A gauge with two probes measures a rifle chamber to determine the distance from the center of the shoulder to the start of the bore. A gauge with two holes measures a loaded cartridge to determine the distance from the center of the shoulder to the place on the bullet where the cross sectional diameter is the same as the bore of the rifle. The difference between these two measurements is bullet jump: the distance the bullet will move, upon firing, before it engages the rifling of the barrel. These same tools, properly sized, also provide a unique and convenient means for determining the cone angle of any conical surface.

This invention pertains to gunsmithing and the making of ammunition cartridges for rifles such as those used by hunters, military, and competitive shooters.
Rifle chamber and ammunition cartridge designations are standardized by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer's Institute (SAAMI). ANSI maintains a corresponding standard Z299.4. These standards define, among other things, the physical dimensions of the cartridge and chamber for each cartridge designation by way of a mechanical drawing specifying the dimensions and tolerances for each feature. These dimensions and tolerances dictate how the cartridge will fit into the chamber, take into account changes in the cartridge dimensions during firing, and also account for normal manufacturing variation to ensure that all commercial ammunition will function in all commercial rifles. Allowable variations are small but they can have a significant effect on accuracy because they may alter the way a bullet enters the barrel which affects how it leaves the barrel which affects downrange accuracy. One of the motivations for hand loading ammunition is to take advantage of the ability to adjust the final dimensions of the cartridge to closely match the chamber of a particular rifle and to also decrease the variation from cartridge to cartridge thereby increasing accuracy and consistency.
Ammunition cartridges are assembled from a case, a primer, powder, and a bullet and are put into several broad classes based on the type of case that is used: rimmed, rimless, and belted being the most common types. Each of these three types of cases uses a different physical feature on the case to locate the case inside the chamber, which is commonly called 'headspacing' but within the SAAMI specification is called 'breeching'. Rimmed and belted cases are breeched by ("headspace off of" is the common terminology) the rim or belt. A rimmed cartridge is illustrated in FIG. 1, the rim (1) being a raised ring around the head of the case. Belted cases are very similar. A rimless cartridge is illustrated in FIG. 2, shown inside a chamber (3a) of a barrel (3). A cartridge with a rimless case (2) is breeched by ("headspace off of") the shoulder (2c), the conical transition between the larger cylindrical body (2b) of the case (2), which holds the powder, and the smaller cylindrical neck (2d), which holds the bullet (4). Not discernible in FIG. 2 is that the SAMMI specifications for shoulder breeching cartridges and chambers maintain a very small gap between the cartridge case (2b) and the chamber (3a); the only contact between the two is between the case shoulder (2c) and the chamber shoulder (3b). This is a difference that the prior art has not addressed. All of the different reloading dies, overall-length-gauges, bullet comparators, other tools, and the techniques for using them that are contained in the prior art and commercially available make no differentiation between these different case types, essentially treating all of them as if they were of the rimmed type where all critical dimensions are referenced from the head (2a) of the case (2) and alignment is controlled by adjustments to the body (2b) and neck (2d) of the case. However, for rimless cases critical dimensions and alignment should be referenced to the shoulder (2c).
Among the issues that the existing technology is not handling correctly, for rimless cases, is the way that the chamber and ammunition is measured. This is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2a (which is an enlarged view of part of FIG. 2. The problem with present technology isn't merely poor measurement accuracy; it's a problem of measuring the wrong thing. Present technology takes all measurements from the head (2a) of the case (2). However, because shoulder breeching cartridges use the shoulder to locate the cartridge within the chamber, the proper technique is to reference measurements to what is commonly known as the 'datum line' (5a), which is in the middle of the shoulder (2c). The datum line (5a) is not a visible feature on the case but is the line that defines the median diameter of the case shoulder (2c) in the Cartridge and Chamber Drawings for shoulder breeching cartridges (308 Winchester for example) in the SAAMI specification; this is not formally named the datum line, but this is the term commonly used for this line in the relevant literature. The shoulder (2c) is a truncated cone defined by its median diameter (the datum line (5a)) and the shoulder angle (5d). Since no means presently exists to measure an ammunition cartridge (2 and 4) using the shoulder datum line (5a) as a reference point this invention was developed.
Another reference point for measurements of the cartridge is on the bullet (4). Existing tools and methods measure from either the tip (4a) or the ogive (5b), which is where the cylindrical body ends and the tapered point begins. Measuring from these two locations is problematic. Typically, manufacturing variation at the tip (4a) is very large so any measurement taken from there is unreliable. Also, the tip (4a) doesn't contact anything so it doesn't matter where it is. The cross sectional diameter of the bullet (4) at the ogive (5b) is the same diameter as the cylindrical base that is inside the case neck (2d), which makes this a difficult place to locate precisely because almost half the bullet has the same diameter. The ogive (5b) is also typically very close to the end of the neck (2d) and may be inside the neck (2d) for a deeply seated or highly tapered bullet (4), both furthering the difficulty in using this as a measurement reference.
An alternative place on the bullet (4) to use as a measurement reference is where the cross sectional diameter is the same as the diameter of the bore (3d) of the barrel (3). There is only one place on the bullet (4) with this diameter so it's very easy to precisely define and that place is fully on the taper of the bullet's point so it's also easier to locate precisely; this place is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 2a as item 5c and referred to below as the 'bullet datum'. Measurements using the bullet datum (5c) as a reference will be more accurate than measurements referenced to the ogive (5b) or the tip (4a). Since no means presently exists to measure an ammunition cartridge using the bullet datum (5c) as a reference this invention was developed.
The SAMMI specification also includes a datum line for the chamber (6a) which has the same value for the median diameter of the chamber shoulder (3b) as the median diameter of the cartridge shoulder at the datum (5a); therefore the two datum lines must be aligned when the case (2) is properly positioned in the chamber (3a). This means that these datum lines are where the SAMMI specification defines the point of contact between cartridge (2 and 4) and chamber (3a) to be. Therefore, in order to properly compare measurements of the cartridge (2 and 4) to the chamber (3a) it is necessary to use the chamber shoulder datum (6a) as the reference.
The motivation for taking these measurements is to gain control of bullet jump, which is the distance that the bullet (4) moves before it engages the rifling grooves ((3e) through (3h) of FIG. 2b) in the bore (3d) of the barrel (3). FIG. 2a is an enlarged view of the region in FIG. 2 just in front of the case neck (2d) which is often called the freebore region because there are no rifling grooves in this area. The rifling grooves ((3e) through (3h)) begin with a shallow short taper called the ramp (3c) that begins at item 6b where the diameter is slightly larger than the ogive (5b) diameter (which is the same as the groove diameter (6e)) and ends at item 6c where the diameter is the bore diameter (6d), which is the same diameter as the bullet datum (5c). Therefore, initial contact between the bullet (4) and the rifling grooves ((3e) through (3h)) will occur when the region of the bullet between the ogive (5b) and bullet datum (5c) contacts the ramp (3c) between item 6b and item 6c. The distance the bullet moves before this occurs is bullet jump. Controlling bullet jump therefore requires measuring the distance between the datum line of the chamber shoulder (6a) and the ramp (3c) and then assembling a cartridge with tools that predictably set the distance between the case shoulder datum (5a) and the bullet datum (5c); which requires being able to measure the distance between the case shoulder datum (5a) and the bullet datum (5c).
Present technology sets the bullet seating depth by holding the distance between the head of the case (2a) and the bullet tip (4a) constant. This distance is the sum of the distance between the head of the case (2a) and the shoulder datum (5a) and the distance between the shoulder datum (5a) and the bullet tip (4a). Variation normally occurs for various reasons in the length of the case body (2b) between the head of the case (2a) and the shoulder datum (5a), which, because the distance between the head (2a) and the tip (4a) is held constant, must result in variations in the distance between the shoulder datum (5a) and the bullet tip (4a); which must then result in variation in bullet jump for shoulder breeching cartridges. For the same reason, normally existing variation in the distance between the bullet datum (5a) and tip (4a) will result in variation in bullet jump. Additionally, the distance between the bullet datum (5c) and the tip (4a) changes a great deal between different types of bullets, therefore a great deal of variation in bullet jump can occur when changing bullet types.
Present technology does not provide the means for measuring any of these features nor any means for controlling bullet jump in shoulder breeching cartridges so I have developed a set of cartridge reloading tools similar to existing reloading tools but designed specifically for shoulder breeching rifle cartridges. This includes tools for measuring the cartridge and chamber properly, a case hone/trimmer, a neck sizing die, and a bullet seating die; each of which is the subject of a separate invention disclosure. This disclosure is for the measurement tools.


An off-road vehicle includes a driveline, a control system, and a braking system. The driveline provides driveline power and driveline brake power to a first tractive assembly and/or a second tractive assembly. The control system stores vehicle information, determines driving instructions based on environment data, and determines speed references for tractive elements of the first and second tractive assemblies based on the driving instructions and the vehicle information. The braking system includes brakes and a braking subsystem. The brake subsystem operates the brakes to provide brake power to one or more components of the first and/or second tractive assemblies. The brake controller controls the brakes to selectively provide the brake power and the control system controls the driveline to selectively provide the driveline power and the driveline brake power based on current speeds of the tractive elements and the speed references to accommodate the driving instructions.

Braking systems on wheeled agricultural and construction machinery include a hydraulic master cylinder and/or hydraulic power brake valve that mechanically connects to a foot pedal in the cab. While these components may have position switches, they do not have other electronic functions. Traditional valves and cylinders generally cannot be actuated by an on-board controller. Driver assistance and autonomous operations using traditional components have been limited.

Self-contained intelligent braking subsystem


This invention provides topical pharmaceutical or cosmetic compositions, and uses thereof in treating a disease or condition of the hair follicle. The compositions of this invention are emulsions of an oil-in-polyol with a mean particle size of below one micron, and further comprising at least one oil, one polyol, and one stabilizer.

Hair grows on human skin in various textures, colors, and density. The structure from which each hair grows is called a follicle. Muscles, oil glands (sebaceous glands), and nerves extend from the follicle into the next layer of the skin—the dermis. Throughout life, the skin is constantly shedding dead skin cells and growing new ones. This happens all over the skin. Inside the follicles, sebum (oil) carries the dead cells to the surface. Various factors can interfere with the cycle of renewal and disposal, and a number of disorders can result.
Skin Follicle diseases include infectious diseases, immunological disorders, blockage of sebaceous gland or of all hair follicle, cancers, and multiple cause inflammatory conditions.
Folliculitis is the infection and inflammation of the hair follicles. The condition may be superficial (i.e., on the surface of the skin) or deep within the follicles. Hair follicles become red and irritated, and pus-filled lesions form. Folliculitis can clear up by itself in a matter of a couple of weeks or become more persistent and thus require treatment. The most common cause of folliculitis is infection by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Other species of bacteria may also be responsible. For example, contaminated water in whirlpools and hot tubs can transmit Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can cause folliculitis. This bacterium may also be passed in wet suits. Fungal and viral infections can also cause the condition. These are not common, but doctors may suspect these agents if conventional treatments do not work. Viral infections may be more common in those with compromised immune systems, such as AIDS, organ transplant, and cancer patients.
Folliculitis symptoms can appear independent of infection. Exposure of the skin to certain chemicals, especially oils and tars, can trigger an outbreak. People with depressed immune systems, diabetes, or obesity have a greater risk of contracting folliculitis than the general population. An early sign of folliculitis is a small white or yellow pus-filled lesion (pustule) on a red, inflamed follicle. The most likely starting points are the scalp, thighs, legs, and buttocks. When an infection of the follicle goes deeper, it becomes a boil or furuncle. A group of closely packed boils create a larger lesion called a carbuncle. These lesions tend to occur in hairy, sweaty areas of the body.
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a potentially serious, chronic, pus-producing (suppurative) disorder of the follicles and sweat glands. Hidradenitis suppurativa develops primarily in the sweat glands located in the armpits, in the groin, around the breasts, and in the anal region. The follicles and ducts become blocked, and bacteria and pus are forced into the surrounding tissue, causing irritation. Abscesses form and can become quite large and eventually break through the skin. Abscesses may open and drain spontaneously. Scar tissue forms in the healing process. Hidradenitis suppurativa can be a socially and physically painful and disabling disease. The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is usually involved in the condition, and Proteus species are often involved in chronic cases. Bacteria called coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) have also been associated with these infections.
There seems to be a genetic predisposition for the disease, and it seems to be more common in women. Hidradenitis suppurative does not appear in people who have not reached puberty because the sweat glands are not active, but it can appear at any age afterward. Hidradenitis suppurativa affects people who are extremely overweight (obese) at a higher rate than the general population. Cigarette smokers also have a higher incidence of this disorder than nonsmokers.
Signs of hidradenitis are firm red nodules that are usually located under the arm, in the groin, around the breasts, or around the anus. Pustules and abscesses may discharge pus spontaneously and heal slowly, resulting in scar tissue. The appearance of nodules recurs periodically throughout the year. Heat, perspiration, and being overweight can aggravate the condition. Pain is a common symptom in chronic disease. Over time, fibers of scar tissue branch out, creating restrictive, tight skin. This can interfere with movement of the arms or legs, if the sweat glands in the armpits or groin are involved. Dermatologists diagnose the disorder by the appearance and location of the lesions. Infection and inflammation can spread beyond the sweat glands into cells located in the deep layers of the skin and in muscle tissue. This condition is called cellulitis. The skin covering the infected area is usually warm and tender.
Keratosis pilaris is a condition in which the hair follicles become blocked with hair and dead cells from the outermost layer of skin (epidermis). The follicles redden and inflame causing bumps (papules) to develop. The papules of keratosis pilaris usually occur on the upper arms and thighs, but also appear on the face, back, and buttocks.
Keratosis pilaris (KP) is a hereditary disorder. One can inherit it from one or both parents. KP stems from overreproduction of keratinocytes, the cells that manufacture the protein keratin, an important skin component (called hyperkeratosis). Some researchers describe KP as one of a whole spectrum of disorders, rather than as an independent disease. KP is more prevalent among children and adolescents and less common in adults. It seems to improve after puberty. Individuals with dry skin and eczema (skin disorder) tend to have more severe cases. The condition improves during warm summer months and worsens during the winter. The signs of keratosis pilaris are the papules that typically appear on the upper arms and thighs, and sometimes on the back, face, and buttocks. Papules re-form after they have been removed.
Perioral dermatitis (POD) is a disorder of the follicles in which pink bumps (papules) appear around the mouth and sometimes around the eyes. POD is most common in 20- to 50-year-old women, but occurs in men and children as well. The causes of POD are not well understood. There is some evidence that fungi and bacteria may be underlying causes of the disorder. However, this has not been proven.
People who use topical corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs) for other skin disorders on the face have a higher rate of POD than the general population. Stress also plays a role, as does repeatedly touching the skin on the face. Dermatologists usually diagnose POD by the occurrence of pink papules around the mouth. Often the papules develop around the eyes and nostrils as well. The next stage of POD brings scaling and reddening. Some patients experience burning and itching. POD has a tendency to improve and worsen at variable intervals.
Rosacea is a disorder of the follicles and surrounding skin that usually occurs on the forehead, nose, and chin. It involves reddening, acnelike lesions, and broken blood vessels. Rosacea improves and worsens in unpredictable cycles. The exact cause is unknown. Although rosacea can appear at any age, it is most prevalent between 30 and 60 years old. It occurs about equally in men and women, although severe cases are more common in men. Rosacea seems to have a genetic component. Individuals whose family members have rosacea have a higher incidence of the disorder. Emotional and physical stress, windy conditions, heat, and sun exposure can exacerbate rosacea. Dietary triggers include dairy products, certain spices, hot liquids, and alcohol.
Some people with stomach ulcers are prone to develop rosacea. The cause of a high percentage of stomach ulcers is infection with the bacterium Heliobacter pylori (H. pylori). While studies are still inconclusive, eradication of H. pylori in ulcer patients can lead to improvement in rosacea. There is increasing evidence that this bacterium causes a variety of systemic disorders. However, rosacea appears without H. pylori and vice versa.
Doctors usually diagnose rosacea by observing the appearance of the skin. Not all redness, flushing, and blushing is caused by rosacea. However, redness that takes a long time to clear up, or never clears up, often indicates rosacea. Acne pustules sometimes develop with this condition; however, blackheads are not a hallmark. Bacterial infections can contribute to inflammation. As the disorder progresses, the patient's facial skin exhibits broken blood vessels. A rare symptom is rhinophyma, a thick, leathery texture of the nose skin. The eyes can be affected with irritation and increased light sensitivity.
Acne is also a hair follicle disease whereas follicles are finally clogged and become infected and inflamed. Acne is an inflammatory skin disorder of the skin's sebaceous glands and hair follicles that affects about 80% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. There is a genetic propensity for follicular epidermal hyperproliferation with subsequent plugging of the follicle. Retention hyperkeratosis is the first recognized event in the development of acne vulgaris. Excess sebum is another key factor in the development of acne vulgaris. Sebum production and excretion are regulated by a number of different hormones and mediators. P acnes is an anaerobic organism present in acne lesions. The presence of P acnes promotes inflammation through a variety of mechanisms. P acnes stimulates inflammation by producing proinflammatory mediators that diffuse through the follicle wall.
Alopecia is a condition affecting humans, in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body, usually from the scalp. Alopecia may occure as consequence of genetics or following chemotherapy and radiation. Treating or preventing of common Alopecia and treating chemotherapy induced alopecia may be achieved with hair growth stimulators that are generally well known, and include minoxidil, substance-P, cyclosporin, cyclosporin A, finesteride, and the like known hair growth stimulators.
The primary principle behind laser hair removal is selective photothermolysis (SPTL) Lasers can cause localized damage by selectively heating dark target matter, (melanin), in the area that causes hair growth, (the follicle), while not heating the rest of the skin. Light is absorbed by dark objects, so laser energy can be absorbed by dark material in the skin (but with much more speed and intensity). This dark target matter, or chromophore, can be naturally-occurring or artificially introduced.
Hair removal lasers selectively target melanin: Melanin is considered the primary chromophore for all hair removal lasers currently on the market. Melanin occurs naturally in the skin (it gives skin and hair its color). There are two types of melanin in hair: eumelanin (which gives hair brown or black color) and pheomelanin (which gives hair blonde or red color). Because of the selective absorption of photons of laser light, only black or brown hair can be removed.
Both men and women seek laser hair removal services to have superfluous or unwanted hair removed. Hair removal is commonly done on lip, chin, ear lobe, shoulders, back, underarm, abdomen, buttocks, pubic area, bikini lines, thighs, face, neck, cleavage, chest, arms, legs, hands, and toes. Laser works best with dark coarse hair. Light skin and dark hair are an ideal combination, but new lasers are now able to target dark black hair even in patients with dark skin
However, Laser hair removal of blond and white hair is a complicated task with often unsatisfactory results as a result of a lack of laser-absorbing chromophore. Attempts to introduce Liposome encapsulated melanin (Lipoxome; Dalton Medicare B. V., Zevenbergschen Hoek, The Netherlands) into the hair follicles were not successful. (Ann Plast Surg. 2007 May; 58(5):551-4. (A randomized, controlled, double-blind study evaluating melanin-encapsulated liposomes as a chromophore for laser hair removal of blond, white, and gray hair. Sand M, Bechara F G, Sand D, Altmeyer P, Hoffmann K.)
White gray or blond hair does not respond effectively to Laser selective photothermolysis treatment and thus pose an unmet need. Practically, people suffering from unwanted non-pigmented hair grow (white, gray or light blond) could not be effectively treated with photothermolysis. Attempts to artificially introduce melanin into the hair follicle by Liposome melanin require many applications each day over few days whereas pigmenting the hair follicles with current application by various pigments occurs within one day and one to three single applications.
Lingna and Valeryi U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,914,126 and 5,753,263 disclose liposomes that target preferentially hair follicle. However liposomes are difficult to produce and to stabilize and have limited loading capacity and very low unfavorable loading yield, making them inferior for industrial production.
There is therefore a need for a vehicle or carrier which is a delivery system that will effectively deliver drugs or cosmetic agents to the hair follicle cavity, that will be simple to produce and develop, have high load and yield and provide effective hair follicle targeting and accumulation.


A computer system having a core logic chipset that functions as a bridge between an Accelerated Graphics Port ("AGP") bus device such as a graphics controller, and a host processor and computer system memory wherein a Graphics Address Remapping Table ("GART table") is used by the core logic chipset to remap virtual memory addresses used by the AGP graphics controller into physical memory addresses that reside in the computer system memory. The GART table enables the AGP graphics controller to work in contiguous virtual memory address space, but actually use non-contiguous blocks or pages of physical system memory to store textures, command lists and the like. The GART table is made up of a plurality of entries, each entry comprising an address pointer to a base address of a memory page, and feature flags that may be used to customize the associated memory page.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to computer systems using a bus bridge(s) to interface a central processor(s), video graphics processor(s), random access memory and input-output peripherals together, and more particularly, in utilizing feature flags associated with memory address translation pointers of a graphics address remapping table used with an accelerated graphics port device.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY
Use of computers, especially personal computers, in business and at home is becoming more and more pervasive because the computer has become an integral tool of most information workers who work in the fields of accounting, law, engineering, insurance, services, sales and the like. Rapid technological improvements in the field of computers have opened up many new applications heretofore unavailable or too expensive for the use of older technology mainframe computers. These personal computers may be stand-alone workstations (high end individual personal computers), desk-top personal computers, portable lap-top computers and the like, or they may be linked together in a network by a "network server" which is also a personal computer which may have a few additional features specific to its purpose in the network. The network server may be used to store massive amounts of data, and may facilitate interaction of the individual workstations connected to the network for electronic mail ("E-mail"), document databases, video teleconferencing, white boarding, integrated enterprise calendar, virtual engineering design and the like. Multiple network servers may also be interconnected by local area networks ("LAN") and wide area networks ("WAN").
A significant part of the ever increasing popularity of the personal computer, besides its low cost relative to just a few years ago, is its ability to run sophisticated programs and perform many useful and new tasks. Personal computers today may be easily upgraded with new peripheral devices for added flexibility and enhanced performance. A major advance in the performance of personal computers (both workstation and network servers) has been the implementation of sophisticated peripheral devices such as video graphics adapters, local area network interfaces, SCSI bus adapters, full motion video, redundant error checking and correcting disk arrays, and the like. These sophisticated peripheral devices are capable of data transfer rates approaching the native speed of the computer system microprocessor central processing unit ("CPU"). The peripheral devices' data transfer speeds are achieved by connecting the peripheral devices to the microprocessor(s) and associated system random access memory through high speed expansion local buses. Most notably, a high speed expansion local bus standard has emerged that is microprocessor independent and has been embraced by a significant number of peripheral hardware manufacturers and software programmers. This high speed expansion bus standard is called the "Peripheral Component Interconnect" or "PCI." A more complete definition of the PCI local bus may be found in the PCI Local Bus Specification, revision 2.1; PCI/PCI Bridge Specification, revision 1.0; PCI System Design Guide, revision 1.0; PCI BIOS Specification, revision 2.1, and Engineering Change Notice ("ECN") entitled "Addition of `New Capabilities` Structure," dated May 20, 1996, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. These PCI specifications and ECN are available from the PCI Special Interest Group, P.O. Box 14070, Portland, Oreg. 97214.
A computer system has a plurality of information (data and address) buses such as a host bus, a memory bus, at least one high speed expansion local bus such as the PCI bus, and other peripheral buses such as the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Extension to Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), and Industry Standard Architecture (ISA). The microprocessor(s) of the computer system communicates with main memory and with the peripherals that make up the computer system over these various buses. The microprocessor(s) communicates to the main memory over a host bus to memory bus bridge. The peripherals, depending on their data transfer speed requirements, are connected to the various buses which are connected to the microprocessor host bus through bus bridges that detect required actions, arbitrate, and translate both data and addresses between the various buses.
Increasingly sophisticated microprocessors have revolutionized the role of the personal computer by enabling complex applications software to run at mainframe computer speeds. The latest microprocessors have brought the level of technical sophistication to personal computers that, just a few years ago, was available only in mainframe and mini-computer systems. Some representative examples of these new microprocessors are the "PENTIUM" and "PENTIUM PRO" (registered trademarks of Intel Corporation). Advanced microprocessors are also manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices, Cyrix, IBM, Digital Equipment Corp., and Motorola.
These sophisticated microprocessors have, in turn, made possible running complex application programs using advanced three dimensional ("3-D") graphics for computer aided drafting and manufacturing, engineering simulations, games and the like. Increasingly complex 3-D graphics require higher speed access to ever larger amounts of graphics data stored in memory. This memory may be part of the video graphics processor system, but, preferably, would be best (lowest cost) if part of the main computer system memory. Intel Corporation has proposed a low cost but improved 3-D graphics standard called the "Accelerated Graphics Port" (AGP) initiative. With AGP 3-D, graphics data, in particular textures, may be shifted out of the graphics controller local memory to computer system memory. The computer system memory is lower in cost than the graphics controller local memory and is more easily adapted for a multitude of other uses besides storing graphics data.
The proposed Intel AGP 3-D graphics standard defines a high speed data pipeline, or "AGP bus," between the graphics controller and system memory. This AGP bus has sufficient bandwidth for the graphics controller to retrieve textures from system memory without materially affecting computer system performance for other non-graphics operations. The Intel 3-D graphics standard is a specification which provides signal, protocol, electrical, and mechanical specifications for the AGP bus and devices attached thereto. This specification is entitled "Accelerated Graphics Port Interface Specification Revision 1.0," dated Jul. 31, 1996, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. This AGP Specification is available from Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif.
The AGP interface specification uses the 66 MHz PCI (Revision 2.1) specification as an operational baseline, with three performance enhancements to the PCI specification which are used to optimize the AGP Specification for high performance 3-D graphics applications. These enhancements are: 1) pipelined memory read and write operations, 2) demultiplexing of address and data on the AGP bus by use of sideband signals, and 3) data transfer rates of 133 MHz for data throughput in excess of 500 megabytes per second ("MB/s"). The remaining AGP Specification does not modify the PCI specification, but rather provides a range of graphics-oriented performance enhancements for use by 3-D graphics hardware and software designers. The AGP Specification is neither meant to replace nor diminish full use of the PCI standard in the computer system. The AGP Specification creates an independent and additional high speed local bus for use by 3-D graphics devices such as a graphics controller, wherein the other input-output ("I/O") devices of the computer system may remain on any combination of the PCI, SCSI, EISA and ISA buses.
To functionally enable this AGP 3-D graphics bus, new computer system hardware and software are required. This requires new computer system core logic designed to function as a host bus/memory bus/PCI bus to AGP bus bridge meeting the AGP Specification, and new Read Only Memory Basic Input Output System ("ROM BIOS") and Application Programming Interface ("API") software to make the AGP dependent hardware functional in the computer system. The computer system core logic must still meet the PCI standards referenced above and facilitate interfacing the PCI bus(es) to the remainder of the computer system. In addition, new AGP compatible device cards must be designed to properly interface, mechanically and electrically, with the AGP bus connector.
AGP and PCI device cards are neither physically nor electrically interchangeable even though there is some commonality of signal functions between the AGP and PCI interface specifications. The present AGP Specification only makes allowance for a single AGP device on an AGP bus, whereas, the PCI specification allows two plug-in slots for PCI devices plus a bridge on a PCI bus running at 66 MHz. The single AGP device is capable of functioning in both a 1.times. mode (264 MB/s peak) and a 2.times. mode (532 MB/s peak). The AGP bus is defined as a 32 bit bus, and may have up to four bytes of data transferred per clock in the 1.times. mode and up to eight bytes of data per clock in the 2.times. mode. The PCI bus is defined as either a 32 bit or 64 bit bus, and may have up to four or eight bytes of data transferred per clock, respectively. The AGP bus, however, has additional sideband signals which enables it to transfer blocks of data more efficiently than is possible using a PCI bus. An AGP bus running in the 2.times. mode provides sufficient video data throughput (532 MB/s peak) to allow increasingly complex 3-D graphics applications to run on personal computers.
A major performance/cost enhancement using AGP in a computer system is accomplished by shifting texture data structures from local graphics memory to main memory. Textures are ideally suited for this shift for several reasons. Textures are generally read-only, and therefore problems of access ordering and coherency are less likely to occur. Shifting of textures serves to balance the bandwidth load between system memory and local graphics memory, since a well-cached host processor has much lower memory bandwidth requirements than does a 3-D rendering machine; texture access comprises perhaps the single largest component of rendering memory bandwidth, so avoiding loading or caching textures in local graphics memory saves not only this component of local memory bandwidth, but also the bandwidth necessary to load the texture store in the first place, and, further, this data must pass through main memory anyway as it is loaded from a mass store device. Texture size is dependent upon application quality rather than on display resolution, and therefore may require the greatest increase in memory as software applications become more advanced. Texture data is not persistent and may reside in the computer system memory only for the duration of the software application, so any system memory spent on texture storage can be returned to the free memory heap when the application concludes (unlike a graphic controller's local frame buffer which may remain in persistent use). For these reasons, shifting texture data from local graphics memory to main memory significantly reduces computer system costs when implementing 3-D graphics.
Generally, in a computer system memory architecture the graphics controller's physical address space resides above the top of system memory. The graphics controller uses this physical address space to access its local memory which holds information required to generate a graphics screen. In the AGP system, information still resides in the graphics controller's local memory (textures, alpha, z-buffer, etc.), but some data which previously resided in this local memory is moved to system memory (primarily textures, but also command lists, etc.). The address space employed by the graphics controller to access these textures becomes virtual, meaning that the physical memory corresponding to this address space doesn't actually exist above the top of memory. In reality, each of these virtual addresses corresponds to a physical address in system memory. The graphics controller sees this virtual address space, referenced hereinafter as "AGP device address space," as one contiguous block of memory, but the corresponding physical memory addresses may be allocated in 4 kilobyte ("KB"), non-contiguous pages throughout the computer system physical memory.
There are two primary AGP usage models for 3D rendering that have to do with how data are partitioned and accessed, and the resultant interface data flow characteristics. In the "DMA" model, the primary graphics memory is a local memory referred to as `local frame buffer` and is associated with the AGP graphics controller or "video accelerator." 3D structures are stored in system memory, but are not used (or "executed") directly from this memory; rather they are copied to primary (local) memory, to which the rendering engine's address generator (of the AGP graphics controller) makes references thereto. This implies that the traffic on the AGP bus tends to be long, sequential transfers, serving the purpose of bulk data transport from system memory to primary graphics (local) memory. This sort of access model is amenable to a linked list of physical addresses provided by software (similar to operation of a disk or network I/O device), and is generally not sensitive to a non-contiguous view of the memory space.
In the "execute" model, the video accelerator uses both the local memory and the system memory as primary graphics memory. From the accelerator's perspective, the two memory systems are logically equivalent; any data structure may be allocated in either memory, with performance optimization as the only criteria for selection. In general, structures in system memory space are not copied into the local memory prior to use by the video accelerator, but are "executed" in place. This implies that the traffic on the AGP bus tends to be short, random accesses, which are not amenable to an access model based on software resolved lists of physical addresses. Since the accelerator generates direct references into system memory, a contiguous view of that space is essential. But, since system memory is dynamically allocated in, for example, random 4,096 byte blocks of the memory, hereinafter 4 kilobyte ("KB") pages, it is necessary in the "execute" model to provide an address mapping mechanism that maps the random 4 KB pages into a single contiguous address space.
The AGP Specification supports both the "DMA" and "execute" models. However, since a primary motivation of the AGP is to reduce growth pressure on the graphics controller's local memory (including local frame buffer memory), the "execute" model is preferred. Consistent with this preference, the AGP Specification requires a virtual-to-physical address re-mapping mechanism which ensures the graphics accelerator (AGP master) will have a contiguous view of graphics data structures dynamically allocated in the system memory. This address re-mapping applies only to a single, programmable range of the system physical address space and is common to all system agents. Addresses falling in this range are re-mapped to non-contiguous pages of physical system memory. All addresses not in this range are passed through without modification, and map directly to main system memory, or to device specific ranges, such as a PCI device's physical memory. Re-mapping is accomplished via a "Graphics Address Remapping Table" ("GART table") which is set up and maintained by a GART miniport driver software, and used by the core logic chipset to perform the re-mapping. In order to avoid compatibility issues and allow future implementation flexibility, this mechanism is specified at a software (API) level. In other words, the actual GART table format may be abstracted to the API by a hardware abstraction layer ("HAL") or mini-port driver that is provided with the core logic chipset. While this API does not constrain the future partitioning of re-mapping hardware, the re-mapping function will typically be implemented in the core logic chipset.
The contiguous AGP graphics controller's device addresses are mapped (translated) into corresponding physical addresses that reside in the computer system physical memory by using the GART table which may also reside in physical memory. The GART table is used by the core logic chipset to remap AGP device addresses that can originate from either the AGP, host, or PCI buses. The GART table is managed by a software program called a "GART miniport driver." The GART miniport driver provides GART services for the computer software operating system.
What is needed to more fully and efficiently utilize the computer system and its physical memory when implementing AGP 3-D graphics requiring GART table translations is a system, method and apparatus for customizing the properties of each page of system memory associated with the GART table.

Graphics address remapping table entry feature flags for customizing the operation of memory pages associated with an accelerated graphics port device


An optically-powered integrated microstructure pressure sensing system for sensing pressure within a cavity. the pressure sensing system comprises a pressure sensor having an optical resonant structure subject to the pressure within the cavity and having physical properties changing due to changing pressures within the cavity. A substrate supports the optical resonant structure. An input optical pathway evanescently couples light into the optical resonant structure. An output optical pathway collects light from the optical resonance structure. A light source delivers a known light input into the input optical pathway whereby the known light input is evanescently coupled into the optical resonant structure by the input optical pathway and a portion of such light is collected from the optical resonant structure by the output optical pathway. A light detector receives the portion of the light collected from the optical resonant structure, and generates a light signal indicative of such portion of the light collected from the optical resonant structure. A temperature compensation sensor generates a temperature signal indicative of the temperature near the optical resonant structure. A spectrum detection device receives the light signal and temperature signal. The spectrum detection device analyzing the light signal and the temperature signal with a detection algorithm to generating a pressure signal indicative of the pressure within the cavity.

High-pressure transducers play several important roles in a variety of industries. The most demanding application for precision high-pressure transducers may be found in the oil and gas production industry. The oil and gas production capacity of a reservoir is determined from models using the precision measurement of pressure during and after product is vented through a standard orifice. Monitors for reservoir pressure operate in a "downhole" environment with pressures up to 200 MPa (25,000 psig) and temperatures up to 300° C. This measurement is critical to energy production companies since it directly influences the ability to finance operations.
Additional applications for high-pressure transducers include monitoring water jet cutting equipment, plastic extrusion, and hydroforming processes. Operating pressures for water jet cutting machines may exceed 413 MPa (60,000 psig). Current pressure monitors utilize strain gauge-based devices. The accuracy of these gauges rarely exceeds 0.01%. Hydroforming is a machining technique that uses high pressure to force the work material onto a die. Proper operation of the hydroformer requires high dynamic monitoring of extreme pressures.
Quartz pressure transducers, which have earned their reputation in high standard pressure sensing, have been widely used for some of those crucial applications. The high accuracy and stability of the quartz thickness shear mode resonance (TSMR) have been used as the high quality frequency standard sensing technique, along with surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices1. The advantages of quartz pressure sensors are: good pressure range (up to 280 MPa), high resolution (1 ppm [parts per million] or 0.0001%), lower susceptibility to environmental parameters such as temperature (with special cutting), and long-term stability within a protected environment. The resolution and accuracy come from the high resonance quality (Q factor). The quartz Q factor can be as high as 4000, which needs to be carefully preserved in a hermetically sealed, evacuated environment.
However, there are several problems with quartz pressure sensing technologies that trigger motivation to seek new methods to address these needs. Quartz pressure transducers appear to be limited for applications by higher pressure due to mechanical "twinning" of the pressure sensitive crystal element. "Twinning" is the reversal of the piezoelectric polarity under stress. For a crystal oscillator, the onset of twinning stops the crystal oscillation. For applications above 280 MPa, new materials and methods must be used.
As new techniques have been introduced in the oil and gas industry, new requirements have pushed quartz pressure transducers to the limits of their capabilities. Horizontal production techniques, which allow the extension of the production zone, mandate the use of smaller pressure transducers. Current transducers are typically larger than one inch in diameter. A target diameter of one-half inch or less is desirable to support horizontal operations; such size reductions are difficult for quartz technology to achieve.
The quartz pressure transducer technology dates from the middle 1960s. Since that time, crystal manufacturing operations have been migrating overseas to minimize labor expenses. Crystal manufacturers that previously provided the special purpose elements used in the quartz sensors as an adjunct to the more volume-oriented frequency control business have been severely and negatively impacted by this migration. The development expense is increased by the reluctance of crystal manufacturers to participate in specialty crystal design given the minimal potential market. The lifetime of quartz pressure transducers was, perhaps, underestimated since many existing tools date from the original production. Given the aging fleet of existing sensors, an opportunity exists to infuse a new and more "manufacturable" technology.
Additionally, the quartz reference and sensors along with the necessary electronics package must operate in harsh environments for long periods of time (e.g., several years) with a minimum of maintenance. The severe environment dictates that extensive efforts must be made to protect the equipment. These measures contribute to the expense of the transducer. Transducer calibration also must be certified for temperature and pressure. The certification process is time consuming and adds to the transducer cost.
In natural quartz, the left and right forms are about evenly distributed, resulting in optically twinned material. The presence of twinning prevents the crystal from being used as a resonator. On the other hand, cultured quartz is mostly right forms of quartz, so that twinning is not a problem. However, under very high pressure, several deformation mechanisms, such as mechanical twinning and creeping, may occur in the crystal lattice structure. These pressure-induced defects cause the failure of those quartz-based pressure sensors. This fact sets the upper limit of quartz pressure sensing to about 140–280 MPa.
Finally, yet importantly, it is almost impossible for the quartz transducer to perform direct sensing without the translation of a force collector such as a bellows or Bourdon tube because quartz has no tolerance to the surface contamination. The introduction of a force collector not only injects hysteresis and noise but also complicates the design.
High quality factor mode (HQM) micro-resonator technology is a unique optical resonance phenomenon with extremely high resonance quality factor (Q factor can be ˜1E10 or 1010), which inherently enables itself in the ultra-high resolution spectroscopy. HQM micro-resonators are mostly made of fused silica or glass material, which does not suffer lattice defects under significant pressure. The pressure sensitivity is similar to or better than quartz while it can maintain elasticity up to 9 GPa.
These micro-resonators can be realized in the form of micro-spheres, micro-cylinders, or even a micro-ring/disk structures embedded in an optical chip. Their diameters typically are as small as 5 μM or up to a millimeter, but most are around 100 μm or less.
The following list summarizes some of the technical merits of HQM microresonator-based pressure sensing technology:                Ultra-high resolution technology        Capability to sustain pressure above 500 MPa        Microscopic sensing element        Completely passive device        Optical interrogation
Researchers have realized since the days of Lord Rayleigh that dielectric materials can be used as waveguides and optical resonators. One of the famous HQM resonance is the so-called whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonance of spherical dielectric particles, which was studied in detail nearly sixty years ago. A microsphere is essentially a fused quartz ball (typically on the order of 100 μm more or less in diameter). Since the sphere is generally more optically dense than its surrounding medium, light in the sphere can be internally reflected. Light propagating inside the sphere would then be spatially constrained to travel along the perimeter of a great circle of the sphere (the perimeter of a plane that intersects the sphere with maximum area). The light propagates inside the sphere until it is absorbed or scattered by material imperfections. Light constrained in this way is said to be trapped in a whispering-gallery mode. WGM resonators have been proposed for several applications, such as add/drop filters in optical communication, optical switches, laser cavities, and high-resolution spectrometers.
Excitation and interrogation of the HQM's can be accomplished by evanescent-wave coupling. Input and output coupling can be achieved by overlapping the HQM's evanescent field with that of a prism or eroded/angle-polished/tapered single-mode optical fiber by way of example, but not limitation. FIG. 2 shows a waveguide coupling light into the microring resonator from its left side.
Braginsky et al. pointed out several years ago that the low losses and small electromagnetic mode volumes of HQM make high-Q microresonators attainable. A resonance quality (O) as high as 8E9 has been observed in the laboratory environment and Q up to 1E9 can be preserved in protected environments (such as hermetically sealed boxes) for a long period. Due to the nature of high-Q resonance, the spectral peaks (or nulls) of the resonance spectrum are very narrow, which essentially provides the capability of very narrow-band optical filtering.
The outstanding resonance quality of HQM's can be directly translated to high measurement resolution and stability. The spectral resolution can be derived by the Q factor and amplitude resolution as follow. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) can be expressed as
      λ    Q    .If the resonance peak is roughly modeled as a triangular shape, then the spectral resolution can be derived as the multiplication of amplitude resolution and FWHM. For example, the FWHM is 1.55 pm (picometer) for a Q=1E7 resonator at 1550 nm. With 1% amplitude resolution, the spectral resolution will be 0.0015 pm. This number is based on the spectral shift measurement without going into interferometer design.
Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is one widely used sensing technology used to optically measure pressure or force-induced strain. However, due to its limited Q factor (˜1E4 or lower) it is difficult to provide enough measurement resolution because of its broad spectral feature. Several FBG-based pressure sensing studies have been published. Xu et al. has reported a FBG sensor with 0.22-nm spectral shift under 70-MPa for direct sensing. The pressure sensitivity is about 3 pm/MPa. Other research has used special side-hole FBG and boosted the sensitivity about two times. A FBG-based pressure sensor commercialized by Sabeus has listed resolution of 0.05%, which is consistent with our analysis. With limited pressure sensitivity and spectral resolution, the FBG is less appealing in the high-resolution pressure sensing.
Though FBG technology may not be suitable to for high-resolution pressure sensors, many research and development efforts in temperature compensation and signal interrogation can be translated into HQM resonator technology because of their common nature in spectral domain interrogation and temperature compensation.
Currently, quartz transducers typically employ specialized quartz sensors. A typical quartz pressure transducer would include a reference oscillator, using a temperature- and stress-compensated crystal, a quartz temperature sensor, and a quartz pressure sensor. The quartz temperature sensor provides a temperature measurement independent of pressure so that the pressure measurement may be compensated for temperature variations. The quartz pressure sensor is designed for a specific response to stress applied in a plane determined by a quartz force collector. The pressure sensor is exposed to external pressure while the electronics package, temperature, and reference elements are isolated.
The HQM resonances will not only respond to the strain but also to the temperature. Xu et al. first reported a discrimination technique by using superimposed dual FBGs at 850 and 1300 nm. Afterward, many approaches were reported by using dual FBG with different fiber materials, diameters, and grating types. These methods are all based on the differentiation of strain and temperature effect upon spectral shift. The spectral shift of the two FBG wavelengths (Δλ1,2) can be modeled as follow:
            [                                                  Δλ              1                                                                          Δλ              2                                          ]        =                  [                                                            K                ɛ1                                                                    K                T1                                                                                K                ɛ2                                                                    K                T2                                                    ]                          [                                            Δɛ                                                                          Δ                                                                                T                                                    ]              ,
where Kε1,2 are the strain-response coefficients, KT1,2 are the thermo-response coefficients, Δε is the applied strain due to pressure, and ΔT is the temperature change. The contribution due to pressure-induced stress is introduced through Young's modulus, Poisson ratio, and photoelastic constant, while the contribution from temperature is determined by thermal expansion and thermo-optic coefficients. Therefore, the coefficient ratio
      K    ɛ1        K    ɛ2  should be different from
            K      T1              K      T2        .This discrepancy provides information to solve Δε and ΔT, respectively.
Thus, a need exists for an improved pressure sensing system which has a pressure sensor which can be made smaller in size and capable of accurately measuring higher pressures than the quartz pressure transducers discussed above. It is to such an improved pressure sensing system that the present invention is directed.

Microresonator-based high-performance high-pressure sensor and system


A matched pair of two rotatable cutting tools (bits) is adapted to be individually chucked into a common router. Each of these two cutting tools includes a shaft with a removable nut, two or three cutters, one or two bearings, and suitable shims. A first bit has cutters shaped to remove material from the edge of a planar wooden article such as plywood that requires a finished appearance, to form a preferably rounded concave dado in the plywood edge. A second bit has cutters shaped to form a mating wood insert having a preferably rounded convex shape that matches the contour of the concave dado in the plywood edge. The mating wood insert is glued into the dado in the plywood to complete the finished edging.

Plywood and other wood products often have edges that require finishing to improve their appearance and durability. Finishing the exposed edge of plywood has been a problem with unsatisfactory solutions since plywood was invented. Up to now, three main methods have been used to accomplish this task. One method has been to apply edge-banding which is covered with a glue, such as hot-melt-glue. For commercial applications of this method, the requisite equipment has been expensive and takes up considerable floor space. Edge-banding with a hand-held heating iron has been time-consuming. Commercial edge-banding material purchased for this method has been expensive and has required extensive inventories. The result of this method has not been satisfactory because the edge is not as durable as desired. In using the plywood, dragging items across the face of the edged plywood often results in failure of the glue or splintering of the edge-band. This may occur because the edge-band comes flush to the top and bottom surfaces of the plywood and is therefore exposed to physical damage.
A second method has been to apply a plastic T-mold into a machined slot. T-mold has had all of the problems of the first method and, in addition, can detract from the appearance of the finished product because it is not natural wood. The traditional solution has been to add a strip of wood to the edge of the plywood. This strip could be applied by using biscuits or, more commonly, by simply nailing. Although this method uses material already available, a particular problem with this method has been the finished appearance. Whether the finish is natural, stained, or painted, the joint between the wood piece and the plywood is visible, principally because it is on the surface.
Among a number of patents, U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,091 to Koski shows a rotary cutting tool for forming complementary wavy joint surfaces in the edges of panels to be mounted in adjacent relationship to each other. A single tool can form both of the edges. U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,809 to Cotton et al. shows a device and method for producing workpieces with alternating-contour mating surfaces. Cutting is done by rotating the working tool and displacing it relative to the workpiece. Guidance of the tool is provided by a base member which has a substantially flat surface and a second surface spaced transversely from it. The second surface has two surface portions offset to one another in a transverse direction. U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,465 to Cotton et al. shows a router tool and method for producing workpieces with alternating-contour mating surfaces. The routing tool has a working portion having an axis and an outer contour shaped so that in an axial cross-section of the working portion the outer contour includes straight lines arranged in a consecutive order and each extends in a direction substantially along the axis. The angle of the straight line portions is preferably at most 20.degree. with the axis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,134 to Gudeman shows a matched edge jointer used with a router to produce matched edge surfaces of two workpieces. The guide contains an elongated guide bar, an elongated platform mounted and centered longitudinally under the guide bar, an elongated base adjustably mounted under the platform, and means for adjusting the gap between the platform and the base. The two workpieces are alternately worked using opposite sides of the jointer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,718 to Venditto shows a one-piece cutting tool designed to cut both a rail and stile. The top portion of the tool cuts the rail while the lower portion cuts the stile. No portion of the tool cuts both the rail and the stile.
All of these inventions known in the art no doubt perform their intended functions satisfactorily. However, none of the methods or apparatus of the prior art has provided a solution which avoids all the shortcomings described above. Thus there has been a continuing need for an improved method and apparatus for edge-banding plywood.

Matched pair of plywood edge-banding router bits


A method for mounting a rigid electrical connector, including selecting an electrical connector that is compatible with a predetermined portable electronic device; forming an aperture through an interface member, wherein the aperture is larger than the electrical connector; selecting an elastomeric potting material that is compatible with both the electrical connector and the interface member; locating the electrical connector in the aperture with a space between the electrical connector and the interface member; introducing the elastomeric potting material in an uncured state into the space between the electrical connector and the interface member; and while maintaining the space between the electrical connector and the interface member, curing the elastomeric potting material in the space therebetween.

Docking stations for portable computers and other portable electronic devices are generally well-known, including active docking stations having an expansion connector connectable with an input/output (I/O) communication port of a portable computer and other portable electronic device seated therein.
However, known active docking station apparatus are limited in their ability to efficiently provide secure connection between the expansion connector of the docking station apparatus and the I/O communication port of the portable computer or other portable electronic device during exposure to shock and vibration environments applied along the direction of insertion of the expansion connector.

Docking station having connector preload and isolator system


A robotic transport apparatus is capable of providing an effective waterproofing function of working components without using mechanical seals. The robotic transport apparatus includes a robot body, an arm assembly extendably attached to the robot body, and a workpiece holding section attached to the arm assembly. A pan member for waterproofing of the robot body is provided above the robot body and has an area not smaller than the workpiece holding section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robotic transport apparatus suitable for transporting workpieces in a semiconductor device manufacturing system, for example, including wet and/or dirty processes such as a CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor wafer manufacturing process, a polishing apparatus is commonly used to provide a flat mirror polished surface on wafers. Such a polishing apparatus comprises a turntable and a top ring independently rotated relative to each other, and a wafer held on the underside of the top ring is polished by pressing the wafer against a polishing surface provided at the top surface of the turntable while supplying an abrasive liquid onto the surface. The polishing apparatus also includes a wafer storage unit for placing a cassette including wafers to be polished, a cleaning unit for cleaning and drying the polished wafers, and a transport apparatus for transporting the wafers between the processing units.
An example of such transport apparatus is shown in FIG. 11. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical robot body 10 and a set of arm devices 21 disposed on the top surface of the robot body 10. Each arm device 21 comprises two arms 25, 27 having articulating joint sections 35, 37, and the upper arm 27 is provided with a hand member (workpiece holding section) 41 disposed at the tip end of a connection member 33 through an articulating joint section 38.
An example of the configuration of the hand member is shown in FIG. 12. The hand member 41 is substantially plate-shape and has a recess in its central region serving as a receiving section 81 which is surrounded with protruding guides 83. The receiving section 81 comprises a wafer contact surface 85 for abutting the lower surface edges of a wafer W, and a bottom section surface 87 which is disposed inwardly of the wafer contact surface 85 at a lower level than the wafer contact surface 85. On the other hand, a top ring 90 is of a circular shape, and is provided with a bottom vacuum suction surface 91 and a guide ring 97 attached to its periphery.
To transfer the wafer W from the top ring 90 to the hand member 41 of such an arrangement, the hand member 41 is placed directly below the top ring 90 holding the wafer W by vacuum suction, and then the vacuum hold on the wafer is released by shutting off the vacuum suction so that the wafer W will drop into the receiving section 81 of the hand member 41. This operation is illustrated by designating the hand member 41 with single dot lines in the top portion of FIG. 12. After dropping the 25 wafer W, the hand member 41 is moved away downwardly.
This type of robotic transport apparatus is used to transport the wafers W to various processing apparatuses for various processing steps, such as polishing and cleaning steps, by means of the connection member 33. The wafers are often dripping with processing liquid, and in transporting wet wafers liquid droplets falling from the wafers of ten accumulate on the top surface of the robot body 10.
When the quantity of liquid droplets increases to fill the gap surrounding the articulating joint section 35, as illustrated by shaded areas 39 in FIG. 11, the liquid can penetrate into the arm 25 and robot body 10 through crevices in the joint section 35. Such seepage of liquid leads to corrosion of the mechanisms to generate malfunctioning of the working parts, leading to increased requirements for maintenance. Such operational problems lower the cost performance ratio of the apparatus and lead to loss of productivity. The same problems occur when the liquid seeps into joint sections 37, 38.
To prevent such seepage of liquid, a usual practice is to use mechanical seals, however, such contact seals have still some clearance and are not totally water tight, and it has been extremely difficult to prevent such liquid seepage into critical operating components of the apparatus. Furthermore, when O-rings, which are known to provide effective contact sealing, are used to seal joint section 35, 37 or 38, although the seepage clearance is reduced by the strong elastic sealing force of the O-rings, the local frictional forces are increased owing to the large frictional forces exerted by the compressed O-rings. The result is a drop in the operational speed of the arms 25, 27. On the other hand, if the speed of the arms 25, 27 is to be maintained, it is necessary to provide a larger torque for arm rotation, thus generating a problem of need for a driving motor with a larger driving capacity.
Also, the conventional design of the guide member 83 is such that the upper edge thereof is formed at right angles to the vertical, and if there is a misalignment between the top ring 90 and the hand member 41, the outer periphery of the wafer W can easily become lodged in the angular section of the guide member 83, thus preventing the wafer W from being safely deposited within the receiving section 81.
Another problem with the existing design of the robotic transport apparatus for handling the wafers is that the bottom section surface 87 of the hand member 41 often becomes contaminated with droplets 99 of liquid from sources such as abrasive liquid. Droplets 99 form spheres due to the surface tension on the bottom section surface 87 as illustrated in FIG. 12, and the diameter of such a sphere may exceed the separation distance between the wafer contact surface 85 and the bottom section surface 87 which commonly is only about 1.5 mm. Therefore, the droplet 99 could easily grow to contact the surface of the wafer W. It can be seen that if a hand member 41, having such large droplets 99 of abrasive liquid, is used to pickup a wafer W from a cleaning device, it can lead to a problem that the cleaned wafer has now become contaminated with the substances in the abrasive liquid.

Polishing apparatus having robotic transport apparatus


A data processing system includes a wireless terminal and first and second data processing apparatuses. The first data processing apparatus, responsive to receiving from the wireless terminal data including identification information identifying the second data processing apparatus, sends to the second data processing apparatus a shift signal for shifting the second data processing apparatus from a power saving mode incapable of receiving wireless communication data to a standby mode capable of receiving wireless communication data. Further, the second data processing apparatus shifts from the power saving mode to the standby mode responsive to receiving the shift signal from the first data processing apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus and a data processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an image forming apparatus, such as a printer or a multifunction peripheral, is provided with a function to shift to a power saving mode, which is low in power consumption, in order to reduce power consumed by the apparatus when the apparatus is not in use during a predetermined period of time. In the power saving mode, the image forming apparatus either stops a power supply to a heat fixing device, which is a main power consuming source, or lowers the temperature of the heat fixing device to a predetermined temperature.
In contrast to this, in recent years, a product realizing power consumption reduction of the heat fixing device itself, such as represented by an on-demand heat fixing device, has been developed, and thus, power consumption reduction of the image formatting apparatus has been advancing.
However, the power consumption of an image forming apparatus is not simply limited to the heat fixing device. Recent image forming apparatuses are mounted with system ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) and other numerous electronic parts in order to perform image processing and system control in the image forming apparatus, and as a result, the power consumed by these electronic parts has increased. Furthermore, because of the speeding up of rasterization of PDL (page description language) data, operating clock frequencies of an image processing ASIC and a CPU are becoming high, and the power consumption tends to further increase. Thus, although some advancements in electronics are beneficial for increasing processing speeds, in many circumstances, the tradeoff is increased power consumption.
Under such circumstances, in the power saving mode, an image forming apparatus is required to perform control to reduce the power supply to electronic parts. Hence, to realize the power consumption reduction, an information technology device adopting a method of supplying power to only a portion which detects the incoming of data in the power saving mode has been developed as represented by a Wake On LAN function of wired LAN (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-324071).
Such an information technology device performs the power supply to hardware configuring the device upon reception of a packet matching the condition of Wake On LAN from a host computer and the like, thereby waking up the hardware. In the information technology device equipped with the Wake On LAN function, an incoming detecting portion for detecting whether a wake on packet has been received from the host computer is required to be supplied with power in the power saving mode. The power consumption in this case is lower compared to the ordinary operation. Consequently, this is an effective method to realize the power consumption reduction for the whole of an information technology device. In the information technology device introducing such function, it is possible to allow a remote printer or network multifunction peripheral to shift from the power saving mode to a standby mode through the wired LAN.
Further, in recent years, a mobile information technology device, such as a notebook personal computer and the like, corresponding to a wireless LAN using a wireless technology in replacement of the wired LAN has been developed. By appearance of the information technology device sufficiently giving a full play to cordless user-friendliness, ubiquitous environment is being constructed in home and offices. Even in the case of a printer or a multifunction peripheral, which is an image forming apparatus, product development corresponding to the wireless LAN is being aggressively conducted. However, in the case of a network multifunction peripheral or the like which is fixedly installed at a predetermined location of the office as against a mobile information technology device which is freely movable, there still exists a need in terms of enabling communications either by wired or wireless network in order to give versatility to the network connection function.
However, an image forming apparatus which corresponds to both wired and wireless network interfaces is always in search of a link destination of wireless communication in order to establish a network connection with the wireless equipment existing in the distance within a predetermined range. Therefore, it is necessary to supply power to the wireless network interface even in the power saving mode. In this case, the consumption power of the image forming apparatus is presumed to increase due to the communication connection with the wireless equipment.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a data processing apparatus and a data processing method directed to realizing power consumption reduction and maintaining user-friendliness in a data processing system configured by a plurality of data processing apparatuses having both wired and wireless network connection functions.

Data processing apparatus and data processing method


The breakdown voltage of a semiconductor device, such as a transistor fabricated in a device region in and abutting the surface of a semiconductor body with a field oxide surrounding the device region, is improved by etching the field oxide abutting the device region to reduce the thickness thereof to about 0.6-1.4 .mu.m and then forming a field plate in the recessed field oxide which is capacitively coupled to the underlying semiconductor body. The field plate can be floating, connected to a voltage potential, or connected to the semiconductor device.

This invention relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more particularly the invention relates to high frequency (RF and microwave) power transistors and the improvement of breakdown voltage of such devices.
Power transistors and diodes are typically fabricated in a device region in a semiconductor substrate with the device region surrounded by a thick field oxide which functions as a junction termination. See FIG. 1 which illustrates in section a base region 10 of a bipolar transistor in a silicon substrate 12 and surrounded by field oxide 14. The breakdown voltage (BV) is limited by peripheral effects including curvature of the PN junction separating the base and collector due to dopant suck-up (boron for an NPN transistor base) in the field oxide and diffusion into the silicon. The oxide/silicon interface charge typically results in reduced breakdown for the NPN transistor.
FIG. 2 illustrates a modification of the structure in FIG. 1 in which a deep extrinsic base extension 11 is formed to provide a radius of curvature sufficient to maintain the required collector-base junction. Formation of the deep extrinsic base extension does require additional processing in masking, dopant implanting, and drive-in. Further, the structure still remains sensitive to oxide/silicon fixed charge and boron suck-up into the field oxide (NPN transistor). Additionally, higher device capacitance results due to increased depth and lateral dimensions of the base region.
FIG. 3 illustrates another modification which employs a lightly doped junction extension 11 around the perimeter. Again, the junction extension requires additional processing including masking, implant, and high temperature drive-in. The increased junction area results in higher device capacitance due to the increased lateral dimensions of the collector base junction.
FIG. 4 illustrates in section a fully oxide walled junction transistor which has increased breakdown voltage due to the improved electric field distribution therein. Device capacitance is minimized due to no lateral encroachment in the collector base PN junction. However, again complex processing requiring chemical-mechanical polishing, deposited conformal oxides, isotropic etching, and planarization are required.
FIG. 5 illustrates in section another prior art structure which utilizes a field plate 18 overlying the field oxide 14 and positioned around the device region in contact with the base 10. The field plate is capacitively coupled to the underlying semiconductor wafer 12 and functions as a capacitor between the base and collector of the transistor. The capacitor tends to maintain the PN junction between the base and collector by repelling electrons from the collector region (for an NPN transistor). However, the thickness of the field oxide limits the capacitance and the effect thereof in increasing breakdown voltage.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple, low cost method and structure for increasing the junction breakdown voltage of a semiconductor device, especially for an RF and microwave power transistor, which minimizes any increase in junction capacitance.

Method of forming semiconducting planar junction termination with high breakdown voltage and low parasitic capacitance


A quaternary ammonium salt comprising a chromophore constituent, a tertiary amine cation constituent connected to the para-position of the chromophore constituent via a methylene linkage, and a borate anion constituent, wherein chromophore constituent is a 3-ketocoumarin constituent or a benzophenone constituent. Also, a photobase-redox initiating system comprising the quaternary ammonium salt and a peroxide.

Radical polymerization represents the most widely investigated and utilized approach for polymer synthesis with 40-45% of the ˜350 million metric tons of annual worldwide industrial polymer production based on this chemistry due to their facile and flexible reaction conditions, compatibility with solvents and water, as well as their wide tolerance for a tremendous variety of functional comonomers. Specifically, light-initiated radical photopolymerization (RPP) is widely recognized and rapidly growing as an important green technology relative to conventional thermal polymerization because of its potential to reduce energy consumption and waste, while increasing productivity. In contrast to thermal polymerization, photopolymerization brings the advantages of ambient temperature processing, with fewer side reactions, and well-controlled onset and rate of polymerization based on the light source and photocuring conditions employed.
The spatial and temporal controls afforded by on-demand light initiation are highly desirable in photolithography and 3-D printing yet restrict the broad use of RPP in a multitude of polymeric material applications. In conventional free radical photoinitiated polymerizations, initiation, propagation and termination occur simultaneously during light exposure. When irradiance ends, radical production stops and propagation quickly drops to near zero due to efficient bi-radical termination. Trapped radicals can persist in the high-conversion, vitrified state but the restricted network mobility excludes access of radicals to regions of lower conversion, which limits significant post-cure. This means that irradiance during free radical photopolymerization must extend until the least light-accessible region of the sample has achieved full conversion. Any low conversion regions within an undercured polymer contribute to compromised properties that cannot be rectified without additional irradiation. In flat, optically thin films, sufficient light exposure is not a significant problem; however, when irregular surfaces that offer a wide range of incident irradiance levels or when thick layers and/or filled materials that present significant light attenuation are considered for photocuring processes, the well-recognized efficiency of photopolymerization can be greatly reduced.
Methylene blue (MB+) has been used as photo-sensitizer with a hindered amine reductant and diphenyl iodonium salt (DPI) oxidant. Aguirre-Soto et al., Visible-Light Organic Photocatalysis for Latent Radical-Initiated Polymerization via 2e(−)/1H(+) Transfers: Initiation with Parallels to Photosynthesis, Journal of the American Chemical Society, vol. 136 (20), pp 7418-7427 (2014); Stansbury, Methods for extensive dark curing based on visible-light initiated, controlled radical polymerization; U.S. Pat. No. 8,883,948. This photoinitiator undergoes a two-electron/one-proton transfer with the amine to give a neutral, meta-stable leuco-methylene blue (LMB) without radical production and no direct polymerization associated with the photo-activation step. In a second, slower reaction, LMB undergoes a redox reaction with DPI to reform MB+ while producing two initiating phenyl radicals. It was demonstrated that photo-bleaching of MB+ with latent redox-based radical production lasted for hours to yield fully converted polymer with much or even complete conversion occurring in the dark phase. This approach was effective but was restricted by pre-cure instability and a number of other practical limitations including the slow onset of polymerization.
A photo-activated amine/peroxide redox polymerization was used to demonstrate dark curing in solvated acrylic resins. He et al., Photoinduced redox initiation for fast polymerization of acrylates based on latent superbase and peroxides, Polymer, vol 53 (15), pp 3172-3177 (2012); He et al., N-Phthaloyltranexamic acid ammonium salt derivatives as photocaged superbase for redox free radical photopolymerization, Polymer Chemistry, vol. 5 (8), pp 2951-2960 (2014). The photoinitiators were benzophenone-based ammonium salt with tetraphenylborate (TPB) and N-phthaloyltranexamic acid ammonium salt, both of which release 1,8-diazabicylco[5.4.0]unde-7-ene (DBU) as a result of UV irradiation (QA-DBU-TPB and Phthal-DBU, respectively). DBU is routinely used as a highly basic amine (pKa(aq)=13.5) in organic chemistry. The photo-released DBU amine reacted with benzoyl peroxide (BPO) homogenously present in the resin. The photopolymerization protocol included a formulation of 0.2-0.3 mmol of photoinitiators and BPO in 0.5 mL acetone or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 0.9 mL trimehylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) where the role of solvent was to solubilize an ionic complex of highly nitrogenous compounds with numerous phenyl rings in low-polarity multi-acrylate resins. The chemical structures of this system are shown in FIG. 1. The disclosed dark cure inititiating techniques, however, do not work in bulk resin systems.

Highly efficient free radical photopolymerizations through enabled dark cure

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, A BODY CORPORATE


There is provided a process for shape selective xylene disproportionation that involves contacting a feedstream which includes xylene under conversion conditions, with a molecular sieve catalyst that has been surface modified. The xylene disproportionation process has a selectivity for pseudocumene of over 85%.

The present invention is directed to a shape-selective xylene disproportionation process over a surface modified molecular sieve catalyst to selectively form pseudocumene.
The term "shape-selective catalysis" describes the catalytic selectivities found in molecular sieves such as zeolites. The principles behind shape selective catalysis have been reviewed extensively, e.g., by N.Y. Chen, W. E. Garwood and F. G. Dwyer, Shape Selective Catalysis in Industrial Applications, 36, Marcel Dekker, Inc. (1989). Within a zeolite pore, hydrocarbon conversion reactions such as paraffin isomerization, olefin skeletal or double bond isomerization, oligomerization and aromatic disproportionation, alkylation or transalkylation reactions are governed by constraints imposed by the channel size. Reactant selectivity occurs when a fraction of the feedstock is too large to enter the zeolite pores to react; while product selectivity occurs when some of the products cannot leave the zeolite channels. Product distributions can also be altered by transition state selectivity in which certain reactions cannot occur because the reaction transition state is too large to form within zeolite pores or cages. Another type of selectivity results from configurational restraints on diffusion where the dimensions of the molecule approach that of the zeolite pore system. A small change in the dimensions of the molecule or the zeolite pore can result in large diffusion changes leading to different product distributions. This type of shape selective catalysis is demonstrated, for example, in selective toluene disproportionation to para-xylene as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,098 to Beck et al. Another example of shape selective catalysis, ethylbenzene disproportionation, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,015 to Beck et al.
Xylenes and higher aromatics such as pseudocumene and mesitylene are desired commercial products having various uses as disclosed in N. E. Ockerbloom's article, "Xylenes and Higher Aromatics" in Hydrocarbon Processing, April 1972, pg. 114-118. This article discloses that these products can be obtained through fractional distillation or extraction from C.sub.9 aromatic fractions obtained from naphtha cracking or reformate. Pseudocumene may be oxidized to form trimellitic acid which is useful in the manufacture of synthetic fibers and plastics. It may also be desirable to manufacture the acid anhydride form. Thus, there have been efforts to devise processes resulting in a high purity pseudocumene product. Fractionation of an extracted, heavy catalytic reformate containing about 40% pseudocumene to obtain purified pseudocumene requires large fractionation towers to perform the separation. Using a crystalline zeolite catalyst on an extracted reformate cut to increase pseudocumene content has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,854 to Yan.
Synthesis of pseudocumene by methylation of benzene or methyl-substituted benzenes is disclosed as producing a higher than equilibrium concentration of pseudocumene in U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,467 to Sikkenga. However, the requirement of a methanol feedstock limits the practical application of such a process. U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,621 to Suggitt discloses a process whereby toluene is contacted with a disproportionation catalyst, a C.sub.8 aromatic fraction is then separated, and the C.sub.8 aromatic fraction is then contacted with a disproportionation catalyst to form a C.sub.9 aromatic fraction. The C.sub.9 aromatic fraction may contain pseudocumene and/or mesitylene. Disproportionation of ortho-xylene to produce primarily mesitylene is disclosed by Suggitt et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,895. U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,335 to Minachev et al discloses a catalytic xylene disproportionation process yielding on the order of 68% to 69% pseudocumene, relative to all trimethylbenzene isomers.
It would be desirable to produce a high purity pseudocumene product via a xylene disproportionation process amenable to a wide variety of xylene feeds including single isomer feeds, equilibrium mixtures and para depleted feeds without the requirement of special feedstocks and/or operating conditions, and without the need for further purification to increase the pseudocumene content of the product.

Selective xylene disproportionation process for pseudocumene production


A hydraulic control device includes an accumulator configured to accumulate oil supplied by a mechanical pump and supply the accumulated oil to a C1 control system (clutch) by discharging the accumulated oil; a first oil passage connected to the hydraulic route (clutch oil passage) on an upstream side of a SLC linear solenoid; a second oil passage connected to the hydraulic route on a downstream side of the manual valve; and connection control unit (a switching valve and a pressure accumulation control valve) configured to control the connection between the accumulator and the hydraulic route so that the accumulator is in communication with one of the first oil passage and the second oil passage.

Conventionally, vehicles capable of executing an idling stop function of performing a stop of an engine and a release of a clutch while traveling of the vehicle have been known. In such vehicles, when the engine stops during execution of the idling stop function, a hydraulic pressure for operating a drive system of a clutch may be insufficient in some cases. Thus, a configuration provided with an accumulator capable of performing pressure accumulation and discharge of hydraulic pressure to compensate for the insufficiency of the hydraulic pressure has been known (for example, Patent Literatures 1 and 2). Furthermore, Patent Literature 1 discloses a configuration provided with a first accumulator for supplying the hydraulic pressure to the drive system of the clutch at the time of restarting an engine when returning from the idling stop control, and a second accumulator for reducing an engagement shock of the clutch.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A fixing device includes an excitation coil, a rotatable heater, and a support shaft. The excitation coil includes a turning end and an extended portion continuous with the turning end. The heater includes a heat generation layer and a thermosensitive magnetic body composed to switch between magnetized and demagnetized states at a Curie temperature to selectively create localized heating areas in the heat generation layer. The support shaft is made of a nonmagnetic material having a lower electrical resistivity than the thermosensitive magnetic body and supports opposed ends of the heater axially along the heater. The support shaft includes a body portion having a largest outer diameter of the support shaft and an end positioned outside the turning end of the excitation coil, and support portions having a smallest outer diameter of the support shaft and supporting the heater.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a fixing device and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a support mechanism for a heating mechanism of a fixing device employing electromagnetic induction heating.
2. Background Art
Various types of electrophotographic image forming apparatuses are known, including copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multifunction machines having two or more of copying, printing, scanning, facsimile, plotter, and other capabilities.
Such image forming apparatuses usually form an image on a recording medium according to image data. Specifically, in such image forming apparatuses, for example, a charger uniformly charges a surface of a photoconductor serving as an image carrier. An optical writer irradiates the surface of the photoconductor thus charged with a light beam to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor according to the image data. A development device supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image thus formed to render the electrostatic latent image visible as a toner image. The toner image is then transferred onto a recording medium directly, or indirectly via an intermediate transfer belt. Finally, a fixing device applies heat and pressure to the recording medium carrying the toner image to fix the toner image onto the recording medium. Thus, the image is formed on the recording medium.
Such a fixing device typically includes a fixing member such as a roller, a belt, or a film, and an opposed member such as a roller or a belt pressed against the fixing member. The toner image is fixed onto the recording medium under heat and pressure while the recording medium is conveyed between the fixing member and the opposed member.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same