An article holding tray adapted to retain and stabilize a wide variety of articles during their use such as dishware, drinking glasses, eating utensils, video game joy sticks and other articles which are typically usable on a tray or lap tray. The device includes a generally flat tray or board which includes one or more connected elongated slots formed orthogonally through the tray and sized in width for slidable translation of an elongated threaded fastener therealong. Each threaded fastener releasably retains an elongated movable retaining block in a selected position against an upper support surface defined by the tray. Each movable retaining block has at least one side surface, and preferably all of the side surfaces, which is sloped at an angle substantially greater than 90 degrees, and preferably about 105 degrees, with respect to the lower flat surface of the retaining block and the support surface. This creates a wedge effect which forces articles in contact with each surface against the support surface. Two or more such slanted side surfaces slidably and rotateably positioned at different locations against an edge or side of an article immobilize the article on the tray.

1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to trays and tables, and more particularly to an article holding tray for releasably retaining a wide range of articles supported thereatop during use.
2. Prior Art
Numerous devices are disclosed in prior art which are intended to assist in the retention of articles either during use or while being held for work effort as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,941 Goulter PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,329 Petrowski PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,755 Caillouet, Jr. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,003 Mayhew et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,099 Malone PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,676 Havelock PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,001 Brooks PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,391 Chavous
A number of these prior art devices are associated with the holding of an article on a tray and the like for retaining a utilitarian object thereon such as a cup or a dish. The '391 patent to Chavous teaches a tray with a removable object supporting insert. The shape of the tray is particularly adapted for disabled persons seated in a wheelchair and apparently provides for a number of custom inserts, each of which has a different functional object such as a dish or bowl connected thereto.
Brooks, in the '001 patent, teaches a tray with plate fasteners for immobilizing a specially structured plate which interacts with tie-down straps connected between the margin of the plate and the tray. The device as disclosed by Havelock in '676 and by Malone in the '099 patent teach trays utilized in conjunction with wheelchair armrests for holding articles in place thereatop.
A car seat table as disclosed by Mayhew, in the '003 U.S. Patent, is designed for securement on a horizontal seat portion of a rear vehicle seat by utilizing a conventional seatbelt. A specially designed holder or tray for a joystick control for video games is disclosed by Caillouet, in the above-referenced '755 patent.
Associated with workpiece operations, the '329 patent invented by Petrowski teaches a workpiece support device for use with a table of a power saw. This workpiece holder is connected to a guide member for both rotational and translational movement during positioning and cutting of a workpiece. A folding bench invented by Goulter and disclosed in the above-referenced '941 patent teaches a workbench which includes an adjustable work holder which is slidably positionable within grooves or slots and having an upright object support surface which bears against a workpiece for retention.
The present invention provides a versatile article holding tray which includes a plurality of elongated moveable retaining blocks each being held for sliding and rotational positioning during placement and then for securement by threaded fasteners against the support surface of the tray. Each of the moveable retaining blocks includes at least one side surface which is slanted or sloped at an acute angle with respect to the support surface and an obtuse angle with respect to the bottom surface of the retaining block so that, when two or more such blocks are pressed or made to bear against an edge of an article, a downward trapping or retaining force is exerted to prevent the article being held from further movement, even when the tray is tipped or turned upside down.


Provided is a switching element including: a first switching element primarily used for formation of a two-way current path; and a second switching element that interrupts a parasitic diode at the time when the first switching element is turned off. The second switching element may be of smaller chip size because it assists the operation of the first switching element, thereby contributing miniaturization of the switching element and reduction in an ON resistance. Furthermore, adoption of the switching element to a protection circuit realizes reduction in the size of the protection circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching element and a protection circuit using the switching element. More specifically, the present invention relates to a switching element that can switch a current path in two directions and has a reduced chip size, and to a protection circuit using the switching element.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a switching element, a switching element that not only switches a device between ON and OFF but also switches the direction of a current path (the direction in which a current path flows) is also under development, and such a switching element is adopted, for example, to a protection circuit of a secondary battery.
As an example of a conventional two-way switching element, FIG. 4 shows a circuit diagram of a protection circuit for a secondary battery.
A two-way switching element 86 has an overdischarge-prevention switching element 82 connected in series to an overcharge-prevention switching element 83, and a control circuit 84 performs an ON-OFF control.
The control circuit 84 detects the battery voltage and switches the overcharging-prevention switching element 83 off at the time when the detected voltage is higher than the maximum set voltage, thereby preventing a secondary battery 1 from being overcharged. In addition, the control circuit 84 switches the overdischarge-prevention switching element 82 off at the time when the detected voltage is lower than the minimum set voltage, thereby preventing the secondary battery 1 from being overdischarged.
The overdischarge-prevention switching element 82 and the overcharge-prevention switching element 83 have a small internal resistance in their ON states, and are constituted of MOSFETs that can achieve reduced power loss and voltage drop. The MOSFETs have parasitic diodes and, therefore, even when the MOSFETs are in OFF state, a current path can be formed in a desired direction by use of the parasitic diodes.
Therefore, even when the battery voltage becomes higher than the maximum set voltage and thus the MOSFET of the overcharge-prevention switching element 83 is turned off, for instance, the secondary battery 1 can be discharged using the parasitic diodes.
Meanwhile, even when the battery voltage becomes lower than the minimum set voltage and thus the MOSFET of the overdischarge-prevention switching element 82 is turned off, the secondary battery 1 can be charged using the parasitic diodes.
The protection circuit 85 shown in FIG. 4 operates in the manner described above and prevents the secondary battery 1 from being overcharged and overdischarged. This technology is described for instance in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei. 10-12282 (page 7, FIG. 1).
As described above, in the conventional technologies one of switching elements is set to as a overcharge-prevention switching element 83 for preventing the secondary battery from being overcharged, and the other one of the switching elements is set to as a overdischarge-prevention switching element 82 for preventing a secondary battery 1 from being overdischarged, thereby realizing a two-way switching element 86. Such the two-way switching element 86 is obtained by connecting the two switching elements (MOSFETs) of the same size in series, but it prevents miniaturization of size as well as progress in reduction of a manufacturing costs.

Switching element and protection circuit using the same


An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure illustrates a memory test system comprising a memory device, a probe card, and a tester. The memory device comprises a memory die with a plurality of memory banks, a plurality of input circuits, and a plurality of output circuits, wherein each of the input circuits has a first input pin and a second pin, the first input pins of the input circuits are used to read a plurality of patches of data stored in memory cells of the memory banks, and the second input pins are used to receive a compressed result. The output circuits receive compressed signals output from the input circuits, and the probe card mixes the compressed output signals output from the output circuits to output a mixed compressed output signal to the tester.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is related to a memory device, and in particular to, a memory test system and method for testing the memory device.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, the memory device technology develops fast, and the memory devices with large capacities are usually used in our daily life. The memory device may have many configurations for allocating the memory banks in the memory devices, such as a 16M×4, an 8M×8, a 16M×16, and the other configurations. In the a×4 configuration, four input/output pins are wired to four external electrical leads, wherein a is the capacities of the memory bank. In the a×8 configuration, eight input/output pins are wired to four external electrical leads. The configuration of the memory device can determine the performance, speed, and test time of the memory device.
Compared to the memory device using the a×4 configuration, the memory device using the a×8 configuration has four more input/output pins. Therefore, when the capacities of memory banks of the memory devices using the a×8 and a×4 configurations are the same, the speed of the memory device using the a×8 configuration is faster than that of the memory device using the a×4 configuration, and the test time of the memory device using the a×8 configuration is less than that of the memory device using the a×4 configuration. It is noted that the test time is closely tied to capacities of the memory device, and because the memory devices may have different configurations, it can be difficult to test the memory devices using different configurations efficiently.
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional memory test system. The conventional memory test system 1 comprises a memory device 10, a probe card 11, and a tester 12. The memory device 10 comprises a memory die 100, N input circuits 101_1 through 101_N, and N output circuits 102_1 through 102_N, wherein N is a number of the memory banks associated with the memory die 100. The memory die 100 has N memory banks, and the N memory banks are respectively electrically connected to N input/output pins IO_1 through IO_N of the N input circuits 101_1 through 101_N. The N output pins of the N input circuits 101_1 through 101_N are respectively electrically connected N input pins of the N output circuits 102_1 through 102_N. The N output pins of the output circuits 102_1 through 102_N are respectively electrically connected to N input pins of the probe card 11, and the N output pins of the probe card 11 are respectively electrically connected to N input pins of the tester 12.
The input circuits 101_1 through 101_N can be the input/output buffers of the memory device 10 for buffering N patches of input/output data, and the output circuits 102_1 through 102_N can be the off-chip drivers (OCD) for adjusting the N output impedances observed from the N output pins of the input circuits 101_1 through 101_N. During a test procedure, N test signals are input to and stored in the memory cells of the N memory banks, and the input circuits 101_1 through 101_N read the N test signals stored in the memory cells of the N memory banks, and outputs the N test signals to the output circuits 102_1 through 102_N. The output circuits 102_1 through 102_N outputs N output signals according to the N test signals respectively, and the N output signals are then received by the probe card 11, and the probe card 11 outputs the N output signals to the tester 12, such that the tester 12 can test whether the N output signals received by the tester 12 are matched to the N test signals originally input to the memory cells of the N memory banks.
A weak OCD is required in the low power consumption memory device 10 (such as dynamic random access memory, DRAM) which can perform less power consumption. However, the tester 12 actually has the heavy load (large impedance) in the wafer level test procedure. To perform chip-package test, too weak OCD is conflicted and not allowed.
For example, the client may merely need the 5 mA signal to drive the components outside the memory device 10, and a 40 mA signal is used to drive the tester 12. If the OCD outputs an output signal of 40 mA, it is obvious that the output current is too high. If the OCD outputs an output signal of 5 mA, it is obvious that the output current cannot drive the tester 12 in the test procedure.

ELITE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY TECHNOLOGY INC.


A system and method is provided for using a wireless network to determine a device's physical location and retrieve location specific settings based upon the device's physical location. A device's physical location is determined by matching the identifier of the wireless access point (WAP) to which the device is connected with a list of WAP identifiers and corresponding location identifiers. The retrieved location identifier is then used to retrieve location specific settings that are applied at the device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for identifying a location based upon a wireless network connection identifier.
2. Description of the Related Art
In current modern network environments, both wireless and wired networks are deployed for the same computing devices. In addition, workers are becoming increasingly mobile using equipment, such as laptop computers, that are easily portable yet easily connected to these wireless and wired networks.
Workers may move within an organization, such as floors of an office building, between buildings occupied by their company, or to different offices in different cities. When a worker moves between locations, many device settings ideally remain constant (such as display attributes, file locations), however other device settings are location specific. One example of a location specific setting is a network accessible printer.
When a user moves from one location, say building "A," to another location, say building "B," and wishes to use location specific settings, such as printers, the user is often relegated to manually adjusting these settings. If the user forgets to change these settings, he or she often discovers that the user's printouts are being printed on a printer in a different location, rather than the printer that is at the user's current location. This problem is exacerbated when the user routinely moves between locations, causing the user to remember each time to change the user's location specific settings, such as the user's default printer.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for using a user's wireless network connection to identify the user's physical location so that location specific settings can be set accordingly. Furthermore, what is needed is a system and method for capturing location specific settings so that, upon subsequently entering the location, the location specific settings will automatically be applied at the user's devices.

System and method for locating wired networks using wireless data


To perform an electromagnetic (EM) surveying of a subterranean structure, a signal generator produces a signal having an analog continuous waveform without steps in the waveform. Producing the signal is in response to an indication specifying a characteristic of the signal. An antenna is responsive to the signal having the analog continuous waveform to emit an EM field to produce the EM surveying of the subterranean structure.

Electromagnetic techniques exist to perform surveys of subterranean structures for identifying layers of interest. Examples of layers of interest in the subterranean structure include subsurface resistive bodies, such as hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs, gas injection zones, thin carbonate or salt layers, and fresh-water aquifers. One type of electromagnetic (EM) survey technique is the controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) survey technique, in which an electromagnetic transmitter, called a "source," is used to generate electromagnetic signals. Surveying units, called "receivers," are deployed on a surface (such as at the sea floor or on land) within an area of interest to make measurements from which information about the subterranean structure can be derived. The receivers may include a number of sensing elements for detecting any combination of electric fields, electric currents, and/or magnetic fields.
An EM source produces an EM field by driving a controlled electrical signal that is provided through an electrode of the EM source. The signal produces an EM field that is emitted through an antenna of the EM source.
Traditionally, the electrical signal that is generated by the EM source is a switch-on/switch-off signal, where the electrical signal when in the switched-on state has a relatively large positive current amplitude, and when in the switched-off state, has either a zero or negative current amplitude. Generally, this switched-on/switched-off electrical signal is in the form of a square wave with abrupt steps (step up or step down). However, using a square wave signal to produce EM fields from an EM source limits flexibility and/or accuracy in performing EM surveying of subterranean structures.

Signal generator for electromagnetic surveying that produces a signal having an analog continuous waveform


A method for collaborative sketch annotating of a program of multimedia content includes enabling a first user to create a sketch annotation, enabling the first user to store sketch annotation data related to the sketch annotation, and enabling a second user to access the sketch annotation. The second user may navigate the program using the sketch annotation and/or an indication of the sketch annotation. The first user may create the sketch annotation while viewing the program, for example, and the program may be paused for adding the sketch annotation to one or more paused frames. The sketch annotations may include chronological information indicative of a chronological location of the sketch annotation within the program.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to multimedia services, and more particularly, to providing sketch annotations related to multimedia content in a social networking environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Social networking related to multimedia programs is often conducted through means that are separate from a provider network that provides the multimedia content. For example, friends that want to discuss multimedia programs often do so over telephones, through in-person interactions, or through text-based communications (e.g., email and text messaging). Discussions of multimedia programs are often limited to verbal communications (i.e., communications that use only words).

Providing sketch annotations with multimedia programs


Examples provide a system and method for autonomously placing items into non-rigid containers. An image analysis component analyzes image data generated by one or more cameras associated with picked items ready for bagging and/or a non-rigid container, such as, but not limited to, a bag. The image analysis component generates dynamic placement data identifying how much space is available inside the bag, bag tension, and/or contents of the bag. A dynamic placement component generates a per-item assigned placement for a selected item ready for bagging based on a per-bag placement sequence and the dynamic placement data. Instructions, including the per-item assigned placement designating a location within the interior of the non-rigid container to the selected item and an orientation for the selected item after bagging, is sent to at least one robotic device. The robotic device places the selected item into the non-rigid container in accordance with the instructions.

Grocery order pickup automation currently involves placing purchased items into a reusable, rigid tote or box. After which, the items are placed into bags for customer pickup. Placing items into a bag in the same way that items are placed into a rigid container is problematic because items do not always settle the way they are placed inside a bag because the shape of a bag is irregular and inconsistent. Moreover, the shape and orientation of the items already placed inside the bag can affect settling location and final disposition of the next item being placed into the bag. Therefore, picked items are currently bagged manually be one or more human users for pickup by a customer. This is a time-consuming, inefficient and labor-intensive process.

System for item placement into non-rigid containers


A mask fabrication time is shortened. By patterning an electron-sensitive resist film coated on a main surface of a mask substrate, a pellicle is mounted on the main surface of the mask substrate immediately after a resist pattern made from an electron beam sensitive resist film and having light-shielding characteristics with respect to exposure light is formed. Subsequently, by irradiating a laser beam to defect made from the electron beam sensitive resist film with the pellicle being mounted on the mask substrate, the defect is removed. Since the defect can be removed without removing the pellicle, the mask fabrication time can be shortened.

The present invention relates to a mask fabrication method and a technique for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and more specifically to a technique effectively applied to mask fabrication to transfer desired patterns onto a semiconductor wafer.
Generally, masks used in an exposure technique each have a structure of providing, on a mask blank transparent to exposure light, a light-shielding pattern made from a metal film such as chrome. An example of the manufacturing process includes the following. First of all, a metal film made from light-shielding chrome etc. is deposited on the transparent mask blank, and an electron beam sensitive resist film is coated thereon. Subsequently, an electron beam is illuminated to a specified location of the electron beam sensitive resist film by an electron beam writer etc., and this illuminated resist film is developed to form a desired resist pattern. At this time, there is the case in which a resist pattern (defect) other than the desired resist pattern may be formed. Thereafter, by using, as an etching mask, the resist pattern formed on the mask blank to etch the lower metal film, a desired light-shielding pattern made from a metal film is formed. At this time, light-shielding film defect is also formed by a resist pattern other than the desired resist pattern. Then, after removing the left resist pattern, presence or absence of the defect is determined by carrying out defect inspection. If any defect is detected, for example, a laser beam or ion beam is irradiated to the detected defect to remove it. Subsequently, after a mask without defect is prepared through a washing step, a protection pellicle is mounted on a main surface (surface on which a desired light-shielding pattern is formed) so that no fault by adhesion of foreign matters occurs. A half-tone type phase-shift mask is also fabricated in almost the same process by simply replacing the metal film with a half-tone phase-shift film.
Furthermore, for the purpose of simplifying the process and forming the pattern with a high degree of accuracy, a method of forming a light-shielding film by a resist film is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 5-289307. This method utilizes such a property that a normal electron beam sensitive resist film or light-sensitive resist film shields vacuum ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength of 200 nm or lower. According to this method, a metal-film etching process or resist-film removing process is made unnecessary, whereby it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs of the mask, improving dimensional accuracy, and reduce a quantity of defect (for example, see Patent Document 1). Additionally, also with respect to defect repair, a method of using a regular laser beam or a FIB (Focused Ion Beam), etc. is disclosed.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 5-289307

Fabrication method of semiconductor integrated circuit device and mask fabrication method


An acoustic focusing device whose acoustic waves are generated by laser radiation through an optical fiber. The acoustic energy is capable of efficient destruction of renal and biliary calculi and deliverable to the site of the calculi via an endoscopic procedure. The device includes a transducer tip attached to the distal end of an optical fiber through which laser energy is directed. The transducer tip encapsulates an exogenous absorbing dye. Under proper irradiation conditions (high absorbed energy density, short pulse duration) a stress wave is produced via thermoelastic expansion of the absorber for the destruction of the calculi. The transducer tip can be configured into an acoustic lens such that the transmitted acoustic wave is shaped or focused. Also, compressive stress waves can be reflected off a high density/low density interface to invert the compressive wave into a tensile stress wave, and tensile stresses may be more effective in some instances in disrupting material as most materials are weaker in tension than compression. Estimations indicate that stress amplitudes provided by this device can be magnified more than 100 times, greatly improving the efficiency of optical energy for targeted material destruction.

The present invention relates to creation of a stress wave for causing material damage or destruction, particularly relevant to intracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, particularly to the use of acoustic energy for lithotripsy, and more particularly to a device having a transducer tip for converting optical (laser) energy into acoustic energy to produce stress waves for local and targeted material destruction, primarily for medical applications such as lithotripsy.
The standard in the non-surgical treatment of biliary and urinary calculi, more commonly known as gallstones and kidney stones, is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). The procedure entails placing the patient in a water bath that holds an acoustic generator. The acoustic wave is focused through the water, usually with an ellipsoid reflector, and into the patient so that the focal point is at the location of the calculi. As the acoustic wave is focused it develops into a shock-like waveform. Several different commercial lithotripters are available, generating compressive pressures up to 120 MPa and tensile pressures of 10 MPa within a focal region ranging from about 0.2 cm3 to 16 cm3. Repeated pulses of the shockwave, as many as 2,000, break apart the calculi. The mechanism is not fully understood, but is most likely due to either cavitation near the stone surface or the development of stress and shear within the stone itself.
Ideally, ESWL would exclusively target the stones, under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance, without affecting the soft tissue near the focal point or the tissue lying in the path of the shockwave. In practice, however, complications arise that are related to the non-exclusive application of the shockwave. These complications include bleeding in almost all cases, common kidney failure, pancreatitis, bruise-like skin lesions at the site through which the shockwave passes, and in rare cases broken bones and heart arrhythmias3. Reducing the shockwave intensity to limit these complications reduces the efficiency of the devices to destroy stones. ESWL can not be used for patients (i) with predisposition to complications, (ii) obese patients or pediatric patients because the focal distance of the lithotripter cannot be adjusted to the site of the stone, or (iii) pregnant patients. In addition, ESWL fails to destroy some stones due to stone composition or mobility. Alternate techniques for removal of the stones must then be used.
The two most utilized alternatives are open surgical procedures and intracorporeal laser lithotripsy. The surgical technique is generally considered a last resort as it is costly and requires general anesthesia with hospital stays of up to a week, whereas ESWL is generally an outpatient procedure. Laser lithotripsy entails the transurethral guidance of an optical fiber through a flexible endoscope to the position of the stone. To create a radically expanding shock wave with a high enough intensity to break apart the calculi, the laser radiation must be of relatively high intensity. This high intensity beam can damage soft tissue. Successful calculi destruction is accomplished in a high percentage of patients, but damage to the bladder or ureter is relatively common, with perforations in about 6% of the cases.
The present invention utilizes laser energy directed through an optical fiber, as in laser lithotripsy, but additionally incorporates a shaped optical fiber tip, a transducer tip, or endpiece that converts optical (laser) energy into acoustic energy. The acoustic energy (stress waves) destroys targeted material with minimal damage to the surrounding (untargeted) tissue. The transducer tip or endpiece includes a material, such as an exogenous absorbing dye and an acoustic lens. Whether radiation absorption takes place in a transducer tip or in the ambient media, the generated stress waves travel through the transducer or endpiece and are focused by the acoustic lens to a spot outside the endpiece. The endpiece also serves to confine the laser radiation to eliminate the danger of direct absorption in soft tissue and subsequent perforation. Acoustic energy has little effect on soft tissue. The focusing of the acoustic wave will allow for both specific targeting of the shock wave to the stone and the generation of pressures equivalent to ESWL with a lower-cost laser than what is currently required for laser lithotripsy.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a more effective means for mechanically disrupting or damaging biological or non-biological materials.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a more effective lithotripsy procedure.
A further object of the invention is to provide a lithotripsy procedure that utilizes acoustic waves produced by laser radiation.
A further object of the invention is to provide a device for lithotripsy that utilizes optical energy to produce acoustic waves for the destruction of targeted material.
Another object of the invention is to utilize laser energy to produce acoustic waves for lithotripsy procedures.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lithotripsy technique that involves depositing laser radiation into an exogenous absorber contained within a capsule at the end of an optical fiber, which produces an acoustic wave that can be focused by an acoustic lens onto a target tissue or other material causing the destruction thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device for lithotripsy that can convert compressive stress waves into a tensile stress wave for more effectively disrupting material.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device for lithotripsy that includes an acoustic lens such that the transmitted acoustic wave is shaped or focused.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. The present invention incorporates the use of a laser with a transducer tip that converts optical energy into acoustic energy to produce stress waves for local and targeted material destruction, primarily for medical applications, such as shock wave lithotripsy. Energy from a laser, such as a q-switched Nd:YAG laser, is directed into an optical fiber. A transducer tip is attached to the distal end of the optical fiber, and encapsulates an exogenous absorbing dye, for example. Under proper irradiation conditions (high absorbed energy density and short pulse duration) a significant stress wave is produced via thermoelastic expansion of the absorber and the stress wave is directed onto a targeted material for destruction thereof. Further, the transducer tip can be formed into an acoustic lens such that the transmitted acoustic wave is shaped or focused. In addition, the transducer tip can be constructed such that compressive stress waves can be inverted into a tensile stress wave. Tensile stresses may be more effective in disrupting material as most materials are weaker in tension than compression. Based on theoretical estimates, the stress amplitudes produced by this invention can be magnified more than 100 times, greatly improving the efficiency over that of an unfocused opto-acoustic transducer.

The Regents of the University of California


An apparatus and method for creating a 3D model of a scene. A plurality of light beams are projected onto the scene and their imaged projections are analyzed to capture surface information of the scene at a plurality of dots where the light beams intersect the scene. Surface information is used to register consecutive video frames and to construct a 3D model of the scene.

3D models are used by computer graphics programs in games and entertainment, training simulations, to create virtual museums, libraries, buildings and structures, to map terrain, and to create animated and non-animated objects. Increased demand for 3D content for use by these programs, particularly more complex and realistic 3D models, has led to rapid evolution of systems that create 3D models directly from real scenes, including models of objects placed in real scenes. Although hardware continues to improve, and the cost of both hardware and software continues to decrease, these performance and economic improvements have not sufficed to overcome the difficulty involved in synthesizing realistic 3D models with portable and inexpensive equipment.
Various techniques have been developed to gather texture and depth information at various scene points by processing data contained in video frames of a scene to create a 3D model of the scene. Because a frame is a two-dimensional (2D) representation of a 3D scene, a point in a frame does not uniquely determine the location of a corresponding point in a scene. Additional information is required to reconstruct a scene in 3D from 2D information. A known technique uses stereoscopic imaging equipment having two cameras to capture a stereo video of a scene. Prior to capturing the stereo video, the cameras are calibrated so that their video can be registered in a common coordinate system. The cameras differ only in the location of their optical centers, which is a function of system design and is therefore known. By triangulating the distance between the location of the camera's optical centers and information about points in frames corresponding to landmark scene points, depth information about the landmark points can be deduced.
In a conventional technique for mapping 3D surfaces, a polygon mesh is generated that approximates the 3D surface of the scene. In this technique, each of the points in frames generates a vertex of a polygon and defines a boundary of the polygon. A 3D "mesh model" is constructed by combining the polygon shapes in a manner analogous to piecing together a puzzle where each piece of the puzzle is a polygon shape. The realism and quality of a 3D model obtained by this method depends on the use of two cameras, availability of landmark scene points, and use of computer algorithms to identify landmark scene points in the images. Essentially, the algorithms must process all the pixel data from each frame to identify landmark scene points. Clearly then, this method is computationally costly to implement.
Imaging of complex scenes sometimes causes the registration of multiple frames to fail. Failure can be caused by many factors, such as, for example, the loss of frame points due to camera or scene movement. When video processing occurs after video is captured, the registration failure may not be easily or optimally corrected. However, if video capturing and processing occurred near simultaneously, registration failures could be corrected in real-time.
It is therefore desirable, to provide a system capable creating realistic 3D models of scenes quickly and cost effectively.
The present invention includes an apparatus, referred to herein as the ModelCamera, and a method for creating 3D models. The ModelCamera includes a video camera, a plurality of light beams, a frame for fixedly connecting the camera and the plurality of light beams in a fixed relationship, and a computer, the computer being capable of transferring data to and from the video camera.
In a preferred embodiment, the ModelCamera is configured to simultaneously video a scene and produce an evolving 3D model.
In another preferred embodiment, the ModelCamera is mounted on a bracket that allows it to pan and tilt around its center of projection.
In another embodiment, a method for modeling a structured 3D scene is disclosed. The method includes the steps of capturing video frames of a scene, identifying and characterizing a plurality of image dots in the video frames, obtaining color information from a multitude of pixels in each frame, registering each additional frame with respect to the previous frame using dot depth and pixel color information, adding new or better information, eliminating redundant information, and constructing a 3D model.
In another embodiment, the 3D model is an evolving 3D model obtained by interactively capturing scenes. Interactivity is achieved by constructing the 3D model in real-time, observing the model's evolution, identifying areas in the model where additional definition is desirable, optionally capturing additional video frames corresponding to the area where additional definition is desirable, and merging information obtained from the additional video with the evolving model to enhance the model.

System and method for three dimensional modeling


A golf training device for training a golfer to execute a putting stroke including a neck engaging member, a longitudinal strap having a first end attached to the neck engaging member and a free end. The strap includes a weighted ring which causes the strap to hang downwardly in a vertical direction when the neck engaging member is placed around the neck of a golfer and used during the execution of a putting stroke. In use, a golfer grasps the strap holding it firmly against a handle of a golf club thereby fixing the distance between the hands and his shoulders, neck and head, ensuring a repetitive consistent putting stroke.

The present invention relates to a golf swing training device and, more particularly, to a training device for enhancement of a golfer's putting stroke.
One factor in promoting a smooth and efficient putting stroke is to maintain the relationship between the moving parts of the body and the golf club, and the non-moving parts of the body during the execution of the actual stroke. In particular, it is desirable to maintain the arms and hands of a golfer and the golf club, at the same distance to the torso during the execution of the stroke.
There are many golf swing training devices in the nature of harnesses and the like for facilitating the correct swinging of a golf club and for creating a repetitive golf swing. Among these are the following. U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,513 to Fisher relates to a golf training apparatus including a neck engaging loop, a belt and a base, all of which are connected by means of a cord in an effort to maintain the golfer's body parts relatively constant during the execution of a stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,551 to Shouse shows a golf training device including a base plate for locating the feet, a loop for encircling the neck, and a connector between the base and loop having an adjustable break-away coupling which will disengage if an incorrect golf swing is made.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,589 to Arena shows a golf swing training device including a flexible, non-stretchable cord forming a loop from the golfer's hands around his neck through an aperture on the ground surface and back to the user's belt. The device maintains the golfer in a proper position while pivoting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,640 to Grander is directed to a golf swing training device including a harness adapted to fit about the shoulders and torso of the user and which includes a V-shaped suspended assembly connected to the grip of a training club. The V-shaped elements are maintained at substantially the same tension during the critical areas of the swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,099 to Radkadovich shows a golf swing training device formed of an elastic loop which is fixed to the body of the player and disposed so that it rests on the shoulders and chest of the user. The handle of the club is laid inside the loop and pushed downward and outward by the left hand to stretch the loop during the swing to create control of the user's arms. Ideally this results in a perfect level swing plane and squaring of the club face.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,060 to Dalbow relates to a stroke enhancing device including a harness having a loop which extends around one shoulder of a golfer and includes an end which is held by a golfer in his leading hand to maintain the arms in proper position during the execution of a golf swing.
The present invention relates to a golf swing training apparatus specifically designed to enable a golfer to form a repetitive, consistent putting stroke. The device includes an adjustable loop worn around the neck of the user and includes a flexible, weighted, flat sided strap or ribbon extending downwardly from the loop to be engaged by the hands of the user during the execution of a stroke. The strap or ribbon includes a metal ring having sufficient wieght to cause the strap or ribbon to hang straight down in a vertical direction from the neck engaging loop when it is worn by a golfer. In use, the loop is placed around the neck of the golfer and the strap or ribbon falls downwardly slightly away from the body of the user when the golfer assumes a natural set up for executing a putting stroke such that the head is slightly bowed forwardly and the body slightly bent over toward the ball. To practice the invention, a golfer places the weighted ring over the butt end of the grip or handle to locate the strap in place next to the handle of the golf club. The golfer then places a flat side of the ribbon or strap against the handle of the club while making his normal grip, holding the strap flat against the handle of the putter. Gripping the strap against the club handle limits movement of the handle and creates the tension between the golfer's hands and his upper shoulders and neck. Holding the strap prevents the golfer from extending his hands further away from his shoulders than the relative distance established by the length of the strap. Because the strap is relatively thin compared to the handle of the putter, there is no interference when the strap is grasped. Maintaining a firm grip on the strap against the club handle during the stroke, maintains the length of the arc between the user's hands and his shoulders, aiding the player to develop a consistent stroke while maintaining the putter head square to the target and along a preselected target line.
Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of a golf training device to enable a golfer to develop a smooth, consistent and repeatable putting golf stroke.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a golf training device which is simple in structure and does not interfere with the golfer's placement of his hands on a putter when using the device to train the golfer.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certain embodiments of the invention.


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, that optimize interfaces to present information on mobile device displays. In one aspect, a method includes generating and providing, to a device, data that causes the device to present a status of one or more segments between a first location and a second location within a calendar interface. The calendar interface includes a calendar and, for each date having at least one existing segment, a respective non-textual segment indicator for each existing segment for the date. Each segment indicator is presented using visual feature(s) that represent the status of the segment represented by the segment indicator. A determination is made that the status of a given segment has changed to a second status. The visual feature(s) of the segment indicator for the given segment are visually updated within the calendar interface to represent the second status.

This specification relates to optimizing interfaces to present information on mobile device displays.
With the advent of smartphones and high speed mobile networks, people are increasingly using smartphones and other mobile devices to access data and perform tasks that they would have previously performed using computers with larger displays. However, smartphones and other mobile devices typically have small displays with limited space to present information and other content.

Optimizing interfaces for mobile devices


There are provided an image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the same are provided, which are capable of conveying an insert sheet of a proper page in carrying out a recovery process and simplifying the recovery process, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the method. When a printing start instruction is input and an insert mode has been set, an insert sheet is fed. It is determined whether the insert sheet is for a top page of a copy (bundle) or not. When the insert sheet for the top page is detected, a proper printing operation in the insert mode is started. If the insert sheet is not determined to be for the top page, it is judged that the insert sheet has not been correctly set on the inserter tray, and then the insert sheet is discharged to a non-sort tray. Then, insert sheets are discharged to the non-sort tray until the insert sheet for the top page is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which is provided with an image forming means and has an insert function of conveying insert sheets directly from an inserter tray bypassing the image forming means to be inserted between output sheets having images formed thereon by the image forming means, a method of controlling the image forming apparatus, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the method.
2. Prior Art
There has been conventionally known an image forming apparatus which is provided with an image forming means and has an insert function of conveying insert sheets directly from an inserter tray bypassing the image forming means to be inserted between output sheets having images formed thereon by the image forming means.
In the conventional image forming apparatus, although an output mode such as a cover sheet mode, an interleaved sheet mode, or other modes can be designated as a manner of feeding sheets from an inserter tray, a manner of stacking sheets on the inserter tray cannot be designated, which may give rise to problems depending upon the state of stacked sheets. For example, when an insert sheet or other sheets have jammed and can no longer be used, usually, a recovery process is carried out by conveying another insert sheet of the same page from the inserter tray to replace the insert sheet involved in the jam. In the conventional image forming apparatus, however, there is a possibility that an insert sheet of a wrong page is selected from among sheets stacked on the inserter tray and conveyed.
Further, in the conventional image forming apparatus, both ordinary sheets on which images are to be formed by the image forming means and insert sheets are successively conveyed, so that the above recovery process needs to be carried out both on the image forming means and means for conveying insert sheets, which requires considerable labor and time by the user and complicates the control operation.

Image forming apparatus that provides insert sheet in proper order, method of controlling the same, and storage medium therefor


An indoor retractable fire extinguishing apparatus may include a portable fireproof casing adapted to be positioned inside the building structure. A spool may be rotatably situated inside the fireproof casing. A fire hose may be rolled up about the spool. A plurality of stabilizing plates may be statically mounted to the fireproof casing. A handle may be attached to the spool in such a manner that the handle and the spool may rotate in sync and thereby cause the fire hose to wind and unwind from the spool respectively while the stabilizing plates remain stationary exterior of the fireproof casing. The stabilizing plates may further be directly attached to an outer surface of the fireproof casing such that operating forces acting on the handle and the spool are absorbed and distributed along the stabilizing plates thereby maintaining the fireproof casing at a substantially stable position during winding and unwinding operations.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to fire extinguisher equipment and, more particularly, to an indoor fire hydrant for providing users with an easy and accessible means of fighting the spread of a fire in and around the house.
2. Prior Art
During the last several years, the fire seasons have been particularly bad, affecting an average of more than four million acres of land in 2005, 2006, and 2007 (or more land than the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.) The fires destroyed many newer homes and communities built on the edges of the forest, and the worst may be yet to come in future years. There is growing concern in the insurance industry because of a recent trend towards increased losses from wildfires and floods. Increased exposure reflects population growth, forcing new development adjacent to wild lands and flood prone areas. These factors, coupled with changes in weather patterns and rainfall, have heightened loss potential. The insured loss for the year 2008 fires in California alone was $2 billion. More than seven million homes in California are in areas categorized in the three highest fire-risk levels. Insurers are also exposed to increasing flood losses for commercial and industrial properties.
Only a few years ago, several large wildfires in southern California dominated media headlines as they encroached on the suburbs surrounding both San Diego and Los Angeles. In total, about 500,000 acres of land (about the size of Rhode Island) were burned. In addition, a total of 3,581 homes, a countless number of vehicles and a number of commercial buildings were destroyed, disrupting hundreds of thousands of people's lives. Given this level of destruction, it is apparent that a real need exists for some type of device or apparatus which could be used to safeguard homes and other structures from the risks of being damaged or destroyed by brush fires or forest fires other than the conventional fire extinguishers which are lacking in capacity to fight prolonged fires.
Accordingly, a need remains for a device in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing an indoor fire hydrant that is convenient and easy to use, is durable yet lightweight in design, is versatile in its applications, and provides a user with an easy and accessible means of fighting the spread of a fire in and around the house.

Indoor fire hydrant and associated method


An integrated circuit and a method for using metal fill geometries to reduce the voltage drop in power meshes. Metal fill geometries are connected to the power mesh using vias or wires at multiple locations. Metal fill geometries are connected to other floating metal fill geometries using vias or wires at multiple locations. The circuit design introduces maximum redundancy between metal fill geometries and power mesh geometries, but partial redundancy between metal fill geometries and metal fill geometries. In particular, the redundancy in connectivity between metal fill geometries and metal fill geometries is kept minimal to reduce the number of geometries introduced. The high redundancy between metal fill geometries and power mesh geometries and the partial redundancy among metal fill geometries result in a smaller IR-drop by reducing the effective resistance on a power mesh. Hence, the invention use redundancy carefully and advantageously to achieve simultaneous metal density and IR-drop optimization without introducing excessive number of metal fill geometries.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the design of semiconductor integrated circuits ("ICs") and more specifically, to using redundantly tied metal fill for voltage drop (as a function of current and resistance, also referred to as "IR-drop") and layout density optimization.
2. Background of the Invention
Semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) are typically composed of layer structures consisting of several layers of conducting, insulating and other materials. These materials are structured in the horizontal dimension by fabrication processes that transfer patterns defined in physical designs or layouts. Further, IC design processes typically employ various rules to ensure uniform density requirements and signal integrity requirements.
The multilayer interconnect in ICs allow various transistors to be connected to complete a circuit. In the metal layers of an IC chip, there are some areas with high interconnect density and others with low density. Certain fabrication processing steps, such as the chemical mechanical polishing ("CMP") process used for planarizing interlayer dielectrics, have varying effects on device and interconnect features depending on local characteristics of the layout. To make these effects uniform and predictable, the layout itself must be made uniform with respect to certain density parameter. Traditional methods to achieve uniformity include insertion ("filling") or partial deletion ("slotting") of features in the layout. Uniformity of CMP depends on uniformity of features on the interconnect layer beneath a given dielectric layer to avoid dishing and other irregularities. Metal-fill patterning is the process of filling the large open areas on each metal layer with a metal pattern, which is either grounded or left floating, to compensate for pattern-driven variation. A metal fill can be floating or tied. A tied metal fill is connected to ground or power. A floating metal fill is not connected to a ground or power and is electrically floating. A problem with floating metal fill geometries is that their capacitive values are unknown and they will capacitively couple with the signal lines above and below.
Another challenge in IC design involves failures caused by signal integrity problems. IR drop is one such signal integrity effects caused by wire resistance and current drawn from the power and ground grids. If the wire resistance is too great or the cell current is higher than predicted, an unacceptable voltage drop may occur. The voltage drop causes the voltage supplied to the affected cells to be lower than required, leading to larger gate and signal delays, which in turn can cause timing degradation in the signal paths as well as clock skew. In the worst case, the voltage drop may be large enough that transistors fail to switch correctly, causing the chip to fail.
In most conventional IC design flows, signal integrity analysis is performed as a post-layout activity. Attempting to analyze and correct for these issues post-layout often results in costly and time-consuming design iterations, failed schedules, reduced product performance and even larger die sizes with poorer manufacturing yield.
It is therefore desirable to improve on existing methods to address signal integrity and metal-fill issues as an integral part of the design flow.

Redundantly tied metal fill for IR-drop and layout density optimization


A digital-analog converter includes a counter (13) for performing counting operation according to clocks (CK1, CK2), a comparator (12) for comparing the count value to a digital input value and outputting the clocks (CK1, CK2) until the values coincide, switches (SW1, SW2) which turn ON/OFF according to the clocks (CK1, CK2), and a capacitor (C1) which charges and discharges by utilizing constant current sources (21, 22) when the switches (SW1, SW2) are ON. A digital portion (10) including the comparator (12) and the counter (13) is completely separated from an analog portion (20) including the capacitor (C1) and the switches (SW1, SW2) and these portions are connected only by the clocks (CK1, CK2), so that the digital portion (10) and the analog portion (20) can be designed separately.

A D/A converter for converting discrete digital data into continuous analog signals can be a converter of ladder resistance network type, segment type, integral type, etc. A converter of ladder resistance network type is configured by combining a ladder-shaped resistance network with a plurality of analog switches, and retrieves analog output from the end of the resistance network by controlling the analog switch using a digital input value.
A converter of segment type is configured by 2n-1 constant current circuits, and obtains analog output by adding a current with the switch corresponding to the digital input value turned on. A converter of integral type integrates a constant current using a mirror integration circuit while counting a clock value specified by a digital input value using a counter, and the resultant integral value is obtained as analog output.
Normally, in analog signal processing, the concept of the analog technology such as the reflection and a delay of a signal, the consistency of a transmission line, etc. is to be applied to circuit design, and the circuit design cannot be performed ad in digital data processing. Therefore, to perform the analog signal processing, a circuit applicable to the analog technology is to be designed, and to perform the digital data processing, a circuit applicable to the digital technology is to be designed.
However, any type of the above-mentioned conventional D/A converter is configured by a digital portion and an analog portion in a random mixed manner in the entire process of inputting digital data and outputting an analog signal. Therefore, there has been the problem that it is very difficult to design a circuit appropriate for the analog signal processing and the digital data processing.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the above problem. It is an object of the present invention to completely separate the digital portion and analog portion thereby facilitating the designing of circuits suitable for the portions.


The present disclosure provides recombinant T cells that include a vector encoding one or more of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α), mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam), GA binding protein transcription factor alpha subunit (GABPA), and estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα). Such recombinant T cells can also include a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or a recombinant T cell receptor (TCR). Methods of using these recombinant T cells in cancer immunotherapy are provided. Also provided are kits and compositions that can be used with such methods.

The immune system has evolved multiple cellular mechanisms for the detection and elimination of abnormal or stressed cells in a wide array of environments. Early detection of cancer, via immunosurveillance, can occur almost anywhere, facilitating destruction of early transformed cells expressing neoantigen. However, as cancers immunoedit and escape this initial immune detection, they also generate an extraordinarily immunosuppressive microenvironment which restricts T cell infiltration, activation, and effector function both through direct repression (via cytokines, adenosine, prostaglandins, glucose restriction, etc.) as well as the recruitment of immunosuppressive populations tasked with maintaining immune tolerance (Jiang et al., 2015). The result is an ineffectual antitumor immune response and consequent tumor progression.
Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have revealed that the T cell response to cancer can be reinvigorated in a variety of ways, resulting in durable and effective benefit in a wide array of cancer types (La-Beck et al., 2015; Mahoney et al., 2015; Ribas, 2015). These include engineering chimeric antigen receptors to better target T cells to tumor antigens, personalized antigen vaccines to persistent neoepitopes, and, probably most prominently, antibody-mediated blockade of co-inhibitory 'checkpoint' molecules, like programmed death-1 (PD-1), cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3), T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-containing gene 3 (Tim-3), among others (La-Beck et al., 2015). These molecules are highly upregulated on tumor-infiltrating T cells and are thought to act to negatively regulate T cell activation and effector function. This elevated and sustained expression of co-inhibitory molecules is indicative of a hyporesponsive phenotype, originally discovered in chronic viral infection, termed T cell 'exhaustion' (Wherry and Kurachi, 2015). Thought to occur from chronic activation and inflammation, antigen persistence results in continued TCR and cytokine signals, which promote upregulation of these receptors, resulting a hyporesponsiveness functionally similar to anergy but mechanistically distinct (Crespo et al., 2013; Schietinger and Greenberg, 2014). Importantly, T cells can still have an exhausted phenotype in the absence of co-inhibitory molecules (Legat et al., 2013; Odorizzi et al., 2015), shedding light on the fact that while these co-inhibitory molecules have been extensively studied at the molecular and biochemical levels, it is still unclear what the contribution of co-inhibitory molecule signaling is to the initiation and/or maintenance of the exhausted phenotype. Thus for improving the treatment of cancer, chronic viral infections, and other diseases, it is critical to understand the mechanisms behind the dysfunction in chronically activated T cells (Pauken and Wherry, 2015). This is especially important considering that, while checkpoint blockade has had remarkable success in the clinic, the majority of patients still do not respond to these therapies (La-Beck et al., 2015).
Carrying out effector function is a metabolically demanding process (Pearce et al., 2013). T cells must efficiently divide and replicate their genome very rapidly and with fidelity, synthesize high levels of cytokines, and deliver cytotoxic payload to target cells. Recent discoveries of T cells' dependence on nutrient sensing and availability and flux through various glycolytic pathways have shown that metabolism represents a key mechanism by which the immune system can be regulated (Delgoffe and Powell, 2015). They also suggest that the fate and function of T cells are intrinsically tied to their metabolism, and that a T cell (like any other cell) requires the machinery to generate bioenergetic intermediates to support proliferation and effector function (Delgoffe and Powell, 2015).
T cells utilize aerobic glycolysis, diverting glucose into cytosolic lactate fermentation rather than mitochondrial acetyl-CoA oxidation to support their expansion and proliferation during their effector phase (Pearce et al., 2013; Roos and Loos, 1970). The precise contributions of this pathway and teleologic reasoning for its function remain the subject of much study, but nevertheless the mitochondria remain an essential component of T cell metabolism. Effector T cells significantly upregulate oxidative phosphorylation activity and memory T cell precursors become increasingly dependent on mitochondria to mediate fatty acid oxidation over time (van der Windt et al., 2012; van der Windt et al., 2013). Furthermore, the mitochondria remain important organelles for biosynthesis, calcium buffering, and mediating programmed cell death (Rizzuto et al., 2012; Wenner, 2012). Thus, while T cells may divert glucose metabolism away from mitochondrial pathways during activation, mitochondria are still critical for maintaining the health and integrity of the T cell in both effector and memory phases.
While the effects of glucose deprivation in tumor microenvironments on glycolytic metabolism and T cell function have garnered much recent interest, the mitochondrial phenotype of T cells infiltrating tumors remains unclear (Chang et al., 2015; Ho et al., 2015; Siska and Rathmell, 2015; Zhao et al., 2015).

Genetic re-engineering of immune cells to improve metabolic fitness for immunotherapy

University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education


A magnesium compound obtained by reacting metallic magnesium having a sphericity (S) of less than 4.00, the sphericity (S) being represented by the following formula (I), an alcohol, and a halogen and/or a halogen-containing compound containing halogen atoms in an amount of 0.0001 gram atom or more relative to one gram atom of the metallic magnesium,S=(L1/L2)3  (I)                wherein L1 represents the maximum diameter of projection views of metallic magnesium determined by photographing with a scanning electron microscope and thereafter an image processing, and L2 represents a diameter of a circle having an area equal to the area of the projection view of metallic magnesium. A solid catalyst component is obtained from the magnesium compound and a titanium compound, and a catalyst for olefin polymerization is obtained using the solid catalyst component.

Hitherto, magnesium compounds such as magnesium chloride and magnesium alkoxides have been widely used as a support material without being milled in the field of catalysts for olefin polymerization, specifically the monopolymerization or copolymerization of olefins such as ethylene and propylene. This may improve the catalyst activity and the morphology of polyolefin powder.
For example, for improving an olefin polymer in the morphology including a particle size, form, etc., JP-A-S63-280707 discloses a method in which a magnesium compound is supported on an inorganic oxide such as silica, or JP-A-S58-000811 discloses a method in which a magnesium compound is once dissolved in a solvent such as an alcohol and then precipitate again, which precipitate is used.
However, these methods include very complicated steps, since they require the procedures of supporting, dissolving and precipitating a magnesium compound. Further, these methods have a defect that the catalyst is poor in stability of performance since the catalytic activity is high only at an early stage of the polymerization.
JP-A-H4-130107 discloses to use as a support of catalysts a magnesium compound obtained by reacting metallic magnesium, an alcohol and a certain amount of halogen. However, the sphericity or particle size distribution of support and polymer powder obtained may not be satisfactory dependently on the particulate properties of metallic magnesium or conditions under which a magnesium compound is produced.
In view of the foregoing the invention has been made and an object thereof is to provide a magnesium compound, a solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization, a catalyst for olefin polymerization and a method for producing a polyolefin, which can give a polyolefin with a narrow particle size distribution and/or a nearly spherical form without reducing stereoregularity and catalyst properties such as polymerization activity.
The inventors made efforts to find that the above subject can be solved by producing a solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization by reacting a magnesium compound and a titanium compound, the magnesium compound being obtained from metallic magnesium with a specified sphericity or particle size distribution index, or merallic magnesium with an oxidized coating film having a specified thickness; or obtained by reacting metallic magnesium with a specified average particle size, a specified amount of an alcohol and a halogen and/or a halogen-containing compound under specified stirring conditions. The invention has been completed by the finding.

Magnesium compound, solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization, catalyst for olefin polymerization and method for producing polyolefin

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method for flashing an opening defined by a bottom sill, a pair of side jambs, and a top header includes forming a sill diverter dam at the bottom sill to receive a backside of a door or window frame with an adhesive strip placed along the sill diverter dam. The method further includes applying a sheet of flexible membrane at each intersection of the bottom sill and each side jamb, attaching a strip of weep flashing to the wall overlapping the diverter dam at the bottom sill, applying sealant along an upper edge of the door or window frame, attaching a jamb diverter sheet to the wall at each side jamb, applying sealant to the door or window frame, placing the door or window frame in the opening, applying additional sealant along the top header, and attaching a header diverter sheet to the wall along the top header.

Installation of windows or doors in a building structure, for example, requires adequate sealing and protection against moisture penetration in the form of waterproof and water-tight sealing of the structural joints and surfaces around openings in exterior walls where the windows and doors will be installed. Employed sealing and waterproofing mechanisms must also allow moisture to weep from the opening or area where the sealing and protection against moisture penetration is required. This waterproof and water-tight sealing of structural joints and surfaces to prevent moisture penetration may be particularly complicated at window and door opening corners where traditional flashing techniques and materials are difficult to correctly implement, or where the window or door may be recessed from the exterior or interior of the finished wall.
A number of different waterproofing or flashing methods and devices employing a variety of different techniques and materials for sealing joints and surfaces of openings currently exist. A number of these different methods and devices specifically for sealing recessed openings also exist. However, these existing methods and devices often require onsite fabrication of a flashing device or system, additional sealing steps, or application of additional weather resistant barrier or flashing layers to properly seal against moisture penetration at the window and door openings. Accordingly, a need exists for a flashing method that is quick and easy to install and has a versatile and adaptable application for use at a variety of window and door opening types, whether flat or recessed.

Method for flashing a window or door opening


A vapor taker system, a vessel-based solution to accommodate vapor destruction during hydrocarbon loading and/or lightering, is disclosed. The vapor taker has vapor destruction equipment, support fuel, and accommodation for loading hose connections as necessary to comply with air emissions requirements for the destruction of volatile organic compounds. The vapor taker system can be modular or fully integrated into a marine vessel such as a ship, barge, tanker, and so forth.

Since Congress lifted the United States' crude export ban in October of 2015, numerous companies are investigating ways to export domestic oil to foreign markets. Vessels utilized for crude export are often too large to be fully loaded at dockside facilities, requiring offshore lightering (e.g., half filling the tanker at the dock and performing an offshore ship to ship transfer for the remainder of the load). This method has proven inefficient and costly, so the market has responded with multiple applications for offshore oil export ports. These offshore port options include various forms of fixed and floating structures to assist in mooring and loading of large hydrocarbon transport vessels.
The loading and transfer of liquid hydrocarbons results in the creation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which when released into the environment raises both safety and environmental concerns. VOCs are often highly flammable, and the buildup and/or ignition of their fumes can cause substantial harm to persons and property. VOCs also cause environmental harm when released into the atmosphere, onto land, or into a marine environment. As such, present marine terminal operations must be compliant with various state and federally mandated air emissions requirements. These requirements include capture or destruction of VOCs created during the process of loading liquid hydrocarbons.
Federal and state regulatory agencies also require an air permit prior to constructing a loading facility regardless of onshore or offshore application. Onshore permitting is governed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the state's department of environmental quality (determined by volume and potential to emit), who, along with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), provides guidelines for vapor control requirements. Depending upon the distance from the shore, either state or federal law (and often both) governs air permitting requirements for a loading facility.

Offshore transfer and destruction of volatile organic compounds


The embodiments of the present invention are directed to the formation of multi-layer silicon structures by forming and attaching a plurality of individual layers or structures where each of the layers or the structures comprises at least silicon forming a desired pattern. In some embodiments or some applications of some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of individual layers or the structures comprises a plurality of discrete silicon features that are combined together with at least one sacrificial material. In some embodiments or some applications of some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of individual layers or the structures comprises a plurality of discrete silicon features that are supported by a temporary substrate. Still in some embodiments or some applications of some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of individual layers or the structures needs to be machined after it is attached to a receiver such as a substrate or an another layer or structure. The present invention also discloses various fabrication methods for making required silicon layers or structures and attaching methods for forming multi-layer silicon structures.

MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) technology enables to fabricate microdevices with reduced size, weight, cost and power demanding, and yet with improved performance, functionality and reliability. In silicon micromachining, currently there is no fabrication technology available for the manufacture of virtually arbitrary, complex 3-D silicon microdevices. Therefore, current silicon microdevices suffer from fairly simple geometries defined only by one to five layers, i.e., either high-aspect-ratio 2.5-D structures by silicon bulk micromachining or low-aspect-ratio planar (2-D) structures by silicon surface micromachining, so that complex MEMS devices with high-performance are extremely hard to be realized.
The only way to realize relatively complex silicon microdevices is the bonding of pre-micromachined silicon microstructures, i.e., bulk micromachining plus silicon bonding. One well-known example is the micro gas turbine engine fabricated by bonding five layers of pre-micromachined silicon wafers (see Luc G. Fréchette et al, "High-Speed Microfabricated Silicon Turbomachinery and Fluid Film Bearings", Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 141-152 (2005)). However, this technology has its intrinsic drawbacks and is only suitable for building devices with limited 3-D geometries. The drawbacks are summarized as follows.
If we divide a truly 3-D microdevice into multiple layers along its z-axis, we will find that one or more of the layers comprise discrete features. A discrete feature means that it does not mechanically connect with other features on the same layer. Obviously this kind of layer cannot be made separately as discrete features will fall down. This is a fundamental drawback in bulk micromachining plus silicon bonding. To overcome this technical barrier, special fabrication approaches have to be implemented. For example, for making the layers containing discrete features, one solution is to use temporary silicon connections which support discrete silicon features. After all layers are bonded together, the temporary silicon connections are then cut to release the discrete features. However, this post-treatment only works for special designs. In addition, it is not a reliable and desirable approach as the removal of the mechanical connections is the last step of the process. If it fails, all previous work will be wasted. To avoid making the layers containing discrete features, one solution is to do multiple etching on both sides of layers. However, deep etching can be performed only once on each side of a layer, which restricts to form more complex structures. Besides, this solution involves many process steps and faces difficult operations, low throughput and low yield.
Another intrinsic drawback of this technology (bulk micromachining plus silicon bonding) is related to deep etching processes such as DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching). The DRIE etch rate distributes non-uniformly both locally and globally over a wafer depending on feature geometry and feature distribution. Although the etch parameters of DRIE can be adjusted to an extent to lessen this effect, non-uniformity cannot be avoided. In addition, after DRIE, one has to accept as-is for both etched depth non-uniformity and etched surface smoothness since there does not exist a post-treatment process for improving non-uniformity and smoothness.
Summarily, although bulk micromachining plus silicon bonding is the way to form complex silicon microstructures, the intrinsic drawbacks of this technology restrict it to build limited 3-D microstructures and make it a quite complicated and low yield process as well. Because of the limitations of current silicon micromachining technologies, microdevices have to be designed to fit into the capabilities of silicon micromachining so that desired features have to be compromised or even sacrificed, and optimal performance usually cannot be achieved.
The present inventor invented a technique for forming multi-layer 3-D structures (e.g., parts, components, devices, and the like) by separately fabricating a plurality of individual layers and/or individual groups of layers of fabrication materials and then attaching them together. This technique is dubbed as Assemblayer™. It was disclosed in U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/278,137 filed Mar. 30, 2006 and U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 11/548,207 filed Oct. 10, 2006 by the present inventor. These two applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full herein.
The Assemblayer™ technique applies the concept of Rapid Prototyping (RP) or Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) to multi-layer 3-D microfabrication in which an object with arbitrary 3-D geometry can be made by stacking a series of 2-D layers. As one or more of the 2-D layers may contain discrete features, a sacrificial material is thus used to function as an "adhesive" which combines the discrete features together on each of these layers. Otherwise the layers containing discrete features cannot be made. It is this unique use of sacrificial material that not only makes it possible to make 2-D layers containing discrete features, but also distinguishes Assemblayer™ from other microfabrication technologies. Unlike RP or SFF, the core of Assemblayer™ is to fabricate a plurality of individual layers and/or individual groups of layers of fabrication materials wherein at least one of the layers comprises at least one structural material and at least one sacrificial material. The structural material features on the layers compose desired 3-D microstructures. These layers are then aligned (if necessary) and attached together to form a multilayer structure. Finally the sacrificial material is removed to release the desired multi-layer 3-D structures. Note that in some cases if a sacrificial material does not influence what a multi-layer structure is designed to do, part or all of it may be left untouched.
When Assemblayer™ is used to fabricate structures comprising silicon, the resulting manufacturing process is dubbed as Si-Assemblayer™.

Methods for forming multi-layer silicon structures


A linear or cyclic siloxane compound contains pendant carbon to carbon double bonds, Si—H bonds, and pendant oxetane functionality. These compounds have two curing temperatures, one associated with a hydrosilation reaction between the carbon to carbon double bond and the Si—H entity, and the other associated with the ring opening of the oxetane.

Included within the processing steps for the fabrication of a semiconductor package, a semiconductor die or chip is mechanically bonded with an adhesive to a substrate. The fabrication can take place in a continuous series of steps, or the substrate can be prepared with the adhesive for the mechanical attach, and then held until a later time.
If the fabrication process is to be interrupted after the deposition of the adhesive to the substrate and the assembly held to a later time, the adhesive must be in a solidified form for successful storage. The solidified form provides the further advantages of minimal or no bleeding, and better control of bondline thickness and bondline tilt, the bondline being the interface between the chip and the adhesive.
For some semiconductor packaging applications, paste adhesives are preferred over solid (film) adhesives for process reasons, yet the bond-line and fillet control of solids are desired. In such a case, an adhesive known as a B-stageable adhesive may be used. If the starting adhesive material is a solid, the solid is dispersed or dissolved in a solvent to form a paste and the paste applied to the substrate. The adhesive is then heated to evaporate the solvent, leaving a solid, but uncured, adhesive on the substrate. If the starting adhesive material is a liquid or paste, the adhesive is dispensed onto the substrate and heated to partially cure the adhesive to a solid state. The application of heat at this stage in fabrication is termed B-staging, and the adhesive, B-stageable.
Although there are the advantages to solid adhesives mentioned above, there are also disadvantages. After B-staging and during storage, solid adhesives are prone to absorbing moisture from the air under ambient conditions, or from substrates, especially organic substrates such as BT resins, printed circuit boards or polyimide flexible substrates. The adhesives also may contain a level of residual solvent or other volatiles.
At elevated attach temperatures, the absorbed moisture and residual volatile materials will evaporate rapidly. If this evaporation occurs faster than the vapors can diffuse out of the adhesive, voids or bubbles appear in the adhesive and can be a source of ultimate failure of the adhesive. This creates a need for curable compositions that are B-stageable but that do not promote voiding.
Cyclic or linear siloxane resins, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,751,337, 4,877,820, 4,900,779, 4,902,731, 5,013,809, 5,025,048, 5,077,134, 5,118,735, 5,124,423, 5,124,375, 5,147,945, 5,171,817, 5,196,498, 5,242,979, 5,260,377, 5,334,688, 5,340,644, 5,373,077, 5,391,678, 5,408,026, 5,412,055, 5,451,637, 5,491,249, 5,523,374, 5,512,376, have pendant carbon to carbon double bonds introduced through the addition of dicyclopentadiene to the linear or cyclic siloxane backbone. These siloxane compounds have superior stability and very low moisture absorption, however, they have less than optimum adhesive properties.
Oxetane resins are highly reactive cyclic ethers that can undergo both cationic and anionic ring opening homopolymerization, and in general, exhibit good adhesion, shrink minimally upon cure, and polymerize readily. A combination of the properties found in oxetane compounds and in siloxane compounds, in which the siloxane compounds contain Si—H bonds and carbon to carbon double bond functionality, would be an advantage in uses requiring dual cure materials, such as in B-stageable adhesives for use in electrical, electronic, photonic, and optoelectronic applications.

Siloxane resins with oxetane functionality

National Starch and Chemical Investment Holding Corporation


An audio power amplifier package includes a non-signal lead, a first non-signal pad, a second non-signal pad and a plurality of bonding wires. The first non-signal pad and the second non-signal pad are disposed on a substrate. The bonding wires connect the non-signal lead to the first non-signal pad and the second non-signal pad respectively.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a package. More particularly, the present invention relates to an audio power amplifier package.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern electronic products typically enclose a semiconductor chip and a carrier for electrically connecting with the semiconductor chip. At present, there are three major techniques for connecting a chip to a carrier, namely, a wire-bonding process, a flip-chip process and a tape-automated-bonding (TAB) process. If the carrier is a lead frame, the wire-bonding process is often used to connect the chip with the leads on the lead frame.
For a conventional audio power amplifier which is fabricated by using the wire-bonding process, in order to meet the need for package size and die size when designing the audio power amplifier, switches and other circuits, such as operational amplifiers and band-gap reference circuits, in the audio power amplifier have to be powered at one time through one pin of the audio power amplifier package. Thus, the switches which need high switching power usually produce some interference and power noise to seriously affect the operational amplifiers and band-gap reference circuits which need pure power. Accordingly, the wired-bonding and layout part of the package have to be modified, so as to solve the problem of the interference and power noise.