Measured sleep alarm signaling is provided which activates an alarm in a manner that allows a user to get a predetermined amount of measured sleep, rather than just awakening the person at a specific time, or when the person has been in the bed for a certain amount of time. A method for awakening a person includes: setting a desired amount of actual sleep time; receiving measurement signals relating to the person's state of sleep over time; determining, using the received measurement signals, an actual sleep time indicating an amount of time that the person has actually slept; determining whether the actual sleep time is greater than or equal to the desired amount of actual sleep time, as a first determination result; and initiating an alarm for awakening the person using the first determination result.

Methods, apparatuses, and systems consistent with the present invention relate to measured sleep alarm signaling.
Conventional devices for awakening a person, such as alarm clocks, produce an audible alarm at a predetermined time (e.g. at 7:00 AM). However, such conventional alarm clocks are problematic since, among other disadvantages, they always awaken a person at a predetermined time (e.g. at 7:00 AM) regardless of the person's state of sleep at the predetermined time, and regardless of the amount of time the person actually slept (e.g., perhaps the person was in bed for ten hours, but only got two hours of actual sleep).
On the other hand, U.S. application Ser. No. 12/990,456 (U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2011/0291842, filed Nov. 14, 2008, entitled APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR A PHYSIOLOGICAL ALARM, hereinafter referred to as "the '456 application"), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a physiological alarm for awakening a sleeping person based on the person's state of sleep. Specifically, the '456 application describes a physiological alarm, wherein a person sets a range of time during which the person desires to awake and the alarm device monitors the person's sleep state and activates the alarm based on the state of the person's sleep.
In other words, the alarm sounds within a preset time range (e.g., between 6:45 AM and 7:15 AM), but at a time when the person is detected to be in a light stage of sleep. By awakening the person while in a light stage of sleep, the person is less likely to awake in a state of confusion and disorientation and a better overall awakening experience for the person is provided.
However, there is a need for an alarm which awakens a sleeping person after the person has actually gotten a predetermined amount of measured sleep (e.g., after eight hours of actual sleep), as opposed to simply awakening the person within a preset time range.
For example, even using the alarm in the '456 application, a person would be awakened within the preset time range (e.g., between 6:45 AM and 7:15 AM) regardless of whether or not the person ever actually fell asleep. Thus, there is a need for an alarm which would provide the person with the option of being woken up later than the preset time range, if desired, to ensure that a predetermined amount sleep had been measured.
Conversely, even using the alarm in the '456 application, it is possible that the person could sleep the desired amount before the preset time range is reached. Thus, there is a need for alarm which would provide the person with the option of being woken up earlier than a preset time range, if desired, so that time is not spent unnecessarily continuing to sleep after a suitable amount of sleep has already been obtained.

Apparatuses and methods for measured sleep alarm signaling


A device for cleaning the solution used for washing a printing press cylinder wherein the washing solution is conveyed in a circuit and cleaned by a distillation device to separate out ink residues followed by a gravity separator to separate the washing solution into its water and solvent constituents. Only small amounts of ink residues are produced in the distillation device and can be disposed of without difficulty as industrial waste. The cleaning procedure is also very efficient because, after being cleaned and separated, the water and solvent constituents of the washing solution can be separately and successively supplied to the cylinder to be washed.

A device for supplying cleaning solution to a cylinder washing apparatus of a printing press is described in the applicant's pending application Ser. No. 07/886,788, filed May 21, 1992, now abandoned. Compared with other known washing devices, it is characterized particularly in that the washing solution is conveyed in a circuit and thus reused. Ink residue and dye particles in the used washing liquid are concentrated in the distillation device and can be periodically disposed of without difficulty as industrial waste, and also the amounts of waste are small.
Experiments with the device as described in the applicant's above-mentioned application have shown that the distillate is not homogeneous; instead, water and solvent are produced in succession, depending on the conditions in the distillation device. The distillate is then returned to the actual washing apparatus, but, without further steps, this is troublesome because the distillate, as mentioned, is not a homogeneous mixture of washing solution.

Device for cleaning the solution used for washing a printing press cylinder


The invention relates to a device for testing a reprogramable non-volatile memory having dedicated areas protectable in reading, writing and/or erasing and whose access rights consist of configuration words (MC) saved in a configuration area of the memory, said device comprising message transmission/reception means (10) and a received message logic control unit (11) and access controls to the memory, characterized in that it comprises at least one temporary register ensuring an emulation of these access rights, so as to render access protections reversible or irreversible. The invention also relates to the process performed by said device.

The invention relates to a device for testing a reprogrammable non-volatile memory having dedicated areas which can be protected in reading, writing and/or erasing. It also relates to the process used in said device for testing the integrality of the memory before it is made available to the user for the application for which it is intended.
The invention has applications in all fields using a reprogrammable non-volatile memory system, whose accesses are regulated. It can in particular be used in contactless identification systems such as identification labels for tracking objects or for remote ticketing.
Reprogrammable non-volatile memory systems having dedicated areas protectable in reading, writing and/or erasing comprise means for controlling access rights to said areas. These means consist of a control logic integrating hardware or software fuses authorizing or not authorizing reading, writing and/or erasing or clearing of all or part of the content of said areas.
Hardware fuses which are very reliable with respect to fraud suffer from the disadvantage of requiring a breakdown overvoltage which, in certain applications, is not available. This is particularly the case in most contactless identification systems.
So-called software fuses consist of one or more reprogrammable non-volatile memory bits, known as latch bits. In the case of a memory having e.g. several dedicated areas protected in writing and erasing, the latch bit of each area authorizes or does not authorize access of said area in writing and erasing. For example, if the bit is at xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d, the memory area dependent on said latch bit is accessible in writing and erasing and if it is at xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d said memory area is neither accessible in writing nor in erasing. However, no matter what the value of the latch bit, the memory area in question is accessible in reading, because reading does not form the object of any protection.
However, this type of protection causes a problem during the initialization of the memory prior to its use for the target application to which it is intended, i.e. before being made available to the user. Thus, at the end of manufacture, the memory has a random configuration, i.e. the bits can be either at xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d. It is therefore necessary to initialize the memory, which requires accessing all the areas of the memory, no matter what the value of the latch bits.
Two methods are generally used for solving the memory initialization problem.
The first method consists of adding to the memory test pads making it possible to directly access the memory by presetting certain states in the control logic, i.e. certain latch bits.
However, in the case of integrated circuits, the introduction of these specific test bits increases the size of the circuits and requires a supplementary test stage at the end of the production line, which increases the circuit manufacturing costs.
The second method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,367 consists of using a configuration word. This configuration word is a set of saved bits in a configuration area of the memory. It protects the access to the latch bits in the following way. When the configuration word differs from a blocking value defined by the user, all the protected areas are accessible in reading, writing and erasing. When the configuration word is identical to the blocking value, the access rights to the protected areas are regulated by the latch bits. The probability that the blocking value is that of the configuration word at the end of manufacture becomes smaller as the number of bits becomes larger and the blocking value is well chosen. This method does not require the introduction of any supplementary element and makes it possible to minimize the surface area of the integrated circuits and simplify the implementation of the initialization phase.
However, apart from the initialization of the memory, prior to the use of the memory in its target application, it is also necessary to check the satisfactory operation of all the elements of the memory and also the control logic controlling accesses to the memory. This check must be carried out, preferably in an exhaustive manner. For this purpose, it is necessary to be able to modify at random the entire memory (including the configuration area) and test all the states of the control logic and in particular those imposed by the particular values of the configuration area. However, the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,467 does not permit such a verification (or memory testing). It only permits an operation in the so-called xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d checking mode of the memory access rights.
The object of the invention is to solve the problems of the procedures described hereinbefore. To this end, it proposes a process and a device permitting an operation in two modes, namely a xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d mode, in which all the memory areas are accessible no matter what the protection of said areas, which makes it possible to perform an exhaustive test on the memory and control logic and a xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d mode in which access protections are irreversible, the configuration area then only being modifiable in the case where the access restrictions to the areas are increased.
More specifically, the invention relates to a device for testing a reprogrammable non-volatile memory having dedicated areas protectable in reading and/or writing and/or erasing and whose access rights consist of configuration words saved in a configuration area of the memory, said device comprising message transition/reception means and a received message logic control unit and memory access controls, characterized in that it comprises at least one temporary register ensuring an emulation of these access rights so as to make the access protections reversible when the memory is in a xe2x80x9ctestxe2x80x9d mode and irreversible in other cases.
Advantageously, the temporary register comprises:
a configuration register having an identical size and structure to the configuration area of the memory and
a test indication register.
The invention also relates to a process for testing a reprogrammable non-volatile memory using the above device. This process is characterized in that it comprises:
a) reading the content of the memory configuration area, transferring the said content into the temporary register and initializing the test indication register,
b) effecting at least one modification control of the configuration register of the temporary register whilst checking the access rights contained in the temporary register,
c) testing the modification of the configuration register by reading and/or writing and/or erasing controls on the memory areas in question.
Between stages a and b, the process according to the invention consists of comparing the value of the temporary register with one or more previously defined blocking values written into the control logic (11) and, when said two values are equal, making modifications to the configuration area irreversible and when they are different, authorizing reversible modifications of the configuration area. In other words, only the value of the memory configuration word (MCM) controls the latching or non-latching of the access rights.
According to an embodiment of the invention are immediately taken into account, the new content of the configuration area being immediately transferred into the temporary register.
According to another embodiment, the configuration area modification controls are taken into account in deferred manner by the temporary register, i.e. when the xe2x80x9ccorrect supplyxe2x80x9d signal is again activated.

Device and process for testing a reprogrammable nonvolatile memory


A satellite antenna is provided, including a dish, a bracket, an extension rod and a receiver. The dish includes a reflective surface and a back surface. The bracket is connected to the back surface, wherein the bracket includes a pivot portion. The extension rod includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end pivots on the pivot portion of the bracket, the extension rod is adapted to be rotated between a first orientation and a second orientation around a pivoting axis. The receiver is disposed on the second end of the extension rod and corresponds to the reflective surface, wherein the pivoting axis is located between the reflective surface and the receiver.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a satellite antenna, and in particular to a satellite antenna which can be easily packaged.
Description of the Related Art
A conventional satellite antenna comprises a dish, a bracket and an extension rod. The dish is connected to the bracket. The extension rod extends from the bracket toward a front of the dish. Conventionally, the extension rod must be packaged separately to prevent it from colliding with the dish, and the user must assemble the extension rod with the dish, and the assembly process is inconvenient for the user. Additionally, during assembly, the user may damage the satellite antenna (especially the reflective surface of the dish), thereby compromising the transmission efficiency of the satellite antenna.


A strap that incorporates a breakaway connector that extends between a chain on a switch contained on a fixture and a bedpost or other fixed or stationary object. The strap has an attachment mean, such as hook and loop fastener, on a lower end for making a loop to attach the strap to the object. The upper end has a breakaway connector with a chain attaching device attached. The chain attaching device attaches the strap with the breakaway connector to the chain on a switch on a fixture. The breakaway connector disconnects the strap from the switch if the strap is pulled to hard, yanked or jerked. The breakaway connector disconnects to protect the switch from breaking. The connector is easily reconnected once disconnected. A shock absorber is also provided for additional protection and to prevent unnecessary disconnects during momentary pulls near or slightly over the disconnect tension.

The present invention relates to a strap with a breakaway connector for extending a pull on switches and more particularly to a pull strap that has a breakaway connector that attaches to and extends a pull chain on pull chain switch for an electric fixture that protects the switch from breakage due to hard pulls, yanks or jerks.
There are a number of different light fixtures, fans and other devices that have a pull chain switch for turning the light, fan or other type device off and on. On ceiling fans a chain is also used for changing the fans' speed and on some fans the direction of rotation. These chains are often positioned at a height that requires an extension, otherwise the pull would be to high for most people to reach. There are many different straps, cords and chains that are designed to extend the length. Some of these extensions are just basic chains, cords or straps while others are fancifully designed.
A typical problem encountered when entering a dark room is finding the pull to turn the light on. People entering a room typically sweep an arm back and forth until the pull is encountered. In order to alleviate this problem, the end of an extension has been tied to hooks, bed posts and other convenient items in order to find the pull more easily. It is also a problem for light fixtures located near a bed. The extension is often tied to the bedpost so the light can be turned off and on while in bed.
One of the must prevalent problems with pull switches on light fixtures, fans and other devices is that the switch often breaks when the pull chain is pulled too hard or yanked. This requires the fixture or switch to be replaced. In places such as hospitals, nursing homes, factories and other places where numerous fixtures are used, this problem can be and is very costly. Persons not having full physical or mental capacity or are upset for one reason or another may not realize their own strength when pulling the extension or chain. Whatever the reason, the pull switch is often broke because of a hard pull, jerk or yank on the pull chain or extension thereon.
The strap of this invention overcomes all of the forementioned problems. The strap of this invention is an extension that allows a person to easily reach the pull. Provisions are made for attaching the end of the strap to a convenient located item in order to more easily find the strap. A breakaway connector is incorporated to prevent the pull switch from breaking if pulled to hard, jerked or yanked.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a strap with breakaway connector for extending pull on switches that extends the length of a chain on a pull switch located on a light fixture, fan or any other device or fixture having a pull chain type switch.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a strap with breakaway connector for extending pull on switches that is constructed such that the breakaway connector will disconnect the strap before the switch is broke when pulled to hard or yanked. The breakaway connector provides this protection by disconnecting the extension from the pull but also allows easy reconnection once disconnected.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a strap with breakaway connector for extending pull on switches that provides for attachment to an object or other item such that the strap can be easily found.

Strap with breakaway connector for extending pull chains on switches


A card connector includes an insulating housing defining a receiving chamber for receiving a card having a gap at one side edge, an ejecting device for withdrawing the card from the card connector and including a sliding body, and a cover coupled on the insulating housing. One side of the receiving chamber defines a sliding recess where the sliding body is slidably disposed. The sliding body protrudes toward the receiving chamber to form a projection buckled into the gap of the card for securing the card. The cover is provided with a propping means at one side away from the ejecting device. The propping means includes a propping arm stretching into the receiving chamber and inclined toward the ejecting device for propping against the other side edge of the card to make the card close to the sliding body and further secure the projection in the gap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a card connector for receiving a card therein, and more particularly to a card connector capable of preventing the card from springing out in the process of withdrawing the card from the card connector.
2. The Related Art
Traditionally, a card connector has an ejecting device used for withdrawing an external card from the card connector. The ejecting device includes a sliding body, a spring and a connecting bar. While the card is inserted into the card connector, the card pushes the sliding body to move. Then the spring is compressed and the connecting bar jostles the sliding body to keep the sliding body and the spring relatively immovable. While the card is withdrawn from the card connector, the card is again pushed inward to make the sliding body discharged from the connecting bar. As a result, the power stored in the spring is released so that drives the spring to reposition and further drives the sliding body to reposition. So the sliding body pushes the card to exit from the card connector.
However, in the process of withdrawing the card from the card connector, the card is apt to spring out from the card connector without any resisting structures for cushioning the speed of the card moving outward under the action of the ejecting device, as a result, the card may be lost or damaged. Therefore, a card connector capable of preventing the card from springing out is required.


Melanocortin receptor-specific compounds of the general formula

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to tetra-substituted single acyl compounds that bind to one or more melanocortin receptors and are agonists, antagonists, mixed agonist-antagonists, inverse agonists or antagonists of inverse agonists with respect to one or more melanocortin receptors, and use thereof for the treatment of metabolic, immune, infection-related and other melanocortin receptor-mediated disorders, including treatment of obesity and related energy homeostasis disorders and diseases.
2. Background Art
A family of melanocortin receptor types and subtypes have been identified, including melanocortin-1 receptors (MC1-R) expressed on normal human melanocytes and melanoma cells, melanocortin-2 receptors (MC2-R) for ACTH (adrenocorticotropin) expressed in cells of the adrenal gland, melanocortin-3 and melanocortin-4 receptors (MC3-R and MC4-R), expressed primarily in cells in the hypothalamus, mid-brain and brainstem, and melanocortin-5 receptors (MC5-R), expressed in a wide distribution of tissues.
In general, compounds specific for MC1-R are believed to be useful for treatment of melanoma. Compounds specific for MC3-R or MC4-R are believed to be useful in regulation of energy homeostasis, including use as agents for attenuating food intake and body weight gain, for use in treatment of anorexia, as a weight gain aid, for treatment of obesity, and treatment of other food intake and metabolism-related purposes. Compounds specific for MC3-R and MC4-R can further be used as agents for treatment of sexual dysfunction, including male erectile dysfunction and female sexual dysfunction. Other melanocortin receptor-specific compounds, such as MCR-1 agonists, can be used as tanning agents to increase melanin production in the skin, acting as chemo-preventive agents against harmful effects of UV solar radiation. Compounds specific for MCR-1 and MCR-3 may further be useful in regulation of inflammatory processes.
There is a significant need for compounds with high specificity for discrete melanocortin receptors, as well as for compounds that are either agonists or antagonists for specific melanocortin receptors. High affinity compounds for melanocortin receptors can be used to exploit varied physiological responses associated with the melanocortin receptors, either as agonists or antagonists. In addition, melanocortin receptors have an effect on the activity of various cytokines, and high affinity compounds for melanocortin receptors can be used to regulate cytokine activity.
There are known piperazine and piperidine compounds, such as those disclosed in WO 02/070511 (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company), WO 02/059095 (Eli Lilly and Company), and WO 00/74679 (Merck & Co., Inc.), asserted to be specific for melanocortin or related receptors. However, in general such compounds have at most two functional substituted groups, have relatively poor affinity and specificity, and are not suitable for use as drug compounds. There is a significant need for compounds with high specificity for discrete receptors, such as melanocortin and other receptors, as well as compounds that are agonists or antagonists for such receptors. High affinity compounds for such receptors can be used to exploit varied physiological responses associated with the receptors, either as agonists or antagonists. There is thus a need for compounds that are more selective, including higher affinity and specificity, and in particular for compounds that have at least three or four biologically active substituted groups. This invention addresses that need.
WO 02/085925, "Melanocortin Receptor Ligands", to The Proctor & Gamble Company, discloses ketopiperazine structures and methods of synthesis thereof, but does not disclose piperazine structures, piperazine structures with four or more substituted groups, methods to synthesize piperazine structures, methods to synthesize piperazine structures with four or more substituted groups, or methods to synthesize optically pure structures, and further does not disclose structures with a single substituent group that is a single D-Phe residue, or a derivative or homolog thereof, optionally with an amine capping group.
Commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/837,519, published as Publication No. US 2004/0224957 A1, discloses piperazine compounds specific for one or more melanocortin receptors, but does not disclose examples of piperazine compounds with four substituted groups where one but only one substituted group includes an acyl, and further does not include single acyl compounds where one substituted group includes a heteroatom unit with at least one cationic center, hydrogen bond donor or hydrogen bond acceptor, and the remaining three substituted groups each include a ring structure.
With respect to certain objects, methods, synthetic schemes, utilities, applications, definitions, protocols and other disclosures, this application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/762,079, entitled "Piperazine Melanocortin-Specific Compounds", filed on Jan. 21, 2004; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/837,519, entitled "Melanocortin Receptor-Specific Compounds", filed on Apr. 30, 2004; International Application No. PCT/US02/25574, International Publication No. WO 03/013571, entitled "Peptidomimetics of Biologically Active Metallopeptides", filed on Aug. 12, 2002; and the specifications of each of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full.
There remains a significant need for compounds selective for MC4-R for treatment of conditions relating to regulation of energy homeostasis, including use as agents for attenuating food intake and body weight gain, for treatment of obesity, and treatment of other food intake and metabolism-related purposes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Substituted melanocortin receptor-specific single acyl piperazine compounds

Abstract: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, where J is a substituted or unsubstituted monocyclic or bicyclic ring structure, W is a heteroatom unit with at least one cationic center, hydrogen bond donor or hydrogen bond acceptor, Q is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic carbocyclic ring group, L, R2a, R2b, R3a, R3b, r, x and y are as defined in the specification, and the carbon atoms marked with an asterisk can have any stereochemical configuration. Compounds disclosed herein bind to one or more melanocortin receptors and may be an agonist, a partial agonist, an antagonist, an inverse agonist or an antagonist of an inverse agonist as to one or more melanocortin receptors, and may be employed for treatment of one or more melanocortin receptor-associated conditions or disorders, including specifically treatment of obesity and related conditions.


The invention is directed to a method and an arrangement for controlling an internal combustion engine (20) which achieve an optimal efficiency in different operating states. An opening time of an inlet valve (5) of a cylinder (1) of the engine (20) is variably adjusted. Depending upon an operating variable, especially the engine speed, two operating states of the engine (20) are distinguished. In a first operating state, during an intake operation, an opening of the inlet valve (5) is delayed. In a second operating state, a closing of the inlet valve is delayed and carried out during a compression operation.

Internal combustion engines having fully variable valve controls are known, for example, in the form of an electro-hydraulic valve control.
Furthermore, German patent publication 198 46 111 discloses a method for increasing the torque of an internal combustion engine. The throttle flap in the intake manifold is closed at the beginning of an intake operation of the particular cylinder so that a post-charging effect, which increases the torque, occurs also at low engine speed. The throttle flap is again opened after a delay time. The delay time is so dimensioned that a pressure wave, which arises in the intake manifold because of the closing of the throttle flap, reaches one or several inlet valves present on the cylinder directly in advance of their closing and effects a post-charging of the cylinder.
Furthermore, the vehicle Eunos 800N is known, for example, from the Mazda Company which has an engine configured as a Miller engine. Here, the compression stroke of the engine is shortened wherefrom a low compression ratio and a high expansion ratio result.

Method and arrangement for controlling an internal combustion engine


A method is provided for manufacturing a display with a partition wall to form a luminescent cell on a base 30 of the display. The method includes a step of forming an inorganic micro-powder layer in which an inorganic micro-powder layer is formed on the base; and a step for forming thee partition wall in which the partition wall is formed by irradiating the inorganic micro-powder layer on the base with laser light so as to melt the inorganic micro-powder layer and form the partition wall.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display including a partition wall on a substrate, and to a method and a device for manufacturing such a display.
2. Description of the Related Art
The needs for large flat displays have been increasing in recent years. Among various types of such large flat displays, plasma display panels (PDPs) have made significant penetration.
Since the luminous efficiency of PDPs largely depends on the capacity of cells making up each pixel, it is necessary to ensure the cell capacity is large enough for increasing the luminous efficiency, which is an issue to be solved. A typical way to increase the cell capacity is increasing the height of a partition wall of each cell.
Since the aperture ratio of each cell decreases as the width of the partition wall increases, the ratio of the height and width (height/width) of the partition wall should be made large throughout a large substrate.
Two major methods for forming such a partition wall are a scraping method for making a pattern wall by sandblasting and a screen printing method. The sandblasting can produce a partition wall with a favorable height-width ratio, however, it requires many hours of work. As for the screen printing method, in which glass paste is patterned and sintered, the height of the glass paste that can be applied in a single process is limited. In addition, the screen printing method requires time-consuming complicated processing, which can reduce productivity and possibly damage a cell pattern.
Therefore, another method for forming a partition wall of a cell has been proposed, using a preformed fixed-width green tape as an insulating layer (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-255510 (pp. 1–3, FIG. 1), for example).
A problem arises, however, when forming a partition wall of a cell using this green tape. It is required to make a large partition-wall pattern associated with a large substrate in advance. The problem is that it is difficult and time consuming to evenly attach a large green tape onto this large substrate, which can be an obstacle to raising efficiency in manufacturing large flat displays.
To address this problem, the present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a display that is capable of economically providing a partition wall of a luminescent cell with high precision regardless of the size of a substrate of the display, a device for manufacturing such a display, and a display manufactured thereby.

Method for manufacturing a partition wall for a display device


The present system and method allow the exchange of messages, such as email, between a sender and a recipient while maintaining the data secure and the integrity of the content of the messages. The method and system do not require a user having an account to open a received message. The method comprises the server creating a new communication key upon reception of a request. The communication key is typically valid for a single request to ensure that each request is encrypted using different communication keys. The method typically comprises a client [A] establishing communication on [HANDSHAKE] with one or more servers [B]. The HANDSHAKE generally aims at initializing the encryption key that will be used to exchange information between A and B.

In the current digital communication era, companies exchange hundreds of billions of data per day on a global scale through different systems. Security should be at the heart of those exchanges since several of them are confidential and/or should be treated in a confidential manner.
Regardless of the type of communication, the data exchanged should be encrypted to ensure maximum confidentiality and to protect the said data from each of the different "stakeholders." Even if the data exchanged passes through thousands of systems around the world, each of these servers does not have the same level of security.
There are several applications to improve the security of communications and maintain their efficiency. However, these applications require the installation of software on the computer of each party. This installation can be problematic in many scenarios and can greatly complicate the communication process in cases where the recipient is not known. For companies, the most popular method of communication is still the email. For the year 2016, more than 215 billion of emails (excluding spam) were sent on average each day.
The SMTP protocol was developed in the 1980s, the Stone Age of the Internet. At that time, the communication protocol was not designed to exchange sensitive or confidential information. Although it is possible to encrypt messages directly from a messaging client software, the recipient must have the sender's digital signature or key in possession to decrypt the encrypted sender's emails. This technique is therefore barely used because it substantially increases the complexity of the communication configuration and is very little scalable due to this complexity.
There is, therefore, a need for a system and a method to simplify the point-to-point encryption process of the exchanged data without installing software or an application on the sender's and the recipient's devices.

System and method for securely exchanging messages


A phase-shifted reticle with patterns proximate each other having inverted phases for the features and phase-shifting elements, and methods of fabricating the reticle, are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the inverted reticle is used to form an array of closely spaced contact or via openings. For a first pattern on the reticle, the feature will be the 0.degree. phase and the phase-shifting rim surrounding that feature will be the 180.degree. phase. All patterns surrounding the first pattern have phase-shifting rims of the 0.degree. phase and features of the 180.degree. phase. In this way, each pattern can form below conventional resolution features in the resist. Additionally, there will not be exposure of the regions between the closely spaced features since radiation transmitted through the closely spaced phase-shifting rims of the two patterns is 180.degree. out of phase.

Within the semiconductor industry, lithographic printers use reticles (also called masks) having device patterns to pattern photoresist layers. The reticle comprises a substrate, typically quartz, with an opaque layer, e.g., chrome, thereon. State of the art semiconductor devices require very small dimensional patterns. These small patterns can be formed within a photoresist layer as long as the pattern is within the resolution of the printer, which is herein defined as the smallest dimension that can be resolved within the photoresist layer while maintaining an acceptable process window. The practical resolution is approximately: ##EQU1## where k.sub.1 is a "constant" for a given lithographic process (process constant), .lambda. is the wavelength of the radiation, and NA is the numerical aperture of the lens. One skilled in the art appreciates that k.sub.1 is not a true constant, but can actually vary. A conventional reticle has a k.sub.1 of approximately 0.8.
When exposing a feature having a dimension near the practical resolution with a conventional reticle, diffraction effects become significant. Because of this, portions of the photoresist underneath an opaque section near the interface of the opaque section and an opening in the reticle receive some of the exposing radiation. In order to minimize this problem, phase-shifted reticles have been used in the prior art.
In the following discussion a phase-shifted reticle used to pattern a positive photoresist will be used for illustration. Portions of the chrome layer will be referred to as "chrome elements." "Openings" within the chrome layer are regions from which the chrome layer has been removed, which transmit a substantial fraction of the exposing radiation, and which correspond to the pattern to be formed on the photoresist layer. "Phase-shifting elements" are regions between the chrome elements and openings from which the chrome has been removed and which transmit a substantial fraction of the exposing radiation, but shift the phase of the radiation approximately 180.degree. relative to the opening. Generally, the phase difference of 180.degree. between the opening and a phase-shifting element is created by a difference in the thickness of the quartz substrate between the two regions, or by the addition of a thickness of a material such as spin-on-glass (SOG), for example. A typical prior art phase-shifted reticle is shown in FIG. 1 and includes quartz plate 10 having chrome element 11, phase-shifting rim 12, and opening 13. A phase-shifting rim is a phase-shifting element which surrounds an opening such as opening 13. A "pattern" on a reticle as used herein is that portion of the reticle which forms an image in the developed photoresist pattern. In prior art non phase-shifted reticles, the pattern on a reticle consists of the opening in the chrome layer. In a phase-shifted reticle, the pattern consists of both the opening as well as any phase-shifting element associated with the opening. For example, the pattern shown in FIG. 1 comprises opening 13 and phase-shifting rim 12. The pattern formed by the portion of a reticle shown in FIG. 1 could be a contact or via opening. This pattern will be referred to as an "opening pattern" in the present specification.
Within this application, a phase-shifting element width is sometimes expressed as a fraction of IRF.multidot..lambda./NA where IRF is the image reduction factor of the lens, .lambda. is the wavelength of the radiation, and NA is the numerical aperture of the lens. Widths expressed in units of IRF.multidot..lambda./NA are used because the actual width of a phase-shifting element varies based on those three parameters. Although k.sub.1 is a function of the phase-shifting element width, an equation to determine k.sub.1 given a phase-shifting element width is not known. Generally, k.sub.1 decreases as the phase-shifting element width increases, but it is understood that k.sub.1 may not be a linear function of the phase-shifting element width. Therefore, an increased phase-shifting element width results in a decreased value of k.sub.1, allowing for improved resolution. However, at least one process complication occurs. With an increased phase-shifting element width, the radiation intensity at the photoresist surface under the phase-shifting element increases. This can cause undesired exposure of the photoresist under the phase-shifting element. When the prior art phase-shifted reticle has a phase-shifting element with a width greater than about 0.4 IRF.multidot..lambda./NA, the phase-shifting element is too wide, and the photoresist layer under the center of the phase-shifting element is substantially exposed when the reticle is exposed to radiation. The phase-shifting element width is usually no less than about 0.1 IRF.multidot..lambda./NA because k.sub.1 for a phase-shifting element width less than 0.1 IRF.multidot..lambda./NA is close to the same value as k.sub.1 for the conventional reticle.
In FIG. 1, the phase-shifting rim 12 has a thickness such that radiation transmitted through the phase-shifting rim 12 is shifted about 180.degree. out of phase relative to the radiation transmitted through the opening 13. The transmittance of radiation transmitted through the opening 13 is about the same as the transmittance of radiation transmitted through the phase-shifting rim 12.
The phase-shifted reticle is used to pattern a positive photoresist layer as illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C. FIG. 2A includes a cross-sectional view of the reticle of FIG. 1 and has quartz plate 10, chrome element 11, phase-shifting rim 12, and reticle opening 13. When radiation is incident on the reticle, the radiation is transmitted through the reticle opening 13 and the phase-shifting rim 12, but the chrome element 11 prevents virtually all transmission of radiation. FIG. 2B illustrates how the radiation transmitted through the reticle divided by the radiation incident on the reticle, I/I.sub.0, may vary across the photoresist layer surface when using the reticle of FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 2B, I/I.sub.0 under the chrome element 11 is substantially zero, and I/I.sub.0 under opening 13 away from the phase-shifting rim 12 is close to unity.
Interference areas A21 and A22 each include a portion of the phase-shifting rim 12 as shown in FIG. 2A. Within each interference area, the radiation transmitted through the phase-shifting rim 12 is shifted about 180.degree. out of phase relative to the radiation transmitted through the reticle opening 13. Radiation from the reticle opening 13 that enters the interference areas is interfered with by the radiation that is transmitted through the phase-shifting rim 12 within the interference areas.
The actual patterned photoresist layer typically has at least one problem. As seen in FIG. 2B, some radiation reaches the photoresist layer under the phase-shifting rim 12. I/I.sub.0 beneath the center of the phase-shifting element increases as the width of the phase-shifting element increases. After developing, the photoresist layer has resist elements 18 each with a recession 23 near a photoresist layer opening 22 as shown in FIG. 2C. To solve the problem of the recession caused by the prior art reticle of FIG. 1, a phase-shifted reticle having phase-shifting elements with a reduced transmittance has been discovered. See co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 869,026; filed Apr. 15, 1992; entitled "Lithography Using A Phase-Shifted Reticle With Reduced Transmittance," which application is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
As dimensions are scaled for increased device density, the dimensions and spacing of contact patterns such as those shown in FIG. 1 can be expected to decrease. A problem will be encountered with the prior art rim phase-shifted reticle of FIG. 1 for forming contact openings of small dimensions on scaled devices. Often, it is desired to put the contacts in an array. In an array, two opening patterns may be in close proximity, or may be adjacent to one another along a side. In this case, the two close or adjacent phase-shifting rims are roughly equivalent to one very wide rim. As noted above, as the phase-shifting rim width is increased, I/I.sub.0 underneath the phase-shifting element increases. FIG. 3 shows a reticle with two prior art phase-shifting opening patterns placed side by side. FIG. 3B shows a plot of I/I.sub.0, plotted along the line 15--15a of FIG. 3A, showing the intensity of the exposing radiation at the photoresist surface. At the outer edges near the points 15 and 15a, the destructive interface between phase-shifting rim 12 and opening 13 has significantly reduced the transmitted light intensity. However, the intensity of radiation between the openings 13 is significantly higher. The increased intensity will cause a deep recession in the exposed photoresist, and may in fact cause a portion of the photoresist to be removed between the contact or via openings. This problem occurs not only when two patterns are adjacent along a side as shown in FIG. 3A, but also when the patterns are in close proximity to one another. Even if a strip of chrome is between the two adjacent phase-shifted rim opening patterns, the increased intensity between the two patterns will still be too great if they are positioned at approximately 0.55 .lambda./NA or less.
What is needed is a phase-shifted reticle allowing for patterns having a phase-shifting rim or phase-shifting element along one or more sides to be placed closely together without causing an unacceptable increase in the exposure intensity between the patterns.

Method of fabrication of inverted phase-shifted reticle


An in situ traveling paper machine web is stabilized from flutter and vibration for the purpose of formation and optical property measurement by an air flow system by which a boundary layer air stream between a sole plate and the adjacent web surface secures the web in a stable position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art and science of papermaking. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring paper web properties while in situ of the paper machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Throughout the production of a fourdrinier machine paper web, certain quality and property characteristics of the web are continuously monitored and measured. Among such monitored properties are those relating to surface smoothness, optical uniformity and formation quality.
Paper web formation quality is that characteristic of paper that is manually ascertained by the uniformity of light transmittance through a back lighted web. A mottled sheet is of poor formation quality. The characteristic is objectively measured by detecting variations in light transmittance through a given length of web from a constant intensity source. Maintenance of a constant intensity light source requires a constant physical displacement position of the web from the light source within a fixed separation gap between the light source and light detector. At a web production velocity of 1500 feet per minute and greater, the web begins to flutter and float at unsupported locations along the machine length. Necessarily, detector heads of measuring instruments must be located at unsupported web locations.
As a general rule, no stationary structure is permitted to have contact with the traveling paper machine web. This practicer has numerous justifications including a potential for marking or scoring the web, as a machine threading obstruction and as a surface of debris accumulation and web contamination.
Resultantly, the accuracy and reliability of web property measuring instruments such as formation testers and monitors is greatly compromised on high speed paper machines due to a heretofore conflict between the measuring requirement to hold a constant web position proximity and the machine operating discipline that denies the presence of structure necessary to confine the web position.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for maintaining the proximity of an in situ paper machine web to a web property measuring unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus that secures a point position of an in situ paper machine web without structural contact.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the accuracy of formation monitors and other in situ web property measuring instruments by stabilizing the web location relative to the instrument measuring means.

Apparatus for measuring paper web properties while in situ of the paper machine with air jet stabilization


In a D.C. to D.C. converter, an input voltage is received via an inductor at an input terminal and stored onto a capacitor of an integrator. A first switch is coupled between the input terminal and a reference terminal such as ground and thereby fluxes the inductor. The input voltage stored on the capacitor falls at a rate determined by the integrator circuit and an initial value of the input voltage. After a time duration, the first switch becomes nonconductive. Current flows from the inductor through a diode to an output terminal until a second switch across the diode is made conductive. Stored voltage on the capacitor of the integrator increases in response to the second switch being conductive. The stored voltage on the capacitor is continuously compared with a reference voltage. The second switch is made nonconductive when the stored voltage on the capacitor exceeds the reference voltage.

1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to DC to DC to converters, and more specifically, to DC to DC converters having switch control.
2. Related Art
DC to DC converters have an important role in systems because it is not uncommon for the power supply that is available to have a wide voltage range. Because the power supply may be a battery, it is desirable that the DC to DC converter perform its conversion efficiently. Efficiency is reduced by any power used by the DC to DC converter itself. Thus, for increasing efficiency, it is desirable to eliminate or reduce any power consumed during the conversion. Typically a diode is used in the conversion process but any current passing through the diode is a loss of power due to the voltage drop of about 0.7 volt of a forward biased PN junction. Attempts have been made to eliminate this diode drop by using a switched transistor, but timing of the transistor is very critical for proper operation. If the transistor is conductive for too long, current can actually flow from the output back to the converter. If the transistor is becomes non-conductive too soon, power is wasted through the diode.
Thus, there is a need to eliminate or improve upon the issues raised above in performing a DC to DC conversion.

DC to DC converter having switch control and method of operation


In a temperature sensor section of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, first vias of tungsten are formed at the topmost layer of a multi-layer wiring layer and pads of titanium are provided on regions of the multi-layer wiring layer which covers the vias. An insulating layer is provided in such a way as to cover the multi-layer wiring layer and the pads, second vias are so formed as to reach the pads. Vanadium oxide is buried in the second vias by reactive sputtering, and a temperature monitor part of vanadium oxide is provided in such a way as to connect the second vias each other. Accordingly, the temperature monitor part is connected between the two wires.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit device with a built-in monolithic temperature sensor. The present invention can be suitably adapted particularly to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a temperature sensor fabricated in a semiconductor process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the need for monitoring the operation temperature of an integrated circuit device is growing for the purpose of preventing thermal breakdown of devices in the integrated circuit device and stabilizing the operation of a device having a temperature-dependent characteristic, such as a crystal oscillator, among those devices which are provided in the integrated circuit device.
In this respect, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H1-302849, for example, discloses a technique of protecting an LSI (Large Scale Integrated circuit) in a semiconductor integrated-circuit device from thermally broken by a temperature rise by providing a temperature sensor on the same substrate as that of the LSI, deciding that the LSI is abnormally overheated when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined value and then shutting down the LSI.
A technique of using a parasitic pn junction diode as such a temperature sensor is proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H9-229778. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device having the temperature sensor described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H9-229778, and FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing the temperature sensor section of the semiconductor integrated circuit device as shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, this conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device 21 includes a P type silicon substrate PSub and a multi-layer wiring layer M21 formed on the P type silicon substrate PSub. The multi-layer wiring layer M21 is the lamination of plural wiring layers and plural insulating layers alternately laminated. The semiconductor integrated circuit device 21 is provided with a logic circuit section 2, which is formed at the top surface of the P type silicon substrate PSub and a predetermined region of the multi-layer wiring layer M21, and a temperature sensor section 23, which is formed at that region of the top surface of the P type silicon substrate PSub and the multi-layer wiring layer M21 where the logic circuit section 2 is not formed.
A CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) circuit 4, for example, is provided in the logic circuit section 2. In the CMOS circuit 4, an N well NW1 and a P well PW1 are formed at the top surface of the P type silicon substrate PSub in such a way as to be adjacent to each other. Two p+ diffusion regions P1 and P2, which becomes a source/drain region, are formed, apart from each other, at the top surface of the N well NW1. Two n+ diffusion regions N1 and N2, which becomes the source/drain region, are formed, apart from each other, at the top surface of the P well PW1. There are a channel region 5 between the p+ diffusion regions P1 and P2 in the N well NW1 and a channel region 6 between the n+ diffusion regions N1 and N2 in the P well PW1.
A gate insulating layer (not shown) is provided at that region in the multi-layer wiring layer M21 which includes regions directly overlying the channel regions 5 and 6, and gate electrodes G1 and G2 of, for example, polysilicon, are respectively provided at the regions directly overlying the channel regions 5 and 6. The gate electrodes G1 and G2 are commonly connected to a gate terminal Vg. The channel region 5, the p+ diffusion regions P1 and P2 as the source/drain region, the gate insulating layer and the gate electrode G1 form a P type MOS transistor. The channel region 6, the n+ diffusion regions N1 and N2 as the source/drain region, the gate insulating layer and the gate electrode G2 form an N-type MOS transistor.
A via V1 is provided on the p+ diffusion region P1 in the multi-layer wiring layer M21 in such a way as to be connected to the p+ diffusion region P1, and a wire W1 is provided on the via V1 in such a way as to be connected to the via V1. A via V2 is provided on the wire W1 in such a way as to be connected to the wire W1, and a power-source potential wire Vcc is provided on the via V2 in such a way as to be connected to the via V2. Accordingly, the p+ diffusion region P1 is connected to the power-source potential wire Vcc through the via V1, the wire W1 and the via V2.
A via V3 is provided on the p+ diffusion region P2 in the multi-layer wiring layer M21 in such a way as to be connected to the p+ diffusion region P2, and a via V4 is provided on the n+ diffusion region N1 in such a way as to be connected to the n+ diffusion region N1. A wire W2 is provided on the vias V3 and V4 in such a way as to be connected to the vias V3 and V4. A via V5 is provided on the wire W2 in such a way as to be connected to the wire W2, and a wire W3 is provided on the via V5 in such a way as to be connected to the via V5. Accordingly, the p+ diffusion region P2 and the n+ diffusion region N1 are connected to the wire W3 through the vias V3 and V4, the wire W2 and the via V5.
Further, a via V6 is provided on the n+ diffusion region N2 in the multi-layer wiring layer M21 in such a way as to be connected to the n+ diffusion region N2, and a wire W4 is provided on the via V6 in such a way as to be connected to the via V6. A via V7 is provided on the wire W4 in such a way as to be connected to the wire W4, and a ground potential wire GND is provided on the via V7 in such a way as to be connected to the via V7. Accordingly, the n+ diffusion region N2 is connected to the ground potential wire GND through the via V6, the wire W4 and the via V7.
A p+ diffusion region P3 is formed at that region of the top surface of the P type silicon substrate PSub which is other than the region where the N well NW1 and the P well PW1 are formed. A via V8, a wire W5, a via V9 and a ground potential wire GND are provided on the p+ diffusion region P3 in the multi-layer wiring layer M21 in order in the bottom-to-top direction, and the p+ diffusion region P3 is connected to the ground potential wire GND through the via V8, the wire W5 and the via V9.
In the temperature sensor section 23, an N well NW2 is formed at the top surface of the P type silicon substrate PSub, and a p+ diffusion region P21 and an n+ diffusion region N21 are formed apart from each other at the top surface of the N well NW2. A via V21, a wire W21, a via V22 and a ground potential wire GND are provided on the p+ diffusion region P21 in the multi-layer wiring layer M21 in order in the bottom-to-top direction, and the p+ diffusion region P21 is connected to the ground potential wire GND through the via V21, the wire W21 and the via V22.
A via V23 is provided on the n+ diffusion region N21 in the multi-layer wiring layer M21 in such a way as to be connected to the n+ diffusion region N21, and a wire W22 is provided on the via V23. The wire W22 is connected to the via V23 at one end, and is connected to an output terminal Vout 21. A via V24 is provided under the wire W22 in such a way as to be connected to the other end of the wire W22, and a resistor R of, for example, polysilicon is provided under the via V24. The resistor R has a sheet shape whose one end is connected to the via V24. The resistor R is formed at the same time as the gate electrodes G1 and G2 of the CMOS circuit 4 and is provided at the same level as the gate electrodes G1 and G2. A via V25 is provided on the resistor R in such a way as to be connected to the other end of the resistor R. A wire W23, a via V26 and a power-source potential wire Vcc are provided on the via V25 in order in the bottom-to-top direction, and the resistor R is connected to the power-source potential wire Vcc through the via V25, the wire W23 and the via V26.
Accordingly, a potential higher than the potential to be applied to the p+ diffusion region P21 is applied to the N well NW2. Consequently, forward pn junction is formed between the p+ diffusion region P21 and the N well NW2, thereby forming a parasitic pn junction diode D.
In the multi-layer wiring layer M21, the vias V1, V3, V4, V6, V8, V21 and V23 are provided in a first insulating layer in which the gate electrodes G1 and G2 and the resistor R are provided in the same level. The wires W1, W2, W4, W5, W21, W22 and W23 are provided in the same level in a first wiring layer provided on the first insulating level, and the vias V2, V5, V7, V9, V22 and V26 are provided in a second insulating layer provided on the first wiring layer. Further, the individual ground potential wires GND, the individual power-source potential wires Vcc, and the wire W3 are provided in the same level in a second wiring layer provided on the second insulating layer. Those portions of the multi-layer wiring layer M21 which exclude the individual vias, the individual wires and the resistor R, and the layer overlying the second wiring layer are buried with an insulation material 7.
In the temperature sensor section 23 of the semiconductor integrated circuit device 21, as shown in FIG. 2, the resistor R and the parasitic pn junction diode D are connected in series in this order from the power-source potential wire Vcc toward the ground potential wire GND, and the output terminal Vout 21 is connected to the node between the resistor R and the parasitic pn junction diode D. The parasitic pn junction diode D is connected in the forward direction.
With the structure, as shown in FIG. 1, when the temperature of the semiconductor integrated circuit device 21 changes, the characteristic of the parasitic pn junction diode D changes, which changes the potential of the output terminal Vout 21. The temperature of the semiconductor integrated circuit device 21 can be measured by detecting the potential of the output terminal Vout 21. Because the parasitic pn junction diode D can be formed in the semiconductor integrated circuit device 21 by using the device structure of an MOS transistor, the temperature sensor section 23 can be formed without changing the conventional MOS process.
The prior art however has the following problem. According to the prior art shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as the temperature coefficient of the parasitic pn junction diode D is as low as 0.002/K or so, a sufficient SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) cannot be acquired.


The present disclosure describes methods and systems, including computer-implemented methods, computer program products, and computer systems, for determining a permeability of a rock sample. One method includes measuring a first set of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation times for the rock sample saturated with regular water (H2O); injecting heavy water (D2O) into the rock sample; measuring a second set of NMR relaxation times for the rock sample after injecting D2O; calculating a pore connectivity factor based on the first set of NMR relaxation times and the second set of NMR relaxation times; and calculating the permeability of the rock sample based on the pore connectivity factor.

Rocks in a hydrocarbon reservoir store hydrocarbons (for example, petroleum, oil, gas, or any combinations thereof) by trapping the hydrocarbons within porous formations in the rocks. Permeability measures the ability of a fluid to flow through porous media such as reservoir rocks. The permeability of porous media is related to the porosity of porous media and to the quality of the porous media. Porosity is a measure of the void (empty) spaces in a material. Porosity is a fraction of the volume of voids over the total volume. Porosity is represented as a number between 0 and 1 or, as a percentage, between 0 and 100%. The quality of the porous media refers to the shapes of the pores in the porous media and their level of connectedness. The level of connectedness indicates whether the porous media is compartmentalized or networked. The compartmentalized porous media restricts the ability of a fluid to flow through it. The porous media that is networked through a matrix of connected pores may enable the fluid to flow through it. The permeability of a porous media sample taken from a reservoir indicates the ability of a hydrocarbon bearing formation to flow and produce hydrocarbon products in the reservoir.

Determining permeability of porous media based on nuclear magnetic resonance measurement


An enforcement architecture and method for implementing digital rights management are disclosed. Digital content is distributed from a content server to a computing device of a user and received, and an attempt is made to render the digital content by way of a rendering application. The rendering application invokes a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system, and such DRM system determines whether a right to render the digital content in the manner sought exists based on any digital license stored in the computing device and corresponding to the digital content. If the right does not exist, a digital license that provides such right and that corresponds to the digital content is requested from a license server, and the license server issues the digital license to the DRM system. The computing device receives the issued digital license and stores the received digital license thereon.

Digital rights management and enforcement is highly desirable in connection with digital content such as digital audio, digital video, digital text, digital data, digital multimedia, etc., where such digital content is to be distributed to users. Typical modes of distribution include tangible devices such as a magnetic (floppy) disk, a magnetic tape, an optical (compact) disk (CD), etc., and intangible media such as an electronic bulletin board, an electronic network, the Internet, etc. Upon being received by the user, such user renders or 'plays' the digital content with the aid of an appropriate rendering device such as a media player on a personal computer or the like.
Typically, a content owner or rights-owner, such as an author, a publisher, a broadcaster, etc. (hereinafter "content owner"), wishes to distribute such digital content to a user or recipient in exchange for a license fee or some other consideration. Such content owner, given the choice, would likely wish to restrict what the user can do with such distributed digital content. For example, the content owner would like to restrict the user from copying and re-distributing such content to a second user, at least in a manner that denies the content owner a license fee from such second user.
In addition, the content owner may wish to provide the user with the flexibility to purchase different types of use licenses at different license fees, while at the same time holding the user to the terms of whatever type of license is in fact purchased. For example, the content owner may wish to allow distributed digital content to be played only a limited number of times, only for a certain total time, only on a certain type of machine, only on a certain type of media player, only by a certain type of user, etc.
However, after distribution has occurred, such content owner has very little if any control over the digital content. This is especially problematic in view of the fact that practically every new or recent personal computer includes the software and hardware necessary to make an exact digital copy of such digital content, and to download such exact digital copy to a write-able magnetic or optical disk, or to send such exact digital copy over a network such as the Internet to any destination.
Of course, as part of the legitimate transaction where the license fee was obtained, the content owner may require the user of the digital content to promise not to re-distribute such digital content. However, such a promise is easily made and easily broken. A content owner may attempt to prevent such re-distribution through any of several known security devices, usually involving encryption and decryption. However, there is likely very little that prevents a mildly determined user from decrypting encrypted digital content, saving such digital content in an un-encrypted form, and then re-distributing same.
A need exists, then, for providing an enforcement architecture and method that allows the controlled rendering or playing of arbitrary forms of digital content, where such control is flexible and definable by the content owner of such digital content. A need also exists for providing a controlled rendering environment on a computing device such as a personal computer, where the rendering environment includes at least a portion of such enforcement architecture. Such controlled rendering environment allows that the digital content will only be rendered as specified by the content owner, even though the digital content is to be rendered on a computing device which is not under the control of the content owner.
Further, a need exists for a trusted component running on the computing device, where the trusted component enforces the rights of the content owner on such computing device in connection with a piece of digital content, even against attempts by the user of such computing device to access such digital content in ways not permitted by the content owner. As but one example, such a trusted software component prevents a user of the computing device from making a copy of such digital content, except as otherwise allowed for by the content owner thereof.

Enforcement architecture and method for digital rights management


Polymeric fibrids reinforce elastomers to yield well-blended products of high modulus and elongation.

The reinforcement of rubber and other elastomers with carbon black, p-aramid pulp and other materials is well known. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,514,541 and 4,871,004. The use of fibrids in fibrid/elastomer compositions provides a simplified and more effective way of reinforcement over previously known fiber/elastomer compositions. The use of fibrids simplifies the mixing of the reinforcer and the elastomer, said mixing usually done in conventional "rubber" mixing equipment, such as Banbury, roll mill, extruder, etc. using well-known mixing techniques. Although these fibrids can be added as a masterbatch (pre-mixed with elastomers and/or other--usually solid--ingredients), in many cases they can be added even in the form of the "never-dried" product, i.e., containing substantial amounts of moisture. In case of rubber compositions which "set" due to chemical cross linking, this moisture is usually eliminated during the processing (mixing, calendering, molding) operations. With the thermoplastic elastomers this is not the case, and it is advisable to remove most or all of the moisture from the "never-dried" product prior to its addition to the elastomer.
Some of the prior art reinforced elastomeric products exhibit high modulus at low elongation but fail at high elongation. Other reinforcements present manufacturing problems because they are difficult to blend in with the elastomer and result in directional products. Poor blending is manifested by voids and flaws in the end product. Still other agents do not provide the desired degree of modulus improvement. The present invention seeks to overcome these deficiencies.


A method of camera pose estimation is provided that includes capturing a model image of a scene at a canonical camera pose, generating an image library from warped images of the model image and the model image, wherein each warped image is a transformation of the model image at a different pre-determined camera pose, capturing an image of the scene as a user moves the camera, reporting the current camera pose as a camera pose of the image when the image is acceptable, conditionally adding the first image to the image library when the first image is acceptable, and re-initializing the current camera pose to a camera pose selected from the image library when the first image is not acceptable.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to estimating the current pose of a camera as the camera is moved through space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many interactive, camera-based applications rely on the estimation of camera pose with respect to a reference coordinate system. A classic example of such an application is augmented reality (AR), in which the estimated camera pose determines the perspective rendering of a virtual object. In general, AR is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment which is augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data in order to enhance the user's perception of reality. The augmentation is conventionally performed in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, e.g., sports scores on TV during a sporting event.
In many AR scenarios, there is constant relative motion between the camera and the scene. In order to insert a virtual object such that the object appears geometrically consistent with the scene, the application determines the relative rotation and translation of the camera with respect to the scene, i.e., the camera pose.
Typically, once a starting pose estimate for a camera is computed, instantaneous image measurements are fused with past temporal information to continually update the camera pose. However, factors such as occlusion, motion blur, etc., can lead to noisy image measurements or discontinuities in temporal information that can render this pose update process unreliable or unstable. Under such circumstances, the camera pose estimate may need to be recovered.
There are two common approaches used for initializing and recovering a camera pose estimate. In one approach, the camera pose estimation algorithm has a-priori knowledge of the background scene. In this approach, warped versions of the background scene are generated in an offline phase. Thus, to initialize or recover the camera pose estimate, the algorithm can compare input images against the pre-generated warped images to estimate the pose.
In another approach, pose-invariant feature descriptors are used. In this approach, the features, F, computed from an image are invariant to changes in camera pose. Thus, even as the camera pose changes from the first image I0, to image It at time t, the algorithm can establish sufficient matches between F0 and Ft to recover the camera pose at time t. While use of pose-invariant features is powerful, their use is very computationally intensive, and hence, currently not widely deployed for embedded real-time use.


Water absorption resistant polyimide/epoxy-based compositions, like pastes (or solutions), are particularly useful to make electronic screen-printable materials and electronic components. A group of hydrophobic epoxies (and soluble polyimides) was discovered to be particularly resistant to moisture absorption. The polyimide/epoxy pastes made with these epoxies (and these polyimides) may optionally contain thermal crosslinking agents, adhesion promoting agents, blocked isocyanates, and other inorganic fillers. The polyimide/epoxy pastes of the present invention can have a glass transition temperature greater than 250° C., a water absorption factor of less than 2%, and a positive solubility measurement.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,785 to Xi, et al. broadly teaches compositions useful in electronic applications created by screen-printing pastes, followed by heat and/or chemical reaction induced solidification. However as the electronics industry advances, many such pastes must be increasingly resistant to water sorption in high humidity, high temperature environments.
Furthermore, when a resistor film is screen printed and solidified upon a conductive substrate, a reliable and stable bond must be formed at the interface (between the conductive substrate and the resistor film). If not, resistor properties can tend to drift or otherwise become problematic. If a traditional PTF resistor film is bonded directly to a copper trace, the resistance properties will generally drift, due to instability and unreliability at the resistor/conductor interface. Consequently, before conventional resistor films are applied to a copper trace, the copper trace is typically plated with silver (e.g., the copper trace is first exposed to a silver immersion plating process), since silver at the interface (between the resistor film and the copper trace) will generally provide a more stable and reliable interface, resulting in improved resistor performance. However, silver plating can be expensive and can add to the overall complexity of the manufacturing process. A need therefore also exists for resistor film compositions capable of being applied directly to copper traces with improved interface reliability and stability, relative to known resistor film compositions.

Composition of polyimide and sterically-hindered hydrophobic epoxy


A Schottky barrier FinFET device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The device includes a lower fin body provided on a substrate. An upper fin body having first and second sidewalls which extend upwardly from a center of the lower fin body and face each other is provided. A gate structure crossing over the upper fin body and covering an upper surface of the upper fin body and the first and second sidewalls is provided. The Schottky barrier FinFET device includes a source and a drain which are formed on the sidewalls of the upper fin body adjacent to sidewalls of the gate structure and made of a metal material layer formed on an upper surface of the lower fin body positioned at both sides of the upper fin body, and the source and drain form a Schottky barrier to the lower and upper fin bodies.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a fabrication method thereof, and more particularly, to a Schottky barrier FinFET (Fin Field Effect Transistor) device and a fabrication method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A discrete device such as a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Silicon Field Effect Transistor) having a PN junction structure is being widely used as a switching device of a semiconductor device. Recently, due to demand for high integration and high performance of a semiconductor device, a method of scaling down the MOSFET has been researched. The scaling down of the MOSFET may improve integration density of the semiconductor device, reduce dimensions of the semiconductor device to improve the speed of a switching operation, and reduce distance between devices to improve a signal transmission speed. However, there is a limit to the extent to which the conventional MOSFET may be scaled down. That is, due to the scaling down of the MOSFET, problems result from a gate length, a thickness of a gate insulating layer, an operating voltage, a depth of impurity junctions, and so on. In order to scale down the MOSFET, the gate length should be shorter, the thickness of the gate insulating layer should be thinner, the operating voltage should be lower, and the depth of the impurity junctions should be shallower. However, a short-channel effect may be created when the gate length is shorter, leakage current characteristics should be considered when the thickness of the gate insulating layer is reduced, and a threshold voltage is lowered by lowering the operating voltage. Therefore, since the effects of leakage current of the MOSFET become larger and the impurity junction becomes shallower, resistance characteristics at the junction should be considered. As a result, there is a limit to how far the conventional MOSFET using the PN junction can be scaled down.
Alternatively, instead of the MOSFET using the conventional PN junction, a Schottky barrier tunnel transistor (SBTT) in which a source and a drain are formed using a Schottky junction has been proposed. Since in the SBTT, source and drain regions are formed using a metal, rather than diffusion of impurities, it is possible to form a very shallow junction. In addition, since the SBTT has various advantages such as being capable of reducing parasitic resistance and omitting an ion implantation process due to very low resistance of the metal, the SBTT is being looked to as a next-generation transistor.
An example of the SBTT is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,744,103 B2, entitled "Short-Channel Schottky Barrier MOSFET Device and Manufacturing Method", issued to Snyder. According to the Snyder patent, the Schottky barrier MOSFET can be manufactured using a manufacturing method including forming a silicon gate electrode on a semiconductor substrate, forming a thin insulating layer, i.e., oxide sidewalls, covering sidewalls of the silicon gate electrode to a thickness of about 100 Å, and forming source and drain regions on the substrate corresponding to both sides of the silicon gate electrode. In this process, the source and drain electrodes may be formed of a metal silicide layer.
Generally, a process of forming a metal silicide may include depositing a metal layer on a semiconductor substrate, and heat-treating the entire layer to react the metal layer with the semiconductor layer. The metal silicide layer formed as described above may be mainly formed on a surface where the metal layer is in contact with the semiconductor substrate. Therefore, since only a small amount of the metal silicide layer formed on the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the metal layer and not in contact with the metal layer, the oxide sidewalls of the Snyder patent have a small thickness so that the metal silicide layer used as source and drain electrodes can be formed more adjacent to the gate electrode. However, it may be difficult, using this method, to form a thin metal silicide layer, and thus a shallow source and drain junction, while forming the metal silicide layer more adjacent to the gate electrode.

Schottky barrier FinFET device and fabrication method thereof


The phase voltages of a three phase alternating current input voltage are converted into currents. The negative half-cycles of the currents are added and the polarity of the added current is reversed. The current at the reversed (positive) polarity is converted into a positive output voltage which is a measurement of the input voltage.

This invention relates to apparatus for measuring a three phase alternating current input voltage by converting the phase voltages into currents, adding the negative half-wave currents, reversing the polarity of the added current to provide a positive current and converting the positive current into a positive output voltage which is a measurement of the input voltage.
It is often necessary to measure a three phase alternating current input voltage to insure, for example, that the amplitude of the input voltage is within desired limits. The measurement can be achieved by using full or half-wave summing rectifier apparatus.
Full wave summing rectifier apparatus tends to be complex in construction.
Negative half-wave summing rectifier apparatus according to the invention has distinct advantages in that it features a minimum number of components, is powered by a single, positive power supply and permits the use of external resistors. The apparatus of the invention is thus simple in construction and is effective for the purpose described since the inputs to the apparatus are at zero volts for a small percentage of the time and there are no errors during the positive half cycles of the input voltages, as will be discerned from the description of the invention which follows.

Negative half-wave summing rectifier apparatus for a three phase AC voltage


A process for producing an olefin polymer is provided, in which ethylene and at least one kind or more of monomers selected from α-olefins are polymerized by a high temperature solution polymerization in a temperature range between 120 and 300° C., in the presence of an olefin polymerization catalyst composed of a bridged metallocene compound represented by general formula [I] described below and at least one kind or more compounds (B) selected from (b-1) an organoaluminum oxy-compound, (b-2) a compound capable of forming an ion pair in a reaction with the bridged metallocene compound mentioned above, and (b-3) an organoaluminum compound. According to the high temperature solution polymerization of the present invention, it has become possible to obtain a polymer having a high molecular weight with high polymerization activity that was so far unattainable, and when the polymer is a copolymer, it is a process for producing a high molecular weight olefin polymer with a large comonomer content, a narrow composition distribution, and a narrow molecular weight distribution.

Among the processes for producing olefin polymers such as ethylene/α-olefin copolymers, a process using a Ziegler-type titanium-based catalyst composed of a titanium compound and an organo-aluminum compound is widely known. More recently, since the publication of a process of olefin polymerization in the presence of a metallocene-based catalyst which is composed of a transition metal compound such as zirconocene and an organo-aluminum oxy-compound (hereinafter which may also be referred to as "aluminoxane" described below) as a catalyst capable of producing olefin polymers with high polymerization activity [for example, Adv. Organomet. Chem. 1899 (1980), Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 24, 507 (1985), etc.], improvements in the catalyst and the polymerization method have been carried out continuously by many researchers in the world. However, from industrial sectors, further improvements are desired from the standpoint of the polymerization activity, achieving of higher degree of polymerization, the amount of a comonomer introduced, or stereoregularity. Methods for solving such problems may be divided largely into two methods, that is, development of a new catalyst and improvement of polymerization conditions.
In the area of new catalyst development, olefin polymerization using a metallocene compound with a new, hithereto unknown structure that was bridged with a cyclopentadienyl ligand and a fluorenyl ligand was disclosed for the first time by J. A. Ewen [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 110, 6255 (1988)], and contributed significantly to the solution of the problem described above. On the other hand, as an example in the area of improvement of polymerization conditions, a process for producing an ethylene/1-hexene copolymer with a relatively high density by performing copolymerization using a metallocene compound containing a cyclopentadienyl group as a ligand under the conditions of high pressure and high temperature was disclosed [Japanese Patent Publication No. H01-503788]. Further, in Japanese Patent Publication No. H05-320246, a process for producing an ethylene/1-octene copolymer at high temperature using cyclopentadienylzirconium chloride and dimethylaniliniumtetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate was disclosed. However, in these disclosed processes, there was a problem that it was difficult to obtain a polymer with a high molecular weight in the low-density region (that is, in the region where the comonomer content is large). Also, further improvement in terms of polymerization activity is desired.


A system for accurately locating a mobile cellular radio includes plural radio receivers, the position of each being precisely known, a satellite-based time source for providing the actual time of arrival of a radio signal at the plural radio receivers, and a device for removing multipath and cochannel interference from the received signals so that actual time of arrival of the radio signal may be determined accurately. The Global Positioning System (GPS) may be used to provide the time signal and to provide the precise location of the plural radio receivers. The system may be used to passively determine the location of the mobile radio and is accurate enough to use with a computer generated map system.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for locating the source of a radio frequency (RF) transmission, and more particularly to a method and system for accurately locating a mobile cellular radio through the novel use of a grid of radio receivers and the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Cellular mobile radio systems are well known. Such systems use a plurality of base stations for broadcasting paging signals to and for maintaining voice communications with mobile radio equipped units. Such mobile radios may include automobile carried cellular mobile telephones, portable cellular telephones, pagers, dispatch and/or data link radios, and a variety of other RF broadcasting equipment that may be mobile and for which a position may be sought. Most such radios are individually identified by a code or call number. Once turned on, each radio transmits an identifying signal that includes the code so that the radio may be contacted if a call is directed to it. That is, the user of the radio does not have to be actively engaged in a conversation on the radio for a signal from the radio to be received by the base stations.
Frequently, it is desirable that the position of the mobile radio be determined quickly and without the knowledge of the mobile radio's possessor. For example, police may benefit from the knowledge of the position of a mobile radio that may be carried by a suspect (e.g., drug dealer) or by knowing the position of a stolen automobile carrying a mobile radio.
Various systems for determining the position of mobile radios exist in the prior art. However, such systems are not accurate enough for the needs of all potential users. For example, in law enforcement applications it is desirable that the location of the mobile radio be known within 100 meters (less than a city block) so that police may be dispatched efficiently and so that the movement of the radio may be tracked on an appropriate map display.
The accuracy of prior art systems is degraded for various reasons, including the fact that many cellular radio signals are of very short duration, sometimes a second or less. Prior art systems require more time than this to integrate the signal so that an accurate location may be determined.
This problem is exacerbated in the presence of multipath interference for which prior art systems need even longer integration times. Prior art systems use techniques for obviating multipath in which multiple samples are integrated over time, assuming the specular receipts will not be stationary and will have a zero mean over the sample size. As is known, this assumption may be false, depending on geographical conditions and integration time.
A further disadvantage of the prior art is that many of the systems are not passive. That is, some action by the user of the mobile radio may be needed to initiate or maintain tracking by a base unit. For example, the user may have to initiate a special signal that may be detected and tracked. It is desirable that locating systems available to law enforcement not rely on action by a mobile radio user.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for determining the position of a mobile radio that obviates the problems of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for accurately locating a mobile cellular radio that uses an accurate time source to determine the actual time of arrival of a radio signal and to accurately determine the position of a grid of radio receivers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for accurately locating a mobile cellular radio in which the received radio signals are stripped of interfering multipath and cochannel signals so as to provide a more accurate time of arrival of the received signal.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system of accurately locating a mobile cellular radio that uses the Global Positioning System to provide an accurate time of receipt of a radio signal from a mobile radio from which the multipath signals have been removed.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system of accurately locating a mobile cellular radio in which a positional accuracy of one hundred meters or less may be achieved with signals having a duration of a second or less.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system of accurately locating a mobile cellular radio in which deleterious multipath effects are mitigated without long integration times and without assuming that multipath has a zero mean over the sample size.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. dr

Passive high accuracy geolocation system and method


The invention refers to a device and a method for cleaning a gas containing particulate impurities. The device includes a main separator having an inlet for the gas, an outlet for the gas and a rotating member provided between the inlet and the outlet. The rotating member is adapted to bring the gas to rotate for separating by means of centrifugal forces a main amount of the particulate impurities from the gas, wherein a rest amount of the particulate impurities remains in the gas. The device also includes an additional separator adapted to separate substantially the whole rest amount. The additional separator includes an electrostatic filter.

The gases which are contained in the crankcase of a combustion engine contain a plurality of various particulate impurities. Since the crankcase is vented and thus in contact with the surrounding atmosphere, these particulate impurities would reach the surrounding atmosphere if the crankcase gas is not cleaned. The requirements from the authorities in this area are now increasing in many countries in order to prevent uncleaned crankcase gases from being discharged in an uncontrolled manner. A device providing such a cleaning and being of the type initially defined is disclosed in EP-A-1 273 335. By means of the rotating member, the gas may be given the kinetic energy that ensures an efficient separation of the particulate impurities from the gas. The rotating member provides a certain pump effect on the crankcase gas and will thus force the crankcase gas out of the crankcase. This known device is thus not dependent on the generation of a pressure in the crankcase for the discharge and cleaning of the crankcase gas. By means of a simple pressure regulator, the pressure that shall prevail in the crankcase and that varies in different combustion engines may be adjusted in an easy manner. It can however not be excluded that the gas also by means of such a rotating member will contain a small rest amount of particulate impurities in relation to the main amount.
Devices of similar kinds are disclosed in WO2004/001201 and WO2004/022239.
EP-A-685 635 discloses another kind of device for ventilation of the crankcase of a combustion engine. The device includes a separator for cleaning the crankcase gas leaving the crankcase and more precisely for separating oil from the crankcase gas. EP-A-685 635 proposes that the oil separator is designed as an electric filter. The purpose of this oil separator is to separate a main part of the oil that is contained in the crankcase gas. The electric filter of the oil separator may include one of several stages. Furthermore, it is defined in EP-A-685 635 that a further separator may be provided upstream the oil separator. This further separator is a coarse separator for separating a part the oil that is contained in the crankcase gas. The coarse separator may include different kinds of separators and EP-A-685 635 proposes cyclones, rebound separator of fibre separators. All these kinds of separators are passive in the sense that they requires that the gas proper has a certain pressure or a certain kinetic energy that can be used for the separation. A sufficient kinetic energy is however not available in all applications, which, for instance in an engine application, means that the crankcase gas has to be given kinetic energy by means of a pump or there like.
In many applications there are also heavy requirements saying that the separation equipment should be light and require a minimum of space. These requirements, which are especially expressed for motor vehicles, makes it more difficult to provide an efficient and complete separation of particulate impurities.

Device and a method for cleaning of a gas