The present invention discloses a nitride based sensor including a nitride based semiconductor, wherein a plurality of metal nanoparticles are attached to a surface of the nitride based semiconductor, and the surface of the nitride based semiconductor is passivated with at least one thiol compound. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating a nitride-based sensor. The present invention also discloses a porous gallium nitride (GaN) based H2 gas sensor, comprising a GaN based semiconductor with a plurality of Pt nanoparticles attached to a surface, wherein the GaN based semiconductor is passivated with a thiol compound, and wherein the sensor exhibits responsiveness of at least 60% for detection of H2 at a concentration of 30 ppm at room temperature.

Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Porous semiconductors are promising material in comparison to bulk materials as they offer high surface to volume ratio. It enhances their optoelectronic properties, as well as lattice mismatch, and can be handled by controlling their porosity that significantly alters the band gap present in them. Among them, Group III nitrides exhibit high saturation voltage, high thermal stability and wide band gaps ranging from 3.4 eV for GaN up to 6.2 eV for AIN in the case of wurtzite crystal structure.
Recently, GaN micro- and nanostructures, such as porous layers and nanowire arrays, have attracted great researchers because of their distinct properties such as enhanced luminescence, high sensitivity and selectivity in chemical sensing, low dislocation density, relaxing lattice and thermal mismatch-induced strain and suppressing quantum confined stark effect in lnGaN/GaN quantum wells, from a bulk or an epitaxial thin film.
Over the last decade, huge research is being done on gas sensing semiconductors materials such as ZnO and SnO2. Among these gas sensor materials, Group III-nitride is of great importance as they can work in severe climatic conditions such as high/low temperature, high humidity etc. Group III-nitride such as GaN with different morphologies such as porous structures, nanowires, and nanotubes etc. has been synthesized, and are investigated for gas sensing properties. Colloidal graphite grown on GaN substrate has been used as H2 gas sensor, and it demonstrated a limit response to exposure of 100 ppm H2/N2. Pd/AIGaN/GaN field effect transistor (FET) hetero-structure was used as an H2 gas detector and showed lower limit less than 1 ppm. A sensitivity of 4% is measured from metal composite nanoclusters on GaN nanowires when exposed to 1 ppm H2/N2 at room temperature.
In last few years, passivation of GaN has been thoroughly explored to handle the issues such as current leakage, carriers trapping in light emitting devices and enhancing the conduction mechanism in high electron mobility transistors. Sulfur-based compounds such as sodium sulfide and ammonium sulfide are mainly used due to their strong bonding with III-V semiconductor; in particular, octadecylthiol (ODT) and thioacetamide (TAM) have been employed to treat GaP, GaN, and GaAs. Nanostructures of GaN, as well as its epitaxial layers, have been passivated with inorganic sulfides to explore the effect of passivation on the gas sensor. However, to the best of knowledge of inventors of the present application, the conventional sensors and methods of detecting gas(es) suffers from a disadvantage that they could not achieve the desired performance characteristics.
There is therefore a need in the art of a gas sensor that can overcome the limitations associated with conventional sensors while exhibiting high sensitivity of gas detection under different temperate conditions. The present invention satisfies the existing needs, inter alia, others and provides H2 gas sensor that is highly sensitive at room temperature.


This invention consists of a device for composing, decomposing, retransposing and retranscribing all chords and scales contained in music. The device in question comprises two superimposed disks of different diameters, joined at their center by a pin enabling the disks to rotate independently. The twelve musical notes of the diatonic scale are written on the lower disk with the larger diameter. Intervals, interval qualifications, degrees of intervals and various indexed scales are written on the upper disk with the smaller diameter. Whatever the composition, decomposition, retransposition and retranscription information required for a given chord or scale, the user, by rotating the disks, matches the chosen note with the "FUNDAMENTAL" interval, on which all chord or scale building is based. This allows him to see the position, degree, interval and qualification of the other notes of the chord or scale. This device may be used for all diatonic, monophonic and polyphonic instruments.

Various methods currently exist to teach musical notation: written, computerized, audio or video. The disadvantage of computer, audio or video methods is that they require suitable electronic equipment. The major disadvantage of the written method, which is often cumbersome, is that it is confined to the rudiments of musical theory and that a teacher is needed to guide the student further. Devices also exist to learn an instrument, such as those presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,841,192 and 3,842,708 which only refer to the piano and indicate the notes that each hand must play for predefined chords. As these devices only provide a small number of chords and only apply to a single instrument, they offer no significant progress over the methods that they aim to replace or complete. U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,607 outlines a process designed to simplify analysis of chords and musical notation according to a device based on progression by fifths which, far from simplifying musical theory, requires a thorough knowledge of musical notation to understand how it works.
This invention is aimed at everyone, including beginners, interested in learning musical notation and in playing a diatonic, monotonic or polyphonic instrument.
This invention consists in a device to compose, decompose, retranspose and retranscribe all musical chords and scales. It gives the intervals of a chosen note along with the qualifications and degrees of all other notes as well as the scales that can be played with the chosen note. The device comprises two superimposed disks of different diameters, joined at their centre by a pin enabling the disks to rotate independently.

Device for composing and decomposing chords and scales


A kit and a method which is used to convert a non-cycling shoe into a cycling shoe which is capable of attaching a cycling cleat. The kit includes a device, fasteners, a template and instructions. The device is a contoured plate which has the appropriate geometry and holes to attach an SPD type cycling cleat. The device may possess ground contact preventing members on the bottom surface to prevent the cycling cleat from contacting the ground while the shoe is used for walking. The template is used to confirm and mark the ideal location for the holes that must be cut thru the shoe sole to accommodate the cleat attachment area and fasteners for the device.

Cycling specific shoes with integral cleat attachment areas and ground contact preventing members are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,173 assigned to Shimano describes such a cycling shoe. One problem with cycling specific shoes is that they are not offered in a wide variety of brands, models, styles and colors when compared to the number of brands, models, styles and colors offered in non-cycling shoes. This invention describes a kit and a method used to convert a non-cycling shoe of any brand, model, color or size to be a shoe which is equipped to attach a cycling cleat.

Device for adapting a shoe to attach a cycling cleat


A sheet stacking device that can appropriately stack, at a fixed position, sheets that are discharged to a discharge tray, and a printing apparatus are provided. A presser member holds down, at a pressing position, the sheets stacked on the discharge tray. The presser member is moved from the pressing position to a retraction position in a period after discharging of a sheet has been started and before discharging of a succeeding sheet is started.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet stacking device that stacks discharged sheets on a discharge tray, and a printing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
When images have been printed on sheets (printing media), such as paper sheets, by a printing apparatus, generally, the sheets are discharged to and stacked on a discharge tray that is included in a post-processing device. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-273561, the arrangement wherein presser members used to hold down the sheets that are discharged on a discharge tray is described in order to obtain registration of the sheets discharged on the discharge tray. The presser members pivot downward to move to a pressing position to hold down the sheets on the discharge tray, or pivot upward to move to a retraction position apart from the discharge tray, and is to be turned up or down in synchronization with the discharging operation for discharging the sheet to the discharge tray. That is, when the presser members are located at the pressing position to hold down the sheets stacked on the discharge tray, the presser members are moved to the retraction position before the next sheet (the succeeding sheet) is discharged to the discharge tray, and are moved to the pressing position after the succeeding sheet is discharged to the discharge tray.
According to the printing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-273561, since the presser members are moved to the retraction position before the succeeding sheet is discharged, and are moved to the pressing position after the succeeding sheet has been discharged, there is a possibility that the positions of the stacked sheets might be deviated when the succeeding sheet is discharged. In other words, when the succeeding sheet is discharged, the stacked sheets are not held down by the presser members, and therefore, the portion of the succeeding sheet, particularly, the leading edge of the succeeding sheet, might slide across the surface of the topmost sheet on the stack, and cause deviation of the stacked sheet. Furthermore, when the presser members pivot upward to move from the pressing position to the retraction position, the stacked sheet may be caught and flipped up. As a result, there is a possibility that the positions of the sheets discharged on the discharge tray might be deviated.

Sheet stacking device and printing apparatus


The invention relates to a steering column for a motor vehicle comprising a steering spindle, which is mounted rotatably about its axis in a steering spindle bearing unit, a holding part, which is designed to connect the steering spindle bearing unit directly or indirectly to the body of the motor vehicle, wherein at least one of the components of the steering column is at least partially formed from a material that contains reinforcing fibers, wherein the reinforcing fibers are arranged along paths on a wall surface and, by means of multiple holding fibers, which run at an angle that is greater than 0° in relation to the paths of the reinforcing fibers and enclose the reinforcing fibers, are fixed on the wall surface.

In cases in which they are used, steering column assemblies or steering columns of the generic type are fitted in a motor vehicle and transfer the torques applied to a steering wheel by the driver into a steering system of the vehicle. Furthermore, in cases in which they are used, steering columns have to withstand various loads, in particular in the event of a collision of the vehicle with an obstacle—the crash case.
DE 10 2005 034 952 B3 discloses for example a steering column which is adjustable in its height and its inclination. A steering spindle is rotatably mounted in an adjusting part, which is also referred to as the casing unit. The casing unit is held in a holding part and the holding part is mounted in a holding clip, which can be fastened to a vehicle body. For adapting the position of the steering spindle, or a steering wheel to be fastened thereto, a clamping system is provided, adjustable by an adjusting lever between an open position and a closed position. In the open position of the clamping system, the casing unit can be displaced in its longitudinal direction with respect to the holding part and at the same time the holding part can be swiveled in its direction of inclination with respect to the holding clip about a swivel axis. In the closed position of the clamping system, the steering spindle is fixed with respect to the holding clip fixed to the body. Such steering columns and clamping systems are known in various embodiments in the prior art.
In a way corresponding to the prior art, the components of such steering columns are made of cast steel, aluminium or magnesium.
There is a general desire for such steering columns to be of a particularly lightweight form. For this purpose, DE 101 55 891 B4 proposes generally making the casing unit (=the central bearing tube) from a thermoplastic or a thermoplastic tube with a glass-fibre or carbon-fibre filling. However, how specifically such a bearing tube may be formed is left open by the disclosure.
EP 0 091 671 B1 discloses a safety steering column, in which a tube part of the steering spindle is formed in one piece with a rigid steering column portion of fibre-reinforced plastic. It is disclosed there that the steering column is produced by a technique of winding around a core, for example of rigid polyurethane foam. In this case, however, the possibilities for the design of the steering column are greatly restricted.
The published patent application DE 102 42 527 A1 discloses a steering column protective housing consisting of a polymer composite material. The steering tube and the mounting brackets are formed by unidirectional strands of fibres that are arranged within a composite material. Mounting brackets may be formed by injection moulding with the use of short fibres, while the steering tube is formed in a compression-moulding process, which includes the use of longer or continuous or oriented fibres. The fibres are usually arranged lying alongside one another and perpendicular to one another or alongside one another and parallel to one another within an adjacent layer of fibres.
DE 198 09 264 A1 discloses a fibrous nonwoven arrangement and a method for producing a preform. In this method, nonwoven layers consisting of unidirectional continuous fibres arranged alongside one another are laid on two-dimensional hotmelt adhesive formations and sewn together with them. Subsequently, to produce the blank for a fibre composite material component, the fibrous nonwoven arrangement is heated, compression-moulded, cooled and demoulded. The preforms produced are then placed into a component thermoforming mould that is not described here, where for example a synthetic resin matrix is fed in and the curing of the composite takes place to form the finished fibre composite material component. The stress profiles in the components can be determined by analytical and numerical methods of calculation. The reinforcing element structure takes these calculations into account, in that the reinforcing fibres are arranged parallel to the stress profiles and the thickness of the component is adapted to the loads. It is precisely at this point that the previously mentioned conventional semifinished fibrous products reach their limits. The reinforcing fibres must lie absolutely parallel to the direction of loading, since only in this way can the full potential of their capability be exploited. Reinforcing fibres should be neither twisted nor undulating in the component, since weak points are thereby implicated. To be able to meet these requirements for the reinforcing element, methods that ensure a defined position of the reinforcing fibres are needed.
The problem addressed by the invention is that of providing a lightweight steering column with which there is a high degree of freedom of design.

Lightweight steering column of fibre composite material


A retention mechanism according to an embodiment includes a fixed part including a magnet, and a movable part opposed to the fixed part. A plurality of rolling elements are provided between the fixed part and the movable part, and the movable part is movable in a plane direction. A magnetic material which forms, in combination with the magnet, a magnetic spring is provided on the movable part. The magnetic spring generates a magnetic attraction force which attracts the movable part to the fixed part. The magnetic material is extended along a direction in which magnetic poles of the magnet are arrayed.

Conventionally, as a blur correction apparatus, there is an known apparatus which corrects a camera shake by moving a movable part holding a lens or an imaging element (optical member) of a camera along a plane perpendicular to an optical axis in relation to a fixed part.
This type of blur correction apparatus generally comprises a plurality of balls as a spacer which is arranged between a movable part and a fixed part, a plurality of coil springs which draw and tension the movable part toward the fixed part so as to sandwich the plurality of balls in the optical axis direction, and two sets of voice coil motors (VCMs) which move the movable part in the plane direction in relation to the fixed part.
The VCM ordinarily comprises a magnet provided on one of the movable part and the fixed part, a coil provided on the other one of the movable part and the fixed part, and at least one yoke which forms a magnetic circuit in combination with the magnet and the coil. The yoke is provided on at least one of the movable part and the fixed part.
Another retention mechanism is also known which uses a magnetic spring to attract and hold the movable part to the fixed part, in place of providing a plurality of coil springs. As an example of the magnetic spring, there is a known configuration in which a movable part is attracted to a fixed part by using a magnetic attraction force between a magnet provided on the movable part (or fixed part) and a yoke provided on the fixed part (or movable part), to hold the movable part between both parts (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publicaiton No. 2013-88684). That is, when such a magnetic spring is used, no coil spring is required and the apparatus configuration can be simplified accordingly.
However, in an apparatus using this type of magnetic spring, there is a difficulty in obtaining appropriate magnetic attraction force of magnification for holding a movable part at a fixed part without spoiling an original function (i.e., the function to improve output of the VCM). It is therefore difficult to simultaneously perform both functions satisfactorily.
Since the yoke ordinarily has a size substantially equal to a magnet, the magnetic attraction force which is generated in combination with the magnet is greater, compared with the attractive force of a coil spring when this kind of magnetic spring is used. Therefore, the force with which a plurality of balls are sandwiched in an optical axis direction becomes excessive, and the movable part and fixed part tend to be easily worn out and degraded due to sliding contact with the balls.
Also, when this type of magnetic spring is used, a magnet or a yoke needs to be provided on the movable part. In any case, the movable part is heavy, and power consumption of the VCM therefore increases.
The present invention has been made in view of circumstances as described above and has an object of providing a retention mechanism capable of attracting a movable part toward a fixed part with appropriate force, a driving apparatus capable of efficient stable operation without an increase in weight of the movable part, and a blur correction apparatus using the retention mechanism and/or the driving apparatus.

Retention mechanism, driving apparatus, and blur correction apparatus


A selection accelerator in topology views is presented. A user uses a topology view to manage a computer network whereby the topology view includes a plurality of nodes and their relationships that correspond to computer network components. When a user selects a primary node, processing identifies related nodes, and displays a relationship identifier next the related nodes, such as a hierarchal level corresponding to the primary node. By viewing the relationship identifiers, the user is able to depress a key to select a plurality of related nodes based upon their relationships. In addition, the user is able to request an invert select which informs processing to select nodes related to the primary node which are not currently selected.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for selection acceleration in a topology view. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for selecting nodes included in a topology view based upon their relationship to a primary node selection.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computer network can be complex, often including thousands of nodes, and requires a user, such as a system administrator, to manage the computer network. A node may be a server, a client, a printer, or other device that interfaces with components within a computer network. In order to manage the vast amount of nodes, a system administrator uses topology views to graphically view the relationships between the nodes.
Five principal topologies are used to display computer networks which are a mesh topology, a bus topology, a ring topology, a star topology, and a tree topology. A mesh topology shows devices which are connected with many redundant interconnections between network nodes. In a true mesh topology, each node has a connection to every other node in the network. A bus topology shows devices which are connected to a central cable, called a bus or backbone. Bus networks are relatively inexpensive and easy to install for small networks. For example, Ethernet systems use a bus topology. A ring topology shows devices which are connected to each other in the shape of a closed loop, such that each device is connected directly to two other devices, one on either side. Ring topologies are relatively expensive and difficult to install, but they offer high bandwidth and may span large distances.
A star topology shows devices which are connected to a central hub. Star networks are relatively easy to install and manage, but bottlenecks may occur because all data is passed through a hub. A tree topology combines characteristics of linear bus and star topologies. It consists of groups of star-configured workstations connected to a linear bus backbone cable. These topologies can also be mixed. For example, a bus-star network consists of a high-bandwidth bus, called the backbone, which connects a collection of slower-bandwidth star segments.
A computer network includes a corresponding physical topology and a logical topology. A physical topology corresponds to a physical layout of a network's devices. For example, the way in which workstations are connected to a network through the actual cables that transmit data is the physical topology (e.g. the physical structure of the network).
In contrast, a logical topology is the way in which signals act on network media, or the way in which the data passes through the network from one device to the next without regard to the physical interconnection of the devices. A network's logical topology is not necessarily the same as its physical topology. For example, twisted pair Ethernet is a logical bus topology in a physical star topology layout. In another example, a token ring network is a logical ring topology which is physically set up in a star topology. Logical topologies are bound to network protocols that direct how the data moves across a network. The Ethernet protocol, for example, is a common logical bus topology protocol.
A system administrator may wish to select a plurality of nodes in a topology that are related (i.e. connected). However, the nodes may be displayed on a topology view such that they are not all easily selected at once. A challenge found, therefore, is that it is tedious to select multiple nodes in a topological graph because many topological applications implement selection with either rubber-banding multiple resources, or by clicking each resource in succession. This process is rather difficult if a user wishes to select multiple nodes with relationship. More often than not, rubber banding an area selects extra resources that are typically not needed because a rubber band selection confines within a rectangle.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method to select a plurality of nodes which are related in an effective manner.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

International Business Machines Corporation


Storage devices include a memory array comprised of a plurality of memory devices arranged in word lines. The word lines are further arranged within memory blocks. When erasing memory blocks, various storage devices may utilize a stripe-erase process that alternates the erasure of word lines within the memory blocks. The stripe-erase process is often carried out in multiple steps. However, an ungraceful shutdown can interrupt the erasing processing between one of these stripe-erase steps. The status of each memory device associated with the aborted erasure needs to be known before operations can continue. Methods and systems described herein properly classify and process memory blocks after an aborted erase command by analyzing both even and odd word lines within each of the memory blocks. By properly categorizing each memory block, overprogramming and other negative effects can be avoided, increasing the overall lifespan of the storage device that utilizes a stripe-erase process.

Storage devices are ubiquitous within computing systems. Recently, solid-state memory devices capable of nonvolatile storage of charge have become the predominant choice within various consumer electronics products. Popular types of solid-state memory devices include flash-type electrically erasable programmable read-only memory ("EEPROM"). These memory devices are typically NAND-based which can be erased and have new data written or "programmed" into the devices or "cells".
These memory devices are often grouped within word lines which are themselves grouped within a page which further grouped within a block of memory. Blocks of memory may further be grouped together within a memory array. While memory devices may be configured for programming at the page level, many storage devices are only able to delete data at the block level. In a growing number of these storage devices, the erasure of data within blocks is performed in a strip-erase process that erases a first group of alternating word lines (even word lines) and a remaining second group of alternating word lines (odd word lines).
However, during normal operations, the storage device may experience an ungraceful shutdown including a sudden loss of power that halts operations within the storage device without properly wrapping up all currently running operations. When a storage device is erasing data within the memory array, an ungraceful shutdown can cause an interruption of the stripe-erase process. This can lead to situations where particular word lines have been erased while others have not.
In many instances, the storage device may not have data indicating which memory cells (or respective pages) were being programmed at the time of the ungraceful shutdown. Additionally, even when the storage device may contain control data indicating the affected memory pages, the exact stage of the stripe-erase process that is completed is often not known.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several figures of the drawings. Elements in the several figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures might be emphasized relative to other elements for facilitating understanding of the various presently disclosed embodiments. In addition, common, but well-understood, elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Enhanced word line stripe erase abort detection


An automatic system for cleaning a thermal inkjet printhead. A thermal inkjet cartridge and service station are provided within a printer unit. The service station is directly beneath the cartridge when it is not printing. Attached to the service station is a printhead wiper unit consisting of a single member or, in the alternative, dual members positioned against each other to form a capillary pathway therebetween. The cartridge includes a compartment having an opening therethrough and an absorbent member impregnated with cleaning solution When the cartridge is not printing, the wiper unit is aligned with the compartment containing the absorbent member and is in contact therewith. This supplies the wiper unit with cleaning solution The service station may include a secondary absorbent member contacting with the wiper unit to absorb cleaning solution from the capillary pathway in a dual wiper system or supply the pathway with additional solution

The present invention generally relates to thermal inkjet printing systems, and more particularly to a thermal inkjet cartridge system having means therein for automatically applying a printhead cleaning solution to the cartridge printhead.
Substantial developments have been made in the field of electronic printing technology. Specifically, a wide variety of highly efficient printing systems currently exist which are capable of dispensing ink in a rapid and accurate manner. Thermal inkjet systems are especially popular in this regard. Thermal inkjet systems basically include an ink reservoir in fluid communication with a substrate having a plurality of resistors thereon Selective activation of the resistors causes thermal excitation of the ink and expulsion thereof from the ink cartridge. Representative thermal inkjet systems are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,895 to Buck et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,409 to Cowger et al.; the Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 36, No. 5 (May 1985); and the Hewlett-Packard Journal, Vol. 39, No. 4 (August 1988), all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In general, thermal inkjet printing cartridges use a variety of functional components, all of which must cooperate in a precise manner to achieve maximum printing efficiency. One important component involves an orifice plate having a plurality of openings therein. Ink is ejected through these openings during cartridge operation. To ensure proper cartridge operation, the orifice plate and openings must be kept clean and free of debris at all times. Otherwise, a wide variety of problems can occur which impair printer performance For example, debris on the orifice plate surface (e.g. from stray paper fibers and the like) can reduce the quality/resolution of printed images. Similar problems can occur with respect to dried ink which may form crusts on the orifice plate during cartridge operation. Such crusts typically result from evaporation/oxidation of the ink being ejected from the cartridge.
In order minimize the foregoing problems, devices known as "service stations" have been created which are physically mounted to and within the main printer unit. They are specifically oriented within the printer unit so that when the cartridge is not operating and is in a "parked" position, the cartridge is directly over and above the service station Service stations have a variety of components which are designed to serve many purposes These purposes include but are not limited to (a) priming the printhead; (b) covering the orifice plate and openings therein when the printhead is not in operation; (c) wiping contaminants from the orifice plate; (d) preventing ink from drying out in the openings of the orifice plate; and (e) providing a location to eject soft, viscous plugs of ink which may form in the openings of the orifice plate. Specific systems designed to perform some or all of these functions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,717 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,134 which are incorporated herein by reference.
One of the most important functions of a service station is item (c) above which involves wiping contaminants from the orifice plate and openings therein. To accomplish this, U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,717 discloses the use of a resilient elastomeric wiper member having a blade portion which comes in contact with the printhead during operation thereof. More specifically, as the cartridge moves in a reciprocating manner within the printer unit, the blade portion of the wiper member brushes against the printhead to enable the cleaning thereof.
Another type of wiper system is disclosed in German Patent Specification 3,817,754 which apparently involves an external pad soaked with cleaning agents mounted to an external, rotating arm. As the rotating arm moves, the pad positioned on the arm wipes against the printhead components of the cartridge.
Notwithstanding the systems described above, a need remains for a printhead cleaning system of superior efficiency which not only provides a wiping unit, but also allows the controlled delivery of a printhead cleaning solution to the printhead. This enables the wiping unit to more efficiently remove dried ink materials and the like. Accordingly, the present invention satisfies this need in a unique and highly effective manner as described herein below.

Method and apparatus for automatically cleaning the printhead of a thermal inkjet cartridge


A Focusing electrode in an electron gun for a color cathode ray tube provides a higher degree of freedom in electron gun design and reduces errors during assembly of the electron gun. A first focusing electrode that receives a constant voltage has vertically elongated electron beam pass-through holes formed in it. A second focusing electrode that receives a dynamic voltage has electron beam pass-through holes that include a pair of burring parts formed on their upper and lower edges. The burring parts are disposed in each of the vertically elongated electron beam pass-through holes in the first focusing electrode without changing a horizontal diameter of the electron beam pass-through holes in the first focusing electrode.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an electron gun for a color TV or industrial high definition cathode ray tube, and more particularly, to a focusing electrode in an electron gun for a color cathode ray tube, which can provide more freedom in electron gun design and reduce errors during the assembly of the electron gun.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The electron gun in a color cathode ray tube focuses three electron beams emitted from cathodes onto a surface of red, green and blue fluorescent materials coated inside of a cathode ray tube so that each of the fluorescent materials reacts to the electron beams to luminesce, to form a pixel on a screen.
FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of a general color cathode ray tube.
Referring to FIG. 1, the color cathode ray tube 4 includes an in-line type electron gun 2, deflection yokes 3 for deflecting electron beams 1 in the up and down and the left and right directions and a screen 5 for forming pixels in reaction to the electron beams 1. The screen includes an inside surface 6 coated with fluorescent materials, a funnel 7 that converges from the rim of the screen 5 toward the rear of the tube 4 and a neck part 8 formed at an end of the funnel 7. The in-line type electron gun 2 is mounted inside of the neck part 8 and the deflection yokes 3 are mounted outside of the neck part 8. A shadow mask 9, having a plurality of electron beam pass-through holes 91 for allowing selective collision of the electron beams 1 shot from the in-line type electron gun onto the fluorescent surface 6, is provided between the fluorescent surface 6 and the electron gun 2.
FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of the in-line type electron gun shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3A illustrates examples of distortion of electron beam spots on a screen caused by a non-uniform magnetic field formed by deflection yokes, and FIG. 3B illustrates examples of correction of the electron beam spots shown in FIG. 3B by a dynamic quadrupole lens formed by a focusing electrode having burring parts.
Referring to FIG. 2, the in-line type electron gun 2 generally includes a tripolar part 21 and a main focal electrostatic lens part 22. The tripolar part 21 includes, cathodes 23 for emitting thermal electrons following heating by heaters 231 provided therein, a controlling electrode 24 for controlling the thermal electrons, and an accelerating electrode 25 for accelerating the thermal electrons. The main focal electrostatic lens part 22 disposed next to the tripolar part 21 includes a focusing lens 26 and an anode 27. Predetermined voltages are applied to the electrodes; in general, the controlling electrode 24 is grounded, the accelerating electrode 25 receives of a low voltage of 500.about.1000 V, the anode 27 receives of a high voltage of 25.about.35 Kv, and the focusing electrode 26 is applied of an intermediate voltage, a voltage corresponding to 20.about.30% of the voltage applied to the anode 27.
The operation of the in-line type electron gun for a color cathode ray tube having the aforementioned system will be explained.
Upon application of predetermined voltages to the electrodes, voltage differences are formed between the electrodes so that the electron beams emitted from the cathodes are controlled and accelerated to a predetermined intensities by the controlling electrode 24 and the accelerating electrode 25. A voltage difference formed between the focusing lens 26 and the anode 27 forms equipotential planes, which, collectively, act as the main focal electrostatic lens. Accordingly, the electron beams, accelerated by the voltage difference of the anode 27 toward the screen, are focused by the main focal electrostatic lens, pass through the electron beam pass-through hole in the shadow mask 9, and collide on the fluorescent surface 6 on the central part of the screen, to form a pixel. While the focusing of the electron beams 1 onto the central part of the screen is made possible by the main focal electrostatic lens, the deflection of the electron beams 1 by the deflection yokes 3 is required for the sequential scanning of the electron beams onto each region of the screen. There is mismatch of the convergence in the deflection of the electron beams by means of the deflection yokes due to the in-line configuration of the electron gun and the difference of curvatures in the screen. The mismatch of the convergence can be corrected by providing a self convergence of the beams using deflection yokes which can form a non-uniform magnetic field. However, the application of the non-uniform magnetic field causes a problem in which the electron beam forms a horizontally elongated spot with a haze, which is a thin dispersion of an image, on the upper and lower sides of the spot, as shown in FIG. 3A. In order to solve the problem, a dynamic quadrupole lens which is operative synchronous to a deflection synchronizing signal has been used for correction of an astigmatism when the electron beam is deflected toward periphery of the screen.
FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of a two-part focusing electrode assembly for a conventional in-line type electron gun, which can form the dynamic quadrupole lens.
Referring to FIG. 4A, the focusing electrode 26 includes a first focusing electrode 261 to which a constant voltage is applied, a second focusing electrode 262 arranged next to the first focusing lens to which a dynamic voltage is applied to make a voltage difference of about 300 V.about.1000 V depending on the extent of deflection of the electron beam, oppositely faced surfaces 265 and 266 of the first and second focusing electrodes 261 and 262 at one ends thereof each having first and second electron beam pass-through holes(263c, 263s and 264c, 264s), and a pair of burring parts 267c and 267s at upper and lower portions of the circumference of each of the electron beam pass-through holes 264c and 264s in the second focusing electrode. When the first and second focusing electrodes are in place, each of the burring parts 267c and 267s are inserted in the electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode.
As explained, a dynamic quadrupole lens is formed by the voltage difference between the first focusing electrode 261 to which a low static voltage is applied and the second focusing electrode 262 to which a high dynamic voltage is applied. Particularly, due to the burring parts 267c and 267s provided on upper and lower parts of the electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 264s in the second focusing electrode 262 which diverges the electron beam, the diverging power acts stronger than the converging power from the first focusing electrode 261 which converges the electron beam to correct the electron beam into a vertically elongated form. Accordingly, the horizontally elongated form of astigmatism of the electron beam caused by the deflection yokes can be corrected as shown in FIG. 3B.
However, despite the aforementioned advantage of astigmatism correction capability of the conventional two-part focusing electrode in application to an electron gun, there have been problems which actually impede application of the focusing electrode to the in-line type electron gun.
First, the voltage difference of about 300 V.about.1000 V between the voltages applied to the first and second focusing electrodes 261 and 262 might damage parts of the electron gun in case of the occurrence of discharge between them, which causes a problem of shortening the life time of the cathode ray tube. In order to prevent such an occurrence of discharge, as shown in FIG. 4B, the in-line type electron gun under production currently has been designed to have a pitch S, which is a distance between adjacent axes of the electron beam pass-through holes 263c, 263s and 264c, 264s, of 5.5 mm, a diameter D2 of each of the electron beam pass-through holes 264c and 264s in the second focusing electrode of 4.0 mm, a thickness t of each of the parts of the electron gun of 0.33 mm, a bridge width, which is a distance between adjacent electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode of b mm, and a gap between the electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode and the burring parts 267 limited to (a>0.2) which does not cause discharge. However, if an electron gun is designed to have the aforementioned dimensions, since the diameter D1 of each of the electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode should be 5.06=(4 mm+0.33 mm.times.2+0.2 mm.times.2) at the minimum, only 0.46 mm remains for the bridge width b. This causes deformation of the bridge b from the heat applied to the bridge during fusion of bead glass(not shown) in an assembly of the electron gun. Even in the case when a burring part 268c and 268s (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4B), which is inserted into the second focusing electrode, is provided around each of the electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode for prevention of the deformation of the bridges, there has been a conflict that a 0.66 mm burring part is needed on the bridge of 0.46 mm width, because two burring parts should be formed between two adjacent electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode, i.e., on both rims of the bridge b(dotted lines in FIG. 4B). Thus, formation of the burring parts 268 at the electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode is not possible.
Secondly, in assembly of the electron gun, after mandrels are inserted from the control electrode up to the anode through each of the electron beam pass-through holes in each of the electrodes to fix the electrodes thereto, preventing the electrodes from shaking, one pair of bead glasses are fusion welded on both sides of the electrodes to complete assembly of the electron gun. However, since the mandrel has an outside diameter tightly fit to the inside diameter of the second focusing electrodes 264c and 264s, and the diameter of the electron beam pass-through holes 263c and 263s in the first focusing electrode is greater than the electron beam pass-through holes 264c and 264s in the second focusing electrode, the first focusing electrodes could not be fixed to the mandrel firmly, resulting in movement of the first focusing electrode 261 during the bead glass fusion welding, which causes misassembly of the first focusing electrode 261 so that the electron gun can not provide its designed performance.
Thirdly, the magnetic field from the dynamic quadrupole lens weakens a focusing power of the main focal electrostatic lens to the outer electron beams, which deteriorates the resolution.


An optical information-recording medium comprises (a) a disk-shaped substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface; an incidence surface of the medium being located to be nearer to the first main surface than the second main surface; (b) a recording layer formed on the substrate; and (c) a signal generation layer formed on the substrate in such a way as to be nearer to the incident surface than the recording layer. The signal generation layer allows an incident light beam irradiated to the incidence surface to pass through and allows a reflected light beam from the recording layer to pass through. The signal generation layer includes a transmittance changing region having a transmittance with respect to the incident light beam different from its neighborhood, thereby generating a repeated transmittance change according to rotation of the medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical information recording. More particularly, the invention relates to an optical information-recording medium (e.g., an optical disk) capable of recording, reproduction, and erasing of information by irradiating a light beam, and an optical information recording/reproducing method using the medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disk recording with laser light is capable of not only recording a large amount of information but also noncontact, high-speed access and therefore, it has been practically applied to mass-storage memory devices and systems.
Optical disks are divided into some types; "Read-Only" type known as the compact disk and laser disk, the "Write-Once" type writable by the user only once, and "Rewritable" type rewritable by the user repetitively. The "Write-Once" and "Rewritable" types are used for external memory devices of computers or memory systems for recording document and/or image files.
With conventional optical disks, the reproduction signal is detected or generated from a laser beam reflected and modulated by the optical disk. For example, with the Read-Only" type optical disk, the change of amount of the reflected laser beam, which is generated by the pits on the disk, is used to derive the reproduction signal. With the "Write-Once" type optical disk, pit formation or local phase change on the disk, which is caused by irradiation of a writing laser beam, is utilized for the same purpose.
With the magneto-optical (MO) disk, which is one type of the "Rewritable" disks, the state of magnetization of the recording layer is derived from the change of polarization plane using the magneto-optical effect of the recording layer, forming the reproduction signal. With the phase-change type optical disk, which is another type of the "Rewritable" disks, phase change in the small areas of the disk caused by irradiation of a laser beam is utilized for the same purpose. This is the same as the "Write-Once" type optical disk.
Conventional optical disks comprise spiral grooves formed as the tracking guide on a transparent resin or glass substrate at a pitch of 0.74 μm to 1.6 μm. A laser beam, which is irradiated to the disk to record or reproduce the information, is focused and relatively moved along the grooves. Typically, each track in a cycle is divided into several tens of sectors and then, "preformatting pits" are formed or marked at the head of each sector in advance to record the track address, the sector address, and the synchronization signal. As the recording tracks, the grooves or the lands existing between the adjoining grooves are used. If the grooves are used for recording, it is termed the "in-groove recording", in which the preformatting pits are formed in the grooves. If the lands are used for recording, it is termed the "on-land recording", in which the preformatting pits are formed on the lands.
To increase the recording density of optical disks, it is effective to record the information both in the grooves and on the lands, which is termed the "land & groove recording". This was reported by K. kayanuma et al., in the paper SPIE Proceedings, Vol. 1316, Optical Data Storage, 1990, pp. 35–39, entitled "High Track Density Magneto-Optical Recording Using a Crosstalk Canceler". The recent "DVD-RAM" type optical disks have employed the "land & groove recording".
As explained above, each of the circular tracks is divided into sectors, in which the track address, the sector address, and the synchronization signal are recorded by the preformatting pits. The preformatting data occupy approximately 20% of the maximum recordable amount of the disk and thus, it may be said that the preformatting data limits the available capacity of the disk. According to rough calculation of the so-called "preformatting efficiency", it is approximately 80% for the DVD-RAMs. Since the VFO signal and the SYNC signal for synchronization in the recording or reproduction operation occupy 60% to 70% of the preformatting data, the preformatting efficiency can be improved if the synchronization signal can be derived from some data other than the preformatting data.
As one of the techniques to raise the preformatting efficiency, the "groove wobbling" method has been developed and used practically, in which the grooves are wobbled at a specific low frequency (i.e., the wobbling frequency) to record the track address information and the synchronization signal. This method has already been applied to the CD-R, CD-RW, and DVD-RW types of optical disks. For example, the CD-R type includes the wobbled grooves with the basic wobbling frequency of 22.05 kHz. The DVD-R type includes the wobbled grooves with the wobbling frequency of 140 kHz.
The "groove wobbling" method has ever been applied to only the in-groove recording, because both of the grooves and lands are difficult to be wobbled at different timing. Moreover, this method has a disadvantage that the wobbled grooves need to be formed by wobbling an optical exposure beam at high accuracy in the mastering process to produce the master disk. This method has another disadvantage that the wobbling signal itself is likely to be affected by the recording marks and thus, the wobbling signal is difficult to be detected correctly.

Optical information-recording medium and optical information recording/reproducing method


A video image stabilization system including a camera having an image capturing device configured to capture a video image. The camera has a selectively adjustable field of view and at least one processing device is operably coupled to the system wherein the processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of the camera and images captured by the camera. The processing device sequentially grabs a first and second image. The processing device determines a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an intended change in the field of view of the camera during the interval between the capture of the first and second images based upon the signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of the first and second images. A portion of each image captured by the camera is selected for display. The selected display portion is less than the entire captured image and the stabilizing adjustment determined by the processing device involves adjusting the relative location of the selected display portion within the captured image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video camera stabilization system, and, more particularly, to a video camera stabilization system that counteracts unwanted and irregular image motion.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous known video surveillance systems which may be used to track a moving object such as a person or vehicle. Some such systems utilize a fixed camera having a stationary field of view (FOV). To fully cover a given surveillance site with a fixed camera system, however, it will oftentimes be necessary to use a significant number of fixed cameras.
Movable cameras which may pan, tilt and/or zoom may also be used to track objects. The use of a PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera system will typically reduce the number of cameras required for a given surveillance site and also thereby reduce the number and cost of the video feeds and system integration hardware such as multiplexers and switchers associated therewith. Control signals for directing the pan, tilt, zoom movements typically originate from a human operator via a joystick or from an automated video tracking system.
A problem is that, in addition to being intentionally moved as a result of the PTZ control signals, the camera can also be unintentionally moved by external forces, such as air movement or mounting arm vibration. The inadvertent camera movements typically lead to a video image that is "jumpy", and thus unpleasant to observe.
What is needed in the art is a video system capable of stabilizing an image to compensate for inadvertent movement of the camera.

Image stabilization system and method for a video camera


A method for detecting a defect may include extracting, from application code and using a framework support specification corresponding to a framework, a framework interaction between the application code and the framework. The framework interaction specifies an object used by the application code and managed by the framework. The method may further include performing, using the framework interaction, a dynamic analysis of the application code to obtain a heap snapshot, performing, using the heap snapshot and the framework interaction, a static analysis of the application code, and detecting, by the static analysis, the defect.

Many modern applications use one or more frameworks to facilitate software development. While frameworks provide useful abstractions for commonly used functionality, frameworks typically make extensive use of dynamic language constructs (e.g., reflection) to implement inversion of control. Static analysis techniques used in the detection of defects (e.g., security vulnerabilities, memory leaks, etc.) may be ineffective when applied to framework-based applications that leverage such dynamic language constructs whose behavior only becomes evident at runtime. For example, it is difficult to statically analyze a method call when the method name is based on a string that is manipulated at runtime.
Since frameworks are widely used and well tested, vulnerabilities in the application are generally of more interest than vulnerabilities in frameworks. However, restricting analysis to the application may lead to poor coverage of the application when the application relies on a framework for dependency injection and other framework-provided features.


A method includes acquiring a vector data signal associated with a circuit design, performing a timing update to determine timing information for the circuit design, and identifying a glitch in the circuit design based on a shifted vector waveform. The timing information includes a signal delay associated with a cell of the circuit design. The shifted vector waveform is generated by shifting the vector data signal based on the timing information.

Due to the ever-increasing complexity of new integrated circuit (IC) devices, electronic design automation (EDA) software tools are now used in the process of converting each new electronic system idea into a corresponding IC device using one or more IC "chips". IC designers utilize EDA tools to develop an initial circuit design (i.e., software-based description of an IC device) that they believe is capable of implementing a new electronic system idea, to analyze and modify the initial circuit design in order to verify that the final design performs the operational objectives set for the electronic system idea, and then to generate and check a series of IC layouts (i.e., mask designs or mask layouts) that define a physical IC chip capable of implementing the final circuit design. Because modern IC devices, such as System-on-Chip (SoC) devices, can comprise billions of individual circuit components, there is no practical way to develop and produce modern IC devices without the use of EDA tools.
Many EDA software tools include sub-tools that generate power consumption estimations, which are then used to optimize the power consumption characteristics of the pre-silicon circuit designs. Low power consumption constraints are often given comparable weight as other design flow metrics (e.g., high-speed computation performance, small silicon area, and short time-to-market scheduling) due to the demand for low power consumption in mobile devices to preserve battery life, and more recently in non-battery-operated devices for purposes of circuit reliability and costs associated with packaging and cooling solutions. To meet this increased emphasis on power consumption, digital simulation tools are utilized to estimate (predict) the power consumption of a post-fabrication (physical) IC device by simulating operation of the associated software-based circuit design. The estimated power consumption data can be used to optimize the circuit design to meet power consumption constraints before incurring the time delay and high cost of fabrication.

Glitch power analysis with register transfer level vectors


A phase comparator comprises a latch unit for latching the input data signal in parallel on rising/falling edges of the respective clock signals respectively, an error signal output unit for outputting m error signals respectively indicative of differences in phase between the transient edge of the input data signal and the transient edges of the respective clock signals and each having a minimum pulse width of (m/2−1)×T or more, based on respective output signals produced from the latch unit and the respective clock signals, an input unit for inputting the respective output signals produced from the latch unit in parallel on the rising/falling edges of the respective clock signals and a reference signal output unit for outputting m reference signals whose pulse widths are (m/2)×T, based on output signals produced from the input unit and the respective clock signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase comparator for comparing difference in phase between a transient edge of an input data signal and transient edges of clock signals, a clock data recovery (hereinafter abbreviated as "CDR") circuit for adjusting the differences in phase, and a transceiver circuit using the phase comparator.
2. Background Art
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a conventional CDR circuit. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 130 indicates the conventional CDR circuit, and reference numeral 131 indicates an input terminal of an input data signal Din. Reference numeral 133 indicates a phase comparator for inputting the input data signal Din inputted from the input terminal 131 and a clock signal ckv outputted from a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to be described later to thereby compare the phases thereof, or a phase detector (PD) or a phase frequency detector (PFD) for detecting the difference in phase therebetween (the circuit designated at numeral 133 will hereinafter be called "phase detector PD"). Subsequently, reference numeral 135 indicates a charging pump (CP) which inputs a reference signal (Ref) and an error signal (Error) outputted from the phase detector PD (133) and thereby outputs a charge current and a discharge current, and reference numeral 137 indicates a loop filter (shown around by a broken line) which is made up of a resistor R3 (139), a capacitor C2 (141), and a resistor R4 (143) connected in series and takes out a dc component from the charge current or the discharge current outputted from the charging pump CP (135). The loop filter 137 averages the charge current or the discharge current on a time basis and represents the averaged one as the difference in potential between vcont+ and vcont−. Reference numeral 145 indicates a double/single-phase voltage converter (DSC) for converting the difference in potential between vcont+ and vcont− taken out from the loop filter 137 to a desired voltage vcont, and reference numeral 147 indicates a voltage controlled oscillator VCO for outputting the clock signal ckv according to the desired voltage vcont outputted from the double/single-phase voltage controller DSC (145) and receiving it as the input of the phase detector PD (133).
While the output of the charging pump 135 is a differential signal and the loop filter 137 also shows a differential configuration, a configuration using a single-phase output charging pump and a single-phase loop filter is also normally adopted. In the case of the single-phase configuration, a circuit such as a voltage follower circuit or the like is used without using the double/single-phase voltage converter 145.
The operation of the CDR circuit 130 will next be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional CDR circuit 130 is a circuit which causes the input data signal Din (whose frequency f/2 Hz or bit rate f bits/sec) inputted from the input terminal 131 and the clock signal ckv outputted from the voltage controlled oscillator VCO (147) to coincide in frequency and phase with each other. Namely, the CDR circuit 130 performs the operation of feeding back the difference in phase between the input data signal Din and the clock signal ckv to its corresponding oscillation frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator VCO (147) and allowing the phase of the clock signal ckv to coincide with that of the input data signal Din. The CDR circuit 130 is brought to a lock state in which both signals coincide with each other when the rising edge of the clock signal ckv is placed in the center (time equivalent to one-half a cycle or period T) of a time width (cycle T=1/f) of the input data signal Din. In the lock state, latches 150, 151, 152, 153 (shown in FIG. 2) lying inside the phase detector PD (133) latch and shape the input data signal Din according to the clock signal ckv and output two output signals. One of the two output signals is corresponding to even (odd) number of the input data signal Din and the output signal q3 of latch 152 from an output terminal 148 as a Dout 1 signal corresponding to the output of the CDR circuit 130. Another one of the two output signals is corresponding to odd (even) number of the input data signal Din and the output signal q4 of latch 153 from an output terminal 146 as a Dout 2 signal corresponding to the output of the CDR circuit 130. The clock signal ckv is outputted from an output terminal 149 as a Ckout signal.
The conventional phase detector PD (133) for detecting the difference in phase between the input data signal Din and the clock signal ckv is a circuit for outputting an error signal (Error) and a reference signal (Ref) and setting the difference between pulse widths of the two signals as the phase difference referred to above.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the conventional phase detector PD (133). In FIG. 2, reference numeral 154 indicates an input terminal of an input data signal Din, reference numeral 155 indicates an input terminal of a clock signal ckv, reference numerals 150, 151, 152 and 153 indicate latches L1, L2, L3 and L4 respectively having D terminals of their data inputs, C terminals of their clock inputs and Q outputs, reference numerals 156 and 157 indicate exclusive-OR circuits, reference numeral 160 indicates an output terminal of an error signal (Error), and reference numeral 161 indicates an output terminal of a reference signal (Ref), respectively.
The latch L1 (150) latches the input data signal Din inputted to the D terminal on the rising edge of the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal and outputs the Din to the Q output (q1). While the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is High (logical 1), the latch L1 (150) holds the Q output (q1) as it is. On the other hand, the latch L1 (150) outputs the input data signal Din to the Q output (q1) as it is while the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is Low (logical 0). Accordingly, when the input data signal Din changes while the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is Low (logical 0), the Q output (q1) also changes according to its change.
The latch L2 (151) latches the input data signal Din inputted to the D terminal on the falling edge of the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal and outputs the Din to the Q output (q2). While the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is Low (logical 0), the latch L2 (151) holds the Q output (q2) as it is. On the other hand, the latch L2 (151) outputs the input data signal Din to the Q output (q2) as it is while the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is High (logical 1). Thus, when the input data signal Din changes while the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is High (logical 1), the Q output (q2) also changes according to its change.
The Q output (q1) of the latch L1 (150) and the Q output (q2) of the latch L2 (151) are inputted to the exclusive-OR circuit 156. An output q1 xor q2 (where "xor" means XORing (exclusive OR) of q1 and q2. This is hereinafter similar.) thereof is outputted from the output terminal 160 as the error signal (Error).
The latch L3 (152) latches the Q output (q1) inputted to the D terminal on the falling edge of the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal and outputs it to the Q output (q3). While the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is Low (logical 0), the latch L3 (152) holds the Q output (q3) as it is. On the other hand, the latch L3 (152) outputs the input Q output (q1) to the Q output (q3) as it is while the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is High (logical 1).
The latch L4 (153) latches the Q output (q2) inputted to the D terminal on the rising edge of the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal and outputs it to the Q output (q4). While the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is High (logical 1), the latch L4 (153) holds the Q output (q4) as it is. On the other hand, the latch L4 (153) outputs the input Q output (q2) to the Q output (q4) as it is while the clock signal ckv inputted to the C terminal is Low (logical 0).
The Q output (q3) of the latch L3 (152) and the Q output (q4) of the latch L4 (153) are inputted to the exclusive-OR circuit 157. An output q3 xor q4 thereof is outputted from the output terminal 161 as the reference signal (Ref).
FIGS. 3(A) through 3(H) show a time chart of the conventional phase detector PD (133) shown in FIG. 2. Since spots or parts marked with the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 2 indicate the same parts in FIGS. 3(A) through 3(H), their description will be omitted. A signal shown in FIG. 3(A) shows that the name thereof indicates the input data signal Din and the speed thereof (the fastest speed expressed in Hz conversion and similar subsequently) is expressed in f/2 (data period or cycle is given by T (=1/f)). The signal is expressed in the form of data 0, data 1, etc. for each cycle T. A signal shown in FIG. 3(B) indicates that the name thereof is represented as the clock signal ckv, the speed thereof is expressed in f/2, and the input data signal Din rises during the data 0 and falls during the data 1. A signal shown in FIG. 3(C) indicates that the name thereof is represented as the output q1 of the latch L1 (150), a fetch edge at the D terminal of the latch L1 (150) is indicative of the rising edge (as indicated as ↑CK) of the clock signal ckv, and the speed thereof is expressed in f/2. A signal shown in FIG. 3(D) indicates that the name thereof is represented as the output q2 of the latch L2 (151), a fetch edge at the D terminal of the latch L2 (151) is indicative of the falling edge (as indicated as ↓CK) of the clock signal ckv, and the speed thereof is expressed in f/2. A signal shown in FIG. 3(E) indicates that the name thereof is represented as the error signal (Error) of the exclusive-OR circuit 156, a logical expression indicative of the output of the exclusive-OR circuit 156 is expressed in q1 xor q2, and the speed thereof is f.
A signal shown in FIG. 3(F) indicates that the name thereof is represented as the output q3 of the latch L3 (152), a fetch edge at the D terminal of the latch L3 (152) is indicative of the falling edge (as indicated as ↓CK) of the clock signal ckv, and the speed thereof is expressed in f/4. A signal shown in FIG. 3(G) indicates that the name thereof is represented as the output q4 of the latch L4 (153), a fetch edge at the D terminal of the latch L4 (153) is indicative of the rising edge (as indicated as ↑CK) of the clock signal ckv, and the speed thereof is expressed in f/4. A signal shown in FIG. 3(H) indicates that the name thereof is represented as the reference signal (Ref) of the exclusive-OR circuit 157, a logical expression indicative of the output of the exclusive-OR circuit 157 is expressed in q3 xor q4, and the speed thereof is f/2.
As shown in FIGS. 3(A) through 3(C), the latch L1 (150) takes in or captures the input data signal Din (data 0) on the rising edge of the clock signal ckv and outputs it to the q1 output thereof. Since the clock signal ckv is High even if the input data signal transitions from the data 0 to the data 1, the q1 output holds the data 0. While the clock signal ckv is held Low, the data 1 of the input data signal Din appears at the output q1 as it is. When the input data signal Din transitions to the data 2, the data 2 appears at the output q1 as it is. Next, when the clock signal ckv rises while the input data signal Din is of the data 2, the latch L1 (150) takes in the data 2 and outputs it to the q1 output. Since the clock signal ckv is High even if the input data signal transitions from the data 2 to the data 3, the q1 output holds the data 2. Since such a process is similar subsequently, the description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIGS. 3(A), 3(B) and 3(D), the latch L2 (151) takes in the input data signal Din (data 1) on the falling edge of the clock signal ckv and outputs it to the q2 output thereof. Since the clock signal ckv is Low even if the input data signal transitions from the data 1 to the data 2, the q2 output holds the data 1. While the clock signal ckv is held High, the data 2 of the input data signal Din appears at the output q2 as it is. When the input data signal Din is caused to transition to the data 3, the data 3 appears at the output q2 as it is. Next, when the clock signal ckv falls while the input data signal Din is of the data 3, the latch L2 (151) takes in the data 3 and outputs it to the q2 output. Since the clock signal ckv is Low even if the input data signal transitions from the data 3 to the data 4, the q2 output holds the data 3. Since this is similar subsequently, the description thereof will be omitted.
When the output q1 is of the data 0 and the output q2 is of the data 1 as shown in FIGS. 3(C) through 3(E), the output of the error signal (Error) results in "(data 0) xor (data 1)" (hereinafter abbreviated as "0xor1"). Next, when the output q1 is of the data 1 and the output q2 is also of the data 1, the output of the error signal (Error) becomes "1xor1"=0. In FIG. 3(E), the output of the error signal (Error), which apparently reaches 0, is represented as the logical 0, and the output thereof which does not reach 0, is represented as a pulse like "0xor1".
As shown in FIGS. 3(A), 3(B) and 3(E), when the input data signal Din is transitioned, the error signal (Error) is outputted as a pulse with the difference in time between a transient edge of the input data signal Din and the rising (or falling) edge of the clock signal ckv as a pulse width. Namely, when a position relationship (=±0.5×T) in which the rising (falling) edge of the clock signal ckv is placed in the center of the input data signal Din, is taken, the pulse width of the error signal (Error) results in ½ (=0.5×T) of the pulse width of the reference signal (Ref).
As shown in FIGS. 3(B), 3(C) and 3(F), the latch L3 (152) takes in the output q1 (data 0) on the falling edge of the clock signal ckv and outputs it to the q3 output thereof. Since the clock signal ckv is Low even if the output q1 transitions from the data 1 to the data 2, the q3 output holds the data 0. While the clock signal ckv is held High, the data 2 of the output q2 appears at the output q3 as it is. Next, when the clock signal ckv falls, the latch L3 (152) takes in the data 2 at the output q2 and outputs it to the q3 output. Since the clock signal ckv is Low even if the output q2 transitions from the data 3 to the data 4, the q3 output holds the data 2. Since this is similar subsequently, the description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIGS. 3(B), 3(D) and 3(G), the latch L4 (153) takes in the output q2 (data 1) on the rising edge of the clock signal ckv and outputs it to the q4 output thereof. Since the clock signal ckv is High even if the output q2 transitions from the data 2 to the data 3, the q4 output holds the data 1. While the clock signal ckv is held Low, the data 3 of the output q2 appears at the output q4 as it is. Next, when the clock signal ckv rises, the latch L4 (153) takes in the data 3 at the output q2 and outputs it to the q4 output. Since the clock signal ckv is High even if the output q2 transitions from the data 4 to the data 5, the q4 output holds the data 3. Since this is similar subsequently, the description thereof will be omitted.
When the output q3 is of the data 0 and the output q4 is of the data 1 as shown in FIGS. 3(F) through 3(H), the output of the reference signal (Ref) results in "0xor1". Next, when the output q3 is of the data 2 and the output q4 is of the data 1, the output of the reference signal (Ref) becomes "2xor1" (or "1xor2"). In FIGS. 3(A) and 3(H), the reference signal (Ref) is always outputted as a pulse having a length width (=1.0×T) of the data cycle T where the input data signal Din has transitioned.
Thus, when the rising edge of the clock signal ckv is placed forward by Δt from the center of the input data signal Din, the error signal (Error) reduced by Δt in pulse width with respect to the pulse width (=0.5×T) equal to one-half the reference signal (Ref) is outputted. On the other hand, when the rising edge of the clock signal ckv is placed backward by Δt from the center of the input data signal Din, the error signal (Error) whose pulse width is increased by Δt with respect to the pulse width (=0.5×T) equal to one-half the reference signal (Ref), is outputted. Thus, the pulse width of the error signal (Error) results in 0.5×T±0.5×T.

Phase comparator, clock data recovery circuit and transceiver circuit


A joint between one or more structural members and an associated method are provided. The joint includes a friction weld joint or other connection between faying surfaces of the members, and an exothermically reacted sealant disposed in an interface defined by the faying surfaces. The exothermic reaction of the sealant in the interface can be initiated before, during, or after joining the structural members such that the sealant at least partially seals the interface. The sealant can fill the spaces between the structural members to prevent the entry of chemicals, moisture, debris, and other substances, thereby reducing the likelihood of corrosion of the joint or structural members at the interface. Further, the sealant can form a bond with the structural members, thereby increasing the strength of the connection between the members.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the joining of structural members and, more particularly, relates to the sealing of joints between structural members, for example, to increase the strength and corrosion-resistance of the members.
2) Description of Related Art
The joining of structural members often results in an interface that is susceptible to intrusion by chemicals, moisture, or other fluids and particulates. For example, in the aircraft industry, joints between structural members are often formed by overlapping two or more structural members, forming holes through the members, and disposing rivets or other fasteners through the holes. Although the overlapping members may correspond closely to one another at their interface, each interface nevertheless typically defines a narrow space or crevice-like gap through which moisture, chemicals, debris, and other foreign materials can be received, possibly resulting in increased corrosion of the structural members and the fasteners. Therefore, a sealant such as a caulk-like organic material can be disposed in each interface to seal the interface and prevent the entry of foreign materials therein. The sealant can be disposed before or after the joint is formed, though in some cases the sealant is preferably disposed before joining because the geometrical configuration of the structural members may prevent access to one or both sides of the interface after joining. In some cases, the sealant may be squeezed from the interface during joining, leaving unfilled voids in the interface, which can be difficult to identify and fill, especially if one or both sides of the joint cannot be accessed after joining. Further, even if the sealant does fill the interface, the sealant can dry out and deteriorate or otherwise work free from the joint over time.
Joints can alternatively be formed by welding the structural members. For example, a friction stir weld joint can be formed by overlapping the structural members, rotating a friction stir welding pin extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the interface of the members, and urging the pin through the members along the interface. The pin generates sufficient friction with the structural members to plasticize a portion of the members, and the plasticized material is mixed by the pin. As the plasticized material cools, a friction stir weld joint is formed, characterized by a mixed portion having a refined grain structure, referred to as a nugget. The nugget is typically not as wide as the interface of the overlapping members, and the members therefore define spaces in the interface in which corrosion can occur, similar to the space proximate to the rivet joints described above. A sealant can be disposed in the spaces; however, if the sealant is disposed before welding, care should be taken to avoid introducing the sealant into the nugget of the joint as conventional sealants can negatively impact the strength and/or corrosion resistance of the joint. For example, masking tape can be placed on the area of the structural members where the nugget will be formed, the sealant can be disposed on the structural members, and the masking tape can then be removed to generally leave a clean area for forming the nugget. This process is time consuming. Further, even if such precautions are taken, as the members are placed and urged together to form the joint, some of the sealant can be squeezed into the interface and mixed with the plasticized material of the joint, thereby reducing the quality of the weld joint. In addition, as described above, voids can result in the interface during joining or the sealant can be loosened from the interface subsequently.
Thus, there exists a need for an improved method for forming a corrosion resistant joint in a structural member. The method should be compatible with welded methods, such as friction welding, and should not be overly time consuming. Further, the method should result in a strong bond between the structural members without excessively reducing the quality of the joint.


A semiconductor device is provided which includes a pair of metal interconnections (B, C) provided above a semiconductor substrate (10), a program layer (20) provided over the pair of metal interconnections (B, C) and in which an opening (21) may be selectively formed in the program layer (20) on the basis of programming information, and a read circuit (40) reading the programming information by determining whether such an opening (21) is formed in the program layer (20) by utilizing an electrostatic capacitance between the pair of metal interconnections (B, C). The program layer (20) may be made of a material having a dielectric constant higher than that of air or the program layer (20) may be made of a conductor or a material having a dielectric constant lower than that of air. Thus, trimming information or information on a device identification (ID) can be stored, even if the semiconductor device is a logic device that does not have a memory transistor, by detecting the information that is determined by the electrostatic capacitance that varies depending on whether or not there is provided an opening (21).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to semiconductor devices and data reading methods therefor, and fabricating methods of such semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional non-volatile memories have Contents Addressable Memory (CAM) cells that store device information such as device IDs used for various tests or device identification, or trimming data for adjusting the circuit characteristics with ease (such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-213872).
A CAM cell is composed of a floating gate and a control gate stacked above a semiconductor substrate to form a gate with a source and a drain respectively formed in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the gate. That is, the CAM cell has the same configuration as that of a cell transistor that serves as a memory transistor.
In recent years, miniaturization and high integration of semiconductor devices has led to more defects, resulting in reduced yield. To address this problem, a redundant circuit is sometimes provided in the semiconductor device. There has been proposed a technique in which the information on the redundant addresses, operation specifications, and other device specific information can be stored by cutting off a fuse provided in a fuse circuit in the semiconductor device (such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-246958).
A logic device, however, does not typically include the aforedescribed CAM, and it is problematic that the device ID or the trimming data cannot be retained. In a case where a non-volatile memory is employed for retaining the information, there are additional problems in that more steps are necessary during wafer processing for such fuse programming circuit and the scale of the programming circuit is large relative to the memory capacity.
In a semiconductor device having the abovedescribed fuse, if the fuse, which is made of a metal, is not cut off completely, the difference in voltage applied to both ends of the fuse gradually decreases the resistance value of the fuse. This is called grow back effect. When the resistance value of the fuse is lowered to less than a given value, the fuse circuit judges that the fuse is not melted down. This causes a problem in that the fuse cannot be melted down successfully. With respect to a laser fuse, an underlying layer is necessary in consideration of the damage applied by the laser to the semiconductor substrate and, thus, a cover film needs to be opened. This is also problematic in view of reliability.

Semiconductor device and programming method therefor


The invention is a sliding contact and also a method for the production thereof. The sliding contact arrangement has two parts mounted to rotate relatively to one another. The first part has a metallic carrier ring with radial inner and outer sides, which is monolithically connected to at least one spring arm, which ends freely on one side on the inner side or outer side. The spring arm extends longitudinally relative to the inner or outer side at least in certain sections. The spring arm ends at a spring arm head having a contact surface facing away from the carrier ring, which is in sliding contact with a contact surface of the second part.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical sliding contact arrangement and also to a method for producing the sliding contact arrangement.
Electrical sliding contact arrangements are used for transmitting electrical signals and/or electrical energy between two components mounted such that they can be moved relatively to one another. In addition to known sliding contact arrangements with linear or curved sliding paths, the present invention relates to the an electrical rotary coupling with an integrated slip ring arrangement, which essentially has two electrically conductive parts, which are mounted such they can rotate relatively to one another, concentrically about a common rotational axis, and of which one part is connected to a rotating component of the rotary coupling and the other part is connected to the stationary rotary coupling component.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A generic, compactly structured electrical rotary coupling is described in EP 2 451 028 A2, which provides an axial stack, having a multiplicity of electrically conductive slip rings of annular or disc-shaped construction, along a rotatable shaft in which the slip rings are each axially separated from one another by electrically insulating intermediate discs. Each of the slip rings is connected to an electrical signal line along the rotating shaft and thus forms an electrical transmission channel. In accordance with the number of slip rings, securely clamped brush wires are attached on one side of the stationary housing part of the rotary coupling, which individually come into tangential sliding contact with the sliding paths, which peripherally surround the slip rings. In the same way as the slip rings, the individual stationary brush wires are each respectively connected to an electrical supply and ground.
A slip ring arrangement is described in DE 10 2011 006 820 A1, which is used for electrically connecting two parts that can be rotated with respect to each other and has at least one sliding path with V grooves. At least two wire brushes run into the sliding paths, wherein the wire brushes are electrically connected to one another and arranged on different brush blocks.
DE 10 2011 077 358 B3 discloses a similar brush block arrangement for a rotationally-symmetrically constructed sliding path of the rotary coupling, in which two brushes constructed in a pin-shaped manner are in each case securely fastened on one side on different brush supports and in each case enter into tangentially sliding engagement with the sliding path.
Known electrical sliding contact arrangements, which are integrated into rotary couplings, are for the most part based on the structural combination as illustrated in FIG. 4 of a slip ring 1 rotating about a rotational axis, at the circumferential edge of which slip ring, at least one sliding path 2 is constructed, upon which sliding bodies 3 for transmitting electrical signals or electrical energy are pressed in a sliding manner and subject to a force. The sliding bodies are for the most part fastened on one side via a spring arm 4 on a brush support 5, which is connected to the stationary housing part of the rotary coupling. The spatially large structure of a sliding contact arrangement of this type, the assembly of which comprises a plurality of individual components is illustrated in FIG. 4.

Sliding contact arrangement for transmitting electrical signals and also a method for producing the sliding contact arrangement


A method for labeling oligonucleotide molecules, and for immobilizing oligonucleotide and DNA molecules is provided comprising modifying the molecules to create a chemically active group, and contacting activated fluorescent dyes to the region. A method for preparing an immobilization substrate is also provided comprising modifying a gel to contain desired functional groups which covalently interact with certain moieties of the oligonucleotide molecules. A method for immobilizing biomolecules and other molecules within a gel by copolymerization of allyl-substituted oligonucleotides, DNA and proteins with acrylamide is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods for modifying nucleic acid molecules for their later manipulation and, more particularly, this invention relates to methods for labeling modified nucleic acid molecules or for immobilizing modified nucleic acid molecules on to specified supports.
2. Background of the Invention
Manipulating nucleic acids for subsequent use and analysis is increasing in importance. For example, the labeling of polynucleotides for later use as indicators of complementary sequences in target molecules has wide utility in diagnostic and research applications. Also, designing polynucleotides to interact with inert substrates such as activated polyacrylamide gels will increase the utility of labeling and sequencing activities.
Present techniques for labeling and/or immobilizing nucleic acids have several drawbacks. Labeling processes will be discussed first.
Three widely-accepted methods exist for the labeling of molecules: radio-labeling, fluorescent-labeling, and chemiluminescent labeling. There are benefits to each method. Radio-labels are more sensitive. Fluorescent labels are safer, can be detected in real time, and several different labels can be simultaneously monitored. Chemiluminescent labels have the same sensitivity as radio-labels, and are also safer, but can only be used once.
The most commonly used process for fluorescent labeling of nucleic acids involves enzymatic reactions. Typically, organic fluorophores are first chemically introduced into PCR oligonucleotide primers or nucleoside triphosphates and then incorporated by using DNA or RNA polymerases (via the use of polymerase chain reaction processes, or terminal polynucleotide transferase). These techniques are expensive and not always efficient and reliable. Also, some labelling processes result in obfuscating or breaking the continuity of a target oligonucleotide sequence on the labeled molecule during polymerase reactions. As such, less accurate duplexes form when sequencing DNA strands via hybridization procedures.
As noted above, methods for immobilizing nucleic acids and related molecules also have drawbacks. Oligonucleotides can be immobilized by reacting their 3'-dialdehyde termini (produced through chemical treatment with the oligos) with hydrazide groups located on gel support compounds. Unfortunately, typical hydrazide chemistry protocols require preactivation of oligonucleotides, and also result in attachment bonds which are not resistant to repeated hybridization processes.
A need exists in the art to provide modified nucleotides which can interact with labels and high volume supports. A need also exists to provide efficient and inexpensive methods to label and otherwise examine synthetically-derived, or naturally-occurring nucleotide molecules of any length. The methods and resulting modified molecules must be compatible with hybridization occurrences between the labeled polynucleotide and non-labeled polynucleotides. The methods also should allow for the incorporation of different labels into a nucleic acid fragment for multi-color hybridization analysis. Lastly, the methods should facilitate chemical coupling, or photopolymerization of modified molecules, such as polynucleotides, with high volume supports such as gel substrates.

Methods for immobilizing nucleic acids on a gel substrate


In an electric vehicle in which regenerative braking is performed in preference to hydraulic braking, an uncomfortable vibration generated due to a sudden variation in the load of a motor, is prevented at the start of the regenerative braking. At the start of the braking, the regenerative braking force is gradually increased from a previously set regenerative initial value to a demanded braking force rather than being increased quickly to the demanded braking force, thereby preventing the generation of the vibration. A deficiency in the braking force during this time is compensated for with the hydraulic braking force. When the demanded braking force exceeds a regenerative acceptable value, the regenerative braking force does not exceed the acceptable value, and a deficiency of braking force thereafter is compensated for with the hydraulic braking force.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake system for an electric vehicle including driven wheels connected to and driven by a motor and braked in a regenerative and mechanical manner in response to an operation of a brake operating element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A brake system for an electric vehicle is known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-153315, in which a kinetic energy of a vehicle body lost by braking, can be effectively recovered as an electric energy by performing a regenerative braking to enhance electric power consumption, in preference to hydraulic braking during braking and by compensating, with the hydraulic braking, a deficiency in braking force resulting from using only the regenerative braking.
When braking torque is generated in a motor which generates a driving torque in an electric vehicle, thereby performing a regenerative braking, a problem is encountered in that the driving system between the motor and driven wheels resonates to generate an uncomfortable vibration.