A conveyor belt cleaner system and method of manufacturing the same comprising a common component support frame, and key components of: mounting bar, blade support and scraper blade wherein the scraper blade is removably secured within a reusable blade support so as to allow replacement of the scraper blade. The mounting bar is adapted to be deformable along at least one of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. The scraper blade flexes in cooperation with the deformed mounting bar to maintain scraping engagement with a belt across a range of belt contours, including variations resulting from the use of crown pulleys, and variations caused by the presence of worn belts, in the conveyor belt system.

The present invention is directed to a primary and secondary conveyor belt cleaning system wherein a replaceable scraper blade is removably secured within a reusable blade support. The system includes such "key components" such as blades, and/or blade supports and/or mounting bars which are manufactured and inventoried in longer than needed "standard lengths" by the manufacturer, to be later "cut to size" and combined with "common components" such as locally available pipe or tubing serving as a support member, post-manufacture by the distributor or end user. This serves to economize on manufacturing and inventory costs.
The system further includes: separable scraper blades and supports; reusable blade supports; pin, clip, retainer and/or shoulder-bolt blade fixing systems; and components machined with guide grooves and measurement demarcation for ease of alignment, assembly and cutting of components to custom sizes.
1. Conventional Belt Cleaners
Conveyor belt cleaners are used to remove materials that cling to the return run of belt conveyors after the conveyor has discharged its cargo. The cargo can be units such as letters or cartons or it can be a bulk solid such as sand or gravel. The material that does not discharge from the belt at the desired discharge locations through the action of gravity or centrifugal force accumulates on components or finds its way into the environment, causing productivity, safety and cleanliness problems.
Conveyor belt cleaners have also required the use of external tensioners which actuate the scraper blades into biased engagement with the conveyor belt. A tensioner of various types is used to impart torque to the frame thus engaging it with the conveyor belt and maintaining contact throughout the life of the blade. Most tensioners require intermediate adjustment during the wear life of the blade to maintain optimum blade cleaning performance.
The blade components of conveyor belt cleaners wear out with use and need to be replaced periodically. Several manufacturers such as Argonics®, ASCGO®, ARCH®, FLEXCO® and Applicant's MARTIN® QC#1™ product have provided "quick change" cleaners which attempt to facilitate the process of blade replacement. Typically, in such conventional "quick change systems" a one-piece blade assembly sits on an upstanding flange which is supported by a frame typically made of round or rectangular steel tubing. The blade of such conventional "quick change" systems is held on the flange by 2 pins, usually one at each end. One pin is easily removable for quick service. Another typical retaining means is a fixed pin at one end and a removable pin at the same end. An aluminum extrusion is molded to the urethane blade in such conventional systems by a series of steps that require metal preparation and bonding agents.
The existing blade designs are made of cast polyurethane with an extruded aluminum support molded into the base that corresponds to the upstanding flange. An aluminum extrusion is used because complex configurations can be extruded to mechanically lock the urethane to the aluminum in addition to chemical bonding. The aluminum extrusion is usually cut to length prior to molding and either a slot or hole machined at each end to accept the retaining means.
Pre-engineered belt cleaners, wherein the belt cleaners are custom made to size for a particular application subject to the particular belt specifications of the end user, have been popularized over the last 25 years. There is now a proliferation of mechanical belt cleaning devices marketed by dozens of firms with domestic and international marketing capabilities. Because of the now accepted benefits of using engineered belt cleaners, there is a substantial volume of sales and pressure from the market for lower priced equipment with improved quality and performance. Several elements of the inventive belt cleaner disclosed and claimed herein address these industry needs.
Pre-engineered belt cleaners are exclusively marketed as "made to order" items in various assembly lengths to match standard belt widths. Applicant's QC#1™ system is an example of an economical engineered belt cleaner. The QC#1™ belt cleaner is a one-pin blade fixing and replacement system wherein the belt cleaner is installed on the conveyor belt head pulley.
Belt widths are standardized in the United States and are established by the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA). Imperial belt widths are generally in 6 inch increments starting at 6 inches up to 144 inches. The metric belt width standards are nominally set by the European ISO committees that specialize in conveyor belting. Metric belt widths are in increments of 100 mm and 150 mm starting from 150 mm and going up to 3000 mm wide belts. Thus there are over 50 standard belt cleaner sizes that must be manufactured, packaged and shipped to cover both markets. Most manufacturers use distributors to reach the end users. However, some sell direct, by mail order catalog or local sales representatives.
The current state of the art offers several blade widths equal to or shorter than the belt width. Belt width minus 50 mm, 75 mm or 150 mm and, belt width minus 2-inches, 3-inches or 6-inches are the most common.
To reduce inventory and improve delivery time most manufacturers offer additional engineered belt cleaner designs that are matrices of common components that are mounted on support structures. Normal intervals are one common subassembly for every 100 mm or 150 mm and 4-inches or 6-inches of belt width. In this way all of the common belt widths can be accommodated and only the support structure has to be made to size. Some of the simple designs use a single blade rather than a multiple of common sub components. However, in such cases the manufacturer still manufactures the blade "to size" performing the necessary machining and molding to adapt the blade to the customer length support structure. Pipe and square mechanical tubing are commonly used for support structures. While there is no formal industry standard, pipe sizes of 1½ inch or 2 inch iron pipe are commonly used. Some manufacturers ship the products completely assembled and others ship at the component level. Most shipments to the end user are at least partially assembled to reduce the chance of missing parts or shipping errors.
Additionally, there currently is an after-market for replacement part sales. Accordingly, manufacturers tend to price their replacement parts in such a way that the distributor can not increase its profit without the manufacturer benefiting in the increased margins by buying parts and assembling cleaners "to order" at its facility. Thus, most of the belt cleaners are currently shipped in "made to order" sizes either to the distributor or directly to the end user.
Accordingly, the prior art made to order belt cleaners have drawbacks when it comes to such things as: the need to make, store and ship many different sizes of cleaners and blades; wasted material; inefficiency; and longer than desired delivery times and shipping charges.
In order to address the problem of the over 50 standard belt cleaner sizes needed to accommodate both metric and imperial measurement belt width standards, the system of the present invention reduces: manufacturing costs; inventory; delivery time; inefficiency and waste, while providing end users with customized solutions closer to the point and time of use and making it easier to anticipate and prepare for reorders of the key components.
Additionally, presently available conveyor belt cleaners do not adequately address situations where the top or operational surface of the conveyor belt is non-uniform, such as when a crowned pulley is used or when the conveyor belt is worn. A rigid scraper blade and mounting system does not adequately take into account for changes in the profile of the top or operational surface of the conveyor belt and prevents the scraper blade from maintaining scraping engagement throughout the entire width of the conveyor belt.
2. The Current Invention
Thus, the present invention provides a "quick change" primary and secondary belt cleaning system that allows for faster delivery to the end user, and reduced costs and waste, while allowing the distributor or end user to supply commonly available components to be combined with the key components supplied by the manufacturer in standard lengths such as 2775 mm (106.3 inches) lengths, so as to be cut to length by the distributor or end user at the location of assembly.
Under the system of the present invention, the Original Equipment Manufacturer ("OEM") or Distributor stocks standard lengths of key components such as blades, and/or blade supports, and/or mounting bars. The OEM, end user or Distributor supplies the common components comprising the pipe or tubing to be used as the support structure and cuts the key and common components to the desired length. The OEM, end user or Distributor likewise welds the mounting bar to the pipe and assembles and installs the completed cleaner. Hence, the key components are supplied to the end user, OEM or Distributor in long lengths that can be cut to size and fabricated at point of use and no sooner than needed.
By molding the blade in longer than needed lengths the manufacturing cost is reduced. By supplying such standard lengths of blade, blade support and mounting bar, inventory is reduced from the approximately 50 sizes or so currently offered in the industry to only one standard size. By completing the assembly immediately prior to use the work in progress investment is lower and the ability to determine the needed size and deliver the right size is enhanced. Since the most common belt sizes range between 600 mm to 1200 mm and, 24 inches to 48 inches, several combinations of blade sizes can be cut to size from the standard length of the blade with minimized waste. The same is true with respect to the standard length blade supports, and mounting bars.
By offering such key components (blade, blade support and mounting bar) in standard lengths, the purchasing, ordering and inventory costs are greatly reduced. Inventory is reduced since only the standard length of key components need be manufactured, stored and shipped. Because such key components are manufactured, inventoried and shipped in only the standard, longer than needed lengths, it is easier for the manufacturer to predict and time the preparation and shipment of replacement key components based on sales histories and trends. By moving the assembly process from the manufacturing plant to as close to the end user and installation as possible, delivery time to the end user is thereby also reduced.
The current invention further provides for selling and shipping kits containing pre-cut key components and corresponding tensioners in a limited number of the most popular sizes of belt cleaners at the point of sale, (POS), outlets such as mine supply stores for combination with the readily available support frame structural elements. This avoids the need to manufacture, stock and ship over 50 standard belt cleaner sizes while still (1) accommodating the current belt width standards; (2) reducing: inventory; costs; delivery time; inefficiency and waste; and, (3) while providing end users with the ability to customize solutions, while making it easier for the manufacturer to forecast and prepare for reorders of the key components.
Additionally, the scraper blade and mounting bracket flex or bow along the x-axis, y-axis, or z-axis of each of the scraper blade and mounting bar to enable the scraping edge of the scraper blade to maintain scraping engagement with the entire width of the top or operational surface of conveyor belts with non-uniform profiles, such as belts on crown pulleys and worn belts.

Conveyor belt cleaner system and method of manufacturing same


A user machine is made aware of a need for communication to update a version of a firmware by communication from a service center (a notification that the latest version has been released). After shutting off this communication once, communication is carried out between the official service center and the user machine by the user machine commencing communication with the official service center, the contact information of which is stored, and the service center provides information for updating the new version to the user machine in this communication state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication systems set up between a "user machine", which is a device such as an image forming device provided with a facsimile function, for example, and a "service center", methods for communicating across that communication system, and information receiving devices (the above-noted user machine) used in the communication system. In particular, the present invention relates to measures for improving security in cases such as when firmware in the user machine is updated in response to a notification from the service center, or various settings in the user machine are changed by remote operation from the service center.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multifunction units that contain functions such as a copy function, printer function and facsimile function have been in mainstream use for some time. This type of multifunction unit is set up such that the control operation of various functions is performed by control software (micro program) called "firmware" that is written onto ROM (read only memory) assembled in the hardware, or onto EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory).
However, in this type of device, if, for example, bugs are found in the firmware, then it becomes necessary to update the version of the firmware (update to a version that does not contain bugs). Up to now, it has been standard practice that new versions of firmware are updated by a maintenance operator going out to the installed location of the multifunction unit to replace the ROM or download the appropriate data from an IC card or host interface.
However, there have been problems in that when the maintenance operator goes out to the installed location of the multifunction unit every time there is a new version of the firmware, it is necessary to expend a great deal of time and energy to update the firmware in all the numerous multifunction units. Not only is it not been possible to perform updating of the new version quickly but the cost of maintenance has escalated.
Furthermore, not only is the case in which versions of the firmware are updated, but also in the case of changes to various settings of the multifunction unit in response to user requests (for example, setting of modes such as an energy saving mode or 2-in-1 copy function), the maintenance operator actually goes out to the installed locations of the multifunction units to change the settings, and this has caused an escalation in maintenance costs.
As a solution to these problems, the technology disclosed in JP 2000-316066A (referred to below as Patent Reference 1) has been proposed. In Patent Reference 1, technology is disclosed in which the facsimile function of the multifunction unit is utilized to communicate between the multifunction unit and the service center, in order to transmit the firmware's updated version or setting change information from the service center to the multifunction unit, and then to update the firmware or change the various settings based on this information.
The operation for updating the version of the firmware that is disclosed in Patent Reference 1 is set up such that, first of all, the data received from outside via the communication line is judged as to whether or not it is the data for upgrading the firmware, and if the data is the data for upgrading the firmware, then while still connected, the data is temporarily saved in the RAM (random access memory), and after the reception is complete, the firmware is updated utilizing the data that was temporarily saved in the RAM.
However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Reference 1, if data that is disguised as data for upgrading the firmware is sent to the multifunction unit from a party that is not the official service center, then there is a risk that the multifunction unit will judge that data to be the official data for upgrading the firmware, and will then update the firmware utilizing that data. In this case, if a computer virus is contained in the received data for upgrading the firmware, then the firmware will be infected with a virus and will not be able to perform its normal functions. That is to say, if a malicious party who is disguised as the official service center transmits data containing a computer virus, then it is not possible to prevent viral infection.
Furthermore, if the data that is transmitted by a malicious party who is disguised as the official service center is a program for improperly accessing information accumulated in the multifunction unit, then there is a risk that information such as personal information (customer information) registered in the multifunction unit, or information such as the send/receive log of the facsimile, may be improperly accessed.
Thus, conventional technology for updating versions of firmware on a user machine by transmitting between a user machine, such as a multifunction unit, and a service center has not employed defensive measures against viral infections or theft of accumulated information, and has had an exceptionally low level of security.
The present invention has been contrived in view of these points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a highly secure communication system, a communication method that is performed on that communication system and an information receiving device in which the communication system is used, for updating versions of the firmware by communication between the user machine and the service center, and for being able to avoid with certainty viral infections or theft of accumulated information, caused by data from a party which is not the official service center.

Communication method and communication system, and information receiving device used in the communication system


A navigation apparatus which includes a front image display displaying an image of a front side and a back image display displaying an image of a back side, the each image being one of images stereoscopically overlapped along the line of sight; a front image signal; a measuring unit for measuring a current position of own vehicle; a map storage unit; a controller for controlling each unit, wherein the controller reads map data of a predetermined area and determines if an elevated road exists in the area, wherein when the elevated road exists, the controller checks whether or not the current position of the own vehicle is on the elevated road, and wherein when the current position is not on the elevated road, the front image display draws the image of the elevated road so that an image drawn on the back image display can be visually percepted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus, and more particularly to a navigation apparatus having a display capable of stereo display.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Conventionally, as a display capable of stereo display, a system where two panels are disposed with a given distance to each other so as to display a superimposed image on the line of sight of an observer, and the superimposed image can be visually percepted as a stereo image through observation of images displayed on the two panels, has been developed. This is disclosed in claim 1 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-361465.
In the above display method, two same images are displayed on the two panels respectively so that the two same images are superimposed, and luminance of the images is differentiated according to a depth of the panel. The luminance of a front panel is increased for an object located at a front side, and that of a back panel is increased for an object located at a back side. With the above, an object can be displayed as if it is located at a middle position of two panels.
In addition, there exists a navigation apparatus for displaying a quarter guide map (This is disclosed in, for example, claim 1 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-311625), and an enlarged intersection map (This is disclosed in, for example, claim 1 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H7-332994). These displays are important guide displays for informing a driver of a leading direction and a destination, thereby resulting in requirement of a high visual perceptibility.
In the navigation apparatus, it is necessary to display an elevated road and a road (hereinafter, referred to as non-elevated road) constructed under the elevated road. If a status where the elevated road is overlapped with the non-elevated road in above and below is displayed in a two-dimensional plane, a display of the non-elevated road is hidden by a display of the elevated road. Therefore, it becomes difficult to distinguish whether a car mark showing an own vehicle is on the elevated road or the non-elevated road, as well as the visual perceptibility of the display of the non-elevated road is decreased. Therefore, if a case where the display method described in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-361465 is applied to a display of the elevated road is considered, that is, if the elevated road is displayed on the front panel and the non-elevated road is displayed on the back panel along the line of sight, the elevated road is always displayed on the front panel with high luminance, thereby resulting in difficulty to see the car mark when the own vehicle runs on the non-elevated road under the elevated road. In addition, the display methods of the quarter guide map and enlarged intersection map described in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2001-311625 and H7-332994 have been poor in the visual perceptibility, because the maps and the car mark are displayed together on same display.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to improve a visual perceptibility of an elevated road in a planar map display where the elevated road is overlapped with a non-elevated road in above and below.
It is another object of the present invention to improve a visual perceptibility of a leading guide map which is displayed by superimposing the map on a map display.

Navigation apparatus, image display method, and program for the image display method


Systems and techniques are disclosed to express sequences of codes, and in particular sequences of ASCII characters, in a lossless compressed format. The techniques may include dividing a universe of expressible codes into smaller subsets, called code sets, such that every code exists within one code set, but no code exists within two code sets. The code sets are then utilized for compression based on the heuristic that it is more likely that a next code in the sequences of codes is in the same code set as a previous code in the sequences of codes, rather than that the next code in sequences of codes being in any other code set (sentence structure).

Today, much of computer science involves the storage and transmission of sequences of short codes. Example short codes include, but are not limited to, the file and directory names used by operating systems, chat conversations having very short statements, and website URL's defined by a single short sequence of characters within a limited character universe.
For purposes of both storage and transmission, it is advantageous to represent these and other short codes in as few bytes (indeed, bits) as possible. A typical uncompressed encoding of printable ASCII codes uses 8-bits (or 1 byte) per code. Many of today's encoding schemes may use more than 1 byte per code, as they can represent a universe of codes greater in size than two-hundred and fifty-six (256), which is the largest number of discrete codes which can be represented using binary in eight (8) bits.
Many of today's compression algorithms identify patterns in the codes they read, and then exploit the identified patterns by creating a dynamic dictionary that is used to express subsequent occurrences of the patterns in the codes more compactly. This approach, while useful for long sequences, provides limited value for the shorter sequences of codes that dominate computer science. Most lossless data compression algorithms, such as the Lempel-Ziv ('LZ') compression methods and their many variants, yield poor results when used with short code sequences. The results are considered poor because the encoded output contains more bits than were present in the original sequence, resulting in expansion, not compression, of the short code sequences.
Accordingly, there exists a need to have a simple, quick-to-execute, lossless method of encoding and decoding short sequences of information.


A magnetometer for, among other things, measuring a magnetic field, associated with nuclear magnetic spins or electron spins received a specimen of a material that exhibits nuclear magnetic resonance or electron spin resonance at a resonant frequency xcex3xc2x7Bm that is dependent on a magnetic flux density Bm of the magnetic field to be measured. The magnetometer has a transmission device for emitting a transmission signal into the specimen at at least one prescribable transmission frequency xcfx891 that has a frequency spacing from the resonant frequency xcex3xc2x7Bm, and a reception device for receiving a mixed signal with mixed frequencies containing the resonant frequency xcex3xc2x7Bm and the transmission frequency xcfx891 and for filtering out the resonant frequency xcex3xc2x7Bm from at least one of the mixed frequencies as an indicator for the magnetic flux density Bm.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a magnetometer for, among other things, measuring a magnetic field associated with nuclear magnetic spins or electron spins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With known nuclear magnetic spin or electron spin magnetometers for measuring a magnetic field with a specimen of a material that produces nuclear magnetic resonance or electron spin resonance and whose resonant frequency is a measure for a magnetic flux density of the magnetic field to be measured, the specimen is employed as a frequency-selective absorber or as a linear component. To that end, the known nuclear magnetic spin or electron spin magnetometers have a transmission device for radiating a transmission signal into the specimen with a controllable transmission frequency. The transmission frequency is regulated by a regulating device so that it is continually re-adjusted to the resonant frequency, which changes dependent on the magnetic flux density given a temporally varying magnetic field. As a result, the transmission frequency is equal to or nearly equal to the resonant frequency at every point in time. This results in the resonant frequency of interest being difficult to detect with the isofrequency transmission frequency as a consequence of the noise signals that are thereby introduced. This, further, requires that the control device be designed with a comparatively small bandwidth, so that narrow limits are placed on the tracking speed of the resonant frequency in the case of magnetic fields that change rapidly over time.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved nuclear magnetic spin or electron spin magnetometer that, among other things, alleviates the aforementioned disadvantages.
This object is inventively achieved by a nuclear magnetic spin or electron spin magnetometer for, among other things, measuring a magnetic field which is adopted to receive a specimen of a material that produces nuclear magnetic resonance or electron spin resonance having a resonant frequency that is dependent on a magnetic flux density of the magnetic field to be measured, and having a transmission device for emitting a transmission signal into the specimen with at least one prescribable transmission frequency that has a frequency spacing from the resonant frequency, and a reception device for receiving a mixed signal with mixed frequencies containing the resonant frequency and the transmission frequency and for filtering out the resonant frequency from at least one of the mixed frequencies as a criterion (indicator) for the magnetic flux density.
A spin resonance of the specimen is thereby used as a non-linear component. The essentially fixed transmission frequency thus can be prescribed such that the utilized mixed frequency of the mixed signal can be filtered out by a broadband filter having a short transit time. A signal oscillating at the resonant frequency that represents an indicator or identifier for the magnetic flux density to be measured can be ultimately acquired by a following mixing of the filtered mixed signal with a signal oscillating with the transmission frequency. Among other things, magnetic fields that change arbitrarily fast in time thus can also be measured. A re-adjustment of the transmission frequency is not necessary, and therefore a control device for such re-adjustment is not necessary.
In an embodiment, the reception device has a counter with which cycles of a signal that oscillates at the resonant frequency can be counted, and the counter is fashioned to emit a counter reading that is one indicator for the electrical charge of a current that corresponds to the magnetic field to be measured. When the specimen of the magnetometer is arranged within an electrical coil in which this current flows, a current-time integral of the current can be directly measured and is available as a digital quantity as the counter reading emitted by the counter.
In another embodiment, the transmission device has a phase shifter for generating at least a 180xc2x0 phase shift of the transmission signal. This 180xc2x0 phase shift can thereby be generated either following a prescribable time duration or dependent on the amplitude of the mixed signal. As a result, the signal amplitude of the mixed signal, that decreases overtime, is maintained at a relatively high level by re-exciting the spins in the specimen, so that a consistently high signal-to-noise ration can be achieved. In particular, the generation of 180xc2x0 phase shifts dependent on the amplitude of the mixed signal has the advantage that changes in the T2 decay time of the specimenxe2x80x94due, for example, to field inhomogeneities of the magnetic field to be measuredxe2x80x94can be dynamically adapted.
In a further embodiment, the transmission device is fashioned such that a magnetization amplitude of the transmission signal is smaller by a factor of approximately 10xe2x88x923 than the magnetic flux density to be measured. As a result, influence of the magnetization amplitude on the resonant frequency is negligible, so that it is not necessary to make a correction by a frequency component corresponding to the magnetization amplitude to be subsequently implemented for the resonant frequency that has been filtered out.
In another embodiment, the nuclear magnetic spin or electron spin magnetometer has a magnetic field generator for generating a static magnetic field the pre-polarizes the specimen. As a result, a magnetic flux density with a value of zero can be unambiguously identified and detected with the magnetometer.

Magnetometer for detecting a magnetic field associated with nuclear magnetic spins or electron spins


A system and method capture a spatial orientation of a wearable device. The system has at least one capturing unit and at least one processor unit. The at least one capturing unit is designed to capture at least one first position parameter in relation to the wearable device and to capture at least one second position parameter in relation to a body part of a person on which the wearable device is arranged. The at least one processor unit is designed to determine a spatial orientation of the wearable device on the basis of the at least one first position parameter and the at least one second position parameter.

The present disclosure relates to a system for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, to a vehicle having such a system, to an assistance system having such a system, to a method for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device and to a storage medium for executing the method. The present disclosure relates in particular to tracking of smart glasses using facial information relating to a wearer of the smart glasses.
Smart glasses are wearable computers that are able to add information to the field of view of the user, for example in order to enable augmented reality. Such smart glasses may also be used in vehicles in order to offer a user a seamless and believable illusion by way of virtual elements incorporated into the surroundings. In order to allow the virtual elements to be displayed correctly, it is necessary to determine a pose of the smart glasses. This may be performed for example by way of a camera that records the smart glasses. Such conventional tracking systems however do not achieve the accuracy desired for augmented reality, in particular due to the typically limited number of object features.
One object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, a vehicle having such a system, an assistance system having such a system, a method for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device and a storage medium for executing the method, all of which allow improved tracking of a spatial orientation of the wearable device. One object of the present disclosure is in particular to improve the provision of augmented reality (AR) content for wearable devices.
This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous refinements are specified in the dependent claims.
According to one independent aspect of the present disclosure, what is specified is a system for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, in particular of smart glasses. The system comprises at least one capturing unit and at least one processor unit. The at least one capturing unit is designed to capture at least one first position parameter in relation to the wearable device and to capture at least one second position parameter in relation to a body part of a person on which the wearable device is arranged. The at least one processor unit is designed to determine a spatial orientation of the wearable device on the basis of the at least one first position parameter and the at least one second position parameter.
According to the invention, a combination of two different tracking processes is used to ascertain the spatial orientation of the wearable device. In particular, both the wearable device itself (e.g., smart glasses) and the body part (e.g., a head or face), on which the wearable device is arranged, are captured and used to determine the spatial orientation of the wearable device. This allows improved provision of augmented reality (AR) content.
The term "augmented reality" as used in the context of the present disclosure refers to a computer-aided expansion of the perception of reality for a user. The term "augmented reality" in particular refers to a visual display of information, such as for example computer-generated additional information or virtual objects, through inlaying or superimposition.
The wearable device is preferably a pair of smart glasses. Smart glasses are wearable devices that add information to the field of view of the user or wearer, for example in the context of augmented reality.
The body part on which the wearable device is arranged is preferably a head of a user, and in particular a face of the user or wearer of the wearable device. The user may be for example a driver of a vehicle.
The terms "orientation" or "spatial orientation", as used in the context of the present disclosure, refer to an arrangement or pose of the wearable device in three-dimensional space. The spatial orientation can be suitably derived from the at least one first position parameter and the at least one second position parameter.
The position parameters may comprise one-dimensional, two-dimensional or three-dimensional information in relation to the wearable device and the body part. The position parameters may in this case be absolute or relative.
The first position parameter, which relates to the wearable device, may for example specify a position of a certain structural feature of the wearable device, for example a lateral edge, a central element between the lenses, etc. The second position parameter, which relates to the body part of the person, may for example specify a position of a facial feature such as a position of the tip of the nose, an ear, etc.
In this context, the first and second position parameters are used in combination in order to determine the exact pose of the wearable device. By way of example, the head of a person and a pair of smart glasses can be located on the basis of individual images recorded in the passenger compartment by way of cameras.
Preferably, the system comprises a learning unit, which is designed to carry out deep learning on the basis of the captured data from the at least one capturing unit. Deep learning in this case denotes a machine learning method that uses artificial neural networks with intermediate layers or hidden layers between the input layer and output layer and thereby expands an internal structure.
Hence, the system can determine the pose from individual images significantly more precisely with the aid of deep learning, for example by virtue of learning a relationship between the head and the pair of smart glasses. The images of the smart glasses and the face that appear in different positions and orientations may in this case be used as training data. A ground truth of the position and orientation may be recorded at the same time as these data. The system may be trained using a deep learning method with the aid of these labeled data.
In some embodiments, training is performed by way of deep learning before the system is used in a vehicle, that is to say before use in real operation. In further embodiments, the system may be further trained during use in real operation in order to continually improve the determination of the pose of the smart glasses.
In some embodiments, training with different faces and smart glasses may additionally make it possible to track different persons and smart glasses. This leads to a high degree of scalability. In contrast to conventional approaches, training is possible in such a manner that different persons with different smart glasses are able to be recognized and located as soon as they are visible in a camera image, for example.
The system is preferably designed to provide an augmented reality (AR) function for the wearable device based on the determined spatial orientation of the wearable device.
The system is preferably designed to capture the spatial orientation of the wearable device in relation to a passenger compartment of a vehicle. By way of example, a driver of the vehicle, wearing smart glasses, is thus able to be provided with augmented reality content adapted to a movement of the vehicle and a movement of the head of the driver or of the smart glasses.
The at least one capturing unit preferably comprises a camera, in particular a passenger compartment camera. By way of example, the camera can record a pair of smart glasses and the face of the user such that the exact pose of the smart glasses may be determined on the basis of the features of the smart glasses and facial features. In some embodiments, the camera may be an infrared camera, this being advantageous due to the controlled, largely interference-free and consistent exposure of the image data.
The at least one processor unit is a programmable arithmetic unit, that is to say a machine or an electronic circuit, that controls other elements in accordance with transmitted commands and in the process drives an algorithm (process).
According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, what is specified is a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The vehicle comprises the system for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, in particular of smart glasses, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.
The term vehicle comprises automobiles, trucks, buses, RVs, motorcycles, etc. used to transport people, goods, etc. The term in particular comprises passenger transport motor vehicles.
According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, what is specified is an assistance system, in particular for a vehicle. The assistance system comprises the system for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device according to the embodiments of the present disclosure and the wearable device, such as for example smart glasses.
The wearable device is preferably a pair of glasses, and in particular a pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses or smart glasses.
According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, what is specified is a method for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, in particular of smart glasses. The method comprises capturing at least one first position parameter in relation to the wearable device; capturing at least one second position parameter in relation to a body part of a person on which the wearable device is arranged; and determining a spatial orientation of the wearable device on the basis of the at least one first position parameter and the at least one second position parameter.
The method may implement the aspects of the system described in this document for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, in particular of smart glasses.
According to a further independent aspect, what is specified is a software (SW) program. The SW program may be designed to be executed on one or more processors in order thereby to execute the method described in this document for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, in particular of smart glasses.
According to a further independent aspect, what is specified is a storage medium. The storage medium may comprise an SW program that is designed to be executed on one or more processors in order thereby to execute the method described in this document for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, in particular of smart glasses.
According to a further independent aspect of the present disclosure, software containing program code for performing the method for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device, in particular of smart glasses, is to be executed when the software runs on one or more software-controlled apparatuses.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Unless indicated otherwise, the same reference signs are used for identical and functionally identical elements below.

System and method for capturing a spatial orientation of a wearable device

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


Systems and methods are provided for planning demand of products, such as configurable products. In one embodiment, a method is provided for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain. In another embodiment, a demand planner is provided for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain. The method may comprise the steps of: storing master data defining a set of characteristic value combinations relating to the product dependent characteristics of each product; inputting transactional data defining a demand plan with respect to a product or component; specifying at least one product dependent characteristic of one or more products for which an additional characteristic value is to be assigned; automatically generating the additional characteristic value identifying the specified characteristics; and storing the additional characteristic value to the characteristic value combinations in the master data.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computerized planning systems and methods, and to such systems and methods for planning demand for products, such as complex or configurable products having at least one product dependent characteristic and one product independent characteristic. More particularly, the invention relates to planning systems and methods for planning demand for a configurable product in a managed supply chain.
II. Background Information
Demand planning is used to forecast the demand for products. The object of demand planning is to plan the demand of complex or configurable products and their components to obtain values for the product's characteristics. A complex or configurable product is a product having at least one product dependent characteristic, for example, computer memory, configuration, hard disc, etc, and at least one product independent characteristic, for example, sales regions, customer channel and location, etc. In order to plan the demand of complex products and their components, it is desirable that the product independent characteristics can be planned consistently, i.e., adding up the values for all the values of one product independent characteristic gives the same sum for each characteristic. For example, if the total of all sales regions is changed, it is desirable that this change leads to an identical change of the total of all the customer channels, for example.
However, in order to model the bill of material, that is the list of material necessary to make a product, for complex products, the product dependent characteristics, generally, require a modified consistency condition. One such consistency condition is provided, for example, by an enhanced consistency condition. Such an enhanced consistency condition logic allows that the sum of the values for a product dependent characteristic deviates from the sum for the other characteristics so that, for example, the numbers of hard discs can be larger than the number of computers because some computers have more than one hard disc. Nevertheless, there is still a link between the finished product and its components, so that raising the number of computers planned raises the number of hard discs proportionally.
It has been found that conventional demand planning incorporating conventional enhanced consistency logic suffers from one or more drawbacks. One problem is that conventional enhanced consistency logic cannot be used together with the product independent characteristics. A further problem of conventional enhanced consistency logic is that it cannot be used for the demand planning of an aggregate of more than one product. This severely limits the applicability of this logic, because for a large number of products, which is the usual scenario for a manufacturer of complex products, it is not feasible to work on one product at a time, which conventional enhanced consistency condition requires.
These and other problems of conventional approaches compromise the accuracy of the demand planning.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to address these and/or other problems encountered in conventional demand planning incorporating a consistency function.

Systems and methods for planning demand for configurable products


A silicon layer doped with an impurity for a floating gate, a protective layer, a silicon nitride layer of a laminated hard mask and a first NSG layer are formed into a desired pattern, on which a second NSG layer is formed and left as a side wall. With the second NSG layer as a mask, the silicon nitride layer is etched. Using the remaining silicon nitride layer as a mask, the silicon layer is etched to form a silicon pattern whose surface is covered with a second protective layer, and the silicon nitride layer is etched out. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a damage at the surface of the floating gate at the time of forming the floating gate using doped polysilicon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a semiconductor memory device including stacked-gate nonvolatile memory cells having a floating gate and a control gate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor device such as a flash memory which is recently used in a memory card or so comprises stacked-gate nonvolatile memory cells with an MOS structure wherein each memory cell has a floating gate and a control gate laminated. In this type of memory cell, data recording or erasure or so-called programming is accomplished as the threshold value of the memory cell is changed by storing charges stored in the floating gate through a tunnel oxide layer directly underlying the floating gate or removing the stored charges. It is known that to execute programming adequately, particularly, to improve the erasure characteristic or reduce the erasure voltage, the capacitor between the floating gate and the control gate should preferably be increased. As one way to achieve it, an attempt has been made to make the opposing areas of those gates larger as much as possible.
However, the layout pitch of memory cells is tended to become smaller to meet a demand of increasing the memory capacity. To make the area of the floating gate larger as much as possible within the restriction of the layout pitch, the interval between the adjoining floating gates should be made narrower. It is however difficult to achieve the narrower interval from the viewpoint of the resolution of the photolithography technology at the time of fabricating the floating gate. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-40754 proposes, as a solution to this problem, a technique of forming spacers on both sides of a mask (called hard mask) at the time of fabricating the floating gate by photolithography technology, thereby narrowing the interval between the adjoining hard masks and forming a floating gate pattern using the hard masks.
The technique proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-40754 is illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C and FIGS. 2A and 2B. Those diagrams are cross-sectional views of a memory cell having an MOS structure in the channel direction. The following discusses the process step by step. First, as shown in FIG. 1A, a device-forming insulating layer 201 is formed on a silicon substrate 200 to define a device forming region, then a tunnel oxide layer 202 is formed at the surface of the silicon substrate 200. Next, a first polysilicon layer 203 for formation of a floating gate, a silicon nitride layer 204 as a protective layer, and a second polysilicon layer 205 as a mask layer are deposited on the entire surface, and a photoresist pattern 206 for formation of a floating gate pattern is formed on the resultant surface. The photoresist pattern 206 reduces the interval between adjoining patterns to a size close to the resolution limit of the photolithography technology.
Next, with the photoresist pattern 206 used as a mask, the second polysilicon layer 205 is selectively etched to form a second polysilicon pattern 205a, the photoresist pattern 206 is removed, then a third polysilicon layer 207 is formed on the entire surface, as shown in FIG. 1B. Then, the third polysilicon layer 207 is subjected to anisotropic dry etching, thus forming a third polysilicon side wall 207a on a side surface of the second polysilicon pattern 205a. Accordingly, a hard mask is formed by the second polysilicon pattern 205a and the third polysilicon side wall 207a and the interval between the adjoining hard masks becomes equal to or smaller than the resolution of the photolithography technology.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, using the hard mask comprised of the second polysilicon pattern 205a and the third polysilicon side wall 207a, the protective layer 204 is dry-etched to form a protective layer pattern 204a.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2A, with the etcher changed, the first polysilicon layer 203 is dry-etched to form a first polysilicon layer pattern 203a. At this time, the second polysilicon pattern 205a and the third polysilicon side wall 207a are removed by the dry etching process, and the first polysilicon layer 203 is etched with the protective layer pattern 204a used as a mask. Therefore, the first polysilicon layer pattern 203a is also patterned to have the interval equal to or smaller than the resolution of the photolithography technology. Next, the protective layer pattern 204a is removed by wet etching.
Thereafter, a capacitance insulating layer 208 is formed on the first polysilicon layer pattern 203a and a fourth polysilicon layer 209 is formed on the capacitance insulating layer 208, as shown in FIG. 2B. A photoresist pattern is formed on the fourth polysilicon layer 209, and the fourth polysilicon layer 209, the capacitance insulating layer 208 and the first polysilicon layer pattern 203a are etched in order using the photoresist pattern 124 as a mask, thereby forming a word line as the control gate with the fourth polysilicon layer 209 and forming a floating gate with the first polysilicon layer pattern 203a, though not illustrated. Further, ions of an N-type impurity are injected into the device forming region by self-alignment using those gates as masks, thereby forming a source region and a drain region. This completes the fabrication of a memory cell.
According to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-40754, to suitably etch out the protective layer 204 lying over the first polysilicon layer 203 after etching the first polysilicon layer 203, the first polysilicon layer 203 is formed of non-doped polysilicon for the following reason. If doped polysilicon is used to provide the first polysilicon layer 203 with conductivity, the surface of the first polysilicon layer 203 is likely to be damaged at the time of etching the protective layer 204. The non-doped polysilicon is therefore used to prevent such a damage from remaining on the surface of the floating gate. However, the present inventor discovered through studies on the technique that even in case where the first polysilicon layer 203 is formed of non-doped polysilicon, some damage inevitably occurs if the etchant contacts the surface of the first polysilicon layer 203 at the time of etching the protective layer 204. Such a damage produces undulations at the surface of the floating gate fabricated finally, which would greatly affect the uniform thickness of the floating gate. This results in a variation in the amount of charges stored in the floating gate, i.e., a variation in the capacitance of the floating gate in each memory cell, disabling the provision of a semiconductor memory device with an improved erasure characteristic or a reduced erasure voltage.
The use of non-doped polysilicon for the first polysilicon layer 203 requires a process of doping an impurity in the first polysilicon layer 203 after the pattern formation in the process in FIG. 2A, and inevitably increases the number of fabrication processes as compared with the case where the first polysilicon layer 203 is formed of doped polysilicon from the beginning. Further, as the second and third polysilicon layers 205 and 207 are used as a hard mask at the time of forming the pattern of the protective layer 204, part of polysilicon remains as deposition on the surface of the protective layer 204 at the time of etching those polysilicon layers and the remained polysilicon interferes with the subsequent and adequate etching of the protective layer 204. In an extreme case, an unetched part of the protective layer remains on the surface of the fabricated floating gate and becomes a foreign matter at the time of forming the capacitance insulating layer to disable the formation of the uniform and high-quality capacitance insulating layer. The unetched part therefore becomes an obstacle in increasing the capacitance of the capacitor between the control gate and the capacitance insulating layer.

Method of fabricating semiconductor memory device


The present invention provides: a layered structure having a substrate and a hole injection and/or hole transport layer comprising an aromatic compound having, on a side chain, at least one type of group having a cationic center;    an electronic device having the layered structure;    an aromatic compound having, on a hydrocarbon side chain, at least one type of group having a cationic center;    an aromatic compound having a leaving group on a hydrocarbon side chain;and a method for manufacturing the aromatic compound having, on a hydrocarbon side chain, at least one type of group having a cationic center, the method comprising reacting the aromatic compound having a leaving group on a hydrocarbon side chain with a specific nitrogen compound, phosphorus compound, sulfur compound, or a combination of two or more of these compounds, thereby converting the aromatic compound into an onium salt thereof. When used as an electronic device material, and particularly as a hole transport and/or hole injection material, the aromatic compound can achieve a higher current density at a given voltage.

The development of various materials that constitute organic EL devices has been actively pursued in recent years. In the development of organic EL devices, the development of materials having superior charge injection properties and/or charge transport properties is a very important task.
The development of compounds containing a triarylamine structure as charge injection and/or charge transport materials has seen a significant increase in activity in recent years. For example, polymers containing a triarylamine structure in which an ammonium salt that improves the charge injection properties is linked via an ether bond have been disclosed (Non-Patent Document 1).

Layered structure, electronic device using same, aromatic compound, and method for manufacturing said compound


A method of passivating semiconductor devices including the steps of providing a semiconductor device having a surface of semiconductor material to be passivated, exposing the surface of semiconductor material to deep ultra-violet (DUV) radiation in an ambiance including oxygen so as to form a layer of oxide on the surface of semiconductor material, and forming a layer of passivation material on the layer of oxide. The DUV oxide forms a different interface with the semiconductor material which significantly improves operating characteristics of the semiconductor device.

Most semiconductor devices require an encapsulating passivation layer to improve their reliability. An insulator such as Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 or SiO.sub.2 is commonly used to passivate compound semiconductor surfaces. The interface between the semiconductor surface and the insulator, however, is poor due to dangling bonds, damage from the insulator deposition and differences in mechanical or physical properties, such as the coefficient of thermal expansion. This poor interface can lead to device problems such as surface leakage current and photogenerated current.
Several attempts have been made to improve this passivation process. One technique is to tie up the dangling bonds at the surface by such techniques as sulfidation or Se terminations. These techniques however have long term stability and process integration problems. Various oxides and nitrides formed by chemical reaction with the semiconductor surface have also been proposed to passivate compound semiconductor surfaces. These processes involve several complicated processing steps and require very precise control of the surface conditions to be successful. Both of these considerations limit their manufacturability.
In a semiconductor devices such as a field effect transistor (FET) properties such as leakage current, breakdown voltage, and saturation current can be affected by its surface properties. Similarly, in an heterostructure bipolar transistor (HBT) the surface properties can limit the gain of the transistor and in a diode the leakage current can be substantially increased. To alleviate these surface related problems a low leakage, stable, low damage process is needed to improve the semiconductor-insulator interface.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of passivating semiconductor devices.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of passivating semiconductor devices which is relatively simple and inexpensive to perform.
It is still another purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of passivating semiconductor devices which improves various operating characteristics of the semiconductor devices.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved passivated semiconductor devices which are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is still a further purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved passivated semiconductor devices with improved operating characteristics.

Method of passivating semiconductor devices and the passivated devices


In an aspect, a system includes a touch-sensitive surface and a camera mounted to be movable relative to the touch-sensitive surface to acquire an image of an animal interacting with the touch-sensitive surface. The system includes a processor coupled to a memory, the processor and memory configured to cause each of multiple sections of the display screen to be associated with a corresponding activity in which the animal can engage; detect a selection of one of the multiple sections of the touch-sensitive surface; and enable the activity associated with the selected section of the touch-sensitive surface.

This description relates to assisted animal activities.
Dogs and cats, for example, are capable of a limited amount (compared to humans) of communication with human beings, and with other animals. Dogs and cats can make sounds and engage in motions that are believed to communicate their wishes, needs, reactions, and feelings. In addition, they are believed to be capable of interpreting sounds, fragrances, odors, images, scenes, motions, and other stimuli as communications to them. This limited communication ability can form the basis of strong bonds, among other things. The love of pet owners for their pets and of the pets for their owners is well-known.
Animals are also capable of engaging in a wide variety of activities that could be characterized as training, games and other entertainment, therapy, and others. These activities and others can be facilitated by other animals and human owners, trainers, and handlers.
Electronic devices such as sound systems, televisions, and display monitors attached to computers can be used to play audio and video material that may be considered entertaining for pets.


Swimming goggles include a left lens frame, a right lens frame, a connecting member for connecting the left lens frame and the right lens frame, a left connecting frame, a right connecting frame, a left pad frame, a right pad frame and buckles. The left lens frame and the right lens frame have lenses therein. The left connecting frame and the right connecting frame are made of hard material resistable against pulling force from the head strap of swimming goggles, and are respectively assembled to front sides of the left lens frame and the right lens frame. The buckles are unitarily assembled on outward sides of the left connecting frame and the right connecting frame. The left pad frame and the right pad frame are made of material softer than the left connecting frame and the right connecting frame, and cover around a user's eyeholes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to swimming goggles, and particularly to swimming goggles which fit to a user's eyeholes closely with low water resistance and is worn comfortably without leakage of water.
2. Related Art
Some swimming goggles are adapted for swim racing, and have frames covering around a user's eyeholes while being worn. The swimming goggles do not project beyond the user's face too much for producing less resistance in the water. This is vital for swim racers who pursues time saving. However, the swimming goggles are generally worn uncomfortably, and take the risk of water leakage. Moreover, the swimming goggles have lenses and frames unitarily formed by rigid material, and no pad is provided on the frames to touch a user's face gently. As a result, the rigid frames touch the user's eyeholes directly. The user may feel uncomfortable around the eyeholes. Water leakage may occur to the user because of incomplete touch of the swimming goggles to the user's eyeholes.


Technology mapping techniques for determining whether a function can be implemented using an incomplete lookup table (LUT) are provided. For example, the output of a function is compared to the output of an incomplete LUT for each binary value of the function's input signals and for each binary value of the bits stored in the incomplete LUT. For a LUT that is functionally asymmetric, the process can be repeated for multiple permutations of the input signals with respect to the input terminals of the LUT. As another example, the user function is converted into a network of multiplexers and complete LUTs, which are analyzed to determine if an incomplete LUT can implement the function. As another example, a truth table is constructed for a function. The truth table variables are then tested one by one as candidates for each input position using co-factoring and dependency checking.

The present invention relates to technology mapping techniques for incomplete look-up tables, and more particularly, to techniques for determining functions in a circuit design can be implemented by incomplete lookup tables.
A lookup table is a memory circuit that stores binary bits of information. A lookup table can emulate a logic function that generates output values in response to receiving values of input signals. Each possible output of the logic function is stored in the lookup table at a memory address that matches corresponding values of the input signals.
A lookup table (LUT) can have any number of input terminals that receive input signals. A complete LUT has enough memory to store every (2N) binary value of its N input signals. For example, a complete 4 input LUT has enough memory to store 16 output bits that correspond to every binary value of the 4 input signals (24=16).
The term "incomplete LUT" is used to refer to a LUT that has less than 2N bits of memory to store output bits for every binary value of its N input signals. For example, a 5 input LUT can receive 25=32 possible binary values of its 5 input signals. A 5 input LUT is an incomplete LUT if it only has enough memory to store 16 different output bits.
Many reasonable configurations for incomplete LUTs have been made. For example, a 5 input incomplete LUT can be made from two 3 input LUTs and a multiplexer. The 3 input LUTs have two shared input signals. The fifth input signal controls the select terminal of the multiplexer. The multiplexer has two inputs that are coupled to the outputs of the LUTs.
A 7 input incomplete LUT can also be built from two 3 input LUTs and a multiplexer. The two 3 input LUTs have no shared input signals. The seventh input signal controls the select terminal of the multiplexer. The multiplexer has two inputs that are coupled to the outputs of the LUTs.
A different 7 input incomplete LUT can be built from a 5 LUT feeding a multiplexer. The LUT and sixth input signal feed the two data terminals of the multiplexer. The seventh input feeds the select terminal of the multiplexer."
The number of functions that a LUT can implement equals 2M, where M is the number of storage bits in the LUT. However, not all of the functions that a complete LUT can implement are necessarily unique or useful. A complete 4 input LUT and the incomplete 5 input LUT described above can each implement 65536 functions. A complete 5 input LUT can implement about 4 billion functions.
The amount of area that is required to built a LUT on a silicon chip is proportional to the storage space in the LUT. An incomplete LUT uses far less silicon area than a complete LUT that has the same number of inputs, because incomplete LUTs have less storage space.
Technology mapping is a term that refers to the process of converting an arbitrary circuit design into an equivalent circuit that can be programmed onto a programmable integrated circuit such as field programmable gate array (FPGA). Most FPGAs use LUTs to implement logic functions. Technology mapping algorithms convert a circuit design into a network of available LUTs and other programmable circuit elements.
Traditional technology mapping algorithms operate on the assumption that all LUTs are complete in the sense described above. Such traditional algorithms assume, for example, that any 5 input function can be implemented in a 5 input LUT.
However, it may not be possible to implement a 5 input logic function in an incomplete 5 input LUT. An incomplete 5 input LUT may not have enough memory storage space to store all of the possible output values of a 5 input function.
It would be desirable to use incomplete LUTs in technology mapping tools, because incomplete LUTs can implement functions using less storage space than complete LUTs having the same number of inputs. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide technology mapping techniques that determine whether functions in a circuit design can be fully implemented using incomplete LUTs.

Technology mapping techniques for incomplete lookup tables


A method, system and device are provided for managing LIPA and/or SIPTO connection releases by providing predetermined context information in either the context request message or response thereto exchanged between source and target Mobility Management Entity (MME) devices to allow the appropriate MME device to determine if LIPA service continuity is provided or not.

1. Field
The present disclosure is directed in general to communications systems and methods for operating same. In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to the methods, systems and devices for managing local internet protocol (IP) access (LIPA) connection releases.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), standards are being developed for the interface between the mobile core network and a femtocell which is a small cellular base station, typically designed for use in a home or small business. Home NodeB (HNB), Home eNB (HeNB) and femto cell are concepts introduced for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) to improve indoor and micro-cell coverage as well as to leverage wireline backhaul to the "home." A femtocell is widely used outside of 3GPP to mean any cell with a very small coverage, and typically installed in a private premises (either private or corporate or residential/enterprise). The Home NodeB (HNB), Home eNB (HeNB) and femto cell can have a residential or enterprise IP network. The terms HeNB/HNB are used in 3GPP with specific meanings, i.e. that the cell is a closed subscriber group (CSG) or hybrid cell. A CSG identifies subscribers of an operator who are permitted to access one or more cells of the public land mobile network (PLMN) but which have restricted access. A H(e)NB subsystem supports Local IP Access in order to provide access for IP-capable user equipment (UE) devices connected via a H(e)NB subsystem (i.e. using H(e)NB radio access) to other IP capable entities in the same residential IP network or enterprise IP network. The term macrocell, while not having significance in 3GPP specifications, is widely used to mean a cell other than a CSG cell.
An important aspect of HeNB/HNB functionality is the ability to restrict access to particular users. For example, access may be restricted to employees of the company on whose site the HeNB is deployed, to customers of a particular coffee shop chain, or (in the case of HeNBs deployed in private homes) to individuals. To achieve this functionality, 3GPP has defined the concept of the Closed Subscriber Group (CSG). The CSG cell is one which indicates that it is a CSG cell (by means of 1 bit broadcast in the system information) and broadcasts a CSG ID (also in system information). A cell can only indicate one (or none) CSG IDs, however multiple cells may share a CSG ID. A UE device may be subscribed to multiple CSGs. The UE may for example may be a mobile terminal such as, but not limited to, a cellular telephone, a personal data assistant (PDA), or a wirelessly enabled computer. A subscription may be temporary in nature (e.g., a coffee shop allows a customer one hour's access to its CSG).
3GPP standards are also being developed for the concept of selected IP traffic offloading (SIPTO) which allows internet traffic to flow from the femtocell directly to the internet, bypassing the operator's core network. SIPTO is used to offload selected types of IP traffic (e.g. internet traffic) towards a defined IP network close to the UE's point of attachment to the access network. SIPTO is applicable to traffic offload for the macro-cellular access network and for the femto cell subsystem. SIPTO PDN Connectivity indicates a PDP Context or PDN Connection that allows offload of selected types of IP traffic (e.g. internet traffic) towards a defined IP network close to the UE's point of attachment to the access network. SIPTO is applicable to traffic offload for the macro-cellular access network and for the femto cell subsystem.
In addition, standards are being developed for local IP Access (LIPA) which allows an IP-capable UE connected via a femto cell direct access to other IP-capable devices in the local residential/corporate IP network. LIPA PDN Connectivity indicates a PDP Context (in the case of a GERAN or UTRAN femto cell connected to a GPRS core network) or a PDN Connection (in the case of an E-UTRAN femto cell connected to a GPRS core network) that gives access to services located in the local residential/corporate IP network of the femto cell subsystem.

Network apparatus and process to determine the connection context for connections used for (local) offloading


The present invention discloses a canine TSLP protein and a nucleic acid that encodes that protein. Peptide fragments of the protein that comprise specific epitopes of the canine TSLP protein are also disclosed. The canine TSLP protein and related peptide fragments may be used as an antigen for immunological assays, as well as for vaccines that induce anti-TSLP antibodies. The present invention further discloses methods of making and using the canine TSLP gene, the canine TSLP protein, and the related peptide fragments.

Animals, including humans, that suffer from reagin-mediated disorders, such as atopic diseases, have a hereditary tendency to develop immediate allergic reactions involving IgE antibodies. Multiple genetic factors contribute to the expression of the resulting phenotype seen in such animals. The immediate hypersensitivity observed in atopic diseases results from exposure to specific allergens, such as the house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), pollens, molds, and danders. Not surprisingly, individuals having an atopic disease are more likely to suffer from asthma, atopic dermatitis, as well as other disorders related to endogenous IgE release.
Atopic diseases such as allergic dermatitis, asthma, and the like, also occur in the canine species, including in domestic dogs. Such dogs generally begin to show signs of atopy between one and three years of age. Due to the hereditary nature of the disease, several breeds, including golden retrievers, most terriers, Irish sellers, Lhasa apsos, Dalmatians, bulldogs and Old English sheep dogs have a greater tendency to be atopic, though other types of dogs, including mixed breeds, also are known to suffer from this condition. The incidence of at least one particular type of atopy, atopic dermatitis, is increasing significantly in both humans and canines alike.
Atopic canines will usually rub, lick, chew, bite or scratch at their feet, muzzle, ears, armpits or groin area, resulting in hair loss, reddening, and thickening of the skin. In some cases several skin conditions combine to cause an animal to itch when a single allergy alone would not have resulted in such itching. These aggravating problems can be due to air borne-allergens (pollens, etc.), allergens in food, and allergens from parasites (fleas, etc.). Bacterial and/or yeast infections of the skin also can augment the itching sensation.
One simple means of alleviating the annoying symptoms of atopy is to avoid the inciting allergen(s). Unfortunately, such avoidance is generally impractical. Heretofore, veterinary practitioners have treated canine atopic dermatitis by administering oral antihistamines, oral or topical corticosteroid anti-inflammatory agents, other immune system suppressants, such as cyclosporine or tacrolimus, fatty acid supplements, and allergen specific immunotherapy (which requires injection of the identified antigen). However, none of these treatments work in all cases. Moreover, such treatments are costly and/or give rise to significant side effects. Thus, there is a longstanding need for safer, more effective and more economical approaches to treating or suppressing the symptoms of canine atopic dermatitis.
The mammalian immune response is based on a series of complex cellular interactions, called the "immune network". Much of the immune response revolves around the network-like interactions of lymphocytes, macrophages, granulocytes, and other cells, with soluble proteins called cytokines playing a critical role in mediating/controlling/regulating these cellular interactions. Thus, cytokines and immune cells serve to mediate specific physiological mechanisms or pathways leading to the various inflammatory disorders.
Allergic inflammation is the result of a complex immunological cascade which leads T cells to produce dysregulated TH2-derived cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. These cytokines, in turn, trigger bronchial hyperreactivity, IgE production, eosinophilia, and mucus production (see, e.g., Busse and Lemanske, Jr. (2001) N. Engl. J. Med. 344:350-62; Holgate (2000) Br. Med. J. 320:231-234); and Renauld (2001) J. Clin. Pathol. 54:577-589).
Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin protein (TSLP) is an IL-7-like cytokine that was initially identified in mice as a factor that supported: (i) the in vitro development of surface IgM+ B cells, and (ii) B and T cell proliferation (Friend et al., 1994 Exp Hematology 22:321-328, see also, Levin et al., 1999, J. Immunol 162: 677-683), TSLP is now known to bind a cellular receptor comprising IL-7R-alpha subunit and a unique receptor subunit called TSLP-R. This interaction triggers signal transduction via STAT activation or Thymus and Activation-Regulated Chemokine (TARC) expression in a hematopoietic cell, such as a myeloid lineage cell such as a monocyte, or a dendritic cell. (see, e.g., co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,890,734, incorporated herein by reference).
TSLP also may play a significant role in mice in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma. For example, transgenic mice in which the expression of TSLP gene was specifically induced in the skin show immunological and clinical features of atopic dermatitis such as eczematous lesions containing inflammatory dermal cellular infiltrates, a dramatic increase in Th2 CD4+ T cells expressing skin homing receptors, and elevated serum levels of IgE. Moreover, lungs of mice expressing a lung-specific TSLP transgene show immunological and clinical features of asthma including massive infiltration of leukocytes, goblet cell hyperplasia, sub-epithelial fibrosis, an increase in T helper type 2 cytokines, and increased levels of IgE.
Sims et al. obtained the cDNA sequence of murine TSLP employing expression cloning, but were unable to clone the human homologue with hybridization probes based on the murine TSLP (Sims et al. 2000, J exp Med, 192: 671-680). Subsequently, the human homologue was identified through detailed EST analysis. The human TSLP nucleotide sequence was found to have only 43% homology with the corresponding mouse sequence.
Therefore, there remains a need to provide new and more practical treatments for atopic disorders in canines, including atopic dermatitis and its associated clinical manifestations. Moreover, there is a need to isolate factors that are involved in the immunological cascade that leads to atopic disorders in canines that could lead to the development of such treatments.
The citation of any reference herein should not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as "prior art" to the instant application.

Canine thymic stromal lymphopoietin protein and uses thereof

Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation


High-temperature materials, based on alloyed intermetallic NiAl, have the following chemical composition (values in % by weight):    26-30 Al,    1-6 Ta,    0.1-3 Fe,    0.1-1.5 Hf,    0.01-0.2 B,    0-1 Ti,    0.1-5 Pd,with the remainder Ni and production-related impurities. The materials have excellent properties, in particular good strength and extremely high oxidation resistance, at very high temperatures of 1300° C., for example.

1. Field of Endeavor
The invention relates to the field of materials engineering. The invention concerns a high temperature-resistant material based on alloyed intermetallic NiAl which does not melt even at temperatures greater than approximately 1800 K and which has very good oxidation resistance at high operating temperatures.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
To increase the efficiency of gas turbines, the turbines are run at very high operating temperatures, for example. Therefore, gas turbine components such as turbine blades or heat accumulation segments, for example, on the one hand must be resistant to high temperature, i.e., still have adequate strength at high temperatures, and on the other hand must also have high oxidation resistance.
It is known from the prior art to preferentially use superalloys for such gas turbine components, in particular based on nickel and in particular having a monocrystalline or directionally solidified structure, in which use is typically made of a γ/γ′ precipitation hardening mechanism for improving the mechanical high-temperature properties. At high temperatures these superalloys have, among other properties, very good material strength as well as excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance and good creep characteristics.
It is further known to additionally protect such hot gas components from the above-referenced extreme stress conditions by use of specialized coatings. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,138, for example, a coating is described which is a typical Ni-based superalloy (monocrystalline alloy) with added yttrium and silicon. Although these elements improve the creep resistance and also result in a low ductile-brittle transition temperature, the additional elements W, Mo contained therein and the low proportions of Cr and Co have an adverse effect on the oxidation resistance.
In addition to nickel aluminides, high-strength intermetallic materials are known which, although they are competitive with the nickel-based superalloys to a certain extent, have the disadvantage of low ductility and a high ductile-brittle transition (DBT) temperature in comparison to the ductile, high-tenacity Ni-based superalloys (R. Dariola: NiAl for Turbine Airfoil Application, Structural Intermetallics, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 1993, pp. 495-504), which is reflected in low ductility of these materials at low temperatures. In addition, the heat resistance is unsatisfactory. In contrast, their low density is advantageous.
β-phase Ni aluminides microalloyed with gallium are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,438. With up to approximately 0.25 atomic percent Ga, these materials have significantly improved ductility at room temperature. However, a higher Ga fraction has an adverse effect.
It is known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,478,791 and 4,612,165, for example, to add small fractions of boron as well as Hf, Zr, Fe, and combinations of these elements to Ni3Al materials (with an Al fraction of approximately 10-13% by weight and the remainder Ni) to improve the ductility. DE 36 30 328 C2 provides for the addition of increased quantities of iron (14-17% by weight) to such Ni3Al materials to improve the heat-toughness and processability. The Al fractions cited therein are approximately 10% by weight. In addition, up to approximately 4% by weight Mo and/or up to 0.1% by weight C must be added to increase the oxidation resistance.
The materials known heretofore based on intermetallic Ni aluminides are in need of improvement with regard to resistance to high temperature and oxidation on account of the increasingly high stress conditions in thermal turbomachinery, in particular gas turbines. It is desirable to alloy intermetallic compounds in such a way that the ductility of the intermetallic NiAl materials is improved, but at the same time the ordered atomic structure is preserved, thus achieving, for example, a high melting point and high strength values at high temperatures. A further aim is to provide very good oxidation resistance.

High temperature and oxidation resistant material


In a capacitor, and a method of fabricating the same, the capacitor includes a lower electrode, a dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer includes a lower dielectric region contacting the lower electrode, an upper dielectric region contacting the upper electrode, and at least one middle dielectric region between the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region, the at least one middle dielectric region having a less crystalline region than both the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a capacitor including a dielectric layer having an inhomogeneous crystalline region, and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With an increase in the integration of a semiconductor device, a minimum line width of a device is decreased down to a level less than 1 μm, and a capacitor area is also reduced. With such a trend in the semiconductor industry, in order to prevent deterioration of device performance, and a decrease in reliability thereof, a capacitance should be sufficiently provided and a breakdown voltage should be sufficiently high, even though a size of a capacitor is reduced. Particularly, a capacitor, which is used in an analog element such as a CMOS image sensor, a liquid crystal display driver integrated circuit (LDI), a plasma display panel driver integrated circuit (PDI), or the like, should provide a breakdown voltage above a predetermined voltage level.
Methods of increasing a capacitance of a capacitor include increasing an area of the capacitor, forming a capacitor dielectric layer of a high-dielectric-constant material, or reducing a thickness of a dielectric layer. However, there remain many limits to increasing an area of the capacitor with an increase in the integration of a semiconductor device. Also, there remains a limit to increasing a capacitance of the capacitor by reducing a thickness of a silicon oxide (SiO2) layer, which is generally used as a capacitor dielectric layer.
Further, a maximum voltage that can be stably supplied to a capacitor, i.e., breakdown voltage, depends on a dielectric strength and a thickness of a dielectric layer. While a thickness of the dielectric layer needs to be reduced in order to increase capacitance, a thickness of the dielectric layer needs to remain above a predetermined level in order to increase breakdown voltage. Therefore, a high-dielectric-constant material is used for the capacitor dielectric layer, thereby achieving a capacitance without a reduction in the thickness of the dielectric layer, and preventing a decrease in breakdown voltage.
FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of a conventional capacitor fabricated by conventional technology. The capacitor C includes a lower electrode 13, a dielectric layer 14, and an upper electrode 15. The lower electrode 13 is connected to a semiconductor substrate 10 via a plug 12 passing through an interlayer insulating layer 11, which is formed on the semiconductor substrate 10. The dielectric layer 14 may be composed of a high-dielectric-constant material such as (Bax, Sr1−x)TiO3, TiO2, Ta2O5, ZrO2, Zr-silicate, HfO2, Hf-silicate, A12O3, Y2O3, Pb(Zr, Ti)O3, or the like. However, use of a crystalline high-k dielectric layer causes a problem with respect to a decrease in breakdown voltage. For example, since a crystallization temperature of HfO2 is low, when depositing a thick HfO2 layer, the HfO2 may be easily crystallized during the deposition, thereby decreasing breakdown voltage.

Capacitor including a dielectric layer having an inhomogeneous crystalline region and method of fabricating the same