A spacer for use in a mobile device fills the space between a component assembly and a housing. The spacer includes a layer of compressible material for insertion between the component assembly and the housing. A plurality of compressible features are provided on a face of the layer. Upon insertion of the component assembly and assembly of the housing, the compressible features are compressed to fill a gap between the component assembly and the housing without over-compressing the main body of the spacer, allowing the body of the spacer to cushion any subsequent impact to the mobile device.

Many mobile electronic devices such as hand-held computers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), have a multi-component assembly housed within a small case or housing. A small housing means that a small change (numerically) in the size of the internal components or the housing can result in a large change (in terms of percentage) in the space within the housing allocated for the component assembly. A typical component assembly is a component stack that includes a display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a circuit board.
Typically, the housing consists of two mating halves to contain the assembly. The mated halves define an interior cavity and, of course, the depth of the component assembly must be slightly less than the depth of the interior cavity. The difference in depth results in an undesirable gap between the component assembly and the housing inside the assembled device.
The gap can be expected to vary in depth due to manufacturing tolerances, assembly tolerances, substitution of components in the component assembly, redesign of the component assembly or the use of a standard housing for different models or devices.
The gap is undesirable since it can result in movement or play of the interior components of the device allowing components to become displaced, disconnected, damaged or simply rattle around inside the housing, especially if the device suffers a shock such as from being dropped.
To eliminate these undesirable results, one solution is to employ a cushion or spacer, for example, a layer of compressible foam. Initially, the uncompressed spacer is deeper than the dimension of the gap so that when the depth of the spacer is added to the depth of the component assembly, the total depth is greater than that of the interior of the housing. However, during assembly of the housing of the device, the interior of the housing comes into contact with the spacer and compresses it against the component stack. Accordingly, the gap is occupied by the compressed spacer preventing movement of the component assembly in the direction of the stack-up (normal to the plane of the circuit board or the LCD).
If the spacer is insufficiently deep, it will not span the gap even in an uncompressed state or it will provide inadequate cushioning for the component assembly. If the spacer is too deep then upon compression it will exert excessive pressure to the component assembly including the display. In the situation where the display is an LCD module, the LCD itself is sensitive to the pressure applied to it. Pushing it unevenly or with too much force will cause a blemish or distortion to appear in the viewing area. Excessive pressure can also prevent the spacer from properly dispersing the energy of an impact because its ability to deflect has already been used in taking up the tolerance of the small available space and in extreme cases excessive pressure or the inability to deflect a shock can result in breaking of the screen. This is very costly, especially if the screen is an expensive color LCD.
Any of these scenarios can result in an unacceptable product and increase the cost of manufacturing of mobile devices. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved spacer for use with a component assembly to more controllably fill a gap between the component assembly and the housing.

Component assembly cushioning device for mobile devices


A digital camera including an imaging unit, a flash device, a face region extraction unit for detecting a face region from image data generated by the imaging unit, and a flash control unit for controlling emission amount of the flash using the region information outputted from the face region extraction unit. The flash control unit includes a first calculation means for performing a calculation on the image data generated by the imaging unit without using the region information, a second calculation means for performing a calculation on the image data generated by the imaging unit using the region information, and an emission amount determination means for determining an adequate emission amount Ch of the flash by performing an adjustment using the provisional adequate value Cn supplied from the first calculation means and provisional adequate value Cf supplied from the second calculation means as reference values.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera that controls the emission amount of a flash using face information included in a subject, and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, digital cameras initiate image taking before the shutter release button is depressed, and the exposure and focus adjustments are performed using the image obtained during that period. The image obtained during that period is also used for a flash adjustment to obtain an adequate emission amount of a flash. In the past, the method in which the adequate amount of flash is obtained based on the overall brightness of the obtained image has been commonly used. Recently, however, a flash adjustment method in which face detection is performed on the obtained image, and emission amount of the flash is controlled according to existence or nonexistence of a face, or the proportion of the detected face in the image.
For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030071908 describes a method in which emission amount of a flash is reduced if a face is detected and the ratio of the face in the image is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Further, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20060044422 describes a method in which emission amount of flash is obtained using only the image data of a region corresponding to a face in the image, or using image data in which a region corresponding to a face in the image is weighted greater than for the other regions.
The methods described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 20030071908 and 20060044422 may obtain an image of appropriate brightness without halation in the face portion or without the face portion becoming too dark, if a human face included in the subject is detected successfully. If, however, a human face included in the subject is not detected successfully, or a determination is made erroneously that a human face is included in the subject, the emission amount of the flash in flash photography becomes inadequate and an image of appropriate brightness is not obtained. Further, even when the face detection is successfully performed, if the subject in flash photography differs from the subject when the face detection was performed, the emission amount of the flash in the flash photography becomes inadequate.

Digital camera and method for controlling emission amount of flash


A method of creating an STC structure, used for high density, DRAM designs, has been developed. The process consists of creating a storage node electrode, for the STC structure, with increased surface area, resulting from the formation of protruding polysilicon shapes. The protruding polysilicon shapes are obtained using dielectric regions as a mask during a selective, anisotropic RIE procedure, used to define the storage node electrode shape. The dielectric regions are created via oxygen ion implantation into exposed regions of a polysilicon layer. An anneal is used to convert the oxygen implanted polysilicon regions, to dielectric regions.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods used for fabrication of high density, semiconductor memory cells, and more specifically to a process used to create a stacked capacitor, DRAM structure, with increased capacitance resulting from an increased surface capacitor surface area.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The objectives of the semiconductor industry are to continually improve device performance, while still attempting to decrease the manufacturing cost of specific semiconductor chips. These objectives have been in part realized by the ability of the semiconductor industry to produce chips with sub-micron features, or micro-miniaturization. Smaller features allow the reduction in performance degrading capacitances and resistances to be realized. In addition smaller features result in a smaller chip, however possessing the same level of integration obtained for semiconductor chips fabricated with larger features. This allows a greater number of the denser, smaller chips to be obtained from a specific size starting substrate, thus resulting in a lower manufacturing cost for an individual chip.
The use of smaller features, when used for the fabrication of dynamic random access memory, (DRAM), devices, in which the capacitor of the DRAM device is a stacked capacitor, (STC), structure, presents difficulties when attempting to increase STC capacitance. A DRAM cell is usually comprised of the STC structure, overlying a transfer gate transistor, and connected to the source of the transfer gate transistor. However the decreasing size of the transfer gate transistor, limits the dimensions of the STC structure. To increase the capacitance of the STC structure, comprised of two electrodes, separated by a dielectric layer, either the thickness of the dielectric layer has to be decreased, or the area of the capacitor has to be increased. The reduction in dielectric thickness is limited by increasing reliability and yield risks, encountered with ultra thin dielectric layers. In addition the area of the STC structure is limited by the area of the underlying transfer gate transistor dimensions. The advancement of the DRAM technology to densities of 64 million cells per chip, or greater, has resulted in a specific cell in which a smaller transfer gate transistor is being used, and thus limiting the amount of area the overlying STC structure can occupy, without interfering with neighboring cells.
Solutions to the shrinking design area, assigned to STC structures, have been addressed via novel semiconductor fabrication processes which result in an increase in surface area for only the lower, or storage node electrode, of the STC structure, while maintaining the area original design area of the STC structure. One method for achieving this objective been accomplished by creating lower electrodes with pillars, or protruding polysilicon shapes, thus resulting in a greater electrode surface area then would have been achieved with conventional flat surfaces. This invention will describe a process for fabricating a lower electrode shape, or storage node electrode, of an STC structure, comprised of the protruding polysilicon shapes needed to increase surface area. However this invention will describe a novel fabrication process, featuring an oxygen ion implantation procedure, used to create the dielectric masking material used to define the protruding polysilicon shapes, of the lower electrode structure. Prior art such as Lee, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,225, describes an oxygen ion implantation process, as part of a fabrication sequence used to create a stacked capacitor structure. However the Lee invention uses the oxygen implanted material as part of the capacitor, where the present invention uses an oxygen implanted region of polysilicon as a mask to define a storage node shape.

Oxygen ion implantation procedure to increase the surface area of an STC structure

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


An obstacle notification apparatus of the embodiment is mounted in a vehicle, and includes a probing result acquiring section that sequentially acquires reception intensity of a reflected wave corresponding to a probing wave reflected back by an object, the reflected wave being received by a probing wave transmitting and receiving apparatus transmitting the probing wave in a traveling direction of the vehicle and receiving the reflected wave; an obstacle determining section that determines whether or not an obstacle, which is an object presence of which a driver of the vehicle is to be notified of, is present in the traveling direction of the vehicle, by using the reception intensity of the reflected wave acquired by the probing result acquiring section; a notification processing section that performs a notification process for notifying the driver of the presence of the obstacle based on determination of the presence of the obstacle by the obstacle determining section; an image data acquiring section that acquires image data taken by a camera including, within an image taking range, an arrival range of the probing wave transmitted by the probing wave transmitting and receiving apparatus; and a noise element detecting section that detects presence of a noise element by analyzing the image data acquired by the image data acquiring section, the noise element being an element which is able to reflect the probing wave and which is preset as an element of which the driver need not be notified. The obstacle determining section determines whether or not the obstacle is present by using a less easily satisfied condition in a case where the noise element detecting section has detected the noise element than that used in a case where the noise element detecting section has not detected the noise element.

Conventionally, an apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as an obstacle notification apparatus) is known which detects an obstacle present in the traveling direction of a vehicle by transmission and reception of a predetermined probing wave, and informs a driver of the presence of the obstacle.
For example, an object notification apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1 detects a distance between a vehicle and an obstacle present in the traveling direction of the vehicle using an ultrasonic sensor which transmits and receives ultrasonic pulses serving as probing waves. Then, when the distance between the detected obstacle and the vehicle is shorter than a predetermined threshold value, an alert sound or the like is output to notify the driver of the presence of the obstacle. It is noted that the obstacle as used herein refers to, among various objects, an object the presence of which the driver has to be notified of. For example, an object large enough to prevent traveling of the vehicle may be assumed to be an obstacle.
For such an obstacle notification apparatus, in addition to the ultrasonic sensor, various sensors such as a millimeter-wave radar using millimeter waves (including submillimeter waves) as probing waves are used as a sensor configured to detect an obstacle (hereinafter, referred to as an obstacle sensor).
The obstacle sensor transmits a probing wave and receives a reflected wave reflected from an object present within an arrival range of the probing wave. If reception intensity of the received reflected wave exceeds a threshold value (hereinafter, referred to as a threshold value for determination) preset to determine that an obstacle is present, the obstacle sensor determines that an obstacle is present. Determining the presence of an obstacle corresponds to detection of the obstacle.
Determining whether or not any obstacle is present may be performed by the obstacle sensor itself or by an electronic control apparatus which is present outside the obstacle sensor and which acquires information indicative of the reception intensity from the obstacle sensor. For convenience of description, an obstacle determining section refers to a functional module provided in the obstacle sensor or the electronic control apparatus to determine whether or not any obstacle is present. The obstacle determining unit may be implemented as hardware using one or more ICs or by a CPU executing predetermined software.


A counting device that can be employed in calculating the number of objects, such as cigarette packs. In particular, the counting device can include a handle portion and a counting portion. The handle portion includes a display for showing the number of objects counted. The counting portion includes means for delineating the boundaries of the objects being counted and means for counting the objects that overlaps or abuts to the delineating means. Further, the counting device includes a control for turning the device on or off, and for clearing previous counting steps.

The present invention relates generally to counting devices, and, in particular, to electronic counting devices.
In retail stores, employees typically work in isolated or back-to-back shifts. For example, an employee working for a convenience store or a gas stop will typically work a morning shift, and then turn over responsibility to another employee for the afternoon or night shifts. A time consuming duty of an employee beginning a shift at such an establishment includes the taking of inventory of such goods as cigarettes. In particular, the employee must account for the number of cigarette packs and cartons he or she begins the shift with, so that any potential inconsistencies in numbers between shifts can be avoided. If inventory were not taken, the burden of accounting for missing goods that were not sold as evidenced by a receipt would fall on the last employee to take a shift. Therefore, an inventory-taking system must be in place in such stores to avoid the potential for employee theft.
Traditional methods for taking inventory include counting by hand or employing a calculator and thereafter recording the totals. Whereas these methods are sufficient to accomplish the task of taking inventory, mistakes can occur in calculating the goods. Accordingly, employees typically perform the task multiple times for accuracy. Further, these methods are not particularly fast. Therefore, performing them multiple times makes the task of taking inventory both time consuming and tedious.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a convenient and efficient device for taking inventory of goods.


A computer system and a booting method thereof are disclosed. The computer system contains a storage device for storing a booting system and a multi-tasking kernel; and a microprocessor coupled to the storage device for loading the multi-tasking kernel to execute the booting system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system and a booting method, and more specifically, to a computer system and a booting method that process EFI events in a multi-tasking manner utilizing a multi-tasking kernel architecture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior art computer system comprises a basic input output system (BIOS) to process a booting procedure; that is, before the computer system loads and executes an operating system (OS), the BIOS takes charge of the initialization of hardware devices utilized by the computer system. For example, the BIOS checks the hardware devices utilized by the computer system to determine if they are in a normal operation condition. The typical BIOS is generated by compiling a program coded in a low level language (e.g., Assembly Language). As is well known in the art, the BIOS is generally stored in a read-only memory (ROM) of a motherboard of the computer system. The main advantage in storing the BIOS this way is that the content of the BIOS is protected from modification. Therefore, the operation of the booting procedure cannot be affected by unprotected BIOS. However, the conventional BIOS has several disadvantages; for example, the conventional BIOS cannot support some of the functions provided for a computer system, such as "plug and play" and "hot plugging", because it needs to adjust hardware device drivers and I/O (Input/Output) resources.
In order to improve the conventional BIOS, the prior art provides an extensible firmware interface (EFI) to replace the current BIOS (i.e., the conventional BIOS). The EFI is based on the conventional BIOS, but the part utilized for engaging the software with the hardware devices of the computer system is further standardized to provide greater expansion functionality as compared to the conventional BIOS. The EFI is coded in an advanced programming language (e.g., the C Programming Language) and it is like a simplified operating system utilized to interface the hardware devices of the computer system and the operating system of the computer system. In addition, compared with the text interface of the conventional BIOS, the EFI provides a user-friendly graphical interface that provides a more practical and operational display mode for users. The operation and functions of the EFI are described in the following paragraph.
During the execution of the booting service of the computer system, the execution of the EFI comprises the following steps: (1) Activate; (2) Initialize a standardized firmware platform; (3) Load the driver function libraries of the EFI and execute the related functions; and (4) Select an operating system from an activation list of the EFI and provide the EFI with an activation guiding code. Afterwards, the selected operating system is loaded and executed thereby completing the entire booting service procedure of the computer system.
However, during the booting service of the computer system, by way of either the conventional BIOS or the above-mentioned EFI, neither can support the multi-tasking processing function. Therefore, for the EFI, when the microprocessor of the computer system, such as a central processing unit (CPU), receives an event with a relatively higher priority level, the microprocessor cannot immediately interrupt the execution of an event currently being processed by the CPU and having a relatively lower priority level. The microprocessor must finish executing the processing event first, and then it is able to execute the event with the relatively higher priority level. In conclusion, the application of EFI is limited because the EFI does not provide a multi-tasking processing mechanism.

Computer system and booting method thereof


An automated decision support computer system based on data informatics, includes a first computer readable processing component including a plurality of resource attribute data profiles in which the resource attribute data profiles are generated at least partly from a plurality of electronic computer readable destination records. A second computer readable processing component includes a plurality of patient classification attribute data profiles in which the patient classification attribute data profiles are generated at least partly from a plurality of computer readable electronic health records. The automated decision support computer system also includes a decision support classification computer engine for scoring and ranking the plurality of resource attribute data profiles with the plurality of patient classification attribute data profiles to generate a computer readable evaluation attribute data profile for display on a computer screen.

Moore's law predicted that the number of transistors on a computer chip would double every two years while the chip's price would remain constant. "Moore's law" meant consumers could buy the same technology two years later for about the same price. Patrons have come to expect technological products to be faster, cheaper, and more compact over time. This expectation seems to have driven trends of rapid growth in computing power, smaller devices, better battery life, ability to connect to the Internet, and reduction in cost and big data. The age of big data is upon us. There is a need to improve the technological processing of the big data of heath informatics in a new computing era in "connected" healthcare. Cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular. In cloud computing, a cloud may be an aggregation of resources provisioned on demand. Cloud computing may involve cloud resources performing computations instead of, or in addition to, a user's computer. Cloud computing has been compared to a utility, where computing is the service being provided.
The emergency evacuation of a residential healthcare facility is an inherently challenging situation, carrying risk from time-urgency, situation uncertainty, resource constraints, danger to staff, and the need to sustain medical interventions for fragile patients. Multiple disciplines from different professional and corporate cultures attempt to coordinate the evacuation of numerous patients each with unique resource needs while dealing with conflicting terminology, a limited understanding of each other's resource capabilities, fluctuating resource availability, and limited visibility on the needs of the entire patient cohort (Sutcliffe, Lewton, & Rosenthal, 2004; Bovender & Carey, 2006; Taaffe, Johnson, & Steinmann, 2006). Moving a patient even under the best of circumstances is a complex and involved event requiring extensive collaboration between both facilities and the involved EMS. Evacuating an entire patient cohort under duress creates a vast amount of critical patient data that can overwhelm even the best decision-maker (Weiner & Slepski, 2012). There have been a number of prior attempts to address this health informatics problem. Each of these efforts have experienced complications with how to incorporate the patient's medical situation and related resource requirements.

Automated decision support computer system for informatics classification and evaluation


A mobile, wireless biometric identification system includes a biometric capture device, associated software and processes which enable a commercially available wireless communication device, such as a smartphone, using a commercially established wireless communication networks, to capture a digital image of a human biometric (iris, fingerprint, etc.) for transmission via a secure connection to a central server. The capture device is designed to focus on the difficult task of capturing the highest possible quality image for encoding and comparison, while the overall system is designed to leverage the existing cellular communication network. At the server level, the server system receives the image, encodes the image to a biometric template, and compares the encoded template to a plurality of reference templates stored in a database to identify the individual. Identification data is then transmitted back to the smartphone device and displayed.

The instant invention relates to biometric identification systems and more particularly to a mobile, hand-held biometric processing and communication system which captures an image of a biometric attribute, such as an iris or fingerprint, verifies the quality of the image, wirelessly transmits the image to a central database server for matching, and wirelessly receives results provided by the server, as well as relevant information about the identified person.
Biometric identification systems based on fingerprints and the iris are well known in the prior art. For the most part, the prior art systems rely on fixed, i.e. wired, computer networks and they are not deployed in portable systems.
One biometric technology, that is a particular focus of the present invention, involves the visual examination of the attributes of the iris of the human eye. The iris of the human eye has random patterns of striations, ciliary processes, crypts, rings, furrows and other features which are shown to be capable of generating highly unique biometric templates for personal identification. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,349, "Iris Recognition System", issued to Flom et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,560, "Biometric Personal Identification System Based on Iris Analysis", issued to Daugman. These patents are directed to biometric identification methods wherein the visible texture of a person's iris can be used to distinguish one person from another with great accuracy.
A typical iris recognition system, as currently known in the art, involves the use of an imager to video image the iris of a person to be identified, an encoding means for processing and encoding the image to produce a unique biometric template, and processing means for comparing the encoded template with templates stored in a database. Specific methods of generating templates and comparing templates are also well known in the art as exemplified by '560 patent to Daugman identified hereinabove. These templates may be used to identify individual irises in a 1-to-n comparison with extremely low error rates.
While these systems have been implemented in fixed installations with a high degree of success and market recognition, the prior art systems have been limited to fixed, hard-wired systems, which can leverage the speed and processing power of larger computer systems. The known iris identification systems capture the iris images using stationary optical platforms that are large, complex, and expensive, and the systems are difficult to use, even with cooperation of the subject being identified. As a result, their usefulness in many real-time applications is limited.
Although the art of biometric recognition systems is well developed, there still remain problems inherent in these technologies, particularly the lack of a portable or handheld device specifically designed to solve the problems inherent in capturing a close-up, high-quality, properly focused image of the face, or iris of the eye. Therefore, a need exists for a portable, hand-held biometric capture device that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.

Mobile wireless hand-held biometric capture, processing and communication system and method for biometric identification


A rolling bearing apparatus is disclosed, which have a cage disposed between an inner ring raceway track and an outer ring raceway track in a freely rotatable manner so as to guide and hold a plurality of rolling elements, wherein said cage is made of a resin composition which comprises a melt-moldable fluororesin as the main component and further contains at least one solid lubricant having an average particle diameter of from 0.1 to 60 .mu.m and a fibrous filler having an aspect ratio of from 3 to 200.. The rolling bearing apparatus is inexpensive and, in particular, is capable of retaining lubricity over long even in a high-temperature environment and is reduced in the outward flying of particles therefrom.

Conventional rolling bearing apparatus are constituted of an inner ring having an inner ring raceway track on its outer periphery, an outer ring having an outer ring raceway track on its inner periphery, a plurality of rolling elements interposed between the inner ring raceway track and the outer ring raceway track in a freely rollable manner, and a cage disposed between the inner ring raceway track and the outer ring raceway track in a freely rotatable manner so as to guide and hold the rolling elements.
The lubrication of a rolling bearing apparatus is generally conducted by circulating a lubricating oil or grease or by enclosing a lubricating oil or grease in the bearing apparatus. However, when the bearing apparatus works, the lubricating oil or grease flies off or vaporizes to emit a gas, especially at high temperatures in a vacuum environment or the like, to thereby contaminate the atmosphere surrounding the bearing apparatus. Because of this, neither a lubricating oil nor a grease can be used in clean rooms or apparatuses requiring a clean atmosphere, such as apparatuses for producing semiconductors, liquid-crystal panels, hard disks, etc., or in a severe environment such as a high-temperature or vacuum atmosphere, a special atmosphere, a very-low-temperature atmosphere, or a radiation exposure atmosphere.
JP-A-55-57717 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-61-55410 disclose a lubrication technique which comprises forming beforehand a thin lubricating film consisting of molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, graphite, silver, lead, gold, etc. by sputtering, ion plating, baking, thermal spraying, etc. on part or all of the inner ring, outer ring, cage, and rolling elements.
In JP-A-62-151539 and JP-A-64-79418 is disclosed a lubrication technique in which a cage made of an sintered alloy obtained from a mixture of a solid lubricant, e.g., molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, graphite, or hexagonal boron nitride, and a metal powder is used to allow a component of the cage to be released from the cage due to frictional contact between the cage and the rolling elements and deposit on the rolling elements, inner ring, and outer ring to form a thin lubricating film thereon.
Furthermore, JP-A-2-245514, JP-A-4-102718, and Japanese Patent 2,709,119 disclose a lubrication technique in which a cage made of a resin composition comprising a plastic, a solid lubricant, etc. is used to allow a component of the cage to be released from the cage due to frictional contact between the cage and the rolling elements and deposit on the rolling elements, inner ring, and outer ring to form a thin lubricating film thereon.
On the other hand, with the trend toward performance elevation, yield increase, etc. in devices and apparatuses, the conditions under which processes are conducted are becoming severer. Namely, the severe conditions such as higher temperatures, higher degrees of vacuum, etc. are required. With respect to the bearing apparatuses used therein, it is required to be reduced in the outward flying of particles therefrom and to work smoothly over long in severe environments, e.g., in a higher-temperature atmosphere or a higher degree of vacuum. These requirements are becoming higher year by year.
However, the lubrication technique due to a thin lubricating film formed previously, as disclosed in JP-A-55-57717, JP-A-61-55410, etc., generally has a short bearing life, because the lubricating film wears, as the bearing works, and finally disappears due to the frictional force in contact areas, resulting in no lubricating effect and hence in base metal (base material) adhesion/baking.
In the case where a cage is constituted of a sintered alloy, as disclosed in JP-A-62-151539 and JP-A-64-79418, this technique has a drawback that the cage is extremely expensive because a complicated shape cannot be formed and, hence, a desired cage shape must be formed from a rod or ring material or the like through mechanical processing. In addition, the use of a sintered alloy has the following drawbacks. Although sintered alloys are generally excellent in heat resistance, sintered alloys have low mechanical strength and are brittle. Accordingly since sintered alloys tend to occur surface cracks during mechanical processing, they have poor mechanical proccessability. For example, the processing rates for example, cutting speed and cut depth must be reduced. When a bearing apparatus employing such a sintered alloy cage works, crack may progressed from, e.g., the cracks generated during the processing. As a result, there are cases where the cage suffers abnormal wear, damage, or breakage to cause a large amount of particles to fly off the bearing apparatus or to make the bearing apparatus unable to work.
Furthermore, the prior art cage made of a resin composition as disclosed in JP-A-2-245514, JP-A-4-102718, Japanese Patent 2,709,119, etc. has a drawback that since the base resin material itself has insufficient lubricity, its lubricating effect is lost in an early stage after the bearing apparatus begins working. As a result, there are cases where the amount. of particles worn is rapidly increased and this causes a large amount of particles to fly off the bearing apparatus or causes the bearing to have a significantly increased torque and thus end its life. In addition, since this prior art cage has insufficient heat resistance due to the glass transition point and melting point of the resin material itself, the wear resistance and lubricity of the cage deteriorate considerably when the bearing apparatus works in a high-temperature environment. On the other hand, in the case where a tetrafluoroethylene resin having lubricity is employed as a base material, it is necessary to obtain a desired cage shape from a rod or ring material or the like through mechanical processing because the resin is not melt-moldable, as in the case of the sintered alloy described above. Hence, the cage thus produced is highly expensive.
As described above, conventional rolling bearing apparatuses have the following problems. Especially in a high-temperature environment, long-term lubrication is difficult and a large amount of particles fly off the bearing. Cages for use therein are extremely expensive because of the necessity of mechanical processing. Some materials for cages have poor mechanical proccessability, so that there are cases where trouble is generated when the bearing apparatuses are working.


A valve diaphragm 14 is connected to a valve base 11 by locating the diaphragm on upstanding posts 18 which are formed integrally with the valve base, and then cutting and simultaneously deforming the posts to secure the diaphragm in position. The cutting/deforming operation involves: forming two longitudinal cuts in each post, defining a central section 21 and two outer deformable sections 22, 23; and bending the deformable sections outwards, away from the central section.

Diaphragm valves, comprising a flexible diaphragm mounted on a matching valve base, are used in many fields as one way valves. Typically, the diaphragm is positioned over one or more apertures in the valve base and is secured in such a way that a relative decrease in pressure on the diaphragm side of the base causes the diaphragm to lift away from the base, thereby opening the apertures whereas a relative increase in pressure causes the diaphragm to be pressed against the base, thereby closing the apertures. Diaphragm valves of that type are used, for example, in the field of personal respiratory protection devices where they may be employed as both inhalation and exhalation valves.
In one known type of respirator, in which diaphragm valves are used as inhalation valves, the valve diaphragms are mounted on respective filter assemblies through which air enters the respirator when the wearer breathes in. The filter assemblies are located in the cheek areas of the face piece of the respirator and incorporate a filter material through which inhaled air must pass before it reaches the inhalation valve. The filter material is chosen having regard to the intended use of the respirator and may serve to remove particulate material and/or noxious gases or vapours from the inhaled air. The face piece also incorporates, in the nose and mouth area, an exhalation valve through which air leaves the respirator when the wearer breathes out. The exhalation valve is designed to close when the wearer breathes in so that air enters the respirator through the inhalation valves and must pass through the filter material. Likewise, the inhalation valves are designed to close when the wearer breathes out so that exhaled air leaves the respirator through the exhalation valve and does not contact the filter material.
A filter assembly of a respirator of that type may comprise a moulded plastics casing in which the filter material is contained, the casing being formed with at least one intake aperture on the side adjacent the interior of the face piece of the respirator. The flexible diaphragm of the inhalation valve is secured over the aperture(s) on the inside of the face piece in such a way that, when the wearer breathes in, the diaphragm lifts away from the aperture(s) to allow the entry of air to the respirator. When the wearer breathes out, however, the diaphragm is pushed against the filter assembly so that it covers over and seals the intake aperture(s). To facilitate respirator manufacture, it is clearly desirable to be able to secure the diaphragm to the filter assembly by an automated process.
One procedure which is used for securing inhalation diaphragms to respirator filter assemblies is ultrasonic welding. To that end, the moulded plastics casing of a filter assembly is formed with at least one upstanding post which, when the inhalation diaphragm is positioned on the filter assembly, projects through an aperture in the diaphragm. The end of the post is then softened and enlarged using ultrasonic energy to form a head which holds the diaphragm in position on the filter assembly. Although that procedure works well, it must be carried out by trained operators and is, therefore, comparatively expensive. It also tends to be more time consuming than other parts of the manufacturing process and, consequently, limits the efficiency of respirator production.
As an alternative to the use of posts which are formed integrally with the casings of the filter assemblies, separate fixing pins are available which comprise an enlarged head for retaining the pin in the casing and a centrally-split stem which is first inserted through an aperture in the diaphragm valve and is then spread open to hold the diaphragm in position. The use of such separate fixing pins eliminates the need to use ultrasonic welding techniques but is more complex because it involves a greater number of components.

Method for connecting two components, especially in the assembly of diaphragm valves

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A disclosed system includes a plurality of ion selective fiber sensors configured to measure treatment concentration variance, and a computer in communication with the plurality of ion selective fiber sensors. The computer determines treatment coverage for different downhole zones using information received from the plurality of ion selective fiber sensors. A disclosed method includes collecting data from a plurality of ion selective fiber sensors configured to measure treatment concentration variance. The method also includes determining treatment coverage for different downhole zones using information received from the plurality of ion selective fiber sensors. A disclosed downhole treatment management system includes a data analysis unit that collects data from a plurality of downhole ion selective fiber sensors configured to measure treatment concentration variance, and that determines treatment coverage for different downhole zones using the collected data. The downhole treatment management system also includes a treatment control interface in communication with the data analysis unit. The treatment control interface updates treatment operations using treatment coverage information determined by the data analysis unit.

After a wellbore has been drilled, the wellbore typically is cased by inserting lengths of steel pipe ("casing sections") connected end-to-end into the wellbore. Threaded exterior rings called couplings are typically used to connect adjacent ends of the casing sections at casing joints. The result is a "casing string" including casing sections and couplers that extends from the surface to a bottom of the wellbore. The casing string is then cemented in place to complete the casing operation. After a wellbore is cased, the casing is often perforated to provide access to one or more desired formations, e.g., to enable fluid from the formation(s) to enter the wellbore.
Treatments may be applied to a formation to increase or inhibit flow. However, proper application of treatments is difficult. As an example, when acid is injected in a formation, most of the acid goes to the zone nearest to the injection point and leaves most of the formation untreated. Thus, high permeability zones that are treated become over-stimulated. In particular, the problem arises for long horizontal wells, where the heel of the well becomes over-stimulated while the toe of the well is under-stimulated.
Distributed temperature sensing (DTS) technology has been employed to monitor fluid injection since the formation and the injected fluids are at different temperatures. However, formation characteristics such as thief zones, cross-flow across producing zones, depth of investigation, geothermal gradient, and presence of water zones decrease the level of confidence in DTS interpretation. There exists a need for improved systems or methods for treatment monitoring.
It should be understood, however, that the specific embodiments given in the drawings and detailed description thereof do not limit the disclosure. On the contrary, they provide the foundation for one of ordinary skill to discern the alternative forms, equivalents, and modifications that are encompassed in the scope of the appended claims.

Downhole treatment monitoring systems and methods using ion selective fiber sensors


The present invention provides an LED-light heatsink and a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp having the same heatsink. The LED-light heatsink comprises: a hollow heatsink body; and a heatsink baseplate for enclosing one end of the heatsink body. The present invention can significantly improve the heat-dissipation effect of an LED-light.

LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lights have been used in more and more applications because of its advantages of high brightness, energy saving, and etc. But an LED light source usually has a relatively large amount of heat generation, which makes heat-dissipation necessary for an LED light source to guarantee its normal work.

SUZHOU BOE CHATANI ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


Devices, systems, and methods for training players of team sports are presented. A robot athlete emulates a sports player and includes a motive system for moving about a sports field. The robot athlete also includes an anthropomorphic figure with mechanisms for rotating the torso, raising the arms, and a lifting the torso to emulate a stretch or jump. An inventive method and system for controlling the robot athlete may include resetting the body of the robot athlete to a neutral position and determining if one of a plurality of modes of operation has been selected. Exemplary modes of operation may include an automatic mode, a pursuit mode, and a remote control mode. In the automatic mode, the robot athlete may monitor an array of sensors with a control system that responds to human player movement with one or more sets of predefined motion routines.

The following disclosure relates generally to sports training equipment and, more particularly, to vehicular robotic systems for training players of team sports such as basketball.
Basic skills training for team sports players, especially beginners, often involves personal, one-on-one attention and direction. Players learn and develop important offensive skills when they can play against one or more defensive players. Offensive skills are further developed through practice and repetition, preferably in an environment that is most like the situations encountered in a competitive contest.
The task of providing player training and practice using repetitive drills in game-like situations requires participation by a coach, a trainer, a teammate, or another person with knowledge of the fundamental skills of the game. Devoting such a person to the task of running drills is a continuing challenge because most teams have limited able-bodied personnel and tight practice schedules. For example, coaches and trainers have the skills, but running repetitive drills is not the best use of their coaching talent or their limited time with the entire team. Hence the need for a specialized training dummy in the context of organized practices.
Also, most team sports players benefit from practicing basic skills, such as the jump shot in basketball, and doing so over and over again, on their own time, outside of team practices. The benefits of traditional solo training are limited, especially in team sports where practicing against another player is best and no one else is present to control or manipulate a training dummy. Hence the need for a specialized training dummy in the context of solo practice.
Existing training dummies used in most sports create a low-quality practice environment and produce limited benefit to the player. Stationary dummies simply cannot simulate the actions of a live defensive player; and, as a result, they cannot create the physical—and the arguably even more important psychological—impact on the offensive player of being confronted by a hostile and powerful defender in a game situation. Even a portable dummy with some movable parts—like PROFENDER™, see www.theoriginalprofender.com—typically requires a skilled and able-bodied person to move the dummy into various positions and to manipulate its height. Traditional training dummies are unsatisfactory for team practice or for solo drills.
What is needed is a method and system which addresses these numerous and often complex training issues faced by players and coaches.

Method and system for creating and controlling a vehicular robot athlete


A battery holder (210) for mounting a button-type battery (200) on a printed circuit board (220) is provided. The battery holder comprises a resilient electrode plate (212), a ring (214) and a battery cap (216). The resilient electrode plate is soldered to positive contacts (222) of the printed circuit board. A positive electrode of the battery is put on and electrically connects with the resilient electrode plate to thereby connect electrically with the positive contacts on the printed circuit board. The ring is soldered to negative contacts (224) of the printed circuit board and surrounds the resilient electrode plate. The battery is accommodated within the ring. The battery cap is fixed and electrically connected to the ring and covers the battery. The battery cap also electrically contacts with a negative electrode (202) on a top of the battery. The negative electrode and positive electrode of the battery are separated by an insulation (206).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery holder. More particularly, the present invention relates to a battery holder for mounting a button type battery on a printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the modern world of rapid changes, up to the minute information is transmitted through a system of networks. All kinds of electronic products including mobile phones, computers and audio-visual equipments are indispensable in our daily life. With the repeated advance in electronic technologies, more personalized and multifunctional electronic products are sold in the market. As the number of portable products proliferates, the need of backup batteries also increases. A backup battery, which usually is button type or coin type battery, is used in a portable electronic device to prevent lose of important information of the device when the power of the main battery incidentally runs out. A battery holder is used to mount the backup battery on a printed circuit board. The design of a battery holder is important because a good design often facilitates a simple, smooth and reliable assembly of the backup battery to the printed circuit board.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional battery holder for mounting of a backup battery 100 to a printed circuit board 114. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery 100 has a positive electrode and a negative electrode (not labeled) which are respectively disposed on top and the bottom surfaces of the battery 100 and separated from each other through an insulating layer 110. To identify the different electrodes of the battery 100, the positive electrode is marked with a "+" symbol. To mount the battery 100 to the printed circuit board, firstly the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the battery 100 are manually soldered to conductive terminals 102, 104, respectively. Then the conductive terminals 102, 104 are manually soldered to a positive contact 114b and a negative contact 114a respectively on the printed circuit board 114. Since the battery 110 is heat sensitive, the soldering of the terminals 102, 104 to the contacts 114a, 114b of the printed circuit board 114 can only achieved by manual operation, and cannot be performed by surface mount technology (SMT). Soldering by SMT has uniformly better quality than that by manual operation. Furthermore, SMT can be automatically operated, and, thus, can lower the manufacturing cost and have a better yield rate. Moreover, since the terminals 102, 104 are very small, to manually solder them to the contacts 114a, 114b is not an easy operation. To facilitate the soldering, a specially designed fixture must be deployed. Finally, when the battery 100 needs to be replaced, the soldering between the conductive terminals 102 and 104 and the printed circuit board 114 needs to be de-soldered and ten re-soldered after the battery 100 is replaced with a new one. Such de-soldering and re-soldering operations are very laborious. Moreover, with the positive electrode of the battery 100 facing up without any protection, an operator may carelessly touch the positive electrode of the battery 100, which may cause damage to the battery 100 and shorten the life thereof. Finally, without a foolproof design for the battery holder, an operator for mounting the battery 100 may inadvertently mount it to the printed circuit board 114 in an upside-down manner. When this happens, the battery 100 and/or associated circuits may be damaged.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,056, a battery holder is disclosed. The battery holder comprises a housing and two electrical contacts. The housing is plastic molded and has retaining walls at two sides thereof. The contacts on each side of the housing have some flexibility for ensuring a good electrical contact with the battery. In addition, the bottom section of the housing has a slot permitting an electrical contact between a spring plate and a battery. Although the disclosed design is more reliable and convenient to mount a battery on a printed circuit board than the one shown in FIG. 1, a large number of small and complicated components are required to construct the battery holder of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,056; so the cost for producing this battery holder is high.
Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery holder free from the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.


According to some embodiments, a system, method and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided to protect a decision manifold of a control system for an industrial asset, comprising: a detection and neutralization module including: a decision manifold having a receiver configured to receive a training dataset comprising data, wherein the decision manifold is operative to generate a first decision manifold with the received training dataset; and a detection model; a memory for storing program instructions; and a detection and neutralization processor, coupled to the memory, and in communication with the detection and neutralization module and operative to execute program instructions to: receive the first decision manifold, wherein the first decision manifold separates a normal operating space from an abnormal operating space; determine whether there are one or more inadequacies with the detection model; generate a corrected decision manifold based on the determined one or more inadequacies with the detection model; receive a projected adversary strategy; generate a resilient decision manifold based on the corrected decision manifold and received projected adversary strategy; and an output configured to output a neutralized signal to operate the industrial asset via the control system. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Industrial control systems that operate physical systems (e.g., associated with power turbines, jet engines, locomotives, autonomous vehicles, etc.) are increasingly connected to the Internet. As a result, these control systems have been increasingly vulnerable to threats, such as cyber-attacks (e.g., associated with a computer virus, malicious software, etc.), that could disrupt electric power generation and distribution, damage engines, inflict vehicle malfunctions, etc. Such attacks can diminish the performance of a control system and may cause total shut down or catastrophic damage to a plant.
It would therefore be desirable to protect an industrial asset from cyber-attacks/faults in an automatic and accurate manner when attacks directly harm control systems.

Framework for determining resilient manifolds


A method of measuring a parameter in a well, under isobaric conditions, including such parameters as hydraulic gradient, pressure, water level, soil moisture content and/or aquifer properties the method as presented comprising providing a casing having first and second opposite ends, and a length between the ends, the casing supporting a transducer having a reference port; placing the casing lengthwise into the well, second end first, with the reference port vented above the water table in the well; and sealing the first end. A system is presented for measuring a parameter in a well, the system comprising a casing having first and second opposite ends, and a length between the ends and being configured to be placed lengthwise into a well second end first; a transducer, the transducer having a reference port, the reference port being vented in the well above the water table, the casing being screened across and above the water table; and a sealing member sealing the first end. In one embodiment, the transducer is a tensiometer transducer and in other described embodiments, another type transducer is used in addition to a tensiometer.

Groundwater level data from monitoring wells or boreholes are used for various purposes. For example, groundwater level data is used to determine magnitude and direction of hydraulic gradient at underground storage tanks sites, remedial investigation sites as required by environmental laws, and other sites effected by local and federal regulations. Changes in atmospheric pressure (barometric pressure) cause water levels to rise and fall within the wells. Variations in groundwater levels due to barometric pressure effects have the potential to give false readings. This can result in miscalculations of various items such as hydraulic gradients and flow directions, points of exposure, aquifer properties, and time to exposure from contaminated sites. The term "well" as used herein and in the appended claims, is intended to also encompass boreholes, such as boreholes used with tensiometers.
The effects of barometric fluctuations on water tables are well documented. Barometric pressure changes can cause changes of up to one foot in measured water level versus actual water level. Barometric pressure fluctuations in the atmosphere can significantly impact water table levels within wells.
Increases in barometric pressure cause declines in water levels and vice versa. The mechanisms in causing these effects are: (1) mechanical loading of the aquifer due to the surface load; (2) pressurization at the water surface of the open well due to the air load; (3) flow of the air between the earth's surface and the water table; (4) flow of groundwater between the water table and the aquifer; and (5) flow of groundwater between the aquifer and well.
A confined aquifer is one in which clay, or a confining bed of some other material, impedes upward movement of water. Water underneath the confining bed may be under pressure. In contrast, in an unconfined aquifer, water can rise relatively freely in the geologic material.
Changes in barometric pressure effect changes in water level in unconfined aquifers. The reason why changes in barometric pressure effect changes in water level in unconfined aquifers is as follows. The finite permeability of the unsaturated zone causes a lag in the transfer of the barometric fluctuations to the water table. Because the fluctuations are immediately transferred to the water table in a well, a pressure imbalance occurs between water in the well and water in the aquifer. This pressure imbalance produces the water level fluctuations in the well. After a step change in barometric pressure, only a portion of the change reaches the water table through the unsaturated zone. The difference between the barometric pressure change and the pressure transferred to the water table results in the change in the water table. In time, the water level in the well recovers to the level in the aquifer. Changes in barometric pressure can effect water level measurements in either confined or unconfined wells.
Several numerical solutions to adjust for effects of barometric pressure changes have been proposed. The numerical solutions require knowledge of the soil air diffusivity between land surface above the well and the water table. The diffusivity changes with soil water content which, in turn, changes over time. This error in water level measurements effects the determination of direction of groundwater flow, and the calculated rate of water travel. This error also makes it difficult to determine if water levels have changed, and can affect results of pumping tests so severely that resulting data cannot be properly analyzed.
Many of the prior art methods used to account for barometric effects on the water table use a concept known as barometric efficiency. Barometric efficiency is defined as the fraction of the change in barometric pressure that is instantaneously transmitted to the liquid in the aquifer. The barometric efficiency is calculated as the ratio of the change in the water level in a well compared to the change in atmospheric pressure.
One prior art method of determining average barometric efficiency for an aquifer comprises plotting a sum of incremental changes in the water table versus a sum of incremental changes in barometric pressure, following a number of rules. This method assumes that a single number can be used as an estimate for the barometric efficiency for the entire aquifer. However, barometric efficiency has been found to be related to the frequency of a barometric pressure signal.
Another method comprises performing a frequency domain analysis to correct water table signals in confined and unconfined aquifers to account for the fluctuations due to barometric pressure. A best fit method of barometric efficiency and sine wave frequencies is employed to correct data. The transfer function is assumed for the observed frequency response, the function is multiplied by Fourier transform of the atmospheric record, the result is inverted into the time domain, and a water level time series is subtracted. Assumptions and approximations are used in these methods. Therefore, only approximate water table values can be found. Another prior art method uses a convolution in the time domain as an alternative to the frequency domain analysis to remove barometric effects from measurements in confined aquifers. The time domain solution is derived from an inverse Fourier transform of frequency response function.
The numerical solutions are inadequate because there is a lag time between the pressure change of the atmosphere and the pressure in the soil column immediately above the water table.

Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company


A heat dissipating electrical apparatus (200) comprises a heat dissipation device (30) mounted to a substrate (99) and fastened to an electrical device (21) mounted on a daughter board (20) received in an electrical connector (10). A plurality of first heat dissipation fins (34) are formed in a matrix arrangement and extend from a main body (31) of the heat dissipation device (30). Two second heat dissipation fins (35) extend from opposite lower corners of the main body (31) of the heat dissipation device (30). The second fins (35) each define holes (36) in free ends thereof corresponding to holes defined in the substrate (99) for receiving fixing elements (40) to stably mount the heat dissipation device (30) to the substrate (99). Alternatively, the second fins (65) extend from an entire lower portion of the main body (61) of the heat dissipation device (60). The second fins (65) are sandwiched between retaining bars (55) and the fixing elements (50) is received in holes (66) defined in each of the outermost second fins (65), the retaining bars (55), and the substrate thereby stably mounting the heat dissipation device to the substrate (99) without exerting a significant force on the electrical connector (10). Therefore, interference with signals of the electrical device is prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat dissipating electrical apparatus, and more particularly to a heat dissipating electrical apparatus having a heat dissipation means firmly mounted to a substrate at one end and fastened to a heat emitting electrical device at another end wherein the heat dissipation device does not exert a significant force on the electrical device.
2. The Prior Art
Most computers include at least one heat emitting electrical device requiring a heat dissipation device to absorb excessive heat radiating from the electrical device thereby preventing damage from incurring on the other internal components of the computer. The electrical device could be a central processing unit (CPU) and the heat dissipation device is commonly a large heat sink formed from a metal alloy and mounted near the CPU.
The CPU is commonly mounted on a daughter board which is inserted into a card-type electrical connector mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) so that the daughter board is orthogonal to the PCB. A bottom surface of the heat sink is fastened to a surface of the CPU. However, the weight of the heat sink causes a strong force to be exerted on the base of the connector which could lead to damage to the structure causing the connector to become loosened from the PCB which results in intermittent connections between the CPU and the other computer components.
The disadvantages described above illustrate that a need exists for an improved heat dissipating electrical apparatus which will not interfere with the internal connections of a computer.


A synchronous semiconductor memory device which prevents to misread due to the parasitic capacitance is disclosed. A synchronous semiconductor memory device of the present invention comprises memory cells for storing data therein, sense amplifiers coupled to the memory cells and pairs of data lines coupled to the sense amplifiers. The data lines extend to one direction so that the data lines are substantially parallel to each other. The pairs of data lines include first pairs of data lines and second pairs of data lines located between the first pairs of data lines. Each of the second pairs has a cross point at which each of the data lines of the pair crosses each other.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and specifically to a layout suitable for a synchronous DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).
2. Description of the Related Art
A great feature of a synchronous DRAM is that it follows the architecture of other general-purpose DRAM and is activated at a high frequency of 100 MHz or above using a low-voltage TTL interface. Further, the synchronous DRAM is of a clock synchronous type and allows a pipeline operation by which burst data can be transferred even during a cycle in which an address is inputted and decoded. In order to perform these advantageous functions, one obtained by frequency-dividing a clock into 1/2, for example, is used inside the synchronous DRAM. Thus, the internal operation of the synchronous DRAM is synchronized with 1/2 of the frequency of an external clock, regardless of external-clock input conditions. Therefore, the synchronous DRAM is excellent in operating margin.
The synchronous DRAM alternately reads information from and writes it into adjacent data line pairs in synchronism with a clock signal. The data line pair at the time of its read operation has been precharged to VCC-VT (where VCC is the power source potential, and Vt is the threshold voltage of a transistor connected between each data line and a power source potential supply source) in advance. A small potential difference .DELTA.V appears between the adjacent data line pairs from the subsequent reading of data. In the write operation, one of the data line pair is supplied with VCC, whereas the other is supplied with VSS.
When the write operation is performed prior to the read operation in the synchronous DRAM, one of the data line pair is precharged from VSS to VCC-Vt, whereas the other is precharged from VCC to VCC-Vt. Since a parasitic capacitance exists at this time between one of the precharged data line pair and one of the data line pair adjacent thereto, the initial potential of the corresponding data line is increased to VCC-Vt+.alpha.. The term .alpha. reflects the degree of coupling that results from the parasitic capacitance. With such a device, there has been the possibility that even if information is thereafter read from a sense amplifier, the difference in potential .DELTA.V between the adjacent data line pairs has not become wide, so that data would be outputted erroneously.


A technique is provided that improves the usage ratio of light in the illumination optical system of an image display apparatus, in which the cross-sectional size or shape of the flux of light that has formed a light source image of an LED-based light-emitting section is converted by anamorphic optics, such as collimator lens, into a size or shape appropriate for an aperture in the portion that permits the flux of the light source image to pass through, in an optical system leading to an image display element(s), and thus the quantity of fluxes of light passed through the aperture is increased.

The present invention relates to an image display technique intended to display images by irradiating light from light sources onto image display elements and forming an optical image. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a technique intended for displaying bright images.
Known examples of projection image display apparatus include a liquid-crystal projector that irradiates light from a light source onto a liquid-crystal panel such as an image display element, and projects an image in enlarged form on the liquid-crystal panel.
A great number of types of products (projection image display apparatus) applying one or multiple lamps and capable of supplying large electric power to the light source(s) in order to obtain higher luminance have been materialized up to now. Recent trends are that applying light-emitting diodes, organic electroluminescent (EL) elements, or the like, as so-called LED (Light-Emitting Diode) light sources, is being considered for reasons such as their high color purity, excellent longevity, and rapid lighting response. In this case, an LED light unit having a number of arrayed LED light sources is usually used to compensate for the insufficiency of luminance. Examples of the projection image display apparatus that employs such an LED light unit are described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2001-249400 and 2001-343706.

Image display apparatus forming optical image by irradiating light from light source onto image display element


A curable composition including a compound having a perfluoropolyether group and a curable moiety, and a curable resin and/or a curable monomer, wherein an organic solvent having no radical reactive group is not substantially contained. The curable composition is capable of forming a surface-treating layer that is in a lower clouded state.

It is known that when a surface-treating agent containing a fluorine-containing compound, particularly a compound having a perfluoropolyether group, is used in a surface treatment of a base material, a surface-treating layer having excellent water-repellency, oil-repellency, antifouling property, or the like can be formed. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a surface-treating agent obtained by reacting a composition containing a carbon-carbon double bond, which comprises (A) a triisocyanate prepared by trimerizing a diisocyanate, and (B) a combination of at least two active hydrogen-containing compounds. In this composition, the component (B) comprises (B-1) a perfluoropolyether having an active hydrogen, and (B-2) a monomer having an active hydrogen and a carbon-carbon double bond.

Curable composition, process for producing same, and article produced therewith


Disclosed herein are polymerizable dental materials and dental products based upon such materials. More particularly, disclosed are materials and products based upon BPA-free, polymerizable resins that are derived from 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-glucidol (isosorbide).

Dental materials such as for example, dental filling materials, often include liquid polymerizable organic monomers and/or polymers, reactive diluents, polymerization initiators, stabilizers, and fillers. Such composite materials have their good mechanical properties such as high flexural strengths, high compressive strengths and hardness. Further, they are often polishable and readily accept suitable dyes. The most frequently used monomers are esters of methacrylates and higher multifunctional alcohols or isocyanates such as the bismethacrylate of biphenol-A diglycidyl ether, urethane bismethacrylates. Aromatic dials are often used to make polymerizable resins having good thermal and mechanical stability.
Bisphenol A (BPA) has been widely used in the manufacture of plastics and is present in many products, including dental products. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Toxicology Program at the National Institute of Health have expressed concern about the potential health effects associated with BPA.
Although BPA is not an ingredient in any dental products, it has been detected in some of the degraded dental products that contain BPA-based dental resins. BisGMA is one such BPA-based dental resin and has been widely used in many dental products. Regardless of the debate over the effect of potentially leached BPA from cured dental products that contain BisGMA or its derivatives, there are increasing efforts to manufacture BPA-free resins.
BisGMA is a high viscosity, dimethacrylate resin. Various structural modifications on BisGMA have been made in order to reduce its viscosity and to minimize the polymerization shrinkage and curing stress. The rigid aromatic moiety in BisGMA does contribute well to the high strength in cured BisGMA and its derivatives, although they are usually accompanied by higher shrinkage and higher curing stress. Conventional aliphatic resins, such as TEGDMA or UDMA are flexible and have low viscosity but they usually offer lower mechanical property. A variety of cyclic aliphatic moieties were also incorporated into polymerizable resins and an improved chemical property was demonstrated due to the rigid nature. However, most of monomer resins containing cyclic moiety are highly crystalline due to its chain regularity, which would limit its application as matrix resin for formulated dental composites. Therefore oligomeric resins have to be prepared, but these amorphous resins tend to have higher viscosity. Accordingly there is reduced cross-linking density after curing and furthermore lower mechanical property would result.
Bisphenol A (BPA) in particular is one such aromatic diol that has been widely used in epoxy resin, modified methacrylate resin, polyethersulfone/ketone, polyester, polycarbonate and the like, for use in dental materials. Resins or polymers from fully aliphatic diols are less popular due to their relative lower thermal stability. However, there have been investigations of resins and polymers based on cyclic aliphatic compounds, especially those that are multi-cyclic. Interest in such cyclic aliphatic dials has increased due to potential concerns of some aromatic diol, especially BPA. Accordingly, BPA-free resins or polymers would be highly desirable if they possessed the same or comparable thermal and mechanical stabilities as the BPA counterparts.

Dental compositions based on polymerizable resins containing isosorbide


A variable length decoding device for decoding variable length coding data and run length coding data according to the present invention comprises a variable length decoding unit 3 for serially decoding the variable length coding data and the run length coding data inputted from outside in a state in which “RUN” representing number of “0” and “LEVEL” representing a magnitude of a coefficient value are combined, a data buffer 4 for storing the “LEVEL”, address retainers 5 and 6 for retaining an address of the “LEVEL” corresponding to the “RUN” based on the number of “0” indicated by the “RUN”, a write control unit 7 for writing the “LEVEL” in the data buffer 4 based on the information of the address retainers, and a read control unit 8 for reading the “LEVEL” from the data buffer 4 based on the information of the address retainers.

A method of compressing/extending compressed data using a run length coding and a variable length coding is used in JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), which are general technologies for compressing image data. Along with the spread of a digital camera and a digital video camera and the advancement of the communication technology, the method has been made widely available as a technology capable of transferring data with a small volume of information.
A typical example of an image compression device is shown in FIG. 36. Below is given a description of the device referring to FIG. 36
Image data divided into blocks each comprising 8×8 pixels beforehand and serially inputted is frequency-converted in a DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) unit 101 for executing a discrete cosine conversion so as to generate a DCT coefficient. Inmost of natural images, colors smoothly changes. As a result of executing the frequency-conversion, the DCT coefficients having larger values gather in a low-frequency region m, while the DCT coefficients having smaller values are distributed in a high-frequency region n as shown in FIG. 37. A coefficient in an upper-left corner, in particular, is referred to as a DC component having no frequency component, and any other coefficient is referred to as an AC component.
In a quantization unit 102, the DCT coefficient is divided by a preset quantization value so as to generate a quantization coefficient. As a result of the processing, the coefficients of "0" can be aggregated in the high-frequency region which does not affect an image quality.
In a variable length coding unit 103, "RUN" representing the number of "0" and "LEVEL" representing the magnitude of the coefficient value are combined in the order of a zigzag scan as shown in FIG. 38 so as to generate run length data. In compliance with the appearance ratio of the foregoing combinations, code words having different lengths are allocated so as to reduce a data capacity.
An image extension device for decoding the variable length code data coded in the foregoing manner comprises a variable length decoding unit 104, an inverse quantization unit 105 and an inverse DCT unit 106, which correspond to the constitution of the image compression device, as shown in FIG. 39.
In the variable length decoding unit 104, the data is decoded in the state in which the "RUN" representing the number of "0" and the "LEVEL" representing the magnitude of the coefficient value are combined, and the "0" coefficients as many as the magnitude of the "RUN" are generated and combined with the coefficients represented by the "LEVEL". This operation is repeated until the coefficients corresponding to 8×8 pixels are generated.
The generated coefficients corresponding to 8×8 pixels are multiplied by a preset quantization value in the inverse quantization unit 105 so as to obtain an inverse-quantization DCT coefficient. Further, the coefficients are subjected to a frequency region—spatial region conversion in the inverse DCT unit 106, and the image data is thereby decoded.
A conventional constitution of the variable length decoding unit 104 is described referring to FIG. 40.
The variable length code data inputted from an input unit 107 is decoded in a variable length decoding unit 108 in the state in which the "RUN" representing the number of "0" and the "LEVEL" representing the magnitude of the coefficient value are combined. A write control unit 109 supplies a selection signal to a selector 110 so that "0" as many as the number of the decoded "RUN" are written in a data buffer 112. After "0" corresponding to the number of the decoded "RUN" are written, the coefficients represented by the "LEVEL" are written in the data buffer 112. This operation is repeated until the coefficients as many as the 8×8 pixels are generated, and then, the data is serially read from the data buffer 112 by a read control unit 111 in the order of the zigzag scan (FIG. 38) and outputted from an output unit 113 to the inverse quantization unit 105.
However, in the conventional constitution, during a period when the "0" coefficients as many as the number of the decoded "RUN" are consecutively written, the processing of the variable length decoding unit 108 cannot be executed. The disadvantage resulted in the generation of an idle period, which was unfavorably an impediment in achieving a higher-speed operation.
As a solution of the aforementioned problem was proposed a run length code decoding circuit disclosed in No. 08-167856 of the Publication of the Unexamined Japanese Patent Applications (p. 4–7, FIG. 7). Below is described an example of the run length code decoding circuit referring to FIG. 41.
All of data words stored in a first data buffer 116 and a second data buffer 117 are initialized to "0" beforehand. The variable length code data inputted from an input unit 114 is decoded in a variable length decoding unit 115 in the state in which the "RUN" representing the number of "0" and the "LEVEL" representing the magnitude of the coefficient value are combined. The "LEVEL" data is supplied to selecting units 122 and 123, while the decoded "RUN" data is supplied to an address adder 118 so that only values of the "RUN" are linearly added, and then, a result of the addition is outputted to a write control unit 119. The outputted data is converted into zigzag scan addresses in the write control unit 119, and a result of the conversion is outputted to selecting units 124 and 125. The address adder 118 serves to supply an "H" level to the selecting units 122 and 124 or the selecting units 123 and 125 as a selection signal, while supplying the other with an "L" level, and invert a logic "LEVEL" of the selection signal before the processing corresponding to 8×8 pixels is completed.
A read control unit 120 outputs an read address to the data buffer 117 when the address adder 118 supplies the selecting units 122 and 124 with the "H" level, while outputting the read address to the data buffer 116 when the address adder 118 supplies the selecting units 123 and 125 with the "H" level. Output data is outputted from one of the data buffers 116 and 117 via an output unit 126 or 127 in accordance with the read address from the read control unit 120.
When the read address is outputted from the read control unit 120 to the data buffer 116 or 117, an initializing unit 121 outputs the same address by a slightly shifted timing as an initialization address to the selecting unit 124 or 125.
The selecting units 122 and 123 output the "LEVEL" data from the variable length decoding unit 115 to the relevant data buffers 116 and 117 when the selection signal from the address adder 118 is the "H" level, while outputting "0" thereto when the selection signal is the "L" level.
The selecting units 124 and 125 output the zigzag scan addresses from the write control unit 119 when the selection signal form the address adder 118 is the "H" level, while outputting the initialization address from the initializing unit 121 when the selection signal is the "L" level.
The addresses from the address adder 118 and the read control unit 120 are initialized to an initial value every time when the processing corresponding to 8×8 pixels is completed.
According to the decoding circuit shown in FIG. 41, only the "LEVEL" data overwrites "0" at the position identified in the zigzag scan addresses is based on the decoded run length code after all of the data stored in the first data buffer 116 is initialized to "0". Thus, one block stored in the second data buffer 117 is read and initialized during the period when only the non-"0" components of the 8×8 pixels constituting one block are written in the first data buffer 116.
According to the conventional technology, when the data stored in the data buffer is initialized to "0" in advance, and only the "LEVEL" data is written at the corresponding position in the data buffer based on the run length code, the processing required for one block can be reduced in accordance with the number of the non-"0" components of the 8×8 pixels constituting one block.
However, it becomes necessary to initialize the data buffer in the foregoing conventional constitution. Further, the idle time generated between the decoding process and the read operation and the number of accesses with respect to the data buffer could not be disadvantageously reduced because all of the data was necessarily read from the data buffer.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


According to one embodiment, a spin-valve element includes a nonmagnetic unit, a first magnetic unit, a second magnetic unit, a third magnetic unit, a current source, and a voltage sensor. The current source is connected to the second magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit. The current source causes a current to flow between the second magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit via the nonmagnetic unit. The voltage sensor is connected to the second magnetic unit and the third magnetic unit. A maximum length of a contact surface between the first magnetic unit and the nonmagnetic unit is not more than a spin diffusion length of the nonmagnetic unit. A length of the first magnetic unit in a direction orthogonal to the contact surface is not more than 3 times a spin diffusion length of the first magnetic unit. The first magnetic unit does not contact an external electrode.

The reproduction of a recorded signal of a hard disk drive is performed by using a magnetic sensor to sense a leakage magnetic field from recorded bits written to a magnetic disk. The size of each recorded bit is becoming extremely small as the recording density is increased. Therefore, both a smaller magnetic sensor and higher sensitivity are desirable.
A spin-valve element has been proposed as a magnetic sensor that can be provided in a micro gap between magnetic shields. However, for such a spin-valve element, it is desirable to develop a structure to make even further size reductions possible.

Spin-valve element, hard disk head, and hard disk head assembly


The resin-sealed package includes a lead frame having a supporting and heat spreading pad and inner and outer leads arranged to surround the supporting and head spreading pad. A tape automated bonding (TAB) structure is provided having a semiconductor chip having bonding pads formed on a periphery of a main surface of the semiconductor chip. A rear surface of the semiconductor chip is fixed to the supporting and head spreading pad. TAB leads are provided on the main surface of the semiconductor chip. One end of each TAB lead is connected with said bonding pads and the other end of each TAB lead is connected with one end of each inner lead of the lead frame. A resin molding is used for sealing the TAB structure and the supporting and head spreading pad and inner leads of the lead frame. An area of the supporting and head spreading pad is larger than that of the semiconductor chip of said TAB structure. The supporting and heat spreading pad includes a first slit positioned under the semiconductor chip and a second slit positioned outside of the semiconductor chip in a plane view.

The present invention relates to a lead frame and to a semiconductor integrated circuit device using the same. More specifically, the invention relates to technology that can be effectively adapted to semiconductor integrated circuit devices having a resin-molded LSI package.
In order to realize logic LSIs that operate at higher speed and have higher degree of functions, as represented by ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) such as gate arrays and CBICs (Cell-Based Integrated Circuits), and microcomputers, it is essential to improve a resin-molded LSI package for sealing a logic LSI, e.g., to increase the number of pins, to decrease the thermal resistance and to improve the reliability.
As LSI packages for sealing logic LSI, so far, there has been most extensively used a QFP (quad flat package) having leads along the four sides of the package body, and an ultra-multi-pin QFP has been put into practical use having hundreds of pins of leads.
In the QFP in which the package body is constituted by molding a resin, however, it becomes difficult to efficiently radiate the heat outside the package body as the amount of heat generated by the semiconductor chip increases.
In order to decrease the thermal resistance of the QFP, it has been proposed in which a heat spreader made of a metal plate is buried in a portion of the package body (NIKKEI MICRO DEVICE, Nikkei BP Co., May, 1991, pp. 94-99; NIKKEI ELECTRONICS, Nikkei BP Co., Jan. 21, 1991, pp. 132-136).
According to this technology, the heat spreader is stuck to the back surface of a die pad (tab) of the lead frame for mounting the semiconductor chip followed by molding it with resin, and the heat spreader is exposed from part of the package body. Then, the heat generated in the semiconductor chip is conducted to the heat spreader through the die pad and is radiated from the surface thereof. Thus, there is obtained a QFP having a small thermal resistance.
The QFP is constituted by several members such as semiconductor chip, lead frame and molding resin having different thermal properties (coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, etc.), and stress tends to build up inside the package body due to the differences in the thermal properties. In the case of the resin-molded LSI package, in particular, the adhesion is not sufficiently strong in the interface between the lower surface of the die pad and the molding resin, and a large stress tends to build up at the interface.
Therefore, as the outside dimensions of the semiconductor chip mounted on the lead frame (i.e., outside dimensions of the die pad) increases, peeling takes place at the interface between the die pad and the molding resin when the package is heated at a high temperature in the steps of testing temperature cycles and thermal shocks or in the step of solder reflow. Therefore, water and impurities enter the space where peeling has taken place, resulting in the occurrence of cracks in the package and corrosion to the wiring.
To prevent peeling at the interface, it has been known to make a slit of a cross shape in the die pad of the lead frame as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 22162/1992. This technique is used for suppressing the peeling at the interface by making a slit in the die pad to bring part of the back surface of the semiconductor chip into direct contact with the molding resin, and by firmly adhering the semiconductor chip to the molding resin.

Lead frame having a supporting pad with a plurality of slits arranged to permit the flow of resin so as to prevent the occurrence of voids


A plasma processing apparatus in which power consumption is reduced, which can generate uniform plasma in a large range and in which minute processing in high etching selectivity and in high aspect ratio is enabled is disclosed. High density plasma is generated in a vacuum vessel housing a processed sample utilizing an electron cyclotron resonance phenomenon caused by an electromagnetic wave in an ultra-high frequency band and a magnetic field and the surface of the processed sample is etched using this plasma. An electromagnetic wave in an ultra-high frequency band for generating plasma is radiated from a planar conductive plate consisting of graphite or silicon which is arranged opposite to the surface of the processed sample into space inside the vacuum vessel. High density plasma in the low degree of dissociation can be generated by using an electromagnetic wave in an ultra-high frequency band and as a result, the controllability of etching reaction can be enhanced. Further, a radical effective in etching can be increased by reaction between the surface of a planar conductive plate for radiating an electromagnetic wave and plasma.

The present invention relates to equipment for manufacturing a semiconductor device, particularly relates to a plasma surface processing apparatus used in a dry etching process for charging source gas in a chamber and processing the surface of semiconductor material by the physical or chemical reaction of its activated particle.
For a plasma utilizing apparatus used in the conventional manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, there is a magnetic field-provided microwave plasma etching apparatus described on pages 55 to 58 in No. 7 of "Hitachi Hyoron Vol. 76 published in 1994", for example for etching. The magnetic field-provided microwave plasma etching apparatus charges gas with an electromagnetic wave in a microwave band brought into a vacuum vessel via a magnetic field generated in a solenoid coil and a microwave circuit. As high density plasma can be obtained under low gas pressure in this conventional apparatus, a sample can be processed precisely and at a high speed. Further, a magnetic field-provided microwave plasma etching apparatus using a local magnetic field by a permanent magnet is reported for example on pages 1469 to 1471 in No. 13 of "Appl. Phys. Lett. Vol. 62 published in 1993". As a magnetic field is formed by a permanent magnet in this apparatus, both the cost of the apparatus and power consumption can be particularly reduced than those of the above conventional apparatus. In Japanese published unexamined patent application No. H3-122294, the methods of generating plasma by a high frequency in a band from 100 MHz to 1 GHz and efficient etching using a mirror field are disclosed. Further, in Japanese published unexamined patent application No. H6-224155, a method of generating uniform plasma in a chamber with a large bore diameter by a high frequency in a band of 100 to 500 MHz from an antenna in a comb shape is described.
A narrow electrode plane-parallel plate-type (hereinafter called a narrow electrode-type) apparatus is realized particularly for processing silicon oxide. Referring to the narrow electrode type, a high frequency in a band from a few teens to scores MHz is applied between plane-parallel plates apart by 1 to 2 cm to generate plasma. The narrow electrode- type apparatus is used when the pressure of source gas is scores mTorr. This narrow electrode-type apparatus is characterized in that relatively stable oxide film etching characteristics can be obtained for a long term.
In Japanese published unexamined patent application No. H7-307200, application of a high frequency in a band of approximately 300 MHz from a radial antenna with the length of one fourth of an input wavelength is described.
However, as a plurality of small-sized permanent magnets are used in the above magnetic field-provided microwave etching apparatus using a local magnetic field by a permanent magnet, the uniformity of plasma in an area in which plasma is mainly generated in the range of a magnetic field is poor and therefore, plasma is uniformed by diffusion by setting a processed sample in a position far from a plasma generated area. Therefore, there is a problem that the sufficient density of plasma cannot be obtained in a position in which a processed sample is set and a sufficient processing rate cannot be obtained.
As an electromagnetic wave is applied to a magnetic field-provided microwave plasma source from a position opposite to a sample in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR)--type apparatus described in Japanese published unexamined patent applications No. H3-122294 and No. H6-224155, only an insulator can be formed in the position opposite to a sample. Therefore, an earth electrode required in case high frequency bias is applied to a processed sample cannot be formed in an ideal position opposite to the processed sample and there is also a problem that bias is uneven.
Further, the narrow electrode type has a problem that the directivity of the ions incident into the processed sample is uneven particularly when the width of the narrow electrode type is 0.2 .mu.m or less because the pressure of gas used for the type is relatively high, minute processability is bad and an etching rate is slow because the density of plasma is low. In the meantime, an apparatus using a so-called high density plasma source such as the ECR type and an inductive coupling type has a problem that the dissociation of source gas excessively progresses, chemical reaction in a chamber or on the surface of a wafer is difficult to control and stable etching characteristics are difficult to obtain. Particularly, as in silicon oxide etching process, the selectivity of etching is obtained by making etching and deposition compete, the badness of the controllability of reaction has an important effect upon the selectivity and the performance of the processing of a deep hole (the processing in high aspect ratio).
If an antenna in a comb shape disclosed in Japanese published unexamined patent application No. H6-224155 and a radial antenna disclosed in Japanese published unexamined patent application No. H7-307200 are used, plasma is evener than in case they are not utilized, however, sufficient uniformity cannot be obtained.