A high frequency wiring board having a high frequency transmission line having a signal conductor line formed on the surface of a dielectric board and a grounding layer formed inside or on the reverse surface of the dielectric board parallel to the signal conductor line, and a connecting terminal portion provided at a terminal end of the high frequency transmission line and including connecting grounding conductors formed with spacing on both sides of the signal conductor line and through conductors for connecting the connecting grounding and the grounding layer. The distance between the through conductors and an end side surface of the dielectric board is not more than 0.3 times the signal wavelength, in the dielectric board, of a high frequency signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a high frequency wiring board provided with a high frequency transmission line having a signal conductor line and a grounding layer formed parallel to the signal conductor line through a dialectic board, and its connecting structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to a high frequency wiring board suitable for a semiconductor device containing package, a multi-layer wiring board, or the like which carries a high frequency semiconductor device in a millimeter wave region having a frequency of not less than 30 GHz (and further, not less than 50 GHz) and its connecting structure.
2. Description of Related Art
As radio waves used for information transmission, radio waves in a microwave region having a frequency of 1 to 30 GHz have been conventionally used. In recent years, we have entered upon the sophisticated information year. Therefore, we have examined the use of a millimeter wave region having a frequency of 30 to 300 GHz. For example, application systems using radio waves in a millimeter wave region, for example, a high speed radio data communication system (radio LAN (Local Area Network)) in an office have been also proposed.
As a wiring board such as a package containing or carrying a high frequency semiconductor device (hereinafter merely referred to as a high frequency device) used for such application systems, a so-called metal package has been conventionally used. The metal package has a structure in which a connecting board made of ceramics is joined to a metal frame in order to minimize the transmission loss of a high frequency signal.
FIG. 16A is a plan view showing a mounting structure in which a high frequency device is contained in a conventional metal package and is mounted on an external circuit board, and FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view of the mounting structure. In FIG. 16A, a cover is omitted.
A metal package 33 comprises a metal board 31 and a cover 32. A connecting board 36 in which a signal conductor line 35 is formed on a ceramic board 34 is mounted on a part of the metal package 33. The signal conductor line 35 is electrically connected to a high frequency device 37 (indicated by hatching) carried in the metal package 33 by a ribbon or the like.
The metal package 33 is fixed to the surface of a base board 38 (indicated by hatching) by screws 39 or the like. A circuit board 42 in which a signal conductor line 41 is formed on the surface of a dielectric board 40 is provided on the surface of the base board 38. The signal conductor line 41 is electrically connected to the signal conductor line 35 in the connecting board 36 by a ribbon, a wire, or the like.
The assembly of such a metal package is complicated. Accordingly, there have been difficulties in mass production cost reduction at the time of fabricating a module have been a problem.
In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed that a signal conductor line is pulled out to the reverse surface of the package using a through hole conductor or the like from the inside of the dielectric board. That is, a connecting terminal portion is formed at a terminal end of the signal conductor line in the form of a through hole. The package is soldered to and surface-mounted on a high frequency circuit formed on the surface of another dielectric board by soldering reflow.
FIGS. 17, 18A, 18B, and 18C are illustrations for explaining the structure of a high frequency package using such a through hole conductor. As illustrated in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 17, a dielectric board 51 and a cover 52 form a cavity in a high frequency package 50, and a high frequency device 53 is contained in the cavity. A signal conductor line 54 having its one end connected to the high frequency device 53 by a ribbon or the like is formed on the surface of the dielectric board 51. A grounding layer 55 (indicated by hatching) having a pattern shown in FIG. 18A is formed inside the dielectric board 51.
The other end of the signal conductor line 54 is connected to a through hole conductor 56 formed upon penetrating the dielectric board 51 so as not to come into contact with the grounding layer 55. The through hole conductor 56 is connected to a signal conductor line 57 formed on the reverse surface of the dielectric board 51. Consequently, the signal conductor line 54 is electrically connected to the signal conductor line 57 through the through hole conductor 56.
A pair of connecting grounding conductors 58 (indicated by hatching) is provided with spacing on both sides of an end of the signal conductor line 57 (indicated by hatching), as shown in FIG. 18B, on the reverse surface of the dielectric board 51. The grounding conductors 58 are electrically connected to the grounding layer 55 inside the dielectric board 51, respectively, by viahole conductors 59.
It is considered that when the viahole conductors 59 are formed near an end side surface a50 of the dielectric board 51, a portion between the viahole conductor 59 and the dielectric board 51 is liable to be cracked, for example. Generally, the viahole conductor 59 is formed at a position spaced not less than 2 mm apart from the end side surface a50 of the dielectric board 51 from the viewpoint of processability of a viahole by a micro-drill or the like.
The spacing between the viahole conductor 59 and the signal conductor line 57 is generally set to not less than 1 mm such that solders are not brought into contact with each other and short-circuited by making connection using the solders. That is, the spacing is approximately 0.5 times the signal wavelength of a high frequency signal in the dielectric board 51 composed of alumina (having a dielectric constant of 8.9) ceramics, for example, when a high frequency signal having a frequency of 50 GHz is transmitted. In this construction, however, the transmission loss of the high frequency signal is large from the following reasons, and the signal cannot, in some cases, be transmitted.
In the above-mentioned construction, a connecting terminal portion is constituted by the dielectric board 51, the signal conductor line 57, the grounding layer 55, the pair of connecting grounding conductors 58, and the viahole conductor 59. The connecting terminal portion is generally designed such that the impedance, in a cross section perpendicular to the direction of signal transmission, of the connecting terminal portion coincides with the impedance, in a cross section perpendicular to the direction of signal transmission, of a high frequency transmission line in order to diminish the reflection of the high frequency signal from the high frequency transmission line. In this case, however, the transmission loss of the high frequency signal is large from the following reasons, and the signal cannot, in some cases, be transmitted.
On the other hand, a grounding layer 61 is formed, as shown in FIG. 17, inside an external circuit board 60 on which the package 50 is mounted. A signal conductor line 62 (indicated by hatching) is formed, as shown in FIG. 18C, on the surface of the external circuit board 60. In a connecting portion with the package 50, connecting grounding conductors 63 (indicated by hatching) are formed with spacing on both sides of the signal conductor line 62. The connecting grounding conductors 63 are electrically connected to each other by a grounding layer 61 and viahole conductors 64.
The package 50 is mounted on the surface of the external circuit board 60 by electrically connecting the signal conductor lines 57 and 62 and electrically connecting the connecting grounding conductors 58 and 63, respectively, using solders 65 such as solder.
The package 50 can be thus collectively connected mechanically and electrically to the external circuit board 60 by reflow or the like. Consequently, the package 50 is more advantageous in that it is possible to improve quantity production and lower cost at the time of module fabrication, as compared with the metal package 33 shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B.
In the structure of the package 50 shown in FIG. 17, however, high frequency signal transmission characteristics in the connection terminal portion comprising the signal conductor line 57 formed on the reverse surface of the dielectric board 51 and the pair of connecting grounding conductors 58 formed on both sides thereof are not necessarily sufficient. That is, the connecting terminal portion has good transmission characteristics when the signal to be transmitted is a microwave signal having a frequency of less than 30 GHz (particularly not more than 3 GHz). When the frequency of the signal to be transmitted is very high, that is, not less than 30 GHz (particularly, not less than 50 GHz) in a millimeter wave region, however, it is difficult to transmit the signal between the package and the external circuit board. That is, in a mounting structure in which the package 50 is mounted on the external circuit board, the transmission loss of the high frequency signal to e transmitted therebetween is large. The transmission itself of the signal may, in some cases, be difficult.
Various considerations of the cause prove that the transmission characteristics are degraded because resonance occurs between the viahole conductors 59 and the end side surface a50 of the dielectric board 51. When the signal frequency is low, no resonance occurs because the signal wavelength is large. Contrary to this, as the frequency increases, and the signal wavelength decreases, resonance may easily occur.
A grounding current playing a part in signal transmission in a high frequency wiring board flows with the grounding current concentrated on the grounding layer just below the signal conductor line. In the connecting terminal portion on the package 50, a signal current in the signal conductor line 57 directly flows through the signal conductor line 62 on the external circuit board 60 via the solder 65 such as solder. Contrary to this, the grounding current flowing through the grounding layer 55 in the package 50 branches into the pair of viahole conductors 59 in the connecting terminal portion, and is introduced into the grounding layer 61 via the solder 65 and the viahole conductors 64 on the external circuit board 60, to reach a portion just below the signal conductor line 62 in the external circuit board 60. Therefore, the path length of the grounding current is larger than the path length of the signal current.
In a case where the difference in the path length is 1 mm, for example, when the frequency of the signal is not more than 50 GHz, for example, 3 GHz, the difference in the path length is not more than 0.033 times the wavelength of the signal in alumina ceramics. Accordingly, there is little phase difference between the signal conductor line and the grounding layer. Contrary to this, when the signal is a high frequency signal having a frequency of not less than 50 GHz, the difference in the path length cannot be ignored with respect to the wavelength of the signal. That is, a large phase difference occurs between the signal conductor line and the grounding layer. The signal is reflected by the phase difference, increasing the transmission loss of the signal.
Furthermore, as the frequency of the signal which is transmitted through the high frequency transmission line greatly increases to not less than 30 GHz, for example, the wavelength thereof decreases. Therefore, a quarter-wavelength representing sensitivity to a structural change of the high frequency signal approximates to the size of a constituent element of the high frequency transmission line, for example, the thickness of the dielectric board. In the connecting portion having a surface mounting structure shown in FIGS. 17, 18A to 18C, therefore, coupling between the signal conductor line on the package 50 and the ground occurs between the signal conductor line and not only the ground portion having a cross section, perpendicular to the signal transmission direction of the connecting portion but also the grounding layer 55 in the high frequency transmission line and the grounding layer 61 in the external circuit board 60. Consequently, the actual three-dimensional impedance of the connecting portion is smaller than the two-dimensional impedance, in a cross section perpendicular to the direction of signal transmission, of the connecting portion.
In other words, in a portion where the structure of the high frequency transmission line is changed, for example, the connecting portion having a surface mounting structure, when the signal frequency increases, a stray capacitance is created. When the impedance, in the cross section perpendicular to the direction of signal transmission, of the connecting portion is matched with the impedance of the high frequency transmission line in accordance with the conventional idea, the actual impedance of the connecting portion for the high frequency signal is smaller than the impedance of the high frequency transmission line. The signal is reflected by the impedance mismatching, increasing the transmission loss of the signal.
An object of the present invention is to provide a high frequency wiring board having a dielectric board provided with a high frequency transmission line comprised of a signal conductor line and a grounding layer, the high frequency wiring board being capable of reducing, when connected to another high frequency circuit, the transmission loss of a high frequency signal in a connecting portion and a connecting structure of such high frequency wiring board.
A high frequency wiring board according to the present invention comprises a dielectric board; a high frequency transmission line, having a signal conductor line formed on the surface of the dielectric board and having its terminal end extending toward the vicinity of an end side surface of the dielectric board and a grounding layer formed inside or on the reverse surface of the dielectric board parallel to the signal conductor line, for transmitting a high frequency signal; and a connecting terminal portion of a transmission loss reducing structure, provided at a terminal end of the high frequency transmission line, in order to make connection with another high frequency circuit, the connecting terminal portion including connecting grounding conductors formed with spacing on both sides of the signal conductor line on the surface of the dielectric board and through conductors provided upon penetrating the dielectric board for connecting the connecting grounding conductors and the grounding layer.
It is preferable that the distance between the through conductors and the end side surface of the dielectric board is not more than 0.3 times the signal wavelength, in the dielectric board, of the high frequency signal.
By this construction, it is possible to prevent resonance from occurring between the through conductors and the end side surface of the dielectric board. As a result, the loss of the high frequency signal in the entire connecting portion with the other external circuit is reduced, thereby making it possible to satisfactorily transmit the high frequency signal.
In the present invention, the connecting terminal portion on the wiring board is constituted by a coplanar line having a pair of connecting grounding conductors formed on both sides of the signal conductor line. Therefore, the connection with the other external circuit can be achieved by connecting the coplanar lines. This also allows the reflection of the high frequency signal to be diminished.
It is preferable that the distance between the through conductors and the end side surface of the dielectric board is not less than 0.05 mm.
A side surface of the through conductor may be exposed from the end side surface of the dielectric board. By this construction, a dielectric is not interposed between the through conductors and the end side surface of the dielectric board. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent resonance from occurring between the through conductors and the end side surface of the dielectric board. As a result, the loss of the high frequency signal in the entire connecting portion with the other external circuit is reduced, thereby making it possible to satisfactorily transmit the high frequency signal.
The high frequency transmission line may be one through which a high frequency signal having a frequency of not less than 30 GHz is transmitted.
It is preferable that the line width, in the connecting terminal portion, of the signal conductor line is smaller than the line width, in the high frequency transmission line, of the signal conductor line. Consequently, it is possible to weaken coupling between the signal conductor line and the grounding layer to relatively strengthen coupling between the signal conductor line and the connecting grounding conductors. That is, it is possible to convert an electromagnetic field distribution in the connecting terminal portion into a distribution closer to an electromagnetic field in the coplanar line, thereby making it possible to diminish the reflection of the signal by the change in the electromagnetic field distribution.
From the same reason, it is preferable that the grounding layer positioned between at least the pairs of through conductors in the connecting terminal portion on the high frequency wiring board and facing to the signal conductor line is taken as a non-grounding region. Consequently, it is possible to convert an electromagnetic field distribution in the connecting terminal portion into a distribution closer to an electromagnetic field in the coplanar line, thereby making it possible to diminish the reflection of the signal. This is effective in making it possible to transmit the high frequency signal with low loss.
The connecting terminal portion may be connected to the other high frequency circuit by a solder.
It is preferable that the distance between the center of the signal conductor line and the through conductors is not more than 0.25 xcexg (particularly, not more than 0.15 xcexg) (xcexg: the signal wavelength, in the dielectric board, of the high frequency signal). In this case, the high frequency transmission line may be one through which a high frequency signal having a frequency of not less than 50 GHz is transmitted.
By this construction, in a case where the high frequency signal having a frequency of not less than 50 GHz is transmitted, a grounding current in the grounding layer just below the signal conductor line playing a part in the transmission of the high frequency signal is transmitted to the connecting grounding conductor with a small phase difference from a current in the signal conductor line. Therefore, the reflection of the high frequency signal in the connecting terminal portion is diminished, thereby making it possible to satisfactorily transmit the high frequency signal. As a result, the phase difference in a connecting portion with the other high frequency circuit is reduced, and the reflection of the high frequency signal in the entire connecting portion with the other external circuit is diminished, thereby making it possible to satisfactorily transmit the high frequency signal.
The through conductor may be a viahole conductor formed by filling a viahole formed upon penetrating the dielectric board with metal paste and sintering the metal paste.
It is preferable, from a view point to increase the reliability of the through conductor, that the maximum diameter of a cross section of the through conductor is not more than 0.5 mm.
It is preferable that letting Z1 be the impedance of the connecting terminal portion, and letting Z0 be the impedance of the high frequency transmission line, a relationship of 1.4 Z0xe2x89xa6Z1xe2x89xa61.8 Z0 is satisfied. In this case, letting W1 be the line width, in the connecting terminal portion, of the signal conductor line, and letting W0 be the line width, in the high frequency transmission line, of the signal conductor line, a relationship of 0.4 W0xe2x89xa6W1xe2x89xa60.8 W0 is satisfied.
By this construction, even when the signal having a frequency of not less than 30 GHz is transmitted, the actual impedance of the connecting portion for the high frequency signal and the impedance of the high frequency transmission line can be matched with each other. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the transmission loss of the high frequency signal in the connecting portion with the external circuit.
A connecting structure of the high frequency wiring board according to the present invention is obtained by connecting the first high frequency wiring board and the second high frequency wiring board at least one of which has (preferably both of which have) the above-mentioned characteristics, wherein the respective signal conductor lines and the respective pairs of connecting grounding conductors in the connecting terminal portions on the first and second high frequency wiring boards are respectively connected to each other through solders. It is preferable that the respective connecting terminal portions on the first and second high frequency wiring boards have the same structural features.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

High frequency wiring board and its connecting structure


A cam sensor is provided in a position opposing one surface side of a cam driven sprocket in a valve timing control device. When the valve timing control device is in a high revolution state, a weight is pivoted by centrifugal force caused by the rotation. This allows a projection at the weight to be detected by the cam sensor. In this case, for each rotation of the valve timing control device, the projection of the weight passes the detectable position of the cam sensor and a pulse is generated in a cam signal to be transmitted from the cam sensor to an ECU.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable valve system, and an engine system and a vehicle including the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, many kinds of variable valve timing (VVT) mechanisms that control the opening/closing timing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve have been developed in order to improve fuel consumption, reduce toxic substances in exhaust gas, and achieve high power output in a particular revolution range.
Some of those variable valve timing mechanisms use an actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder and an electric motor, for example. However, these actuators are expensive and the use of such an actuator increases the size of the variable valve timing mechanism.
In general, the space occupied by an engine in a motorcycle is smaller than that of a four-wheeled automobile and the like. There has been a demand for motorcycles that can be manufactured less costly. Therefore, there is a demand for more inexpensive and compact variable valve timing mechanisms for use in motorcycles. Thus, it was difficult to use the variable valve timing mechanisms including actuators as described above in motorcycles.
A rotation phase generator has been suggested as a variable valve timing mechanism that can be made compact (see JP 9-324614 A).
In the rotation phase generator, an input member including two intermediate members is rotated together with the revolution of the engine. When centrifugal force acting on a weight portion of the two intermediate members is greater than the energizing force of a coil spring connecting these intermediate members, the rotation phases of the input member and an output member connected to a camshaft change, so that the valve timing changes.
With the rotation phase generator, the valve timing is controlled depending on the mechanical arrangement, and therefore the cost and size can be reduced.
In the above-described variable valve timing mechanism, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) does not switch the valve timing but the valve timing is mechanically switched at a prescribed revolution speed of the engine by centrifugal force generated by the revolution of the engine. The ECU determines the valve timing based on the revolution speed of the engine and controls the fuel injection amount, the fuel injection timing, and the spark ignition timing. In practice, however, the revolution speed of the engine at which the valve timing switches varies.
In this case, the ECU cannot accurately determine the actual valve timing during driving. Therefore, control of the fuel injection amount, the fuel injection timing, and the spark ignition timing carried out by the ECU could be inconsistent with actual valve timing in some cases. This gives rise to problems such as increase in toxic substances in exhaust gas.

Variable valve system, and engine system and vehicle including the same


An object of this invention is to eliminate the need for any analytic function and maximize the contrast of an image resulting from gray level conversion of an original image. To accomplish this, an image processing apparatus which executes image processing for a radiographical image obtained by converting, into an electrical signal, an intensity distribution of radiation that is radiated to an object and has passed through at least the object, includes a defining unit for defining a gray level conversion curve to be used for gray level conversion on the basis of the contrast of the image resulting from gray level conversion of the original radiographical image, and a gray level conversion unit for converting the gray level of the radiographical image by using the gray level conversion curve defined by the defining unit.

There is conventionally an imaging method of irradiating an object with radiation and generating an image on the basis of the intensity of the radiation that has passed through the object. In this method, when imaging is executed using an analog film, the dose of X-rays is adjusted such that the observation region has a predetermined density. To the contrary, in digital imaging in which data obtained by a kind of imaging apparatus such as a sensor or camera is displayed on a monitor screen or X-ray diagnostic film, the image density after imaging can arbitrarily-be adjusted by image processing. For this reason, digital data is sometimes acquired by irradiating an object with X-rays in minimum dose, and the gray level of the obtained data is converted to easily observe it (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-245453). In this case, image processing is executed such that the observation region has a predetermined density. An amount that is acquired from digital data and is to be used for the processing is called a feature amount. In, e.g., frontal chest imaging, it is demanded that the fifth intercostal density should be 1.8 to 2.0. The fifth intercostal region is extracted analytically (on the basis of various algorithms) from digital data. A statistical amount (e.g., the average or mode) is calculated from the digital data in that region to obtain a feature amount. Gray level conversion is executed by image processing such that the feature amount (digital value) represents a predetermined density. That is, the feature amount indicates the representative value of the digital data in the observation region or a value that highly correlates to the digital data. To calculate such a feature amount, for example, the two-dimensional structure of an entire object is analyzed to extract a predetermined region, and a feature amount is calculated in the predetermined region. Alternatively, a feature amount is calculated by histogram analysis.
However, the analytic function to be used to calculate the above-described feature amount must be prepared for each part of an object, resulting in high development cost. In addition, a portion related to an undeveloped analytic function cannot be imaged. Furthermore, the parameters of a gray level conversion curve must be defined by empirical rules. Conventionally, the contrast is adjusted by trial and error while visually confirming it. There are no objective indicators representing the suitability of the contrast.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image processing program, and storage medium


The image forming apparatus includes an input luminance range recognition unit, an output luminance range recognition unit, and a luminance range expansion unit. The input luminance range recognition acquires input luminance information from multi-gradation monochrome image data, generates a luminance histogram, and determines, based on a minimum luminance value and a maximum luminance value of the luminance histogram, an input luminance range. The output luminance range recognition unit determines an output luminance range. The luminance range expansion unit performs a mapping process for mapping input luminance information of pixels within the image range into the output luminance range, and expands the input luminance range to a maximum luminance range.

In the medical field, multi-gradation monochrome images are generated by medical image generation apparatuses such as computed tomography (CT) systems, magnet resonance imaging (MRI) systems, computed radiography (CR) systems, flat panel detectors (FPD), and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses and used for diagnoses and other purposes.
At the time of utilizing a multi-gradation monochrome image, the multi-gradation monochrome image is displayed in a display apparatus such as, for example, a cathode ray tube (CRT), or the displayed multi-gradation monochrome image is printed on paper by an output apparatus such as a printer.
It is important to maintain gradation reproducibility in the display apparatus and the output apparatus, so that the multi-gradation image can be utilized for its intended purpose.
Since, in an output apparatus such as, for example, a printer, characteristics of each unit are easy to subtlety change, maintenance of gradation reproducibility is typically performed by calibration.
However, when the characteristic of each unit in the output apparatus greatly changes, it becomes difficult to maintain the gradation reproducibility using the calibration, and a reproducible gradation range (the number of gradations) is reduced in some cases. In this case, since it is difficult to accurately reproduce gradations outside the reduced gradation range on the paper, it may become difficult to detect a tumor or the like that was detectable before that.
One known technique involves increasing a gradient in a portion of an optical density area. In this case, the balance of an entire image is deteriorated, and a situation in which the gradation reproducibility is reduced may occur.
In particular, in a medical image system, there is the necessity of focusing on and observing in detail an image range within a medical image, suspected of being a tumor or the like. However, in the past, in such a case, there has been a limit on securing the gradation reproducibility of an image within a focused image range while achieving the gradation balance of the entire image.

Image forming apparatus that prints out multi-gradation monochrome image maintaining gradation reproducibility, and image forming method


A rotor system for aerial vehicles where two or more rotor systems are used in a coaxial or tandem arrangement on the aerial vehicle.

Unmanned aerial vehicles ("UAVs"), better known as drones, are one of the technological marvels of our age. They can document the aftermath of disasters without putting additional people at risk, and the corporate sector plan to use them for small package delivery in the not-too-distant future.
Large delivery and service companies have plans for turning drone technology into new sources of revenue. Amazon has announced its "Prime Air," a delivery system it says will eventually allow the company to "to safely get packages into customers' hands in 30 minutes or less" using small drones. In 2014, DHL Parcel announced the start of regular, autonomous drone flights to a sparsely inhabited German island in the North Sea for scheduled deliveries of medications and "other urgently needed goods" to the local community. Google also has a drone delivery service called Wing in the works. Providing a drone for logistics applications still requires overcoming the problems of being able to carry large payloads over large distances and/or being able to operate for extended periods of time. Drones that can carry small payloads can flown over longer distances than drones carrying larger payloads due to the drain on the batteries required for the additional power needed to lift the larger payloads.
Multi-copiers have largely become ubiquitous within the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle market, however, it is apparent that scaling multi-copter design up to carry higher payloads or increase endurance is prohibitively expensive and complex. As size and, therefore, inertia of the aerial vehicle increases, pitch, roll and yaw control of the aerial vehicle becomes much harder to accomplish by increasing and decreasing the motor speeds. Helicopter-design UAVs, therefore, offer superior performance for large unmanned systems. However, helicopter-design is necessarily more complex than design of multi-copiers.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a simple, cost-effective rotor head design for incorporation into various helicopters including coaxial, traditional, tandem and synchropter helicopter designs.


An electrical connector (100) adapted for mating with a complementary connector (6), includes an insulative housing (1) defining a number of channels (12) and grooves (15), a number of terminals (2) received in the channels, a pair of locking/unlocking means (3) retained in the grooves, a latch cooperating with locking/unlocking means for engaging/disengaging with the complementary connector and a metal shell (5). The locking/unlocking means includes a spring (32), a moveable member (30) defining a guiding slot (300) and a guiding pole (31) slidable in the guiding slot by exerting twice push operations, the complementary connector can be engaged with and disengaged from the connector due to displacement of the guiding pole in the guiding slot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a USB connector with locking/unlocking means for detachably mating with a complementary connector.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector for mating with a mating connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,902,432. The USB connector 10 comprises a jack 15 mating with a plug 40. The jack 15 comprises a shield shell 16 and a plurality of jack terminals 35 mounted in the shield shell 16. The plug 40 includes a shield case 41 and a plurality of plug terminals fitted into the shield shell 16 for electrically connecting with the jack terminals 35. The shield shell comprises an upper wall 16a, a tongue piece 18 protruding downwardly from the upper wall 16a, and a pair of contact portions 19 symmetrically formed on both sides of the tongue piece 18. A U-shaped groove 20 is defined by punching along a ridge line of each contact portion 19 between the contact portion 19 and the upper wall 16a. The shield case 41 has a depression 45 defined on an upper surface thereof for receiving the tongue piece 18. A pair of claws 51 protrude upwardly from the upper surface of the shield case 41 for engaging with the grooves 20 when the plug 40 is inserted into the jack 15.
The plug 40 would be firmly fitted in the jack 15 due to the engagement among the tongue piece 18 and the depression 45, the claws 51 and the grooves 20. However, there is no locking/unlocking means, and the claws 51 of the plug 40 could not be depressed downwardly to escape from the grooves 20 easily, therefore, the plug 40 is hard to be pulled out from the jack 15. The structure is easy to be damaged when an excessive force is exerted thereon for pulling the plug 40 out of the jack 15.
With development of a digital camera or the likes in which a USB connector is always employed, an improved USB connector is appeared. The connector has a longer mating portion compared to the conventional connector and thus, it is much harder to pull a complementary connector out due to the long length of the mating portion thereof.
Hence, an improved USB connector having a locking/unlocking means is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.

Electrical connector with locking/unlocking means


A vehicle transmission includes a main transmission, a sub-transmission, a sub-transmission shift position sensor, and a map switching device. The main transmission is an automatic transmission configured to perform gear shifting according to a gear shift map selected between a first gear shift map and a second gear shift map in accordance with a throttle opening degree and a vehicle speed. The sub-transmission is configured to change rotational speed of rotational drive force output from the main transmission by manually selecting a sub-transmission gear position between a drive position and a low position having a reduction ratio larger than a reduction ratio of the drive position. The map switching device is configured to perform switching between the first gear shift map and the second gear shift map in accordance with sensing signals from the sub-transmission shift position sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle transmission.
2. Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, a vehicle transmission has been known which includes a main transmission configured to output the number of revolutions per unit time of a power source at a predetermined gear ratio by performing switching between plural speed-changing gear pairs and a sub-transmission disposed downstream of the main transmission and configured to convert the output of the main transmission selectively at one of two different gear ratios.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. S58-023279 discloses a motorcycle transmission in which both of a five-forward speed main transmission and a sub-transmission for converting the output of the main transmission selectively at one of two different gear ratios are switched by manual operations. With such a sub-transmission, a wider speed range can be obtained than in a configuration including only a main transmission, and the convenience of a vehicle can be improved.


A static random access memory at least includes: pluralities of transistors disposed on a substrate, each transistor at least includes a gate, a gate dielectric layer, a source doped region and a drain doped region, in which some of the source doped regions are used for connecting with a Vss voltage or a Vdd voltage, and a salicide layer disposed on the gates, the source doped regions except those source doped regions used for connecting a Vss voltage and a Vdd voltage and the drain doped regions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a fabricating method thereof, and in particular, to a static random access memory (SRAM) and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Random access memory devices can be mainly classified into dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) and static random access memories (SRAMs). The SRAMs are advantageous in high speed operation and lower power consumption. Moreover, compared with the DRAMs, the SRAMs need not to be re-charged periodically, so the design and the fabrication thereof are simplified. Hence, the SRAMs are widely employed in information electronic products.
Generally, a memory cell of the SRAM includes two drive transistors, two load devices and two access transistors. The load devices can be resistors or transistors. Therefore, according to the types of the load devices, the SRAM can be classified into a 4T2R SRAM formed by 4 transistors and 2 resistors, and a 6T SRAM formed by 6 transistors. The 4T2R SRAM can be, for example, a high load resistor SRAM (HLR SRAM). The 6T SRAM can be, for example, a full complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor SRAM (Full CMOS SRAM) or a thin film transistor SRAM (TFT SRAM). In terms of the requirement of fabricating the SRAM having low power and a low voltage, the SRAM having a memory cell formed by 6 transistors (6T) has higher stability.
Generally, in order to reduce the resistance of the SRAM and promote the operating speed of the SRAM, the salicide is formed on the gate of the transistor and on the active region of the silicon substrate in the SRAM. Although the salicide has the aforesaid advantages, a current leakage problem might occur due to a spiking effect caused by the salicide formed on the active region. Under the circumstance that a space of the active region is larger, the current leakage problem caused by the spiking effect is slight and even can be ignored. However, as the size of the devices are continuously miniaturized and the level of the integration of the devices increases accordingly, when the space in the active region is narrowed to some extent, the current leakage problem caused by the spiking effect can no longer be ignored.

Static random access memory and fabricating method thereof


An image coding and decoding technology for compressing motion pictures which makes use of critical point filter technology and that includes detection of scene changes to provide more accurate decoding. An image input unit acquires key frames. A scene change detector detects when there is a scene change between key frames, and notifies a matching processor to that effect. The matching processor then skips generation of correspondence data between those key frames. A stream generator generates a coded data stream in a manner that key frames and associated correspondence data are incorporated when there is no scene change, while key frames and associated correspondence disable data are incorporated when there is a scene change. This allows a decoder to more accurately decode the data stream and take account of scene changes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing technology, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for coding and decoding images, with an emphasis on compression of moving pictures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, image processing and compression methods such as those proposed by MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) have expanded to be used with transmission media such as network and broadcast rather than just storage media such as CDs. Generally speaking, the success of the digitization of broadcast materials has been caused at least in part by the availability of MPEG compression coding technology. In this way, a barrier that previously existed between broadcast and other types of communication has begun to disappear, leading to a diversification of service-providing businesses. Thus, we are facing a situation where it is hard to predict how the digital culture would evolve in this age of broadband.
Even in such a chaotic situation, it is clear that the direction of the compression technology of motion pictures will be to move to both higher compression rates and better image quality. It is a well-known fact that block distortion in MPEG compression is sometimes responsible for causing degraded image quality and preventing the compression rate from being improved.

Image coding method and apparatus and image decoding method and apparatus


Optimizing copy operations in a storage array, including: receiving a plurality of copy operations; detecting a triggering event that causes a storage array controller to initiate execution of the plurality of copy operations; and combining, in dependence upon a metadata optimization policy, the plurality of copy operations into a single copy operation.

Field of Technology
The field of technology is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatuses, and products for optimizing copy operations.
Description of Related Art
Modern computing systems frequently include a wide array of computer hardware resources and computer software applications executing on or otherwise utilizing the computer hardware resources. Such applications may perform data transfer operations that result in data being copied from a first memory location to a second memory location, for example, as part of a memory backup operation. Frequently, the applications may limit the amount of data that may be copied from a first memory location to a second memory location. As such, copying an amount of data that exceeds such a limit may be carried out using multiple operations, each of which is associated with a significant overhead. For example, each operation may require the creation of a significant amount of metadata.

Efficient performance of copy operations in a storage system


An exhaust hood in an embodiment includes: an outer casing; and an annular diffuser which is provided on a downstream side of a final turbine stage and formed by a cylindrical steam guide and a cylindrical bearing cone provided inside the steam guide. The steam guide includes a curved guide and a flat-plate guide which is provided on a downstream side of the curved guide. When a cross section of the outer casing vertical to the rotation axis of the turbine rotor is viewed from the downstream side of the steam guide, expansion outward in the radial direction of the flat-plate guide is set based on D/H where a distance between the rotation axis of the turbine rotor and an inner surface of the outer casing is H and a distance between the rotation axis of the turbine rotor and a downstream end of the flat-plate guide is D.

From the viewpoints of effective use of energy resources and the like, an axial flow turbine used for power generation is required to be improved in turbine performance.
One important factor for improving the turbine performance can be a decrease in pressure loss of a working fluid passing through a turbine stage at a final stage (hereinafter, referred to as a final turbine stage). An example of the pressure loss occurring in the working fluid passing through the final turbine stage is a turbine exhaust loss. The turbine exhaust loss is the pressure loss of the working fluid occurring between an outlet of the final turbine stage and an outlet of an exhaust hood.
The turbine exhaust loss varies depending on the velocity of the working fluid at the outlet of the final turbine stage. The velocity of the working fluid at the outlet of the final turbine stage varies depending on operating conditions of a power generation plant, a tip outside diameter and a blade length of rotor blades at the final turbine stage. Therefore, a structure which can decrease the turbine exhaust loss regardless of the operating conditions and the structural conditions such as the tip outside diameter and the blade length of the rotor blades, is required.
A certain axial flow turbine includes, as the exhaust hood: an annular diffuser which is formed by a cylindrical guide and a cylindrical cone provided inside the guide, and discharges the working fluid passing through the final turbine stage outward in the radial direction; and an exhaust flow path through which the working fluid discharged from the annular diffuser flows.
The annular diffuser sufficiently decreases the velocity of the working fluid discharged from the final turbine stage to restore the static pressure. The exhaust flow path is a flow path that guides the working fluid discharged from the annular diffuser to the outlet of the exhaust hood. This exhaust flow path is required to decrease the pressure loss due to stirring, a vortex flow or the like of the working fluid.
For example, in an axial flow turbine of a downward exhaust type, the working fluid discharged from the annular diffuser on an upper half side flows along an inner surface of an outer casing and is thereby turned downward, and flows toward the outlet of the exhaust hood therebelow. Further, in the exhaust flow path, the flow of the working fluid toward the outlet of the exhaust hood therebelow joins with the flow of the working fluid discharged from the annular diffuser on a lower half side.
In the axial flow turbine of the downward exhaust type, it is discussed to decrease the pressure loss of the working fluid in the exhaust flow path by decreasing the pressure loss when the flow of the working fluid discharged from the annular diffuser on the upper half side and heading toward the outlet of the exhaust hood therebelow and the flow of the working fluid discharged from the annular diffuser on the lower half side join together.
It is also discussed to deform the curvature of a guide in the annular diffuser in a circumferential direction to suppress separation of the working fluid in the annular diffuser so as to decrease the pressure loss of the working fluid in the annular diffuser.
For the exhaust hood of the above-described conventional axial flow turbine, the annular diffuser and the outer casing are designed based on predetermined operating conditions and predetermined structural conditions. Therefore, when the operating conditions and the structural conditions such as the tip outside diameter and the blade length of the rotor blades are changed, it is difficult to optimally decrease the pressure loss of the working fluid.
Further, in the exhaust hood of the conventional axial flow turbine, the pressure loss may increase in the exhaust flow path on the upper half side depending on a flow path area of the outlet of the annular diffuser or the distance between the outlet of the annular diffuser and the inner surface of the outer casing.

Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation


A process for the regeneration of a deactivated zeolite beta catalyst such as rare earth promoted zeolite beta catalyst deactivated in the course of an aromatic alkylation reaction. A zeolite beta conversion catalyst deactivated with the deposition of coke is heated to a temperature in excess of 300° C. in an oxygen-free environment. An oxidative regeneration gas is supplied to the catalyst bed with oxidation of a portion of a relatively porous coke component to produce an exotherm moving through the catalyst bed. At least one of the temperature and oxygen content of the gas is progressively increased to oxidize a porous component of the coke. Regeneration gas is supplied having at least one of an increased oxygen content or increased temperature to oxidize a less porous refractory component of the coke. The regeneration process is completed by passing an inert gas through the catalyst bed at a reduced temperature.

The alkylation of benzene with ethylene over a molecular sieve catalyst is a well-known procedure for the production of ethylbenzene. Typically, the alkylation reaction is carried out in a multistage reactor involving a feedstream of benzene and ethylene to the front of the reactor with the interstage injection of ethylene and benzene to produce an output from the reactor that involves a mixture of monoalkyl and polyalkylbenzene. The principal monoalkylbenzene is, of course, the desired ethylbenzene product. Polyalkylbenzenes include diethyl benzene, triethylbenzene, and xylenes.
With the passage of time, the catalyst becomes deactivated. The alkylation reaction is an exothermic reaction which is accompanied by the deposition of coke on the catalyst bed. The degree of deactivation can be determined by sensing the exotherm as it moves progressively through the catalyst bed from the inlet side to the outlet side of the reactor.
In many cases, it is desirable to operate the alkylation reactor in conjunction with the operation of a transalkylation reactor in order to produce additional ethylbenzene through the transalkylation reaction of polyethylbenzene with benzene. The alkylation reactor can be connected to the transalkylation reactor in a flow scheme involving one or more intermediate separation stages for the recovery of ethylene, ethylbenzene, and polyethylbenzene.
Transalkylation may also occur in the initial alkylation reactor. In this respect, the injection of ethylene and benzene between stages in the alkylation reactor not only results in additional ethylbenzene production but also promotes transalkylation within the alkylation reactor in which benzene and diethylbenzene react through a disproportionation reaction to produce ethylbenzene.
Various phase conditions may be employed in the alkylation and transalkylation reactors. Typically, the transalkylation reactor will be operated under liquid phase conditions, i.e., conditions in which the benzene and polyethylbenzene are in the liquid phase, and the alkylation reactor is operated under gas phase conditions, i.e., pressure and temperature conditions in which the benzene is in the gas phase. However, liquid phase conditions can be used where it is desired to minimize the yield of undesirable by-products from the alkylation reactor.

Alkylation and catalyst regenerative process


A refrigerator including a drawer capable of storing soft food items and hard food items in separate spaces. The drawer includes a flexible cover that can be detachably positioned by positioning grooves formed on the top of side walls of the drawer. When in a first position, the flexible cover forms a holder that can be used to hold soft food. When in a second position, the flexible cover is used to cover the open top of the drawer and thereby can preserve freshness of food stored under the flexible cover within the drawer.

In general, food may be stored in a drawer assembly of a refrigerator. When food is stored in a drawer assembly, e.g., a drawer in a refrigerator, food with soft or deformable textures (or soft food) usually needs to be stored in a separate place from hard food to be protected from unwanted external pressures that tend to break or deform the soft food. For example, users have to pack soft food items in a separate container or a plastic bag and then store them in the drawer assembly, which can be time consuming, inconvenient and wasteful of packing materials.
Further, when soft vegetables and the like are separately packed and stored in a plastic bag or a container, it may be difficult to keep these food items fresh.

Drawer in refrigerator with a convertible flexible cover


Infrared imaging systems and methods disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments, provide for detecting petroleum in an infrared image. The detection involves the evaluation of local background model likelihoods in light of extracted pixel features as well as the evaluation of a global outlier model in light of extracted pixel features. Those pixels having a low likelihood for both their local background model as well as the outlier model are identified as corresponding to oil-contaminated water within the infrared image.

A petroleum spill in water presents a special challenge for imaging systems based on visible detection methods. For example, ocean water is often turbid and appears dark to the eye, as does crude oil. Crude oil or diesel spills may float to the surface because of their lower density and may form well-defined films, especially in still waters. However, oil films may not show a strong contrast relative to the water surface itself, at least to the unaided eye. This may occur in water that is choppy or covered in waves, because the water surface may alternately look dark or light depending on how the water reflects the sky or the sun above it, thus masking low contrast oil-film areas. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved imaging system that may be used for oil spill detection applications.

Infrared camera detection systems and methods


A cell assembly includes a first unit cell and a second unit cell which are stacked to each other. The first unit cell has a first unified body, and the second unit cell has a second unified body. A plurality of oxidizing gas passages and a plurality of fuel gas passages are provided in the cell assembly. The oxidizing gas passages in the first unit cell and the oxidizing gas passages in the second unit cell are communicated in series to each other. The fuel gas passages in the first unit cell and the fuel gas passages in the second unit cell are communicated in series to each other.

In general, a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) includes a unit cell (unit power generation cell) configured by oppositely disposing an anode and a cathode, each of which is mainly made from carbon, on both sides of an electrolyte membrane of a polymer ion exchange membrane (cation exchange membrane), to form a unified body (membrane-electrode assembly), and holding the unified body between separators (bipolar plates). The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell is generally used as a fuel cell stack having a specific number of the unit cells.
In the fuel cell of this type, when a fuel gas, for example, a gas mainly containing hydrogen (hereinafter, referred to as "hydrogen containing gas") is supplied to the anode, hydrogen in the hydrogen containing gas is ionized on the catalyst electrode and is migrated to the cathode side via the electrolyte; and electrons generated by such electrochemical reaction are taken to an external circuit, to be used as electric energy in the form of a direct current. In this case, since an oxidizing gas, for example, a gas mainly containing oxygen or air (hereinafter, referred to as "oxygen containing gas") is supplied to the cathode, hydrogen ions, electrons and oxygen react with each other to produce water on the cathode.
When a fuel cell stack is used as an on-vehicle power source, a relatively large output is required for the fuel cell stack. To meet such a requirement, a cell structure for making a size of a reaction plate (power generation plane) of a unit cell larger, and a cell structure for stacking a large number of unit cells to each other have been adopted.
The former cell structure, however, has a problem that the enlarged size of each unit cell leads to the enlargement of the whole size of the fuel cell stack and such a large-sized fuel cell stack is unsuitable as an on-vehicle power source. Accordingly, to obtain a relatively large output, the latter structure for stacking a large number of relatively compact unit cells to each other has been generally adopted. However, as the number of the stacked unit cells becomes larger, the temperature distribution tends to be generated in the stacking direction and also the drainage characteristic of water produced by the electrochemical reaction is degraded, thereby failing to ensure a desired power generation performance.
To solve the above-described problems, the present invention has been made, and an object of the present invention is to provide a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell assembly capable of effectively improving the power generation performance of each unit cell and reducing the size of the cell assembly with a simple structure, and a fuel cell stack composed of a stack of the cell assemblies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of supplying a reaction gas in a fuel cell, which allows effective power generation of each unit cell and also allows improvement of the drainage characteristic of produced water.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell assembly with gas passages in serial communication, and method of supplying reaction gas in fuel cell


A computer power supply of the present disclosure comprises a housing, a circuit board disposed inside the housing and a fan assembly for dissipating heat from the circuit board, and the fan assembly is disposed obliquely with respect to a surface of the circuit board. With the aforesaid structure, the air produced by the fan assembly of the computer power supply of the present disclosure acts on the circuit board obliquely, and flows out in one direction after dissipating heat from a component that is to be cooled, so the heat dissipation effect is improved.

With development of the science and technologies, computers have become indispensible to people's daily life. As has been known, there are mainly two kinds of structures for power supplies disposed in the computers. As shown in FIG. 1, a power supply 10 comprises a housing 11, a circuit board 12 and a fan assembly 13. The circuit board 12 is disposed inside the housing 11, and is adapted to bear an electronic component 121 necessary for operation of the power supply 10. The housing 11 has an air outlet 14 disposed at a side thereof. The fan assembly 13 is disposed perpendicular to a surface of the circuit board 12, and the air produced by the fan assembly 13 acts on the circuit board 12 in parallel in a direction D1. After absorbing heat from the electronic component 121 on the circuit board 12, the air produced by a fan body 131 becomes hot air, which then flows out in a direction D4 via the air outlet 14. China Patent No. ZL200420082974.0 discloses a similar embodiment. However, because the air produced by the fan assembly 13 flows from one side to the other side of the circuit board 12, the air will have a poor effect of dissipating heat from the electronic component 121 when flowing to the side away from the fan assembly 13.
As shown in FIG. 2, a power supply 20 comprises a housing 21, a circuit board 22 and a fan assembly 23. The circuit board 22 is disposed inside the housing 21, and is adapted to bear an electronic component 221 necessary for operation of the power supply 20. The housing 21 has an air outlet 24 disposed at a side thereof. The fan assembly 23 and the circuit board 22 are disposed opposite to each other inside the housing 21. The air produced by the fan assembly 23 acts on the circuit board 22 perpendicularly in a direction D2. However, after having cooled the electronic component 221 on the circuit board 22, the air produced by the fan assembly 23 cannot completely flow out in the direction D4 via the air outlet 24; and instead, a part of the air is bounced back intensively, which has a great influence on the heat dissipation effect.


Provided is a display device characterized in that a display area can be prevented from appearing darker when the position of light-shielding sections are moved, while the control of voltages applied to electrodes is simplified. In the case where electrodes to which a specific voltage is applied are changed from a first electrode group (e.g., 52a) to a second electrode group (e.g., 52b, 58a, 58b), the voltage applied to the first electrode group is switched from the specific voltage to a reference voltage first, and thereafter, the voltage applied to the second electrode group is switched from the reference voltage to the specific voltage.

In recent years, a display device that includes an image separation unit has been proposed. For example, JP9(1997)-197344A discloses a stereoscopic video display device in which a right eye image and a left eye image displayed on a liquid crystal panel are separated by using a light-shielding barrier formed in a light-shielding liquid crystal panel.
By the way, in such a display device, it is desirable that the position of the light-shielding barrier is moved according to the position of the head of a viewer. For example, JP9(1997)197344A discloses that a liquid crystal shutter provided at each end of an opening in the light-shielding barrier in the lateral direction is selectively turned ON/OFF so as to move the position of the light-shielding barrier transversely.
However, in the case where the liquid crystal that forms the liquid crystal shutter is liquid crystal having a slow response speed, for example, TN liquid crystal, the response speed of the liquid crystal when the liquid crystal shutter is turned ON is faster than the response speed of the liquid crystal when the liquid crystal shutter is turned OFF. As a result, there arises the following problem: in the case where the liquid crystal shutter is simply turned ON/OFF, the display area of the display device becomes totally darker when the position of the light-shielding barrier is moved.
It should be noted that JP2011-18049A discloses a luminance flicker control device that varies a voltage applied to division barrier electrodes when the position of the parallax barrier is moved. However, in the configuration disclosed in JP2011-18049A, among a plurality of division barrier electrodes, a voltage is applied to some division barrier electrodes that are adjacent in the direction in which the plurality of division barrier electrodes are arrayed, whereby each barrier that composes the parallax barrier is formed. As a result, there arises a problem that the control of the voltages applied to the division barrier electrodes becomes complicated.


A regulator circuit with at least two independently selectable and adjustable adjustment circuits. Each adjustment circuit may be connected across a standard voltage divider circuit used to create a reference voltage for operating a voltage pump. Between each adjustment circuit and the voltage divider circuit is an associated connection circuit that is controlled by an associated control signal. When activated by its respective control signal, the connection circuit connects its associated adjustment circuit to the voltage divider circuit so that the reference voltage is generated by the voltage divider as adjusted by the connected adjustment circuit. The amount of adjustment each adjustment circuit can introduce is independently selectable, the regulator circuit can adjust the operation of the pump for different modes of operation and can compensate for process variations without the need to re-design, re-mask or re-fabricate the circuitry.

The present invention relates generally to memory devices and, more particularly, to a voltage regulator circuit for the independent adjustment of pumps in multiple modes of operation of the memory device.
A semiconductor device may be designed for any of a wide variety of applications. Typically, the device includes logic circuitry to receive, manipulate or store input data. The circuitry subsequently generates the same or modified data at an output terminal of the device. Depending on the type of semiconductor device or the circuit in which it is used, the device typically includes circuits which provide internal power signals that are regulated to be substantially independent of fluctuations in the externally generated power input signal(s).
An example of a data storage or memory device having such internal power signal circuits is the DRAM (dynamic random access memory). Conventionally, the DRAM receives an external power signal (Vccx) having a voltage intended to remain constant, for example, at 4.5 volts measured relative to ground. Internal to the DRAM, the power regulation circuit maintains an internal operating voltage signal (Vcc) at a designated level, for example, 2.5 volts. Ideally, Vcc linearly tracks Vccx from zero volts to the internal operating voltage level, at which point Vcc remains constant as Vccx continues to increase in voltage to the designated Vccx level.
DRAMs also typically include a regulated constant pumped supply voltage (Vccp) which is greater than Vcc, for example, four volts. Conventionally, the pumped voltage drives the word lines of a DRAM. The DRAM has memory arrays consisting of a number of intersecting row and column lines of individual transistors or memory cells. The pumped voltage needs to be greater than Vcc to ensure that memory access operations, such as a memory cell reads or writes, are performed both completely and quickly. Ideally, Vccp does not fluctuate. If Vccp is too high, damage to the memory cells may result. If it is too low, the memory chip may have poor data retention or may otherwise operate incorrectly.
The pump used to create the pumped voltage is typically referred to as a Vccp pump. In addition to the Vccp pump, a pump regulator is required and an oscillator may be used to ensure that the pumped voltage Vccp falls within the desired limits described above. The most common oscillator used in the Vccp pump is a standard CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) ring oscillator. A unique feature of the standard CMOS oscillator is its multi-frequency operation due to its multiplexed circuitry and various oscillator tap points. The oscillator is controlled by a control signal generated by the pump regulator. Whenever the pump regulator issues a pump enable control signal, the oscillator becomes functional and the pump becomes operative.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional pump regulator circuit 10. The regulator circuit 10 includes a step down resistance 12, a voltage divider circuit 20, voltage adjustment circuit 40 and a level detect circuit 14. The step down resistance 12 is connected to the pumped voltage Vccp, which is input from a Vccp pump (not shown). The step down resistance 12 is illustrated as a resistor, but it should be appreciated that the resistance 12 could consist of multiple resistors, transistors, diodes, any combinations of these elements or any other circuit element that would cause the pumped voltage Vccp to drop by a specified voltage amount.
The voltage divider circuit 20 is connected between the step down resistance 12 and another voltage (illustrated as a ground potential). The illustrated voltage divider circuit 20 includes a plurality (e.g., five) of series connected n-channel MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor) transistors 22, 24, 26, 28, 30. Each transistor 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 has its gate connected to a voltage such as Vcc such that they are always in the active state. In addition, each transistor 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 is typically a long xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d device that causes a relatively small current draw when activated (i.e., it is well known in the art that the amount of current a MOSFET can carry is proportional to W/L, where W is the width of the transistor and L is its gate length). Thus, if there were no other elements in the circuit 10, the resistance 12 and the voltage divider circuit 20 would divide the pumped voltage Vccp in accordance with their resistances and cause a predetermined reference voltage Vref to appear at node A. It should be noted that the voltage divider circuit 20 may comprise other elements besides the illustrated transistors 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and it should be appreciated that the circuit 20 could consist of multiple resistors, transistors, diodes, any combinations of these elements or any other circuit element that would create resistance effecting the voltage in a desired manner.
The reference voltage Vref is input into the level detect circuit 14. The circuit 14 can be any conventional circuit and thus, the internal circuitry of the level detect circuit 14 is not shown for convenience purposes. As is known in the art, in operation the typical level detect circuit 14 inputs the reference voltage Vref (sometimes referred to as a normalized voltage) and compares it to a threshold voltage, which when exceeded, provides a signal to turn off the pump. Similarly, if the reference voltage Vref is less than the threshold, the circuit 14 provides a signal that turns on the pump. This is typically done by feeding the reference voltage into a modified inverter stage having an adjustable trip point. The trip point is modified with feedback to provide hysteresis for the circuit 14. Subsequent inverter stages provide additional gain and boost the reference voltage signal to the full CMOS level necessary to enable or disable the oscillator. Minimum and maximum operating voltages for the Vccp pump are controlled by the first inverter stage trip point, hysteresis and diode connected transistors voltages.
The output of the level detect circuit 14 is a pump on/off signal. The pump on/off signal is used as a control signal for the oscillator (not shown) connected to the Vccp pump. Whenever the pump on/off signal is set to a value indicating that the Vccp pump should be enabled, the oscillator becomes functional and enables the pump.
There is a need for the regulator circuit 10 to operate based on different operating voltages (e.g., Vcc) and pumped voltages (e.g., Vccp). The different voltages may be required, for example, because a particular system has a manufacturing specification mandating specific operating and pumped voltages. Accordingly, the regulator circuit 10 typically includes the adjustment circuit 40 to adjust the voltage divider circuit 20 so that the proper pump on/off signal PUMP ON/OFF can be generated regardless of the Vcc and Vccp voltage levels.
The adjustment circuit 40 includes a plurality (e.g., five) of n-channel MOSFET transistors 42, 44, 46, 48, 50. Each transistor 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 has their source and drain terminal connected across the source and drain terminal of a respective voltage divider transistor 22, 24, 26, 28, 30. Unlike the gate terminals of the voltage divider transistor 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, the gate terminals of the adjustment transistors 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 do not have to be connected such that they are always in the active state. Instead, the gate of each adjustment transistor 42, 44, 46,48, 50 can be connected such that the transistor 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 is active or inactive.
For example, in FIG. 1, the fourth and fifth adjustment transistors 48, 50 are connected to a voltage such as Vcc, which activates both transistors 48, 50. With both of these adjustment transistors 48, 50 in the active state, their corresponding voltage divider transistors 28, 30 are shunted. This, removes the resistances associated with the fourth and fifth voltage divider transistors 28, 30, which changes the voltage divider circuit 20 and alters the voltage level of the reference voltage Vref. Thus, the adjustment transistors 48, 50 act as switches that can switch in or out (i.e., do not shunt or shunt) the resistance associated with their corresponding voltage divider transistors 28, 30.
As noted above, the other adjustment transistors 42, 44, 46 do not have to connected such that they are always in the active state either. For example, the first three adjustment transistors 42, 44, 46 are connected to two signal lines OPT1, OPT2. The signal lines OPT1, OPT2 can be set by test keys, fuses or any other manner such that their respective adjustment transistors 42, 44, 46 are active or inactive. If any of these adjustment transistors 42, 44, 46 are set to the active state, then their corresponding divider transistor 22, 24, 26 will be shunted. Likewise, if any of the first three adjustment transistors 42, 44, 46 are set to the inactive state, then their corresponding divider transistor 22, 24, 26 will not be shunted. Thus, for the illustrated regulator circuit 10, depending on how the signal lines OPT1, OPT2 are set, the voltage divider circuit 20 may include none, all three or some of the first three divider transistors 22, 24, 26 (i.e., in FIG. 1 the fourth and fifth divider transistors 28, 30 have already been shunted and thus, only the first three divider transistors 22, 24, 26 can add resistance to the divider circuit 20).
Thus, depending upon the manufacturing specifications of the memory circuit utilizing the pumped voltage Vccp and the regulator circuit 10, the adjustment circuit 40 can be configured such that the voltage divider circuit 20 generates the proper reference voltage Vref Typically, the regulator circuit 10 controls the oscillator such that it is operated at a higher frequency when the DRAM is in a power-up operating mode than in nominal operation because this will assist the Vccp pump in initially charging DRAM components such as load capacitors. There is a third operating mode that often requires the regulator circuit 10 to operate the oscillator/pump in a different manner. This third mode known as the burn-in mode, which is a test mode, often times requires a much different pumped voltage Vccp than the one used during nominal operation. To compensate for this, the regulator circuit 10 often contains a burn-in transistor 60. The burn-in transistor 60 has its source and drain connected across the source and drain of one of the voltage divider transistors 26. The gate of the burn-in transistor 60 is connected to a burn-in signal line BURNIN. When the memory circuit utilizing the regulator circuit 10 undergoes a burn-in test, the burn-in signal line BURNIN is activated, which activates the burn-in transistor 60. Once activated, the burn-in transistor 60 shunts its corresponding voltage divider transistor 26, which alters the voltage divider circuit 20 and the reference voltage Vref.
As can be seen from FIG. 1, the prior art regulator circuit 10 can only shunt one divider transistor 26 during burn-in mode. If a vastly different pumped voltage Vccp is required for the burn-in test, then the voltage divider and adjustment circuits 20, 40 would require some modifications. This solution is unacceptable because this changes the design of the circuit 10 for nominal operation, which has been designed, tested and qualified as meeting nominal operating mode specifications. Once the design is changed, the part would have to be re-tested and re-qualified for all modes of operation. Moreover, the only way to change the design of the circuitry 10 would be to re-mask and re-fabricate it. This would be rather costly with respect to time and money.
Accordingly, there is a desire and need for a regulator circuit that can adjust the operation of the Vccp pump for different independent modes of operation (e.g., nominal and burn-in modes) that would not require re-designing, re-masking or the re-fabrication of its circuitry.
Furthermore, manufacturing process variations may render the capability of the burin-in transistor 60, adjustment circuit 40 and voltage divider circuit 20 ineffective for their intended purposes, which could adversely impact the pumped voltage Vccp. Process variations could render one lot of memory circuits different from another lot of memory circuits even though they utilize the same mask, design, etc. This could lead to unexpected variations of the pumped voltage Vccp. As noted earlier, if Vccp is too high, damage to the memory cells, and higher current may result, if it is too low, the memory chip may have poor data retention or may otherwise operate incorrectly.
Accordingly, there is a desire and need for a regulator circuit that can adjust the operation of the Vccp pump for different modes of operation that can compensate for process variations.
The present invention provides a regulator circuit that can adjust the operation of a voltage pump for different independent modes of operation without re-designing, re-masking or re-fabricating its circuitry.
The present invention also provides a regulator circuit that can adjust the operation of the voltage pump for different modes of operation that can compensate for process variations.
The above and other features and advantages are achieved by providing a regulator circuit with at least two independently selectable and adjustable adjustment circuits. Each adjustment circuit is adapted to be connected across a standard voltage divider circuit used to create a reference voltage for operating a voltage pump. Between each adjustment circuit and the voltage divider circuit is an associated connection circuit. Each connection circuit is controlled by an associated control signal. When activated by its respective control signal, the connection circuit connects its associated adjustment circuit to the voltage divider circuit so that the reference voltage is generated by the voltage divider circuit as adjusted by the connected adjustment circuit. Since the amount of adjustment each adjustment circuit can introduce is also independently selectable, the regulator circuit can adjust the operation of the voltage pump for different modes of operation that can compensate for process variations without the need to re-design, re-mask or re-fabricate the circuitry.

Regulator circuit for independent adjustment of pumps in multiple modes of operation


The area of the discharge end of a screw rotor acted on by the discharge pressure is reduced by locating a region of suction pressure acting on the discharge end of the rotor and separating the suction and discharge pressures by a labyrinth seal located between the discharge end of the rotor and the facing housing structure.

In screw machines such as refrigerant compressors, the refrigerant being compressed tends to move the screw rotors towards the suction side and away from the discharge side. In the case of tri-rotor compressors the sun rotor has a much larger diameter than the other rotors and this equates to a much larger area to be acted on by the discharge pressure. In the case of a tri-rotor, the sun rotor has about 150xc2x0 of compression with each of the coacting rotors and about 30xc2x0 of overlap with each coacting rotor. Suction and discharge pressure are separated at the discharge end face of the sun rotor by a distance corresponding to the extremes of the overlap distance. Accordingly, discharge pressure does not act over the entire discharge end face of the sun rotor and suction pressure can act over part of the discharge end face of the sun rotor with a relatively short distance between discharge and suction pressure. In addition to the thrust loading produced by the discharge pressure acting on the ends of the rotors, the separation of the rotors from the discharge side represents a leak passage. The discharge side bearings and related structure tend to severely limit movement of the rotors away from the discharge and thereby limit leakage. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,867 discloses structure associated with the discharge side bearings for limiting axial movement of the screw rotors. The suction side bearings are much less loaded due to the movement restraint applied to the rotors by the discharge side bearings and their related structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,743 discloses balancing the pressure on the ends of the rotors to limit thrust loading of the bearings. This approach requires radial porting with a reduction in port area and efficiency as well as additional parts.
Pressure balancing on the ends of a screw rotor is achieved by locating a fluid pressure chamber at the discharge end of the screw rotor and exposing the chamber to suction pressure. The fluid pressure chamber is sealed from the discharge pressure acting on the outer portions of the discharge end of the screw rotor by a labyrinth seal located between the discharge end of the rotor and the facing housing structure. In addition to providing a fluid seal, the labyrinth reduces leakage between the discharge end of the rotor and the housing. The labyrinth seal and the fluid pressure chamber are both located between the rotor profile root diameter and the shaft diameter. The actual design of the labyrinth and fluid pressure chamber is a compromise of a number of mutually exclusive goals. The actual screw machine dictates some dimensional limits upon which the following goals are superimposed: (1) a desire to have as much labyrinth seal as possible; (2) a desire to have the outer diameter of the labyrinth seal as large as possible; (3) the desire to have the inner diameter of the labyrinth seal as large as possible; (4) the desire to have a greater port area than is available when a thrust disk is employed; and (5) the desire to have a simpler design than that of a thrust disk.
It is an object of this invention to reduce thrust loading on a sun rotor of a multi-rotor screw compressor.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide pressure balancing while employing axial porting.
It is another object of this invention to reduce leakage at the discharge end of a screw rotor. These objects, and others as will become apparent hereinafter. are accomplished by the present invention.
Basically, the area of the discharge end of a screw rotor acted on by the discharge pressure is reduced by providing a region of suction pressure which acts on the discharge end of the rotor and separating the suction and discharge pressures by a labyrinth seal located between the discharge end of the rotor and the facing housing structure.


There is provided a method of producing a golf ball, capable of forming a cover to have a uniform thickness to produce a golf ball excellent in resistance to abrasion. The method includes a step to subject a cover material mainly composed of a thermoplastic resin to heat and compression molding to form a half shell, and a step to allow two such half shells to be arranged on a core or an intermediate layer, joined together, and heat and compression molded to mold the cover to have a thickness of 0.3 to 1.5 mm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a golf ball, capable of forming a cover to have a uniform thickness to produce a golf ball excellent in resistance to chunking (resistance to abrasion).
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Conventionally in producing a golf ball, an injection molding process or a heat and compression molding process is generally employed to place a cover on a core. As an example of the injection molding process, U.S. Publication No. U.S. Ser. No. 2003/0064832A1 discloses a method to inject a previously prepared material for a cover to be molded around a core for coverage. In the injection molding process, however, at an initial stage of injection of a material for a cover, a core is held by a pin at a center of a cavity, and when the injection enters a final stage, the pin recedes. As such the injection molding process can result in the core having its center offset from the ball's center and tend to provide a cover having an uneven thickness. A golf ball having a cover of a large thickness (for example of 1.4 to 2.3 mm) often ensures that it has sufficient physical properties even if injection molding provides a cover having an uneven thickness. If a cover has a small thickness (for example of 0.3 to 1.0 mm), however, and the thickness is uneven, it significantly negatively affects the ball's performance. Injection molding has its limit when it is used as described above.
By contrast, the heat and compression molding process, as compared with the injection molding process, can form a cover to have a uniform thickness. Accordingly for a cover having a small thickness, the heat and compression molding process can suitably be employed. U.S. Publication No. U.S. 2003/0064828A1 describes that in producing a solid golf ball including a cover having a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 mm the cover's material or two half shells are compression molded to cover an intermediate layer. When a cover has a small thickness, however, the heat and compression molding process cannot provide the cover with a uniform thickness, facilitating the cover to partially have an insufficient thickness, an uneven thickness, or the like. Further, the cover's physical properties, resistance to abrasion in particular, cannot sufficiently be acquired just by controlling a covering process so as to provide a cover with a uniform thickness.


A learning apparatus for building a network structure of a Bayesian network based on learning data. In the Bayesian network, a cause and effect relationship between plural nodes is represented by a directed graph. The learning apparatus includes a storage portion in which the learning data is stored and a learning portion for building the network structure based on the learning data. The learning portion prepares an initial population of individuals formed by individuals each having a genotype in which orders between the nodes and cause and effect relationship have been stipulated, repeatedly performs processing for crossovers and/or mutations on the initial population of individuals based on a genetic algorithm, calculates an evaluated value of each individual based on the learning data, searches for an optimum one of the individuals, and takes a phenotype of the optimum individual as the network structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a learning apparatus for building a network structure of a Bayesian network based on data obtained by learning (hereinafter may be referred to as "learning data") and to a method of building the network structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the scope of application of the information processing technology has been extended, and an information-processing mechanism capable of operating according to various circumstances and a variety of users has become important. That is, treated objects having uncertainty (i.e., objects which may not be assumed in advance or may not be fully observed) have become increasingly important. Therefore, a mechanism of processing intelligent information to understand circumstances as precisely as possible even if only uncertain information is available and of performing appropriate processing may be required.
Because of these demands, a probability model which describes an object of interest using a network structure and probabilistically forecasts from observed events the object to be known has attracted attention. A Bayesian network which indicates a cause and effect relationship (connection) between nodes representing variables by means of a directed graph is known as a typical probability model.
[Non-patent reference 1] Cooper, G., and Herskovits, E., "A Bayesian method for the induction of probabilistic networks from Data", Machine Learning, Vol. 9, pp. 309-347, 1992
[Non-patent reference 2] Hongjun Zhou, Shigeyuki Sakane, "Sensor Planning for Mobile Robot Localization Using Structure Learning and Inference of Bayesian Network," Journal of the Japan Robotics Society, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 245-255, 2004

Learning method and apparatus utilizing genetic algorithms


A scissor-type vibrator for shaking trees wherein one of the arms thereof extends backwards to achieve a better working lever so that, on gripping the tree, the hydraulic piston that connects the two scissor arms expands, thus increasing the tightening torque whilst reducing the hydraulic pressure, and furthermore, to bring about the vibration, the scissor-type vibrator has a cam to which a synchronized single or double rotation may be applied and the vibration time may be regulated.

There are plenty of examples in the state of the art of vibrators for shaking trees that have two arms that are articulated at the opposite end to the area that grips the tree.
These include the Spanish patent with publication number ES2193816 that relates to a "multidirectional vibrating clamp", which has a hydraulic cylinder that closes when the arms of the vibrating clamp close.
With the aforementioned vibrating clamp, due to the situation of the hydraulic cylinder, high pressures are needed to close the two arms of the clamp.
Due to the need for this high pressure, which is associated with a multiplier effect thereof from the master cylinder that supplies the pressure to the hydraulic cylinder, malfunctions occur due to strain thereon.
All these problems are overcome by the invention disclosed herein due to the presence of a hydraulic cylinder that expands when the arms of the vibrator close, thereby eliminating the multiplier effect.


A phase angle determining circuit for determining a phase angle from a first input signal and a second input signal includes an input circuit configured to receive the first input signal and the second input signal and to provide a third signal, and an output circuit configured to receive the third signal and to provide an output signal representative of the phase angle. The first and second signal may be provided by a transducer. The transducer may be a steering wheel transducer and the phase angle determining system may be utilized in a vehicle system to control a vehicle system based on the phase angle of the steering wheel.

A variety of transducers, including rotary sensors, may produce sine and cosine signals based on the angle of rotation of a monitored device. The monitored device may be any device that moves in a rotary fashion over a 0 to 359 degree range, e.g., a steering wheel or a valve to name only a couple. From the sine and cosine input signals, the angle of rotation needs to be extracted.
A common method of extracting the angle of rotation, or θ, from sine θ and cosine θ signals is to encode each signal into a digital signal and then use a software routine, e.g., CORDIC routine, to extract θ. Essentially, the software routine solves the arctangent of the ratio of the sine θ and cosine θ values as detailed in equation (1).θ=ARCTAN(SIN θ/COS θ)  (1)
In order to extract θ using this method, it is necessary to convert an analog signal to a digital signal, e.g., via an A/D converter, to use some microprocessor or microcomputer to run the stored software routine, to store the software routine in memory, and to output the results via a D/A converter. Accordingly, there is a need for an alternative hardware apparatus for extracting a phase angle from sine and cosine signals.


There is provided with an information processing apparatus for controlling execution of a plurality of threads which run on a plurality of calculation cores connected to a memory including a plurality of banks. A first selection unit is configured to select a thread as a continuing thread which receives data from other thread, out of threads which process a data group of interest, wherein the number of accesses for a bank associated with the selected thread is less than a predetermined count. A second selection unit is configured to select a thread as a transmitting thread which transmits data to the continuing thread, out of the threads which process the data group of interest.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium, which generate instructions for parallel computers for executing reduction processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an approach for improving the processing performance of a computer using a plurality of CPU cores has been made. Especially, a GPGPU (General Purpose Graphics Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) computing for controlling a GPU to execute processing other than graphics processing attracts a lot of attention. A GPU has several ten to 1000 or more calculation cores, and the peak performance when all the calculation cores operate is very high. However, in order to exert the high performance of the GPU, a programming technique different from the conventional technique is required. The following description will be given taking CUDA available from NVIDIA Corporation as an example of the GPGPU. Since the CUDA is described in NVIDIA CUDA™ NVIDIA CUDA C Programming Guide Version 3.1.1 Jul. 21, 2010, a detailed description thereof will not be given.
The GPGPU normally operates in an SPMD (Single Program-Multiple Data) manner. Therefore, a single program (kernel) is concurrently executed in respective threads. The calculation performance of the GPGPU is further improved by controlling a larger number of calculation cores to restlessly continue processing. Most of applications require processing for integrating calculation results of respective threads into one after the parallel processing. As popular processing, parallel reduction processing is known. In the parallel reduction processing, a plurality of data are gradually integrated to obtain a processing result. At this time, as the data are integrated, the number of threads which join the parallel reduction processing gradually decreases. That is, since the number of threads which do nothing (idle cores) increases, the processing resources are wasted. An example of the parallel reduction is described in detail in "CUDA Technical Training Volume II: CUDA Case Studies Q2 2008", and a description thereof will not be given.
Furthermore, in the parallel reduction processing, interthread communications take place. When these communications are made via a shared memory, since a plurality of threads concurrently make communications, access conflicts occur. Since conflicting accesses are processed in turn, and other accesses are waited until processing is complete, a processing speed lowers considerably.
Japanese Patent No. 3311381 discloses a method of compiling a program which runs on a computer including a plurality of calculation units that can operate in parallel. According to the method of Japanese Patent No. 3311381, when the number of registers to be used, which is estimated upon issuance of a certain instruction, is larger than the number of available registers, that instruction is changed to another instruction so as to reduce the number of concurrently active registers.
However, the technique described in Japanese Patent No. 3311381 does not consider any case in which a plurality of cores operate in the SPMD manner like in the GPGPU. That is, according to the technique described in Japanese Patent No. 3311381, a plurality of cores are instructed to operate according to different instructions. However, in the GPGPU which does not perform such operations, the operation speed rather lowers according to the technique of Japanese Patent No. 3311381.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium