A light emitting device includes a light emitting active layer, electrodes to supply carriers to the active layer and a resonator enclosing the active layer with high reflectance for light radiated in the active layer. An electrode may be used to apply an electric field to change the wavelength of light radiated in the active layer. The spontaneous emission probability is controlled or modified to obtain high light emission efficiency or a high degree of light modulation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a light emitting apparatus for use as a light source, a light modulator and the like suitable for optical communications, especially, parallel and large capacity optical transmission between electric circuit elements and the like and which have extremely high light emission efficiency, and, more particularly, to light emitting devices utilizing cavity quantum electrodynamics.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, technologies for linking the electric circuits using light are expected to overcome the signal delay due to capacitances resulting from electric distribution wires in the large scale integration (LSI), etc. For the purposes of electric linkage, semiconductor lasers have been utilized as light emitting devices. However, the semiconductor laser generally requires a very large injection current density. As a result, integration of many semiconductor lasers on a common substrate causes problems of overheating in the elements and of degraded reliability. As a result, the semiconductor laser is not believed to be suitable as a light emitting device for light transmission between proximate electric circuits.
To solve these problems, there have been developed field-effect type light emission devices having quantum well structures, as is disclosed, for example, in JJAP., vol. 22, pp. L22-L24 (1982). In these devices, the modulation of the number of carriers, done in conventional elements, is not performed, and instead the light emission or radiation rate itself is modulated by spatially separating electrons from holes due to an electric field applied perpendicularly to a quantum well active layer. Therefore, high-speed switching operation is achieved, which is unrelated to the recombination life time of carriers that has been limiting the switching time of the conventional light emitting devices.
Thus, if the above device is utilized as the above-mentioned light emitting device for optical linkage, such optical signal switching becomes possible at very high speed of the order of 10 psec although the injection current density is extremely low. For instance, in the case where a multiplicity of such light emitting devices are arranged on a common substrate, it will be expected that heat generation is low. At the same time excellent characteristics are obtained with respect to the uniformity of light emission and the reliability of the device compared with semiconductor lasers.
However, in the prior art field-effect type light emitting device having quantum well, the depth of modulation of light emission is at most about 10:1 to 20:1 since this depth is determined by the ratio between the light emission recombination times at light emission and non-light emission times.
Further, although the internal quantum efficiency (the ratio between the number of injected electrons and the number of generated photons) is very high, there exists the shortcoming that light could not effectively be output, which is a drawback common to such devices that emit spontaneous emission light. In general, this is due to the large refractive index of a semiconductor of the light emission active layer and because total reflection occurs in usual structures.

Light emitting device utilizing cavity quantum electrodynamics


A lighting apparatus is provided having one or more light emitting diodes arranged in a row. The light emitting diodes may be supported by an elongated body. The elongated body may comprise an optical element formed from an at least partially optically transmissive material. The lighting apparatus has two ends and may have electrical connectors at tho ondo.

Currently, many lighting systems use fluorescent tubes to provide illumination. Fluorescent tubes have lifetimes limited by on/off cycles, a 360 degree light distribution that is not optimal (half goes into the room, half goes toward the ceiling), limited efficacy, and contains mercury. Light emitting diode (LED) solutions can solve many of the challenges faced by fluorescent tubes. However, a common problem with LED solutions is a non-optimal compromise between efficiency and glare. To control glare the common approach is to use a diffuser which can be inefficient. Efficient solutions often orient the LED in direct line of sight to the work surface causing eye discomfort from bright spots of light.
Thus, improved lighting solutions are needed, which can be used to replace fluorescent tube lighting systems.


The present invention realizes resource saving and energy saving by grasping and managing a usage efficiency of an image forming apparatus. To accomplish this, a method in accordance with the present invention is an information processing method of managing usage information on a job which is issued from an information processing apparatus to an image forming apparatus, which includes: a step of acquiring the usage information from the information processing apparatus or the image forming apparatus; a step of deriving the number of logical pages and the number of physical sheets from the usage information acquired in the acquisition step; and a step of outputting usage efficiency information of the image forming apparatus using the number of logical pages and the number of physical sheets derived in the derivation step.

Conventionally, there have been known systems for managing use of an image forming apparatus (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-110156). Basically, the image forming apparatus is used freely at users discretion. As concerns to environmental problems increase recently, it is required to enhance efficient use of the image forming apparatus and to reduce consumption of resources and energy.
However, an administrator has no data for determining how efficient a user uses the image forming apparatus. Thus, the administrator cannot perform in-depth management of use of the image forming apparatus from the point of view of resource saving and energy saving.


There is provided an option module for a printer, capable of preserving versatility while reducing possibility of ending in an error. An option module for realizing a specific function while being connected to a printer has a unit for inquiring to a printer connected thereto (below, referred to as “the connected printer”) regarding a print function usable with the connected printer, and only the print function usable with the connected printer is designated and operated, realizing the specific function.

The present invention relates to a technique of operating an option module for realizing a specific function while being connected to a printer.
In recent years, many printers are constructed such that various option modules can be connected thereto to expand printer functions. For example, in many cases, functions (e.g., RIP: Raster Image Processor) for analyzing data described in postscript and other printer control languages to generate a print image are provided as option modules, in which a device has dedicated hardware for realizing RIP or other functions, or a ROM module or the like stores software for realizing RIP or other functions.

Option module, option program, printing system


The method for preserving a catalyst of the present invention is characterized in that, in a process for continuously producing an objective product by a vapor phase oxidation reaction using a phosphorus-molybdenum-vanadium catalyst containing phosphorus, molybdenum and vanadium, the phosphorus-molybdenum-vanadium catalyst retained in a reactor is maintained under a condition of a water content of 30 mg or less per 1 g of catalyst dry weight, before the start of the reaction or during the stop of the reaction. By this, deterioration of the catalyst retained in the reactor can be simply prevented.

Conventionally, a phosphorus-molybdenum-vanadium catalyst containing phosphorus, molybdenum and vanadium is used in a method for producing methacrylic acid from methacrolein by catalytic oxidation in a vapor phase, and other methods. Industrially, the phosphorus-molybdenum-vanadium catalyst is filled in a multi-tubular heat exchange type reactor, and methacrylic acid is produced from methacrolein at a reaction temperature of about 250 to 400° C. in a fixed bed reactor.
A phosphorus-molybdenum-vanadium catalyst is used in a reaction over relatively a long period of time, and its deterioration with the passage of time in the reaction is known. It is desirable that the catalyst is able to retain catalytic activity over a long period stably from the industrial standpoint and economical standpoint. Therefore, producing methods of the catalyst and catalyst formulations have been eagerly improved.
Also, there are various suggestions on a method for regenerating the deteriorated catalyst. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-232247 discloses a method for regenerating a catalyst in which a catalyst having deteriorated activity is dispersed in an aqueous medium and treated with a nitrogen-containing hetero-cyclic compound. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-233938 discloses a method for regenerating a used catalyst by the action of an oxidizer or oxidation method, and the dissolving action of an ammonia aqueous solution containing added acetic acid and/or its ammonium salt, and subsequent drying and calcination, wherein the content of a metal component is quantitatively measured, and the metal component is replenished so that this content is retuned to its initial value. Both of the methods described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-232247 and 6-233938 are methods for regenerating a catalyst removed from a reactor.
On the other hand, methods of regenerating a catalyst in a reactor are also variously suggested. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-156351 discloses a method for regenerating a catalyst in which a catalyst having lowered activity is treated at a temperature of 70 to 240° C. in a gas flow having a water vapor partial pressure of 10 vol % or more. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-7685 discloses a method for regenerating a deteriorated catalyst in a reactor in which a thermal treatment of the catalyst is conducted at a temperature of 300 to 410° C. for 0.5 to 50 hours under flow of an oxidizing gas containing molecular oxygen in an amount of at least 0.1 vol %.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-332387 discloses a method for regenerating a catalyst in which a catalyst composed of a mixed oxide of vanadium and phosphorus used in a method for oxidizing a hydrocarbon having 4 carbon atoms to produce maleic anhydride is allowed to contact with a water vapor in an amount of 0.02 to 30 g per 1 g of the catalyst at 300 to 600° C. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-262081 discloses a method for regenerating a catalyst in which a molybdenum-vanadium oxidation catalyst having catalytic activity decreased in a cause of use in a process for producing acrylic acid from acrolein or a reaction raw material gas containing acrolein by catalytic oxidation in a vapor phase is thermally treated at a temperature in the range of 300 to 450° C. under flow of a mixed gas containing at least 3 vol % of molecular oxygen and at least 0.1 vol % of water vapor.
To prevent deterioration of a catalyst and to use the catalyst stably over a long period is industrially important matter.


A composite reinforced limb of an archery bow is at least partially covered with a dry film of a polymeric coating initially applied in a generally liquid mixture adjacent to and firmly engaging at least a portion of the limb to prevent the underlying composite layers or fibers of the limb from becoming noticeably detached from the limb, to reinforce the limb and to reduce vibration and noise of the bow during use. Preferably, a substantial portion of the periphery of the limb is covered by the polymeric coating which is preferably sprayed on to the limb with a spray applicator. Preferably, the spray applicator is automated and several limbs are coated in an assembly line fashion by the spray applicator. Alternatively, the polymeric coating can be brushed on or the limb can be dipped into a supply of the coating material to cover at least that portion of the limb. The polymeric coating dries to a film in generally solid but pliable state and does not effect the draw length or draw weight of the bow in use.

Archery bows have resilient limbs made of various materials such as wood, various metals and various composite materials. Additionally, composite materials such as fiberglass or the like can also be layered about the limb to provide reinforcement and stability to the limb. Typically, the composite reinforcements are applied to the limb in thin layers adhered by a resin to the surface of the limb. It is difficult to consistently and permanently adhere all of the composite material to the limb and, during use, some of the fibers or a portion of the underlying layers of the composite material become detached from the limb of the bow and create a cosmetic blemish noticeable on the exterior of the limb and unacceptable to the user.


An improved luminometer, chamber insert, and deactivator is shown and described. In one embodiment, the device comprises a luminometer for use with a test sample holder and is configured to determine the emitted light from the test sample holder. Typically, the luminometer includes a housing having a sample port, a photomultiplier assembly, and a chamber having a mirrored inner side face. In certain examples, an improved chamber for a luminometer comprises an insert portion, a photomultiplier portion, and a deactivator.

Determination of cleanliness in industrial, health care and other settings is important for maintaining good hygiene and sanitation. For example, the surfaces of equipment used for food handling, storage or processing are major sources of microbial and allergen contamination. Microbial contamination can lead to decreased shelf life of products and, if pathogens are present, transmission of disease. Similarly, unexpected allergens on food contact surfaces may contaminate food. Such contamination has the potential to cause adverse reactions, such as an allergic reaction including hives, anaphylaxis and death, in sensitive people who consume or otherwise contact the contaminated food.
Microbial culturing can be used to determine the presence of microorganisms. Culturing, however, is time consuming and, therefore, the necessary "real time" feedback to sanitation and food preparation personnel may not be available. As a result, food exposed to surfaces that are later found to contain potentially harmful microorganisms could enter the food supply. Therefore, hygiene and sanitation analysis of a wide variety of materials in industrial, health care and other settings often depend upon the measurement of an intensity of light beam.
Therefore, luminometers, photometers and other instruments for detecting and measuring absorption or emission of light from a test sample can be useful measures of chemical and biological systems and changes, particularly in the determination of emitted light from test samples containing luminescent components. Luminometers, photometers and the like often measure light emission, wherein the test sample, whose light is to be determined, can be maintained at an acceptable optical temperature or other required conditions. Photometer analyzers are typically included for use with multiple bioluminescent or chemiluminescent assay tests. In some applications, a portable analyzer works in conjunction with a varying number of sample holders to determine and measure the presence of ATP, pesticides, phosphatase, and somatic cells; predict shelf life; and also to conduct general microbial quality tests for a wide variety of products. Typically, these devices are capable of storing and sorting assay data in its memory, and transferring information to a display panel or printer or a computer system.
Traditional devices may include a sample chamber with an entrance port, into which a test vial containing the test sample to be determined is inserted. In particular examples, the test vial containing the sample employed in the test sample holder is a transparent or translucent vial, which permits the passage or emission of the emitted exposed light, for example, in a bioluminescent assay, and, for example, permits light transmission of from about 300 to 650 nanometers, which is visible light range. The test vial with the test sample therein may be separately inserted, or may be removed as a detachable component of a separate test sample holder device, such as an elongated tube, for example, a POCKETSWAB device, (a registered trademark of Charm Sciences, Inc., of Lawrence, Mass.), or other test sample holders described herein.
However, conventional luminomter systems and devices require efficient use of photomultiplier tubes, photodiodes or the like for the sensitivity needed to properly detect light levels to ensure product quality and safety.
Therefore, Applicants desire systems and methods for improved luminomter efficiency of photon counting, without the drawbacks presented by the traditional systems and methods.


Shapes and solids modeled by a 3-D computer graphics system have "intelligence", i.e., the shape typically includes a wide variety of characteristics in addition to geometric (e.g., size and positional) information. These additional characteristics permit a user to manipulate 3-D shapes intuitively using a graphical user interface providing "drag and drop" capabilities--reducing the number of factors the user must worry about, saving a lot of time and user frustration, and allowing even non-technical, unskilled users to rapidly and efficiently create impressive images. A component-based architecture may expose any of multiple, alternate representations of the same shape depending on the particular need or application to provide an "intelligent load" that is especially powerful and advantageous in remote interactive imaging applications (e.g., via the Internet) where data transfer and/or load times must be minimized. The shape architecture is hierarchical and extensible--providing great flexibility and expandability.

Images and pictures affect all of us every day in ways large and small. Pictures can have incredible impact, prompting people to buy a product, dress in a certain way, do or not do certain things, laugh or cry, and sometimes change their lives in radical ways. Some pictures are truly unforgettable.
The pictures hanging in art museums are one example of how images can be used to express complex, artistic ideas. However, because of their effectiveness, pictures and images are useful to communicate all sorts of complicated ideas and concepts. For example, a chart or an animation may allow someone to visualize and understand complicated concepts and relationships that only experts can otherwise grasp.
Images are also a very efficient way of conveying ideas. A picture is often worth at least a thousand words. This is why, for example, machinists work from blueprints rather than oral descriptions. Without a detailed blueprint, a machinist might construct a part very different from the one the design engineer has in mind.
Because of the importance of images and pictures in communicating ideas, human history has been filled with attempts to improve drawing tools and techniques. For example, centuries have been devoted to improving the colors and qualities of inks and paints. The invention of the lead pencil was a major improvement in drawing tools. But, no prior drawing tool compares in versatility and power to modern computer graphics.
Computer graphics (techniques for using computers to create images) have revolutionized images and pictures. It is now possible to create, with a computer, images so real that they appear to be photographs of actual real world scenes. Hollywood uses computer-generated special effects to produce realistic film sequences of space travel, dinosaurs, monsters, and other miraculous images. On a more mundane level, a graphic arts designer creating a corporate logo or a draftsman creating blueprints of a new car part may often nowadays use a computer instead of pencil and paper.
The world of computer graphics is divided into two fundamentally different types of computer graphics systems: two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D). 2-D and 3-D systems each produce images on the flat, two-dimensional surface of a computer display or other imaging device. However, 2-D and 3-D systems are fundamentally different in the way they represent and process images.
A 2-D system can be analogized to a bulletin board. Each object has height, width, and up/down and left/right positions in a flat 2-D plane. The 2-D representation of an object is thus analogous to a flat image fragment like cardboard cut-outs a class of first graders might use to create a bulletin board display. 2-D computer graphics are very useful for drawing certain types of images (e.g., flat views of parts to be manufactured, blueprints and the like), but suffer from lack of realism and flexibility. Because each 2-D object has only height and width, it is difficult for 2-D computer graphics techniques to show realistic scenes from a variety of different viewpoints. Additionally, since lighting and reflection are essentially 3-D phenomena, it is very difficult to provide realistic lighting of a scene represented in 2-D. Furthermore, interactions between objects in a 2-D world are constrained and often not realistic.
In contrast, a 3-D computer graphics system represents each object in a scene in three dimensions. In a 3-D representation, each object has a height, a width and a depth--and a 3-D position within a 3-D "universe." The computer must do more processing and perform more complex calculations because it must keep track of three dimensions instead of two--but much more realistic images can result. Using 3-D computer graphics, the computer can show what an object looks like from any arbitrary viewing angle. For example, a 3-D computer model of an airplane might permit the computer operator to do a virtual "walk around" of the airplane, seeing it from the left side, the right side, the top, the front, the back, undernath--and even inside it. 3-D graphics also allow more realistic lighting effects to accommodate different directions and types of lights. Even more significantly, 3-D computer graphics can handle interactions between objects in much more sophisticated and realistic ways. Since a 3-D system keeps track of depth as well as height and width, it can allow one object to pass through another object so that it is partially within and partially outside of the object (e.g., a dart sticking out of a dart board; a bird that is behind, in front of, or partially within and partially outside of a tree; or a pipe fitting the end of which has been inserted into the flange of another part).
FIGS. 1A-1E show examples of images produced by a 3-D computer graphics embodiment in accordance with this invention. The FIG. 1A blueprint and associated part shows the contrast between 2-D (the background) and 3-D (a 3-D model of the part) with realistic shadowing and lighting. The parlor scene of FIG. 1B has realistic depth, lighting and shadowing not generally possible using a 2-D system. The FIG. 1C collage shows how a computer can create a realistic looking 3-D scene that couldn't exist in the real world. The FIG. 1D illustration of flowers shows how joinings between objects can be rendered realistically using a 3-D system. The FIG. 1E "landscape" of a game of jacks shows realistic shadowing and depth.
Ease of use has always been a significant problem in computer graphics. Many early computer graphics systems could be operated only by skilled computer programmers who understood--and could write in--the particular language the computer understands. In such early systems, a computer programmer would define an image by specifying a series of commands directing the computer to draw each image within a scene. A problem with this approach was that it was very time consuming and could only be done by an expert.
Much work has been done since then to make computer graphics easier to use. For example, the "mouse" pointing device was developed in the early 1980s as a way to allow a computer user to manipulate images on a display screen without having to key in commands using a keyboard. Additionally, advances in graphical user interface (GUI) technology made such systems more accessible to users other than skilled computer programmers. Although such advances in user friendliness have made computer graphics more accessible, even recent computer graphics systems and software capable of providing realistic images are generally difficult to use and require a high degree of skill to successfully operate to produce realistic images.
The ways in which the computer represents 3-D objects has a direct impact on many aspects of a computer graphics system--including how easy or difficult it is to use the system. CAD systems in the past have modeled solids with constructive solid geometry (CSG) trees, hierarchical assembly structures and with some instancing. But further improvements are still needed and desirable.
This invention provides techniques for enhancing, expanding and extending prior computer graphics 3-D object representations, and to provide enhanced efficient use and processing of the representations. These improvements make it easier to use the computer graphics system and have other benefits as well.
In accordance with one aspect provided by this invention, shapes and solids ("shapes") modeled by a 3-D computer graphics system are provided with "intelligence." The shape typically includes geometric information (e.g., size and positional information), but may also include a wide variety of additional parameters--some of which may have nothing to do with the shape's geometry or display characteristics. For example, some intelligent shapes may include parameters specifying how the shape is to interact with other shapes--allowing the 3-D shapes to be manipulated more intuitively using a graphical user interface providing "drag and drop" capabilities. As one specific example, an intelligent shape may "know" how to land and slide over other shapes, how to snap into place and interlock with other shapes, how to maintain certain distances from other shapes, that a shape should slide on a surface or a certain distance away from a surface. In architectural drawing, for example, an intelligent shape modeling a chair could specify that the same scene must include a matching chair; that the chair should be spaced a minimum distance from a wall; that when the chair is graphically manipulated, it is to slide along the floor while maintaining contact with the floor; and that if purchased, the (corresponding real life) chair will take eight to twelve weeks for delivery.
This ability to specify the ways in which a shape interacts with other shapes provides great advantages in terms of ease of use. Using the model of a chair as an example, a user can use a mouse or other pointing device and an associated graphical interface to "drag" the chair from one place to another within a model room. Meanwhile, the chair "knows" that it is always to remain in contact with the floor and to stay in a particular orientation relative to the room (i.e., so it never floats above the floor and never tips over). This additional "intelligent" control reduces the number of factors the user must worry about, saves a lot of time and user frustration, and allows even non-technical, unskilled users to rapidly and efficiently create impressive images.
The present invention thus provides shape representations and associated architectures that allow shape properties to be operatively interconnected to behave "intelligently" in response to user interaction or other external events. The connections and relationships between the shape properties (data) allow the shapes to have their own unique response appropriate to the shape itself. For example, lengthening an intelligent shape representing a staircase may cause more treads to appear--rather than widening each tread to some unnatural, impractical width. A cube shape can know that if any dimension is changed, all dimensions must be changed so it remains a cube. A dart shape can know that it is to attach itself to another surface at its point and that its point is to penetrate a certain distance into that other surface.
The "intelligent" shapes may also provide multiple representations of the same 3-D object. For example, the "complete" representation of a shape or object may include a variety of information for a variety of different purposes. One representation (precise surfaces) may only be needed by manufacturing engineers. Some of the characteristics (e.g., position, color, texture, approximate "facet" form, etc.) relating to the geometry of the shape may be used for drawing an image. Some shapes can be used to intelligently modify the geometry of other shapes (e.g., a hole can be drilled into a shape, a block can be welded to another block, etc.) Other shape characteristics (e.g., minimum distance from the wall, a requirement to stay in contact with the floor, a requirement or capability to "snap in" and interlock with another shape automatically, etc.) may only be needed when the user is manipulating the shape to establish its new position in the scene. Still other shape properties (e.g., whether it is hard or soft, whether it bounces or breaks, whether it pulls or attracts another shape to it (undeformed or by deforming the other shape) as it comes close to it, etc.) may relate to the dynamic behavior of the shape when the shape is used in an animation or the like. Still other shape properties (e.g., it will take 8 to 12 weeks to order a chair) may be needed only when the item represented by the shape is purchased electronically or otherwise. Access to various levels of representations can be limited depending on privileges granted to content users (for example, a buyer of a GE refrigerator doesn't care about the details of the motor, he or she just wants to know its power and possibly its specs if he ever needs to replace it).
A component-based architecture provided in accordance with this invention may be used to expose any of multiple, alternate representations of the same shape depending on the particular need or application. The ability of intelligent shapes to be represented by a wide variety of different types of information without degrading the efficiency in which the representations can be accessed and manipulated for different purposes is very powerful in providing optimal performance and flexibility. Multiple representations of a shape can also be used to provide an "intelligent load" that loads only those components necessary for a particular task. For example, if the shape is being accessed only by reference through another shape, only those components and associated data pertaining to the specific reference (e.g., certain geometrical characteristics) may need to be accessed. A user merely interested in generating an image of a predefined scene may only need to access and load those shape components required for imaging. Un-needed components need not be loaded or even read. This multiple representation and intelligent load feature is especially powerful and advantageous in remote interactive imaging applications (e.g., via the Internet) where data transfer and/or load times must be minimized.
Various different shape properties may be maintained in (or through) individual independent "components" that interface with a general purpose shape bus. Additionally, a component-based representation substantially simplifies the complexity of the overall environment and provides great flexibility by permitting the shape representation to be freely extended on an as-needed basis. In accordance with one specific aspect provided by the present invention, the components may "plug into" the bus using a generic interface or "socket" configuration--permitting use of a wide variety of different component types that can change from one application to the next. These components may include (and/or reference) data as well as executable code, and may respond to messages or "events" on the bus. The components may also broadcast or send messages to other components (or other structures) via the bus.
Components need only respond to bus messages that concern them. This ability of different components within the representation to react or respond to (only) events that concern them provides enhanced flexibility and efficiency. For example, components defining dynamic behavior may ignore messages pertaining to the generation of static images. For example, only a surface texture component (and no others) may need to respond to a message that the user has selected a different surface texture for the shape.
In accordance with another aspect provided by the present invention, different components may be independent of one another so they can each be used with or without other components. While most shapes will typically have at least basic geometry components (e.g., size and position), even these components may be independent of one another and of any other components that may be used. Component independence facilitates multiple representations and also enhances the modular nature of the representation.
In accordance with yet another feature, the components in the component-based architecture provided by this invention are stored and maintained separately from at least some data to which they refer. Thus, the representation of a shape may be stored in two parts: a content file defining the various components, and a data file storing the data for each of the defined components. This storage arrangement enhances the ability of multiple shapes to efficiently reference one another without introducing processing inefficiencies. For example, multiple instances of the same generic shape (e.g., the four wheels of a car) may have essentially identical components but differ in the positional (and possibly other) data to which the components refer. This technique also facilitates one shape efficiently referencing another shape (e.g., increasing the size of a car wheel also increases the size of the hubcap). The reusability of shapes, components and data facilitated by this approach provides for a more compact representation and provides further increases in efficiency.
In accordance with yet another feature provided by this invention, an optional, precise geometry component may be provided as part of a shape's representation. Graphics arts designers typically have no need for or interest in the precise dimensions of a 3-D model--but such precise dimensions may be absolutely critical to a machine part designer. Precise geometry components need not be accessed for normal "imaging" on a display, but may be used to provide additional precision (e.g., for automatically rendering the solid model in blueprint form). In one specific example, the user can control whether or not a precise geometry component is maintained. In another example, there can be different versions of a computer graphics system--some that support precise geometry capabilities and some that don't.
By way of summary and still further explanation, the present invention provides the following example advantageous features:
A shape modeled in accordance with the present invention provides a simple, open, efficient, customizable, hierarchical, dynamic, and extensible object that may be used to define a 3-D object. PA1 Intuitive intelligent shape 3-D drawing capabilities. PA1 Simply drag and drop intelligent 3-D shapes that know how to land and slide over each other. PA1 The programmed intelligence of shapes lets them respond to changes and interact with other shapes in logical, even thoughtful ways. Shapes routinely slide around and blend into each other without special cues from the user. PA1 The intelligent shapes "know" about each other; if the user drags a box onto a slab, the two shapes can orient themselves similarly in 3-D space and automatically group into a model. PA1 The shapes contain attachment points which know how to glue to each other. PA1 Shape representation includes information beyond geometry. PA1 Multiple representations of the same 3-D object. PA1 Multiple representation may include image (e.g., facet, curve, surface finish, text), physical (e.g., extrude, turn, sweep, loft, history), functional (e.g., anchor, precise dimensions, variable), and behavioral (e.g., static and dynamic). PA1 Properties can specify dynamic behavior (e.g., how to snap objects together, animation behavior, etc.) PA1 Capable of precise representation for manufacturing purposes. PA1 Hierarchical representation. PA1 Advanced intelligent shape properties include blending, chamfering, tapering, shelling and capping. PA1 Intelligent shapes align, move, size, rotate, and tilt easily using a "snap in" capability that snaps them to tangencies, midpoints, edges and attachment points. PA1 Possible to have behavior components defining characteristics such as, for example, motion properties for acceleration and gravity. PA1 Multiple instances for reusability. PA1 Simple numeric entry for size and position. PA1 Multiple levels of editing expose different shape characteristics to provide ease of use. PA1 Representation is extensible. PA1 Properties establish relationships between objects. PA1 Independent components. PA1 Components may be defined by a set of named data fields; expressions can relate fields together. PA1 Hierarchical group component defined structure. PA1 Components are dynamic; they can be added and/or removed at run time in response to user requests. PA1 Component types can be added at any time. PA1 Components can be shared between shapes (instancing). PA1 Event driven--component functionality such as draw triggered by signals from an event bus. PA1 A bus provides conflict resolution as well as broadcast send and receive capabilities. PA1 Intelligent loading. PA1 Intelligent shapes are fully customizable by the user. PA1 In one example, any OLE automation scripting language can completely define a shape. PA1 3-D body and facet data can be compiled from simple definitions and optionally saved.

Intelligent shapes for authoring three-dimensional models


There is provided a low-cost electronic control unit that is capable of performing its hardware check every start and stop of the electronic control unit. A monitoring and control circuit section that is an integrated circuit element built in the electronic control unit includes a self-test circuit configured with a built-in self-test control block, scan chain circuits and mask circuitry, and performs a self-test using the built-in self-test control block and a partial combination of the scan chain circuits at start of the operation. In the shipment inspection of the integrated circuit element alone, an external test is performed by a checker microprocessor using an entire combination of the scan chain circuits. Thus, the electronic control unit of low-cost configuration is capable of performing a scan test by making use of part of the scan chain circuits designed for the component inspection.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electronic control unit that has an integrated circuit element and is mounted in, for example, a vehicle, and relates to a component test unit that performs in the product shipment stage a rationalized anomaly check associating mutually an anomaly check for the electronic control unit in actual operation with a component anomaly check for the integrated circuit element built in the electronic control unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electronic control unit mounted in, for example, a vehicle that includes an input interface circuit connected to input sensors; an output interface circuit connected to electric loads; and at least one integrated circuit element connected with the input interface circuit and the output interface circuit, the electronic control unit performs during operation a check on connection states of wirings to the input sensors and the electric loads connected externally, and performs an anomaly check whether there is an error in the control constants and the control program stored in the internal RAM memory and the program memory, whereby reliability of the control unit is enhanced. According to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-030543A "IN-VEHICLE ENGINE CONTROL DEVICE", a microprocessor that constitutes a first integrated circuit element includes, as a start-up inspection means, an interruption check means for the major external wirings; a read/write check means for the RAM memory; and a code check means for the program memory, and includes, as an regular inspection means inspecting during operation, a code check means for a program-memory block whose number n is successively incremented; and an invert logic verification means for the RAM memory. Moreover, a monitoring and control circuit section that is a second integrated circuit element used concurrently with the first integrated circuit element monitors the operational state of the microprocessor by periodically sending questionnaire information to the microprocessor being in operation, to determine whether answer information obtained from the microprocessor agrees with corresponding correct information, and initializes and reboots the microprocessor when detecting an error. (See FIG. 1, paragraphs [0015] and [0017]; FIG. 2, paragraph [0021]; and FIG. 3, paragraphs [0030] and [0031].)
According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-181138A "SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, DESIGN DEVICE AND DESIGN METHOD", on the other hand, a scan test method is applied to a test for the integrated semiconductor circuit, in which a scan chain circuit is configured by connecting serially a plurality of flip-flops in the integrated circuit, and an internal signal indicating a result obtained by inputting a test pattern to the integrated circuit and operating it is transferred through the scan chain circuit and is output externally. Scan test methods are categorized into an external scan test method (external test method) and a compressed scan test method (compressed test method, internal test method, or self-test method). In an external scan test method, a test data is scanned in from a test device provided externally of the integrated semiconductor circuit element, and a scan-out signal obtained is analyzed and evaluated by the test device. In a compressed scan test method, a scan-in data is generated by a pseudorandom number generator in the integrated semiconductor circuit, and a scan-out signal obtained is compressed to be analyzed and evaluated in the integrated semiconductor circuit. The patent application JP2012-181138A discloses a test method for a semiconductor integrated circuit of low-power consumption type that halts input of the clock signal to an unoperated register during operation. In the method, a design device, which is a test device, provided externally of the semiconductor integrated circuit element performs an external test using an external scan test method and the scan chain circuits are divided into a plurality of segments and a segment to which the clock signal to be fed is selected by a random number generator provided internally of the semiconductor integrated circuit element so that no overcurrent is generated during the test. (See FIG. 1, paragraph [0017]; and FIG. 3, paragraph [0028].)
In contrast to the above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-266815A "ELECTRONIC SYSTEM WITH SELF-DIAGNOSTIC FUNCTION AND SIMULATION APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONIC SYSTEM" employs a compressed scan test method that allows determination of normality or non-normality of a to-be-tested circuit without connecting it to an external test device. The patent application JP2000-266815A discloses a system that includes a random number generation means storing a pseudorandom number pattern shifted by one bit from a pseudorandom number pattern generated by a pseudorandom number generator provided in the integrated circuit element when the pseudorandom number generator serially outputs the pseudorandom number pattern, and outputting data constituting the one-bit-shifted pseudorandom number pattern to the scan pass circuit (the same meaning of "scan chain circuit") when a logic operation result of the tested circuit is parallelly input to the scan pass circuit. (See FIG. 1.)
In addition, the integrated circuit-element testing methods described in the patent applications JP2012-181138A and JP2000-266815A are explained in "SCAN TEST", Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Technical Committee of Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, online EDA Glossary (revised edition), Nikkei Business Publications, Jan. 13, 2009 (URL:http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/WORD/20090107/163744/). The scan test is performed by a series of operations of scan-in and scan-out. Turning a scan enabling signal to, for example, "H" logic level of the enabling state permits a scan-in mode, in which a diagnostic pulse-train signal is scanned-in in synchronism with the clock signal and then diagnostic information is input to each flip-flop circuit that constitutes a shift register. Then, turning the scan enabling signal to "L" logic level of the disabling state permits a capture mode, in which outputs of the combination circuits for the diagnostic information are captured into the flip-flop circuits on input of the internal clock signal in the capture mode. Turning again the scan enabling signal to "H" logic level of the enabling state permits a scan-out mode, in which the information in the shift registers is sent out as a measurement pulse-train signal in synchronism with the clock signal. The diagnostic section determines whether the combination circuit performs a normal logic operation by comparing correct pulse-train information with the measurement pulse-train signal for the diagnostic pulse-train signal input in the scan-in mode.
The vehicle-mounted engine control unit according to the patent application JP2009-030543A executes a complex functional check on various combination for the microprocessor and the monitoring and control circuit section in the integrated circuit element at start of operation or during operation, whereby reliability of the vehicle-mounted engine control unit is enhanced. However, no detail checks are made individually on the various combination circuits, with the microprocessor and the monitoring and control circuit section being halted. In particular, it is difficult to perform quickly the detail checks within a limited permissible time at start of operation; therefore such detail checks have been unachieved. The test method according to the patent application JP2012-181138A is no other than an external scan test method in actuality although the random number generator incorporated in the integrated circuit element is jointly used, and the patent application JP2000-266815A employs the compressed scan test method using the random number generator incorporated in the integrated circuit element. However, the scan pass circuit (scan chain circuit) disclosed in either application is used as a detail check means dedicated to the shipment inspection in the final process of manufacturing the integrated circuit element. Therefore, a detail check for various combination circuits cannot be performed by making use of these scan pass circuits (scan chain circuits), with the integrated circuit element assembled into the actual electronic control unit.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an electronic control unit that is composed of inexpensive integral circuit elements and is able to be checked in detail for various combinations of the integrated circuit element built in the electronic control unit within a limited time immediately after start or stop of operation. A second object of the present invention is to provide a component test unit for an integrated circuit element in which part of a scan pass circuit (hereinafter referred to as a scan chain circuit) used in a component test for the integrated circuit element can also be used as a detailed check means for the inside of the integrated circuit element when the integrated circuit element is mounted in the electronic control unit.

Electronic control unit having integrated circuit element and standalone test unit for integrated circuit element


The present invention relates to a method of performing a variable film etch using a variable thickness photomask material. Essentially, a thickness of an adjustable film layer is measured and converted into a contour map of film thickness over a region of a semiconductor body (e.g., wafer). An etch mask layer (e.g., photoresist) is then formed above the adjustable film layer and is selectively patterned by a reticleless exposure system (e.g., DMD exposure system). The selective patterning subjects different regions of the etch mask layer to varying exposure times dependent upon the thickness of the underlying adjustable film. The more etching needed to provide the underlying film to a nominal thickness, the longer the exposure of the etch mask. Therefore, the resultant etch mask, after exposure, comprises a topology allowing for various degrees of selective etching of the underlying film resulting in a uniform film.

Integrated chips are formed by complex fabrication processes comprising a plurality of steps including film depositions, dopings, thermal anneals, etc. These complex processes can be used to form integrated chips having a plurality of diverse devices (e.g., analog devices, digital devices, etc.). For example, single integrated chips having broad functionality (e.g., digital, analog, mixed-signal, and radio-frequency functions) that may extend into the radio frequency and mixed-signal areas require the integration of passive devices, such as capacitors and/or resistors, on to an IC die. Many devices have operational characteristics that are heavily dependent upon their spatial layout. Therefore, during the formation of such devices variations in the fabrication process (process variations) can have a large impact on the operational characteristics of such devices by changing the spatial layout of the devices.
For example, there are various types of capacitors that can be used on integrated chips. Metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) capacitors can be used as a passive capacitor. Metal-insulator-metal capacitors (MIM or MIM cap) are also commonly found in integrated chips. As the name implies, MIM caps are usually found between interconnect metal levels. MIM caps are integrated into various integrated circuits for applications such as analog-logic, analog-to-digital, mixed signal and radio frequency circuits. Current methods of integration of MIMs into integrated circuits require multiple photolithographic and etching steps.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a typical MIM capacitor. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a MIM cap, it will be appreciated that other capacitors (e.g., MOS caps) share a similar structure. As shown in FIG. 1, a MIM cap 100 is formed over a semiconductor body 102. The MIM cap 100 is configured to comprise a lower gate electrode layer 104 (e.g., M3) comprised within dielectric material 106 and an upper gate electrode layer 110 (e.g., M4) comprised within dielectric material 112. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower gate electrode 104 is vertically separated from the upper gate electrode layer 110 by one or more dielectric layers 108. Typically the one or more dielectric layers 108 are comprised of high k dielectric material to increase capacitance of the device 100 while decreasing the size. Precision capacitors often use one or more dielectric layers comprising an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) dielectric stack, which allows for thinner layers and increased performance. Alternatively, other materials such as tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) or hafnium oxide (HfO2) are also used. It will be appreciated that capacitors may also comprise additional layers between the lower and upper metal plates also.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 1, precise process control of film deposition thickness of a dielectric layer in a capacitor is important to the performance of the device. Other devices share a similar dependence between performance and process control of thin film depositions. For example, standard analog and mixed signal silicon processes require precise control of the thickness of deposited films/layers to provide uniformity of the design from fab-to-fab, lot-to-lot, wafer-to-wafer, and even within a wafer.
Various techniques are often used to provide uniformity of deposited films. For example, standard techniques comprise providing multiple sources for the deposition of gases, providing uniformity of temperature across a semiconductor wafer, providing uniformity of plasma conditions across the wafer. None the less, such techniques still allow for variation within the devices and often it is necessary to implement a method of making a post fabrication adjustment to the devices to bring device specifications back within their original design value.

Variable thickness single mask etch process


A system, method and device for positioning a target located within soft tissue in a path of an instrument inserted into the soft tissue includes: a manipulation system including a plurality of force applicators positioned around the soft tissue containing the target; an image acquisition system including an imaging probe for obtaining data for generating an image of the soft tissue containing the target; a detection means for detecting deflection of the target using the data from the imaging probe; and a control means for actuating the plurality of force applicators to apply forces on the soft tissue in response to a detected deflection of the target to move the target back in line with the path of the instrument. In an exemplary embodiment, the soft tissue is a breast, the imaging probe is an ultrasound imaging probe, and the instrument is a biopsy needle.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. American Cancer Society, 2007 [1]. However, early detection of breast cancer has been proven to reduce mortality by about 20% to 35%. Elmore et al., 2005 [2]. Histopathological examination is considered to be the "gold standard" for definitive diagnosis of cancer but requires tissue samples that are collected through biopsy. Of the two major approaches for breast biopsy, needle biopsy and open excisional biopsy, needle biopsy is the most commonly practiced because it is less traumatic, produces little or no scar, allows quicker recovery, and is less expensive.
Despite many benefits of needle biopsy, there are significant technical challenges concerning accurate steering and precise placement of a biopsy needle at the target in breast tissue. To successfully remove a suspicious small targeted lump (e.g., less than 5 mm in diameter) various issues must be addressed, such as architectural distortion and target deflection during needle insertion and poor maneuverability of the biopsy needle. These issues are even more important when the collection of a large and intact core becomes necessary for histopathological diagnosis. Currently, large core samples are collected using large needles such as a 14-gauge (2.1 mm in diameter) true cutting needle, a 10-gauge (3.4 mm in diameter) vacuum-assisted needle, and other radiofrequency (RF) cutting instruments (EN-BLOC® and RUBICOR®) that increase insertion force significantly.
Although mammography, sonography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have significantly improved early detection of breast cancer, accurate placement of a biopsy needle at the target location and reliable collection of target tissue remain challenging tasks.
Needle biopsies are guided by either stereotactic mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound (US) imaging. Sonography is the most widely used imaging technique because of its real-time capability and cost-effectiveness. For a few years three dimensional (3D) US systems have been available, but they are not as widely used as two dimensional (2D) US systems because of their high cost. 3D reconstruction algorithms have also been developed for real-time 3D rendering of a volume with image data acquired using a 2D US probe. Solberg et al., 2007 [3]. Real-time 3D reconstruction uses pixel data from the current US image slice to update the 3D volume. Hence the entire 3D volume cannot be reconstructed in real-time. To overcome this, researchers have developed techniques to extrapolate 3D volume data using 2D image slices. This technique is not applicable to breast biopsies due to the deformation of the breast during needle insertion.
Despite numerous benefits of needle biopsy, however, there are significant challenges concerning accurate steering and precise placement of a biopsy needle at the target (the word target as used herein refers to a tumor, a lesion or just a suspected region of tissue) in breast tissue. First, as the needle is inserted, large tissue deformation causes the target to move away from the line of insertion of the needle. DiMaio et al., 2003 [4]. This may necessitate multiple insertions at the same biopsy site to successfully sample the target. Second, current state-of-the-art US guided biopsy technique is highly dependent on the skill of the surgeon. The surgeon performs this procedure by holding the US probe with two or three fingers of one hand while using the other two or three fingers to stabilize the breast, and inserts the needle with the other hand. Since 2D sonography only provides image of a planar cross-section, if the target moves out of plane of the US probe, the surgeon has to continuously reorient the US probe to keep the needle and the target in the imaging plane while inserting the needle. It is critical to orient the imaging plane parallel to the needle, otherwise a false impression of the needle tip causes sampling errors. Since stabilization of the breast is problematic and steering of the needle inside the breast is extremely difficult, many insertion attempts may be required to successfully sample the target. This may cause architectural damage to the tissue, excessive bleeding obscuring the guiding images, surgeons' fatigue and patient discomfort.
Currently available commercial biopsy instruments (Mammotome®, Vacora® etc.) do not compensate for target movement during needle insertion. Robotic systems to improve the accuracy of needle insertions (see: Stoianovici et al. 1998 [5] and Cleary et al., 2001 [6]) do not provide real-time trajectory correction to overcome error due to target movement. In Okazawa et al., 2005 [7], DiMaio et al., [8] and Glozman et al., 2007 [9], steerable needle techniques are presented that allow steering the tip of the needle towards the target during insertion. Steerable devices can only be used with small caliber needles and hence are unsuitable for core needle biopsies. A visually controlled needle-guiding system is developed in Loser et al., 2000 [10], for automatic or remote controlled percutaneous interventions. Though this system potentially reduces the number of insertions required to sample the target, maneuvering a needle inside the breast causes tissue damage. In Azar et al, 2002 [11] and Alterovitz et al., 2003 [12], a finite element model of the breast is used to predict the movement of the target. The needle path is planned based on this prediction to accurately sample the target. To get an accurate prediction of the movement of the target, finite element analysis requires the geometric model and mechanical properties of the breast. In [11], the average time for computation is 29 minutes.
Researchers have developed robotic systems to alleviate the difficulty associated with acquiring US images during medical procedures. A force controlled robotic manipulator for performing cardiovascular 3D US image acquisition has been presented in Pierrot et al, 1999 [14]. Teleoperated master/slave robotic systems have been developed that enable remote acquisition of US images. See: Masuda et al., 2001 [15] and Vischis et al., 2003 [16]. A needle driver robot is presented in Hong et al., 2004 [17] where two degrees of freedom (DOF) in the US image plane are controlled through visual servoing. In this approach the needle is constrained to lie in the US image plane for visual feedback. This idea is extended in Vitrani et al., 2005 [18], where the controlled instrument is not constrained to lie in a plane but has to intersect with the US image plane. An image guided robot for positioning the US probe and tracking a target in real-time has been developed for diagnostic US Abolmaesumi et al., 2002 [19]. The robot controller, US image processor and the operator have shared control over the robot for guiding the US probe.
Even though these systems greatly reduce the difficulty of acquiring US images, the target cannot be tracked in real-time if it moves out of the imaging plane of the probe. In Krupa et al., 2007 [20], a speckle decorrelation technique is presented for estimating out-of-plane motion of a target. Simulation results presented assume rigid motion of internal tissue to preserve correlation between successive image planes. Due to needle insertion and target manipulation, large tissue deformation occurs inside the breast which prohibits application of this technique.
Force sensors are typically used to ensure contact between the surface and the US probe [14][16][19].
A hybrid controller is needed for coordinating multiple systems for robotic biopsy is needed. There has been some work on developing such hybrid controllers in other non-analogous fields, such as industrial robotics, medicine and manufacturing (see: Antsaklis, 2000 [23]), however no work has been done with respect to such a system for biopsy purposes.

System, method and device for positioning a target located within soft tissue in a path of an instrument


A method of reducing surface tackiness of a silicone rubber cured product is provided. The method includes coating the surface of a cured product of a curable silicone rubber composition, which has a molar ratio within the composition of hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon atoms relative to alkenyl groups bonded to silicon atoms of 1.0 or greater, and which, following curing, exhibits a type A hardness prescribed in JIS K6253 of no more than 20, with a curable silicone resin layer which, following curing, exhibits a type D hardness prescribed in JIS K6253 of 30 or greater; and subsequently curing the silicone resin to form a cured resin layer with a thickness of no more than 0.5 mm. Adhesion of dirt to the surface can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of reducing the surface tackiness of a silicone rubber cured product, an addition reaction curable liquid silicone rubber composition for sealing semiconductors, and applications of that composition. In other words, the invention relates to applications such as a silicone rubber-sealed semiconductor device that uses the above composition as a sealing material for a semiconductor element, and a method of producing such a device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Silicone rubber compositions form cured products that exhibit excellent properties of weather resistance and heat resistance, and excellent rubber-like characteristics such as hardness and elongation, and are consequently used in all manner of applications. Furthermore, because excellent heat resistance and light resistance can be achieved by coating a target product with a silicone rubber, silicone rubbers are also being investigated as potential materials for all manner of packages.
The sealing (molding) of semiconductor elements using silicone cured products is already being conducted, but amongst the various possible silicone cured products, hard resins tend to be prone to cracking or bonding wire deformation problems, whereas soft rubbers exhibit surface tackiness, meaning they tend to be prone to dirt adhesion, and also suffer frequently from adhesion of the sealing resin (the molding resin) within the parts feeder. A common countermeasure to these problems is a method in which a soft rubber or gel is used as an inner material, and the exterior of this inner material is then coated with a hard rubber or hard resin (patent reference 1). However, in this method, because the soft rubber or soft gel usually retains small quantities of residual vinyl groups within the cured polymer, it tends to be affected by the exterior hard rubber or hard resin, meaning the inner soft rubber or gel gradually hardens over time, increasing the likelihood of bonding wire breakage or deformation.
[Patent Reference 1]
U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,890

Method of reducing surface tackiness of silicone rubber cured product, liquid silicone rubber composition for sealing semiconductor, silicone rubber-sealed semiconductor device, and method of producing semiconductor device


A hydraulic drive device for an industrial vehicle includes a tank, a hydraulic pump, a capacity control valve, a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, a plurality of direction switching valves, a first hydraulic oil passage, a second hydraulic oil passages, a pilot line, a relief valve, a relief pressure setting portion, a plurality of operation detecting portions, and a control unit. The control valve controls the hydraulic pumps so that a differential pressure between a discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump and a pilot pressure of the pilot line is to be a predetermined pressure. The control unit controls the relief pressure setting portion.

The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic drive device for an industrial vehicle.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-25137 discloses a conventional technique as a hydraulic drive device for an industrial vehicle. The hydraulic drive device described in the Publication No. 2018-25137 includes a variable capacity type hydraulic pump, a regulator changing a tilt angle of the hydraulic pump, and a pilot circuit supplying pilot pressure to the regulator. The pilot circuit has a pilot hydraulic source and a control valve disposed between the pilot hydraulic source and the regulator. The control valve increases pilot pressure supplied to the regulator by controlling pilot pressure from the pilot hydraulic source as discharge pressure of the hydraulic pump increases.
By the way, upper limit pressure of hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump is determined, for example, by adjusting an adjust screw disposed in the control valve. Thus, the upper limit pressure of hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump is constant regardless of an operated hydraulic cylinder.
The present disclosure is directed to providing a hydraulic drive device for an industrial vehicle that may change upper limit pressure of hydraulic oil discharged from a hydraulic pump corresponding to an operated hydraulic cylinder.

Hydraulic drive device for industrial vehicle


An inert gas nitrogen mixture is used as a shielding gas to prevent weld hot cracking in superalloys containing zirconium and/or boron. The gas mixture preferably contains argon and about 2 to 8% by volume nitrogen. Test data show excellent results are obtained when gas tungsten arc welding HAYNES 214 alloy which normally contains boron and zirconium and a minimal content of titanium.

In the production of superalloys (nickel, cobalt and/or iron base) many benefits are obtained with the addition of a small content of boron and/or zirconium, for example, to reduce strain-aging cracking problems. It is also known in the art that these elements, at certain content levels, may be harmful in products in the welded form. U.K. Patent Application No. GB 2,183,675-A discloses among other features, the elimination of zirconium from the well-known WASPALOY alloy to improve weldability of cast products. U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,945 teaches the criticality and interdependence between zirconium and nitrogen contents in the composition of certain alloys. The two elements must be present "to effect grain size control" of the alloy.
An article entitled "A Study of the Weldability and Weld-Related Microstructure of CABOT alloy 214," by M. J. Cieslak, et al, in Metallurgical Transactions, Volume 19A, March 1988, discuses the harmful effects of boron and zirconium when welding a nickel-base alloy now known as HAYNES 214 alloy. HAYNES is a registered trademark of Haynes International, Inc., the assignee of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,931 relates to a nickel-base alloy containing iron, chromium and aluminum. This patent constitutes an improvement over the alloys as defined in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,460,542 and 4,312,682 known as NICRALY alloys generally containing boron and/or zirconium. These alloys, including HAYNES 214 alloy, may contain titanium as an optional element.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,746,209 relates to the use of a hydrogen-nitrogen mixture as a welding shield in electric arc welding. Ammonia is disclosed as a possible source of the H--N mixture. The use of mixed gases in this patent provides improved characteristics of the welding arc. Only a scant mention is made of a "nickel-chromium alloy" being welded. There is no mention of boron or zirconium in the patent.
The addition of nitrogen to metals and alloys has been well-known in the art for many years: for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,069,204; U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,103; No. 4,588,450 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,692. These references relate to the melting and production of alloys or the addition of nitrogen to an alloy in solid state.
The use of nitrogen in welding Types 304 and 316 steel was disclosed in an article "Influence of Nitrogen Addition on Microstructure and Pitting Corrosion Resistance of Austenitic Weld Metal," by Kamachi Mudali, et al, in Werkstoffe un Korrosion (Materials and Corrosion), Vol. 37:12, pp 637-643 December 1986. The article was reported in Current Awareness Bulletin of the Materials and Ceramics Information Center at Battelle Columbus Division, Issue No. 167, June 1987. The article relates to the structure and pitting corrosion properties specifically of Types 304 and 316 stainless steels that normally do not contain boron or zirconium.
The prior art tends to suggest that there is a need for the beneficial effects of boron and zirconium but there is a problem with harmful effects of boron and zirconium in welded alloy products. The combined teachings of these disclosures do not suggest a solution to the problem of weld hot cracking of superalloys containing boron and/or zirconium.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a welding process that reduces, or eliminates, weld hot cracking in the welding of superalloys.
It is another object of this invention to provide such benefits through the use of a new shielding gas composition.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention may be discerned by people skilled in the art from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment.

Shielding gas to reduce weld hot cracking


An encryption apparatus having an encryption interruption/restart function and temporarily interrupting packet processing accompanied with encryption to first process packets having a higher priority order, having a data storage memory for storing data for processing, a common key cipher block for encrypting transferred data to be processed by a common key cipher, and a memory access controller for controlling the data transfer from the data storage memory to the common key cipher block based on a descriptor providing information instructing the transfer data to be processed from the data storage memory, wherein the descriptor includes a descriptor format for instructing a cipher algorithm in the common key cipher and for instructing an encryption mode, and an encryption method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an encryption apparatus and an encryption method provided with an interruption/restart function of processing in authentication by a hash algorithm and encryption by a common key cipher.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a variety of applications for encryption such as decryption of content stored in media and encryption/decryption of data transferred over a network (see for example Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-273389).
For example, data distributed through a network sometimes requires prior processing and transmission of packets having a high priority in order to realize a QoS (Quality Of Service) guaranteeing a certain communication rate.

Encryption apparatus and encryption method


A cooking appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a heating element, a first false wall, a second false wall, and a spit rod. The cabinet may define a cooking chamber. The cooking chamber may extend along a lateral direction between a first chamber side and a second chamber side. The heating element may be mounted within the cabinet. The first false wall may be slidably positioned within the cooking chamber at the first chamber side. The second false wall may be slidably positioned within the cooking chamber at the second chamber side. The spit rod may define a rotation axis from a first rod end to a second rod. The first rod end may be attached to the first false wall to slide therewith. The second rod end may be attached to the second false wall to slide therewith.

Cooking appliances generally define one or more enclosures supporting one or more heating elements. For instance, oven appliances can include a cabinet defining an insulated cooking chamber therein for receipt of food items for cooking. One or more heating elements mounted within the cabinet can act to selectively heat the cooking chamber, such as through passive or active convective heating. Common appliances include an exhaust fan or conduit to direct vapor or fumes from the cooking chamber.
Certain oven appliances provide a rotating rod or spit onto which food may be secured. Such appliances are commonly described as rotisseries or rotisserie cooking appliances. One or more heating elements are generally provided and act to heat food on the spit. In some appliances, one or more fans may be provided to motivate a recirculating heated air flow. For instance, this heated air flow may in turn convectively heat the food as it rotates.
In practice, rotisseries may offer a number of advantages over other appliances or cooking methods. For instance, grease and oil are permitted to drop from food as it rests on the spit. This dripping generally results in less overall fat in the cooked food. Moreover, it ensures that the grease and oil does not settle in any one area of the food. Instead, the food is able to self-baste, evenly distributing natural oils over the surface food of the as it rotates. Compared to other cooking methods, the resulting food prepared from a rotisserie may be more healthful, moist, and evenly cooked.
In spite of the advantages provided by some rotisserie cooking appliances, various drawbacks are often found within existing appliances. For instance, common rotisseries provide a spit at a single fixed position. Such rotisseries are thus limited in the size of food items that can be held by the spit and cooked within the cooking chamber. Moreover, it can be difficult to consistently cook food items that differ in size or mass, especially if the distance to one or more heating elements varies with the volume or mass of the food item. Specifically larger food items may cook differently than smaller food items. If a single item is irregularly shaped, consistency and even heating may be an even greater problem.
As a result, it would be useful to provide a cooking appliance having features for addressing one or more of the above identified issues. In particular, it may be advantageous for a cooking appliance to include features to accommodate food items of varying sizes or ensure even heating of food items within the cooking chamber.


A gate oxide film is formed on a silicon substrate, and a poly-silicon layer is formed on the gate oxide film. A tungsten silicide layer containing titanium is formed on the poly-silicon layer. A silicon nitride film is formed on the tungsten silicide layer. The poly-silicon layer, the tungsten silicide layer containing titanium, and the tungsten silicide layer containing titanium are subjected to patterning, and are thereafter, thermally oxidized to form oxide film on side walls of the layers. In this thermal oxidization, titanium deoxidizes and removes a native oxide film on the poly-silicon layer, so that silicon can be diffused from the poly-silicon layer to the tungsten silicide layer.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof, which are applicable to gate wirings and interconnect wirings of a MOS transistor.
For example, a gate electrode of a MOS transistor generally adopts a layer structure of a poly-silicon and a refractory metal silicide. To form this kind of gate electrode, at first, a gate oxide film is formed on a silicon substrate, and further, poly-silicon and refractory metal silicide are sequentially deposited on the gate oxide film. Thereafter, a resist is applied onto the refractory metal silicide and is subjected to patterning. With this resist pattern used as a mask, the poly-silicon and the refractory metal silicide are etched to form a gate electrode. Subsequently, these components are post-oxidized in an atmosphere of diluted oxygen at a high temperature, to recover damages caused by the etching.
Meanwhile, material of the gate electrode may be, for example, a titanium silicide/poly-silicon structure in which titanium silicide is layered on poly-silicon, a tungsten silicide/poly-silicon structure in which tungsten silicide is layered on poly-silicon, or the like. However, the following problems will occur in case where a gate electrode using such a layer structure is subjected to post-oxidation.
FIG. 5 shows a case of a layer structure consisting of poly-silicon and titanium silicide. A gate oxide film 51 is formed on the silicon substrate 50, and a poly-silicon layer 52 is formed on the gate oxide film 51. A titanium silicide layer (TiSix) 53 is formed on the poly-silicon layer 52 by sputtering. The titanium silicide layer 53 thus sputtered is made of amorphous, and is thereafter crystallized through high-temperature processing. This high-temperature processing is a step in which silicon nitride is deposited on titanium silicide by LP-CVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) or side walls of a gate electrode are oxidized.
In case where this high-temperature processing is thus carried out, poly-silicon and titanium silicide are partially inverted or agglomeration occurs. When inversion occurs, titanium silicide 53 penetrates through poly-silicon 52 and has a contact with a gate oxide film 51, as shown in FIG. 6. In addition, when agglomeration occurs, grains of titanium silicide 53 are formed on poly-silicon 52. When inversion occurs as described above, characteristics of the gate oxide film are degraded. When agglomeration occurs, the sheet resistance of the gate electrode is extremely raised.
Meanwhile, FIG. 8 shows a structure in which a tungsten silicide layer 54 and a silicon nitride layer 55 are layered, in place of a titanium silicide layer, on the poly-silicon layer 52. In this case, problems like inversion or agglomeration described above do not occur. However, in case of the tungsten silicide, in a step of performing a high-temperature heat treatment to form an oxide film 56 on the side walls of poly-silicon 52 and tungsten silicide 54, abnormal oxidation occurs on the side walls of the tungsten silicide 54 and WO.sub.3 +SiO.sub.2 57 is formed, as shown in FIG. 8. This abnormal oxidation is considered to be caused by a native oxide film 58 remaining at the boundary between the poly-silicon and the tungsten silicide. This means that the remaining native oxide film 58 prevents silicon from moving from the poly-silicon 52 to the tungsten silicide 54, so that the amount of silicon supplied to the tungsten silicide 54 from the poly-silicon 52 is insufficient. It is therefore considered that the side surface portion of the tungsten silicide 54 is rich in tungsten, and WO.sub.3 +SiO.sub.2 grows in this portion. Specifically, a reaction represented by the following reaction formula occurs at the side wall of the tungsten silicide 54, thereby forming WO.sub.3. EQU WSix+O.sub.2 .fwdarw.WO.sub.3 +SiO.sub.2
Thus, a semiconductor device using the titanium polycide or tungsten polycide causes inversion or agglomeration or abnormal oxidization in a high-temperature heat treatment step, and therefore, is not satisfactory.

Semiconductor device having a ternary compound low resistive electrode


The present disclosure provides a motor router comprising: an annular body having a first coil guide; and a guide part formed to protrude from the body, and having a second coil guide to which the first coil guide is connected, and thus the present invention reduces the number of parts and has a simplified configuration, thereby providing an advantageous effect of reducing manufacturing processes and manufacturing costs.

A motor includes a stator and a rotor. The stator may include a stator core and a coil wound around teeth of the stator core. The stator may be composed of a plurality of stator cores. The coil may be wound around each of the stator cores.
In this case, the motor may include a bus bar which is disposed above the stator and connects the coils wound around the stator cores. In this case, a terminal included in the bus bar is fused with and connected to the coil. However, when there are a plurality of stator cores, there are many problems in a fusing process.
Further, when the above described motor is connected to a vehicle component such as a braking device, a power transmitter for transmitting a rotational force of the motor is required. For example, when a direction of power transmission is a vertical direction, a rotational shaft of the motor may be provided with a worm shaft composed of a rotational shaft on which a thread is formed. In addition, a worm wheel which is engaged with the worm shaft may be provided. In this case, there is a problem that a size of the motor is inevitably increased due to a length of the worm shaft and a required diameter of the worm wheel.


The invention relates to a method of examining a sample using a charged particle microscope, comprising the steps of providing a charged particle beam, as well as a sample; scanning said charged particle beam over said sample; and detecting, using a first detector, emissions of a first type from the sample in response to the beam scanned over the sample. Spectral information of detected emissions of the first type is used for assigning a plurality of mutually different phases to said sample. In a further step, a corresponding plurality of different color hues—with reference to an HSV color space—are associated to said plurality of mutually different phases. Using a second detector, emissions of a second type from the sample in response to the beam scanned over the sample are detected. Finally an image representation of said sample is provided.

Charged particle microscopy is a well-known and increasingly important technique for imaging microscopic objects, particularly in the form of electron microscopy. Historically, the basic genus of electron microscope has undergone evolution into a number of well-known apparatus species, such as the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (STEM), and also into various sub-species, such as so-called "dual-beam" apparatus (e.g. a FIB-SEM), which additionally employ a "machining" Focused Ion Beam (FIB), allowing supportive activities such as ion-beam milling or Ion-Beam-Induced Deposition (IBID), for example. The skilled person will be familiar with the different species of charged particle microscopy.
Irradiation of a specimen by a scanning electron beam precipitates emanation of "auxiliary" radiation from the specimen, in the form of secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, X-rays and cathodoluminescence (infrared, visible and/or ultraviolet photons). One or more components of this emanating radiation may be detected and used for sample analysis.
Typically, in a SEM, backscattered electrons are detected by a solid state detector in which each backscattered electron is amplified as it creates many electron-hole pairs in a semiconductor detector. The backscattered electron detector signal is used to form an image as the beam is scanned, with the brightness of each image point determined by the number of backscattered electrons detected at the corresponding point on the sample as the primary beam moves across the sample. The image merely provides information on the topology of the sample to be examined.
In a process called "energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy" or "EDS", the energies of x-rays coming from the sample in response to the electron beam are measured and plotted in a histogram to form a material specific spectrum. The measured spectrum can be compared to known spectra of various elements to determine which elements and minerals are present in said sample.
One of the drawbacks of EDS is that it takes considerable time to accumulate an x-ray spectrum for the sample. Typically, a grid with discrete analysis points is used. The electron beam dwells on each analysis point while the EDS detectors record x-rays. Once sufficient x-ray counts are recorded the beam moves to the next analysis point. The signal from the EDS detectors is fed to a signal processing unit that builds an x-ray spectrum curve for each analysis point, which can be matched to an extensive library of known mineral phases to select the best match for that analysis point.
It is known to use an extensive post-processing analysis for combining both EDS data and SEM data into a single image of the sample being examined. The post-processing analysis takes a lot of resources, and hence a lot of time, to be completed and to be shown to a user.
With this in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of examining a sample using a charged particle microscope, wherein spectral information of detected emissions is used for examining said sample. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for more rapidly and/or more accurately acquiring information about a sample and providing said information to a user.

Method of examining a sample using a charged particle microscope


Aspects of the invention can provide a projector that includes three optical modulators which modulate respectively red light, green light, and blue light, a color-synthetic optical system which synthesizes the light modulated by the three optical modulators, and a projection optical system which projects the light synthesized by the color-synthetic optical system. The color-synthetic optical system can include a first reflection film that reflects the green light, and a second reflection film that reflects the blue light, the first reflection film and the second reflection film are arranged in the shape of an X character, and a wavelength in which a reflectance factor of the first reflection film comes to 50% can be longer than a wavelength in which a reflectance factor of the second reflection film comes to 50%.

Aspects of the invention can relate to a projector which projects an image by use of an optical modulator, such as a liquid crystal panel or the like. There are related art projectors which color-synthesize image light of each color emitted from a liquid crystal panel of each color illuminated by illumination light of blue, red, and green, by a synthetic optical system having structure in which a pair of multi-layer films for blue reflection and for red reflection are arranged in the shape of an X character. See, for example, JP-A-64-11289, JP-A-8-114779, JP-A-2-245749, JP-A-2001-264522 and JP-A-2001-318221. In the related art projectors, blue image light is reflected by the multi layer film for blue reflection, red image light is reflected by the multi layer film for red reflection, and the both multi layer films transmit green image light, whereby superposition of the image light, that is, color synthesis is performed. See, for example, JP-A-64-11289, JP-A-8-114779, JP-A-2-245749, JP-A-2001-264522 and JP-A-2001-318221.
In a first projector of these related art projectors, in order to heighten efficiency of use for polarization light in a specified direction which is utilized for each color, of source light, a polarization rotary element which changes a polarization direction to 90° can be arranged between a liquid crystal panel arranged on a red or blue optical path and a synthetic dichroic prism arranged on an exit side of the light (JP-A-64-11289). Further, in a second related art projector, in order to heighten efficiency of use for polarization light in a specified direction which is utilized for each color, of source light, transmission characteristic of a dichroic prism for separation and transmission characteristic of a synthetic dichroic prism are adjusted to the polarized direction of each color light (JP-A-8-114779). Further, also in a third related art projector, in order to heighten efficiency of use for polarization light in a specified direction which is used for each color, of source light, transmission characteristic of a dichroic prism for separation and transmission characteristic of a synthetic dichroic prism are adjusted to the polarized direction of each color light (JP-A-2-245749). Further, in a fourth related art projector, in consideration with the influence of an incident angle to a synthetic dichroic prism on transmission characteristic, a half wavelength for S polarization of a multilayer film for red reflection, and a half wavelength for S polarization of a multilayer film for blue reflection are set in a predetermined range (JP-A-2001-264522). Further, in a fifth related art projector, by controlling the structure of a multilayer film for red or blue reflection incorporated into a synthetic dichroic prism, difference between an objected half wavelength for S polarization of the multi layer film and an obtained half wavelength for P polarization are reduced, and characteristic deterioration with change in an incident angle is prevented (JP-A-2001-318221).
Further, as another related art projector, there is a projector which separates light from a light source into three-color light, in which a light guide unit such as a relay optical system is arranged on a path of green illumination light thereby to compensate a difference in an optical path between the green light and the other two color-light (WO94/22042). In this projector, in a synthetic optical system, red image light is reflected by a multi layer film for red reflection, green image light is reflected by a multi layer film for green reflection, and the both multi layer films transmit blue image light, whereby color synthesis of an image is performed.
However, in case of the related art projector using the synthetic optical system including the multi-layer film for blue reflection and the multi layer film for red reflection, an illumination device for illuminating the liquid panel of each color is restricted to the constitution in which the green light is branched in the center. Namely, this synthetic optical system is restricted to optical-path arrangement in which the green image light is caused to go straight ahead and the blue and red image light are caused to couple to each other from both sides of the green optical path. Therefore, it is difficult to realize a projector in which on a green optical path a relay optical system that makes its relative optical path long is arranged.
Further, in the related art projector in which the relay optical system is arranged on the green optical path, a cross dichroic prism that is a synthetic optical system is composed of the multi layer film for blue or red reflection and the multilayer film for green reflection. However, regarding image light in a boundary wavelength of green and blue, it has been known that a ghost image is formed on a screen by multiple reflection in the both multi layer films.


A low cost and high speed equalizing receiver structure is provided for improved inter-chip and inter-module communications. The receiver is able to recover data from a corrupted waveform from a signal wire such as one found on data, address or control wires in a microsystem architecture. The receiver can be used with binary as well as m-ary pulse amplitude modulation schemes. The receiver can be used to increase the sustainable data rate between chips or can be used to sustain a given data rate over a poorer quality channel as compared to prior art interconnect technologies. Methods for training and operating the receiver structure are provided. A novel structure called the decision feedback equalizer and cross talk canceller (DFE-CTC) is introduced and methods to compute the coefficients to minimize error in terms of the l2 norm, the l∞ norm, and statistical probability of error functions are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to VLSI circuits. More particularly, the invention relates to low cost receiver structures and methods to provide high-speed inter-chip or inter-module communication links. Also, the invention relates to the training and operation of non-linear adaptive structures to equalize and reduce cross-talk on high-speed wire traces and inter-wafer traces between chips or wafer sub-modules.
2. Description of the Related Art
Communication between chips on a circuit board traditionally use very simple binary zero-one logic. A high voltage is sent to represent a binary one, and a zero voltage is sent to represent a binary zero. The receiver maintains clock synchronization with the transmitter and at the appropriate time decides a binary one if the voltage on the communication wire is above a threshold and decides a binary zero if the voltage is below another threshold. More recently it has been proposed to use multilevel signaling such as pulse-amplitude modulation in order to increase the data rate between chips. U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,895 discusses such a scheme. Another multilevel signaling approach for inter-chip interconnects is described in J. Zerbe et al., "1.6 Gb/s/pin 4-PAM signaling and circuits for multi-drop bus," 2000 Symposium on VLSI Circuits, pp. 128-131, IEEE Press. This reference is referred to as the "Zerbe reference" henceforth.
While these multilevel signaling approaches are advantageous, inter-chip communication speeds are eventually limited by a phenomenon known in the art as "inter-symbol interference" or, "eye-closing." Eye closing occurs when distortions introduced by the communication channel make it impossible to discern the transmitted signal levels by sampling the received waveform. The so-called "eye" refers to a pattern observed on an oscilloscope. When the eye is open, distinct signal levels can be viewed. When the eye is closed, the signal levels have run together and therefore distinct signal values cannot be observed. The problem of eye closing becomes more severe on a given connection as the data rate is increased. While for a fixed data rate it may be possible to assure the eye will stay open for short and well engineered point-to-point connections, this is not the case for multi-drop busses and/or longer runs as may be needed to support various system topologies. In future wafer scale designs, the same problems may occur for longer runs between intra-wafer modules.
In the field of wireline and wireless communications, various approaches to recovering data streams from received waveforms having closed eyes are known. Typically equalizers are used to open the closed eye so that the data may be properly recovered. Equalization approaches are multiply-accumulate intensive and rely on DSP (digital signal processing). Hence prior art solutions are too expensive for inter-chip applications where the symbol rates are presently in the 800 MHz region. To cross beyond the 800 MHz barrier, improved equalizing receiver structures are needed, but these would need to be able to operate at symbol rates in excess of 800 MHz. Such high-speed equalizers might also need to be able to differentiate more than two signal levels in a multilevel PAM (pulse-amplitude modulation) scheme. Prior art DSP-based equalizers are not suited to solve such inter-chip equalization problems in a cost efficient way.
It would be desirable to have a receiver structure for inter-chip communications that could perform equalization to open a closed eye pattern in a received signal. It would be desirable if such a receiver could be low cost in terms of silicon area and power consumption. It would be desirable for the receiver to not require multiplications as are usually needed in equalizers, because multiplcations are very expensive. It would be desirable to have a receiver structure that could loosen design constraints on the physical channel between the chips by allowing reliable communications over channels involving longer runs and multiple drops. This would allow a given data transfer rate to be supported over a wider variety of wire-routing topologies, thereby increasing design flexibility. It would also be desirable to have a receiver that could increase the sustainable data transfer rate on a well-engineered circuit path. Accompanying system level application architectures that make use of the high speed interconnect are also taught. Methods of training and operating the receivers and systems of the present invention are also developed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High-speed adaptive interconnect architecture with nonlinear error functions