There is provided a method of fabricating an EEPROM for forming a memory cell transistor and a selection transistor, the method includes: forming a first source region and a first drain region of the memory cell transistor; forming a first gate oxide film; forming a resist having at least one through hole on the first gate oxide film; adding conductivity type impurities through the through hole; partially removing the first gate oxide film and forming a tunnel oxide film in a region corresponding to the through hole; forming a floating gate electrode and a second gate oxide film formed on the floating gate electrode; forming a control gate electrode and a selection transistor gate electrode on the second gate oxide film and at a region in which the selection transistor is formed; and forming a second source region and a second drain region of the selection transistor.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating an EEPROM as a non-volatile semiconductor memory which can electrically write and erase data.
2. Related Art
When battery power is insufficient in portable mobile electronic equipments represented by a mobile phone, PDA (personal digital assistant: mobile information terminal), a notebook type computer, and a music player, they rely on a non-volatile semiconductor memory to hold data and a program. As ordinary non-volatile semiconductor memories, there are known an ultra-violet erasable EPROM (Ultra-Violet Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which can erase stored contents by radiating ultraviolet rays and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which can electrically write and erase data.
As shown in FIG. 4, the EEPROM ordinarily has such a structure such that a memory cell transistor 102 and a selection transistor 103 are formed on a Si substrate 101. The memory cell transistor 102 is composed of diffusion layers 104, 105, gate oxide films 106a, 106b, a tunnel oxide film 107, a floating gate electrode 108, and a control gate electrode 109. In the configuration, the diffusion layer 104 acts as a source and the diffusion layer 105 acts as a drain. The selection transistor 103 is composed of the diffusion layer 105, a diffusion layer 110, a gate oxide film 111, and a gate electrode 112. In the configuration, the diffusion layer 105 acts as a source and the diffusion layer 110 acts as a drain.
In fabricating the EEPROM 100 configured as described above, a problem arises in that it is difficult to miniaturize the EEPROM 100 because an allowance must be provided in design taking an alignment offset in photolithography into consideration because the tunnel oxide film 107 is formed on the diffusion layer 105. A method of solving the problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2001-210730.
As to formation of a tunnel oxide film to an EEPROM, JP-A No. 2001-210730 discloses to form a resist having a through hole for exposing a forming region on a semiconductor substrate through the through hole, to add conductive impurities to the substrate through the through hole, and thereafter to form the tunnel oxide film to the forming region by removing the resist. The method makes it unnecessary to adjust a tunnel oxide film forming region in alignment with a predetermined position of a diffusion layer which is previously formed on a semiconductor substrate as in a conventional method.
However, in the method of fabricating the EEPROM disclosed in JP-A No. 2001-210730, a source region of a memory cell is only formed just under the tunnel oxide film, and the source region of the memory cell is not connected to a source region of a selection transistor by a diffusion region having a high impurity concentration. Further, since the source region of the memory cell is formed after a control gate is formed, there is a possibility that it cannot be accurately formed at a desired position.


Compositions and methods for decreasing the viability of cells, particularly aberrant non-healthy cells, and most particularly cancer cells, are disclosed. The primary agent that causes cell death is a toxic metal atom or ion. Embodiments of the invention provide compositions and methods to ensure that the toxic metal is directed to the desired cell or tissue. In one embodiment, the metal is bound to a sulfur-rich peptide or protein carrier containing a targeting moiety. Such metal-protein complex is targeted to the selected cells or tissues to enrich the cell or tissue site with the metal-containing peptide or protein molecules followed by administering a dithiocarbonyl which carries the metal from the protein inside the cells to induce cell death.

There are many pathological conditions, particularly cancer, when aberrant tissue growth poses serious health hazard that would require rapid, selective, and effective elimination of the constituent aberrant cells. There are three major procedures in the medical practice, used alone or in combination, to accomplish this goal, i.e. surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Each procedure, particularly when used alone, has its drawbacks. In case of cancer, a frequent problem associated with surgery is that it is often difficult to determine the tumor margin. Accordingly, the surgeon may not remove all cancer tissue thereby increasing the chances of local recurrences. Alternatively, the surgeon may remove an unnecessarily large area of uninvolved tissue. During surgery many cancer cells also disseminate into the vascular system thereby increasing the incidence of secondary cancers, particularly liver cancer [Weitz, J., Kienle, P., Lacroix, J., Willeke, F., Benner, A., Lehnert, T., Herfarth, C. and von Knebel Doeberitz, M. (1998) Dissemination of tumor cells in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. Clin. Cancer Res. 4, 343-348; Futoshi, M., Sonshin, T., Shoji, N., Keiichirou, U., Fumio, K., Kuniaki, A., Hiroyuki, S. and Takashi, A. (1999) Molecular detection of circulating cancer cells during surgery in patients with biliary-pancreatic cancer. Am. J. Surg. 177, 475-479]. Finally, in many cases the cancer is inoperable (too many tumors, inaccessible site, or risk of intervening with a vital function).
Radiotherapy, while in many cases effective, can in itself cause various cancers [Camphausen, K., Moses, M. A., Beecken, W.-D., Khan, M. K., Folkman, J. and O'Reilly, M. S. (2001) Radiation therapy to a primary tumor accelerates metastatic growth in mice. Cancer Res. 61, 2207-2211; Curtis, R. E., Boice, J. D. Jr., Stavall, M., Flannery, J. T. and Moloney, W. C. (1989) Leukemia risk following radiotherapy for breast cancer. J. Clin. Oncol. 7, 21-29; Shore, R. E. (2001) Radiation-induced skin cancer in humans. Med. Ped. Oncol. 36, 549-554; Travis, L. B., Gospodarowitz, M., Curtis, R. E., Clarke, E. A., Andersson, M., Glimelius, B., Joensuu, T., Lynch, C. F., van Leeuwen, F. E., Holowaty, E., Storm, H., Glimelius, I., Pukkala, E., Stovall, M., Fraumeni, J. F, Jr., Boice, J. D, Jr. and Gilbert, E. (2002) Lung cancer following chemotherapy and radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 94, 182-192].
Major problems with the application of chemotherapeutic agents is that they usually do not provide a sufficient "therapeutic window", i.e. at doses that would have optimal effects on cancer growth they almost invariably attack normal tissues as well. Another problem with chemotherapy is that cells in the same tumor usually respond to a different degree, depending on how heterogeneous the tumor is. Thus chemotherapy can gradually select for less responding cancer cell populations in the tumor. Yet another problem is that chemotherapy can also induce secondary cancers [Travis, L. B., Gospodarowitz, M., Curtis, R. E., Clarke, E. A., Andersson, M., Glimelius, B., Joensuu, T., Lynch, C. F., van Leeuwen, F. E., Holowaty, E., Storm, H., Glimelius, I., Pukkala, E., Stovall, M., Fraumeni, J. F, Jr., Boice, J. D, Jr. and Gilbert, E. (2002) Lung cancer following chemotherapy and radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 94, 182-192].
Finally, more often than not, cancer cells develop resistance to a wide range of drugs which will eventually make chemotherapy ineffective [Volm, M. (1998) Multidrug resistance and its reversal. Anticancer Res. 18, 2905-2918]. Although some agents have been developed to reverse multidrug resistance, they almost invariably exert toxic side effects, because the proteins responsible for drug resistance are also expressed and required for the normal function of some other organs [Volm, M. (1998) Multidrug resistance and its reversal. Anticancer Res. 18, 2905-2918].
Several other procedures are presently under development or already entered the clinical practice that provides a more selective treatment of aberrant growth. An example for this new targeted approach is Gefitinib (Iressa, ZD1839) which targets the epidermal growth factor receptor that is often highly expressed in tumor cells [Wolf, M., Swaisland, H. and Averbuch, S. (2004) Development of the novel biologically targeted anticancer agent Gefinitib: Determining the optimum dose for clinical efficacy. Clin. Cancer Res. 10, 4607-4613]. However, most "targeted" treatments have a relatively limited scope, because they usually target specific antigens that may not be universally present even in the same tumor due to the heterogeneous origin of tumor cells. Presently available targeted anti-cancer molecules are not sufficiently versatile for using them against a wide variety of tumor targets. Thus, there is an urgent need for chemotherapy of wider scope that can rapidly, efficiently, and at the same time specifically kill non-normal or non-healthy cells including cancer cells. Such specific "shot-gun" approach would enhance the efficacy of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy or even may render these procedures unnecessary.

Use of one or more metal carriers to selectively kill mammalian cells


The present disclosure relates to a silicon carbide (SiC) field effect device that has a gate assembly formed in a trench. The gate assembly includes a gate dielectric that is an dielectric layer, which is deposited along the inside surface of the trench and a gate dielectric formed over the gate dielectric. The trench extends into the body of the device from a top surface and has a bottom and side walls that extend from the top surface of the body to the bottom of the trench. The thickness of the dielectric layer on the bottom of the trench is approximately equal to or greater than the thickness of the dielectric layer on the side walls of the trench.

Semiconductor devices, especially those designed to block high voltages and conduct large currents in high power applications, are subjected to powerful electrical forces and electromagnetic fields at the molecular level. Further, these devices may be subjected to high temperatures during fabrication and operation. These forces, fields, and temperatures can damage the molecular structure of the various layers and regions within the device, as well as the interface between these various layers or regions. Such damage leads to device failures as well as degraded performance over time. For field effect devices employing a metallized gate that is separated from the body of the device by a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer and the interface between the dielectric layer and the body are particularly vulnerable. As such, there is a need for a gate dielectric for a field effect device that is less vulnerable to the forces and fields that are generated in high voltage and current applications as well as the potentially damaging temperatures associated with fabrication and operation.

Enhanced gate dielectric for a field effect device with a trenched gate


The invention provides a method for configuring a virtual representation of an assembly of a plurality of components, by: I) storing a first set of data representing a plurality of categories of components, and, for each category, parameters and constraints defining limitations for configurations of each of the components, II) generating and storing a second set of data representing the assembly of a plurality of components, while respecting the constraints associated with each component and constraints for the assembly, and generating a third set of data representing a present configuration, III) repeating the step II) by: a) adding, to the second and third set of data, data which represent a component and which are derived from the first set of data, or b) deleting data representing a component of the second and third set of data, or c) amending data representing a previously added component of the second and third set of data, while respecting the constraints associated with each component and constraints for the assembly, so as to arrive at an updated version of the second and third set of data.

The configuration of a product may be seen as the process of navigating a parameter space to arrive at one configuration (of the product), often called a variant of the product or a customized product.
In the present context, a parameter should be understood as one or more properties, usually stored in a variable in a computer program, of a component. For example, a component may have a material parameter to which different values may be assigned, such as oak, beech, mahogany, teak, etc., a color parameter, such as blue, green, yellow, etc., a size parameter, such as small, medium or large, a light reflection parameter, such as shiny or mat, etc.
For example, a car has a finite state space. Its system of legal solutions can be defined by a finite number of parameters and the process of configuring a car is equivalent to navigating in a finite state space by choosing a value on each of the finite number of parameters. In contrary, a kitchen is built from a varying number of cabinets and accessories, and, hence is having a varying, and possibly unlimited, parameter space depending on the number of cabinets. For each new cabinet In a kitchen the parameter space changes.
A more general example is buildable products. A buildable product is a product which consists of a number of subproducts, which can be built together (in some sense) to yield a whole. In a sense, most physical products can be seen as buildable. However, a product is usually called buildable if the product is not strictly confined to a specific number of items. This could be considered as different products having a very differing number and/or combinations of subproducts, which are built together. For example, a car will always have the same number of similar essential parts, like four wheels and one engine, while a kitchen's essential parts comprise a differing number of cabinets. The building blocks may in themselves very well be configurable or buildable products.
It is usually difficult to build a satisfactory product model of most buildable products. One problem is to get a hold of the number of variations, since each building block is configurable but dependent on all the others. One way to get around this is to fix the number and combinations of subproducts and then describe all interrelationships.
Furthermore, for many buildable products the connection between subproducts can often be of a very basic physical nature, which is difficult or even impossible to describe in logical terms of the product model. For instance in a kitchen, the drawers of a cabinet have a very clear logical (or structural) relationship with the cabinet its in; for example there may be 3, 5 or 7 dependent on the size. However, the relationship between two cabinets in two different connection groups is not necessarily known.
Therefore, several problems exist. Firstly, the combined overall logical rules of a buildable product do not relate very well to the classical product model description. Secondly, the interrelationships in buildable products are not easy to describe in terms of logical constraints.
Two types of configurators based on rules are known; search algorithms (e.g. using tree structures) or storing all valid combinations in a database, based on logic. Neither of these techniques addresses the problems mentioned above. Moreover, many obvious and simple rules are of a geometric nature or refer to the products geometric nature. They are very hard to formulate in a logical language. Thus, it is an object of the invention to facilitate the building of products based on the component principle, and to enable the creation of a product model.

Method, a computer system, and a computer product for configuring a virtual representation of an assembly of a plurality of components


An information handling system includes a cache memory architecture which includes a means for performing a direct lookup by identifying the double word in the cache using the congruence class ID field, a set ID field and a double word ID field of the request address, and sending the double word to the CPU, and if the tag of the identified double word does not match the tag of the request address, sending a cancel signal to the CPU, and the double word with a matched tag in the congruence class, and if no match occurs, reloading the line l1 into the improved cache from a lower level cache or from main memory. The line in the set identified by the set ID field replaces the least recently used line in the congruence class and its place is taken by the missing line.

Cache memories are small, high-speed memory stores that are frequently included in the central processing unit ("CPU") architectures of data processing systems. A data processing system typically has two caches: a small level one ("L1") cache usually integrated into the CPU design, and a comparatively larger level two ("L2") connected to the CPU via a memory bus. The L2 cache supplements the L1 cache.
The storage unit of a cache is called a line which can hold a consecutive segment of data in the memory. When a CPU uses a piece of data, the cache is searched for the line containing the data. If the line is already in the cache, the piece of data is sent immediately to the CPU, otherwise the whole line will be loaded from the main memory into the cache. By automatically maintaining recently used lines in the cache, an entire memory system of a data processing system can be made to appear as fast as the cache.
An important measure of the performance of a cache memory is the Buffer Hit Ratio ("BHR"): the percentage of memory accesses that are satisfied by the cache without having to access slower main memory. The higher the BHR, the better the cache performance. Cache performance depends on the application code being run. In particular, the better the code exhibits "spatial locality," that is, the more its references are to closely-spaced elements of its address space, the higher a BHR will be achieved.
Since a cache can contain thousands of lines, very often it is logically organized in a two-dimensional storage of rows and columns in order to reduce search time. In such a case, cache accesses are memory mapped. That is, a consecutive segment of data from the memory that makes up a cache line is assigned uniquely to a row and each row has its own independent logic for controlling the line replacement. These rows, which are called congruence classes, allow any cache line to be accessed in a fixed amount of time.
There are two general types of caches: direct mapped and associative. A direct mapped cache has only one location where a cache line may be stored. When a line maps to a location already having cached data, it displaces its predecessor. A direct-mapped cache is the simplest and fastest, but severely limits the number of cache locations where a particular line can reside. Thus, direct mapped cache performance can be severely degraded if frequent thrashing occurs.
An alternative to a direct-mapped cache is a set-associative cache. Set-Associative caches provide two or more locations in the cache where line having a given address may be stored. While such caches decrease the probability of thrashing, they are inherently slower in operation than direct-mapped caches because the cache logic must compare two or more lines to determine a hit.
In use, a direct-mapped cache can easily achieve single cycle latency, but causes more cache misses compared to a set associative cache with the same capacity and line size. A set associative cache, due to the late select caused by the added comparisons, usually requires more than one cycle of latency.
Intermediate schemes have been designed that attempt to improve the select time of set associative caches. Examples include the most recently used ("MRU") lookup scheme discussed in J. H. Chang, H. H. Chao, and K. So, "One-cycle cache design," IBM TDB 12-88, pp. 444-447 and "Cache Design of a Sub-Micron CMOS System/370," Proceedings, The 14. Ann. Int'l Symp. on Computer Architecture, June 1987, pp. 208-213, which are all hereby incorporated by reference. Another similar scheme is the content addressable memory ("CAM") scheme used in the POWERPC 620 11 instruction and data caches. These schemes speed up cache access by adding complicated tables and controls into the cache that attempt to guess the set identifier of every cache access which might hit the cache. However, the added logic necessary to implement these schemes limit the ability of the cache to achieve single cycle latency when the cycle time of the processor is in the range of only a few nanoseconds. In addition, the added logic increases the complexity and cost of the cache.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a scheme enabling a set-associative cache to achieve a select time on par with a direct mapped cache without unduly increasing the complexity or cost of the cache.

Information handling system including a direct access set associative cache and method for accessing same

International Business Machines Corporation


A faceplate in a flat panel display has attachment sites made with a method that includes steps of mixing frit and photoresist to form a mixture, applying the mixture to the substrate, softbaking the substrate and mixture, and exposing and developing the resist to define adhesion sites. Spacers are then attached to the faceplate at the adhesion sites.

The present invention relates to displays, and more particularly to processes for creating spacer attachment sites for a field emission display (FED).
Referring to FIG. 1, in a typical FED (a type of flat panel display), a backplate (cathode) 21 has a substrate 10, such as glass, on which conductive layers 12, such as doped polycrystalline silicon or aluminum, are formed. Conical emitters 13 are formed on conductive layers 12. A dielectric layer 14 surrounds emitters 13, and a conductive extraction grid 15 is formed over dielectric layer 14. When a voltage differential from a power source 20 is applied between conductive layers 12 and grid 15, electrons 17 bombard pixels 22 of a phosphor coated faceplate (anode) 24. Faceplate 24 has a transparent dielectric layer 16, preferably glass, a transparent conductive layer 26, preferably indium tin oxide (ITO), a black matrix grille (not shown) formed over conductive layer 26 to define regions, and phosphor coating over the regions defined by the grille.
Backplate 21 and faceplate 24 are spaced very close together in a vacuum sealed package. In operation, there is a potential difference on the order of 1000 volts between conductive layers 12 and 26. Electrical breakdown must be prevented in the packaged FED, while the spacing between the plates must be maintained at a desired thinness for high image resolution.
A small area display, such as one inch (2.5 cm) diagonal, may not require additional supports or spacers between faceplate 24 and backplate 21 because glass substrate 16 in faceplate 24 can support the atmospheric load. For a larger display area, several tons of atmospheric force are exerted on the faceplate, thus making spacers important if the faceplate is to be thin and lightweight.
The present invention includes methods of making spacers in displays and particularly in field emission displays (FEDs). One method includes steps of mixing frit and photoresist together to form a mixture, applying the mixture to a surface of a portion of a faceplate or backplate, removing portions of the mixture to form adhesion sites at desired locations, and attaching spacers at the adhesion sites. In preferred embodiments, the mixture has about 2% frit and 98% photoresist and is provided on a grille and a transparent conductive layer of a faceplate, and is then removed except over portions of the grille.
With the method of the present invention, precise adhesion sites can be conveniently formed. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims.


A display device has a set of picture elements, one active matrix and a display area, the display area including a first area and a non-overlapping second area, the first area comprising monochrome picture elements, and the second area comprising color picture elements.

Monochrome display apparatuses designed for reading text, such as the so-called e-readers, include a display device having a high resolution and a high brightness. There is a demand for displaying colour images on such display apparatuses without reducing the resolution and brightness. The problem is addressed by a known display apparatus having two display devices, one black-and-white display device for displaying text matter and one transmissive colour display device for displaying colour images.
A disadvantage of this solution is the added complexity of requiring two display devices and two display driving systems.
It is an object of the invention to provide a less complex display apparatus and a display device for use in such an apparatus.


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a first stack unit with a first selection transistor and a second selection transistor formed on a semiconductor substrate and a second stack unit with first insulating layers and first conductive layers stacked alternately on the upper surface of the first stack unit. The second stack unit includes a second insulating layer formed in contact with side walls of the first insulating layer and the first conductive layer, a charge storage layer formed in contact with the second insulating layer for storing electrical charges, a third insulating layer formed in contact with the charge storage layer, and a first semiconductor layer formed in contact with the third insulating layer so as to extend in a stacking direction, with one end connected to one diffusion layer of the first selection transistor and the other end connected to a diffusion layer of the second selection transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in which data is electrically rewritable and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which writes and erases data electrically has been hitherto known as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device. Further, a NAND-type flash memory which can be highly integrated has been known as one of the EEPROM. The memory cell of the NAND-type flash memory has a layer for the purpose of electrical charge storage and stores data by difference of threshold voltage according to the charge amount in the charge storage layer.
Recently, there is known the structure of providing memory cells stacked in a vertical direction to a substrate surface and providing a selection transistor above and below the memory cells (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-180389) in order to improve the recording density of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.
Generally, a plurality of memory cells are connected in series, sharing a source/drain diffusion layer, to form a NAND cell unit in the NAND-type flash memory. In the case of arranging the memory cells and the selection transistors in a vertical direction, the channel region of the selection transistors may be formed of polycrystal silicon or microcrystal silicon similarly to the memory cell. The selection transistor having the channel portion of the polycrystal silicon or the microcrystal silicon has an electrical property inferior to that having the channel portion of the single crystal silicon in a cut off characteristics, an on-current, an operation speed and so on. In the NAND-type flash memory of a stack structure, a good cut off characteristics is necessary in the selection transistors at the both ends (or one end) of the memory cells connected in series. Therefore, there is the case where the selection transistor having the channel portion of polycrystal silicon or microcrystal silicon cannot fill a necessary specification.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing the same


The disclosure relates to a self-centering and dampening hydrostatic transmission linkage. The invention consists of a pivot link that is pivotally attached to an isolator plate. Connecting the isolator plate to the pivot link is a centering damper. An upper rocker arm and lower rocker arm connect the pivot link to the hydrostatic transmission system control pedal. The pivot link also has a hydrostatic transmission adjustment rod and an aperture. The movement of the pedal controls the movement of the rod which adjust the tractor transmission for either forward or rearward travel. When a no force is placed on the pedal, the centering damper moves the aperture into contact with an adjustable spring steel detent. This ensures that the tractor transmission will remain in neutral. The pedal is designed with a foot rest and two elongated pads. This allows the operator flexibility when using the tractor for a variety of farm operations.

1. Field of Art
This invention relates to the improvement of an agricultural tractor. More specifically it relates to an improvement of the hydrostatic transmission.
2. Description of Prior Art
Agricultural tractors have been used for a variety of farming operations for decades. Tractors have become more versatile and are now being used for a greater number of agricultural tasks. More recently the use of a hydrostatic transmission has been used to propel the farm tractor. A hydrostatic transmission is simpler to operate. Instead of having to constantly depress a clutch to change the gears of a transmission, a hydrostatic transmission can be operated by depressing a pedal which controls a pump, which in turn controls a motor. One of the problems with a hydrostatic transmission is the risk that the operator will inadvertently leave the pedal slightly depressed and exit the tractor. The slightest movement of the pedal will result in the tractor `creeping` and possibly injuring an individual. Another problem with the hydrostatic transmission involves the use of two pedals to control the motion of the tractor. Typically, there is a pedal for forward motion and a separate pedal for rearward motion. For some farm operations, such a those requiring a bucket or lift, an operator may be changing directions frequently. The constant alternating between the forward and reverse pedals is tiring to an operator.
The prior art illustrates these and additional difficulties. U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,417 discloses a system and method for controlling the ground speed and enhancing the maneuverability of an off-road vehicle. This patent uses two pedals 116 and 118 to control the speed and direction of the tractor. To prevent the tractor transmission from inadvertently remaining engaged, a complex series of springs adjust to maintain the tractor transmission in neutral. Because the transmission is sensitive to the slightest pedal depression, a grooved cam 74 is used to keep the transmission in precise adjustment. This design also results in the pedal quickly returning to neutral when the pedal is not depressed. This results in an abrupt stop causing the operator some discomfort. The quick motion of the pedal can also create an harmonic vibration which can potentially damage various tractor components. It is also necessary to dampen the motion of the pedal to limit the vibration caused by the tractor engine. This results in additional springs and rods adding cost and complexity to this design.
Consequently, the need exists for a self-centering hydrostatic transmission linkage which minimizes the number of parts and complexity of the transmission system. It would also be advantageous for a single pedal which can control the motion of an agricultural tractor.

Self-centering and dampening hydrostatic transmission linkage


Systems and methods for reducing a number of training parameters in a deep belief network (DBN) are provided. A method for reducing a number of training parameters in a deep belief network (DBN) comprises determining a network architecture including a plurality of layers, using matrix factorization to represent a weight matrix of a final layer of the plurality of layers as a plurality of matrices, and training the DBN having the plurality of matrices.

Deep Belief Networks (DBNs) have become popular in the speech community over the last few years and have achieved success, showing significant gains over state-of-the-art Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM)/Hidden Markov Model (HMM) systems on a wide variety of small and large vocabulary tasks, such as, for example, large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) tasks. However, an issue with DBNs is that training is slow, in part because DBNs can have a much larger number of parameters (e.g., 10-50 million) compared to GMMs. Because networks are trained with a large number of output targets to achieve good performance, the majority of these parameters are in the final weight layer.
There have been some attempts in the speech recognition community to reduce the number of parameters in the DBN without significantly increasing final recognition accuracy. One common approach, known as "sparsification", is to zero out weights which are close to zero. However, this reduces parameters after the network architecture has been defined and therefore does not have any impact on training time. Second, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have also been explored to reduce parameters of the network, by sharing weights across both time and frequency dimensions of the speech signal. However, experiments show that in speech recognition, the best performance with CNNs can be achieved when matching the number of parameters to a DBN, and therefore parameter reduction with CNNs does not always hold in speech tasks.
Accordingly, there is a need for methods and systems for parameter reduction that can reduce training time while preserving final recognition accuracy.

Low-rank matrix factorization for deep belief network training with high-dimensional output targets

International Business Machines Corporation


A load leveling foot assembles with a panel for adjusting the height of the panel relative to a support surface. The load leveling foot comprises a foot body, a pivot portion projecting from the foot body for engagement with the panel, a base portion located on the foot body spaced apart from the pivot portion for engagement with a support surface, and an actuator-engaging portion located on the foot body spaced apart from the pivot portion and from the support portion. The actuator portion is configured for engagement with an actuator for pivoting the foot about the pivot portion in such a manner that the base portion rotates relative to the pivot portion so as to increase the distance between the base portion and the panel when the foot body is pivoted in one direction and to decrease the distance between the base portion and the panel when the foot body is pivoted in an opposite direction.

The invention is particularly illustrated and described herein with reference to the problem of adjusting the height, relative to a support surface such as a floor, of one or more points along a bottom surface of a large appliance such as a dishwasher to achieve leveling of the dishwasher. The invention may find other applications in the leveling or adjusting of the height or other distance of other things relative to a floor or other support surface.
It is generally desirable for large appliances such as dishwashers and the like to be leveled upon installation to assure optimal operation. Generally speaking, in the past such appliances have been provided with one or more adjustable legs located generally adjacent corners thereof for accomplishing this leveling. That is, a given floor or other surface upon which the appliance is to be supported may or may not be in a flat and level condition. As such, it is necessary to provide height adjustment mean at one or more corners of the appliance to achieve a level condition of the appliance.
In the past, one of the more commonly used forms of adjustable legs or feet has been a foot mounted to an upwardly projecting threaded shank which threadably engages a threaded slot formed in an undersurface of the appliance. As such, the appliance must usually be additionally supported by some other means while the adjustable foot is manually accessed for adjusting the extent of projection thereof from the bottom or undersurface of the appliance. In the case of relatively large appliances, this process can be somewhat cumbersome and inconvenient. On the other hand, attempting to raise the level of one corner of the appliance by simply rotating this foot may be quite difficult due to the large amount of weight being brought to bear upon the foot and/or the relatively small space usually provided for access to the foot between the appliance lower surface and the floor or other support surface.
Moreover, the use of such a threaded shank requires that some provision be made in the bottom panel of the appliance for providing an internal thread of sufficient strength to accommodate this threaded shank portion of the adjustable foot while bearing a substantial portion of the weight of the appliance. However, relatively thin stamped metal panels or metal support rails are usually utilized as the undersurfaces of such appliances, such that it can be difficult to form a threaded aperture therethrough adequate for this purpose. For example, such panels lend themselves more readily to simple punching operations rather than to thread forming operations as such.
As an additional matter, such load leveling feet are most commonly provided at a rear corner portion of the appliance, such that if the appliance stands against a wall as is often the case, access to this rear foot for purposes of adjustment for leveling can be somewhat cumbersome and difficult.


A nano-bubble water generating apparatus containing an application gas includes a motor, a pump integrated with the motor for supplying liquid, typically water, from an inlet pipe under a predetermined pressure through a supplying pipe to a pressure tank, a nano-bubble water generating tube mounted at the water entrance of a pressure tank, an electronic control portion, a pressure adjuster including an outer air inflowing portion to introduce an outer air or a specific gas supplied thereinto to control a pressure in the pressure tank, uniformly and a pressure adjusting portion airtightly coupled on the upper portion of the outer air inflowing portion to adjust an amount of outer air or specific gas to be supplied, and a nano-bubble water expanding tube for expanding and shattering nano-bubble water through an outlet pipe from the pressure tank, so that the size of the nano-bubble water is better micronized.

A various typical prior arts are disclosed in previous registered Korean Patent Nos. 10-0674567 entitled "A fine bubble generating apparatus", 10-0737435 entitled "A fine bubble generating apparatus", 10-0787042 entitled "A fine bubble generating apparatus" and 10-1027212 entitled "An integrated fine bubble generating apparatus". A most typical Patent No. 10-1027212 entitled "An integrated nano-bubble generating apparatus" is an improved invention compared with three cases previously registered as a title "A fine bubble generating apparatus" in common, which is a corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 7,874,546.
That is to say, '567 numbered invention is provided to generate fine micro-bubble water mixing a bathtub water supplied from a bathtub with outer air introduced by a negative pressure in a vacuum chamber by an electronic valve opened and closed in a form of pulse waves. The invention includes a pump mounted between a water supply pipe of the bathtub and a pressure tank to supply the water to the pressure tank, an air supply pipe installed between the pump and a water supply valve for supplying the outer air to the water supply pipe, a spray nozzle installed on the end portion of the water supply pipe to spray a mixing water containing outer air from the pressure tank and the vacuum chamber provided to introduce the outer air thereinto by the negative pressure in a form of pulse waves with being opened and closed via the electronic valve.
The invention generates mixing water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles in a manner that mixing water containing outer air from the vacuum chamber to be introduced thereinto by the electronic valve along with water passing troughs the supply valve is first pressurized by the pump and then supplied to the pressure tank with being kept in a negative pressure state via the supply pipe. But because the supply of the outer air generated from the vacuum chamber and the pressure to be formed in the pressure tank are limited to a predetermined degree, the mixing water generated in the pressure tank is not able to generate the fine micro-bubble water containing sufficient amount of fine micro-bubbles. Due to it, the invention must be depended on a separate injection nozzle suggested herein for its compensation.
Such like configuration does not use a timing control pump and particularly makes the outer air unexpectedly introduced into the vacuum chamber and/or the supplying pipe if the power source is turned off for a long period, since the supply air valve itself is an electronic switching valve. It relatively delays the bubble generation resulted from deteriorating the product performance.
Furthermore, since the pump operation as well as the real time check and the control of the supplying air situation via the electronic control portion are required, the complexities due to the electronic control circuit, the valve connection wiring and the sensor installation often cause the failure of a system. The use of a high-priced and high-speed electronic supplying air valve raises the unit cost of a product.
The fine micro-bubble generating apparatus has disadvantages in that the supplying air valve or vacuum chamber is unavoidable to introduce alien substances therein, since the outer air is directly introduced thereinto without being filtered, and it often happens the trivial malfunctioning of the system and needs the frequent maintenance in general.
A '435 numbered invention further includes a water balance level between a water pump and a pressure tank comparing with the technical configuration of the '567 numbered invention, so that the water feeding even at the time of a fine micro-bubble generating apparatus being stopped is maintained until reaching over a predetermined amount of water in the pressure tank. It enables the use of the supplying water stored to execute the generation of the fine bubbles by the pump, immediately, at the time of being re-operated.
Nevertheless, like the prior registered invention the '435 has disadvantages in that since the pump operation as well as the real time check and electronic control of the supplying air situation are required, the complexity of the electronic control circuit, the valve connection wiring and the sensor installation causes the frequent malfunctions of a system and the maintenance and service are often required in general.
A '042 numbered invention includes further an air purification filter connected to the entry of an air supply tube to purify outer air and an air supply control valve arranged between the air purification filter and a vacuum chamber to receive the change of a water pressure from the pump transferred through a water pressure acting tube comparing with the technical configuration of the '435 numbered invention,
Herein, the air supply valve detects the water pressure of the pump from the water pressure acting pipe connected to a connection pipe. And based on the water pressure detected, a predetermined amount of purification air from the air purification filter is supplied to the vacuum chamber.
With such like a configuration, the registered invention has advantages in that the inner pressure of the pressure tank is not only maintained at a constant level, but also a constant amount of fine bubbles is generated, thereby stabilizing a system. But the system must be waited for a predetermined time period from the time point of starting the system until the pressure in the pressure tank reaches a constant value. It results in deteriorating the commodity quality.
As shown in FIG. 1, '212 numbered invention is related to an integrated nano-bubble generating apparatus 10 includes a power portion 20 and a nano-bubble generating portion 40. The power portion 20 is operated under the system control of an electronic control portion 1. The electronic control portion 1 operate a pump 3 with starting a motor 2 to introduce water into an inlet pipe 4 and then through a purifying filter 5 into the inner portion of the pump 3. At the same time, the electronic control portion 1 opens an electronic valve 6 and a second vacuum chamber 8 to supply outer air from an air supplying pipe 7 and pressurizing air via a check valve 9 into the pump 3. The pump 3 mixes water with airs and then supplies mixing water to a pressure tank 11 in the bubble generating portion 30.
The bubble generating portion 30 includes a power control portion 12 for controlling the operation of a system, independently. The power control portion 12 controls a three directional electronic valve 13 to introduce inflowing water from the inlet pipe 4 into the pressure tank 11, directly, and further operates a pressure sensing portion 14 to sense a water pressure in the inlet pipe 4 and judge whether the motor 2 is operated. The power control portion 12 also operates a first vacuum chamber 15 to supply pressurized outer air through the check valve 16 and an air spraying nozzle 18 to the pressure tank 11. The pressure tank 11 provides mixing water containing a large amount of nano-bubbles or nano-bubble containing water through a bubble expanding nozzle 17 to users, in which the bubble expanding nozzle 17 is a spraying nozzle adapted to a shower.
In connection with such like a system, a bubble generating control portion 40 is mounted on the lower portion of the pressure tank 11 so that the pressure tank 11 generate mixing water containing a larger amount of nano-bubbles a bubble expanding nozzle 17.
The bubble generating control portion 40 includes an upside-down T-shaped body, in the vertical portion of which there are formed a first guide passage 21 guiding inflowing water from an inlet pipe 4 into the pressure tank 11 and a second guide passage 22 guiding mixing water containing nano-bubbles from the pressure tank 11 into an outlet portion. In a horizontal portion under the vertical portion of the first and second guide passages 21 and 22, there is formed a cylinder 23. The cylinder 23 includes a piston 25 elastically supported by a spring 24 therein, a first communicating port 27 communicated with the first guide passage 21 at the front of the piston 25 and a second communicating port 28 communicated with the second guide passage 22 at the rear of the piston 25. Therefore, the piston 25 closes a discharging port to block the second communication port 28 if the drinkable water inflowing from the inlet pipe 4 has a pressure of over 1.5 Kg/cm2. The pressure tank 11 is constituted as a vacuum chamber 35 having a predetermined negative pressure, on the upper surface of which an air check valve 34 is mounted to form the negative pressure in the pressure tank 11 with the spray nozzle 18.
A micron water generator 31 is mounted adjacent to the outlet port for the inflowing water of the first guide passage 21. The micron water generator 31 includes a hollow pipe 33 having a height somewhat smaller than the inner full length of the vacuum chamber 35 and a threaded net member 32 mounted into the hollow pipe 33, at the upper end of which a nozzle hole 36 is formed. In the inlet port for mixing water of the second guide passage 22 there is mounted a distributing orifice 26. The distributing orifice 26 also shatters the nano-bubbles containing water in a more minute size, finally, and includes a minute hole in the center and a number of grooves formed around the circumference thereof.
The integrated nano-bubble generating apparatus is provided with the first and second vacuum chambers to mix water supplied from the pump with pressurized air through two phases, supply the mixing water to the bubble generating control portion and then pass through the micron water generator, thereby producing mixing water containing a larger amount of nano-bubbles much more shattered.
The integrated nano-bubble generating apparatus has its use purpose limited in making drinkable water or bath water into mixing water containing nano-bubbles. The integrated nano-bubble generating apparatus controls the power and operation of a system, separately, but the system becomes complex with being provided with at least one control portion and at least one chamber and is not economical due to the high production cost. Further, it is difficult to maintain and manage the conventional fine bubble generating apparatuses and diversify their use purpose.
Furthermore, the generation of general nano-bubble water has been tended to be dependent on the pressure change of the vacuum chamber. Namely, the pressure change of the vacuum chamber causes not only the erroneous operation or the velocity change but also due to the difference of the discharging position of the nano-bubble water and the system position failed to uniform the micron size of the nano-bubble and an amount of the nano-bubble generation.
In light of these and those points, it is very preferable if a nano-bubble water generating apparatus produces a nano-bubble water resolving a specific gas, for example oxygen, hydrogen or nitrogen, etc., the pressure of a vacuum chamber is uniformly maintained according to the supply of the specific gas, the change of a production amount of nano-bubble water is reduced and the uniform quality of the nano-bubble water is maintained regardless of the difference of the mounting position of a system and the supplying position of a nano-bubble water thereby to enhance the system performance. It is very preferable if the configuration of a system is simplified, the use purpose is diversified and the maintenance and service are convenient.

Nano-bubble water generating apparatus containing an application gas


The toner includes toner particles containing a polyester resin A, a polyester resin B and a colorant, the polyester resin A has a polyester portion including a segment capable of forming a crystal structure and a crystal nucleating agent segment, which is bonded to an end of the polyester portion, and the polyester resin B is a resin which is free of any segments capable of forming a crystal structure, the polyester resin B has a weight average molecular weight Mwb by GPC of a THF soluble matter of 3000 or more and 100000 or less, and an SP value Sa ((cal/cm3)1/2) of the polyester portion of the polyester resin A and an SP value Sb ((cal/cm3)1/2) of the polyester resin B satisfy the following relationships:9.00≦Sa≦10.50−0.40≦Sb−Sa≦0.80.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner for use in electrophotography, an image forming method for visualizing an electrostatic charge image and a toner jet.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to reduce the power consumption and shorten the wait time of an electrophotographic apparatus, an on-demand type fixing apparatus obtained by combining a ceramic heater with a small thermal capacity and a film has been put to practical use as a fixing apparatus. In such a fixing apparatus, attempts have been made to reduce a fixing nip internal pressure thereof from the viewpoint of elongation of the lifetime and applicability to a variety of media.
Furthermore, according to recent increase in a print speed, time when a toner and a medium such as paper pass through a nip of a fixing apparatus has become shorter year by year.
Moreover, there are recently increasing opportunities for a user to output, by using an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer (LBP), a graphic image with a high coverage rate such as image data taken through a digital camera, a portable terminal or the like, or a poster.
In this context, there is a demand for a toner capable of showing an excellent low temperature fixing property even under severer fixing conditions, for example, conditions for forming an image with a high coverage rate in a short period of time with a low nip internal fixing pressure. For purpose of meeting such conditions, a large number of toners using a crystalline resin as a binding resin have been proposed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-102058 describes that a crystalline resin is rapidly molten at a temperature in the vicinity of glass transition temperature thereof, and that a low temperature fixing property of a toner can be improved by increasing the compatibility between a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin. When the compatibility therebetween is too high, however, the resulting toner is degraded in the heat-resistant storage property and the crystallizability on the contrary.
In contrast, when the compatibility between an amorphous resin and a crystalline resin is lowered, the crystal of the crystalline resin is liable to be easily formed, but these resins are hard to be compatible with each other even at a temperature over melting points thereof, and hence, it is difficult to improve the low temperature fixing property particularly when a fixing time is short or a nip internal pressure is low.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-152102 describes that recrystallization of a crystalline resin is accelerated by additionally performing a step of conducting a heat treatment at a specific temperature in a production process for a toner. When the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-152102 is employed, a toner containing crystal of the crystalline resin can be definitely obtained. If the toner is once molted in a fixing step, however, the crystalline resin and an amorphous resin are completely compatibilized and can never be restored to an original crystalline state, and therefore, a toner image obtained after fixing may be blocked under a severe environment of high temperature and high humidity.
Meanwhile, a method for accelerating crystallization of a crystalline resin by adding a crystal nucleating agent to a toner has been proposed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-033773 describes use of an inorganic crystal nucleating agent of fine particles of silica or the like as the crystal nucleating agent. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-113473 describes use of an organic crystal nucleating agent of a metal benzoate, fatty amide or the like as the crystal nucleating agent. If the content of an inorganic crystal nucleating agent of silica or the like is large, however, the crystal nucleating agent may show a filler effect to increase the melt viscosity of a resulting toner, which may inhibit the low temperature fixing property. Besides, an inorganic crystal nucleating agent affects a charging characteristic of the toner, and hence, a charging property of the toner may be difficult to control in many cases. On the other hand, an organic nucleating agent is a low molecular compound such as a metal benzoate or a fatty acid metal salt in many cases, and such a nucleating agent is segregated on the surface of the toner and shows an insufficient effect as the crystal nucleating agent. As a result, the storage property of the toner may be degraded or the storage stability of a toner image may be degraded in some cases.
Moreover, even though a part of crystal is recrystallized after fixing, the crystal is in an incomplete crystalline state. Therefore, if the fixed image is left to stand for a long period of time, phase separation is caused between a crystal portion and a compatible portion, and due to volume shrinkage occurring in the crystal portion, the fixed image may curl in some cases.
In this manner, there still remains a room for improvement for attaining both excellent low temperature fixing performance and long-term storage stability of a fixed image.


In energy subtraction processing, a filter for filtering out radiation having a low energy level is located between first and second recording media. Radiation, which has passed through an object, is irradiated from the side of the first recording medium such that only the radiation having a high energy level may impinge upon the second recording medium, radiation images of the object being thereby recorded on the two recording media. Image signals representing the radiation images are subtracted from each other, and an image signal representing an energy subtraction image is thereby obtained. The subtraction process is not carried out on high frequency components of the image signals representing the radiation images and is carried out only on low frequency components of the image signals such that an image signal representing an energy subtraction image having improved graininess may be obtained. A stimulable phosphor sheet is utilized as the filter for filtering out radiation having a low energy level. High frequency components of an image signal, which represents image information stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet, are added to the image signal representing the energy subtraction image, and an image signal representing an energy subtraction image, the graininess of which has been improved even further, is thereby obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for forming an energy subtraction image wherein, from a plurality of radiation images, an energy subtraction image is formed which includes little noise and which has good image quality and can serve as an effective tool in, particularly, the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Techniques for reading out a recorded radiation image in order to obtain an image signal, carrying out appropriate image processing on the image signal, and then reproducing a visible image by use of the processed image signal have heretofore been known in various fields. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61(1986)-5193, an X-ray image is recorded on an X-ray film having a small gamma value chosen according to the type of image processing to be carried out, the X-ray image is read out from the X-ray film and converted into an electric signal, and the electric signal (image signal) is processed and then used for reproducing the X-ray image as a visible image on a copy photograph, or the like. In this manner, a visible image having good image quality with high contrast, high sharpness, high graininess, or the like, can be reproduced.
Also, when certain kinds of phosphors are exposed to radiation such as X-rays, .alpha.-rays, .sym.-rays, .gamma.-rays, cathode rays or ultraviolet rays, they store part of the energy of the radiation. Then, when the phosphor which has been exposed to the radiation is exposed to stimulating rays, such as visible light, light is emitted by the phosphor in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation. A phosphor exhibiting such properties is referred to as a stimulable phosphor.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,258,264, 4,276,473, 4,315,318, 4,387,428, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56(1981)-11395, it has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors in radiation image recording and reproducing systems. Specifically, a sheet provided with a layer of the stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet) is first exposed to radiation which has passed through an object, such as the human body. In this manner, a radiation image of the object is stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet. The stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, is then scanned with stimulating rays, such as a laser beam, which cause it to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored during exposure to the radiation. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into an electric image signal. The image signal is then used during the reproduction of the radiation image of the object as a visible image on a recording material such as photographic film, on a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), or the like.
Radiation image recording and reproducing systems which use stimulable phosphor sheets are advantageous over conventional radiography using silver halide photographic materials, in that images can be recorded even when the energy intensity of the radiation to which the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed varies over a wide range. More specifically, since the amount of light which the stimulable phosphor sheet emits when being stimulated varies over a wide range and is proportional to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation, it is possible to obtain an image having a desirable density regardless of the energy intensity of the radiation to which the stimulable phosphor sheet was exposed. In order for the desired image density to be obtained, an appropriate read-out gain is set when the emitted light is being detected and converted into an electric signal (image signal) to be used in the reproduction of a visible image on a recording material, such as photographic film, or on a display device, such as a CRT.
In the radiation image recording and reproducing systems wherein recording media, such as X- ray film or stimulable phosphor sheets, are used, subtraction processing techniques for radiation images are often carried out on image signals detected from a plurality of radiation images of an object which have been recorded on the recording media.
With the subtraction processing techniques for radiation images, an image is obtained which corresponds to a difference between a plurality of radiation images of an object recorded under different conditions. Specifically, a plurality of the radiation images recorded under different conditions are read out at predetermined sampling intervals, and a plurality of image signals thus detected are converted into digital image signals which represent the radiation images. The image signal components of the digital image signals which represent the image information recorded at corresponding sampling points in the radiation images are then subtracted from each other. A difference signal is thereby obtained which represents the image of a specific structure or part of the object represented by the radiation images.
Basically, subtraction processing is carried out with either the so-called temporal (time difference) subtraction processing method or the so-called energy subtraction processing method. In the former method, in order for the image of a specific structure (for example, a blood vessel) of an object to be extracted from the image of the whole object, the image signal representing a radiation image obtained without injection of contrast media is subtracted from the image signal representing a radiation image in which the image of the specific structure (for example, a blood vessel) of the object is enhanced by the injection of contrast media. In the latter method, such characteristics are utilized that a specific structure of an object exhibits different levels of radiation absorptivity with respect to radiation with different energy levels. Specifically, an object is exposed to several kinds of radiation with different energy levels, and a plurality of radiation images are thereby obtained in which different images of a specific structure are embedded. Thereafter, the image signals representing the plurality of the radiation images are weighted appropriately and subjected to a subtraction process in order to extract the image of the specific structure. The applicant proposed novel energy subtraction processing methods using stimulable phosphor sheets in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,855,598 and 4,896,037.
A plurality of radiation images, which are subjected to energy subtraction processing, will herein be referred to as the "original images". An image signal representing a subtraction image is obtained by subtracting the image signals representing the original images from each other. Therefore, the image signal representing the subtraction image has a lower signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio) than the image signals representing the original images. As a result, the problems occur in that the image quality of the subtraction image becomes worse than the image quality of the original images.
By way of example, energy subtraction processing is often carried out in the manner described below. Specifically, an object, such as the chest of a human body, which is constituted of soft tissues and bones, is exposed to several kinds of radiation with different energy levels, and a plurality of radiation images of the object are thereby obtained. The plurality of the radiation images are read out, and a plurality of image signals representing the radiation images are generated. Energy subtraction processing is then carried out on the plurality of the image signals. From the energy subtraction processing, a soft tissue image signal is obtained which represents a soft tissue image primarily composed of patterns of the soft tissues of the object. Alternatively, a bone image signal is obtained which represents a bone image primarily composed of patterns of the bones of the object. Thereafter, the soft tissue image is reproduced as a visible image from the soft tissue image signal, or the bone image is reproduced as a visible image from the bone image signal. In the soft tissue image, the patterns of the bones have been erased. Therefore, patterns, which were behind the bone patterns or were rendered imperceptible by the bone patterns in the original images, become more perceptible in the soft tissue image than in the original images. Also, in the bone image, the patterns of the soft tissues have been erased. Therefore, patterns, which were behind the soft tissue patterns or were rendered imperceptible by the soft tissue patterns in the original images, become more perceptible in the bone image than in the original images. Accordingly, a subtraction image can be obtained which is well matched to the purposes of diagnosis. However, because the soft tissue image and the bone image re obtained from the subtraction processing, the problems occur in that noise components have been emphasized in the soft tissue image and the bone image than in the original images. From this point of view, the image quality of the soft tissue image and the bone image could not heretofore been kept good.
Accordingly, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 654,450, the applicant proposed a first method for forming an energy subtraction image wherein, from a plurality of original images, a subtraction image is formed in which noise has been reduced to approximately the same level as that in original images and which has good image quality and can serve as an effective tool in, particularly, the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness. The proposed first method comprises the steps of:
i) after a plurality of radiation images (e.g., a radiation image recorded with radiation having a high energy level and a radiation image recorded with radiation having a low energy level) of an object are recorded on recording media by irradiating several kinds of radiation with different energy levels (e.g., radiation having a high energy level and radiation having a low energy level) to said object, which is constituted of a plurality of tissues (e.g., bones and soft tissues) exhibiting different levels of radiation absorptivity with respect to the several kinds of radiation with different energy levels, and a plurality of original image signals representing the plurality of said radiation images (e.g., an image signal representing the radiation image recorded with the radiation having a high energy level and an image signal representing the radiation image recorded with the radiation having a low energy level) are then detected,
generating a first image signal (e.g., a bone image signal), which represents a first image primarily composed of patterns of first tissues (e.g., the bones) of said object, from the plurality of said original image signals,
ii) generating a first smoothed image signal by processing said first image signal (e.g., the bone image signal), said first smoothed image signal representing a first smoothed image in which noise components of said first image have been reduced or eliminated, and
iii) generating a second image signal (e.g., a soft tissue image signal) by subtracting said first smoothed image signal from an original image signal, said second image signal representing a second image primarily composed of patterns of second tissues (e.g., the soft tissues) of said object.
The proposed first method for forming an energy subtraction image may be embodied in various, substantially identical manners. For example, each of the steps of the first method for forming an energy subtraction image may be divided even further into a plurality of steps. Alternatively, the operations may be carried out in different orders.
By way of example, as one of the embodiments which are substantially identical with the aforesaid first method for forming an energy subtraction image, an embodiment has been proposed which comprises the steps of:
i) after a plurality of radiation images (e.g., a radiation image recorded with radiation having a high energy level and a radiation image recorded with radiation having a low energy level) of an object are recorded on recording media by irradiating several kinds of radiation with different energy levels (e.g., radiation having a high energy level and radiation having a low energy level) to said object, which is constituted of a plurality of tissues (e.g., bones and soft tissues) exhibiting different levels of radiation absorptivity with respect to the several kinds of radiation with different energy levels, and a plurality of original image signals representing the plurality of said radiation images (e.g., an image signal representing the radiation image recorded with the radiation having a high energy level and an image signal representing the radiation image recorded with the radiation having a low energy level) are then detected,
generating a first image signal (e.g., a bone image signal), which represents a first image primarily composed of patterns of first tissues (e.g., the bones) of said object, and a second image signal (e.g., a soft tissue image signal), which represents a second image primarily composed of patterns of second tissues (e.g., the soft tissues) of said object, from the plurality of said original image signals,
ii) generating a noise image signal by processing said first image signal (e.g., the bone image signal), said noise image signal representing a noise image in which components representing the patterns of said first tissues and primarily constituting low spatial frequency components of said first image have been reduced or eliminated, and
iii) generating a new second image signal by adding said noise image signal to said second image signal (e.g., the soft tissue image signal), said new second image signal representing a new second image primarily composed of the patterns of said second tissues (e.g., the soft tissues) of said object.
The applicant also proposed a second method for forming an energy subtraction image, which comprises the steps of:
i) after a plurality of radiation images of an object are recorded on recording media by irradiating several kinds of radiation with different energy levels to said object, which is constituted of a plurality of tissues exhibiting different levels of radiation absorptivity with respect to the several kinds of radiation with different energy levels, and a plurality of original image signals representing the plurality of said radiation images are then detected,
carrying out a first process for generating a first image signal, which represents a first image primarily composed of patterns of first tissues of said object, from the plurality of said original image signals,
thereafter carrying out a second process, which comprises the steps of:
a) generating a first smoothed image signal by processing said first image signal, said first smoothed image signal representing a first smoothed image in which noise components of said first image have been reduced, and PA1 b) generating a second image signal by subtracting said first smoothed image signal from an original image signal, said second image signal representing a second image primarily composed of patterns of second tissues of said object, and PA1 a) generating a second smoothed image signal by processing said second image signal, said second smoothed image signal representing a second smoothed image in which noise components of said second image have been reduced, and PA1 b) generating a new first image signal by subtracting said second smoothed image signal from an original image signal, said new first image signal representing a new first image primarily composed of the patterns of said first tissues of said object.
iii) thereafter carrying out a third process, which comprises the steps of:
An image having better image quality can be obtained by repeating the second and third processes in the aforesaid second method for forming an energy subtraction image. Specifically, the applicant further proposed a third method for forming an energy subtraction image, which comprises the steps of, after the processes in the aforesaid second method for forming an energy subtraction image have been carried out, repeating the following once or several times:
i) a new second process for generating a new second image signal by carrying out said second process in which said new first image signal obtained from said third process is taken as said first image signal in said second process, said new second image signal generated by said new second process representing a new second image primarily composed of the patterns of said second tissues of said object, and
ii) a new third process for generating a new first image signal by carrying out said third process in which said new second image signal is taken as said second image signal in said third process, said new first image signal generated by said new third process representing a new first image primarily composed of the patterns of said first tissues of said object.
By applying the aforesaid second or third method for forming an energy subtraction image, a new second image signal can be generated ultimately which represents a new second image primarily composed of the patterns of the second tissues of the object. Specifically, the applicant still further proposed a fourth method for forming an energy subtraction image, which comprises the steps of:
after the processes in the aforesaid second or third method for forming an energy subtraction image have been carried out,
generating a new second image signal by carrying out said second process or said new second process in which said new first image signal obtained from said third process or said new third process is taken as said first image signal in said second process or said new second process, said new second image signal thus most recently generated representing a new second image primarily composed of the patterns of said second tissues of said object.
Each of the aforesaid second to fourth methods for forming an energy subtraction image includes steps similar to those of the aforesaid first method for forming an energy subtraction image. Therefore, as described above with reference to the first method for forming an energy subtraction image, the second to fourth methods for forming an energy subtraction image embrace various, substantially identical embodiments. Also, other steps, such as noise reducing processes, may be carried out before or after the aforesaid first to fourth methods for forming an energy subtraction image.
The terms "first image" and "second image" (or the terms "new first image" and "new second image") as used herein for the aforesaid first to fourth methods for forming an energy subtraction image mean two images, which have been obtained from energy subtraction processing and in which the patterns of different tissues of a single object have been emphasized or only such patterns are illustrated. The first image and the second image (or the new first image and the new second image) are not limited to specific images. For example, the first image and the second image (or the new first image and the new second image) may be a soft tissue image and a bone image. Alternatively, in cases where the object is a mamma of a human body, the first image and the second image (or the new first image and the new second image) may be an image, in which the patterns of mammary glands have been emphasized, and an image, in which the pattern of a malignant tumor has been emphasized.
The aforesaid first to fourth methods for forming an energy subtraction image are based on the findings that, because an image signal representing a subtraction image is obtained by subtracting the image signals representing the original images from each other, the image signal representing the subtraction image has a lower S/N ratio than the image signals representing the original images.
Specifically, with the aforesaid first method for forming an energy subtraction image, the first image signal, which represents a first image primarily composed of patterns of first tissues of the object, is generated by carrying out a subtraction process on a plurality of original image signals. The first smoothed image signal is then generated by processing the first image signal. The first smoothed image signal represents a first smoothed image in which noise components of the first image have been reduced or eliminated. Thereafter, the first smoothed image signal is subtracted from an original image signal, and the second image signal is thereby generated which represents a second image primarily composed of patterns of second tissues of the object. Therefore, a second image can be obtained in which noise has been reduced to approximately the same level as that in the original images and which has good image quality and can serve as an effective tool in, particularly, the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness.
In order for the second image having good image quality to be obtained, it is necessary that, in the course of generating the first smoothed image signal representing the first smoothed image, the signal components of the first image signal representing the patterns of the first tissues of the object can be kept uneliminated, and only the noise components of the first image signal can be eliminated. However, part of the spatial frequency components corresponding to the patterns of the first tissues and part of the spatial frequency components corresponding to the noise components are identical with each other. Therefore, even if a non-linear filter is utilized which eliminates as many noise components as possible, the noise components and the signal components of the first image signal representing the patterns of the first tissues of the object cannot be completely separated from each other.
Accordingly, with the aforesaid second to fourth methods for forming an energy subtraction image, instead of aiming at completely eliminating the noise components only with a single noise reducing process, a plurality of noise reducing processes are carried out sequentially such that an image can be obtained in which noise has been reduced and which has good image quality and can serve as an effective tool in, particularly, the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness.
Specifically, with the aforesaid second method for forming an energy subtraction image, a noise reducing process is carried out on the first image signal in order to generate the first smoothed image signal representing a first smoothed image in which noise components of the first image have been reduced. The second image signal is then generated by subtracting the first smoothed image signal from an original image signal. Thereafter, a noise reducing process is carried out on the second image signal in order to generate the second smoothed image signal representing a second smoothed image in which noise components of the second image have been reduced. The new first image signal is then generated by subtracting the second smoothed image signal from an original image signal. With the two noise reducing processes, noise components can be reduced in appropriate manners. Therefore, an image can be obtained which contains less noise and which has better image quality and can serve as a more effective tool in, particularly, the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness, than the aforesaid first method for forming an energy subtraction image.
With the aforesaid third method for forming an energy subtraction image, the steps of the aforesaid second method for forming an energy subtraction image are carried out repeatedly such that more noise components can be reduced. The respective noise reducing processes can be allotted with appropriate modes of processing. Therefore, an image can be obtained in which noise components have been reduced even further.
With the aforesaid fourth method for forming an energy subtraction image, after the steps of the aforesaid second or third method for forming an energy subtraction image have been carried out, a noise reducing process is carried out on the new first image signal, which has been generated by the second or third method for forming an energy subtraction image. In this manner, a new first smoothed image signal is generated. Thereafter, the new first smoothed image signal is subtracted from an original image signal. Accordingly, the new second image can be obtained in which noise components have been reduced.
Each of the aforesaid methods for forming an energy subtraction image will hereinbelow be referred to as a method for forming a graininess-improved energy subtraction image. Also, the energy subtraction processing employed in each of the aforesaid methods for forming an energy subtraction image will hereinbelow be referred to as graininess improving energy subtraction processing.
When the graininess improving energy subtraction processing is carried out with each of the aforesaid methods for forming an energy subtraction image, by way of example, first and second recording media, such as sheets of X-ray film or stimulable phosphor sheets, are utilized. In such cases, in order to separate radiation having a high energy level and radiation having a low energy level from each other, a filter for filtering out radiation having a low energy level is located between the first and second recording media. Radiation is then irradiated to an object, and the radiation, which has passed through the object, impinges upon the combination of the first recording medium, the filter, and the second recording medium, from the side of the first recording medium. At this time, after the radiation has passed through the first recording medium, the radiation having a low energy level is filtered out by the filter, and only the radiation having a high energy level impinges upon the second recording medium. In many cases, a filter constituted of a metal, such as a copper plate, is utilized as the filter for filtering out radiation having a low energy level. Alternatively, a stimulable phosphor sheet may be utilized as the filter for filtering out radiation having a low energy level. Specifically, a stimulable phosphor sheet has the effects of filtering out radiation having a low energy level. Therefore, a stimulable phosphor sheet can be utilized in lieu of the filter for filtering out radiation having a low energy level.
In such cases, the stimulable phosphor sheet, which is located as the filter between the two recording media, can store image information of an object thereon. Therefore, it is considered that, when the image information stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet employed as the filter is utilized, the graininess of the energy subtraction image can be improved even further.

Method for forming energy subtraction images


A personal portable power supply containing first and second different types of cells or batteries of cells. The capacity and discharge rate of the power supply is such that it is capable of starting automobile engines on several different occasions without needing to be electrically recharged. The capacity is also such that it can power personal devices for relatively long periods of time. The first cell or battery of cells is chosen to have a high discharge rate and high peak amperage or cold cranking amperage. The second type of cell or battery of cells is chosen to have a high energy density and a low cost. The electrical characteristics of each cell or battery of cells is chosen so that the second type of cell is able to recharge the first type of cell during periods of non-use.

Personal portable power supplies are known which can be easily carried by a person to provide auxiliary power for the starting of automobiles with weak batteries or the playing of portable radios or televisions. Such a portable power supply is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,292. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference. In this portable power supply, the operator is able to connect the portable power supply to the battery of an automobile engine to increase the starting power of the automobile battery. It is extremely useful on those occasions when a normally healthy battery is weakened due to extreme cold or prolonged discharge such as when the operator of the vehicle leaves electrical accessories such as headlights operating for prolonged periods of time without the engine running. The operator of the portable power supply can then hook the portable power supply to the battery of the vehicle to boost the power of the vehicle's battery and start the vehicle, thus allowing the vehicle's battery to recharge.
The operator of the portable power supply can also use the portable power supply to operate personal accessories such as radios for longer periods of time than the common dry cell batteries used in portable radios or when these portable devices are not near their normal source of power such as a car battery. The battery in these portable power supplies is preferably rechargeable so that they may be repetitively used.
When the portable power supply is used to start the engine of a motor vehicle, a large amount of current is needed over a very short time period. Traditional wet cell batteries, especially lead acid batteries are often used for this purpose. In particular sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries are the powered source of choice due to their ability to withstand rugged operating conditions such as over-charge and deep discharge, ease of maintenance, ability to withstand vibration and shock, and their capability of extended storage. Lead acid batteries which were developed in 1859, have conventionally been manufactured in 6 and 12 volt models. In SLA batteries, the amount of power depends on the battery chemistry and/or the number of battery plates. If a more powerful battery (higher discharge current) was desired to withstand extreme conditions, another battery with a larger ampere hour rating (capacity) would be used, for example a 20 amp per hour battery instead of a 15 ampere per hour battery. This would lead to a corresponding higher discharge current. This also leads to an increase in the size, weight and/or cost of the SLA battery.
Spirally wound batteries are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,300 which is incorporated by reference. In this particular patent, thin film technology is used along with special terminal connectors to deliver a large amount of energy in a small time (power). If these thin metal film batteries are used in portable power supplies, they can provide a great deal of power to start an engine, however they discharge very rapidly due to low energy density (capacity) and the need to keep the size of portable device small. Thus, spiral wound batteries need to be recharged frequently. This can be inconvenient for the operator if he/she forgets to recharge the portable power supply between uses. Also the cost of thin metal film batteries is very expensive.

Portable power supply using hybrid battery technology


In implementations of the subject matter described herein, a new approach for transferring content between applications is proposed. Generally speaking, in operation, a user can select an area on a user interface in order to cover content that the user wants to transfer. In response, the type of the content in the selected area will be identified. One or more options are then provided on the user interface based on the identified type, and each option may link to one or more applications. Upon a user's selection of an option, an application associated with the selected option is launched to process the content. In this way, the content can be effectively and efficiently processed across different applications, which will significantly improve the processing efficiency and user experience.

An application is generally a computer program designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user. Examples of an application include a word processor, a web browser, a chatting application, a media player, a photo editor, a map application, and so forth. Depending on the activity for which it was designed, the application can process texts, numbers, images, barcodes, videos, or a combination of these elements.
Generally, there are many applications installed on or otherwise associated with a device that execute independently from one another. These applications perform different programs, process different types of data, and generate different results accordingly. For example, a user may open an image editor and draw a picture in the image editor, and he/she saves the picture in the disk and closes the image editor. Next, the user needs to open an email application and emails this picture as an attachment in the email application. As such, the user completes the process of sharing a picture generated by the image editor in the email application. However, at present, it is hard for a user to perform operations across different applications.


Disclosed and claimed herein is a hollow core coaxial cable, having a dielectric capillary with an inside wall and an outside wall, an inner conductive layer on the inside wall of the hollow core coaxial cable and an outer conductive layer on the outside wall of the hollow core coaxial cable, the conductive layers may be patterned. Further disclosed is a method of making the hollow core coaxial cable. Further disclosed are holey fiber coaxial cables, having a holey fiber capillary having an inside wall and an outside wall, an inner conductive layer on the inside wall of the hollow core coaxial cable and an outer conductive layer on the outside wall of the hollow core coaxial cable, the conductive layers may be patterned.

Coaxial cables are typically manufactured by forming, over a center wire, a molded dielectric, and forming a braided outer conductor over the dielectric. Alternatively it may be manufactured by inserting a center wire conductor within a hollow braided wire (or some other flexible metal tubing) with spacers. The dielectric spacers or shielding that run down the length of the cable prevents electrical contact of the center conductor to the outer conductor and holds a pre-defined distance between the center conductor and the outer conductor. The electrical terminals of the center conductor and the outer conductor are typically connected to a source generating microwave signals or power in order to transmit electrical signals or energy effectively through the cable.
In such cables the center conductor is usually a solid wire. Cables with hollow conductors have been disclosed, for example, in Guilbert et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,825 (1991), and Ditscheid et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,709, (1971). However, the hollow core coaxial cables described in these patents tend to be large, inflexible, and expensive, and do not lend themselves easily to miniaturization. For applications where a very small diameter cable is required, the existing techniques do not scale down well in size, for example, to cable diameters below 2 mm, 1 mm, or 0.3 mm.
In addition, hollow glass waveguides for transmitting mid-infrared wavelengths of between 2.5-25 μm have been constructed based on hollow glass fibers having inner diameters of between 250-1000 μm with a conductor such as silver coated on the inside wall of the fiber at thicknesses from 0.2-0.4 μm. The conductor is then coated with thin layers of dielectric materials such as polyimides, aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, zinc chalcogenides (oxides, sulfides, selenides, and tellurides) silicon nitride, compound semiconductors and various metal halogen compounds, including silver chloride, silver bromide and silver iodide. For example, Matsuura et al., in "Optical properties of small-bore hollow glass waveguides," Appl. Opt. 34, 6842 (1995), describes the formation of silver coatings onto the inside of glass capillaries having inner diameters as small as 250 μm and subsequently coating the silver layer with silver iodide. Croitoriu et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,863 (1990) discloses essentially the same structure but larger and in tubes constructed of various polymers, including polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene-propylene, perfluoroalkoxy olefin as well as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon 6, nylon 11, silicone rubber, rubber, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene. However, these disclosed waveguides are hollow and do not have a central conductor with a metalized outer conductor surface separated by a dielectric and are therefore not coaxial nor in TEM (transverse electromagnetic mode). Hollow core waveguide techniques are limited in their size as a function of the frequency of interest and at microwave frequencies that would require core diameters to range from many centimeters across to millimeters across in the 10-100 GHz range unlike a TEM transmission line such as coaxial cables. In addition they are limited in bandwidth to a particular frequency band based on the diameter of the waveguide.
Therefore, there remains a need for a flexible coaxial cable and waveguide that is inexpensive and can be scaled down in size below the dimensions of hollow core waveguides, that can be easily fabricated, and that can transmit RF, microwaves or millimeter waves. Moreover, there remains a need for a flexible coaxial cable and wave guide that is made inexpensively, with tight mechanical tolerances, and in which the conductor on the inner and outer surfaces are optionally removed to form a pattern or deposited to form a pattern leaving one or more clear areas. Such patterns can form antenna elements, inductors and other microwave components as well as fashion a port to allow entry and/or egress of high frequency signals through the dielectric without breaching it. Moreover, there remains a need for a flexible coaxial cable and wave guide that can be formed into long lengths and cut into precise short lengths and which can be bundled in various ways, including flexible bundled cables, flexible ribbons and the like, and for which existing manufacturing and cabling and connectorization infrastructure is largely capable of producing with high precision and low cost.

Hollow core coaxial cables and methods of making the same