A dynamic circuit that prevents a malfunction, even when the operating temperature is high, including a pre-charging circuit connected between a power source node and a signal wiring, a plurality of discharging circuits being connected between a power source node and a signal wiring, a plurality f discharging circuit connected between the signal wiring and a ground potential respectively and for being selectively turn-ON/OFF controlled, a leakage current detecting circuit for detecting a current corresponding to a leakage current generated between the signal wiring and the ground potential in the turn-OFF state of each discharging circuit, and a leakage current correcting circuit connected between the power source node and the signal wiring and for continuously supplying to the signal wiring a leakage correction current equivalent to a leakage current of the signal wiring corresponding to a detected current of the leakage current detecting circuit during a leakage current correction period.

The present invention relates to a dynamic circuit formed on a semiconductor integrated circuit, and relates more particularly to a leakage correcting circuit of a dynamic logical circuit having a pre-charging function which is used, for example, in a dynamic circuit of a digital signal processor.
FIG. 1 shows a prior-art example of a dynamic logical circuit having a pre-charging function.
In FIG. 1, a source and a drain of a PMOS transistor 2 for a pre-charging are connected between a Vcc node to which a power source potential Vcc is supplied and a signal wiring 5 such as an aluminum wiring, for example, and a first inverter circuit 20 is inserted between a pre-charge control signal input node 1 and the PMOS transistor 2.
Each drain of a plurality (a few to several dozens) of NMOS transistors 9, 10, - - - , 11 is connected (wired NOR connection) in common to the signal wiring 5. Each source of these plurality of NMOS transistors is connected to a ground potential (Vss) node and a selective input signal is applied from input signal nodes 6, 7, - - - , 8 corresponding to each gate.
A second inverter circuit 12 for an output driving is inserted between the signal wiring 5 and a signal output node 13.
On the other hand, a leakage correcting circuit 21 has a source and a drain of PMOS transistor 3 for supplying a leakage correction current connected between the Vcc node and the signal wiring 5 and has a third inverter circuit 4 inserted between the signal wiring 5 and the gate of the PMOS transistor 3.
The leakage correcting circuit 21 is provided to correct a reduction of a potential of the signal wiring 5 due to a leakage current which flows slightly between the drains and the sources of the NMOS transistors even if no voltage is being applied to the gates of the NMOS transistors 9, 10, - - - , 11 of which drains are connected to the signal wiring 5.
In this case, the leakage correction current supply quantity of the leakage correcting circuit 21 is set to correspond to the estimate quantity of the leakage current of the NNOS transistors.
Next, an ideal operation of the dynamic logical circuit will be explained below with reference to a timing waveform diagram shown in FIG. 2.
At first, during a period while the pre-charge control signal input is at an "H" level, the PMOS transistor 2 for pre-charging is set to an ON state by an output of "L" level of the first inverter circuit 20.
Then, the signal wiring 5 is pre-charged to the Vcc potential ("H" level) and the output of the second inverter circuit 12 or the potential of the signal output node 13 is set to an "L" level.
Next, the pre-charge control signal input 1 becomes the "L" level, and when one or a plurality of NMOS transistors are selected and turned on during this period by a selective input signal (only the waveform of the node 6 is shown representatively) of the input signal nodes 6, 7, - - - , 8, the potential of the signal wiring 5 is discharged. When the potential of the signal wiring 5 drops to a level not higher than the threshold voltage of the second inverter circuit 12 for output driving, the potential of the signal output node 13 is inverted to the "H" level.
The PMOS transistor 3 of the leakage correcting circuit 21 remains in the turn-ON state by the "L" level output of the third inverter circuit 4 until when the potential of the signal wiring 5 has dropped to a level not higher than the threshold voltage of the third inverter circuit 4 for supplying a leakage correction current, and the leakage correcting circuit 21 is continuing the supply of the leakage correction current to the signal wiring 5 so as to correct the reduction of the potential of the signal wiring 5 due to the leakage current of the NMOS transistors.
When the potential of the signal wiring 5 drops to a level not higher than the threshold voltage of the third inverter by the above-described logical operation, the PMOS transistor 3 for supplying a leakage correction current is set to the turn-OFF state by the "H" level output of the third inverter circuit 4.
However, there is a case where a malfunction occurs because the actual operation waveform of the dynamic logical circuit becomes as shown in FIG. 3, for example. In other words, since the leakage current of each NMOS transistor increases in proportion to a temperature rise, the leakage current of the NMOS transistors increases to exceed the leakage correction current supply quantity of the leakage correcting circuit 21 when the operation temperature is high. When the potential of the signal wiring 5 has dropped to a level not higher than the estimated value and further dropped to a level not higher than the threshold voltage of the second inverter circuit 12 for output driving as shown in FIG. 3, there occurs such a malfunction that the potential of the signal output node 13 is inverted to the "H" level.
In this case, when the potential of the signal wiring 5 has dropped to a level not higher than the threshold voltage the third inverter circuit 4 for supplying a leakage correction current, the PMOS transistor 3 for supplying a leakage correction current is set to the turn-OFF state by the "H" level output of the third inverter circuit 4, so that the leakage correction current is not supplied.
In order to avoid the above-described malfunction, various countermeasures can be considered such as the driving capacity of the third inverter circuit 4 for supplying a leakage correction current in the leakage correcting circuit 21 is increased or the threshold voltage of the third inverter circuit 4 is lowered.
According to the above countermeasures, however, when only a limited number (for example, only one) of the NMOS transistors is selectively turned on by the selective input signal, the speed for discharging the load of the signal wiring 5 is lowered, with a result that the speed of the logical operation until a normal potential is outputted to the signal output node 13 is lowered.
The Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-62490 discloses a technique for deciding whether the potential of a bit line has dropped to a certain level by a leakage of an electrical load and, when the drop has been decided, for preventing a drop of the potential of the bit line due to the leakage by adding a capacity to the bit line, with a view to preventing an error due to the leakage of the electrical load at the time of reading a memory data in a read only semiconductor memory.
The above-described technique, however, does not prevent a malfunction attributable to the fact that the leakage current estimated quantity and the leakage correction current supply quantity are set an imbalanced state depending on the temperature.


An exercise apparatus that simulates uphill cycling where the user is able to maintain a preferred standing posture while programmed pedal platforms supporting each foot move through an exercise cycle that includes translating and non-parallel angular motion generated by a linkage mechanism. Simple harmonic load resistance acting upon the linkage mechanism is provided by drag pulleys or viscous damping cylinders for high intensity cycling exercise without dead center rotary crank problems.

1. Field
The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus that simulates uphill bicycling. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise apparatus having separately supported pedal platforms exhibiting non-parallel programmed motion in conjunction with the phasing of two or more sources of non-linear load resistance highly suited as an uphill trainer.
2. State of the Art
The benefits of regular exercise to improve overall health, appearance and longevity are well documented in the literature. For exercise enthusiasts the search continues for a safe apparatus that provides maximum benefit in minimum time without boredom.
The sit down exercise cycle is the most commonly used apparatus today to elevate the heart rate and exercise some of the leg muscles. To achieve any significant benefit, however, an extensive amount of time is demanded of the user resulting in boredom. The Lifecycle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,105 leads a popular trend to reduce the boredom of sit down cycling by offering programmed load resistance changes over many minutes of cycling and a clever display to capture the attention of the user. However, the issue of extensive time and limited muscle usage is not fully addressed.
To reduce the time for a given benefit, the muscles must be worked harder with increased load. Increasing the load of common resistance systems such as air drag systems U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,789,153; 4,971,316, friction brakes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,007,927; 4,981,294 or electrical drag U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,021 reduces crank speed making it very difficult for the user to pedal through the dead center positions occurring when the leg is fully extended or retracted during operation. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,263 involves an eccentric brake drum which helps reduce top/bottom dead center problems associated with sit-down exercise cycles. Other U.S. Patents dealing with mechanisms or controls to modify the load resistance cycle include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,419,732; 3,501,142; 3,518,985; 3,744,480; 3,767,195; 3,802,698; 3,845,756; 3,848,467; 4,112,928; 4,244,021 and 4,029,334. However, none of these efforts anticipate the phasing of two or more separate load resistance systems to increase the pedal load on the down or power stroke while decreasing the load during the dead center positions. Still only limited muscles are used during sit-down cycling even with increased loading.
In recent years, stair climbers have become very popular due to the higher loading possible with stand-up exercise as well as different muscles used compared to sitdown cycling. The Stairmaster U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,338 is one of the most popular stairclimbers allowing up and down independent parallel foot pedal movement with programmed load variation over multiple cycles as well as a clever display to hold the attention of the user. Other stairclimbers U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,989,858 and 5,013,031 provide reciprocating foot motion but with non-parallel pedal control and differing load resistance systems.
Another group of stair climbers U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,687,195; 4,726,581 and 4,927,136 have moving stairs requiring the user to remove the foot from each stair after the down stroke. While this foot motion is more diverse than the reciprocating motion of most stair climbers, the issue of operator safety requires complex solutions for practical apparatus.
Stand-up cycling approaches the benefits of running to the cardiovascular system if only uphill cycling could be achieved. Dr. Cooper in his book entitled THE AEROBICS PROGRAM FOR TOTAL WELL-BEING by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, Bantam Books, New York, 1982 awards only half the benefit points to sit-down stationary cycling (page 260) over regular cycling which includes an equal amount of uphill and downhill course (page 255). Dr. Cooper grades running some what better than regular cycling, but without the downhill rest inherent in regular cycling, it is certain that uphill cycling only would be superior to running for cardiovascular benefits in less time.
Stand-up cycling is described in various patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,541 (Sanquist) which uses weighted free pedals as load resistance and side to side twisting motion. Also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,519,603 and 4,477,072 by DeCloux describe stand-up cycling with free pedals in a lift mode to simulate body lifting after the lower dead center pedal position to the other pedal in the higher position. A brake or clutch system is deployed to load or stop the lower pedal while the weight is transferred to the other pedal after the crank has passed through the dead center position. All of these stand-up cycling patents mentioned use free pedals which are free to rotate about one pivot point on the crank. Stand-up pedaling is safer when the free pedal is fully constrained to become a platform capable of providing body balance on one foot with minimum hand support.
Parallel motion pedal constraint is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,419 (Hyde) where pulleys of the same size are coupled with a belt or chain to maintain a pedal platform horizontal or parallel to a base through a rotatable cycle of motion. Parallel pedal motion using a parallelogram linkage is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,338. Another popular stand-up exerciser is sold by Diversified Products of Opelika, Al. as the DP Air Strider shown in FIG. 1. The Air Strider provides a pedal platform constrained by two equal length cranks which are coupled by a chain riding on equal diameter sprockets giving parallel horizontal pedal motion similar to Hyde. While parallel platforms help stabilize the balance of the user, the heel of the foot raises from the platform during operation when the knee is bent in the upper positions of pedal platform movement (see FIG. 1). The ankle ligaments and particularly the Achilles tendon are subjected to excessive stress when the heel is raised forcing all weight on that leg to be supported by the ball of the foot.
There is a need for an exercise cycle that can be used in the stand-up mode that provides a stable pedal platform which inclines as the knee is bent thus obviating the need to raise the heel off the pedal platform whereby unwanted stress is removed from the ankle ligaments and from the Achilles tendon. There is a further need to provide load resistance with high intensity down loading and low intensity dead center loading for stand-up or sit-down cycling to increase the exercise benefit in shorter time intervals.

Programmed pedal platform exercise apparatus


A belt-positioning booster seat is adapted to be positioned on a passenger seat included in a vehicle and to support a child seated on the passenger seat. The belt-positioning booster seat includes a seat pad to elevate a child above a seat bottom of the passenger seat along with left and right belt guides adapted to receive a lap belt that extends over a child seated on the seat pad.

The present disclosure relates to child passenger seats, and particularly to a system for retaining a child passenger seat in place on a passenger seat in a vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system for positioning a seat belt provided alongside a passenger seat in a vehicle relative to a child seated on a child passenger seat placed on the passenger seat.

Belt-positioning booster seat for vehicles


A real time, customer specific Web Order Management (WOM) system is disclosed in which a trade customer (buyer) can order products from a large manufacturer or distributor via a computer network such as the public internet. A “firewall” may be provided to keep the system secure. The WOM provides validation to the buyer that the order received from the buyer is a “quality order,” which as an example may mean that an entire truckload (in most countries) is being ordered from a single location, such as a distributor or a warehouse. The WOM system may have a global reach and the access for the trade customer is fairly simple, by means of a standard web browser and an Internet Service Provider. Buyers can order at any time when it is convenient for them, and the WOM system will assist the buyer in creating a “quality order” during a single on-line session, so that the buyer is made aware in substantially real time that the order needs to be reworked during the session, or the order can stand as originally entered if it turns out to be a quality order. The WOM system thereby validates the order, essentially in front of the customer/buyer in real time.

When trade customers order products from a manufacturer or a distributor of the manufacturer's goods, historically a purchase order has been prepared and mailed, faxed or sent electronically via electronic data interchange (EDI) to the manufacturer or the distributor. If the trade customer is in a hurry, then the purchase order may be telephoned directly to a sales representative of the manufacturer or distributor. For large quantities of goods, the telephone call would not suffice in general, so the typical procedure is to use a written purchase order.
When large quantities of goods are ordered so that they may essentially require an entire trailer load for delivery, the purchaser or "buyer" may have several options, and perhaps could order several different products from a particular distributor or manufacturer to create the "truckload" of goods. However, the purchaser/buyer may not be aware of the normal shipping requirements for a truckload of goods, and may attempt to instigate an order that is not a "quality order," which means that there is not a true truckload of goods since the trailer would not be adequately filled, or that the quantity exceeded the capacity for a single trailer. The purchaser/buyer would not necessarily be aware of these problems at the time.
When this occurs, historically a sales representative for the manufacturer or distributor would have to place a telephone call to the purchaser/buyer to modify the order to create a "quality order," which would satisfactorily fill the trailer of the truck, although there may need to be some negotiating back and forth between the buyer and seller (known as "rework") to determine just what goods would be placed on the next trailer out from the manufacturer's warehouse or distributor, or what additional goods should be added to make up the truckload.
More recently, computer networks, such as the public internet, can be used to communicate purchase transactions between buyers and sellers, and of course, such transactions are quite common for consumers. For large goods transactions involving a "trade customer" as the purchaser/buyer, one does not simply use a credit card number to fill a truck or trailer full of consumer goods that will be purchased by the trade customer from a large manufacturer or distributor. Instead, a more sophisticated system that is customized toward allowing such transactions would be better suited, even though it may still involve the public internet. Such a more suitable system would eliminate or reduce the paperwork required for entering purchase orders, and could also reduce the amount of personal negotiating between a buyer and seller to create a true quality order.

Customer specific web order management system and method which provides real time “quality order” validation


A preload mechanism for use in a rotary control valve is disclosed. The preload mechanism mechanically interlocks input and output members of the control valve to inhibit relative rotation therebetween when steering torque applied to the input member is below a predetermined preload level. The preload mechanism includes a tension spring ring having at least one pair of elongated slots. Pins secured to each of the input and output members project through and are retained in the slots in an over-constrained manner whereby the preload force is bi-directionally exerted on both of the pins.

The present invention relates generally to a rotary con valve wherein relative rotation between a valve sleeve and a valve spool received therein effectively controls fluid distribution and fluid pressure from a pump to opposite ends of a hydraulic actuator. More particularly, the present invention is directed to incorporation of a preload mechanism into the rotary control valve for enhancing "on-center" feel in vehicular power steering systems. The preload mechanism functions to mechanically interlock the valve sleeve and valve spool of the power steering control apparatus for inhibiting relative rotation therebetween so as to increase tactile reactions to steering inputs at low levels of steering wheel input torque.
For efficient operation of rotary control valve, it is desirable that the control valve be correctly set-up ("balanced") when in its neutral or "centered" condition. Accordingly, the preload mechanism should be operable to rotationally bias the spool and sleeve relative to each other and to the neutral condition in which condition fluid flow, if any, through the control valve presents balanced characteristics. Most rotary control valves used in power-assisted vehicular steering systems provide open-center characteristics in the neutral condition such that a supply of fluid under pressure to an inlet port of the control valve provides pressure drops which are "balanced" across its outlet ports which are in fluid communication with opposite sides of the hydraulic power cylinder and to a fluid return system.
In most conventional vehicular power steering systems, the power steering control apparatus is equipped with a rotary control valve wherein relative rotation between the valve spool and valve sleeve from the centered position in response to steering input torque operates to control the degree of hydraulic power-assist provided. It is known in the power steering art to use a preload device for facilitating improvements in the tactile reaction to low level steering inputs. In general, preload devices function to return the rotary control valve to its centered position upon removal of input torque as well as for inhibiting relative rotative between the valve spool and valve sleeve in response to input torques below an over-ride or preload threshold. As such, at input torque levels below the preload threshold value, the power steering system functions substantially similar to a manual mechanical steering system.
One type of preload mechanism used in power steering systems is commonly referred to as an over-ride detent device. While such over-ride detent devices are typically capable of achieving the required preload requirements, they are often subject to undesirable Coulomb friction resulting in excessive hysteresis of the over-ride threshold. Other known preload mechanism can be generally classified as spring-loaded devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,839 discloses a device wherein a C-shaped compression spring is fixed to the valve sleeve. A first abutment secured to the valve spool is located within a mouth portion of the compression spring while a second abutment secured to the valve sleeve is also located within the mouth portion. Upon application of a steering torque exceeding the preload of the compression spring, relative rotation between the valve spool and valve sleeve occurs wherein the abutments react in opposite directions against the mouth portion of the compression spring for exerting a tensile force thereon. This tensile force tends to enlarge the mouth portion of the compression spring. Unfortunately, to avoid lateral "buckling" of the C-spring in response to such enlargement or "camming-open" the mouth portion, the compression spring must be guided through such motion which results in excessive friction and unwanted hysteresis.

Preload mechanism for power steering apparatus


The present invention relates to a method for forming a fire combustion modified batt. The method comprises the step of forming a blend of nonwoven and oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers into a web. The oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers are fire resistant and when blended with nonwoven fibers are relatively easily processed into a batt. A second blend of nonwoven fibers can be formed into a web and layered with the oxidized polyacrylonitrile fiber web to form the batt. The fibers are bonded together with heat, resin or other bonding material and are compressed and cooled. The fire combustion modified batt is useful as fire barriers and fillers in bedding, upholstery and vehicle and aircraft seats, as insulators for apparel, appliances, walls and ducting, as barriers to separate control systems from a heat source, and as components in fire safety gear such as race driver suits and oven and welding mitts.

Fire retardant barriers are desirable for a wide variety of applications. Products for household and public occupancies such as health care facilities, convalescent care homes, college dormitories, residence halls, hotels, motels and correctional institutions are sometimes governed by regulations which require certain fire resistant characteristics, particularly in bedding and upholstery. Fire barrier components are also needed in apparel, fire safety gear, vehicle and aircraft seating and walls, as insulators for appliances, walls, ducting, as barriers to separate sensitive controls from a heat source and other similar applications where fire safety is a concern. Effective fire barriers minimize the amount and rate of heat released from the barrier upon contact with fire. The rate of heat released is an indication of the intensity of the fire generated from the fire barrier material as well as how quickly the fire spreads. Slowing the spread of fire advantageously increases the amount of response time for a fire victim to safely escape and a fire department to successfully extinguish the fire.
In the bedding, upholstery and other industries, foams and nonwoven fibers are used in mattresses, sofas, chairs, and seat cushions, backs and arms. Traditionally, urethane foam has been combined with other types of cushioning materials such as cotton batting, latex rubber, and various nonwoven fibers in order to impart desirable comfort, loft and durability characteristics to a finished product. However, urethane foam is extremely flammable and must be chemically treated or coated to impart fire resistant properties to the foam. Alternatively, neoprene foam is used in bedding and upholstery products as it is relatively fire resistant. Both neoprene foam and urethane foam which have been treated for fire resistancy are relatively expensive.
Synthetic and natural nonwoven fibers also have demonstrated usefulness in the construction of mattresses and upholstery. Such fibers are inherently lightweight and therefore easy to ship, store and manipulate during processing. When subjected to open flame, many synthetic fibers, particularly polymer fibers and specifically dry polyester fibers, tend to melt and drip rather than burn. In addition, polymer fibers can be coated for fire resistance. For example, polymer fibers which have been treated for fire resistance are identified in the industry under the names Trevira FR, Kevlar and Nomex and are considered to be non-flammable.
Correctional institutions typically use three types of cushion cores for mattresses. The cushion cores include foam, densified synthetic nonwoven fiber which has a density of about 1.5 pounds per cubic foot or greater, and cotton batting. Left untreated, cotton fibers are extremely flammable and burn rapidly. Cotton can, however, be chemically treated, typically with boric acid, to impart fire resistant properties to the cotton. Correctional institutions with heightened fire safety concerns may require their mattresses to meet certain fire safety standards. In these cases, the cushion cores are comprised of neoprene foam or cotton batting which has been treated with boric acid. However, cotton is extremely moisture absorbent. Thus, mattresses comprised of cotton are difficult to maintain in a hygienic condition. Furthermore, cotton mattresses are relatively heavy.
Oxidized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers, while fire resistant, are difficult to process into batts for use as a barrier layer or filling, particularly in bedding and upholstery applications. The fibers are relatively low in weight and specific gravity making traditional carding methods for forming batts difficult. In addition, oxidized PAN fibers are so-called dead fibers as they have relatively little resilience and loft and are incompressible. In certain applications, in particular for bedding and upholstery, a oxidized PAN fiber batt may be unsuitable where comfort and loft are desired. Oxidized PAN fibers are also black in color and thus may be unsuitable in applications which require a light color beneath a light decorative upholstery or mattress layer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for forming fire combustion modified batt


An aerosol size-selective impactor for reducing particle bounce includes a main structure, a buffering layer, and a dehydration preventing layer. This main structure with an inlet and an outlet has a central channel and a receiving cavity. There are many nozzles in the inlet. The buffering layer is filled in the receiving cavity. The dehydration preventing layer is coated on the buffering layer for reducing the dehydration of water contained in the buffering layer. So, this invention utilizes the design of the receiving cavity to receive both layers. Its accuracy is high. Its sampling time lasts longer. It can endure vibrations. This invention can yield the particle bounce effect with lower cost. And, its application scope is wide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aerosol size-selective impactor for reducing particle bounce. Particularly, it relates to an aerosol size-selective impactor for reducing particle bounce that has a buffering layer and a dehydration preventing layer. It also utilizes the design of the receiving cavity to contain both layers. This invention has the advantages and functions as follows. Its accuracy is high. Its sampling time lasts longer. It can endure vibrations. It can minimize the particle bounce effect. Its cost is low. And, its application scope is wide.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, the aerosol sampling at a working place or environment is to measure the total amount of the airborne aerosol particles. However, the hazardous aerosols will stay in different locations in human's breathing system. However, due to the size discrepancy of some aerosols, they will not reach the deeper area of the respiratory organ. For example, aerosols with a sufficiently large aerodynamic diameter having enough inertia force have little chance of entering the alveolar region of the lungs. Therefore, when a person measures the exposure amount of the ambient aerosols, the particle size distribution as a function of aerodynamic diameter should be considered. The respiratory tract can be treated as three regions: the head airways region, the tracheobraonchial region of the lungs including the trachea and ciliated airways, and the alveolar region of the lungs including non-ciliated airways and alveolar sacs. Using size-selective sampling recommendations as a basis, three fractions of the ambient airborne particles are defined: inspirable, thoracic and respirable.
These relate to airborne particles which can be expected to enter the head, lungs and alveolar regions of the lungs, respectively. The 50% cut-off size of the respirable, thoracic and inspirable fraction is 4 μm, 10 μm and 100 μm, respectively.
Based on the above-mentioned reasons, it is necessary to develop a size-selective impactor that can conduct a more precise aerosol sampling.
For the labor, the purpose for aerosol sampling at a working environment is to evaluate the health hazards associated with particles deposited in the human breathing system. For example, it can evaluate the mass concentration and size distribution of the airborne particles. An ideal size-selective sampler not only can provide a better aerosol sampling, but also can precisely evaluate the influence on human's health. The basic operation of a typical size-selective sampler is described below. Aerosols are passed through a nozzle and the output stream directed against a flat plate. The flat plate, called an impaction plate, deflects the flow to form an abrupt 90-degree bend in the streamlines. Particles whose inertia exceeds a certain value are unable to follow the streamlines and impact on the impaction plate. Smaller particles which can follow the streamlines and avoid hitting the impaction plate remain airborne and flow out of the impactor. All particles that impact on the impaction surface must stick on it without bounce. The particles collected from the impaction surface can be either chosen for subsequently analysis or discarded if treat impactor as a pre-classifier, for different sampling purposes and impactor designs.
Referring to FIG. 1, it is a traditional impaction substrate 90 that is coated with oil or grease. Practically, it is the silicone oil 91. This coating surface with oil or grease can increase the adhesion energy, the deformation and the dissipated energy (for the aerosols 92) on the surface of the impaction substrate 90. So, the dynamic energy of the moving particles can be reduced. It also can minimize the particle bounce problem. This kind of coating surface not only can reduce the particle bounce, but also can lower the particle loading effect.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, they illustrate the process when the moving aerosols 92 hit on the silicone oil 91. These aerosols 92 will stay inside the silicone oil 92. Because these aerosols 92 will not be dissolved in the silicone oil 91, they will stay and accumulate. When the loading of the hitting aerosols 91 exceed a certain level, as shown in FIG. 2C, the moving aerosols 92 will hit the prior laden aerosols 92 and bounce off eventually. This is the typical particle bounce problem. This particle bounce will significantly reduce the accuracy of the sampling data. Moreover, assuming that there are 1000 aerosols 92, only the first 500 aerosols 92 hit the silicone oil 91 and stay inside. So, the other 500 aerosols 92 will bounce away. Under such circumstance, the error or sampling bias of this measurement becomes extremely large.
Furthermore, the oil or grease used in the traditional size-selective sampler usually is the silicone oil 91. However, the silicone oil 91 cannot sustain long-term heavy particle loading as incoming particles are bouncing off particles that had already been deposited. Its sampling time cannot last too long. It is another disadvantage.
In addition, if the silicone oil 91 is replaced by another oil with low volatility, its viscosity is lower. So, it is very easy to leak out while this sampler is shaking, vibrating or tilting (especially when the person is walking). Consequently, the sampling result will be inaccurate.

Aerosol size-selective impactor for reducing particle bounce


An electrical insulation for a heatsink (14) of a semiconductor device (10) is provided by an insulating layer (16) formed on a desired portion or portions of the semiconductor device (10) to protect a semiconductor die (17) from arcing currents due to high voltage potentials. The insulating layer (16) is formed from a non-conductive powder coating which is applied to the semiconductor devices (10) by attracting the powder to the semiconductor device (10) in one of four ways. Either a fluidized powder bed process, an electrostatic fluidized bed process, an electrostatic spraying process, or the powder is applied during the mold process on the desired surface of the semiconductor device (10). Once the powder coating is applied to the heatsink (14), the semiconductor package is cured to form the insulating layer (16). The insulating layer (16) can also be formed over other portions the semiconductor device (10) such as a body (13), leads (12), or a leadframe (11).

The present invention relates, in general, to semiconductor packages, and more particularly, to semiconductor packages having high electrical breakdown resistance.
Many semiconductor packages include a heatsink which is thermally coupled to a semiconductor die for the dissipation of heat during the operation of the semiconductor device. At times, these heatsinks are also electrically connected to the semiconductor die through a die flag. To protect the semiconductor device from high current flow due to high voltage potentials, it is necessary to electrically insulate the heatsink of the semiconductor device.
One method relies on insulating the heatsink when it is mounted onto a circuit board as part of a larger system. To help cool each component in a system, the heatsink of each package is mounted onto a larger heatsink which dissipates the heat generated by the entire system. To electrically insulate the heatsink of the package from the heatsink of the system, the package is coated with grease and mounted onto a non-conductive pad with an insulated screw. This method adds cost to the system and reduces the efficiency of the heatsink to dissipate heat.
Some other previously known techniques which insulate the heatsink of the package, rely on forming a layer of molding compound between the heatsink and semiconductor die or encapsulate both the heatsink and semiconductor die in molding compound. The mold compound used must be thermally conductive which is more expensive than the standard mold compound used in the industry. Both of these techniques are adequate for insulating the heatsink of a semiconductor package, but do so with added assembly cost.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a method for insulating the heatsink of a semiconductor package so that the package can be mounted into a system and offer protection from currents which can result due to high voltage potentials. It would be of further advantage to provide a method that offers the flexibility to perform the method during any step of the assembly process and do so while adding nominal cost to the final product. It would be of even further advantage if the method did not require any environmentally hazardous chemicals or produce any by-products which must be disposed of. It would also be advantageous if this method could also be used to electrically isolate portions of a semiconductor device from each other.

Semiconductor device having an insulating layer and method for making


A plastic grinding method under isostatic pressure, wherein, by using a container capable of increasing liquid pressure and generating vibration with supersonic waves, work-pieces to be ground and a grinding compound and grinding granules are placed in the container, the liquid pressure of the grinding compound in the container is raised to a predetermined value according to the Pascal's law, so that the high pressure grinding compound in the container can form a grinding vibration with supersonic waves, and an Blaha effect and a cavitation effect can be created thereby to lower the stress on the surfaces of the work-pieces, by these two principles, the whole work-pieces can be ground and polished exactly along the whole contours thereof with better accuracy and efficiency, and plastic shaping ability of the work-pieces can be enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a plastic grinding method under isostatic pressure, and especially to a method which can be used for grinding workpieces made of harder metal or alloy with three dimentional shapes, wherein, it includes using of a container capable of bearing high pressure and of generating vibration with supersonic waves, work-pieces to be ground and grinding granules and a grinding compound required are placed in the container, then increase the liquid pressure of the grinding compound to a predetermined value, so that a thrust function of isostatic pressure can be applied to the surfaces of the workpieces (the Pascal's law) from the grinding granules activated by the grinding compound, together with the additional function of vibration with supersonic waves generated in the container, stress on the surfaces of the workpieces made of metal or alloy bearing the isostatic pressure function are much reduced (Blaha effect), then the grinding compound and the grinding granules have a better result of grinding on the workpieces under the isostatic pressure circumstance and the Cavitation effect formed by the vibration with supersonic waves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional processing technique of polishing by fine cutting on a work-piece by using the vibrational grinding technique has been known for long, wherein, a liquid grinding compound and grinding granules are placed in a grinding chamber of a grinding machine, by a vibrating motor having a biasing weight, it can generate a vibration force in a predetermined angle, and thereby can make the grinding compound and grinding granules create disturbing collision styled grinding cutting action on the work-piece to be ground, so that the surfaces of the work-piece are smoothened, and the object of polishing can be achieved.
However, in the above stated conventional vibrational grinding technique, a technique of allocation for getting the angular scope of vibration of the vibration motor is very important, a good design can get a three dimensional turbulent vortex styled collision grinding and grinding effect among the work-piece, the grinding compound and the grinding granules in the grinding chamber, and hence quality of the work-piece can be largely improved.
There is still a technical impedance which has been being difficult to be overcome even when using the most well-done three dimensional vibrational grinding technique, this is because even the most well-done three dimensional vibrational grinding technique can hardly perform grinding and polishing on a work-piece having an small hole or fine slit; and it is difficult to keep the original sharpness of angles and edges in getting the smoothness after grinding of the whole three dimensional walls on a coarse blank made of metal or alloy with higher hardness or the work-piece having angles and edges; and even more, it is very difficult to use the vibrational grinding technique for grinding and polishing the work-pieces having more complicated three dimensional contours (those having undulated surfaces) in mass production, this is also a well known technical impedance in the art.
The largest problems making the conventional three dimensional vibrational grinding technique difficult in grinding the work-pieces having small holes or fine slits or the work-pieces having more complicated three dimensional contours does not exist in selection of the material of the grinding compounds and the grinding granules, in fact, it exists in the phenomenon wherein disturbant collision with unequal pressure is generated among the work-pieces to be ground three dimensionally and the grinding granules and the grinding compounds, this phenomenon is used to create tangential collision between the work-pieces to be ground and the grinding granules via the grinding compounds, so that the effect of grinding and cutting can be achieved; However, it is known that, in a circumstance with unequal pressure, tangential disturbant grinding and cutting can hardly get the grinding granules into the small holes and fine slits to form tangential grinding action, i.e., the axle holes and the fine slits are lack of enough space for the collision styled grinding cutting with tangential grinding action, and this is the primary cause why the conventional three dimensional vibrational grinding technique is difficult in grinding and polishing the work-pieces having axle holes or fine slits or the work-pieces having more complicated three dimensional contours. Further, vibrational grinding with tangential grinding action often hurt the areas having sharp angles or edges by collision or striking, this is also a large problem; And more, work-pieces made of metal or alloy with overly high hardness ground in vibration with tangential grinding action under a non equalized pressure circumstance may have the trouble of having a seriously insufficient frictional coefficient, this is not economic.

Isostatic pressure plastic grinding method


A magnetically clamped wellbore instrument module includes a substantially non-magnetic housing configured to traverse an interior of the wellbore. At least one electromagnet is disposed at a longitudinally spaced apart position along the housing. The at least one electromagnet has a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart contact points that define a diameter greater than a diameter of the housing. The contact points have circumferential spaces therebetween defining a diameter smaller than the diameter defined by the contact points.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of wellbore deployed sensors. More specifically, the invention relates to devices for clamping sensors to the wall of a wellbore to provide acoustic and/or mechanical coupling to subsurface formations.
2. Background Art
Wellbore sensors, such as wellbore seismic receivers, are used to detect signals from within wellbores drilled through subsurface formations. Seismic signals, for example, may be naturally occurring, caused by reservoir activity, hydraulic fracturing or a seismic energy source may be deployed at the Earth's surface or in another wellbore to provide seismic energy for a wellbore seismic survey.
An important element of certain types of wellbore sensors, in particular wellbore seismic receivers, is a device to urge the sensor housing into firm contact with the wall of the wellbore. Such urging is important for wellbore seismic receivers so that seismic energy may be efficiently communicated to the wellbore receiver. One type of wellbore seismic receiver is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,469 issued to Yasuda et al. The device used to perform the urging function as described in the Yasuda et al. patent, for example, is typical and includes a "back up arm" that is selectively extensible and retractable from the main body of the receiver housing. When extended, the backup arm urges the housing into contact with the wellbore wall. Other devices known in the art to perform the function of urging the receiver housing against the wall of the wellbore include arched springs and permanent magnets.
The foregoing devices for urging a wellbore sensor housing against the wall of the wellbore either require considerable time to operate, cause increased friction between the receiver and the wellbore wall or both. Friction and deployment time may substantially increase the overall amount of time needed to deploy the sensor in a wellbore, thus reducing efficiency.
There is a need for improved clamping devices for wellbore sensors.

Wellbore instrument module having magnetic clamp for use in cased wellbores


Methods and compositions for the treatment of lung disease such as emphysema and/or bronchopulmonary dysplasia in a mammal. Also disclosed are methods and compositions promoting the formation of alveolar septa and increasing the gas-exchange surface area of a mammalian lung, and for the prevention and/or treatment of alveolar destruction.

This invention concerns the use of isotype-specific retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonists for the inhibition of alveolar destruction and/or to promote the formation of alveoli in mammalian lung tissue deficient in adequate numbers of functional alveoli.
Among aerobic animals, the lung functions to provide an interface for the exchange of gases between blood and the atmosphere. The agents of this exchange are numerous small sacs termed alveoli (in adult humans about 300,000,000 per lung) that provide a gas permeable-liquid impermeable barrier between the gas and liquid phases. Between the alveoli are numerous capillaries carrying deoxygenated blood to the lung from the tissues and oxygenated blood from the alveoli to the tissues. The partial pressure of oxygen in the lungs is. approximately. 100 mm Hg at sea level; at this pressure the binding of oxygen by hemoglobin in the erythrocytes is favored. The alveoli thus provide a means for presenting the oxygen to hemoglobin to permit the conversion of deoxyhemoglobin to hemoglobin. Because the exchange occurs at the surface of the gas/blood barrier, alveoli have evolved as a means for providing extremely high surface area in a compact overall area, thus maximizing possible gas exchange. Lack of adequate gas exchange would lead to disability, which could progress to death.
Diseases that result in fewer alveoli therefore are quite serious, and are common causes of inadequate oxygenation and resultant disability and death. Among such diseases are bnrochiopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and emphysema. BPD is a disease of prematurely born infants, and is characterized mainly by a failure of the infant to form a sufficient number of appropriately-sized alveoli. Emphysema, a disease of middle and advanced age, appears to be due to progressive proteinase-induced alveolar destruction.
The process of alveoli formation is reasonably well understood from a gross developmental standpoint, and seems to be similar in rat, mouse, and human, the major species studied. The process includes the subdivision (septation) of the saccules that constitute the gas-exchange region of the immature lung. Septation results in the formation of smaller, more numerous gas-exchange structures (alveoli). The timing of the onset and cessation of septation vary among species, but both onset and cessation are critical to the formation of alveoli of the size and number needed for adequate oxygenation.
The molecular basis of the initiation and cessation of alveoli formation are not as well understood as the structural events and timing accompanying alveoli development. Knowledge of the molecular signals that initiate and end septation, and that govern the spacing of septa relative to the O2-demand, are virtually unknown; however, several lines of evidence suggest that certain retinoids (retinoic acid and its derivatives) may play a key signaling role. In Massaro et al., Nature Medicine 3:675 (1997), hereby incorporated by reference herein, rats were treated with elastase, causing destruction of alveolar walls in a manner similar to that seen in emphysema. Treatment of the rats with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), an agonist of all RAR isotypes, appeared to reverse this destruction. Similarly, treatment of newborn rats (which are born with immature lungs lacking an adult complement of alveoli) with ATRA induced the formation of an increased number of alveoli in rats without enlarging the lung. See Massaro et al., Am. J. Physiol. 270: L305 (1996) incorporated by reference herein.
ATRA can have a multiplicity of physiological effects. The retinoid receptors, when bound by an appropriate ligand, are mediators of various life processes, including reproduction, metabolism, differentiation, hematopoiesis, and embryogenesis.
There is therefore a need for methods and compositions that provide a practicable means for inhibiting alveolar destruction and/or promoting the formation of alveoli in a postnatal aerobic animal, particularly a mammal such as a human. Additionally, there is a need for therapeutic methods that are able to more specifically treat such a condition without a high likelihood of serious side effects.

Methods and compositions for the treatment and prevention of lung disease


A culture dish for growing cultures such as tissue cells, bacteria and the like. The culture dish includes a handle extending therefrom that can be easily grasped by a user when lifting or handling the culture dish. The culture dish can also include a lid that can be placed on a base of the dish to prevent contamination of the cultures and to control evaporation of liquid from the dish. The handle can extend from the base, the lid or both. If the handles are provided on both the base and the lid, they can be configured differently so that a user can readily distinguish between them.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a culture dish that is stackable and includes features that enable a user to easily handle the dish.
2. Description of the Related Art
Culture dishes are known and widely used in laboratory environments for growing cell cultures, bacteria, viruses and the like. In the cell growth application, cell cultures are grown from tissue cell samples that are placed in the dish and covered with a liquid medium that promotes cell growth when the dish is placed in a controlled environment such as an incubator. For this application, the culture dish is typically sterilized and treated to promote the binding of cells to the dish surface. The grown cells can be removed from the dish to facilitate examination, or the user can examine the cells while in the dish, using an instrument such as a microscope. In another conventional application, tissue cells are grown in a semisolid (rather than liquid) medium that does not bind to the dish. Thus, the medium can be readily removed to recover the cells by simply turning over the dish.
A further conventional application for culture dishes is in the molecular biology field in which cultures such as bacteria and the like can be grown in or on an agar-based medium within the dish. Plaque lifts of the cultures grown on the medium are taken for examination by laying a membrane over the medium and on the cultures, and then lifting the membrane from the medium.
To control evaporation of the medium and prevent contamination of the cultures, culture dishes generally include a base for receiving the cultures and a lid that can be placed on the base to cover it. The lid may be transparent to provide a viewing panel enabling visual examination of the cultures while the lid is in place. Culture dishes are also generally designed so that one dish can be stacked on top of another to make efficient use of laboratory resources (e.g., an incubator) shared by multiple dishes, and to facilitate transport of a number of culture dishes from one location to another.
A disadvantage of known culture dishes is that they are difficult to handle. For example, when the culture dish includes a lid, the user may have difficulty in sliding his fingers under the base to lift the dish, because the lid is wider and overlaps the base. Thus, the user may not be able to feel whether he is actually grasping the base, or just the lid. Alternatively, if a culture dish is handled with its lid removed, the cultures can become contaminated by the user's thumbs extending over the edge of the dish when grasped from the sides.
Another difficulty in handling conventional culture dishes involves lifting the dish from a surface, which requires a user to first lift an edge of the dish so that he can slide his fingers below the base. This can cause liquid growth medium to spill from the dish, even when covered with a lid. This difficulty can be compounded when a user attempts to lift a stack of multiple culture dishes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved culture dish.


Generally described, the present disclosure is directed to managing request routing functionality corresponding to resource requests for one or more resources associated with a content provider. A service provider may assign an alias resource records that point to another alias resource record or to an IP address. A DNS server of the service provider may receive a request to resolve a DNS query for a domain for which the DNS server is authoritative. The DNS server determine that the DNS query corresponds to an alias record and may resolve the DNS query according to the data of the alias record.

Generally described, computing devices and communication networks can be utilized to exchange information. In a common application, a computing device can request content from another computing device via the communication network. For example, a user at a personal computing device can utilize a software browser application to request a Web page from a server computing device via the Internet. In such embodiments, the user computing device can be referred to as a client computing device and the server computing device can be referred to as a content provider.
Content providers are generally motivated to provide requested content to client computing devices often with consideration of efficient transmission of the requested content to the client computing device or consideration of a cost associated with the transmission of the content. For larger scale implementations, a content provider may receive content requests from a high volume of client computing devices which can place a strain on the content provider's computing resources. Additionally, the content requested by the client computing devices may have a number of components, which can further place additional strain on the content provider's computing resources.
In some embodiments, the content providers can utilize one or more service providers, such as content delivery network service providers and network storage service providers, to provide services related to the delivery of requested content. In a similar manner, service providers are generally motivated to provide services, such as hosting DNS request processing services or providing content to client computing devices, often with consideration of the efficiency and cost associated with the requested services. For example, service providers often consider factors such as latency of delivery of requested content in processing client computing device requests (either DNS queries or content requests) in order to meet service level agreements or to generally improve the quality of delivered service.


Embodiments disclosed herein address the need in the art for an efficient multi-symbol deinterleaver. In one aspect, a plurality of memory banks are deployed to receive and simultaneously store a plurality of values, such as soft decision values determined from a modulation constellation, in accordance with a storing pattern. In another aspect, the storing pattern comprises a plurality of cycles, a selected subset of the plurality of memory banks and an address offset for use in determining the address for storing into the respective memory banks indicated for each cycle. In yet another aspect, the stored values may be accessed in order with a sequentially increasing index, such as an address. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of allowing multiple symbol values to be deinterleaved in an efficient manner, thus meeting computation time constraints, and conserving power.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to efficient deinterleaving of multiple symbol streams.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication such as voice and data. A typical wireless data system, or network, provides multiple users access to one or more shared resources. A system may use a variety of multiple access techniques such as Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), and others.
Example wireless networks include cellular-based data systems. The following are several such examples: (1) the "TIA/EIA-95-B Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System" (the IS-95 standard), (2) the standard offered by a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP) and embodied in a set of documents including Document Nos. 3G TS 25.211, 3G TS 25.212, 3G TS 25.213, and 3G TS 25.214 (the W-CDMA standard), (3) the standard offered by a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2) and embodied in "TR-45.5 Physical Layer Standard for cdma2000 Spread Spectrum Systems" (the IS-2000 standard), and (4) the high data rate (HDR) system that conforms to the TIA/EIA/IS-856 standard (the IS-856 standard).
As data rates supported by wireless communication systems have continued to increase, the computation requirement has increased accordingly. For example, to increase data rate, a higher order modulation may be used as well as an increase in coding gain. This computation may require increased clock frequency at the mobile station or a more efficient architecture to reduce the computation requirements while achieving the same system performance. For example, the HDR Release A standard targets a data rate of 3.1 Mbps. Support of this data rate requires 50 percent more computation complexity to achieve similar performance achieved with the previous highest HDR data rate of 2.4 Mbps.
One solution to increase computation is to increase the operating frequency of the circuit. However, an increase in frequency translates into higher power consumption, which is undesirable in many instances, such as a battery-powered mobile station. Furthermore, some circuits have limitations preventing them from operating reliably outside of certain clock frequencies.
In a system such as the IS-856 standard, the turbo decoder may be the single most computationally intensive block. The amount of time allowed for deinterleaving and decoding in an HDR system must be less than the HDR slot time, i.e. 1.66 ms, to satisfy the acknowledgement requirement. In order to meet this requirement while also keeping the clock rate at an acceptable level to conserve power, the number of computations for deinterleaving and decoding must be reduced.
It is generally desirable to deliver symbols in sequential order to a decoder, such as a turbo decoder. In a prior art implementation, to simplify the delivery of the demodulated symbols to the decoder, a symbol may be demodulated more than once. A symbol demodulation may yield more than one demodulated symbol per cycle (i.e. 4 demodulated symbols from one 16 QAM symbol). Thus, multiple symbol streams are generated simultaneously. One result of each demodulation is stored in a memory at a time. Using a single memory and storing the demodulated symbols in sequential order may have provided a simplified design and/or data interface configuration, but at high data rates, such an architecture may not provide the bandwidth required for the decoding computation with a reasonable clock frequency. There is therefore a need in the art for an efficient multi-symbol deinterleaver.


Magnetic media made using planar magnetic heads. A head may comprise a substrate having conductive thru-hole vias extending therethrough, a first magnetic layer deposited and patterned on the substrate, a first insulation layer deposited and patterned on the first magnetic layer, a conductive coil layer deposited and patterned on the first insulation layer and connected to the conductive thru-hole vias, a second insulation layer deposited and patterned on the conductive coil layer, vias patterned into the insulation layer extending to the first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer deposited in the vias, and a third magnetic layer deposited and patterned on the second insulation layer and second magnetic layer. The third magnetic layer may be connected to the first magnetic layer through the second magnetic layer deposited in the vias of the insulation layers.

Prior art magnetic heads are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,256 ("'256 Patent"), titled "Embedded Wire Planar Write Head System and Method," issued to Biskeborn, Doscher, and Eaton, U.S. Pat. No. 7,322,096 ("'096 Patent"), which is a divisional of the '256 Patent, also titled "Embedded Wire Planar Write Head System and Method," and issued to Biskeborn, Doscher, and Eaton, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,976 ("'976 Patent"), titled "Planar Servo Format Verifier Head," issued to Biskeborn, Kirschenbaum, and Taylor. A characteristic of these prior art heads is beginning fabrication of the head with a trenched substrate, the trench being made into a nonmagnetic substrate, and the fabrication of the head proceeding thereupon with thin film processing. The trenched substrate is subsequently filled in so that the final plane of the recording head is substantially close to the plane of the originating substrate with the trench being filled in with much of the head structure.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a prior art magnetic write head of the type disclosed in the '256 Patent. The '256 Patent discloses building a head from a substrate 406 into which a trench has been made. For the single gap set head 400, the head is fabricated by depositing thin film layers into the trench. For each set of gaps 500, made up of arrays of discrete gaps 411 and 413 spanning the width of the tape, there is a single coil layer 410 running beneath the set of gaps 500. The coil layer 410 spans from one edge of the head to the other, parallel to the tape bearing surface, but the longitudinal axis and current flow of the coil layer 410 is perpendicular to the tape's velocity direction.
In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the '256 Patent further illustrates tandem head structures 900 and 1200 made from two pockets patterned into the insulating layer in a single trench 906. This embodiment has two coils, one for each pocketed head element 902, 904 (FIG. 2A) or 1202, 1204 (FIG. 2B). This embodiment allows for two head elements 902, 904 (FIG. 2A) or 1202, 1204 (FIG. 2B), each of which are functionally identical to single head element 400 but which are displaced in the down-track direction with respect to each other. Each of the two coil layers, i.e., 1208, 1210, drives a uniquely associated set of gaps, i.e., write gaps 1206 of first head element 1202 and write gaps 1206 of second head element 1204, respectively, that are staggered from one another in the down-track direction to accommodate the necessary conducting circuit 1208, 1210 that spans from one end of the slider to the other, beneath the associated gap set.
In FIG. 2C, the '256 Patent illustrates another embodiment 1000 based on a further down-track staggered gap and down-track staggered coil expansion of embodiment 900. In this embodiment 1000, a generalization of embodiment 900 is called out so that more gaps 1004 can be driven independently. In all of the above embodiments, the gaps are shown to be driven by a coil layer that spans from one edge of the slider to the other, each coil driving an associated set of gaps and each coil starting on one end of the slider body and ending on the other end. In the generalized embodiment, the gaps 1004 are aligned in a staggered formation to accommodate the necessary conducting circuits, and magnetic circuit, one circuit for each gap or gap set, and hence the gaps can only be written independently if they are staggered to accommodate the associated magnetic circuit and associated electrical conducting circuit.
The '096 Patent further discloses and teaches the same subject matter as the above described planar head built from a trenched substrate. The '976 Patent discloses a second trench for accommodation of the lead for a servo read head element and a formatting system for using such a head. This prior art embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 3.
The prior art only teaches planar heads built from a trenched substrate. Trenched substrate based heads lead to a natural result of air skiving edged, flat contour sliders that are velocity independent. However, the limited multichannel embodiments of the prior art have fabrication limitations and interconnect issues that are not fully addressed. In the independently written multi-channel embodiments, each channel is a full width trench head that is merely displaced in the down-track direction from one another. As such, seventeen such channels, for example, would require seventeen trenched heads displaced sixteen times in the down-track direction from one another. The resulting head-to-media interface would have an extremely wide media scrub zone that would mitigate the elegance of the air skiving single trench head.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for an easily manufactured planar magnetic head, particularly for tape servo format writing and verification, and more particularly for multi-channel embodiments with a narrow scrub path single bump interface. There is a need in the art for a method of making a planar magnetic head using a built-up approach on planar substrate, as opposed to deposition and lithography in a trenched substrate, to achieve a true planar head. There is a further need in the art for a method of making a planar magnetic head using thru-hole via technology to connect the leads to a conductive coil layer. There is a further need in the art for an easily manufactured planar magnetic head having independent channels without each gap set having to be displaced or staggered in the down-track direction.

Magnetic media formed by a thin film planar arbitrary gap pattern magnetic head


A color conversion device includes a three-dimensional lookup table and an interpolation unit. The interpolation unit includes a plurality of operation circuits for realizing an operation process.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a color conversion device, which is input with three input signals representing colors and performs conversion into set colors from the input signals, and an image display apparatus having the color conversion device.
2. Related Art
Some of the known color printers, color copying machines, color televisions, or color projectors includes a color conversion device using a three-dimensional lookup table (hereinafter, referred to as '3D-LUT') in order to realize the accurate color reproduction with respect to an image corresponding to an input signal. In general, R, G, and B signals as input signals are expressed as 8-bit or more gray-scale data, that is, gray-scale levels corresponding to 256 or more gray scales. Accordingly, the 3D-LUT is requested to store (256×256×256) or more output values (output color values), in correspondence with all combinations of gray scales of the R, G, and B signals. For this reason, the 3D-LUT needs an extremely large memory capacity.
Therefore, in an actual 3D-LUT, a necessary memory capacity is reduced by using a configuration in which output color values corresponding to combinations of approximate gray scales obtained by dividing gray scales of each of the R, G, and B signals with proper distances, for example, combinations of gray scales of the R, G, and B signals corresponding to upper three or four bits are stored. In addition, on the basis of a lower bit portion excluding the upper three or four bits, an interpolation operation on the output color values obtained from the 3D-LUT is performed (for example, refer to JP-A-58-16180).
An example of an interpolation method disclosed in JP-A-58-16180 is expressed by using FIG. 4 and the following expression A.
                              U                                (                          x              ,              y              ,              z                        )                          =                                            U                                            (                                                      x                    i                                    ,                                      y                    i                                    ,                                      z                    i                                                  )                                      ·                          (                              1                -                                  x                  f                                            )                                +                                    U                                            (                                                                            x                      i                                        +                    1                                    ,                                      y                    i                                    ,                                      z                    i                                                  )                                      ·                          (                                                x                  f                                -                                  y                  f                                            )                                +                                    U                                            (                                                                            x                      i                                        +                    1                                    ,                                                            y                      i                                        +                    1                                    ,                                      z                    i                                                  )                                      ·                          (                                                y                  f                                -                                  z                  f                                            )                                +                                    U                                            (                                                                            x                      i                                        +                    1                                    ,                                                            y                      i                                        +                    1                                    ,                                                            z                      i                                        +                    1                                                  )                                      ·                          z              f                                                          (        A        )
FIG. 4 illustrates a method of dividing a cube region, and a cube region to be interpolated is divided on the basis of three planes of x=y, y=z, and z=x. As a result, the cube region is divided into six tetrahedrons T1 to T6. The expression A indicates an interpolation method in the second tetrahedron T2. Here, xi, yi, zi refers to an upper bit portion of an input, xf, yf, zf refers to a lower bit portion of the input, and U(x, y, z) refers to an output color value in an input (x, y, z). The length of a side of the cube region is '1'. In the interpolation method, the size relation in a lower bit portion indicating a point to be interpolated is examined, it is determined whether the point to be interpolated is included in which tetrahedron, output color values corresponding to four apices of the corresponding tetrahedron are called from a color correction memory, and the output color values are multiplied by four coefficients obtained by subtraction of the lower bit portion and then respective results are added.
In the known technique described above, four multipliers are needed, as can be seen from the expression A. Since the circuit size of a multiplier is large, it is required to decrease the number of multipliers in order to make a device small. Accordingly, it may be considered to decrease the number of multipliers by changing the expression A to expression B.
                              U                                (                          x              ,              y              ,              z                        )                          =                              U                                      (                                                x                  i                                ,                                  y                  i                                ,                                  z                  i                                            )                                +                                    [                                                U                                                        (                                                                                x                          i                                                +                        1                                            ,                                              y                        i                                            ,                                              z                        i                                                              )                                                  -                                  U                                                        (                                                                  x                        i                                            ,                                              y                        i                                            ,                                              z                        i                                                              )                                                              ]                        ·                          x              f                                +                                    [                                                U                                                        (                                                                                x                          i                                                +                        1                                            ,                                                                        y                          i                                                +                        1                                            ,                                              z                        i                                                              )                                                  -                                  U                                                        (                                                                                x                          i                                                +                        1                                            ,                                              y                        i                                            ,                                              z                        i                                                              )                                                              ]                        ·                          y              f                                +                                                                 [                                                      U                                                              (                                                                                x                            i                                                    +                          1                                                ,                                                                              y                            i                                                    +                          1                                                ,                                                                              z                            i                                                    +                          1                                                                    )                                                        -                                      U                                                              (                                                                                x                            i                                                    +                          1                                                ,                                                                              y                            i                                                    +                          1                                                ,                                                  z                          i                                                                    )                                                                      ]                            ·                              z                f                                                                        (        B        )
In a color conversion device designed according to the expression B, it is possible to make a device small. However, a problem that the gray balance is easily adversely affected has occurred in the following reasons.
As for colors on a diagonal axis in the cube region, R=G=B is satisfied. Accordingly, the colors on the diagonal axis correspond to colors on a gray axis in a color space. For this reason, in the case when color conversion into a value deviating from the gray axis is made even though color conversion into a color on the gray axis should be actually made, the difference is easily determined by human eyes. In contrast, in the color conversion device designed according to the expression B, even when input signals are values on a gray axis on which R=G=B, that is, xf=yf=zf are satisfied, the conversion into colors other than a gray color is easily made if quantization errors of respective multipliers are accumulated. That is, there has been a problem in that the gray balance is easily adversely affected.

Color conversion device and image display apparatus having the same


A device controls internal voltage. Increased reliability of a semiconductor memory device is obtained by increasing or decreasing a level of internal reference voltage according to change of the device. Fuse ROMs generate fuse signals having different levels according to a cutting condition of each fuse. A bit counter performs up/down counting operation in response to a count control signal after setting the fuse signals to initial values in response to a set signal and generates counter output signals which are higher or lower than the initial values by a counting number. A decoder decodes the counter output signals and activates one of switching signals. A reference voltage selector provides a trimming level of internal reference voltage in response to the switching signals and generating reference voltage.

Characteristics or performances of semiconductor memory devices are not equal to those of each other because conditions or circumstances for producing plural semiconductor memory devices in wafers, e.g., mass production, are not exactly and continuously kept. Particularly circumstance changes on fabrication process, i.e., PVT (Process, Voltage and Temperature), according to each memory chip are considered in order to revise the reference voltage VREF to target level.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional internal voltage control device.
The conventional internal voltage control device includes a fuse ROM block 10, a decoder 20, an internal reference generator 30, a reference voltage selector 40 and a voltage comparator 50.
Each fuse ROM is provided with a fuse F, inverters IV1 to IV3 and a NMOS transistor N. The fuse F is connected between supply voltage and the NMOS transistor N. The NMOS transistor N connected between the fuse F and ground voltage receives a fuse enable signal FEN through a gate. The first and the second inverters IV1 and IV2 latch output of the fuse F. The third inverter IV3 inverting output of the latch outputs plural fuse signals FU<0> to FU<i−1>. Herein, i is a positive integer.
In addition, the decoder 20 decodes the plural fuse signals FU<0> to FU<i−1> and outputs plural switching signals SW<0> to SW<k−1>. Herein, k is positive integer. The internal reference generator 30 generates internal reference voltage PRE_VREF. The reference voltage selector 40 trims the internal reference voltage PRE_VREF according to the plural switching signals SW<0>-SW<k−1> and outputs reference voltage VREF.
The reference voltage selector 40 is provided with k number of NMOS transistors N0 to Nk−1, k+1 number of resisters RO to Rk connected in series. The plural NMOS transistors NO to Nk−1 respectively connected between the plural resisters RO to Rk and an output stage of the reference voltage VREF receive corresponding switching signal through gates. Accordingly the plural NMOS transistors are switched selectively.
The voltage comparator 50 is provided with an amplifier 51 and first and second resisters Ra to Rb. The amplifier 51 compares the reference voltage VREF and output of the resisters Ra to Rb, generating internal voltage VINT. The resisters Ra to Rb divide the internal voltage VINT through resister-division and output divided internal voltage VINT to the amplifier 51.
The conventional operation process of the internal voltage control device of FIG. 1 is described below.
When the fuse enable signal FEN is activated, the fuse ROMs are initialized. The NMOS transistor N turns on and node AA maintains low level during high pulse period of the fuse enable signal FEN. When the fuse enable signal FEN has low value, the node AA has high value through the fuse F. If the fuse F is cut electrically or physically, the node AA is disconnected with the supply voltage and the node AA has low value. As a result, fuse signals FU are controlled. Each fuse signal, i.e., the output of fuse ROM, is output at a logic high state if the fuse F is cut. On the contrary, a fuse signal having a logic low state is output in case that the fuse F is not cut.
Thereafter, the decoder 20 decodes the plural fuse signals FU<0> to FU<i−1> and outputs the plural switching signals SW<0> to SW<k−1>. The decoder 20 activates a corresponding signal of the plural switching signal SW<0> to SW<k−1> according to the fuse signals output high.
The internal reference generator 30 outputs an internal reference voltage PRE_VREF having a stably settled level regardless of an external voltage level and a chip temperature. However, the internal reference generator 30 cannot adjust a level of the internal reference voltage PRE_VREF in response to process change in fabrication. Accordingly each reference voltage PRE_VREF generated in each memory chip has a different level.
In order to trim the internal reference voltage PRE_VREF, the reference voltage selector 40 turns on one of the plural NMOS transistors N0 to Nk−1 according to the plural switching signals SW<0> to SW<k−1>, outputting a reference voltage VREF. Thereafter, the voltage comparator 50 outputs the internal voltage VINT having a predetermined voltage level based on the reference voltage VREF.
The internal voltage VINT is defined as follows.VINT=((Ra+Rb)/Rb)*VREF
The constant reference voltage VREF is required to output constant internal voltage VINT coping with process change. The reference voltage selector 40 switches the plural NMOS transistor N0 to Nk−1 selectively, generating constant level of reference voltage VREF.
In the event that level of the internal reference voltage PRE_VREF is high, a NMOS transistor Nk, herein k is a large number, turns on. In the event that level of the internal reference voltage PRE_VREF is low, a NMOS transistor Nk, herein k is a small number, turns on. Constant reference voltage VREF is output. For the above described operation, one of the k number switching signals SW<0> to SW<k−1> is activated by the operation of the fuse ROM block 10 and the decoder 20 after the reference voltage VREF or the internal voltage VINT is monitored in the manufactured chip.
The step for changing internal voltage through reliability or a worst condition test in a quality control process of conventional semiconductor memory chip is required. However, the level of the pre-programed internal voltage VINT is not changed in a conventional device controlling an internal voltage. Generating a stable internal voltage based on process changes in a semiconductor memory device is difficult.


A gas phase plasma cleaning method is utilized for removing contaminants from the surface of exposed metallic, ceramic and plastic parts on integrated circuits (IC's). A two step method uses a defined gas mixture of argon and oxygen, followed by ammonia and hydrogen. For plastic packages, a two step method using a fluorinated plasma, followed by oxygen and argon is utilized. The gases are separately introduced into a plasma chamber. The argon oxygen mixture is used to remove carbonatious material by chemical reaction and by milling. The ammonia hydrogen mixture is introduced to chemically remove and reduce oxides and phosphates from the metallic parts. The fluorinate is used to remove surface silicon and organo-silicon compounds from the plastic parts, while the oxygen argon mixture removes carbonatious and ionic compounds from the plastic package surface. Surface energies are increased to permit improved adhesion of inks. Additionally, intermediate oxides on the metallic parts formed after the plasma exposure prevent complete regrowth of the normally passivating oxide layer.

Ink brand permanency on plastic and metallic IC packaging has always been a critical issue in the semiconductor industry. Lid brands often identify information about the device type, the IC manufacturer, and the date of production. It is not uncommon for semiconductor users to subject IC packages to various chemical cleans before and after attachment to PC boards. If ink adhesion is not satisfactory and/or ink cure is incomplete, the brand may be degraded during the various cleaning operations, resulting in partially or completely illegible brands.
Long-term exposure to reactive ambients (e.g. high humidity, corrosive or polluted air, etc.) can also cause slow degradation of poorly adhered or cured ink brands. Loss of the branding information can result in IC's which are unidentifiable. For this reason, MIL-STD tests have been developed and instituted in the semiconductor industry to evaluate ink brand permanency on package lids. Moisture resistance tests (and salt air exposure) can also help determine brand permanency under more aggressive conditions.
Various lid cleaning, inking, and curing methods have been developed and modified to enhance the brand permanency on plastic molded compound surfaces and metallic packages or lids. One of the most difficult factors to control is the surface chemistry and cleanliness of the package. This directly affects the bonding of the ink to the package. The branding ink will not bond satisfactorily to package or lid surfaces that contain, for the plastic packages, inordinate quantities of old release agents, silicon oils, waxes, and surface organics and, for metal packages, an inordinate amount of metallic oxides or hydrocarbons or other contaminants. These surface contaminants can accumulate as a result of the mold, the molding compound, thermal treatments during the lid seal process and burn-in. Normal workplace air exposure, as well as machine and human handling (e.g. fingerprints), can also contribute to surface contamination of the package. Overall, the most common cause of brand loss is due to lifting or delaminating ink caused by poor ink bonding to the package.
Currently, branding operations for plastic packages, as recommended by the ink vendors, involves exposing the plastic package to solvents in order to clean the molding compound surface and/or exposing the package surface to a hydrogen flame prior to the ink branding. The solvents attempt to remove any chemical contaminants and the hydrogen flame ashes or burns the plastic package surface.
In particular, the solvents that are used to clean the plastic package are typically N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone or various halogenated materials such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane or tetrachloro-ethylene (TCE). The use of these solvents is coming under much closer scutiny, and is in many cases banned. The plastic package is exposed to the solvents by either immersing the package in the solution or by wiping the solvent across the package or lid surface with a wipe.
The other prior art, hydrogen flaming the plastic package, ashes or burns the surface of the package which removes the mold release agents, oils, waxes and surface organics and the like from the surface. However, the hydrogen flame will not effectively remove all of the surface organo-silicon complexes. Controlling the flame, especially in smaller packages, can also be difficult. This thermal exposure can cause localized stressing of the molding compound, which could lead to molding compound cracking, or delamination of the molding compound at the leads and/or die surface. This process can also only be applied to packages one at a time. In addition, many older style branders cannot be effectively retrofitted to accommodate a hydrogen flame apparatus. Various other flames have been used to flame the surface such as acetylene or butane instead of hydrogen.
For metal packaging, current branding operations for metallic packaging, and more specifically nickel plated packaging such as electroplated or electroless plated nickel lids or gold plated nickel, involve the use of wet chemical cleans. These include basic solutions, which have pH values greater than 10 (e.g. Markem 535), and solvents like isopropyl alcohol (IPA), freon, and HCFC. These solutions are recommended as standard surface cleaning methods by the ink vendors and generally result in improved brand permanency compared to uncleaned lids. However, one disadvantage of these wet chemical cleans is the entire package must be immersed.
The Markem 535 solution, for example, contains monoethanolamine and is quite basic (pH>11). Hence, it tends to attack or etch various other materials associated with the packages. The attack is especially notable on the soldered leads, the lid-to-seal ring weld area, and the various plated metallic codes on the packages. This particular brand pre-clean can cause a darkening of these surfaces due to an accelerated build-up of oxides and the formation of `phospho-oxides` on electroless Ni plated surfaces.
The same aspects of providing a contaminant free surface stated above for plastic and metal also applies to ceramic packaging. The ceramic package material is also etched. In most cases, these anomalies are cosmetic. However, many incidents of darkened leads and/or darkened weld areas are incorrectly assumed to be caused by latent corrosion or thermal stress, when in fact, they are caused by the brand pre-clean solution.
Lead solderability is also affected by the pre-branding cleans. The oxides and `phospho-oxides` are difficult to remove and can prevent good eutectic formation between the base metal and the solder, resulting in de-wetting and no-wetting areas of solder. Leads solder dipped prior to brand also often exhibit a darkening and pitting of the solder. Reduced solderability is observed in these units as well.
Another drawback of the wet cleaning method is the use of solutions which are costly, difficult to dispose of, and are detrimental to the environment. Maintaining and changing these chemical baths, as well as keeping accurate records of bath changes and chemical disposal, are tedious and time consuming. In addition, several of these solutions can be potentially harmful to workers over a period of extended exposure.

Plasma cleaning method for improved ink brand permanency on IC packages


In a portable telephone, a pair of microstrip antennas (1), (2) for signal reception and signal transmission with adjacent resonance frequencies different from each other are approximately arranged on the same plane at predetermined intervals. Accordingly, in the portable telephone, neither antenna becomes a hindrance when storing the portable telephone into a pocket of a coat, etc., and it is not necessary to operate the antenna at a signal receiving time, during calling time or after the operator is finished using the portable telephone.

The present invention relates to a portable telephone.
In a conventional portable telephone, a microstrip antenna is used as a dedicated antenna for receiving a signal. An external whip antenna having wide frequency band characteristics is used as a signal transmitting antenna. Such a technique is known.
Such a conventional portable telephone has the external whip antenna. Therefore, when the portable telephone is stored into a pocket of a coat, etc., this external whip antenna becomes a hindrance. Further, it is troublesome to extend the external whip antenna at a signal reaching time and a calling time and shorten this external whip antenna after an operator speaks by telephone.

Portable telephone with microstrip antennas


Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage media, for entering a limited functionality mode on a mobile device. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a portable electronic device, a first signal instructing the portable electronic device to enter a limited functionality mode, in which one or more transmission functionalities associated with the portable electronic device are disabled, determining whether the portable electronic device has received a second signal instructing the device to immediately enter the limited functionality mode, in response to receiving the first signal, waiting until one or more tasks that use the transmission functionalities are completed or until the second signal is determined to have been received, and entering the limited functionality mode after waiting until the one or more tasks that use the transmission functionalities are completed or until the second signal is determined to have been received.

Upon boarding an airplane, passengers typically have to disable the transmission functionalities of their mobile devices. These transmission functionalities may be disabled, for example, by simply powering off a device. Alternatively, some mobile devices also have "limited functionality" modes, sometimes referred to as "flight mode" or "airplane mode," in which the mobile device itself remain powered on, but any transmission functionalities of the device are powered off or are otherwise disabled. These limited functionality modes allow users to retain access to local functions of the mobile device (e.g., applications stored or executing on the mobile device) without transmitting data that may, for example, potentially interfere with the airplane's communication and navigation sub-systems.

Smart limited functionality mode manager