In the formation of a halftone type phase shift mask, a reactive gas introduction inlet and an inert gas introduction inlet are provided so as to introduce the respective gases separately and by using a reactive low throw sputtering method a molybdenum silicide based phase shifter film is formed. Thereby, it becomes possible to provide a halftone type phase shift mask, which is applicable to an ArF laser or to a KrF laser, by using molybdenum silicide based materials.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a phase shift mask, in particular to a structure of an attenuation type phase shift mask which attenuates light of exposure wavelength and a process for the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
The making of semiconductor integrated circuits of large scale and the miniaturization thereof has been remarkable. Together with that the miniaturization of circuit patterns formed on semiconductor substrates (hereinafter referred to simply as wafers) has been progressing rapidly.
Particularly, photolithographic technology is widely recognized as a basic technology in pattern formation. Accordingly, a variety of developments and improvements have been carried out up to the present time. The miniaturization of patterns has been an unending process and the requirements for the improved resolution of patterns have become more demanding.
Accordingly, in recent years, a phase shift exposure method using a phase shift mask has been proposed as a technology to satisfy these requirements and "Phase Shift Mask and Process for the Same as well as Exposure Method Using That Phase Shift Mask" (hereinafter referred to as background technology 1), disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-285327(1993), "Process for Phase Shift Photo Mask Blanks, Phase Shift Photo Mask Blanks and Phase Shift Photo Mask" (hereinafter referred to as background technology 2), disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 8-74031(1996), and "Titanium Nitride Thin Film Formation Method" (hereinafter referred to as background technology 3), disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 8-127870(1996), are sited as a technology related to the above phase shift mask.
Background technologies 1 and 2 concretely disclose a molybdenum silicide type halftone phase shift mask and a process for the same, wherein a reactive sputtering using a direct current magnetron discharge is adopted in a film formation style of phase shifter film.
In addition, in background technology 1, as for supplied gases, Ar is used for an inert gas, O2 or (O2+N2) is used for a reactive gas while a mixture gas system is adopted as a gas supply system.
In addition, in background technology 2, as for supplied gases, Ar is used for an inert gas, NO is used for a reactive gas while a mixture gas system is adopted as a gas supply system in the same way as in background technology 1.
In addition, in background technology 3, a reactive low pressure sputtering method through a direct current magnetron discharge and a unit therefore are concretely disclosed and the purpose of this background technology 3 is to provide a titanium nitride thin film formation method of which the filling in characteristics inside of microscopic holes is maintained at an excellent level and of which the film thickness distribution of the thin film on the substrate surface is uniform.
In order to achieve this purpose, in background technology 3, a so-called long throw sputtering method (hereinafter referred to as LTS method) is adopted where the pressure is maintained at 1×10−1 Pa (7.5×10−4 Torr) or less under an Ar+N2 gas atmosphere and the mixture gas composition is set at 1/8≦Ar/N2≦1/3 as a flow amount ratio in order to gain a uniform titanium nitride thin film distribution. Here, as for the distance (T/S) between the target and the substrate, 140 mm, 170 mm and 200 mm are selected.
Based on the technologies shown in the above described background technologies 1 to 3, however, in the case that a thin film which is used as a phase shift mask, particularly a phase shifter film, is formed a thin film which has sufficient optical characteristics (particularly transmittance) cannot be formed.
In particular, a molybdenum silicide type phase shifter film which is formed based on background technologies 1 and 2 cannot be provided for practical use because the transmittance of the halftone phase shift mask in the ArF laser exposure wavelength (193 nm) is very small.
In addition, film formation is possible only when the transmittance of a halftone phase shift mask in the KrF laser exposure wavelength (248 nm) is less than 8% which becomes a problem in practical use.
Accordingly, this invention is provided to solve the above described problems and provides a halftone type phase shift mask which can be applied in an ArF laser or a KrF laser by using a molybdenum silicide type material. In addition, relating to this phase shift mask, the provision of a process for the gaining of that phase shift mask in addition to the provision of a phase shifter film and a process for the same, blanks for a phase shift mask and a process for the same, an exposure method by using that phase shift mask, a semiconductor device manufactured by using that phase shift mask, a defect inspection method of that phase shift mask and a defect correction method of that phase shift mask are additional purposes.
Based on this invention, as shown in the above described purposes, a halftone phase shift mask which can be applied in an ArF laser or in a KrF laser can be formed of a molybdenum silicide type material. Since the same production process and production units as are used in background technologies 1 or 2 can be applied as they are for the molybdenum silicide type material a new large scale investment for facilities can be avoided. It also becomes possible to save the labor, time and development costs which would be needed for developing a new production process.
More concretely, it becomes possible to form a molybdenum silicide type thin film through an LTS method, that is to say, a reactive sputtering method by means of direct current magnetron discharge so as to form a thin film which has an excellent transmittance by applying the above film to a phase shifter film and, thereby, it becomes possible to manufacture a halftone type phase shift mask for ArF laser exposure which used to be impossible through a sputtering system as shown in the background technology.

Phase shifter film and process for the same


An apparatus for processing printed products conveyed along a conveying path includes an adjustable positioning device presenting an adjustable guide curve arranged to adjust a position of the printed products along the conveying path.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to processing of printer products, and more particularly to a device for positioning the printed products along a conveying path.
2. Description of the Related Art
European Patent Application A-1 563 968, owned by the assignee of the present application, discloses a conventional apparatus used for the trimming and processing printed products. In this apparatus, the printed products are transferred via a conveying device to a conveying rotor, which then supplies the printed products to a trimming device. The device for positioning the printed products, which is incorporated into a rotary trimmer and is herein referred to as a positioning device, has a fixed curved element placed at the bottom of the pockets into which the printed products are inserted. During the transfer, the printed products are deposited on the driven belt of the positioning device. The belt is fitted over several sequentially arranged rollers and forms a curved guide element for positioning the printed products so that they can be gripped by respectively one clamp while in a predetermined position. In order to adapt the guide element to the various formats of the printed product, the sequentially arranged rollers along the curved section can be pivoted manually at the front end of the positioning device, relative to the conveying direction of the printed products, around an axis that extends parallel to the axis of rotation for the conveying rotor.
European Patent Document EP-A-0 753 386 discloses another apparatus for trimming printed products, which also includes a conveying rotor with pockets. In order to position the printed products for the frontal trimming, the pockets containing the respectively deposited printed products must be installed to extend radially, which is a comparatively expensive operation.
What is needed is an apparatus for trimming printed products that allows the position of the printed products to be adjusted for frontal trimming, without a need to rearrange the position of the pockets.


The present invention provides a planar illumination light source device by which uniform illumination light can be obtained over a wide area without increasing the thickness of LEDs in the radiation direction even when a highly directional light source such as LEDs is used, and a planar illumination device using this. The present invention includes a highly directional light source, a light guiding body having a radiation plane in a radiation direction of the light source, a casing that encloses the light source and seals planes other than the radiation plane of the light guiding body, inside reflection means provided in the entirety of the area between the casing and the light guiding body, and radiation side reflection means provided on the radiation plane and reflecting light from the light source at a prescribed ratio. A light emitting diode group consisting of one or a plurality of light emitting diodes is used as the highly directional light source.

A planar illumination light source device according to Patent Document 1 includes at least one primary light source and a plate-shaped light guiding body that guides the light emitted from the primary light source and that has a light-incident-end face on which the light emitted from the primary light source is incident and a light emission plane for emitting light to be guided; the light guiding body has a light emission mechanism on at least one of the light emission faces and the back face thereof, and also has at least one local lens array formation part on at least one of the light emission faces and the back face thereof, each of the local lens array formation parts has at least one local lens array, and the local lens array is formed in a direction different from the direction of a peak light intensity within a brightness distribution at an incident position of a highest light intensity of light emitted from the primary light source, the direction further being incident on the light incident end face. Thereby the inconsistency in brightness is solved.
An illumination display device according to Patent Document 2 includes a lamp housing having an opening on one end and having a light source device accommodation portion whose inner wall is a light reflection plane, a light emitting diode that is a light source for illumination provided on a bottom wall of the light source accommodation portion, and a display plate having a transmissive plate that is provided to cover the opening in order to display a desired display, and a light guiding body being fit between the light emitting diode and the display plate in the light source accommodation portion in order to form a contact plane together with the inner wall of the light source accommodation portion and in order to make incident light scatter and to make it a planar illumination light in which the texturing process is performed on the inner wall surface. Thereby, the light of a light source having a high directionality such as that of an LED is uniformized in order to increase the visibility of the display.
In other words, in the technique of Patent Document 2, light emitted from a light emitting diode is diffused and reflected by using an inner wall that has received the texturing process, and is uniformized by using the operation of a diffusion film or the like.
Also, in Patent Document 3, it is disclosed that reflection is repeated between the light reflected from a micro reflection part in a diffusion layer formed on a reflection plane of light and a reflector provided in the vicinity of a light emitting diode (LED), thereby uniformized light is obtained.
Also, in Patent Document 4, it is disclosed that directional light emitted from an LED (especially intensive light directly above the LED) is reflected in the direction of the LED by using a reflection part formed on a radiation plane. Thereby, the direction of the light is changed, and the intensity of the light from the LED is reduced in order to obtain uniformized light.
Patent Document 1:
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-343124
Patent Document 2:
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-186427
Patent Document 3:
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-284283
Patent Document 4:
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-12818

Planar illumination light source device and planar illumination light device using the planar illumination light source device


A method of performing data restore includes connecting, using a boot capable network communication interface, to a backup server over a data network, the backup server having stored thereon a block based backup data volume; accessing the block based backup data volume via the data network as a remotely readable storage resource; and using operating system data read from the block based backup data volume to perform a network boot operation.

The contents and data of computer systems or information systems can be lost after a data loss event. Therefore, backup is important for ensuring recovery of the data of the computer systems or information systems in the case of corruption, data loss, or disaster. It is desirable for computer files and data stored on a file server or a workstation to be backed up periodically by a backup and recovery system, so that the computer files and data may be restored after a data loss event.
In the event of a hardware failure, such as a server malfunction, a system administrator may need to perform disaster recovery or bare metal recovery using the backup media. That is, in some situations, the server is so damaged that the machine cannot be booted up or the machine no longer has a working operating system and the server must be restored from "bare metal." Conventional disaster recovery or bare metal recovery process is burdensome and time consuming. The data recovery process can be even more challenging when the size of the backup data is large, such as when the back up data belongs to a data center. In the event of a disaster or catastrophic hardware failure, the system administrator must be able to restore the backup data and bring the system up in operating condition quickly. Therefore, data restore or recovery method that can shorten the recovery time is desirable.

Method to perform instant restore of physical machines


A system and method of controlling power consumption are provided. The example method may be directed to controlling power consumption in a system including first and second interface blocks, and may include transitioning a first interface block to a power saving mode in response to a status of a first transmission channel, the first transmission channel configured to forward information from the first interface block to a second interface block and transitioning a second interface block to the power saving mode in response to a status of a second transmission channel, the second transmission channel configured to forward information from the second interface block to the first interface block. The example system may include a first interface block transitioning to a power saving mode in response to a status of a first transmission channel and a second interface block transitioning to the power saving mode in response to a status of a second transmission channel, the first transmission channel configured to forward information from the first interface block to the second interface block and the second transmission channel configured to forward information from the second interface block to the first interface block.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention are related generally to a system and method thereof, and more particularly to a system and method of controlling power consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
Low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) may be employed in various fields of commercial applications. LVDS may refer to a type of interface standard for higher-speed data transmissions. For example, the ANSI/TIA/EIA-644-1995 standard may be an example LVDS standard which may define specifications for physical layers as electronic interface solutions. LVDS techniques including lower-voltage signals may increase bit rates, lower power consumption, and/or reduce noise in, for example, mobile communication stations, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch applications, higher-resolution display devices, printers, digital copying machines, etc.
Internet applications may increasingly require higher amounts of data bandwidth. Furthermore, data streaming operations may be performed with higher bandwidth for digital video processing, higher-definition televisions and/or color graphic treatments. Conventionally, higher bandwidth data transmission systems may employ LVDS, which may allow higher data bandwidth (e.g., multi-gigabit data transmission) through copper-based interconnection via a higher-frequency analog circuit technology. Different versions of LVDS may include ground-referenced LVDS (GRLVDS) and bus LVDS (BLVDS), which may be deployed in bilateral and/or multi-drop schemes. GRLVDS may provide higher-frequency data communication with lower voltages by making differential and common mode signals swing near to a ground voltage level. Generally, LVDS, BLVDS and GRLVDS may represent examples of serial interfaces.

System and method of controlling power consumption


A portable air compressor (10) includes a motor (24) having an output shaft (76) and a compressor (18) having an input shaft (66). The compressor (18) further includes a lower mounting surface (64) and an upper cooling surface (60). The upper cooling surface (60) lies in a common plane with the output shaft (76) of the motor (24). A drive linkage (26) operably couples the output shaft (76) of the motor (24) for concurrent rotation with the input shaft (66) of the compressor (18). A fan (80) is coupled for rotation with the output shaft (76) of the motor (24) and directs air across the upper cooling surface (60).

An air compressor may be used to provide a hand-held tool with pneumatic power. The compressor is part of an assembly that further includes a prime mover for driving the compressor and a tank for storing compressed air. The prime mover may include an electric motor or an internal combustion engine.
A drive assembly operatively interconnects the motor with the compressor to transfer torque from the motor to the compressor. A conventional drive assembly may include a pulley, a flywheel and a linkage mechanism that cooperate to reciprocate a piston within the compressor upon rotation of an output shaft of the motor. The reciprocating piston pumps compressed air into the tank. A pneumatic power hose extends from the tank to the pneumatically powered tool. The motor and compressor assembly may be mounted on a frame including wheels and a handle allowing portability.


A last-stage steam turbine bucket having a profile according to Charts I-XXXXI of Table I.. The bucket is divided into a number of profile sections each of which is a predetermined radial distance from the root section. Each point on a profile section at the predetermined radial distance from the root is defined by an X-Y coordinate and a radius R along the arc of a circle connecting adjacent points.

Last-stage buckets for steam turbines have for some time been the subject of substantial developmental work. It is highly desirable to optimize the performance of these later-stage buckets to reduce aerodynamic losses, particularly when it is recognized that the last stage of a steam turbine is the highest loaded stage and contributes on the order of about 10% to the overall output of the turbine. As will be appreciated, last-stage buckets are exposed to a wide range of flows, pressures, loads and strong dynamic forces. Optimally, the bucket profile should be designed to match aerodynamically the flow of the nozzle to provide the desirable operating characteristics over a large operating range. Factors which affect the final bucket profile include the active length of the bucket, its pitch diameter and its high operating speed in both supersonic and subsonic flows. Damping and bucket fatigue are factors which must be considered in the mechanical design of the bucket and its profile. The buckets must also be tuned to avoid coincidence between their natural frequencies and the flow stimuli. Additionally, the bucket profile must accommodate a smooth transition from subsonic flow adjacent the root to supersonic flow adjacent the blade tip. These mechanical and dynamic response properties of the buckets as well as others, such as thermodynamic properties or material selection all influence the optimum bucket profile. In brief, last-stage steam turbine buckets require a precisely defined bucket profile for optimal aerodynamic performance with minimum losses over a wide operating range.
Bucket designs in the past have included continuous coupling of the buckets at their outer tip employing under and over-covers as well as tiewires at intermediate stations along the buckets. These continuous couplings and tiewires are incorporated in the present bucket design to reduce bucket response to stimuli in the working fluid, which could cause uncontrolled vibration of the buckets, for example, at their natural frequencies. Vibration, of course, is to be minimized or eliminated to avoid fatigue and eventual structural failure and these continuous couplings and tiewires, of course, affect the aerodynamic properties of the buckets. It is important also to seal the tips of the buckets to minimize aerodynamic loss from flow passing around the bucket tips. The appropriate bucket profile is also important to provide converging-diverging flow passages between adjacent buckets and untwisting of the buckets from an ambient over-twisted configuration to a desired profile configuration at rated operation condition to achieve maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

Bucket for the last stage of a steam turbine


A stove loading mechanism to assist a person in lifting and moving heavy and/or awkward loads, such as loading logs into an outdoor wood boiler. A fork assembly for holding the log can easily be raised and lowered from the ground and latched at any height by means of a jack mechanism.

The prior, but not necessarily relevant, art is exemplified by the following U.S. patents.
Majors U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,839 entitled "CRANE FOR HANDLING FIREPLACE OR WOOD STOVE LOGS", discloses a wheeled platform providing a storage space for logs below an elevated track supported on standards rising from the platform. A trolley device movable along the tracks supports an adjustable log gripping and release device which is utilized to place logs in a fireplace or the fire box of a stove or furnace. The user of the crane need not place the logs by hand, thus avoiding the possibility of being burned.
Shields U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,792 entitled "CRANE", discloses a remotely controlled rotatable crane for loading logs on a live deck. The crane includes a carriage having a horizontal bed rotatable on a circular track about a vertical axis, the bed carrying a truss assembly extending upwardly and radially outwardly from the bed. The distal end of the truss assembly carries a vertically movable and rotatable grapple. A winch and cable raises and lowers the grapple. A counterweight is disposed on the carriage to counter balance the truss assembly. Electro-hydraulic controls operate the winch for raising and lowering the grapple, controls the rotation of the grapple about a vertical axis and its opening and closing and controls the movement of the carriage about its vertical axis. Hydraulic motors also drive wheels on the track for rotating the carriage about a vertical axis.
Majors U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,357 entitled "FIREPLACE LOG GRAPPLE", discloses a wheeled platform which provides a storage space for logs below an elevated track supported on standards rising from the platform. A trolley device moveable along the track supports and adjustable log gripping and release device which is utilized to place logs in a fireplace or in the fire box of a stove or furnace. The user of the crane need not place the logs by hand, thus avoiding the possibility of being burned.
It is a desideratum of the present invention to avoid the shortcomings and animadversions of the prior art techniques, and to provide a novel and unique loading mechanism for assisting a person with the lifting of heavy or awkward loads, such as logs.

Articulating loader with twin control arms, and methods of constructing and utilizing same


A multifunction, retractable sun shielding apparatus. A retractable screen, a housing configured to receive and contain the retractable screen upon retracting the screen, and a drive mechanism attached to longitudinal edges of the screen, and configured to drive the screen in directions of retraction and deployment. A power switch may be provided that is actuatable by an operator to drive the drive mechanism to deploy or retract the retractable screen. An interlock automatically stops deployment of the retractable screen at a first predefined position where the screen functions as a visor with regard to an adjacent windshield, and a second predefined position where the screen fully covers the adjacent windshield.

Automobiles are commonly equipped with fold-up or fold-back sun visors that block sun light or sun rays from the a top portion of the front windshield to enable drivers and front passengers to reduce glare to provide a clearer view of the road ahead. Such visors also typically pivot and can be moved to the driver side or passenger side windows to partially block the sun.
These visors were primarily designed to block the sun rays that could cause problems for drivers to see the road ahead and they perform that function adequately. The pair of sun visors (driver's side and passenger's side) does not cover the entire width of the windshield. Secondly, there is no solution from auto makers to prevent damage to the auto interior caused during the day when automobiles are parked on streets or in uncovered parking areas from exposure to sun.
Sun visors have seen some minor improvements since their original invention and design, such as including a vanity mirror and light, visor extendable to the center to cover the gap between the two visors (available only in luxury segment of automobiles) and holders of cloth or vinyl CD storage, commonly called automobile Visor CD holders.
Further, the two sun visors that are typically provided by the manufacturer of an automobile are not aesthetic items, in that they break the smooth form of the roof liner and the interior. They are perhaps the most antiquated products in the modem automobiles which have power seats and windows, and many more advancements automobiles are witnessing now.
Also, visors currently in the market are not designed to protect the interior of their automobiles from the heat and glare from sun when they are parked most of the day in uncovered parking lots or on streets in residential areas. The heat and direct sunlight damage the interior of the car and also affect the performance of the air conditioning. Additionally, current sun visors do not restrict a direct view of the interior which may contain shopping or other valuable items that may attract burglars.
Consumers are left with no other choice but to pay extra money and buy after-market products that cover the entire windshield and prevent damage to their car interior and also reduce the interior heating of the seats, air and steering column, especially in summer and in cities that are prone to high temperatures. These after-market products are quite clumsy, and require a discipline of the car operator to faithfully install the apparatus after each driving session, and remove the same prior to again driving. Each of these tasks is manual. Further, such a device must typically be folded up or rolled up upon removing it, and a storage location must be provided for the device when not in use. These requirements are often too onerous for the typical driver, and the device ends up not being used after a short period of time, or only used sporadically.
In summary, existing pair of visors have several disadvantages: they do not cover the entire width of the windshield; they are not designed to and do not protect the interior of the car from sun damage and heat, and thus consumers have to pay extra to protect the interior of their automobiles; they are not aesthetically pleasing; and they haven't seen any substantial technological improvement since their invention, unlike many other features of the automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,984 B1 to Reina Jr. discloses a retractable windshield made of plastic or glass that slides down on the driver's side. Passenger side functioning is optional and independently operable. The device of Reina Jr. cannot be deployed as a visor when an automobile is in drive mode. Further, it may not be deployable in an automobile that has a sun/moon roof as there would not be sufficient room for the retractable panel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,544 to Hubeshi describes a "window only" sun visor and doesn't offer the dual benefits of a full cover device that also functions as a visor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,284 to Mahler discloses an extendable sun visor that covers the windshield all the way down but leaves a gap in between the two visors and doesn't effectively cover the entire windshield nor provide the full benefits like cutting off the heat and glare that damage an automobile interior. Further, it is not feasible to deploy Mahler's device on the rear windshield. Still further, none of the aforementioned patents disclose full coverage of windshields for protecting the interior of the automobile from sun damage and/or providing security to articles contained within the automobile.
Several patents for sun shield or windshield covers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,839 to Moore which provides retractable screens to cover all the areas where glass is used. Moore's covers are restricted in the sense that only one objective is achieved, that is to cut off the heat and glare when an automobile is parked. Moore's device does not provide the ability to function as a visor while an automobile is in drive mode and doesn't account for the sun roof which is almost a standard feature in most luxury cars that would obstruct the installation of the storage recesses. Additionally, the screens disclosed are provided in addition to the automobile visors and are not a replacement thereof, and hence require an additional cost to an auto manufacturer. This is a strong disincentive for automakers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,284 to Leatherman discloses a pair of sun shade assemblies for the windshield that are deployed from side to side, that is from "A" pillar to "A" pillar. The assembly is deployed only when the vehicle is parked and can't offer visor position while an automobile is in drive mode. Additionally, the existing visors of the automobile are required for the visor function, and hence an added cost to automakers is presented, which is a disincentive. U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,558 to Cline describes a corrugated fiber board material that attaches to the existing pair of visor shades for a full cover roll-able windshield cover. This device is usable only in parked vehicles and provides a potential replacement for other after market windshield covers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,211 to Schlecht et al describes a retractable windshield cover with stretchable/expandable material but doesn't offer the visor function for automobiles in drive mode nor interlocks. U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,238 to Mohtasham describes a windshield cover, in addition to the existing automobile visors, to prevent sun damage to the interior and is deployable only in a parked automobile. U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,829 to Schlecht et al. does not appear to address usability with a vehicle that has a sun/moon roof, nor does it address safety requirements for the safe operation of automatic shade devices in a vehicle, and therefore does not provide any safety interlock, nor does it provide any interlock whatsoever, such as one that acts as theft deterrent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,149 to Lee describes a device for the purpose of shielding the interior of a parked vehicle from sunlight, which includes a retractable windshield shade assembly mounted at the front edge of an existing sun visor. A reflective coating on the exterior surface of said shade reflects part of the radiant energy. It may be swung to the side to serve as a front side window shade. In that position, it cannot function as a visor while an automobile is in drive mode. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,997,501 and 6,682,121 to Conforti, describe sun shades for use with and mounting to a side or rear automobile window. They do not address any of the functionality of providing a dual function sun screen for a front windshield of an automobile. U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,076 to McVicker describes a bottom up sun barrier and does not work as a visor for automobiles in drive mode.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,289,644 and 2,549,395 describe sun visors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,023 to Kawada describes an extendable visor that can be extended vertically and laterally to cover a gap between the visors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,599 to Svensson is a two part (pair of visors) device with increased cover of the top portion of the windshield, but doesn't offer the full windshield cover functionality nor is it a powered solution. U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,879 to Gillum discloses a portable compact sun visor that could be placed over the rear view mirror post to cover the gap between the existing pair of visors to block off the sun entering from around the mirror, but lacks a full windshield coverage capability. U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,139 to Yamada describes a variable shading plastic that is housed under the roof liner in addition to the existing visors, to be deployed to reduce glare. It does not replace the existing visors, nor does it provide full windshield cover. U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,910 to Mersman, et al. provides a "two visors" concept as it currently exists but with the added benefit of stowability in the headliner and a smaller pivoting extension to cover the gap between the pair of visors. This doe not provide full windshield cover, not is it power driven. U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,110 to Mykytiuk describes a stowable visor with vanity mirror and doesn't provide the full windshield cover, nor is it power driven. U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,227 to Pax Jr. et al, describes a visor only solution which is pivotable and extendable but does not provide full windshield cover.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,443,300 and 5,720,508 to Mohammed describe a power glare screen that provides windshield cover. It is a power tinted two plastic screen solution that leaves a gap in the middle and doesn't provide security or obstruct interior view. U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,427 to Vandagriff discloses a sun visor attachment adapted to be secured to a preexisting sun visor, but does not offer a windshield cover solution nor a power deployment feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,086 to Bauer et al. describes a sun visor only and does not offer the full windshield cover. U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,328 to Quapil discloses a sun visor only solution that is manually adjustable for optimal shading against the sun. It is not a windshield cover solution nor is it power deployable. U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,987 to Rossiter discloses a glare reducing tinted plastic/glass visor for safe driving during day and night. This does not offer a windshield cover solution nor heat obstruction or privacy barrier when an automobile is parked in uncovered parking areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,762 to Anderson is a shade control for a vehicle window only and U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,786 to Messerschmidt et al is an assembly for a roll-up sun screen in a motor vehicle. These and the above patents solve one or the other problem—either a visor or a windshield cover that provides security in parked vehicles. They do not offer the dual benefit of functioning integrally as both sun visors and sun barrier apparatus.
WO/2005/090107 to Yamada describes a sun visor solution only and doesn't provide the windshield cover option. WO/2005/030512 to Araga and Kosokawa is a pair concept improvising over the current pair of visors concept, and does not provide a power option nor a windshield cover option.
WO/2004/060704 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0119313 to Naik, Sanjeev includes electro-chromatic material in the visors that pivot to be deployed on the windows as well and are extendable or mechanically rollable to cover the windshield or the windows. The electro-chromatic shades provide variable shading. The solution is expensive because of the requirements for components such as digital cameras, electro-chrome material, microcontrollers, etc., for the driver- and passenger-side visors. Further, when an automobile is parked and engine is shut down, the visor material, the digital cameras and the microcontrollers would all be shut down, thereby disabling the windshield shading function of this device, and therefore not providing security to the interior components of the car. WO/2004/039616 to Silvini describes a visor only solution. WO/2003/010020 to Davey, et al. is provided in addition to the existing visors of an automobile and allows for the visors to be extended to cover the gap between the pair of visors. WO/2001/034418 to Truitt also describes a visor extension built on the current visor apparatus, and does not provide full windshield cover.
It would be desirable to have a product that would function integrally as both a sun visor and also as a full sun barrier, and which could be integrated into an automobile by its manufacturer, to provide both an aesthetically pleasing, form fit product, as well as one that could function efficiently for both purposes. It would further be desirable to provide such a product with safety features, such as the ability to provide security to the interior components of the automobile when it is parked and the ability to prevent deployment of full sun shades when the vehicle is moving. It would further be desirable to provide such a product with a theft deterrent capability.

Retractable sun visor and full windshield cover


This invention relates to a method for computing the average data transmission rate available in each channel in a data communication, TCP/IP system that utilizes in part cable television channels as the transmission media. The method employs a bandwidth manager and a test personal computer, both of which are connected to the cable channel system to determine the average bit rate through any channel in the system. By utilizing computers connected to the cable system to make bit rate measurements, the problems associated with having a low speed telephone link that dominates the measurement is avoided. The method to measure the bit rate in a channel includes sending a test message of fixed length from the bandwidth manager to the personal computer via a chosen channel with a timestamp and computing the data transmission rate in the chosen channel by dividing the number of bits in the test message by the difference in time between when the test message is received by the personal computer and the timestamp placed on the test message by the bandwidth manager. Average data transmission rates via the chosen channel are computed by averaging multiple measurements of the data transmission rate through the chosen channel. Once the data transmission rates are determined for all channels in the system, different classes of service through different channels can be provided.

This invention relates to data communication via cable television networks, and, more particularly, to a method for measuring the data transmission rate (i.e., the bit rate) through various channels in such a system and for providing different classes of service based on the data transmission rates in the channels.
In data communication networks, it is often necessary to test communications between any two nodes in the network. This can be accomplished by having a first node on the network request a second node on the network to xe2x80x9cloop-backxe2x80x9d a test packet . In this manner, the first node can now determine that communication with the second node is possible as well as determine the round trip time for the test packet between the two nodes.
Networking protocols, such as the Internet Protocol (IP), also permit the estimation of round trip time by use of a looped-back test packet. In IP networks, the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) permits control and information messages, including echo request and echo reply messages to be passed between different nodes. The ICMP also permits messages incorporating a timestamp request and timestamp reply messages which permit a transit time estimate to be made in both transit directions.
Users may also send ICMP echo requests using a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) utility called xe2x80x9cpingxe2x80x9d (Packet InterNet Groper) and users may specify the number and size of test packets for which round trip times are returned.
High speed data communication systems are capable of transmitting digital information in the form of packets at data rates of 10 Mbps to any remote location such as a home, school or office using standard cable television channels, systems and components. Such a multi-user, high speed, asymmetric, data communication system employing cable television channels is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,732 ( the ""732 patent), which is incorporated herein by reference.
In that latter communication system, it is often necessary to view data traffic conditions in each communication channel and take further actions based on the information learned. The TCP/IP utility called xe2x80x9cpingxe2x80x9d (Packet InterNet Groper), described above, can be used to determine the average bit rate available in each channel in such a TCP/IP system that utilizes cable television channels as the transmission media. However, the xe2x80x9cpingxe2x80x9d command is no t suitable f or this particular application. This is s o because i n an asymmetric communication system such as the one described in the ""732 patent, the low speed telephone line will dominate the computation of the data rate through any channel.
This invention describes a traffic monitoring method to overcome this problem. Under the methods described in this invention, the time needed for a test message to travel the low speed telephone link is eliminated from the computation to measure the average data transmission rate, i.e., bit rate, for a channel.
The present invention provides a method to compute the average data transmission rate available in each channel in a data communication, TCP/IP system that utilizes in part cable television channels as the transmission media. The method employs a bandwidth manager and a test personal computer, both of which are connected to the cable channel system to determine the average bit rate through any channel in the system. By utilizing computers connected to the cable system to make bit rate measurements, the problems associated with having a low speed telephone link that dominates the measurement is avoided.
The method to measure the bit rate in a channel include s the steps of: providing a bandwidth manager for the data communication system; connecting a test personal computer to the system, the test PC being cap able of communicating with a number of channels in the system; synchronizing time clocks on both the bandwidth manager and the test PC and preferably performing this synchronizing step in light traffic conditions; sending a test message of fixed length from the bandwidth manager to the personal computer via a chosen channel with a timestamp; and computing the data transmission rate in the chosen channel by dividing the number of bits in the test message by the difference in time between when the test message is received by the personal computer and the timestamp placed on the test message by the bandwidth manager.
Average data transmission rates via the chosen channel are computed by averaging multiple measurements of the data transmission rate through the chosen channel. Other channels in the system are then assigned through the bandwidth manager to the personal computer for making measurements of the data transmission rate.
The data transmission rates through the various channels are stored in a database in the bandwidth manager and other computers in the system are permitted to access this database to display the data transmission rates through different channels in the system.
Once the data transmission rates are determined for all channels in the system, different classes of service through different channels (e.g., 256 Kbps service in channel 1 and 64 Kbps service in channel 2) can be provided. In addition, new sessions through a specific class of service may be granted to a user if the measured data transmission rate through the user""s channel exceeds the bandwidth allocated to the channel and the number of sessions previously assigned to the user is less than the number of sessions permitted. Finally, users may be switched from higher data transmission rate channels to lower data transmission rate channels or vice versa to better accommodate additional users in the system.

Traffic monitoring system and service differentiation in a dynamic channel assignment system for TCP/IP data transmitted via cable television channels


Antisense compounds, compositions and methods are provided for modulating the expression of cREL. The compositions comprise antisense compounds, particularly antisense oligonucleotides, targeted to nucleic acids encoding cREL. Methods of using these compounds for modulation of cREL expression and for treatment of diseases associated with expression of cREL are provided.

Transcription factors represent a group of molecules within the cell that function to connect the pathway from extracellular signal to intracellular response. Immediately after an environmental stimulus, these proteins which reside predominantly in the cytosol are translocated to the nucleus where they bind to DNA and activate the transcription of their target genes. One such group of transcription factors is the Rel/NF-kappaB family. These transcriptional activators are found in many tissues and are localized in the cytosol as hetero- or homodimers with other members of the family and remain inactive due to the association of the dimer with an inhibitory protein. Rel/NF-kappaB proteins have been shown to be involved in a diverse set of signaling pathways involving the immune response, apoptosis, cancer and growth. cREL is a member of the Rel/NF-kappaB family of transcriptional activators which also includes RelA (p65), RelB, p50 and NF-kappaB (a dimer of p50 and RelA). cREL, the first member of the family to be cloned, was recognized as the cellular homologue of a previously identified oncogene, v-Rel, a product of the avian reticulendotheliosis virus REV-T (Baeuerle and Henkel, Annu. Rev. Immunol., 1994, 12, 141-179).
cREL has been implicated in viral infection. In COS7 and U293 cells, the cREL protein forms a heterodimer with RelA and upregulates the viral enhancer of the HIV-1 virus (Hansen et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1994, 269, 22230-22237).
Manifestations of altered cREL expression have also been demonstrated in studies of transgenic mice lacking either the entire cREL gene or the COOH terminus of the protein, which is responsible for transcriptional activation. In these studies, expression of a truncated form of the cREL protein resulted in a more severe phenotype than the complete absence of the protein. Mice expressing the shorter protein showed defects in immune functions in addition to enlarged spleens, bone marrow hyperplasia, and lymphoid hyperplasia in the liver, lungs, and stomach (Carrasco et al., J. Exp. Med., 1998, 187, 973-984).
Members of the Rel/NF-kappaB family are strong transcriptional activators of the genes for inflammatory cytokines, acute phase response proteins and cell adhesion molecules. These molecules have been implicated in disorders such as toxic shock, tissue damage resulting from ischemia reperfusion and graft-vs-host reactions (Ghosh et al., Annu. Rev. Immunol., 1998, 16, 225-260). Taken together, these findings suggest that the members of the Rel/NF-kappaB family would make good targets in an effort to downregulate the inflammatory response.
There is also some evidence that cREL plays a role in the development of cancer. It has been shown that the expression of the cREL gene is upregulated during the stimulation of B and T cells and that the human cREL gene is rearranged in some large T-cell lymphomas (Baeuerle and Henkel, Annu. Rev. Immunol., 1994, 12, 141-179).
To date, strategies aimed at inhibiting cREL function have involved the use of the gene knockout approach (Carrasco et al., J. Exp. Med., 1998, 187, 973-984) and antisense vector technology (Himes et al., Immunity, 1996, 5, 479-489). Experiments including gene knockout of the relA and cREL genes in mice have shown that Rel/NF-kappaB transcription factors are essential for transcriptional activation of cytokine genes (Carrasco et al., J. Exp. Med., 1998, 187, 973-984). Himes et al. have used a plasmid expressing the unique region of the cREL coding sequence, inserted in the antisense orientation, cotransfected into Jurkat cells along with GM-CSF and IL-2 promoter reporter transcripts, to demonstrate that cREL is important for the function of these promoters.
Currently, there are no known therapeutic agents which effectively inhibit the synthesis of cREL and there remains a long felt need for additional agents capable of inhibiting cREL function.


A postage metering apparatus including a postage meter having a housing, a printing device disposed in the housing, an aperture in the housing exposing the printing device, a shutter bar mounted to the postage meter housing for movement from a closed position in which the shutter bar is disposed to cover the aperture and an open position in which the shutter bar is disposed away from the aperture, the shutter bar preventing access to the printing device through the aperture when the shutter bar is in the closed position and permitting access to the printing device when the shutter bar is in the open position; a base into which the postage meter is removeably inserted, the base including engaging structure for engaging the shutter bar; and driving structure for driving the engaging structure to move the cover between the closed and open positions, the driving structure including a motor, a drive shaft coupled to and driven into rotation by the motor and having a worm gear at one end thereof, a first pinion gear in meshing engagement with the worm gear, a first rack gear in meshing engagement with the first pinion gear and to which the engaging structure is fixedly connected and wherein at times when the motor is energized to drive the drive shaft into rotation the first rack gear is forced to move via the pinion gear and the worm gear carrying the first engaging structure with it and correspondingly the shutter bar.

The invention relates to postage meters, and more particularly to flat-bed printing meters, and to security and control devices therefor.
Electronic meters of the flat-bed printer type are well-known and are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,054, issued to Buan, et al. which shows a stand-alone electronic mailing machine in which the electronic postage meter forms an integral part of the device. Other aspects of such a stand-alone mailing machine are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,407 and 4,523,523, among others.
Of particular concern in postage meters and mailing machines is the prevention of unauthorized printing of a meter impression (postage indicium). That is, since the printing of the postage indicium assumes that the Post Office has been paid for the delivery of the mailpiece, printing of the postage indicium without accounting for its value will result in loss of revenue to the Post Office to cover the costs of delivery. It will be appreciated that in an area of such concern, many devices have been developed to solve problems associated with the security of the printing die.
Die protection assemblies incorporate various mechanical arms of projections which protrude from the printwheel area of the die in order to prevent a person from simply placing an envelope against the die to obtain an imprint.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,795,186, issued to Bach, shows a movable shroud which can be lowered to guard the printing die against taking unauthorized impressions at any time between printing operations. The shroud completely covers the face of the value printing die when the printing mechanism is not in an operating cycle and is locked in that position until the cycle starts at which time the shroud is moved to a position uncovering the die. U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,444 issued to Erwin, et al. teaches an interposer arrangement which extends upward from the platen into the space into which an envelope or other workpiece is to be inserted. These interposers are moved out of the way during a legitimate printing operation. The interposer blades are mechanically linked to the inking mechanism in order to move the blades out of the way as the mailpiece moves into position for imprinting. U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,527 describes an interposer device which is linked to the motor driving the platen of the printer to move out of the way or is actuated by a power switch to be moved out of the way so long as power is applied to the machine.
While these known devices work well in the particular environments in which the platen and the die are not expected to be physically separated, in a modular device where the platen is retained, several new security and control issues are created in respect of a flat-bed printer type of postage meter. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,727, issued to Abellana, et al, describes a postage meter having a moveable shutter which is driven by a drive mechanism between a first position which covers the postage meter printing die and a second position which permits the printing die to be exposed through an opening in the postage meter base to permit printing of a postage indicia. The shutter bar drive mechanism also serves the function of unlatching the postage meter from a locked position so that it can be removed from its associated mailing machine for inspection, repair, or to permit access to certain mailing machine components.
While the shutter bar drive mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,727 has performed admirably over the years, its design is such that, under certain circumstances, it is possible the shutter bar will become cocked and bind or alternatively result in only a partial unlocking of the postage meter from the mailing machine. Thus, what is needed is an improved drive mechanism for a shutter bar of a postage meter having a flat-bed printer which overcomes the problems of the drive mechanism described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,727.

Drive mechanism for a shutter bar of a postage meter


The invention relates to a recombinant receptor, comprising a ligand-binding domain and a signaling domain that comprises a heterologous bait polypeptide, which receptor is inactivated by binding of a prey polypeptide to the heterologous bait peptide, either in presence or absence of a ligand binding to the ligand-binding domain. The receptor is activated by addition of a compound that disrupts the bait-prey interaction. The invention also relates to a method of screening compounds that disrupt compound-compound binding using the recombinant receptor.

Protein-protein interactions are an essential key in biological processes, from the replication and expression of genes to the morphogenesis of organisms. Protein-protein interactions govern, amongst other things, ligand-receptor interaction and the subsequent signaling pathway; they are important in assembly of enzyme subunits, in the formation of biological supramolecular structures such as ribosomes, filaments, and virus particles and in antigen-antibody interactions.
Researchers have developed several approaches in attempts to identify protein-protein interactions. Co-purification of proteins and co-immunoprecipitation were amongst the first techniques used. However, these methods are tedious and do not allow high throughput screening. A major breakthrough was obtained by the introduction of the genetic approaches, of which the yeast two-hybrid (Fields and Song, 1989) is the most important one. Several improvements and modifications of this system have been published. As an example, we can cite U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,463 that describes a method of detecting post-translational modification-dependent protein-protein interactions.
Approaches based on phage display do avoid the nuclear translocation. PCT International Publication No. WO 90/02809 describes how a binding protein can be displayed on the surface of a genetic package, such as a filamentous phage, whereby the gene encoding the binding protein is packaged inside the phage. Phages, which bear the binding protein that recognizes the target molecule, are isolated and amplified. Several improvements of the phage display approach have been proposed, as described, for example, in PCT International Publication Nos. WO 92/20791, WO 97/10330, and WO 97/32017.
Another technique for assessing protein-protein interactions is based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) or bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) (PCT International Publication No. WO 99/66324).
Although in principle, all of those methods can be used in a positive (detecting protein-protein interactions) or a negative (detection of disruption of the protein-protein interaction) way, due to the positive selection in case of protein-protein interaction, none of these methods is really suited for screening of compounds that inhibit protein-protein interaction. To overcome this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,726 discloses a cytotoxicity-based genetic selection method, whereby a classic two-hybrid system is linked to the transcriptional activation of a toxic reporter gene, providing an assay for positive selection of mutations or small molecules or drugs disruptive for protein-protein interaction. An adaptation of this method has been disclosed in PCT International Publication No. WO 98/13502, whereby the protein-protein interaction induces the transcription of a repressor gene, which represses a selectable marker. Upon disruption of the protein-protein interaction, the repressor will no longer be synthesized, resulting in an activation of the selectable marker.

Reversed mammalian protein-protein interaction trap

Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut Voor Biotechnologie VZW


A system and method include reception, from a remote system, of a trained natural language processing model implementing a dialog flow-based application, reception of input parameters from an operator while not in communication with the remote system, input of the input parameters to the model to initiate a transaction, storing of transaction data associated with the transaction in a local memory, determination that the mobile device is in communication with the remote system, transmission, in response to the determination, of the stored transaction data to the remote system, and reception, from the remote system, of an updated trained model based on the transmitted transaction data.

Conventional natural language processing (NLP) platforms facilitate the creation of dialog flow-based applications. Such applications may receive voice or text input parameters and perform specified actions in response thereto. The actions may be implemented using Application Programming Interface (API) calls to other applications.
These NLP platforms are only available online. Therefore, a mobile device which is not network-connected is unable to submit input parameters to a platform or receive a response therefrom. Mobile platforms (e.g., iOS, Android) have recently included libraries for native NLP processing, but applications using these libraries require device-specific coding. Such an application would also restrict the NLP environment to the specific mobile scenario in which it is deployed.
Systems are desired to provide offline NLP processing while leveraging benefits provided by an online NLP platform.


Sensor circuits for the measurement of small variations in the value of a sensing capacitor. An alternating voltage excites the sensing capacitor a predetermined frequency whereby the voltage on the sensing capacitor reverses polarity. This voltage on the sensing capacitor is sampled each time the voltage reverses polarity. An accumulator accumulates the sampled charges from the sensing capacitor. An output signal that represents the charge in the charge accumulating means indicates the measured capacitance.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to capacitive measurement circuits and methods and particularly to circuits and methods for measuring small values of capacitance with good rejection of circuit and ambient noise.
2. Description of Related Art
Capacitive sensors have many uses. These include measurements of pressure, humidity, motion, rotation, material composition, and proximity variables. In practice, a variable to be sensed is converted to a variable capacitance, this variable capacitance is measured, and its value is observed directly or processed by computer. The capacitance levels may range from a small fraction of a picofarad to many picofarads.
A typical problem requiring measurement of small capacitance in the presence of noise is to detect the proximity of human hand, for example a hand about to be trapped in a closing automobile window or caught in a machine. Systems are available for this purpose that excite a metal plate, perhaps 1″×10″, with an AC voltage of several volts and 1 kHz–1 MHz frequency, and measure the plate's capacitance to ground. As a hand nears, this capacitance increases by a very small value, typically less than one pF. As the environment is often electrically noisy, with nearby fluorescent lamps or radio transmitters, a critical specification is the circuit's noise rejection.
The extraordinary sensitivity of the technology is explored by Jones and Richard's seminal paper [Jones, R. V. and J. C. S. Richards, 1973, The Design and Some Applications of Capacitive Micrometers, Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments 6: 589–600]; this paper demonstrates a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of well over a million to one. Yet many capacitive sensor tasks are at the limit established by amplifier noise and would benefit by lower noise. Normal capacitive motion sensors have a resolution about the same as laser interferometers, considered the state of the precision motion measurement art; an order of magnitude improvement would allow even more precise metrology.
Two different circuits are commonly used to demodulate capacitive sensors for lowest noise:
1. Classic designs [Jones and Richards; Baxter, L. K., 1997, Capacitive Sensors. N.J.: IEEE Press, p.54] drive the capacitor to be measured with, say, a 5V square wave at 100 kHz, and measure the resulting current with a linear amplifier followed by a synchronous demodulator.
2. Improved charge-balance designs [Baxter, p. 55] drive the measured capacitor and a reference capacitor with opposite phases, with the drive voltage adjusted so that the resulting current is zero. A linear amplifier and synchronous demodulator are used here also.
Capacitive sensors that operate in a noisy environment are described in the following references:                U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,613 (1995) Ghosh et al.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,843 (1996) Howing        U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,686 (1998) Blackburn et al.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,968 (1998) Czarnocki et al.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,479 (1998) Kithil et al.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,768 (2000) Steffen, Jr. et al.
Two-dimensional finger position sensors or touch panels for computer input often use capacitive sensing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,461 (1987) to Meadows et al. shows a capacitively-sensed touch panel that changes the circuit's operation frequency to avoid interfering noise sources; this added circuit complexity would not be needed if the circuit was intrinsically less susceptible to noise.
As described in Baxter, Larry K., Capacitive Sensors, supra, three well-known circuits for detecting a small capacitance are (1) the RC oscillator circuit, (2) the synchronous demodulator circuit, and (3) the charge transfer circuit. These circuits have different strengths and weaknesses, and an understanding of their operation is important for the understanding of the present invention.
FIG. 1 depicts a prior-art RC oscillator, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,385 (2001) to Tardif et al. This is a simple circuit in which frequency is proportional to the reciprocal of capacitance, as given by:f=K/RCx  (1)where K is a constant determined by the threshold voltage of a Schmitt trigger 2,
f is output frequency
R is resistance, here 50K ohms, and
Cx is the measured capacitance of variable capacitor 1.
The RC oscillator detects capacitance as a frequency variation. But it is very susceptible to noise. Interfering noise can be considered as either AC noise or impulse noise. AC noise typically is confined to a narrow frequency band, illustrated by AM radio transmitters or power line radiation. Impulse noise typically is confined to a narrow time slice, like switch noise, motor brush noise, or semiconductor lamp dimmer transients.
The RC oscillator of FIG. 1 is susceptible to both noise sources. First, AC noise coupling to the variable capacitance is directly added to the measurement output. This is a serious drawback, as most industrial sites have considerable noise at power frequencies and their harmonics, peaking at 50 or 60 Hz and decreasing towards 100 kHz. Also, impulse noise acts to increase the frequency by triggering the oscillator prematurely. This behavior is typical of any sense circuit that includes a comparator: an impulse just before the RC voltage reaches the comparator threshold triggers the cycle early, but an impulse just after the threshold is ignored. This imparts a DC offset that is not removed by a following low pass filter. Other circuits, like those depicted in FIGS. 2 and 4, do not have this behavior.
FIG. 2 discloses a charge transfer circuit of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,167 (1982) to Calvin. It has low power dissipation and better noise rejection than the RC oscillator circuit in FIG. 1. In operation, semiconductor switch 5 normally connects capacitor 4, Cx, in parallel with a small stray capacitance 41, to the DC supply voltage 3, say 5V. Cx, charged to 5V, holds a charge Q=CV or 5 pC for a 1 pF Cx. The switch 5 is then momentarily connected to capacitor 6, Cs, for a uS or less, as shown in the timing diagram of FIG. 3. This transfers most of Cx's charge to Cs when SAMPLE is high. SAMPLE is advantageously set to the minimum time t0 that will allow full charge transfer.
As Cs is usually many times larger than Cx, say 100 times larger, the voltage on Cs increases by about 50 mV with each SAMPLE pulse. After switch 5 is cycled perhaps 20 times, the voltage on capacitor 6 is nearly 1V, and this voltage can be easily measured.
The output voltage Vomax is then read externally, coincident with the READ pulse of FIG. 3, then the reset switch 7 is momentarily connected to discharge Cs and the measurement cycle is repeated.
The timing diagram of FIG. 3 shows operation with just four charge transfer pulses. As the number of charge transfer pulses per read-reset operation increases, the noise rejection increases but the response time decreases.
This circuit has an important advantage of sampling speed. It is sensitive to noise only during the very short time interval when switch 5 is connected to capacitor 6, perhaps 20 nS for a fast switch. If t1 is chosen as 10 uS so the excitation frequency is 100 kHz, the circuit is open to noise only 0.2% of the time, and the noise rejection is 500×.
The short sample time possible with a low-cost CMOS switch contributes the noise rejection of a very fast excitation frequency without power-hungry amplifiers, and while using a low excitation frequency with its advantages in power and electromagnetic interference. This fast sample rate at low power, the inherent noise-reducing averaging across many samples, and the voltage gain without amplifiers make this an attractive circuit.
However, the charge transfer circuit does not reject AC noise very well. The narrow sampling window improves impulse noise performance considerably compared to the RC oscillator of FIG. 1, but the circuit is influenced by AC noise over a wide bandwidth. Noise frequencies of 60 Hz, for example, couple to Cx and appear directly in the output.
Another drawback of the simple circuit of FIG. 2 is that it is nonlinear, with an exponential transfer function
                              Vo          i                =                  Vs          (                      1            -                          ⅇ                                                                    -                    Cx                                    Cs                                                i                                              )                                    (        2        )            where i is the number of sample pulses.
Also in this circuit stray capacitance 41 from the sensed node of Cx to ground adds to the measured capacitance and hurts accuracy.
Many other charge transfer circuits are described in the literature, such as:                U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,940 (1995) Schneider et al.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,154 (1998) Tsugai        U.S. Pat. No 6,377,056 (2002) Hanzawa et al.However, none of these references uses AC excitation so each is susceptible to errors due to noise.
The prior art synchronous demodulator circuit of FIG. 4 shows considerable improvement over the circuit of FIG. 1. The sensed capacitor 11 is excited with, for example, a square wave generator 8 at 100 kHz. This excitation signal can be produced by a logic gate. This 100 kHz signal also controls switch 15.
A reference capacitor 10 works with measured capacitance 11 as a voltage divider. A unity-gain, low-bias-current operational amplifier 13 buffers the very high capacitive impedance. This amplifier is preferably a FET-input type with a frequency response greater than 10 MHz, such as Analog Device's AD823. Some method of setting the DC level at the amplifier input is needed, such as the high-value resistor 12 or a momentary switch to ground (not shown).
Stray capacitance to ground, as with capacitor 41 of FIG. 2, can add to capacitor 11 and hurt the measurement accuracy. A prior-art solution is shown, where the sense node is shielded and the shield 9 is connected to the output of the unity gain amplifier. The stray node capacitance is converted from capacitance to ground to capacitance to the shield. Stray capacitance is then driven on both sides by the same voltage, no current can flow in it and it disappears from the circuit equation, except by adding to noise. This guard technique can be applied to any of the circuits of this patent.
The variable amplitude square wave at the output of amplifier 13 feeds the synchronous demodulator 14–15, where SPDT switch 15 is a high-speed CMOS switch available from many semiconductor manufacturers, such as the Maxim MAX4053 CMOS switch available from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. If the circuit and the switch are integrated on silicon, the switch can have improved performance and lower capacitance. The synchronous demodulator inverts alternate half cycles of the 100 kHz square wave, and the 100 kHz component of the resulting rectified signal is removed by low pass filter 16. FIG. 5 shows the excitation waveform and the variable-amplitude signal at the output of V13, and the input of the low pass filter 16, VLPI.
The filtered output measures the capacitance with the nonlinear equation:Vo=VsCx/(Cx+Cr   (3)
This circuit rejects impulse noise better than the RC oscillator but not as well as the charge transfer circuit of FIG. 2. It rejects AC noise better than either; it is sensitive to AC noise only if its frequency is near the 100 kHz carrier, specifically within a frequency band equal to twice the low pass filter's cutoff frequency. centered on 100 kHz. As the LPF bandwidth can be much smaller than 100 kHz, say 1 Hz, the synchronous demodulator can have a very narrow-band response that rejects AC noise. To see how this works, imagine a 60 Hz signal coupled to Cx. It appears at the input of the low pass filter 16 as a alternate-cycle modulation at a 100 kHz frequency, but the low pass filter will almost completely remove this high-frequency modulation and hence the 60 Hz component.
The low pass filter type can be selected to optimize noise rejection, with a simple RC low pass for AC noise or a median filter for impulse noise. For best noise rejection the excitation frequency should be very high, say 10 MHz, and the operational amplifier should have ten times this bandwidth for good stability. As the sample time is reduced and the number of sample pulses increases, noise rejection improves directly. A limitation of the synchronous demodulator circuit for low-noise applications is that this high frequency operation requires expensive, power-hungry components and may cause excessive electromagnetic radiation.


A method, apparatus, and program product for generating check data for a location within an area of a workspace include receiving an identifier for a selected location that has check data associated therewith. Candidate check data for use with the selected location is generated. The candidate check data is evaluated for a match against at least one of existing check data for the selected location or check data associated with a related location. Based on the evaluation, a determination is made of whether the candidate check data is acceptable for use for the selected location.

Speech recognition has simplified many tasks in the workplace by permitting hands-free communication with a computer as a convenient alternative to communication via conventional peripheral input/output devices. A user may enter data by voice using a speech recognizer and commands or instructions may be communicated to the user by a speech synthesizer. Speech recognition finds particular application in mobile computing devices in which interaction with the computer by conventional peripheral input/output devices is restricted.
For example, wireless wearable terminals can provide a user performing work-related tasks with desirable computing and data-processing functions while offering the user enhanced mobility within the workplace. One particular area in which users rely heavily on such wireless wearable terminals is inventory management. Inventory-driven industries rely on computerized inventory management systems for performing various diverse tasks, such as food and retail product distribution, manufacturing, and quality control. An overall integrated management system involves a combination of a central computer system for tracking and management, and the people who use and interface with the computer system in the form of order fillers and other users. In one scenario, the users handle the manual aspects of the integrated management system under the command and control of information transmitted from the central computer system to the wireless wearable terminal.
As the users process their orders and complete their assigned tasks, a bi-directional communication stream of information is exchanged over a wireless network between the users wearing wireless terminals and the central computer system that is directing multiple users and verifying completion of their tasks. Information received by each wearable terminal from the central computer system is translated into voice instructions or text commands for the corresponding user. Typically, the user wears a headset coupled with the wearable device. The headset includes a microphone for voice data entry and an ear speaker for audio output feedback. Responses from the user are input into the wireless wearable terminal by the headset microphone and communicated from the wearable terminal to the central computer system. Similarly, instructions from the central computer are delivered to the user via the headset speaker. Using such wearable terminals, users may perform assigned tasks virtually hands-free without equipment to juggle or paperwork to carry around. Because manual data entry is eliminated or reduced, users can perform their tasks more accurately and efficiently.
An illustrative example of a set of user tasks suitable for a wireless wearable terminal with voice capabilities may involve initially welcoming the user to the computerized inventory management system and defining a particular task or order, for example, filling a load for a particular truck scheduled to depart from a warehouse. The user may then answer with a particular area (e.g., freezer) that they will be working in for that order. The system then vocally directs the user to particular aisles and bins to pick particular quantities of various items. The user vocally confirms each location and the number of picked items. For instance, the user reads a label located at the particular location of a single stocked item, such as a slot or bin. The label has one or more numeric or alphanumeric "check digits" printed on it that are associated with the product and/or bin. The user then speaks or otherwise enters the check digits into the wearable terminal.
The check digits function, in part, to confirm that the user is located at the correct location for the items to be picked. That is, the wearable terminal or central system receives data consistent with the check digits spoken or entered by the user, and verifies that the spoken digits are correct for that order or pick task. An alert is provided to the user if the spoken or entered check digits do not match stored check data correlated to the bin/slot. In this manner, the chances of the user being at the wrong slot and/or picking an unspecified or undesired product are greatly reduced. After the location is confirmed and the pick made, and all related tasks are completed, the user may be directed to a loading dock or bay for a particular truck to receive the order. As may be appreciated, the specific operations of the wearable terminal and the specific communications exchanged between the wearable terminal and the central computer system are generally task specific.
Despite the efficiencies and accuracy afforded by wireless wearable terminals and the common use of check digits and labels, location problems in inventory retrieval and management still persist. For purposes of explanation, a "location" refers to a uniquely identified space in a workspace or warehouse, where generally a single item is stocked. A location is then identified primarily by an identifier, such as a "slot number". Based on the size and layout of the warehouse location, identifiers like slot numbers may be duplicated numerous times throughout different areas of the workspace, such as different levels, sections, aisles, floors, etc. However, the combination of the area identifiers for the floor, aisle, section, level, etc., along with the location identifiers, or slot numbers, should be unique. The locations (e.g., slot-numbers) are typically defined within a warehouse before inventory is stocked therein. Such a set up is often time consuming and leads to inefficiencies. It requires detailed knowledge of the dimensions of inventory being added, the perceived regularity of selecting that inventory, and detailed knowledge of the layout, slots, and bins associated with the warehouse for the inventory management system. It also requires constant printing of check digit labels, travel to their location, verification that is it correct, and application of the labels, and then travel to a computer to update the location with the check digit for each check digit.
Varying inventory requirements and bin usage at the locations can also lead to inefficiencies. For example, inventory that is discontinued may lead to an empty location. Moreover, if a location is too large for the inventory, there is wasted space that could be used for smaller inventory. Meanwhile, new types of inventory may be received that are similar to other types of inventory, or that are often picked with other types of inventory. These new types of inventory may be placed in an inefficient location because of their receipt later in time than earlier inventory.
However, even when a warehouse facility has been arranged with suitable location information including slot numbers and associated check digits, problems still persist with respect to the user interaction with the check digit information. Specifically, check digit memorization by a user due to task repetition remains a problem. Furthermore, check digit duplication at adjacent or related locations can also be a problem due to the random location of slot numbers and their associated check digits within the warehouse.
For example, many users fill orders and perform other activities in the same areas and locations of the warehouse, day after day. Therefore, repetition of the tasks at the same locations allows them to eventually memorize the check digits for frequently-visited locations. Additionally, users may have financial incentives for completing their work more rapidly. These factors may lead the user to speak the check digits before they actually arrive at the location. This opens up the opportunity for items to be picked from the wrong location, if the user becomes distracted while traveling to where the item to be picked, actually is located. The primary solution for avoiding these issues is to change the check digits on a regular basis. However, as noted above, this involves considerable effort and expense.
Duplication is also an issue due to the randomness of assigning specific locations to their associated check digits. Currently, check digits are generated randomly without consideration to the physical layout of the locations in the workspace. For example, a slot with a location identifier or slot number "123" may be physically adjacent to locations with slot numbers "122" and "124", as one would expect. However, the "123" location may just as well be physically adjacent to slots numbered "121", "126", "133", or any other slot number. If, by chance, two adjacent slots are randomly assigned matching check digits (i.e., the same check digits), this significantly increases the chance of the incorrect item being picked. Another problem scenario exists when location identifiers or slot numbers are duplicated in other areas of the warehouse, such as multiple aisles or sections of the warehouse. For example, there may be an aisle/section "1" with slots that are numbered "100" to "199", and near it there may be an aisle/section "2" with slots bearing the same slot numbers. If Slot 123 in Aisle 1 and Slot 123 in Aisle 2 have the same check digits, this increases the chances of an incorrect item being picked. As a result, it is highly desirable to prevent these sorts of duplications while generating and/or changing check digits for locations. The primary concern is to avoid matching check digits for such locations; similar-but-distinct check digits are generally not an issue.
Accordingly, there is still an unmet need to efficiently and cost-effectively categorize bins and locations within an inventory management system. There is further a need to provide users with a quick and efficient way to assign check digits that prevents wasted time and wasted bin locations. These issues and other needs in the prior art are met by the invention as described and claimed below.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for generating and updating location check digits


Presented herein is a shunted MTJ sensor formed of a plurality of electrically connected MTJ cells for measuring magnetic fields and currents and its method of fabrication. To provide stable single domain magnetic moments of the MTJ cells and to ensure that the magnetic moments return to a fixed bias point in the absence of external magnetic fields, the cells are formed of sufficiently small size and with elliptical cross-section of aspect ratio greater than 1.2. To eliminate the possibility of ESD damage to the cells, they are protected by a parallel shunt, formed as a trace of sufficiently high resistance that directs accumulated charges harmlessly to ground while bypassing the cells.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic field sensor using an MTJ junction cell. In particular, it relates to the use of such a magnetic field sensor also as a current sensor and to a method of protecting the sensor from electrostatic discharge (ESD) by means of a shunt.
2. Description of the Related Art
Basic Operation of GMR and MTJ Cells
Two types of small, multilayered magnetic devices that change their resistance in response to variations in an external magnetic field are presently in wide use in technologies such as read heads in hard disk drives and magnetic information storage devices or MRAM. These two device types are the GMR, or giant magnetoresistive device and the MTJ or magnetic tunneling junction device. The devices are similar in that both include a pair of thin, magnetized ferromagnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer. In the case of the GMR device, the nonmagnetic layer is a conductor, such as copper. In the case of the MTJ device, the nonmagnetic layer is a dielectric, such as aluminum oxide. The physical basis behind the operation of the GMR device is that when the two ferromagnetic layers are magnetized in different directions, the electrons in a current passing through one ferromagnetic layer towards the other ferromagnetic layer, through the intervening copper layer, are scattered differently in the various material layers and at their interfaces according to the directions of their spins relative to the directions of the magnetic moments. This spin-dependent scattering makes the GMR device act like a variable resistor.
The variable resistance of the MTJ device, on the other hand, does not result from spin-dependent scattering, but from spin-dependent tunneling. The layer between the two magnetized ferromagnetic layers in the MTJ device is not a conductor, but is a dielectric of such thinness that electrons nevertheless have a probability of tunneling through it from one ferromagnetic layer to the other. This probability, however, depends of the spin direction of the tunneling electron relative to the magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic layer towards which it is tunneling. When the electrons first pass through a reference layer of ferromagnetic material that is magnetized in one direction, their normally randomized spin directions are preferentially aligned with this magnetization. Then, their probability of tunneling through the intervening dielectric "tunneling barrier" layer depends of the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic layer towards which they are proceeding. Since the present invention will deal with MTJ type devices, their structure will be described in some further detail below with reference to FIG. 3.
Basic Operation of a Current Sensor
Referring now to FIG. 1A, there is shown a schematic overhead illustration of how a prior art structure containing patterned MTJ cells has already been used to measure a current passing through a conductor of particular shape by measuring the strength of its magnetic field at particular places. This particular prior art structure is shown in related patent application U.S. Ser. No. 11/788,912, Filing Date Apr. 23, 2007, that is fully incorporated herein by reference. Shoji, in US Published Patent Applications (2006/0071655) and (2006/0170529) teaches the use of unpatterned GMR cells to measure the current in conductors of various shapes.
According to the illustration in this figure, Im, a current to be measured (signified by a large open arrow), enters into an exemplary horseshoe-shaped conductor (80) at a contact denoted "Pad 1" (83) and leaves at Pad 2 (85). Two MTJ current-sensing structures, (1000), (2000), are positioned adjacent to the conductor as shown. For exemplary purposes only, each of these structures is a configuration of four (other numbers being possible) identical elliptically patterned MTJ cells, (100), connected electrically in parallel by a pair of electrodes, one electrode contacting the tops of the cells, and the other electrode contacting their bases. Only the top electrode (500), in each structure can be seen in this overhead view, a side view in FIG. 1B will clarify the electrode positioning.
Each sensor structure (1000) and (2000) is supplied with its own current, Is, which enters and leaves through the electrodes. This current, which will be shown clearly in FIG. 1B, is for sensing purposes and will allow the variations in MTJ cell resistance to be converted into measurable variations in voltage across the cells. If the sensing current, Is, is fixed, the measurable voltages will be related directly to the angle between the magnetic moments of the ferromagnetic layers. For sensing and measuring the strengths of external magnetic fields, the individual cells might be initially magnetized so that one ferromagnetic layer (the "pinned" layer) has its magnetic moment fixed in direction while the other ferromagnetic layer's magnetic moment is free to move (the "free" layer). The magnetic moments of the free and pinned layers are perpendicular to each other, with the pinned direction being along the shorter axis of the elliptical cell and the free direction being along the long axis. With these magnetization directions, the direction of the external magnetic field (arrows (150) and (160)) induced by the current, Im, in the conductor can most effectively vary the direction of the free layer's magnetic moment and the amount of variation would be indicated by the voltage drop across the cell.
By placing the cells alongside the two opposite sides of the horseshoe shaped conductor as shown in the figure, they experience the induced magnetic field of Im in opposite directions as shown by the two sets of magnetic field arrows (150), (160) (which are directed along the short axes of the elliptical cells and, therefore, are perpendicular to the free layer magnetization). Then, a differential amplifier (not shown) measures the difference between voltage drops. The difference signal produced by the differential amplifier eliminates random temperature-induced noise fluctuations from the cells and any effects of stray external magnetic fields because these fluctuations are cancelled out, but the oppositely directed magnetic fields cause the current produced voltage drops to be of opposite value and, therefore, to add. It is noted that the two sensor structures (1000) and (2000) may be formed in physical contact with the conductor (80), but not in electrical contact.
Referring to FIG. 1B, one of the structures of FIG. 1A, either (1000) or (2000) is illustrated in a schematic side view. The top and bottom electrodes are now distinguishable as (500) and (600) and the same four cells, (100), are now shown as multilayered devices in a side cross-sectional view. The cells would be separated from each other by a dielectric material (700) that was deposited after the cells were formed on the lower electrode and then patterned and planarized to provide a smooth planar surface for contacting the MTJ cell upper surface with the top electrode. Although it is not indicated in the figure, the bottom electrode may be in physical contact with the conductor ((80) in FIG. 1A) but separated from it by an insulating layer.
If a current, Is, (shown as entering arrow (111)) is injected into top electrode (500) and extracted from bottom electrode (600) (also shown as exiting arrow (111)), it will pass through the cells (100), as shown by the downward directed arrows (111). If the resistances of these cells are substantially equal, as would be the case if the angles between their free and pinned magnetic moments are the same, each cell will experience the same voltage drop and an equal current will pass through each of them.
Protecting the Sensor From Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
The MTJ junctions of MTJ cells normally have a very low breakdown voltage (less than 2 volts) and are highly susceptible to damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD) during handling, packaging and assembly. When an MTJ cell is exposed to ESD, the junction may be totally or partially damaged and the sensing device of which it is a part will malfunction.
The prior art discloses several methods to protect MTJ cells from ESD damage. Jayasekara et al. (US Published Patent Application 2007/0076328) forms a shunt out of ferromagnetic material to protect an MTJ cell in a hard disk drive. Granstrom et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,995) discloses an ESD shunt designed to protect a MTJ read head during fabrication. The shunt is removed after fabrication.
Both of the shunts taught above are directed at single MTJ read heads to be used in a hard disk drive environment. MTJ cells to be used as current sensors operate in a different environment and are configured differently. What is needed, therefore, is a mechanism to protect MTJ cells in a current sensor configuration from the effects of ESD.

MTJ based magnetic field sensor with ESD shunt trace