The present invention discloses a naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle and vehicles including the system. The naked eye 3D video system includes: two cameras for being installed on the rear of the vehicle and configured to capture images of the scene behind the vehicle respectively; a processor configured to divide the images captured by the two cameras into image strips in equidistance respectively, and integrate alternatively the divided image strips together into a integrated image in the manner of interleave; and a display device for being installed on the instrument panel of the vehicle, and configured to display the integrated image in the form of three dimensions for a driver to watch with the naked eye. The above naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle provided by the present invention can make the driver see clearly any obstacle in the scene behind the vehicle and understand spatial distribution information between the vehicle and the obstacle.

The vehicle is becoming a means of transport for more people with social progress and technological development. Backing a vehicle in safety brings a lot of trouble to all drivers, especially to beginners. Therefore, a video system is usually used for assisting in backing a vehicle.
An existing video system for backing a vehicle includes a reversing radar. The reversing radar includes Ultrasonic sensors, a controller, a monitor and so forth and can inform a driver of the circumstance of surrounding obstacles to improve traffic safety. However, there are a lot of blind zones, such as superfine obstacles, trenches, pits, etc., due to the reversing radar detects the distance between the vehicle and the obstacles based on ultrasonic wave.
An existing video system for backing a vehicle includes a two-dimensional video system. This type of system includes one camera, a processor, a monitor and so forth, wherein the camera is used for capturing images of the scene behind the vehicle. The processor is used for processing the captured images, such as de-noising, etc., for two-dimensional display on monitor. The driver cannot learn accurately about spatial distribution information between the vehicle and obstacles due to being provided with two-dimensional images. Therefore, such system may lead to that the driver misjudges the distance, thus an accident will be caused.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle and a vehicle including the system to solve the above problems.

Naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle and vehicle including the system


A display device includes a display panel including a display region and a non-display region surrounding the display region, a plurality of a light-emitting units arranged at the display region; a touch circuit connected to the display panel, and configured to detect touch information when the display panel is touched; a control circuit connected to the touch circuit and the display panel, and configured to control a corresponding light-emitting unit to emit a predetermined light beam in response to the touch information; a photosensing circuit connected to the display panel and the control circuit, and configured to sense the predetermined light beam and convert it into an electric signal; and a data processor connected to the control circuit and the display panel, and configured to process the electric signal acquired by the photosensing circuit through conversion to acquire monitoring data, and display the monitoring data on the display panel.

Currently, the concept "full-screen" becomes hotter and hotter, and many domestic and foreign terminal manufactures, panel manufactures and suppliers compete to study and develop the relevant techniques. Usually, a health monitoring module is adhered, from outside, a back surface of a screen, or a non-display region at a front surface of the screen, so as to provide a fixed position for the health monitoring module. In addition, the health monitoring module needs to be encapsulated separately, so it is adverse to a full-screen design without any seams or openings.

Display device and data monitoring method

CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The invention comprises a novel pyruvate compound for the treatment of prevention of reperfusion injury following ischemia, diabetic effects, cholesterol levels, injured organs ethanol intoxication oras s foodstuff. The novel pyruvate compound is particularly a puruvate thiolester, a glucerol-pyruvate ester or a dihydoxyacetone-pyruvate ester.

This invention relates to several new pyruvate compounds and methods of treating (i) ischemia in mammalian hearts, lungs, veins, arteries and other organs or tissues, (ii) accelerating ethanol oxidation/preventing acute toxic effects of ethanol on the liver, and (iii) other recognized uses of pyruvates including, but not limited to, treating of secondary effects of diabetes, lowering of cholesterol and lipid levels, as a nutrition source which can provide as much as 100% of caloric requirements and to treat injured organs requiring a readily accessible energy source.

Pyruvate compounds and methods for use thereof


A thin-film transistor including a gate electrode provided on a substrate, a gate insulation film provided on the gate electrode, an operative semiconductor film provided on the gate insulation film, and a channel protection film provided on the operative semiconductor film. Semiconductor contact portions are disposed so that they are covered by the channel protection film on either side of the operative semiconductor film. A source electrode and a drain electrode are connected to the semiconductor contact portions on either side of the channel protection film. The thin-film transistor can minimize the stray capacitance due to the overlapping of the source and drain electrodes with the gate electrode and is excellent in the contact characteristic. Also, a method for fabricating a thin-film transistor is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin-film transistor and a method for producing the same and a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a liquid crystal display device having an active matrix drive including thin-film transistors (TFT) has been remarkably developed. The active matrix includes TFTs and picture electrodes arranged in regions defined by intersecting gate bus lines and drain bus lines.
The TFT includes a gate electrode, a gate insulation film, an operative semiconductor film, a channel protection film, a source electrode and a drain electrode. An ohmic contact layer is formed on the operative semiconductor film, through which the source electrode and the drain electrode are connected to the operative semiconductor film. When the TFT is produced, the gate electrodes and the gate bus lines are integrally formed each other on the surface of the substrate and then above components are then layered thereon. The drain electrodes are formed together with the drain bus lines, and the source electrodes are connected to the picture electrodes. The source electrode and the drain electrode may be reversed to each other.
The source electrode and the drain electrode are disposed above the gate electrode via an insulation film and the operative semiconductor film, and, if the source electrode and the drain electrode are overlapped with the gate electrode as seen from above, a stray capacitance is created. Since the stray capacitance interferes with the image formation, it is preferable that the source electrode and the drain electrode are not overlapped with the gate electrode.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-106585, for example, discloses an arrangement in that the source electrode and the drain electrode are not overlapped with the gate electrode so that the stray capacitance created therebetween is minimized. According to this Patent Publication, a channel protection film is formed in self-alignment with the gate electrode so that the source electrode and the drain electrode can be selectively formed while using this channel protection film.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-204247 also discloses an arrangement in that, by the self-alignment and the selective film formation, the overlap of the source electrode and the drain electrode with the gate electrode can be eliminated to minimize the stray capacity created therebetween. Further in this Patent Publication, a second semiconductor film is formed on the operative semiconductor film, outside the channel protection film and the source electrode and the drain electrode are provided on the second semiconductor film by the selective film formation.
In the arrangement described in said Japanese Kokai 6-204247, the second semiconductor film operates as an ohmic contact to further enhance the electric connection between the operative semiconductor film and the source and drain electrodes. There is a problem, however, when the source and drain electrodes are formed on the second semiconductor film by a thermal CVD method or the like, in that the second semiconductor film tends to be eroded to deteriorate the contact characteristic. While it is possible to provide the ohmic contact by doping the outer portion of the operative semiconductor film with an impurity, there is another problem in such a case in that the doped portion of the semiconductor film is eroded when the source and drain electrodes are formed by the thermal CVD method.

Thin-film transistor and method for fabricating same and liquid crystal display device


A cooking appliance includes a frame defining a cooking chamber, a a magnetron for generating microwaves to cook food received in the cooking chamber, a door connected to the frame and configured to open and close the cooking chamber, a gasket disposed at the door and configured to contact a front portion of the frame based on the door closing the cooking chamber, and a leakage prevention part that is disposed at the door and that defines a space portion for preventing leakage of the microwaves. The gasket is coupled to the space portion.

In general, cooking appliances are home appliances that cook foods.
Such a cooking appliance may include a magnetron that cooks food by using microwaves according to kinds of cooking appliances.
When the cooking appliance includes the magnetron, a door of the cooking appliance includes a choke that prevents leakage of the microwaves.
A choke cover for blocking electromagnetic waves is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2003-0012639 that is a prior art document.
In the case of the prior art document, the choke is integrated with a choke part of a door frame. Here, a choke cover that is a dielectric is coupled to an inner peripheral portion of the choke, and a door panel and a screen are coupled to the outside of the choke.
The choke may be generally formed by bending a metal plate.
However, when the choke having the bent shape is formed on the door, the door is complicated in structure, and also, the choke cover made of a plastic material is separately provided to increase in number of components.
Also, in some cases, if it intends to additionally install a steam generator that cooks food by using steam in the cooking appliance according to the prior art document, there is a problem that the choke cover is deformed or melted by the high-temperature steam generated in the steam generator, and the choke is also deformed by the high-temperature steam and thus is deteriorated in function of blocking the electromagnetic waves.


An apparatus for spreading granular material having a pre-calibrated material gauge removably located in the bottom of a hopper. The granular material is forcibly pressed through discharge apertures formed in the material gauge under the rotatory action of an auger mounted in the hopper. The discharge apertures are sized to inhibit the free flow of granular material therethrough when the auger is not rotating. A clutch mechanism is provided for permitting selective control of the rotary movement of the auger. Since the material gauge is interchangeable, the apparatus can be quickly converted for spreading a variety of differently sized granular materials.

This invention relates generally to granular material spreaders and, more particularly, to a drop spreader apparatus equipped with interchangeable, pre-calibrated distribution gauges.
Granular material spreaders are used in a wide variety of applications, but are used most commonly for the distribution of fertilizers, insecticides, top soil or sand in top dressing applications, as well as for distribution of ice control materials on walkways around buildings and landscaping. Such spreaders may be generally classified in two types, drop spreaders and broadcast or spinner spreaders.
Drop spreaders are well known in the art with several types being described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,256,854, 2,627,364, 2,940,640, and 3,096,004. Typically, drop spreaders include a hopper having a plurality of discharge openings or apertures formed in the bottom through which the granular material is discharged under the action of gravity. In addition, many drop spreaders have a slide plate which can be adjusted for selectively obscuring the discharge openings in the hopper, thereby restricting or interrupting the amount of granular material discharged. Furthermore, some drop spreaders also incorporate an agitator or other device for mechanically disturbing the granular material located above the discharge openings, thereby improving the material flow of material through the openings.
In contrast to drop spreaders, broadcast or spinner type spreaders include a rotating member for centrifugally dispersing or "casting" the material out away from the spreader. The amount and concentration of material disbursed is controlled by metering the amount of material delivered to the rotating member and/or adjusting the speed of the rotating member. Unfortunately, conventional spreaders have not proven to be accurate in delivering a precise amount of granular material over a particular area. Therefore, such spreaders are not generally useful in applications where space is limited and accuracy is important, such as in the distribution of turf control products or ice control materials in close proximity to buildings and landscaping. More particularly, dispersion of ice control materials on lawns and landscaping results in not only a waste of material, but there are also ecological concerns since some ice control materials are harmful to lawns and shrubbery. Alternatively, the dispersion of turf control products onto walkways and driveways is undesirable in that it may eventually be washed into ground water supplies, lakes and streams.
While drop spreaders are more accurate than broadcast spreaders in delivering granular material over a particular area, proper adjustment of the slide plate arrangement associated therewith may prove to be problematic. For example, in dispensing ice control materials it is often desirable to use rock salt and calcium chloride. Rock salt is preferred on thick ice to improve traction and break the ice up so that it may subsequently be removed. Alternatively, calcium chloride is the preferred material when there is light icing since it melts the ice at lower temperatures. In a typical application, rock salt us initially applied to break up the thick ice, followed by application of calcium chloride to prevent the reformation of ice. Unfortunately, to switch between these differing materials with a traditional drop spreader requires significant adjustment to get the proper distribution. Such an arrangement is highly inefficient in that, prior to making the adjustment, either too much or not enough material is spread. Thus, material is either wasted or multiple applications are required.
Another drawback associated with both drop and broadcast spreaders is that the agitator or rotating member is generally connected to or integral with the axle onto which the wheels are mounted. In this arrangement, the tractive engagement between the wheels and the surface over which the material is to be applied causes rotation of the wheel and the axle, thus driving the agitator or rotating member as the spreader is moved about. As can be appreciated, this arrangement is rather ineffective when the surface over which the material is applied is ice covered, since traction is relatively poor.


The invention relates to novel N-substituted indolyl-3-glyoxylamides of the general formula I, their preparation and use as medicaments, in particular for the treatment of tumors

For the next few years, a dramatic increase in oncoses and tumor-related cases of death is expected worldwide. In 2001, worldwide approximately 10 million people were suffering from cancer and over 6 million people died from this disease. The development of tumors is a fundamental disease of higher organisms in flora and fauna. The generally recognized multistep model of carcinogenesis assumes that as a result of accumulation of a number of mutations in an individual cell this is so modified in its proliferation and differentiation behavior that finally, via benign intermediate stages, a malignant, state with metastasis is reached. Behind the term cancer or tumor, a clinical picture with more than 200 various individual diseases hides itself. Oncoses can proceed in a benign or malignant manner. The most important tumors are those of the lung, the breast, the stomach, the neck of the uterus, the prostate, the head and neck, the large and small intestine, the liver and the blood system. There are great differences with respect to course, prognosis and therapy behavior. More than the 90% of the cases recognized relate to solid tumors, which in particular in the advanced stage or on metastasis are treatable with difficulty or untreatable. The three pillars of cancer control are still surgical removal, irradiation and chemotherapy. In spite of great advances it has still not been possible to develop medicaments which bring about a marked prolongation of the survival time or even a complete cure in the widespread solid tumors.
It is therefore meaningful to invent novel medicaments for the control of cancer. In particular, the disadvantageous formation of resistance, as is known of many antitumor agents, should be circumvented.
Indolyl-3-glyoxylamides are frequently used as pharmacologically active compounds and as synthesis components in pharmaceutical chemistry.
In WO03/022280, N-substituted alkyl- and aryl-3-glyoxylamide indoles having antitumoral action are described. Actual exemplary embodiments of this substitution pattern on the glyoxylamide nitrogen atom are, however, not given.
In the documents WO99/51224 A1 and WO01/22954 A1, N-substituted indol-3-yl derivatives having antitumor action are described. Actual exemplary embodiments of this substitution pattern are, however, not given.
In WO99/55696 A1, substituted hydroxyindoles are described as phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors. An antitumoral activity of the compounds according to the invention is neither described nor suggested.
In WO 02/08225 A1, 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxoacetamide derivatives having antitumor action against solid tumors are described. However, the invention does not relate to actual exemplary embodiments with substitution on the glyoxylamide nitrogen atom.
In patent specification WO 00/67802, indole-3-glyoxylamides which are substituted by higher chain fatty acids are described as potential antitumor agents. Actual exemplary embodiments are, however, not given or confirmed by biological data.
In the publication of W.-T. Li et al. (J. Med. Chem. 2003, 46, 1706 ff.), N-heterocyclic indolylglyoxylamides are described as orally active compounds having antitumoral activity.
WO02/10152 A2 of the applicant already describes another class of indole derivatives for the treatment of tumors. Inter alia, the active compound N-(2-methyl-6-quinolyl)-[1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-indol-3-yl]glyoxylamide was tested here on various tumor cell lines for its antiproliferative action.

N-substituted indolyl-3-glyoxylamides, their use as medicaments and process for their preparation


An apparatus for continuous polymerization of vinyl chloride or a vinyl chloride-based monomeric mixture, comprising a pre-mixer 1 for preparing an aqueous suspension of the vinyl chloride or vinyl chloride-based monomeric mixture, and a polymer slurry tank 5 connected to the pre-mixer 1 through a polymerization passage comprising a piping 3, wherein a pump comprising a conical hub and an impeller mounted thereon comprised of a single spiral blade is used for drawing out the aqueous suspension from the pre-mixer into the polymerization passage and for discharging a polymer slurry formed in the passage into the slurry tank, and the polymerization passage has a length sufficient for permitting the vinyl chloride or vinyl chloride-based monomeric mixture contained in the aqueous suspension flowing through the passage to be polymerized to a predetermined extent while passing through the passage. The use of the pump having the structure as above ensures a marked suppression of polymer scale deposition in the pump, heat exchanger and pipings, and makes it possible to produce a resin with few fish-eyes. The apparatus is of extremely high industrial value for carrying out continuous polymerization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuous polymerization for producing a vinyl chloride homopolymer or a vinyl chloride-based copolymer (hereinafter generically referred to as "vinyl chloride-based polymer") by suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride or a vinyl chloride-based monomeric mixture (hereinafter generically referred to as "vinyl chloride-based monomeric material").
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, suspension polymerization of a vinyl chloride-based monomeric material has been carried out by a batch polymerization process in which water, the vinyl chloride-based monomeric material, a polymerization initiator and a dispersant, together with other various additives as required, are placed into a polymerization vessel equipped with a jacket and a reflux condenser, and cooling water is passed through the jacket and reflux condenser to remove the heat of polymerization, thereby controlling the temperature of the reaction system to a predetermined temperature.
In order to enhance productivity of the polymerization vessel in practicing the conventional process, it is necessary to increase the amount of the vinyl chloride-based monomeric material placed into the polymerization vessel or to shorten the polymerization time. In any of the cases, the heat of reaction per unit time is increased. Consequently, cooling capability of the polymerization apparatus used would come to be an issue. Conventionally, various methods have been adopted for coping with this problem, for example, a method by lowering the temperature of the cooling water passed through the jacket to achieve more powerful cooling, or a method by increasing the quantity of heat removed by the reflux condenser.
However, the former method is expensive and therefore unadvantageous economically, and the latter method has the drawback that carry-over arises from foaming of the polymerization reaction mixture, leading to polymer scale formation, or the number of fish-eyes in the resulting polymer product is increased.
On the other hand, continuous polymerization process is advantageous from a productivity point of view. In the case of vinyl chloride polymers, however, no continuous polymerization process has been successfully put to practical use, because of difficulties as to product quality (especially, fish-eye), polymer scale deposition and the like.


A secondary battery and method, with the secondary battery including a can having a polygonal section, and with the can having an opening portion of which one end is opened, and having a short side portion and a long side portion. The secondary battery includes an electrode assembly constructed by stacking a negative electrode plate, a separator and a positive electrode plate, with the electrode assembly being wound up in a jelly roll shape, pressed in a predetermined direction, and received in the can. The secondary battery further includes at least one electrode tap connected to a corresponding electrode plate of the electrode assembly and protruded toward an opening portion of the can from an outer circumferential portion of the electrode assembly, at the short side portion of the can.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a secondary battery, and more specifically, to a secondary battery with a relative position between an electrode tap positioned at an outer circumferential portion of an electrode assembly formed as a jelly roll and a can receiving the electrode assembly jelly roll.
2. Description of the Related Art
A secondary battery is formed by receiving an electrode assembly in a can made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, for example, injecting an electrolyte into the can, and then hermetically sealing the can. In the secondary battery, the electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate, a separator, and a negative electrode plate. An electrode terminal electrically separated from the can is provided at a top of the battery, so the electrode terminal can function as a positive electrode or a negative electrode of the battery. At that time, the can itself can function as a negative electrode, when the electrode terminal functions as the positive electrode, and function as a positive electrode when the electrode terminal functions as the negative electrode.
The hermetically sealed battery is provided along with safety devices such as a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) element, a thermal fuse, a protective circuit board, e.g., a protecting circuit module (PCM), etc. These safety devices are electrically connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the battery and intercept a current when a voltage of the battery is rapidly raised due to an increase in temperature or excessive charge and discharge of the battery, thereby preventing the battery from being destroyed, for example. The battery provided with the safety devices is typically placed in a packing case to form a battery pack.
FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view illustrating a conventional secondary battery with an electrode tap positioned at a long side portion of the can. The open end of the can 11 is provided with an opening portion 11a, with the electrode assembly 12 being placed in the can 11 through the opening portion 11a, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The electrode assembly 12 is wound up in a jelly roll shape, after the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are stacked therein, along with the separator therebetween. An electrode tap 14 and electrode tap 13, respectively, electrically connected to one of the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, are drawn out from a top of the electrode assembly 12. The electrode tap 13 may be a negative electrode tap and electrode tap 14 may be a positive electrode tap, or electrode tap 13 may be the positive electrode tap and electrode tap 14 may be the negative electrode tap.
The can 11 has substantially a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is made of metal material, so that the can 11 can function as a terminal.
When the electrode tap (positive or negative electrode tap), coupled to a half or more of a width of the electrode assembly, is positioned at an outer circumferential portion of the electrode assembly jelly roll, the following problems have been noticed. First, even before using the battery, a pressure is applied between the can 11 and a portion of the electrode assembly 12, in the area of the electrode tap 14, due to the close arrangement between the electrode assembly 12 and the can 11, such that the operational ability of the electrode assembly 12 deteriorates.
Further, during use of the battery, the battery cycles between volume expansion and volume contraction, with these expansions and contractions allowing the electrode tap 14 to be pressed between the can 11 and a corresponding electrode plate (the positive electrode plate, the negative electrode plate, or the separator, depending on whether electrode tap 14 is the positive or negative electrode tap), thereby deforming the corresponding electrode plate along a shape of the electrode tap 14. During use of the battery, the deformed portion of the corresponding electrode plate changes to a non-reaction portion due to the pressing, with lithium ions agglomerating around the deformed portion or the peripheries thereof, thereby causing problems such as dendritic deformations, increasing in thickness, etc. These are serious problems when they occur in a high-capacity battery having such a polygonal section.

Secondary battery and method with electrode tap positioned at short side portion of secondary battery can


A power MOS transistor formed of an array of source cells and drain cells on an IC chip substrate has a plurality of substrate contact cells, each formed external to the source cells, having respective substrate potential-setting electrodes to which an externally supplied substrate bias voltage can be applied, enabling the substrate potential to be set independently of the source potential of the transistor. It thereby becomes possible to modify the threshold voltage of the transistor or maintain a constant potential difference between the substrate potential and that of a gate input signal. Since the requirement for a substrate contact region within each source cell is eliminated, and the number of substrate contact cells can be fewer than that of the source cells, the chip area occupied by the transistor can be reduced by comparison with a prior art configuration providing such a substrate potential control capability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power MOS transistor capable of passing a high level of drain current, which is formed of an array of MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor) cells.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Types of LDMOS FET (lateral diffusion MOSFET, referred to in the following as a LDMOS transistor), formed of an array of interconnected MOSFET cells to constitute a power MOS transistor, are known in the prior art. Such a transistor has a multi-layer configuration of connecting leads, to thereby enable the area occupied by the connecting leads to be reduced and to enable the wiring resistance within the transistor to be lowered. An example of such a prior art LDMOS transistor configuration is shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. As illustrated in the plan view of FIG. 20, this has a conventional stripe configuration of MOSFET cells (source cells and drain cells). The respective source electrodes of the source cells are connected in common to a single connecting lead, which extends to the exterior of the transistor, and the set of gate electrodes and the set of drain electrodes are similarly respectively connected to individual connecting leads, which extend to the exterior of the transistor.
FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of a portion of such a LDMOS transistor, showing the configuration of one of the source cells. As shown in FIG. 21, a contact through-hole (referred to in the following simply as a contact hole) 100 formed in each source cell is large in size, and the source electrode has an N+ source region 101 and a P+ body contact region 102, both of which are at the substrate potential.
With an alternative configuration for such a power MOS transistor, as shown in FIG. 22, the substrate potential and the source potential can be controlled respectively independently. However in that case, it is necessary for the substrate contact area within each source cell to be large in size, so that the area occupied by each source cell becomes large, and hence the overall chip area that is occupied by the LDMOS transistor becomes large.
In addition, although there have been circuits proposed in the prior art for limiting the level of load current which flows in such power MOS transistor, i.e., for overcurrent protection, these have various disadvantages. An example of such a prior art circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,084, and is shown in FIG. 30. Here, a load 200 and a power MOS transistor 201 are connected in series across a power supply voltage, while a sensing transistor 202 and a sensing resistor 203 are connected in series between the drain and source electrodes of the power MOS transistor 201. A gate drive circuit 204 applies a gate drive signal to the gate electrodes of the transistors 201 and 202, so that a form of current mirror relationship exists between the drain currents of these transistors, in the sense that the ratio of the drain currents of transistors 201, 202 is (ideally) always constant, i.e., although that ratio is extremely large, the respective waveforms of these drain currents should be identical, and synchronized with one another.
A voltage whose level represents the level of current flow through the sensing transistor 202 is produced across the sensing resistor 203, and supplied to an amplifier 205. The output from the amplifier 205 can thereby be applied in some manner to prevent excessive current flow through the power MOS transistor 201, e.g., by being supplied to the gate drive circuit 204 such as to cause that circuit to modify the gate drive voltage in a direction which will reduce the level of current flow through the power MOS transistor 201, when the voltage across the sensing resistor 203 exceeds a certain value.
So long as both the power MOS transistor 201 and the sensing transistor 202 are operating with a relatively high value of drain-to-source voltage, with a relatively low level of current flow through the load 200 (i.e., with these transistors each operating in the saturation region of the Id/Vds characteristic, in which the drain current level is unaffected by changes in the drain-to-source voltage), the level of current flow through the sensing resistor 202 will be unaffected by the presence of the sensing resistor 203. In that region of operation, the aforementioned ratio of the drain current through the power MOS transistor 201 to the drain current through the sensing transistor 202 will be accurately maintained. However when the drain-to-source voltage of the sensing transistor 202 becomes low, i.e., when transistors 201, 202 each enter the ON (conducting) state, in which there is an approximately linear relation between the drain-to-source voltage of a FET and its drain current, the current flow through the sensing resistor 202 will be significantly reduced due to the voltage drop across the sensing resistor 203. That is to say, the ratio of the drain current level of transistor 201 to that of the sensing transistor 202 will be substantially increased.
For that reason, it is not possible for such a circuit to be used to perform accurate current limiting of the drain current through the power MOS transistor 201, since the relationship between the respective drain currents of the power MOS transistor and the sensing transistor 202 will vary in accordance with whether these transistors are currently operating in a transition condition between the fully ON and fully OFF states, or are operating in the ON state. Thus, the drain current of the sensing transistor 202 (and hence the voltage developed across the sensing resistor 203) cannot be used to accurately represent the level of load current being passed by the power MOS transistor 201, for the purpose of applying control to limit an excessive level of flow of that load current.
This is an especially serious problem when a power MOS transistor is to be utilized in a form of operation such as PWM (pulse width modulation), in which the transistor is repetitively switched between the ON and OFF states, and so repetitively changes between the transition condition and the fully ON condition, and such limiting to prevent excessive current flow through the power MOS transistor is to be applied, for example as described in Japanese patent No. HEI 9-64707.

Power MOS transistor having capability for setting substrate potential independently of source potential


Communicating with a plurality of networks is disclosed. One or more credentials is provided to a first gatekeeper of a first network. One or more credentials is provided to a second gatekeeper of a second network. A session is maintained with the first gatekeeper. A second session is simultaneously maintained with the second gatekeeper.

Typical secure remote access technologies, such as IPSEC and SSL VPNs allow remote end-users to access applications and files residing in a single network behind an access gateway. Unfortunately, IT administrators often need access to different resources from distributed networks to perform their tasks.
For example, a managed service provider might maintain the Tokyo, Chicago, and London (geographically dispersed) networks of an international bank. A particular administrator working for the managed service provider may be responsible for maintaining all of the servers of a particular type across all three networks and may routinely be required to perform upgrades across those three networks at the same time.
Suppose the administrator needs to apply a patch currently located on a system in Tokyo to systems in Chicago and London. One technique is to use an IPSEC VPN gateway to bridge the three networks and create routable paths between them such that the administrator can authenticate to a single access gateway and "see" the other networks behind it. Unfortunately, by doing so a security risk is also created—the bridging of multiple networks to allow an individual to see all three networks effectively gives that user full access across the WAN. If the individual is untrustworthy, inept, or the individual's client is otherwise compromised, all three networks can now be compromised. Further, networks are increasingly intentionally segregated for reasons such as government regulations/auditing, etc. In such cases bridging multiple disjoint networks may not be possible.
Another option is for the administrator to make use of serial connections. In that scenario, the administrator would first connect to Tokyo and copy the file locally to his laptop. The administrator would then disconnect from Tokyo and connect to London, copying the file from his laptop to a node in London. After performing the updates, the administrator would disconnect from London and connect to Chicago. The administrator would again copy the file from his laptop to a node in Chicago, perform the necessary administrative tasks, and disconnect. While the Tokyo, London, and Chicago networks can remain disjoint in this scenario, the administrator is likely to spend a lot of additional overhead (e.g., in time) logging in and out of networks, copying information to and from his laptop, etc.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a better way to connect to multiple networks.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention is directed to a method and system for providing a three-level current scheme to a semiconductor laser to control beam wavelength and laser temperature. A first current is received into a gain section of the semiconductor laser and at least one other current is received into a DBR and/or phase section of the semiconductor laser. This other current(s) is pulse-width modulated based upon a required temperature value. An output beam is generated by the semiconductor laser based upon the received first current and the received pulse-width modulated current(s).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and device to perform wavelength modulation and more specifically to a method and system for controlling current injection into a Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) semiconductor laser to perform wavelength modulation.
2. Background
Lasers have been employed in display technologies for years. In displays such as computer displays, televisions, or the like, colors are generated by the superposition of three primary colors: red, blue and green. As such, within laser-based displays, lasers are employed to provide the primary colors. Each laser can be raster-scanned across the screen or can be stationary and employed to illuminate an image, e.g., a motion picture film or spatial light modulator containing an image. The ability of a laser to provide a beam having excellent brightness characteristics leads to efficient and well-performing lasers within laser-based projectors, when compared to the brightness characteristics of incandescent bulbs used in conventional motion picture theaters.
Laser-based projectors may use single- or multi-wavelength lasers. Single-wavelength semiconductor lasers, such as distributed-Bragg-reflector (DBR) lasers are potential sources for wavelength conversion using a non-linear optical effect. For example, a 1060 nm DBR semiconductor laser tuned to the spectral center of a second-harmonics-generation (SHG) device such as a non-linear crystal may be used to convert the wavelength output by the DBR semiconductor laser to a 530 nm beam. This provides a low-cost, compact and efficient non-linear source of green light.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional DBR semiconductor laser 100 and a second harmonic generation (SHG) device 150. The DBR semiconductor laser 100 includes a DBR section or section 110, a phase section or section 120 and a gain section or section 130. The gain section 130, when injected with a continuous wave (CW) current, generates continuous optical power for the laser. The current injected into the DBR section 110 makes large changes to wavelengths output from the laser and the current into the phase section 120 makes small changes to the wavelength of the beam output of the laser. The SHG device 150 receives the beam produced by the semiconductor laser 100. The output intensity of the converted wavelength (green, for example) depends upon alignment of the DBR laser wavelength and the SHG device's spectral center. The beam output from the SHG device 150 is then directed to an output such as display screen.
Generally, for technologies involving video displays, the optical power such as that used to generate the intensity of green light, for example, needs to be modulated at a fundamental frequency of 10 to 100 MHz and with an extinction ratio of approximately 40 dB. The extinction ratio is the ratio of high optical power level to low optical power level. To achieve this combination of high modulation speed and larger extinction ratio remains a daunting task.
One way to obtain a DBR laser 100 and SHG 150 based light source having a fast modulation and a large extinction-ratio is to rapidly modulate the output wavelength of a DBR semiconductor laser 100. As a result, the DBR semiconductor laser beam rapidly scans cross the narrow spectral width of a non-linear SHG device 150 (for example a nonlinear crystal) to produce the necessary intensity modulation. For example, if maximum green power is needed, the DBR wavelength is tuned to the spectral center of the non-linear crystal and, if zero green power is needed a specific time later, the DBR wavelength is tuned outside the spectral width of the non-linear crystal to produce a dark image.
One modulation scheme for use in video is pulse-width wavelength modulation. In this case, the current into the gain section 130 of the DBR laser 100 is maintained at a constant value so that the output intensity of the DBR laser 100 is kept nearly constant, while the current into the DBR section 110 has two possible values: one corresponding to the "on" wavelength that matches to the SHG center wavelength and the other corresponding to the "off" wavelength that is shorter or longer than the SHG center wavelength. The strength or brightness of the green light in each bit period or pixel for the human eyes is determined by the duration in time of current into DBR section 110 corresponding to the "on" wavelength due to the slow response of human eye sensitivity, therefore, the eyes just feel average brightness. Therefore, to modulate the brightness of the green light in each period, the duration (or pulse-width) of current into DBR section 110 corresponding to the "on" wavelength is modulated. This is called "pulse-width modulation"
For a DBR laser 100, the carrier plasma effect is used to dynamically shift the wavelength by injecting current into the DBR section 110. Increasing the current into the DBR section 110 shifts the lasing wavelength to the shorter wavelength end. This is called blue shifting. Reducing the current into the DBR section 110 shifts the laser wavelength to the longer wavelength end. This is called red shifting.
However, the carrier plasma effect described above ignores the possible adverse thermal effect that the injection of current into the laser causes. Injecting current into the DBR section 110 also causes a temperature change in the DBR section 110. For example, if the current corresponding to the "off" wavelength is larger than the current corresponding to the "on" wavelength, then long "off" bits will cause the DBR section temperature to rise, resulting in the lasing wavelength moving toward longer wavelengths, diminishing or completely reversing the required wavelength blue shifting. Alternately, if the current corresponding to the "off" wavelength is smaller than the current corresponding to the "on" wavelength, then long "off" bits will cause the DBR section temperature to fall, resulting in the lasing wavelength moving toward shorter wavelengths, diminishing or completely reversing the required wavelength red shifting. In both instances, at the "on" current that follows, the lasing wavelength is away from the SHG center wavelength, resulting in an undesirable low conversion efficiency.
In a video display application, the DBR section 110 temperature at a specific time depends on the history of previous bits. The heating caused by current injection of the "on" wavelength and "off" wavelength during previous bits affects the wavelength of the current bit. Therefore, at any particular time, the thermal effect can cause the laser wavelength to drift away from the center wavelength of an SHG 150 even if the "on" wavelength is applied, reducing the conversion efficiency of the SHG 150. FIG. 2 shows this effect, known as a thermally-induced patterning effect. In FIG. 2, the temperature of the DBR section 110 increases when a constant "on" current is applied, resulting in a longer actual wavelength and less intense SHG output over time. Likewise, the temperature of the DBR section 110 decreases when a lower constant "off" current is applied, resulting in a shorter actual wavelength over time.

Method and device for performing DBR laser wavelength modulation free of thermal effect


A controlled environment room encompassing a room space is provided with air supply structure which includes a room ceiling surmounting the room space, a top closure disposed above the ceiling and spaced apart from the ceiling to form a plenum chamber therewith, and an array of steel joists extending between and constructed and arranged to support the ceiling and the closure, the joists each including a pair of spaced apart chords which are components of the ceiling and are constructed and arranged to support the ceiling, the chords defining between them elongate slots extending through the ceiling, the slots providing air passageways extending from the plenum chamber to the room space for conducting pressurized air from the plenum chamber to the room space.

Controlled environment or environmental rooms find important use in powder application processees. Thus, isolation of a process from a plant environment can make the difference between success and failure. Contaminants in the plant environment can be deposited on the work being coated. A powder application room provides optimal conditions for powder coating. (See article by Nick Liberto, "Designing a powder-application room: Why? How?", in POWDER COATING, August, 1993) It is important to control temperature and humidity, with humidity being important to the control of the electrostatic charge. (See article by Jane M. Bailey, "Powder Comes Full Cycle at Trek," in INDUSTRIAL PAINT & POWDER, September, 1996).
A controlled environment room may be constructed or erected within an industrial plant as a stand-alone room, in the room space of which temperature, humidity, and particle contaminants are closely controlled. The size of the room may vary widely, to accommodate one or more powder coating booths, and, as desired, to accommodate pretreatment and curing operations. Access may be provided for forklift trucks and parts conveyors. Return or recycled air and makeup air are filtered, to remove particles as small as two microns. The air is conditioned to provide typically a room environment of 40-70 percent humidity and 60.degree.-80.degree. F. room temperature for the sensitive powder coating operations.
Current systems result in variations in the velocity and the distribution of the air supplied to the room space for maintaining the desired room environment, and also involve design, material, equipment, and installation complexities and costs, which it is desired to reduce.

Air supply means for a controlled environment room


In an integrated circuit package, a ROM is provided for identifying the device for testing purposes. The ROM is programmed, for example, by cutting resistor links. The resistor links set the output of the PROM. This output is a binary word which is read by the tester at the same time that the tester performs measurements on the reference device. With this information the tester can then perform various calculations.

When manufacturing integrated circuits, various needs exist for testing the devices being fabricated. Such devices often must be tested not only to determine whether they are operative, but also to determine their actual specifications. The test results are used to separate good devices from bad devices, to establish component grading, and to establish a test record for devices required to carry such a pedigree (e.g., for certain military, space and atomic energy applications).
As an example, consider a typical voltage reference product (e.g., for a digital-to-analog converter) whose temperature coefficient must be determined during the test process. One prior art method for testing electronic devices such as voltage references is to test a number of such references in sequence, in an assembly-line fashion. The references are arranged on or supplied via an apparatus which sequentially moves each of the references near an automatic tester which tests the references one at a time, performing all necessary tests on one reference before advancing to test the next reference. The measurements may be stored in the tester or in a computer, where they may be filed under the sequential number of the reference. For instance, the first reference tested is assigned the identification number 1, the second reference tested is assigned the identification number 2, and so forth, for all of the references. In calculating temperature coefficients, the output voltage of each reference is measured at a number of different temperatures, and these temperatures are also stored. The temperature coefficients for the references can then be calculated. This temperature coefficient is then compared to a specified value, to determine whether the reference has passed the test, or to a group of values, to grade the voltage reference by quality.
The problem with this method of testing is that it is very slow. The device under test (DUT) must be brought to each test temperature, in sequence, and allowed to stabilize before each measurement is made. Additionally, the test jig itself must be allowed to stabilize at each test temperature, and it may exhibit considerable thermal inertia.
Another prior art method for testing electronic devices for temperature coefficient is to arrange all of the DUTs on a large board. The board with the DUTs is then placed into an environmental chamber, where the testing takes place. The main problem with this method is that it is expensive to use and maintain an environmental chamber to perform the testing.
Yet another approach is to bring the test jig to a selected test temperature, check each DUT at that temperature, in sequence, recording the test data for each DUT as it is measured. Then, the jig temperature is changed to the next test temperature and all the DUT's are tested as before, at this new temperature. The assumption is made that the DUT's remained in the same sequence, so the second round of test data will be recorded for the correct DUT's. This sequence is repeated as many times as there are test temperatures. Once the data is all available, the temperature coefficients are calculated.
If the references do not remain in sequence when they are being tested, then the test data is meaningless. In practice it is very difficult to maintain the references in sequence. For example, device handlers may become jammed and DUT's may be damaged or otherwise may have to be removed from the sequence. This will necessitate that the tests be conducted again, from the start.
A solution to these problems is one that allows the tester to individually recognize each DUT. Each DUT is given a unique identification number and the test data can be indexed according to the DUT. There have been several methods utilized in the past for associating the identification number with the DUT, such as affixing or printing a bar code on the underside of the DUT package and mounting in the test jig an optical reader for reading the bar code. The problem with such methods is that they add considerably expense. For example, a bar code identification system requires either manual labor or additional apparatus for attaching or printing a bar code on the DUT, and equipment (i.e., an optical scanning head) to read the code.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved and inexpensive method for identifying integrated circuit devices which are to be tested.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for identifying integrated circuit devices which are to be tested at varying temperatures, to allow flexibility in test sequencing.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an integrated circuit structure with means facilitating identification of a DUT during the testing process.

PROM for integrated circuit identification and testing


A current detector used in a control system for controlling a motor for driving a vehicle is disclosed, which does not require an especially accurate power circuit, and an accurate measurement result can be obtained by using a cheap power circuit whose accuracy is relatively low. The current detector comprises a detector for outputting a voltage corresponding to a target current, wherein the detector has a current detecting element for detecting the target current; an amplifier for amplifying and outputting the output from the detector; an analog-digital converter for converting the output from the amplifier to a digital data; and a power circuit for supplying an output voltage to both the detector and the analog-digital converter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a current detector used in a control system for controlling a motor for driving a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, or for use in another system which requires current detection.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional current detector used in a control system for controlling a motor for driving a vehicle. In this figure, reference numeral 1 indicates a current sensor using a Hall element. The Hall element has a function of outputting a voltage which is proportional to (i) flowing current and (ii) generated magnetic flux density.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of the current sensor 1. In the figure, reference numeral 7 indicates a Hall element. Reference numeral 8 indicates a core which generates a magnetic flux when current flows through wire L. Reference numeral 9 indicates a power circuit which receives 12 V voltage, and converts it to 5 V voltage and outputs the converted voltage. Reference numeral 10 indicates an amplification circuit which is driven using the 5 V voltage output from the power circuit 9. When voltage v1 is input from Hall element 7 to the amplification circuit 10, the circuit 10 amplifies voltage v1 and also adds an offset voltage to the amplified voltage, and outputs the amplified voltage including the offset as voltage v2. Reference numeral 11 indicates a constant current generating circuit for supplying a constant current to the Hall element 7. The 5 V voltage output from the power circuit 9 is supplied to the constant current generating circuit 11 as a reference voltage, and the above constant current is defined by potential-dividing the reference voltage by using a resistor.
In FIG. 4, reference numeral 3 indicates an A/D converter which receives voltage input via terminal C from current sensor 1, and calculates the ratio of the input voltage to a reference voltage input from the power circuit 4, and converts the ratio to a digital value, and outputs the digital value. Here, the power circuit 4 converts input 12 V voltage to 5 V voltage and supplies the 5 V voltage to the A/D converter 3. Reference numeral 5 indicates a CPU (central processing unit) for receiving the above digital value from the A/D converter, and calculates and outputs the value indicating a target current flowing through wire L. Reference numeral 6 indicates a power circuit for driving CPU 5.
Below, the operation of the current detector (used in a control system for controlling a motor for driving a vehicle) having the above-explained structure will be explained.
When a 12 V voltage is input via terminal B to current sensor 1, the power circuit 9 converts the 12 V voltage to 5 V voltage and outputs the converted voltage to the Hall element 7 and the constant current generating circuit 11.
On the other hand, when a target current to be measured flows through wire L, magnetic flux is generated in core 8. When the magnetic flux is applied to Hall element 7, the element 7 outputs voltage v1, proportional to the magnetic flux, to the amplification circuit 10. The amplification circuit 10 amplifies the input voltage v1 and adds an offset voltage to it so as to obtain voltage v2 (0 V xe2x89xa6v2 xe2x89xa65.0 V), and outputs voltage v2 via terminal C to A/D converter 3.
When the A/D converter 3 receives voltage v2 via terminal C, the converter 3 calculates the ratio of v2 to the reference voltage (i.e., 5V) input via terminal A from the power circuit 4, and converts the calculated result to a digital value and outputs the digital value to CPU 5.
In order to improve the accuracy of the current sensor 1, a constant current (from the constant current generating circuit) should be stable, that is, should not be affected by the external environment. Accordingly, the voltage supplied to the constant current generating circuit should be accurate, and thus an accurately operable power circuit must be used as power circuit 9.
In addition, the A/D converter 3 should also accurately digitize the measurement value of the current sensor 1, and thus the power circuit 4 should also be accurate.
Therefore, conventionally, in order to accurately measure the target current, both the power circuits 4 and 9 must be accurate, thus the cost will be high.
In addition, the values of reference voltage (5 V) of the power circuits may not accurately be the same, thereby producing an error.
Furthermore, in the control of the motor for driving a vehicle, such an error of the current sensor certainly causes an error in the torque control of the motor. More specifically, the difference between the real value and the actually detected value functions as an error of the control value, so that overestimates or underestimates of the control may cause a shock to the vehicle, or excessive discharging or charging of the battery functioning as a power source.
Therefore, for example, the system must be designed in consideration of an error in the detected current; thus, the design may be limited or the system cost may be high.
In consideration of the above circumstances, an objective of the present invention is to provide a current detector used in a control system for controlling a motor for driving a vehicle, wherein accurate current measurement can be performed without using especially accurate power circuits (as explained above).
Therefore, the present invention provides a current detector used in a control system for controlling a motor for driving a vehicle comprising:
a detector (for example, a current sensor 21 in the following embodiment) for outputting a voltage corresponding to a target current, wherein the detector has a current detecting element (for example, a Hall element 27 in the following embodiment) for detecting the target current;
an amplifier (for example, an amplification circuit 30 in the following embodiment) for amplifying and outputting the output from the detector;
an analog-digital converter (for example, an A/D converter 23 in the following embodiment) for converting the output from the amplifier to a digital data; and
a power circuit (for example, a power circuit 33 in the following embodiment) for supplying an output voltage to both the detector and the analog-digital converter.
In a typical example, the detector comprises:
a Hall element (for example, a Hall element 27 in the following embodiment) functioning as the current detecting element;
a core (for example, a core 28 in the following embodiment) for applying a magnetic flux corresponding to the target current to the Hall element; and
a constant current generating circuit (for example, a constant current generating circuit 31 in the following embodiment) for supplying a constant current to the Hall element.
Preferably, the amplifier adds an offset voltage to the amplified voltage, and outputs the amplified voltage including the offset.
Also typically, the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle which uses the motor for assisting the output of an engine.
According to the present invention, the output voltage from a single power circuit is supplied to the detector for detecting the target current and to the analog-digital converter; thus, an especially accurate power circuit is not necessary, and an accurate measurement result can be obtained by using a cheap power circuit whose accuracy is relatively low.

Current detector used in system of controlling motor for driving vehicle


An IREM image of an IC is obtained. The emission intensity at each emission site is measured/calculated and is compared to reference intensity. The calculated intensity may be plotted against reference intensities. In general, the majority of the plotted intensities would lie in a given range within a straight line. However, for devices that exhibit an abnormal emission, the plot would result in an easily observable deviation from the line. The calculated intensity is used to make a determination of logical “1” or “0” for each device, which is automatically stored together with the corresponding test vector. The calculated logical states are then tabulated and compared against tabulation of reference logical states.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to test and debug of semiconductor chips using device photoemission.
2. Related Art
It has been well known in the art that semiconductor devices emit light upon change of states, e.g. transistors switching on/off. This phenomenon has been used successfully to test and debug semiconductor circuits using, e.g., infrared emission microscopy (IREM) and time-resolved emission microscopy. It has also been known in the art to use lasers to test and debug semiconductor circuits by examining modulations in the reflected laser light. The technique is generally referred to as LP (laser probing). For more information the reader is directed to review U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,208,648, 5,220,403 and 5,940,545, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Additional related information can be found in Yee, W. M., et al. Laser Voltage Probe (LVP). A Novel Optical Probing Technology for Flip-Chip Packaged Microprocessors, in International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA), 2000, p 3-8; Bruce, M. et al. Waveform Acquisition from the Backside of Silicon Using Electro-Optic Probing, in International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA), 1999, p 19-25; Kolachina, S. et al. Optical Waveform Probing—Strategies for Non-Flip-chip Devices and Other Applications, in International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA), 2001, p 51-57; Soref, R. A. and B. R. Bennett, Electrooptical Effects in Silicon. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 1987. QE-23(1): p. 123-9; Kasapi, S., et al., Laser Beam Backside Probing of CMOS Integrated Circuits. Microelectronics Reliability, 1999. 39: p. 957; Wilsher, K., et al. Integrated Circuit Waveform Probing Using Optical Phase Shift Detection, in International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA), 2000, p. 479-85; Heinrich, H. K., Picosecond Noninvasive Optical Detection of Internal Electrical Signals in Flip-Chip-Mounted Silicon Integrated Circuits. IBM Journal of Research and Development, 1990. 34(2/3): p. 162-72; Heinrich, H. K., D. M. Bloom, and B. R. Hemenway, Noninvasive sheet charge density probe for integrated silicon devices. Applied Physics Letters, 1986. 48(16): p. 1066-1068; Heinrich, H. K., D. M. Bloom, and B. R. Hemenway, Erratum to Noninvasive sheet charge density probe for integrated silicon devices. Applied Physics Letters, 1986. 48(26): p. 1811; Heinrich, H. K., et al., Measurement of real-time digital signals in a silicon bipolar junction transistor using a noninvasive optical probe. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 1986. 22(12): p. 650-652; Hemenway, B. R., et al., Optical detection of charge modulation in silicon integrated circuits using a multimode laser-diode probe. IEEE Electron Device Letters, 1987. 8(8): p. 344-346; A. Black, C. Courville, G. Schultheis, H. Heinrich, Optical Sampling of GHz Charge Density Modulation in Silicon Bipolar Junction Transistors Electronics Letters, 1987, Vol. 23, No. 15, p. 783-784, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Recently a new phenomenon has been discovered that can also be utilized in test and debug of semiconductor devices. With the shrinking of the size of new devices, the devices are made "leaky" so that electron-hole recombination occurs during the static off state of the device, leading to photon (−IR) emission. This emission increases as design rule decreases. That is, this phenomenon will express itself more pronouncedly as device generation progresses. This static emission may also be used for debug and test of semiconductor circuits. For example, it has been suggested to use digital imaging software to overlay IREM images of static emissions over the die layout to investigate which elements emit photons. It was suggested to also overlay the state of each device over the IREM image to determine whether the emission means a "1" or "0" logical state. This manual methodology was used to investigate defects by imaging a device in two different logical states and observing whether the emission state has changed. For more information on this phenomenon and the image overlay methodology, the reader is directed to Infrared Emission-based Static Logic State Imaging on Advanced Silicon Technologies, Daniel R. Bockelman, Steve Chen, and Borna Obradovic; Proceedings from the 28th International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis, 3-7 Nov. 2002, Phoenix, Ariz., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
As can be understood from the above description and cited publication, while the image overlay technique may help investigate a failure, it is slow, tedious, and becomes more difficult as device generation advance and devices become smaller and denser. That is, the image overlay methodology requires the ability to obtain an image of sufficient resolution so that the various devices and emissions may be distinguished from each other and from surrounding noise. Moreover, photon emission from devices is a statistical phenomenon, so comparison of images using image editing software may provide erroneous conclusion unless the image is obtained over a statistically sufficiently long exposure duration or by performing the comparison over sufficiently large number of IREM images.
As devices get smaller and closely packed with newer generations, beneficial use of the emission detection techniques can only be made if the location of the emission can be isolated and accurately linked to the devices that actually emit the light. Similar issue applies to laser-based systems, i.e., to use such tester one must resolve which device caused the modulation in the reflected laser light. However, as design rule shrinks, the density of the devices increases, making it very difficult and sometimes impossible to isolate the device that emits the light or modulates the laser beam. Additionally, emissions from neighboring devices enter the optical path of the testing system, thereby further complicating the task of isolating the emitting or modulating device. Ironically, while design rule shrinking leads to improved static emission, it also makes it more difficult to isolate the emitting devices.
In order to enable progress in the semiconductor industry pursuant to "Moore's Law," designers will continue to decrease design rules and increase device density. Therefore, the need for debug and testing becomes increasingly indispensable and the difficulty of resolving emitting/modulating devices must be solved.

System and method for photoemission-based defect detection


A split cycle internal combustion engine having located wholly within the combustion chamber (13) of the firing cylinder (10) and spaced from the walls thereof a hollow dome (14) with the closed head of the dome (14) adjacent to the head (11) of the firing cylinder (10) and the open base of the dome (14) nearer to the power piston (12), a nozzle (24) directing air from a compressor around the interior wall of the dome (14), nozzle (24) directing fuel into the dome (14) after all the air has entered the dome (14) and a nozzle (25) for igniting the fuel/air mixture when the temperature of the dome (14) is insufficiently high for ignition. An inwardly directed flange (17) extends around the open base of the dome (14) to form a channel (18). It is preferred that the engine operates at very high pressures, the compressor is multi-stage. An auxiliary power cylinder (29) of greater diameter than the firing cylinder (10) is provided, the auxiliary power cylinder (29) having a piston (30) connected to the same crankshaft as the power piston (12) and the compressor and reciprocating on a considerably later cycle than the power piston (12). A transfer port (28) connects the combustion zone (13) with the top of the cylinder (29) when the power piston (12) approaches bottom dead centre, and an exhaust valve (31) in the auxiliary power cylinder (29) opens as the auxiliary power piston (30) moves towards top dead centre.

Split cycle engines have been described in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,408,811 and 4,186,561. It has been found in practical experience with engines of the construction described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,811 that the high gas pressures in the combustion chamber during ignition require higher electrical potentials to be applied to spark plugs than in conventional internal combustion engines, with the result that the spark plugs become unreliable.
It has for many years been known that ignition of the fuel-air mixture in an internal combustion engine of generally conventional construction, that is, in which the air and fuel mixture is compressed in the firing cylinder, can be achieved by heating a portion of the wall of the combustion chamber to provide a hot spot of sufficiently high temperature to ignite the mixture. Engines in which this method of ignition is employed are known as "hot bulb" or "semi diesel" engines. Such engines have been described in "Chambers Science and Technology Dictionary" published by W. & R. Chambers Ltd, 1974 Edition, page 582.


A fixture for performing tensile tests on advanced materials at extremely high temperatures (greater than 2500 degrees fahrenheit). The fixture allows gripping a specimen without introducing thermal gradient in the specimen. It incorporates a self aligning feature while avoiding thermal stress problems inherent in using different materials at elevated temperatures.

This invention relates in general to a fixture for performing and more specifically where the tensile tests are performed at extremely high temperatures (greater than 2500 degrees Fahrenheit).
Performing tensile tests on advanced materials at extremely high temperatures poses many problems. Among the most critical are specimen alignment and gripping.
Elevated temperature testing is performed at several locations. Among these are Southern Research Institute, IITRI and EMTL. All of these institutions have unique approaches to high temperature testing.
Current state-of-the-art elevated temperature tensile testing uses hot grips. At elevated temperatures, transferring the load from the hot grips to the load train is problematic. The extremely high temperatures require the use of material such as graphite or silicon carbide. These materials have coefficients of expansion which are much lower than the metals used in the load train. This creates the possibility of fixture damage, or misalignment due to the differential growth at test temperature.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel fixture for performing tensile tests at extremely high temperatures that incorporates a self aligning feature while avoiding thermal stress problems inherent in using different materials at elevated temperatures.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel fixture for performing tensile tests at extremely high temperatures that allows gripping a specimen without introducing thermal gradients in the specimen.

Fixture for performing tensile tests at extremely high temperature


The present invention discloses a membrane zeta potential measuring system which comprises a first measuring course and a second measuring course. The provided system calculates the zeta potential of the membrane pores based on a first potential drop measured from the first measuring course, and calculates the zeta potential of the membrane surface based on a second potential drop measured from the second measuring course.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a membrane zeta potential measuring system, and more particularly to a measuring system which is able to measure both the membrane pore zeta potential and the membrane surface zeta potential.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Membrane separation is now a widely utilized technique in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and electronic industries for ultrafiltration operations. Fouling, a deposition on the membrane surface or in membrane pores, is the major problem in membrane separation processes resulting in a considerable reduction of the transmembrane permeability, a loss of valuable products and consequently an increase in operational costs.
Most membranes acquire an electric surface charge when brought into contact with an aqueous solution. The surface charge has been utilized as an important correlating parameter to study the fouling characteristics of ultrafiltration membranes with the greatest fouling typically seen under conditions where the solute and the membrane have opposite net charges. Zeta potential is an important and reliable indicator of this membrane surface charge, and knowledge of zeta potential is essential for the design and operation of membrane processes.
Currently, the most widely used tool for determining the zeta potential of membranes is the streaming potential. The streaming potential is generated when a fluid flows through a channel with a charged surface. In the charged channel, an electric double layer is formed at the phase boundary between the solid and liquid.
Streaming potential measurements can be performed in two different ways: by flow through membrane pores (transmembrane streaming potential) or by flow across the top surface of the membrane (tangential streaming flow).
In order to evaluate zeta potential from the streaming potential data, some important factors such as the overlap of electric double layers in the pore, the pore size distribution, and the detailed morphology and connectivity of the pore structure . . . etc., would need to be accounted for. Since these phenomena are largely unavailable, the data are mostly analyzed to obtain the "apparent zeta potential" by utilizing the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation or modified ones thereof.
Currently, commercial membranes for either research or industrial usages are often directly utilized based on the property information provided by the manufacturers; however, these provided membrane properties, especially the membrane charge herein, depend significantly on the physico-chemical properties of the solutions or suspensions contacted with the membrane.
Therefore, having a reliable measuring system to determine the membrane zeta potential under different conditions will provide useful information for the design and operation of a membrane system, and through which the operational costs will be greatly reduced.

Membrane zeta potential measuring system


In one embodiment of the invention, a hoe equipped excavator includes a base, a boom pivotally mounted at one end on the base, a stick pivotally coupled at one end to the other end of the boom, a tool pivotally coupled to the other end of the stick, a boom link plate pivotally coupled to the boom, a lift cylinder coupled between the base and the boom link plate and an adjustment cylinder coupled between the boom link plate and the boom. The lift cylinder is operable to pivot the boom through a first circumferential range, and the adjustment cylinder is operable to pivot the boom beyond the first circumferential range.

Hoe-equipped excavators are primarily used to excavate below the natural surface of the ground on which the excavator rests. A hoe-equipped excavator normally includes a boom pivoted at one end on a vehicle, a stick pivotally connected at one end to the outer or front end of the boom, and a bucket pivotally mounted on the outer end of the stick. A hydraulic cylinder or cylinders under operator control are provided for operation of each of the boom, the stick, and the bucket. For example, a lift cylinder is typically coupled between the superstructure and a mid-section of the boom for pivotal control of the boom during raising and lowering of the bucket.

Hoe equipped excavator having increased range


A disk drive has multiple preamplifiers (preamps) connected to the system-on-a-chip (SOC) by a common transmission line with resistors between the preamps and the SOC. Each preamp includes a read resistor at the output of each read amplifier, and a write resistor at the input of each write driver. The resistors may be programmable resistors located in the preamps. The read resistors are at the source of the signal to the transmission line and the write resistors are at the termination of the signal from the transmission line. The read and write resistors provide impendence matching with the transmission line and the SOC when one of the preamps is selected as active, which enables the SOC to operate seamlessly with a common transmission line connected to all preamps.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to magnetic recording hard disk drives (HDDs), and more particularly to an HDD that has multiple read amplifier/write driver integrated circuits connected to the system-on-a-chip (SOC) by a common transmission line.
2. Description of the Related Art
HDDs typically include a main integrated circuit, which is typically a system-on-a-chip (SOC) that contains many of the electronics and firmware for the HDD. The SOC is connected by a transmission line on a flex cable to the HDD's read amplifier/write driver integrated circuit (preamp IC). The preamp IC is typically located on the actuator that moves the read/write heads to the selected data tracks on the disks. The data to be written by the write head is sent from the SOC to the preamp IC, where the write driver generates analog write current pulses that are applied to the inductive coil in the write head to write data by selectively magnetizing the magnetic media of the recording layer on the disk. The data read back from the disk by the read head is transmitted from the preamp IC to the SOC.
The preamp IC includes multiple ports for controlling multiple heads, with each head accessing an associated disk surface. However, the demand for higher storage capacity per HDD requires an increase in the number of disks and heads, and thus an increase in the number of preamp IC ports to support those heads. Preamp ICs with high numbers of ports are available but at a significant cost increase. Therefore, utilizing multiple preamp ICs with a smaller number of ports would be advantageous from a cost perspective. The challenge is creating a disk drive with multiple preamp ICs connected to the SOC by a common transmission line and common digital logic control lines, and that operates seamlessly like a disk drive with a single preamp IC.

Magnetic recording disk drive with multiple preamplifiers and common transmission line with impedance compensation


Provided is a method of detecting a concentrated address of a semiconductor device using an n-bit address. The method includes dividing the n-bit address into k groups, wherein each of n and k is an integer equal to or greater than 2, for each group of the k groups, detecting one or more concentrated sub addresses corresponding to the group, and generating at least one concentrated address by combining the one or more concentrated sub addresses for the k groups.

This disclosure relates to a concentrated address detecting method of a semiconductor device and a concentrated detecting circuit using the same.
A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is a memory device in which electric charges are stored in a capacitor included in each of a plurality of memory cells. Electric charges stored in the capacitor of each of the plurality of memory cells may be lost due to a leakage current. Thus, the plurality of memory cells should be periodically refreshed to retain data stored therein.
When an address and a command are input to the DRAM, the DRAM may access a memory cell corresponding to the address and perform an operation corresponding to the command on the memory cell. When a specific address is repeatedly input to the DRAM, a specific memory cell (hereinafter referred to as a 'concentrated memory cell') is more frequently accessed than the other memory cells, dynamic noise may increase in neighboring cells of the concentrated memory cell, thereby decreasing cell retention times of the neighboring cells. Thus, the neighboring cells should be more frequently refreshed to retain data stored therein.

Concentrated address detecting method of semiconductor device and concentrated address detecting circuit using the same

Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do


A method and apparatus for hierarchical character recognition processing of ambiguous and noisy characters which produces highly reliable results at high levels of hierarchical processing. The invention first applies a universal classifier system (which may comprise one or more universal classifiers) to input image data, and identifies "suspicious" characters. The image data for suspicious characters is then applied to a "specialist" classifier that is designed to handle only a narrow and well-defined set of recognition cases. This hierarchical processing architecture and method results in increased accuracy of recognition. The method is particularly applicable to handwritten characters and to distorted and noisy machine-printed characters.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to character recognition systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Character recognition, such as optical character recognition (OCR), involves scanning of documents and automated recognition of machine-printed or handwritten characters. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical prior art OCR system. Documents 1 are passed through a scanner 2 which generates image data 3. The image data 3 is applied to a processor 4 (such as a general purpose computer) suitably programmed with character recognition computer programs (while most current OCR systems are software based, an equivalent system can be implemented completely in hardware).
The processor 4 produces a set of characters (typically coded in ASCII) of some or all of the scanned document as output. The character recognition system has to locate fields of interest (which may be the whole document, as in the case of typed pages) in the scanned image data 3, extract individual characters from the fields of interest, recognize these characters, and produce codes for each of the recognized characters.
Real-world images and characters frequently suffer from a number of degradations (such as worn out typewriter ribbons, missing pins in dot-matrix printers, skipping ballpoint pens, poor quality handwriting, deficiencies in the scanning process, etc.). Accordingly, a character recognition system must be able to provide a degree of confidence in its results to be of practical use. This degree of confidence can relate to the recognized document or fields in the document, but certainly must be present for individual recognized characters. With ambiguous or noisy characters, an OCR system can assign several potential identities to the image data comprising a character. These identities are usually rank ordered by a confidence factor, so that the most probable identity of the character has the highest confidence, the next most probable identity has the next highest confidence, etc.
Traditionally, OCR programs have been designed and utilized as single pass, single classifier systems, an example of which is shown in FIG. 2. Image data 3 is applied to a "universal" classifier 5 which outputs machine-readable data, typically in ASCII 6 form. A universal classifier is designed to recognize a large set of characters such as letters, numbers, or alphanumeric characters. A drawback of single pass, single classifier systems is that recognition frequently fails when the classifier is confronted with ambiguous characters (e.g., "I", "l", and "1") or "noisy" (i.e., poorly formed) characters.
More recently, OCR systems have utilized multiple universal classifiers in conjunction with a "voting" algorithm to select the output of one of the classifiers. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a prior art multiple universal classifier system, in which image data 3 is applied to some or all of n universal classifiers 5, the outputs of which are coupled to a voting function 7. The universal classifiers 5 are trained for different characteristics or use different recognition algorithms. The voting function 7 may be any one of several algorithms which compare or combine the outputs of the universal classifiers 5 to arrive at a (presumably) more reliable character recognition. The voting function 7 then outputs a character code 6. While multiple universal classifier systems give improved recognition compared to single pass, single classifier systems, such systems would benefit from further improvements.
Accordingly, the inventor has recognized a need for a better character recognition system. The present invention meets this need.

Hierarchical character recognition system


A film cartridge comprising a cartridge housing, a film spool rotatable inside the housing, and first and second indicators fixed to the housing and to the film spool in order that the first indicator originally at least partially obscures the second indicator to provide an unused film indication and which are positionally reversed in response to spool rotation in a predetermined direction for the second indicator to then at least partially obscure the first indicator to provide a used film indication, is characterized in that the first and second indicators are first and second rings which each have a ring-admitting slit for receiving the other ring to allow the first and second rings to be positionally reversed in response to spool rotation in the predetermined direction, and at least one of the first and second rings has an integral pivotal flap at its ring-admitting slit which is angled not to move through the ring-admitting slit in the other ring and allow the first ring to continue to obscure the second ring when said film spool is rotated in an opposite direction and to move through the ring-admitting slit in the other ring to cause the first and second rings to move through the respective slits and be positionally reversed in response to spool rotation in the predetermined direction.

It is known for a film cartridge to have a film exposure status indicator for providing a visual indication that a filmstrip inside the cartridge housing has been exposed. Often, the film exposure status indicator is one which cannot be used with a conventional type cartridge, but instead requires a special or new cartridge.
For example, prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,600, issued Jan. 11, 1994, discloses an atypical film cartridge comprising a film spool rotatable inside the cartridge housing, an indicator window in an end cap of the cartridge housing, an annular indicator wheel rotatable inside the cartridge housing behind the indicator window to move a film exposed indication on the indicator wheel to the indication window, and an annular drive wheel rotatably linked with the film spool for rotating the indicator wheel to move the film exposed indication to the indication window. A pin and receiver clutch device transmits movement of the drive wheel to the indicator wheel when the film spool is rotated in a film unwinding direction, and leaves the indicator wheel and the drive wheel disconnected when the film spool is rotated in a film winding direction. Since the indicator wheel is located inside the cartridge housing, it cannot be used with a conventional type cartridge.
Another example is prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,627 issued Oct. 6, 1992 which discloses an atypical film cartridge comprising a cartridge housing, a film spool rotatable inside the cartridge housing in film unwinding and rewinding directions, and a first indicator integrally formed with the cartridge housing and a second indicator secured to the film spool in order that the first indicator at least partially obscures the second indicator to provide an unused film indication when the film spool is rotated in the film unwinding direction and which are positionally reversed in response to spool rotation in the film rewinding direction for the second indicator to at least partially obscure the first indicator to provide a used film indication. Since the first indicator is integrally formed with the cartridge housing, it cannot be used with a conventional type cartridge.
The Cross-Referenced Application
The cross-referenced application discloses a film cartridge comprising a cartridge housing with a peripherally raised end cap which forms an open recess, a film spool rotatable inside the cartridge housing in film unwinding and rewinding directions and having a protruding spool end portion which coaxially projects from the cartridge housing into the recess, and a film exposure status indicator capable of changing state to provide a visual indication of the exposure status of a filmstrip for the film cartridge. A ring having a radial slit coaxially engages the protruding spool end portion in the recess to be rotated concurrently with the spool end portion in the film unwinding and rewinding directions. The film exposure status indicator is a flexible helix that is coiled around the protruding spool end portion in the recess and longitudinally extends through the radial slit in the ring. One end portion of the helix is fixed in place beneath the ring to be concealed from view and to prevent rotation of the helix when the ring is rotated with the film spool in the film unwinding and rewinding directions. A further portion of the helix is initially located above the ring to be visible and is adapted to be compressed beneath the ring to disappear from view responsive to movement of the radial slit along the further portion when the ring is rotated with the film spool in the film unwinding direction. This provides a change of state of the helix from being visible above the ring to being concealed beneath the ring. The ring and the helix are designed to fit as a unit on the protruding spool end portion and, therefore, can be used with a conventional type cartridge.

Film cartridge with visual exposure status indicator