A water distribution plate and diffuser plate assembly for distributing a stream emitted from a sprinkler nozzle comprising: a shaft having one end attached to a sprinkler component and an opposite end supporting first and second plates in axially spaced relationship for rotation about the shaft independent of one another; the first plate located adjacent the nozzle and formed with at least one water distribution groove shaped and arranged to divide a primary stream emitted from the nozzle into a plurality of secondary streams, and the second plate located downstream of the first plate and formed with at least one diffuser element arranged to be struck by at least some of the secondary streams exiting the first plate, and wherein speed of rotation of the first and second plates is braked.

This invention relates to rotary sprinklers and, more specifically, to a rotary sprinkler having a stream diffuser driven in random fashion by a stream emitted from a fixed nozzle and redirected by a grooved water distribution plate.
Stream interrupters or diffusers per se are utilized for a variety of reasons and representative examples may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,192,024; 4,836,450; 4,836,449; 4,375,513; and 3,727,842.
One reason for providing stream interrupters or diffusers is to enhance the uniformity of the sprinkling pattern. When irrigating large areas, the sprinklers are spaced as far apart as possible in order to minimize system costs. To achieve an even distribution of water at wide sprinkler spacings requires sprinklers that simultaneously throw the water a long distance and produce a pattern that "stacks up" evenly when overlapped with adjacent sprinkler patterns. These requirements are achieved to some degree with a single concentrated stream of water shooting at a relatively high trajectory angle (approximately 24° from horizontal), but streams of this type produce a nonuniform "donut pattern". Interrupting a single concentrated stream, by fanning some of it vertically downwardly, produces a more even pattern but also reduces the radius of throw.
Proposed solutions to the above problem may be found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,372,307 and 5,671,886. The solutions disclosed in these patents involve intermittently interrupting the stream so that at times, the stream is undisturbed for maximum radius of throw, while at other times, it is fanned to even out the pattern. In both of the above-identified commonly owned patents, the rotational speed of the water distribution plate is slowed by a viscous fluid brake to achieve both maximum throw and maximum stream integrity.
There remains a need for an even more efficient stream interrupter or diffuser configuration to achieve more uniform wetted pattern areas.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Distributor plate with diffuser on fixed shaft


The present invention provides a method for forming an anode oxide film, in which on the assumption that a direct-current power source is used, a thick anode oxide film can be formed with good productivity within a short time without using special equipment. The method includes allowing a current A0 to pass through an aluminum base material, and includes a step of repeating a first electricity cut-off treatment multiple times, in which when a voltage reaches a voltage V1 during the formation of the film, the passage of electricity is once cut off, this electricity cut-off is continued for a period equal to or longer than an electricity cut-off time T1, and the passage of electricity is then resumed, wherein the voltage V1 and electricity cut-off time T1 satisfy the prescribed expressions.

An anode oxidation treatment in which an anode oxide film is formed on a surface of a member composed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy as a base material (aluminum base material), thereby imparting plasma resistance, corrosion gas resistance, and the like to the base material has hitherto been widely adopted.
For example, vacuum chambers used for a plasma treatment apparatus of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and various members to be provided in the inside of the vacuum chamber, such as electrodes, are usually formed using an aluminum alloy. However, when the aluminum alloy is used in a pure state, plasma resistance, corrosion gas resistance, and the like cannot be kept, and therefore, a treatment for imparting plasma resistance, corrosion gas resistance, and the like has been taken by applying an anode oxidation treatment on the surface of the member formed of the aluminum alloy to form an anode oxide film thereon.
Though the anode oxide film is formed with a different thickness according to an application thereof, in order to carry out the anode oxidation treatment, a direct-current power source is frequently used. In the case where the anode oxidation treatment is conducted with a constant current, the voltage increases with an increase of the thickness to produce a high voltage, and the aluminum base material is dissolved, and therefore, an anode oxidation-treated aluminum base material having a good thickness cannot be obtained. Though a relation between the thickness and the voltage and a voltage at which the aluminum base material is dissolved vary depending upon the treatment condition, the limit of the thickness is in general about 100 μm.
Then, in order that the aluminum base material may not be dissolved, a treatment with a constant voltage within a voltage range where the aluminum base material is not dissolved is effective, and for example, there is a method in which the treatment is started by means of a constant current treatment, and when the voltage reaches the "upper limit voltage" that is lower than a voltage at which the aluminum base material is dissolved, the treatment is switched to a constant voltage treatment with that "upper limit voltage". However, when the treatment is switched to the constant voltage treatment by such a method, the current density is largely lowered, and the thickness is proportional to an accumulated quantity of electricity ((current density)×(treatment time)), namely a film formation rate ((thickness)/(time)) is proportional to the current density, and therefore, another problem that it takes a long time for the treatment, leading to deterioration of the productivity is caused.
In the light of the above, as a method for suppressing poor appearance or forming a thick film with a high speed, there are disclosed a method for forming an anode oxide film by applying an electrolyte to an article to be treated from a large number of electrolyte injection nozzles in an electrolyte bath; and the like (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). However, these technologies lead to an increase in costs by equipment investment, e.g. necessity of equipment for injection, etc.
Members on which an anode oxide film is formed may be required to have high hardness according to an application thereof, as seen in the foregoing semiconductor manufacturing apparatus equipment. However, it is the actual situation that techniques which have been proposed up to date cannot sufficiently treat those problems.
As a method for allowing an anode oxide film to have high hardness, for example, Patent Document 4 proposes a method for forming a high hardness anode oxide film using a sulfuric acid based electrolyte having an alcohol added thereto. However, this method involves such a problem that the control of a concentration change of the alcohol in the electrolyte by the anode oxidation treatment is complicated.
In addition, Patent Document 5 proposes a method for further forming an oxide sprayed film on a surface of a surface-treated member in which anode oxidation processing is applied to an aluminum alloy base material and discloses that the obtained film has high hardness. However, this method involves such problems that the treatment for forming the oxide sprayed film is very complicated; expensive equipment is required; and this method cannot be applied to a part of a complicated shape.
On the other hand, in an application as in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, from the viewpoint of suppressing a chemical reaction between the gas and the anode oxide film, there may be the case where a hydration treatment (commonly called sealing treatment) is applied to the anode oxide film. However, it is also known that in the case where the hydration treatment is conducted, the hardness of the anode oxide film is rather lowered (for example, Patent Document 6).

Method for formation of anode oxide film


Apparatus for automatically inserting and removing screw-threaded elements into and from threaded bores of a pressure vessel to fit or detach a cover employs a screw-clamping device with a carrier ring supporting individual mechanisms for each screw-threaded element. Each mechanism employs a pair of parallel hydraulic piston and cylinder units with their cylinders supported for sliding on a flat surface of the carrier ring and their piston rods linked to a pressure bridge which brace on a shoulder of a screw-threaded sleeve fitted onto the associated screw-threaded element. The entire mechanisms is displaceably adjustable relative to the carrier ring predominantly in a radial direction relative to a common pitch circle for all the screw-threaded elements.

Apparatus of the type with which the invention is concerned is described in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/991,106 filed Dec. 16, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,297 in the names Siegfried Heiermann and Horst Werner Oehler. As described in the aforementioned U.S. Patent application when the screw-threaded elements or studs are to be released or if nuts are to be screwed onto or from the elements it is necessary to tension or brace the elements. To achieve this a carrier ring is set onto the cover of the vessel and piston and cylinder units are extended to urge bridge members against shoulders on screw-threaded sleeves fitted onto the screw-threaded elements. With the elements braced in this fashion the nuts can be slackened or tightened to achieve as uniform as possible clamping pressure on the cover. When the gaps between the screw-threaded elements disposed on a common pitch circle are relatively small the piston and cylinder units are usually disposed in pairs in a parallel manner outside the pitch circle with the screw-threaded elements therebetween. (See also DE-2428247 and U.S. Pat. No. 4216876). One problem encountered with the known clamping devices is to achieve uniform forces from the two units straddling each screw-threaded element axially to the latter without imposing torque. In practice this is difficult because the screw-threaded elements are often distorted by the clamping forces on the cover and these elements tend mainly to flex towards the outside rim of the cover. Also the flange of the vessel in which the threaded bores are provided can become deformed. It is also the case that the threaded bores are not always exactly positioned on the same common pitch circle. As a result of these various factors the two units of one mechanism are often not at exactly the same radial spacing from the screw-threaded element relative to the pitch circle and there is imbalance which gives rise to an undesired torque on the screw-threaded element.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of clamping device or set of mechanisms.

Apparatus for automatically inserting and removing screw-threaded elements into and from tapped bores


A clock generator includes: a first input to receive a global clock signal; a second input to receive a completion signal; a third input to receive differential outputs in a conversion cycle from a comparator; and a logic circuit configured to generate a control clock signal based at least in part on the global clock signal and the differential outputs, and to provide the control clock signal to the comparator for a next conversion cycle; and wherein the logic circuit is also configured to disable the control clock signal in response to the completion signal indicating a completion of required conversion cycles in a conversion phase.

Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are used in electronic devices to translate analog signals for digital data processing. Specifically, ADCs convert an analog signal to a digital signal that is an approximation of the analog signal. Many types of ADCs have been developed to meet various performance, power, cost and size requirements. Recently, commercial devices are demanding higher speed and higher resolution. As a result, it is desirable to have ADCs with a higher sampling rate (e.g., giga-samples per second sampling rate).
ADCs may comprise comparators and clock generators. Comparators and clock generators for ADCs with a higher sampling rate consume more power because they are switching at a higher speed. Thus, power consumption caused by comparators and clock generators becomes a critical design consideration in the development of high-speed and power-efficient ADCs.

Asynchronous clock generation for time-interleaved successive approximation analog to digital converters


A data storage device is disclosed comprising a microactuator configured to actuate a head over a disk. A control signal applied to the microactuator is generated based on an input sequence u(k). A Preisach bit map bj is updated based on the input sequence u(k), wherein the Preisach bit map bj corresponds to a Preisach plane modeling a hysteretic response of the microactuator. A current compensation value yi is generated based on an update value generated based on:

Data storage devices such as disk drives comprise a disk and a head connected to a distal end of an actuator arm which is rotated about a pivot by a voice coil motor (VCM) to position the head radially over the disk. The disk comprises a plurality of radially spaced, concentric tracks for recording user data sectors and servo sectors. The servo sectors comprise head positioning information (e.g., a track address) which is read by the head and processed by a servo control system to control the actuator arm as it seeks from track to track.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art disk format 2 as comprising a number of servo tracks 4 defined by servo sectors 60-6N recorded around the circumference of each servo track. Each servo sector 6i comprises a preamble 8 for storing a periodic pattern, which allows proper gain adjustment and timing synchronization of the read signal, and a sync mark 10 for storing a special pattern used to symbol synchronize to a servo data field 12. The servo data field 12 stores coarse head positioning information, such as a servo track address, used to position the head over a target data track during a seek operation. Each servo sector 6i further comprises groups of servo bursts 14 (e.g., N and Q servo bursts), which are recorded with a predetermined phase relative to one another and relative to the servo track centerlines. The phase based servo bursts 14 provide fine head position information used for centerline tracking while accessing a data track during write/read operations. A position error signal (PES) is generated by reading the servo data 12 and servo bursts 14, wherein the PES represents a measured position of the head relative to a centerline of a target servo track. A servo controller processes the PES to generate a control signal applied to a head actuator (e.g., a voice coil motor) in order to actuate the head radially over the disk in a direction that reduces the PES.
As the density of the data tracks increases, a microactuator may be employed in combination with the VCM to improve the tracking performance of the servo system. Any suitable microactuator may be employed, such as a suitable piezoelectric (PZT) actuator. The microactuator may actuate the head over the disk in any suitable manner, such as by actuating a suspension relative to a distal end of an actuator arm, or by actuating a slider relative to the suspension.

Data storage device compensating for hysteretic response of microactuator

Abstract: ∑    j                h                    (        j        )                                b        ^            j      where hj represents a slice of the Preisach plane and {circumflex over (b)}j is an update bit map based on at least part of the Preisach bit map bj. The current input ui and the current compensation value yi are combined to generate the control signal applied to the microactuator.


A method for forming a patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layer within a microelectronics fabrication. There is first provided a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication. There is then formed over the substrate a fluorine containing plasma etchable layer. There is then formed upon the fluorine containing plasma etchable layer a patterned photoresist layer. There is then etched through a fluorine containing plasma etching method while employing the patterned photoresist layer as a photoresist etch mask layer the fluorine containing plasma etchable layer to form a patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layer. The patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layer has a fluoropolymer residue layer formed thereupon. The fluorine containing plasma etch method employs a first etchant gas composition comprising a nitrogen trifluoride etchant gas. Finally, there is stripped through an oxygen containing plasma stripping method the patterned photoresist layer and the fluoropolymer residue layer from the patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layer. The oxygen containing plasma stripping method employs a second etchant gas composition comprising a fluorine containing etchant gas and an oxygen containing etchant gas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods for forming patterned layers within microelectronics fabrications. More particularly, the present invention relates to fluorine containing plasma etch methods for forming residue free patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layers within microelectronics fabrications.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process of forming patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layers from corresponding blanket fluorine containing plasma etchable layers within microelectronics fabrications, it is common in the art of microelectronics fabrication to employ: (1) a patterned photoresist etch mask layer to define the patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layer desired to be formed; and (2) a fluorine containing plasma etch method which employs a fluorine containing etchant gas composition employing a fluorine containing etchant gas such as carbon tetrafluoride, trifluoromethane, hexafluoroethane and/or sulfur hexafluoride. Particularly common patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layers which are formed within microelectronics fabrications from corresponding blanket fluorine containing plasma etchable layers within those microelectronics fabrications include patterned fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers such as patterned silicon oxide dielectric layers, patterned silicon nitride dielectric layers and patterned silicon oxynitride dielectric layers.
While it is thus common in the art of microelectronics fabrication to form patterned silicon oxide dielectric layers, patterned silicon nitride dielectric layers and patterned silicon oxynitride dielectric layers through fluorine containing plasma etch methods employing patterned photoresist etch mask layers, such patterned dielectric layers are not formed entirely without problems within microelectronics fabrications. In particular, it is known in the art of microelectronics fabrication that when forming patterned fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers, such as patterned silicon oxide dielectric layers, patterned silicon nitride dielectric layers and patterned silicon oxynitride dielectric layers, there is commonly formed upon exposed surfaces of those fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers fluoropolymer residue layers which are not readily removable within oxygen plasma stripping methods typically employed in stripping from those fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers the photoresist etch mask layers employed in defining those fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers. Such fluoropolymer residue layers generally incorporate carbon derived from slight etching of photoresist etch mask layers and/or carbon derived from fluorocarbon fluorine containing etchant gases. Such fluoropolymer residue layers are typically subsequently removed from patterned fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers through wet chemical stripping methods which unfortunately often contribute to delamination of the fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers from the microelectronics fabrications within which they are formed.
A series of schematic cross-sectional diagrams illustrating the results of progressive stages in forming a microelectronics fabrication having formed therein such a fluorine containing plasma etched delaminated dielectric layer is shown within FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. Shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the microelectronics fabrication at an early stage in its formation. Shown in FIG. 1 is a substrate 10 having formed thereover a series of patterned conductor layers 14a, 14b and 14c, where the series of patterned conductor layers 14a, 14b and 14c is sandwiched between a first dielectric layer 12 formed upon the substrate 10 and a second dielectric layer 16 formed over the substrate 10. The second dielectric layer 16 has a void 17 (with a seam integral thereto) formed therein interposed between the pair of patterned conductor layers 14b and 14c, such as is commonly encountered when forming dielectric layers, such as the second dielectric layer 16, conformally upon closely spaced microelectronics structures, such as the closely spaced pair of patterned conductor layers 14b and 14c. There is also shown in FIG. 1 formed upon the second dielectric layer 16 a pair of patterned photoresist layers 18a and 18b which expose a portion of the second dielectric layer 16 through which is desired to form a via accessing the patterned conductor layer 14a.
Shown in FIG. 2 is the results of etching through a fluorine containing etching plasma 20 the via through the second dielectric layer 16, thus forming the pair of patterned second dielectric layers 16a and 16b, while simultaneously reaching the patterned conductor layer 14a. As is common in the art of microelectronics fabrication, the fluorine containing etching plasma 20 typically employs an etchant gas composition comprising a fluorine containing etchant gas such as, but not limited to, carbon tetrafluoride, trifluoromethane, hexafluoroethane and/or sulfur hexafluoride. There is also shown in FIG. 2 a pair of fluoropolymer residue layers 22a and 22b formed upon the exposed portions of the patterned second dielectric layers 16a and 16b within the via.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a schematic cross-sectional diagram illustrating the results of further processing of the microelectronics fabrication whose schematic cross-sectional diagram is illustrated in FIG. 2. Shown in FIG. 3 is the results of stripping through an oxygen containing stripping plasma 24 the patterned photoresist layers 18a and 18b from the microelectronics fabrication whose schematic cross-sectional diagram is illustrated in FIG. 2. As is illustrated in FIG. 3, the fluoropolymer residue layers 22a and 22b are typically impervious to the oxygen containing stripping plasma 24 and thus remain upon the via sidewalls defined by the patterned second dielectric layers 16a and 16b. In order to remove the fluoropolymer residue layers 22a and 22b from the corresponding patterned second dielectric layers 16a and 16b it is typically necessary to employ a strong wet chemical stripping solvent such as but not limited to a monoethanolamine wet chemical stripping solvent.
The results of stripping the fluoropolymer residue layers 22a and 22b from the nucroelectronics fabrication whose schematic cross-sectional diagram is illustrated in FIG. 3 is shown by the microelectronics fabrication whose schematic cross-sectional diagram is illustrated in FIG. 4. As is illustrated in FIG. 4, although the fluoropolymer residue layers 22a and 22b have been stripped from microelectronics fabrication whose schematic cross-sectional diagram is illustrated in FIG. 4, the wet chemical stripping solvent, such as the monoethanolamine wet chemical stripping solvent, intrudes into the void 17 through the seam integral thereto and upon thermal treatment of the resulting microelectronics fabrication there is formed from the void 17 a bubble 19 while simultaneously forming from the patterned second dielectric layer 16b a partially delaminated patterned second dielectric layer 16b'.
In light of the foregoing description, it is thus desirable within the art of microelectronics fabrication to develop methods and materials through which there may efficiently, economically and without delamination due to bubbles be formed residue free patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layers within microelectronics fabrications through fluorine containing plasma etching of corresponding blanket fluorine containing plasma etchable layers within those microelectronics fabrications. It is toward that goal that the present invention is generally directed.
Various methods have been disclosed in the art of microelectronics fabrication for forming residue free patterned layers within microelectronics fabrications.
For example, Wootton et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,438, discloses a method for removing a patterned photoresist etch mask layer from a patterned metal layer within an integrated circuit microelectronics fabrication in a fashion such that there is avoided corrosion induced staining of the patterned metal layer. The method employs an ashing of the patterned photoresist layer for a sufficiently long time period and at a sufficiently high temperature such that all residual corrosive gas absorbed within the patterned photoresist layer is exhausted while still maintaining thermal conditions below which the patterned metal layer begins to flow.
In addition, Langan et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,670, discloses a method for plasma etching fluorine containing plasma etchable layers from semiconductor substrate surfaces and semiconductor substrate processing reactor surfaces when fabricating integrated circuit microelectronics fabrications. The method employs a nitrogen trifluoride etchant gas in conjunction with an electropositive diluent gas at a concentration, pressure, flowrate and power optimized to obtain an optimally high etchrate of the fluorine containing plasma etchable layer while simultaneously miniming nitrogen trifluoride consumption. Through the method there is thus obtained an optimally efficient nitrogen trifluoride fluorine containing plasma etch method at a minimum operating cost.
Finally, Nguyen et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,983, discloses a method for removing a via sidewall polymer residue formed incident to anisotropic etching of a via through a conformal dielectric layer to reach a conductor layer within a microelectronics fabrication. The method employs a tetra methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) photoresist developer to remove the via sidewall polymer residue without etching the conductor layer.
It is thus desirable within the art of microelectronics fabrication to develop methods and materials through which there may efficiently, economically and without delamination due to bubbles be formed residue free patterned fluorine containing plasma etched layers from corresponding blanket fluorine containing plasma etchable layers within microelectronics fabrications. More particularly desirable are methods and materials through which there may efficiently, economically and without delamination due to bubbles be formed residue free patterned fluorine containing plasma etched dielectric layers from corresponding blanket fluorine containing plasma etchable dielectric layers within integrated circuit microelectronics fabrications. It is toward these goals that the present invention is more specifically directed.

Plasma etch method for forming residue free fluorine containing plasma etched layers

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging roll that charges the image bearing member by rotating in contact with the image bearing member, and a cleaning member that removes materials adhered to the surface of the charging roll by contacting the surface of the charging roll. The cleaning member includes a foam body having an average cell diameter of 0.18 mm to 1.0 mm, and a ten point height of irregularities (Rz: JIS B0601-1982) of the charging roll is 1 μm to 17 μm.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a cleaning method therefor, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having a charging roll of a contact charging system for charging the surface of an image bearing member, which is driven in rotation, in contact therewith while rotating, and a cleaning member for cleaning the charging roll, and a cleaning method for such an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
Heretofore, charging devices such as a scorotron charger that makes use of a corona discharge phenomenon are often used as a charging device of an image forming apparatus such as a copy machine, a printer, and the like that employ an electrophotographic system. In the charging device making use of the corona discharge phenomenon, a problem arises in that ozone and nitrogen oxides, which adversely affect the human bodies and the global environment, are generated thereby. In contrast, the contact charging system, which charges an image bearing member by causing an electrically conductive charging roll to come into direct contact with the image bearing member recently goes mainstream because it greatly reduces generation of ozone and nitride oxides and is excellent in power efficiency.
However, the charging device of the contact charging system has a problem that the surface of the charging roll is liable to be made dirty due to foreign materials deposited thereon because the charging roll is in contact with an image bearing member at all times. The surface of the image bearing member, which repeatedly executes an image forming operation, enters an area of a charging process downstream side of a transferring process after it passes through a cleaning process in which foreign materials such as remaining toner and the like are removed after an image is transferred. However, even if the surface of the image bearing member passes through the cleaning process, a part of toner and particles finer than the toner such as an external additive agent of the toner, and the like remain on the image bearing member without being cleaned and are adhered to the surface of the charging roll. The foreign materials adhered to the surface of the charging roll make the surface resistance value of the charging roll uneven and cause abnormal discharge and unstable discharge, by which charging uniformity is deteriorated.
There is proposed a cleaning system for scraping off the dirt on the surface of the charging roll by abutting a plate-shaped brush and sponge against the surface of the charging roll as a technology for overcoming the above problem. Further, a cleaning system for abutting a roll-shaped cleaning member against the surface of a charging roll is also proposed.
However, the above technologies are defective in that foreign materials gradually deposit on the surface of the cleaning member abutted against the charging roll and a cleaning performance is deteriorated by clogging with a result that the charging roll is made dirty.

Image forming apparatus and cleaning method therefor


An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming unit to form a developer image on an image carrier, a transfer unit to transfer a developer image on an image receiving medium, a conveyor belt provided in contact with the transfer unit to carry and convey the image receiving medium with a developer image transferred by the transfer unit and a voltage applying portion to apply voltage to the transfer unit. This image forming apparatus further includes a controller to control voltage to be applied by the voltage applying portion to at least either one of the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion of the image receiving medium in the direction conveyed by the conveyor belt so that it becomes higher than voltage to be applied to the middle portion in the conveying direction of the image receiving medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that is used as, for instance, a copying machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in digital copying machines having a high processing speed, the photo-conductive drum having a large diameter is used. So, it is difficult to separate a paper from the photo-conductive drum by the paper's stickiness after the transferring of the developed image onto the paper from the photo-conductive drum surface.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,906 (Dec. 17, 1996; Takahashi et al.) shows a method to electrostatically adsorb a paper to a transfer belt by using it as a transfer member.
In case of a belt transfer system, as a paper is conveyed as being adsorbed on a transfer belt, a paper must be separated from the transfer belt at the most downstream side of the transfer belt after conveyed. Normally, a transfer belt is supported by rollers in diameter 12-40 mm and paper can be separated by its stickiness.
However, depending on kind of paper, disturbance of image is generated (remarkable on tracing paper). This image disturbance is conspicuous when a half-tone image is printed and is generated especially on the leading edge and trailing edge of a paper in a low humidity environment (especially conspicuous at the trailing edge).
One cause of this image disturbance is considered to be unnecessary discharge generated when the trailing edge of a paper leaped when it is separated from a transfer belt. As a result of this discharge, discharge traces in a pattern like foot marks of a crow are formed on the leading and trailing edge portions of a paper as shown in FIG. 2. These discharge traces appear remarkably especially on a half-tone image portion.
It is known that this phenomenon becomes inconspicuous gradually when increasing transfer voltage (current value).
However, if the transfer voltage is increased unnecessarily, drop of transfer efficiency, uneven transfer and other defects are caused. It is therefore difficult to simply increase transfer voltage uniformly.

Image forming apparatus with disturbance elimination


Aquaculture net (30) having a bottom net (31) and side walls (32), said bottom net (31) configured of four or more mesh parts (34) of a chain link fence, said chain link fence comprising a wire direction (33) and a flexible direction, wherein the wire direction of each mesh part (34) is perpendicular to the outer side (36) of said mesh part, said outer side corresponding to the circumference of said bottom net, and wherein the outer sides of said mesh parts are knotted. The invention also provides a method for manufacturing such an aquaculture net.

Aquaculture nets or fish-farming nets are used to raise aquatic life such as fish. The aquaculture net keeps the aquatic life controlled and contained and protects the aquatic life inside the net against predators such as sharks, piranhas, nutrias, seals and sea lions.
The aquaculture nets are usually of the chain link fence type. This is a fence of steel wires woven into a diamond pattern. The meshes have a dimension that is smaller than the dimension of the fish contained in the nets. Each steel wire is pre-formed by bending so that it exhibits a wavy pattern with maxima and minima. The maxima of a steel wire interlock with the minima of a neighboring wire to form the patterns of a series of diamonds.
Aquaculture nets of the chain link fence type have proven to be successful to control the aquatic life and to protect against predators.
The dimensions of such an aquaculture net are considerable. An example of a typical dimension is 30 m×30 m×15 m (square) or 50 m×15 m (round), the last dimension being the depth of the net inside the water and the first two dimensions being the width and length of the net at the water surface. As a matter of example, a net made of galvanized steel wire, or a copper nickel cladded wire, and of the above-mentioned dimensions has a weight above 4 metric Tonnes.
Net bottoms only are usually heavier than 1000 kg. With these high net weights, the bottom has become an important issue since it changes shape under the weight. A flat bottom sinks and gets bent downwards (FIG. 1a). As a result, the walls are also pulled downwards and the net shape is not optimal anymore with a great loss of useful volume. Additionally, the lowest points of the bottom will be at depths greater than 20 meters below sea or ocean level. At these great depths, diving is no longer allowed and divers can no longer reach the bottom of the net. So for divers to reach the bottom of the aquaculture nets, these nets need to be less deep, resulting again in less net volume. This is a great disadvantage.
JP52-122597A discloses a metal net with a hexagonal bottom, wherein the hexagonal bottom thereof is composed of six equilateral triangle. US2010/0319625A1 discloses an aquaculture net with a regular octagonal bottom. The bottom thereof can be formed by a single piece of steel wire mesh. Alternatively, the bottom is formed by either eight parts in the form of equilateral triangles or by four parts in the form of equilateral triangles and by a cross of five square parts. Although the bottom of the aquaculture nets in these publications comprises several parts, the sag of bottom is not addressed and it is still a problem.
To solve this problem ropes are attached to several points of the bottom net and tied to a floatable structure or buoys that prevent the bottom from deforming (FIG. 1b). However, this results in a bottom net with smaller and multiple sags as deepest points. So the dead fish are collected in various sags rather than in one point or according to one single line. This generates extra work for the divers cleaning up the dead fish and makes it difficult to use with automatic dead fish extractors.
Since divers are no longer an option with big dimension aquaculture nets, other solutions are needed.

Aquaculture net with isotropic bottom mesh


A substance dispenser for dispensing substance onto an article is provided with a substance reservoir for storing substance and an openable closure element. The openable closure element forms one wall of the reservoir while closing the reservoir and permits passage of the article therethrough and into the reservoir. The article is also withdrawn from the reservoir after substance is dispensed to the inserted article by way of the openable closure element. The openable closure element opens when the article is urged against the closure element and sealingly closes around the article as the article is inserted into the reservoir and withdrawn from the substance reservoir. The sealing closure around the article as the article is withdrawn is effective to wipe excess substance from the article and to retain the excess substance within the reservoir. The openable closure element may be a resilient diaphragm having a slit. The reservoir may be provided with a frustum directing device to urge the substance toward the slit as the substance is advanced. The substance may be advanced rotatably or may be biased toward the closure element by a compression spring. A further reservoir, in fluid communication with the substance storage reservoir and containing a desiccant, may be provided for removing moisture from the substance reservoir.

(1) Field of The Invention
This invention relates to the field of substance dispensers and in particular to substance dispensers adapted to dispense substance onto an article inserted into the substance dispenser.
(2) Background Art
Many substance dispensers are known in the prior art for permitting a substance to be dispensed onto an article inserted into the dispenser. For example, in the field of dispensing dehorning paste it is well known to provide nozzle type dehorning chambers of varying configurations for receiving the horn of a calf. Dehorning paste stored in reservoirs within the dispensers is introduced into these dehorning chambers by way of feed ducts or tubes. When the horn of the calf is inserted and the dehorning paste is introduced into the dehorning chambers, the dehorning paste is applied to the horn within the dehorning chambers. The paste is advanced into the dehorning chambers through the feed ducts or tubes by means of manually operated plungers. Dehorning paste applicators of this type are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,388,321 and 2,433,947, issued to Gereke, on Nov. 9, 1945 and Jan. 6, 1948 respectively, U.S. Pat. No. 2,431,985, issued to Bowman, on Dec. 2, 1947, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,580,169, issued to Golden on Dec. 25, 1951.
One disadvantage of these devices is that the dehorning paste which is advanced from the storage reservoirs to the dehorning chamber is exposed to air and moisture in the air by way of the ducts connecting the dehorning chambers to the storage reservoirs. Thus, materials left in the storage reservoir may be degraded and these devices would not be suitable for storage of many materials. Furthermore, if excess substance is advanced through the feed ducts, the excess substance may fall from the container and be wasted or cause damage. Additionally, after dehorning paste is applied to a horn by these prior art devices and the horn is withdrawn, debris and excess dehorning paste deposited upon the horn may adhere to the horn and be removed from the dehorning chamber. This may result in waste and in injury if potentially harmful materials are spread to other areas.
It is also known in the prior art to provide substance dispensers for dispensing substance to an article wherein the substance is advanced by a plunger to an outlet which does not have a chamber or container for inserting the article therein. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,423, issued to Kurkjian, on Nov. 4, 1952, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,219, issued to Wershaw on Feb. 9, 1960, teach such devices. The devices of Kurkjian and Wershaw teach advancing the substance being dispensed to the end of a cylindrical storage reservoir and permitting contact between the substance being dispensed and the article by way of a wide mouth opening. However, substance dispensers of this type are suitable only for relatively solid substances. Liquid, paste, and powdered substances are not satisfactorily contained when advanced by the plungers of these devices because the wide mouth openings of these devices permit these substances to leak from the cylindrical storage reservoir.
Additionally, the devices of Kurkjian and Wershaw are not suitable for dispensing substance to articles which are subject to unpreventable and unpredictable movement. If such an article is inserted into the wide mouth openings of these devices, and movement occurs, solid substance close to the mouth of the devices may be disrupted. Furthermore, during withdrawal of an article from the devices of Kurkjian and Wershaw there is not provided any means for removing excess substance from an article inserted through the opening in order to apply substance to the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,842, issued to Dietz on May 31, 1988, also teaches a substance dispenser into which an article may be disposed for dispensing the substance from the dispenser onto the article. The substance dispenser of Dietz includes an open reservoir having a cylindrical portion and a frustum shaped depression below the cylindrical portion. An article may be inserted into the reservoir to dispense substance onto the article and the article may then be removed. However, excess substance dispensed onto the article may remain attached to the inserted article and may cause damage to the article, to other items, or to users of the device. Additionally, the open reservoir of Dietz permits the substance contained within the reservoir to spill out when inverted. The open reservoir also exposes the substance to moisture and bacteria. This may cause the substance to lump or degrade and may cause infection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,891, issued to Duceppe, on Aug. 11, 1981, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,726, issued to Motiel, on Jul. 23, 1985, teach substance dispensers having a sponge which is saturated with a substance to be dispensed. The sponge is provided with slits to permit the insertion of an article, such as a finger, into the slits in order to thereby permit the substance to be dispensed from the sponge onto the inserted article. Thus these devices are not effective to permit the article to be inserted into a reservoir of substance for dispensing substance from the reservoir onto the article. The slits in the sponges taught by Duceppe and Motiel wipe excess substance from the article to which the substance is dispensed as the article is withdrawn. However, these substance dispensers are adapted only for dispensing and removing excess liquid materials from an article. These dispensers are not suitable for dispensing solid or powdered substance.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to permit dispensing of the substance onto an article inserted in the dispenser and to conveniently replenish the supply of substance in the area into which the article is inserted and the substance is dispensed.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a substance dispenser which removes excess substance from the article as the article is withdrawn from the dispenser.
It is a further object of the invention to permit the dispenser to be inverted without the substance spilling from the dispenser.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a substance dispenser which dispenses substance to articles which may move with respect to the dispenser.


Disclosed is an OLED display device. The OLED display device includes a metal line and a thin film transistor that are formed on a substrate, a first insulating layer formed on the metal line and the thin film transistor, a storage electrode formed on the first insulating layer, and connected to the metal line, a second insulating layer formed on the storage electrode, and an anode electrode formed on the second insulating layer to be connected to the thin film transistor and overlapping the storage electrode with the second insulating layer therebetween.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an OLED display device with high resolution and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With the advance of information display devices that are light and have excellent portability, the advance of the information society is accelerating. As a representative type of flat panel display device that is thin in thickness, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices were already commercialized and replaced cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices, and OLED display devices are attracting much attention as next generation flat panel display devices. Since the OLED display devices do not use a separate light source such as a backlight applied to the LCD devices, the OLED display devices have a thin thickness and a good color reproduction rate compared to the LCD devices, thus realizing a sharp image. Also, the OLED display devices have a wide viewing angle, a good contrast ratio, a fast response time, and low power consumption.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a portion of a related art OLED display device.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the related art OLED display device includes a substrate 110, a thin film transistor Tr, a first storage electrode 122, a second storage electrode 133, a planarization layer 140, an anode electrode 150, and a bank layer 160.
First, the thin film transistor Tr is formed on the substrate 110. The thin film transistor Tr includes a semiconductor layer 111, a first gate insulating layer 120, a gate electrode 121, a second gate insulating layer 130, a source electrode 131, and a drain electrode 132.
The semiconductor layer 111 and the first gate insulating layer 120 are sequentially formed on the substrate 110, and the gate electrode 121 is formed on the semiconductor layer 111. The first storage electrode 122 and the gate electrode 121 are simultaneously formed on the first gate insulting layer 120, namely, on the same layer. The second gate insulating layer 130 insulating the gate electrode 121 is formed on the gate electrode 121. A plurality of contact holes are formed in the first and second gate insulating layers 120 and 130 to partially expose the semiconductor layer 111, and then the source electrode 131 and drain electrode 132 respectively connected to the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer 111 are formed on the second gate insulating layer 130, namely, on the same layer. Also, the second storage electrode 133 is formed in an area corresponding to the first storage electrode 122 simultaneously with the source electrode 131 and the drain electrode 132. Subsequently, the anode electrode 150 connected to the drain electrode 132 is formed, and the bank layer 160 defining a contact area (i.e., an emitting area) between the anode electrode 150 and the organic emitting layer (not shown) is formed.
In this case, the first storage electrode 122 formed simultaneously with the gate electrode 121 and the second storage electrode 133 formed simultaneously with the source electrode 131 and drain electrode 132 generate a capacitance, thereby enabling the organic emitting layer to hold a light emitting state during one frame. However, the first storage electrode 122 may be replaced by doping the semiconductor layer 111. Also, the above-described example uses a top gate type, but the storage electrodes Cst may be formed in the same type independent of various types, such as a bottom gate type or a double gate type, of the thin film transistor Tr.
Since the storage electrodes Cst of the related art OLED display device are all formed simultaneously with some elements of the thin film transistor Tr, the storage electrodes Cst are restrictively formed in only an area, in which the thin film transistor Tr is not formed, in a pixel area. In this case, a design freedom of the storage electrode Cst is reduced by the thin film transistor Tr. Furthermore, the storage electrode Cst should be formed to have a certain area or more for generating a certain capacitance that holds a light emitting state of the organic emitting layer during one frame. Therefore, a pixel size is inevitably enlarged for forming the storage electrode Cst (limited in design freedom) occupying a certain area or more, causing a reduction in resolution.

Organic light emitting diode display device and method of manufacturing the same


A talar bone plate for use with a multi-component ankle prosthesis is disclosed that has a body having a medial side, a lateral side, an upper surface, a lower surface, a medial-anterior end, a lateral-anterior end, a medial-anterior portion that extends out in anterior direction beyond the lateral-anterior side, and a posterior side, where a length between the medial-anterior end and the posterior side is greater than the length between the lateral-anterior end and the posterior side near the lateral side of the body, where the body having at least one elongated screw hole provided in the medial-anterior portion and a plurality of screw holes provided in the area between the at least one elongated screw hole and the posterior side.

Total joint replacements are orthopedic implants for repairing or replacing a natural joint. Examples of common joints that are replaced by a total joint replacement include, but are not limited to, hips, ankles, and shoulders. The ultimate goal with any total joint replacement is to approximate the function and structure of the natural, healthy structures that the implant or prosthesis is replacing.


A circuit for expanding a dynamic range. In one embodiment, the circuit includes: a transducer generating a signal current on an output terminal in response to a physical quantity, the signal current comprising an AC current and a DC current; a dynamic range enhancement circuit having a digital control signal input terminal and producing a variable opposition current in response to a digital signal applied to the digital control signal input terminal; an amplifier; an analog to digital converter in electrical communication with the amplifier; and a digital feedback circuit in communication with the output terminal of the analog to digital converter and in electrical communication with the digital control signal input terminal of the dynamic range enhancement circuit, wherein the opposition current from the dynamic range enhancement circuit is set substantially equal to the DC current portion of the signal current from the transducer.

Low amplitude signals are frequently obscured by the noise generated by a sensor of the signal. Thus, small changes in the actual signal are masked. One way around this problem is to extend the dynamic range of the signal by amplification.
One such signal having a small change in amplitude relative to the underlying background signal is generated by photoplethysmography (PPG) measurements. In these measurements, light is used to measure the changes in vascular blood volume generally in a peripheral part of the body. The volume of blood in that body part, such as a finger, changes during each heartbeat.
In a typical embodiment of a photoplethysmographic system 10 (FIG. 1), light from a light source 14, such as a light emitting diode 14, is either transmitted through or reflected from the internal vasculature (only through shown for clarity) and detected by a photodetector 22. Generally the light source 14 actually comprises a red LED and an InfraRed (IR) LED (not shown). The signal from the photodetector 22 is amplified by an amplifier 24, demodulated by demodulator 26 so that the signals from the red and IR LEDs can be separated, low-pass filtered 28, and converted to digital form by an analog-to-digital converter 30. The digitized signal is processed by a microprocessor 32 and the PPG measurements displayed by an output device 34. The microprocessor also determines when the LED lights 14 should be turned on and controls the illumination using an LED driver circuit 36. The electrical signal from the photodetector varies over the heart beat cycle and is analyzed by the processor using signal processing techniques.
One way known to the prior art to increase the dynamic range of the signal from the photodetector is shown in FIG. 2. This embodiment involves using an analog error amplifier 40 in a feedback loop with a main amplifier 44 and photodiode 38. This error amplifier 40 controls a transistor 42 which generates a current that cancels the static current of the photodiode 38. The error amplifier 40 tries to maintain the output of the main amplifier 44 at a specific voltage that is typically at the midsupply voltage of the system. The pass-band of the circuit is dependent upon the amount of current sourced by the transistor. Because PPG signals are typically low frequency, it is difficult to generate a pole close enough to DC in an integrated circuit to make the pass band of the circuit begin at 1 Hz. Thus, these systems frequently infringe on the bandwidth of interest and are inherently lossy.
What is needed is a system that permits expanded dynamic range while having components that permit it to be constructed in a small package such as an integrated circuit for portable use.

Digitally assisted analog dynamic range enhancer


A shoe footbed 10 made by first molding a shape-retaining layer 12 into a contoured condition. After the shape-retaining layer 12 has been molded, a layer of thermal insulation 14 is placed on top of the molded layer 12. A conforming layer 16 and a fabric top layer 18 may be placed over the thermal insulation 14 and the shape-retaining layer 12. The inventive method of manufacture is particularly suited for making insulated footbeds that contain nonwoven webs of polymeric microfiber because damage to the fibrous web from heat and compression may be avoided.

Thermal insulation that contains polymeric microfibers has been known for many years. This insulation is commonly used in jackets and sleeping bags to provide heat retention (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,154 to McGregor et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,129 to Hukman). Microfiber-containing insulation also has been used in shoes to assist in keeping a wearer's feet warm.
Non-woven microfibrous webs, however, are sometimes subject to compression, which can reduce web loft and can cause a reduction in heat retention. In addressing this compression problem, investigators have corrugated nonwoven webs that contain microfibers (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,700 to Braun) and have introduced crimped staple fibers into the web (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,531 to Hauser). The 3M Company sells such microfiber-containing nonwoven insulation under the brand Thinsulate™.
Molding operations sometimes are used to make shoe footbeds, insoles, or inserts. The molding step enables these shoe products to have a shape that is anatomically adapted to the human foot (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,510,700 to Brown and 4,932,141 to Hones).
Shoe footbeds also have been developed which use a layer of thermal insulation to protect the wearer's feet from cold ambient temperatures (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,850 to Ebert et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,515 to Oatman) Known molded shoe footbeds, however, have not used thermal insulation that contains nonwoven webs of polymeric microfibers.
Processing articles that contain non-woven polymeric microfibrous webs can sometimes be problematic. Because polymeric microfibers are subject to changes in morphology and structure when subjected to heat for only short time periods—and because some molding operations occur at temperatures at or above the melting temperature of the microfibers—the web and its heat retention capabilities may become damaged during subsequent molding operations. Manufacturers accordingly tend to avoid using low melting point, polymeric, microfiber-containing webs in operations where web loft and fiber integrity need to be maintained.

Molded insulated shoe footbed and method of making an insulated footbed


A content addressable memory (CAM) includes a voltage power supply input and an enable input. An enable control circuit is connected to the enable input, and operates to compare an external voltage to an enable reference voltage. If the external voltage drops below the enable reference voltage, the enable control circuit drives the enable input to place the CAM into a low current, stand-by mode of operation. A voltage supply back-up circuit is connected to the voltage power supply input, and operates to compare the external voltage to a supply reference voltage. If the external voltage drops below the supply reference voltage, the voltage supply back-up circuit switches the voltage power supply input for the CAM from the external voltage input to a battery back-up. As an alternative, the voltage power supply input for the CAM includes a separate power input for a CAM array, and the switch causes only that separate power input for the CAM array to be powered from the battery back-up. The foregoing circuits are fabricated on an integrated circuit chip with the CAM. Alternatively, the CAM and the circuit may be fabricated on separate chips that share a common package.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content addressable memory (CAM) and, in particular, to a device for battery back-up protection of CAM stored data.
2. Description of Related Art
Content addressable memories (CAMs) are well known in the art. A CAM is a memory device in which data is stored in word locations comprising multiple memory cells, each cell storing a single bit of information. A search word in a comparand register of a CAM may be simultaneously compared with all stored data words. If a comparison for only a portion of a stored data word is desired, one or more mask registers may be used to prevent particular bits within the data word or words from taking part in the comparison with the search word. When a match occurs between the search word and one or more of the CAM stored data words, a match signal is generated. The address of the matching location within the CAM is then determined from the match signal and output. Thus, unlike the data accessing operation performed in a random access memory (RAM) where a user supplies an address to obtain stored data, a CAM-based device operates by having the user supply the data to obtain an address.
Not with standing this operational distinction between RAM-and CAM-based devices, these memory devices do share at least one important common operational featurexe2x80x94data volatility. If there is a power failure with respect to the applied voltage (Vcc) for either a RAM- or CAM-based device, the data stored by the device is irretrievably lost. In many system implementations where CAMs are utilized, this potential data loss presents a significant concern. For example, CAM-based devices are utilized in many communications switches/routers to store address translation tables. In the event of a power loss for the switch/router system that corrupts or destroys the stored data, the address tables must be re-built or recovered. This can be quite an involved and time consuming task.
There is accordingly a need for a circuit that functions to protect CAM-based device stored data in the event of a power disruption.
An external voltage is compared to an enable reference voltage. If the external voltage drops below the enable reference voltage, a content addressable memory (CAM) is placed into a low current, stand-by mode of operation. The external voltage is further compared to a supply reference voltage. If the external voltage drops below the supply reference voltage, the voltage power supply for the CAM is switched from external voltage input to a battery back-up.
In an alternative embodiment, the CAM includes a separate power input for a CAM array, and the switching action causes only that separate power input for the CAM array to be powered from the battery back-up.

Content addressable memory (CAM) with battery back-up and low current, stand-by mode controller


A system for generating a second factor authorization for a request to access a web site includes a data store having a computer readable medium storing a program for generating the second factor authorization, and a processor. A packet receiving unit receives the request from a user device via a local network to access the web site via an external network. A trigger database stores the web site. A device database stores a rule associated with the user device for the web site, and a corresponding paired device with the user device. A second factor determination unit requests a second factor authorization from the corresponding paired device in response to the packet receiving unit receiving the request. A communication unit communicates the request to the external network in response to a valid assertion from the paired device based on the second factor authorization.

A location may be associated with multiple devices equipped to access an external network, such as the Internet. For example, the location may have a smart phone, a tablet, a personal computer, or Internet (ITV) capable of accessing the Internet. The devices may access the internet via an access point, such as a router.
During the normal course of operation, the devices may become infected with malware. Malware is an application that is loaded on one of the devices, and has the capability to access web sites within the device user's express permission. The malware may be used to access inappropriate sites, or access sites that allow a third-party to gain sensitive information (such as a bank account).
Techniques to detect maleware may be in place, such as providing software to detect an inbound attack on the device. However, such techniques may be ineffective due to an Inability to detect the malware during inbound traffic.
Another technique may be to scan the device to detect if malware is present on the device. However, once again the malware may be designed to avoid detection. Further, the malware prior to detection, may have already compromised the device and the user's personal information associated with the device. Thus, this solution may be ineffective to prevent malicious activities from occurring due to the device being affected with malware.


Trolling motor assemblies and related methods of operation. A method includes providing an assembly comprising a main housing; a shaft rotatably coupled with the main housing, the shaft having a longitudinal axis; a gear coupled with the shaft; a plate rotatably coupled with one of the shaft and the main housing; and a projecting rib coupled with the other of the shaft and the main housing. The plate is rotated through a first angular displacement about the longitudinal axis. The gear is rotated through a second angular displacement about the longitudinal axis that is greater than the first angular displacement.

Trolling motors are often used during fishing or other marine activities and are mounted to recreational vehicles, such as watercraft, in a known manner. The trolling motors are mounted or attached to the watercraft and propel the watercraft along a body of water. For example, trolling motors may provide secondary propulsion or precision maneuvering that can be ideal for fishing activities. The trolling motors, however, may also be utilized for the main propulsion system of watercraft. Further, there are many helpful marine data features, such as navigation, sonar, motor/vessel gauges, among others, that can be used by operators or users of the watercraft with a trolling motor.
The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate various aspects of the related art in the field of the invention at the time, and should not be taken as a disavowal of claim scope.

Systems and methods for rotational control of a trolling motor


Method for forming a composite elastomer tire tread by applying a heat curable liquid elastomer mixture to a thin rubber sheet and curing the liquid mixture to form the composite tire tread. A tire retreaded with such a composite tire elastomer tread is also described.

It is well known to retread tires by bonding rubber tire tread to tire casings. However, truck tires and off-the-road tires, for example those used on construction, mining and all-terrain vehicles, are subject to extreme conditions, giving rise to rapid wear of the tread and increased frequency of tire replacement.
There is a need therefore to develop a tire tread structure having improved wear characteristics, especially in extreme off-the-road conditions. The present invention seeks to provide such an improved tire tread structure.

Method of fabrication of composite tire thread


A manually operated dispenser for dispensing single shots of liquid with a built-in extended delay between each manually dispensed shot is described. The dispenser contains a manually operated pump for withdrawing a single shot of liquid from the reservoir of liquid, an outlet through which the pump dispenses the single shot and a reciprocal piston and cylinder assembly on the pump. The piston is ready to dispense the single shot of liquid into the outlet when in a retracted position. A plunger which is biased to move away from the piston manually moves the piston to dispense the shot. A detent is provided for locking the plunger in an outward position. A piston spring is loaded in a manner such that when the piston is moved to a retracted position the detent is disengaged and the relative movement of the piston from the extended position to the retracted position defines a built in extended delay between dispensed shots of liquid.

Dispensers for dispensing individual shots of a liquid are very well known, for example in both private and public bathrooms soap dispensers are commonplace. Similar sorts of dispensers are also known for dispensing industrial detergents and the like, with which a dose of the relevant chemical can be dispensed directly into a washing-up bowl, into a small container such as a cup for transferal to a bucket, or into a bottle slotted into the bottom of the dispenser; in all cases, the intention is that the chemical be dosed in a concentrated form and then diluted with water.
The individual doses of the liquid are drawn from a reservoir (for example a bottle) in the dispenser by means of a cylinder and piston arrangement. When the piston is depressed by the user, the shot is dispensed and the next shot is drawn from the reservoir. A certain amount of time is needed for the subsequent shot to be drawn, this time in part depending on the viscosity of the liquid. Before the subsequent shot is ready, there is the risk that the user could depress the piston again but only receive part of a shot. This means that the correct concentration of liquid would not be obtained, since the same amount of water as for a full shot would tend to be used.
Moreover, in the event that aggressive detergents or sanitizing liquids are being dispensed, there is the problem that users might use excessive concentrations, by putting more than the correct number of shots into the container where the liquid is diluted. In the usual case, of course, only one shot will be used, the size of the shot being adjustable by means of a suitable adjustment to the dispenser. The problem of over-dosing can be reduced if the dispenser is not ready to dispense a further shot for a significant amount of time. It has been attempted to delay the time before which the dispenser can be used again by extending the normal recharge time of the piston arrangement, for example by including a slow release valve in the line between the reservoir of liquid and the discharge cylinder. However, this arrangement still has the disadvantage that a fraction of a shot will be able to be dispensed after the relevant fraction of the delay time has elapsed.


A method and apparatus for video rate control for a video encoding system for encoding a video signal includes determining 12 a variance of pixel values over a time t of the video signal and calculating 13 a quantization parameter for the time t using the pixel variance and a number of output bits for the time t and a quantization parameter, pixel variance and a number of output bits used for an immediately previous time t−1.

A rate control methodology and architecture for implementation of that methodology are essential components of any video encoding scheme to ensure that a coding process meets bit rate and quality constraints placed upon the encoding scheme by an application. In particular, the methodology seeks to match an output bit rate by adapting coding parameters such that an appropriate number of bits are placed in a buffer memory used to assist in smoothing a variable demand of image statistics to match what is usually a required fixed output bit rate.
A compromise is usually required between image quality resulting from the coding process and the bit rate; an excessively low bit rate resulting in an undesirable reduction of image quality. The rate control methodology may achieve such a compromise by targeting optimal combinations of the coding parameters for a given application, where some parameters are appropriately defined by the operator of the equipment, whilst minimising the load on the hardware and software computing resources used to realise the process as a whole but more specifically the rate control mechanism. Furthermore, it is usual for an operator to set a required output bit rate and the operator may also condition the input video signal by, for example, filtering or down-sampling the signal to a lower resolution. It is also possible for a pre-processing stage to perform this filtering automatically, depending on some measure of how difficult the coding is, given the operator's choice of parameters such as bit rate. Once these parameters are set externally by the operator, the coding algorithm attempts to adjust other primary parameters to meet the set constraints and the coding algorithm matches the number of coded bits generated with the required output bit rate primarily by periodic monitoring of a state of fill of the smoothing buffer memory, the size of which is defined by the algorithm itself. If the fill state increases, the algorithm reduces the number of bits entered by increasing the degree of quantisation; conversely, if the state of fill reduces the degree of quantisation is reduced. This variation in the degree of quantisation is effected by means of a Quantisation Parameter Qp defined by the algorithm.
The realisation of the algorithm in practice may be achieved with optimum system efficiency, that is, minimal hardware and software resources consistent with achievement of the required performance standards. Management of the means whereby the value of Qp is determined, taking account of image behaviour over long or short periods of time, that is, the Rate Control, is not defined by the algorithm specification and, whereas means are provided to send a value of Qp frequently, its value should take account of the behaviour of the input image statistics over several time scales and should thereby avoid anomalies resulting from injudiciously simple rate control. One such anomaly for an over-simple rate control occurs where the value of Qp is determined over too short a period of time such that a top part of an active image is coded at a radically different Qp from a bottom part, with a result that undesirable differences in image quality of the top and bottom halves of the image are visible after decoding. To avoid this kind of difficulty some measure of longer term averaging for Qp is also necessary. There is therefore a requirement to provide an efficient and effective rate control that is also stable in operation and does not contravene the rules of a particular algorithm in use.
As a result of the need to have such an effective rate control methodology, several control levels operating over several periodicities such as macroblock, slice and picture are adopted which correspond directly to a detailed structural design of the chosen coding algorithm and which have direct relationships with an image structure. For example, the structure of an image is usually organised hierarchically according to a natural order of a sequence of moving images and individual picture elements or pixels that make up each separate picture of a video signal. Typically the most significant of these structural elements of the image are: picture, slice and macroblock each of which is also a defined element of H264 and other video coding schemes. A "picture" is one complete image from the television sequence; a picture is also known as a "frame". According to industry practice, each picture or frame may also be divided into two fields where the image is scanned using interlace.


A case that replaceably encloses a cell phone having at least one audio input and at least one video input and selectively prevents access to the at least one audio input of the cell phone and to the at least one video input of the cell phone by a hacker. The case includes a back portion, a front portion, and barriers. The front portion is pivotally attached to the back portion. The front portion and the back portion replaceably enclose the cell phone. The barriers are movably attached to the back portion and to the front portion and selectively prevent access to the at least one audio input of the cell phone and to the at least one video input of the cell phone by the hacker. The front portion is either pivotally attached to the back portion or is affixed to the back portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cell phone case, and more particularly, a cell phone case for selectively blocking sound and video input.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for electronic device cases have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 8,297,601, Issued on Oct. 30, 2012, to Vito, et al. teaches a material adapted to reduce vibration and, more specifically, to a material adapted to dissipate and evenly distribute transmitted vibrations. The material is particularly suited for impact and/or heavy load vibration resistance.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 8,369,494, Issued on Feb. 5, 2013, to Cha teaches a system and method for a selective ring silencer that prevents people from having to listen to the telephone ring on and on with nuisance calls. The ringer silencer can be discretely constructed from a telephone, part of a telecommunication device, or part of a central telephone network construction. A receiver demodulates an incoming call. Control logic reads at least a portion of the called identification (CID) data and determines an action based on the reading. A switch, in communication with the control logic, is actuated to a first state that allows the communication data to be output from the ring silencer, and a second state that blocks the communication data from being output from the ring silencer to a user's communication device. The control logic blocks toll-free area codes originated calls from ringing a user's telephone, optionally forwarding the call to a voice mail module.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,123, Issued on Apr. 2, 2013, to Foster teaches a radio opaque container for communication devices upon a vehicle, which has a bottom joined to four walls, a pivoting lid sealing upon the walls, a connector from the container to a vehicle, a locking mechanism keeping the lid closed, and circuitry between the locking mechanism and the vehicle, which engages the locking mechanism only when the vehicle's electrical system is on. In an emergency, the contents within the container remain available to a vehicle operator but the container opens only when vehicle's electrical power has been turned off. The container forms at least one Faraday cage around the contents and prevents equipment placed therein from activating and distracting a vehicle operator. In an alternate embodiment, the container includes a shelf therein.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,852, Issued on Apr. 16, 2013, to Ziemba teaches a compartmentalized protective case that houses a portable electronic device and personal care items that are organized and held securely therewithin. The compartmentalized protective case has a major compartment for receiving and housing an electronic device, such as a smart phone, cellular phone, music player, or other digital media device. At least one cell compartment, constructed within the case, receives and houses personal care items removably integrated therein. Personal care items can include at least one interchangeable replacement cell containing beauty items, cosmetics, hygienic items, oral care products, such as floss or breath strips, medications, vitamins, breathe fresheners, and/or health care products. A second cell compartment is, preferably, provided as a removable pouch or may contain a restraining system for holding identification cards, currency, visa or bank cards, and/or keys.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 2012/0220285, Published on Aug. 30, 2012, to Shaw, et al. teaches a system, method, and apparatus for protecting privacy when a mobile device is located in a defined privacy zone. The available features that a user of a mobile device may use are controlled while the mobile device is located in a define privacy zone. Once a mobile device is detected in the define privacy zone, a database is accessed to determine if the mobile device has the features available that are to be disabled. If the features are available, a disable signal is sent via the communications network to the mobile device and the feature is disabled. Once the mobile device is detected to be outside of the defined privacy zone, the previously disabled mobile device feature is enabled.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 2012/0244918, Published on Sep. 27, 2012, to Hall teaches a cell phone case having a reflective device and a storage compartment for other items.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 2012/0258779, Published on Oct. 11, 2012, to Ripes teaches a holder for a mobile telecommunications device, which is designed to reduce distraction to the driver that securely encloses and envelopes the mobile telephone in a sound, vibration, and shock dampening material. The mobile telecommunications device is enclosed within a foam-lined container, thereby muffling sounds and vibrations emitted by the mobile telephone and reducing distractions to a driver. The holder provides a protective storage receptacle for the mobile telephone in the passenger compartment of a vehicle and decreases distractions to a driver of the vehicle from the mobile telecommunications device, while maintaining the mobile telecommunications device in a functioning state and in a convenient and readily accessible location in the vehicle.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 20120261930, Published on Oct. 18, 2012, to Bethea teaches a holding device for a phone or other electronic device. The device has an exterior housing and a generally hollow interior. The back of the exterior housing has a plurality of finger receiving finger loops that pivot from a generally parallel position with respect to the back of the device to a generally perpendicular position with respect to the back of the device. The finger loops may move independently and be independently added or removed from the device.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for electronic device cases have been provided in the prior art that adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

Cell phone case for selectively blocking sound and video input


A compact image element encoding format selectively allocates a bit field within the format to alternately encode either multi-bit alpha resolution or increased color resolution. This encoding technique may be advantageously used to allocate encoding bits to model semi-transparency while using those same bits for other purposes (e.g., higher color resolution) in instances where semi-transparency is not required (e.g., for opaque image elements). In one advantageous embodiment, the same encoding format can provide either RGB5 or RGB4A3, on an image-element-by-image-element basis. Applications include but are not limited to texture mapping in a 3D computer graphics system such as a home video game system or a personal computer.

Many of us have seen films containing remarkably realistic dinosaurs, aliens, animated toys and other fanciful creatures. Such animations are made possible by 3D computer graphics. A computer is used to model objects in three dimensions, and to display them on a screen such as your home television or computer screen. An artist can completely specify how each object will look as well as how it will change in appearance over time. The computer takes care of performing the many millions of tasks required to make sure that each part of the moving image is colored just right based on how far away it is, the direction in which light strikes each of the many objects in the scene, the surface texture of each object, and many other factors.
Because of the complexity of the 3D graphics generation process, just a few years ago computer-generated three-dimensional graphics was mostly limited to expensive specialized flight simulators, graphics workstations or supercomputers. The public saw the results of computer generated 3D graphics in movies and advertisements, but never actually interacted with the computers doing the 3D graphics generation. All that has changed with the availability of relatively inexpensive 3D graphics platforms such as the Nintendo 64® and various 3D graphics cards available for personal computers. It is now possible to produce exciting 3D animations and simulations interactively in real time on relatively inexpensive computer graphics systems in your home or office.
One goal of computer graphics is to provide the capability for a high degree of visual realism. This means that the computer ought to be able to model objects so they have visible characteristics just like real objects in the physical world. For example, to enable realistic lighting effects such as reflection, the computer should keep track of which objects have shiny surfaces and which objects have dull surfaces. Another important characteristic the computer should be able to model is how opaque or transparent an object is. The computer should allow you to see through transparent objects such as windows, but not through opaque objects such as stone walls.
Many computer graphics system model the opacity (transparency) of surfaces using a technique called "alpha blending." Using this conventional technique, each image element is assigned an "alpha value" representing its degree of opacity. The colors of the image element are blended based on the alpha value—allowing one object to appear to be visible through another object. A further conventional technique called "alpha function" or "alpha test" can be used to discard an object fragment based on comparing the fragment's alpha value with a reference function or value. Alpha test may decide to not blend (i.e., to throw away) a potential part of an image because it is transparent and will therefore be invisible.
Alpha blending and alpha test are especially useful for modeling transparent objects such as water and glass. This same functionality can also be used with texture mapping to achieve a variety of effects. For example, the alpha test is frequently used to draw complicated geometry using texture maps on polygons—with the alpha component acting as a matte. By way of illustration, a tree can be drawn as a picture (texture) of a tree on a polygon. The tree parts of the texture image can have an alpha value of 1 (opaque), and the non-tree parts can have an alpha value of 0 (transparent). In this way, the "non-tree" parts of the polygons are mapped to invisible (transparent) portions of the texture map, while the "tree" portions of the polygon are mapped to visible (opaque) portions of the texture map.
The alpha component of a texture can be used in other ways—for example, to cut holes or trim surfaces. As one example, an image of a cutout or a trim region can be stored in a texture map. When mapping the texture to the polygon surface, alpha testing or blending can be used to cut the cutout or trimmed region out of the polygon's surface.
One interesting issue relates to the amount of alpha information that should be provided. In the real world, many objects are not completely transparent or completely opaque, but actually fall somewhere in between. For example, you can't see through etched glass, but you can see some light shine through it. Etched glass is an example of an object that is neither entirely transparent or entirely opaque, but is instead semi-transparent or "translucent." Even objects we typically think of as being very transparent may not be entirely so but may instead be only semi-transparent. For example, pond water is relatively clear, but may have some cloudiness to it. You can see a certain distance through pond water, but it becomes increasingly opaque based on depth. Clouds, smoke and imaginary ghosts are other examples of semi-transparent objects you might want to model using a computer graphics system.
To model such semi-transparent objects, computer graphics systems in the past have used multi-bit alpha values that encode not just "opaque" and "transparent," but also varying degrees of semi-transparency. However, additional memory is needed to store an alpha component for each image element. The amount of additional memory required depends on the size of the image (i.e., the number of image elements) and the amount of alpha information to be stored for each image element. Storing multi-bit alpha components for each of thousands of image elements can substantially increase the amount of memory required. Even in systems with lots of memory, it may be desirable for performance reasons (i.e., reduced memory access time) to minimize the amount of memory required to store a given image.
To avoid locking application developers to a particular set of memory requirements and/or memory access times, one approach used in the past was to make the image element encoding mode of the computer graphics system programmable. Under this approach, the programmer could select between different color encoding modes as dictated by the characteristics of the particular image being generated at the time. For example, some systems allowed the programmer to choose between single-word and double-word color encoding formats. The programmer could choose a single-word RGB format for images requiring lower color resolution and no transparency capabilities, or a double-word RGBA format for images requiring higher color resolution and transparency. Speed performance might suffer somewhat if the double-word format were selected (since two words instead of one need to be accessed for each image element), but this tradeoff might be worth it to enable more complex or interesting images to be generated.
While the approach of selecting between single-word RGB format and double-word RGBA format is very useful, it also has certain significant limitations. For example, in resource-constrained 3-D graphics systems such as 3-D home video games, it may be especially important as a practical matter to conserve memory usage and associated memory access time. This might mean, for example, that in the context of a real time interactive game, the programmer may rarely (if ever) have the luxury of activating the double-word RGBA mode because of memory space or speed performance considerations. In other words, even when using a system that provides an alpha mode, the game programmer may sometimes be unable to take advantage of it without degrading image complexity (e.g., number of textures) and/or speed performance.
One past proposed solution to this problem was to allocate a single bit of a single-word RGB color format for transparency. For example, if word length is 16 bits, five bits can be allocated to each of the three primary colors (red, green and blue)—and the extra bit could be used for transparency (alpha). While this approach is certainly useful in terms of very efficient use of available memory, it has the limitation of providing only a binary (on/off) alpha value (i.e., either transparent or opaque). This prior approach therefore cannot provide visual effects requiring more alpha resolution (semi-transparency).
By way of further explanation, along edges of cutouts, trim regions, and certain texture mapped images, it may be desirable to provide an alpha component value that lies somewhere between transparent and opaque. This capability can (coupled with conventional anti-aliasing techniques) smooth and soften transitions to increase realism. For example, in the real world, the edge(s) surrounding a cutout might not be an entirely sharp transition, but may instead have some smooth transition. Alpha blending based on a range of alpha components modeling semi-transparency coupled with anti-aliasing (which smoothes out the "jaggies" in a digitally stepped surface) can be used to effectively model natural edge rounding. But this technique requires the ability to model semi-transparency, and does not work well if the alpha component is limited to a single "on/off" value.
FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) help to illustrate this. FIG. 1(a) shows an original texture of a tree on a black background. FIG. 1(b) shows this same texture with one bit of alpha resolution. A one-bit alpha texture appears unnatural around the edges. This is a problem when the texture appears in front of any other objects, or indeed when the background to the texture is anything other than plain black. The texture is pictured here on a plain white background.
We have realized that for many of the visual effects we wish to present in the context of video games and other 3D interactive applications, we want to be able to provide more than a single "on/off" (i.e., opaque or transparent) value, but we may not need a "full" resolution alpha component to accomplish our objectives. For example, to provide smooth anti-aliased edges on cutouts, we may not need full 8-bit alpha resolution to provide visually pleasing effects. Some type of reduced resolution alpha encoding for semi-transparency (e.g., two or three bits of alpha to encode transparent, opaque, and two or six intermediate semi-transparency values) may be sufficient.
FIG. 1(c) helps to illustrate this. FIG. 1(c) shows the same tree texture as FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), but using a multiple bit alpha value. The texture is pictured here on a plain white background. A multiple-bit alpha texture appears far smoother around the edges, whatever is behind it.
The present invention takes advantage of this observation by providing, in one particular implementation, a compact image element encoding format that selectively allocates bits on an element-by-element basis to encode multi-bit alpha resolution. This technique may be advantageously used to allocate encoding bits within some image elements for modeling semi-transparency while using those same bits for other purposes (e.g., higher color resolution) in other image elements not requiring a semi-transparency value (e.g., for opaque image elements). Applications include but are not limited to texture mapping in a 3D computer graphics system such as a home video game system or a personal computer.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a stored data element format representing a portion of an image includes a multi-bit alpha component field that may or may not be present in a particular instance of said format. The format includes a further portion encoding at least one color component. This portion has a first length if said multi-bit alpha component field is present, and has a second length greater than said first length if said multi-bit alpha component field is not present.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a texture map includes a first texel encoded with a semi-transparency value and having first color resolution; and a second texel encoded without any semi-transparency value and having second color resolution greater than the first color resolution.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a color image element encoding format comprises an indicator field indicating whether an instance of said format is capable of encoding semi-transparency. The format further includes at least one variable sized field encoding further information concerning the color image element. The at least one variable sized field has a first length if the indicator field indicates the format instance is incapable of encoding semi-transparency, and has a second length less than the first length if the indicator field indicates the format instance is capable of encoding semi-transparency.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, an image element encoding format includes a flag or other indicator that indicates whether the element has an associated a multi-bit alpha component. If the flag indicates that no alpha value is present, then the encoding format stores higher-resolution color information (e.g., five bits each of red, green and blue color information in one particular example). If, on the other hand, the indicator indicates that an alpha component is present, then the image element's color resolution is reduced (e.g., to four bits each of red, green and blue color information in one particular example), and the remaining bits are used to provide a multi-bit field to encode semi-transparency alpha information.
The present invention also provides a method of encoding an image element comprising specifying whether said image element will encode semi-transparency. If the specifying step specifies that said image element will encode semi-transparency, a set of plural bits within an encoding format is allocated to encode alpha. If the specifying step specifies that the image element will not encode semi-transparency, the set of plural bits is allocated to encode another characteristic of the image element (e.g., increased color resolution).
The present invention further provides an alpha component converter that converts between first and second resolutions of semi-transparency information, the converter quantizing or dequantizing first resolution semi-transparency information into a predetermined number of equal sized steps to form second resolution semi-transparency information.
The ability to vary the bit encoding format on an image-element-by-image-element basis provides the potential for enhanced image quality by, for example, increasing the color resolution of those image elements not needing an alpha component. Opaque image elements can use the bits that may otherwise be used for alpha encoding to achieve higher color resolution.
The variable bit field color encoding technique provided by the present invention is especially useful in encoding texture elements (texels) within a 3D graphics system. Such variable bit field color encoding can be used, for example, to provide a texture element multi-bit alpha component that allows smooth anti-aliased edges on cutouts and in other instances where semi-transparency encoding is useful, without requiring the programmer to invoke a double-precision color encoding mode for all image elements with resulting doubling of the total amount of storage space required. Furthermore, this technique can be used to preserve higher color resolution across most of an image while degrading it only locally in small image areas where semi-transparency is required. The loss of color resolution may not be noticeable in such small semi-transparent image areas.