wherein the internal controller stores and executes an automatic periodic flow regimen which commands the pump and drug chamber to periodically dispense an intermittent bolus or pulse of the liquid drug, wherein the periodic flow regimen provides a prophylactic treatment for granuloma.

The invention relates generally to implantable drug delivery systems and, particularly, to an implantable pump having a controller regulating the delivery of the drug.
Implantable drug delivery systems infuse drugs to tissue treatment sites inside of patients. For example, morphine is delivered to a spinal cord region by implanted drug delivery systems to provide long term pain relief to patients suffering chronic pain. Conventional wisdom teaches that drugs for chronic pain are to be infused at a continual rate to provide uniform and steady drug delivery to the treatment sites. Accordingly, implantable drug delivery systems are programmed or otherwise configured to deliver drug in a constant flow fashion.
However, granuloma can arise around the catheters associated with implanted drug delivery systems. Granuloma formation is typically an inflammatory tissue mass that forms around the catheter. A granuloma formation near a spinal cord may press on the cord and cause neurological side-effects. Catheters to deliver morphine are typically positioned near the spinal cord in patients. There is a need to reduce the risk of granuloma formation associated with implantable morphine drug delivery systems.
Granuloma formation at catheter tips is discussed in Deer et al, "Management of Intrathecal Catheter-Tip Inflammatory Masses: An Updated 2007 Consensus Statement From An Expert Panel" (Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2008) ("Deer Article") which reports the results of an expert panel that considered granulomas caused by intrathecal (IT) therapies, where IT refers to injections into the spinal canal. The Deer Article at page 86 states that "granulomas are most likely a function of drug dose, drug concentrations, a combination of the two, the way the drug is delivered and/or CSF [cerebrospinal fluid] flow rate." Also, the Deer Article at page 86 reports that "[m]ost panelists thought that there does exist a difference, theoretically at least, in the rate of granuloma formation caused by bolus infusion vs. continuous infusions through the catheter . . . . However, the panel did also feel that frequent repeated boluses of high-concentration opioid medications might potentially lead to a similar proinflammatory effect as continuous infusions." Further, the Deer Article at page 87 reports that consideration as given to prophylactic measures that might prevent granulomas including "using bolus dosing instead of slow continuous infusion, minimizing concentration/dose of the agent infused (e.g., especially of morphine sulfate and hydromorphone) to the daily dose limits proposed by the Consensus Panel, avoiding ultra slow flow rates and/or delivering the drug into larger CSF space over the spinal cord."
The recommendations for preventing granuloma formation stated in the Deer Article at page 89 include: "minimize concentrations and doses of intrathecal (IT) agents, especially of morphine sulfate and hydromorphone" and "avoid ultra-slow flow rates." The reported recommendations do not include intermittent bolus drug delivery.

Implantable drug delivery system having periodic drug delivery regimen to avoid granulomas


A Low Pressure Warning Device, System and Method is disclosed. The disclosed system is compact, and low cost but has an extremely long term service life. Further disclosed is sensing means that actively monitors the pressure conditions of a pneumatic chamber without drawing electrical power. The disclosed preferred sensing means will further detects various conditions, including activation-, normal- and low-pressure conditions. Also disclosed is a device that is installable within the pneumatic tire of a vehicle such that it is theft- and tamper-resistant. The disclosed device is resistant to truck tire operating temperatures and is further provided with a protective casing to prevent damage or contamination of the system components. Still further disclosed are a transmitter and receiver that are configured to transmit and receive encoded signals to permit great flexibility in vehicle monitoring combinations, while also providing the localization of the pneumatic chamber experiencing a low pressure condition. The disclosed transmitter provides alarm signal transmissions that are pulsed to shorten transmission duration and consequently reduce transmitter power consumption as well as improve receiver reliability. Also disclosed is a transmitter-sensor that includes battery prolonging means to retard passivation layer buildup within the battery.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to warning systems and, more specifically, to a Low Pressure Warning System that provides extremely efficient, long-term performance.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicle low-tire-pressure warning devices and systems have been available for many years. In general, these systems provide an alert to the operator of a vehicle in the event that the pneumatic pressure in one or more of the vehicle's tires has dropped below a pre-determined safe level. These systems and devices are particularly appropriate in multi-axled vehicles, such as commercial 18-wheeled vehicles, because they typically are impacted severely in the event of a flat tire. Since these vehicles are not typically equipped to change their own tires, they must call for outside assistance and then wait for the repairs to take place; this process is typically very time-consuming (and consequently expensive). If there were a warning device that would alert the driver of a low tire pressure condition before the tire beat itself to death on the rim, the driver might have the opportunity to make a controlled stop at a gas station or the like, where the repairs could be effected more quickly. This would also prevent damage to the tires that are adjacent to the defective tire.
A significant problem with any prior tire pressure alarm system is that of longevity. If the monitor is small enough to be placed internal to the tire, it must have its own electrical power supply. Most prior systems impose a constant current draw on this local power supply (or battery) while simply monitoring the normal pressure conditions within the tire. Consequently, the battery is in use at all times, and its life is unacceptably short. What is needed is a tire pressure monitoring and alarm system that is able to monitor the tire's pressure without imposing any current draw on the local power supply in so doing.
Examples of prior, unsuccessful, tire pressure monitoring and warning systems are Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,213, Nowicki, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,189 and Mendez, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,374.
Williams discloses a complicated, expensive systems that will be difficult to maintain over the working life of a vehicle. Specifically, the Williams device uses battery power while tire pressure is in its normal operating range. This means that the battery on each wheel would require replacement several times during the ten-year shelf life of the battery. Furthermore, the device is installed on the fill stem for pressurizing the tire, and as such, is exposed to the environmental elements, not to mention theft. Still further, the Williams device is rather large, and as such will make balancing the wheel difficult once it is installed. Also, since the Williams device installs on the stem, it is subject to gas leaks, which will itself cause the tire to go flat|
The Nowicki device seeks to reduce power draw on the local power supply by incorporating a centrifugal switch that disables the system (and power draw) when the wheel is not rotating at a rate indicating that the vehicle is in service. The drawback of this method is that most commercial vehicles spend a great deal of time in service, driving around. During these times, the Nowicki device will be energized and will draw power from the battery, even when the tire is at a safe pressure.
The Mendez, while combining several other alarm features beyond tire pressure warning, also fails to disclose or imply a device that functions to solve the longevity problem. Although the Mendez device does use a low battery current, this draw, like Nowicki and Williams is present even when the tire is at its normal operating pressure. Furthermore, the Mendez system is not a practical solution for most vehicles, since it is actually part of the original equipment of the vehicle; it is not feasible to install the Mendez system into a wide range of vehicles already on the road.
The device and system of the present invention, as detailed herein, solves all of these problems while further providing other advantages over any other relevant system elsewhere disclosed or implied.


An optical pickup device enables prevention of an increase of spherical aberration during tracking without needing any finite optical system. The diameters of parallel light beams (A, B, C) for the next-generation DVDs, DVDs, and CDs are limited to diameters of a, b, c (a>b>c) in accordance with the NA for each type by a light beam limiting element, the diameter of light beam B is limited to the diameter ranges of b to c and d (=0.85×c) to e (d>e>0), the diameter of the light beam C is limited to the diameter ranges of c to d and less than e. They are passed through a phase correcting element (13B) and focused on the corresponding optical recording medium signal planes by means of a common objective lens. The objective lens is so optimized that the wave front aberration to the light beam A is minimum on the signal plane of the next generation DVD. The phase correcting element (13B) has a phase correcting zones (Z1 to Z4) of diffraction optical structure exhibiting a pseudo-kinoform shape of a step constitution. The spherical aberration to the light beam B is corrected in the zones (Z1, Z3). The spherical aberration to the light beam C is corrected in the zones (Z2, Z4). The light beam A is passed through all the zones of the light beam diameter a without changing the parallel light beam state by optimizing the step heights of the zones (Z1 to Z4).

CDs and DVDs (digital versatile disks) currently in widespread use each have a capacity of several hundreds of megabytes to several gigabytes. The development and commercialization of next generation DVDs (also referred to as high-definition DVDs) which are optical recording media having a larger capacity of several tens of gigabytes are under way in response to a recent increase of the quality of images. Along with a demand for smaller size and lower cost, an optical pickup which records data on and/or plays back data from a next generation DVD is desired to adopt a compatible technology for enabling itself also to record data on and/or play back data from DVDs and CDs which are conventional optical recording media using a common objective lens. However, the optical recording media differ from one another in used wavelength, numerical aperture (NA), and the thickness of a signal plane protecting substrate, as shown in Table 1. Accordingly, if a common objective lens is used, spherical aberration cannot be corrected, and it is impossible to normally record or play back information.
[Table 1]
TABLE 1Thickness ofOpticalUsedprotectingrecordingwavelengthsubstratemedium type(nm)NA(mm)Next4050.850.1generationDVD 1Next4050.650.6generationDVD 2DVD6500.6 0.6CD7800.451.2
FIG. 1 shows an optical pickup which records information on and/or plays back information from a plurality of optical recording media having specifications different from one another using a phase correcting element in order to solve the above-described problem (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-246931). In FIG. 1, an objective lens 1 is designed such that the wave front aberration to light having a wavelength corresponding to a next generation DVD is minimum on the signal plane of an optical recording medium (next generation DVD) 2-1 when the light is incident as a parallel light beam. A DVD hologram module 3 and a CD hologram module 4, in each of which light receiving and emitting units are packaged, are used as DVD and CD light sources. A light beam radiated from a next generation DVD semiconductor laser 5 is transformed into a parallel light beam by a collimator lens 6, passes through a deflection beam splitter 7 and DVD and CD dichroic prisms 8 and 9 for light beam separation, and changes its direction 90° by a prism 10. A wavelength plate 11 changes the state of polarization of the light beam from linear polarization into circular polarization, and an aperture restriction element 12 restricts the diameter of the light beam to a light beam diameter corresponding to the NA of a next generation DVD. The light beam passes through a phase correcting element 13 without changing its parallel light beam state (with an equiphase wave surface kept planar), comes incident on the objective lens 1, and is focused on the signal plane of the optical recording medium (next generation DVD) 2-1, thereby recording and/or playing back information. A light beam reflected from the optical recording medium 2-1 is transformed into a circularly polarized light beam having an opposite rotational direction and is transformed into a parallel light beam by the objective lens 1. The wavelength plate 11 changes the state of polarization of the light beam from circular polarization into linear polarization such that the resultant linearly polarized light beam is orthogonal to the original linearly polarized light beam. The light beam changes its direction 90° by the prism 10, is reflected by the deflection beam splitter 7, and is focused on a light receiving element 15 by a detecting lens 14. A light beam radiated from the DVD hologram module 3 is transformed into a parallel light beam by a coupling lens 16, is reflected by the dichroic prism 8, passes through the dichroic prism 9, and changes its direction 90° by the prism 10. The wavelength plate 11 changes the state of polarization of the light beam from linear polarization into circular polarization, the aperture restriction element 12 restricts the diameter of the light beam to a light beam diameter corresponding to the NA of a DVD, and the phase correcting element 13 corrects the spherical aberration to the light beam. The light beam comes incident on the objective lens 1 and is focused on the signal plane of an optical recording medium (DVD) 2-2, thereby recording and/or playing back information. A light beam reflected from the optical recording medium 2-2, which is a DVD, is transformed into a circularly polarized light beam having an opposite rotational direction and is transformed into a parallel light beam by the objective lens 1 and phase correcting element 13. The wavelength plate 11 changes the state of polarization of the light beam from circular polarization into linear polarization such that the resultant linearly polarized light beam is orthogonal to the original linearly polarized light beam. The light beam changes its direction 90° by the prism 10, is reflected by the dichroic prism 8, and is focused on a light receiving element of the DVD hologram module 3 by the coupling lens 16. A light beam radiated from the CD hologram module 4 is transformed into a predetermined divergent light beam by a coupling lens 17, is reflected by the dichroic prism 9, and changes its direction 90° by the prism 10. The wavelength plate 11 changes the state of polarization from linear polarization into circular polarization, and the aperture restriction element 12 restricts the diameter of the light beam to a light beam diameter corresponding to the NA of a CD. The light beam passes through the phase correcting element 13 without changing the shape of an equiphase wave surface, comes incident on the objective lens 1, and is focused on the signal plane of an optical recording medium (CD) 2-3, thereby recording and/or playing back information. A light beam reflected from the optical recording medium 2-3 is transformed into a circularly polarized light beam having an opposite rotational direction and is transformed into a predetermined convergent light beam by the objective lens 1. The wavelength plate 11 changes the state of polarization of the light beam from circular polarization into linear polarization such that the resultant linearly polarized light beam is orthogonal to the original linearly polarized light beam. The light beam changes its direction 90° by the prism 10, is reflected by the dichroic prism 9, and is focused on a light receiving element of the CD hologram module 4 by the coupling lens 17.
In the conventional example in FIG. 1, it is necessary for a light beam having at least one wavelength to configure the optical system using a finite optical system, and a light beam having the wavelength suffers from the problem of exacerbated spherical aberration during tracking of the objective lens 1. To set the angle of incidence from a finite optical system on the objective lens 1 to a desired value, intervals at which units of the optical system are arranged need to be set to a specific value. The process of giving phase shifts which are integer multiples of 2π to light beams having wavelengths corresponding to a next generation DVD and CD which are not exactly integer multiples by the common phase correcting element and allowing the light beams to pass through the common phase correcting element without changing the shape of an equiphase wave surface limits the types of glasses available for use in the phase correcting element to specific ones. Accordingly, the flexibility in configuring the optical system becomes extremely lower, and designing of the optical system becomes difficult.


Provided herein are methods and compositions for analyzing nucleic acids associated with single cells using nucleic acid barcodes. According to some embodiments, a method for producing one or more polynucleotides of interest comprises: obtaining a plurality of RNAs associated with one or more samples, wherein the samples are obtained from one or more subjects, each RNA is associated with a single sample, and the RNAs associated with each sample are present in a separate reaction volume; adding an adapter molecule to the RNAs associated with each sample, wherein the adapter molecule is generated using an enzymatic reaction and comprises a universal priming sequence, a barcode sequence, and a binding site; and incorporating the barcode sequence into one or more polynucleotides associated with each sample, thereby producing the one or more polynucleotides of interest.

Variable genes such as immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) genes are formed from rearrangement of V(D)J gene segments with P/N nucleotide additions between the junctions. A fully functional Ig or TCR protein is formed by association of two genes—heavy and light chain genes for Ig, alpha and beta genes for an αβTCR and gamma and delta genes for a γδTCR. This combinatorial approach results in an extremely large variety of different possible sequences.
This repertoire allows the immune system to be able to respond to novel immunological insults that have not yet been encountered by the organism. Immunoglobulin genes also undergo somatic hypermutation which further increases the repertoire size.
Correspondingly, any nucleic acid analysis of variable genes that allows for expression of the native Ig or TCR protein to investigate its functional properties requires not just sequencing individual B (for Ig genes) or T cells (for TCR genes), but also requires native pairing of the two genes that make up the protein. This can be done by single cell cloning and Sanger sequencing, but is slow and laborious (see, e.g., Wrammert et al., Nature, 2008, 453:667-671).
High-throughput methods have been developed for high-throughput sequencing of natively paired genes, and fall into two approaches. The first approach is to attach a unique nucleic acid barcode identifier to nucleic acids from a cell, and pairing is achieved via bioinformatically linking together genes if they share the same barcode and therefore originate from the same cell (PCT/US2012/000221). The second approach is to physically link nucleic acids from the two genes together (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,749,697).
The first approach is superior as it allows pairing for multiple genes (such as B or T cell co-expressed genes that identify specific T cell or B cell subsets), while the second approach is limited to physically linking a few nucleic acids. To date, experimental data exists only for cases in which no more than two nucleic acids have been physically linked.
Associating nucleic acids unambiguously to a single cell (the first approach) rather than associating them with each other via linking (the second approach) has advantages. When nucleic acids are associated with each other, it can be difficult to distinguish PCR and sequencing errors from true biological variation. Assumptions have to be made about the accuracy of the sequencing platform and reads arbitrarily assigned to different sequences based on a percentage similarity cutoff, i.e. all reads with >95% similarity are assigned to a sequence and any differences between them are assumed to be due to sequencing errors. This is unable to distinguish between sequences that are very similar to one another (see Zhu et al., Frontiers in Microbiology, 2012, 3:315).
Furthermore, assumptions about how many cells share an identical sequence are made using the relative frequency of reads assigned to the sequence. This is an approximate measure and is affected by PCR amplification biases, as is well known in the field. Therefore, associating Ig or TCR nucleic acids with each other can only give an approximate, but not true representation of the repertoire sequenced (see Zhu et al., Frontiers in Microbiology, 2012, 3:315).
However, associating nucleic acids to single cells using nucleic acid barcodes allows for unambiguous differentiation between similar or even identical sequences from single B or T cells as each read can be assigned to a cell.
Furthermore, by building a consensus sequence with all reads associated with a cell, very accurate and almost completely error-free sequences can be obtained and an accurate representation of the repertoire sequenced can be obtained. This is also generalizable to analysis of all nucleic acids in a cell.
Still, technical difficulties in delivering unique barcodes to each single cell remain. The current best technology to attach nucleic acid barcodes to variable genes has unique barcodes in aqueous solution and each barcode exists in a separate storage container even before the reaction to attach barcodes to variable gene nucleic acids (PCT/US2012/000221), otherwise the nucleic acid barcodes will be mixed before use. This creates a logistical difficulty of barcoding many thousands of cells, due to the large number of containers required to contain the individual barcodes.
The requirement for a large number of storage containers also makes this approach incompatible with any sort of approach where a unique barcode cannot be individually pipetted into each individual reaction container (which will also contain a single cell). An example is nanoliter-sized reaction containers such as a nanowell approach, where it is impractical to pipette a unique barcode individually to each nanowell as there are thousands to hundreds of thousands of nanowells.
This is also infeasible in a nanodroplet approach, in which droplets are made using a water-in-oil emulsion, as hundreds of thousands of nanodroplets are generated with only a few aqueous streams (see for e.g., products by Dolomite Microfluidics or Raindance Technologies), and it is not possible to have unique barcodes in individual storage containers before delivering to the nanodroplet.
One method to deliver unique barcodes to individual reaction containers is by using limiting dilution to deposit a unique barcode into the majority of reaction containers. One may perform limiting dilution of barcodes attached to manipulable objects, such as beads, each of which has multiple copies of one particular barcode attached, or one may perform limiting dilution of barcodes in solution. Upon diluting such beads, multiple copies of one particular nucleic acid barcode are present in a reaction container, whereas upon diluting barcodes in solution, only a single copy of a particular nucleic acid barcode is present in a reaction container.
Moreover, addition of a nucleic acid barcode to the sample-derived nucleic acids of interest present in a reaction container will be more complete if the introduced barcode is amplified, to ensure that it is present in a sufficient quantity in the reaction chamber. For example, a typical mammalian cell contains roughly 400,000 copies of mRNA. To maximize the efficiency of the overall single-cell analysis, as many of these mRNA copies as possible should be barcoded. Therefore, at a minimum, roughly the same number of copies of a particular nucleic acid barcode as there are mRNA copies need to be present in the reaction container. Limiting dilution of barcodes in solution leads to just a single copy of a particular barcode in the reaction container, while dilution of small (e.g. 1-2 μm in diameter) beads bearing barcodes would be expected to provide maximally tens of thousands of copies. Thus, amplification of the barcode in either case is important to generate sufficient quantities of a particular nucleic acid barcode in a reaction container such that successful addition of the barcode to the greatest number of sample-derived nucleic acids occurs. However, beads are expected to provide significantly more starting material for and therefore significantly better barcode amplification. Also, a sufficiently large bead may contain hundreds of thousands of nucleic acid barcode molecules. In this case, cleavage of nucleic acid barcodes from the bead may be sufficient to generate sufficient quantities of a particular nucleic acid barcode in a reaction container.
Furthermore, if the nucleic acids are attached to a solid surface, they will not be as free to move about in comparison to nucleic acids in solution. Solid phase kinetics are much slower than aqueous phase kinetics for nucleic acid complementary base pairing, and may result in much less efficient addition of barcodes to nucleic acids of interest. Preferably, nucleic acid barcodes should exist in the aqueous phase before participating in the barcoding reaction.
This current invention improves upon a previous invention (PCT/US2012/000221) to attach unique barcodes to each sample, where each sample is usually a single cell, but is generalizable to any type of sample. The current invention enables delivery of unique barcodes to any type of reaction container, and is also suitable for nanoliter-sized reaction containers and does not require keeping unique nucleic acid barcodes in separate storage containers. It is amendable to but does not require manually pipetting a unique barcode into each reaction container. It delivers one or more copies of a unique barcode or unique barcode set into each reaction container and the barcode is attached to nucleic acids of interest in a reaction that occurs in the aqueous phase with rapid aqueous phase kinetics. As the reaction attaches barcodes to all nucleic acids of interest in a cell, i.e. all reverse transcribed RNA in a cell, the current invention enables single cell transcriptomics analysis, and is not limited to associating immunoglobulin variable genes to specific samples. Furthermore, the amplification reaction can occur at a sufficiently low temperature that it is compatible with mesophilic enzymes (that are otherwise inactivated at high temperatures) to add barcodes to nucleic acids of interest.

Analysis of nucleic acids associated with single cells using nucleic acid barcodes


A system consists of blocks (1) provided with grooves (19, 21) as well as joining elements (23) which are situated in the grooves for positioning the blocks with respect to each other. The block (1) has two joining sides (3, 5) for joining the blocks situated above and/or below it. Starting with a rough, undressed block, a layer of the rough block is removed from both joining sides over the whole surface, so that the joining sides (3, 5) become bearing surfaces (15, 17), which form the contact surfaces with the blocks above and below them. When dressing the rough block one makes sure that the distance (18) between the bearing surfaces (15, 17) lies within narrow tolerances of a desired value. Because of this, the blocks in a course lie precisely in a horizontal plane. The grooves (19, 21) and joining elements (23) make sure that the blocks lie precisely in a vertical plane. The joining element (23) is a profiled strip made of a flexible material having a width W1 which is greater than the width W2 of the grooves.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system of stackable blocks each of which has two joining sides, for joining to blocks situated above and/or below it, which joining sides are provided with bearing surfaces, which form the contact surfaces with the blocks situated above and/or below them, in which at least one of the joining sides is at least partially provided with a dressed area, which dressed area forms the bearing surface of this joining side, and in which this bearing surface is situated precisely at a desired distance from the opposite bearing surface of the same block.
By stackable blocks is meant blocks, which for the most part can be stacked without any adhesive between them in such a way that they make a wall, in which the blocks in a course are aligned horizontally and the different courses are aligned in a plane which, for example, is vertical or inclined.
2. Prior Art
A machine for producing blocks of such a system is known from GB-A-0.981.085. The block dressed using this machine is suitable for dry stacking. In order to make sure that the blocks when stacked in a course are aligned exactly and that the courses lie precisely in one plane and in order to obtain a bond between the courses of blocks situated on top of one another, the joining sides of the blocks produced in the known manner have a stepped shape, in which the top joining side of a block and the bottom joining side of a block above it fit together precisely. Therefore, with this system both the upper surfaces as well as the side surfaces of the stepped shape need to be dressed in a precise manner.
From DE 297 22 703 U a dry stackable building block is known which is provided with grooves for receiving joining elements. However this known building block is manufactured in a common way and is not dressed after its manufacture. Because of this the dimensions of this block are less accurate than the dressed blocks according to the invention and with the known blocks it is not possible to reach the same desired positioning accuracy as with the blocks according to the present invention.

System of stackable blocks as well as block and a joining element of the system


A resonant converter with power factor correction includes a power-obtaining circuit, an energy-storage element and an energy-transferred circuit. The power-obtaining circuit is used for receiving an input line voltage. The energy-storage element is coupled between the power-obtaining circuit and the energy-transferred circuit. The energy-transferred circuit is used for generating an output power. In a first time period, based on a first control signal, the energy-storage element and the power-obtaining circuit operate a soft switching so that the energy-storage element is charged to obtain the input line power and generate an energy-storage voltage. In a second time period, based on a second control signal, the energy-storage element and the energy-transferred circuit operate a soft switching so that the energy-storage element is discharged to make the energy-storage voltage converted into the output power.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a power-factor-corrected converter, and more particularly to a power-factor-corrected resonant converter and a parallel power-factor-corrected resonant converter.
2. Related Art
Generally, most conventional circuits for power factor correction (PFC) employ an inductor as an energy-storage element and employ a boost control topology for correcting power factor and transferring the energy to a load. Therefore, the material of the core of the inductor should be taken into consideration in order to avoid large hysteresis loss caused by pulse current. Furthermore, the size of the circuit is increased by using the inductor as an energy-storage element.
In order to maintain the stability of the boost control topology, additional compensation capacitors and complicated control circuit including circuit element such as an analog multiplier, are required to achieve the power factor correction. Furthermore, in the above mentioned circuit, other circuit elements having functions of frequency jitter, quasi resonant or valley switching are also included in the clock control signals in order to reduce the generation of electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Furthermore, because the boost control typology is employed for power factor correction, the output voltage in the circuit will be boosted to a higher voltage level such as 600V. Therefore, switching elements (e.g. elements with a maximum rating Drain-Source voltage above 600V) which can resist high voltage should be employed in the circuit. Accordingly, circuits for power factor correction are still required to be improved.

Power factor-corrected resonant converter and parallel power factor-corrected resonant converter


An image forming apparatus, including: an image carrier for carrying an image; a transfer roller including a holder member that holds a transfer material, a groove portion in which the holder member is disposed, and an elastic member disposed over the transfer roller except a portion where the groove portion is disposed, the elastic member of the transfer roller is pressed onto the image carrier to transfer an image from the image carrier onto the transfer material; and                a gate roller for transporting the transfer material to the holder member, wherein        a circumferential velocity v1 (mm/sec) of the elastic member of the transfer roller is lower than a moving speed v2 (mm/sec) of the transfer material transported by the gate roller.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming images. The apparatus includes a transfer roller that has a groove portion in which a holder member for holding a transfer material is provided. The transfer roller is pressed onto a carrier that carries images.
2. Related Art
In wet-type image forming apparatuses using liquid developer, a transfer material tends to stick onto an intermediate transfer member after transfer of toner images. This is because the transfer surface of the transfer material such as paper is pressed onto the intermediate transfer member. The transfer surface of the transfer material is a surface on which toner images are transferred. Accordingly, such an image forming apparatus has been proposed that is adapted to remove a transfer material from a transfer roller by blowing air to a tip end of the transfer material, after transfer (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3128067).
Besides this apparatus, another image forming apparatus using a dry developer has been proposed (see, for example, JP-A-3-4241). This apparatus is adapted to transfer a toner image on a photosensitive member onto a transfer material while gripping a tip end portion of the transfer material using a gripper. The gripper is included in a transfer drum that is pressed onto the photosensitive member. Gripping the tip end portion of the transfer material during the transfer process allows the transfer material to be smoothly removed from the photosensitive member after the transfer.
However, the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3128067 may fail to remove the transfer material successfully since the apparatus is adapted to merely blow the air to the tip end portion of the transfer material.
Thus, the technology for removing a transfer material by gripping the tip end portion of the transfer material using the gripper disclosed in JP-A-3-4241 may be applied to the image forming apparatus using the liquid developer that is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3128067. However, the gripper, which is a holder member used for holding the transfer material, continuously moves during the transfer operation since the gripper is included in the transfer drum and rotates integrally therewith. Therefore, it is difficult to appropriately and stably hold the transfer material being transported to the transfer drum by the holder member at a predetermined position of the transfer material. Further, in JP-A-3-4241, ways of holding the transfer material appropriately and stably at a predetermined position by the holder member that continuously moves in the image forming apparatus are not disclosed.
Thus, it is difficult to successfully perform image formation with a combination of the technology for removing the transfer material disclosed in JP-A-3-4241 and the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3128067.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method


A receiver for FM Multiplex broadcast packet communications is provided that includes a block identifying code (BIC) detection circuit which determines whether a received packet is a data packet type or a parity packet type based on predetermined BIC patterns. The receiver further includes block counter circuitry that counts blocks in a synchronized frame and determines whether a received packet is a data type or a parity type (D/P) based on the count value. An abnormality detection circuit detects discrepancies between these two D/P determinations and indicates a synchronization abnormality. In another embodiment, the BIC detection circuit provides an indication of a received BIC type (BIC1-BIC4) based on predetermined BIC patterns while the block counter circuitry determines the BIC type based on the counted number of the block in a synchronized frame. In this case, the abnormality detection circuit detects discrepancies between the two BIC type determinations and indicates a synchronization abnormality. A history of detected abnormalities is stored in an abnormal history memory circuit. If the number of abnormalities detected exceeds a predetermined threshold within a predetermined period, a packet offset determining circuit then generates a signal for canceling the frame-in-synchronism state and initiates a resynchronization process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiver for receiving FM multiplex broadcasting, and more particularly, to an FM multiplex broadcast signals receiver for receiving digital data multiplexed on FM multiplex broadcasting and transmitted from a broadcasting station.
2. Description of the Background Art
In FM multiplex broadcasting, digital information indicating characters, graphics or the like is multiplexed on FM broadcast signal. A receiver for FM multiplex broadcasting utilizes data and clock signal reproduced from multiplexed signals.
FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 respectively show a packet structure, a frame structure, and offset of synchronism.
With reference to FIG. 9, data has a packet structure for each block. The packet has a prescribed block identifying code (BIC) referred to as a block synchronization code, information bits, and a check code. The data packets respectively having block numbers 1-272 constitute one frame as shown in FIG. 10. Error correction is made packet by packet (horizontal correction) and frame by frame (vertical and horizontal correction). The receiver extracts a BIC pattern from a received data train and determines the division between blocks. Establishment of block synchronism is determined when the BIC pattern is detected a plurality of times, and a state in which synchronism is not achieved (out of synchronism) is determined if the BIC pattern is not detected a plurality of times. In the out of synchronism state, the establishment of synchronism of blocks is determined by detecting the BIC a prescribed number of times (number of backward protection of block synchronism) at an interval of one packet (at the timing of BIC detection generated by an internal BIC detection timing counter). This operation is referred to as block synchronism backward protection. When block synchronism is established, the out of synchronism state is determined by not detecting the BIC a prescribed number of times (number of forward protection of block synchronism) consecutively at an interval of one packet (BIC detection timing). This operation is referred to as block synchronism forward protection.
Referring to FIG. 10, 272 packets constituting a frame respectively have BICs corresponding to block numbers allotted. At four points in one frame, namely block numbers 1, 14, 137 and 150, points at which BIC changes (BIC change points) are provided. The block number can be specified by the BIC change point. Whether frame synchronism is established or not is determined by detecting or not detecting a plurality of BIC change points. In the out of synchronism state, establishment of frame synchronism is determined by detecting a prescribed number of BIC change points (number of backward protection of frame synchronism) consecutively at BIC change point detection timing (frame synchronism backward protection). When frame synchronism is established, if a prescribed number of BIC change points (number of forward protection of frame synchronism) are not consecutively detected at the BIC change point detection timing, the out of frame synchronism state is determined (frame synchronism forward protection).
There are two methods of determining packet type (i.e. data packet or parity packet). One method uses the BIC pattern extracted from received data and determines whether the BIC pattern is a data packet (BIC1-3) or a parity packet (BIC4). The other method uses a value of the receiver's block counter for frame and determines the packet type.
While frame synchronism is established, the block number of received data is synchronized with the block counter for frame of the receiver. However, the block number of received data may not be synchronized with the block counter for frame of the receiver due to the out of synchronism state of blocks caused by noise or the like, or false synchronism of blocks. For example, block synchronism may be lost if receiving conditions are deteriorated due to decreased intensity of the electric field or due to noise caused by multipath fading during frame synchronism state. When block synchronism is not established, the receiver carries out backward protection process of block synchronism, and extracts BIC patterns from a received data train. There may possibly be a data train which has the same bit pattern as BIC's. Further, a bit pattern that is the same as the BIC's may be generated more often than the number of backward protection of block synchronism at a packet period corresponding to the BIC detection timing. In such a case, false block synchronism may occur in which block synchronism is established at a timing other than the normal BIC detection timing.
Distinguished from regularly added normal BICs, a bit pattern which is the same as the BIC's that caused false block synchronism is unintentionally produced. Such false block synchronism is prevented by the aforementioned forward protection of block synchronism mechanism. In other words, a BIC pattern detection fails, out a block of synchronism state occurs, and eventually normal block synchronism would be established.
The receiver's "block counter for frame" counts received data packet by packet for each frame. The counter increments the count following a packet timing signal (dummy timing signal) produced by the receiver when the block synchronism is not established. The block counting operation switches to counting received packets once block synchronism is established. At the time of the switching, a "synchronization process" for the block counting operation is carried out. The synchronization process refers to an operation in which a difference between the packet timing generated by the receiver (receiver CPU) and the packet timing based on received data is corrected. For example, if block synchronism is established immediately after a counter increment operation from a packet timing signal generated by the receiver and counting should be performed based on received packets, the block counting is not based on received packets. On the other hand, if block synchronism is established immediately before a counter increment operation from a packet timing signal generated by the receiver and counting should be performed based on a received packet, then the block counting operation is carried out based on the received packets.
The above synchronization processing of the counting operation is effective when normal block synchronization is achieved. However, if the false block synchronization occurs, counting operation may be carried out at a timing which is not actually required, and the counting operation may not be carried out at the timing actually required. As a result, offset of synchronism occurs between the block number of received data and the block counter for frame of the receiver. When such offset of synchronism state occurs, BIC change points of received data cannot be detected at BIC change point detection timing generated by the block counter for frame. At this time, forward protection process of frame synchronism is performed, resulting in the out of frame synchronism state. As a result, the resynchronizing process mode of frame synchronism starts and synchronism is newly detected. During the period of forward protection, approximately two frames (about 10 seconds: about 380 data packets) are processed as data in frame synchronization, if the number of forward protection is 8.
Assume that the packet type is determined from the value of the block counter for frame of the receiver. If, at that time, offset of synchronization between the block number of received data and count value of the block counter for frame is 1 or 2 packets, about 164 parity packets would be determined erroneously as data packets and the same number of data packets would be determined erroneously as parity packets. The data in the data packets determined as parity packets are not used for creating a program. On the other hand, the parity packets are processed as normal data packets.
A problem caused in this situation is as follows. The parity packets regarded as data packets are combined with normal data packets and used for creating a program. When an error is detected by parity check for the program, the parity packets are discarded with data in the normal data packets. In this case, regular data is also discarded, so that data must be received again. On the other hand, if an error is not detected, the corresponding program could be improperly displayed.
Uncompleted data for a program is left in a program editing buffer or a receiving buffer as trash data. In this case, the available area in those buffers is decreased. As a result, efficiency in processing normal data, as well as efficiency in creating a program are impaired. In the worst case, the buffer fills with the trash data, a new program cannot be created, and reception becomes impossible. Such improper conditions would continue to have an affect even after normal frame synchronism is established by resynchronizing process of frame synchronism.


A defect detecting apparatus comprising an illuminating unit which irradiates an object with illumination an image sensing unit which senses an image of the object an angle controller which controls an inclination angle of at least one of the illuminating unit and the image sensing unit, an image processor which senses images of the object while the angle controller changes the inclination angle of at least one of the illuminating unit and the image sensing unit and obtains a relationship between each inclination angle and optical information corresponding to the each inclination angle, and a determination unit which determines an image sensing condition suited to observation in accordance with the relationship wherein the angle controller sets the inclination angle of the illuminating unit or the image sensing unit on the basis of a determination result from the determination unit such that the inclination angle matches the image sensing condition.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2000-083409, filed Mar. 24, 2000; No. 2000-265737, filed Sep. 1, 2000, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a defect detecting apparatus for detecting macroscopic defects such as film thickness variations, contamination, pattern steps, and flaws on the surface of a semiconductor wafer substrate or a liquid crystal glass substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A surface defect detecting apparatus disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 9-61365 is a conventional apparatus for automatically inspecting substrates such as semiconductor wafer substrates and liquid crystal glass substrates. This apparatus illuminates the surface of an object to be detected and senses images of the regularly reflected light, diffracted light, and scattered light from the surface. In this way, the apparatus can detect film thickness variations, periodic disturbance of resist patterns, differences in sectional shape between resist steps, and the like by image processing. However, the surface defect detecting apparatus having this arrangement does not automatically optimize the angle of illumination and the like when sensing an image of the diffracted light. This makes defect inspection in an optimum state difficult to perform.
On the other hand, a method of automatically adjusting illumination for sensing an image of the diffracted light from a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer substrate or a liquid crystal glass substrate has been proposed. For example, a defect inspecting apparatus disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-339701 reads information concerning a pattern formed on a substrate, and checks whether the pattern is a periodic pattern. If the pattern is a periodic pattern, the apparatus receives the diffracted light and proceeds on to inspection. If the pattern is a line-and-space pattern, for example, the apparatus sets a rotational angle around the normal of the surface of the substrate such that the line direction is perpendicular to the incident direction of illuminating light. The apparatus calculates a diffraction angle xcex8d to the pattern pitch by an equation: sin xcex8dxe2x88x92sin xcex8i=mxcex/p, and sets the diffraction angle xcex8d obtained by this calculation as the angle of light reception.
However, in the apparatus which automatically adjusts illumination when sensing an image of the diffracted light as described above, the movement of an illuminating optical system is limited to a narrow range, so the incident direction of the illuminating light cannot be easily changed. Since this limits patterns which can be inspected by this apparatus, the apparatus cannot treat objects having various patterns.
Also, patterns formed on semiconductor wafer substrates and liquid crystal glass substrates are complicated, and have not only a kind of pattern pitch but also differ in pattern pitch according to portions on the substrate. Therefore, a good diffracted image cannot be necessarily obtained by the set diffracted light receiving angle. Furthermore, an optimum diffracted light receiving angle changes in accordance with the influence of a resist on the substrate and the like.
Conventionally, defects such as film thickness variations, periodic disturbance of resist patterns, and differences in sectional shape between resist steps on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer substrate or a liquid crystal glass substrate are inspected by sensing an interference observation image of the substrate. This interference observation image is generated by interference between reflected light from the surface of a thin film (e.g., a resist film) formed on the substrate and light transmitted through the thin film and reflected from the substrate surface when illuminating light is irradiated to the substrate. To sense this interference observation image, illuminating light is made close to a single wavelength, or a bandpass filter is inserted before an image sensing device.
When an interference observation image is to be sensed, however, the interference conditions change in accordance with the conditions of a substrate such as the thickness and refractive index of a resist film, and the wavelength (observation wavelength) of illuminating light, so image sensing may not be performed under preferred conditions. As an example, an image saturates and makes it impossible to sense an interface observation image under favored conditions. Also, an apparatus which selectively interchanges a plurality of bandpass filters to change the observation wavelength selects the wavelength step by step. That is, the apparatus does not select a wavelength for performing image sensing under preferred conditions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a defect detecting apparatus capable of setting to an optimum state the angle of at least one of an illuminating side and an image sensing side with respect to an object to be inspected, and capable of treating various objects.
A defect detecting apparatus for extracting a defect from image data obtained by sensing an image of an object to be inspected, comprising:
an illuminating unit which irradiates the object with illumination from a direction of predetermined angle;
an image sensing unit which senses an image of the object from the direction of predetermined angle;
an angle controller which controls an inclination angle of at least one of the illuminating unit and the image sensing unit;
an image processor which senses images of the object while the angle controller changes the inclination angle of at least one of the illuminating unit and the image sensing unit and obtains a relationship between each inclination angle and optical information corresponding to the each inclination angle; and
a determination unit which determines an image sensing condition suited to observation in accordance with the relationship between the inclination angle and optical information obtained by the image processor,
wherein the angle controller sets the inclination angle of the illuminating unit or the image sensing unit on the basis of a determination result from the determination unit such that the inclination angle matches the image sensing condition.
A defect detecting apparatus comprising:
an illuminating unit whose incident angle xcex8 changes with respect to a normal to a surface of an object to be inspected;
an image sensing unit which senses an image of light reflected by the object illuminated with the illuminating unit, the image sensing unit has an image sensing angle xcex8 changing with respect to the normal;
an image analyzer which extracts defect information from an image of the object sensed by the image sensing unit;
a determination unit which obtains an interference angle suited to interference observation on the basis of an observation wavelength and information concerning a film formed on the object; and
an angle controller which controls an inclination angle of the illuminating unit sand the image sensing unit on the basis of the interference angle obtained by the determination unit.
A defect detecting apparatus comprising:
an illuminating unit whose incident angle xcex8 changes with respect to a normal to a surface of an object to be inspected;
an image sensing unit which senses an image of light reflected by the object illuminated with the illuminating unit, the image sensing unit has an image sensing angle xcex8 changing with respect to the normal;
an angle controller which controls the illuminating unit and the image sensing unit such that an incident angle to the object is set equal to an image sensing angle;
an image processor which causes the image sensing unit to sense an image while the inclination angle of the illumination unit and the image sensing unit is changed by the angle controller, thereby obtains a relationship of a luminance value to the inclination angle; and
a determination unit which determines an optimum interference angle in accordance with the relationship of the luminance value to the inclination angle, which is obtained by the image processor,
wherein the angle controller controls the inclination angle of the illuminating unit and the image sensing unit on the basis of the interference angle obtained by the determination unit.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.


An electroluminescent device is provided. The device has a stacked structure in which an electric field enhancing layer is present between a dielectric layer, which contacts an inorganic light-emitting layer, and an electrode. In the device, electrons are additionally supplied by the electric field enhancing layer to increase electroluminescent efficiency, enabling the device to emit light having desired brightness, and lengthening the life span of the device.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-83185 filed Dec. 24, 2002 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inorganic electroluminescent device, and more particularly, to an inorganic electroluminescent device having high luminous efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical stacked structure of an inorganic electroluminescent device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,543,237 and 5,641,181.
An inorganic electroluminescent device having such a typical stacked structure is illustrated in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, this device has a stacked structure in which a transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode 2 is formed on a substrate 1 and a first dielectric layer 3 is formed on the ITO electrode 2. An inorganic electroluminescent layer 4, a second dielectric layer 5, and a back electrode are sequentially formed on the first dielectric layer 3. Also, a protective layer (not shown) is formed on the back electrode 6 to protect the stacked structure from the outside.
An inorganic electroluminescent device is driven by an AC voltage which creates a strong alternating electric field in which electrons accelerate and collide with a fluorescent substance. In order to obtain high luminance, a large number of electrons are required.
Here, it is desirable to develop an inorganic electroluminscent device that has a high luminous efficiency and can be driven by a low voltage.


A hydraulic brake actuator for use in an automobile brake system which includes a master cylinder to be operated by a driver and a wheel cylinder connected to the master cylinder through a hydraulic circuit for applying a braking force to a wheel. The actuator is capable of performing anti-skid control function and/or traction control function, and includes a control cylinder device having a chamber which is connected to the wheel cylinder and adapted to be selectively connected to the master cylinder and disconnected therefrom. A piston is axially displaceably accommodated in the chamber for changing the volume of the chamber. A valve device has inlet and outlet ports connected to the master cylinder and the chamber, respectively, and is operatively connected to the piston so as to be opened or closed in response to the displacement of the piston.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic brake actuator for use in a braking force control system of an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of brake actuator is generally interposed in a hydraulic circuit connecting a master cylinder to be operated by a driver of an automotive vehicle and a wheel cylinder associated with a vehicle wheel, for controlling the braking fluid pressure to be applied to the wheel cylinder.
The applicant has already proposed a hydraulic brake actuator which is capable of performing anti-skid control function and/or traction control function, and which can be designed to avoid a bulky overall arrangement of the actuator and, in particular, to have a compact arrangement of the piston drive section, such as an electric motor. Such a brake actuator is disclosed, e.g. in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-275,260 which has not been laid-open for public inspection as of the priority date of this application.
With the brake actuator according to the above-mentioned proposal, as for the anti-skid control function, when the wheel of an automotive vehicle exhibits a slipping tendency due to an excessive braking force, two valves are controlled in accordance with information relating to the slipping condition. That is, an electromagnetically operated first valve is opened to interrupt the communication between the master cylinder and two chambers which are defined by a piston in a control cylinder. Subsequently, a similarly electromagnetically operated second valve is closed to interrupt the communication between the two chambers of the control cylinder and maintain these chambers at the wheel cylinder pressure at the instance of occurrence of the slipping. Then, the piston is applied with a thrust by a driving motor to increase the volume of the chamber in the control cylinder on the side of the wheel cylinder and decrease the wheel cylinder pressure, for performing the desired anti-skid control function and suppressing the wheel slipping.
The driving force required for driving the piston corresponds to the force used to reduce the pressure within the chamber of the control cylinder on the side of the wheel cylinder, from the pressure value at the instance of occurrence of slipping to a lower pressure value which allows suppression of the slipping so that it is possible to minimize the capacity of the driving motor.
On the other hand, as for the traction control function which is performed upon occurrence of a wheel spinning due to an excessive driving force, only the second electromagnetically operated valve is closed and the piston is applied with a thrust so as to decrease the volume of the chamber in the control cylinder on the side of the wheel cylinder and increase the wheel cylinder pressure, for applying an increased braking force to the wheel and performing the desired traction control function.
The above-mentioned arrangement according to the applicant's earlier proposal proved to be highly advantageous in that a single actuator could be used to perform the anti-skid control function and in addition the traction control function, with a compact drive motor for the piston. Nevertheless, this brake actuator could be further improved without the sacrifice of the above-mentioned advantages.
The anti-skid control function, for example, requires two electromagnetic driver devices for the two valves and one driver device for applying the thrust to the piston, whereas it is desirable to reduce the total number of driver devices and minimize the size, weight, energy consumption, manufacturing cost, etc. Particularly, when it is required to provide a brake actuator for each wheel of an automobile vehicle, as is the case in a 4-channel anti-skid control and/or traction control for a 4WD vehicle, it is highly desirable to further simplify the overall arrangement and lower the manufacturing cost of the individual actuator while simultaneously maintaining the above-mentioned advantages of the arrangement according to the applicant's earlier proposal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved hydraulic brake actuator which makes it possible to simplify the overall arrangement and lower the manufacturing cost.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a hydraulic brake actuator for use in a brake system of an automotive vehicle, which includes a master cylinder to be operated by a driver and a wheel cylinder connected to the master cylinder through a hydraulic circuit for applying a braking force to a wheel.
The brake actuator according to the present invention is interposed in the hydraulic circuit and comprises a control cylinder device having a chamber which is connected to the wheel cylinder and which can be selectively connected to the master cylinder and disconnected therefrom, and a piston axially displaceably accommodated in the chamber for changing the volume of the chamber.
The brake actuator according to the present invention further comprises a piston driver device for causing an axial displacement of the piston, and a valve device having an inlet port connected to the master cylinder and an outlet port connected to the chamber, and operatively connected to the piston of the control cylinder device so as to be opened or closed in response to the displacement of the piston.
With the brake actuator according to the present invention, it is possible to perform a desired anti-skid control function and in addition a traction control function, essentially in the same manner as the brake actuator according to the applicant's earlier proposal as mentioned above. On this occasion, the axial displacement of the piston of the control cylinder device is induced by the piston driver device. Such displacement of the piston results not only in change in the volume of the chamber within the control cylinder device, which is connected to the wheel cylinder, but also in the opening or closure of the valve device which is interposed between the master cylinder and the chamber within the control cylinder device, since the valve device is operatively connected to the piston.
The valve device according to the present invention does not by itself require a solenoid or the like electromagnetic driver device, so that it is possible to simplify the overall arrangement of the brake actuator and minimize the size, weight, energy consumption, manufacturing cost, etc., and to carry out the desired control with an improved response characteristic.
The present invention will be explained in further detail hereinafter, by referring to some preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings .


Disclosed is a paper feed structure for paper shredders and more particularly a paper feed structure having a paper bearing device and paper feed adjustment device. The paper feed structure includes oblique paper bearing plate disposed above wheel cutters of the paper shredder, a paper feed adjustment device, an infrared shielded switch having the function of actuating the paper shredder, a paper feed roller, and slidable plates. Paper need not be fed one by one into the paper shredder manually, and the paper feed amount is adjustable. A pile of paper can be placed on the paper bearing device and the paper is automatically fed into the paper shredder one by one.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a paper shredder, and more particularly to a paper feed structure for paper shredders, in which a pile of paper can be placed on a paper bearing device and is fed automatically into the paper shredder one by one.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Paper shredders are used to destroy data, patterns, etc., on sheets of paper. They achieve their intended object by utilizing two wheel cutters having shear force. The fed paper is cut into numerous strips by the cutters. As confidential documents have to be destroyed when discarded, paper shredders have become office prerequisites.
A conventional paper shredder can only cut a single or a limited number of sheets of paper. If it is necessary to destroy a pile of documents, the user has to feed the sheets one or several at a time, and each feed can only proceed after the previously fed paper has been completely shredded. This is very time-consuming. In today's society where efficiency and productivity are of utmost importance, having an employee sitting by the paper shredder just to shred a pile of unwanted documents is very backward.
It is therefore obvious that conventional paper shredders lack a kind of automatic paper feed structure. Unlike photocopiers, facsimile machines, or computer printers in which a sheet of paper is fed each time, paper shredders allow the feeding of one or more sheets of paper. In designing an automatic paper feed structure for paper shredders, consideration has to be given to the adjustment of paper feed, the provision of switch means that is operable by the feeding of paper, and the paper bearing structure for supporting a pile of paper. The paper feed structure should also allow adjustment of the feed slot according to the amount of paper to be fed so that a large pile of paper can be automatically shredded within a short time.

Paper feed structure for paper shredders