Provided is a method of realizing a semiconductor device having a structure in which a sufficient light shielding property is compatible with a sufficient storage capacitance without reducing an aperture ratio. A lower light shielding film is formed on a substrate, a TFT is formed on the lower light shielding film, and an upper light shielding film is formed on the TFT via an interlayer insulating film to cover and fit the TFT. Thus, the TFT can be completely light-shielded by the lower light shielding film and the upper light shielding film and an occurrence of a photo leak current can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor element typically a thin film transistor (TFT), using particularly a crystalline semiconductor film as a semiconductor layer including a channel forming region, a source region, and a drain region. Also, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device using such a TFT as a driver circuit or a switching element of a pixel (particularly, a liquid crystal display device or a light emitting device) and a manufacturing technique thereof. Further, the present invention particularly relates to a semiconductor device having a structure in which a light shielding property is improved and a manufacturing technique thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a liquid crystal projector in which characteristics such as miniaturization and weight reduction are improved has been used in various situations. In response to that, competition of development for providing a liquid crystal projector having a smaller size and lighter weight is intensified. The liquid crystal projector is constructed so as to project an image and the like displayed on a liquid crystal display device and the performance of the liquid crystal projector is greatly influenced by a display quality of the liquid crystal display device.
As to the liquid crystal display device, the mainstream is one in which liquid crystal is sealed between a substrate in which a TFT and a pixel electrode are formed (hereinafter referred to as a TFT substrate) and a substrate in which a counter electrode is formed (hereinafter referred to as a counter substrate) and an alignment of the liquid crystal is controlled by an electric field produced between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode to display an image.
In recent years, an active matrix type liquid crystal display device (liquid crystal panel) having several million pixels in a pixel portion is greatly used as a liquid crystal display device. In such a liquid crystal panel, a TFT is provided in each of pixels as a switching element for providing a potential to each of pixels and a pixel electrode is provided in each TFT. When the TFT is turned on, the potential of the pixel electrode is set. When the TFT is turned off, the potential of the pixel electrode is kept by charges stored in a storage capacitor element (hereinafter referred to as a storage capacitor).
When the potential of the pixel electrode is changed while the TFT is in an off state, a display quality is deteriorated. Thus, it is required for an active matrix type TFT substrate that a leak current of the TFT is suppressed, a sufficient storage capacitance is obtained for each of pixels, and the amount of charges stored in the storage capacitor is sufficiently larger than that lost by a leak current.
Also, in the case of a transmission type liquid crystal panel, in order to increase the intensity, it is necessary to increase an occupying ratio of an opening portion, that is, a region which is intended to control display in a pixel (for example, a region through which light is transmitted and which contributes to display in the case of a transmission type display device, a region from which light is reflected and which contributes to display in the case of a reflection type display device, a region in which an organic light emitting layer sandwiched by electrodes emits light and which contributes to display in the case of a display device using an organic light emitting element, or the like).
Incidentally, in the case where the above-mentioned liquid crystal panel (in particular, a transmission type liquid crystal panel) is used for a liquid crystal projector, when light is incident into the semiconductor layer of a TFT, since a leak current due to photo-excitation (hereinafter referred to as a photo leak current) is caused, it has an adverse affect on display. Thus, a light shielding layer is provided in the liquid crystal panel. For example, when a light source of the projector is located in a counter substrate side, the light shielding layer is formed between a pixel electrode and a TFT to block light from the light source, or the light shielding layer is formed between a substrate and a semiconductor layer to block light reflected from a projection lens or the like. Also, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-164875, a concave portion is provided in a substrate and a lower light shielding film is formed on the entire inner wall surface of the concave portion. Thus, the channel forming region of a TFT is formed so as to be buried in the concave portion. Also, an upper light shielding film is formed together.
However, according to the structure disclosed in the above publication, unevenness is formed near a TFT on which various wirings are concentrated. Thus, a possibility of reducing a yield is high because, at the time of wiring formation, a short circuit and a break of wirings are easily caused, or the wirings are easily deteriorated by the concentration of an electric field.
Also, according to the structure disclosed in the above publication, a gap is present between the upper light shielding film and the lower light shielding film. Thus, in the case of such a structure, there is also a possibility that a photo leak current by stray light is caused. Further, since the concave portion is provided in the substrate, there is a possibility that the mechanical strength of the substrate is reduced.
In the case of a projector for which a high intensity and a high definition are required, first, the intensity of a lamp used as a light source is increased to increase a display brightness. Second, the number of pixels in a panel used for an optical system is increased to obtain a higher definition. However, in the conventional methods of forming the light shielding film between the pixel electrode and the TFT and of forming the light shielding film between the substrate and the semiconductor layer, there is a problem that light diffracted by end portions of the light shielding film is incident into the semiconductor layer to cause a photo leak current.
Further, with increasing the intensity of the light source, an adverse affect on the TFT by the diffracted cannot be neglected any longer.
Also, when a thin insulating film is used for isolating the light shielding film and the TFT, the intensity of the diffracted light in the position of the TFT call be reduced to a negligible extent. However, when the insulating film is made thinner, a parasitic capacitance produced between the TFT and the insulating film is increased. Therefore, a problem occurs in that an operation of the TFT is influenced by a potential of the light shielding film.
Also, when a width of the light shielding film is expanded, a problem that diffracted light is incident into the TFT can be solved. However, it is natural to reduce an aperture ratio. In addition, since the requirement for a high definition of display is satisfied by increasing the number of pixels, a size of respective pixels is decreased. Thus, a reduction in an aperture ratio due to the expansion of the width of the light shielding film and a reduction in brightness accompanied by such a reduction become a large problem.
Also, only when the width of the light shielding film is expanded, a problem that stray light produced by unintended scattering in an interlayer insulating film is incident into the TFT (in particular, the semiconductor layer) cannot be solved. With increasing the intensity of the light source as described above, the influence of the stray light also cannot be neglected.
Also, in a TFT including an active layer having a crystalline structure, which has been actively used because of its high field effect mobility and the like, a photo leak current tends to increase as compared with a TFT including an amorphous semiconductor layer. If the TFT have no sufficient storage capacitance, stored charges are decreased by the leak current to change the amount of light to be transmitted, which becomes a cause for reducing a contrast in image display. Thus, it is necessary to form a storage capacitor element capable of securing a sufficient capacitance in a liquid crystal panel.
However, when an area of the storage capacitor is expanded in two dimensions to secure the sufficient capacitance, an occupying ratio of the storage capacitor element to an area of a pixel is increased to reduce an aperture ratio.
Further, in order to improve a yield, it is necessary to use a structure in which a break of wiring and the like are not caused by unevenness due to the presence of the storage capacitor.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


An animal collar includes a neck strap with magnetic elements on the neck strap's two opposite ends. The magnetic elements are configured to self align during installation and hold an encircling neck strap around an animal's neck. In one embodiment, the magnetic elements are one or more pairs of magnets attached to the opposite ends of the neck strap. The poles of each magnet pair are aligned so the magnets in each pair attract. The neck strap also includes two perpendicularly and transversely aligned closed eyelets mounted on the opposite ends. When the opposite ends are placed side-by-side, the magnetic elements are aligned and forced together and the two eyelets are side by side and parallel. A leash clip can then be attached to the two eyelets to hold them together when walking. When the leash clip is disconnected, the magnetic elements are configured to separate when a light force is exerted on the neck strap. An optional connector is provided that holds the two eyelets together when the leash clip is not used.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to animal collars and more particularly, to animal collars with ends that self-align and attach around an animal's neck and can auto release when the collar is snagged.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many animals, such as horses and large dogs, have necks and other anatomical structures that make it difficult to align and connect the opposite ends of a collar together around the animal's neck. Usually, the owner or master must hold the opposite ends of the collar and force them with two hands.
Dog lovers and dogs enjoy walking with a leash that selectively attaches to the dog's collar. The dog leash typically includes a clip that attaches to a D-ring mounted on the collar. Attached to the ends of the collar are male and female end connectors that slide together to hold the collar in place around the dog's neck. A D-ring is permanently attached to the collar that selectively attaches to a clip attached to the end of the leash.
When restraining the dog, substantial force is exerted by the male and female connectors and on the D-ring. Because the D-ring is typically permanently attached to the collar, when the leash is disconnected from the D-ring, the D-ring is exposed and susceptible to being snagged by other objects when the dog is playing or chase other animals.
What is needed is an animal collar sufficiently strong and durable that is self-aligning around the neck of an animal when initially draped around the neck, that selectively attaches to a standard leash with clip or similar connector designed to attached to a D-ring, and allows the collar to easily disengage from the neck when detached to prevent injuries or strangulation when caught or snagged by an object.


An integrated compound nano probe card is disclosed to include a substrate layer having a front side and a back side, and compound probe pins arranged in the substrate layer. Each compound probe pin has a bundle of aligned parallel nanotubes/nanorods and a bonding material bonded to the bundle of aligned parallel nanotubes/nanorods and filled in gaps in the nanotubes/nanorods. Each compound probe pin has a base end exposed on the back side of the substrate layer and a distal end spaced above the front side of the substrate layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a probe card for testing electronic elements and its fabrication method and, more specifically, to an integrated compound nano probe card. The invention relates also to the fabrication of the integrated compound nano probe card.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of probe cards for testing electrical properties of an electronic element are commercially available. These probe cards include two types, i.e., the cantilever type and the vertical type. The probe pins of these two types of probe cards are tungsten pins, lead pins, or beryllium copper pins manually installed in a printed circuit board. The pitch of the probe pins of a cantilever type probe card is about 50 μm. The pitch of the probe pins of a vertical type probe card is about 100 μm. Due to technical limitations, the pitch of the probe pins of either type of probe cards cannot be reduced as desired to fit measuring requirements for nanoelectronics. Further, because probe pins are installed in a printed circuit board manually, the manufacturing cost is relatively increased with the increasing of pin counts. This drawback causes the aforesaid conventional probe cards unable to meet future demand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,706 discloses a field emission device having bundles of aligned parallel carbon nanotubes on a substrate. The carbon nanotubes are oriented perpendicular to the substrate. The bundles of carbon nanotubes extend only from regions of the substrate patterned with a catalyst material. The substrate is porous silicon. The fabrication of the field emission device starts with forming a porous layer on a silicon substrate by electrochemical etching. Then, a thin layer of iron is deposited on the porous layer in patterned regions. The iron is then oxidized into iron oxide, and then the substrate is exposed to ethylene gas at elevated temperature. The iron oxide catalyzes the formation of bundles of aligned parallel carbon nanotubes, which grow perpendicular to the substrate surface.
The advantages of U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,706 include (1) small nanotube pitch, and (2) manufacturing cost of nanotubes being not determined subject to the pin counts. However, this design still has drawbacks. Because nanotubes are not linked to one another, the whole structure is bulky, resulting in low physical and electrical properties of nanotubes. Further, due to low impact strength of carbon material, nanotubes tend to be broken when pressed by an external object. Due to the aforesaid drawbacks, nanotubes made according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,706 are not suitable for use as probe pins in a probe card.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,161 discloses an electrically conductive rod-shaped single crystal product, which is a rod-shaped single crystal formed by a vapor-liquid-solid method or such a rod-shaped single crystal having its forward end alloy portion removed, and the surface of the rod-shaped single crystal is coated by an electrically conductive film. However, this rod-shaped single crystal product has a low electric conductivity due to its limited electric conducting area.

Integrated compound nano probe card and method of making same

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A method of recovering bitumen from a froth utilizes solvent and a single settling vessel having a plurality of internals. The froth is diluted with enough solvent to reduce viscosity and is added to the vessel above the internals. Additional solvent is added below the internals, intermediate the internals or both and is flowed counter-current to the diluted froth flowing downwardly over the internals, forming a gradient of solvent concentration relative to hydrocarbon concentration throughout the internals, acting as multiple stages of separation. The bitumen and other light components, rise with the solvent to the top of the vessel. The heavier components, such as water, solids and asphaltene aggregates fall to the bottom by gravity. Where paraffinic solvents are used, the solvent-to-bitumen ratio (S:B) for the initial dilution of froth is below that at which asphaltenes are rejected. Substantially all asphaltene rejection occurs in the vessel as S:B increases therein.

Many industrial processes require solid particles to be separated from a continuous liquid phase. In gravity separators, a slurry stream comprising liquid and solid particles is delivered to a vessel where the solid particles settle by gravity and are removed from the bottom of the vessel, while the clarified liquid is removed from the top of the vessel.
In the case of bitumen recovery, mined oil sand is typically mixed with warm water. The resulting slurry is piped to a primary gravity separation vessel PSV where the coarse solids fall to the bottom, a middlings stream containing some bitumen, fine solids and water is removed from the middle of the vessel and a froth containing bitumen, water and some fine mineral solids is removed from the top of the PSV. Typically, the froth comprises about 60% bitumen, 30% water and 10% fine solids.
The froth is further processed for removal of water and solids from the bitumen to permit further processing of the bitumen. It is known to use centrifuges, gravity separation vessels and inclined plate settlers to separate the bitumen from the water and the solids. The froth is typically diluted with a hydrocarbon solvent to reduce the viscosity and density of the oil phase prior to this further processing.
One such known froth separation process is taught in Canadian Patent 2,502,329 to Tipman et al. In this case, multiple stages of separation occur in three separate froth separation vessels which are utilized in a counter-current process for removal of water and solids from bitumen froth. Bitumen froth is diluted with solvent and added to the first froth separation vessel. The underflow is removed, mixed with additional solvent and is pumped to the second froth separation vessel. The overflow from the second vessel is returned to the first vessel and the underflow is mixed with additional solvent and is pumped to the third froth separation vessel. The overflow from the third vessel is pumped to the second vessel and the underflow is removed for tailings handling. The overflow from the first vessel is removed to a separation vessel for removal of solvent therefrom and the bitumen recovered is pumped to a facility for upgrading.
It is known to use both naphthenic and paraffinic solvents to reduce the viscosity and density of the oil phase of bitumen froth. In the case of paraffinic solvents, when sufficient solvent is added, asphaltenes are rejected from the froth upon contact between the solvent and the heavy hydrocarbon fraction. Large aggregates typically form between the water droplets, mineral solids and the rejected asphaltenes.
Centrifuges are typically energy intensive and gravity separation vessels generally have a very large footprint. Multiple gravity separation vessels, generally used with bitumen froth diluted in a light solvent, increase the probability and risk of breach of containment and have a large footprint. Inclined plate settlers typically have a smaller footprint however, as with the other separation equipment, more than one are required to increase the recovery of bitumen. Often combinations of the various apparatus are used in an attempt to optimize bitumen recovery.
Thus, conventional methods of separation are typically costly, require multiple pumps and other auxiliary equipment and require large volumes of solvent, for each of the separation units employed.
There is interest in froth separation apparatus and methods which are cost and energy effective, have a smaller footprint and which result in enhanced bitumen recovery therefrom.

Multi-stage counter-current froth settler and method of use


An angle-measurement device comprising a carrier element with at least two tracers. At least one tracer is configured as an annular surface, and at least one tracer is configured as a cylindrical surface. Each tracer has essentially coinciding periodic patterns that are electromagnetically or optically detectable by at least one sensor, and one tracer has a number N of patterns and the other tracer has a number N+1 of patterns. In another embodiment, one tracer is disposed on one face and the other tracer is disposed on another face of an annular carrier element.

Angle-measurement devices for absolute measurement over a full circle of 360° are known from DE 100 38 296. The prior-art angle-measurement device includes an arrangement of several annular tracers on one face of a rotatable, disk-shaped carrier element. The tracers are provided with magnetically detectable periodic patterns that act in an axial direction. The periodicity of the patterns differs by one in accordance with the Vernier principle. In the vicinity of the carrier element are disposed magnetic detection heads that produce a periodic detection signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,767 describes an absolute angle-measurement device with two cylindrical tracers wherein the axially extended tracers are disposed in parallel on the surface of a cylinder and act in a radial direction.
The prior-art angle-measurement devices, however, have a drawback in that their space requirements are very large. As such, if several annular tracers are to be disposed on a face of an annular carrier element, the disk must have a larger diameter if several annular tracers are to be disposed simultaneously, and provide good resolution, on the front face of a carrier element. Furthermore, when several cylinder-shaped tracers are disposed on a cylindrical carrier element, the axial extension of the angle-measurement device is large.


A gate valve includes a valve body with a How passage intersected by a gate cavity. The gate valve also includes a gate with an axis, a downstream gate face, and an upstream gate face on an opposite side. The gate is axially movable in the gate cavity between a gate closed position and a gate open position. A seat ring is located between each gate face and the valve body, at the intersection of the flow passage and the gate cavity. An annular seal is located between each of the seat rings and the valve body. At least one annular filter is located between at least one of the seat rings and the valve body, each of the at least one filters being located radially inward from one of the seals relative to an axis of the flow passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates in general to valves and more particularly, to filters of gate valves for use with oil, gas and other fluids.
2. Description of Prior Art
A gate valve has a body with a flow passage extending through it. A gate cavity intersects the flow passage, and seat rings are located at the upstream and downstream points of intersection. Seat ring seals are located between the seat rings and the valve body. An actuator, which may be mechanical, hydraulic or electrical moves a gate within the cavity between open and closed positions. The gate has an aperture through it. When in the open position, the aperture registers with the flow passage. In the closed position, a seal surface on the gate contacts the downstream seat ring. The upstream pressure exerts a force pushing the seal surface into tight sealing engagement.
When operating the valve, debris often enters the valve and accumulates. The debris can sometimes pass into the space between the seat rings and the valve body and accumulate. Debris can also pass between the seat rings and the gate to enter the gate cavity. The debris causes damage to components in the body and clogs the cavity, preventing proper operation of the valve. This debris can also wear on the seat ring seals damaging these seals and causing them to fail.


Methods are provided including a method comprising: placing a sand control screen in the wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the sand control screen comprises: a base pipe having at least one opening in a sidewall portion thereof; a swellable material layer disposed exteriorly of the base pipe and having at least one opening corresponding to the at least one opening of the base pipe; a telescoping perforation operably associated with the at least one opening of the base pipe and at least partially disposed within the at least one opening of the swellable material layer; and a filter medium disposed within the telescoping perforation; and introducing a consolidating agent into at least a portion of a subterranean formation. Additional methods are also provided.

The present invention relates to methods useful in treating subterranean formations and, more particularly, to consolidating a potentially unconsolidated portion of a subterranean formation and minimizing the production of unconsolidated particulate materials such as formation fines and sand (referred to collectively herein as "particulate migration"). More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for introducing a consolidating agent into a subterranean formation and placing a sand control screen in at least a portion of a wellbore.
Without limiting the scope of the present invention, its background is described with reference to the production of hydrocarbons through a wellbore traversing an unconsolidated or loosely consolidated formation, as an example.
Hydrocarbon wells are often located in subterranean formations. that contain unconsolidated particulates (e.g., sand, gravel, proppant, fines, etc.) that may migrate out of the subterranean formation into a wellbore and/or may be produced with the oil, gas, water, and/or other fluids produced by the well. The presence of such particulates in produced fluids is undesirable in that the particulates may abrade pumping and other producing equipment and/or reduce the production of desired fluids from the well. Moreover, particulates that have migrated into a wellbore (e.g., inside the casing and/or perforations in a cased hole), among other things, may clog portions of the wellbore, hindering the production of desired fluids from the well. The term "unconsolidated particulates," and derivatives thereof, is defined herein to include loose particulates and particulates bonded with insufficient bond strength to withstand the forces created by the flow of fluids through the formation, which may cause the particulates to shift or migrate within the formation and/or into voids therein. Unconsolidated particulates may comprise, among other things, sand, gravel, fines and/or proppant particulates in the subterranean formation, for example, proppant particulates placed in the subterranean formation in the course of a fracturing or gravel-packing operation. The terms "unconsolidated subterranean formation," "unconsolidated portion of a subterranean formation," and derivatives thereof are defined herein to include any formation that contains unconsolidated particulates, as that term is defined herein. "Unconsolidated subterranean formations" and "unconsolidated portions of a subterranean formation," as those terms are used herein, include subterranean fractures wherein unconsolidated particulates reside within the open space of the fracture (e.g., forming a proppant pack within the fracture).
One method of controlling unconsolidated particulates in subterranean formations involves placing a filtration bed containing gravel (e.g., a "gravel pack") near the wellbore to present a physical barrier to the transport of unconsolidated particulates with the production of desired fluids. Typically, such "gravel-packing operations" involve the pumping and placement of a quantity of particulate into the unconsolidated subterranean formation in an area adjacent to a wellbore. One common type of gravel-packing operation involves placing a screen in the wellbore and packing the surrounding annulus between the screen and the wellbore with gravel of a specific size designed to prevent the passage of formation sand. The screen is generally a filter assembly used to retain the gravel placed during the gravel-pack operation. A wide range of sizes and screen configurations are available to suit the characteristics of the gravel used. Similarly, a wide range of sizes of gravel is available to suit the characteristics of the unconsolidated particulates in the subterranean formation. To install the gravel pack, the gravel is carried to the formation in the form of a slurry by mixing the gravel with a liquid carrier fluid, which is usually viscosified. Once the gravel is placed in the wellbore, the viscosity of the fluid may be reduced, and the fluid either flows into the formation or is returned to the surface. The resulting structure presents a barrier to migrating particulates from the formation while still permitting fluid flow.
It has been found, however, that a complete gravel pack of the desired production interval is difficult to achieve particularly in long or inclined/horizontal production intervals. These incomplete packs are commonly a result of the liquid carrier fluid entering a permeable portion of the production interval causing the gravel to form a sand bridge in the annulus. Thereafter, the sand bridge prevents the slurry from flowing to the remainder of the annulus which, in turn, prevents the placement of sufficient gravel in the remainder of the annulus.
In certain open hole completions where gravel packing may not be feasible, attempts have been made to use expandable sand control screens. Typically, expandable sand control screens are designed to not only filter particulate materials out of the formation fluids, but also provide radial support to the formation to prevent the formation from collapsing into the wellbore. It has been found, however, that conventional expandable sand control screens are not capable of contacting the wall of the wellbore along their entire length as the wellbore profile is not uniform. More specifically, due to the process of drilling the wellbore and heterogeneity of the downhole strata, washouts or other irregularities commonly occur which result in certain locations within the wellbore having larger diameters than other areas or having non circular cross sections. Thus, when the expandable sand control screens are expanded, voids are created between the expandable sand control screens and the irregular areas of the wellbore. In addition, it has been found that the expansion process undesirably weakens such sand control screens.
Additionally, in open hole completions, a stand alone screen may be used. Typically, stand alone screens may be used when the formation generally comprises a more uniform particle size distribution. However, when a formation comprises a wider range of particle sizes, a stand alone screen is not desirable because it is difficult to design a screen that will not plug. In addition, exposed shale also creates problems in these situations because the shale tends to slough when exposed to lower pressures, generating large volumes of fines that can flow into the annulus and plug the screen.
More recently, attempts have been made to install sand control screens that include telescoping screen members. Typically, hydraulic pressure is used to extend the telescoping screen members radially outwardly toward the wellbore. This process requires providing fluid pressure through the entire work string that acts on the telescoping members to shift the members from a partially extended position to a radially extended position. It has been found, however, that in substantially horizontal production intervals, the telescoping screen members may not properly deploy, particularly along the portion of the production string resting on the bottom surface of the wellbore. Failure to fully extend all the telescoping screen members results in a non uniform inner bore which may prevent the passage of tools therethrough.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Sand control screen assembly and associated methods


A transmission system includes a fluid-coupling device, an electro-hydraulic control system, and a clutch. The fluid-coupling device includes an input coupled to an impeller, an output coupled to a turbine, and a stator disposed between the impeller and the turbine. The electro-hydraulic control system includes a flow valve disposed in fluid communication with the input and the output of the fluid-coupling device that is movable between at least a first position and a second position, at least one trim valve system fluidly coupled to the flow valve, and a solenoid disposed in fluid communication with the flow valve that is electrically controllable between an energized state and a de-energized state. The clutch is disposable in fluid communication with the flow valve and controllable between an applied position and an unapplied position.

In a conventional vehicle or work machine, a retarder is a braking device used to control vehicle speed during vehicle operation. For example, a retarder may slow vehicle speed or assist with maintaining a steady or constant speed of the vehicle while descending a hill. In other words, a retarder is controllable to prevent the vehicle from accelerating quickly as it travels down a moderate or steep decline.
A conventional retarder may be very expensive due to complex castings of a stator, rotor, and housing thereof. It also may require its own control system. Moreover, a vehicle equipped with a retarder may require a larger vehicle cooler or, in some instances, a second cooler to help cool the hydraulic fluid within the housing. An accumulator may also be required to help move fluid into a rotor cavity of the retarder, particularly as retarders may be slow to respond during operation. Even with an accumulator, a slow response time may often be found with retarders.
Thus, there is a need for a device to perform a retarding function but to do so in a manner that achieves a quicker response time, requires less hardware, and is more cost effective.

Dual clutch control system for integral torque converter and retarder and method thereof


A dust collection/control system is disclosed utilized in a floor polishing machine (10) in the most preferred form. A polishing member (16) for maintaining a floor surface as it is moved along the floor is located and rotated within a housing or shield (186) including a circular, planar portion (92) terminating at its periphery in a downwardly extending flange (94) including a flexible skirt (95) which engages the floor. The rotation of the polishing member (16) within the housing (186) passively generates an air current contained within the housing (186). The air current engages first and second air barriers (190, 191) which extend downwardly from the planar portion (92) and generally radially inwardly from the flange (94) to create high pressure areas upstream of the air barriers (190, 191) with high pressure air being allowed to escape through separate air outlets (188, 189) into a single filter and collection bag (148) and to create a vacuum inside of the housing (186) to draw air around the skirt (95) to entrain the dust and air in the circling air current. In the preferred form, the air barriers (190, 191) are circumferentially spaced at a angle in the order of 20.degree. from each other and are sized so that the flow rates through the air outlets (188, 189) are generally equal.

The present invention relates to apparatus for cleaning, particularly to apparatus for cleaning floor surfaces, and specifically to a unique and novel dust collection system for a floor polishing machine.
High speed burnishing is a floor polishing method using a very fine abrasive disc rotating at 1000 RPM's or more to produce a high "wet look" glass appearance on the floor. Typically a high solids content floor finish material is spread in a thin layer on the floor, allowed to harden, and then burnished with a high RPM burnishing machine. The burnishing process removes the top particles of the floor finish with the fine abrasive rotating disc, producing a smooth glossy appearance. In the process, the top layer of floor finish is removed in the form of a very fine powder. In addition to this powder, the burnishing pad itself wears down. This powder and worn pad material often become airborne because of the air turbulence created by the high speed rotation of the disc. This is undesirable because the powder, material and dust then settle back onto the floor and on furniture and must be removed with a dust mop, vacuum cleaner or similar means.
To reduce the need to dust mop after burnishing or polishing, prior floor polishing means included dust collection systems of various forms. Some prior dust collection systems utilized a separate vacuum device including a fan for creating a vacuum to pick up dirt or dust such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,663,893 and 3,522,679. Further, many prior dust collection systems utilized the well known cyclone effect created by the rotation of the operative member inside of a housing to deliver air entrained with dirt, dust, and other debris and created by the rotation of the operative member relative to a working surface such as shown in floor maintenance devices such as in U.S. Pat. No. 1,093,820; in shoe cleaning apparatus such as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,752; in lawn mowers such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,783; in abrading tools such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,110, and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,292 shows a fan attached to the drive shaft for the polishing or other floor-maintenance element for drawing dust-laden air from adjacent the floor and discharging it through a dust-collection bag. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,654 shows a fan which is rotated at a higher rotational speed than the polishing brush. U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,440 shows an X-pad for creating air currents and which eliminates the need for a fan. U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,956 shows an impeller integrally formed on the hub portion of the polishing member.
However, each of these collection systems is deficient in various respects in ease of manufacture and assembly, effective collection, economies, operation, and the like. For example, such collection systems interfere with the ability of the housing to deform to follow the floor surface as is utilized in many current types of floor burnishing machines and in the effective collection of dust and debris, especially around the entire periphery of the floor polishing or other maintenance element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,151 represented a major advancement in the art of collection systems for floor polishing machines. However, deficiencies arose as two separate filter and collection bags were utilized. This was disadvantageous because normal maintenance required removal and replacement of such filter and collection bags at multiple locations rather than a single location and enclosing such filter and collection bags at multiple locations such as for aesthetic reasons was costly and constructionally complicated.
Thus a need continues for a floor polishing machine which provides dust and debris control and which overcomes the deficiencies and disadvantages of prior collection systems.

Collection system for a floor polishing machine


A processor containing a cache memory having its storage capacity enlarged while suppressing area increases is provided. The processor includes an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) cache memory and a DRAM (Dynamic RAM) cache memory of a large storage capacity. The SRAM cache memory and the DRAM cache memory are coupled to the processor through a processor bus. The SRAM cache memory and the DRAM cache memory transfer data through an internal transfer bus provided separately from the processor bus and having a larger width.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory-contained processor having memories and a processor formed on the same chip, and more particularly to a memory-contained processor containing a cache memory with superior area efficiency.
2. Description of the Background Art
Processors such as microprocessor units (MPUs) or central processing units (CPUs) have come to operate at higher speed, for example at 100 MHz, or 200 MHz. On the other hand, dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) used as main memories, though much improved, still operate slower than processors. Such a difference in the speed of operation causes the processor to wait until necessary data is available. In order to improve system performance so that high speed data processing is performed with the minimum wait time, a high speed memory called a cache memory is placed between the main memory and the processor. The cache memory stores data frequently accessed by the processor.
Since the processing proceeds according to a program, it is accompanied by localization of an access region. Therefore, when the cache memory stores data requested by the processor (cache hit), it is highly likely that this cache memory stores data which is continuously accessed. If this data requested by the processor exists in the cache memory, data transfer is always performed between the processor and the cache memory. It can reduce the wait time of the processor, resulting in high speed processing. The main memory DRAM is accessed only when the data requested by the processor does not exist in the cache memory (cache miss).
By storing an appropriate number of cache blocks (each of which serves as a unit of data transfer in cache miss) of an appropriate size in the cache memory, the cache hit rate can be increased, the wait time of the processor can be shortened, and the high speed data processing is possible.
The cache hit rate can be increased by enlarging a storage capacity of the cache memory. A static random access memory (SRAM) is usually used as such cache memory.
FIG. 17 shows an example of the SRAM cell structure. In FIG. 17, the SRAM cell SMC includes a load element Z1 connected between a power supply node VCC and an internal storage node NA, a load element Z2 connected between power supply node VCC and an internal storage node NB, an n channel MOS transistor (insulated-gate type field-effect transistor) T1 connected between internal storage node NA and a ground node GND and having its gate connected to internal storage node NB, an n channel MOS transistor T2 connected between internal storage node NB and ground node GND and having its gate connected to internal storage node NA, an n channel MOS transistor T3 being conducted in response to a signal potential on a word line WL to electrically connect internal storage node NA to a bit line BL, an n channel MOS transistor T4 being conducted in response to the signal potential on word line WL to electrically connect internal storage node NB to a bit line/BL.
A row of SRAM cells SMCs are connected to word line WL. Bit lines BL and/BL transmit complementary data signals and they are arranged in a pair. A column of memory cells are connected to this bit line pair BL and /BL.
Load elements Z1 and Z2 have a function of pulling up storage node NA or NB to the level of power supply voltage VCC (the node and the voltage supplied thereto are designated by the same character) according to stored information, and they are formed by thin-film transistors or resistance elements.
MOS transistors T1 and T2 constitute a flip-flop and hold signal potentials at internal storage nodes NA and NB. When the signal potential on word line WL rises to an H level, MOS transistors T3 and T4 are conducted, connecting internal storage nodes NA and NB to bit lines BL and /BL, respectively. In this state, data reading or writing for this SRAM cell SMC is performed.
As shown in FIG. 17, SRAM cell SMC includes four MOS transistors, that is, MOS transistors T1 and T2 for storing data and MOS transistors T3 and T4 for accessing this SRAM cell SMC. This SRAM has the advantage of operating at high speed due to the transmission of complementary data signals and the static operation. However, it is disadvantageous in that the occupied area by one-bit memory cell SMC is large. As a result, when a cache memory is structured by using this SRAM cell SMC, the area occupied by this cache memory increases with the increase in the storage capacity of this cache memory. Especially, it is a big obstacle to one-chip implementation of a processor and a memory, which is a current trend, and to size reduction of a system.
FIG. 18 shows a structure of a DRAM cell. In FIG. 18, two DRAM cells DMCa and DMCb are shown. DRAM cell DMCa is arranged corresponding to a crossing of a word line WLa and bit line BL. DRAM cell DMCb is arranged corresponding to a crossing of a word line WLb and bit line /BL. Each one of DRAM cells DMCa and DMCb includes a capacitor C for storing information and an n channel MOS transistor Q being conducted in response to a signal potential of corresponding word line WL (WLa or WLb) to electrically connect capacitor C to a corresponding bit line BL or/BL.
In this DRAM also, a row of DRAM cells are connected to word lines WLa and WLb, respectively, and a column of memory cells are connected to bit line pair BL and /BL. One electrode node of capacitor C of these DRAM cells DMCa and DMCb is supplied with a constant cell plate voltage VCP. DRAM cells DMCa and DMCb each store information according to the amount of charges accumulated in the other electrode of this capacitor C. In reading memory cell data, the memory cell data is read to one of bit lines BL and /BL, and the other bit line supplies a reference potential for this memory cell data.
Each one of DRAM cells DMCa and DMCb is constituted by one MOS transistor and one capacitor C as shown in FIG. 18. Therefore, it includes fewer transistors than SRAM cell SMC shown in FIG. 17, and occupies approximately one fourth the area of SRAM cell SMC. Thus, this DRAM can implement a memory of a large storage capacity in a limited area.
However, in the DRAM which operates dynamically, it is necessary to precharge each signal line to a prescribed potential, and it cannot operate at higher speed than SRAM. Therefore, if the DRAM is simply used as a cache memory, it is difficult to implement a high speed cache memory.


A belt sander is disclosed that may include a sanding assembly having a first roller and a second roller, the sanding assembly being configured to receive a sanding belt around the first roller and the second roller to define a sanding surface therebetweeen. The belt sander may include a motor operationally coupled to the sanding assembly and opposite the sanding surface, the motor being configured to rotate at least the first roller and thereby rotate the sanding belt around the first roller and the second roller, as well as a handgrip formed around at least a portion of the motor and substantially encasing the motor.

Woodworkers often wish to smooth a surface of a workpiece prior to the completion of a woodworking project. For example, many workpieces require at least a minimal amount of sanding in order to remove any excess glue or rough edges, prior to completion of the project. Different types of sanders may be used for such sanding, e.g., to improve a surface quality and appearance of the workpiece. For example, such sanders may include a piece of sandpaper held in the woodworker's hand, or may include automated sanders, such as orbital sanders or quarter pad finishing sanders.
A belt sander is another example of a type of sander. Belt sanders generally include some mechanism for maintaining a sanding belt around two rollers. During operation, such belt sanders are designed to provide sufficient tension to the sanding belt to avoid skewing thereof, while avoiding excess tension that may lead to a breaking of the sanding belt.


A hierarchical system is used to store data items easily capable of thumbnail representation (such as images). Such a hierarchical system may allow a folder (or other grouping) to contain both data items and sub-folders. The display of such a folder uses two display areas. In one display area, sub-folders are displayed using a list view, where text is the primary method for the display of the sub-folders which are contained in the folder. In the other display area, a grid view is used to display the data items. Thumbnail images are the primary components of the grid view. Functionality available to a user will change based on whether the user is browsing the list view or the grid view.

Mobile devices can store a collection of data items, such as images. For example, cameras and cell phones including camera functionality may store images captured using the camera or camera functionality. The user of such a device often is provided with a view of the collection. Additionally, many other systems which store or access collections of images provide a user with a view of a collection.
At the present time, there are several ways to provide a user with a display of all or part of a collection of data items such as images. One way is to use a list view. The list view lists items in the collection. For example, one way to provide a list view of a collection of images is to list the name of each item in the collection, the size of the item, the type of the item, the date and time of the creation of the item, the date and time of the modification of the item, and the location of the item. This allows a user to see and sort on many pieces of information related to the items in the collection. However, the list view does not allow a user to easily select a specific item in certain cases. For example, if the items are images and the images are not given useful names, and if the user is looking for an image of a specific person, a list view will not provide the user with the ability to easily find the image.
Alternately, a grid view may be used to display the content. A grid view is a display of some or all of the items in a collection which is more graphical than the list view. The grid view provides a number of graphical thumbnails, each representing an item in the collection. For example, a collection including images would represent each image as a graphical thumbnail of the image. In general, in a grid view the thumbnails are arranged in a grid, so that a user can more easily view the items in the collection. Not all of the items may be visible at one time—it may be necessary for the user to scroll or page to view all of the items in a collection.
A grid view allows a user to more quickly find an item which is more quickly identified by a thumbnail than by descriptive information. Thus, a grid view is useful for a collection which includes photographs or images. However, a grid view may not be as useful for switching between displays of collections. If a collection includes several sub-collections, each sub-collection must be selected in order to display the grid view for that sub-collection. Then that selection must be reversed or backed out of, or the original collection selected again in order to view the original collection again, for example to select an alternate sub-collection.
This may be made more difficult if the user input device is simple. For example, where a user input consists of only several keys, selection may be accomplished by navigating to an item in the grid view (through arrow keys, for example) and then highlighting an item in the grid view (through a selection button). Where a user input consists only of a mouse or other pointing device, selection is accomplished by pointing at an item and pressing or clicking a button.
In such cases, where user input devices are minimal, navigation becomes cumbersome. In order to view different collections, the user must select each collection and then back out of the selection. This makes navigating several collections and sub-collections difficult. Additionally different functionality may be required for different items. For example, items which are collections may be opened to view the items in the collection upon mouse click in a grid view. Items which are images may be printed upon a mouse click. In such a case, when navigation proceeds from one item to the next in a view, the functionality provided changes, and this may be confusing for a user.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method to overcome these deficits in the prior art. The present invention addresses the aforementioned needs and solves them with additional advantages as expressed herein.

Combined representation of a hierarchical data item collection


A monolithic integrated circuit for performing power dividing and power monitoring functions is disclosed. The monolithic integrated circuit includes a power dividing portion for dividing radio frequency (RF) signal power and a power monitoring portion for monitoring the RF signal power. In one example, the monolithic integrated circuit is a microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) for use in high-frequency applications within microwave and millimeter-wave frequency range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuits and, more particularly, to microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs) for use in high-frequency applications, such as those in the microwave and millimeter-wave frequency regions.
2. Description of Related Art
Integrated circuits have gained widespread use in many electronic applications. In early hybrid integrated circuits, active elements (such as diodes and transistors) and passive elements (such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors) were typically discrete components mounted (e.g., soldered or bonded) to a dielectric slab or substrate. In contrast, in a monolithic integrated circuit (or "monolithic circuit"), circuit components including active and passive elements are integrated monolithically, i.e., formed directly on a common semiconductor substrate.
Typically, depending on the operating frequency, monolithic integrated circuits may be formed on different types of substrates. As an example, the monolithic integrated circuits operating up to 1-2 GHz may be fabricated on silicon (Si) substrate. At higher operating frequencies, such as microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies (approximately between 1-300 GHz), the substrate is usually gallium arsenide (GaAs) and these circuits are commonly referred to as monolithic microwave integrated circuits, or MMICs. Some of the advantages of MMICs include their small sizes, the inclusion of multiple functions (e.g., radio frequency (RF) and logic) on a single semiconductor chip, and a wider frequency-bandwidth performance that is often difficult to achieve with discrete devices due to bandwidth-limiting parasitics associated with discrete-device packaging.
Typically, RF signals at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies can easily penetrate harsh environments such as dust, smoke, and snow, and are very attractive due to their high spatial resolution, resulting in a compact chip size and small antenna dimension. As such, MMICs find use in various commercial, military, and space applications. For example, in addition to the traditional use in radars, microwave and millimeter wave techniques are finding applications in such diverse areas as forward-looking automotive radar, Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) for aircraft landing, Concealed Weapon Detection (CWD) systems, industrial sensors and accelerometers.
Typically these systems employ a stable transmitter and highly sensitive receiver incorporating a mixer and a local oscillator. However, increasing use of microwave and millimeter-wave frequency bands for communication, radar and measurements have created the need for more sophisticated methods for controlling the frequency, power and phase of these sources of radiation. For example, coherent radar systems have for years relied on phase-locked or injection-locked transmitters as well as phase-locked local oscillator for receivers. In addition to down-converters, IF amplifiers, and phase detectors, typically these techniques use a directional coupler and a power divider to meet the required specifications.
In general, the coupler and power divider are either coaxial/waveguide or fabricated using hybrid microstrip technology. The latter does generally reduce the overall component size, but it still does not lead to a compact, low cost design. Moreover, many newer applications require RF power monitoring capability for accurate control of output power.
Thus, there is a general need for a MMIC, which incorporates the functions of power distribution and power monitoring over a large bandwidth in the microwave and millimeter-wave frequency range.

Monolithic microwave integrated circuit providing power dividing and power monitoring functionality


A human body detection sensor includes two oscillation circuits, a tuning circuit which connects equivalent points of the two oscillation circuits to each other, an antenna electrode which is connected to any one of the oscillation circuits so that a change in circuit state occurs upon approach of a human body, and a wave detector circuit for detecting a shift of oscillation between the two oscillation circuits.

The present invention relates to a sensor for detecting any approach or contact of a human body.
In a conventional human body detection sensor, an electric signal generated by an oscillation circuit is inputted to a detection circuit including a detection capacitor, which is provided so as to change its capacitance due to the approach of a human body, as well as to a reference circuit equivalent to the detection circuit conditioned by no approach of any human body to the detection capacitor, and through a comparison between an output of the detection circuit and an output of the reference circuit, any change in waveform or phase of the output of the detection circuit is detected, by which approach of a human body to the detection capacitor is detected. However, with such a human body detection sensor, in particular, the more the capacitances of the detection capacitor and the connecting line for connecting the detection capacitor are large, the more the capacitances of the detection capacitor and the connecting line change due to temperature. As a result of this, there has been an issue that constant detection results could not be obtained because of changes in the output of the detection circuit due to temperature.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H07-189538 discloses a human body detection sensor provided with a temperature compensation circuit that, through a comparison between outputs of a detection circuit and a reference circuit, changes the threshold value, which serves as a reference for decision as to approach of a human body to the detection capacitor, depending on temperature detected by a thermistor. In this case, however, there is an issue that providing a multiplicity of detection capacitors would make it necessary to provide the same number of reference circuits and temperature compensation circuits as well. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-295094 discloses a sensor which has two detection capacitors and, through a comparison outputs of their respective antenna circuits, decides as to whether or not any human body is approaching. However, there is a problem that this sensor is applicable only to cases where any human body approaches only one of the two detection capacitors.


The present invention relates to a method for forming a diffusion barrier layer, the method comprising the steps of: forming an insulation membrane having an opening for exposing a diffusion region to a silicon substrate formed with the diffusion region of a predetermined conductivity; vacuum-evaporating a metal of high melting point to surface and sides of the insulation membrane and to an upper area of the diffusion region, to thereby form a metal layer; and forming on the metal layer a low resistance layer and a diffusion barrier layer according to first and second quick heating treatment steps under nitric or ammoniac atmosphere. Accordingly, the low resistance layer can be thinned out while the diffusion prevention layer can be quickly formed to thereby improve diffusion prevention characteristic and to reduce stress from an interface with the semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, the interface between the silicon substrate and the low resistance layer can be made even to thereby reduce volume change of the low resistance layer, so that junction leakage can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming a diffusion barrier layer, and more particularly to a method for forming a diffusion barrier layer for simultaneously forming a low resistance layer by way of a two-step quick heating treatment at low and high temperatures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As semi-conductor devices have become finer and more highly integrated, a multilayer metal wiring process calls for a diffusion barrier layer between silicon and aluminum alloy in order to prevent spiking and the like caused by precipitation of aluminum used as conductivity membrane in a thin diffusion layer.
The diffusion barrier layer is formed by mixture of nitrogen with metals of high melting point such as Ti, W, Ta, Mo and the like.
However, when the diffusion barrier layer is directly vacuum-evaporated to the silicon, contact resistance goes up, thereby causing a low resistance layer to form between the diffusion barrier layer and the silicon, and reducing the contact resistance.
The low resistance layer is formed with silicide in metal of high melting point for forming the diffusion barrier layer.
FIGS. 1(A), 1B and 1(C) a re process drawings for illustrating a forming method of diffusion barrier layer according to the prior art.
As illustrated in FIG. 1(A), a silicon substrate (11) formed with impurity diffusion region(B) is formed with an insulation membrane (15).
An opening (17) is formed at a predetermined area of the insulation membrane (15) by way of a conventional photolithographic method, thereby exposing the diffusion region (13).
As illustrated in FIG. 1(B), an overall surface of the aforementioned structure is vacuum-evaporated by metals of high melting points such as Ti, W, Ta, Mo and the like in thickness of 50.about.200 .ANG. by way of sputtering method or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.
Successively, the surface is vacuum-evaporated by the metals of high melting points such as Ti, W, Ta, Mo and the like in thickness of 300.about.500 .ANG. under nitric atmosphere by way of sputtering or CVD method.
The vacuum-evaporated layer is quickly heat-treated at a high temperature of 700.about.1,000 degrees celsius under the nitric or ammoniac atmosphere.
At this point, a unit high melting point metal layer formed at an upper area of the diffusion region (13) reacts with the silicon substrate, silicifies and becomes a low resistance layer (19), and the metal layer of high melting point containing the nitrogen is nitrified to become a diffusion barrier layer (21).
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the diffusion barrier layer (21) is vacuum-evaporated at an upper area thereof with aluminum or the like to thereby form a conductivity layer (43).
Then, the conductivity layer (43), diffusion barrier layer (21) and low resistance layer (19) are removed by way of photolithographic method which are vacuum-evaporated at the predetermined upper area of the isolation membrane (15) other than the opening (17).
In the aforementioned description, heat change reaction during the quick heating treatment occurs quite differently according to a processed temperature, and respective thickness of generated diffusion prevention layer and low resistance layer is determined accordingly as the reactions are all stopped the moment the two layers collide.
At this point, the metal having a high melting point reacts rapidly with the silicon and nitrogen, by which the diffusion prevention layer and the low resistance layer are thickly formed as well.
However, there is a problem in that, when the low resistance layer is thickly formed, the diffusion prevention layer becomes thin, thereby failing to form a thickness that is sufficient for prevention of diffusion.
There is another problem in that the silicon substrate and the low resistance layer become uneven at intersurfaces thereof, and stress is generated due to volume change of the low resistance layer thereby resulting in junction leakage.

Method for forming diffusion barrier layer

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A method of color assessment of a sample (10) with respect to a reference illuminant, includes illuminating the sample (10) with a light source (12) that comprises a fluorescent lamp (18) and a plurality of light-emitting diodes (24). The spectrum of the LEDs (24) supplements the spectrum of the fluorescent lamp (18) to reduce deviations between the combined spectrum of the light source (12) and a target spectrum. The target spectrum may be that of the reference illuminant or it may be adjusted to make allowance for known properties of a color assessment cabinet (2) or an observing instrument (16). The LEDs (24) may be arranged so that their light passes through the bulb of the fluorescent lamp (18), which thereby acts as a diffuser. Alternatively, the LEDs (24) and the fluorescent lamp (18) may be located in a housing (31) from which their light can only reach the sample (10) after being mixed by reflection from multiple facets (34).

General purpose colour assessment is typically carried out in an illumination cabinet that includes a light source in its upper part. The sample may be placed on the floor of the cabinet, or a flat sample may be fixed to a planar or curved inclined surface for ease of viewing. The front of the cabinet may be open for viewing by eye or the cabinet may be closed with the sample being viewed via an instrument such as a digital camera in the interior. In more specialist applications, such as continuous production lines, different arrangements may be in place for colour assessment and most aspects of the present invention remain relevant to those as will be evident to the skilled reader.
In order to allow viewing of the sample under different lighting conditions, it is often possible to switch between multiple light sources, each designed to matched a different reference illuminant. To allow the effective visual comparison of a sample under different illuminants, the switching must be almost instantaneous. The size of the cabinet limits the number of light sources that can be accommodated and hence the number of reference illuminants that can be approximated.
The light sources for known colour assessment cabinets are typically either incandescent or fluorescent.
Incandescent sources use a high temperature filament that produces light having a continuous spectrum of the same general form as black body radiation, with most power at the red end of the spectrum. Natural daylight and the corresponding reference illuminants for daylight have most power in the green and blue parts of the spectrum, so the incandescent lamps have to be run at high power to provide sufficient green and blue light. In an essentially subtractive process, the majority of the red and orange light is then filtered out to match the desired reference illuminant, with the result that energy is wasted and the cabinet can become excessively hot.
Fluorescent sources use a voltage discharge to excite rarefied gas in a sealed tube. The inside of the tube is coated with phosphors that are thereby caused to fluoresce, each in a narrow band of wavelengths. In an essentially additive process, the outputs of the different phosphors combine to build up an appropriate distribution of power across the desired range of wavelengths. Fluorescent sources are energy efficient but their spectra tend to be rather discontinuous because of the narrow band emissions of the phosphors. For colour assessment applications, the number of phosphors is typically increased compared with fluorescent tubes for domestic or commercial use to mimic as closely as possible a reference illuminant. However, increasing the number of phosphors adds to the cost of the lamps. A further problem is that the phosphors decay unevenly with time, especially at blue wavelengths, so that the spectral power distribution of the light source changes and the lamp has to be discarded and replaced after a period much less than its normal life would be in less colour-sensitive applications. Moreover, ordinary start-up circuits for fluorescent bulbs cause a delay before the bulb illuminates therefore, to provide the instant switching between sources that is necessary for visual colour comparison of samples, specialist and expensive start-up circuits need to be provided.
The invention in its broadest aspect uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to compensate for deficiencies in a fluorescent light source during colour assessment. LEDs are reasonably energy efficient and are available in a wide variety of colours with both broad and narrow bands of wavelengths. They have the great advantage over additional phosphors in the fluorescent lamp that their intensity can be adjusted during use, including the choice to switch off certain of the LEDs entirely (i.e. zero intensity). Thus the LEDs may be used in the following ways:                To reduce the number of phosphors required in the fluorescent lamp, by filling gaps in the spectrum of the lamp.        To prolong the useful life of the lamp or improve the colour constancy of the light source over the lifetime of the lamp, by compensating for changes in the lamp's phosphors as they age.        To allow a light source to approximate multiple reference illuminants using a single, basic fluorescent lamp, by using the LEDs in different combinations to compensate for the differences between the basic lamp and each of the reference illuminants. This saves on space and cost and increases the flexibility of the cabinet, which can be "reprogrammed" for new light sources without requiring new hardware. The intensity of the LEDs can be changed instantly while the basic fluorescent lamp remains on continuously, therefore it is possible to switch instantly between different illuminants without providing a specialist start-up circuit for the lamp.
The spectrum of light that falls on the sample is determined not only by the spectrum that the light source emits but also by changes in the spectrum when the light from the source is reflected from the cabinet walls. If two cabinets have differently coloured walls, LEDs in their respective light sources can further be used to compensate for that difference and allow the cabinets to be used for consistent colour assessment, for example by two parties at different locations.
If the sample is not to be viewed directly but through an instrument such as a digital camera, that instrument will have its own spectral response, i.e. the way its sensitivity to light varies with wavelength. The past approach has been to illuminate the sample using light that approximates a reference illuminant, to image the sample using the camera, and then to use image processing software to compensate for the difference between the spectral responses of the camera and the human eye. The invention provides an alternative approach, which is to change the illumination of the sample so that the way the camera images the sample under the changed illumination approximates the way the human eye perceives the sample under the reference illuminant. For example, if the camera is less sensitive to blue light, then the relative intensity of blue LEDs in the light source may be increased compared with the reference spectrum.
The control of intensity of the LEDs may be achieved by varying the applied current or voltage to change the intensity of light continuously emitted from them; or it may preferably be achieved by pulse width modulation of the current through the LEDs to change the average intensity of the emitted light, the pulses being at sufficiently high frequency that they are not noticeable to the observer or observing instrument.
Although the present invention is described with reference to light-emitting diodes, it is clear that it would be equally applicable to other light-emitting semiconductor devices. If the wavelength of such devices were tunable, that would provide a further way of controlling the spectral power distribution of the light source.
Although the invention is described with reference to a linear fluorescent tube, it would work equally well with other, less common shapes.


In some aspects, an animal positioning system can include a positioning member positioned relative to a datum structure, the positioning member being configured to limit an available spacing along a floor surface between the positioning member and the datum structure, the positioning member being arranged at an angular bias away from the datum structure relative to a floor surface and being configured to permit unobstructed viewing of a body of an animal positioned in the available spacing.

Various chute systems are utilized on farms for directing or positioning animals to measure animal characteristics (e.g., size or weight) and to sort animals based upon the measured characteristics. Selection of particular sorting pens for animals exiting the chute system, based on the measurements obtained within the chute system, can be used to place individual animals with particular, measured characteristics and known information into a sorting pen with other animals having similar characteristics. Sorting the animals in this way can enable a feedlot manager to apply various regimens of feed, growth fluids, and the like to particular animals or groups of animals depending on their age, breed, sex, skeletal structure, or other characteristics. That is, animals sorted into various groups can be fed similar (or the same) rations so that they efficiently and effectively obtain substantially the same tissue composition. In certain conventional systems, chutes can include a weight scale in the floor adapted for use with an existing weight scale.

Systems for determining animal metrics and related devices and methods


Photo-conducting infrared sensors are provided including a substrate (e.g., silicon) with one or more trenches formed on a first surface. An infrared-reflective film can be deposited directly or indirectly onto and conforming in shape with the first surface of the substrate. A lead chalcogenide film can be deposited directly or indirectly over the top of the infrared-reflective film and conforming in shape with the first surface of the substrate. Accordingly, the infrared-reflective film is directly or indirectly sandwiched between the substrate and the lead chalcogenide film.

Generally speaking, infrared photo-conductor sensors essentially provide an electrical response to infrared radiation. Such sensors, therefore, convert infrared radiation into a measurable form (e.g., current, voltage, etc.). The detected energy can be translated into imagery illustrating energy differences between objects, thus enabling perception or identification of an otherwise obscured scene. That is, the electrical response can be measured, digitized, and used to construct an image or an object, scene, or phenomenon that emits the infrared radiation.
Despite not being visibly perceptible to the naked eye, infrared radiation is ever present in our natural environment. In fact, any matter that generates heat emits infrared radiation. Within the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, infrared radiation has wavelengths ranging from 0.75-3 micron (shortwave infrared)(SWIR), 3-5 micron (midwave infrared)(MWIR), 8-14 micron (longwave infrared)(LWIR), and 14-1000 micron (far infrared).
Infrared photo-conductor sensors can be provided in a variety of general formats including single element-detectors, linear arrays (e.g., a single row of individual detectors/pixels), and two-dimensional focal plane arrays (e.g., multiple rows and columns or individual detectors/pixels).
Many conventional infrared photo-conductor sensors are based on lead-salt sensing technology, such as lead sulfide (PbS), lead selenide (PbSe), and lead telluride (PbTe). Conventional infrared lead-salt focal plane arrays rely on photoconductivity to convert photons into electrical current via free carrier absorption. The infrared lead salt (e.g., PbSe, PbS, PbTe) sensing technology itself was developed in Germany during World War II and is still used as a mid-IR sensors which does not require refrigeration.
However, due to the presence of noise in the form of both Generation-Recombination noise and 1/f noise, substantial signal conditioning is required. The supporting electronics include pre-amplification circuits and electronic chopping, thus requiring the use of large capacitors at each pixel. This approach undesirably complicates the entire system. For example, large pixel sizes of 60×60 microns are used hence limiting the resolution of the array.
In addition, the material characteristics themselves exhibit large variations in uniformity and consistency. The lack of adequate adhesion between the lead-salts and underlying layers is an additional shortcoming to such lead-salt based systems. Chemically-deposited lead-salt films, for instance, suffer from characteristically poor adhesion despite exhibiting, in some circumstances, notably larger response. This lack of adequate adhesion leads to catastrophic film delamination if not during the film preparation, then during the sensor fabrication process (e.g., fabrication of a focal plane array), in which even reasonably low process temperatures of 130° C. have been observed to destroy PbSe films. The poor film adhesion is, in part, subject to delamination because of the large differences in thermal expansion differences between lead-salts (e.g., PbSe—19 ppm/° C.) and, for example, a silicon (2.6 ppm/° C.) substrate. In the area of a single pixel of 2600 μm2 in a conventional structure, for instance, there is minimal adhesion.
Accordingly, there continues to be an industrial need for lead-salt sensing technology having improved properties.

Infrared multiplier for photo-conducting sensors


The described circuit arrangement for removing stuff bits from a frame-structured signal which is available in n parallel bits, comprises a memory circuit (2) which is supplied with the parallel bits (1b). The memory circuit (2) is followed by a controllable selection circuit (3) having n outputs (3a). A control circuit (9) produces control signals (9b, 9c), which determine which bits stored in the memory circuit are transported to the n outputs (3a) of the selection circuit (3). The memory circuit (2) comprises only n delay elements by which each of the n parallel bits (1b) is delayed for the duration of one bit. So as to provide that n delay elements will be sufficient, the control circuit (9) is to block at predetermined time intervals the acceptance of new bits in one or a plurality of delay elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for removing stuff bits from a frame-structured signal, which is available in n parallel bits, comprising
a) a memory circuit for storing the bits supplied in parallel, PA1 b) a controllable selection circuit having n outputs and coupled to the output of the memory circuit in the arrangement, and PA1 c) a control circuit having a control signal for determining the switching state of the selection circuit, and in that this switching state determines which of the bits stored in the memory circuit are applied to the n outputs of the selection circuit. PA1 d) the memory circuit comprises n delay elements for delaying each of the n parallel bits by the duration of one bit, PA1 e) if a maximum of p (p smaller than or equal to n) stuff bits can simultaneously occur among the n parallel bits, at predetermined intervals the control circuit will block the acceptance of new bits in p-1 delay elements out of the n delay elements. PA1 f) the selection circuit comprises cascades of addressable multiplexers, PA1 g) the control circuit comprises a modulo-n counting stuff bit counter whose count can be adjusted by means of a negative justification signal, PA1 h) the count of the stuff bit counter as well as the negative justification signal form addresses for the multiplexers, and PA1 i) the address inputs of the multiplexers of a cascade are arranged in parallel.
2. Related Art
Such a circuit arrangement is known from EP-A2-0 374 436. It is used, for example, in information transmission systems in which what is commonly referred to as stuff bits are inserted into the data signal having the lower clock rate to adapt the bit rates of two data signals which have different clock rates. These stuff bits do not represent any actual information and are again removed by an arrangement having the above characteristic features after the data have been transmitted. The stuff bits are situated at defined locations in the data signal. Most of these stuff bits have fixed positions and are necessary for a coarse frequency adjustment. A so-called variable stuff bit which is inserted into the data at irregular positions is used for fine frequency adjustment. The information whether a variable stuff bit is transmitted is also transmitted in the data signal as stuff information at a defined position. In the receiver the original data rate is recovered by removing all stuff bits and all further auxiliary information signals.
If stuff bits are to be removed from a serial data signal having a bit rate of the order of 140 Mbit/s, the complete circuit arrangement is to be structured in high-dissipative ECL technology. In order to reduce the dissipation, the serial data signal is converted into n parallel bit streams in a serial-to-parallel converter. If n is sufficiently large, the data streams can be processed in low-power CMOS technology after the conversion.
After the conversion of the serial data signal into n parallel bit streams there is the problem of extracting the stuff bits from the bit streams. For this purpose a memory circuit and a subsequent controllable selection circuit having n outputs is used according to EP-A2-0 374 436. The memory circuit of EP-A2-0 374 436 comprises at least 2n-1 memory cells. The control circuit which is used for adjusting the switching condition of the selection circuit is not described in detail. However, it is connected to the selection circuit over at least 2n-1 control lines so that an unrecognizable conversion of the stuff information signals into the control signals for the selection circuit is to take place in the control circuit.

Circuit arrangement for removing stuff bits


A yoga mat holder is provided with a diamond-shaped leaf to hold a rolled-up yoga mat. The yoga mat holder has a quick-release buckle and webbing attached to the leaf to fasten the yoga mat to the diamond-shaped leaf. The yoga mat holder also has a shoulder strap and a waist strap attached to an adjustable webbing with another quick-release buckle to secure the holder across the chest of the wearer. The diamond-shaped leaf is folded around the rolled-up yoga mat and worn diagonally across the back of a person. Pockets are provided on the shoulder and waist straps to allow a person to access her belongings without removing or shifting the position of the holder.

The present invention relates to an article holder and, more specifically, to a holder for carrying a rolled-up yoga mat on the back of a user.
The main piece of equipment used by the yoga practitioner is a xe2x80x9cstickyxe2x80x9d mat or yoga mat. The practitioner performs various exercises required of this discipline on the yoga mat. The yoga mat is typically 24xe2x80x3xc3x9772xe2x80x3 and is made of a textured rubber material with a special coating to create a slip-free or sticky finish. The yoga mat is usually rolled into a cylinder and carried to and from the center where yoga is practiced. The diameter of the typical rolled-up yoga mat is approximately 4.5 inches and the height remains 24 inches.
It is desirable for a yoga mat holder to fulfill the following functions:
1. It is desirable to carry a yoga mat in a non-cumbersome manner while leaving the hands free.
2. It is desirable to provide a carrier that adequately protects the yoga mat from wear and tear and still exposes the yoga mat to the air for hygienic reasons;
3. It is desirable for the yoga mat holder to allow for quick-release of the yoga mat from the holder and the holder from the user;
4. It is desirable to provide a carrier that enables the user to easily access her personal belongings without shifting the position of the carrier.
Conventional backpacks allow the mat to be transported while leaving the hands free. These backpacks, however, are not feasible in allowing the user to carry the bulky yoga mat in a non-cumbersome manner. By placing a rolled-up yoga mat in a conventional backpack, the yoga mat will stick out of the enclosed area of the bag. The extension of the yoga mat out of the bag creates a problem as the yoga practitioner must account for an additional height added by the protruding mat. In addition, the yoga mat is not firmly secured within the backpack, allowing the yoga mat to be easily jostled in any direction. The protruding portion of the yoga mat is vulnerable to wear and tear caused by contact with other objects. A practitioner may fold the mat so that it will fit within the enclosed area of the backpack. Placing a mat that has recently been in contact with sweat from the practitioner into an enclosed area delays the evaporation of sweat and can create hygiene concerns for both the mat and the backpack. Another problem that exists with the conventional backpack is the accessibility of pockets where personal items are stored. The pockets on a backpack are usually placed on the front of the bag. Consequently, the personal belongings of the user are not easily accessible without shifting the backpack on, or removing it from, its position on the user""s body.
Another device that can be used to carry a rolled-up yoga mat is a cylindrical-shaped sack with a top-loading drawstring or side-loading zipper. The sack is strung over the user""s shoulder or across the body with one strap. This device is not feasible in allowing the user to carry the bulky yoga mat in a non-cumbersome manner. If the user bends, reaches or suddenly turns, the yoga mat holder can swing from the body. By placing a rolled-up yoga mat that has recently been in contact with sweat from the practitioner into an enclosed area, the evaporation of sweat is delayed. This creates hygiene concerns for both the mat and the sack. Although several varieties of the sack device include pockets located on the sack, the personal belongings of the user are not easily accessible without shifting the sack on, or removing the sack from, its position on the user""s body.
A solitary strap can also be used to hold yoga mats. This strap is wrapped around each end of the mat with two fastening mechanisms. The strap is either strung over the user""s shoulder or across the body. This device is not feasible in allowing the user to carry the bulky yoga mat in a non-cumbersome manner. If the user bends, reaches or suddenly turns, the yoga mat holder can swing from the body. In addition, the mat is fully exposed and, therefore, vulnerable to wear and tear. The solitary strap does not contain pockets for the purpose of holding the user""s personal belongings.
Therefore, it is among the main objects of the invention to provide a yoga mat holder which will allow the user to carry a rolled-up yoga mat in a convenient manner without encumbering the user.
It is another object of the invention to allow the user to expose the mat to the air while protecting the mat from wear and tear during transport. It is another object of the invention to allow the user to quickly detach the mat from the holder and the holder from herself It is another object of the invention to allow the user to easily access her belongings without shifting the position of the carrier.
Briefly, the invention provides a yoga mat holder that includes a diamond-shaped leaf for retaining a rolled-up yoga mat. Webbing and a quick-release buckle are used to firmly secure the rolled-up mat to the diamond-shaped leaf for easy and comfortable transport. Waist and shoulder straps are connected to the diamond-shaped leaf for securing the rolled-up yoga mat in the diamond-shaped leaf to the user. The straps are connected together across the front of the user from shoulder to opposite hip. The securing mechanism uses a quick-release buckle connected to adjustable webbing. The diamond-shaped leaf is also oriented diagonally across the back of the user.
The aforementioned objects, and other obvious advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and to the annexed drawings therein.


It is provided an intraocular lens insertion system that achieves a preferable insertion of an intraocular lens without using viscoelastic material in an eyeball. The intraocular lens insertion system includes an intraocular lens insertion apparatus configured to use a predetermined driving force to move an intraocular lens and insert the intraocular lens into an eyeball, an irrigating solution infusion apparatus configured to infuse irrigating solution into the eyeball, a driving source configured to deliver the predetermined driving force to the intraocular lens insertion apparatus, an irrigating solution source configured to deliver the irrigating solution to the irrigating solution infusion apparatus, and a switching unit configured to switch in a multistage manner a control of a delivery of the irrigating solution from the irrigating solution source to the irrigating solution infusion apparatus and a control of a delivery of the predetermined driving force from the driving source to the intraocular lens insertion apparatus.

Intraocular lenses are widely used to be replaced with human opacity crystalline lenses in cataract treatments to compensate the optical powers of the lenses. In intraocular lens insertion surgeries for the cataract treatments, an incision (discission cut) which is several millimeters in length is produced at the edge of the cornea or the sclerocornea, the human crystalline lens is crushed and removed by phacoemulsification and aspiration etc. and what is called viscoelastic material is infused into the capsule of crystalline lens and the capsule is dilated. Next, an intraocular lens insertion apparatus is used to inject an intraocular lens into the eyeball and to arrange the position of the intraocular lens in the eyeball. When the arrangement of the position of the intraocular lens is completed, the infused viscoelastic material is removed from the eyeball.
Recently, techniques for assisting the insertion of an intraocular lens into an eyeball of a patient by using an intraocular lens insertion apparatus are proposed (See Patent Literatures 1-4). In these techniques, balanced salt solution (BSS) is used instead of viscoelastic material as irrigating solution to dilate the capsule of crystalline lens after the phacoemulsification and aspiration is performed. The irrigating solution is delivered into the capsule via a fluid path formed in the intraocular lens insertion apparatus. Then, the intraocular lens is inserted into the eyeball and the position of the intraocular lens in the eyeball is arranged while the anterior chamber is dilated by the irrigating solution delivered into the capsule. In addition, an intraocular lens insertion apparatus for automatically inserting an intraocular lens into an eyeball is also proposed (See Patent Literature 5, for example).

Intraocular lens insertion system, intraocular lens insertion apparatus, and tube


A method and an apparatus for recognizing an absorptive radome coating on an apparatus for emitting electromagnetic radiation and receiving partial radiation reflected at objects is disclosed. The radome covers at least one antenna of the apparatus. A mixer mixes a frequency-modulated transmission signal with the signal received by the at least one antenna, the mixed product of the mixer is subjected to analog-to-digital conversion, the digitized signal is transformed into a two-dimensional spectrum, and the two-dimensional spectrum is mapped with a transfer function. The two-dimensional spectrum that was mapped with the transfer function is correlated with correlation matrices in order to carry out pattern recognition.

DE 10 2009 001 231 A1 discloses an FMCW radar locating apparatus comprising an antenna covered by a radome, a mixer for mixing a frequency-modulated transmission signal with a signal received by the antenna, a device for recording the mixed product of the mixer as a time-dependent signal, a device for calculating the spectrum of the time-dependent signal, and a device for detecting a reflective coating on the radome, wherein the device for detecting the reflective coating is configured to analyze the time-dependent signal and to ascertain the extent of the reflection at the radome on the basis of the amplitude of said signal.

Method and apparatus for recognizing an absorptive radome coating


A zoom lens system includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group and a positive fourth lens group, in that order from the object side. Upon zooming from the short to long focal length extremities, each of the first through fourth lens groups move along the optical axis thereof. The following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:1.05<ft/f1<1.75  (1), and3.7<M3t/M3w<6.3  (2),wherein f1 designates the focal length of the first lens group, ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity, and M3t and M3w designate the lateral magnifications of the third lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the long and short focal length extremities, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens system.
2. Description of Related Art
Patent Literature Nos. 1 through 4 each disclose a zoom lens system configured of four lens groups, i.e., a zoom lens system configured of a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group and a positive fourth lens group, in that order from the object side, which aims to achieve a relatively small f-number at the short focal length extremity (wide-angle extremity) and to achieve a high zoom ratio of approximately 10:1.
However, since zooming burden on the third lens group is small in each zoom lens system of Patent Literature Nos. 1 through 4, either a desired zoom ratio cannot be attained, or the correction of various aberrations such as chromatic aberration and astigmatism is insufficient.
Although the zoom ratios in the zoom lens systems of Patent Literature Nos. 1 and 4 are relatively high, the f-number is only 3.5, which is insufficient.
Although the f-number in the zoom lens system of Patent Literature No. 3 is less than or equal to 3.0, which is relatively small, the zoom ratio is only approximately 7:1, which does not satisfy the requirement for a high zoom ratio.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2012-112996
Patent Literature 2: Pamphlet of International Publication No. 2011/102090
Patent Literature 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2014-85414
Patent Literature 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2013-44814