A location model updating apparatus updates a location model based on data uploaded from a mobile terminal. A certainty of data observed at a location having a location name designated by a user is computed based on a previous histogram, for each most recent check-in data uploaded during a time from previous to current histogram updating, and a most recent histogram is generated based on the certainty. The location is detected using the previous histogram, based on a received signal strength included in each most recent check-in data, in order to judge whether the check-in data is correct, depending on whether a location name of the detected location matches the location name designated by the user and included in each most recent check-in data.

A position estimating technique has been proposed in which a mobile terminal makes wireless communications with a plurality of base stations, and estimates a location of the mobile terminal by utilizing attenuation of received signal strengths depending on a distance to the mobile terminal from each of the plurality of base stations. For example, the base station may be an AP (Access Point) used in WiFi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark).
According to such a position estimating technique, the mobile terminal collects, in advance, IDs (Identifiers) of the plurality of base stations and RSSIs (Received Signal Strength Indicators) received at each location. From the IDs of the plurality of base stations and values of the RSSIs received at each location, an RSSI feature vector that is uniquely determined for each location is created, and a location model is created for each location using the RSSI feature vector. The location model may make a reference to a database indicating the location where the signals are received from the base stations, the base stations from which the signals are received by the mobile terminal at the location, and the RSSIs of the signals received by the mobile terminal at the location. When estimating the location, the RSSIs of the signals received by the mobile terminal from the base stations are collated with the location model, in order to estimate the location of the mobile terminal. Generally, the location model may be created by methods such as the k-NN (k-Nearest Neighbor algorithm) method, probability method based on probability distribution, non-parametric method, pattern matching method, or the like.
In order to improve the position estimating accuracy, it is desirable to create the location model by learning from a large number of learning samples. However, in order to collect the large number of learning samples, an operator of a location detection system must collect RSSI samples by moving to all target locations, and the load on the operator to collect the RSSI samples increases as the number of target locations increases. Hence, in order to reduce the load on the operator, it may be conceivable to create an initial location model based on the RSSI samples collected at a relatively small number of locations, and to periodically update the initial location model, for example.
However, because the conceivable method collects the RSSI samples from the relatively small number of locations and creates the initial location model based on the collected RSSI samples, it is difficult to improve the position estimating accuracy based on the initial location model. In addition, in order to obtain reliable RSSI samples for use in updating the initial location model, the operator must move to the target locations and collect the RSSI samples. For this reason, the load on the operator increases as the number of target locations increases, similarly as in the case in which the location model is created. Further, when the RSSI samples collected by people other than the operator are used to update the initial location model, the initial location model may be updated by erroneous data since the reliability of the RSSI samples collected by the people other than the operator is unknown. If the initial location model is updated based on erroneous data, the position estimating accuracy deteriorates.
Accordingly, it is conventionally difficult to update the location model without increasing the load on the operator of the location detection system, or without deteriorating the position estimating accuracy.
Examples of the related art include Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. 2011-58928, No. 2009-272742, and No. 2009-55138.

Location model updating apparatus and location estimating method


A noise removal device which removes noise included in a signal, includes: a statistical parameter calculation portion configured to calculate a parameter which expresses distribution of the noise based on the signal; and a noise removal portion configured to remove the noise from the signal by changing an element which relates to a process of removing the noise from the signal depending on the parameter which expresses the distribution of the noise.

In recent years, facilities for pursuing the convenience or comfort of a user in a vehicle have dramatically increased. However, some of the facilities become noise sources for a musical signal of an audio system. For example, an inverter for connecting an AC device, such as a personal computer, to a vehicle or an inverter for a hybrid engine generates a large amount of noise. In addition, for example, a gadget, such as a wireless battery charger of a smart phone, generates noise in an AM band or an FM band. Therefore, it is necessary to perform noise removal for various types of noise in an audio system which is used in a vehicle.
In a noise removal process disclosed in US 2006-0030287A, as a technology for performing noise removal, noise removal is performed by performing an adaptive filtering process using a modulation signal which is received from an antenna (that is, a signal acquired by performing FM or AM modulation on an audio signal in order to enable wireless transmission) and a noise reference signal which is received from another antenna.
In addition, in a noise removal process disclosed in EP 2237270A, a noise reference signal is acquired by performing an adaptive filtering process on each of two audio signals, and noise removal is performed by performing the adaptive filtering process again using one of the two audio signals and the noise reference signal.
However, in the noise removal processes disclosed in US 2006-0030287A and EP 2237270A, the type of noise is not considered and it may be implicitly considered that Gaussian noise is supposed to be present. Therefore, when impulsive noise is included in a signal, there is a possibility that noise is not sufficiently removed or the calculation of noise removal does not converge. Therefore, it is difficult to mention that the technologies disclosed in US 2006-0030287A and EP 2237270A cope with removal of various types of noise.


A method comprising determining a plurality of digital pre-distortion engines, determining signals for the pre-distortion engines, determining terms for a matrix and filter the matrix, based on the filtered matrix, determining correlation matrixes, obtaining pre-distorted signals from the digital pre-distortion engines, wherein the pre-distorted signals are pre-distorted based on the determined correlation matrixes, and combining the pre-distorted signals to a combined pre-distorted signal.

An access node may enable wireless network connections to terminal devices. A part of the access node is a power amplifier which may introduce nonlinearity which may lead to undesired broadening of frequency spectrum being used. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to anticipate the kind of nonlinearity that may be introduced such that measures can be taken to mitigate or prevent the nonlinearity from occurring.

Interference mitigation with multi-band digital pre-distortion


A method of compensating for the movement of a video surveillance camera comprising the steps of moving an interlaced camera, capturing a first video field of a frame at a first point in time, capturing a second video field of a frame at a second point in time, determining the speed at which the camera is moving, and shifting the relationship between the first and second video fields based on the period of time between the first point in time and the second point in time and the speed at which the camera is moving.

This invention relates to surveillance cameras and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for compensating the image blurring from a moving video surveillance camera.
Video surveillance systems generally use the interlacing method of displaying images to save the video bandwidth and still provide a smooth picture. In interlaced displays, the display alternates between drawing the even field, which consists of the even-numbered lines, and the odd field, which consists of the odd-numbered lines, of each frame. As used herein, frame consists of an even and odd field and refers to one of the still images, which make up the moving video. Similarly, the surveillance cameras used in these interlaced systems capture only half of the lines from each frame, i.e., one field at a time. The pairs of fields of each frame are perceived at the same time giving the appearance of a complete frame because of persistence of vision.
Video surveillance cameras that are movable, generally suffer degradation of the video when the camera is panned or tilted. The degradation blurs the video image and results in a dual image that has a ghost-like appearance. This undesirable blurring is most evident in images of static scenes viewed by a moving camera. Accordingly, there has been a long felt need in the industry for a video surveillance camera that has a minimal amount of blurring when the camera is moved.

Method and apparatus for compensating for movement of a video surveillance camera


A method and a gradient adjusting apparatus for automatically testing and correcting the gradients of a screen of a video display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) and a front case in a production assembly line before assembling the CRT and the front case, thereby reducing unnecessary operations and minimizing inferiority of the video display device. In addition, death from shock caused by a high voltage is prevented by automatically supplying the high voltage, a deflection voltage and a gradient test pattern to a CRT assembly which is transported through a conveyer belt.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for adjusting a screen gradient in a video display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) assembly in a monitor manufacturing line, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for adjusting a screen gradient in a video display device with minimal work from a skilled human operator by automatically testing and correcting the gradients of a screen of the cathode ray tube (CRT) and a front case in a monitor manufacturing line before assembling the cathode ray tube (CRT) and the front case.
2. Related Art
Generally, a video display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) as manufactured, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,785 for Means And Method For Manufacture For A High Resolution Color Cathode Ray Tube issued to Lee et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,192 for Method Of Manufacturing Of Color Display Tube issued to Rietdijk et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,421 for Method For Manufacturing A Color Cathode Ray Tube And A Color Cathode Ray Tube issued to van den Broek, U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,428 for Flat-Plate Optical Device Having Gradient Index Of Refraction For Correcting Spatial Distortions issued to Ray, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,748 for Method Of Manufacturing A Display Window For A Display Device issued to Van Esdonk et al., must be tested and adjusted to correct display deviations and distortions.
Traditionally, the test and adjustment of display deviations and distortions mainly rely upon physical labor. More recently, advanced testing techniques using electro-optical systems such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,239 for CRT Display System With Automatic Alignment Employing Personality Memory issued to Starkey, IV, U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,391 for Method And A System For Testing A Cathode Ray Tube Or Like Products issued to Hung et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,461 for Stereoscopic Electro-Optical System For Automated Inspection And/Or Alignment Of Image Devices On A Production Assembly Line issued to Fridge, are used to conduct necessary tests and adjustments on a production assembly line.
Typically, when power and a test pattern for testing the gradient are supplied to the CRT, a gradient line is horizontally displayed to the screen of the CRT. At this time, an operator adjusts the screen gradient by controlling the position of a front case of the CRT in order for a line formed by an outer surface of the front case to be parallel to the gradient line formed by the gradient test pattern. Afterwards, the gradient of the CRT is adjusted by fixing the front case to the CRT with a screw. Once the CRT and the front case are assembled, however, the gradient can only be adjusted if the screw is removed. As a result, the production assembly line becomes inefficient and the quality of the video display device is lowered. In addition, since the number of skilled human operators and the unnecessary operations increase in the production assembly line for testing the gradient of the CRT, productivity is reduced. Other techniques of adjusting the gradient before assembling the CRT and the front case are available. However, the common AC power and the gradient test pattern are supplied to the CRT through manual operation by way of a separate printed circuit board (PCB) assembly to the gradient adjusting apparatus.

Method and apparatus for adjusting a screen gradient in a video display device


A densitometer (10) includes a gas sample plenum (40) that is connected to a gas supply pipe (26) via a flow-restricted inlet duct (42) to at least partially isolate and damp the sample plenum (40) from shocks and noises, turbulences, and abrupt pressure changes in the gas supply. A cantilevered vane (110) is positioned in the sample plenum (40) for gas density determinations on the principle that resonant frequency of the vane (110) is a function of the density of the gas in the sample plenum (40). The resonant frequency of the vane (110) in the gas is determined by applying a magnetic field generated by a driver assembly 120 against the vane (110) and detecting the resonant frequency with a vibration detector (117), which is connected to the driver assembly 120 in a phase locked loop.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to density measuring devices and more specifically to a method and apparatus for measuring density of a flowing compressible gas on a real time basis.
2. State of the Prior Art
There are many reasons for measuring density of a flowing compressible gas. One example is in dispensing and measuring compressed natural gas (CNG) into a customer's vehicle tank at the point of sale. As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,030, which is incorporated herein by reference, mass flow rate m of natural gas can be measured quite accurately with a mass flow meter comprising a sonic nozzle. At a given gas temperature and pressure at the entrance of a sonic nozzle, i.e., a nozzle in which flow is choked, the mass flow rate m of the gas flowing through the nozzle remains constant regardless of variations in pressure downstream of the nozzle. Therefore, by knowing some information about the specific sonic nozzle being used, including the nozzle discharge coefficient Cd and the cross-sectional area of the nozzle throat A.sub.t, by measuring stagnant pressure P.sub.o and temperature T.sub.o of the gas immediately upstream of the sonic nozzle, and knowing the specific heat ratio k and the universal gas constant R of the gas, the mass flow rate m of the gas flowing through the nozzle can be determined according to the relationship: ##EQU1##
However, natural gas does not always have the same molecular composition, thus also does not always have the same specific heat ratio k, which can vary. Consequently, mass flow rate m determinations according to the relationship above is not always accurate, if the specific heat ratio k is presumed to be constant when it really varies.
The modified sonic nozzle flow dispenser for compressed natural gas (CNG) described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,306, issued Oct. 15, 1996 which is also incorporated herein by reference, provides a method and apparatus for determining specific heat ratio k of the natural gas on a real time basis as the natural gas flows through the sonic nozzle. In that invention, the specific heat ratio k is determined as a function of the ratio of a gas pressure P.sub.i inside the nozzle to the gas pressure P.sub.o immediately upstream of the nozzle. Mass flow rate m can then be determined by measuring the density .rho..sub.o of the natural gas at the stagnant pressure P.sub.o immediately upstream of the sonic nozzle and then calculating the mass flow rate m as a function of the density .rho..sub.o, the pressure ratio (P.sub.i /P.sub.o), and the specific heat ratio k.
There are a number of good densitometers that can be used to determine the density .rho..sub.o of the natural gas for the purpose of calculating mass flow rate m in CNG dispensers as described above or for any number of other purposes. However, such state-of-the-art densitometers that can produce accurate enough density measurements on a real time basis for use in accurate measurements of mass flow rate m in natural gas dispensers where customers are charged for the natural gas according to such measurements tend to be very expensive and difficult to install in a manner that measures gas density .rho..sub.o at the stagnant pressure P.sub.o immediately upstream of the sonic nozzle. Space requirements, noise and pressure fluctuations, and sensitive densitometer components make it difficult and expensive to obtain accurate gas density .rho..sub.o measurements in these circumstances.


A fryer pot for a deep fryer having a pair of opposed sidewalls, a pair of opposed end walls and a bottom wall. Each of the pair of opposed sidewalls has three successive vertical portions. Wherein each of the three successive vertical portions of each of the pair of opposed sidewalls is inboard of a preceding vertical portion to thereby taper the fryer pot towards the bottom wall. A fryer pot for a deep fryer having a pair of opposed endwalls and a pair of opposed sidewalls and a bottom wall. Each of the pair of opposed endwalls has a first vertical portion and a second vertical portion that are each connected by an angled offset portion to decrease a volume of the fryer pot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fryer pot for a gas fryer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fryer pot for a gas fryer having a low oil volume (LOV) configuration. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a fryer pot for a gas fryer having a low oil volume configuration that provides a narrowed region in which debris is retained.
2. Description of Related Art
Deep fryers that are used in the commercial cooking industry must be able to quickly heat oil and cook large amounts of food product to meet customers' expectations. Further, the cooking oil must be as free of debris as possible during the cooking process to extend its useful life. However, vendors must balance the customers' expectations with the high cost of cooking oil and fryer pot maintenance issues.
Although various designs of fryer pots have been developed in an effort to improve the overall cooking efficiency and useful life, drawbacks still exist. With an emphasis on rapid food preparation in large quantities of foodstuffs, existing fryer pots are very large and require high volumes of oil for the cooking process. Large volume fryer pots give rise to large heat transfer volumes, cool zone volumes and temperature gradients that present the possibility of induced stress in the fryer pot walls. Stresses on fryer pot walls are further exacerbated by pressure related stresses due to the weight of the large volume of oil that is contained in the fryer pot.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a fryer pot configuration that lowers the volume of required cooking oil while maintaining a sizable opening at the top of the fryer pot and cooking basket and provides a smaller channel at a lower portion thereof for effectively flushing the debris from the cooking oil.

Low oil volume fryer with small cold zone


Systems and methods for promoting a substantially uniform cavitation field. With system (100) including a diaphragm (109) dividing a container (103), a second energy pulse corresponding to a first energy pulse arising from collapse of a cavity C is produced and is used to determine whether to adjust a corresponding transducer 121-k. In system (16), a cavity creating unit (11), including an assembly of transducers 15-i, is moveable from a test liquid to a particle removal (PR) liquid after transducer testing. In another system, a sensor plate (170) having an array of sensors 171-j provides a virtual wafer. A substantially uniform field of cavitation may be maintained by a cavity enhancement liquid, or adjustment of transducer energy. Mechanisms of holding an object produce substantially uniform cavitation. Opposed transducers in a container having monotonically decreasing and/or increasing cavitation density produce substantially uniform cavitation density.

One attractive approach for removal of small particles in cleaning processes, such as semiconductor wafer and chip processing, is use of acoustic cavitation in liquids, whereby voids or cavities are created in a liquid and subsequently caused to implode, to undergo micro-acoustic streaming, or to otherwise transfer energy from a cavity to one or more particles adjacent to the (former) cavity. If these (unwanted) particles are located on and temporarily attached to an adjacent surface, such as a semiconductor wafer or chip, these particles can be removed by the force of a collapsing cavity or by micro-acoustic streaming. The frequencies used to induce cavitation in a liquid are often of the order of 1 MHz, and the corresponding cavitation systems are sometimes referred to as megasonic systems.
However, two problems associated with use of cavitation for particle removal with the systems available today are (i) the inhomogeneity of the sizes and density of the cavities or voids created, before collapse occurs, and (ii) the resulting non-uniformity in local particle removal. What is needed are systems and methods that provide and maintain reasonable homogeneity in acoustic cavitation density and that allow a representative cavitation density to be varied according to the nature of the particles to be removed from a surface.


An optical parametric oscillator includes one unidirectional enhancement resonator for optical pump-radiation and a second unidirectional resonator at least partially coaxial with the enhancement resonator. An optically nonlinear crystal is located in the coaxial portion of the resonators and converts the optical pump-radiation to signal radiation having a wavelength longer than that of the pump radiation and idler radiation having a wavelength longer than that of the signal radiation. The second resonator resonates the signal-wavelength radiation and delivers a fraction of that radiation as output radiation.

Optical parametric oscillators are one class of laser apparatus that can provide continuously tunable laser output over a useful range of wavelengths. In an OPO an optically nonlinear crystal is arranged to divide the frequency of incident radiation into short and long wavelength portions. The incident radiation is typically referred to by practitioners of the art as pump radiation. The short and long wavelength portions of the frequency division are termed the signal and idler portions respectively. The sum of the signal frequency and the idler frequency is equal to the pump radiation frequency.
Typically it is the signal wavelength that is required for an application. The optically nonlinear crystal is located in an optical resonator arranged for circulating the signal wavelength radiation, providing optical parametric gain when pumped by the pump radiation. The idler radiation is allowed to escape the resonator. The signal and idler wavelengths can be tuned by varying the incidence angle of pump radiation in the optically nonlinear crystal or by varying the temperature of the optically nonlinear crystal.
Tunable CW laser-radiation in or near the red end of the visible spectrum is useful for applications in the biosciences. In order to provide signal radiation in that wavelength range, pump radiation must have a wavelength in the green or shorter wavelength region of the visible spectrum. Laser radiation at green or shorter wavelengths is typically generated by frequency-doubling near-infrared (NIR) radiation in or from a solid-state NIR laser such as neodymium-doped yttrium vanadate (Nd:YVO4) or neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. These lasers have a fundamental wavelength of about 1064 nanometers. Frequency-doubling provides second harmonic (2H) at a (green) wavelength of about 532 nm. Intra-cavity frequency-doubled optically pumped semiconductor (OPS) NIR lasers have more wavelength flexibility, and can provide green laser-radiation in wavelengths at or around the 532 nm wavelength.
The optical parametric generation process is relatively inefficient compared with harmonic conversion due to some of the parametrically converted radiation being at an unwanted (usually the idler) wavelength. Frequency doubling to provide green radiation, particularly of CW radiation is also a low efficiency process. Accordingly the overall optical-to-optical efficiency of a current state-of-the-art, green-radiation pumped CW OPO could be as low as a few percent. An improved architecture for a CW OPO laser, providing improved conversion efficiency, could expand the application of CW OPO lasers as sources of tunable laser-radiation.

Optical parametric oscillator with embedded resonator


A patterned hardmask and method for forming the same, the method including providing a substrate comprising an overlying resist sensitive to activating radiation; forming an overlying hardmask insensitive to the activating radiation; exposing the resist through the hardmask to the activating radiation; baking the resist and the hardmask; and, developing the hardmask and resist to form a patterned resist and patterned hardmask.

One of the limiting factors in the continuing evolution toward smaller device semiconductor feature size and higher density has been the stringent requirements placed on photolithographic processes as feature sizes have decreased. Various proposals for improving feature resolution having included schemes for reducing a resist layer thickness.
Another limiting factor in manufacturing features with smaller feature sizes is the accuracy of etching and an etching resistance of an etching mask to prevent enlargement of an opening when attempting an anisotropic dry etching process. Prior art processes have generally formed an inorganic hardmask over a substrate followed by forming and patterning an overlying resist layer. The hardmask is then separately etched through a thickness according to the patterned resist mask prior to etching the substrate.
Another problem with conventional photoresists is that photoresist materials are frequently susceptible to chemical change by small amounts of chemical contaminants. For example, in immersion lithography, the photoresist may be contaminated by a immersion solution, leading to alteration of a resist profile or etching resistance.
There is therefore a continuing need for improved lithographic processes and materials in the integrated circuit manufacturing art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lithographic patterning process including an improved hardmask and method for patterning the same.

Top patterned hardmask and method for patterning

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A frequency converter includes an intermediate circuit without any capacitors and an electronics which is supplied with power from a power supply device. The power supply device has a buffer capacitor which is disposed on an input side of the power supply device and connected electrically in parallel with the intermediate circuit. Connected to the buffer capacitor is a supply line in which a decoupling diode is disposed. A semiconductor adapted to be switched off is connected electrically back-to-back in parallel with the decoupling diode and has a control output which is connected to an output of an identification device for recognizing a power-line failure.

The present invention relates, in general, to a frequency converter having an intermediate circuit without any capacitors and having a power supply device for supply of power to the electronics for this converter.
Nothing in the following discussion of the state of the art is to be construed as an admission of prior art.
A frequency converter of a type involved here has a slim intermediate circuit which is slim enough to eliminate the need for an intermediate circuit capacitor. A topology of a frequency converter with intermediate circuit without any capacitors is disclosed in the publication entitled "Fundamental Frequency Front End Converter (F3E)—a DC-link drive converter without electrolyte capacitor", by Kurt Göpfrich, Dr. Rebbereh and Dr. Sack, printed in the Conference Proceedings PCIM 2003, Nürnberg, May 2003, and illustrated in FIG. 2. The F3E converter has a line-side converter 2 which, in addition to diodes D1 to D6, includes semiconductor switches T1 to T6 which can be switched off and are each connected electrically in parallel with the corresponding diodes D1 to D6. On the input side, the F3E converter has a line filter 20. In order to ensure that the electronics for this F3E converter can still be supplied with a supply voltage UV during brief power-line failures of the feeding mains, a buffered power supply device 12 is provided. It would also be conceivable to provide a power supply connected to the feeding mains. In the event of a power-line failure, the supply voltage UV at the two output connections would then collapse. Without adequate supply voltage UV, the electronics, and thus the F3E converter, will switch off.
In conventional frequency converters with a voltage intermediate circuit having at least one electrolytic capacitor as intermediate circuit capacitor, so-called "kinetic buffering (KIP)" is applied for bridging power-line failures. In this way, the drive that includes the frequency converter and the motor reaches its nominal rotation speed very quickly after the power supply has been restored. If no such option is provided in the frequency converter, the drive switches off, resulting in a relatively long restarting time for operation, since not only the signal processing for the frequency converter has to be started up again and reinitialized, but the motor must also be energized again and the rotation speed may have to be determined again.
In the "kinetic buffering" operating mode, when encountering a power-line failure, the drive is operated far enough in the generator range, i.e. braked, so that the mechanical (kinetic) energy of the motor and the connected process machine is able to cover the losses in the motor and the converter. This is realized with the aid of a regulator, which regulates the intermediate circuit voltage to a fixed value, for example 80% of its rated value. The manipulated variable is the torque nominal value or a supplement to the nominal rotational speed value in the case of field-oriented regulation, or a supplement to the frequency nominal value in the case of drives with U/f characteristic control. The voltage supply for the signal processing for the converter is either produced separately from a reliable source, or produced from the DC voltage intermediate circuit. Thus, signal processing and regulation remain active, so that the motor remains excited and is accelerated to its nominal rotation speed again immediately after the line voltage returns.
A precondition for "kinetic buffering" is that the intermediate circuit capacitor in the voltage intermediate circuit of a frequency converter is sufficiently large to enable a buffering of the intermediate circuit currents which occur in one switching period and are different in sign. If this precondition is satisfied, "kinetic buffering" is effective.
In a frequency converter configured as line-side converter having a diode rectifier, the voltage intermediate circuit requires an intermediate circuit capacitor which satisfies the abovementioned precondition.
In converters that have no intermediate circuit capacitors, or only extremely small intermediate circuit capacitors, application of "kinetic buffering" has not been possible. The capacitors which are required for continued operation are either not present or are on the line side in the case of the afore-described converters.
German Offenlegungsschrift DE 101 35 286 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for bridging brief power-line failures in the case of a matrix converter. The matrix converter, which has a filter on the line side, can be connected to a feeding mains by means of a switch unit. When a power-line failure is detected, the matrix converter is disconnected from the feeding mains without delay and changes to a buffer mode by regulating a determined actual capacitor voltage space vector at a predetermined space vector. When the power is restored, the actual capacitor space vector is synchronized. Once the matrix converter has been synchronized, it is again connected to the feeding mains. The upstream disposition of a switch unit which has to switch very quickly makes it possible to use the capacitors in the line-side filter of the matrix converter as energy storage capacitors for "kinetic buffering" operating mode. As a result of the disconnection of the faulty power supply, these capacitors can be used as energy storage capacitors. Precondition for implementing "kinetic buffering" in a matrix converter is thus the presence of a high-speed line-side switch unit. A further drawback is the complexity of the regulation for line synchronization.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved frequency converter to obviate prior art shortcomings and to allow use of "kinetic buffering" in a simple and yet reliable manner.

Frequency converter having an intermediate circuit without any capacitors


A suitable erase verification (ERSV) method of a flash memory apparatus is provided, which is different from the conventional ERSV method. That is, by managing the ERSV operation on the flash memory after at least once of erase operation, a flash memory controller in the flash memory apparatus selectively assigns at least one of de-selected sectors instead of all of the de-selected sectors to perform the ERSV. Therefore, by managing the ERSV operation on the flash memory, the time for the ERSV operation thereon is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an erase verification method, and more particularly to an erase verification method of a serial flash memory for reducing the time of erase verification.
2. Description of Related Art
A flash memory is usually divided into a plurality of physical blocks, and for the convenience of description, these physical blocks will be referred as blocks thereinafter. Each bit in a block of a flash memory can only be programmed from "1" to "0". Accordingly, an erasing operation has to be performed before writing data to a memory address which contains old data. Each block is usually divided into a plurality of sectors, and each sector is the smallest programming unit. Namely, each sector is the smallest unit for writing or reading data, such as in a single level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory having the number of program (NOP) as 4.
For a serial flash memory, multiple sectors share a Pwell for saving chip area since sector area is small. Unfortunately, sharing the same Pwell has the so-called "Pwell disturbance" problem. When an erase (ERS) pulse is applied to the multiple sectors sharing the same Pwell, the Pwell is biased a specific voltage about 7V, so that the selected sectors and the de-selected sectors both have the same bias voltage. In the meanwhile, word lines corresponding to the selected sectors have a negative voltage about −9V, but word lines corresponding to the de-selected sectors have a positive voltage about 2V or zero voltage. Due to the same bias voltage on the Pwell during ERS, the electrons existing in the de-selected sectors may also be gradually lost, so that there is disturbance on the de-selected sectors. Accordingly, every time a flash memory sector is erased, there is always a possibility that threshold voltage of flash memory cells thereof becomes lower.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a conventional method for erasing multiple sectors sharing a Pwell. It is noted that the de-selected sector i represents the i-th de-selected sector, and this definition is also applied on the other description in the specification. Firstly, the erase pulse is applied to a selected sector or selected sectors of the multiple sectors in step S110. As known from above, an erase verification (ERSV) is needed for sequentially checking the threshold voltage of the flash memory cells in the de-selected sector if the threshold voltage of the flash memory cells is higher than a predetermined voltage such as about 3V. This is achieved by measuring current during ERSV. If current from the cell can be measured, it means the threshold voltage of the cell is lower than 3V. In step S120, the ERSV is sequentially performed on all of de-selected sectors to check state of the de-selected sector.
If the ERSV reads a program state (or a "0" state) in step S120, the de-selected sector i passes the ERSV, which means the floating gate of the cell has electrons existing therein. After that, the flow goes to the next step S150 where the index of the de-selected sector from i to i+1. While the index of the de-selected sector is maximum in step S160, the method terminates. Otherwise, the flow returns to the step S120, where the ERSV will be perform on the next de-selected sector. If the ERSV fails to read the program state, it means the de-selected sector i has a Pwell disturbance, and thus a program verification (PGMV) is performed on the de-selected sector i to check for bit line leakage in the de-selected sector i in step S130. If the check result fails in step S130, it means the de-selected sector i has bit line leakage, and then a re-program is performed on the de-selected sector i to fix the leakage in the de-selected sector i in step S140. After the re-program, the de-selected sector i is verified again in step S130. The loop of steps S130 and S140 is repeated until the de-selected sectors i is completely fixed. Now all of the de-selected sectors have passed the ERSV in step S120 and the PGMV in step S130, and the flow of the method terminates.
This method is used in general to eliminate the Pwell disturbance due to the erasing operation in serial flash memory before another erase pulse is applied. However, it is possible that the de-selected sectors suffer from no Pwell disturbance after one time of the ERS, but the ERSV is still performed on all of the de-selected sectors again and again every time. A lot of time would be wasted in such a situation.

Erase verification method of flash memory by selectively assigning deselected sectors

Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology Inc.


A portable moist heat delivery system comprising a water vapor generating portion comprising a water vapor source and a heat source; a water vapor-air regulating portion, said water vapor-air regulating portion comprising a water vapor-air mixing layer, and a water vapor-air distribution layer; said water vapor generating portion and said water vapor-air regulating portion being in fluid communication; and said water vapor-air regulating portion having a latent heat delivery surface disposed adjacent said water vapor-air regulating portion which delivers moist heat at a preselected temperature range wherein about 15% to about 95% of the moist heat is latent heat of condensation. Methods include delivering improved pain relief, blood flow, relaxation, and reduced cardiac workload.

Disposable heat wraps have become a popular way of applying heat to relieve discomfort of temporary or chronic body aches and pains. Disposable heat wraps typically comprise an exothermic composition for generating heat, wherein the exothermic composition typically comprises metal powder, salts, and water that allows the exothermic composition to release heat upon oxidation of the metal powder. Other disposable or reusable devices can use energy produced by neutralization of acids and bases; heat of hydration of inorganic salts; re-heatable gels; and electrical energy to produce heat. Such devices have been found generally suitable for treatment of aches and pains associated with stiff muscles and joints, nerve pain, back pain, rheumatism, respiratory symptoms and the like. Such devices usually produce heat but contain little moisture.
Some disposable heating devices can provide sustained heat for periods of from about one hour to about twenty-four hours, and are generally described as being less messy and more convenient to use than other conventional heat sources such as whirlpools, hot towels, hydrocollators, heating pads and elastic compression bands. However, there are advantages to delivery of both heat and moisture, such as by a whirlpool or hot towel. Moist heat is often felt to be more soothing and comforting, and can deliver heat and pain relief more quickly than dry heat. However, conventional methods of delivering moist heat, such as hot towels and whirlpools, can be cumbersome and inconvenient and are generally not portable. In addition, certain methods, such as hot towels and some current products that claim to deliver steam heat, can only deliver heat for a short period of time, sometimes 15 minutes or less.
Various approaches of enhancing exothermic reactions in portable heat wrap devices to provide longer heating duration and/or provide heat and moisture include the incorporation of various and different carbon materials such as activated and non-activated carbon materials into the exothermic compositions. Other approaches include the addition of water-retainers or water-holding materials to the exothermic composition to allow excess water to be present and water vapor to be generated.
Other approaches to produce heating devices that provide heat and moisture include attempting to regulate the rate and extent of the exothermic reaction, producing water vapor, regulating temperature of the water vapor, and insulating the skin of a user against the potentially skin-damaging temperature of the water vapor. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,964 to Ono. However, most known heating methods and devices for providing heat and moisture provide an inadequate amount of water vapor as the known devices either do not produce an amount of water vapor effective to provide sufficient heat and moisture, particularly in deep muscle tissue; or do not produce water vapor for a long period of time, generally for less than about 4 to 8 hours, often for less than an hour, and typically for about 15 minutes. Further, such devices of the prior art are designed to deliver steam or hot vapor per se.
Further the devices of the known art typically generate water vapor by vaporizing water in an exothermic composition. However, it is known that the thermal performance of typical exothermic compositions containing activated carbon and iron are highly sensitive to and dependent on the water level in the composition. Specifically, an excess level of water in an exothermic heat cell can cause a slow rate of heat up. This is due to water restricting the availability of air needed for the exothermic reaction to occur. Thus, the restriction of air results in slow heating and very little or no water vapor generation. However, by trying to reduce the water level in such a composition in order to achieve a fast heat up rate, the duration of the exothermic reaction can be significantly reduced; i.e. the reaction will quickly end because the activated carbon loses its ability to adsorb oxygen as it dries.
In addition, for a high water vaporization rate, an exothermic composition must get quite hot (>65° C.). Moreover, in order to provide deep muscle heating and effective, sustained pain relief in deep muscle, the deep muscle temperature should be above 38° C. However, because human skin can be damaged at elevated skin temperatures believed by those skilled in the art to be above about 43° C., a heating device must be able to keep the skin temperature of a human user below about 43° C. while providing a high amount of heat to the skin and deep muscle. Thus, a moist heat device must protect the skin from the high temperature of an exothermic composition while delivering high levels of heat, by keeping the skin temperature below about 43° C.
Therefore, despite advances in technology for providing heat and moisture, there remains a need for a portable heating device that provides rapid water vapor generation and heat up, provides sustained water vapor generation, delivers an effective amount of heat to provide deep muscle heating, and maintains the skin temperature below about 43° C.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention is directed to photographic flashing during photographic enlarging, when areas requiring darkening can be seen and selectively flashed and provides a photographic enlarger, a photographic negative, a photographic printable substrate, and the auxiliary light source of the present invention. Photographic enlarging of the photographic negative is conducted by emitting light from the photographic enlarger and printing an enlarged photographic image from the photographic negative onto the photographic printable substrate. The auxiliary light source includes controls, which are preferably independently adjustable, for varying (a) light intensity, (b) the area of projected light, (c) contrast, when used with variable contrast enlarging paper, and (d) color hue and density, when used in color enlarging from color negatives. The requisite size, intensity, and contrast or color hue and density of auxiliary light for photographic flashing is added during the photographic enlarging of the photographic negative. This is done by adjusting (a) light intensity, (b) the area of projected light, (c) contrast, when used with variable contrast enlarging paper, and (d) color hue and density, when used in color enlarging from color negatives, of the light being emitted from the auxiliary light source.

The present invention relates generally to a method and to an apparatus for photographic flashing, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for conducting photographic flashing using an auxiliary light source.
"Photographic flashing" is a process which adds blank (no image) light to enlarging paper. Sources of blank light which have been used in the past include the enlarger itself, low wattage light bulbs and small flashlights.
Croy (1) used an enlarger, with no negative in place, to eliminate unwanted detail. Masks were used to protect areas which did not require flashing. A pocket flashlight was used to darken print corners. The beam of light was concentrated with a tapered cardboard sleeve. This prior art device also was used to paint over specific areas for creating shadows and abstract designs. Although Croy warned about problems with light that was too bright, he offered no methods for reducing intensity.
Nibbelink and Anderson (2) used methods similar to those described by Croy for area flashing, i.e., an enlarger with negative removed, and used a penlight for flashing detail. Nibbelink and Anderson suggested the use of translucent tape to reduce light intensity. A further suggestion was to use a 7 1/2 watt appliance bulb operating on A/C current to ensure constant brightness.
Lootens' (3) preferred method for flashing used a 7 1/2 watt bulb suspended about four feet above a flashing table. Its intensity was reduced by partially covering it with adhesive tape. The following methods were suggested for locating areas to be flashed: (1) Reference to a finished print placed next the paper being flashed. (2) Markers placed on the flashing frame to indicate horizontal and vertical axes of areas. (3) Projection of the image through a red filter to locate the area to be flashed, then flash with a small flashlight held close to the paper. Lootens described this method as intriguing but extremely hard to control. He considered an enlarger, with negative removed, to be the best light source for flashing but felt the inconvenience outweighed its advantages. Lootens believed flashing to be one of the most effective tone control methods available in photography. However, he apparently did not appreciate its value in bringing out detail in highlight areas.
The method of Lootens was also used by Horenstein (4). The beam from a small flashlight was focused with a black paper cone and reduced in intensity by layers of tissue.
Ansel Adams (5) used an enlarger for photographic flashing. However, Adams left the negative in the carrier and placed a diffusion disk below the lens to obtain blank (no detail) light. Adams recognized the value of flashing in bringing out detail in highlight areas such as clouds, white water and white painted objects. He also felt that flashing had limitations and for fine prints considered it as a method of last resort.
In recent articles, two of today's outstanding photographers and printers discuss flashing techniques. Bruce Barnbaum (6) mentions the value of flashing to bring out detail in highlight areas then gives an example in which overly bright areas are subdued by flashing to obtain improved tonal balance. Barnbaum uses an enlarger, with negatives removed, as the light source. Also, in a recent photography manual, Barnbaum (7) discusses flashing in more detail. To flash specific areas, Barnbaum places markers on the easel to show vertical and horizontal coordinates of areas then flashes through a hole cut in a large mat board. John Sexton (8) also uses an enlarger as a light source for flashing and employs filters to control contrast.
A review of representative literature and discussions with other photographers in the field today indicates that the enlarger is the preferred light source for flashing. Here are the steps involved a process using an enlarger:
(1) A straight print is made to identify areas which require flashing. PA1 (2) The negative is removed from the enlarger and a series of test strips are made to determine the aperture and exposure time required to obtain the desired amount,of blank light. PA1 (3) The negative is returned to the enlarger and the image positioned as desired. PA1 (4) If areas to be flashed are inside the borders, their images are traced onto mat board and cut out to form flashing masks. PA1 (5) The projected image is again examined and markers are placed on the horizontal and vertical axes of the easel to mark the centers of the areas to be flashed. PA1 (6) Enlarging paper is placed in the easel and exposed for the time and at the aperture determined for step 1, above. PA1 (7) The negative is removed from the enlarger and the lens is stopped down to the required aperture. PA1 (8) The center of the cutout in a flashing mask is placed over the intersection of the horizontal and vertical markers placed on the easel (as seen in the mind's eye). PA1 (9) Blank light is added for the exposure time determined in step 2 above. PA1 (10) The exposed and flashed enlarging paper is processed and the resulting print is examined. If any change in exposure time or flashing time or any other changes are desired, steps (1)-(10) are repeated.
If tone changes desired involve only delicate highlight areas it may be possible to flash the entire sheet of enlarging paper. This would simplify the procedure by eliminating steps 4,5 and 8. However, this may cause a slight loss of overall contrast and a slight dulling of some highlights.
Flashing also has been used in making color prints from color negatives. Just as for black and white prints, flashing can be used to reduce contrast, add tone to a very bright area or to improve tonal balance. Horenstein (9) described a flashing method for doing this and also for compensating for the orange base of color negative film. His procedure is similar to the one described above. An enlarger, with appropriate filters in place, is used as the light source. Horenstein emphasized that flashing times were critical and used a digital timer to control exposures of one second or less. A total of 13 steps are involved in the flashing procedure described by Horenstein.

Device and method for selective photographic flashing during photographic enlarging


A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes a first electrode formation step of forming a control gate electrode above a surface of a semiconductor substrate with a control gate insulating film interposed between the control gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate, a step of forming a storage node insulating film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a second electrode formation step of forming a memory gate electrode on a surface of the storage node insulating film. The second electrode formation step includes a step of forming a memory gate electrode layer on the surface of the storage node insulating film, a step of forming an auxiliary film, having an etching rate slower than that of the memory gate electrode layer, on a surface of the memory gate electrode layer, and a step of performing anisotropic etching on the memory gate electrode layer and the auxiliary film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Background Art
An example of a nonvolatile memory includes an EPROM (Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) which is a ROM capable of electrically rewriting data. An EPROM is generally classified into a UV-EPROM using ultraviolet rays for data erase and an EEPROM (Electrical Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) electrically erasing data. An EEPROM does not erase data partially, but erases all pieces of data and, then, writes data to each memory cell.
An EEPROM can be mounted to a microcomputer for a mobile telephone, a digital home appliance or the like. For example, it is possible to form a semiconductor integrated circuit in which such an EEPROM and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) are formed on a surface of a chip.
An EEPROM includes an ONO (Oxide Nitride Oxide) film serving as a charge accumulation film for accumulating electrical charge in some cases. An EEPROM has, for example, a MONOS (Metal Oxide Nitride Oxide Semiconductor) structure using an ONO film or a SONOS (Silicon Oxide Nitride Oxide Semiconductor) structure. For example, data is written to such a nonvolatile memory when electrons are injected into an ONO film. In addition, data is erased from the nonvolatile memory when holes are injected into the ONO film and, then, are recombined with the accumulated electrons.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-309193 discloses a memory cell transistor having the following structure. That is, a pair of memory electrodes one of which is set at a source electrode and the other one of which is set at a drain electrode mutually and a channel region interposed between the pair of memory electrodes are formed on a first well region. Further, a first gate electrode is provided near the memory electrode on the channel region with an insulating film interposed between the first gate electrode and the channel region. A second gate electrode is also provided on the channel region with an insulating film and a charge accumulation region each interposed between the second gate electrode and the channel region, and is electrically isolated from the first gate electrode.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-100916 discloses a MONOS-type nonvolatile memory device in which a word gate, an impurity layer and sidewall-shaped first and second control gates are formed on a first gate insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate. Herein, each of the first and second control gates has a rectangular sectional shape.
In Byung Yong Choi, et al., "Highly Scalable and Reliable 2-bit/cell SONOS Memory Transistor beyond 50 nm NVM Technology Using Outer Sidewall Spacer Scheme with Damascene Gate Process", IEEE 2005 Symposium on VLSI Technology Digest of Technical Papers, pp. 118-119, there is described a two-bit/cell SONOS memory transistor beyond 50 nm NVM technology. In a method for manufacturing such a memory transistor, first, an ONO film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. Then, in the ONO film, a portion corresponding to a substantially center of a channel is removed; thus, two separated storage nodes are formed. This memory exhibits high reliability even when being finely manufactured so as to have a gate length of 80 nm.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-111629 discloses a manufacturing method of a MONOS memory. This manufacturing method includes: forming a first gate insulating layer above a semiconductor substrate; forming a first conductive layer word gate and a stopper layer; forming a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer on an entire memory region; performing anisotropic etching on the second insulating layer, thereby forming a first sidewall conductive layer; forming a third conductive layer on the entire memory region; performing anisotropic etching on the third conductive layer, thereby forming a second sidewall conductive layer; and performing isotropic etching on the first and second sidewall conductive layers, thereby forming a control gate.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 11-145471 discloses a semiconductor device in which an element isolation region is formed on a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode is formed on the semiconductor substrate with a gate insulating film interposed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate. Herein, an insulating film having a thickness "a" is formed on a top face of the gate electrode, and a sidewall having a thickness "b" at a lowermost side is formed on a side face of the gate electrode. The thickness of the sidewall at the height of "a" from the top face of the gate electrode is not less than "b", wherein "a"≧"b".
A memory having a MONOS structure of a split gate type includes a control gate electrode of a control transistor and a memory gate electrode of a MONOS transistor. The memory gate electrode is provided beside the control gate electrode with an insulating film interposed between the memory gate electrode and the control gate electrode. An ONO film serving as a charge accumulation film is formed between the memory gate electrode and a semiconductor substrate.
In the memory having the MONOS structure of the split gate type, the memory gate electrode is formed as a sidewall of the control gate electrode. More specifically, the control gate electrode is formed by photolithography through a mask. On the other hand, the memory gate electrode is formed by etching in a self aligned manner. The memory gate electrode has an inclined top face in a sectional shape thereof. In other words, the top face gradually becomes low in height toward an outer side. The memory gate electrode is high in height on a side near the control gate electrode and gradually becomes low in height toward an outer side.
In a step of forming a diffusion layer such as a source region or a drain region on a semiconductor substrate, ion implantation is performed in a self aligned manner while using the control gate electrode or the memory gate electrode as a mask. Since the outer side of the memory gate electrode is low in height, ions implanted upon performance of the ion implantation transmit through the memory gate electrode and, then, reach the charge accumulation film in some cases. Consequently, there arises a problem that the ONO film serving as the charge accumulation film is degraded.
There is a design rule as a parameter indicating a level of microfabrication. In a case that a manufacturable minimum dimension is set as such a design rule, recently, a semiconductor device is manufactured below a 90 nm rule. In a photolithography step upon manufacturing of a fine semiconductor device, an ArF light source is used as a light source for exposure, in place of a conventional KrF light source. If the ArF light source is used, a fine circuit can be formed. However, it is necessary to make a portion to be exposed, such as a resist, thin. If the resist is thin, a depth capable of performing etching becomes shallow in an etching step after development of the resist.
In a semiconductor device, for example, an interlayer insulating film is formed on a top face of a memory cell. The interlayer insulating film is formed for planarizing a surface and is provided on the top face of the memory cell. An interconnection is provided on the surface of the interlayer insulating film, for example. In order to electrically connect between the interconnection and the memory cell, a contact is formed so as to pass through the interlayer insulating film. Upon formation of the contact, a through hole, which has a length equal to a sum of a height of the memory cell and a height from a top of the memory cell to the surface of the interlayer insulating film, must be formed in the interlayer insulating film.
In the semiconductor device in accordance with the design rule below a 90 nm rule, however, the ArF light source is used for exposure. Therefore, there arises a problem that the resist becomes thin in thickness, so that a contact hole passing through the interlayer insulating film cannot be formed in a step of forming a contact hole. To this end, there is required that a thickness of an interlayer insulating film is made thin in a semiconductor device including a memory cell.
In order to prevent that ions are implanted into a charge accumulation film, it is considered that a height of a memory gate electrode is made high. However, if the height of the memory gate electrode is high, there arises a problem that a thickness of an interlayer insulating film becomes large. Alternatively, in order to prevent that ions are implanted into a charge accumulation film, it is considered that energy of ions to be implanted is made small in an ion implantation step. However, the energy of the ions to be implanted is determined based on necessity of countermeasures against short circuit failure between a diffusion layer and a substrate upon silicidation. Consequently, there arises a problem that it is impossible to make the energy of the ions to be implanted small.
As a semiconductor circuit is formed finely, a gate electrode formed on an insulating film formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate must be decreased in dimension. Consequently, there arises a problem that dimensional accuracy becomes poor when the dimension of the gate electrode is made small.

Semiconductor device having a split gate structure with a recessed top face electrode


A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array, an input current generator, an operation cell array and an analog-to-digital converter. The memory cell array includes NAND strings storing multiplicand data, wherein first ends of the NAND strings are connected to bitlines and second ends of the NAND strings output multiplication bits corresponding to bitwise multiplication of the multiplicand data stored in the NAND strings and multiplier data loaded on the bitlines. The input current generator generates input currents. The operation cell array includes switching transistors. Gate electrodes of the switching transistors are connected to the second ends of the NAND strings. The switching transistors selectively sum the input currents based on the multiplication bits to output the output currents. The analog-to-digital converter converts the output currents to digital values.

The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor integrated circuits, and more particularly to a nonvolatile memory device and a method of processing in memory (PIM) using a nonvolatile memory device.
Memory bandwidth and latency are performance bottlenecks in many processing systems. Memory capacity may be increased through the use of stacked memory devices in which a plurality of semiconductor devices are stacked in a package of a memory chip. The stacked semiconductor dies may be electrically connected through the use of through-silicon vias or through-substrate vias (TSVs). In addition, a vertical NAND flash memory device includes memory cells that are disposed or stacked in a vertical direction to increase the memory capacity. Such stacking technology may increase memory capacity and also suppress bandwidth and latency penalties. However, inter-device bandwidth and inter-device latency may have significant impact on processing efficiency and power consumption of such processing systems when a task of an external device requires multiple accesses to the stacked memory device.

Nonvolatile memory device and method of processing in memory (PIM) using the same


Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for three-dimensional reconstruction of a tubular organ (for example, coronary artery) using a plurality of two-dimensional images. Some of the embodiments may include displaying a first image of a vascular network, receiving input for identifying on the first image a vessel of interest, tracing the edges of the vessel of interest including eliminating false edges of objects visually adjacent to the vessel of interest, determining substantially precise radius and densitometry values along the vessel, displaying at least a second image of the vascular network, receiving input for identifying on the second image the vessel of interest, tracing the edges of the vessel of interest in the second image, including eliminating false edges of objects visually adjacent to the vessel of interest, determining substantially precise radius and densitometry values along the vessel in the second image, determining a three dimensional reconstruction of the vessel of interest and determining fused area (cross-section) measurements along the vessel and computing and presenting quantitative measurements, including, but not limited to, true length, percent narrowing (diameter and area), and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical imaging systems, and more specifically to medical imaging systems for use in angiography, for example.
2. Background of the Invention
A stenosis in a blood vessel, for example, an artery refers to narrowing of the artery lumen due to plaque formation on the interior wall of the artery. The severity of the narrowing depends upon the amount of cross-sectional area of the lumen that is occluded by plaque. While narrowing of the arteries may occur in any artery of the body (e.g., carotid arteries), particular concern has been placed on investigating the narrowing of arteries of the heart, the coronary arteries (coronary heart disease), since narrowing of these arteries is one of the primary causes of heart attacks. Accordingly, coronary angiography refers to the process (and associated systems) of investigating coronary arteries to determine the severity of any narrowing (i.e., to find stenotic arteries) that may exist.
To image the arteries, a catheter is inserted into an artery of the arm or leg of a patient, where it is eventually advanced into the coronary arteries. Upon arriving at the coronary arteries, a radio-opaque substance is injected therein, so that the arteries may be imaged, using, for example, an X-ray angiography system.
The system takes "snapshots" (i.e., angiographic cine-runs) of the arteries at several different perspectives, to obtain complete views of the one or more arterial networks being investigated. Also, since narrowing is often asymmetrical about the axis of the artery, it is necessary to obtain at least two images, and preferably more, preferably perpendicular to an artery's axis from different perspectives (preferably orthogonal perspectives) to assess the severity of a stenosis. However, it is generally very difficult to obtain purely perpendicular perspectives of the vessels.
Accordingly, determination of the perspective positions is partially arbitrary and partially a process of trial and error (once a stenosis has been observed). However, the overall number of images that can be obtained is limited by time, safety and cost. Usually four to seven projections for the left coronary arterial system and two to four images for the right arterial system are obtained.
An operator of an angiography system assesses the severity of a stenosis in the coronary arteries either on the basis of visual examination of a plurality of images (projections) or by computer analysis of a single image. As indicated above, since most of the images are, in general, not purely perpendicular to the arterial axis, estimation of stenosis severity is usually not accurate by either means.
Currently, there exist two-dimensional (2D) Quantitative Coronary Angiography (QCA) systems, which create 2D images of vessels for the investigation of stenoses, as well as three-dimensional (3D) QCA methods which also create a 3D reconstruction (3DR) of an entire arterial tree for investigation of stenotic vessels.
The 2D QCA systems basically implement the following steps: import of a specific image, vessel extraction for this image and then QCA for the vessel of interest. 2D QCA systems usually provide diameter based analysis of the lesion and not densitometry analysis. In some cases, densitometry analysis is provided via the usage of DSA, but not for scenes that include motion, like the coronaries.
The 3D QCA methods generally include the following steps: image acquisition, vessel extraction from the 2D projections. The 3D QCA systems additionally include imaging geometry recovery, point-by-point matching (between images) and, of course, 3DR. The QCA of the 3D system generally includes, morphology assessment (including vessel foreshortening, overlapping, angulation, tortuosity), and in some cases measurements, usually true length and diameter information. However, cross-section area measurements are rarely addressed, although attempts have been made to achieve a precise representation of cross section profile along the vessels. A method based on some heuristics in a framework of algebraic reconstruction approach was suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,498 to Greenberg. However this method requires a special arrangement of at least four (4) acquisitions from different directions orthogonal to the artery.
Also, in both 2D and 3D QCA systems and methods, one important aspect of measurements and stenosis severity is the establishment of healthy vessel measurements. Systems and methods that present healthy vessel (or related) measurements use, for example, the interpolation of values based on measured diameters at proximal and at distal portions. This step is critical, since it is a basis for many measurements. At the same time, this step is very sensitive and could easily produce incorrect measurements.
Other problems exist with reference to the methods for the existing 3D imaging systems. For example, with image acquisition, prior art systems utilize either bi-plane acquisition, rotational acquisition, or single projection (image) acquisition (the most general approach (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,080 and 6,169,917). Although bi-plane acquisition minimizes distortions due to cardiac cycle phase, the technique is insufficient in some situations of epi-polar geometry ambiguity. With regard to rotational acquisition systems, although close in time, these systems do not solve either a cardiac phase problem or the epi-polar geometry ambiguity.
With regard to imaging geometry recovery, the number of control points needed for geometry recovery depends on the type of transformation that is found and assumptions on unknown parameters. Accordingly, the number of control points can range anywhere from five (5) (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,080 and 6,501,848) to eight (8) (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,165) for perspective transformation. However, the confident and accurate identification of at least five corresponding points on multiple images is a burdensome procedure, if at all possible, since, for example, the right coronary artery system often lacks adequate branching points.
Moreover, whether non-linear or linear optimization is used, both solutions suffer from an instability problem. Specifically, the natural candidate points to serve as control points are the branching points in the arterial tree. However, it is very often the case that the precise location of a branching point is difficult to identify due to that area of the arterial tree overlapping another vessel or itself Moreover, as usual in computational geometry, not every required set of points is useful to produce the transformation. For example, if all the points lie on a common line in an image, the points can not serve for transformation calculation. Finally, transformation to 3DR from a family of perspective transformations, in general, can not compensate for local distortions in each image caused by the image being taken at different phase of either the heart cycle and patient respiration (for example).
There also exist a variety of techniques for vessel extraction in prior art imaging systems from 2D X-ray angiographic images. However, the ability to perform vessel extraction in clinical practice relates to the degree of automation and robustness of a particular process. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,080, an operator must input six (6) marking points to identify six (6) branches of an artery tree in each image, and make several clicks per branch to define an initial centerline of each branch in every image. In addition, in order to stabilize the solution, the operator is recommended to add control points of high curvature and add stenosis points.
When the centerlines representing the entire vascular tree (including various branches) in 2D projections have been extracted, point-by-point matching utilizes (e.g., for multiple images) the epi-polar principle. Epi-polar geometry is premised on the statement that for an imaged 3D point, its projections on a pair of images and two (2) associated focal points belong to a common (epi-polar) plane. Accordingly, for any given point on one image, the search for the corresponding point on another image may be found on the epi-polar line (intersection of the epipolar plane with the image plane). However, this approach yields sufficient results only if. (i) the imaging geometry model adequately relates the organ and its 2D image, and (ii) the imaged vessel does not change its shape between the image acquisitions. This is why, in clinical practice, the restrictions of the straightforward epi-polar geometry approach are very limiting in tenns of accuracy and quality of the 3D model.
In view of the above-mentioned short comings of the prior art, current 2D QCA systems do not deliver sufficient support for coronary angiography (for example) and current 3D QCA systems are not in clinical use since these systems either deliver incorrect results or are too cumbersome to use.
Thus, there exists a need for a 3DR system which can be used in clinical procedures (e.g., angiography) that delivers a system that may include a practical, intuitive, easy-to-use, robust solution to overcome at least one and preferably all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art systems and methods.

System and method for three-dimensional reconstruction of a tubular organ


A shelf label assembly includes a support, a display, and a printable overlay, wherein the printable overlay has a window through which the display can be viewed. The display can be written or rewritten electronically, and the overlay can be printed.

Electronic shelf labels are becoming a popular and intelligent way to display product information on a shelf. The customer benefits by having all the information they need about the product, and the retailer benefits by having programmable information that can be readily changed by various electronic means. For example, prices can be kept up to date without printing new price changes. More permanent information can be printed on another portion of the electronic shelf label, such as a removable or permanent overlay that allows the electronic display to show through.
Exemplary electronic shelf labels as discussed above are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,196 issued to Hunt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,416 issued to Kosarew, U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,966 issued to Finster et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,663 issued to Swartzel et al. These patents describe electronic shelf labels that include a liquid crystal display, a mounting support, onboard electronics, a printable overlay, and a power source to provide viewability of the display at all times. One problem with the aforementioned devices is the need of a continuous power source and replacement of said power source on a regular basis. Without the power source, the display is blank.
To overcome the above problem, a bistable liquid crystal display that retains written information on the display in the absence of power can be used. One such electronic shelf label is shown and described in U.S. Pats. Nos. 5,751,257 and 6,253,190, both issued to Sutherland, which describe a system including an electronic shelf label having a bistable liquid crystal display for displaying price data and a Universal Product Code ("UPC") bar code, wherein the information programmed in the display remains on the display in the absence of power. The shelf label has a set of synchronizing indicators and corresponding electrical contacts on the front side of the display, which are capable of interacting with a hand-held device that is connected to a central computer that contains inventory and price information. The hand held device can be used to read the UPC bar code on the shelf label and update or write corresponding price information on the label. Both the UPC and the price information are shown on the display.
Including the UPC as a writable element on the shelf label significantly increases the complexity and cost of the shelf label. The resolution needed to produce UPC information requires 113 modules of data, and therefore a corresponding number of contacts on the front of the display. The UPC for a product typically does not change over the life of the product. Other static information, for example, a human readable description of the product, a unit identification (e.g. per oz. or per 100 sheets), or the like, can also be desirable on the display. The placement of static information such as the UPC in writable form on the shelf label unnecessarily complicates the display structure of the label.
One solution to the aforementioned problem is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,650 issued to Capurso et al. It describes an electronic shelf label including a bistable liquid crystal display, which displays information even in the absence of power. A printable overlay containing the bistable liquid display is provided on a printable overlay sheet. The retailer can print static information on the overlay sheet, peel off the overlay containing the display, and attach it to a support. The support provides electrical continuity to the display by way of conductive adhesive and embedded conductive strips. Once attached to the conductive adhesive, the embedded conductive strips in the support provide a front contact outside the overlay area for electronic interfacing in order to change the information on the display. However, careful alignment of the overlay with the embedded conductive strips in the support is required to provide power to the display. Further, because the display is part of the overlay, and is not powered as provided to the retailer, it is difficult to test the functionality of the display before assembly with the support.
There is a need for a shelf label having a conductively mounted display wherein the functionality of a support for the display and the display can be tested prior to reaching the retailer, and wherein static information can be provided separately from the display, for example, on an overlay.


An industrial vehicle includes a vehicle body, a pair of rear wheels, a rear axle for supporting the rear wheels, a lock cylinder, a counterweight and a coupling portion. The rear axle is supported to be pivotable relative to the vehicle body. The lock cylinder is located between the vehicle body and the rear axle. The lock cylinder limits pivoting of the rear axle. The counterweight forms a rear portion of the vehicle body. The counter weight supports the rear axle. The coupling portion is integrally formed with the counterweight to couple the fluid pressure cylinder with the vehicle body. This reduces the number of components and the manufacturing steps of the industrial vehicle.

The present invention relates to an industrial vehicle having a body structure with a counterweight such as a counterbalanced forklift.
The counterbalanced forklift disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2000-6624 has a body structure as described below. That is, a rear wheel axle supporting a pair of left and right rear wheels is pivotably supported in a vertical direction with respect to a vehicle body, and a lock cylinder regulating pivoting of the rear wheel axle is supported between a body frame and the rear wheel axle.
Generally, the body frame for the forklift is formed by welding a plurality of plate members. The counterbalanced forklift is provided with voluminous counterweight in the rear of the vehicle body. The rear end of the vehicle frame extends substantially to a position of the rear wheel axle. In the rear of the vehicle body toward the rear of the rear wheel axle, there is arranged a counterweight to be fixed to the rear end of the vehicle frame.
FIGS. 7 to 9 show the body frame 80 of the forklift described in the above-described publication. The body frame 80 has a pair of structures 81a and 81b coupled by a front coupling member 82 and a rear coupling member 83. A first back plate 84 couples rear portions of both structures 81a, 81b with each other. The first back plate 84 is arranged on a plane perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.
Each structure 81a, 81b has an extension portion extending toward the rear of the vehicle body. Both extension portions are coupled to each other with a second back plate 85 arranged in parallel with the first back plate 84. Each extension portion is provided with a hanger portion 86 for detachably supporting the counterweight.
The body frame 80 is provided with an axle supporting portion 87 for supporting the rear wheel axle. The axle supporting portion 87 extends from the rear surface of the fist back plate 84 toward the rear, and is coupled with the rear surface of the first back plate 84 and the lower end of the second back plate 85 (see FIG. 8).
Weight of the counterweight supported by both hanger portions 86 is applied to the axle supporting portion 87 via the second back plate 85, and further is applied to both rear wheels from the rear wheel axle supported by the axle supporting portion 87.
As shown in FIG. 9, the body frame 80 has a coupling portion 90 for supporting the lock cylinder 89. The lock cylinder 89 is provided between the coupling portion 90 and the rear wheel axle 88. The coupling portion 90 includes the second back plate 85, an installation plate 91 provided in the rear thereof, and a coupling shaft 92 for supporting the upper end portion of the lock cylinder 89. The lock cylinder 89 is supported by the coupling shaft 92 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.
For example, when the vehicle abruptly turns, an expansion/contraction operation of the lock cylinder 89 is inhibited, and as a result, pivoting of the rear wheel axle 88 with respect to the body frame 80 is inhibited, and any inclined movement of the vehicle is limited. Since a powerful force is applied to the coupling portion 90 from the lock cylinder 89 at this time, it is necessary to particularly reinforce structural strength of surroundings of the coupling portion 90.
Thus, the second back plate 85 and the installation plate 91 have been made thicker than other plate members constituting the body frame 80, or reinforcement has newly been welded to the second back plate 85 and the installation plate 91. In these cases, the body frame 80 is complicated in structure.
Also, in addition to the basic structural members of the body frame 80, members for coupling the lock cylinder 89 to the body frame 80 such as the installation plate 91 and the reinforcement are required, and the number of components is increased. Further, since it is necessary to weld these members to the body frame 80 with long weld length, the manufacturing steps are increased.

Industrial vehicle having body structure


Devices for measuring a nip width between rolls of a press nip include one or more sensors adapted to be placed in the nip while the nip is stationary. The electrical resistance of each sensor corresponds to the size of the nip width, whereby a nip width or a nip width distribution may be determined by measuring the sensor resistance(s). Methods of measuring a nip width distribution include providing a plurality of force sensitive resistor sensors each of which respond to pressure applied thereto to provide a variable sensor resistance as a function of the amount of pressure and the area of the pressure exerted on the sensor.

Nipped rolls are used in a vast number of continuous process industries including papermaking, steel making, plastics calendering and printing. The characteristics of nipped rolls are particularly important in papermaking. In the process of papermaking, many stages are required to transform headbox stock into paper. The initial stage is the deposition of the headbox stock onto paper machine clothing or felt. Upon deposition, the white water forming a part of the stock flows through the interstices of the felt, leaving a mixture of water and fiber thereon. The felt then supports the mixture, leading it through several dewatering stages such that only a fibrous web or matt is left thereon.
One of the stages of dewatering takes place in the press section of the papermaking process. In the press section, two or more cooperating rolls press the fiberous web as it travels on the felt between the rolls. The rolls, in exerting a great force on the felt, cause the web traveling thereon to become flattened, thereby achieving a damp fibrous matt. The damp matt is then led through several other dewatering stages.
The amount of nip pressure applied to the web is important in achieving uniform sheet characteristics. Variations in nip pressure can affect sheet moisture content and sheet properties. Excessive pressure can cause crushing of fibers as well as holes in the resulting paper product. Conventional methods addressing this problem have been inadequate and, thus, this problem persists in the press section, often resulting in paper of poor quality, having uneven surface characteristics.
Roll deflection, commonly due to sag or nip loading, is a source of uneven pressure distribution. Worn roll covers may also introduce pressure variations. Rolls have been developed which monitor and alter the roll crown to compensate for such deflection. Such rolls usually have a floating shell which surrounds a stationary core. Underneath the floating shell are pressure regulators which detect pressure differentials and provide increased pressure to the floating shell when necessary.
Notwithstanding the problem of roll deflection, the problem of uneven loading across the roll length and in the cross machine direction persists because pressure is often unevenly applied along the roll. For example, if roll loading in a roll is set to 200 pounds per inch, it may actually be 300 pounds per inch at the edges and 100 pounds per inch at the center.
Methods have been used to discover discrepancies in applied pressure. One such method known as taking a nip impression requires stopping the roll and placing a long piece of carbon paper, foil, or impressionable film in the nip. One must load the rolls carefully to ensure that both sides, that being front and back, are loaded evenly. The pressure in the nip transfers a carbon impression, deforms the foil, or ruptures ink containing capsules in the film, indicating the width of contact. These methods for taking a nip impression are not reusable as they determine only a single event such as the highest pressure or contact width.
One of the major difficulties in using the nip impression procedure is that of evenly loading the rolls from front to back. The goal of the procedure is to measure and record the final stable loading along the length of the rolls after the initial loading. Often, during the initial loading, however, one end will contact before the other end. Thus, there are times when one end is heavily loaded while the other end is only slightly loaded. When this occurs, the nip impression shows the highly loaded condition and not the final state because the carbon paper, foils, and Prescale films record the largest width and/or highest pressures.
Another method of determining the nip pressure profile is to use a Prescale film that measures pressure. The film is fed into the nip after the rolls are loaded. Therefore, the film records the stable loaded condition rather than the greatest consequence of the loading process. Such a process eliminates the loading difficulties associated with nip impressions. Nonetheless, the Prescale films must be interpreted using a densitometer. This process is cumbersome, time consuming, and generally inefficient. Furthermore, the Prescale films are not reusable. A new piece of film must be fed into the nip after any corrective adjustments are made. Lastly, the Prescale films are temperature and moisture dependent, thus leading to inaccurate and unreliable results.
After a successful nip impression is taken, the carbon paper, foils, and Prescale films are removed from the nip and examined. Typically, the nip width is measured at twenty-one locations across the machine. These readings should be accurate to the nearest 1/64″ or 0.01″ for accurate interpretation. These measurements are time consuming and are subject to operator variations. Also, if the measurements require a change in the nip settings, a new piece of carbon paper foil, or Prescale film must again be placed in the nip. A common practice is to postpone performance of a confirming test until the next available shutdown. Thus, the processing may continue at a less than optimal state.
Crown corrections are often made from nip width measurements. For simple crown corrections, the amount of correction may be estimated from:
  C  =            (                        N          E          2                -                  N          C          2                    )                                    D          1                +                  D          2                            2                          D          1                                  D          2                    where                NE is the nip width at the end of the roll,        NC is the nip width at the center of the roll, and        D1 and D2 are the roll diameters.This equation is used throughout the paper industry for estimating crown corrections.
Various methods have been used to alleviate some of the challenges discussed previously. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,800 to Thettu, a reusable nip measuring device and method are disclosed. This method uses two polyamide sheets, one of which is coated with silicone rubber. When placed in the nip and when the nip is closed, the two sheets contact and fuse within the contact region. The nip is reopened, the sheets are removed, and the nip width distribution may be measured in a manner similar to carbon paper, foils, and Prescale films. Thus, the interpretation times are not improved. This method has the advantage of reusability, but is subject to the same loading path challenges in that it will record the greatest contact width and not necessarily the final stable state.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,253 to Hermkens, a system is disclosed that uses ultrasonic waves to determine the thickness of a thin film sensor. The time difference between the transmission pulse and the received pulse is related to the pressure on the sensor. This time difference is used to measure the sensor cladding thickness, which is related to the applied pressure. Because this technique does not provide nip width measurements, it is inconvenient to use to make crown corrections.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,756 to Kunkle, a nip load sensing device is disclosed. This device uses a bar containing load cells that are placed in the nip. The method provides discrete load reading across the machine, but does not produce nip width measurements. Thus, crown corrections do not follow directly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,652 to Allonen discloses a method and device for measuring nip force and/or nip pressure in a nip. The Allonen system measures nip pressure, rather than nip width, and uses information gathered during the measurement of nip pressure to estimate nip width. Ordinarily, the piezoelectric sensors employed by Allonen require a dynamic event (such as passing through a nip) in order to operate because such sensors measure changes in pressure and vary the signal based on the amount of pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,371 to Laitenen discloses a method and device for measurement of nip force and/or nip pressure in a nip formed by a revolving roll or a band used in the manufacture of paper. This device also employs force or pressure detectors formed of piezoelectric film. The device may be used to estimate nip width, but similarly requires a dynamic event, namely, that the measurements be made as the sensors are passed through the press nip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,353 to Justus discloses a method and apparatus for roll profile measurement which also employs piezoelectric sensors.
PCT Application PCT/US96/08204 (International Publication WO 96/38718), assigned to the applicant, discloses a nip pressure and nip width sensing system, certain embodiments of which are directed to measuring nip width using pressure sensitive pads or lines.