An apparatus for use with a table saw to decrease a clearance of a surface surrounding a saw blade includes a throat plate that is inserted into an elongated slot that is provided in the surface of the table saw. The throat plate includes an enlarged opening with a pair of spaced-apart rails that, together, are adapted receive a replaceable T-shaped center portion. The center portion is cut by the saw blade as the blade is raised from below the center portion resulting in a space around the blade having a clearance that approximates the kerf of the blade. Screws secure the center portion in the enlarged opening. A pair of cam screws secures the throat plate in the elongated slot. A side to side adjustable splitter is attached to the throat plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to power tools and, more particularly, to an accessory for use with a table saw.
Table saws are well known tools used for cutting wood. They are used by homeowner and professional woodworker alike. All table saws have a blade on an arbor that is adapted to be raised for cutting boards at various heights or lowered below a throat plate.
The throat plate fits into a generally universally-sized elongated slot, sometimes referred to as a "throat" that is recessed in the top surface of the table saw. When installed, the top surface of the throat plate is flush with the top surface of the table saw.
The throat plate itself includes an opening for the blade to enter so that it may be extended to a position that is above the table saw surface. However, because many different types of saw blades, including wider dado blades can be used with the table saw, the opening that is provided in the throat plate by the table saw manufacturer must be large enough to accommodate the expected range of saw blade sizes.
When cutting boards on a table saw, it is preferable that the opening in the throat plate be as close to the size of the blade that is in the table saw as is possible. A precision opening that ideally is only a few thousandths of an inch larger than the saw blade decreases the amount of area intermediate the saw blade and the surrounding surface of the throat plate.
When a board is being cut, a small opening between the throat plate and the saw blade provides for optimum stability of the board. A small opening helps prevent tilting of the board that is being cut as it passes near the blade. It also helps prevent a possible snagging (i.e., resistance) of the board by the rear of the opening in the throat plate. This can occur if contact of the board with a rear portion of a large opening in the throat plate were to occur.
To solve this general need, after-market throat plates have been designed that include a replaceable center portion that fits in an enlarged central opening that is provided in the throat plate. The replaceable center portion is cut by initially raising the saw blade a desired amount. The resultant opening produced exceeds the size of the saw blade by the kerf of the blade, a very small amount. This is especially desirable.
However, current after-market throat plates have certain limitations. The replacement throat plate is not securely attached to the elongated slot provided in the top surface of the table saw into which it fits. The only known method of securement includes spring loaded detents that permit the after-market throat plate to easily be dislodged from the elongated slot. This is potentially dangerous.
Also, the replaceable center portion is not securely held in position within the replacement throat plate. Movement of the replaceable center portion can cause increased erosion (by the saw blade) which increases the size of the opening. It also allows for unwanted and unpredictable contact between the saw blade and the replaceable center portion. This can produce sudden unexpected sounds that can disturb a user.
There is also a danger that the replaceable center portion can be ejected, possibly at high speed, from the after-market throat plate. If two things go wrong at the same time a potentially serious situation can arise. For example, if the throat plate should become dislodged during use this could cause the replacement center portion to make contact with the blade. The replacement center portion can then be ejected forward, impelled by energy and speed imparted by the spinning blade. The replacement center portion can then become a projectile, possibly striking the operator. This is an extremely dangerous, possibly even a fatal scenario that is especially important to avoid.
Also, a device known as a "splitter" in the woodworking arts is sometimes included as part of a factory produced table saw throat plate by the manufacturer. The splitter is a protrusion that is located on the rear of the throat plate.
The splitter is in alignment with the plane of a standard-width type of a saw blade, one that is intended typically to rip the board lengthwise. The splitter can also be used with a blade that is intended to make a "cross-cut" in the board but its benefits are less important when a shorter type of a cut is being made. Whenever one is cutting a board, typically, as narrow a width for the saw blade as is possible is preferred (to avoid excessive waste of the board).
The splitter generally matches the width of the saw blade. It may be slightly narrower but it is not generally wider than the width of the blade. The splitter is intended to enter into the space where the cut is occurring at a predetermined distance after the blade. The splitter then holds the two cut halves apart, which prevents the board segments that have been cut from coming together and possibly "pinching" the saw blade.
Pinching can produce an irregular cut (at best) or cause binding of the blade or possibly even a burning of the board. It also subjects the cut board to unstable irregular forces that are imparted by the saw blade. In particular, a force vector tending to raise the board off of the table saw surface (as a rear of the saw blade that is most likely to be contacted during pinching is rising up from the surface) is imparted to the board when it is being pinched from the rear of the blade.
Therefore, a splitter is a desirable safety device to be included in a throat plate and many woodworkers accordingly prefer the presence of one. However, including one in an after-market throat plate has not hereto before been possible because of variation in the plane of the blade with respect to the throat plate occurring from one manufacturer to another and possibly even from one model to another produced by the same manufacturer.
Therefore, after market throat plates for table saws with a splitter are unavailable.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a throat insert for a table saw that helps ameliorate the above-mentioned difficulties.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Replacement throat insert plates are, in general, known. For example, the following patent describes one such type of device:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,864 to Wedemeyer et al, Nov. 3, 1992.
While the structural arrangement of the above described device, at first appearance, has similarities with the present invention, it differs in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior device.


A housing having a top wall, including a plurality of handle slots directed therethrough is arranged for ease of transport of the top wall and the associated housing, wherein the housing further includes respective first and second trapezoidal end walls, with the second end wall including a plurality of wheel members mounted thereon for ease of transport of the organization upon pivoting the housing onto the second end wall. The housing includes a floor spaced from a lowermost periphery of the housing, with leg members received within sockets positioned at each intersection of each end wall with each side wall of the housing structure. The second side wall structure includes a second side wall portion pivotally mounted to a lowermost side wall portion, that in turn is hingedly mounted to the top wall to provide access within the housing for storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to woodworking apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved combined sawhorse and toolbox apparatus wherein the same is arranged to direct a compact and readily transported organization for use in a woodworking procedure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various sawhorse and toolbox structure is available in the prior art such as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,756, wherein the sawhorse structure includes pivotally mounted legs mounted to a bottom wall of the toolbox.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,744,613; 4,763,757; and 4,014,404 are further examples of sawhorse structure.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a substantial sawhorse member providing for an elongate top wall permitting the top wall for use and support of various workpieces, as well as the storage of tools and the like therewithin for ease of transport of the organization and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A method of fabricating semiconductor devices using dual damascene processes to form plugs in the via holes composed of various high etch materials and bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC) materials. After via hole etch, a layer of high etch rate plug material is spin coated to fill the via holes. Next, a layer of photoresist is applied. The photoresist is then exposed through a mask and developed to form an etch opening. Using the remaining photoresist as an etch mask and with a bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC) as protection, the oxide or low k layer is etched to form subsequent wiring. The etch step is known as a damascene etch step. The remaining photoresist is removed and the trench/via openings are filled with metal forming inlaid metal interconnect wiring and contact vias.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of fabricating semiconductor devices using dual damascene processes to form plugs in the via holes composed of various high etch rate materials and bottom anti-reflection coating (BARC) materials.
(2) Description of Related Art
Related Prior Art background patents will now be described in this section.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,239 entitled "Dual Damascene Process Using Sacrificial Spin-on Materials" granted May 2, 2000 to Wang et al. shows a dual damascene process with a sacrificial plug. The dual damascene process includes the steps of forming a contact hole in an oxide layer disposed above a semiconductor substrate, disposing a layer of anti-reflective coating material on top of the oxide layer and in the contact hole, and partially etching the layer of anti-reflective coating material and the oxide layer to form the wiring trough. The partial etching step includes the steps of spin coating photoresist on top of the anti-reflective coating material, exposing the photoresist through a mask containing a pattern of the wiring trough, developing the photoresist to expose portions of the anti-reflective coating material, dry etching the exposed portions of the anti-reflective coating material to expose portions of the oxide layer, and wet etching the exposed portions of the oxide layer to form the wiring trough.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,283 B1 entitled "Method for Forming Dual Damascene Structure" granted Jul. 31, 2001 to Huang teaches a dual damascene process with a resist cap in the dual damascene opening. A via opening of the dual damascene structure is formed in a dielectric layer. A non-conformal cap layer is then formed on the substrate before the step of defining the photoresist layer. The non-conformal cap layer only covers the top region of the trench but does not fill the trench. A patterned photoresist layer is then formed on the substrate followed by an etching procedure so as to form a trench. The photoresist layer is then removed. The trench and via opening are filled with a conductive layer. Thereafter, redundant portions of the conductive layer are removed by a planarization process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,977 entitled "Dual Damascene Structure" granted Mar. 7, 2000 to Gutsche et al. discloses a dual damascene process with a sacrificial plug. The method for manufacturing a dual damascene structure includes the use of a sacrificial stud and provides a defined edge on the interface between the conductive line openings and the via openings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,423 entitled "Simplified Dual Damascene Process for Multi-level Metallization and Interconnection Structure" granted Jun. 3, 1997 to Huang et al. shows a semiconductor device containing an interconnection structure having a reduced inter-wiring spacing produced by a modified dual damascene process. In one embodiment, an opening for a via is initially formed in a second insulating layer above a first insulating layer with an etch stop layer between layers. A larger opening for a trench is then formed in the second insulating layer, while simultaneously extending the via opening through the etch stop layer and first insulating layer. The trench and via are then simultaneously filled with conductive material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,655 entitled "Method for Forming Vias and Trenches in an Insulation Layer for a Dual Damascene Multilevel Interconnection Structure" granted Aug. 1, 2000 to Lee et al. discloses dual damascene processes for multilevel interconnection using a method for forming trenches and vias in the inter-insulation without etching out the inter-insulation layer. A thick sacrificial layer is first deposited and reversed etched to form sacrificial pillars forming the vias and sacrificial bridges forming the trenches. The sacrificial layer can be any material (insulator, semiconductor, or metal), provided it can be easily patterned and selectively removed later over the inter insulator layer. Thereafter, a low-k inter-insulation layer is deposited around the sacrificial pillars and bridges. It is these sacrificial pillars and bridges that are etched away leaving behind vias and trenches in the inter-insulation layer. In a preferred embodiment, a silicon film, either amorphous or polycrystalline, is used as the sacrificial layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,790 entitled "Method of Forming a Semiconductor Device Having Dual Inlaid Structure" granted Jul. 6, 1999 to Wetzel et al. teaches a dual damascene method for forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a substrate having a metal interconnect, depositing a via interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer over the substrate and the metal interconnect, and then etching the via ILD layer to form a via over the metal interconnect. This is then followed by depositing a trench ILD layer over the via ILD layer and the via, etching the trench ILD layer to form a trench. Finally, metal is deposited so as to fill the via and the trench, and provide electrical connection with the metal interconnect.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A visual axis detecting apparatus includes a two-dimensional image sensor having a plurality of detecting lines for receiving light from an eye, a first calculator for (i) detecting a change of luminance for neighboring pixels on the detecting lines, for (ii) calculating a number of pixels whose luminance is changed and a position of a center of gravity of the change of luminance as coordinates of an edge of a pupil of the eye from an amount of the change of luminance, for (iii) obtaining a plurality of coordinates of the edge of the pupil from the plurality of detecting lines, and for (iv) performing a correcting calculation of the plurality of coordinates of the edge of the pupil on the basis of an aspect ratio of a pixel of the image sensor, a second calculator for calculating a position of a center of the pupil from the plurality of coordinates of the edge of the pupil corrected by the first calculator, and a visual axis calculator for calculating a position of a visual axis by using the position of the center of the pupil.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement of a visual axis detecting apparatus, incorporated into an optical instrument such as a camera, etc., for detecting an axis of direction toward a gazing point at which a viewer watches, i.e., detecting a so-called visual axis (line of sight).
2. Description of the Related Art
There have hitherto been proposed a variety of apparatuses (e.g., eye cameras) for detecting which position on a viewing plane a viewer watches, i.e., detecting a so-called visual axis (line of sight).
In, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 1-274736, a parallel light beam from a light source is projected on an anterior eye part of a viewer's eye; and a visual axis is obtained by detecting positions of a pupil image and a cornea reflection image made by the light reflected from the cornea.
FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing a principle of the visual axis detecting method.
To start with, an explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 1. Respective infrared light emitting diodes (hereinafter abbreviated as IREDs) 13a, 13b are arranged in substantial symmetry with respect to an optical axis I of a light receiving lens 12. The IREDs divergently illuminate an eye of an eyeball of each photographer with light.
A cornea 16 of the eyeball 15 is illuminated with an infrared light beam from the IREDs 13a, 13b. At this time, cornea reflection images d, e with respect to a portion of each infrared light bean reflected by the surface of the cornea 16 are condensed by the light receiving lens 12. The images are re-formed in positions d', e' on the image sensor 14. Further, an image of the pupil of the eyeball 15 illuminated by the IREDs 13a, 13b is also formed on the image sensor 14.
Let xc be an x-coordinate of a center c of a circle (termed a pupil circle) having boundaries (a, b) between a pupil 19 and an iris 17, the x-coordinate on the image sensor 14 being determined as xc' (unillustrated).
FIG. 2A illustrates an eyeball image projected on the image sensor 14 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2B shows an output waveform of a video (image) signal transmitted from the image sensor 14 on a line (I)-(I') in FIG. 2A.
Referring to FIG. 2A, the numeral 50 designates a reflection image of a white part of the eyeball 15, and 51 represents a pupil reflection image. Further, the symbols 52a, 52b indicate cornea reflection images of a pair of IREDs 13a, 13b. These cornea reflection images are called Purkinje images.
Turning to FIG. 2B, two maximum points in a video signal 60 correspond to a pair of Purkinje images.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the x-coordinate of the mid-point between the Purkinje images d and e coincides with an x-coordinate xo of a center-of-curvature O of the cornea 16. Therefore, a rotational angle .theta. of the optical axis II of the eyeball 15 substantially satisfies the following relational expression: EQU (A1*L.sub.oc)*sin .theta..congruent.xc-(xd+xe)/2 (1)
where xd, xe are the x-coordinates of positions where the Purkinje images d, e are formed, L.sub.oc is the standard distance from the center-of-curvature O of the cornea 16 to the center c of the pupil 19, and A1 is the coefficient in consideration of a difference between individuals with respect to the distance L.sub.oc. Hence, the rotational angle .theta. of the optical axis II of the eyeball 15 can be obtained by detecting the positions of the respective characteristic points (the Purkinje images d, e and the center-of-pupil c) projected on a part of the image sensor 14 in the visual axis calculation processor. At this time, the above formula (1) is rewritten such as: EQU .beta.(A1*L.sub.oc)*sin .theta..congruent.xc'-(xd'+xe')/2 (2)
where .beta. is the magnification determined by a position of the eyeball 15 with respect to the light receiving lens 12 and substantially obtained as a function of a distance of .vertline.xd'-xe'.vertline. between the Purkinje images. The rotational angle .theta. of the optical axis II of the eyeball 15 is also rewritten by: EQU .theta..congruent.ARCSIN{(xc'-xf')/.beta./(A1*L.sub.oc)} (3)
However, EQU xf'.congruent.(xd'+xe')/2.
By the way, the visual axis of the eyeball 15 of the photographer is not identical with the optical axis II thereof. Accordingly, when calculating the rotational angle .theta. of the optical axis II in the horizontal direction, a visual axis .theta.H of the photographer in the horizontal direction is obtained by performing an angular correction .delta. between the optical axis II and the visual axis. The visual axis .theta.H of the photographer in the horizontal direction is given by: EQU .theta.H=.theta..+-.(B1*.delta.) (4)
where B1 is the coefficient in consideration of the difference between individuals with respect to the correction angle .delta. between the optical axis II and the visual axis of the eyeball 15. In connection with the symbol .+-., if an angle of rightward rotation with respect to the photographer is herein assumed to be positive, the symbol + is selected when the photographer looks in the viewing apparatus with the left eye, but the symbol - is selected when seeing through it with the right eye.
Further, the same Figure shows an example where the eyeball of the photographer rotates within a z-x plane (e.g., a horizontal plane). The detection is, however, similarly possible even in such a case that the photographer's eyeball rotates within a z-y plane (e.g., a perpendicular plane). However, a component of the visual axis of the photographer in the vertical direction coincides with a component .theta.' of the optical axis II of the eyeball 15 in the vertical direction, and, hence, a visual axis .theta.V in the vertical direction is expressed such as: EQU .theta.V=.theta.'.
Moreover, in accordance with items of visual axis data .theta.H, .theta.V, the positions (xn, yn) on a focusing screen of the finder field the photographer sees are obtained as follows: ##EQU1## where m is the constant determined by a finder optical system of the camera.
Herein, obtaining values of the coefficients A1, B1 for correcting the difference between individuals with respect to the eyeball 15 of the photographer involves the following steps. The photographer is made to fix the eye on a target located in a predetermined position within the camera finder. A position of the target is obtained by making coincident with a position of the fixing point calculated in accordance with the above formula (5).
Normally, the calculations for obtaining the visual axis and the gazing point of the photographer are executed by software of a microcomputer of the visual axis operation processor on the basis of the respective formulae given above.
When obtaining the coefficients for correcting the difference in the visual axis between individuals, the on-focusing-screen position of the visual axis of the photographer looking in the camera finder is calculated by use of the above formula (5). Data on the visual axis information is utilized for adjusting the focusing of the phototaking lens or controlling an exposure or the like.
The visual axis is actually obtained in the following manner. An eyeball image on the image sensor 14 is processed by the microcomputer or the like. The above-stated Purkinje images and the pupil circle (image) are detected. Based on positional data thereof, the visual axis is calculated.
A specific method is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 4-347131.
The same Application shows the way of obtaining the pupil circle as follows. An eyeball video signal is read from the image sensor, and, meanwhile, a luminance difference of a boundary between the pupil and the iris is sequentially extracted as a signal edge, and its coordinates are stored. Then, when finishing the reading process of the eyeball image, a circle is estimated based on, e.g., the least squares method by use of a plurality of pupil edge coordinates stored. This circle is regarded as a pupil circle.
FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are diagrams of assistance in explaining an outline of this processing.
FIG. 3A depicts the eyeball image, wherein the Purkinje images are omitted. A plurality of white dots arranged around a pupil circle 51 are the pupil edge. The reference numeral 70-1 represents one of these dots. Further, FIG. 3B illustrates only the pupil edge of FIG. 3A.
The numeral 75 designates a circle estimated based on the least squares method by use of these items of edge data. FIG. 3C also illustrates this estimated circle, wherein (xc, yc) are the center coordinates of the circle, and rc is the radius thereof.
According to the conventional pupil edge extracting method, it is a common practice that edge characteristics are luminance variations in the eyeball image with respect to the iris and the pupil, and coordinates of an edge start point or an edge end point or a mid-point between the two points serve as pupil edge coordinates.
There was also invented another extracting method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 3-177827, of determining the edge coordinates by use of Newton's method from data of respective points of the edge portion.
In any method, however, it can be said that the extracting method is very weak against noise.


An inclination status monitoring system which optically detects an inclination of a lens as it changes its inclination. A light beam having a diameter greater than the diameter of the lens to be inclined is incident on the lens. The lens has a planar reflective surface surrounding a lens portion thereof. The light beam is reflected on the reflective surface, and the reflected beam is converged by a converging lens and focused on an image receiving system, which enables a user to observe the image formed on an image receiving surface. The image of the reflected beam moves simultaneously as the lens inclination is changed.

The present invention relates to an inclination monitoring system, which is used, for example, in a lens inclination adjustment apparatus.
Conventionally, a data recording/reproducing device using an optical disk as a recording medium has been known. Such a device is provided with an optical system which includes a light source and an objective lens held in a lens holder. A recording medium (i.e., an optical disk) is set at a focal point of the objective lens. The light source emits a parallel light beam which is focused by the objective lens to form a beam spot on the recording medium. The beam reflects from the recording medium, and is received by an optical pick-up device.
In the data recording/reproducing device, an optical axis of the objective lens preferably intersects the recording medium at right angles. It is because, if the optical axis inclines with respect to a normal line to the recording medium, coma occurs, which may cause the beam spot formed on the recording medium to be wider than it should be. If the beam spot is wider, a density at which recording to the recording medium takes place will be lower. Further, if the beam spot is wider, a reproduced signal may include noise.
Recently, a numerical aperture NA of the optical system for such a device has become larger. In the device which has an optical system having relatively large numerical aperture NA, even a small inclination of the objective lens may affect the size of the beam spot greatly.
Accordingly, it is necessary to adjust the inclination of the object lens such that an inclination angle formed between the optical axis of the objective lens and a line normal to the recording medium is within a permissible range. The permissible range is, for example, a range within 3 minutes.
In order to adjust the inclination of the objective lens, conventionally, a lens inclination adjustment system is used. The conventional inclination adjustment system includes an interferometer unit and a lens inclination adjustment unit.
Firstly, at least a part of the data recording/reproducing device including the optical system and the light source is coupled with the interferometer unit, and interference fringes are observed. A user may determine the inclination angle and inclination direction which is a direction of inclination on a plane parallel to the surface of the recording medium or the cover glass facing the objective lens, based on the observed interference fringes.
Next, the data recording/reproducing device is coupled with the lens inclination adjustment unit, and the lens is moved so that the inclination (i.e., the inclination angle and inclination direction) is adjusted to be in a permissible range in accordance with the inclination angle and the inclination direction determined by the user.
When the lens is moved (i.e., when the inclination status of the lens is changed), it is necessary to monitor the change of the inclination, or current inclination status of the lens. An example of an inclination monitoring system employed in a inclination adjustment apparatus is shown in FIG. 9.
Generally, the objective lens 401 is formed to have a lens portion 402 and a planar flange portion 403 surrounding the lens portion. Monitoring of the inclination status of the lens 401 is performed by editing a beam to the flange portion 403 and detecting the reflected beam.
As shown in FIG. 9, the monitoring system includes an He-Ne laser source 404 and a screen 407. The He-Ne laser source 404 emits a narrow light beam which has a diameter of 1-2 mm towards the flange portion 403 of the lens 401 which is located about one meter away from the He-Ne laser source 404 through an opening 409 formed on the screen 407. The beam reflected by the flange portion 403 is incident on the screen 407. It should be noted that the flange portion 403 may be formed to be a mirror surface.
The reflected light beam is observed as an image on the screen 407, and a center of the image is regarded as a point where the optical axis of the reflected beam intersects the screen 407. The inclination status of the lens 401 is then monitored with reference to the position of the center of the image formed by the reflected beam on the screen 407.
However, since a surface of the flat portion 403 is microscopically uneven as the objective lens is made from a mold, the image of the reflected beam is not a perfect beam spot. As shown in FIG. 10, the image extends over 26 minutes arc in this example, and accordingly the center of the image of the reflected beam is difficult to be identified especially when the inclination status of the lens is being changed.
Therefore, even if the current inclination status is precisely determined with use of the interferometer, it may be difficult to adjust the inclination status since the inclination status cannot be monitored precisely.


The present disclosure provides a method of leveling a wafer in an exposure process. The wafer includes a plurality of regions. The wafer is loaded to an exposure system. The exposure system includes a control unit and a leveling module. The control unit of the exposure system obtains layout information of the reticle. The control unit of the exposure system assigns critical regions and non-critical regions to the regions on the wafer according to the layout information of the reticle.

Integrated circuits are generally made by photolithographic processes that use reticles (or photomasks) and an associated light source to project a circuit image on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. The photolithographic process entails coating the wafer with a layer of photoresist, exposing the layer of photoresist and then developing the exposed photoresist. During the process of exposing the layer of photoresist (i.e., exposure process), the wafer coated with a layer of photoresist is loaded to an exposure apparatus and exposed with a pattern of a reticle. The exposure apparatus includes an alignment module that precisely aligns the wafer with respect to the projected image of the reticle, thereby allowing the reticle to be exposed over a selected region on the wafer. Two types of exposure apparatus are typically used in manufacturing. One type is step-and-repeat apparatuses (also referred to as steppers) and the other is step-and-scan apparatuses (also referred to as scanners). When a stepper is used, each exposure region on the wafer is exposed with a single static exposure. When a scanner is used, the wafer is exposed by synchronously scanning the wafer and the reticle across the lens image field.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing an exposure process. A reticle R100 having a pattern is exposed to a light source for transferring the pattern onto a wafer W100. Usually, the pattern on the reticle R100 is zoomed out on the wafer W100. The pattern on the wafer W100 may be formed by a metal layer (such as copper). Multiple metal layers may be formed on the wafer W100 to form circuits by exposing different reticles using multiple exposure processes. Referring to FIG. 1B, the reticle R100 is made of a transparent layer, and has a die region R120 and an opaque region R110 surrounding the die region R120. The transparent layer is often made of glass, quartz, or the like; and the opaque region typically includes a layer of chromium. The die region R120 generally has a square or rectangular shape and is positioned in the center of the reticle R100. The die region R120 includes transparent portions and opaque portions; the transparent portions and the opaque portions together define a device pattern R122. For the sake of simplicity, the device pattern R122 is not illustrated in detail in the figure. The transparent portions in the die region R120 allow light from a light source to penetrate therethrough and reach the wafer W100. On the other hand, the opaque portions of the die region R120 block the light from reaching the wafer W100. There is a scribe line R121 at the periphery of the die region R120 between the die region R120 and opaque region R110. The scribe line R121 typically contains information regarding the exposure process of the wafer and usually includes test structures to facilitate verification of the performance of the exposure process. For example, the scribe line R121 may include alignment marks to allow verification of the accuracy of the reticle alignment and registration marks to allow measurement of the resolution of the device pattern R122 during the exposure process.
Before the exposure process, the wafer W100 must be pre-scanned by a scanning device having a plurality of leveling sensors to obtain topography data (i.e., height or surface elevation) of the wafer W100. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a top view and a side view of a portion of the wafer W100 is illustrated. The portion of the wafer W100 has a scribe line W110, and a die region W120. The die region W120 includes portions W121 and W122. As shown in FIG. 2B, the wafer W100 has varying heights across its surface. The portion W121 of the die region W120 has one height, the portion W122 of the die region W120 another height, and the scribe line W110 has the lowest height. The exposure process can tolerate a small range of topography variation through "depth of focus" inherent in the process capability. However, unanticipated topography variation on the W100 has been a challenge for the exposure process and can result in a faulty imaging process and a rejection of the imaged wafer.
Accordingly, there remains a need to improve wafer leveling in an exposure process of the wafer.

Method of leveling wafer in exposure process and exposure system thereof

XIA TAI XIN SEMICONDUCTOR (QING DAO) LTD.


The invention relates to a charging connector, comprising a plug provided with a plug housing and a socket outlet provided with a socket outlet housing, wherein the plug housing and the socket outlet housing each comprise standard fixing holes for fixing a handle in an interchangeable manner, wherein the charging connector is additionally provided with interchangeable adapters for fluid lines and/or pilot contacts, wherein the adapters are arranged on the interchangeable handles and can be fixed therewith to the charging plug housing and/or socket outlet housing.

The present invention relates to a charging connector comprising a plug provided with a plug housing and a socket outlet provided with a socket outlet housing. Corresponding charging connectors serve, for example, the transfer of electric currents and media, e.g. for a forklift truck.
Various charging connectors are already known, which are not only provided with a plug and socket device for the transfer of electric power and voltage, but simultaneously with a plug and socket device for a media transport system. Upon plugging the individual plug and socket devices upon one another also a connection between the battery and the charging station for the media transport system is produced simultaneously with the electrical connection between the battery and the charging station, so as to simultaneously allow, for example, during the charging process on the battery, a media coupling for the transfer of liquid and gaseous media. At the same time, compressed air from a compressed air supply unit can be supplied to the battery via the coupled compressed air supplies of the plug and socket devices.
A charging connector kit including an adapter is known from DE 203 18 583, in which pilot contacts or also fluids can be passed.
The charging connector kit as disclosed comprises a plug housing, which is plugged into a socket outlet housing. The socket outlet housing includes an apron with two pin contacts received in two corresponding pin contact receiving recesses inside the plug-in projection of the plug housing. Coding pins and coding pin receiving recesses formed in both the apron and the plug-in projection ensure that a corresponding plug can only be plugged into the respective socket outlet. Moreover, an adapter can detachably be plugged into the housing in the longitudinal direction, both in the region of the apron and the region of the plug-in projection. This adapter can be inserted in a mutually mating manner on the plug to face the socket and on the socket to face the plug, in the form of a plug-in adapter or receiving adapter, in the longitudinal direction of the plug and the socket outlet. In each adapter a fluid main channel and fluid branch channels ending in the same are extending in such a way that the ends of the fluid branch channels located on the outside of the plug-in adapter are embodied as hollow plug-in projections which are introduced into the fluid branch channels of the receiving adapter to produce a fluid-tight connection in the plugged-in state of the plug and the socket. By this, an easy removability of the fluid/air contact elements is achieved, and it also allows an easier repair or an exchange of these fluid/air contacts against additional pilot contacts.
A charging connector is known from DE 90 16 595, wherein the layout of the fluid lines and fluid coupling is provided on the outside of the appliance plug and appliance socket outlet, that is, on housing cover plates each fixable on the corresponding halves of the housing. Moreover, a holder is provided, by means of which the connecting point to the fluid sleeves and the fluid pins plugged into these sleeves can be defined in a mutually detachable manner.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a charging connector usable in particularly versatile ways, both in cases where merely an electrical interconnection is needed or in cases which require at least one additional fluid/air transport system. At the same time, the charging connector is to have a simple structure and should be manufacturable at low costs.


In a system utilizing double wide communication channels, if a particular CPE requires a sustained rate that is greater than the bandwidth of a single channel, data to and from the CPE may be split across Channels A and B. Also, when the bandwidth requirements of a particular CPE peaks at a data rate greater than the capacity of a single channel, the CPE's data may be split across the two channels. In one embodiment, a single-wide CPE may communicate with the base station without knowing that it is communicating with a base station configured to communicate using a double wide channel.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for implementing double wide channels in a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,311, titled "Adaptive time division duplexing method and apparatus for dynamic bandwidth allocation within a wireless communication system," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, a wireless communication system facilitates two-way communication between a plurality of subscriber radio stations and a base station, where the base station is configured to communicate with multiple devices and is coupled to a fixed network infrastructure. Exemplary communication systems include mobile cellular telephone systems, personal communication systems ("PCS"), and cordless telephones. One objective of these wireless communication systems is to provide communication channels on demand between the plurality of subscriber units and their respective base stations in order to connect a subscriber unit user with the fixed network infrastructure (usually a wire-line system). In wireless systems having multiple access schemes, a time "frame" is often used as the basic information transmission unit, where each frame is sub-divided into a plurality of time slots, where some time slots may be used for control purposes and some for information transfer. Subscriber units typically communicate with a selected base station using a "duplexing" scheme that allows information to be exchanged in both directions.
Transmissions from the base station to the subscriber unit are commonly referred to as "downlink" transmissions. Transmissions from the subscriber unit to the base station are commonly referred to as "uplink" transmissions. Depending upon the design criteria of a given system, the prior art wireless communication systems have typically used either time division duplexing ("TDD") or frequency division duplexing ("FDD") methods to facilitate the exchange of information between the base station and the subscriber units. Both TDD and FDD systems of duplexing are known in the art.
Recently, wideband or "broadband" wireless communications networks have been proposed for delivery of enhanced broadband services such as voice, data and video. Broadband wireless communication systems typically facilitate two-way communication between a plurality of base stations and a plurality of fixed subscriber stations or Customer Premises Equipment ("CPE"). In one embodiment, multiple CPE's are each coupled to a plurality of end user connections, which may include both residential and business customers, where the end user connections of the system may have different and varying usage and bandwidth requirements. Each base station may service several hundred or more residential and business CPE's, and each CPE may service several hundred or more end user connections. An exemplary broadband wireless communication system is described in the incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,311.
Transmission of data between a base station and CPE's is typically at a particular frequency and within a particular frequency bandwidth, or channel. For example, typical channel bandwidths used in point-to-multi-point and point-to-point systems include 7 MHz, 14 MHz, 25 MHz, 28 MHz, 50 MHz, and 56 MHz. In RF communication systems, transceivers used by base stations and CPE's typically comprise a radio transceiver, or simply a "radio," that is configured to transmit and receive communication signals within a particular frequency range. The bandwidth of a channel, coupled with the technology used to implement a wireless link using that channel, determines the user data bandwidth available on the channel. For example, a 25 MHz channel with a 0.25 roll-off factor using 64-QAM modulation (described in further detail below) provides a bit rate of 120 Mbps. Typically, forward error correction ("FEC") is also applied to data signals, thus decreasing the available bandwidth. For example, it would not be uncommon for a FEC to consume 25% of the raw bit rate. In the current example, use of FEC that consumes 25% of the transmitted signal would leave a bit rate of 90 Mbps available for a combination of user traffic, radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and network management. As those of skill in the art will recognize, a rate of 90 Mbps is not sufficient to fully support a single user achieving a peak transfer rate on a 100BaseT Ethernet service. This problem is further evident in situations where a link between a base station and CPE's uses multiple services, such as 100BaseT services, or attempts to provide service to some portion of a Gigabit Ethernet service. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that support transmission of data on wider channels, thus allowing a greater bandwidth of information to be communicated.
Simply designing modems and radios that accommodate larger bandwidth channels is one current approach to this problem. However, this approach can suffer from economies of scale, flexibility, and regulatory requirements. For instance, regulatory requirements often restrict the width of communication channels. Additionally, some systems require smaller channels to maintain compliance or interoperability with certain standards. For example, ETSI BRAN HiperAccess mandates 28 MHz channels for compliance. Building one device (e.g. 28 MHz channels) for one market and another device (e.g., 56 MHz channels) for another market can reduce the ability to take advantage of economies of scale, such as better parts pricing, that may be obtained if the combined total of the devices were identical. For example, in a given geographic location, only a fraction of the CPE's may need, or support, a bandwidth higher than mandated by standards or regulations. According to the prior art, a base station may use two separate systems, one for high bandwidth users and one for low bandwidth users, in order to accommodate the higher bandwidth CPE's.
Because of the above-described deficiencies in the current art, systems and methods for increasing the bandwidth of communication channels while maintaining operability with existing communication systems and standards are desired. Accordingly, a system that provides either two totally independent channels of one bandwidth or a combined channel of double the bandwidth in a single device is desired. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a means to use two regulatory or standards compliant single-bandwidth channels to logically provide user data services with a double bandwidth channel, thus allowing the transport of services which have sustained or peak rates greater that can be accommodated on one single bandwidth channel. In the following description, the term "single-wide" is used in reference to base stations and CPE's that communicate using a communication channel having a predetermined bandwidth, such as a bandwidth that is equal to or less than the relevant standards and regulations, for example. The term "double-wide," as used herein with reference to base stations and CPE's, indicates that the referenced base stations or CPE's communicate using a communication channel having a bandwidth that is double the "single-wide" bandwidth used for the particular base stations and CPE's. Accordingly, a system that supports single-wide CPE's, as well as double-wide CPE's, is desired. In particular, a system that communicates properly with existing single-wide CPE's without requiring any modifications to the single-wide CPE's, while providing the ability to communicate with double-wide CPE's, is desired.

Systems and methods for implementing double wide channels in a communication system


A method of forming an Ilizarov ring includes forming two half rings, each of which comprises a length of resin impregnated cloth. Cloth is pre-impregnated with a resin and then wound to provide a plurality of layers in a three dimensional orientation, and then the resin impregnated cloth is placed in a mold. After the resin impregnated cloth is pressed and cured in the mold, the material is removed from the mold and is appropriately machined. Two half rings are secured together to form a single ring.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to three dimensional laminated quasi-isotropic structures and, more particularly, to a method of fabricating such structure to comprise Ilizarov rings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ilizarov rings of the prior art are fabricated of stainless steel. The stainless steel is heavy and opaque to x-rays. In an effort to impart x-ray transparency, while reducing the weight of the rings, and retaining the strength of steel, thus making the rings more comfortable, a graphite and epoxy ring was developed.
The first attempt at this, comprising multiple layers of resin impregnated cloth laminated in flatwise, or two dimensional orientation, lacked the strength necessary to compete with the steel rings. The invention described herein substantially eliminates the problems of both the stainless steel and the two dimensional cloth laminate rings.
Ilizarov rings are secured to body appendages, such as arms or legs, for the purpose of lengthening and reshaping the bones of the appendage. The rings are secured to the body and are spaced apart at a predetermined distance. Periodically the distance between the rings is increased, and the bone to which they are secured is lengthened and/or reshaped over a period of time.
The term "Ilizarov" is named after a Russian doctor who was the inventor of the ring apparatus and of the process for lengthening and reshaping bones.

Quasi-isotropic apparatus and method of fabricating the apparatus


The subject of this invention is a reactor for food processing in a composite geometrical shape, and a cover screwed in to the upper section, which principle of operation to generate high levels of temperature and pressure will be to utilize hot air supplied by a compressor in series with a heat exchanger, which conducted through 3 inputs designed in position and angle to, in combination with the helicoidally design of the interior and a relief exit, generate a hurricane like effect that maintains the food in constant movement during all the process cycle time. The reactor is equipped with entrance and exit fast action butterfly like valves activated by mechanical actuators and temperature and pressure sensors, all connected in a network and managed by a Programmable Logic Control that monitors the parameters and executes the actions by software.

The pressurized food processing industry utilizes basically the same principle of operation, that consist on pouring the product to be processed into a metallic container named reactor, then it is sealed and energy is applied through an external heat and pressure source, that normally is water steam in ranges of 150° C. to 200° C., then it is agitated by transmissions and motors to ensure an homogeneous cooking of the product, and await until the interior of the device reaches the ranges of 150 to 200 pounds per square inch, that may take intervals of 10 to 20 minutes.
The patent from United Kingdom GB1262718, proposes a device to process expanded cereals in a continuous mode, comprised the steps for entering the product as grain or flour, in a pressurized heated gas stream, typically superheated steam, that is then discharged in a low pressure gas atmosphere, and the expansion effect take place. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of utilizing hot air as the main heating element and is equipped with electronic control devices.
The patent from the U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,158 proposed an apparatus for puffing corn by a fan that irradiates heat from an internal heating element into the chamber where the product is being processed. This apparatus has the limitation of processing only corn and does not operate at high temperature or pressure ranges. The present invention in comparison has the advantage of being capable to process several crops, by using pressure and temperature at high levels in a controlled manner by electronic devices.
The patent from the United Kingdom GB2186180 presents an apparatus for cereal popping, that comprises a rotatable baking drum, with hopper and screw feeder to continuously feed the cereals into, a device for collecting the dehydrated cereal after the baking drum, the transportation to a ejection cylinder where the cereal is subject to the action of a high temperature steam flow, and an opening device to expose the moisture laden cereal to the effect of the expansion by depressurization. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece structure, utilized hot air at high pressure and has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Europe EP0274358 proposes a machine for the production of puffed cereals comprising of two rotation drums with sealed lids of automatic closing and mounted on a platform. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, does not has rotating elements and does not require mechanical external devices. It also has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Japan JP62294071 presents a device that fees raw material through a pipeline heated by water steam up to a reactor where the steam is removed, from the reactor the product is discharged through a nozzle located at the bottom of the reactor, in this way the product is released from the high temperature and pressure atmosphere to the atmospheric environment through the nozzle. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of not requiring additional pipelines, utilized hot air instead of steam as the main thermal agent and has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Japan JP63014661 presents a machine to expand and process granular raw material from cereals in shape of twisted cake with no need of cutting devices in continuous flow, expanding as extruding the material through a pressure nozzle, and twisting the cake with a rotary disc that also cuts the line. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, to process other types of food besides cereal raw materials and does not incorporate rotary elements. It also has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Europe EP0344664 presents an apparatus for processing products with starch, by the exposure in a reaction chamber to the gravity effects or a centrifugal field, where a combination of air and steam injected at high speed in several angles, the mixture to be processed in the product is introduced with the air and the steam, and in the expansion chamber a velocity component opposite to the direction of the field is imposed to the steam and air flow. The present invention in comparison has the advantages that it utilizes hot air instead of steam, does not incorporate mobile parts and does not require external mechanical elements to induce movement, and that it is built of on single piece. It also has electronic control devices installed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,923 presents an apparatus for expanding amaranth grains, feed into a cylinder with small perforations to which hot air is applied externally, the expanded grain is collected in the perforated screen and transported outside the cylinder. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of processing other types of food besides cereals such as amaranth, it works with hot air feed at high pressure and it has electronic control devices installed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,405 presents a machine for corn popping by the utilization of hot pressurized air from a blower motor and heating coil. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of processing other types of foods besides cereals, and utilizes hot air at high pressure from a compressor. It also has electronic control devices installed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,239 presents a spherical chamber for puffing and cooking several matters from flour, utilizing hot air from a high temperature element induced by a fan than drives the air into the chamber directly or in spiral from top to bottom and bottom up and cooks the starches in the flour, and then lower temperature air is induced to cool the product down. The present invention in comparison has the advantages to operate at higher ranges of pressure, to process a wider variety of foods, and generate an internal flow like a hurricane in the inside. It also has electronic control devices installed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,021 presents a device based in a cylindrical shape with an internal cavity and a piston than runs into the cavity where the cereal or flour pellets are deposited ad temperature is applied, the piston running increases the pressure inside, which when is released the puffing effect takes place. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of do not incorporate mechanical elements for pressure and utilizes compressed hot air to pressurize. It is built of one single piece and does not have mobile parts. It also has electronic control devices installed
The patent from China CN1107660 presents a device for puffing and preserving fruits with high nutritious value, composed by a tank for high pressure and temperature puffing, connected to sections of vacuum, heating, cooling and compressed air. The fruit is heated, pressurized and depressurized instantaneously in the puffing tank. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of processing a wide variety of foods besides fruits, it is built of one single piece, does not require vacuum chamber, nor cooling either, and it has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Japan JP8023909 proposes a device for puffing grains comprised by a chamber of pressurized air flow and a cereal feeder, connected through an on-off valve at the top and bottom sides, equipped with a porous plate at the lower side that opens an closes and allows the pass of hot steam fed from a steam source, the lower part gets connected to a low pressure chamber with a device that generates the vacuum that provokes the effect of puffing. The present invention in comparison has the advantages that it is built of one single piece, does not have mobile pieces, utilizes hot air instead of steam to heat and pressurize, does not requires vacuum to generate the effect of puffing and it also has electronic control devices.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,098 presents a machine comprised of a stationary barrel horizontally mounted and heated by electrical coils, with another concentric barrel spinning inside and with high temperature steam injected that generates the required pressure for the puffing effect. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, does not have internal mobile parts, utilizes hot air instead of steam for pressurizing and heating, does not uses electricity and it has electronic control devices installed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,152 proposed an oven to cook pastas and flavors from several grains, by a machine comprised of a 3 sliding molds for loading the product, baking and discharging it in continuous flow. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of processing other types of foods besides pastas and flavors, it does not have mobile parts because it is build in one single piece, and it has electronic control devices installed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,584 presents an apparatus to fusion cereals or flavors with additives and sweeteners, utilizing electricity transformed in ultrasound energy to agglutinate the flavors and starches, mixing them with flavors and delivering the product in one single piece. The present inventions in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, it process other types of foods besides cereals and flavors, does not have mobile parts or external devices, utilizes high pressure hot air to generate the operating conditions and has electronic control devices installed. It does not require electricity to operate.
The U.S. Pat. No. 581,793 presents a process to puff rice, starting from previously puffed grain and concentrated in one single piece and baked by the application of ultrasound. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of processing other types of food besides of rice, it has no mobile parts nor external devices, utilize pressurized hot air to generate the required operating conditions and has electronic control devices installed. It does not require electricity to work.
The patent from Russia RU2137407 presents an apparatus for processing grains, comprised on two fixed plates interconnected through guides on which movable plates are mounted, it has two heating units on each side of the guides attached to the fixed plates. It has a ring that gets positioned over the lower heating unit and that is attached to the movable upper plate, a linking mechanism drives the lower heating unit. The lower plate is positioned in such a way that drives its movement. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, it has not movable parts not internal structures, utilizes hot air and has electronic control devices installed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,631 presents a method for puffing product prepared with cereal flour, by the usage of radiated energy from microwaves. The present invention in comparison has the advantages that utilizes hot air as the thermal agent and pressure generator, it has electronic control devices installed, it does not work with electricity and the cooking process allows the preservation of more natural nutrients in the food.
The patent from Japan JP2003152662 proposed a method to process cereals by the pressurization and heating of the product my mechanical jeans, and depressurize the product by the exposure to the environmental pressure. The general concept behind is of a mechanical press that compresses the product held in molds at high temperature. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being build of one single piece, it does not have external mechanical pieces to generate pressure, utilized hot air and it has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Japan JP2003333992 presents an apparatus to process barely cakes with water, that feeds the cereal in a heated and pressurized chamber inside an expansion machine, when the chamber is heated the pressure inside increases, and then is released producing the expansion of the cereal. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of processing other types of foods besides barely cakes, it is build of one single piece, it has not mobile parts, utilizes hot air to heat and pressurize, and it has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Japan JP2003334011 presents an apparatus for expanding cereal comprised by a cylinder and a conveyor with screw shape, the cereal is heated while is being transported through the cylinder to the opposite side where the cereal is accumulated, there high pressure is applied by the screw and then the cereal is expulsed through an extrusion nozzle placed at the side of the cylinder. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, it has no mobile parts nor mechanical devices, it utilizes hot air for pressurizing and heating the cereal and it has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Spain ES2198895 presents an apparatus for expanding grains and vegetables that comprises a pre-heating device where the raw material is heated for a time, and then is transported into a sealed container with lids controlled by external devices, and then hot steam is applied to complete the cooking process and increase the internal temperature of the container, all of that performed with external devices; when the pressure and temperature reach the right levels, the load is depressurized and leave the container completely expanded. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, it has no external or mechanical devices, utilizes hot air to heat and pressurize the reactor, does not require additional pipelines to transport the product, nor pre-heating devices either. It also has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Russia RU2220586 presents an method for expanding grain that consist on feeding the grain previously wet into a high pressure chamber heated by high temperature steam, and the abrupt discharge to atmospheric level pressure and having the expanding effect made. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of utilizing hot air fir pressurizing instead of steam, it has electronic control devices installed and works with smaller loads and cycle times.
The patent from Japan JP2004105102 presents an apparatus to swell cakes by the usage of movable molds upwards and downwards, where the raw material is deposited, the mold constitutes a high temperature pressurized press that change the high temperature and pressure to the environmental levels instantaneously to produce the expansion. The present invention in comparison has no mobile parts or external devices, does not utilize mechanical devices to increase the pressure, it process other types of foods and it has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from China CN1583235 presents an apparatus for grain puffing with hot air, comprised by a compressor, valves, air filter, temperature regulator, grain spinning feeder, air flow puffing chamber, puffed grain collection container, hot air compressor and humidifier. All the aforementioned placed in blocks integrated into a single system where the grain is fed, the high pressure air is filtered and injected to increase the temperature and pressure in the chamber where the product is puffed. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of being built of one single piece, it does not have external devices nor mobile parts, it does not require pipelines nor conveyors to transport the product, it does not need containers nor additional chambers and it has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from Japan JP2005198507 presents an apparatus to process extruded confectionery in predetermined geometrical shapes, comprised by a feeder to access the crushed cereal, a barrel continuously pressurized and maintained at high temperature where the cereal is deposited and a nozzle and a cutter where the product is extruded and shaped to the desired figure. The present application in comparison has the advantages of being able to process all types of foods that contains starches besides cereals, it does not have mobile parts, it is built of one single piece and it has electronic control devices installed.
The patent from U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,855 presents an apparatus for processing foods with water content, comprised by an extrusion chamber of controlled pressure and exposed to high temperature to evaporate the water from the product, it transports the product through a sluice to the section of extruding nozzles, where the product is extruded and processed. The present invention in comparison has the advantages of process the food with a minimum content of water, it utilizes hot air so it does not require exposure to external sources of heat, and it has electronic control devices installed.


An encapsulation body for enclosing an electronic element is disclosed and which includes a first layer of a slow curing two-part epoxy which is in a flowable state; a second layer of material positioned outwardly of the first layer and which substantially retains the first layer of material on the electronic element while the first layer of material is in a flowable state; and a dam surrounding the electronic element, the first and second layers of material received within the dam.

In wafer fabrication, the wafers pass many times in and out of four basic operations. Such are layering, patterning, doping, and heat processing. In final packaging of dies cut from wafers, there are also several basic operations. As in fabrication, the exact order of the operation is determined by the package type and other factors. However, in packaging the flow is linear, with the semiconductor dies proceeding from one operation to the next, only going through the individual packaging operations once. As a general matter, the packaging operations for semiconductor devices include backside preparation, die separation, die pick, inspection, die attach, wire bonding, pre-seal inspection, package sealing, plating, trim, marking, and final test.
There are four basic functions performed by a semiconductor package. They are to provide a lead system, physical protection, environmental protection, and heat dissipation. In this regard, the primary function of the package is to allow connection of the chip or semiconductor device to a circuit board or directly to an electronic product. The second function of the package is the physical protection of the semiconductor device from breakage, contamination and abuse. Physical protection needs vary from low, as in the case of consumer products, to very stringent, as is the case for electronic circuits used in automobiles, space vehicles, and military applications. Environmental protection, on the other hand, for semiconductor devices is to protect the semiconductor device from chemicals, moisture and gases that may interfere with its functioning. Still further, every semiconductor device generates heat during operation. The package enclosure materials used with semiconductor devices serve in nearly all instances, to draw the heat away from the enclosed semiconductor devices thereby dissipating same.
One method of providing an enclosure includes the use of a two part epoxy system. Such is typically very slow to cure, with the epoxy remaining in a flowable state while it cures. Curing times for such epoxy materials may take 24 hours or more. Due in part to the flowable nature of the epoxy, such packaging requires that the semiconductor devices be maintained in a precisely level state for a significant period of time as the epoxy cures. This requirement, of course, reduces the throughput of this packaging method and is therefore very costly, and not conducive to high volume production.
A novel packaging method which addresses the shortcomings identified above, is the subject of the present invention.

Encapsulated electronic component and method for encapsulating an electronic component


A server application program is disclosed that runs on a server and provides a client with multilingual support, but does not have a multilingual database on the server and does not need to access a remote multilingual database as the application program is running. The server application program, having at least one module written in an interpreted language, interacts with locally available language module files. These files contain extracts from multilingual databases, but are formatted to be read as variables containing text strings by the interpreter used in conjunction with the sever application module written in an interpreted language. This allows extremely fast and dynamic access to a set of multilingual text strings, providing multilingual support of an application on a server with significantly greater speed and versatility than previous designs.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to software application programs requiring multiple language support. More particularly this invention is directed to an improved system and method for providing multiple language support to an application having a remote language database.
2. The Prior Art
Application programs that are expected to be used by persons speaking different languages require multiple language support. This requirement falls on all applications having any type of user interface, from older character-cell based user interfaces to the most current graphical display user interfaces. In each case, there will be text displayed that must be in the language of the user. In some cases multiple languages will be in use at the same time.
Initially application programs were rewritten for each target language. This solution required a separate code base for each target language. Having multiple code bases for a single application creates problems. Considerable logistical complexity is created when there are multiple code bases. Multiple code bases also create significant maintenance problems because of the coordination and propagation of changes between multiple parallel development efforts. The separate code base solution proved prohibitively expensive for continuing multilingual distribution of applications.
The next solution in providing multilingual support avoided the multiple code base problems by introducing a single code base with different software modules that contained language text strings. Text strings, and other variables used by the program, are all placed in one location. This location, a separate module and often a separate file, gets compiled into the final program and contains text strings for all the places in the user interface that have textual portions in the display. Files containing variables needed during the execution of a program are sometime called environmental files, and generally contain data that is expected to be changed during the life of the program with more frequency than the code base. Depending on the application text strings where kept in separate modules, files, or with other data in environmental files.
In the case of providing different language support, modules would include text strings from one or more languages that are to be used in the user interface, or could have a different language module for each supported language. These files are then built-in to the application program by being part of the program build, or being in the complied version of the program. Thus, the application is built using specified language modules or files whose contents may vary depending on the compiled program's target audience.
The physical topology of computer systems used for the two multilingual support solutions just discussed were the large, centralized computers predominant one to two decades ago. In such installations there would be a computer or set of computers in a centralized location, examples being IBM 360s or CDC Cyber 6000s. User interface equipment consisted of hardwired terminals, coupled with the central computers using MUXes and similar equipment. As a result of the physical architecture, all the software on this system is colocated with the central computer or computers. Everything from the operating system to the application is on one machine or a closely coupled set of machines in close physical proximity with dedicated high-speed system interconnects.
As network technology matured typical system topology evolved, changes began occurring in typical systems topologies, especially at the front-end connections to the traditional computer rooms. There was still a central computer or cluster of computers, which typically had a relatively large amount of secondary storage, including any databases, connected directly to the centralized computers. Example computers would include mainframes such as DEC VAX 8000 series or IBM 390 series, or "midi" machines such as DEC VAX 6000-series. The significant changes were occurring at the system's front-end. Terminals were now typically connected through a LAN rather than through dedicated terminal connections. An example of such a connection is DEC's LAT protocol running on an Ethernet-based LAN. In addition small local LANs having a relatively small number of individual systems, mostly IBM PC's or clones running some version of MS-DOS, were connected through the LANs to the centralized systems. Applications were typically terminal emulators with character-cell based applications, or with very limited graphics.
The physical system topology just discussed had the property of maintaining large or complex application programs on the central computer systems because the smaller systems didn't have the computing capability nor the storage capability to run larger applications. Networks were relatively slow, and the user interfaces where virtually all character-cell based.
Referring again to multilingual support for software that was evolving along with the hardware, the use of a single code base with language modules took care of the maintenance problems found with multiple code bases. Other limitations still existed, however. When language modules are compiled into an application, changes to the language files require recompiling and reinstalling the program. Thus when changes occurred the program would have to be stopped, perhaps uninstalled, and the newly compiled version installed. In addition to being a fair amount of work for the system administrators, this necessitated periods of time when the application wasn't available ("down-time"). Down-time was expected, even if barely tolerated, when most applications ran on main-frames inside of computer centers. The issue became increasingly problematic as the availability of smaller, individualized, local systems came into increasingly common use. As more machines were being used by people not disciplined or tolerant in the ways of the centrally controlled main-frames with their scheduled downtimes, users pushed for no down time. No down-time is often characterized by the system's availability in hours (up to 24) and days (up to 7); no down-time corresponds to all-hours, all-days availability or 24×7 availability.
At the same time, application developers were making increasing use of databases to support multilingual applications. This meshed with the increasing need for 24×7 availability for applications having multilingual capabilities. Using a database allows the application to stay up regardless of what was happening to the database. It allows for changes to be made to the database independently from the running application, and allowed very substantial changes to be made to the data stored in data bases without affecting the running application. If a switch-over from one set of data to another was needed, it could be accomplished in a few minutes rather than the hours re-installing the application might take.
Using databases in conjunction with an application requiring multilingual support provided the kind of functionality and availability not found in previous solutions, and is presently in use. With the growth of the internet such support is even more critical now, as there can be dynamic requests for different languages (in the past there would typically be one language used per session) within a single page or session, and availability of application available on the internet must be as close to 24×7 as technology can get.
The physical topology of a typical system that corresponds to the distributed multilingual support just described is shown in FIG. 1. It developed in parallel with the propagation of client-server applications and the tremendous expansion in the internet. The terminals used with centralized system topologies are no longer present. Instead, a client application is running on a client computer system shown as systems 100 and 102, or client a device shown as 104 and 106. Client machines are those known and standard in the art, including but not limited to IBM personal computers or IBM-PC clones running Microsoft Windows or NT running a standard web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Client devices include, but are not limited to, web connected phones, which also have net interfaces and proprietary web browsers, or devices such as web-enabled televisions. When referring to clients in this disclosure, it will be understood that this includes machines and devices including but not limited to those just described. Clients or client devices include both the hardware and software of the device that is making a request through a network to a server.
Clients are operably connected to a network in standard ways well known in the art, including internet, WAN, or LAN interfaces. Network 108 is shown as a cloud, indicating it includes the interfaces and transport mechanisms well known in the art. Additionally, any number of clients may be connected to network 108, including more client systems as shown by the ellipses between client systems 102 and 104, and more client devices as indicated by the ellipses between client devices 104 and 106.
Server system 110 is also connected to the network 104 in ways well known in the art, including standard LAN, WAN, and internet connections. Server system 110 as a whole is of conventional design using well known components, including a hardware base and an operating system such as a Sun Microsystems Ultra 10 Model 333 Workstation running the Solaris v.7 operating system, and includes a server application program running on the system such as a web server. Technical details of the example system may be found on Sun Microsystems' website.
The server application program may be a compiled program written in a language such as C, C++, or other well known language, or an interpreted application written in a language such as Perl. For the purposes of this disclosure when referring to a server it means a server system as just described including a standard hardware base, a standard operating system, and having the capability to fully support a server application program running on the server system so that the server application can make full and normal use of the system interfaces to the network 108 to which it is operably attached.
As is now common, server 110 is remotely located from database machines 114 and 116. Typically the database machines will be rackmounted and in close physical proximity to disk arrays, shown as disks 118 and 120 coupled to database machine 116, and disks 122, 124, and 126 coupled to database machine 116. Close physical proximity allows higher-speed connections to be made for better overall throughput, as is well known in the art. In larger companies or companies serving a large number of clients, there will be many servers in addition to the single one shown for illustrative purposes. The server application running on server 110 will access database machine 114 and/or 116 over network 112 as it needs to retrieve language-specific display fields for portions of any given user display.
Recently, the demands the server application program on server 110 makes on database machines 114 and 116 have increased significantly. This is due to several factors, but in particular the tremendous increase in the use of web-based servers, which are typically accompanied with display pages having considerably more complexity than previous user interfaces. Even a simple user interface display page, shown as 200 in FIG. 2, can involve considerable text retrieval. Page 200 has two title fields, 202 and 204, each typically having multiple text strings at the top of the page. In addition there are a series of user-interactive fields with text strings in each shown as 206, 208, 210, and 212, with there being any practicable number of additional fields between 210 and 212. Fields 214, 216, 218, and 220 contain text strings that change according to the input provided by the user. There may be any practicable number of fields between 218 and 220. Each of the fields just listed will require server 110 to retrieve individual text strings from database machine 114 over network 112. In addition to the text string retrievals needed to initialize the page, as the user interacts with display fields 206 through 212 text strings will need to be continuously retrieved from database machine 114 for both the changing options in text fields 206 through 212 and the text in the fields coupled to the user input fields. As the user continues to interact with the server via the client, the network traffic and related delays in response between server 110 and the database machines 114 and 116 will continue.
Typically server 110 would not have the capability to handle the database on database machines 114 and 116. There are several critical reasons why server 110 cannot have a full database as exists on database machine 114 and 116. One is secondary storage considerations. Server 110 would typically not have enough secondary storage to download an entire database, as its primary function is to run server applications which require, overall, less secondary storage than database applications. Adding additional secondary storage is often not an option because of the extra space, cost, and complexity associated with the amount of storage a reasonably sized database would need. It is desirable that servers not be required to be directly connected to large disk arrays. Another critical reason servers do not have entire databases on them is based in system resource allocation. Servers need to be tuned to provide maximum throughput to clients who have outstanding requests. Resource contention within a server needs to be skewed towards its primary function, serving clients, at the expense of contending jobs such as a database manager if one were to be installed on server 110. This includes network I/O resources and bandwidth as well as peripheral storage throughput considerations.
Thus, at a time when it is necessary that the typical server be remote from the database machine, the number of interactions between the server application and the database machine is steadily rising. The results of this have probably been noted by most web-server users—it can take a noticeable amount of time for a page to complete as it retrieves portions of its display. And is typical of current implementations, text string retrieved for current use are associated with specific fields in a specific page and are "lost" (released, no longer used) after a new page is invoked or after a relatively short time period. Although there may be delays at several steps or links in the overall connection, it is now the case that the traffic between server 110 and database machine 114 over network 112 accounts for a measurable portion of it. This problem will continue to worsen as additional demands are made on servers.
Given the ever increasing demand on servers and the associated increase in database retrievals and the accompanying network traffic, there is an urgent need to find efficient ways of reducing the number of accesses a server makes with the database machine where text strings reside. This must be accomplished while maintaining the server and database machines as separate systems carrying out their primary tasks.
It is therefore a goal of this invention is to provide a method and system for reducing the amount of traffic between a server application and its associated database machine while providing dynamic multilingual support.

System and method for language translation within software applications


A laser light source outputs a virtually linearly-polarized light beam that has plural mode components arranged at an interval of an almost equal angular frequency. A polarization dispersion device is connected to the laser light source in such a way that a polarization axis of the polarization dispersion device is at 45° with respect to a polarization axis of the light beam output from the laser light source. This polarization dispersion device effects on the light beam output from the laser light source a polarization mode dispersion that is not in the vicinity of (2π/Δω), where Δω is a mode interval angular frequency.

In an optical transmission system, which carries out Raman amplification, the loss caused in an optical transmission channel or in the optical parts on the optical transmission channel can be corrected by adjusting the Raman gain. The correction of the loss is advantageous, because, as compared to an optical amplification transmission system that employs only a lumped parameter style optical amplifier, it is possible to maintain the required signal-to-noise ratio during the transmission and thereby transmit the same signal to a longer distance.
However, the Raman gain is polarization-dependent. One approach, to solve this problem, is to use a non-polarized pump light. A linearly-polarized pump light may be non-polarized by polarization combining (see, for instance, "optical transmission system" disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-151507) or by using a polarization dispersion device (see, for instance, "laser diode module and depolarizer" disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H8-254668).
In the polarization combining, it is necessary to provide two pump light sources that transmit light beams of an almost equal intensity. Moreover, to improve the wavelength characteristics of the Raman gain, it is desirable to use two or more pump lights that have different central wavelengths. In other words, in the polarization combining, two light sources are necessary for each pump wavelength. Thus, it is necessary to provide the pump light sources two times of the number of pump wavelength.
It is common in the polarization dispersion device to use a semiconductor laser module (LD) as an optical source. Such a semiconductor laser module generally includes a wavelength stabilizing fiber grating as a typical pump light source used in the Raman amplification of a light signal that has a wavelength in the range of 1.55 micrometers (μm) and forms an external resonator. Moreover, such a semiconductor laser module has a central wavelength of 1430 nanometers (nm), a full width at half maximum of an optical spectral envelope of 145 gigahertz (GHz), a vertical mode interval of the semiconductor laser module device of 33 GHz, and a full width at half maximum of the vertical mode of the semiconductor laser module device of 10 GHz.
When the polarization dispersion device is used, lesser pump light sources are required as compared to those required in the polarization combining. However, in case of the polarization dispersion, even if an optical path difference, which is longer than a coherent length (about 1 millimeter (mm)) corresponding to the full width at half maximum of the optical spectral envelope, is assigned between two polarization modes, the possibility of coherency still remains. As a result, sometimes polarization of the pump light cannot be eliminated so that it becomes necessary to assign an optical path difference longer than the coherent length (about 2 centimeters (cm)) corresponding to the vertical mode of the LD device.
Assuming that a polarization maintaining fiber having polarization dispersion of about 1.4 picoseconds (ps) in 1 meter (m) is used, the optical path difference between the two polarization modes is about 0.3 mm. Therefore, the polarization maintaining fiber has to be 70 m or longer. This poses a problem in terms of cost and the implementation capacity.
It is an object of the present invention to solve at least the problems in the conventional technology.

Non-polarization light source device and raman amplifier


A plug connection device has a plug housing having at least one contact and a complementary plug having at least one complementary contact. At least one of the plug housing and the complementary plug is moveable relative to the other one in two directions when the plug housing and the complementary plug are inserted into one another. A plug holder is provided in which the plug housing is received. The plug holder has flexible portions to allow compensation movements of the plug holder together with the plug housing relative to the complementary plug to thereby align the plug holder, the plug housing, and the complementary plug with one another for proper insertion and contacting.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a plug connection device, preferably for exterior rearview mirrors of motor vehicles, comprising a plug housing having at least one contact which can be inserted into a complementary plug having at least one complementary contact.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, it has become conventional to mount turn signal lights in the exterior rearview mirror of motor vehicles, and these turn signal lights must be supplied with the required electric current. For this purpose, in the exterior rearview mirror a plug connection device is provided which is comprised of a plug housing and a complementary plug. Both components must be plugged into one another when mounting the exterior rearview mirror in order to provide the lighting device of the turn signal light with the required current. Often, these components must be inserted into one another xe2x80x9cblindxe2x80x9d, i.e., without the laborer being able to see the components. This means that the proper contacting after plugging in can no longer be inspected from the exterior by the laborer. Accordingly, it happens frequently that the complementary plug and the plug housing are not inserted properly into one another, in particular, when these two components are not properly aligned with one another.
It is an object of the present invention to configure the plug connection device of the aforementioned kind such that a proper and reliable contacting can be achieved when inserting or plugging in the two components, even when the components are not precisely aligned with one another.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that the plug housing and/or the complementary plug are movable relative to one another during insertion or plugging in.
Since the plug housing and/or the complementary plug of the plug connection device according to the invention can be moved relative to one another during insertion or plugging in, the components can be inserted into one another reliably even when they are not precisely aligned with one another. As a result of the movability of the plug housing and/or of the complementary plug it is thus ensured that even for a xe2x80x9cblindxe2x80x9d assembly the two components can be inserted into one another reliably. The plug connection device according to the invention is used advantageously for exterior rearview mirrors of motor vehicles, but, of course, can also be used in any situation where contacting by insertion of two components of a plug connection device is required.
An especially advantageous solution results when a plug holder, which receives the plug housing, is provided and secures the contact within the plug housing against displacement when connecting the plug housing and the complementary plug. This ensures that the contact is not pushed by the complementary contact of the complementary plug out of the plug housing during insertion which then would prevent contacting. This securing function ensures that the contact(s) in the plug housing cannot be moved out of the plug housing during insertion into one another.

Plug connection device, especially for exterior rearview mirrors of motor vehicles

Reitter and Schefenacker GmbH and Co. KG