The invention comprises a novel sample introduction system which incorporates a venturi pump to convey a sample gas to an analytical instrument at atmospheric pressure. An APCI, ICP or MIP mass spectrometer is preferred as the analytical instrument. Using such an inlet with an APCI mass spectrometer, the real-time analysis of trace materials present in breath is facilitated, enabling, for example, the release of compounds responsible for aroma and taste to be analysed during eating and drinking. The invention can also be used for headspace analysis and for monitoring the release of fragrances from skin or clothing.

The analysis of trace compounds present in samples of air or other gases has many applications, for example in studies of atmospheric pollution and in the analysis of breath, which has application in both medical science and in the food industry. Certain compounds present in breath may serve as markers for a particular disease, and the study of compounds responsible for the flavour and aroma of food released during eating is of interest to the food industry. Particularly in the case of organic trace constituents, the compounds to be analysed are usually present in very small quantities in a large volume of gas. For example, the human nose is very sensitive, and odour thresholds in the sub-ppb level are not uncommon (see Teranishi, et.al., in "Standardised Human Olfactory Thresholds", Ed. Devos, pub. IRL Press, Oxford, 1990). In order to characterise the compounds responsible for aromas and taste it is therefore necessary to use analytical techniques having very high sensitivity and specificity, and mass spectrometry is therefore a preferred technique. Also of interest for medical reasons is the measurement of carbon isotopic ratios in exhaled carbon dioxide, a procedure for which mass spectrometry is obviously essential.
One prior off-line method of admitting samples of breath into an analytical instrument such as a mass spectrometer involves the collection of discrete samples of breath in bags or vessels, the contents of which are subsequently analysed by mass spectroscopy. (See, for example, JP patent application pub. no. 60-250227 and Schoeller and Klein in Biomed. Mass Spectrom., 1979 vol 6 (8) pp 350-355.) This method is most successful for the determination of carbon isotopic ratios in exhaled carbon dioxide. More suitably for the analysis of traces of organic compounds, breath may be passed into absorbent (eg, Tenax) or cryogenic traps which collect the organic compounds but not air. The organic compounds may then be subsequently desorbed from the trap and analysed by, for example, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This method is commonly employed for atmospheric air sampling. Linforth and Taylor in Food Chem., 1993 vol 48(2) pp 115-20 describe use of the method for the study of the aroma release from foods. However, the method lacks adequate sensitivity for the detection of many food aromas and, being an off-line method, is difficult to use to study the kinetics of the release of aromas during eating.
A further problem with prior mass spectrometric methods in which at least a portion of a complete breath sample is admitted to the mass spectrometer is the depression of the sensitivity of the spectrometer, especially for spectrometers having conventional electron impact or chemical ionization sources, by the large quantity of water always present in such samples. In view of this, and also because of the very large excess of air, a better prior method of analyzing trace organic compounds in breath is provided by the use of membrane inlet systems. These methods involve the passage of exhaled air over a thin membrane (usually silicone rubber) the other side of which is in communication with the mass spectrometer. In this way air and water is excluded from the spectrometer, but the organic compounds will diffuse through the membrane and enter the mass spectrometer. Soeting and Heidema, in Chem. Senses, 1988 vol 13 (4) pp 607-17, and Haring, et.al, in "Flavour Science and Technology", pub. Wiley, Chichester, 1990 teach the use of such membrane inlet systems for the study of the release of flavour compounds at the nose during eating. Membrane inlet systems have also been used for the analysis of trace organic compounds in atmospheric air.
However, membrane inlet systems also have disadvantages. The membrane may exhibit selectivity, excluding some compounds which have a low affinity for the membrane, and some compounds may exhibit very slow diffusion through the membrane and consequently have extended response times. Membranes are also very thin and consequently fragile and of limited lifetime.
Another mass-spectrometric technique which has been used for the analysis of trace organic compounds in breath is direct-introduction atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (API). In this technique, ions are formed in a sample gas at high pressure (typically atmospheric pressure) by means of a corona discharge or radiation from a suitable source (eg, .sup.63 Ni) and enter a mass analyzer (which operates at high vacuum) through a very small orifice. In use, a gas to be analyzed is caused to flow through a tube in which a discharge electrode is suspended, and ions formed in the discharge pass through an aperture disposed downstream of the electrode into the mass analyzer. (See, for example, GB patent 1582869). Because the ionization takes place at high pressure, the ions formed in API mass spectrometry are typically cluster ions, often comprising a molecule of a trace organic compound clustered with water molecules. The ionization process is a chemical ionization process which may be represented by the following: EQU H.sub.3 O.sup.+ (H.sub.2 O).sub.n +T.fwdarw.TH.sup.+ (H.sub.2 O).sub.m +(n-m+1)H.sub.2 O
where T represents a trace organic molecule present in the sample. The species H.sub.3 O.sup.+ (H.sub.2 O).sub.n is a protonated water cluster ion formed in the discharge in air in the presence of water. More details of API mass spectrometry are given by French, Thomson, Davidson, Reid, and Buckley in "Mass Spectrometry in Environmental Sciences", Eds. Karasek, Hutzinger and Safe, pub. Plenum Press, 1985, at pp 101-120. These authors quote detection limits in the low ppb-ppt range for various organic compounds present in atmospheric air. Benoit, Davidson, Lovett, et.al, in Anal. Chem. 1983 vol 55 pp 805-7 report the use of such an API system for breath analysis. The inlet system used comprised a capillary tube through which breath is introduced into a flow of an inert carrier gas which then enters the mass spectrometer. In order to control the dilution ratio, the subject is required to maintain a constant pressure differential across the capillary while exhaling. A similar system, using a flowmeter to control the dilution ratio, was earlier reported by Lovett, Reid, Buckley, et.al in Biomed. Mass Spectrom. 1979 vol 6 (3) pp 91-97. These systems are capable of providing an analysis of each exhalation but are inconvenient because the subject has to control his breathing to maintain a constant dilution ratio. Particularly when monitoring trace compounds indicative of a disease, however, the apparatus taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,501 may be used. The inlet system described therein incorporates a mixing chamber which intended to average out individual exhalations and produce a constant signal from the mass spectrometer. This apparatus is clearly unsuitable when a very fast response time is required, for example during the analysis of breath for aroma constituents during eating. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,501, the breath itself provides the entire flow of gas to the API spectrometer, making the provision of a mixing chamber essential to maintain the gas flow to the spectrometer while the subject inhales.
An off-line method of API mass spectrometric analysis of breath samples is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,777, but this is inapplicable to most of the applications to which the present application is directed. Further, none of the prior methods of API analysis of breath are suitable for sampling breath from the nose rather than from the mouth, which is highly desirable in the study of the aroma release from foods.

Apparatus and methods for the analysis of trace constituents in gases


A hybrid module (1) is installed a drive train of a motor vehicle between a combustion engine and a transmission and has an electric machine and a clutch installed in a common housing (2). The hybrid module (1) further has an air supply entrance (7) for introducing cooling air into the hybrid module (1). The air supply entrance (7) is an oval with a short axis directed toward the combustion engine and the transmission. Thus, the hybrid module has a short extent between combustion engine and transmission, and also allows a sufficiently large quantity of air to be supplied into the hybrid module.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hybrid module for arrangement in a drive train of a motor vehicle between a combustion engine and a transmission. The hybrid module has an electric machine and a clutch installed in a common housing. An air supply means introduces cooling air into the hybrid module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Manufacturers offer motor vehicles, in particular passenger cars, optionally with or without a hybrid module. Accordingly, either the transmission is flanged directly on the combustion engine or the hybrid module is placed between the combustion engine and the transmission. In latter case, the hybrid module has a flange on one side for connecting to the combustion engine and a flange on the opposite side for connecting to the transmission. The positions of the flanges or screw connections preferably are exactly coaxial on both sides of the hybrid modules so that, when using the combustion engine and the transmission in a motor vehicle without a hybrid module, both can be screwed directly to one another.
DE 10 2005 003 077 A1 discloses a hybrid module of the type described above. Air slots are provided in the housing of the hybrid module disclosed in DE 10 2005 003 077 A1 for introducing air to cool the hybrid module. These air slots pass through the housing radially on the outside in its region directed toward the transmission.
The object of the invention is to provide a hybrid module with a relatively small extent, with respect to its ability to be arranged between engine and transmission, while allowing a sufficiently large quantity of air to be supplied into the hybrid module.

Hybrid module for arrangement in a drive train of a motor vehicle

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft


A bypass air flow rate control apparatus has an idle speed control valve for continuously adjusting an air flow rate and an on-off control valve for allowing and shutting off an air flow passing therethrough. When an atmospheric pressure sensor detects that the atmospheric pressure is lower than a predetermined value, in other words, the density of intake air is lower than a predetermined value, the on-off control valve and the idle speed control valve are switched over. The air flows through the on-off control valve by an amount corresponding to the air flow rate reduced in the idle speed control valve. The valve switching over operation is performed when one of the following three conditions is satisfied: the engine is generating no torque, in other words, the engine is in a fuel cut operation; a load larger than a predetermined load value is applied; and the engine is accelerated at a rate equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In the latter two conditions, a large torque is generated by the engine. As a result, a torque variation due to the air flow rate variation upon the valve switch over is restrained, so that the vehicle shock which gives a driver a feeling of uneasiness can be relieved and the drivability can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bypass air flow rate control apparatus for an internal combustion engine and, more particularly, to an apparatus for controlling to change the operation of a plurality of control valves provided in bypass passages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2-308942 discloses an idle speed control apparatus which maintains engine speed at a desired level despite aging deterioration of an idle speed control valve for controlling air flow rate or a reduction in air density (or air pressure) occurring, for example, at a high altitude. This apparatus comprises first and second bypass passages bypassing a throttle valve. The first bypass passage is provided with an idle speed control valve, and the second bypass passage is provided with an electromagnetic on-off control valve. The opening degree of the idle speed control valve is continuously adjusted in accordance with duty values.
In order to prevent for a required amount of intake air from being not obtained due to aging deterioration of the idle speed control valve or a reduction in air density caused at a high altitude, the above-described apparatus has preset upper and lower critical values for duty values. When a duty value exceeds the upper critical value, the on-off control valve is applied an electric current and thus opened, and, simultaneously, the duty value for the idle speed control valve is reduced by an amount corresponding to the air flow rate passing through the on-off control valve. Whereby, the opening degree of the idle speed control valve is reduced by an amount corresponding to the air flow rate passing through the second bypass passage, so that it is possible to increase control region of the idle speed control valve when air flow rate is required.
When the a duty value becomes lower than the lower critical value and the on-off control valve has been opened, the duty value for the idle speed control valve is increased and, simultaneously, the on-off control valve is closed.
As described above, an amount of intake air corresponding to duty value is always obtained by the switch over control of the idle speed control valve and the on-off control valve.
However, there is a case in which the characteristics of the air flow rate passing through the idle speed control valve and the on-off control valve are varied due to aging deterioration, product variation and the like. Therefore, when the on-off control valve is opened by an electric current being applied and the opening degree of the idle speed control valve is reduced by an amount corresponding to the increased air flow rate of the on-off control valve, there is a case in which the bypass air flow rate varies instantaneously for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIGS. 5(a) and 6(a) show the relationships between air flow rate passing through the idle speed control valve and time, FIGS. 5(b) and 6(b) show the relationships between air flow rate passing through the on-off control valve and time, and FIGS. 5(c) and 6(c) show the relationship between bypass air flow rate and time.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the idle speed control valve and the on-off control valve are switched over at time T, the bypass air flow rate is temporarily increased or reduced if the valve opening rate and the valve closing rate of the valves are different from each other even if air flow rates changed by the opening and closing of each of the valves are identical with each other.
Further, in the apparatus of the publication, the switch over from the idle speed control valve to the on-off control valve is effected when a duty value for the idle speed control valve is beyond the upper or lower critical value. Therefore, during idling, the change in the bypass air flow rate causes a relatively large torque change, thus causing a shock to the vehicle and the driver to have uneasy feelings.

Bypass air-flow control apparatus for an internal combustion engine


An optical disk device record data on a recordable or rewritable optical disk. After a pause and a restart in the constant angular velocity (CAV) method occurs predetermined times due to a cause of a recording error such as a buffer underrun, the data-recording by the CAV method is, for the first time, switched to the data-recording by the constant linear velocity (CLV) method at a recording velocity equal to or less than a recording velocity just before the last pause so as to provide a recording density equal to said constant recording density when said pausing is performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an optical disk device, an information processing device, an optical disk recording method, a constant estimating method, and an information recording device, and more particularly, to an optical disk device, an information processing device, an optical disk recording method, a constant estimating method, and an information recording device which record data on a disk-type recording medium, such as a recordable or rewritable optical disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that recording formats for an optical disk include a CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) type in which a data row (a data train) on an optical disk is at a constant velocity when viewed from an optical pickup, and a CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) type in which an angular velocity of an optical disk is constant.
As for the optical disk of the format of the CAV type, although it is easy to control the revolution of the disk during a data-recording and a data-reproducing, there is an inconvenience that a density is low at an outer periphery of the disk, and thus a memory capacity cannot be made larger. Therefore, there also exists a recording format such as an MCAV (Modified CAV) type in which the face of an optical disk is divided into a predetermined number of tracks so as to form a plurality of zones, and data is recorded by making an angular velocity and a recording density constant in each zone, and also exists an MCLV (Modified CLV) type. These recording formats are also employed in an MO, etc.
However, many of optical disks used generally at present such as a CD family perform a data-recording with the format of the CLV type having the largest disk capacity. This method increases an error correction capability by interleaving record data; therefore, a continuity of an interleave and a data row needs to be maintained.
When a recording or a reproducing is performed to these optical disks on which data is recorded in the format of the CLV type, a CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) method is mainly used. For the sake of a high-speed data-recording, data is generally recorded at a linear velocity predetermined times as fast as a standard velocity.
In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-49990 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-40302 disclose a technology as follows. In this technology, in order to overcome a buffer underrun error in which data is emptied from a buffer memory for a recording so as to disable the continuation of a recording, a pause and a restart of a recording that guarantee the continuity of an interleave and a data row are performed. Upon performing the pause and the restart, an interleave circuit is maintained in a state immediately after the pause of the recording, and when a preparation for the restart is completed, the interleave circuit is caused to operate from a position immediately after the pause so as to record a data row without a discontinuity on the optical disk.
However, as shown in FIG. 2-(a), in the CLV method, since the revolutions of the disk are large in number at the inner periphery of the optical disk, there is an inconvenience that the revolutions of the disk cannot be increased due to a limit of a revolving system at the inner periphery of the optical disk; thus the recording velocity cannot be increased. Inconveniences of the revolving system include not only a limitation due to a mechanical requirement for a high torque, but also an increase in an amount of electric power to be consumed in a spindle motor and a motor driver thereof.
Thereupon, a data-recording by a CAV method has been attempted to be performed, in which an angular velocity of the disk is constant. Upon a data-reproducing, not only the CLV method, but also the CAV method is generally used, in which a transfer rate becomes higher toward the outer periphery of the optical disk. However, the data-recording by the CAV method is not used in general very much, because there are many problems as follows: a laser power required for a data-recording becomes larger as the data-recording proceeds toward the outer periphery of the optical disk, making the control thereof difficult; a recording signal frequency varies continuously within the optical disk, complicating the generation of a recording pulse; etc.
In addition, when a data-recording involves a sharp change of the velocity, a continuity of an interleave and a data row has to be maintained before and after the change. Since a certain amount of time is generally required to stabilize a revolving system of the optical disk, changing the recording velocity sharply during a data-recording may possibly deteriorate the quality of a signal at the recorded part and thus disable the reproduction thereof.
Further, conventionally, since a pause during a data-recording is not allowed to be performed, a data-writing unit becomes large to a certain extent. Therefore, when a transfer of record data from a host computer cannot keep up with the recording velocity, a recording error called buffer-underrun occurs.
Additionally, disk-type recording media with a constant linear velocity include a CD-R (Compact Disk Recordable) disk. Conventionally, this CD-R disk is revolved at a constant linear velocity (CLV) to record data thereon. In this case, a relative velocity between the disk-type recording medium and a laser beam is always constant; therefore, once recording conditions such as a recording power and a record pulse width are set optimally, these recording conditions do not need to be changed throughout the surface of the disk.
Therefore, normally, a test-writing is performed in a specific area at the innermost periphery of the disk, with changing the recording power variously, so as to determine an optimum recording power, with which power a recording can be performed at an equal linear velocity throughout the surface of the disk without causing any problem.
However, in the CLV method, as the recording is performed nearer the inner periphery, the revolution of the disk needs to be made faster, i.e., the angular velocity of the disk needs to be made higher, making it difficult to revolve the disk at such a high speed. This leads to a higher cost of a motor and the increase in noises and vibrations; it also becomes difficult to design other servo systems.
Thereupon, several measures have been taken, in which the angular velocity is not made very low at the outer periphery, while the angular velocity is not made so high at the inner periphery.
In this case, the linear velocity becomes higher nearer the outer periphery. In a case of a complete constant angular velocity (CAV), the linear velocity becomes higher in proportion with the radius of the disk.
In any of the above-mentioned measures, the angular velocity at the inner periphery is not made high; therefore, in some cases, a recording is performed at a velocity different from the velocity at the inner periphery in which a test-writing is performed.
In these cases, how to set or arrange the recording power and other recording conditions is a matter of concern.
Thereupon, conventionally, there has been an information recording device changing a recording power, when performing a recording at an undesired linear velocity, according to a clock frequency in proportion with the linear velocity (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-296858).
However, the above-mentioned conventional information recording devices cannot perform a high-quality recording unless recording characteristics (i.e., a necessary recording power and other recording conditions) of the disk-type recording medium are completely in proportion with the linear velocity. Essentially, there does not exist such a disk-type recording medium; rather, there are inevitable differences in recording characteristics among various types of disk-type recording mediums.

Optical disk device recording data on a recordable or rewritable optical disk by setting a recording velocity and a recording power for each of zones on an optical disk


An in-cell multi-touch panel system includes: an in-cell touch display panel, a touch display control system. In a first frame time interval, the touch display control system drives the in-cell touch display panel and samples the sensing voltage from the in-cell touch display panel to determine whether there is an approaching external object and noise interference. In a second frame time interval, the touch display control system finds out a frequency with minimum noise for use as a frequency of the touch driving signal when the noise interference exists. In a third frame time interval, the touch display control system is based on the frequency with minimum noise to correspondingly generate the touch driving signal so as to determine whether there is an approaching external object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technical field of touch panels and, more particularly, to an in-cell multi-touch panel system with low noise and time division multiplexing and its driving method.
2. Description of Related Art
The principle of touch panels is based on different sensing manners to detect a voltage, current, acoustic wave, or infrared to thereby detect the coordinates of touch points on a screen where a finger or other medium touches. For example, a resistive touch panel uses a voltage difference between the upper and lower electrodes to compute the position of a pressed point for detecting the location of the touch point, and a capacitive touch panel uses a capacitance change generated in an electrostatic combination of the arranged transparent electrodes and a human body to generate a current or voltage for detecting touching coordinates.
Upon the principle, the capacitive touch technologies can be divided into a surface capacitive touch sensing and a projected capacitive touch sensing. The surface capacitive touch sensing has a simple configuration, so that the multi-touch implementation is not easy, and the problems of electromagnetic disturbance (EMI) and noises are difficult to be overcome. Therefore, the popular trend of capacitive touch development is toward the projected capacitive sensing.
The projected capacitive touch sensing can be divided into a self capacitance and a mutual capacitance sensing. The self capacitance sensing indicates that a capacitance coupling is generated between a touch object and a conductor line, and a touch occurrence is decided by measuring a capacitance change of the conductor line. The mutual capacitance sensing indicates that a capacitance coupling is generated between two adjacent conductor lines when a touch occurs.
A typical self capacitance sensing senses the grounded capacitance (Cs) on every conductor line. Thus, a change of the grounded capacitance is used to determine whether an object approaches to the capacitive touch panel. The self capacitance or the grounded capacitance is not a physical capacitor, but parasitic and stray capacitance on every conductor line. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a typical self capacitance sensing. As shown in FIG. 1, at the first period, the driving and sensing devices 110 in a first direction drive the conductor lines in the first direction in order to charge the self capacitance (Cs) of the conductor lines in the first direction. At the second period, the driving and sensing devices 110 sense the voltages on the conductor lines in the first direction to thereby obtain m data. At the third period, the driving and sensing devices 120 in a second direction drive the conductor lines in the second direction in order to charge the self capacitance of the conductor lines in the second direction. At the fourth period, the driving and sensing devices 120 sense the voltages on the conductor lines in the second direction to thereby obtain n data. Therefore, a total of m+n data can be obtained.
The typical self capacitance sensing of FIG. 1 connects both a driver circuit and a sensor circuit on the same conductor line in order to drive the conductor line and sense a signal change on the same conductor line to thereby decide the magnitude of the self capacitance.
Another way of driving the typical capacitive touch panel is to sense the magnitude change of mutual capacitance Cm to thereby determine whether an object approaches to the touch panel. Similarly, the mutual capacitance Cm is not a physical capacitor but a mutual capacitance between the conductor lines in the first direction and in the second direction. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a typical mutual capacitance sensing. As shown in FIG. 2, the drivers 210 are located on the first direction (Y), and the sensors 220 are located on the second direction (X). At the upper half of the first period T1, the drivers 210 drive the conductor lines 230 in the first direction and use the voltage Vy_1 to charge the mutual capacitance (Cm) 250, and at the lower half, all sensors 220 sense voltages (Vo_1, Vo_2, . . . , Vo_n) on the conductor lines 240 in the second direction to thereby obtain n data. Accordingly, the m×n data can be obtained after m driving periods.
A typical flat touch display is produced by stacking a touch panel directly over a flat display. Since the stacked touch panel is transparent, the image on the flat display can be displayed by passing through the stacked touch panel, and the touch panel can act as an input medium or interface.
However, such a stacking requires an increase of the weight of the touch panel, resulting in relatively increasing the weight of the flat display, which cannot meet with the compact requirement for current markets. For a further description, when the touch panel and flat display are stacked directly, the increased thickness reduces the transmittance of rays and increases the reflectivity and haziness, resulting in relatively reducing the display quality on the screen.
To overcome this, the embedded touch control technology is adapted. The currently developed embedded touch control technologies are essentially on-cell and in-cell technologies. The on-cell technology uses a projected capacitive touch technology to form sensors on the backside (i.e., a surface for attaching a polarized plate) of a color filter (CF) for being integrated into a color filter structure. The in-cell technology embeds sensors in an LCD cell to thereby integrate a touch element with a display panel such that the display panel itself is provided with a touch function without having to be attached or assembled to a touch panel. Such a technology typically is developed by a TFT LCD panel factory. The in-cell multi-touch panel technology is getting more and more mature, and since the touch function is directly integrated during a panel production process, without adding a layer of touch glass, the original thickness is maintained and the cost is reduced.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a configuration of a typical in-cell multi-touch panel 300. In FIG. 3, the panel 300 includes a lower polarizer 310, a lower glass substrate 320, a thin film transistor (TFT) or LTPS layer 330, a liquid crystal (LC) layer 340, a common voltage and touch driving layer 350, a color filter layer 360, an upper glass substrate 370, a sensing electrode layer 380, and an upper polarizer 390. As shown in FIG. 3, in order to save the cost, a touch sensor is integrated with an LCD panel, and the common voltage layer (Vcom) of the LCD panel is located at a layer as same as the drivers of the touch sensor, thereby forming the common voltage and touch driving layer 350. Thus, the cost saving is achieved. The sensing electrode layer 380 is located on the upper glass substrate 370. The TFT or LTPS layer 330 is constructed of thin film transistors (TFTs) or low-temperature poly-Si film transistors (LTPS) 332 and transparent electrodes 331.
As cited, the self capacitive sensing and the mutual capacitive sensing make use of the driver lines in a touch IC to input driving signals, and the sensing circuit can collect different charge generating voltage signals Vo_1-Vo_n from a capacitance change, so as to determine whether an object approaches to or touches touch sensors based on the signal change.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a capacitance of a typical in-cell touch display panel, where CLC indicates a capacitance between a thin film transistor (TFT) and a common voltage layer (Vcom), Cparasitism 1 indicates a capacitance between a sensing line of a touch integrated circuit (IC) and the TFT, and Cparasitism 2 indicates a capacitance between the sensing line of the touch IC and the common voltage layer Vcom. However, the panel is subjected to noises originated from various sources, such as noises generated by a source voltage of the TFT of the panel and the polarity inversion of the panel, which may seriously interfere the sensing lines of the touch IC and make a touch device to generate an erroneous coordinate determination and an instable problem. Thus, the system signal to noise ratio SNR is relatively reduced.
Therefore, the prior art typically adds digital and analog filters in the touch IC to eliminate the affection to the touch IC caused by the displaying and driving IC on the panel. However, the anti-noise capability of a filter is varied with different noise sources, so that the noise interference from the displaying and driving IC to the touch IC may not be effectively overcome.
In addition, the configuration of the in-cell multi-touch panel in FIG. 3 uses a time sharing to divide one frame into a display cycle and a touch cycle to thereby share the common voltage layer Vcom of the panel and the driving layer of the touch sensor, as shown in the timings of FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B).
As shown in FIG. 5(A), the time for one display frame is divided into one display cycle and one touch cycle, and the frame of the display panel is displayed in the display cycle before the touch sensing is performed in the touch cycle. In US 2012/0050217 entitled "Display device with touch detection function, control circuit, driving method of display device with touch detection function, and electronic unit", the timing of a first embodiment (shown in FIG. 8 of the patent publication) uses the same strategy as that in FIG. 5(A); i.e., the frame is displayed before the touch sensing is performed. Another time sharing is illustrated in FIG. 5(B), which divides the time for one line into a display cycle and a touch cycle, while performing a frame display on the panel first and then a touch sensing.
However, such a time sharing needs a driving IC to drive more and more pixels as a resolution of the panel becomes higher and higher, resulting in requiring longer and longer time. However, because the display frame rate has to be maintained at 60 Hz and over, i.e., 16.6 ms for each frame, it becomes difficult to perform image displaying and touch sensing in 16.6 ms since the resolution of the panel becomes higher and higher. Also, the resolution development is further limited, which becomes a serious problem to be solved. In addition, the electrical field has to continuously alternate the positive and negative polarities for the liquid crystals, so that the noise is relatively high in the panel, resulting in that a touch sensing circuit may make an erroneous determination and generate an instable touch coordinate.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved in-cell multi-touch panel system to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

In-cell multi-touch panel system with low noise and time division multiplexing and its driving method


A luminaire (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) comprising a housing with a first end surface (21), a second end surface (22), an at least partially circumferential surface (23) extending between the first end surface and the second end surface, a longitudinal direction (25) extending between the first end surface and the second end surface, and at least one connection device (3a, 3b; 3a′, 3b′; 3a″, 3b″) for connecting the luminaire to a complementary connection device (3b, 3a; 3b′, 3a′; 3b″, 3a″) of another corresponding luminaire, the at least one connection device being arranged on either of the first end surface and the second end surface of the luminaire, the connection device comprising an electrical connection element (34) extending in an angleγ with respect to said longitudinal direction (25) of said luminaire, said angle being comprised in the interval (0°; 90°].

Luminaires according to the invention are intended for use in any space, indoors or outdoors, where a linear array of luminaires is required for lighting purposes. Particularly, such luminaires are intended for use in lighting systems known as trunking systems or battens.
For several indoor lighting applications, such as shops, warehouses and offices, a linear array of luminaires is applied to give a proper lighting effect for the space. By using different light distributions an optimized lighting solution for these particular indoor applications can be realized. This particular lighting solution is also known as a trunking system. One important element of such linear lighting systems is the easiness of maintenance.
With conventional linear luminaires (using fluorescent technology) 3 general solutions are known. At first, a typical solution is to use a separate trunking, containing a powerline in which luminaires can be connected at specific points. The luminaire for this solution consists of a ballast and lamp. When a luminaire failure occurs, either the luminaire can be disconnected from the powerline and replaced or its failed component, such as a lamp or ballast, can be replaced.
A second known solution is a luminaire comprising connectors at both ends (possibly integrated with the luminaire caps as well). In this case, if a luminaire fails, the luminaire needs to be disconnected from the other luminaires to be replaced.
A last solution of realizing a linear array of luminaires is similar to the second known solution with the difference that the luminaires are connected by means of separate cables. In this case, when a failure occurs the luminaire can be fairly easily replaced by the user.
US 2009/0296381 A1 describes a solution of the second type mentioned above in which a modular lighting system with an elongate light module comprises two end caps. One end cap comprises a male connector and the other end cap a female connector. The connectors each comprise a set of plug-in connector pins for electrically coupling the light module to another light module or to an external power source.
These known solutions pose two main disadvantages. Firstly, by using conventional luminaires, at the end of each luminaire a dark spot is perceived by users due to the required end caps at each end of the luminaire.
Secondly, when the electrical connection of these luminaires are provided in a horizontal way, i.e. in a direction parallel with the longitudinal direction of the luminaire, it is very difficult to replace luminaire(s) placed in the middle of an array of luminaires and having a failure. Particularly, the disconnection of these luminaires implies a distinct risk of damaging the connection device, and on one end of the failed luminaire the entire array of luminaires needs to be moved.
Another way to classify different types of luminaires can be based on electrical properties of the single luminaire, such as maximum voltage or the total number of luminaires connected to a single power supply. Also integrated or using an external power supply can be another way to classify luminaires. For this invention these type of classifications are irrelevant, since the invention can be applied with all types of classifications as described above and the embodiments of the invention is suitable for whatever the building can support electrically.


A device may receive data that identifies applications utilized by users, databases utilized by the applications, and the users, and may process the received data, with first models, to determine context data that matches the users and events associated with the applications, and task data that identifies tasks to be performed by the users in response to the events. The device may process the received data and the context data, with a second model, to generate role data that identifies user interfaces utilized by the users to access the applications, and credentials of the users, and may process the context data, the task data, and the role data, with a third model, to generate persona data that identifies personas, and assignment data that assigns each of the users to one of the personas. The device may perform actions based on the persona data and the assignment data.

A cloud computing environment is a model of computing where servers, networks, storage, development tools, and applications are enabled through a network (e.g., the Internet). Managing cloud computing environments and/or legacy computing environments may require multiple applications. Such applications may operate as standalone services, may not conform to any standards, and may include unique user experiences, data models, authentication requirements, and target audiences. This results in excessive manual effort by personnel (e.g., technicians, software managers, and/or the like), excessive switching between applications (e.g., often requiring new credentials), a dissatisfying user experience, and an inability to determine accurate and complete reporting and management.

Utilizing machine learning models to aggregate applications and users with events associated with the applications


A therapeutic pillow is disclosed. The therapeutic pillow provides support to a user's head, neck, back, and spine when lying down on the pillow. The pillow includes a head support, an elongated spine support, a firm support member for supporting the elongated spine support, and a lower member for manipulating the pillow. When lying down on the pillow the force exerted onto the elongated spine support compresses the elongated spine support. This compression causes an end of the elongated spine support that is connected to the head support to bend, which in turn causes the head support to bend at an angle towards the vertical axis of the pillow. Further, when lying on the pillow the lower member protrudes through a user's legs, which enables users to grasp the lower member with their legs and perform therapeutic exercises with the pillow.

It has long been recognized that it is desirable to support the entirety of a person's back as well as their head and neck when lying down. Many beds are inadequate in that they do not support a person's back over a period of time. Though, Bolster pillows and cylindrical and semi-cylindrical lumbar and cervical support cushions have been available for some time, they are lacking in that they are not directed to a person's neck, head, and the entirety of a person's back. Moreover, they are lacking in that they do not have a manipulatable component that enables a user to perform therapeutic back exercises. Various therapeutic and/or orthopedic pillows have been developed to provide support to a person's spine, neck, and/or lower back, but none provide support to a user's head, neck, and back all at once and provide a manipulatable component for performing therapeutic back exercises.
Accordingly, there is a need for a therapeutic pillow which provides support to user's neck and entire spine and provides a component in which a user can manipulate to aid in the performance of therapeutic back exercises.


Non-volatile resistance change memories, systems, arrangements and associated methods are implemented in a variety of embodiments. According to one embodiment, resistance-change memory devices are implemented having a pair of electrodes and an intervening electrochemical material. A heating element facilitates changes in resistance of the electrochemical material-region due to changes in ion distribution. The method is implemented without a process for forming a filament-like region in the electrochemical material.

Memory devices are often categorized by their ability to retain data over time. For example, memory devices are considered to be volatile if they retain data while powered and, conversely, the data is lost when power is no longer provided. Static random access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM) are examples of volatile memory devices. Although losing data in response to a power loss is disadvantageous, such volatile memory devices permit relatively fast random data access (i.e., reading and/or writing).
Another category of memory device is referred to as non-volatile because they store information even after the memory is disconnected from a power source. Non-volatile memory devices typically provide slower data access and are exemplified by the read only memory (ROM), the electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and the FLASH memory. FLASH memory devices are used in a variety of applications including, for example, personal computers, cell phones, memory sticks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, microcomputer chips, wireless transmitters and receivers, and smart cards.
There have been ongoing efforts to design memory devices that are non-volatile but that also realize the access-time advantages of the volatile type. Many of these efforts have been driven by ongoing needs to reduce the size of the memory devices (i.e., the size of the cells within and/or feature sizes thereof), to reduce power requirements, and/or to increase data-access time. With regards to size reduction, for example, current semiconductor manufacturing efforts can implement the smallest features using 65 nm technology, and ongoing physical scaling efforts for such memory devices are expected to realize their physical scaling limit in the range of the 45 nm to 32 nm technology node. There are several candidates for less-volatile (and/or non-volatile) memory devices that realize one or more of these advantages. Among these candidates is the resistance-change memory.
The nonvolatile resistance-change memory typically stores information as logic bits (logic "1" and logic "0") as a "high" or a "low" resistance state of the memory cell. This type of memory includes a electrochemical material separating two electrodes (e.g., a metal-insulator-metal structure), and a bit of data is stored and/or altered by changing the conductivity of the electrochemical material so that the resistance between the electrodes exhibits at least two different states, including a high-resistance state and a low-resistance state.
A resistance-change memory (RCM or RRAM), which can also be referred to as phase-change RAM or an electrochemical RAM, operates based on the intrinsic formation of a conductive filament-like region in the electrochemical material. In such filamentary memories, the resistance change effect is local and situated close to or inside the filament-like region. However, the filamentary nature of the memory effect itself is a disadvantage of all filamentary based memories, since this memory class does not scale well in relation to area or thickness. It remains therefore questionable, whether filamentary-based memories can be commercialized. A disadvantage of PCRAM is the large current consumption of the memory during program/erase operations.
At a more detailed level, such filamentary-based memories are commonly composed of a metal-insulator-metal structure. The insulator (or dielectric) is a binary oxide (e.g., NiO2, TiO2 or AL2O3), a more complex oxide (e.g., perovskites ABO3, SrTiO3, SrZrO3, BaTiO3 or BaSrTiO3), or chalcogenide (e.g., Cu2S, AgS or ZnCdS). In terms of its operation, initially, the insulator exhibits a high resistance and does not show any memory effect. Before the insulator is used as a memory device (e.g., NVRAM), a conductive filament-like region is formed within the insulator by a high-voltage forming process. The filament-like region is developed by applying a voltage close to the break down voltage across the insulator for an extended period of time. This process is also referred to as "the formation process" or "the forming process."
The filament-like region can be regarded as an incomplete local breakdown of the material. In many cases, a current compliance on the programming pulse has to be used to prevent a complete breakdown. If and where the filament-like region forms is strongly correlated with the location and number of crystallographic defects in the electrochemical material. As a result, filament-like regions are often randomly distributed in the electrochemical material.
Once the filament-like region is formed, the memory effect of resistance-change memory is based on a local redistribution of mobile ions or ion vacancies by a voltage pulse of positive or negative polarity (program or erase pulse) via the electrodes. A change in the ion spatial distribution is related to a change of the electronic conductivity. A variation of the electrode area shows that the resistance change in these devices is a local effect and that the effect is coupled to the conductive filament-like region(s).
The resistance change of the memory is caused by a local redistribution of ions or ion vacancies. Mobility of ions and/or ion vacancies in binary and complex oxides is thermally activated. At room temperature, the mobility of ions and vacancies is low so that large fields close to the dielectric break down field are needed to change the ion profile. At elevated temperatures of 150° C. to 300° C., the mobility has increased and ions can easily be moved at least small distances (in terms of nanometers) within μs time scales and under significantly reduced electric fields.
Due to its low resistance, the conductive filament-like region can dissipate significant heat. During program and erase operation, the filament-like region acts as a resistive heater, which causes a self-heating of the memory cell. The filament-like region provides thermal energy for the migration of ions in the vicinity of the filament and may also provide an easy diffusion path for ions at program/erase temperatures.
One advantage of filamentary type memories is good data retention. Both high and low resistance states are stable for several years (typically at least 10 years) and can be readout without losing the stored information (i.e., non-destructively).
Such filament-based memories present a number of challenges to be overcome before successful commercialization. Their requirement of a forming process is an impediment to the manufacturing process. These memories also exhibit an uncontrolled filament-like resistance, a drift of the filament resistance with the number of program/erase cycles (aging of the cell), and an undefined active memory area in the memory cell. Further, at least partly due to their undefined active memory area in the cell, these devices have exhibited a poor scaling behavior. In addition, mainly due to a change of the filament-like region resistance with ongoing usages of the devices, their implementations have been disadvantaged by a shift in the program/erase voltage, a drift in the "on"-resistance and the "off"-resistance, and low-cycling endurance. Various changes of the electrical properties of the filament-like region, perhaps attributable to its random formation and nature (one dimensional lattice defect), present further challenges.

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


A roll-off reducing agent comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids having 2 to 20 carbon atoms having either OH group or groups or SH group or groups, monocarboxylic acids having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and dicarboxylic acids having 2 to 3 carbon atoms, and salts thereof; and a roll-off reducing agent composition comprising a roll off-reducing agent comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids having 2 to 20 carbon atoms having either OH group or groups or SH group or groups, monocarboxylic acids having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and dicarboxylic acids having 2 to 3 carbon atoms, and salts thereof; an abrasive; and water.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roll-off reducing agent. More specifically, the present invention relates to a roll-off reducing agent composition comprising the roll-off reducing agent, a process of reducing roll-off of a polished substrate by applying the roll-off reducing agent to the substrate, a process for producing a polished substrate by applying the roll-off reducing agent to the substrate, a polishing composition, a polishing process of a substrate to be polished by applying the polishing composition to the substrate, and a process for producing a substrate by applying the polishing composition to a substrate to be polished.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Over the years, a demand for a technique for further increasing the capacity of the hard discs has become greater. As a leading means for increasing the capacity of the hard discs, there has been considered a means of producing a substrate capable of recording data even to its outer periphery by reducing roll-off (edge rounding of end side of a substrate) caused in the polishing process. For instance, various mechanical polishing conditions which can reduce roll-off, such as making a polishing pad more rigid, and making a polishing load smaller, have been studied. However, although a certain extent of an effect is obtained for reducing roll-off by these mechanical polishing conditions, the effect has not yet been satisfactory.
In addition, as a polishing composition capable of reducing roll-off, a composition comprising water, α-alumina particles and aluminum nitrate has been known (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 9-286975). However, this composition does not have a satisfactory effect of reducing roll-off, and studies of the polishing components having an excellent effect for reducing roll-off have not yet been sufficiently made at present.
On the other hand, the hard discs have been greatly developed over the years in the trends of miniaturization and high capacity, so that the trend of high density has been progressed, that the minimum recording area has become smaller, and that the floating amount of a magnetic head has been made increasingly smaller. Therefore, there have been desired to increase the polishing rate and reduce the surface roughness, and to reduce surface defects such as scratches and pits in the polishing process of a hard disc substrate. In view of this, there have been studied on a polishing composition by using water, alumina, boehmite and a chelating compound (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-92749, and the like); a polishing composition comprising water, α-alumina, and an alumina sol stabilized with acetic acid (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-63805); a polishing composition for an aluminum magnetic disc, comprising water, an alumina abrasive powder, a polishing accelerator such as gluconic acid or lactic acid, and a surface-modifying agent such as a colloidal alumina (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 2-84485); a polishing composition comprising water, an alumina abrasive, and a polishing accelerator comprising molybdic acid and an organic acid (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 7-216345); and a polishing process.
However, none of these polishing compositions sufficiently satisfy all of an effect of reducing roll-off, an effect of increasing the polishing rate, an effect of reducing the surface roughness of a polished object, and an effect of reducing surface defects such as scratches and pits. Therefore, a polishing composition having further enhanced effects is in demand.
An object of the present invention is to provide a roll-off reducing agent capable of reducing roll-off of a polished substrate caused by polishing, and increasing a polishing rate; a roll-off reducing agent composition comprising the roll-off reducing agent; a process of reducing roll-off of a polished substrate by using the roll-off reducing agent; and a process for producing a polished substrate by using the roll-off reducing agent.
Also, another object of the present invention is to provide a polishing composition having an increased polishing rate, and a reduced surface roughness without causing a surface defect on the surface of the polished substrate, and being capable of reducing roll-off; a polishing process of a polished substrate by using the polishing composition; and a process for producing a polished substrate.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.
In the present specification, the term "roll-off" refers to a state so-called edge rounding of an end surface, in which a part of an end surface of a substrate to be polished is more largely grinded as compared to that of the central part, thereby rounding off the end part.


1-Sulfonyloxy-2-pyridones of the formula I ##STR1## show good radiation sensitivity over a wide spectral range and are therefore valuable as photoactive compounds in radiation-sensitive mixtures.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to novel radiation-sensitive 1-sulfonyloxy-2-pyridones, chromophorically substituted in the 6-position, to a process for preparing them and to their use, preferably in a radiation-sensitive mixture.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of 1-sulfonyloxy-2-pyridones as photooxidants in radiation-sensitive mixtures which contain a leuco dye has been disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,424. In such mixtures, the photooxidant effects during irradiation, for example, an oxidation, causes the leuco dye to undergo an intensive color change and causes a visual contrast between exposed and unexposed areas. Such color changes are desired in industry, for example in the production of printing forms, in order to enable the copying result to be assessed after exposure, and before development.
1-Benzenesulfonyloxy- and 1-(toluene-4-sulfonyloxy)-2-pyridone and processes for the preparation thereof are known (E. C. Taylor et al., J. Org. Chem., 35, 1672, 1970). The radiation sensitivity of these compounds was, however, not recognized.
Sulfonic acid esters as acid generators in radiationsensitive mixtures are known. Examples of these are the sulfonates of hydroxymethylbenzoin derivatives (see DE-A 1,919,678) or 2-nitrobenzyl sulfonates (see EP-A 0,330,386) and pyrogallol sulfonates (see T. Ueno et al., Chemical Amplification Positive Resist Systems Using Novel Sulfonates as Acid Generators, in "Polymers for Microelectronics - Science and Technology", edited by Y. Tabata et al., Kodansha-Weinheim-New York, 1989, pages 66-67). Such radiation-sensitive sulfonic acid esters are, due to their absorption properties, particularly suitable for irradiation with high-energy UV2 radiation, that is, 220 to 280 nm. However, their sensitivity to the UV3 and UV4 radiation (350 to 450 nm) currently used in industry is inadequate for use in practice.
Compounds which have sensitivities suitable for practice in this region are known from EP-A 0,137,452. These are, for example, compounds which contain trichloromethyl groups and, on exposure, from free chlorine radicals and hydrochloric acids, which confer the desired properties as photoinitiators or photo-acid generators on these compounds. The photolytically generated hydrohalic acids, however, have a strongly corrosive action and, for this reason, cannot be used in many technical fields.

Substituted 1-sulfonyloxy-2-pyridones and process for preparing them


An information recording apparatus of this invention includes a MAIN MPU for generating manager information representing the correspondence between a compressed content and a program for expanding the content, and a disc drive section for recording the content, program, and manager information on an information recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording method and apparatus for recording a compressed object (content) and the like on an information recording medium.
The present invention also relates to an information reproduction method and apparatus for reproducing an information recording medium on which a compressed object and the like are recorded.
The present invention also relates to an information recording medium on which a compressed object and the like are recorded.
The present invention also related to an electronic distribution system for distributing a compressed object and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
The DVD forum issued a standard capable of recording/reproducing video information on/from an information recording medium.
Video information has a unit called a "recording unit" or "title corresponding to program unit" which divides large video contents. In the above standard, a management unit called "video object" is used for the "recording unit", and a management unit called "program" is used for the "program unit or title".
The DVD forum is currently examining an audio recording standard, i.e., a standard capable of recording/reproducing audio information highly compatible with the above video recording standard.
In the video recording standard, video data is compressed by MPEG2 and recorded, and audio data is recorded by linear PCM without any compression, or compressed by MPEG audio or AC-3 and recorded. In addition to the above audio compression schemes, various kinds of audio compression schemes exist, including AAC, MP3, ATRAC3, WMA, DTS, Twin-VQ, and Q Design. When a plurality of compression schemes are selected as the audio recording standards, an audio recording compatible recorder only need to have an encoder of at least one of the compression schemes. However, a compatible player must have decoders of all compression schemes to keep the compatibility. In addition, in supporting a new compression scheme to be developed in the future, the compatibility cannot be ensured.

Information recording apparatus, information recording method, information reproduction apparatus, information reproduction method, information recording medium, and electronic distribution system


Servo control signals and data content associated with two different devices, such as a hard disc drive magnetic head and a digital video disc laser may both be processed without substantial loss of data or control signal errors using a single controller.

Today, many computers and the like include both a hard disc drive ("HDD") and a digital video disc ("DVD") drive or provide the option of plugging in or adding one or more HDD or DVD drives. Existing computers and the like use separate controllers and programs to separately control a DVD and an HDD. Each control mechanism has an associated cost. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a single control mechanism that is capable of controlling both a DVD and an HDD, as well as other devices.
Existing attempts to control both an HDD and a DVD with a single control mechanism have failed to overcome problems associated with the reception of so-called servo control signals and their associated data. By way of background, it is known that an HDD servo control signal indicates a present position of a magnetic head or the like used to, for example, read and write information from an HDD. Similarly, a DVD servo control signal indicates a present location of a laser (e.g., laser diode or LED) used to read/write information from a DVD. Presently, each of these control signals is sent to a separate controller which, upon reception of the control signals, determines a next position for the magnetic head or laser. Unfortunately, both signals may be sent at the same time or in such close proximity to one another that it is practically impossible to detect a first control signal (e.g., an HDD signal), followed by its associated data/content and then process the control signal and the data/content before the arrival of a second control signal (e.g., a DVD signal) and its associated data/content. A controller must either suspend processing of the first servo control signal and its associated data in order to receive the second servo control signal and its associated data or choose to ignore the second control signal and its associated data until it has finished processing the first servo control signal and its associated data. In the former case, a delay in the processing of the first servo control signal and its associated data makes it practically impossible to provide real-time adjustments to an associated device, a situation which is unacceptable. In the latter case, the failure to detect the second servo control signal and its associated data makes it practically impossible to adjust the second device at all.
It is therefore also desirable to provide for methods and devices which are capable of processing servo control signals from, for example, both an HDD and a DVD along with associated data/content in such a manner that both devices can be controlled in real-time with no, or substantially few, errors.

Methods and devices for processing servo control signals


An aspiration apparatus primarily including a biohazard-safe aspirating cartridge assembly for use with material which might be hazardous to humans. The cartridge assembly includes a longitudinally expandable and contractible washing chamber, within which a fluid aspirating needle is longitudinally positioned. Opposite ends of the washing chamber are secured to a pair of telescopically slidable mounting members, which are pluggably mountable to an operably associated support. A locking element surrounds one of the mounting members, for preventing accidental/premature telescoping. Intentional release of the locking element enables the pair of slidable members to be telescoped together by the drive means, causing the washing chamber to contract, permitting the tip of the aspirating needle to be extended out of the chamber, for penetration of an operably associated sealed container of material, for example whole blood.

This invention relates broadly to fluid handling apparatus and, more specifically, to fluid handling apparatus of the type which is or can be used with fluids which are or can be harmful to humans and/or to fluids which are corrosive, or are bacterially contaminated, or which are otherwise biohazardous for one reason or another.
The handling of hazardous materials, especially hazardous fluid materials, is a worldwide consummate problem. When a human operator is required to become involved in such handling of these materials, the problem is even more severe. Fluid materials, generally, are particularly troublesome due to their capacity for leaking, corroding, spilling, entering the immediate surroundings in aerosol form, etc.
In the biomedical field and particularly in a hospital environment, the requirement for a safe, sanitary and biologically clean working atmosphere is of the highest order and importance. Additionally, each piece of biomedical apparatus must meet the highest and strictest safety and sanitary codes for biohazard containment. The present worldwide problem of infectious disease, such as the HIV virus, places a high burden on the manufacturer of biomedical apparatus, with respect to the chemistry/reagents involved in using the apparatus, as well as with respect to the human operator, who must interface with and work with such apparatus.
A particular area of concern is that of hematology apparatus and specifically automated hematology apparatus which employs freshly venapunctured human blood as a fluid sample material for diagnosis and detection of disease. Most, if not all, human blood used for test and diagnostic purposes is drawn by needle puncture from veins in the human anatomy. The fresh fluid blood is captured in test tube-like containers or vials which are tightly capped with flexible, puncturable caps or stoppers. Such containers are patient-identified (e.g. bar coded) and then transferred to diagnostic centers for diagnostic examination or to temporary cold storage.
At this juncture in the fluid (blood sample) handling routine, there is relatively little concern vis-a-vis biohazard containment, since the blood, should it be hazardous, is completely sealed from the atmosphere as well as from the person of the handler/operator.
The next step in the routine, however, can create the first of many biohazard problems. If the blood-containing test tube or vial is introduced into the testing apparatus with the tube cap in place, there is little danger to the operator. On the other hand, if the operator is required to remove the cap from the test tube or vial and decant the blood into the test apparatus, there could be substantial risk of contamination to the operator and to the adjacent area.
For example, if the human operator is required to perform a microscopic examination of the blood, then a portion of the fluid blood must be placed on a microscope slide, so as to be viewed under a microscope or other optical instrument for examination. This obviously necessitates some handling of the blood out of the tube or vial. In such case, contamination of the operator can occur at any time from a variety of causes. Not the least of these is tube breakage, slide breakage, blood spillage, etc. A search for automation of these steps has been an ongoing medical industry quest for some time.
Many, if not most, modern medical facilities, hospitals and diagnostic laboratories and centers, universally employ automatic diagnostic hematology tools in an effort to eliminate human error, as well as to reduce the required labor force so as to relieve highly skilled and trained technical personnel for more demanding tasks and, in addition, to prevent the possibility of biohazard contamination. Some of these automated hematology devices are more or less biohazard free due to containment devices, which either prevent easy access to the blood during diagnostic routines or avoid human operator intervention with the blood container until the diagnostic routine is completed. Still, there is the ever-present danger from the technician who tries to "help the machine along", or becomes over-anxious for the results and thereby intervenes in the operation prior to its completion or termination. By removing protective shielding from the blood container, he or she thereby exposes himself or herself to the risk of infection or injury from the hazardous contents, if any.
Certain recently introduced hematology equipment utilizes an automatic so-called "cap piercer, washer aspirator", wherein a capped and bar coded sample vial, containing a sample of human blood, is dropped into a sample carrier, which then automatically reads the bar code, introduces an aspirating needle into and through the vial cap, and withdraws a portion of the blood sample, for use in operably associated diagnostic apparatus. The aspirating needle is withdrawn from the blood sample vial, while simultaneously being washed, and finally retracted out of the way, permitting the next sample to be introduced into the sample carrier of the apparatus.
Such apparatus as the foregoing is reasonably effective in preventing biohazard contamination. However, there comes a time in the operation of the apparatus when, either because of a clog of the aspirating needle, or the fact that the aspirating needle has become bent, dulled or broken, it is necessary to remove this element of the combination and replace it with a new aspirating needle. Obviously, without more, the operator must, in most instances, handle the aspirating needle which, could contain hazardous sample material. Should the operator prick a finger or the skin, the hazardous material could be introduced quickly into the bloodstream of the operator, often with serious or tragic results.

Demountable, replaceable aspirating needle cartridge assembly


An insulating film is formed by CVD on the surface of a semiconductor substrate formed with circuit elements such as transistors, and thereafter a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin film is formed on the insulating film by spin-coating or the like. This resin film is sequentially subjected to low temperature annealing at 400.degree. C. or lower and then to high temperature annealing at 700.degree. C. or higher. The low temperature annealing changes the resin film into a silicon oxide film, and the high temperature annealing is performed in order to make dense the film quality of the silicon oxide film. The high temperature annealing is performed by rapid thermal annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere of water vapor or the like. A CVD insulating film is formed on the densified silicon oxide film and planarized by CMP or the like, according to necessity. A contact hole is formed through the CVD insulating film, densified silicon oxide film and the insulating film, and a wiring layer is thereafter deposited.

a). Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacture method of a semiconductor device including a wiring layer forming process. More particularly, the invention relates to a manufacture method of a semiconductor device capable of forming an insulating film in short time by using a hydrogen silsesquioxane resin, which film has a good surface flatness and is excellent in resistance to chemicals.
b). Description of the Related Art
As an insulating film having a planarizing function, a spin-on-glass (SOG) film is known. The film quality of this SOG film is inferior, however, to a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) oxide film. A manufacture method of a semiconductor device such as LSIs illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 has been conventionally used (for example, refer to JP-A-7-283310).
At the process shown in FIG. 9, a MOS transistor generally indicated at T and having a lightly doped drain (LDD) structure is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate by a well-know method. In this transistor T, F indicates a gate insulating film made of silicon oxide or the like, G indicates a gate electrode layer made of polysilicon, polycide, or the like, Ps and Pd indicate side spacers made of silicon oxide or the like, S indicates a source region including an n.sup.- region under the side spacer Ps and an n.sup.+ region outside of the side spacer Ps, and D indicates a drain region including an n.sup.- region under the side spacer Pd and an n.sup.+ region outside of the side spacer Pd.
Next, an insulating film 2 of silicon oxide is formed over the surface of the substrate 1 by CVD, the insulating film 2 covering the transistor T. On this insulating film 2, an SOG film 3 containing a silanol group is coated by spin-coating or the like to have a flat surface. The SOG film 3 is subjected to low temperature annealing at 150.degree. C. for 30 minutes, at 300.degree. C. for 30 minutes and then at 400.degree. C. for 30 minutes in a nitrogen gas atmosphere. Thereafter, high temperature annealing is performed at 850.degree. C. in an oxidizing atmosphere of water vapor. This high temperature annealing in the oxidizing atmosphere is used for making the quality of the SOG film dense.
Thereafter, a contact hole 4 reaching a partial area of the drain region D is formed through the lamination of the insulating film 2 and SOG film 3 by well-known photolithography and selective etching.
At the process shown in FIG. 10, the inside of the contact hole 4 is washed with diluted hydrofluoric acid in order to remove a natural (or native) silicon oxide film formed on the silicon surface at the bottom of the contact hole 4. Wiring material is then deposited over the substrate surface and patterned to form a wiring pattern 5 which is connected in this state to the partial area of the drain region D via the contact hole 4.
If the high temperature annealing is performed not in an oxidizing atmosphere but in a non-oxidizing atmosphere such as a nitrogen atmosphere, an etching rate during the washing process with diluted hydrofluoric acid may become abnormally fast at some region of the SOG film 3 and may form a void V. If such a void V is formed, a portion of the wiring material may enter the void V so that short circuit between the wiring pattern 5 and another wiring pattern may be formed or the contact state of the wiring pattern 5 may be deteriorated.
However, with the above method, the SOG film 3 is made dense by the high temperature annealing in the oxidizing atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the formation of such a void V communicating with the contact hole 4 during the washing process with diluted hydrofluoric acid. Preventing the formation of a void V improves the manufacture yield of a wiring pattern and the reliability of the wiring pattern.
The above conventional method is required to perform high temperature annealing for a long time in the oxidizing atmosphere, in order to prevent the formation of a void V. It has been found that such a long time high temperature annealing deteriorates the electric characteristics of the transistor T.

Converting a hydrogen silsesquioxane film to an oxide using a first heat treatment and a second heat treatment with the second heat treatment using rapid thermal processing


A device having at least one semiconductor component, which is covered by a protective material on its outer surface. The invention provides for the outer surface to be provided with a surface structure so as to enlarge the heat transfer area to the protective material. The invention furthermore relates to a manufacturing method.

Power semiconductor components situated on a substrate are known, which are frequently covered by a molding material. The task of the molding material is to protect the power semiconductor component against environmental influences such as against moisture, aggressive media as well as against corrosion. In addition, the molding material often takes on the function of an electric insulator. Since the molding material has an approximately 10-fold lower thermal conductivity in comparison to the substrate, known electrical power semiconductor components are cooled essentially via the respective substrate.
DE 199 51 945 A1 discusses a semiconductor component fixed on a base plate, which is provided with a metallic coating on the lateral wall so as to be able to dissipate laterally waste heat produced in operation. The known device is not covered by a protective material.
US 2006/0005952 A1 discusses a heat dissipation device having a microstructure layer and an inner chamber. The chamber is used for accommodating a work fluid.
DE 102 49 205 B3 discusses a device having multiple semiconductor components which have separate heat sinks assigned to them.

Device comprising a semiconductor component, and a manufacturing method


A method for detecting the occurrence of nucleic acid syntheses using an enzyme through the use of a generated insoluble substance as an indicator.

A method of analysis based on the complementarity of nucleic acid nucleotide sequence can be utilized to directly analyze genetic traits. Accordingly, this method of analysis is a very powerful means for identifying genetic diseases, canceration, microorganisms, etc. Further, because the gene itself is the object of detection, time-consuming and cumbersome procedures such as culture may be omitted.
However, since the detection of a target gene, which is present in a very small amount in a sample, is generally not easy, amplification of the target gene itself, its detection signal, or the like is required.
In the amplification of nucleic acids, the most general method for detecting the occurrence of amplification is carried out by subjecting the solution after amplification to agarose gel electrophoresis and binding a fluorescent intercalator such as ethidium bromide to the amplification product, thereby observing specific fluorescence. When there is no possibility of contamination by other DNA and only the occurrence of the amplification product is of interest, fluorescence can be observed by adding the fluorescent intercalator to the solution after amplification while omitting electrophoresis. While these methods are simple, a UV lamp and a darkroom are required to observe fluorescence.
Also, when amplification is performed using a primer or a nucleotide labeled with various label substances including a fluorescent dye, there is a method for detecting the label incorporated into the amplification product. This method, however, requires the separation of a free labeled primer (or nucleotide) that was not incorporated into the amplification product. Accordingly, this method is not suitable for the amplification of genes which uses very small amounts of reaction solution. Also, a labeled primer and nucleotide are expensive.

Method for detecting product of nucleic acid synthesizing reaction


The present invention relates to isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a type III—secreted bacterial protein capable of modifying a cell death pathway in a plant cell. One aspect of the present invention involves an isolated nucleic acid molecule having a nucleotide sequence that encodes the HopPtoD2 protein of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae DC 3000. Expression vectors, host cells, and transgenic plants which include the DNA molecules of the present invention are also disclosed. The nucleic acid molecules of the present invention can be used to impart disease resistance to a plant and to make a plant hypersusceptible to colonization by nonpathogenic bacteria.

The plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae is noted for its diverse and host-specific interactions with plants. A specific strain may be assigned to one of at least 40 pathovars based on its host range among different plant species and then further assigned to a race based on differential interactions among cultivars of the host. In host plants the bacteria typically grow to high population levels in leaf intercellular spaces and then produce necrotic lesions. In nonhost plants or in host plants with race-specific resistance, the bacteria elicit the hypersensitive response (HR), a rapid, defense-associated programmed death of plant cells in contact with the pathogen (Alfano & Collmer, J. Bacteriol. 179:5655–5662 (1997)). The ability to produce either of these reactions in plants appears to be directed by hrp (HR and pathogenicity) and hrc (HR and conserved) genes that encode a type III protein secretion pathway and by avr (avirulence) and hop (Hrp-dependent outer protein) genes that encode effector proteins injected into plant cells by the pathway (Alfano & Collmer, J. Bacteriol. 179:5655–5662 (1997)). These effectors may also betray the parasite to the HR-triggering R-gene surveillance system of potential hosts (hence the avr designation), and plant breeding for resistance based on such gene-for-gene (avr-R) interactions may produce complex combinations of races and differential cultivars (Keen, Annu. Rev. Genet. 24:447–463 (1990)). hrp/hrc genes are probably universal among necrosis-causing gram-negative plant pathogens, and they have been sequenced in P. syringae pv. syringae (Psy) 61, Erwinia amylovora Ea321, Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) 85–10, and Ralstonia solanacearum GMI1000 (Alfano & Collmer, J. Bacteriol. 179:5655–5662 (1997)). Based on their distinct gene arrangements and regulatory components, the hrp/hrc gene clusters of these four bacteria can be divided into two groups: I (Pseudomonas and Erwinia) and II (Xanthomonas and Ralstonia). The discrepancy between the distribution of these groups and the phylogeny of the bacteria provides some evidence that hrp/hrc gene clusters have been horizontally acquired and, therefore, may represent pathogenicity islands (Pais) (Alfano & Collmer, J. Bacteriol. 179:5655–5662 (1997)).
Virulence effector proteins delivered to or into host cells by type III secretion systems are key factors in the pathogenicity of many bacteria, including animal pathogens in the genera Salmonella, Yersinia, Shigella, and Escherichia, and plant pathogens in the genera Pseudomonas, Erwinia, Xanthomonas, Ralstonia, and Pantoea (Galán & Collmer, Science 284:1322–1328 (1999)). In plant pathogens, the type III secretion machinery is referred to as the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (Hrp) system because secretion mutants typically lose their ability to elicit the defense-associated hypersensitive response in nonhost plants and to grow parasitically or be pathogenic in host plants (Alfano & Collmer, J. Bacteriol. 179:5655–5662 (1997)). These phenotypes demonstrate the importance of the Hrp system in bacterium-plant interactions, and global identification of effectors will be important for understanding the pathogenesis of bacteria that use type III secretion systems. Unfortunately, several factors have hindered searches for type III effector genes. These factors include: (i) effectors are often redundant with mutants having only subtle phenotypes; (ii) with few exceptions (see e.g., Miao & Miller, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:7539–7544 (2000)) motifs that can identify proteins as substrates for type III secretion have not been recognized (Lloyd et al., Mol. Microbiol. 39:520–532) (2001); (iii) many effectors show no similarity to known proteins; and (iv) some pathogens have multiple type III secretion systems which deliver different sets of effectors (Cornelis & Van Gijsegem, Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 54:735–774 (2000)). Thus, a complete inventory of type III effector genes is lacking for any pathogen, although it seems that pathogens such as Salmonella may have many such genes (Worley et al., Mol. Microbiol. 36:749–761 (2000)).
Plant pathogen type III effector proteins are mostly designated Avr or Hop, depending on whether their primary phenotype involves plant reaction or secretion behavior. Many effectors were initially discovered through their ability to betray the pathogen to the host R (resistance) gene surveillance system, thereby rendering the pathogen avirulent on a test plant (Keen, Annu. Rev. Genet. 24:447–463 (1990)). Over 25 effector genes have been identified by Avr or Hop phenotypes in various P. syringae pathovars and races (Vivian & Arnold, J. Plant Pathol. 82:163–178 (2000); Alfano et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:4856–4861 (2000)). The encoded effectors seem to determine both basic pathogenicity and host range, but the number of such proteins produced by any single strain has not been systematically investigated. P. s. tomato DC3000 is known to carry at least three avr genes, avrPto (Ronald et al., J. Bacteriol. 174:1604–1611 (1992)), avrPtoB, and avrE (Lorang & Keen, Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 8:49–57 (1995)), with the latter being in the Hrp pathogenicity island along with five other candidate effector genes (Alfano et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:4856–486 (2000); Lorang & Keen, Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 8:49–57 (1995)).
The present invention is a further advance in the effort to identify, clone, and sequence Avr and Hop proteins or polypeptides from plant pathogens.

Nucleic acids encoding pseudomonas hop proteins and use thereof

Kansas State University Research Foundation

Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Inc.

The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska


Particular embodiments described herein provide for a network element that can be configured to receive a request related to one or more disaggregated resources, link the one or more disaggregated resources to a local counter, receive performance related data from each of the one or more disaggregated resources, and store the performance related data in the local counter. In an example, the one or more disaggregated resources comprise a software defined infrastructure composite node

Some current networks, especially data centers, have a relatively static computing infrastructure. There are set number of servers, each having a set number of computer processing units (CPU) and a fixed amount of memory. The number of servers, CPUs, and fixed memory is enough to cover peak demand. However, this leaves many servers under-utilized during non-peak conditions. One current trend is to disaggregate resources or separating data-center equipment, in particular servers, into separate resource components.
The FIGURES of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as their dimensions can be varied considerably without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.


A silencer for a vehicle air conditioning system is designed to reduce a noise and a vibration of a compressor transmitted into a vehicle room along coolant pipes. The silencer includes a silencer body tube and an external resonance tube. The silencer body tube is installed between the coolant pipes wherein a coolant gas flowing along the coolant pipes passes through the silencer body tube, the silencer body tube including one or more resonance holes formed on an outer circumferential surface of the silencer body tube. The external resonance tube is installed on the outer circumferential surface of the silencer body tube wherein a resonance chamber for absorbing a vibration and a noise of a coolant gas flowing through the silencer body tube is defined between the outer circumferential surface of the silencer body tube and the external resonance tube.

Noise is one major cause of reducing vehicle ride comfort. There are many different kinds of noises generated in a motor vehicle, including a noise of an air conditioner. The noise of an air conditioner is generated in a process of compressing a coolant in a compressor. If the noise is introduced into a vehicle room, vehicle ride comfort is significantly reduced.
In particular, a vibration and a noise generated in a compressor are transmitted into a vehicle room along a coolant and a coolant pipe. Due to the vibration and the noise thus transmitted, a vehicle occupant residing within a vehicle room receives a severe stress and feels fatigue. Thus, the vibration and the noise reduce vehicle ride comfort and significantly hinder safe driving. Accordingly, the noise generated from the compressor of the vehicle air conditioning system needs to be reduced in order to improve vehicle ride comfort and to assure safe driving.
As a method of reducing a noise generated in a compressor, there is available a technology in which a silencer is installed in a coolant pipe connected to the compressor.
As shown in FIG. 1, this technology makes use of a Helmholtz resonance principle and has a structure in which a resonance tube 3 is installed within a coolant pipe 1. The resonance tube 3 includes a coolant introduction portion 5, a neck portion 7 whose diameter gradually decreases from the coolant introduction portion 5, and a coolant discharge portion 9 whose diameter gradually increases from the neck portion 7. A resonance chamber 7a is defined between the outer circumferential surface of the neck portion 7 and the inner circumferential surface of the coolant pipe 1.
In this resonance tube 3, during a process of introducing and discharging a coolant gas having a high temperature and a high pressure, a vibration and a noise is absorbed into the resonance chamber 7a through a resonance hole 7b formed in the neck portion 7. As a result, the vibration and the noise generated in the compressor are prevented from being transmitted into a vehicle room through the coolant and the coolant pipe. This makes it possible to prevent deterioration of vehicle ride comfort which may be caused by the vibration and the noise generated in the compressor.
In the conventional air conditioning system mentioned above, the coolant gas having a high temperature and a high pressure should pass through the resonance tube 3 having a small diameter. This leads to a sharp decrease in the coolant fluidity, which in turn results in a decrease in the vehicle room cooling performance.
Oil for lubricating the compressor is contained in the coolant gas. As shown in FIG. 2, the oil passing through the neck portion 7 of the resonance tube 3 is introduced through the resonance hole 7b and is stagnated in the resonance chamber 7a as indicated by "A". This reduces the performance of the compressor and significantly reduces the noise absorption performance of the resonance chamber 7a.
Particularly, oil shortage occurs in the compressor due to the stagnation of the oil in the resonance chamber 7a. This may drastically reduce the compressor performance and may cause trouble in the compressor.
The stagnation of the oil in the resonance chamber 7a leads to a decrease in the effective volume of the resonance chamber 7a and a sharp reduction in the noise absorption performance of the resonance chamber 7a. As a consequence, the efficiency of reducing the noise and the vibration of the compressor is significantly reduced.

Silencer for a vehicle air conditioning system


The invention relates to a liquid detergent or cleaning agent, comprising a) an anionic surfactant neutralized with an amine, b) an alkoxylated oxo alcohol having 7 or 8 alkoxy units, and c) up to 10 wt. %, relative to the entire detergent or cleaning agent, of water. The liquid detergent or cleaning agent has very good cleaning performance toward soiling containing fat and can be a component of water-soluble packagings.

It is increasingly often the case that delicate textiles, such as for example silk or microfibers, are processed into garments that can only be washed at 30 or 40° C. Furthermore, energy-saving washing at low washing temperatures is becoming a trend. However, the performance of washing agents on fat-containing soils declines as washing temperatures are lowered. A pretreatment of fat-containing soils is regarded as inconvenient by many consumers.
To increase the cleaning performance, in WO 2011/117079 A1, for example, the use of liquid, hydrophobic compounds in combination with unsaturated fatty acid(soap)s is proposed.
However, the need still exists to improve the cleaning performance of washing or cleaning agents, in particular on fat-containing soils.
Washing or cleaning agents are available to the consumer today in a wide variety of presentations. In addition to powders and granules, this range also comprises e.g. liquids, gels or single-dose packages (tablets or filled bags).
In particular, single-dose packages with liquid washing or cleaning agents are becoming increasingly popular; on the one hand they meet the consumer's desire for simplified dosing and on the other hand, more and more consumers prefer liquid washing or cleaning agents.
In the formulation of liquid washing or cleaning agents for packaging in water-soluble bags, it must be ensured in particular that the ingredients of the washing or cleaning agent do not already dissolve or partially dissolve the water-soluble envelope of the bag before it is used, thus leading to undesirable leakages.
Accordingly, it is at least one object herein to provide a liquid washing or cleaning agent with increased cleaning performance, in particular on fat-containing soils, which is also suitable for packaging in a water-soluble envelope. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Low-water, liquid detergent having increased fat-dissolving power