The cell comprises a substrate with diffusions of source and drain separated by a channel area a floating gate superimposed over a first part of said channel area and a control gate formed by a first and a second polysilicon strip, respectively, a cell gate oxide between said floating gate and said first part of the channel area, a transistor gate oxide between said control gate and a second part of the channel area, an interpoly oxide between said floating gate and said control gate and a layer of dielectric filler. By means of a process which provides for self-aligned etchings of layers of polysilicon and of oxides there is obtained a floating gate and a control gate self-aligned with one another and with the diffusions of source and drain, as well as with the first oxide.

The present invention relates to a non-volatile split gate EPROM memory cell and self-aligned field insulation process for obtaining the above cell.
The use is known of non-volatile split gate EPROM memory cells. In such cells the floating gate does not extend along the entire channel of the cell, but only covers a part of it to form the actual memory cell. The second part of the channel is governed directly by the control gate which thus goes to form a small transistor in series with the cell itself.
A first advantage deriving from the use of the split gate memory cell consists in the fact that with such a structure the problem is highlighted of the partial raising of the floating gate voltage (with consequent current in the channel) due to the capacitive coupling between floating gate and drain (a problem known as <<drain turn-or>>), when the drain is biased at a high voltage and the control gate is grounded. In fact in a split gate cell, even in the case when the capacitive coupling between the floating gate and the drain is large, the opening of the channel is completely prevented by the presence of the transistor in series with the cell itself.
A second advantage deriving from the use of the above memory cell consists in the fact that, thanks to its asymmetry, it can be programmed starting from only one of the two diffusions (the one known as the drain, that is, that facing the floating gate). If the cell is read from the source side (that is, by raising above ground the diffusion from which writing is impossible), it is then possible to abolish completely the so-called <<soft-writing>> problem, that is, of the slow and undesired programming of the cell during its reading step.
As a result of this advantage the voltage at which the bit-line diffusion is polarised during the reading step of the cell itself can be raised with respect to the typical value used (about 1 volt), thus obtaining both an increase in the cell's reading current and a drop in the capacity of the bit-line itself.
Several types of split gate EPROM memory cells are known in the literature.
A first example of a cell of this type is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,565 and consists of a non self-aligned structure, in which the source and drain diffusions are implanted before the definition of the superimposed floating and control gates,
It follows that, for the drain diffusion to be coupled to the floating gate (that is, sufficiently superimposed over it) independently of the mis-alignments between the different masks, it is necessary to maintain a large superimposition between the floating gate itself and the drain, from which there derives a large and highly variable capacitive coupling between the latter.
During the cell's programming step this is reflected in a wide variability of the value of the voltage transferred to the floating gate and thus in a threshold jump, after the writing step, whose value is predictable with difficulty and a function of the process misalignments,
A second problem related to this cell is connected with the fact of executing the diffusion implant before growing the subsequent oxide layers of gate and interpoles, The diffusions are subjected in this way to all the heat treatments connected with these oxidation steps and they are thus deper and more diffuse, This is the opposite of the current tendency towards new generations of processes characterised by an increasingly higher density.
A last problem related to this type of cell is connected with the fact that the control gate passes over the gate and drain diffusions, it being insulated from them only by a thin layer of thermal oxide. It follows that the word-line capacity is raised with a corresponding reduction in the speed of the device.
A second example of cell of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,893.
In this cell the drain diffusion is self-aligned with the floating gate; the source and drain implant is executed after defining the floating gate itself and, on the drain, it is self-aligned with it, The capacitive coupling of the floating gate with the drain thus becomes independent from the process misalignments,
The distance between source and drain, on the other hand, is subject to the misalignment between the mask which defines the floating gate and that used for the source and drain implant.
As in the cell of the first example, the control gate passes completely over the source and drain diffusion and it is insulated from it only by a thin oxide thermally grown simultaneously with the gate oxide and with the interpoly one,
The greatest problem of this type of structure is precisely in this oxidation step; to lower the word-line's capacity (and thus to raise the access speed of the device) it is in fact necessary for the thin oxide to be as thick as possible, but this is not reconcilable with a good quality of the other two oxides, To obtain an appreciable difference between the thicknesses of these oxides it is in actual fact necessary to execute oxidation at low temperatures, but the oxides so obtained are of poor quality.

Method of making non-volatile split gate EPROM memory cell and self-aligned field insulation


Compositions and methods for the detection of Taenia solium and the diagnosis of T. solium infection are described. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the antigenic T. solium polypeptides gp50a, gp50b and gp50c are provided. The compositions contain synthetic antigenic polypeptides of larval origin prepared using the sequences described herein. Probes and primers for the detection or amplification of T. solium nucleic acid molecules are also described. The polypeptides can be administered to a human or animal to protect against T. solium infection. In addition, the polypeptides are useful as research tools for studying T. solium and as reagents in assays for the detection of T. solium antibodies in a biological sample. The methods are sensitive and specific assays that utilize the stable recombinant or synthetic antigenic polypeptides or nucleic acid molecules encoding the larval polypeptides.

Taenia solium cysticercosis, caused by infection with T. solium larval cysts, occurs in both humans and swine, resulting in significant public health and economic hardship. T. solium, also referred to as the pork tapeworm, is a helminth that exists in both a mature tapeworm form and a larval form. The lifecycle of T. solium begins when swine, the intermediate hosts, ingest tapeworm eggs excreted in the feces of a tapeworm carrier. The larvae hatch from the eggs and invade most tissues of the swine, giving rise to the disease cysticercosis.
When humans ingest raw or undercooked meat from cysticercotic swine, tapeworms, or taeniasis, develop. Patients with taeniasis may exhibit epigastric discomfort, nausea, irritability, diarrhea, and weight loss. In addition, proglottids, or individual segments of the tapeworm that are self-contained hermaphroditic reproductive units, may obstruct the appendix, billary duct, or pancreatic duct.
Humans may also ingest T. solium eggs present in contaminated food and water and become infected with the larval form. After T. solium eggs are ingested, cysticerci may develop in the subcutaneous tissues, muscles, heart, lungs, liver, brain, and eye. Although small numbers of viable cysticerci may fail to produce symptoms in the infected host, death of the larvae stimulate a marked inflammatory reaction, fever, muscle pains, and eosinophilia. If the larvae invade the central nervous system, a single cyst may cause disease. The host may develop meningoencephalitis, epileptic seizures, dementia and other neurologic or psychiatric manifestations, and death can result from acute intracranial hypertension. The various manifestations of neurologic dysfunction caused by T. solium infection are collectively termed neurocysticercosis. Although neurocysticercosis can include many neurological symptoms, epilepsy is the most common symptom. In fact, T. solium is considered the leading infectious cause of epileptic seizures worldwide. Additionally, T. solium neurocysticercosis has a current worldwide toll of 50 million cases with 50,000 deaths each year.
Neurocysticercosis is rarely acquired in the United States; however, the disease is common in Latin America, Asia, Russia, and Eastern Europe. In Mexico, the mean rate for cysticercotic pigs in inspected slaughterhouses during 1980–1981 was 1.55%, and in rural areas of Mexico and South America, where sewage disposal is limited, the proportion of cysticercotic pigs can be in excess of 50%. In these and other developing countries, the parasite causes a substantial economic burden to the pork industry. Additionally, due to the increased travel and immigration from highly endemic areas, detection and treatment of T. solium related diseases has become a U.S. public health priority.
Diagnosis historically relied on histological identification of the parasite by biopsy or autopsy. The recent development of radiologic and serologic methods has improved diagnosis. However, while radiologic methods such as computed tomography (CT) or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging are useful in diagnosing neurocysticercosis, they are often too expensive or inaccessible in developing countries.
Although some diagnostic tests are currently available to identify T. solium infection and diagnose neurocysticercosis, these tests lack specificity and sensitivity. A more specific and sensitive assay for diagnosing human neurocysticercosis by detecting the presence of T. solium larvae using immumunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,660 to Tsang et al. This test is the only test approved by the Pan American Health Organization. However, the assay utilizes purified, naturally-occurring T. solium larval glycoproteins, which makes the assay reagents expensive and difficult to produce.
In developing countries where T. solium-related diseases are endemic, access to diagnostic assays may be limited due to the high cost of using antigens that are produced using complicated purification procedures. Furthermore, because cysticercosis is most prevalent in rural areas of developing countries, a field test is needed for epidemiological studies and surveillance. A field assay using inexpensive and reliable reagents could be an important tool in breaking the transmission cycle of the parasite, enabling the on-site diagnosis of infected pigs and immediate treatment with anti-helminthic agents such as oxfendazole. A field diagnosis of cysticercosis would also serve as an economic benefit to pig farmers, because uninfected pigs command a higher price.

Methods and compositions for detecting larval

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


A method reduces differences in chucking forces that are applied by two electrodes of an electrostatic chuck, to a substrate disposed atop the chuck. The method includes providing initial chucking voltages to each of the two electrodes, and measuring an initial current provided to at least a first electrode of the two electrodes. The method further includes initiating a process that affects a DC voltage of the substrate, then measuring a modified current provided to at least the first electrode, and determining, based at least on the initial current and the modified current, a modified chucking voltage for a selected one of the two electrodes, that will reduce chucking force imbalance across the substrate. The method also includes providing the modified chucking voltage to the selected one of the two electrodes.

Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produce intricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producing patterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods for forming and removing material. The substrate support may also be utilized in some technologies to develop a substrate-level plasma. Plasma generated near the substrate may transfer electric charge to the substrate, changing the voltage level of the substrate relative to its surroundings (this voltage is referred to hereinafter as VDC).

Real time bias detection and correction for electrostatic chuck


A keyboard system which includes a keyboard assembly and an embedded controller. The keyboard assembly includes a keyboard matrix and a keyscan controller coupled to the keyscan matrix. The keyscan controller receives position information from a pressed key of the keyboard matrix and generates basic keyscan information. The embedded controller receives the basic keyscan information and generates keycodes based upon the basic keyscan information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of user inputs to an information handling system, and more particularly to a universal keyboard controller data protocol.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems typically allow user inputs through a number of different types of devices. Known input devices include a keyboard or mouse that communicates user inputs as electrical signals through a wired or wireless connection to a port of the information handling system. For example, with a keyboard, a keyscan matrix identifies the position of a keystroke by a user based on an electrical signal communicated through a USB interface. Typically, a microcontroller in a keyboard of the information handling system converts the keystroke into a Human Interface Device (HID) packet that is made available for use by components of the information handling system. Portable information handling systems typically have integrated keyboards and integrated pointing devices, such as touchpad pointing devices that are physically built into the housing of the information handling system along with the processing components.
One challenge with integration of a keyboard and pointing device into a portable information handling system is that a first set of wires is used to communicate signals from the keyboard to the motherboard of the information handling system and a separate set of wires is used for the pointing device. These separate sets of wires can be bulky
Known integrated keyboards send an actual keyscan for the key being pressed. With integrated keyboards, the keyboard scan matrix may be moved from the main embedded controller of the information handling system to a generic dedicated keyboard scan controller. A change in the keyboard matrix would then necessitate a change in the firmware loaded into the dedicated keyboard scan controller. This change could increase the cost of the dedicated keyboard scan controller by requiring an updateable part, such as a flash memory, storage for a downloadable matrix or different silicon for each keyboard matrix that is produced.

Universal keyboard controller data protocol


The utility model discloses a vacuum sealing machine. The vacuum sealing machine comprises a base body, a bottom box, a bag opening heat sealing device, a vacuumizing device and a bag feeding induction mechanism, wherein the bottom box is arranged below the base body; the bag opening heat sealing device and a vacuumizing groove are correspondingly arranged on the connecting faces of the base body and the bottom box; the vacuumizing device communicates with the vacuumizing groove through a pipeline; and the bag feeding induction mechanism is arranged on the base body and positioned above the vacuumizing groove. According to the vacuum sealing machine, the bag feeding induction mechanism is arranged above the vacuumizing groove, so that detection of the bag feeding induction mechanism is stable and reliable, and the bag feeding induction mechanism is not prone to being damaged; and the vacuum sealing machine is simple in structure and low in cost.

A bag body detection element is arranged in a vacuumizing groove of the vacuum sealing machine. After a bag opening of a vacuum packaging bag is inserted into the vacuumizing groove, the bag body is detected through the bag body detection element, and a control circuit automatically starts a vacuumizing device and a bag opening heat sealing device to achieve full-automatic work. The bag body detection element arranged in the vacuumizing groove is prone to being polluted and corroded, the bag body detection element is prone to being damaged, thus the bag body detection function is caused to be invalid, and automatic work cannot be achieved, and therefore improvement is necessary.


Multiple profiles are received in association with a first user account in an asynchronous messaging system. One or more of the profiles are associated with other user accounts. The associated profiles are transmitted to user clients associated with the other user accounts for storage as a local copy. The association may include inclusion in a contact list of the first user, or a contact list of the other users. The associated profiles are transmitted when messages are sent from the first account to the other user clients, or the profiles are created or updated. A public profile may include a version identifier which is updated when the public profile is updated. Updates to local copies of the public profile at other user clients may occur only when a local copy of the associated version identifier indicates that the local profile is outdated, thereby reducing network traffic.

Asynchronous communication is the exchange of messages, such as among devices in a communications network, by reading and responding as their schedules permit rather than according to some clock that is synchronized for both the sender and receiver. In an asynchronous messaging environment, the communication takes place between two or more applications, devices, or systems, whereby the system places a message in a message queue and does not need to wait for a reply to continue processing, and both the sender and receiver need not be available or online at the same time, but rather, read and respond as their schedules and desires permit. Examples include email, discussion chats, and forums, and text messaging over cell phones. The message delivery and response can be in seconds, minutes, or days depending on when the receiver becomes online. This is more convenient for the sender and receiver since they are not required to be online at the same time.
In modern messaging applications for cell phones, the asynchronous communication method is often adapted to transmit textual data, upload and download multimedia for speed, and to support higher numbers of concurrent user access. Modern asynchronous messaging applications commonly employ asynchronous communication protocols such as the WebSocket protocol, a bidirectional protocol with no predefined message pattern such as request/response. The WebSocket protocol allows both the client and server to send messages without waiting for each other and therefore supports full-duplex, true asynchronous communication, increasing scalability and building a near real time interactive application. Examples of asynchronous messaging applications known in the art include the WhatsApp™ messenger, the Telegram™ messenger, the Line™ messenger, the WeChat™ messenger, the Facebook™ messenger, and the Google Hangouts™ messenger. WhatsApp™ is a trademark of WhatsApp Inc. Mountain View, Calif., United States. Telegram™ is a trademark of Telegram LLC in Wilmington, Del., United eStates. Line™ is a trademark of LINE CORPORATION, Tokyo, Japan. Google Hangout™ is developed by GOOGLE, INC. in Mountain View, Calif., United States.
Modern messaging applications also sometimes support a synchronous communication method when the messaging application offers voice calls or video calls where synchronous communication is used to transmit voice or video data. Synchronous messaging or direct communication is when communication takes place between two or more applications, devices or systems, where the system places a message in a message queue and then waits for a message response before it continues processing. The information is synchronized using a clock signal and all parties involved in the communication must be present at the same time. Telephone conversations, video conferencing, and instant messaging are examples of the use of synchronous messaging where the data transmission happens in real time and requires both sender and receiver parties to be available and online at the same time while the data transmission occurs. Some embodiments of synchronous conferencing include what is sometimes called online chatting, which is sometimes extended to include audio/video conferencing or instant messaging that provides text based messaging for multi-user online chat. Examples of synchronous conferencing protocols include Internet Relay Chat (IRC), Protocol for Synchronous Conferencing (PSYC), Secure Internet Live Conferencing protocol (SILC), Extensible Messaging Presence Protocol (XMPP), and SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions Protocol (SIMPLE).
In typical asynchronous messaging applications, the sender user sends a message to a user or plurality of receiver users, and the message request includes the message body and the receiver user identification or plurality of users' identifications. The message is transmitted to a server computer which stores and forwards the message to the receiver users when the receiver users become available. The message could be textual data, multimedia such as image, audio, and/or video. It is common for each user to have a profile containing identity information about the user. The profile may contain a name, short description, and image known as avatar. The profile may be transmitted to the other users of the asynchronous messaging system prior or near to the message transmission. The other users may view the user profile from time to time.
Also common in asynchronous messaging systems, a user registers and creates a profile at the time of registration and the system reads all user contacts and forwards the user profile to registered user contacts. The registered user contacts receive the user profile and store it locally in a memory or storage of a user device or computer associated with the user. When the user sends a message to other users, the other users receive the message and the asynchronous messaging client displays the sender user profile which is stored on the receiver user local device or computer memory along with the content of the message. As the nature of the system is asynchronous, there is no guarantee that the user profile will be sent and available at the receiver users device prior to the content of the message transmission, therefore a subset of the sender user profile may be transmitted along with the message until the sender user profile is completely transmitted.
It is also common in asynchronous messaging systems that a user may designate different classifications for contacts, such as personal contacts, professional contacts, and other unclassified contacts. Known asynchronous messaging systems generally enable a user to create only a single profile, however, which is ultimately sent to all contacts of the user.
In such systems, it is also common that the user may update the profile from time to time. As soon as the update is completed the asynchronous messaging client may send the updated profile to the server and the server may store and forward the updated profile to other users when they become available.
One difficulty arising from the implementations of user profiles in known asynchronous messaging systems is that the content a user may wish to include in his profile and which may be suitable for viewing by other users in some of the classifications of his contacts—for example, personal information, where the contact is classified as a friend or family member—but may not wish the content to be viewable by other users in other classifications of his contacts—for example, professional contacts such as an employer, an employee, or a customer. The user must therefore choose between compromising his privacy preference in order to include the content, or censoring his own profile.
Another difficulty resulting from profile updates relates to the use of user groups. Many asynchronous messaging systems allow the user to send a message to a plurality of users. Typically the plurality of users may be assigned or invited to join a group, whose identification is stored along with the assigned users' identifications at the server computer. When the message is transmitted to a specific group identification, the message is received by the server computer and the server computer stores and forwards the message to the group's assigned users when they are available. The widespread use of the asynchronous messaging applications makes it necessary for the system to adapt to larger group sizes (on the order of thousands of users) at which time profile updates become a challenge.
Some synchronous conferencing systems adopt or employ multiple profiles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,332,761, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, discloses a synchronous conferencing system to manage multiple profiles where both sender and receiver parties must login to a synchronous conference server to obtain connection information and where each of the sender and receiver parties can exchange messages and profiles directly and must be online. The problem with this arrangement is that it provides no solution for asynchronous messaging systems where both sender user and receiver users are not required to be online and interact independently.
There would be value, therefore, in a solution that overcomes the above-mentioned limitations of known techniques and which provides and enables multiple user profiles in an asynchronous messaging environment.
In the drawings, features or elements are generally identified using reference characters comprising numerals (e.g. "10"). Reference characters comprising a numeral followed by one or more letters (e.g. "10A" or "10B") are intended to designate a particular instance of a feature or element designated more broadly by the numeral alone (e.g. "10A" or "10B" designate particular instances of feature or element "10"), and thus any characteristics ascribed to such particular instances, when referenced as such, are not necessarily possessed by all instances of the more general feature or element.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Managing multiple profiles for a single account in an asynchronous messaging system


A digital signal recording apparatus is disclosed, which is capable of protecting the copyright of the analog input information encoded into a first digital signal in a recording medium. A second digital signal encrypted based on the key information and the input analog signal encrypted based on the key information are converted into a second digital signal and encrypted, and the resulting signal is selectively recorded in a recording medium. The digital signal recording apparatus further comprises a circuit for encrypting the digital signal converted from the input analog signal with a key obtained by a predetermined calculation of the key information according to a scheme similar to the second digital signal protection scheme through a digital interface, and a signal recording circuit for recording the key information and the encrypted digital signal in a recording medium.

The present invention relates to a digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus for recording digital signals on a recording medium and/or reproducing the signals from the medium, or in particular to a digital signal recording apparatus having the function of protecting the copyright of the digital signal recorded in a recording medium.
The recent progress of the research on the compression of video and audio data using the digital technique has facilitated the storage and transmission of the data. This has greatly promoted the digitization of the broadcasting techniques.
A system is known, for example, in which analog video and audio signals are encoded by digital compression with high efficiency using the MPEG (moving picture experts group) standard and broadcast through a satellite or a coaxial cable. An apparatus for receiving the digital broadcasting is a digital broadcast receiver called the set top box.
A technique for receiving the digital signal transmitted with a plurality of information multiplexed to select the desired program is described in JP-A-8-56350.
As a home-use apparatus for recording and reproducing video and audio signals, on the other hand, an optical disc recorder is under development, which is capable of recording and reproducing the digital video and audio signal compressed and encoded digitally for the digital TV broadcasting, etc.
The digital broadcast receiver and the optical disc recorder are connected to each other by a digital interface, and are capable of storing the received digital broadcast with a high quality. The digital signal transmitted through a digital interface, if fee-charging or the need arises otherwise, requires protection to prevent illegal duplication.
A method for protecting the digital signal transmitted through the digital interface is described, for example, in "5C Digital Transmission Content Protection White Paper, Revision 1.0, Jul. 14, 1998".

Digital signal recording/reproducing apparatus


An improved document tray for scanners includes a supporting part and covering means. The supporting part is used to hold a document for scanning and the covering means is used to press and fix the document. The covering members does not need to be opened for inserting a document into the supporting part. The document tray of the invention indeed improves the drawbacks of the prior art so that the tray will not jam or be damaged when it is pushed into the scanner.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a document tray of an optical scanner, especially to covering means of the document tray that does not need to be opened but can fix the document inserted into the supporting part of the document tray.
2. Description of Related Art
With the growing development of opto-electronic technology, scanners have been commonly used in our daily life. There are scanners of desktop, handy and feedback types. Regarding the built-in scanner, a document is put in its tray in order to start the scanning process. Consequently, it is a very essential condition that the document could be properly pressed and fixed in the tray during the scanning work. The situation is the same as for the desktop and built-in scanners. The covering means of the prior art includes a switch that engages it to the supporting part, and the switch has to be pressed every time when users want to load and unload a document into or from the supporting part. In addition, users may not open the covering means totally concerning that the covering means may break off with constant use and this will influence the time spent on loading and unloading documents for the covering means may fall down. Also, if the switch is not properly pressed to close the covering means, the tray may cause a jam condition when the tray is pushed into the scanner. Other covering means of the prior art, which is opened through vertical sides of scanner, have the same jam condition when the tray is pushed into.


A vehicular software update apparatus is used to a vehicle to update software stored in an electronic control unit mounted on the vehicle. The vehicular software update apparatus includes a low power communication device configured to perform a wide area wireless communication with a low power consumption. The low power communication device is operated in an update confirmation state including a state where neither power generation in the vehicle nor power supplying to the vehicle is performed, and is caused to download software update information which is information necessary to update the software, when the software update information, is provided by the server.

In order to control an engine, a transmission, an air conditioner, etc., many ECUs (Electronic Control Units) are mounted in a motor vehicle. In recent years, there has been a demand for implementation of a function of constantly updating firmware stored in an ECU to the latest version by wireless communication. This function is called FOTA (Firmware On-The-Air). Such ECU firmware has become increasingly complex and large in data volume in recent years.


A crib selectively serving as a baby bed and also as a playpen includes a bed floor member and respective panels enclosing the periphery of the bed floor member (13). At least one panel (12) is height-controllably supported by a base support (20) that also supports the bed floor member. In case of using the crib as a baby bed, the panel (12) is brought to a low position for enabling a mother or the like to readily care for the baby. In case of using the crib as a playpen, the panel is brought to a high position for safety reasons. The height of the bed floor member is also adjustable between high and low positions by adjusting the base support, which for example includes pivotable, tiltable or removable leg frame members.

FIG. 5 discloses a typical crib serving also as a playpen. This crib 1 comprises a bed floor member 2, and panels 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d enclosing all peripheral sides of this bed floor member 2. The bed floor member 2 is supported at a height substantially at the centers of the panels 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d.
The state shown in FIG. 5 illustrates a form or configuration for use as a baby bed. In order to facilitate caring for a baby, it is desirable to maintain the height of the bed floor member 2 at a high position while lowering or reducing the height of the panels projecting upward beyond the bed floor member 2.
In case of using the crib 1 as a playpen, on the other hand, it is desirable to raise or increase the height of the panels projecting upward beyond the bed floor member, in consideration of safety for the baby playing in the playpen. In case of the crib 1 shown in FIG. 5, therefore, the bed floor member 2 is removed from the central portions of the panels 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d when the crib is used as a playpen. The removed bed floor member 2 is directly placed on a floor face enclosed by the panels 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, or held on lowermost end portions of the panels, for example. In this case, the height of the panels projecting upward beyond the bed floor member 2 is raised or increased and the baby is prevented from getting over the panels.
In the crib serving also as a playpen shown in FIG. 5, it is necessary to remove and reposition the bed floor member 2 in response to each form of employment. A mattress or the like is placed on the bed floor member 2 in general, and hence the mattress or the like must also be removed with the bed floor member. Such an operation is troublesome for the mother.
The body of a baby becomes larger as it grows, while its movement also becomes more active. In order to use the crib over a long period, it is desirable to change the form of the crib in response to the growth of the baby. In this case, it is desired to assure the safety of the crib responsive to the growth of the baby.


A plural preform assembly having nested preforms. The preforms are held together by an interference fit. The interference fit is provided by the friction between the preforms which occurs when the inner preform is inserted into the outer preform. At least one preform may have ribs extending radially towards the other preform. The ribs provided concentricity and interference to hold the preforms together during subsequent operations. The preforms may later be blow molded to provide a bag in bottle or similar container.

Preforms are well known in the art. Preforms are typically injection molded. In a later operation the preform is blow molded to the final shape, often with the assistance of a stretch rod.
Preforms may be nested, so that an inner preform is disposed within an outer preform. This arrangement provides the benefit that both preforms may be blow molded at the same time and in a single operation. A separate operation to insert one preform inside another is necessary.
The two, or more, preforms may be injection molded in separate operations, requiring assembly to nest the preforms for the single blow molding operation. But assembly, in order to nest the preforms, may occur at a first location. The nested preforms may be shipped to a second location, miles away, for warehousing or blow molding. If warehoused, the nested preforms may be subjected to thermal cycling, and likely shipped again for blow molding. In preparation for the blow molding operation, the nested preforms may be run through a tumbler, bulk sorter and/or stacker.
But the shipping, warehousing, tumbling, sorting and/or stacking operations may dislodge and separate the previously nested preforms. If the preforms become separated, re-assembly is necessary, defeating the purpose of nesting. Previous attempts include: US 2012/0132607, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,499,311, 6,649,121, 8,851,322 and 9,162,372.
An aerosol container having a bag therein may be made from a dual layer preform, having plural layers disposed one inside the other. Relevant attempts in the art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,450,254; 4,330,066; 6,254,820; RE 30093 E; WO 9108099 and US 2011/0248035 A1. But some of these attempts rely upon blow molding the inner and outer preforms together. But this operation may not be suitable if charging without a bung hole is desired or tolerance stackup is to be avoided. And some of these attempts rely upon mechanical block of the inner preform by the shoulder of the outer preform, to prevent separation. But this geometry is not suitable if a smaller shoulder is desired.
It is necessary to join the nested preforms in a way that prevents separation during operations which occur between nesting and blow molding. But such joining should be simple, to overcome the problems associated with trying to automate joining using interlocks and similar compound motion. This invention is directed to the problem of unintended separation of nested preforms.

Plural nested preform assembly and method of manufacture


A secondary storage device for a digital computer includes a housing, an attachment means coupled to an outside surface of the housing for allowing said housing to be easily attached to the computer system, a primary disk drive disposed within said housing, at least one back-up disk drive disposed within the housing, mirror circuitry disposed within the housing, and coupled to the primary disk drive, and the at least one back-up disk drive, bus connection means coupled to the mirror circuitry for connecting said secondary storage device to a main bus of the digital computer, and timing means coupled between the mirror circuitry and one of the back-up disk drives for creating mirror back-up images of the primary disk drive at pre-determined intervals.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital computers and, more particularly, to secondary data storage devices which are useful with digital computers.
A secondary storage device stores computer program code and or data even when the computer's power is turned off. Such behavior makes secondary storage devices so-called nonvolatile storage. Secondary storage devices usually also have a much larger data storage capacity than primary storage devices.
Primary storage devices are the computer's main memory, known as random access memory or RAM. Since the data they contain usually vanishes when the computer's power is turned off, primary storage is described as volatile storage.
Common secondary storage devices include magnetic hard disk drives. There are many different manufacturers of disk drives. For example, the IBM® Deskstar® series are popular magnetic hard disk drives sold as of this writing. See the IBM® Internet web site http://www.ibm.com/harddrive for more information. Seagate® Technology of Scotts Valley, Calif. makes the popular "U Series" line of magnetic disk drives. Seagate's phone number is 800-seagate, and their Internet web site is at http://www.seagate.com/products/discsales. Western Digital® Corporation of Lake Forrest, Calif. makes a popular line of magnetic hard disk drives called the "Caviar®" series. Western Digital's® phone number is 949-672-7000, and they have Internet web site at http://www.westerndigital.com/products/productcatalog.asp.
Common secondary storage device interfaces in use today include the IDE and SCSI interfaces. The Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface comes in three types:
the IDE XT, the IDE AT (also known as the IDE ATA type interface) and IDE MCA type interfaces. The Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) interface is often used for magnetic hard disk drives and CD ROM drives in home desktop personal computers. The SCSI secondary storage device interface is the Small Computer System Interface and comes in three types: the SCSI-1 interface, SCSI-2 and SCSI-3 type interfaces.
II. Prior Art
Available prior art devices include the Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (or RAID), the "Mobile Rack" which is a removable mounting rack for magnetic hard disk drives shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,767,445 and 5,797,667, an external backup hard drive which can connect to the computer through a port or through a Universal Serial Bus (USB®) connection and a cable based hard drive mounting bracket backup kit. The concepts of RAID were extensively discussed and explained in an article published in 1988 by ACM at pages 106–116, authored by David A. Patterson, Garth Gibson and Randy H. Katz.
Although RAID devices can be configured in a MIRROR mode, the actual implementation generally requires skills beyond those of the average computer user. Many ways of using a RAID device require several magnetic hard drives but one configuration, known as a MIRROR, (also known as RAID MODE 1) requires only two. It is salient to note that the second drive has the same information as the first and is not merely a listing or compilation of the data on the first drive.
For example, if the mirrored drive is one from which the system can be started, sometimes know as a boot drive, then the mirrored drive which the RAID device creates is also usable as a boot drive. In this mode of usage, the RAID device maintains the data on the second hard drive as an identical configuration of the first.
RAID devices can also include those manufactured in the form of peripheral cards (PCMCIA cards), RAID motherboards, and external RAID devices. RAID peripheral cards are auxiliary products which are inserted into special machine ports, generally found on lap top devices. External RAID devices, which are stand alone units outside of the computer case, are connected to it via a cable of some kind. RAID motherboards have RAID circuitry embedded in them.
Both the RAID device configured in a mirror mode and the device of the present invention, hereinafter referred to as the "safety cartridge," protect against failure of the secondary storage device, most likely a magnetic hard disk drive. In the preferred embodiment, the safety cartridge includes two, substantially identical magnetic disk drives and drive circuitry for simultaneous parallel operations on both disks. One of the disks may be considered the main memory and the other, the back up or check disk.


A thermoplastic molding composition comprising (co)poly(ester)carbonate, and a cyclic oligoformal is disclosed. The composition that is characterized in its lowered water absorption and improved flowability is suitable for a variety of application including in particular optical data storage media.

Because of their particular combination of properties such as transparency, heat-resistance and dimensional stability, polycarbonates are generally used as materials for the injection or injection-compression molding of optical data storage media. Additives, such as mold release agents and stabilizers are generally added to the polycarbonate in order to improve processability, processing generally proceeding at temperatures in the range from 300° C. to 400° C.
Aromatic polycarbonates based on bisphenol A are in particular used for the production of optical data storage media. They are, however, capable of absorbing up to 0.34 wt. % of water, which may have an unfavorable impact on the dimensional stability of the data storage media. Improved dimensional stability is, however, of significance, particularly when using blue or blue-green lasers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,418 describes substrates for data storage media, which contain a biphenyl derivative as an additive to increase dimensional stability (lower shrinkage).
The addition of small quantities of m-terphenyl to bisphenol A polycarbonate is described in M. Ueda, Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics Corp., Technical Digest of Joint ISOM/ODS 2002 Waikoloa Hi., 8.7.2002, pages 33-35, this addition resulting in a reduction of water absorption. These biphenyl derivatives have the disadvantage, however, that they are highly conjugated aromatic π-systems, which exhibit absorption in the blue or blue-green range of the spectrum. This is undesirable in storage technologies which operate in this wavelength range. Terphenyls are moreover relatively rigid molecules, the rigidity having a negative effect on mechanical properties in a mixture with polycarbonate.
The options described in the prior art thus do not provide results which are satisfactory in every respect. There is, however, no indication to be found in the prior art that cyclic oligoformals could be suitable as additives.
The object accordingly arose of providing thermoplastic molding compositions containing polycarbonate with reduced water absorption which consequently exhibit better dimensional stability. New disk formats, which have a higher storage capacity and may also be thinner, such as for example digital versatile disks (DVDs), in particular require greater thermal stability in comparison with CDs. Any material damage occurring during conversion into moldings and the formation of deposits in the mold are becoming more critical. It is accordingly desirable for an additive for reducing water absorption simultaneously to bring about a reduction in melt viscosity and thus better flow at somewhat lower temperatures.


A cooling system designed to cool the trailing edge of a turbine blade usable in rear stages of a turbine engine. The turbine blade may have a leading edge cooling cavity and a trailing edge cooling cavity separated by an impingement rib. The cooling system may exhaust cooling fluids through the tip of the turbine blade rather than through the trailing edge of the turbine blade to prevent premature failure at the trailing edge of the turbine blade.

Typically, gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for mixing the compressed air with fuel and igniting the mixture, and a turbine blade assembly for producing power. Combustors often operate at high temperatures that may exceed 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Typical turbine combustor configurations expose turbine blade assemblies to these high temperatures. As a result, turbine blades must be made of materials capable of withstanding such high temperatures. In addition, turbine blades often contain cooling systems for prolonging the life of the blades and reducing the likelihood of failure as a result of excessive temperatures.
Typically, turbine blades are formed from a root portion at one end and an elongated portion forming a blade that extends outwardly from a platform coupled to the root portion. A turbine blade ordinarily includes a tip opposite to the root section, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The inner aspects of turbine blades typically contain an intricate maze of cooling channels forming a cooling system. The cooling channels in the blades receive air from the compressor of the turbine engine and pass the air through the blade. The cooling channels often include multiple flow paths that are designed to maintain all aspects of the turbine blade at a relatively uniform temperature.
The trailing edge of a turbine blade is difficult to cool because the trailing edge is often too thin to effectively cool using known embodiments. Because the trailing edge of a blade is difficult to cool and is often exposed to both high temperatures and high loads, the trailing edge may suffer from creep or oxidation during operation. The detrimental effects may be most pronounced in the radially outward portion of the blade proximate to the blade tip because the elongated airfoil is thinner at the tip. The problem is generally most severe in the rear stages of a turbine where the entire elongated airfoil is generally thinner than the elongated airfoils of the front stages. Thus, a need exists for a turbine blade cooling system that effectively cools the trailing edge of a rear stage turbine blade.

Intensively cooled trailing edge of thin airfoils for turbine engines


The invention concerns a method of operating a broadband link for the exchange of data (DAT) between a mobile terminal (MS) and a network-side mobile radio facility (MSC), as well as the mobile terminal (MS), the network-side mobile radio facility (MSC) and a mobile radio system. Two or more radio channels to the mobile terminal (MS) are established and assigned as subchannels (C1 to CN) to the broadband link. The data (DAT) are then transmitted via the subchannels (C1 to CN) between a terminal-side entity (ENMT) and a network-side entity (ENNET) of a communications layer (L2), where the entities (ENMT, ENNET) exchange the data (DAT) as data packets (FRDAT1, FRDAT2) in accordance with a transmission protocol, and control the distribution of the stream of data packet to the subchannels (C1 to CN) as well as its recombination. The protocol (PROT) defines and supports two or more different packet types for transportation of the data. The entities (ENMT, ENNET) recognize these different packet types and process them differently as different logical channels (LC1, LC2) of the same communications layer (L2).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a method of operating a broadband link, a mobile terminal, a network-side mobile radio facility, and a mobile radio system.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are two possibilities for the transmission of data between a mobile terminal and a mobile exchange with the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) of today. On the one hand data can be transparently transported via a connection according to the V.110 protocol with constant throughput and constant transmission time delay. On the other hand, data cannot be transparently transported at a low error rate with a packet-oriented protocol which is generally called RLP (Radio Link Protocol).
The invention begins with a possibility of realizing a broadband link to a mobile terminal, as described in the specification "European Digital Cellular Telecommunication System (FACE 2+) High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD); Stage 2 Service Description (GSM 03.34)" of the ETSI (European Telecommunication Standard Institute), September 1995.
This possibility represents a development of the above transmission mechanism. 2 to 8 radio channels are established for the broadband link to a mobile terminal, and assigned as subchannels to the broadband link. In this case the broadband link can be arranged for a transmission protocol with transparent transmission, or for one with nontransparent transmission.
With transparent transmission, data are transported in a frame structure according to the V.110 protocol, where numbers which indicate the subchannel are additionally transported in the band. In this way the data are distributed to the useful channels from the network-side entity of the transmission protocol, and are transported to the terminal-side entity in accordance with the V.110 protocol, where they are recombined by means of the subchannel numbers.
It was shown however that a broadband link which is based on this principle has a high error rate, since the recombination operates insufficiently because of the running time differences between the subchannels. Therefore, the transparent communication protocol (V.110) specified for this purpose by the relevant standard (GSM 03.34) has turned out to be unsuitable.
A modified RLP protocol is used for the nontransparent transmission, which is also called MRLP (Multiple Radio Link Protocol). The MRLP protocol distributes the data packets to the subchannels in the transmit-side entity, and recombines them in the receive-side entity by means of a transmission number. Furthermore, defective data packets are corrected in this protocol by means of an error correction process with repetition.
With broadband links based on this principle it was shown that the transmission time of the data packets is not constant because of the error correction, and the broadband link is therefore unable to fulfill the requirements of a synchronous connection. Thus neither of the two alternative principles can provide a broadband link which can be used for synchronous transmission.

Method of operating a broadband link between a mobile terminal and a network-side mobile radio facility, as well as mobile terminal, network-side mobile radio facility, and mobile radio system

Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d Electricite


The robotic leader-follower navigation and fleet management control method implements SLAM in a group leader of a nonholonomic group of autonomous robots, while, at the same time, executing a potential field control strategy in follower members of the group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to robotics, and particularly to a robotic leader-follower navigation and fleet management control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A robot generates its trajectory based on Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). The mapping problem is addressed by using the current observations and the last available knowledge about the navigation environment. From the literature, simultaneous localization and mapping is used when a robot is placed at an unknown location in an unknown environment and requested to incrementally build a map of this unknown environment and use it to navigate autonomously. However, a problem remains in the implementation of SLAM to control a fleet of robots.
Researchers addressed fleet control by implementing a potential fields formation control strategy, but they considered a point mass robot. What is needed, however, is to extend the fields formation control strategy to make one of the robots lead the others in an unknown environment, and at the same time have all the agents in the fleet keep their formation shape based on the potential fields. Moreover it would desirable to formulate a new framework extending previous work from point mass holonomic agents to nonholonomic vehicles.
Thus, a robotic leader-follower navigation and fleet management control method solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Robotic leader-follower navigation and fleet management control method

KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS

KING ABDULAZIZ CITY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


In a method for copying originals onto photographic single-sheet copy material, the original is scanned, and on the basis of the scanning values obtained the requisite quantities of copying light for the ensuing copying of the original onto the single-sheet copy material are ascertained. First, the unexposed single-sheet copy material is transported into the exposure beam path, then acted upon by the quantities of copying light ascertained previously, and finally removed for further processing. During the removal of the exposed single-sheet copy material, the next piece of unexposed single-sheet copy material is being transported into the exposure beam path.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for copying photographic originals onto single-sheet copy material.
2. State of the Art
Numerous methods of photographic copying using printers are known. In a frequent application, the frames of a negative film are copied onto photo paper. In terms of the equipment, a fundamental distinction is made between so-called high-speed printers (or high-speed lines) which produce only the most frequently used sizes of paper prints in very large numbers, and so-called minilabs whose primary field of application is the production of particular sizes of paper prints. Minilabs are also suitable for smaller or medium numbers of formats that occur quite often.
In professional photography, the formats or sizes desired are often variable, so that it is not expedient in practice to use minilabs to process striplike copy material (i.e. photo paper that comes on rolls). When minilabs are used, single-sheet copy material is typically used, i.e., photo paper in individual sheets. The individual sheets correspond in their dimensions to the desired format of the paper print. Since, as a rule, the negatives all have the same dimensions, the scale of projection is altered in the enlargement operation to achieve the desired size of paper print.
In a minilab, the negative to be copied is scanned (with a scanner) and the requisite quantities of copying light are ascertained with the aid of the scanning values obtained. Once the requisite quantities of copying light have been ascertained, the negative to be copied is guided on a film stage into the exposure beam path, and the requisite projection scale is adjusted. At the same time, the unexposed sheet of photo paper of the desired format is transported on a paper stage, also into the exposure beam path. This operation is performed without exposing the photo paper to copying light (for example, the light of the copying lamp is blocked with a baffle). If the negative to be copied and the sheet of photo paper have reached the appropriate copying position, the blocking unit is removed and the negative is copied onto the photo paper using the previously ascertained quantities of copying light. Next, the light coming from the copying lamp is blocked again, and the exposed photo paper is removed from the paper stage and processed further.
The operation described above is such that a sheet of photo paper is transported on the paper stage, (i.e., exposing stage) the negative is copied onto the photo paper and then the exposed photo paper is removed from the paper stage. Once this operation is concluded, the next sheet of photo paper is transported onto the paper stage, the corresponding negative is copied and the exposed photo paper is removed from the paper stage, and so forth. Only one sheet of paper is thus ever located on the paper stage at any given time. In a printer intended for producing copies of only a small number of formats, and in which the paper stage is well utilized even with the small formats, this kind of procedure is acceptable. However, if a great many different formats are to be processed, the utilization of the paper stage, especially for the small formats, is quite poor. At the same time, the small formats do occur with a certain frequency and thus the efficiency of the equipment is in need of improvement.

Method and apparatus for copying photographic originals onto single-sheet copy material


An apparatus for detachably fastening an equipment housing to a profile rail, preferably a top-hat rail mounted on a wall or bottom surface, includes guide strips. At least one clamp part slides on the guide strips and engages the profile rail in a clamping position like a tong. The at least one clamp part is retained in a clamping position by spring force operating in a given direction and is displaceable into an open position counter to the given direction for loosening. At least one locking part is displaceable relative to an equipment housing and is coupled to the at least one clamp part. The at least one locking part and the at least one clamp part occupy at least two positions defining a mutual spacing. The at least one locking part blocks the at least one clamp part in one of the positions for preventing the at least one clamp part from being displaced into the open position for loosening the equipment housing from the profile rail.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for detachably fastening an equipment housing to a profile rail, preferably a top hat rail, which is mounted on a wall or bottom surface, having clamp parts sliding on guide strips and engaging the profile rail in tonglike fashion, the clamp parts being retained in a clamping position thereof by spring force and being displaceable into an open position counter to an operative direction of the spring force for loosening.
Profile rails that are mounted on a wall surface are preferably used to fasten equipment housings, for instance for measuring transducers or switchgear, to walls. The housings can be attached to them with the said of a clamp device. As a rule, the clamp parts belonging to the clamp device are secured to the bottom part of such housings in such a way that they can slide on guide rails, and they engage the profile rail like tongs. Spring means assure that the clamp parts are retained in their clamping position.
In order to release such a clamp device when the equipment housing is removed from the profile, at least one of the two clamp parts must be put in its opening position, counter to the direction in which the spring means act. In order to achieve secure fastening of the equipment housing that is independent of vibration, so that the equipment will not unintentionally fall out of its anchoring, a strong spring must be used. On the other hand, strong spring forces make loosening of the fastening more difficult.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for detachably fastening an equipment housing to a profile rail, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type, which is simple in structure and with which an especially secure yet easily released housing fastening is attained.

Apparatus for detachably fastening an equipment housing to a profile rail


An assembly of a shoe and retention device for use on a gliding board. The retention device of the assembly includes an attachment mechanism for attaching in a vertical direction and along a horizontal plane, which cooperates with a complementary attachment mechanism of the shoe, arranged in a central portion of the sole of the shoe. The shoe includes a skeleton that is constituted by a minimal force-transmission circuit which provides for the support necessary for practicing the gliding sport and the force-transmission circuit passes through the attachment mechanism of the shoe. The integration of the shoe having a minimal force-transmission circuit and its direct linkage with the attachment mechanism of the shoe make it possible to ensure a good transmission of forces and support for a minimum space requirement of the retention device.

Snowboarding is a gliding sport in which both feet of the rider are on a single board and positioned obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board.
There are two origins for shoe/retention device assemblies corresponding to different dominant practices.
For a practice of the alpine type preferably carried out on a trail or packed snow, the shoes are of the alpine or cross-country ski type, rigid, in such a manner to allow for very sustained and precise support transmissions and edge settings. The retention elements cooperating with such shoes are generally stirrups locking each of the front and rear ends of each shoe sole. The rigidity of such shoe is generally obtained by a shell and a collar journalled made of plastic thus constituting a closed power circuit. This construction has the following disadvantages:
hinderance during the transition phases when the rider has only one shod foot on the board and pushes against in the snow with the second foot in order to move, notably on flat or in tendon lines for ski lifts, PA1 hinderance during the movements that are necessary in the practice of snowboarding, particularly when the knee must move inwardly by a lateral flexion of the ankle, either to bend further, or to land from a jump, or to carry out figures during an airborne phase, PA1 filtration of the sensations coming from the board through the rigid sole, thus reducing much of the information circuit, PA1 hinderance during walking. PA1 that the retention device comprises means for attachment in the vertical direction and along a horizontal plane cooperating with complementary shoe attachment means arranged in a central portion of the sole of the shoe, PA1 that the shoe comprises a skeleton constituting a minimal energy circuit for the transmission of forces and support necessary in the practice of the sport, and PA1 that this energy circuit passes through the attachment means of the sole of the shoe.
For a practice of the "Soft" type preferably carried out on soft, non-packed, powdery snow, favoring jumps, sides-lipping, and other figures, the shoes are very flexible and the necessary supports are essentially provided by retention elements in the form of an open shell and a journalled collar that are rigid, associated with straps, two or three per foot, allowing for the transmission of vertical forces from the bottom upward and forward.
Furthermore, the maintaining of the ankle and the instep is obtained by a diagonal strap substantially positioned at the level of the flexion fold and associated with a semi-rigid padded plate that distributes the pressure on the instep and ensures a progressiveness of the flexion of the heel, toward the front in particular.
These flexible shoes are essentially designed as sealed and comfortable shoes and having no role in the transmission of forces.
Therefore, they have the advantage of being comfortable and allowing a normal walk.
On the contrary, the retention elements with a shell are cumbersome and require a precise adjustment to the volume of the shoe during each operation for "putting on" the snowboard.
From the patent application FR No. 93.06006, now French Patent No. 2,705,268, published Nov. 25, 1994, there has been proposed a device for retaining a snowboard shoe on a board by complementarity of the forms between the lower surface of the sole and the retention device, and the device for vertical latching.
Such a retention device has a particularly simple construction and is independent of the size of the shoe.
On the contrary, it requires a rigid sole and is therefore not compatible with shoes of the boot type with a flexible sole.
Such a retention device does not allow either the taking of support, transmissions of forces provided by the retention devices with a shell.

Shoe/shoe retention device assembly on a gliding element


Disclosed is a floating gate neuron MOS transistor that may be incorporated into devices such as low voltage silicon control rectifiers for protection of internal circuits against electrostatic discharge. The transistor includes two or more input gates capacitively coupled to the floating gate. By adjusting the coupling ratio of the input gates, it is possible to control the transistor drain turn-on voltage very precisely and thereby turn on the rectifier without relying on avalanche breakdown of the transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for integrated circuits, and in particular, to the use of a floating gate neuron MOS transistor for electrostatic discharge protection.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the down-scaling of CMOS transistors, the gate oxide may be as thin as 100 .ANG. or less. The high impedance node at the input may be easily charged by electrostatic charges to as high as 2000 V (of either positive or negative polarity) during handling. As a result, gate oxide on the discharge path of scaled down CMOS devices connected to the input node can be destroyed or damaged to cause subsequent failure early in the operating life of the device.
Input and output circuit terminals are designed with protection networks on the chip that provide a path for ESD and prevent the generation of excessive voltage across the gate oxide of the devices. One state-of-the-art gate protection network utilizes the parasitic SCR (Silicon Control Rectifier) device which can be fabricated using CMOS technology. In its "on" state, the SCR provides excellent protection for sensitive devices because its "on" resistance is low and the electrostatic charge can be quickly discharged with heat dissipation over a large volume. One way to trigger conventional SCR devices is using the current generated during "avalanch" breakdown of the n-well to p-substrate junction by applying sufficient voltage across the pnpn path in the SCR device.
However, some particularly sensitive devices may be damaged at voltages less than the SCR trigger voltage (V.sub.trig). Therefore, the SCR alone is useless for protecting these devices. For example, if V.sub.trig is around 30 V, the gate-oxide breakdown voltage and drain breakdown voltage of a MOS transistor in a 0.5 .mu. device (120 .ANG.gate oxide) are both less than 15 V. If the SCR is to provide protection against ESD at an input or output pad, then its V.sub.trig should be less than the drain breakdown voltage of the NMOS device at the output buffer or the gate-oxide breakdown voltage at the input pads.
A Low-Voltage Triggering SCR (LVTSCR) structure has been developed for ESD protection of submicron CMOS devices. These LVTSCR reportedly have trigger voltages that are lower than the gate-oxide breakdown voltage (the gate oxide breakdown field is .apprxeq.8.times.10.sup.6 V/cm) and the drain breakdown voltage of MOS transistors. As shown in FIG. 1, in a LVTSCR, an NMOS structure is incorporated into the SCR as a device for triggering SCR at low-voltage. In this structure, the drain device trigger voltage V.sub.trig is determined by the snap-back breakdown voltage of the incorporated NMOS device. The drain of the NMOS device is connected to the n-well of the pnpn path of the SCR device; the gate and the source are both tied to V.sub.ss. As a result, high voltage generated from the pad during an ESD event brings the NMOS device into snap-back breakdown at a lower voltage than the SCR structure. If the channel length of the MOS transistor in LVTSCR is smaller than 0.5 .mu., then the drain breakdown of the NMOS occurs at lower voltage; in turn, the SCR is triggered at lower voltage for the circuit. The equivalent circuits for two popular LVTSCR are shown in FIG. 1. In one LVTSCR, the pad is shorted to the n-well in the associated SCR path and has a higher trigger current; in the other LVTSCR, the pad is not shortened to the n-well. In the former, when the pad is zapped to high voltage, the snap-back current in the n-channel MOS initially forward biases the pnp bipolar device (Qp) and then the npn bipolar device (Qn), and finally the SCR path enters into latch-up mode. The positive ESD charge is then quickly removed through the SCR path without damaging internal circuits. The n-channel MOS serves the function of providing triggering current in order to trigger the SCR path into the "on" state. It is well known that the triggering current is larger when the n-well is shorted to the pad.
Similarly, a complementary LVTSCR structure incorporating a PMOS transistor is useful for protection against a negative ESD zap, as described by Ker, et al., "Complementary LVTSCR ESD Protection Circuit for Submicron CMOS VLSI/ULSI," IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, Vol. 43, No. 4, p. 588-598, 1996. When the pad is zapped to low voltage, the snap-back current in the p-channel MOS initially forward biases the npn bipolar (Qn) and then the pnp bipolar (Qp), and finally the SCR path enters into latch-up mode. The negative ESD charge is then quickly removed through the SCR path without damaging internal circuits. Again, the p-channel MOS serves the function of providing latch-up triggering current for the SCR path. The case when the n-well is shorted to V.sub.dd requires larger latch-up triggering current and hence requires a larger p-channel MOS transistor in the LVTSCR structure.
Several opportunities for improvements remain in conventional devices for ESD protection. First, since V.sub.trig is sensitive to process variations (such as channel length), it is desirable to enhance photolithographic technologies to print channel lengths of MOS transistors in LVTSCR structure that are smaller than the minimum feature size capability of the technique. Second, the snap-back breakdown voltage of the MOS transistors in LVTSCR varies with the channel length, and the effects of hot carrier generation during an ESD zap event. Third, it is desirable to be able to tune V.sub.trig without resort to changing the channel length of the MOS in LVTSCR devices. Finally, it is desirable to trigger the SCR device without the MOS transistor operating in breakdown.
Accordingly it is desirable to modify conventional MOS transistors in LVTSCR devices, so that V.sub.trig is controlled by the turn-on voltage of a floating gate MOS transistor by proper gate coupling to the floating-gate transistor.

ESD Input protection using a floating gate neuron MOSFET as a tunable trigger element